Demand for fuel-efficient retreads will increase over time due to external dynamics like government-mandated greenhouse gas regulations and the more internally driven need for fleets to cut operating expenses, the most significant of which is fuel,” says Brian Buckham, general manager of product marketing, Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems. “Long-haul fleets are hyperfocused on fuel economy and are demanding specific fuel-saving retread technologies.
“We also talk about the ‘performance triangle,’ whose three ‘angles’ include rolling resistance, treadwear and traction,” Buckham adds, “and work to ensure that those angles are as even and balanced as possible by minimizing performance trade-offs.”
Phil Boarts, product category manager, Retread, Michelin Truck Tires, notes that a notable trend in truck retreads is U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay program verification. “The overall strategy of the SmartWay program is to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of linehaul Class 8 trucks,” he says. “This program is important in the U.S. retread market, which produced about 14.8 million units in 2012 and is almost equivalent in size to the new tire replacement market.
“The SmartWay program has resulted in most retread manufacturers coming up with new solutions and developing products to meet the standards, particularly for fleets operating in or doing business in California,” Boarts adds. “It involves looking at retread products in a different light, and it affects the design, compounding and tread depth of those products.”
New retread products coming on the market include Bridgestone Commercial Solutions’ Bandag B760 FuelTech, notes Ben Rosenblum, director of Bandag marketing and commercial marketing at Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. The B760 FuelTech for truckload and less-than-truckload applications is the latest Bandag product to complement a Bridgestone new tire, in this case the Bridgestone M760 Ecopia.
The B760 FuelTech, which is EPA SmartWay verified and California Air Resources Board (CARB) compliant, extends the Bandag portfolio of SmartWay-verified tread patterns for drive positions. The product line also includes the Bandag B710 FuelTech, which was engineered to complement the Bridgestone M710 Ecopia, and the wide-base Bandag B835 FuelTech retread, which is based on the Bridgestone Greatec M835 Ecopia.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber recently introduced two SmartWay-verified additions to its Fuel Max retread line. Buckham says the Precure Fuel Max LHD G505D long-haul drive retread contains special compounding that makes it more fuel-efficient than its predecessor, the Goodyear G305 AT PC, and matches the tread design of the new Fuel Max LHD G505D. Goodyear’s other recently introduced Precure retread product, the G682 RSD Fuel Max designed for regional fleets, has a tread designed for traction, scrub-resistant compounding and a 24/32-in. tread depth.
Michelin retreads that have been verified by SmartWay and are compliant with CARB regulations for low rolling resistance tires include the X One Line Energy T pre-mold retread for trailers with a tread depth of 13/32 in. Additionally, Oliver Rubber announced the launch of the Oliver Performance Drive, a drive position retread for long haul and regional applications. Designed for single and tandem axle tractors, the Performance Drive has a tread depth of 26/32 in. and is available in 210, 220, 230, 240 and 250 sizes.
Other retread products available to fleets include ContiTread, Continental Tire’s tread for cold retreading that can be applied to the manufacturer’s casings as well as those from other suppliers on all position, drive and trailer tires. The pattern design for the ContiTread is the same as for new tires.
Marangoni Tread North America offers its Ringtread and Unitread retread products through a network of independent dealers and retreaders. The products cover all position, drive, trailer, and wide-base needs for long haul, regional and urban applications.
“Each fleet has specific requirements of what it is looking for in a retread,” states Michelin’s Boarts. “It depends on the type of operation and location, casing management practices and turnaround time needs, along with product availability.”
For more information, visit these websites:
Bridgestone Commercial Solutions
www.bandag.com
Continental Tire
www.continental-truck.com
Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems
www.goodyeartrucktires.com
Marangoni North America
www.marangoni-na.com
Michelin Truck Tires
www.michelintruck.com
Oliver Rubber
www.oliverrubber.com
