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Missed Communications?: TIA Government Relations Efforts Plain, But Perhaps Not Seen
December 15, 2009
It is difficult to express the disappointment I feel in regard to the recent letter to the editor from Alpio Barbara (TR, October 2009) concerning TIA and its government relations activities. He questioned our activities on a number of important legislative issues, and I’d like to take this opportunity to present to him – and your readers – the facts.
But first, it must be acknowledged...
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Lack of Support? Dealer Says ‘We Don’t Know How to Make Our Voices Heard’
October 13, 2009
I’m usually the type of dealer that sits back and watches as events happen in our industry. That doesn’t mean I don’t care, it’s just that as an independent dealer I don’t really know how or what I can do to change things.
That was until today, when I read the New York Times article that President Obama announced that the United States would levy tariffs of up...
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The 'Cold, Hard Truth'
July 31, 2009
Of all that I have read on the topic of the ITC 421 “witch-hunt,” your ‘Red, White and Gray’ blog is the best of the best.
No BS, no rhetoric, just the facts and cold hard truth.
As a major player in this area and still severely handicapped by the last ITC/Titan/Steelworkers bogus attack on the OTR/Specialty Tire products from China, I applaud that an editor of a respected...
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Agrees to 'Walk the Talk'
April 15, 2009
I'm writing to comment on your “Walk the Talk” editorial in the March 2009 issue of Tire Review. Although I agree with nearly all of your monthly editorials, this one gets an A+ and deserves to be read by every person in the tire industry! The points you made ("They need to quit talking about how they need to work together and actually work together on something that really matters."...
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Consumer Education Program Misunderstood
April 15, 2009
Jim Smith’s Viewpoints on NHTSA’s future consumer tire education program is certainly less hysterical than TIA Executive Vice President Roy Littlefield’s rant published by another trade journal. Unfortunately, Smith misses the point by the same mile.
Until tire manufacturers trouble themselves to provide the people who distribute and sell their products with pertinent technical...
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Loves the Show!
February 13, 2009
Kudos and hats off to TIA and TMC officials for combining efforts to produce a show venue for the commercial trucking and tire industries. The two go hand in hand. It has been much needed since the demise of the former NTDRA and ARA. I noted that there were a large number of retreaders and commercial tire dealers in attendance. Bridgestone was even showing a tire service truck on the show floor.
I...
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Article Important for Fleets
December 15, 2008
Dear Editor (Hi Jim),
I just finished reading Asa Sharp's brilliant "Side Benefits" article about the many benefits and importance of TPMS. It should be required reading by every trucking fleet –whether it is a fleet of one or 10,000 – and by everyone in the new tire and retreading industries.
Not only does Asa's article contain extremely important and useful information, it...
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Warranty Woes
December 15, 2008
Dear Jim,
Recently, I called nine different car dealers in the Boston area, acting as a retail customer with a tire problem. I was told by everyone of them that for any warranty issues they must go back to a tire dealer.
If they are acting like tire dealers on the "sell" side, why not on the warranty side?
The tire dealers of this country have helped the tire manufacturers build a network...
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Letter from Harvey
September 05, 2008
Jamie Kitman's article, “MG's Old Motto: ‘Safety Fast.’ MG's New Motto: ‘Get Me to Safety, Fast,’” in the October issue of Automobile contained a very derogatory and unfair mention about retreaded tires.
He wrote, "...with not so much as your Calvins to come between you and the shredded retread that a truck could at any moment launch directly at...
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SEMA Writes
August 19, 2008
Dear Jim,
I just had the opportunity to read your column “Show Me The Value” in this month’s Tire Review (July 2008).
Your comments are increasingly important in this challenging economic era and changing business landscape. The notion that we need to “wait out this storm” in anticipation of better times is a dangerous one. The trade show business has far too...
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Letters From the Field
August 05, 2008
I, too, was actually stunned by the poor handling of this problem (First Off, June 2008). When the ABC story aired I thought, “Where in the hell did they find this guy to protect our image.” He kept blaming England and Europe. I was actually embarrassed to be a tire dealer after that report.
Fortunately it aired at a time most of my customers are out for the summer months. The RMA...
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No Nitro Fan Here
July 30, 2008
Come on Mr. Smith. Regarding nitrogen usage in automotive tires, the undisputed, scientifically proven advantages of nitrogen are so minuscule that there is no real advantage for the consumer. This is just another example of a "wallet flush." Or better worded, it is another opportunity to rip off the consumer.
How long have we been fighting to be respected in this industry? Eventually consumers...
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Against Anti-Dumping
July 17, 2008
I Read your Fuzzy Fix (TR, March 2008) piece, and how it hits home with me and my particular situation.
I own and operate a small, five-employee tire business in eastern Kentucky. The business caters solely to the underground coal mining industry in the region. Over the last 30 years I have seen all the majors fall out of the 10- to 20-inch diameter tire market with the exception of Specialty Tires...
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Not on the Nitro Bandwagon
July 09, 2008
Jim,
Your pushing the N2 program appears to be driven by advertising dollars. This whole thing is a sham propagated by equipment manufacturers.
In our neck of the woods, N2 is already being given away for free with a tire purchase. We use the Consumer Reports article to show that N2 is not the value that should make your tires more expensive. (What is better, air or dry air?)
I'm afraid...
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Tire Aging Feedback
June 29, 2008
I haven’t even finished reading your article (First Off, June 2008) and I’m compelled to write and thank you. Your insight and objectivity on this issue are certainly welcomed by me and, I’m sure, many other tire dealers.
I, too, was upset by the ABC 20/20 piece and its obvious (to us) sensationalistic approach. But after giving it much thought and discussion with my store...
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Thanks for Highlight
June 17, 2008
Thank you so much for the outstanding article on Atlantic Tire & Service displayed in May’s publication of Tire Review. It really meant a lot to us to be recognized not only for our most recent award, but also for your taking the time to do an in depth story on our business.
On behalf of Anthony Blackman and myself, we sincerely thank you for spotlighting Atlantic Tire & Service...
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Missing at Reifen?
June 11, 2008
I also attended the Reifen show last month in Essen, Germany. I was looking on the Internet for some evaluation/description of the show and found your blog.
Actually I didn't Google "Reifen 2008 in media.” I used the "why Bridgestone didn't attend Reifen 2008." I'm curious about this because, from our understanding, Bridgestone, Michelin and Goodyear are major brands in tire...
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Tread Depth Details
June 11, 2008
I'm giving a seminar on tread depth issues at the Automechanika show in Toronto in June. In reference to your February column “For Gatlin's Sake," (a great column incidentally) I would correct one item, to wit: Canada's tread depth law is 1.5 mm, which is less than 2/32-inch by a hair. But a hair is a hair when it comes to stopping on wet roads (2/32-inch is 1.6mm).
This government mandated...
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Powerful Stuff: Recent Teen Accident Shines Light on Teen Driving Class Column
February 19, 2008
Recent Teen Accident Shines Light on Teen Driving Class Column
Your editorial (First Off, November 2007) was very powerful and struck a chord with me since a 17-year-old girl (without a drivers license) was killed in a horrific accident here the other day. She was speeding with a car full of kids and the rest were all seriously injured. How sad and how unnecessary.
Although I didn't...
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It's All Common Sense
November 26, 2007
Reader Says Poor Drivers – Not Used Tires – Are to Blame for Accidents
All this talk about used tires being bad…well, all I have to say is: Here we go again.
It is all common sense. People cause accidents, not tires. What I mean by this is look very hard at how people neglect speed. Anyone who drives a car can see that most people are safe. It’s the percentage...
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