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Imported Truck Tyres Gain Speed in Canada

Use of imported Chinese tyres on the increase in Canada. A recent survey of fleet managers conducted by Truck News found that 18 per cent of managers said their fleets had experimented with far eastern imported brands. The same was true of owner/operators.

However, customer perceptions of Double Coin, Triangle, Woosung, Double Diamond and Aeolus tyres are reportedly still low. Owner/operators were most generous in their praise, rating them as 1.9 out of five. Fleets on the other hand scored the products as 1.65.

27th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

PTNA Raise Passenger/LT Prices

Pirelli Tire North America (PTNA) is raising prices in the United States by an average of five per cent for all passenger and light truck tyres. According to a company statement the price increase comes in response to increasing raw material, energy and logistic costs. The exact amount of the increase will vary by product line and/or size. New prices will take effect on 1 November 2007.

26th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Linglong to Build New 40,000 m2 Factory

Shandong Linglong Rubber Co. has announced plans to construct a new 40,000 m2 factory for the production of passenger-car/light truck tyres. Online news sources quoted Jiang Guibo, Shandong Linglong's import and export business business chief, as saying that the new plant will be built in Shandong province, will cost 1.5 billion yuan (£100 million, 141 million euros), and will focus on high performance products.

26th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BFS And Pirelli Hike North American Prices

Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire and Bridgestone/Firestone Canada are increasing prices on all Bridgestone, Firestone, Fuzion and associate brand tyre lines by up to 4 per cent.

25th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Cheap Chinese Imports Worry Indian Tyremakers

(Akron/Tire Review – India Business Standard) With the Indian tyre market being flooded with cheaper Chinese bus and truck tyres, the domestic tyre industry is up in arms about the under-invoicing of these imports and their inferior quality.

25th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Belshina: Growth Through Investment

The Republic of Belarus has experienced robust economic growth in recent years, with the latest figures showing a growth in GDP of nearly seven per cent. The economy is highly industrialised, with exports playing a crucial part in the growth in prosperity. One of the largest enterprises in Belarus – indeed, one of the largest in Europe – is the Belshina Open Joint-Stock Company. The tyre manufacturer operates three factories, covering an area of 173.6 hectares and employs around 12,000 staff, producing more than 200 sizes and types of tyre, from passenger car up to giant tyres for mining and construction machinery.

Belshina sells tyres on both the replacement and OE markets, having a number of OE contracts with local and foreign vehicle manufacturers across all sectors. (Valtra, Brazil – tractor manufacturer; Terex Equipment Ltd., Scotland – mining and construction machinery manufacturer; Belaz, Belarus – mining machinery; MAZ, Belarus – trucks, KAMAZ, Russia – trucks; MTZ, Belarus – tractors).

24th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental Publishes Winter Truck Tyre Guide

Continental Tyres has put together a comprehensive guide to the differing tyre requirements British truck and coach operators expecting to run their vehicles in European countries this winter have to meet. Draconian penalties – including an absolute ban on entering certain countries – will apply to vehicles not properly equipped when there is ice or snow to contend with. Countries including Austria, Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland are covered and the Conti guide – available free of charge to operators – spells where special cold weather tyres are required and when snow chains have to be fitted.

24th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Continued OE Sales Growth in Europe

According to Michelin, the European OE car and light truck tyre market rose by 11 per cent in August compared with the same month of 2006. In contrast, the market in North America contracted by 3 per cent. Sales of replacement car and light truck tyres remained level in Europe during the month, but increased 1.7 per cent in North America.

Year to date, Europe’s OE car and light truck tyre market went up 4.3 per cent from the same period a year earlier, while OE sales in North America were punctuated by a 2.6 per cent decline. Replacement tyre sales were up 1.2 per cent in Europe and 2.1 per cent in North America during the same period.

In Europe OE truck tyre sales jumped 20 per cent in August, claimed Michelin, while across the Atlantic sales were a massive 37 per cent down. The replacement truck tyre market was far steadier, with a 2.4 per cent increase reported in Europe and a 0.2 per cent drop in North America.

21st September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BendPak/Ranger Introduces New Truck Tyre Changer

Ranger Products has given the new R2600HD its US launch. The super-duty truck tyre changer is designed for servicing truck, bus and other commercial and OTR tyres and wheels. The addition of the R2600HD greatly extends Ranger’s market presence from general tyre repair to larger, more specialized commercial truck garages and service outlets.

Features include an electric-hydraulic drive system, multi-directional, self-centring hydraulic clamp chuck, quick positioning mount/demount arm, hydraulic sled and a single piece frame for superior rigidity. Hydraulically operated spreader-type jaws ensure secure clamping of virtually all rims and off-road style wheels.

7th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Exports from India Growing Steadily

The value of tyre exports from India has grown at an average of 11 per cent per annum during the last decade, according to India’s Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association. The current value of exports of all category of tyre is Rs 26 billion (£315.5 million). During the 1996/97 financial year total exports only amounted to Rs 8.32 billion (£101 million).

