LANGLEY, B.C. (February 23, 2009) – A unique cross-Canada program for Yokohama heavy truck tire dealers and their fleet customers will showcase a new tire technology that not only saves operating costs but offers crucial environmental benefits that operators can take to the bank.
The Yokohama Zen Road Show is a combined trade show and information session that will highlight the company’s new Zenvironment tire manufacturing process and the contribution it makes to real gains in fuel economy, improved tire life and other environmental benefits.
The company’s claim is backed up by a unique cost-per-kilometre performance guaranty for its new truck tire line that promises a minimum 15 per cent improvement vs competitive products.
The meetings and displays, which will be staged for dealers and fleet customers in 11 locations from Vancouver to Quebec City beginning March 3, 2009, will illustrate the new Zenvironment manufacturing technology while special offers for dealers and fleet customers will provide attractive savings on the premium line.
While the cost savings are appealing to buyers, the environmental benefits inherent in the new line provide a selling advantage that operators can use with their customers, says Jonathon Karelse, manager of marketing for Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. “Many companies are looking through their entire supply chain to ensure they are meeting high standards of environmental performance, and that includes transportation. Tires that offer the key trio of truck tire attributes – high mileage, long casing life and low rolling resistance – demonstrate tangible environmental benefits, too,” Karelse says. “Trucking companies can show they’re doing their part.”
In 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced a scheme to identify cleaner, more environmentally friendly transportation options. Called SmartWay, the program identifies products and services that reduce transportation-related emissions. For example, the new Yokohama 703ZL truck tire has earned the EPA SmartWay designation. “Trucking companies that can demonstrate SmartWay compliance have a tangible advantage,” Karelse says.
New technologies in the tire manufacturing processes, along with new designs and new construction, have contributed to the improved performance, Karelse says, but the common factor in all the Zenvironment tires is the revolutionary rubber mixing process.
Using a lower temperature/higher torque mixing technique creates a better and more uniform dispersion of carbon in the rubber. This results in rubber that is more pliable yet maintains its strength, and helps create a casing with improved durability and longevity – crucial for many cycles of retreading. The confidence in this new process has lead Yokohama to offer one of the best warranties available for commercial tires – a 7 year limited warranty with unlimited retreads for highway-use tires.
Newly-developed tread compounds have been employed to extend mileage and reduce rolling resistance without sacrificing important factors such as wet performance or the specific characteristics demanded of each highly specialized tire such as cutting/chipping resistance. New designs extend original tread life.
The theme of environmental responsibility pervades the entire road show, Karelse adds. Program materials from recycled paper to displays made of bamboo products are used throughout, he says. “Even the ball-point pens are made of a corn-derivative product: Put them in your potted plant and they dissolve!”
Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. markets and distributes a full line of tires for high performance, passenger car, light truck, and commercial truck applications, as well as off-the-road tires for mining, forestry and construction applications. It maintains distribution centres across Canada to serve more than 700 independent tire dealers.
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