Ensuring safer tanker trucks with Nord-Lock® Wheel Nuts

Nord-Lock wheel nuts secure the Japanese transport company Nichirin's tanker trucks.

In Japan, there's concern about wheel detachment. Reported incidents of truck wheel nuts loosening have increased in recent years, including several high-profile accidents. As a result, authorities are stressing preventative maintenance, and trucking operations are seeking new countermeasures.

For the Tokyo-based Nichirin Co., Ltd ., the risk of wheel detachment is a serious issue. The company specializes in transporting liquid chemical products, operating approximately 500 vehicles and over a dozen supporting transport facilities. Its fleet of tanker trucks and flatbeds hauling ISO tank containers is constantly moving around the country. So in 2022, Nichirin wanted to upgrade from the standard approach of loose-wheel-nut indicators. The devices require frequent removal and reinstallation, creating extra work and wear.

According to Yuma Matsuda, Sales Engineer at Nord-Lock Japan, along with having to buy new indicators each year, removing and reinstalling them for any wheel maintenance and tire changes increases time and labor by 50%.

“Nichirin performs much of its vehicle maintenance in-house,” he explains. “Although the initial cost of this method was relatively low, the recurring costs became a major burden over time.” 

“The test results were outstanding”

It wasn’t long after first learning of Nord-Lock’s secure-locking wheel nut that Nichirin began the due diligence process of considering it as a solution. The company consulted an existing partner, Nippon Steel Trading, which had a connection to Nord-Lock Japan.

“With the support of Nippon Steel Trading, we worked closely with Nichirin to identify and address their concerns,” explains Matsuda. “The discussions were all open and constructive … ensuring confidence in the product.”

Nord-Lock® Wheel Nuts offered a permanent solution for Nichirin to prevent wheel detachment. Incorporating Nord-Lock’s wedge-locking technology, Nord-Lock wheel nuts simply replace existing wheel nuts to secure the bolted connections against vibration resistance and maintain clamp force under dynamic conditions. And most importantly, there’s no need for any additional steps during maintenance, reliably improving safety while saving on costs and labor.

With Nord-Lock Japan’s help, the wheel nuts were put through specific testing designed to address Nichirin's key concern: reusability. The assessment mimicked the equivalent of five wheel removals per year (for rotation and studless tire replacement) over a vehicle lifespan of 10 years, for a total of 50 removals.

“The test results were outstanding,” recalls Hiroyuki Nagamine, Head of Safety Management for Nichirin. “There were no fluctuations in tightening or loosening torque, and no aggressive effects on the bolts were observed. Furthermore, there was no wear on the cam surface, and the ease of operation – requiring only wheel nut removal – was also a decisive factor.”

Greater safety, lower costs, and dedicated support

Nichirin began a trial implementation of Nord-Lock wheel nuts in May 2023. By October, full-scale adoption was underway. Today, they’re on more than 200 new trucks and are gradually being installed in older vehicles across the fleet as well.

“There have been no instances of loosening since adoption. We have added alignment marks so that any loosening can be easily detected at a glance during inspections, and of course, these marks have never shifted,” says Nagamine.

They’ve also reduced the workload for wheel maintenance and helped save on costs. But it goes beyond simply adopting a product that improves safety while cutting expenses. Nichirin has sincerely committed to post-installation internal training as well, with Nord-Lock Japan continuing to provide support.

For Matsuda, the Nichirin customer case reflects not only the Nord-Lock Wheel Nut’s technical strengths as an anti-loosening solution but also how the brand’s customer-centric philosophy emphasizes partnership, trust, and problem-solving.

“At Nord-Lock Japan, we strive to actively support our users,” he explains, “and ensure that our products genuinely help solve their challenges.”