Top Retreaders in the U.S. Say Tires Have Become a Commodity

According to some of the top tire retreaders in the U.S., many fleet managers are looking at their tires as a commodity rather than an asset. While efforts have been made to slow the flood of Chinese tires in the U.S. marketplace, the temptation to purchase a less expensive product seems too powerful to resist by many commercial fleet managers. Industry experts warn that spending less on lower quality products now can have devastating effects on a fleet’s bottom line in the future.

Tire Retreads & The Chinese Trade War

Recent tensions between the U.S. and China have resulted in on-again-off-again tariffs targeted at Chinese truck and bus tires. While efforts have been made to stymie access to Chinese tires by the U.S. government, the result has not been as significant as industry experts would have hoped. For the most part, the price of a radial truck tire from China is far less than similar tires made in the U.S.

But a lower price doesn’t always translate to a better product. While fleet managers may be able to find similar products for less money, sometimes the more economic option is actually to purchase from a first- or second-tier tire manufacturer. Not only are higher-quality products able to provide fleets with immediate performance benefits, but the money fleets spend now can save them on unnecessary costs in the future.

Higher Quality Means Increased Longevity

While it may not seem financially sound to regularly purchase top-quality products for your commercial fleet, doing so can actually save money in the long run. Not only are higher-quality products able to provide better performance, but they’re able to save fleets money in other areas as well, including: