Commentary Archives - Page 36 of 43 - Tire Review Magazine
Taking Stock: Vandals and Thieves Damage Tires, Bad Service Damages Industry

For those who haven’t been paying attention, 2007 was a lousy year to be a tire. So many innocents were lost to man-made madness, taken from us in their prime, some well before their contributions were even realized. And we’re not just talking about tires. Dozens, hundreds, nay thousands of tires passed before their warranties

It’s All Common Sense

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

Changing Aptitudes: Kumho, Other Tire and Auto Companies Work to Improve Teen Driving Skills

The fact I need a mirror to see my rearview is ample proof that my teenage years are well in the rearview mirror. But, boy, do I wish I were one right now. Cell phones, PCs and the Internet, cable TV, digital music, four-cylinder rockets…we didn’t have any of these things. Our high tech was

Textbook Example: Top Shop Winners AND Entrants Prove Independent Dealers Are Doing Well

The North American independent tire dealer is alive and well, and doing fine, thank you very much. In fact, based on the piles and piles of entries we received for our first Top Shop Awards contest, tire dealers are textbook examples of how small businesses should be run. Successfully, effectively, profitably – and people focused.

Paper Tiger: Tackling Image Problem Takes Real Teeth, Not Tax Boondoggle

All I can say is: Be careful what you wish for. We’ve all heard tales of consumers being ripped off by auto repair shops. TV news shows and other media have done their watchdog best to uncover unscrupulous shops, especially during sweeps months. Many consumers see those hyper-hyped “Eyewitless News” exposes and automatically lump all

Great Leap Forward?: Recall, Rebate Change Will Impact Tire Market. But How?

Get used to seeing the word “China” in this issue. You can’t swing a useless semicolon without hitting it. It wasn’t intentional, just an odd confluence of events. Our cover feature, which looks at today’s new breed of imported tires, was decided some time ago. The recall and the change to China’s export taxes and

A 50% (Plus 1) Solution?: ‘Free Choice’ Bill Could Bring Unions to Small Business

Now that we have labor peace in the tire industry, we must turn our attention to the next big labor circus act. No, not the upcoming United Autoworkers vs. Detroit’s Big (and Nearly Bankrupt) 3 show, which opens its unlimited engagement this summer. We’re talking about the Employee Free Choice Act, a bit of D.C.

How Do You Stack Up?: Now You’ll Know – New Feature Provides Timely, Real-World Retail Sales Data

“So, what do you hear out there?” If you merely read the words, this question makes no sense whatsoever. What you “hear out there” could be the blood-curdling screams of hungry coyotes or your spouse pointing out the error of your ways (if the latter is the case, the coyotes may be more pleasant). But

Head Scratchin’ Time: With Winter Behind Us, Here’s a Few Items to Start Your Spring

Last year, I threw you a curve with the odd tale of the shape-shifting tire. There were certainly enough clues that it was a Sid Finch job, but to clarify once and for all: It was a fake! April Fools! It’s April again. Time for a foot of spring snow, a holiday break and some

Letters to the Editor

TPMS Boondoggle I was reading the TPMS article in your February 2007 issue and was confused as to why was the last paragraph about mixing tire sizes on AWD systems was thrown in. It had absolutely nothing to do with TPMS. I also disagree on the comment in the next to last paragraph that all

A Challenge for You: Tread Depth Rule Interest Grows, But Dealers Can Lead the Charge

Talk about your groundswell of support! Since my column urging the industry to push for a national tread depth law – 4/32nds deep for cars and 5/32nds for Class 3 and larger trucks – I’ve heard from a couple of state associations, a number of dealers and TIA Executive Vice President Roy Littlefield, all of

Got What It Takes?: New Top Shop Award to Recognize Outstanding Tire Dealer Business

Think your comments and suggestions fall into some black hole here at Tire Review HQ? No, they don’t. A great example can be found on page 24 of this issue: the kickoff of our first Tire Review Top Shop Award. The Top Shop Award concept came by way of a simple reader comment a few