The fine art of foiling flats

摘要

Should you do tire maintenance in-house or contract for it? With your own people, you may have more control, but a contracted shop often can do it for less money. In San Antonio, the city operates its Central Tire Shop with a crew of four, led by David Martinez. The shop takes care of tires for more than 4000 vehicles ranging from trash collectors to police cars to golf carts. The city repairs tires whenever possible and recaps them when necessary. The tire shop takes in flats and faulty tires, fixes them, and sends them out to four service centers plus the police garage. Martinez estimates the shop furnishes between 100 and 180 new and repaired tires daily.