Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions has launched a new marketing campaign designed to promote retreading. At the heart of the campaign is an appeal to fleets to consider extending their casing age limits when retreading. Chris Ripani, director of marketing strategic brands and channels, says tightness in the market supply for new replacement tires in 2011 has made retreading more attractive for all types of fleets.
“Fleets who now retread are extending their age limits to realize the most value from the casings they own,” Ripani said. “We’ve also seen fleets return to retreading, or perhaps evaluate retreads for the very first time, as a strategy to maximize their tire programs and keep their trucks rolling.”
In some cases a closer look at repair specifications may be in order. BBTS has conducted studies of more than 13 million tires rejected for retreading and determined that 30 percent of those commercial truck tire casings could have been retreaded at least one more time if the repair specs had been different.
BBTS has launched a new website, www.retreadinstead.com, to provide fleet managers with tools and information to get the most out of retreading. The site includes a Wheel Position Analyzer tool, a cost-analysis example for considering extending current casing age limits, and an informational video on Shearography, a modern casing inspection technology designed to ensure retread reliability. Local Bandag dealers can provide more information and help with scheduling a retread plant tour.
