NEW!

TIMES ARE TOUGH
RETREADS ARE TOUGHER

Rising Fuel Prices Sting When Half a Tank Costs $505*

Ricardo Caraballo, an owner operator-operator, was quoted in a recent New York Times article, "A few years ago $500 would have kept me rolling for two weeks. Now, I'll be lucky to make it three days." *The New York times, Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Owner-operators as well as trucking fleets of all sizes are facing unprecedented costs, to the point that it's becoming hard to pay their bills, let along make a decent living.

Although the retread industry can't solve all the problems for truckers, we can help to cut their tire costs in half, all without sacrificing safety, performance or handling.

Top quality retreads produced by top quality retreaders will perform as well as the best new tires, but at a far lower cost and often with an adjustment rate actually lower than comparable new tires.

"We realize this is a bold statement and that many truckers will not believe it, which is why we want truckers and fleet managers to take us up on our offer to visit a retread plant in their area," said Harvey Brodsky, Managing director of the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB). "In fact, we are so confident that they will be impressed with the modern technology they see and the care that goes into producing a top quality retread, we will make a contribution to their favorite charity if they consider their visit a waste of time. No questions asked, we really mean it," Brodsky added.

There has never been a better time to take another look at retreads for your fleet, whether it's a fleet of one or one thousand. The money that can be saved drops directly to your bottom line - a pretty good idea during these tough times.

Times may be tough, but retreads are tougher.

What are you waiting for?

For more information about setting up a retread plant tour or to receive our complete Retread Tire Information Packet and CD, which includes a Retread Tire Buyers Guide listing the names and contact information for retreaders in your area, please call toll free from anywhere in North America at 888-473-8732, or send an email to: info@retread.org.

An Often Asked Question

Many people who have been in a modern retread plant using the pre-cure system often ask about the splice where the pre-cured rubber is cut to fit the tire casing circumference. And when they see the spliced ends STAPLED, they usually say, "Whoa! What's with the staples? Is THIS how the tread is held onto the casing?"

Let's remember that perception is NOT reality.

After a tire has been retreaded, the splice happens to be far stronger than the staples that are ONLY used during the manufacturing process and are REMOVED before the finished retread is completed. They have nothing to do with keeping the tread in place on the finished retreaded tire.

The staples do the same thing that staples or stitches do when treating a cut or wound--they TEMPORARILY hold the two sides in place while the permanent process (healing or curing) takes place.

For those of you who are familiar with welding, you understand that the weld is the STRONGEST part on the finished metal product. The analogy between the weld in metal and the splice on a pre-cured retread is a good one. In fact, the new tread on the retreaded tire is held in place with over 1,000 square inches of the bond between the tread and the underlying tire! This bond is stronger than the rubber itself. The splice doesn't even play in important role in holding the tread on the tire, and is not even remotely the cause of the "gators" on the highway. Underinflation gets the credit for the vast majority of the tire debris we all see on our roads.

But, please don't take our word for any of the above. Let us arrange for a tour of a modern pre-cure retread plant and while you are there, ask to see the adjustment records of retread failures. Any reputable plant manager will be happy to review his adjustment records with you and you will then see that there is nothing to worry about when you see "the splice."

For more information about the economic and environmental benefits of retreading, including a Retread Tire Information Packet, a CD & DVD, please contact us toll free from anywhere in North America at 888-473-8732, or by email to: info@retread.org.

Our materials are non-commercial and there is no cost.

ATTENTION TRUCKERS

LISTEN TO THE "LOADING DOCK with MARK WILLIS," ON SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 10:30 AM EASTERN TIME AND 7:30 AM PACIFIC TIME, CHANNEL 147.

TRIB is a weekly contributor to the Loading Dock with Mark Willis (formerly known as the Open Road Café), a radio program for truckers, which is aired live every Wednesday on Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 147. It is repeated on tape several times at different days and hours during the week.

SAMPLE AUDIO CAN BE HEARD HERE, and is approximately 10 minutes long (in Real Player format).

Harvey Brodsky can now also be heard on The Midnight Trucking Radio Network with Eric Harley each month. Visit www.midnighttrucking.com for the name of the station airing the show in your local area.

SAMPLE AUDIO CAN BE HEARD HERE, and is approximately 10 minutes long (in Real Player format).

On both programs tire maintenance subjects, questions about retreading, tire repairing, and the importance of proper tire inflation as well as many other tire related issues are discussed with the host. TRIB offers truckers printed material about proper tire maintenance and a Retread Tire Buyers Guide. You can receive this package FREE, by listening on Wednesday mornings and the first Thursday of each month.

REPORT RETREAD TIRE FAILURES TO NHTSA

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration/NHSTA has requested we refer visitors to this web site. If they wish to report a retread tire failure they can do so by calling the Dot Auto Safety Hotline at 888/327-4236 or by visiting their web site, www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

Retread tires must meet the federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) 117. That FMVSS requires that retread tires meet safety criteria similar to those for new tires.

As a Member of TRIB you have a password for access to the Members Only section on this web site. If you or your employees need a new password to access this section just call or e-mail TRIB and we will send it immediately. Once you enter Members Only, you can change the password to a personal, more familiar one.

The Members Only section has Casing, Supplier and Retread Export Memos. "The Voice of Retreading," (TRIB Member newsletter) are posted and archived. TRIB's Calendar, for workshops and trade shows, is listed. This Calendar is important for TRIB Members as they can participate when the workshop or trade show is in their area of the country. Articles of specialized interest for the retread industry are posted, including copies of responses to negative publicity. To facilitate Members networking, a complete list of ALL TRIB Members, worldwide, is listed both alphabetically and regionally. Plan to visit the Members Only section frequently!