December 2012
Fleet &Tire
Creating Profitable Fleet and Tire Dealer Relationships
Ever-Changing Role of Tires • Assets: A new way to consider modern radials? • How new regulations impact tires, maintenance • SmartWay verified truck tires and retreads A Supplement to Tire Review and Fleet Equipment
Rapid Response: 800-928-1184 ext. 45301
Getting Max Results
Treat tires as assets to maximize performance
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here’s no doubt that tires are a significant part of a modern truck fleet’s budget. The purchase and maintenance of new and retreaded (if used) tires represents the second largest expense item – next to fuel – on any fleet budget. Fleet managers and commercial tire dealers alike have been taught, educated, reminded and fixed on “Tires Are a Major Expense,” and, therefore, they do all they can to safely stretch every mile out of every tire. As a result, fleets and their dealers strictly look at the plain dollars and cents of tire lifecycle costs, constricting the real value of a modern radial truck tire to the same viewpoint of 20 years ago. At least one tiremaker now suggests that fleets of all types and sizes might be better served if they drop that oldschool “commodity” view and start considering their tires (and retreads) as “assets” – on the same level as power units and trailers, replacement components and support equipment. Those are all big-ticket items that are intrinsic to a fleet’s on-road success, and are closely monitored for their cost-effectiveness and lifecycle cost. Just like tires, according to Kurt Danielson, president of Bridgestone Americas’ commercial tire operations, who forwarded the thought-provoking concept at a recent media program held at the tiremaker’s Middle Tennessee home. Bridgestone hosted the
truck and tire media at its plants in LaVergne and Warren County, Tenn. Danielson said when it comes to today’s tires, fleets and dealers need to consider “a total solution” and not just the price tag. Making and selling “cheap tires” is easy for any tiremaker. “What’s not easy is to ensure that tires help improve the fuel economy of tractor-trailers, that they help keep trucks up and running. It’s that additional value that helps fleets be profitable and successful,” he said. This is not the first time a tire company posited this idea, and like “retreadability” and “total lifecycle cost” concepts that are now well-established in the truck tire mindset, the “tires are an asset” mantra is a drumbeat that surely will continue to gain traction. So why should dealers and fleets change their line of thinking? Well, there are a few good reasons. Consider:
Safety & Regulation The importance of careful tire selection and continuing maintenance was driven home when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program launched. Intended to improve safety and reduce highway crashes involving commercial vehicles, CSA has captured the attention of fleets (and, by extension, their tire dealers and retreaders) in a big way. What separates CSA from previous
vehicle inspection programs is the involvement of drivers. Previously, a tire violation would be the responsibility of the carrier. “Before CSA, there were no ramifications for the driver,” said Steve Graham, vice president of purchasing at Schneider National. “Now the driver is much more interested because violations affect him, as well.” “It’s top of mind for both fleets and drivers,” said Steve Wilton, vice president of fleet solutions for Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems’ Wingfoot unit. “Drivers are becoming more particular about the tires on their vehicles because they have a shared responsibility under CSA.” CSA measures carrier and driver safety performance under its Safety Measurement System (SMS), which replaced the SafeStat system for identifying carriers for safety audits. SMS groups carriers according to size and ranks them based on safety performance with their peer group. Drivers are compared with one another, although FMCSA doesn’t rate drivers as it does carriers. Under SafeStat, FMCSA focused on out-of-service violations. SMS tracks many more violations based on vehicle inspections. Inspectors evaluate not only inspections, but also maintenance records – and tires are at the top of the list. Tire violation points are posted to a carrier’s safety score under Vehicle Maintenance, one of CSA’s seven BeTireReview.com • FleetEquipmentMag.com 1
Among the most severe tire violations are drive or trailer tire tread depth less than 2/32-inch, and steer tire tread depth less than 4/32-inch.
havioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories, or BASICs. According to U.S. Department of Transportation, 17 different tire/wheel-related violations accounted for roughly 10% of total inspection violations that took place during a 12month period that ended in April 2012. More specifically, 10% of out-of-service violations involved tires. The most frequent of all violations was drive or trailer tire tread depth less than 2/32-inch, which accounted for 5% of total violations and 8.4% of out-of-service violations. Safety violations earn a fleet points – ranging from 1 to 10, with 10 as the most severe. The most severe tire violations carry 8-point weightings, and include: • Drive or trailer tire tread depth less than 2/32-inch • Steer tire tread depth less than 4/32-inch • Flat tire or audible tire leak • Tread and/or sidewall separation • Carcass fabric exposed • Sidewall cut that exposes tire ply or belt material With CSA, it takes a team approach to help keep a truck or trailer road-worthy. The fleet maintenance manager has to do his job spotting problems and making sure each vehicle and tire sees consistent and thorough care. Drivers need to make their daily, weekly or monthly walk-arounds more detailed and effective. And tire dealers and retreaders must engage in the process to better monitor not only the performance of their products, but their condition and serviceability. In other words: Treat tires like a true asset.
Complexity Rapid Response: 800-928-1184 ext. 45302 2 December 2012 | Fleet & Tire
Consider this fact – a basic four-belt modern medium truck radial features some 15 different rubber compounds and a couple dozen unique components. Each has a specific
■ Fleet & Tire: role, a job to do either to hasten curing, combat Mother Nature, and/or resist the near fatal beating a finished tire will endure for years on the road. It’s a simple system on the surface, according to Guy Walenga, commercial tire engineering director for Bridgestone, but when you consider everything that goes in, a modern radial tire is probably the most complex non-mechanical machine in transportation. All of those pieces – the rubber and the steel and the chemicals – have to deliver extraordinary removal mileage, carry 40 tons of truck and freight over sometimes harsh roadways, survive long days under a blazing sun and even longer ones in below freezing climates – and do all of this while delivering better fuel economy, traction and safety than their predecessors. One single product producing outstanding results under constant backbreaking pressure. An asset, no doubt.
tive abilities perhaps prevent a costly on-road incident? Given those unknowns, how can you assign a real value to that tire? Perhaps by seeing it as an asset instead of a cost. “Purchasing a ‘good tire’ is no longer good enough anymore,” Danielson said. With the economic downturn and rising tire costs due to raw material increases, he noted, fleets survived by tightening the managing of their businesses. “That’s why we believe the key to maximizing tire value going for-
FEATURE
ward is to view them as assets and not commodities,” he continued. The challenge to price-focused fleets and dealers is to find greater value in the attributes that are most important – any or all of fuel economy, removal mileage, retreadability, total lifecycle cost, whatever. If you’re not maximizing your tire performance results, then your tires are no asset at all. If you are getting max results, then you understand that tires truly are assets. ■
True Value A new radial truck tire is unlike most products. Even as some still view truck tires as disposable commodities, a good truck tire is expected to produce 250,000 original miles and at least another 300,000 in second and third lives as a retread. Steers beget drives beget trails – a circle of lifecycle to which any cost-conscious fleet prescribes. Just as some people look at a modern radial and see a hoop of rubber and steel instead of an intricate machine, the new-tire-to-retread equation is equally ill-considered. It takes an extremely well-developed tire to reach 250,000 original miles, and a robust casing to see it through its future lives. Because these things can be carefully tracked, it is easy to put a dollar figure to such mileage performance. For some fleets, that cost-per-mile measure is enough. And let’s not forget fuel economy, and the highly desired EPA SmartWay designation. Are the tires delivering better fuel economy compared to your previous radials? Fleets and dealers need also consider less trackable results. Did that tire, for example, need emergency roadside attention? Did it, perhaps, exceed fleet and dealer established performance parameters? How much less raw materials did it take to produce that tire or retread? How many gallons of diesel did that particular radial (new and retread) save the fleet? Did its trac-
Rapid Response: 800-928-1184 ext. 45303 TireReview.com • FleetEquipmentMag.com 3
FuelEfficient
The impact of tires on new fuel economy regs
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he trucking industry is gearing up for the next mandate for change, which is slated for 2014 – the EPA and NHTSA Greenhouse Gas 2014 initiative. It will be focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions while improving fuel economy of heavy-duty trucks. The GHG14 mandate may
GREENHOUSE GAS 2014 • IMPACT OF ENTIRE VEHICLE TO BE CONSIDERED • ROLE OF TIRES IN FUEL SAVINGS STILL IMPORTANT • COMPLIANCE WILL REQUIRE TIREMAKERS TO CONTINUE TWEAKING CURRENT TIRES 4 December 2012 | Fleet & Tire
