Retreaded truck tires have been widely used on North American roadways for more than 60 years. Here are the top 10 reasons why retreads may be a better option than new tires when it comes to replacing your worn originals:

1. Reliability
Contrary to commonly held beliefs, studies have shown that retread tires offer reliability comparable to new tires. This is confirmed by several studies conducted over the last two decades, which all come to the same conclusion as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): “… retreaded tires are not inherently more prone to failure than new tires.” – John Woodrooffe, Director, Transportation Vehicle Safety Analytics at University of Michigan.

2. Cost-savings
It’s simple math, really. Retreads cost less than comparable new tires, saving fleets big money on their third highest expense item after labor and fuel.

3. Warranties Include Retreads
Quality new tires are engineered to be retreaded, and, in fact, most warranty their casings for multiple retreads for multiple years. The initial investment in a casing pays dividends each time it delivers another tire life through retreading.

4. Wear Like New Tires
Advanced compounding and tread designs enable retreads to deliver wear-out mileage comparable to — and in some cases better than — new tires.

5. Fuel Efficiency
Did you know that retreads are some of the most fuel-efficient tires available on the market today?

6. U.S. Economic Benefits
Retreading plays a critical role in supporting 268,000 jobs that are directly or indirectly attributable to the domestic tire industry. The domestic tire and retread manufacturing industries contributed over $28.4B to the economy in 2016 with a direct benefit of $3.2B economic impact to the trucking industry.

7. Energy Savings
Requiring 68% less energy to produce than a new tire, one retreaded truck tire saves enough energy to power an average U.S. home for 33 days!

8. Oil Savings
Tires are primarily petroleum products. A retreaded truck tire requires approximately 15 fewer gallons of oil to produce than a new tire. When you consider that approximately 14 million retreads are purchased each year, that equates to an annual savings of about 210 million gallons of oil.

9. Environmentally Friendly
Each year, approximately 14 million retreaded medium truck tires are purchased, potentially preventing 14 million used tire casings from entering our waste streams and landfills. That’s enough casings, if laid end to end, to go from New York to Los Angeles and back again!

10. Reduced CO2 emissions.
According to an independent analysis comparing the relative carbon footprints of new tires and retreaded tires, retreading contributes to a 30% reduction of CO2 emissions versus the manufacture of new tires.

 *Article written by TRIB: https://www.retread.org/
*With thanks to TRIB Member Bandag for contributing to this week's Tech Tuesday