Commercial truck tire comparison

The U.S. is a very complicated, competitive market compared to other markets in the world. There’s a lot of competition, which ultimately is good for the fleet because they’re presented with multiple options. And now the company that makes a perfect blend of tire ingredients and pays most attention to the quality of the tire wins the price. The tire sizing we are going to discuss are: low pro 22.5, 11r 22.5, 285/75R24.5 and 11r24.5. the winner is:

TIER 1 QUALITY

Michelin commercial tires — Michelin North America Inc.’s flagship brand, according to the magazine, the company offers perfect mix of traction, handling, low rolling resistance for good fuel economy and long tread life. In many cases tread wear is class-leading, and Michelin has tread wear warranties on all the commercial tire models and aplications. The only reason that hold back a lot of potential buyers is that it is usually pricey. Their best models are:

MICHELIN X LINE ENERGY Z - steer tire

MICHELIN X LINE ENERGY Z – best steer tire for long haul semi-truck, you definitely get the smoothest ride possible, great bump absorbent feeling and best tire life (based on our customers experience an average is 150K-200K mi.). It is the one only directional steer tire on the market that gives you extra duty tire durability for first 50% of tire life.

Michelin X Line Energy D - drive tire

Michelin X Line Energy D – it is probably a perfect match for fleets running most miles in North part of US, great road contact, especially in extreme winter conditions, but because of it’s wideness and safety Michelin gives over the road the engineers sacrificed a little in fuel efficiency, the average mileage our customers been getting out of them is 350k-400K.

Michelin X Line Energy T – Trailer Tire

Michelin X Line Energy T – 10% improved rolling resistance vs. MICHELIN® XT-1® tires due to next-generation Advanced Technology Compound. Improved fuel economy.

Bridgestone commercial tires– overall they have one of the best line of tires. Their long lasting battle with Michelin over product reliability, quality, and customer satisfaction. You can’t go wrong buying a Bridgestone tire. The casings are also great. You should be able to cap a casing multiple times.

Bridgestone R284 Ecopia - steer tire

Bridgestone R284 Ecopia – landed second among all steers and features a unique tread pattern design, performance, and extreme durability. Tire life averages around 130K-160K mi.

Bridgestone M710 - drive tire

Bridgestone M710 Ecopia is an ultra-fuel-efficient drive radial designed for tandem-axle applications in long-haul and regional service. 26/32nds tread depth. Average miles driven are 260K-320K mi..

Bridgestone M726 ELA - drive tire

The M726 ELA – famous well known old school drive with 32/32nds – deepest available. It took Bridgestone a lot of efforts, years of experiments and testing to make it their deep tread durable and at the same time long lasting. It’s rubber compound is perfect for any weather condition weather it is snow, mud, ice, wet or hot – Bridgestone M726ELA takes it all. Average life known 350K-400K mi. depending on driving conditions.

Bridgestone R197 - trailer tire

The R197 is one of the best trailer tire on the market.

Pirelli commercial tires – the brand name with 140 years of a history, is the 5th largest tire manufacturer in the world and # 1 brand in auto and moto sport that implemented innovative technologies in their commercial truck tires. The best selling commercial truck tire in Europe with the highest speed index rating of 81 mph VS average of 75 mph for most of the brands on the market.

Pirelli H89 plus - Long haul steer tire

Pirelli H89 plus – long haul steer application. Tire with one of the best balancing stats and runout (highest spot) point. Impressive stone trapping technology prevents easy tire damage. Wide footprint provides stability, handling and Load H rating confidence in heavy duty perfomance. Tires are ranging around 125K-165K of life.

Pirelli H89 Drive plus - Drive tire

Pirelli H89 Drive plus – fuel efficiency and high mileage in a perfect combination with smooth and qiuet ride. Quality rubber compund gives ride confidence in any road conditions weather it’s wet, icy or snowy. The one of a kind tread design proven to last close 330K with option for retreading after.

Pirelli H89 trailer- trailer application

H89 trailer – strong performance on any trailer type due to its strong walls and tread rib rubber composite that can perform even with faulty trailers. Excellent casing durability ensures great retreadability.

Continental — consistently offers high-scoring tires. Handling and impressive stopping grip on dry and wet roads, winter and summer conditions are typical of this brand. The Continental brand is known for it’s wide footprint no matter if it’s steer, drive or trailer position that provides a superior traction and ultra-high stability, it is also known for it’s even tread wear throughout the life of a tire. Their best models are:

Continental Hs3 - Steering tire

HS3 Eco Plus or Hybrid– long haul or regional steering tire – it can it all. Their rubber is capable of hitting an interstate as well as some gravel roads without risk of a blowout, uneven wear or damages. The tire is super resistant to curbs, bumps and all other external factors you may face on the road but no matter what – your back is covered by Continental. Average miles driven are 120K-150K mi.