bring about the most wide-sweeping changes we have seen to date, primarily because truck OEMs and engine makers have been suggesting that in order to be in compliance, there will need to not only be changes to the engines, but also changes to vehicle aerodynamics – and the addition of lower rolling resistance tires. Tires contribute greatly to the fuel efficiency of Class 7-8 vehicles. About 35% to 50% of a tire’s rolling resistance comes from the tread, for example, so it follows that tread compounding and design have a significant impact on fuel economy. Typically, shallow treads (primarily trailer positions) are more fuel-efficient than deep ones (primarily drive) and rib designs (steer axle primarily) tend to be more fuel-efficient than lug or block designs (drives). By incorporating continuous shoulder ribs in newer-generation tires, however, tire designers have found they can be more flexible in selecting tread rubber compounds. The result is that certain closed-shoulder tires offer overall fuel
economy equal to or even better than some rib designs. Tiremakers also use different tread compounds in each tire to achieve lower rolling resistance and better fuel economy. In the past, more fuelefficient rubber compounds might not have worn very well, but engineers have devised ways to improve rolling resistance without causing a significant loss in other important characteristics, such as traction, durability and tread mileage. Using specialized synthetic/natural rubber blends with engineered properties, together with a specific tread design, today’s tires deliver long wear characteristics. In particular, new rubber mixes that generate less heat when flexed are under development. Some compounds, especially those incorporating silica or using special formulas that combine natural and engineered-structure synthetic rubber, can help lower tire temperature and in turn promote longer casing life.
■ Fleet & Tire:
FEATURE
Additional Help To ensure that tire pressure remains stable so that the rolling resistance benefits can be maintained – on trailers, in particular – a larger number of fleets are now utilizing onboard tire monitoring and inflation systems. Automatic tire inflation systems connect all tires on the trailer to a controlled air supply to fill and maintain tires at the desired pressure setting, even while the vehicle is moving. As air pressure drops below the tiremaker’s recommended level (or the fleet’s desired pressure), air is automatically routed to refill any underinflated tires. At least half of fleets’ tire problems, including compromised fuel efficiency, are caused by improper inflation – and the problem is more widespread than many fleets realize. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports that only 44% of all truck tires are within 5 psi of their target inflation (FMCSA PSV-040002). Other studies show that approximately 20% of all tractor dual
Proper care and maintenance – including casing inspections, pressure checks and measuring tread depth – will help ensure tires run as fuel-efficiently as possible.
tire assemblies and 25% of all trailer dual tire assemblies differ in pressure by more than 5 psi. Put another way, this pressure difference creates a 5/16-inch difference
in circumference between dual tires, causing the smaller tire to be dragged 13 feet per mile, or 246 miles when driven 100,000 miles. In addition to losing the fuel effi-
Rapid Response: 800-928-1184 ext. 45305 TireReview.com • FleetEquipmentMag.com 5
■ Fleet & Tire:
FEATURE
Tire/Wheel Assembly Balancing Delivers Fuel Savings Performance Innovations Technology in Quebec, which works alongside the Canadian government, utilizes SAE J1321/TMC Type II Fuel Consumption procedure to assist transport companies in identifying technologies that help improve the energy performance of vehicles. Recently, PIT ran such a test on Counteract Balancing Beads, which the company claimed showed a 1.6% fuel economy improvement. The tests were conducted on the use of Counteract Balancing Beads technology, which balances the complete rotating mass of a tire and wheel assembly. Counteract said the technology previously was tested by the PAVE testing facility at Auburn University using the same SAE/TMC approved procedure and resulted in a 2.2% fuel economy improvement. These findings could represent a significant savings for fleets; Counteract itself estimated that the ROI on fuel consumption alone – based on these tests – is estimated at $20 saved for every $1 invested. To view the test results, visit cbbtests.com. But the real tests come from the field: Roy Gambrell, director of maintenance for Truck It in Cottontown, Tenn., said, “I was asked to try Counteract, but was very skeptical as to its value with the program we had. The only real issue we were faced with was river wear on our front tires, which is normal with radial tires. We had to rotate our tires about 40,000 to 50,000 miles due to the wear pattern. Since we ran the same type of tires on the rear, we just simply moved the fronts to the rear and rear to front. We installed the beads in our front tires. We did not let the driver know anything about what we were doing. “Using the beads, we were able to extend this mileage out to 80,000 or 90,000 miles. It appears the beads helped slow the river wear down,” he said. “This saved in labor costs by increasing the miles before having to rotate. Also, we save one cycle of rotation.” Tire dealer Steve Greer, of Purcell Tire Co. in Desoto, Mo., noted, “My first experience with Counteract was in a situation under duress. A customer had a particular tire that was giving him quite a balance problem. He wanted me to do a service call and balance the tire. I had just been introduced to Counteract and thought this would be a good time to try it. It not only improved the balance situation for my customer, it also gave me a good tire account. We started using Counteract strictly in medium/heavy (tractor trailer and large trucks), then light trucks that couldn’t be balanced due to their size and required weight.”
