BFNAT Doing its Part to Help Lessen Impact of OTR Tire Shortage

In response to the continuing shortage of OTR tires, Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire is stepping up by adding another dimension to its role in the industry, that of an educator as well as a manufacturer.

The company is doing everything in its power to teach customers how to make these hard-to-find tires safely last as long as possible. This includes sending sales and engineering staff on the road to offer educational seminars and promoting the use of tire recordkeeping software, which is essential to knowing what a customer needs and when they need it, said Jack Dutcher, national manager of OTR training and development.

A condensed version of the training seminar was presented to select media during the BFNAT Media OTR Boot Camp, held Oct. 1-2 at the company’s OTR Training Center and plant in Bloomington, Ill.

The plant, a 460,000-square foot facility located on 70 acres, employs 382 workers. It produces a slew of tire sizes, ranging from the 14.00R24 radial to the 13-foot tall, 15,000 pound 70/70-57 bias. In 2006, about 56,800 units, or roughly 200 tires per day, were made at the plant, General Manager Greg Halford said.

October’s event included a classroom session, plant tour and a demonstration on how to maintain proper air pressure, which is key to extending the life of tires.

“A few years ago, there was no problem ordering OTR tires,” Dutcher said. “If people had the budget, they bought them. But that’s not the situation today.”

He explained that many mining and construction equipment manufacturers are shipping vehicles on used tires, or on tires that they will take back once the equipment is delivered. Without the ready availability of OTR tires, many of BFNAT’s customers have had to put their earthmoving vehicles on blocks, which directly affects an operation’s productivity.

In his seminar, Dutcher teaches customers detailed steps they can take to avoid damaging tires, salvage ones that can be repaired and to monitor tire stock closely in order to correct problems before they result in a loss of productivity. In addition to ensuring proper air pressure, some of the basic tire care tips include regular inspections and repairs, reducing excess road water, more detailed wheel inspections, examining retreading options and adjusting load size to match a tire’s air pressure.

“Tires must be examined for safety first, then for potential repair,” Dutcher noted. “Tires left on vehicles today wouldn’t have been a few years ago. There are even unsafe ones left because people can’t get new ones as readily.”

The media seminar also included information about TreadStat, BFNAT’s tire management software, which has been in development for more than 12 years. The program is designed to manage inventory, forecast future needs, track variables that extend tire life, lower costs and increase safety, according to Chris Rhoades, manager of business intelligence.

“It’s the easiest-to-use tire management software, with comprehensive tracking and reporting capabilities,” he said. “And it’s the only software designed, developed and supported by the tire manufacturer.”

By using TreadStat, customers are able to quickly access information related to each inspection and repair of every tire in their possession, as well as track tread wear. The system features illustrations of each vehicle in the customer’s fleet with regard to which axle each tire is located. A simple click and drag “changes” the tires in the illustrations.

In addition to serving its customers, TreadStat allows BFNAT to collect data in order to be more aware of future customer needs, Rhoades said.

BFNAT will unveil a new version of the program that allows for online interaction at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG, which is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas from Mar. 11-15, 2008.

BFNAT’s parent, Bridgestone Corp., which operates 165 plants in 25 nations, is investing more than $5.2 billion to assure long-term, consistent supply of raw materials between 2006 and 2009. It has invested $600 million globally in its OTR tire supply, including investments in its Hofu and Shimonoseki/Saga plants in Japan, as well as building a new plant in Hibikinada.

BFNAT estimates its ability to supply OTR tires will meet industry demand this year for small capacity OTR tires, in 2008 for medium capacity, in 2009 for large capacity, and in 2011 for giant capacity OTR tires, East Zone Manager Dave Neumann said.