Recording a Tire and Wheel Service: What Belongs in the Record

What to record for a tire and wheel service: complaint, cause and correction, tire position, DOT code, pressures and tread depths as measured, and parts.

Published: 2026-10-22

/kb/recording-a-tire-and-wheel-service.md /kb/recording-a-tire-and-wheel-service.json

A tire and wheel record has to say which tire, at which position, and what was measured, not only that "tires were checked." A truck can carry a large number of tires, and a record that does not tie each finding to a position cannot be followed up. Use the complaint, cause, correction structure for the write-up. This page lists what to put in it for tire and wheel work.

Complaint, cause, correction for tire work

Complaint: what brought the vehicle in. A driver report such as a low tire, a vibration, an inflation system lamp or a leak at a wheel. A scheduled inspection with nothing reported. A finding from a roadside inspection the customer passes on.
Cause: what was found, at which position. A puncture in the tread, a leaking valve stem, a seal leaking at a hub, a wear pattern. Say what you saw. Don't guess at a cause you did not confirm.
Correction: what was done. Repaired, replaced, inflated, rotated or left in service, and the check that confirmed the fix.

Identify each tire by position

Name the position the way the customer's fleet does, or by axle and side: steer left, first drive axle right outer, trailer rear axle left inner. Inner and outer duals are separate positions. A record that says "right rear" on a tractor with two drive axles and duals can mean any of four tires.

For each tire that was worked on or replaced, record:

size and load range, as marked on the sidewall;
the DOT code, the tire identification number on the sidewall. It identifies the tire, including the week and year it was made. The full code may appear on only one sidewall;
whether it is new or a retread;
brand and tread design, if the customer tracks them.

Record measurements as measured

Write down the reading, not just a verdict on it:

Pressure, as found and as left, for each position, and whether it was checked cold. Also the target pressure and where it came from: the customer's own target, or the tire manufacturer's load and inflation tables. See semi truck tire pressure and trailer tire inflation.
Tread depth, as measured, for each position. See truck tire tread depth and condition.
Condition findings: wear pattern, damage, and where on the tire.

A reading the customer can compare at the next visit is worth more than "OK".

Wheels and wheel ends

When a wheel is removed and reinstalled, record:

that the wheel nuts were tightened to the wheel manufacturer's specification, and the source of that specification. Wheel makers publish it in their service manuals. Examples are Accuride's Rim/Wheel Safety and Service Manual (form W3.000 Rev. 4, 2024, PDF) and the Service Manual for Alcoa Wheels, North America (August 2023, PDF). Use the manual for the wheel actually on the vehicle;
any follow-up the wheel manufacturer calls for after installation, and when it is due;
damage found on wheels, studs or nuts, and what was replaced.

For wheel-end work, see wheel seal leaks and replacement and trailer wheel end maintenance for what to record.

Parts and sublet work

List each part with its part number: tires, valve stems, valve extensions, inflation system hoses, seals, bearings, studs and nuts. If a tire was mounted, repaired or retreaded by another provider, that is sublet work. Record who did it, the same as any other repair done by someone else.

What the customer's copy should show

The customer needs to see which tires were looked at, what was found at each position, what was done, and what to watch next. A tire close to the customer's removal point, or a wear pattern that points to something else on the vehicle, is a follow-up item. See what belongs in a PM report for the customer.

Record it in Blue Collar Parts

Start a service event for the asset, record the tire and wheel findings and work in it, then send the completed record to your customer. Start a service event for the work, then send the record to your customer.

This page describes a general documentation practice. It is not a repair procedure and not a regulatory inspection. Use the tire, wheel and equipment manufacturers' current documentation for specifications and procedures.

See how a service record is sent to your customer

PagesClose pages

SourcesClose sources

Sources and related

Semi Truck and Trailer Tires: What a Tire Inspection CoversSemi truck and trailer tires as one system of tires, wheels, valve stems, inflation and wheel ends, and what a commercial truck tire inspection covers.
Semi Truck Tire Pressure and Trailer Tire Inflation SystemsWhere the right semi truck tire pressure comes from, why it is checked cold, and how a trailer automatic tire inflation system adds air to a tire.
Truck Tire Tread Depth and Condition: Steer, Drive and TrailerHow truck tire tread depth is measured by position, where steer tire tread depth rules live, and the irregular wear and sidewall damage worth recording.
Wheel Seal Leaking? Steer and Drive Axle Hub Seal ReplacementWhat a leaking wheel seal looks like on a truck's steer and drive axles, what hub oil seal replacement involves, and what the record should show.
Complaint, Cause, Correction: How to Write Up Repair and Service Work (the 3 C's)Complaint, cause, correction is the standard way to write up a repair or service job: what was reported, what was found, and what was done. What belongs in each line, an example, and the fields a work order needs around it.
What Belongs in a PM Report for the Customer?A useful preventive-maintenance report answers four questions: what was checked, what was found, what was done, and what comes next. Use this structure to make service work clear to the customer.
Trailer Wheel End Maintenance: Hub Oil, Grease and BearingsTrailer wheel end maintenance covers hub oil or grease, hub seal replacement, and wheel bearing adjustment, and the difference between the two.