Port work is hard on tires, and pool chassis are the reason.
The tire on the chassis you just hooked was somebody else’s problem an hour ago. Nobody has checked its pressure, it may be mismatched with its mate, and it has been sitting loaded in a stack. Add short heavy stop-and-go runs, the pavement on the 710, and a lot of tight yard turns against curbs, and chassis tires fail at a rate that surprises drivers coming from linehaul work. Steer and drive tires last better — but the 710 finds those too.
A blown or flat tire on a tractor-trailer isn’t something to keep driving on. A flat inside dual overheats and can take out the good tire next to it, and a steer tire failure is a safety emergency. Our mobile tire service sends a mechanic to you to dismount the damaged tire and mount a replacement, or swap the wheel assembly, right where the truck sits.
What our Mobile Tire Service covers
Tire availability depends on size, so give dispatch the exact size printed on the sidewall — for example, 295/75R22.5 or 11R22.5.
- Steer tire replacement after a blowout or sidewall damage
- Drive and trailer tire changes, including inside duals
- Flat repairs when the damage is in the repairable tread area
- Wide-base single tires on drive and trailer axles
- Valve stem replacement and valve stem extensions for inside duals
- Mounting a spare or customer-supplied tire
- Torquing wheel nuts to spec, with a reminder to re-check torque after the first miles
- Checking for damaged wheels, cracked studs, and missing lug nuts
- Inspecting the other tire in a dual pair for heat damage after its partner failed
- Air pressure checks on every position
- Checking air lines, brake chambers, and wiring near the wheel for damage from flying tread
What can't be done on the roadside
- Tire repairs in the sidewall or shoulder — industry practice is to replace those tires, not patch them
- Wheel alignment, which needs shop equipment
- Tire balancing on a machine
- Bent wheel straightening
- Wheel-end jobs that turn into hub, bearing, and brake replacements needing extensive time and parts
A tire that failed from underinflation or a dragging brake is a symptom. It’s worth letting the mechanic look at the wheel end so the new tire doesn’t go the same way.
Fix it on site or tow it?
Tire problems are one of the clearest “fix it on site” calls. A tow for a blown tire rarely makes sense unless the failure damaged the hub, wheel bearings, or brakes, or the truck is stopped somewhere unsafe to work. If flying tread tore up air lines or wiring, those repairs can usually be made in the same visit.
Whatever you do, don’t limp a tractor-trailer on a flat for miles to reach an exit. A shredding inside dual can start a fire, ruin the wheel, and destroy the tire next to it. Get out of the travel lane as safely as you can and call.
What to tell dispatch when you call
The more dispatch knows up front, the better the odds the mechanic shows up with the right parts and tools on the first trip.
- Tire size from the sidewall and the position: steer, drive, or trailer — inside or outside dual
- Whether the wheel or rim looks damaged
- Whether flying tread hit anything — air lines, wiring, fenders, fuel tank
- Loaded or empty
- Your exact location, and which side of the truck the damaged tire is on
Truck makes & engines we work on
- Freightliner
- Peterbilt
- Kenworth
- Volvo
- Mack
- International
- Western Star
Tire service on every major tractor make and on trailers from Great Dane, Utility, Wabash, Hyundai Translead, Stoughton, and others.
Mobile Tire Service around the harbor & the South Bay
Tire calls come from everywhere: blowouts on the 710 between Del Amo and Rosecrans, flats found in terminal gate queues where you cannot do anything about them, chassis tires in the Wilmington and Carson yards, and steer tire failures on the 405 and the 91 where speeds are higher and the consequences are worse.
Freeways
Service areas
Mobile Tire Service FAQ
Can you replace a steer tire on the side of the highway?
Yes, when the truck is out of the travel lane in a spot where the mechanic can work safely. On a narrow shoulder, the truck may need to be moved first, or law enforcement may need to help with traffic.
Do you carry tires on the service truck?
Availability depends on size. Give dispatch the exact size from the sidewall and the position so the right tire can be sourced before the mechanic heads out.
Can a flat trailer tire be repaired instead of replaced?
Sometimes. Punctures in the tread area can often be properly repaired. Sidewall or shoulder damage, run-flat damage, and large cuts mean replacement.
Is it okay to drive on a flat inside dual to the next exit?
Not for any real distance. The good tire in the pair ends up carrying the whole load, overheats, and can fail too. A shredding tire can also damage air lines, wiring, and fenders, or start a fire.
Why do chassis tires fail so often?
Because nobody owns them. A pool chassis gets hooked, run, and dropped by a different driver every day, so pressures go unchecked and small problems compound. Check the chassis tires when you hook, not at the gate — that is the single highest-value ninety seconds in a drayage pre-trip.
Do you check the wheel after a blowout?
The mechanic should look at the wheel, studs, lug nuts, and nearby air lines and wiring. A blowout can hide damage that causes a second failure down the road.