Blown tire on the road
Can I keep driving?
Get the truck out of the live lane and no farther. Note which tire blew and what size is on the sidewall, then use the location box below to get ETAs from mobile tire trucks.
Do this first
- Get safe before you get busy. Shoulder as far right as the road allows, flashers on, triangles out at the required distances, and stay on the side of the truck away from traffic. Do not kneel at a wheel on the traffic side of a highway shoulder.
- Read the sidewall and the position. The tire truck needs three things to leave the yard with the right tire: size, position (steer, drive or trailer), and whether the wheel is a hub-pilot aluminum, a steel, or something else. A photo of the sidewall and of the wheel solves it.
- Check what the blowout took with it. A thrown tread can rip out mud flaps, air lines, ABS wiring and light harnesses. Look along the frame behind the blown tire. If you now also have an air leak or lights out, say so, because a tire truck does not carry brake chambers.
What it usually costs and how long it takes
What you pay is the tire plus the trip:
- The tire. New, retread or used; steer positions require a new tire on most fleets and under federal rules retreads are not permitted on the steer axle of a truck tractor. The tire truck will tell you what they have in your size.
- The service call. Priced by distance and time of day. After-hours and far-from-anywhere calls cost more. That is the number that moves the most between quotes.
- Collateral damage. A torn air line, a pulled light harness or a damaged mud flap bracket is extra and may need a second tech.
Time is almost entirely the drive to you. The change itself is short once the truck arrives.
Where to get it fixed
Cities with the most mobile tire service:
Frequently Asked Questions
It is an inside dual on the trailer. Can I run to the next truck stop?
A dual with one tire gone puts the whole axle-end load on the remaining tire, which is above what it is rated for. A slow crawl to a safe shoulder or the next ramp is defensible; miles at highway speed are not. The remaining tire is now the one most likely to blow.
Does the tire truck bring my exact size?
If you tell them. Size, position and wheel type are the three things they need before leaving. If you do not know the wheel type, send a photo. A truck that arrives with the wrong tire is a second service call.
Can they put a retread on the steer?
No. Retreads are not permitted on the steer axle of a truck tractor under federal equipment rules, and most fleets go further and require a new steer tire from a specific brand. Tell the tire truck it is a steer so they bring new.
Should I ask for a plug or a new tire?
A blowout is not a plug. A nail puncture in the tread of a drive or trailer tire can be repaired from the inside at a shop; a sidewall failure, a run-flat, or a shoulder puncture cannot. If the tire came apart, it is a replacement.
The tread came off but the tire is still holding air.
A thrown tread on a retread cap often leaves the casing inflated. It is still a replacement; the casing has been running without protection and the tread chunk has probably damaged something on the way off. Check the mud flaps, lines and lights.
Why is the quote so different between two tire trucks?
The tire is the tire; the service call is not. Distance, time of day, and whether the shop is already on your side of town set most of the spread. The list on this page sorts by who can get to you, and the ETA tells you which quote is honest about the drive.
- It is an inside dual on the trailer. Can I run to the next truck stop?
- A dual with one tire gone puts the whole axle-end load on the remaining tire, which is above what it is rated for. A slow crawl to a safe shoulder or the next ramp is defensible; miles at highway speed are not. The remaining tire is now the one most likely to blow.
- Does the tire truck bring my exact size?
- If you tell them. Size, position and wheel type are the three things they need before leaving. If you do not know the wheel type, send a photo. A truck that arrives with the wrong tire is a second service call.
- Can they put a retread on the steer?
- No. Retreads are not permitted on the steer axle of a truck tractor under federal equipment rules, and most fleets go further and require a new steer tire from a specific brand. Tell the tire truck it is a steer so they bring new.
- Should I ask for a plug or a new tire?
- A blowout is not a plug. A nail puncture in the tread of a drive or trailer tire can be repaired from the inside at a shop; a sidewall failure, a run-flat, or a shoulder puncture cannot. If the tire came apart, it is a replacement.
- The tread came off but the tire is still holding air.
- A thrown tread on a retread cap often leaves the casing inflated. It is still a replacement; the casing has been running without protection and the tread chunk has probably damaged something on the way off. Check the mud flaps, lines and lights.
- Why is the quote so different between two tire trucks?
- The tire is the tire; the service call is not. Distance, time of day, and whether the shop is already on your side of town set most of the spread. The list on this page sorts by who can get to you, and the ETA tells you which quote is honest about the drive.
This page is general guidance for professional drivers and is not a diagnosis of your truck. Tire and wheel work on a highway shoulder is dangerous; your safety and the safety of the tire technician come before the schedule. Shop listings are provided by Trucker Path users and the businesses themselves; availability and pricing are confirmed by the shop, not by Trucker Path.