The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. announced several new commercial product lines to be launched in 2021 during its virtual customer conference held Dec. 7.

The new tires are intended for the long-haul, regional/urban and mixed-service segments.

Fuel Max LHD 2

Goodyear is launching the new Fuel Max LHD 2 in early 2021 for long-haul fleets looking to enhance fuel efficiency. Goodyear says the new drive tire is designed with a tread compound combination that offers low rolling resistance that meets Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards, and is SmartWay verified.

“It also includes Goodyear’s signature TredLock technology, including double-corrugated blades that help ensure the tire wears evenly and maintains traction over time, even through ice and snow, earning it a three-peak mountain snowflake designation,” says Cary Budzinski, leader of North America commercial sales at Goodyear.

The Fuel Max LHD 2 also features Goodyear’s premium casing construction that allows for maximum retreadability, the company says.

Goodyear says the Fuel Max LHD 2 is expected to be available in size 295/75R22.5 (Load Range G) with the 11R22.5 (Load Range G) size releasing thereafter.

Fuel Max RSD

Goodyear plans to release its new Fuel Max RSD tire built for super-regional fleets, as well as three new UniCircle retread products: the Fuel Max RSD, Fuel Max RTD and UltraGrip RTD. These UniCircle retreads offer matching tread designs and compounds to the new tires, Goodyear says. The first sizes will launch in Q2 2021.

Super-regional is a trucking application considered to be a hybrid between long-haul and regional applications, Budzinski says, which drive both in the city and on the highway.

Goodyear says the Fuel Max RSD (Regional Service Drive) tire features new tread compounds to help resist tearing and improve miles to removal. The Fuel Max RSD is designed to accommodate single-axle day cab configurations that travel in both cities and on the highway and features high scrub resistance for tight turns.

Goodyear’s new UniCircle retreads include:

• Fuel Max RSD (Regional Service Drive) UniCircle Retread, the matching tread design to the new Fuel Max RSD drive tire, with deep traction features for enhanced traction as the tire wears. The tire is also SmartWay verified.
• Fuel Max RTD (Regional Traction Drive) UniCircle Retread, the matching tread design to the Fuel Max RTD premium regional drive tire, with an open-shoulder design that maximizes traction and long miles to removal, Goodyear says. It carries the three-peak mountain snowflake designation and is SmartWay verified.
• UltraGrip RTD (Regional Traction Drive) UniCircle Retread, the matching tread design to what Goodyear says is its best all-season regional drive tire for traction and grip: the UltraGrip RTD. Its evolving open-shoulder design with biting edges and sipes earned it the three-peak mountain snowflake designation for traction even at 50% worn.

Goodyear says its UniCircle retread technology offers a seamless tread design that adheres closely to the tire casing and delivers a precise fit without the need for splicing.

With an anticipated mid-2021 launch, these regional UniCircle retreads will be available in popular sizes, Goodyear says. The Fuel Max RSD drive tire will initially launch in 295/75R22.5 (Load Range G), with additional sizes rolling out in 2022.

Armor Max MSA

For Goodyear’s mixed-service customers, the company says it has taken three of its existing product lines and combined them into one with the Armor Max MSA.

“This off-road tire is primarily used in service applications like logging, oil fields and cement trucks and comes in three fitments,” Budzinski says. “We enhanced our treading compound technology to deliver improved resistance to stone drilling, so the tire can expel stones and debris more quickly and efficiently before damage is caused.”

The tire also includes Goodyear’s Duraseal technology, which the company says will provide flat-protection on punctures up to a quarter-inch.

The company will begin rolling out the first sizes in Q2 of 2021.

Fleet Central Portal for Fleets

Goodyear also announced the launch of Fleet Central, an interactive portal designed to help fleets maximize efficiencies for their tires. The portal, which can be found at goodyeartrucktires.com, allows fleets to purchase tires, activate service and gain insight into their tire program all in one place, the company says.

“To date, we have introduced Fleet Central to more than 6,000 fleet users,” says Dave Beasley, Goodyear vice president of North America commercial.

Goodyear says the dashboard allows users to view information at a total fleet level all the way down to a specific vehicle, tire or service event in real time. Fleets can also interact with Goodyear directly by purchasing tires, scheduling service, requesting tire inspections or activating emergency roadside assistance from Goodyear’s service network of more than 2,300 providers.

Beasley adds that Goodyear has been hiring workers to focus on production, as demand for Goodyear products has increased since the pandemic hit North America in March.

“Many experienced a downturn in our businesses. However, while some industries suffered a longer-term demand shock, we were more fortunate,” Beasley explains. “As part of the world supply chain, trucks remain on the road to deliver essential goods, and because movement among trucking fleets did not stop, but actually grew in some segments, demand for our industry-leading products increased rapidly in the second half of the year.”