Buying Winter Truck Tires - Important Considerations to Make

Posted May 14th 2014

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Your choice of truck tires for winter driving is very important. You’ll need to ensure that you get the right type of tire for your driving needs, as well as to handle the winter conditions you’re most likely to encounter on the road. If you’ve never purchased winter tires for your truck, the following considerations will make the process at least a little easier.

All Season Tires – Really Worth It?

All-season tires are billed as being able to handle pretty much any situation you might encounter throughout the year. That’s not necessarily true. While it’s certainly true that all-season radials will handle snow and ice better than performance tires, they don’t do as good a job as snow tires do. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to opt out of all-season truck tires. Do you do a good bit of driving on unplowed snow? How much ice do you encounter during your winter driving? If you do a good bit of driving in serious winter conditions, winter tires are the better choice. If you don’t, then all-season tires can get you by.

Snow or Studded Truck Tires

Snow tires and studded snow tires are two different things. Winter tires (also called snow tires) are designed for winter travel. They use a different rubber compound than all-season tires, and they feature different tread designs unique to the winter travel hazards you’ll encounter. Studded tires on the other hand, have metal studs embedded in them that stab into the snow or ice under the tire, providing better traction and helping to prevent sliding.

However, the problem here is that if you encounter roads without snow or ice on them, you will damage both your tires and the road’s surface (which is why many southern regions actually ban studded tires). Make sure your tire purchase meets your driving needs and the conditions you’re most likely to encounter. While being prepared with studded tires is a good idea, it’s not so good if you end up damaging the tires during the first year of ownership.

Buying winter truck tires is not as complicated as it might seem. You just need to ensure that you get the right tire for your driving habits and the challenges you’re most likely to face. When all else fails, speak with a tire specialist to ensure that you’re making the right decision.