Calendar-year 2015 marks the third consecutive year that fleet operating costs have remained stable compared to the past three years, primarily due to the continuing softness in gasoline and diesel prices. Replacement tires, the second highest operating cost, were stable due to the ongoing softness in commodity prices, primarily rubber and oil, while increased maintenance intervals contributed to lower maintenance costs for fleets. The forecast is more of the same for CY-2016.
Read More →One factor driving the deluge of Chinese exports of replacement truck tires to the U.S. is China's immense tire production overcapacity. In 2015, China manufactured 120 million tires, with an overcapacity rate of almost 25 percent. The influx of Chinese truck tires is also having a detrimental effect on the tire retreading industry, because many of these “bargain” tires have only one life because they cannot be retreaded.
Read More →To drive forward the expansion of its passenger and light truck tire (PLT) as well as commercial vehicle tire (CVT) replacement business in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Continental has relocated the relevant business units.
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Automotive services are not a new phenomenon as this circa 1918 Dodge service truck attests. The truck was operated by Peter Dziadik's Tire Shop in Peekskill, N.Y., from about 1918 to the late 1920s.
Read More →Vehicle quality continues to improve and extended powertrain warranties have covered some expensive repairs, which occur at higher mileage. Although quality has increased, vehicles are becoming more complex, especially with the proliferation of new onboard technologies. In this context, what follows are the top 15 maintenance trends for passenger cars that are facing commercial fleet managers in 2013 and beyond.
Read More →There has been an ongoing trend toward flat maintenance costs for the past three years. A number of fleets replaced vehicles early to take advantage of the strong resale market in the 2010 calendar-year, which helped keep a lid on preventive maintenance costs for CY-2011, as the average age of fleet vehicles in operation decreased with an increased number of older units taken out of service.
Read More →TORRANCE, CA - During the first eight months of 2011, tire prices increased at a higher rate than inflation, particularly for light trucks and mid-size cars.
Read More →FORT MILL, SC - Continental Tire will increase the price of its Continental, General, and AmeriSteel brand truck tires by 10 percent effective April 1 for replacement sales channels in the U.S. only.
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