Buy the new tire with its second life in mind
Most fleets think about retreading when a tire comes off. The decision that matters most comes much earlier: when the tire is bought new.
A retread is only as good as the casing under it, and casings are not all built alike. A new tire is two purchases in one. There is the tread, which you use up, and there is the casing, which you may get to use again. A tire chosen only on the price of its first life can end up costing more per mile than one that cost more up front and gives one or two retreads afterwards.
What that changes about buying
- Ask about retreadability when you buy. Ask the store which tires in your size it would expect to retread well.
- Look at the price over the tire's whole life. First life plus retreads, divided by the miles all of them deliver, is the number that compares fairly.
- Keep the position in mind. A tire bought for a position where you plan to run retreads later is a different decision from one bought for a position where you will not.
- Stay consistent. A fleet that buys the same casings repeatedly learns how they come back, and the plant's results become predictable.
None of that requires a large fleet. A few trucks and trailers still get the benefit, and the savings show up on the second and third lives rather than the first.
Where the work happens
This store works with Purcell's retreading program. Casings are collected here and retreaded at the Potosi plant, Purcell's founding address, then returned ready to run. The Washington store is not a retread plant.
Nearby collecting stores
Fenton and De Soto also collect casings for the program. A fleet account can record which casings go out and what comes back, and wheel refurbishing can be done while the tires are off.
About this store
The Washington store carries all nine Purcell tire categories and is managed by Kurt Kottwitz.
See the national retreading page for how the program works and for all 54 collecting locations.