Tyre tread is an important aspect of any tyre because it provides the necessary grip to maintain traction on the road. However, not all tyre treads are designed in the same way, especially when it comes to products which will be fitted to a commercial vehicle, such as a truck. This is because, unlike most car and motorcycle tyres, for example, a truck tyre is designed to optimise a specific aspect of its performance.

All tyres have to be able to do all things, but tyres for a commercial vehicle must do some things better than others. For instance, you might want an extremely durable tyre for a long-distance truck which will need to drive thousands of miles across the country before being replaced. Crane tyres, on the other hand, may have to travel many fewer miles in the course of their lifespan. However, cranes frequently have to go over rough terrain where there is no tarmac at all, so they require more grip. How is the tread of modern truck tyres designed to maximise their usage?

Rib Tread Tyres

With a rib tread tyre, you will see the tread is basically set up around the rim of the tyre in a parallel groove to its rotational motion. There may be a little wavy zigzag that forms a rib tread tyre, but the basic design is one that helps forward motion rather than hinders it. As such, this is a type of tyre that you will typically find fitted to trucks which stay on the road and cover large distances. A rib tread design means that fuel economy is optimised, and a fleet of trucks which switch to this design can give haulage firms considerable savings over time. These tyres tend to be found on dollies and on the wheels of a trailer that are merely rolling rather than providing traction.

Block Tread Tyres

A block tread tyre has grooves which are often a little deeper than those found on rib tread tyres. What is of more significance, however, is the fact that the tread is arranged in a lateral series of shapes around the rim of the tyre. This means that fuel economy is sacrificed but greater torque from the engine can be transmitted to the ground. Block tread designs are common with tyres fitted to tractors, for example. You will often see them fitted to mobile construction industry vehicles, like cranes, diggers and even bulldozers.