Block Tactics

Michelin hopes its tread technology will give it an edge over the competition.

- Richard Simpson

It’s never been easier to buy truck tyres. There is now a wide choice at different price points, ranging from Chinese products with quaint names and low price tags to premium products from well established manufacturers which promise all kinds of benefits in terms of safety, fuel economy and durability.

And, it’s also relatively easy to ensure you are comparing ‘apples with apples’ when you make the decision, thanks to the EU tyre-labelling scheme which grades tyres in terms of wet grip, fuel economy and road noise. So, what more do you need to know?

Well, welcome though the tyre labelling system is, the reality of it is that it only reflects the performance of a tyre when new. As a tyre wears, its performance changes. And with truck tyres, those changes are highly significant. Fuel efficiency improves as tread wears and its rolling resistance declines, but conversely, wet grip declines as the tread wears.

Back in the groove

Operators will want to get the most they can out of their rubber in terms of both life and fuel economy and run them for as long as possible, particularly if they have invested in expensive premium tyres. Once the tyres are down to between 4 and 2 mm of tread, they can, quite legally and safely, be regrooved. This creates a new, sharp-edged tread 6–8 mm in depth and restores much of the original wet grip performance without impacting on the tyre’s robustness.