It used to be normal for the number of retreaded truck tires in the United States to outnumber new replacement truck tire shipments annually. Not anymore.
In five of the last seven years, more new truck tires have been produced and shipped in the replacement market than their retreaded counterparts.
In 2010, 15.2 million replacement truck tires were shipped in the U.S., according to Modern Tire Dealer statistics. Another 14.3 million retreaded truck tires, worth close to $3 billion (including casing costs), were sold.
The average cost of a new truck tire is $335.52. That is 60% more than a comparable retread, which costs an average of $209.79.
The retreaders on MTD's "Top 100 Retreaders in the U.S." list accounted for 89% of the total truck tire retreads produced last year. To check out the who's who of domestic retreaders, click here.
