DOT violation or OK to send her???

Posted by yeah-no-yeah-no@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 51 comments

Is this tire ok or is it a DOT violation??

I picked up the trailer this morning it had 4 damaged tires (thanks US Xpress), took it to the terminal shop. They threw new ones on and said “you’re good”. I inspected everything and spotted this outside tire though. Am I really “good” or is this DOT violation?

Thanks for your help

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Ok_Bug_6470@reddit

Dude, send that shit and if not I’ll take the tire. A trailer tire?! Cmon man

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yeah-no-yeah-no@reddit (OP)

Last I checked damage to trailer tires is a DOT violation and risk of blowout. Don’t know about you, but I take potential violations & safety of fellow motorists seriously, I try to be a professional driver always.

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Ok_Bug_6470@reddit

Yeh definitely, good for you man. But there’s different levels of safety and it kind of sounds like you’re not wanting to work and using this as an excuse. If you don’t wanna run it then don’t run it. But don’t use the Dudley do right routine.

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yeah-no-yeah-no@reddit (OP)

Different levels of safety? I’d love to hear more about this. Could you please explain for a Dudley Do Right like myself? Also, curious why you edited your original comment after I replied to you? Were you feeling like a Dudley Do Wrong a bit?

Dudley Do Wrong Original Comment

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melovemelongtimee@reddit

I wish a truckers thought like this. I’m new and definitely going in with this mind state

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FlowOk4608@reddit

Recaps fail because of under/overinflation. Check the tire pressure and keep trucking.

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username_fantasies@reddit

Run it. You will get a lot of these and they do hold up driving over serious washboards.

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dewky@reddit

DOT here.I wouldn't mark it as a violation but I would let you know and give it a caution. Keep checking on it because it could lead to tread separation eventually.

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LucHighwalker@reddit

Had a similar tread on a trailer tire once, that's exactly what DOT told me.

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threeglude@reddit

Have you not seen the video op posted? It's clearly in the process of separating and frankly, a rotten looking tire. That's a blow out waiting to happen. Nothing short of a "ticking time bomb"

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dewky@reddit

Nope, didn't watch the video but I just did. I'd have the check the oos criteria but I don't think that would qualify as tread separation but it's damn close. I'd want to see if you can pry up the tread a bit before I marked it down. Companies these days are really cheap and you often get complaints for not following the criteria extremely closely. If you mark it down the company has to change it and that hurts their bottom line. That's the world we live in today unfortunately.

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threeglude@reddit

Oh, I know it.

Wasn't necessarily thinking this would be an OOS type of thing, just that I wouldn't run a tire looking like that.

Looks like a poorly done retread and even borderline looking like its rotting in some places. Just not safe.

Thank goodness the company I run with now uses nothing but virgin tires.

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nicerakk@reddit

Nice work. Telling DOT they're wrong

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threeglude@reddit

🤣🤣

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doobersthetitan@reddit

Id swap it out...but I'm a pussy.

Rather er on side if caution than that blow near a car cause a family to wreck.

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Lopsided_Diamond327@reddit

When in doubt ship it out

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ThrottleItOut@reddit

Every motorcyclist is begging you to not.

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HortonHearsAJew26@reddit

Send her🫡

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Environmental-Pear40@reddit

I mean, it is fine. There's nothing wrong with the tire itself. The corner is a bit chewed is all. The corners are the strongest part of a tire. I'm assuming it's a recap because I mostly see this on recaps. Tho I've been told it can happen on any tire. It won't increase the likeliness of separation or blow out.

Now if you can lift the tread up and fit like a pocket knife under it for an inch or so. You should go talk to the shops manager. Since that would be separation, no good.

I'd say the trailer probably needs an alignment or something.

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Gilgamesh2000000@reddit

That’s tread separation. This is tread chunking and they can put you oos for this if they want to. Depends on how the dot man is feeling. I have seen unit put oos for this and I have seen units let go with similar.

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yeah-no-yeah-no@reddit (OP)

This is very helpful, thanks for the info. Great tip about pocket knife for reference

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Specific_Previous@reddit

Shops just gonna put it on the inside. At least mine would

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yeah-no-yeah-no@reddit (OP)

My first thought when I saw it was why didn’t they put it on the inside. At least try and hide it, right?

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Gilgamesh2000000@reddit

They can put you oos for this. “Tread chunking”

Source: commercial tire industry 7 years.

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nicerakk@reddit

They didn't do anything with it because it's good still. Tires get chewed up all the time. If there's no belts showing or if the tread chunks that are missing don't span across 2 tread grooves, it's good. Just keep an eye on it. I can't tell you how many tires I've had that look like this. It's on the trailer no less. I've got over a decade of driving.

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Ornery_Ads@reddit

An inspector will stop and take a closer look at it, but its still perfectly legal

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Safe_Fail_568@reddit

Looks like a recap

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Littlerone90@reddit

Yeah that’s a big red flag violation. I’d get it swapped out before taking it.

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trucker_redbeard@reddit

I hope you’re joking.

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Littlerone90@reddit

According to every DOT that I’ve talked to or had the displeasure of meeting any cuts, or gouges will get a citation. Now does that mean everyone will do that? Absolutely not, but I’ve learned my lesson I will not take a tire that has gouges like the one pictured.

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Throwdown_name@reddit

393.75 Tires.

(a) No motor vehicle shall be operated on any tire that—

(1) Has body ply or belt material exposed through the tread or sidewall,

(2) Has any tread or sidewall separation,

(3) Is flat or has an audible leak, or

(4) Has a cut to the extent that the ply or belt material is exposed.

That is the law, word for word. The pictures do not support a violation of the DOT law. That’s an easy win on DataQ. Hang out at better weigh stations.

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yeah-no-yeah-no@reddit (OP)

Here’s video of the tire in question

trailer tire damage

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NickAppleese@reddit

Oh, on the sidewall?

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck that.

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threeglude@reddit

Looks like some separation is happening. F that. I wouldn't run it.

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mrockracing@reddit

You have to ask?

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Dry_Ad2341@reddit

Your shop should have been smart enough to hide it on the inside, don't go anywhere super hot it should last a few hours, but that is a crap looking recap for sure.

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Dinyska@reddit

It can blow up anytime.

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Alarming_Star_6549@reddit

Why drive on that and get down the road and blow it. Kinda moronic but typical for this page

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Vast-Yak-8713@reddit

It’s at worst a verbal ‘caution’ warning

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connorbu19@reddit

That looks like a poorly done recap tread. I wouldn’t run that.

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3rdSafest@reddit

Looks like extra traction to me, but I doubt DOT is gunna let that slide. Rest of that tread is coming off soon.

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Always_Shifting_4459@reddit

There's quite a bit of tire between where the tread meets the sidewall. One of my drives is like that but missing a bigger chunk of tire. Was originally still there and hanging on by a piece of tire. Now that piece is gone. Still drives just fine until I can get it looked at later today (truck is at the yard and got back over the weekend while I'm at home so not actually driving the truck like that)

In your case it's not that bad so go with it but keep an eye on it in case it gets worse

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yeah-no-yeah-no@reddit (OP)

Sidewall damage/chucking & deep gouge

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Throwdown_name@reddit

That is not sidewall damage. The damage is to the tread but it is not separating. No violation of 49 CFR 393.75 and certainly don’t try to make it OOS condition. Send it.

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yeah-no-yeah-no@reddit (OP)

Thank you, appreciate your details. I’m still learning out here. this is super helpful

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nicerakk@reddit

Looks legal to me.no belts showing in the bottom of that

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AsphaltPirate74@reddit

I think it's fine but DOT can be sticklers sometimes from what I hear