ciency benefits of lower rolling resistance tires (20% underinflation lowers fuel mileage by 1% to 2%), when air pressure drops – as little as 20% underinflation – tire casing life may be reduced by 30% and tread life could drop by 25%. Before the government began laying the groundwork for the upcoming GHG14, the EPA created the SmartWay Transport Partnership, the purpose of which is to help freight companies improve fuel efficiency, increase environmental performance and increase supply chain sustainability. EPA SmartWay has determined that certain tire models can reduce NOx emissions and fuel use by 3% or more, relative to the best selling new tires for line-haul Class 8 tractor-trailers. Nearly all of the truck tire producers have new tires that meet SmartWay
qualifications, and as of mid2012, retreaded tire systems also can receive SmartWay verification. Over the last several years, carriers, truck OEMs and tiremakers have sought to meet the more fuel-efficient benchmarks established by this program. Currently, fleets that have attained SmartWay status must maintain engines and aerodynamic equipment per service recommendations. If you ever wanted to understand the role tires and retreads play in fuel savings performance and the reduction of greenhouse gases, the fact that SmartWay fully engages new and retreaded tires cannot be ignored. Over time, SmartWay tires and retreads will be the norm instead of the exception. And, over time, the performance bar will continue to be raised. ■
For more information, visit cbbtests.com. 6 December 2012 | Fleet & Tire
Rapid Response: 800-928-1184 ext. 45306
■ Fleet & Tire:
FEATURE
Updated SmartWay List: What Tires Have Been Verified? In the tire industry, EPA SmartWay verification has gone from the exception to the rule in just a few short years, and is now fully a demonstration of performance that tiremakers, tire dealers and fleets wear with pride. The number of radial medium truck tires that have been reviewed and verified grows monthly, and today (at least as of this writing) there were 33 separate brands carrying SmartWay verification – more than 170 unique tire models in all. In June, the EPA expanded SmartWay verification to en-
STEER
BRAND Advance Aeolus Arisun Atlas
compass retreaded truck tires. This came after nearly five years of lobbying by retread suppliers and producers alike. A complete test protocol was created and issued, and now there are seven precure treads from three manufacturers that have been approved and are now available on the market. Below is a complete rundown of all of the new and retreaded medium truck radials that (as of Nov. 1) received EPA SmartWay verification.
