{"id":13002,"date":"2022-01-09T10:46:26","date_gmt":"2022-01-09T09:46:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=13002"},"modified":"2022-01-09T10:46:26","modified_gmt":"2022-01-09T09:46:26","slug":"retread","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2022\/01\/09\/retread\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Retread Tire FAQs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo: TRIB<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Retreaded tires offer significant environmental benefits compared to low-cost, single-use commercial tires.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Reduce, recycle, and reuse is becoming an increasingly popular refrain as more companies focus on the environmental impacts of their businesses. But can commercial truck tires check those boxes?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Retread tires can undoubtedly fit the \u201creduce\u201d and \u201creuse\u201d categories.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When the tread wears on a tire, instead of making a wholesale replacement and scrapping the used tire, retreading allows fleets to reuse the casing and replace the tread,\u00a0extend the tire\u2019s life, and reduce\u00a0the number of scrap tires sent to landfills.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In North America, retreads make up about half of all truck tire replacements. In 2018, that totaled about 15 million tires in the U.S. and Canada. While the retread market is growing due to its cost and environmental advantages, some skepticism still exists about whether retreads are a good fleet fit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These answers to frequently asked questions about retreads can\u00a0help fleets make an informed decision.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How are Retread Tires Made?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Despite the name, retreading is about more than tire tread. The process starts with inspecting the casing, which must be in good condition\u00a0for the tire\u00a0to be retreaded.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe\u202fmodern retread process\u202fhas evolved significantly\u202fover the years with\u202fthe introduction of new technologies<\/a> that helped influence the manufacturing process to focus on the entire casing,\u202frather than just the tread of a tire,\u201d said\u00a0Shane Feasel, Bandag marketing operations manager for Bridgestone Americas.\u00a0\u201cBandag\u00a0uses\u202fa 10-step process to retread tires that include multiple inspection points and state-of-the-art technology to determine if a casing is\u202fqualified for retreading.\u00a0This process includes using a\u00a0patented, solid-state, non-destructive machine\u202fexclusive to Bandag dealers that exposes casings\u202fto up to 50,000 volts of electricity\u202fto\u202fcheck for\u00a0punctures that are undetectable to\u00a0the human eye.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thomas Stacey, B2B product category manager – urban & regional for Michelin North America, Inc.,\u00a0said the\u00a0Michelin Retread Technology retreading process has nine steps\u00a0to ensure retread tires are suitable for use.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRecent improvements include automatic leak detection on the curing chamber and centering of the casing at the buffer for symmetrical buffing of shoulders,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To ensure tires are eligible for retreading,\u00a0David Stevens, managing director for the\u00a0Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB),\u00a0said fleets should\u00a0treat tires like investments and care for those investments to get the most value\u00a0out of them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRetreaded tire manufacturing is about quality-in, quality out,\u201d he\u00a0explained.\u00a0\u201cOnly sound, high-quality casings that pass multiple inspections end up going through the retread process.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Retreaders\u00a0have developed sophisticated inspection processes to ensure tires are fit to be retreaded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTire casings that are overused, sometimes with exposed steel belts, cannot be\u00a0retreaded\u00a0safely,\u201d said Luka\u00a0Lojk,\u00a0VP of sales and marketing for Tyrata, a tire sensor and data\u00a0management company. \u201cTo ensure\u00a0tires are not used beyond the threshold to retread safely, fleet managers are increasingly requesting automated tread monitoring to collect\u00a0fleet-wide real-time tread depth readings with alerts for tires that fall below the target tread depth.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"To<\/span>
\n

