Michelin Americas Truck Tires, a division of Michelin North America Inc., launched its premium Michelin X Multi D regional drive tire for fleets involved in shorter freight deliveries, especially in urban areas, the company said.
The tire for regional fleets with 4x2 and 6x2 configurations is available in the United States, Canada and Mexico in size 11R22.5 for load ranges G and H, and size 11R24.5 for load range H, with additional sizes to follow in the coming months, the Greenville, S.C.-based company said.
“I hope what fleets take away from the Michelin X Multi D is the commitment of our brand to serving the high-growth segments of the market, which are really operating more and more in regional and urban conditions,” Adam Murphy, vice president of marketing at Michelin Americas Truck Tires, said in a conference call.
These include less-than-truckload, pickup and delivery, food and beverage applications. Also, the tires are appropriate, to a lesser degree, in limited energy and construction applications if those conditions account for 10% or less of the environment in which the tires are used, Murphy said.
These fleets, “need to deliver their loads safely in the demanding environments in which they operate,” Murphy said. He added the new tire’s attributes that can help with this are “long-lasting tread life, all-weather traction, scrub resistance and having a durable casing.”
To underscore the value of its new premium-priced tire, Michelin is offering a guarantee to buyers. The company will refund the difference between its tire price and competitors’ premium tires if buyers are dissatisfied with the Multi X D, Murphy said.
Similar guarantees also will be available as “we roll out new products,” Murphy said.
Also among the tire’s features are pass-through open shoulder grooves that allows quick evacuation of water, mud and slush from beneath the tread surface area, and the biting edges of the tread allows the tire to grip onto surfaces right away, the tire maker said.