DRIVE
TRAILER
GL283 LET
GL283 LET
N/A
HN267
HN308+
HN808
CR989, AS600
CM983, AD737
CR915
STRD09e+, AP100e+,
N/A
N/A
ST244, ST230
ST244
TR144
R280, R287, R287A,
M720, Greatec M835
Greatec R135 Ecopia,
R283 Ecopia
Ecopia, Greatec, M710
R195, R197 Ecopia,
Ecopia, S803Z,
S197
APW09e+ (315/80R22.5 only)
BFGoodrich Bridgestone
S718WZ, and S718YZ,
Continental
HSL1 Coach, HSL2 (re-
HSL1 Coach, HDL ECO
places HSL), HSL2 ECO
Plus, HDL2 ECO Plus,
Plus, HSR, HSR1, HSR1
HDL2 DL ECO Plus,
ECO Plus, HSR2, HSR2
HDR, HDR1 ECO Plus,
ECO Plus, HSR2 SA
HSR, HSR1, HSR1 ECO
HTL ECO Plus, HTL1
Plus, HSR2, HSR2 ECO Plus, HSR2 SA
Double Coin Dunlop
FR605
FD405
FT105, FT125
SP384 FM
SP456 FM
SP193 FM
TireReview.com • FleetEquipmentMag.com 7
â– Fleet & Tire:
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Falken
DRIVE
STEER
BRAND
RI109 Ecorun, RI128
TRAILER
BI887 Ecorun
RI119 Ecorun
FS507 PLUS
FD695 PLUS
FT455 PLUS
S371, S580, S581
D660, S371, S580, S581
ST250
G300, G305SW
N/A
N/A
CR989
CM983
CR915
G399 Fuel Max, G662
G305 Fuel Max AT, G305
G316 LHT Fuel Max,
Fuel Max
LHD Fuel Max, G392
G316 Fuel Max
SSD, G572 Fuel Max
DuraSeal, G394SST
GSL213 FS
GT669+ FS
GT979 FS
AH24, AL07+, AL11
AH24, DL11, Z35A
TL 01
H-802
H-702 (size 11R24.5
N/A
Ecorun
Firestone General Geostar Goodride Goodyear
GT Radial Hankook Hercules
only)
Kumho Leao
KLS02e, KRS02e
KLD01e, KLD02e
KLT02e
LLF16e+,F816e+,
DriveLLA08e+ (11R22.5
ATE821
LFE823 (11R22.5 only),
only), ADE 822
LLF02e+ (315/80R22.5 only), LLA08e+ (11R22.5 only), AFE823
Linglong
F816e+, LLF16e+,
LLA08e+ (11R22.5 only)
N/A
Suis miscere perspicax catelli, etiam oratori frugaliter praemuniet saetosus catelli. LFE823 (11R22.5 only), Parsimonia chirographi deciperet pessimus fragili
LLF02e+ (315/80R22.5 only), LLA08e+ (11R22.5 only)
Michelin
X Coach XZ, XZA3,
XDA Energy, XDA3, X
XTA Energy, XT1, X One
XZA3+, XZA2, XZA1+,
One XDA, X One XDN2, X
XTA, X ONE XTE
XZA2 Energy
One XDA Energy, X Multi Energy D, X Line Energy D
Roadmaster (Cooper) 8 December 2012 | Fleet & Tire
RM180, RM185
RM851
RM871
■ Fleet & Tire:
Roadone Roadpro Sailun Samson Sumitomo Toyo Triangle Westlake Yokohama Wanli
TRAILER
STEER
DRIVE
LLA08e+ (11R22.5 only)
LLA08e+ (11R22.5 only)
N/A
S180 FS
R610FS
R910FS
S605 EFT
S768 EFT
N/A
GL283A LET
GL283 LET
N/A
ST778SE
ST938SE
Trailer ST710SE
M137
M657
Trailer M157
TRS01
TRD01
N/A
CR989
CM983
CR915
RY617, RY023, 103ZR,
703ZL, TY517mc2,
RY407, RY587,
101ZL
TY577,
RY587mc2
BRAND
FEATURE
SFR01 (315/80R22.5
N/A
only)
Verified Low Rolling Resistance Retread Technologies EPA has determined that certain retread technologies can reduce NOx emissions and fuel use by 3% or more, relative to the best selling retread technologies. These improvements are achieved under the following conditions: 1. Verified retread technologies are used on both the drive and trailer axles. 2. The retread technologies are used on the axle positions shown in the table below. 3. Verified low rolling resistance steer tires are used. 4. All tires must be properly inflated according to the manufacturers’ specifications.
The following low rolling resistance technologies are SmartWay verified when used on Class 8, line-haul tractor trailers:
BRAND
TRAILER
DRIVE
Bandag
B710 FuelTech (precure)
B197 FuelTech (precure)
Continental
HDL Eco Plus (precure),
HTL Eco Plus (precure)
HTL Eco Plus (precure)
Michelin
XDA2 -AT (precure)
XT1-AT (precure) TireReview.com • FleetEquipmentMag.com 9
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