To ensure tires are eligible for retreading, David Stevens, managing director for the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB), said fleets should treat tires like investments and care for those investments to get the most value out of them. Photo: TRIB<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why\u00a0Should Fleets Consider\u00a0Using Retread Tires?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Economic and environmental benefits are chief among the reasons fleets use retreads.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRetreads offer reliable, environmentally-friendly solutions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial\u00a0fleets to extend the life of their tires, often by 200% or more,\u201d said Feasel of Bridgestone. \u201cIn addition to\u00a0helping generate billions of dollars in annual cost savings for fleets,\u00a0using retreads reduces CO2\u00a0emissions, natural resource extraction, water consumption, air pollution,\u00a0and land use.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stevens of TRIB said retreads could help fleets improve key metrics without sacrificing the quality of their tires.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRetreads deliver the lowest total cost of ownership and highest ROI for their users. Retreads also deliver unmatched environmental savings and sustainability impacts,\u201d he said. \u201cUsers of retreads don\u2019t have to make any compromises in safety and reliability to achieve these savings.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do Retread Tires Compare to New Tires?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Thanks to the robust inspections during the remanufacturing process, retreads perform much the same as new tires.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdvances in both new tire casing and retread sculpture design, together with advances in retread shop manufacturing technology, continue to improve the quality of retreads to the point that their safety and performance rival that of new tires,\u201d explained Stacey of Michelin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While performance may be comparable to new tires,\u00a0Stevens of TRIB reminded fleets that proper care is critical for\u00a0retreads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRetreaded tires are just like new tires \u2014 show them some love by keeping them properly inflated, don\u2019t overload them, and properly maintain them. If you do that, your retreads will love you back and provide performance just as good as a new tire,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Are Retread Tires Cost-Effective?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Whether retread tires are cost-effective options depends on the type of tires fleets purchase. Retreading tires is more cost-effective than a wholesale replacement of a premium tire but may cost more than a low-cost, single-use tire.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRetreaded tires perform as\u00a0well\u00a0as,\u00a0and are less expensive than, new\u00a0high-quality tires,\u201d said Lojk of Tyrata. \u201cSome fleet managers\u00a0are\u00a0still\u00a0facing a decision between\u00a0higher-cost tires\u00a0that can be retreaded and cheaper tires\u00a0that can only be used once.\u00a0By automating tire tread monitoring, our Drive-Over System provides fleet managers with data that enables them to identify the best tires for their fleet.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For those who choose to purchase tires with quality casings that can be retreaded, Stevens of TRIB said the difference in cost is significant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSavings range from 30-50% compared to a premium new tire. And the value only grows with each subsequent retread,\u201d Stevens said. \u201cRetreading a premium tire two times can keep that tire on the road up to 500% longer than an ultra-low-cost, single-use tire.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The more fleets retread a tire, the\u00a0more savings are magnified.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the first retread,\u202ffleet managers\u202fcan begin to\u202fsee\u202fspend reductions and cost savings, which continues after the second or third\u202fretread,\u201d said Feasel of Bridgestone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to research from North Carolina State University, by incorporating retreads fleets have lowered tire costs to less than 1.5 cents per mile, which is well below the industry average.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stevens added that fleets who don\u2019t consider retreads could be missing out on economic benefits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re not using retreaded tires in your operation, you\u2019re simply leaving money on the table and not taking advantage of the engineering that went into the new tire in the first place and the value you can extract from multiple retreads,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Economic<\/span>
\n

Economic and environmental benefits are chief among the reasons fleets use retreads. Photo: TRIB<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How Many Times can you Retread a Tire?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

If savings depend on how many times a tire is retreaded, the question becomes, \u201chow many times can you retread a tire?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTires can be retreaded multiple times, as long as the casing is not damaged by prolonged use or uneven wear,\u201d said Lojk of Tyrata. \u201cMonitoring tire tread closely as tires approach end-of-life is essential to the retreading process, and it is very difficult to do well without an automated system in place.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Following his \u201cquality-in, quality-out\u201d maxim, Stevens of TRIB said fleets should expect to be able to retread a tire more than once when working\u00a0with\u00a0the right manufacturer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHigh-quality,\u00a0new commercial truck tire manufacturers specifically design their tires to be retreaded multiple times, and they provide warranties guaranteeing those multiple retreads,\u201d he noted.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Are Retreaded\u00a0Tires Safe?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Past criticism of retreaded tires is that they\u2019re not as safe as new tires. However,\u00a0state\u00a0and federal studies, including those conducted by\u00a0the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the American Trucking Associations, concluded that is not the case.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a common misconception that tire rubber debris on highways is due to tire retreading. Many think that retread tires are more susceptible to heat and other safety concerns, but this is not true,\u201d said Feasel of Bridgestone. \u201cIssues like heat build-up, under-inflation, and over-inflation, and tread baldness impacts any tire, brand new or retread.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past 20 years, the safety of retreaded tires has been the subject of at least six studies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery single study concluded that retreaded tires are as safe as new tires,\u201d shared Stacey of Michelin. \u201cStatistics compiled by the U.S. DOT show that nearly all tires involved in any tire-related accidents are underinflated or bald. Properly maintained tires, whether new or retreaded, do not cause accidents.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u00a0are\u00a0the Environmental Benefits of Retreads?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n

