{"id":7438,"date":"2020-09-09T17:08:13","date_gmt":"2020-09-09T15:08:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=7438"},"modified":"2020-09-09T17:08:13","modified_gmt":"2020-09-09T15:08:13","slug":"retreaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2020\/09\/09\/retreaders\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Things Top Retreaders Want Fleets to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do a shop tour, go into the manufacturing facility and learn about the process \u2013 what do they do to inspect the tires, to get them prepared for retreading?\u201d says Southern Tire Mart\u2019s John Boynton. Photo: Southern Tire Mart<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI really wish every fleet had a deep understanding of the benefits of what retreading can do for their operations, because they are huge,\u201d says John Boynton, who oversees operations for Southern Tire Mart.<\/p>\n

According to Dustin Lancy, Goodyear commercial product marketing manager, speaking on behalf of Goodyear Commercial Tire & Service Centers, now may be a perfect time to look more closely at those benefits. \u201cAmid the economic challenges brought on by COVID-19, we are starting to see many fleets gravitate toward retreads in order to delay the more expensive purchase of new tires,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

We asked Modern Tire Dealer magazine\u2019s 2020 Top 10 Retreaders for their thoughts on what fleets should know to help them have a successful retread program.<\/p>\n

1. Today\u2019s Retreads Are Not Your Father\u2019s Retreads<\/h2>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve all heard the story, \u2018I ran retreads 20 years ago, and one came apart and took out Uncle Buck\u2019s fender,\u2019\u201d says Howie Harding, vice president of sales for Service Tire Truck Center. \u201cTechnology and maintenance practices are ever-improving. You owe it to yourself and your business to get the educated facts before ruling out retread use.\u201d<\/p>\n

As John D. McCarthy Jr., president of McCarthy Tire Service, puts it, \u201cRetreads do not fail simply because they are retreads. As with new tires, retread failure typically occurs due to outside factors that can and cannot be controlled.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boynton agrees. \u201cOften a bad experience happens on the road that is perceived to be a retread-related issue, but on further investigation you realize it\u2019s not a retread-related issue,\u201d he says. For instance, it could have been curbed and not reported, and that caused problems later on. \u201cIf you can get that tire back and look at it, most retreaders and tire distributors can walk through and see what happened to that tire, what caused it to fail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many of these major retreaders recommended that fleets tour a retread facility to get a better idea for the extensive process involved in making today\u2019s retreads.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo a shop tour, go into the manufacturing facility and learn about the process \u2014 what do they do to inspect the tires, to get them prepared for retreading?\u201d Boynton says. \u201cUnderstand the process. I think when they do that, they realize there\u2019s a lot to it that goes on to ensure they are getting the same high-quality product to put back into the fleet as if they bought a brand-new tire.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many fleets, Harding says, have false opinions about how a retread is made and what factors contribute to a failure. \u201cWe find those opinions change once people see the nine-step [Michelin Retread Technologies] process. This is where confidence levels increase and facts replace perception.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steve Phillips, director of tire sales and plant operations for Love\u2019s, says the company invites fleets to visit one of its retread plants. \u201cFleets should always ask questions about the plant\u2019s quality assurance process and the warranty offered on retreads, casings and repairs,\u201d he recommends.<\/p>\n

\"Goodyear\u2019s
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Goodyear\u2019s spliceless tread technology includes a continuous ring of tread with seamless construction that matches the shape of the tire casing. Photo: Goodyear<\/em><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Proper Maintenance and Inflation Are Vital<\/h2>\n

Just as they would for new tires, \u201cfleets need to implement proactive tire maintenance practices for retreads, including monitoring tire inflation pressure before each haul and checking for any visual or underlying casing damage,\u201d says Keith Iwinski, director of marketing for Bandag, the part of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations devoted to retreading, included on the MTD list as GCR Tires & Service. \u201cTire maintenance and care are critical to the reliability of any tire, and improper maintenance can result in tire failure.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, he says, analysis of tire debris collected along roads and highways in recent years shows that tire failure causes are consistent, regardless of whether the tire was new or retreaded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important for fleets to implement a tire management program to monitor and maintain proper tire inflation, which is one of the leading causes of tire and casing failures, and regularly conduct visual inspections that can help prevent costly breakdowns and downtime,\u201d adds Goodyear\u2019s Lancy.<\/p>\n

3. There\u2019s More to Retreads Than the Tread<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe retread process has evolved significantly over the years,\u201d says Iwinski. \u201cThrough the introduction of new technologies and innovations, the retreading process has shifted to focus on the entire casing, not just the tread of a tire.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, Service Tire Truck Center\u2019s Harding believes one of most overlooked topics related to retreading is casing asset management.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s critical for the customer to be directly involved in developing the [casing] criteria,\u201d he says. \u201cThis allows them to weed out unwanted casing brands, set limits for casing age and number of times retreaded, and limit repairs within the casing by quantity, size and placement. There shouldn\u2019t be a one-size-fits-all when it comes to casing specs and repair limits. Casing and repair specifications will vary based on application, but one thing is certain \u2014 having well-thought-out specs will improve retread reliability, reduce potential failure, and ensure you\u2019re not overinvesting in your retread.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. You Can Save More in the Long Term<\/h2>\n

