Old skins, new rubber: The evolving landscape of tyre management

Tyres used to be managed like assets; now fleets treat them as throwaways. From retread realities to import revolutions, JIM WARD reveals how smart operators slash CPK, avoid breakdowns, and cut waste.

Are fleet managers still focused on achieving the lowest cost per kilometre (CPK) over a tyre’s total life, or have purchasing decisions shifted towards upfront savings? The traditional policy was simple: fit premium drive tyres, run them for their first life, retread with drive tread patterns for a second life, then remove them for a second recap or feed them into trailers. Steer and trailer tyres followed similar logic.

A key challenge sat in the numbers: a 6×4 truck produced only 10 casings while an interlink required 16. The gap demanded stock casings which, if not tightly controlled, could introduce multiple brands into a fleet. Drive and steer tyres endured the most stress, and casing fatigue typically appeared by the third life – prompting many operators to sell casings at that point. It became clear that pushing retreading too far increased fatigue failures and did not always deliver the lowest overall CPK. Even so, well-managed fleets consistently averaged above two retreads per casing, and averaging 1.8 retreads per casing remained respectable given local loads, roads, and operating conditions. Then the industrial landscape shifted with South Africa’s entry into BRICS – and much has changed since.

Retreading trends and industry transformation

There has been a conceptual shift away from tyre management towards simple tyre replacement. As cost horizons have moved, transporters have broadly split into two models with different strategies:
(a) lowest-invoice-price transporters, buying bottom-tier* tyres with no retreading intention;
(b) tyre-management fleets targeting the lowest total-life CPK (many leading logistics fleets remain firmly in this camp).

Part of the change is the exit of many specialists as shrinking margins closed several in-house tyre bays, reducing embedded expertise. Retreading remains a robust, mature industry with globally recognised retreaders operating at scale, yet overall volumes have dropped substantially.

Choosing the “right tyre” can produce low reject rates and long, predictable retread lives – but it demands hands-on, focused management. Professionally managed fleets still emphasise total operating cost and maximising casing life, cycling tyres multiple times before removal. Sophisticated tracking methods identify and follow casings through the retread process, but quantifying the national picture is difficult. Centralised retreading statistics disappeared with the closure of Redisa, and without a reporting system, tracking actual figures is challenging. Tyre companies are understandably guarded about sensitive data, but both retread volumes and local tyre production have declined.

There is more retreading capacity available than retreads. At the same time, tyre companies are increasingly called out to cover roadside breakdowns – incidents that are rising sharply as road infrastructure deteriorates.

The rise of imports

The use of third- and even fourth-tier tyres continues to grow. A key turning point came in 2014, when imports overtook legacy** truck and bus radials for the first time; the pattern has strengthened year on year. The early stigma attached to some Chinese imports is fading as user experience accumulates. Top-quality imported tyres now compete with legacy brands on all fronts: initial life, CPK, retreadability, construction and casing strength.

Quality improvements have been dramatic – mirroring trends seen with Chinese cars and trucks. Drawing on feedback from the field, high-volume importers have identified leading imported tyres that offer solid value and operating life. Operators and vehicle manufacturers are beginning to specify these tyres from new; it is a significant endorsement.

Demand also persists for fourth-tier, low-cost imports characterised by shorter lifespans and minimal retreadability; their chief attraction is price. For a similar outlay to a stock retread (sometimes less), transporters can buy new tyres that, while not long-lasting, are less likely to suffer tread separation or casing failure. Where retreading no longer underpins policy, such tyres can deliver an immediate replacement solution.

Impact on domestic manufacturing

Only two local truck and bus radials (TBR) manufacturers remain. Dumping – selling exported products overseas for less than their home-market price – remains a sensitive issue. Anti-dumping tariffs have done little to stem the global influx of inexpensive tyres, and new factories in countries such as India, Vietnam, and Thailand are quickly established to avoid tariffs aimed at China. Local estimates suggest that dumping accounts for more than half of all tyre imports. The effects have hurt tyre manufacturers both here and abroad and have contributed directly to a surge in scrapped tyres, creating a mounting environmental concern.

Back to basics: tyre-management principles

Even where fleet policy focuses solely on first-life*** usage, the basics remain the biggest levers of tyre life. Unfortunately, these fundamentals are often neglected. Some transport managers try to run fleets at arm’s length off spreadsheets, reluctant to engage directly with on-the-ground tyre management – and missing significant savings as a result. Despite industry change, the essentials have not changed.

Selection: Selecting the right tyre for each job is paramount. Tyres are not all the same: steer, drive, and trailer positions carry distinct tread patterns and casings engineered for specific dynamic loads and applications.

Load studies: Determining optimal tyre pressure for different routes and loads requires a clear understanding of axle mass at each wheel position. Without this, a one-size-fits-all approach to pressure cannot optimise tyre life. Load studies are readily available, highly informative, and too often underutilised.

Pressure management: Are pressure recommendations consistently applied? Are pressures checked only during replacements? Is inflating equipment regularly calibrated? Missing valve caps and dual-wheel inner extensions undermine pressure discipline. Without regular checks, accurate pressure management is impossible and tyre life cannot be maximised.

Identifying the pull point: Running tyres until casings disintegrate (running too far) is a common reason for retread rejection. Deciding when to remove tyres from service (the “pull point”) is crucial: remove too late and failures rise; remove too early and usable tread is wasted.

Pull-point decisions depend on application, route, and road conditions. Safety-sensitive operations such as fuel tankers and coaches typically remove tyres before the legal minimum tread. On rough roads, early removal helps prevent impact damage; on highways, lower tread depths can be acceptable and service life longer. For casings destined for retreading, earlier removal reduces the risk of penetrations and stone damage, lowering rejection rates. Transporters must establish and adhere to their optimum pull points.

Wheel alignment: As roads worsen, regular wheel alignment becomes even more important. Misalignment accelerates abnormal wear and increases fuel consumption. Elevated wear creates distinct patterns and signals drag – issues easily spotted by inspecting vehicles in the yard. “Management by walking around” applies. Some routes are so severe that vehicles may require alignment checks after each load.

Scrap analysis meetings: Scrap analysis meetings are among the most neglected yet valuable, management activities. Inspecting failed tyres with technical specialists helps identify causes: driver behaviour, routes, poor maintenance or other issues, including defects. Operations can pinpoint and address site-specific damage caused by facilities and infrastructure (a sharp edge on a weighbridge, for example, or offloading routines that rub tyres against jagged guide rails). Every failed tyre tells a story; learning those stories reduces future losses.

The cost of neglect

For decades, transporters concentrated on disciplines such as retreads per casing, life CPK, pressure management, rotations, casing fatigue, alignment, load studies, and tyre selection. In many operations, that detailed focus has slipped. Staff often choose the cheapest tyre to hit monthly targets – a short-term tactic that ignores value and harms the environment. This results in frequent breakdowns and a growing mountain of scrap tyres – South Africa currently discards 170,000 tonnes annually. When Redisa ceased operations, the backlog of scrapped tyres stood at 20,000 tonnes; today, the national figure is estimated at 900,000 tonnes. Treating truck tyres as single-use consumables is part of the problem, not the solution.

* Tyres are broadly divided into tiers, with top tier implying top price and highest quality. A fourth tier now exists, below the previously-bottom third tier. These are extremely cheap, lightweight, reduced-life imported tyres with little natural latex in the compound.

** Legacy brands are historic, pioneer brands such as Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Firestone, and Michelin, many of whom used to manufacture TBR locally.

*** The life of the original tread on a “virgin” casing.