Truck Tyres
Netherlands-based Magna Tyres has introduced the M-Truck range, which is specifically designed for use in “trucking, haulage, tanker and trailer applications” and “steer, drive, all position and trailer” fitments across “long haul, regional and construction operations”.
In the truck tyre segment, Kirkby Tyres reports that the company continues to “differentiate and invest in quality brands rather than operating at the budget end of the market, which at times is nothing more than a race to the bottom.”
Established in the West Midlands in 2012, GB Tyres has reportedly become one of the fastest-growing tyre importers and exporters in Europe. Nevertheless, despite its large and growing size, the business is still family-run and puts customer service at the heart of its ethos. The business offers a wide range of commercial vehicle tyres in stock. In fact, GB Tyres boasts one of the largest stocks of commercial vehicle tyres across Europe.
Pre-Q Galgo Corporation has added five new designs that have been “lab-tested down to 80° below”. The Extreme line now includes: LDD (Long Distance Drive) 24/32, DLM (Drive Lug Medium) 18/32, PB (Power Block) 26/32, SD (Snow Drive) 25/32, MPO (Multi Positional) 22.5/32 for a total of 18 designs that have been lab tested down to 80° below.
During 2023 Kumho Tyre is significantly expanding its truck tyre distribution channels in the UK in order to increase availability. Direct supply has recently been launched from Kumho’s GB warehouse stock and the company reports that it is “actively seeking to partner with specialist truck tyre businesses focused on sales to fleets and other end users”. A national sales manager for truck tyres has also been appointed to lead Kumho’s development programme in the UK commercial tyre market.
On Wednesday, Bridgestone Americas held a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of one of its truck and bus tyre plants in the USA. An investment of US$550 million will increase the footprint of the Warren County, Tennessee factory by 850,000 square feet (79,000 square metres) and lift production capacity while adding 380 jobs to the plant’s workforce. Bridgestone will also equip the plant for producing tyres featuring Enliten technology.
The ups and downs of European retreading continued last year. According to current figures from the European Tire & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA), the association members retreaded and marketed a total of 4.298 million truck tyres in Europe (excluding Turkey) in 2022. This corresponds to a decline of at least 6.2 per cent compared to the previous year, but is still 4.9 per cent above the figures for the previous year. However, since the new tyre business of the ETRMA members was largely stable (down 0.5 per cent), the importance of retreaded truck tyres fell again significantly compared to the new tyre market and was only 37.2 per cent at the end of last year. The association’s figures also show something else very clearly: the EU tariff effect, which had reduced imports of truck tyres (by non-ETRMA members) for a number of years, has now completely fizzled out.
Scotland-based Soltyre Ltd is embracing digitisation with the integration of CAM’s Fitter-Force to enhance its business across Scotland and the North of England via the use of e-jobsheet by its 52 technicians.
Recently, Hankook stated that it would carry out technical transformation on the TBR production line of the Chongqing factory. Specifically, the tyre manufacturer plans to invest 47 million yuan (about £5.1 million; €5.9 million) to increase the daily production capacity of TBR from 2,560 to 2,960 (annual production capacity from 900,000 to 1.036 million) within 16 months. Hankook says the project will not add new land and will be built in its existing factory workshop.
It was at a gas station in 1960 that Vicencio Paludo found the opportunity that would make him start the company that is now 50 years old, Vipal Rubber. The only one in the world with a complete line of products for retreading and repairs for passenger, commercial, agricultural and off-the-road (OTR) tyres, the company was born from a latent need: to offer lorry drives a solution to their tyre problems. From the first patches, going through the production of camelbacks, treads, and tyre retreading machines, to the manufacture of new tyres for motorcycles, one of the largest rubber manufacturers in the world emerges.
The ContiConnect Live digital solution now offers remote, real time tyre monitoring for truck trailers. The system is equally suitable for freestanding and coupled trailers and utilises a telematics unit to record tyre sensor data and send it to the ContiConnect portal. This data provides continuous information about tyre inflation and temperature.
GB Tyres started its wholesale offering back in 2012 focusing on value truck tyres. The business has grown rapidly in the last 10 years, and has even extended its product range into PCR, agricultural, plant and OTR segments. The business is now sees itself as “easily one of the largest commercial truck tyre wholesalers in Europe”, with a stockholding of more than 80,000 truck tyres and continues to focus on development in the commercial vehicle sector.
In January 2022, Ceat announced it had “curbed” its ambition in the truck and bus radial segment and was looking to shift its investment focus to off-highway tyres. The company now appears to have reconsidered this step and is reactivating previously approved TBR capacity expansion plans.
Giti Tire has launched its Mercury fleet management programme. The programme offers online real-time reporting across all core operational areas. Giti plans to offer Mercury as a value-added service to all truck and bus customers contracted to the brand. Giti is also introducing its Retorque App, designed to give fleet managers visibility that their retorque policy is being followed in real time. The software was soft-launched with several UK-based key fleet customers last September, the company adds. The launch is designed to allow Giti, a mid-market player, to offer services that are now common amongst premium fleet tyre suppliers and partners.
Marangoni S.p.A. and Ceat Limited have entered into a strategic partnership to provide tyre retreading solutions in the Indian market. By combining Ceat’s tyre casings with Marangoni’s retreading technology, the two firms intend to provide customers with “an optimum solution that offers extended tyre life, superior performance, and cost-effectiveness.” Ceat and Marangoni also view the partnership as a means of expanding their franchisee networks.
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According to the company, the M-Truck tread pattern “guarantees impressive field and road traction whilst also effectively minimising vibration when being operated at road speed” (Photo: Magna Tyres)
GB Tyres
Kumho
CAM
Hankook
Vipal
Giti Tire