Opinion: How Good Are Retreaded Tyres, Really?

(Akron/Tire Review) With advances in technology, materials and manufacturing, today’s radial truck and bus tires provide more performance, reliability and safety than ever before. Truck and bus tyre manufacturers design their tyres for multiple lives, meaning the tyres are designed to be retreaded. And every day, millions of retreaded truck and bus tyres are performing flawlessly all over the world in all types of weather and on all kinds of roads.

This article discusses some of the economic advantages of retreaded tyres and provides advice on how a fleet can make sure it gets the best retreads.

One of my favourite movie comedies had a scene where a fellow’s wife peeked through a window and saw him in bed with another woman. When she confronted him, he denied it and said: “Who are you going to believe, me or your stinkin’ eyes?”

I mention this because a great frustration to our industry is the notion that some fleet managers still have that retreaded tyres can’t be depended on for reliability. Our industry suffers from what I call the “Rodney Dangerfield Effect” – We Don’t Get No Respect. However, the facts are 180 degrees different.

The reality is that a retreaded tyre produced by a top-quality retreader will perform as well as a comparable new tyre, and at a far lower price. For example: A top-of-the-line major brand 11R22.5 new tyre is selling for approximately $350. (And new tyre prices are on the rise!).

That same size tyre can be retreaded for approximately $115, and the retread will often deliver even more mileage than the original tyre. Multiply these savings by the number of tyres in a fleet and we are talking real money at the end of the year. With proper tire maintenance programs, tyres can often be retreaded more than once, making the savings greater.

Why, then, does our industry have to continue to fight an uphill battle to convince non-believers that retreads really will perform and can be as trouble free as new tyres? The answer is tyre debris. Unfortunately, we all see too much of that junk all over our highways, which causes a huge headache for the retread industry.

Retreads are not the sole cause of tyre debris. In fact, much of the tyre debris is from tyres that have never been retreaded.

The main cause for tyre failure – and the resulting road debris – is improper maintenance. Underinflation (the biggest culprit), mismatching of tyres in dual wheel positions, running one tyre flat on a dual wheel assembly, misalignment, etc, all cause tyres to fail. And when they do, they leave a trail of rubber junk on the highway, regardless of whether the tyre was a retread or one that had never been retreaded.

Here are a few simple rules for fleets to follow to guarantee they are getting the best retreads:

1. Don’t be fooled into buying solely on price. Fleets that do will get what they pay for, which isn’t always pretty. Lifecycle costing is far more effective than the initial price. Fleets are better off paying a little more up front for the highest quality product produced by the best retreader in their area.

2. Fleets should visit more than one prospective retreader before deciding on the best one. Insist on reviewing their product failure adjustment records (excluding road hazards, which are not the fault of the retreader). A top-quality retreader’s product failure adjustments for his retreads will parallel – and often be lower – than his new tyre adjustments.

3. During a visit, fleets should ask to see the retreader’s non-destructive testing equipment. It may be shearography, X-ray or some variant. It is important that tyres are subjected to non-destructive testing before entering the retread process. The best visual inspector cannot see damage that may exist between the inside and the outside of the tyre. Non-destructive testing is the single most important development in the retread industry in years. Insist on it!

4. Fleet tyre department people should also visit the retread plant. Once a retreader is chosen, tyre people (and others, including drivers) should revisit the retreader at least once every 60 days. This will aid in establishing a great relationship with the retreader.

5. The same advice applies to owner/operators. In fact, even more so, since it’s the owner/operator’s money. O/Os may not need to visit revisit the retreader every 60 days, but they should maintain a good ongoing, working relationship with the retreader.

By following these few simple rules, fleets will see how retreads can save operating costs without sacrificing safety, reliability or performance. And, they will then be able to tell the naysayers that they saw it with their “own stinkin’ eyes!”