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damaged tire after tire explosion at high speed on highway.

What to Do If Your 18-Wheeler Blows a Tire

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 500 traffic fatalities reported in 2022 were tire-related, including blowouts.

A tire blowout can occur for any number of reasons. Underinflated tires are often the primary reason for them happening. However, road debris, obstructions, punctured tires, overinflated tires, improper wheel balancing, excessive tire tread wear, and excessive weight can also cause them. Regardless of why it happens, the most important thing is knowing what to do when it happens because it can literally be a life-or-death situation.

How to Tell a Blowout Has Occurred

Once a tire blowout occurs, it’s immediate. You’ll hear a loud boom followed by a rattling sound as your 18-wheeler vibrates and begins to pull in either direction.

Immediate Actions: Do’s & Don’ts

Do not:

  • Panic
  • Turn the steering wheel
  • Step on the brakes
  • Take your foot off the pedal
  • Accelerate

Do:

  • Remain in control and take a deep breath.
  • Keep your hands firm on the steering wheel and focus on keeping your momentum. At some point, you’ll begin to feel more in control.
  • Once you are in control, you can turn on your hazard lights.
  • Maintain that control while you gradually slow down. Your blown tire will naturally slow your truck down. Depending on your speed before the tire blowout, it may take a while before your speed declines.
  • Once your truck has slowed down to between 20 and 30 mph, steer your truck toward a safe location on the side of the road.
  • When you’ve come to a complete stop, turn off the engine and call for help.

Next Step: Inspect the Tire

If you’ve been forced to stop your truck on the median or side of the highway, be sure to exit your truck passenger side, away from traffic. Always maintain a safe distance from your truck. Locate the blown tire and perform the following inspection.

First, take photographs of the blown tire, making sure to capture all possible angles from the outside. Do not try to take any photographs of the tire’s interior by kneeling or getting beneath the truck or trailer. Remember—maintain a safe distance.

Next, take a 20- to 30-second video of the blown tire, ensuring you capture as much video evidence as possible. It should be long enough to show the front and sides of the tires.

Third, note where the blowout occurred and capture as many details as possible. If you noticed road debris or a large pothole that you believed may have caused the blowout, then make sure to note that.

Finally, if you notice any obvious damage to the truck or trailer’s axle, try to ensure your photos or videos represent that damage.

Last Step: Reporting

Once you have all your photos, videos, and documentation, you should contact dispatch to let them know what happened. The dispatcher can also help you request services from a TIA-certified roadside assistance provider. TIA-certified technicians and roadside service personnel are specifically trained to deal with blowouts on 18-wheelers. They have the required training, equipment, and expertise to replace the tire while also being able to pinpoint the root cause of the tire blowout.

Preventing Blowouts

At some point during your career, it’s likely you’ll experience a tire blowout. In fact, FMCSA’s Large Truck Crash Causation study found that over 8,000 trucks experience blowouts.

Although tire blowouts are common, this doesn’t mean that they aren’t preventable. If you want to stay safe, adopt these practices:

  • Perform Pre-Trip Inspections: Your employer will provide a checklist for inspecting windshield wipers, mirrors, lights, reflectors, brakes, brake system, and steering. Also, be sure you have a list of emergency contacts. It’s always better to know who to call in emergencies before you get on the road.
  • Make Tire Thumping/Tire Pressure Readings a Regular Practice: Overinflated or underinflated tires can cause blowouts. So, ensure tire pressure checks are part of regular maintenance, especially in the fall and spring when temperatures change drastically. Although tire thumping is a common practice, we recommend using a calibrated pressure gauge instead because it will provide more accurate readings.
  • Ensure You’re Getting Your Wheels Balanced & Aligned: Part of a regular maintenance schedule is ensuring your wheels are properly balanced and aligned. Balancing ensures your truck’s weight is evenly distributed across all wheels, while alignment ensures that each wheel maintains proper surface contact with the road. Both are needed to reduce tire tread wear, improve control, and reduce excessive vibration or pulling.
  • Perform Periodic Rim Maintenance: ****Even the smallest ****bend, crack, or uneven surface on your rims can cause tire pressure loss and lead to tire tread wear. Either can cause a blowout. If you purchase retreaded tires, ensure those tires have been properly inspected or retreated by a TIA-certified dealer.
  • Never Exceed Weight Restrictions: Never exceed the federal axle weight limit, and always ensure you’re following the proper weight limits and restrictions according to the Department of Transportation (DOT), which for an 18-wheeler is 80,000 pounds.

To learn more about how regular maintenance can help you avoid tire blowouts, please visit Owner-Operator Tips: How to Properly Maintain Your Semi-Truck.

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TSI is a family-owned and -operated trucking company that has been serving businesses for more than four decades. As a family-run company, we consider our employees family and work tirelessly to ensure they remain safe on the road by providing extensive training, educational opportunities, and driver resources.

If you’re looking for more tips and insight on how to safely transport your freight, please visit our blog, where we frequently post new driver resources. And, if you’re new to the trucking industry or interested in joining TSI’s family of drivers, please visit our website to learn more about our current opportunities.