In the light truck market, the reverse is true. Only 20 percent of tires run on trucks under 20,000 lbs. are retreads. Yet, you can count the U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Military and a growing list of school bus fleets among those organizations who use them. That's certainly a discerning list of believers.
(See:  New Federal Executive Order) 

Today, light truck fleet owners can choose between widely used fabric/steel radials and more recently developed steel/steel radials. 

Fabric/steel radials have two fabric body plies with steel belts, and steel/steel tires have a single steel body ply with steel belts. While the former choice costs less to buy, the latter is far more retreadable. 

It's like buying throwaway shirts instead of normal ones. Throwaways may cost you less to buy, but they are less durable, tear more easily and are gone after one use. Normal shirts, by comparison, are a little more pricey, but generally look better and you can wear them, recycle them in a washer and wear them again. In the end, they cost you less. 

Let's take a closer look at the two tire types again. Fabric/steel radials are lighter, cost less and are more readily available in light truck tire sizes. But the cost differential is much less than widely believed, about 5 to 10 percent in most cases. Steel-steel radials, generally run much longer before pull stage, as much as 50 percent more. And 75 to 80 percent of all-steel radials can be retreaded versus just 25 to 30 percent of the others. 

Many commercial fleets have been running on steel/steel light truck radials for years. They report reduced operating costs and multiple retreading from their casings while enjoying the same long wear and resistance to road hazard damage that characterize new steel/steel radial medium truck tires. 

Many steel/steel light truck tires have similar construction to their larger cousins, including High Tensile steel belts and ply cord. They're cool running and offer exceptional cut, puncture and bruise resistance, plus built-in resistance to sidewall scuff damage. The good news is they demonstrate these same characteristics as retreads as they do as original tread tires. 

Longer wearing, tougher and much more retreadable - steel/steel light truck radials offer fleets some real food for thought.