AURORA, CO. Looking to handle tire operations so commercial fleets won’t have to, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company rolled out its Complete Tire Managementprogram to more than 1,000 of its leading dealers here for the company’s annual North American Customer Conference.
The suite of products and services enable companies to focus on their fleet management and business operations while Goodyear monitors their tires and provides actionable and insightful information to activate tire service where needed, company representatives explained.
“Complete tire management is an area where fleet customers are looking for guidance,” said Dave Beasley, Goodyear vice president, Commercial Tires. “Goodyear total Tire Management combines the best-in-class tire monitoring, insights, and service capabilities to offer a complete solution for fleets, helping to streamline their tire operations, increase efficiency and reduce downtime.”
Goodyear Tire Management currently focuses on four primary products, McClellan explained:
- Goodyear Tire Optix. This digital inspection toolset helps fleets quickly and accurately detect critical tire data, such as tire pressure, tread depth and tire wear conditions. With real-time alerts and detailed inspection results, Goodyear Tire Optix helps fleets optimize their long-term tire performance.
- Goodyear CheckPoint. The drive-over reader device provides automated inspections of tire pressure and tread depth. Positioned at a fleet yard entrance, this in-ground device scans passing trucks and triggers alerts to fleet maintenance if there are any immediate tire concerns that require attention. This solution enables large numbers of vehicles to be inspected efficiently and offers a frequently updated snapshot of tire health.
- Goodyear TireReady. A comprehensive Tire Management solution, Goodyear TireReady is a tire subscription program custom-designed to meet the specific needs of an individual fleet. Goodyear and its dealer network will manage and optimize the entire lifecycle of a tire—from new tire choices to retreads, monitoring, service, analytics and more.
- Goodyear TPMS Plus. This on-vehicle, active monitoring system evaluates tire conditions in real-time using Goodyear’s analytics platform and unique, fleet-specific algorithms. TPMS Plus helps fleets identify critical issues, such as tire air leaks and high temperatures, while also providing predictive tire maintenance analytics to help reduce tire related roadside breakdowns.
“Businesses have a lot riding on their tire investments. Their ability to deliver goods and services for their customers is dependent on reliable mobility,” said Johnny McIntosh, Goodyear’s director of integrated solutions and tire management. “Poorly managed tires can affect the overall tire life, fuel efficiency and vehicle uptime.
“Goodyear Tire Management helps fleets fully understand tire costs and performance. Fleets that have piloted Goodyear Tire Management have reduced emergency service spend, increased tire life and improved retreadability.”
Also during the conference, Goodyear launched three new sizes for the Goodyear Fuel Max RTD (Regional Traction Drive) tire line. In the second quarter of 2020, all six Fuel Max RTD sizes will be available at original equipment (OE) and at Goodyear authorized dealers.
Designed to improve the operational efficiency of regional and urban trucking fleets, the Goodyear Fuel Max RTD is billed as Goodyear’s best premium regional drive tire, balancing fuel efficiency with traction and long miles to removal.
“As e-commerce and demand for shorter delivery time increases, regional fleets are growing in popularity,” said Cary Budzinski, senior director of commercial sales, North America. “There is tremendous opportunity in this segment. We need to make we’re investing in regional and urban products to help fleets optimize their cost per mile.”
Compliant with Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards, the tire also contains a new, low rolling resistance compound and is complete with a Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake Certification for enhanced traction in all weather conditions.
“Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake Certification testing is conducted in the harshest winter conditions at a Goodyear facility in Finland above the Arctic Circle,” said Dustin Lancy, Goodyear commercial product marketing manager. “Combined with our new tread design and compounds, this traction enhances the tire’s performance to maximize grip, fuel efficiency and long miles to removal.”
Ideal applications for this tire cover a wide range of vehicle types, including straight trucks, day cabs, box trucks, heavy duty pickups, utility vehicles and any regional truck that requires extra traction in all weather conditions.
The Goodyear Fuel Max RTD line is currently available in OE sizes 11R22.5 (Load Ranges G and H) and 255/70R22.5 (Load Range H). By the second quarter of 2020, the tire will be available in sizes 225/70R19.5 (Load Range G), 245/70R19.5 (Load Range H) and 295/75R22.5 (Load Range G), which is SmartWay verified for sustainable transportation. These 19.5 and 22.5-inch sizes are among the top growing in the regional and urban segment.