"We're hopeful that we'll see a proposed (medium) truck tire rule (from the federal government) this spring," Rubber Manufacturers Association spokesman Dan Zielinksi told tire dealers at the recent Technology and Maintenance Council Show.
The rule in question is Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 119, which governs medium truck tires.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been testing medium truck tires in order to come up with standards that more accurately reflect modern, real-world situations, said Zielinski, who added that the RMA has not seen a lot of the agency's test data.
"We'd hoped we would have seen more test data. We may need to ask for additional time to make our comments known (to NHTSA) once the new rule comes out."
Retreaded truck tires will not be part of the rule, he said.
