Tires and Bus Weight - What You Need to Know

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

In this article, the author recounts a cautionary tale about the importance of tire safety and weight limits in a bus conversion. What seemed like a bargain in one case, purchasing used tires for a bus quickly turned into a costly mistake. While seemingly suitable, the tires were not rated for highway speeds and posed serious safety risks.

As the article explains, there is a crucial relationship between vehicle weight, tire ratings, and speed, all of which directly impact the safety of passengers and drivers. With regulators' growing scrutiny, it is essential for bus owners to understand how vehicle weight, tire specifications, and maintenance practices play a critical role in ensuring safe operations.

The article emphasizes the need for proper tire selection, monitoring, and a careful approach for bus conversions to avoid potentially disastrous consequences.

BCM members can read this article here.

https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/articles/new-articles/


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[Iceni John]

The "Busses Weigh" part of that sign is curious (as is its spelling of Buses...).   Does that mean only commercial (e.g. Greyhound/charter) buses, and what about transit buses (are they considered commercial?), and does it also include school buses in school service (which is obviously not commercial per se), but what about for-profit contract schoolbus operators (which technically is a commercial activity)?   Does it therefore also include privately-owned bus conversions, even if they're registered as Motor Homes / House Cars / RVs?   Doesn't anyone ever thoroughly think through all the ramifications of badly-worded signs like that one?   Ambiguity always makes it almost impossible to know one's legal position.

If a sign like that is on a federal highway, do federal DOT rules outweigh states' rules?   

John       

[luvrbus]

The federal DOT requires states to have weigh stations on Federal highways if they don't have those the states lose their funding.The State of Texas has always rebelled against the DOT and weigh stations they have a few but they are never open, most time they open a weigh station with portable scales in a rest area or places where there is a area for truck checking set up and you don't see those often. The DOT has control of all Federal highways yes they do over rule the States on Federal highways

In New Mexico people really get confused with the signage about " All Tow Bars must stop " I just don't bother stopping myself, RV's are getting so large and weigh so much now the Feds are going to start looking at RV's before long that free lunch will soon be over IMO ,some states are cracking down now on state hiways