What is ‘Green’?: We May Be Seeing Red Without a Clear Enviro-Definition
For the tire industry, its products and services, and its face to the eco-consuming public, exactly what is “green”? This is a very valid question for the enviro-age. Is it oil-free tires or those substituting citrus oil? Tires made from recycled crumb rubber? Dandelions or cornstarch? What about retreading or making better use of existing
Dismal Year Ends: December Sales Continue Sharp Autumn Fall Off
The year 2008 came to a close with a resounding thud, as retail tire unit and vehicle service sales across the U.S. continued to plummet. Overall, tire and service sales have shown consistent year-over-year drops since April 2008. Click here for January 2009 charts Preliminary data from the Tire Review Dealer Panel showed December tire
Sounding Off: TIA Execs Discuss Today’s Top Industry Issues
The annual SEMA Show is a great time to catch up with industry friends, see the latest products and consider the latest trends. It is also a good time to sit down with industry leaders to get their views on current affairs. The day before the show formally opened, we sat down with incoming TIA
Where to Next?: Tire Trends and TPMS Forecasts for Changing Times
Where do we go from here? To find out, we begin a three-part series to see where tire and wheel manufacturers, along with retail dealers, believe the performance market is heading. First up: tires. We have all questioned the proliferation of sizes over the past two decades. The UHP market has steadily increased in volume,
Struggle Ahead: Service, Support Key to Survival in Medium Truck Tire Market
While today’s faltering economy has hit most areas of the country pretty hard, there is one segment in particular that has taken a beating – the trucking industry. In October, truck tonnage fell for the fourth month in a row for a total decrease of 6.3% since July, according to the American Trucking Associations. With
Small but Mighty: Tire Valves Important for Safety, Profits
The lowly tire valve operates just the way it did when it first found its way onto an automobile tire back in 1898. It’s not that complicated to understand a standard (non-TPMS) tire valve, but if a mistake occurs in mounting or demounting, or a hard hit on a curb is not inspected closely, you
January 2009 Sales Intelligence
Covering Casper, Wy.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Provo, Utah; Duluth, Minn.; and San Antonio, Texas, retail tire marketsduring period of Nov. 25, 2008. For this monthly feature, InteliChek directly contacts a selection ofindependent tire dealers, mass merchants and car dealers to obtaincurrent pricing on replacement tires and vehicle services. InteliChekrequests and verifies retail prices
Modern Alignment Racks Deliver Accuracy, Quicker Work, Easy Profits
Notthat many years ago, techs made vehicle alignment their specialty, ifnot their life’s work. They often needed all day to align the familyvehicle and they did a fine, but time consuming job. We can nowforget about the alignment strings and plumb bobs that existed inanother lifetime. Today, from the smallest passenger vehicle to thelargest 18-wheeler,
Spare Grief With Good Belts and Hoses
Alwayscheck a vehicle’s belts and hoses when it is in your service bay. Atthis very moment, the Car Care Council says that nearly 30% of thevehicles passing your front door need a belt or hose replacement. Thisis critical business given the fact that a belt can cause an overheatedengine, loss of power steering and loss