Continental Tire North America Inc. on Tuesday, June 30, announced that it now is offering cost-conscious trucking companies its first solution for both weight and fuel savings with the on-sale debut today, July 1, of the HTL1 wide-base trailer tire. Designed for weight savings and fuel efficiency, the HTL1 (Heavy Trailer Long-Haul) is a super-single tire that replaces duals on highway or regional trailer axle fitments.
The HTL1 features a 13/32-inch tread depth, which helps minimize irregular wear and maximize fuel efficiency. The company says the six-rib design evenly distributes the load over the crown of the tire to help protect the tread pattern from irregular wear, while a decoupler rib helps provide better irregular wear resistance at the shoulder.
Fleets that must conserve weight, such as fuel or bulk haulers, can use the HTL1 instead of a dual fitment in order to reduce vehicle weight, making more payload capacity possible, according to Continental; when changing from steel-rim dual tires to an aluminum-rim wide-base configuration on the drive and trailer axles, drivers can save up to 1,022 pounds of vehicle weight.
The company says the HTL1 also provides greater fuel efficiency through advanced compounding and reduced rolling resistance; with only two sidewalls and beads instead of four with a dual set of tires, there is less energy generated in flexing, and this, combined with weight reduction to reduce rolling resistance, results in greater fuel efficiency. As a result of a wider axle track, drivers also can expect improved vehicle stability when the HTL1 is integrated into new equipment, according to Continental.
By using wide-base tires on all available positions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership estimates that a combination long-haul truck could save more than 400 gallons of fuel per year and cut emissions of carbon dioxide by more than four metric tons annually.
Other key features of the HTL1, according to the company, include:
The HTL1 is available in a 445/50R22.5 size. For more information, go to www.continental-truck.com.
