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SAIA | *** New Continental Tires - VERY Dangerous ***

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Bogie

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SAIA has started using a cheaper tire. At the moment they are on the new 14 series Volvos. These tires are incredibly dangerous, they fail to grip especially on wet roads and especially if you are light. They are an accident waiting to happen and someone is likely to die unless the situation changes. I have been told that if a large number of drivers complain to the safety department, safety will investigate and then change tires. Therefore, we need to get a lot of drivers contacting safety regarding this matter - jobs and possibly lives are at risk. If you have driven on these tires and experienced problems controlling your tractor, contact safety PLEASE so we can get rid of these dangerous tires!!!

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If the tire is inflated and has tread, it's going to be tough putting it out of service without evidence saying the tire is unsafe. I understand wanting to save money, but tires is the last place they should be looking. If they were smart, they would figure out how to reduce damages. There's you money Saia. Ask a city guy and a dock guy. Try to involve management less and involve blue collar guys more. Common sense people...
 
Cheap tires gone pop like popcorn in this Texas heat u get a bunch of drivers sitting on the side of road getting paid down time waiting on tire man they will get them tires off.
 
Putting a tractor out of service will fix nothing. According to our head of maintenance SAIA is now using these tires so they are eventually going to end up on every tractor. Since there is nothing physically wrong with the tires, there is nothing to fix so the tractor will be placed back in service with nothing done to it. Our only option is to get safety to require a different type of tire altogether, and that requires many of us informing safety of the issue.
 
We should all keep this thread in mind. Now that it is summer with people traveling on vacations and what not...point is there are a lot of families I. The road. God forbid, but sometime in the heat, downpour, or whatever a Saia tire will fail and the only thing you will see is a demolished car with a dead family and a Saia truck on the 6 o'clock news. Thenaybe management will wake up and listen
 
Actually Continental tires are not cheap and meet the standards of the U.S. government. They are "G" rated and are made in the U.S.A unlike many other American brands. Your perception of them are simply not true and they do grip the road as well as any. Price wise they are not cheap either. Perhaps your experience was brought on by slick conditions on the roadway like oil or fuel and has very little to do with the tire itself....I do not feel that Saia would sacrifice the safety of their drivers and risk multi-million dollar law suits brought on by tires that have been deemed unsafe on American roads....The government has safeguards in place to keep this from happening and Continental has rigid test of their own. You are entitled to your opinion but I simply do not agree.
 
Guess you haven't got sideways with them yet runaway train I've had 2 sets when they get at 50% they hydro plain like crazy I've been going 55/60 mph give it throttle and it breaks loose like its on ice this is with an average load 16-18 k on the lead at multiple locations .the last set was put on by our vendor best one tire at my home terminal they are a set of bandage recaps so far I'm down to about 70% and they are doing fine no problems even when empty. MYSELF AND THESE OTHER DRIVERS ARE NOT LYING WHY WOULD WE LYE ABOUT THIS WE ARE SIMPLY LOOKING OUT FOR OURSELVES OUR FAMILY AND OUR COMPANY WHEN ITS JUST A FEW COMPLAINING IN A SMALL AREA SURE ITS POSSIBLE THEY ARE JUST A BUNCH OF COMPLAINERS BUT WHE ITS SEVERAL DRIVERS FROM CAROLINA TO CALIFORNIA THEY CANT BE WRONG

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It's not just the Continentals, do they have the really tight, hi fuel economy tight tread. Had a heck of time when Goodyear, And Michelin started pushing these. 1st set was really bad, like running racing slicks in any moisture. Lightest bit of snow stuck in parking lots. Obvious couple winters ago, when switch over began. 2 identical tractors, just old style versus new in same lot, same conditions. Required all to be sipped, reduced wet slippage greatly, yet still crap in winter. Until sipping, any throttle caused slippage, even with load on wet entrance ramps.
 
runawaytrain: My assigned tractor is a 14 series Volvo and I drive it every night. I am not talking about a one time event. My route takes me through Knoxville and across Bear Mountain (the gorge) twice per night. I face hills and curves like crazy and these tires are consistently bad. I have spoken with drivers from Charlotte and Fla. who say the same thing. The head of our terminal shop has told me that he has heard this from several drivers as well. This is not just one person's opinion or a single event situation.
 
I have asked several Line haul drivers here in Texas that run San Antonio and Houston and they said they had no problems with them. I don't doubt what you say and I believe it requires further research but it must go through the proper channels........The regional safety manager is here in Dallas all the time. His name is Darvin Brinkley an alumni of the University of North Texas and he has extensive knowledge in these areas. If there is a problem with safety in regards to these tires I'm sure he will remove them from service as soon as possible. He is a good man and will take it to the top to make sure this happens. Saia has always put safety first and I can assure you this will be investigated.
 
Bogie -one of the worst places for mine is the bridge that goes from 240 to 26 east at exit 33 I've hit that and almost jack knifed a few times

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