The Environmental\u00a0<\/span>
\nBenefits of Retread Tires\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are several benefits of utilizing retreaded tires in your fleet operation, some of the top of which include:\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u25cf Use 68% less oil to manufacture than a new tire.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u25cf Reduce CO2 emissions by 24%.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u25cf Reduce natural resource extraction by 70%.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u25cf Reduce water consumption by 19%.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u25cf Reduce air pollution by. 21%.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u25cf Decrease tire waste by 1 billion pounds annually.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Retreaded tires offer significant\u00a0environmental benefits compared to low-cost, single-use commercial tires.\u00a0Retreads reduce the number of tires that wind up in landfills and reduce the use of raw materials used to make tires, which\u00a0comes with its benefits.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of the reduce and reuse nature of retreads, fleets can expect to extend a tire\u2019s life while also reducing its impact on the environment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRetreading contributes to the productive lifecycle of a tire. By utilizing the original quality casing, a retread can eliminate millions of scrap tires sent to landfills each year. Additionally, it takes much less energy to produce a retread compared to the production of a new tire,\u201d said Stacey of Michelin. \u201cAccording to TRIB, it takes approximately 22 gallons of oil to manufacture a new medium-truck tire, but it takes only seven gallons for a retread \u2014 a natural resource savings of 68%.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking at these statistics on a macro level, the environmental\u00a0benefits of retreading add up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA\u00a0retread tire uses 15 gallons less oil and\u00a090-100\u00a0pounds\u00a0less total material than a new\u00a0tire,\u201d explained Bridgestone\u2019s Feasel.\u00a0\u201cIn 2018, it was estimated that the U.S. and Canada tire retread industry saves approximately 217.5 million\u00a0gallons of\u00a0oil and delivers 1.4\u00a0billion\u00a0pounds\u00a0of landfill avoidance\u00a0each year.\u00a0Using retreads also reduces CO2 emissions, natural resource extraction, water consumption, air pollution, and land use.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Michelin\u2019s\u00a0Stacey said retreads give fleets the ability to reap both environmental and economic benefits.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRetreading continues to be the strongest contributing factor to promote sustainability and reduce fleet tire costs for both large and small North American fleet customers,\u201d he said. \u201cAs in new tire technology, retread technology continues to evolve and push the envelope toward safer, more fuel-efficient and longer wearing treads.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Types of Applications are Retread Tires Ideal For?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Traditionally, bus and heavy-duty trucking fleets have been the biggest users of retreads, but today, retreads can be used\u00a0by a much broader range of applications.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRetreads are used for a number of commercial applications, including private waste fleets, food and beverage haulers, municipal waste fleets, package haulers, major long-haul carriers, and large lease\/rental fleets,\u201d said Feasel of Bridgestone.\u00a0\u201cRetreads are also depended on by the\u00a0United States Army, school buses, government fleets, and the\u00a0Department of Defense for both on and off-road vehicles.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stevens from\u00a0TRIB advised fleets interested in retreads to work with a dealer\u00a0to find the right fit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re looking for a specific application, the retread industry has solutions for you,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Michelin\u2019s Stacey agreed that fleets of many different types could benefit from retreads.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBased on the continual improvement of both new tire and retread technology, there are very few applications and operations where a retreaded tire can\u2019t perform at new tire levels,\u201d\u00a0he\u00a0said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Does Fleet Size Matter?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Large fleets use most retreads,\u00a0but that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re only available to fleets\u00a0of a specific size.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost 90% of fleets with 500 or more trucks use retreads in their operation,\u201d said Stevens of TRIB. \u201cThey do that because they know retreads provide the lowest total cost of ownership and highest return on investment (ROI) without any sacrifices in safety and reliability.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Michelin\u2019s Stacey noted that small- and medium-sized fleets\u00a0shouldn\u2019t rule out retreads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRetreading is critical to maximizing a fleet\u2019s investment in tires. Large fleets understand this and have largely adopted retreading in their tire programs,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cOver the past few years, we\u2019ve also seen more small- and medium-sized fleets, as well as public\/government-municipal fleets turn to retreading to better manage their operational budgets and their environmental commitments.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Originally posted on Work Truck Online<\/a><\/p>\n

by Shelley Mika<\/a><\/p>\n

Source: https:\/\/www.automotive-fleet.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo: TRIB Retreaded tires offer significant environmental benefits compared to low-cost, single-use commercial tires. Reduce, recycle, and reuse is becoming an increasingly popular refrain as more companies focus on the environmental impacts of their businesses. But can commercial truck tires check those boxes?\u00a0\u00a0 Retread tires can undoubtedly fit the \u201creduce\u201d and \u201creuse\u201d categories.\u00a0 When the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13003,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[36],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13002"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13002"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13002\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13004,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13002\/revisions\/13004"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}