LAS VEGAS — Wholesale tire distributor Penn Tires is focusing its new Transporter TBR line of commercial tires on the U.S. market.
The Transporter TBR — built by third-party manufacturers in Turkey and Vietnam — was designed for U.S. fleets driving on U.S. roads, according to Penn Tires President David Penn.
While commercial tires designed for a global market must place a greater emphasis on how a tire handles overloaded freight, building one specifically for the U.S. market creates a good avenue for growth, especially on the Tier 3 market, Mr. Penn said.
"We have created a tire line that has two great aspects," Mr. Penn said. "First, it's a product designed by Americans for Americans. Second, people who buy tires don't often get input on how they are made."
Not so with the Transporter TBR, Mr. Penn added.
The company focused on maximizing value, specifically original tire tread wear, retreadability and fuel efficiency. Even treadwear is the point where they add the most value to consumers, the company said.
"Once a tire is worn down in just one point, it has to be removed. If the tread wear isn't even, you're leaving money on the table by not wearing out all of the rubber," said Mark Mineur, vice president in charge of tire technology at Penn Tires. "We constructed the tire to wear even from shoulder to shoulder so all the grooves will wear at the same time."