Many truckers have a selective memory when it comes to tires. They only remember retread failures. They never seem to recall when a first-run tire fails.
In his more than 20 years as managing director of the Tire Retread Information Bureau (TRIB), Harvey Brodsky has spoken to thousands truckers and fleet managers about retreaded tires.
"Sometimes I felt as if I needed my flak jacket when a trucker would literally scream at me at a trucking show about how a 'lousy retread' had torn off his fender when it peeled," says Brodsky.
What's the cause of this selective memory? The answer is that retreads do a great job for those truckers who understand that tires -- any tires -- need constant attention. As Brodsky points out, tires, whether retreads or new, take more of a beating than any other part of a vehicle. A tire is the only part of a vehicle in constant touch with the road, and as such, demands ongoing care.
If you are not prepared to maintain your tires on a disciplined regular basis, meaning checking air pressure, not mismatching duals, checking for foreign objects in the tread area, being certain your tires are properly aligned, pulling your tires before they reach the legal tread limit, then retreads probably won't work for you. But then again, neither will new tires, says Brodsky. All tires require maintenance. In other words, take care of your tires and your tires will take care of you.
Brodsky compiled the tips below for getting the most out of a retreading program.
Whenever possible, have your own tires retreaded. After all, you know where your tires have been and you know (hopefully) that your tires have never been run underinflated for an extended period of time. Owner-operators have an easier time with this than fleets, because an owner-operator is very motivated to take care of his tires, since it is his money that is at stake.
But fleet owners can educate company drivers about the importance of proper tire maintenance. If there's a program where drivers share in any savings from proper tire maintenance, all the better. The important thing is to never let up on training and educating drivers.
There is an enormous amount of free non-commercial information about tire maintenance available. Start by visiting www.retread.org. The Tire Retread Information Bureau conducts free tire maintenance workshops for state trucking associations, government agencies on the city, state and federal level and for private fleets.
Know your retreader. It is a false economy to deal with the lowest-price company, just based on price alone. Don't spend more than necessary, but the best investment you can make is to visit your retreader and see for yourself whether he uses the most modern non-destructive testing equipment, whether his plant is neat and well managed and whether he is willing to give you a list of references of satisfied customers.
If you think you can't spare the time and effort to visit a retreader, remember that tires are one of the highest expenses of running any truck or fleet of trucks. It just makes good business sense to invest the time necessary to insure that you receive the best value -- don't confuse value with price.
If you must buy a retread on the road -- commonly known as a cap & casing -- try to buy it from a well-known, reputable retreader. The Retread Tire Buyers Guide is an excellent reference and can be kept in the cab. We all know what a MAYPOP is. May Pop in the next 30 minutes or the next 30 miles. No one needs a MAYPOP, which is why it isn't such a good idea to buy a Cap & Casing on the road from an unknown source.
In summary, will a retread rip off your fender? Any tire might, without proper maintenance. Take the time and spend the money necessary to maintain a proper tire program. If you do, you can join the thousands of owner operators and fleets who have great ongoing success with retreads, saving serious money every year without sacrificing safety, performance or handling.
For a free Retread Tire Information Packet and video about proper tire maintenance, contact TRIB toll-free at (888) 473-8732 from anywhere in North America, or by email: info@retread.org.
In his more than 20 years as managing director of the Tire Retread Information Bureau (TRIB), Harvey Brodsky has spoken to thousands truckers and fleet managers about retreaded tires.
"Sometimes I felt as if I needed my flak jacket when a trucker would literally scream at me at a trucking show about how a 'lousy retread' had torn off his fender when it peeled," says Brodsky.
What's the cause of this selective memory? The answer is that retreads do a great job for those truckers who understand that tires -- any tires -- need constant attention. As Brodsky points out, tires, whether retreads or new, take more of a beating than any other part of a vehicle. A tire is the only part of a vehicle in constant touch with the road, and as such, demands ongoing care.
If you are not prepared to maintain your tires on a disciplined regular basis, meaning checking air pressure, not mismatching duals, checking for foreign objects in the tread area, being certain your tires are properly aligned, pulling your tires before they reach the legal tread limit, then retreads probably won't work for you. But then again, neither will new tires, says Brodsky. All tires require maintenance. In other words, take care of your tires and your tires will take care of you.
Brodsky compiled the tips below for getting the most out of a retreading program.
Whenever possible, have your own tires retreaded. After all, you know where your tires have been and you know (hopefully) that your tires have never been run underinflated for an extended period of time. Owner-operators have an easier time with this than fleets, because an owner-operator is very motivated to take care of his tires, since it is his money that is at stake.
But fleet owners can educate company drivers about the importance of proper tire maintenance. If there's a program where drivers share in any savings from proper tire maintenance, all the better. The important thing is to never let up on training and educating drivers.
There is an enormous amount of free non-commercial information about tire maintenance available. Start by visiting www.retread.org. The Tire Retread Information Bureau conducts free tire maintenance workshops for state trucking associations, government agencies on the city, state and federal level and for private fleets.
Know your retreader. It is a false economy to deal with the lowest-price company, just based on price alone. Don't spend more than necessary, but the best investment you can make is to visit your retreader and see for yourself whether he uses the most modern non-destructive testing equipment, whether his plant is neat and well managed and whether he is willing to give you a list of references of satisfied customers.
If you think you can't spare the time and effort to visit a retreader, remember that tires are one of the highest expenses of running any truck or fleet of trucks. It just makes good business sense to invest the time necessary to insure that you receive the best value -- don't confuse value with price.
If you must buy a retread on the road -- commonly known as a cap & casing -- try to buy it from a well-known, reputable retreader. The Retread Tire Buyers Guide is an excellent reference and can be kept in the cab. We all know what a MAYPOP is. May Pop in the next 30 minutes or the next 30 miles. No one needs a MAYPOP, which is why it isn't such a good idea to buy a Cap & Casing on the road from an unknown source.
In summary, will a retread rip off your fender? Any tire might, without proper maintenance. Take the time and spend the money necessary to maintain a proper tire program. If you do, you can join the thousands of owner operators and fleets who have great ongoing success with retreads, saving serious money every year without sacrificing safety, performance or handling.
For a free Retread Tire Information Packet and video about proper tire maintenance, contact TRIB toll-free at (888) 473-8732 from anywhere in North America, or by email: info@retread.org.
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