Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s G662 RSA Fuel Max is the latest truck tire to receive SmartWay certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Products from eight tiremakers have earned SmartWay verification, which has become arguably the most sought-after designation in the commercial truck tire market.
Those companies and their SmartWay-verified tires include (in cases of multiple brands, we have enclosed tires in parentheses):
* Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC.: Bridgestone brand (R287A, R280, R250F, R260F, M720, Greatec, R195, Greatec Trailer, Greatec R125, R197 and S197); Firestone brand (FS590 PLUS, FS507, FD662 and FT455 PLUS).
* Double Coin Holdings Ltd: FT105.
* Continental Tire the Americas LLC: HSL-2, HDL Eco Plus, HDL2 DL Eco Plus, HTL Eco Plus, HTL1.
* Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.: Goodyear brand (G395 LHS Fuel Max, G399 Fuel Max, G662 Fuel Max, G305 LHD Fuel Max, G392 SSD, G305 Fuel Max AT, G316 LHT Fuel Max, G316 Fuel Max DuraSeal); Dunlop brand (SP384 FM, SP456 FM and SP193 FM).
* Hankook Tire America Corp: AL07+, AL11, Z35a, DL11 and TL01.
* Michelin North America Inc.: Michelin brand (XZA3, XZA2, XZA1+, XZE, XZE2, XZA2 Energy, XDA2+ Energy, XDA Energy, XDA3, X-One XDA, X-One XDN2, XDE2+, XDN2, XDE M/S, XTA Energy, XT1, X-One XTA, X-One XTE, and XTE); BFGoodrich brand (ST244 and TR144).
* Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.: M137, M154, M657 and M127.
* Yokohama Tire Corp.: RY617, 103ZR, 101ZL, 703ZL, TY517mc2, RY587mc2 ad RY587.
SmartWay verification is important because it “takes the guesswork out of the equation for both the fleets and the servicing dealer,” says Brian Sheehey, director of Hankook’s Commercial Tire Group. “Claims from marketing or sales can now be verified. We may agree or disagree, depending on the manufacturer, about what the standard should be, but now there is one.”
In addition, the SmartWay designation “helps promote discussions about fuel efficiency,” says Kyle Jensen, manager of industry and government relations for Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions.
“That’s probably the biggest benefit. SmartWay is going to continue to get bigger. I think there’s potential for it to have even greater benefit for fleets.”
Stay tuned to www.moderntiredealer.com for updates about the SmartWay program.
