According to Michelin, the X-One “wide” tire it introduced late last year is already finding a home in more types of linehaul fleets than the tire maker had originally envisioned.
The tire was initially introduced last fall with either an XDA drive or XTA trailer tread pattern. It comes in a 445/50R22.5 size that Michelin says allows a single tire to replace a set of dual low-profile 22.5 tires.
The tire maker says the X-One was designed primarily to offer a cost-effective, fuel-efficient alternative to traditional dual tire sets on tandem-axle tractors and trailers.
Michelin says that going from two wheels to one per axle end reduces weight and lowers rolling resistance by decreasing the number of flexing sidewalls.
Given those advantages, the company expected the tire to gain the most attention from weight- and fuel-conscious operations, such as bulk haulers.
Michelin executives addressing the press recently at company headquarters in Greenville, SC, reported those types of fleets definitely like the new tires but so do fleets operating other kinds of twin-screw applications.
And for some not-so-obvious reasons. For example, project engineer Ibrahim Janajreh said he heard from a livestock hauler who was excited about the tire. When he asked what benefit the X-One would offer, the reply was, “No more bruised cows.”
As Janajreh explained, cattle must often be pushed bodily through the standard-width doors set in livestock bodies to get them onboard. The fleet manager surmised — correctly that the X-One offers vehicle OEMs greater packaging flexibility. Thus, to him, wider tires meant wider doors, which meant happier and unmarred cows.
Don Pelley, market segment manager, announced that later this year Michelin will be rolling out two more X-One models — the XTE for spread-axle trailer applications and the XDA-HT (high-torque) drive tire.
According to Pelley, the XTE tread design provides “superior” scrub-resistant mileage and a 16/32-in. tread depth for longer mileage to removal.
Pelley said the XDA-HT is designed to provide higher scrub resistance and to handle the high-torque requirements of today's twin-screw tractors. It features a 26/32-in. tread depth.
Go to www.michelintruck.com or circle 302 on reply card.
