Love's adding Hankook brand to tire portfolio at 350+ locations

OKLAHOMA CITY — Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores is adding Hankook-brand truck tires to the portfolio of tires available at the 350-plus Love's Travel Stops and Speedco locations across the U.S. that have on-site Truck Tire Care service.

Love's Travel plans to stock Hankook's e3 range of radial truck/bus tires — the e3 MAX AL21 steer, e3 MAX DL21 drive and e3 MAX TL21 trailer tires — to complement its current range of tire brands: Aeolus, BFGoodrich, Bridgestone, Dayton, Goodyear, Kelly, Michelin and Yokohama, along with Love's own Oliver Rubber system retreads.

To help introduce the brand to Love's customers, the two companies are offering savings of up to $110 on a set of two Hankook steer tires and up to $240 on a set of eight Hankook drive and trailer tires. The steer-tire purchase includes a tire balance.

Rob Williams, senior director of TBR Sales, Hankook Tire America Inc., said Hankook is "thrilled" to be part of Love's nationwide network and noted that all three e3 products are SmartWay verified for reduced rolling resistance.

Hankook said the e3's durable casing and "optimized" bead profile enhance the tires' retreadability while specific design elements affecting rolling resistance and weight distribution combine with compounding technology to improve fuel efficiency and traction properties.

"We continually strive to provide customers with the best options to fit their needs," said Dan Jensen, Love's director of tire sales and services, calling Hankook one of the industry's "premier" tire brands.

Hankook said this partnership represents a "fundamental step" in its strategy to grow the Hankook brand toward become a Tier 1 brand and serve key fleets across the country.

Love's recently opened its 500th Travel Stop and opened a fifth retread plant, in Laredo, Texas. Love's has opened 40 Travel Stops so far this year, including more than 30 that will have a Love's Truck Tire Care or Speedco unit on site.