To determine the cost-effectiveness of retreads in their operations, says Goodyear\u2019s Lancy, \u201cfleets should balance the lower cost of retreading versus purchasing a new tire with the number of miles of service that can be gained from each retread.\u201d<\/p>\n

Managing a tire over its complete lifecyle is where real savings can be generated, says Bandag\u2019s Iwinski, rather than the transactional practice of simply buying a low-cost tire.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy leveraging retreads as a tire solution, fleet managers can begin to see cost savings after a casing is retreaded for the first time, and those savings continue after the second or third retread,\u201d he explains. Some fleets have lowered tire costs to less than 1.5 cents per mile, well below the industry average, he says, using retreads.<\/p>\n

Knowing the real cost per tire can help fleets realize that a tire that costs less to buy up front may cost them more in the long run.<\/p>\n

Some low-quality new tires, often made overseas, cost less than even a retread. While not all tires made in China fall into this category, retreaders say that is where many very-low-quality tires are coming from.<\/p>\n

\u201cCheap Chinese tires are summed up by \u2018you get what you pay for,\u2019\u201d McCarthy says. In many cases, he says, these tires have no warranty or U.S.-based product liability insurance, and local manufacturer representation may be hit-or-miss, \u201cdepriving fleets of an important resource they can use to improve operating costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cA fleet\u2019s perception of, \u2018We wreck a lot of tires so there is no sense spending the money on a good tire,\u2019 is more often than not disproven by an out-of-service tire analysis,\u201d he adds. \u201cMany fleets do not wreck as many tires as they think, and an impact that destroys a cheap import tire may not have demolished the more strongly constructed Tier 1 or 2 tire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\u201cAny
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\u201cAny fleet in any market segment with a properly maintained tire program is the ideal candidate for retreads,\u201d says John D. McCarthy Jr. with McCarthy Tire Service. Shown is a McCarthy Tire Service retread plant in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Photo: McCarthy Tire Service<\/em><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Retreads and Fuel Efficiency Go Hand in Hand<\/h2>\n

Most of the premier retread manufacturers already have Smartway-verified retreads for both the drive and trailer position, notes Harding. \u201cThey\u2019ve all made significant enhancements over the years, which has not only improved fuel economy, but extended the runout miles as well. I would say that most on-highway fleets have moved towards a Smartway-verified retread that provides a lower rolling resistance, which allows them to save on fuel, be in compliance when traveling into California, and brand themselves as contributors helping to reduce the overall carbon footprint\u201d of the industry.<\/p>\n

In fact, McCarthy says he is seeing a shift to closed-shoulder or all-position treads on drive tires for fuel-conscious fleets. \u201cThese designs provide the longest removal mileage and best fuel economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fuel-efficient retreads will only become more important as the next phase of the greenhouse gas\/fuel economy regulations kick in.<\/p>\n

6. A Relationship With Your Retreader Can Help<\/h2>\n

\u201cTo ensure a quality retread, fleets should start with a consultation from a reputable retread provider,\u201d says Goodyear\u2019s Lancy. \u201cThere are many options available on the market, and it is essential for fleets to find the right product for their specific application in order to get the desired performance out of a retread.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding the right retread for your application is not the only way a good retreader can help make your retread program a success.<\/p>\n

\u201cA good, high-quality retreader can catch problems before they turn into dollars,\u201d Boynton says. For instance, the retreader may notice a trend in casing problems that could point to using the wrong tread in an application, with the new tires the fleet is running, or with their maintenance program. \u201cReally dialing it in very well is going to be paramount to maximizing the savings a fleet will enjoy with retreading.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boynton says Southern Tire Mart is working with more local and regional fleets that want the company to handle not only their tire program, but also light mechanical and maintenance work.<\/p>\n

Similarly, says Love\u2019s Phillips, \u201cWe see fleets increasingly demanding ways to monitor and inspect tires and retreads as part of a comprehensive preventative maintenance program to reduce costs and downtime.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

by Deborah Lockridge<\/a><\/p>\n

Source: https:\/\/www.truckinginfo.com<\/a>
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Do a shop tour, go into the manufacturing facility and learn about the process \u2013 what do they do to inspect the tires, to get them prepared for retreading?\u201d says Southern Tire Mart\u2019s John Boynton. Photo: Southern Tire Mart \u201cI really wish every fleet had a deep understanding of the benefits of what retreading can…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7439,"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\/7438"}],"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=7438"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7438\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7440,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7438\/revisions\/7440"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}