It has taken a circuitous path over the last dozen years, but it appears – at least for now – that TIA’s efforts to address the commercial tire and retreading side of the tire industry has found a home. TIA’s first Commercial Tire, Retread and Recycling Conference (CTRRC), held in conjunction with the annual Technology & Maintenance Council show in Tampa, Fla., last month, attracted at least enough interest that TIA appears to be committed to the program for the immediate future.

The latest derivation of what was once the American Retreaders Association (and later the International Tire & Rubber Association) convention and trade show, TIA’s first CTRRC took advantage of the TMC’s well-known commercial truck technology affair and existing trade show.

Still, the CTRRC had 240 registered attendees of its own – 145 representing the commercial tire side and 95 from the tire recycling side.

While no official announcement was made, TIA officials stated that the CTRRC will return in 2008, again paired with the TMC event, which will be held in Orlando, Fla., next February.

The TIA program was varied – addressing new tire, retreading and tire recycling concerns – but did not compete with TMC’s agenda, which focuses on advancing the technology of trucks and the technical education of fleet equipment managers.

TMC’s trade show, while not related directly to TIA’s program, still had its fair share of tire and retread interests, with booths by Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone/Firestone, Yokohama, Bandag and Cooper/Oliver and a number of related wheel and tire service companies. Next year, according to sources, TIA hopes to add some of its own exhibitors, including tire recycling-oriented businesses.

TIA’s conference was intentionally woven around TMC’s schedule, allowing attendees access to TMC’s trade show and some of its educational programs. Most of TMC’s study group and taskforce meetings were pretty much completed before TIA’s conference opened, but those highly technical sessions address the entire commercial truck, not just tires and wheels.

For its part, TIA put together an agenda of educational sessions fairly similar to its last attempt at a commercial tire/retreading/recycling conference in 2005. That event, held in Louisville, Ky., was the last of a series of biannual conferences and trade shows dedicated to the commercial tire segment and tire recycling.

For this year’s scaled down, seminar-only event, scheduled sessions addressed wheel fasteners and clamping force, disc wheel heat damage, tire conditions analysis, zipper rupture inspection, proper repair techniques and radial tire run-out and balance issues.

Particularly well attended were sessions addressing risk management in a commercial tire center, a discussion about the impact of casing age on retread performance and a session on retreading super wide truck tires. While only Michelin and Bandag – stout competitors in the retreading industry – participated in that session, moderated by TIA consultant Marvin Bozarth, there was much commonality in their respective approaches to retreading ultra-low profile radials.

TIA’s Kevin Rohlwing presented the risk management seminar, which proved to be a real eye opener for some of those in attendance. Rohlwing provided extensive detail, not only on the need for commercial dealers and retreaders to proactively address the dangers lurking in their shops – including meeting basic OSHA regulations – but also on some rather common examples of safety risks.

The recycling side of the event included a number of seminar sessions, which, among others, addressed energy costs, business operations and the current state of the tire recycling industry. Some 80 attendees also took a daylong tour of Hillsborough (Fla.) Landfill’s Tire Recycling Division and Global Tire Recycling’s facility in Wildwood, Fla.

It has taken a circuitous path over the last dozen years, but it appears – at least for now – that TIA’s efforts to address the commercial tire and retreading side of the tire industry has found a home. TIA’s first Commercial Tire, Retread and Recycling Conference (CTRRC), held in conjunction with the annual Technology & Maintenance Council show in Tampa, Fla., last month, attracted at least enough interest that TIA appears to be committed to the program for the immediate future.

The latest derivation of what was once the American Retreaders Association (and later the International Tire & Rubber Association) convention and trade show, TIA’s first CTRRC took advantage of the TMC’s well-known commercial truck technology affair and existing trade show.

Still, the CTRRC had 240 registered attendees of its own – 145 representing the commercial tire side and 95 from the tire recycling side.

While no official announcement was made, TIA officials stated that the CTRRC will return in 2008, again paired with the TMC event, which will be held in Orlando, Fla., next February.

The TIA program was varied – addressing new tire, retreading and tire recycling concerns – but did not compete with TMC’s agenda, which focuses on advancing the technology of trucks and the technical education of fleet equipment managers.

TMC’s trade show, while not related directly to TIA’s program, still had its fair share of tire and retread interests, with booths by Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone/Firestone, Yokohama, Bandag and Cooper/Oliver and a number of related wheel and tire service companies. Next year, according to sources, TIA hopes to add some of its own exhibitors, including tire recycling-oriented businesses.

TIA’s conference was intentionally woven around TMC’s schedule, allowing attendees access to TMC’s trade show and some of its educational programs. Most of TMC’s study group and taskforce meetings were pretty much completed before TIA’s conference opened, but those highly technical sessions address the entire commercial truck, not just tires and wheels.

For its part, TIA put together an agenda of educational sessions fairly similar to its last attempt at a commercial tire/retreading/recycling conference in 2005. That event, held in Louisville, Ky., was the last of a series of biannual conferences and trade shows dedicated to the commercial tire segment and tire recycling.

For this year’s scaled down, seminar-only event, scheduled sessions addressed wheel fasteners and clamping force, disc wheel heat damage, tire conditions analysis, zipper rupture inspection, proper repair techniques and radial tire run-out and balance issues.

Particularly well attended were sessions addressing risk management in a commercial tire center, a discussion about the impact of casing age on retread performance and a session on retreading super wide truck tires. While only Michelin and Bandag – stout competitors in the retreading industry – participated in that session, moderated by TIA consultant Marvin Bozarth, there was much commonality in their respective approaches to retreading ultra-low profile radials.

TIA’s Kevin Rohlwing presented the risk management seminar, which proved to be a real eye opener for some of those in attendance. Rohlwing provided extensive detail, not only on the need for commercial dealers and retreaders to proactively address the dangers lurking in their shops – including meeting basic OSHA regulations – but also on some rather common examples of safety risks.

The recycling side of the event included a number of seminar sessions, which, among others, addressed energy costs, business operations and the current state of the tire recycling industry. Some 80 attendees also took a daylong tour of Hillsborough (Fla.) Landfill’s Tire Recycling Division and Global Tire Recycling’s facility in Wildwood, Fla.