Four General truck tires have been added to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership list. The SmartWay program promotes "verified fuel savings technologies."
The four General truck tires feature low rolling resistance characteristics. They are:
1. S581, a long-haul steer tire that features an 18/32-inch, five-rib tread design.
2. S371, a long-haul steer and drive tire with a 20/32-inch tread depth. Its tread compound is designed to provide long on-highway miles and resist cuts and tears in off-highway use.
3. D660, a long-haul drive tire with a 30/32-inch tread depth and a closed shoulder tread design for long, even wear.
4. ST250, a long-haul trailer tire that features a 13/32-inch tread depth, a stone ejection system, and the patented VAI (visual alignment indicators) technology that alerts drivers of tracking problems.
To date, General's sister Continental brand has nine truck tires on the SmartWay list.
Tires verified by the EPA for lower rolling resistance can provide a reduction in NOx emissions and an estimated fuel savings of 3% or greater -- relative to the "best selling" new tires for line haul trucks -- when used on all five axles on long haul, Class 8 trucks.
By following its guidelines, the EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership projects savings of between 3.3 and 6.6 billion gallons of diesel fuel per year, representing a savings of as much as 150 million barrels of oil per year. This is the equivalent of taking 12 million cars off the road, leading SmartWay partners to save nearly $10 billion in operating costs.
Continental Tire the Americas LLC also participates in the SmartWay Transport Partnership as a shipper partner. The company says the majority of Continental and General tires are shipped within SmartWay’s environmentally sensitive guidelines.
For more information on General truck tires, visit www.generaltire.com.
