Microplastics are more than an issue of bottles and straws. The largest land-based sources are synthetic textiles and vehicle tires, and most of what enters waterways gets there through road runoff. That’s a challenge but it’s also an operational lever that truck fleets can control with better tire health and pressure vigilance.
Why Tires Matter in the Microplastics Conversation
Peer-reviewed research consistently ranks textile fibers and tire wear among the top primary sources of microplastics released to the ocean. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), tires account for approximately 28% of all primary microplastics, with road runoff as the main pathway into waterways. Tire particles are also the largest single source of nanoplastics according to a 2025 analysis of Alpine snow, showing just how far tire wear can travel and why upstream prevention matters.
During operation, tires gradually wear down, releasing particles that mix with stormwater and flow into urban streams through road runoff. The chemical compounds in these tire wear particles are known to be toxic, particularly harmful to aquatic and marine life, as noted here.
What You Can Control Today
1. Hold steady pressure
Keep every tire at its specified cold inflation pressure. U.S. Department of Energy data shows you can improve fuel economy about 0.6% on average, up to 3% in some cases, and lose about 0.2% MPG for every 1 psi drop across your tires.
Pressure discipline lowers rolling resistance, wear, and microplastic shedding.
2. Catch leaks and heat early
Slow leaks, mismatched duals, dragging components, and overload show up first as pressure drift and heat. The sooner you address these, the less unplanned wear and particle loss you create.
3. Balance, align, and rotate on schedule
Even small mismatches in duals create thermal stress and accelerated wear. Matching pressures and keeping alignment tight protect casing life and reduce particles at the source. Revvo’s field data shows how quickly these mismatches drive heat and premature wear.
4. Service in the yard, not on the road
Unplanned roadside events are expensive and often scrap otherwise retreadable casings.
Moving work into planned windows reduces cost, waste, and risk.
Results You Can Expect in 90 Days
- Fewer on-road tire events as leaks and heat trends are fixed earlier.
- More stable fuel performance from consistent pressure control, with measurable efficiency gains stacking across your fleet.
- Cleaner workflows as recurring issues are handled during normal yard cycles.
How Revvo Helps
Always-on sensing and AI
Revvo measures and conveys pressure, temperature, and tread data from connected tires, then flags leak signatures, heat anomalies, and abnormal wear patterns before they turn into road calls.
Actionable alerts, not noise
You get severity, cause, and next steps, so your tech knows what to do and when. This keeps high-impact work in the yard.
Lower total cost of service
On-road events are about 3.5X more costly, and addressing issues in the yard can cut those costs by roughly 60%.
Proven impact at scale
Revvo has measured over 1 billion tire miles and 975B+ tire revolutions, with programs delivering 12%+ ROI. Early rollouts often uncover widespread underinflation, where quick wins start.
A 30-Day Pilot Plan
Weeks 1: Connect a pilot group of tractors and trailers. Set targets for pressure compliance and unplanned tire events.
Weeks 2-4: Work the alerts. Fix active leaks and heat first. Match duals, then align and rotate as needed.Track avoided road calls and casing saves.
Week 5: Report results and expand. Expect fewer roadside events and steadier fuel performance from consistent pressure.
The Takeaway
Tires are one of the largest controllable sources of microplastic pollution and a direct lever for fuel, safety, and uptime. When you improve tire health, you reduce particles at the source and lower cost per mile. Revvo makes that process measurable and repeatable across your fleet.
Revvo: Your AI Tire Management Solution
Reducing friction is about bridging the gap between data collection and action. With TireIQ, fleets turn continuous tire data into clear, prioritized work that improves performance, safety, and uptime.
Revvo’s embedded sensors will measure tread wear and alert users when replacements are necessary, offering timely notifications and maintenance suggestions
Ready to see it in action? Get a demo
Sources
- Yahoo News UK: Coverage on macro trends in plastic and microplastic pollution, citing The Lancet report on 8 billion tonnes of plastic waste and <10% recycled.
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): ≈35% textiles and ≈28% tires of primary microplastics; road runoff ≈66% of pathway to oceans.
- The Guardian: Tire particles identified as the largest nanoplastic source in Alpine snow samples.
- U.S. Department of Energy – FuelEconomy.gov: 0.6% average and up to 3% fuel economy improvement from proper inflation; ≈0.2% MPG loss per 1 psi underinflation.
- NHTSA TireWise: ≈11,000 tire-related crashes annually; >600 fatalities in 2022.
Revvo Sustainability Keynote (Oct 2024): TireIQ data showing 500M+ tire miles, 975B+ revolutions, 12%+ ROI, and yard service savings of ~60%.
