[Radman]

Bob,
Whatever works for you is OK by me.

Consider the following:
• MAX means maximum pressure that the tire “requires” to hold the maximum rated load more so than MAX pressure it will hold, but I get what you mean
• A harder tire (higher pressure) will give you less roll resistance and may result in better mileage
• Over inflated tires:
May not give you better handling as they wont not conform to the surface of the road as well as a properly inflated tire (by the book). Result = less traction / smaller foot print
May put higher pressures on the center of the tire and wear unevenly across the tread surface (center first) Result = shorter tread / tire life
Sidewalls will not deflect as much as properly inflated tires. However tire side walls are designed to deflect to absorb irregularities in the road surface. This is the first element in your trucks suspension to absorb small irregularities and reduce shocks transferred from the road to the trucks chassis and sub-systems (mechanical and electrical) that shorten the life of the whole rig

Over inflated tires are much safer than under inflated tires.
I believe that most fleet and many independent drivers don’t want to mess with the charts and feel “it’s better to be safe than sorry” so avoid the mistakes in calculating loads and reading charts, just pump-em up to the max.

In the TC / RV world we have a relatively static load and it is much easier to make the calculations and follow the manufacturers’ recommendations to operate within the tire’s designed performance envelop to achieve best traction, longest wear, highest ride quality and of course - safety.

I guess that means I am an “adjust the pressure to meet the load guy”

Rad