Focus on the ‘Why,’ Not the ‘What’
"Changing the basic retail tire buying experience" is the hot topic right now. It’s been the underlying thread of every dealer meeting I’ve attended over the past year, and it will doubtlessly be the theme of many more in the near future. And it should. Between 1997 and 1999, tire retail customer satisfaction, measured by
Do We Really Need This Much Information?
Do we really need this much information? Cold winter nights offer the best opportunity for many of us to catch up on reading material. Whether it’s job-related trade journals, industry studies, or a good novel, there is much information and entertainment available in print.Chances are pretty good, however, that unless you’re an incurable insomniac, you
Customer Pays with Cheap Stems
The consumer media has given a great deal of ink and air-time recently to the issue of tire safety and the various factors that can cause a tire to fail. But one item most of these reports have not touched upon is the valve stem Think about it. The valve stem is what keeps the
Brains Match Muscle: The Intelligent Tire
Brains Match Muscleas Tire Chips Finally Hit the Market The Intelligent Tire. Many see it as a myth, an unworkable idea with no real world merit. Others see it as the wave of the future, a screaming-to-be-born combination of technologies that will solve so many tire maintenance matters. It’s no secret that tire manufactures have
It Takes a Thief: One in Three Steal -Detecting and Preventing Employee Theft
It Takes a Thief One in Three Steal –Detecting and Preventing Employee Theft One of three workers steals from an employer and such sleight-of-hand costs businesses more than $50 billion a year, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Don’t think it’s a problem in the tire biz? Just last month an ex-store manager for
Is Wider Better?: Michelin Leads Super Wide Charge in North America
Is Wider Better? Michelin Leads Super Wide Charge in North America With the introduction of a new breed of radial truck tires in North America, dual fitments on line haul fleets may become a thing of the past.Best described as “super wide” tires – not to be confused with bulky conventional-sized wide base tires commonly
OTR Tire Dealers Speak: Study Shows Dealers Crave Training; Look to Add Staff
OTR Tire Dealers Speak Study Shows Dealers Crave Training; Look to Add Staff For the second consecutive year, Tire Review and the Tire Association of North America (TANA) teamed up to conduct a comprehensive study of OTR tire dealers and the prevailing OTR tire market. The extensive study was a continuation of the highly successful
Hot & Cold: Ambient Air Temps Have Great Impact on ‘Correct’ Tire Pressure
cause any flexing object will generate heat, proper inflation pressure also enables the tire to reach an equilibrium temperature where the amount of heat created is equal to the amount of heat dissipated through the sidewalls, shoulder and tread area.Even though the tire industry has long reminded fleets and tire dealers about the importance of
Field Fixes: Haste Makes Waste When Tackling OTR Tire Field Repairs
should use a spotter, retread chamber or section mold to vulcanize the repair rubber into the tire. More often than not, a section repair is an in-shop job.Either before filling the injury or after curing, depending on the repair system used, a reinforced repair patch should be installed to strengthen the repaired area.Tractor tires are
Dealer Diary: Selling Yourself
Selling Yourself By Craig Gifford For the past two years, Tire Review has brought you Dealer Diary, a monthly series that focuses on typical tire dealers and the ins and outs of their business.Dave Schardt, president of The Wheel Source in Dayton, Ohio, has made custom wheels his primary focus, through both a retail store