New generation wide-base truck tires are now approved for widespread use across Canada, reports Michelin North America (Canada) Inc.
The Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety has approved amendments to Canada’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Vehicle Weights and Dimensions that redefine the weight limits and track width requirements for new generation wide-base single tires.
The changes, which are scheduled to become effective on July 1, 2008, will establish requirements for trucks that are consistent with United States regulations and will allow trucks and trailers equipped with wide-base tires -- such as Michelin's X One -- to operate from coast to coast and move freely between both countries, Michelin notes.
The new rules apply to tires utilized on drive axles with a width of 445 mm or more, Michelin reports. The new weight allowances call for loads not to exceed 7,700 kg for single-axle vehicles and 15,400 kg for tandem-axle groups. To allow trailers to be safely retrofitted with wide-base tires, the minimum track width requirement of 2.5 m has been reduced to 2.3 m for trailers built in 2007 or earlier. Michelin X One tires are designed for drive and trailer wheel positions.
“In the wake of soaring fuel costs, this news is welcome relief to truckers and fleets operating between the two countries,” says Marc Laferriere, vice president of marketing, Michelin Americas Truck Tires.
“Michelin X One tires can improve fuel efficiency by up to 10% and allow for significantly larger payloads. This revised MOU offers a boost to fleet profitability and helps control rising transportation costs for the goods each of us buys each day.”
The official update, issued by the Canadian government, acknowledges “that the new wide-base single tire designs offer improvements in fuel efficiency, vehicle roll stability and reduced tare weight.”
The rules will be in effect for all Canadian provinces, with three regional exceptions. These pertain to roads in the Northwest Territories, secondary roads in Newfoundland and Labrador, and roads in New Brunswick, depending on their highway classification.
To meet the growing demand across North America, Michelin reports its manufacturing facility in Waterville, Nova Scotia, began manufacturing Michelin X One tires in 2007, joining the company’s Spartanburg, S.C., facility as a producer of the tires.
Michelin promotes its wide-base tires on the Web site www.gowidesavegreen.com.
