old school observation.... tire whacker
Observed this weekend...18 wheeler operator using a metal rod , strolled around his rig... whacked each tire. No TPMS, no digital tire pressure gauge. The man makes a living driving big rigs. Hm...
Forum Discussion
Dutch_12078 wrote:
The other side of the "thumping" coin:It’s a scene played out countless times a day: A truck driver climbs into his cab and cranks his rig. While the big diesel is warming up, he reaches down behind the seat or into the storage space in the door and pulls out a heavy wooden club. He climbs out and walks around his rig, thumping each tire along the way to ensure they have the proper air pressure.(more...)
According to industry experts, he’s wasting his time.
The article completely misses the point. The purpose of thumping the tires is strictly to detect a difference in pitch between the tires. If a significant pitch difference is detected then get a checker, get on your knees, remove the cap and check the pressure. Checking the tires at every rest stop is part of the walk around procedure that we carry out 4 or 5 times per travel day.
