HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — American Tire Distributors Inc. (ATD) continues to put some might behind its Hercules Strong Guard lineup and the burgeoning commercial tire market.
The Huntersville-based wholesaler, through its Hercules Tire subsidiary, has introduced a pair of products in its Strong Guard medium-truck tire lineup to serve the mixed-service market: the Strong Guard H-MD and the Strong Guard H-MX.
Both products serve on- and off-road applications including logging, construction and mining.
"The Hercules brand has a history of adding value to the passenger and light truck market," Josh Simpson, ATD's senior vice president, proprietary brands, told Tire Business.
"The commercial segment, from lawn and garden to OTR (off-the-road), to TBR (truck/bus radials), we want to become a more important brand for dealers and consumers moving forward."
Demand certainly has played a huge role in shaping that strategy, as the commercial tire market continues to boom, pandemic be damned.
The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) forecasts that replacement market demand for medium/heavy truck tires should rise 2.9% this year to 19.7 million units, after booking a 1.2% increase last year, based on strong second-half business activity.
Original equipment shipments of truck tires are expected to increase 20% to 5.7 million units.
Mr. Simpson said ATD has seen that increase.
"From ATD's perspective, we've taken the stance to increase inventory and increase the dollars in investment in these types of products to meet the demands of our dealers," Mr. Simpson said. "ATD wants to take on a leading position in the commercial tire market."
Hercules said the Strong Guard lineup is manufactured in Southeast Asia, but it declined to name a specific manufacturer, stating that the brand "has multiple long-term agreements with global manufacturers in various parts of the world."
The two products are part of ATD's long-term strategy to bolster the Strong Guard lineup, which was launched in 2017 and expand market share in the mixed-service segment.
"They are part of our premium lineup that features the latest technology, durability and innovative patterns," Marshall Gillespie, Hercules Tires manager of commercial and specialty proprietary brands, said.
"Both tires offer increase speed ratings, feature a wider tread and belt width, and are optimized for trucks serving mixed-use applications, such as construction and mining."
The goal, he said, is to lessen downtime for fleet owners.
The Strong Guard H-MX provides extreme traction and durability in the most severe-service applications, featuring a 7% wider tread, a 10% wider belt and a cut- and chip-resistant tread compound designed to withstand rough terrain, the company said.
Other attributes of the H-MX are:
- Proprietary tread design featuring a lightning center groove for improved heat dissipation, allowing for an enhanced speed rating of "J" (62 mph);
- Trac-Ledges that provide traction and mud/debris clean out in off-road conditions;
- Curb protector and stone ejectors that protect sidewall and casing from damage; and
- Optimized footprint and wide tread design that ATD said improves tread life, product performance and vehicle stability due to a larger contract patch.
The Strong Guard H-MD performs well where versatility and durability on unpaved job sites is required, ATD said, adding that the product provides improved handling and even wear on-road.
The attributes of the H-MD are:
- Deep tread depth of 32/32nds of an inch;
- Higher load-carrying capacity for heavy loads common to mixed-service applications; and
- Staggered five-block design built for traction and handling.
Both tires will be available in sizes 11R22.5 and 11R24.5 sizes while the H-MD will offer an additional fitment of 12R22.5, targeted for the first quarter of 2022. They replace the Hercules H-302 and H-307 in the Strong Guard lineup.
Mr. Gillespie said the tires was be priced competitively within the Tier 3 market and "the value that they provide."
Both products come with Hercules' "Performance Promise," an 84-month limited protection policy for workmanship and materials and free replacement on the first 50% of usable tread.
Each tire carries a casing allowance for three retreads.
In addition, Hercules is offering tire dealers a $150 statement credit for the first eight tires purchased through Oct. 31.
The next logical step for the Strong Guard lineup, Mr. Gillespie said, is a mixed service all-position tire currently in development. That tire should be unveiled in the second quarter of 2022.
"We have received a lot of positive feedback from consumers and dealers," he said. "It's building quite a following and holding its own in the market."
Mr. Simpson said the pandemic has had a positive effect on the commercial tire market.
"We continue to look for ways to diversify our commercial portfolio," he said, "as much as we continue to look for ways to diversify our consumer portfolio."