Old tires are worth asking about before they are thrown away
When a truck gets new tires, the old ones usually disappear. They come off, go onto a pile, and leave with the scrap. For a small local fleet that has never thought about retreading, that pile can include casings that still had value.
A truck tire is built in two parts. The tread wears out. The casing underneath, the structure that carries the load, is designed to outlast it when it has been looked after. Retreading puts new tread on a sound casing.
That means the moment to think about retreading is not when buying new tires. It is when the old ones come off.
What to ask at the next tire change
Which of these casings are worth inspecting? Truck tires that came off with tread remaining, without cuts into the cords, and without signs of being run flat are the candidates.
Can they be collected rather than scrapped? This store works with Purcell's retreading program. Casings collected here are sent to a Purcell plant, retreaded, and returned ready to run.
Where would retreads make sense on our trucks? Many fleets run retreads on trailer and drive positions. Where they go on yours is a decision to make with the store.
A small fleet does not need a formal program to start. It needs someone to ask the question before the old tires leave the yard.
Where the work happens
The nearest Purcell retread plants to Kentucky are Potosi, Missouri and Cleveland, North Carolina. The store collects casings and you deal with Owensboro rather than the plant.
A casing that came off early with uneven wear may point to a heavy-duty truck alignment problem, and damaged rims found at the same time go to wheel refurbishing, both here.
About this store
The Owensboro store carries all nine Purcell tire categories and is managed by Paul Wilson.
See the national retreading page for how the program works and for all 54 collecting locations.