Continental - HDL2 - drive tire

HDL2 – one of the best drive tires because it features a long life, great fuel economy, and perfect road traction in every weather condition you may hit out there. Even though tire does not have such a deep tread as BS M726ELA, which also benefits your fleet in fuel economy, surprisingly to all known to last around 280K-340K mi.

Continental HT3 EcoPlus- trailer tire

HT3 EcoPlus – long-lasting Van/Reefer/Flatbed trailer tire. Strongest tire model on the market, super resistant to uneven wear even if there is some minor suspension or alignment issues – it is not a problem for Continental trailer tires. As a bonus, they are attractively priced comparing to Bridgestone or Michelin. Longest trailer life 180K-220K.

TIER 2 QUALITY

Firestone — Bridgestone America’s goal is to make Firestone the number one tier-two brand in commercial truck brands. All three tires feature Bridgestone’s NanoPro-Tech polymer technology that “limits energy loss for improved rolling resistance and optimum fuel efficiency”. The FS591, FD691 tires features a wide, deep tread pattern to promote long, even wear, helping increase tread life and lower rolling resistance.

BF Goodrich — is a perfect mix of the tier one warranty program and quality of a tire with Michelin developers backing up this brand and tier two tire cost. It is rated in one line with Firestone and Yokohama. It is perfectly designed to take you where you need to get to.

Toyo — is also jumped in the top ten tire manufacturers and is been getting more and more positive customer feedback. Toyo commercial tires combine top tier product performance, application versatility, and a competitive acquisition point for a lower cost per mile, making it a leading value alternative brand. Peace of mind and maximum profitability – standard with every purchase. You can’t go wrong with that brand and max performance models are M177, M647, M157.

Goodyear commercial tires— Not every model is a hit, but definitely there are some good one’s out there. If you choose to go that way your best bet would be G399A, G5050D semi tires. The company hit some challenges in recent years with the acquisition of Kelly Tire Co. and manufactory of the low end Tier 2 line called Marathon which is similar to Kelly in quality and reliability.

Yokohama tires — have characteristically impressed everybody with their sporty attitude to the marketing war. Ranking sixth in the list is a result of the entire team work improving every possible little thing they can from marketing war with competitors to quality of the product and duration of life. Building a plant in Mississippi allowed the Yokohama Tire Co to improve logistics in the US. Company retread compatibility and warranty program gives their customer a confidence in choosing Yokohama brand for their fleet needs and save some money with them. Best known models are: RY617 steer, RY517 and 703ZL with deeper tread 32/32nds for your drive.

General Tire —is completing our list of commercial fleets best buys. They stepped up to offer US market a line of products for customers who want a balance of both affordability and performance to suit their needs. The AMERISTEEL D460 long haul/regional drive tire offers flexible, long lasting performance and reliability.

TIER 3 QUALITY

Double Coinbrand — ranked in top ten commercial tire based on the customer reviews and #5 selling commercial tire in the USA, landed right after Michelin, Bridgestone, Continental and Goodyear. Their warranty program, aggressive marketing politics and efficient tread design developed for every type of equipment: van, reefer, flatbed, step deck, dump truck, semi drive and steer position tires. Aggressive pricing is also a big plus to your budget. Their most popular models are;

RLB400 – drive tire that features same tread design as Bridgestone M726ELA but on 30/32’s deep. Unlike some other Chinese tire brands Double Coin known for it’s even tread wear throughout the entire life of the tire (approximately 240K-275K mi.), and also great rubber compound which gives a smooth ride and impressive stopping power along with road contact.
TR100, RT606+ – van/reefer and flatbed trailer tires known for its long lasting life and unique tread designs that can easily compete with top trailer tires in both: reliability and durability. But no other tire can beat Double Coin aggressive pricing.

Uniroyal –

Kelly tires –

Sailun commercial tires –

(more…)

Choosing right commercial tire for your semi truck.

Nowadays choosing a commercial tire for your semi-truck got very complicated with a variety of name brands there is. Often, the cheapest tire is not the most cost-effective. In this article we wanted to help the end user, does not matter if it is an owner of a semi-truck or large fleet, choose the right tire that fits your needs and budget. That is why Acme Truck Tires prepared a number of things to consider when purchasing new commercial tires.

