Trucking Efficiency Confidence Report discusses value of low rolling resistance tires

The cost of the fuel that a tire consumes due to its rolling resistance can be five times greater than the initial purchase price of the tire. While the typical upfront purchase price of a tire is only approximately $0.04 per mile, given the range of rolling resistance among dual tires, tires could account for anywhere from $0.14/mile to $0.28/mile in fuel costs.

Tire choice has a huge impact on a fleet’s fuel expenditures and ultimately its bottom line. Low rolling resistance (LRR) tires in dual or wide-base configurations can reduce fuel consumption, according to a new Trucking Efficiency Confidence Report released by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency and Carbon War Room.

The report documents the benefits and challenges of low rolling resistance tires, defines and explains how to measure rolling resistance, explores what makes a tire more efficient, and offers recommendations for fleets wanting to invest in low rolling resistance tires.

The report’s findings include the fact that low rolling resistance tires save significant fuel when compared to tires not designed specifically for low rolling resistance. More and more fleets are recognizing that the benefits of low rolling resistance tires outweigh the challenges, and that LRR tires represent a good investment for managing fuel economy.

The Confidence Report also offers two key tools to help in the decision-making process:

• A Decision Guide to assist fleets in making choices on low rolling resistance tires in dual or wide-base configurations.
• A Total Cost of Ownership Calculator to allow users to calculate the total cost of ownership impact of various user-supplied alternatives such as the axle configuration of their tractor and trailer and associated miles driven, as well as tire-specific data for the steer, drive, and trailer tires that are under consideration.

About Confidence Reports

This report is part of our Confidence Report series, intended to help end users and manufacturers determine whether to adopt a specific technology or set of solutions.

The series includes tire pressure systems, 6x2 axle configurations, idle reduction technology, electronically controlled transmissions, programmable engine parameters, and upcoming reports on lightweighting, downspeeding, preventive maintenance, and more.

Truckingefficiency.org delivers this detailed information in an accessible interactive platform, and includes data from across a variety of fleets and best practices for adoption.

ACCESS THE REPORT: http://truckingefficiency.org/tires-rolling-resistance