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Retread Tires

Overview

For most fleets, tires represent the third largest item in the operating budget, right after labor and fuel. When vehicle tires have become worn, many can be refurbished with new tread. Retreading bonds new tread to the tire body using a process very similar to the manufacture of a new tire. This not only saves on the cost of having to dispose of the tire, but also saves 30% to 50% of the cost to purchase a new one.

Retread tires have been used successfully on fleet vehicles such as school buses (as rear tires), trucks, and airplanes for many years. In fact, approximately 80% of all aircraft tires in service in the U.S., including those used on Air Force One, are retreads. In most applications, retread tires can be driven under the same conditions and at the same speeds as new tires, with no loss in safety or comfort.

Laws & Guidelines

Executive Order 13101 requires federal agencies to use retread tires to the maximum extent feasible. State and local governments are encouraged to follow this directive.

Minnesota law restricts the storage and disposal of waste tires. By having used tires retreaded, your agency avoids the costs of tire disposal and receives a usable tire in return.

Performance

It is a myth that retreads have a higher failure rate than new tires. In fact, failures in both retread and new tires are most often caused by overloading, under-inflation, or other abuse. New or retread tire failures can be greatly reduced by following all the rules of good maintenance, including proper mating with regard to diameter, tread depth, and design; maintaining proper air pressure; and establishing a rotation schedule.

Processed according to the Federal Safety Standards developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, retread tires can be driven at the same speeds as new tires with no loss in safety or comfort. With proper maintenance and care, they deliver about the same mileage as new tires, too.

Availability

Over 30 million tires are retread each year, representing sales of over $2 billion. Retreads are available through a state contract or through local tire distributors.

Cost

Many tires can be repeatedly retreaded, avoiding the disposal costs of the tires. Retread tires are typically 30% to 50% less expensive than new tires. For example, the average price of a retread for a light truck tire is $60, while the price of a new tire of the same size can reach $100 or more.

Specifications

Procedures described in the state contract determine the condition of tire casings that are acceptable for retreading. See Vendors. Specifications in the contract include methods, procedures, and acceptable commercial practices for retreading tires. Use these specifications as guidelines when putting together solicitations for retreading services.

Contact the Minnesota Department of Administration, Materials Management Division (MMD) at 651/296-2600 for a copy of the contract. If you are a state agency or a local government subscriber with an access code, you may also view the contract on the MMD web site.

Vendors

Minnesota State Contracts
There is a state contract for retread service for on- and off-road tires. See Cooperative Purchasing Venture for information on accessing this contract.
  • T-549 (5) Tires Retread

Other Vendors
Below is a list of known retread tire retailers in the metro area. For additional vendors, look in the Yellow Pages under "Tire Retread and Repair," or ask your local distributor.

Bauer Built Tire and Battery
St. Paul, MN
651/646-1239

Blaine, MN
763/780-4644

M-B Tire Company, Inc.
Newport, MN
651/459-9101

Northwestern Tire Company, Inc.
St. Paul, MN
651/224-4359

Pomp's Tire Service, Inc.
Savage, MN
952/894-8846

Blaine, MN
763 785-1294

Inver Grove Heights, MN
651 480-7900

Royal Tire, Inc.*
St. Cloud, MN
800/892-7018

*Royal Tire has 13 locations in Minnesota. See Royal Tire's web site for dealer locations and information about retread tires.

Resources


Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)

MPCA is a state agency that provides information and assistance on pollution preventionAn activity that diminishes or reduces the use, generation, or release of hazardous waste or release of toxic pollutants, hazardous substances, and hazardous waste into the environment. (Minnesota Statutes § 115D.03, Subd. 8) practices to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations involving air quality, surface and groundwater, and solid and hazardous wasteAny refuse, sludge, or other waste materials or combinations or refuse, sludge, or other waste materials in solid, semisolid, liquid, or contained gaseous form which because of its quantity, concentration, or chemical, physical, or infectious characteristics may: (a) cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness; or (b) pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or otherwise managed. Categories of hazardous waste materials include, but are not limited to: explosives, flammables, oxidizers, poisons, irritants, and corrosives. Hazardous waste does not include source, special nuclear, or by-product material as defined by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended. Minnesota Statutes § 116.06, Subd. 11.. For information on how to manage used antifreeze, see the August 2004 Managing Waste Antifreeze fact sheet.

The fact sheets "Managing Solvent-Based Parts Washers" and "Managing Aqueous-Based Parts Washers" are available online. Paper copies are available by calling the MPCA.

For more information on managing tire waste, see the "Managing Waste Tires" fact sheet.

Download the fact sheet "Treated Wood: Use, Disposal and Alternatives for Businesses." 

Success Stories

Retread tires

For over two years, the Northwest District of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) has been using retread tires on its maintenance trucks. Retreads are used on the rear wheels of 75 snowplow trucks, as well as on loaders and mower tractors. The District's inventory center uses the state contract to buy the retreads. Purchaser Jane Olson says, "My co-workers in the shop are satisfied with the product, and I'm happy because it saves money in comparison with buying new tires."

Mn/DOT District 2 Maintenance Shop
Cliff Moening, Sub-Area Foreman
218/755-3799

Sources

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Environmentally Preferable Products Procurement Program
October 1999

International Tire & Rubber Association (ITRA)

Prevents Waste

Prevents Waste

Retreading a truck tire uses only seven gallons of oil compared to 22 gallons used to make a new one. Each year, retread tires save more than 400 million gallons of oil in North America and also help divert thousands of scrap tires from disposal and tire dumps.

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guide published by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board, 4/00. The SWMCB includes members from the Minnesota metropolitan counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington, with ex-officio members from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Last Revised April 18, 2008 - 10:25am

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