The Evolution of Ag
The first recorded attempt to use pneumatic farm tires was about 144 years ago in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The Thompson’s Rubber Tire Steamer was set up to pull seven plows and chug along at about 10 mph. It didn’t fare very well. The second attempt wasn’t until 47 years later in 1918 when International
Speed Ratings
Across the pond in Germany, portions of the famed Autobahn do not have speed limits, so high-speed driving is very much the norm. In spite of its tolerance of high speeds, the German government is also very safety conscious. In order to allow drivers to match the speed capability of the tires installed on their
Customized Solutions
With all that a quality marketing program entails – advertising, social media, public relations and more – doing it right is a big commitment. Tire dealers large and small must choose the best strategy to make sure all bases are covered. As we discovered when speaking with dealers for this article, sometimes the answer isn’t
Pulling Ahead
Whether its for work or play, people are hauling trailers behind their vehicles all across North America. Dealers looking to increase their profits shouldn’t overlook providing tires to this market. “The trailer tire market is big and getting bigger,” says Doug Addis, national sales manager at Maxxis International USA. “Unlike passenger and light truck tires
It’s in the Book
Most enterprises have established operational policies and procedures that address almost every element of their business, from inventory controls to making bank deposits. These basic operational procedures are usually unique to the individual business unit and subject to the discretion of the business owner. However, more often than not, the single most important operational function
Computer Health Checkup: Replace or Repair?
Every part of a computer serves a function, but much like a car, some parts do more than others. To provide the longest, most reliable service, high use, high wear components like monitors, printers, keyboards, hard drives, and removable drives all require timely maintenance. • Monitors exhibit specific symptoms when they start to fail. When
Organize Your Finances
In business, being constantly busy is good. But often this pace can add to financial disorganization. Get your business’ financial house in order with these easy tips: • Never mix personal and business expenses. • Organize all financial records. Create specific file folders for POs, bills, bank statements, etc. Every financial record that impacts your
Internal Investigations
The first time you learn of an employee’s complaint probably isn’t the day your company is served with a lawsuit. In most cases, the alleged victim complains to the company first. While an initial internal complaint provides an opportunity to solve the problem and limit your legal exposure, all too often an employer drops the
Safety Must Drive Tire Registration Conversation
You’ll see on page 8 of this issue that Tia Disagrees with my take that our industry’s two associations aren’t really speaking with each other. I will say only that, respectfully, we will agree to disagree. That lack of relationship – not just being “in agreement” – does matter, for a lot of reasons. Real
Inside Brake Noise, Vibration, Harshness
What does your shop Do when a brake noise complaint enters the service bays? Does it end up hurting productivity for the rest of the day as a technician randomly applies lubes, pastes and sprays to the brake system hoping that the problem will be at least temporarily solved? Brake systems are complex and require
Hagan: Linglong Americas is Truly Building for the Future
John Hagan’s varied 26-year tire industry career is instructive of how he got to his current post as COO of Linglong Americas Inc., and driving the Chinese tiremaker’s North American ambitions. Hagan started as a credit manager for Pirelli in 1989, moving to financial analyst and customer service manager. In 1994 he took his first
Toyo’s Celsius Plans to One-up All-Season Tires
Toyo Tire USA Corp. is rolling out a new tire that’s not quite an all-season tire, but not quite a winter tire; the Toyo Celsius is what Toyo is calling a “variable-conditions” tire. Built to perform in ice and snow and have traction in all-season conditions, the Celsius is the unusual hybrid between your typical
