June 28, 2011
Heavy-duty LT tires
The trend toward smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles in fleets and a rebound in construction have driven up demand for commercial light truck tires
By: Bob Bissler
Well-suited for construction applications, the Hankook Dynapro MT has a zigzag shoulder pattern that delivers good off-road traction.
As the cost of raw materials continues to rise, so do tire prices. Companies and individuals who need trucks to conduct business need to save revenue every way possible. One of those ways is by utilizing light trucks in commercial applications.
In 2010, replacement light truck tire sales, which includes commercial LT tires, totaled $4.3 billion. Many manufacturers have dedicated commercial light truck product lines. Even those who don’t are aware of their importance.
“We have been receiving requests for more 10- ply or E load range tires in highway and varying degrees of all-terrain tread patterns,” says David Shelton, marketing director for GITI Tire (USA) Ltd. GITI does not have a dedicated commercial light truck tire line.
“This would lead one to speculate that many of these tires are being pressed into commercial light truck use. There appears to be a lift in the demand for, and utilization of, commercial light trucks as the economy grows.”
Just a few short years ago, a growing economy seemed a long way off. Replacement light truck tire unit sales dropped 16% from 2007 to 2008. At that time, MTD reported that two main factors — high gas prices and the construction market crash — were to blame.
Today, we still have high gas prices. But thanks to the turnaround in the economy, construction is slowly picking up. So is the demand for commercial light truck tires.
“Cooper Tire forecasts continued growth in commercial light truck tires,” says Bill Hoban, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.’s national truck tire sales manager. “The driving force behind this growth is twofold. First, OE vehicle manufacturers’ sales are strong and their heavy-duty light truck vehicles are spec-ed with these tires.
“Secondly, fleets are moving toward smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles when they can. This enables them to hire non-commercial driver’s license (CDL) drivers, which lowers their payroll and makes it easier to find drivers.”
There is a shortage of CDL drivers. So the trend toward smaller vehicles in fleets is good news for non-CDL drivers. However, there are greater demands being placed on these drivers, and that is reflected in the way some of them drive.
“We see more and more drivers of commercial light trucks driving faster and faster, simply because of economic reasons and wanting to be as efficient as possible,” says Manon Dijkhuis, public relations and press manager at Apollo Vredestein B.V. “But what most of these drivers don’t realize is that speed, maximum load and tire pressure are directly related.
“Speeding with a heavy load puts more pressure on the tires, which affects the tire itself. The family of Comtrac tires of Vredestein is especially developed for this situation, to make sure that driving stays safe even in these extreme situations.”
In commercial light truck applications where speeding isn’t practical, such as on construction sites, there is a different market demand being created.
“One of the things we have noticed from our customers is that there is an increased demand for commercial light truck tires that have features designed for city and regional roads,” says Libor Heger, brand manager, Continental Tire the Americas LLC. “There are a number of ‘megafleets’ in the pick-up and delivery segment who own commercial light trucks, and these vehicles are not necessarily heavy-duty pickups on construction sites. Instead of an aggressive off-road pattern, they are asking for features designed for sidewall protection and better handling in city environments.”
While some manufacturers receive requests for a broader commercial light truck tire range, others don’t expect growth in this segment. And that’s a good thing.
“Nexen is trending in a positive direction, up 30% through April, a trend we feel will continue to move upward,” says John Aben, vice president of sales and marketing at Nexen Tire America Inc. “In my opinion, this segment is the easiest to forecast and manage the inventory, because of the number of SKUs. There hasn’t been huge growth from OEs adding new sizes; 90% of our sales come from 10 sizes.”
Even though original equipment manufacturers haven’t been adding many new sizes in this segment, the demands being placed on the performance of existing commercial light truck tires are increasing.
“With the rising price of fuel combined with the shortage of CDL drivers, many companies are now using more light trucks and vans to deliver freight and to move goods,” says Rick Phillips, director of commercial sales at Yokohama Tire Corp. “The demands on these tires are greater than ever.
“There is definitely a trend to design commercial light truck products that can carry more weight to better utilize these vehicles. And, of course, fuel efficiency is always a priority, so the challenge is to do this without sacrificing rolling resistance.”
What are the trends in the design of commercial light truck tires? We asked manufacturers how they are responding to the demands of this changing market. Here are the latest commercial light truck tires they are engineering and manufacturing.
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