Since the start of this current decade the strongest export growth has been in the passenger car sector, with exports increasing more than tenfold to 966,046 units in 2006/07. While this amount is still dwarfed by exports of truck tyres (2,276,049 units) and tyres for light commercial vehicles (1,599,230), the high level of passenger car tyre radialisation achieved by tyremakers has provided them with a product that can potentially gain acceptance in many more overseas markets.

6th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Truck Tyres can Redress Euro 4 Weight Gains

For a truck tyre to contribute to the operating economy of a fleet, it must be maintained at the correct pressure to achieve optimum fuel consumption and ensure low casing wear for long service life. But more significantly, it must possess low rolling resistance, an area of product development in which Continental Truck Tyres Europe has placed a strong emphasis.

Conti reports that extensive in-house testing of its truck tyres against those of competitor brands show Continental products compare well in terms of low rolling resistance, a quality achieved through a combination of tread design, compound and other materials. Research conducted for Continental also shows that its tyres are typically lighter than those of its competitors – enough on an eight wheeler to make up for the inherent weight penalties of the technical changes needed to attain the Euro 4 emissions standard.

This lighter weight benefit has been achieved, according to Continental, by employing a low rolling resistance tread compound and design which enables lower running costs with no loss of durability or strength. With what Conti reports to be the lowest rolling resistance truck tyres available in the market, considerable savings can be made. The company’s 445/45 R 19.5 HTL1 trailer tyre, as an example, offers a saving of up to five per cent in fuel usage over comparable trailer tyres.

3rd September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Opens Largest Oceania Truck Tyre Store

Bridgestone has opened what they believe to be the largest truck tyre retail centre in the Australia/New Zealand region. The centre is operated by the company’s retail business, Bridgestone Select, and is located in the Adelaide suburb of Wingfield. The facility covers an area of more than 15,000 square metres and offers seven dedicated B-double work bays.

Manager of the new store, Justin Purdie, reports that the planning process for designing the Wingfield site was very thorough. “Because we can cater for all sizes of trucks up to and including road trains, we put a lot of work into ensuring access to the site is easy for all trucks. All of our bays are totally under cover and offer convenience without the hassle of uncoupling. There is no question that, with this facility, we can now maximise speed of operation and minimise down-time for drivers.”

Bridgestone Select outlets also stock a comprehensive range of products including Bridgestone and Firestone truck tyres and Bandag retreads.

31st August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Wondraschek: New Business and Old Traditions

For smaller companies involved in the tyre business it is sometimes equally important to stick to good old traditions as it is to find a way to develop the business creatively. A company that has obviously succeeded in both over the years is the retreader and tyre dealer “Reifen Wondraschek” from the Austrian city of Linz. While in the past the company was mainly known for its activities in the retreading business, today the company engages in an increasing range of new activities, such as exclusive distribution of the Cooper brand in Austria or – as of this year – the exclusive rights to market the Nexen brand in Austria. And just as Reifen Wondraschek is embarking on new businesses, old ones are being phased out. At the end of last year the company ceased producing retreaded tyres for passenger cars. This step was necessary, although painful at the same time as passenger car tyre retreading was once the core business of Reifen Wondraschek, which was founded in the 1930s as a vulcanising company.

31st August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear a Popular Choice for Safety Conscious Coach Operators

Given their already greater stopping distances and relative lack of nimbleness, there is no question that heavy vehicles need to be fitted with tyres appropriate for the season. This particularly applies to large passenger-carrying vehicles and those that are taken abroad.

Goodyear reports that it is expecting further demand for its Winter ‘UltraGrip’ tyres this year, particularly with bus and coach operators who have a desire to maximise passenger safety on continental ski trips and European tours. Last Winter the performance of the 315/80R22.5 Goodyear UltraGrip WTS (Winter Tread Steer) and WTD (Winter Tread Drive) tyres on coaches used for continental tours resulted in a significant upswing in demand for these tyres.

Among the noteworthy features the Ultra Grip WTD (Winter Traction Drive) offers is the tread pattern. According to the tyremaker this is the first tyre to incorporate a new Goodyear patented design its calls 3D-BIS Technology (Block Interlocking System), which features trapezoidal shaped blades. The 3D-BIS Technology blades are fine sipes with three-dimensional wave-like shapes – perhaps best described as looking like waffles. The unique shape of these blades causes the tread blocks to lock together when the tyre deforms, creating a more rigid and stable footprint.

29th August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Modi Rubber Clawing its Way Back After Long Hiatus

After six idle years the Modi Rubber tyre factory in Modipuram, near the northern Indian city of Meerut, may soon again be a hive of tyre making activity. On August 20 local officials handed over the factory’s keys to the Modi Rubber managing director, Vinay Kumar Modi, and following this transaction Mr. Modi gave instructions for the plant and equipment to be made ready for use.

The managing director has high hopes that the Modi Rubber factory will soon be producing Modi Continental truck tyres. “It will happen in the next four to six months,” he told India’s Business Standard newspaper. In the near future Mr. Modi will commence negotiations with the German tyre major in the hope of re-establishing technical collaboration. Modi first produced Continental branded tyres in 1974.

24th August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors