With ever-climbing fuel costs and pressure to carry more freight with fewer trucks, one would naturally think a tire billed as offering greater fuel economy and increased payload capacity would be the hottest-selling item in any commercial tire dealer’s lineup.

In theory, yes. But theories often fall short when it comes to application. Change is never easy, especially for the trucking industry, well known for its hesitation to adopt new technologies. As a whole, it seems most fleets – line-haul in particular – still have a wait-and-see attitude when it comes to super wide tires. And tiremakers are working to break down their hesitancy.

First, some background. “Super wide tires,” as defined in this article, are not the wide base tires of the past that were offered for weight-sensitive applications. Those units were made via standard production technology, had aspect ratios of 65% and diameters as much as five inches greater than the widely used 11R22.5 medium truck tire.

Instead, we’re talking about next-generation, low-profile tires with aspect ratios of 50% that require new production technology. Unlike their predecessors, these tires have the same overall diameter as the most commonly used medium truck tires. They are designed to replace the traditional dual-tire setup with a single tire.

Weight savings and fuel economy are the two main selling points of super wide tires. Makers of these tires have claimed weight savings of up to 200 pounds per axle end and fuel savings of 2% to 10% due to reduced rolling resistance.

To date, the fastest adopters have been bulk carriers and other fleets operating in weight-sensitive applications. For line-haul fleets, conversion has been slow. Two primary issues have hampered growth among line-haul carriers – limited supply and doubts about multiple retreads. And, these are clearly top-rated demands for commercial tire dealer customers.

Investment Continues

That doesn’t mean a commercial tire dealer shouldn’t offer super wide tires to its line-haul customers. One only has to observe the actions of some of the largest tiremakers to realize that there is opportunity in super wides. Most of the major tiremakers are developing and improving their super wide offerings so that they can be poised to strike when the time is right.

Michelin North America (MNA) is the most enthusiastic supporter of the super wide concept, going so far as to call them “pivotal tire technology for the future.”

Officials at MNA believe that more fleets are beginning to realize that tire selection plays a significant role in reducing operational costs. Thus, more fleets are looking to super wides as a viable option.

“The ROI for the fleet is readily quantifiable and measurable,” says Michael Burroughes, product manager for MNA’s Michelin Americas Truck Tires division. MNA introduced its X One super wide tire – the first of its kind – in November 2000. “The Michelin X One not only delivers reduced operating costs but also increases revenue through weight savings and increased payload.”

Burroughes sees “steady, continued growth” in X One sales and says that a growing number of fleets “have adopted the X One as their standard.” Further bolstering his claim that market demand is climbing is the fact that “some vehicle and component manufacturers are adapting their designs to maximize the dimensional advantage afforded by X One technology,” he says.

“Fleets that are positioned to take advantage of the weight savings are the fastest-growing market,” notes Burroughes. “Not far behind are the truckload carriers seeking additional, quantifiable reduction in energy costs.”

For MNA, this talk isn’t cheap. The tiremaker is placing million-dollar bets on the success of its X One tire. In January, for example, the company announced that it would invest $80 million to double X One production capacity at its Waterville, Nova Scotia, truck tire plant. And, the company is currently developing next-generation X One tires as well as new X One tires for specialized applications, such as urban transit and waste vehicles. That kind of investment simply doesn’t happen without demonstrable market need.

Other tire companies, while publicly ambivalent, are nevertheless investing R&D dollars in super wide technology. Ever since the X One tire hit the market, others have followed suit. Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) stepped up to the plate and offered its own super wide – the Greatec series – and this September, Continental Tire North America (CTNA) will launch an all-new HTL1 premium drive super wide tire.

Both Toyo Tire USA Corp. and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. claim to be currently developing their own super wide tires.

A Niche Application?

For CTNA, application is the make-or-break factor in the overall success of super wides. Super wide tires “represent a niche market opportunity in applications that can use this new technology – liquid bulk haulers, operations that need additional weight savings and fleets sophisticated enough to measure fuel savings,” according to Clif Armstrong, director of commercial tire OE and marketing at CTNA. But, super wide tires “will remain a niche market segment for the near term,” he concludes.

Goodyear shares a similar sentiment. Super wides are a “niche application,” according to Tim Miller, marketing communications manager for the Akron, Ohio-based tiremaker. “They’re not for everybody. Fast adopters are in bulk hauling operations. Mixed-service applications are the slowest to adapt because durability and retreadability are so vital to these operations.”

Still, Goodyear continues to develop its own super wide tires, with the goal of “being ready with products when the market demands them.”

Toyo sees potential in the bulk carrier and fuel tanker fleet markets. “These tires are perfect for these types of operations because of weight savings,” says Ron Gilbert, national director of sales for commercial products at Toyo.

“The slowest to adopt these tires have been over-the-road carriers. This is especially true with coast-to-coast fleets vs. regional fleets. I think the biggest fears these fleets have are downtime and availability of a replacement tire,” Gilbert says. That leads Gilbert to conclude that super wide tires are still a niche application.

Critical Development

But the niche status of super wide tires may be temporary, some say, as acceptance of the young concept continues to grow.

“Every time a new tire size enters the market, over-the-road availability is a challenge until its acceptance spreads widely throughout the industry,” says MNA’s Burroughes. If Burroughes is right, this implies a difficult Catch-22 for the super wide tire market: Availability won’t improve until adoption becomes more widespread, and fleets won’t adopt the technology until availability improves.

So, what are the tiremakers doing in the meantime to convince fleets that super wide tires are a viable option?

Burroughes maintains that availability is not an issue for the X One tire. “Every Michelin dealer is stocking X Ones, and they are available at many national and regional travel plaza locations,” he says. “Data from Michelin’s ONCall emergency roadside providers show that the average time for an X One service call is not significantly greater than that for traditional duals,” he explains.

Burroughes adds that in-service tire failures are reduced with X Ones because inflation pressures are easier to maintain. Checking air pressure of the inner tire of a dual setup is no longer necessary; there’s only one valve, and it’s easily accessible. Plus, a super wide tire setup means fewer tires to maintain.

As for retreadability, “X One tires used in highway service are not recommended to be retreaded more than once at present,” Burroughes says. “We are studying the long-term durability of the casings in a wide variety of applications and service conditions while simultaneously working on new materials to augment the overall retreadability guidelines.”

Evolving Opportunity

Though it seems application-based data is still lacking, particularly in the line-haul arena, the purported benefits of super wide tires are based on science and real numbers.

“The technology behind super wide tires is sound, and in the proper application, fleets will see a greater ROI with these tires,” says CTNA’s Armstrong. “Like all tires in the market, as the product matures, manufacturers constantly evaluate deficiencies and address those with improvements.”

Goodyear says its sales team is well prepared to educate dealers about super wide tire applications, and CTNA says it will offer an array of marketing materials and training programs to coincide with the launch of its new HTL1 super wide tire. MNA says it offers dealers electronic and printed sales tools, computer-based training modules and local training sessions related to its X One tire.

The most savvy commercial tire dealers will take advantage of these training opportunities now, while the market is still evolving. What fleet wouldn’t want to hear about a tire option that could potentially save fuel and produce additional revenue?

At the least, commercial dealers would be wise to present the opportunity, and see if there’s interest. Simply offering another opportunity for cost savings may show fleet customers that their dealers are true partners in their long-term profitability, not just tire sellers.

Sure, commercial dealers may be met with hesitation and even skepticism while the segment is still in its infancy. However, if and when super wide tires really catch on, the dealers that have already educated fleets about these tires will be the first to benefit.