Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JANUARY 2015 37 tions that while wide-based singles make sense when used correctly, "they are not a one-size-fits-all solution." Wide-based tire use today generally is about 3 to 4 percent of the overall North American Class 8 market. Loos says that figure probably is higher in certain appli- cations such as bulk haul, where wide- based tires do particularly well. "We've seen fleets try them and migrate back to duals," he says. "In some cases, those fleets probably expected to see better fuel economy improvements. While wide- based tires consistently deliver enhanced fuel economy, it has to be noted that in some applications, duals can be just as fuel-efficient as wide-based singles." The primary fuel economy benefit realized by wide-based singles is due to reduced sidewall flexing, Loos says. "Tire sidewalls naturally create drag," he says. "Reducing the number of sidewalls in the drive position on a tractor by half natu- rally pays a dividend in fuel economy." Fleets that run wide-based tires typically cite weight savings as the primary advan- tage, Loos says. "If you spec an ultra-wide single, you're looking at weight savings from 35 to 75 pounds compared to a pair of duals," he says. If the fleet switches from steel dual rims to aluminum singles, the weight savings can be more dramatic – as much as 1,200 pounds. "This is really an attractive solution for fleets like bulk haulers who need to max out on payload, as compared to a truckload carrier who tends to cube out of space before they reach their payload capacity," Loos says. Fear of downtime has been a barrier to wide-based tire acceptance, but Brian Buckham, Goodyear's general manager of commercial tire marketing, says his company overcame that problem several years ago with the introduction of its pro- prietary self-sealing DuraSeal Technology. Built directly into the tire during the manufacturing process, Goodyear Du- raSeal Technology is designed to instantly seal nail-hole punctures of up to ¼-inch in diameter in the tread's repairable area. Also, the DuraSeal material is a bright yellow color, Buckham says. "This makes it much easier and faster for a technician to locate and repair a puncture." Over the past three to four years, the demand for wide-based singles has been driven primarily by high fuel costs, the need for improved freight efficiencies, the anticipated impact of regulations and environmental concerns, Crehan says. "With rising fuel and operations costs, the fact that the Michelin X One tire can save up to 10 percent in fuel and almost 200 pounds per axle is well accepted and understood by fleets," he says. Retread concerns In many ways, the jury is still out on wide-based singles, says Walter Weller, vice president of CMA/Double Coin Tire. "Wide-based tire technology is still evolving," Weller says. "Right now, wide-based tread life is not as good as traditional duals, primarily due to exces- sive shoulder wear. A related issue is that retreadability is not as good as with duals." If wide-based tires are used on drive and trailer positions while the steer posi- tion is a standard low-profile tire – usu- ally a 295/75R22.5 or equivalent – and if the fleet is 100 percent wide-based, worn steer tires have no use in the fleet's retread program, Weller says. Also, wide-based tires can be retreaded about one time, while standard duals can be retreaded twice on average, which may make wide-based tires potentially a higher-cost alternative for some fleets with aggressive retread programs, he says. But for many fleets, the advantages of fuel savings and higher payload outweigh those disadvantages, particularly for bulk General Truck Tires' all-position Grabber OA wide-based tire is available in size 445/65R22.5 for fleets operating in severe service and construction. Goodyear's G392A SSD UniCircle and G394A SST UniCircle wide-based retreads are offered with the compa- ny's UniCircle technology. Michelin Americas Truck Tires' wide-based Michelin X One Line Energy D tire and Pre-Mold retread both are designed for the line-haul drive position.