Super Single Tires – What I Think About Them
Updated: Aug 19
I have a few fellow owner operators asked me what I thought about the super singles and if I would recommend them. With being an owner operator for 5 years myself and a semi-truck mechanic, I would suggest staying away from super singles. Before I explain why I don’t like it. Let me explain what super singles is if you don’t know already.
Super single tire is one wider single tire that offer the capacity to replace the capacity of a dually set, just like shown below.
LESS TRACTION – LIKE A SKI
Super single tires are made for economy, meaning you can get better milage with them. Great!!! I am sure you would be happy to hear it. Better economy means spending less on fuels. I do like the benefit. However, the super single tires provide less traction compared to the duals. Driving in rain and snow condition will be less fun for you. The wider it gets, the more it acts like a ski. I am not sure you want to deal with the ski effect while having an important load that you need to deliver to your customer. In the owner operator trucking business, safety and on time delivery can be a key to the success of the business.
BREAK DOWN
Break down on the side of the road is not fun. It means many uncertainties, including delaying on loads, high repair charges, a big tow bill, etc. As an business owner, we want to limit the breakdowns. Having the dual-tire setup, you will still be able to drive to the nearest shop or truck stop to get the tires fixed if you have one tire blows up. However, with the single-tire setup, you are done once one tire blows up.
SUMMARY
I personally don’t advise owner operators to get super singles if you drive cross country and you have a chance to drive on the snow. However, if you don’t plan drive on the snow and drive somewhere local that is always warm. You might want to use the super single to get the better milage.
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