Three brands. Eleven new products. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. gave its commercial dealers something to cheer about at its 2011 Dealer Conference in Grapevine, Texas, on Jan. 28.
When the company announced it was introducing wide-base tires and retreads for long-haul use, a number of dealers in attendance clapped.
"In the past, Goodyear was cautious about getting into the wide-base segment," said Donn Kramer, director of marketing for commercial tires. "The primary issue with the category has always been what happens if a tire goes down?"
Goodyear's solution: wide-base tires with DuraSeal, a built-in tire sealant.
Here are the 11 new products, starting with the wide-base tires.
1. G392 SSD (for Super Single Drive). It features both DuraSeal and Fuel Max technologies.
2. G394 trailer tire. It is the companion tire to the G392 SSD, with the same technologies.
3. & 4. G392 and G394 Fuel Max Super Single UniCircle and precure retreads.
5. G572 LHD Fuel Max. It features a deep (30/32-inch) tread depth and is SmartWay-certified. Goodyear claims it is the first tire with a built-in RFID chip that will survive the retread process. It is being tested in size 11R22.5 before it is rolled out.
6. G278 MSD. The Super Single tire, the successor to the G178, is designed for severe service conditions. It also has a 30/32-inch tread depth. It is available in three sizes: 385/65R22.5, 425/65R22.5 and 445/65R22.5.
7. G278 MSD precure retread.
8. G289 WHA UniCircle retread. (The G289 is a waste haul tire.)
9. Dunlop SP464. The mileage drive tire is based off the Goodyear G362.
10. Kelly KTD. The regional drive tire features rugged traction blocks designed to provide long wear in scrub applications. It is available in two low profile sizes: 225/70R19.5 and 245/70R19.5.
11. G619 Unicircle retread. It features a "long-wearing center zone" for mileage and a "high scrub zone" on the shoulders for cut and scuff resistance.
The new products are part of Goodyear's goal to work with its commercial dealers to address the needs of fleet customers, according to Joe Copeland, vice president of commercial tire systems.
