Cooper Adds Roadmaster Tire, Eyes Fleet Market
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Cooper Tire introduced a new Roadmaster tire on the highway specifically engineered to withstand the demands of drop-deck trailers, and company officials said they plan to enter the fleet market later this year.
The RM272 has a new tread design and compounding that provides improved treadwear and protection against cutting and chipping, said Gary Schroeder, director of commercial vehicle and OEM sales.
“When the tire was in development, we tested its performance against three types of concrete surfaces to match difficult real-world conditions, including concrete with exposed limestone, and grooved bridge decking,” he said.
About 90% of Cooper Tires’ Roadmaster business for the past 10 years has been through wholesalers, Schroeder said. The company displayed the tire at American Trucking Associations' Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting here.
Cooper only markets its Roadmaster brand in North America and recently hired Charlie Scott, a 30-year Goodyear industry veteran, to head up fleet sales, an area Cooper is targeting to enter in the second half of this year.
“We have been focused on trailers and are talking to some small-scale [fleets],” Schroeder said.
“The normal customer for Roadmaster has been the second or third owner of a truck,” Scott said. “But now we’re going after the original owner of the truck.”
