WASHINGTON --- The Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB) as teamed with Michelin North America Inc. and Commercial Carrier Journal to create and publish a white paper intended to help debunk retread myths.
The 10-page publication — titled "7 Myths and Truths about Retreading" — is available from Commercial Carrier Journal, a trade magazine published by Randall-Reilly L.L.C.
The seven myths the white paper addresses are:
* Buying low-cost import tires will save more money than retreading premium tires;
* All the rubber on the side of the highway comes from retreads;
* Retreads are not safe and can cause accidents;
* Retreads are less fuel efficient than new tires;
* Retreads don't do well in extreme temperatures;
* They don't look as cool as new tires; and
* Retreads are not as good for the environment.
In the paper's introduction, TRIB Managing Director David Stevens, says the thinking behind the way fleets manage and treat their tires has changed.
"Smart fleet owners and owner/operators view their tires as an investment, not an expense," he says. "Instead of buying and then discarding the cheapest low-quality imported tire after a disappointing number of miles, fleets that view tires as an investment will buy a high-quality new tire that comes with a multiple retread guarantee.
"Then those fleets carefully manage that investment by ensuring it's properly inflated, maintained and pulled at the right tread depth. This approach ensures useful second and third lives (or more) and significantly increases their return on their tire investment."
Among the facts the memo presents is that manufacturing a retreaded tire requires 15 gallons less oil and approximately 90-100 pounds less total material than a new tire.
Extrapolated out over the U.S. and Canada retreading industry, that means retreads save approximately 217.5 million gallons of oil and cut demands on landfills by 1.4 billion pounds of waste tires annually.
In addition, new research by Ernst & Young reveals that in Europe a retreaded tire yields 24% less carbon dioxide emissions, 21% less air pollution by 21%, 70% less natural resource extraction, 19% reduced land use and 19% less water consumption when compared with the purchase of a new, low-cost imported tire from Asia.