Replacement shipments of passenger, light truck and heavy truck tires all fell in October from the same month a year ago, while those of medium and wide base truck tires rose, the latest Rubber Manufacturers Association data showed.
At the same time, original equipment shipments of passenger, light truck and medium and wide base truck tires rose while heavy truck tires posted a 20-percent decline.
For passenger tires, replacement shipments slipped 0.1 percent in October and 1.5 percent for the year to date. Light truck tire shipments declined 3.7 percent during the month but gained 5.9 percent in the yearly comparison, while those for heavy truck tires were down 6.4 percent for the month and 6.3 percent year-to-date.
In contrast, shipments of medium and wide base truck tires improved 3 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively.
As for OE, passenger tire shipments rose 9.5 percent for the month, light truck tires were up 39.4 percent and medium and wide base tires rose 28 percent.