Modern Tire Dealer is kicking off a new series of interviews with independent tire dealers. We sat down with Rick Benton and Ryan Benton from Black's Tire Service Inc. and asked them questions about issues facing the tire industry. They addressed wholesale distribution, e-commerce and the search for technicians.

Barnwell House of Tires Inc. operates throughout New York City — which has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

“The best advice I can share is to stay on top of your customers' needs, especially during this period of uncertainty and change,” says Brian Sheehey, vice president, marketing, Alliance Tire Americas Inc.

Stay-at-home orders and social distancing rules have led to more utilization of mobile tire installation services in recent months. "I’ve never seen this much excitement” around mobile tire installation, says Joe Flores, co-owner of GoMobile Tires.

What’s the forecast for original equipment truck tire demand? “We anticipate that OE will not start to come back until year-end,” says Walt Weller, senior vice president, China Manufacturers Alliance LLC (CMA), owner of the Double Coin truck tire brand.

The sale of Les Schwab Tire Centers Inc., one of the country’s largest independent tire dealerships, has been “paused,” Dale Thompson, the company’s chief marketing officer, has told MTD.

When will replacement commercial truck tire demand start to return? Jinki Shin, sales manager for Kumho Tire USA Inc., says it could happen as early as next month. In this interview, Shin discusses Kumho’s truck tire inventory strategy, shipment projections and more.

The U.S. truck tire market looked much different at the end of last year than it does now. Through the end of 2019, 18.7 million medium truck tires had been shipped through the replacement downward trajectory, but numbers were still at respectable levels. And tonnage was increasing, albeit slightly. Then, not too long later, COVID-19 hit. And to say that things have not been the same since is an understatement.

Demand for truck tires could begin to pick up during the third quarter, says Manny Cicero, CEO of Triangle Tire USA. In this interview, Cicero provides an update on Triangle’s truck tire business in North America, the company’s supply position and more.

You can’t always get what you want/But if you try sometime, you just might find — you get what you need.” Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote these lyrics in 1969 (or 1968, depending on who you believe) and I’m sure they weren’t thinking about independent tire dealers at the time. But those words do have an unexpected resonance some 50 years later.

“Our current inventory levels remain strong and we expect our supply to remain at levels to meet market demands,” says Rob Williams, vice president of TBR sales, Hankook Tire America Corp. In this interview, Williams discusses the role Hankook’s global supply chain has played in ensuring consistent truck tire supply to U.S. dealers, plus other topics.

Long-haul, last-mile and waste haul fleet activity will help drive a resurgence in replacement truck tire demand, says Chris Ripani, president of truck, bus and retread tires, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.

Through its Acting Together program, Balkrishna Industries Inc. (BKT) is providing critical assistance to people who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dhaval Nanavati, president of Alliance Tire Americas Inc., has some advice for tire dealers. “I do not think we should await a general economic recovery. I think dealers should be thinking right now about the role they will play in helping their customers begin recovering as soon as possible."

Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. expects a “strong rebound” in truck tire demand this summer, says Michael Graber, the company's vice president of sales. In this interview, Graber discusses Toyo’s supply position and related topics at mid-year.

In this interview, Paul Williams, executive vice president of commercial vehicle tires, Americas region, Continental Tire the Americas LLC, discusses the expected effect of COVID-19 on truck tire demand, how shipments for the rest of the year could be impacted and more. “Overall, we believe that our strong partnerships with our customers will lead Continental to success,” he says.

Barnwell House of Tires Inc. operates throughout New York City, which a few months ago emerged as the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

“There is still a cloud of uncertainty, but things appear to be headed in a positive direction.” That’s Dan Funkhouser’s assessment of the truck tire market at mid-year.

When will demand for tires rebound? Which segments will bounce back sooner? How has COVID-19 changed consumer tire buying habits? Top executives at various tire companies recently shared their thoughts with MTD.

Like other manufacturers, Sumitomo Rubber North America (SRNA) has not been immune to the impact of COVID-19. That includes the effect on truck tire demand. However, “it appears that the worst is behind us,” Bob Klimm, SRNA’s director of TBR sales, said during the company’s latest online dealer forum.

A tire dealer's nightmare: “When your receivables come to a screeching halt because you’re not creating any business, and you have buildings with tires and you don’t have anyone buying them – that’s scary.”

What’s in store for retreaders as the economy starts to reopen? Clif Armstrong, CEO and president of Marangoni Tread North America, says members of Marangoni’s U.S. retread network “are very bullish about where they are. They’re looking forward to things starting to loosen up.”

To say that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive impact on the North American trucking industry is an understatement. The month of April was particularly devastating for new truck sales as preliminary Class 8 orders plummeted. During that same month, trailer orders plunged 97% - a 99% drop from previous year levels.