What fleets are buying today
Fleet requirements vary by operation and geography. Many fleets are now seeking fuel savings, particularly in over-the-road operations. Regional/line-haul fleets are more focused on mileage and durability, Clauer said.
“I believe the goal would be to have a product that can perform adequately in all segments, but this is only a possibility if a fleet treads lightly across segments,” he added. “The reality is each segment has unique forces to combat; choosing a tire best suited to the application will provide the best performance possible.”
Like the three pillars of tire performance, fleets weigh several cost criteria when selecting a tire: acquisition cost, cost per mile, and total cost of ownership. Acquisition cost is obvious, whereas the latter two are more challenging to tease out over the life of the tire.
“While tread wear, durability, and overhaul mileage are important considerations, for some regional operations where tires are exposed to harsh operating conditions, it’s harder to prove the value of long tread life,” Molly Chen, marketing brand manager at Maxam Tire North America, told FleetOwner. “Some regional fleets will purchase Tier 2 or Tier 3 brands at a lower price point to minimize cost per mile.”
Chen said that in more predictable applications, such as long-haul, cost-conscious fleets are looking for overall value.
“They prioritize long tread life, fuel efficiency, and consistent performance over long distances, but price is certainly a factor in the overall value/CPM equation and certainly is a priority,” she said. “Those fleets also recognize that retreading can lead to significant cost savings, and so they demand high-quality casings that can retread multiple times.”
Of course, underpinning fuel efficiency, durability, and mileage is valuable.
Along those lines, Continental introduced ContiTread HT, a fuel-efficient trailer retread for the U.S. market earlier this year, featuring an enhanced shoulder design. The tread is available across the standard sizes for various fleet applications.
“The innovative retread enhances fuel efficiency, high scrub, and offers durability,” Shaun Uys, head of Continental’s U.S. truck tire replacement business, said.
Its tread compound combines an engineered tread pattern to deliver outstanding removal mileage. Uys said the new design offers fleets up to a 20% improvement in rolling resistance, translating to lower fuel consumption and reduced operational costs.
“Fleets today are prioritizing tire selections that deliver the lowest cost of ownership through a combination of durability, performance, and proactive tire management solutions,” Chris Queen, North American technology director at Goodyear Commercial, said. “Fleet managers are increasingly favoring tires that offer extended tread life, fuel efficiency, and retreadability—helping ensure a lower total cost of ownership. But they also seek advanced technology offerings that allow them to stay ahead of tire maintenance issues before they become costly problems.”
While not directly related to tire performance, Queen said fleets are looking to align with suppliers that deliver value-added services, such as tire management programs.
“Goodyear’s comprehensive suite of tire management programs and intelligent tire solutions, including Fleet HQ and Goodyear TPMS Plus, empower fleets to be more proactive with maintenance and help uncover new opportunities to reduce costs and downtime,” Queen explained.
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