News You Can Use

RTA NEWS YOU CAN USE
JULY 11, 2013

This memo is being sent to all readers on the RTA mailing list who have an interest about how we reply to negative mentions of retreading in the media. In the following article to which we replied, there was not actually a negative mention, but we believed our reply was in order. You be the judge. You can view the article by clicking on http://www.sacbee.com/2013/07/10/5556194/truckers-blown-tires-are-roadway.html

Also, if you ever learn of a negative mention of retreads in a newspaper, magazine or on the radio or TV, please bring it to our attention and we will IMMEDIATELY take action to rebut the negative mention, regardless of where in the world it occurred..

HERE IS WHAT WE SENT TO BOTH THE SECRAMENTO BEE AND THE MODESTO BEE

Yesterday's article, Truckers' blown tires are roadway hazards, resonated with me because of my very long experience in the retread industry. I have been fighting the battle regarding the true causes of tire debris, also known as road alligators, on our highways for nearly 40 years, and still fight it every day in my role as the Managing Director of the Retread Tire Association (I was the Managing Director of the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau for nearly 30 years before moving over to the Retread Tire Association).
 
In my judgment there is no dispute, in spite of the statement in the article that "The origin of gators is in dispute..." There is indisputable evidence that the main cause of tire debris is caused by improper tire maintenance, with underinflation being the major culprit, followed closely by overinflation, mismatching of truck tires on dual wheel positions, improper tire repairs, misaligned wheel positions on large trucks and tires being driven with less than the legal amount of tread remaining.
 
I also take exception to the statement by David Decker that "On these extremely hot days, the adhesive that holds these treads together gets hot enough that they lose adhesiveness." Adhesive is NOT used in the retread process and Mr. Decker's statement is totally misleading. The process whereby the new tread is affixed to the casing is called vulcanization and has NOTHING to do with any kind of adhesive.
 
As an aside, we have a DVD titled Reputable Retreading that shows the entire retread process from beginning to end. This DVD was produced in a very modern truck tire retread plant in Stockton, California, and clearly illustrates how the new rubber is affixed to the tire. We will be happy to send a free copy of the DVD to any interested reader. The free copy can be ordered by telephone to 831-646-5269 or by email to info@retreadtire.org. We will also include several additional articles regarding the true causes of tire debris on our highways.
 
Tires fail and come apart because of improper tire maintenance, as stated above, and it does not matter whether the tire is a retread or one that has NEVER been in a retread factory. To blame retreads for road alligators on our highways is the same as blaming a vehicle for an accident caused by a drunk driver. The blame is simply misplaced.
 
Millions of retreaded tires are safely used daily by commercial and military airlines, municipal and school buses throughout the U.S. and many other countries, small package delivery services such as DHL, FED EX, PUROLATOR, UPS, the postal services in the U.S. and many other countries, fire engines and other emergency vehicles, race cars, taxis, trucking fleets of all sizes and countless of other types of vehicles. There is even a Federal Executive Order (13149) MANDATING the use of retreaded tires on selected federal fleet vehicles.
 
As a matter of interest, I personally drive on retread tires on all wheel positions on both of my family vehicles and have been doing do for nearly 40 years and with the exception of two flat tires caused by driving over nails (not the fault of the tires) I have NEVER had a problem.
 
The 2008 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) cited in the comments to yesterday's article is available as a PDF from our association and can be ordered by telephone to 831-646-5269 or by email to info@retreadtire.org, There is never a cost for materials from the Retread Tire Association.
 
In summary, if any of your readers wishes to discuss this posting with me I invite them to phone me at 831-646-5269 or on my cell at 831-917-6449. I will also be happy to arrange for any interested party to visit a retread plant to see first hand how much care goes into the production of a top quality retread.  You will come away with a greater understanding of why we say that Retreading is Recycling!
 
Harvey Brodsky
Managing Director
Retread Tire Association