Michelin North America Inc. has expanded output of X One wide single truck tires, adding a dedicated production line for them at its Spartanburg, S.C., plant.
It also has continued its guarantee program for first-time X One users.
Michelin said the expansion is being undertaken to meet demand from its independent truck tire dealers, travel plazas and fleets. It did not provide investment or capacity details pertaining to the expansion.
X One wide-single tires are designed to replace dual tires on the drive axles of trucks and on trailers, offering ``significant'' weight and fuel savings, Michelin said. The company, which has been selling the product in North America for about five years, claimed thousands of trucking fleets and individual owner/operators are now using them.
``It is our belief that even more commercial dealers will begin to stock X One wide single tires as sales continue to increase each year and new versions of the product are introduced,'' said Michael Burroughes, product portfolio manager for Michelin Americas Truck Tires (MATT), speaking at the recent American Trucking Associations' Technology & Maintenance Council meeting in Tampa.
Michelin's truck tire dealer network includes more than 1,100 commercial dealers and more than 160 travel plazas.
At the same time, Michelin Retread Technologies Inc. is investing in molds to increase capacity for precured tread rubber for the wide singles.
Meanwhile, in reaction to what it called a ``tremendous response in 2004,'' Michelin said it is again guaranteeing satisfaction for first-time customers using X One wide-singles by extending its ``X One Total Satisfaction Guarantee.''
The guarantee is available to new X One tire customers who purchase at least four replacement X One tire assemblies and covers the first 10 sets of X One tires purchased. Within the first 60 days, if the customer is not totally satisfied, Michelin said it will take back the tires and wheels and provide a full refund while assisting with the switch back to a dual configuration.