Truck tires are more than “where the rubber meets the road.” Understanding truck tire sizes, tire load ratings, why ply no longer matters, and more is important for today’s fleet managers.

LT tires will have a higher load rating than a P-metric tire. This adds stability to the vehicle for towing and hauling; it also adds durability to the tire, making it better for dirt and gravel ...

Some tire manufactures have special markings for light-duty trucks, such as Light Truck Metric, Light Truck High Flotation, and Light Truck Numeric. Not to worry; they all say the same basic thing ...

If you look on the sidewall of the tire, you'll see a series of numbers, like LT285/75R16 or 37x13.50R20 LT-this is the tire size. In either case, LT stands for light-truck tire.

D. J. Bickerstaff, G. Hartley, Light Truck Tire Traction Properties and Their Effect on Braking Performance, SAE Transactions, Vol. 83, Section 4: 740864–741228 ...