Proceeding with caution

Truck tire dealers see improvement, but gross profit, supply remain big concerns

By: Mike Manges

“We’re expecting a pretty decent fall season,” says Art LeBlanc, vice president of Pete’s Tire Barns Inc.

Cautiously optimistic is probably the best way to describe the mood of independent commercial truck tire dealers as the domestic truck tire market rumbles into the remaining months of the year.

Among the positives, dealers list a steady uptick in freight movement, larger sales tickets, and the promise, no matter how remote, of economic recovery.

However, profitability, pricing and the increase in the general cost of doing business remain major areas of concern.

And what will happen to replacement tire supply if the original equipment truck market rebounds? Will there be enough units to adequately supply all channels?

Commercial Tire Dealer recently spoke with some of the country’s leading commercial truck tire dealers to get their take on the state of the market and what they expect to see as the year continues. Here’s what they had to say.

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Related Topics: Commercial Tire Dealer, Truck tires

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