How to Check the Manufacturing Date of Truck Tires?
3 Answers
On the sidewall of the tire, within a small square, the manufacturing date of the tire is marked, consisting of four digits. The last two digits indicate the year, and the first two digits indicate the week number. For example, "3513" means the tire was manufactured in the 35th week of 2013, approximately around September 2013. Tire Lifespan: The wear lifespan of a tire is between 30,000 to 50,000 kilometers. If the tire has not reached the wear limit or mileage but has been in use for 5 years or has developed significant cracks on the sidewall, it should be replaced. Tire Material: The main body of the tire is rubber. The maximum storage and anti-aging time for rubber, from natural latex to ethylene propylene and nitrile, does not exceed 10 years. The average service life of various rubber products in use is 3-5 years.
When I first learned how to read the production date of truck tires, it was quite a struggle! Actually, it's very simple: locate the DOT code on the tire sidewall, which is a combination of letters and numbers. The last four digits are the key: for example, if you see 2218, it means the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2018. Truck tires have thick sidewalls, so sometimes you need to squat down to check the position—don’t be afraid to get dirty. As a beginner, I must remind everyone: tires degrade over time, leading to performance decline, especially when trucks are heavily loaded, which can cause more issues. Regularly checking the date can prevent accidents, so I recommend taking a look during every six-month maintenance. Safety always comes first! Remembering this little trick has made me much more confident in the fleet!
I've been driving trucks for over a decade and know everything about tires. To check the manufacturing date, look at the last four digits of the DOT code printed on the tire sidewall. The first two digits represent the week, and the last two indicate the year. For example, 0619 means the sixth week of 2019. Truck tires wear out quickly, so understanding this helps me predict when to replace them. During inspections, I always feel the tread for any cracks. On long trips, I remind my partners: don't underestimate these small numbers—safe driving relies on such details. I recommend keeping a small notebook to record them for easy management.
