What Are Steer Tires?
Culture | 03/06/2025
Steer tires are sometimes referred to as the most important tires on a truck, and with good reason. These hard-working and heavy-duty tires not only bear a lot of weight, but they also are responsible for the steering and handling of semi trucks and other commercial vehicles.
Steer tires are mounted on the front axle of the vehicle, and carry the most weight, up to 2000 lbs more than a drive or trailer tire, according to Trucknews.com. Steer tires also direct the vehicle, working against the physical force of all the other tires on the semi truck (sometimes up to 24 or even more), so they are constructed with sturdy, thick sidewalls to withstand that force. Since they are also responsible for good handling, Steer tires require features that evacuate water efficiently to maintain good traction in varied weather and road conditions.
Steer Tires vs Drive Tires
What is the difference between Steer tires and Drive tires? Steer tires and Drive tires both perform important but different functions on a semi truck or commercial vehicle. While they are both constructed to bear very heavy loads, Drive tires are mounted on a vehicle’s drive axle, and typically do not carry as much weight as Steer tires. They may not require the same PSI or be rated to carry as much weight. While Steer tires are designed and constructed with handling and steering in mind, the main purpose of a Drive tire is to give good traction, transferring power from the transmission to the wheels to keep the vehicle in motion. Drive tires are also designed to handle many types of terrain, but are not designed to withstand the forces of turns or carry as heavy loads as Steer tires.
How Long Do Steer Tires Last?
Since Steer tires are subjected to such extreme forces, they are often the most susceptible to irregular tire wear. Some common irregular Steer tire wear patterns include wear caused by improper camber, in which one side of the tire is worn down more than the other, giving the tire a slanted look when viewed head-on, cupping, which is wear caused by worn out shocks, and wear caused by improper toe, which can cause feathering, where one side of the tread ribs are worn down, but the other is not, or excessive wear on the shoulder of the tire. Take a look at a few examples of these irregular tread wear patterns below, and be sure to have your shocks and alignment checked and adjusted regularly. Choosing tires constructed for low rolling resistance and protective features will help contribute to long tire life.
Choosing the Best Steer Tires
Groundspeed’s GSFS01 is one of the best regional steer tires on the market, with multiple features to reduce irregular tread wear and extend tire life, increase fuel-efficiency, and provide good driving stability and handling.
The GSFS01 tread is designed with wide shoulder ribs, and equipped with shoulder lug grooves and groove-edge sipes, which all work to protect against irregular tread wear. The width of the shoulder ribs also works to improve handling by increasing driving stability, while traction grooves and a deep tread depth of 18/32nds of an inch effectively and efficiently drain water, improving braking performance and traction while driving.
Groundspeed’s proprietary tread compound, KTM6, provides well-balanced performance with an emphasis on low rolling resistance, and combines with the GSFS01’s rounded shoulders and traction grooves, to improve fuel efficiency. This workhorse of a tire of a steer tire is constructed with Four-Belt Reinforcement to improve load-carrying capacity, endurance, and maneuverability, and designed with Stone Ejectors to expel stones from within tread grooves, protecting the tire from damage or puncture.
In addition, the GSFS01 Regional Steer tire is SmartWay Certified in all sizes, an EPA certification showing that this tire can reduce rolling resistance, improve fuel economy, and reduce fuel emissions, benefiting both your bottom line and the environment.
Learn more about the GSFS01 Regional Steer tire in this video: