How Long Do Truck Tires Last?
What is a Truck Tire? To begin, we must define truck tires. These are tires usually associated with use on light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles over 10,000 pounds GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight). These truck tires are generally constructed of a single steel body ply and 3 or 4 steel belts under the tread. They
Switching Gears; Motorcycle, Scooter Market Requires Entirely Different Focus
With the sudden surge in fuel prices last summer, one would think sales of motorcycles and scooters would have drastically increased as well, as consumers looked for fuel-sipping transportation rather than their gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs. While there is some truth to that assumption, a deeper look shows otherwise. Yes, sales of scooters and dual
Letter of the Law: Are Euro Sizes Pushing P-Metrics Out of the Market?
We have been through a lot when it comes to tire sizing regulations and how to keep our staffs and customers informed. From numeric, to alpha-numeric, to all of the metric options, it hasn’t always been easy to explain what all of this means to the consumer, often leaving them somewhat confused. All of these
Where to Next?: Part III: Performance Trends at the Dealer Level
The last two months have provided much insight into the UHP tires being produced and the subtle swing toward lightweight forged wheels at the OE level. Now, at the conclusion of our three-part series on the future of the UHP tire and custom wheel industry, it’s time to hear from the people on the front
Keeping it Tight
There is no good time for loose truck wheels. Never was, and I don’t expect there will be. Frankly, there is no excuse for it either. Modern hub-piloted wheel attachment systems have simplified fastener inventories and have extended the durability of wheels, lug studs, nuts and other hardware. Because the majority of over-the-road wheel-end systems
Trouble-Free Wheel-End Care
As much as 90% of all wheel end seal failures are a result of improper installations, according to SKF. The manufacturer offers a systems approach to wheel-end maintenance in its Trouble Free Operation program, by providing fleets with detailed instructional materials and making hands-on training available to technicians. The following tips are from the program’s
I Hit A Road Alligator
It finally happened to me. Really. I was driving to the Philadelphia International Airport on I-95 a few weeks ago when I noticed a junky old pick up with a junky old trailer in front of me, and I could see the trailer wobbling from side to side. “Wow,” I thought, “This guy’s going to
Downward Turn: Small OTR Market Sees Sales Slump, Overcapacity
Not that many months ago, the OTR market – small and giant tires – was flying high, burdened with lengthy backorders that kept prices up and production humming. Tires were hard to come by, a happy problem the industry enjoyed for half a decade. The global financial crash and burn – complete with sharp downturns
Still Adapting: Familiarity Doesn’t Make TPMS Service Flawless
As the global economy continues to affect businesses and industries, the tire industry continues to have its issues – albeit fewer of them – with tire pressure monitoring systems, especially in the service bay area. Mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, TPMS on OE passenger cars are now into their second model year
Where to Next?: Part II: Wheel Trends and Forecasts
Last month, we started a three-part series on the future of the tire and wheel industry. Tire manufacturers told us UHP demand is still rising and will continue to outpace other segments for the foreseeable future. The quest is now for the ultimate tire that can “do it all,” according to one tire manufacturer. Sounds
Light- and Medium-Duty Tire Basics
Tire size and type selection for Class 6-8 highway trucks is almost a science for most fleet users and their dealers. Recent developments, such as super wide single tire options and selected self-sealing highway tires, may warrant a fresh look, but the choices are relatively simple and well known among dealers. This is certainly not
It’s Time To Think Again!
The NHTSA Commercial Medium Tire Debris Study is not news to the retread industry. We knew it all the time! If you are certain that tire debris on our highways (also known as road alligators) is caused by retreads, you need to read the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Commercial Medium Tire Debris Study