Debunking 7 Myths about Retread Tires

Let's dispel the misconceptions about retreading

The trucking industry saves more than $3 billion each year by retreading tires, yet there are still many truckers who believe retreaded truck tires are lower quality or unsafe. Don’t let false assumptions that have been around for years sway your opinion or impact your bottom line. Michelin is here to help answer “are retread tires safe?”.

Retreaded truck tires, often called remolded or recaps, are worn, premium, new tire casings that have gone through a rebuilding process to replace the used tread with new tread to help extend the life of the original casing that has been designed to be retreaded multiple times.

While nearly half of the replacement tires on the road in North America are retreaded truck tires, many drivers still believe that buying a low cost, imported, less-retreadable, new tire is a better investment than buying a premium tire that has been designed and guaranteed to be retreaded multiple times.

Seven top myths about retreaded truck tires that still plague the truck tire market:

1) Buying low-cost import tires will save more money than retreading premium tires.

2) All the rubber on the side of the highway comes from recap truck tires. The rubber you see on the side of the road is a result of the tire failing due to low tire pressure. It is not due to a failure of the bond between the retread and the casing.

3) Remolded tires are not safe and can cause accidents.

4) Retreads are less fuel efficient than new tires.

5) Retreads don’t do well in extreme temperatures.

6) They don’t look as cool as new tires.

7) Retread truck tires are not as good for the environment.

Over the years, the quality of retread truck tires has increased dramatically, thanks to advances in technology, such as the 9-step manufacturing process that Michelin uses to create remolded tires that are high quality.

Don’t let old myths cause you to spend more money on new tires instead of exploring the cost-effective, environmentally-friendly option of retread truck tires for your fleet.