may2023 - 9

Y
ears ago, spec'ing tires was a lot simpler. Fleet
managers would half-jokingly say tires only
needed to be " round, black, and have plenty
of rubber. " Many of those fleet managers
never actually thought one type of tire was
much different from another. Size mattered,
but price ruled the purchasing decision even
more, as tires consume a large portion of a
fleet's parts budget.
Today, the considerations fleets must
take into account when spec'ing tires have
become much more detailed and complex.
Tires are now developed for specific applications,
duty cycles, and types of equipment.
Tread compounds and designs are crafted for
regional, on-highway, local, on/off road, and
other types of operations, and for different
types of terrain and climates. More recently,
they're being built for specific types of powertrains
as well.
Not surprisingly, fleets remain mostly
secretive about their tire choices and spec'ing
practices. In fact, nearly a dozen different
operations turned down an invitation from
Fleet Maintenance to speak about this subject.
Fortunately, though, tire manufacturers are
much more receptive, so we asked a number
of them to help us out. The Tire Industry
Association also chimed in.
The questions we asked were simple and
straightforward, ranging from how to match
tires to duty cycle to the best ways to measure
tire performance.
The respondents included:
Ü Kevin Rohlwing, Chief Technical Officer,
Tire Industry Association
Ü Matt Schnedler, Senior Product Manager,
Truck & Bus Radial, Bridgestone Americas
Ü Tim Kelly, Original Equipment & National
Account Manager, Double Coin
Ü Tom Lippello, Senior Director, Commercial
Marketing, Goodyear North America
Ü Jim Garrett, Product Category Manager,
Michelin North America
Ü Brian Sheehey, Senior Vice President,
Ralson Tire North America
Ü Tom Clauer, Senior Manager of Commercial
Product Planning, Yokohama Tire
Fleet Maintenance: How can fleets best match
tires to their equipment and duty cycles?
Kelly: The best thing a fleet can do is to collaborate
with their tire manufacturer or dealer to
match tires for specific applications. Tire testing
is a great way to determine what products
can produce the best overall performance and
lowest cost per mile.
Lippello: The first step in finding the right
tires for your fleet's duty cycles is understanding
the type of vehicle and applications
the tire will be used for and deciding which
performance features will help you get the
job done. Also consider specific operating and
underfoot conditions such as load carrying
requirements, weather conditions, and environmental
considerations.
Rohlwing: Working with local dealers and
tire manufacturers can help determine what
is working in similar applications. Constantly
May 2023 | FleetMaintenance.com
9
testing tires and retreads is also helpful, so it's
a good practice to periodically try new tread
designs and measure the results.
Schnedler: Fleets should match tires by
application and position because they are
designed with specific patterns, compounds,
and casing configurations. For instance,
while there are both linehaul and on/off
road drive tires, the linehaul tires will maximize
wear and fuel efficiency while on/off
road tires will maximize traction and cut/
chip resistance.
Sheehey: Fleet executives should review
the actual duty cycle for their equipment.
Keep in mind that duty cycle is the time
the vehicle is used, not the application or
the conditions it is operated in. An example
of significant operational changes is fleets
involved in port transportation. With recent
congestion issues and scheduling backups,
their vehicles are spending considerably
more time waiting than during pre-pandemic
operations.
Garrett: Understand that your vehicles,
routes, maintenance practices, and company
objectives are all crucial factors when
choosing the correct tires. Prioritize what
is important to your fleet, whether it's fuel
mileage, traction, driver satisfaction, long life,
even wear, retreadability, or durability.
Clauer: Know the area where the equipment
will be operated. Is it regional or long
haul? Is it in northern or southern states?
What are the weather conditions, such as
snow, wet or dry roads? Will the geography
be flat, mountainous, or both? Then there's
weight. Will the vehicles be loaded all the
time, or part time? What is the anticipated
average loaded weight? All this information
can be used to drill down to the right tire for
the equipment and the operation.
Summary: It's all about total cost of ownership.
Today, tires are highly engineered components
designed to perform specific functions, so matching
the right tire to your fleet's individual needs is
the key to getting the performance you require and
maximizing your return on investment.
" Tire testing is
a great way to
determine what
products can produce
the best overall
performance and
lowest cost per mile. "
Tim Kelly, Original Equipment
& National Account
Manager, Double Coin
FM: Do the types of powertrains, brake
systems, or the use of TPMS/ATIS impact
tire specs?
Garrett: Powertrains can have an impact on
tire choice. For example, for today's electric
trucks certain tires are designed to manage
higher torque. Brake systems and the use of
» Tom Clauer of Yokohama Tire advises
fleets use tools that track tire metrics " to
minimize cost and maximize efficiencies. "
Yokohama
http://www.FleetMaintenance.com
may2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of may2023
