Kenworth will begin offering Bridgestone 445/50R22.5 wide-base Greatec radial tires on its T600, T800, T2000 and W900 on-highway model trucks later this year.

"Kenworth has been working with Bridgestone on the development of their wide-base tires for over two years, including fuel economy testing and ride and drive evaluations," said David Warren, Kenworth's product marketing manager.
Bridgestone developed the Greatec radials as a direct replacement for dual tire assemblies, enabling a single tire to do the work of two. The radial tires can replace both drive and trailer-axle duals, according to Bridgestone, and no modifications to the vehicle or axles are required.
Replacing dual-tire assemblies with wide base singles can reduce weight by up to 650 pounds per truck, which "helps customers maximize their payload capacity and improve their productivity," said Jim Bechtold, Kenworth's chief engineer. "In today's environment, any weight savings is welcome news."
According to Bechtold, tire rolling resistance accounts for up to one-third of a truck's fuel consumption. "These new wide-base radials offer a 2 to 5%
improvement in fuel economy because the rolling resistance of wide-base singles is significantly less than dual assemblies," he said.