First of all, pay attention or shoot a picture of the tires that you currently have, (check the tires for the uneven wear). Very often the way your tires look at the end of its life speaks for itself. Just by looking at it you can tell if there is anything wrong with your truck suspension or parts and fix the problem before you invest in a new set of tires which usually ranging anywhere from 1900- 5000$. Based on Acme Truck Tires customers and our partners feedback we created a list of parts recommended to check before new tire installation:

Alignment
Shock absorbers
King pings
Wheel bearing
Wheel bushing (if applicable)
Spring leafs
Center bearing
Tie rod ends

Cost per mile tire characteristics is one of the most important when choosing the right tires for your fleet, however, there are quite a few thing things to consider as well:

Performance.
Product quality
Profitability
Warranty/adjustment policy
Fuel efficiency
Retreadability
Technical support
End user brand awareness
End user marketing support
Original equipment supplier

Taking into consideration all of this tire specs you have to understand that commercial tires have Tiers classifications, and the higher Tire Tier is – the higher tire specs would be, better life, durability and warranty the higher cost you pay.

Here are some examples of tire brands divided into Tiers (levels):

Tier 1 brands – Michelin, Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear (G models only)

Tier 2 brands – Pirelli, BF Goodrich, Firestone, Goodyear Marathon models, General, Toyo, Yokohama, Hankook

Tier 3 brands – Double Coin, WindPower, Ironman, TBB Tires, Triangle, Aeolus, GT, Kumho, Dayton, Dunlop, Roadmaster, Uniroyal, etc.

The rest of the tire brands would probably have to be considered a Tier 4 quality tires.

After you finally make a decision as far as tire brand and specs that fit your needs try to search online for some additional info and other user feedback also check with your local trusted tire dealer for possible experience as mistakes could be costly and harmful for your budget.

Commercial tire inflation is one of the most basic form of maintenance there is, and just about as important as PM Service and at the same time it all it takes – two minutes a day that saves you a lot on new truck tires for your fleet. Fuel and tires are typically among a fleet’s largest expenses. Not paying the right attention to it can have serious effects on several levels of vehicle and fleet safety.

So the results of improper inflation are:

Underinflated tires experience higher temperatures and greater stress, they present an increased risk of failure.
If semi-truck tires aren’t properly inflated, the engine has to work harder to create motion and the fuel economy is negatively impacted.
You have to stay prepared driving through weather changes among different states, as there is about 1-1.5 PSI change in every 10 degree Fahrenheit.
If the pressure is too low, more of the tire’s surface touches the road — thus creating more friction. This can cause overheating, tread separation and blowouts.
Industry research has indicated that about 90% of tire blowouts can be traced to underinflation.
Half of all emergency service road calls are tire-related.
Underinflation by 20% results in a 30% reduction in tire life.
Another pressure-related issue is that of dual-tire imbalance. When you’ve got a pair of tires side-by-side on an axle, if one is running at a lower pressure, it’s essentially got a different circumference than its neighbor – which means that as the axle rotates, that tire’s going to drag and experience excess wear, increasing the chance that it’s going to fail prematurely.

What air pressure should you maintain in your truck tires?

Please check carefully tire manufacturer recommendation on the side of the tire (usually it is running from 105-110PSI for 14PLY tires and 115-125psi for 16 PLY).
Make sure that when you are checking the tire pressure that the tires are cold.

How often do I check the pressure on my commercial truck?

It is mandatory to check your tire air pressure at the beginning of each day of driving and do a visual check @ every stop.

Warning: If your commercial tire lost 20% of it’s pressure it is very dangerous to inflate the tire mounted on your vehicle not using the proper tools. It is recommended to always check for nails and cuts in your tire, take it off your truck and insert it for inflation into the tire cage.

In today’s ELD world we realize that saving hours of operation for your equipment and reducing you truck or trailer down time is equal to some extra money saving on the long run. Experts say that small carriers are the ones most negatively affected, losing an estimated 6% to 10% of overall productivity. This must be addressed in order to operate efficiently for both drivers and company owners. While some of the things you cannot get in control off like: weather conditions, loading/ unloading time etc., some of them you can: get your equipment properly serviced while your truck is off duty to avoid standing long hours on the side of the road and paying sky-high for the questionable service.

If you need your commercial tire serviced – don’t waste your e-log time, we will service you @ your truck storage yard. We just expanded Acme Truck Tires service range to such cities as: Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Lithonia, Alpharetta, Gainesville, and Marietta, GA

FAST AND RELIABLE SERVICE

NO INTEREST if paid in full within

6 Months on purchases of $199 or more.

ACME Truck Tires