(NAPSI)—When it comes to thrift and tire safety, a growing number of public agencies and truck fleet managers are turning to retread tires for their fleets.
There are about 1,100 retreading plants in North America. Many of these are owned and operated by independent small business people.
Truckers in the U.S. and Canada purchased 6.3 million retreaded light truck tires and 18.2 million retreaded medium and heavy duty truck tires in 2000.
Part of the reason is financial. The cost of a retreaded tire will generally be from 30 percent to 50 percent less than the cost of a new tire. It’s estimated these retread purchases result in more than $2 billion dollars in annual savings for the trucking industry. This translates to billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers.
Federal and military vehicles, including those operated by the U.S. Postal Service, use retreaded tires for trucks, passenger vehicles—even aircraft tires.
In many cities and counties, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles also use retreaded tires.
Clearly, given the liability issues that accompany government spending, this trend would not be evident if retread tires were not safe.
According to experts, such as the Tire Retread Information Bureau, retread tires are not the cause of the clumps of tire and rubber often found by the side of the road. They claim retread tires can be driven at the same legal speeds as comparable new tires with no loss in safety, performance, or comfort.
Statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that nearly all tires involved in any tire related accidents are underinflated or bald. Properly maintained tires, whether new or retreaded, are not likely to cause accidents.
The process of making retreads is also heavily regulated.Retreaded truck tires are manufactured according to rigorous industry recommended practices.Commercial aircraft retreads are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration and military aircraft retreads are approved by the various military services.
To learn more, visit the Web site at www.retread.org or call toll-free 1-888-473-8732.
The cost of a retreaded tire can be from 30 percent to 50 percent less than the cost of a new tire.
