A New Day for an Old Idea May Be on the Way

They may save weight, offer better fuel economy and be simpler to maintain, but the use of “super-single” tires — large tires that take the place of a pair of standard-size truck tires — has been limited because of their availability and their inability to “limp home” without having to be changed.

But while super singles, which have been around for almost 50 years, are pretty much confined to a small group of “niche” operators, every so often there is a spurt of interest that results in new products lines designed to make them more user-friendly for truckers.

Currently, trash, mixer and dump trucks often run “duplex” tires, as super singles or big singles are sometimes called, on heavily loaded steer axles. Many bulk-commodities tankers use “wide-base” tires on drive and trailer axles. So do a handful of over-the-road flatbed carriers.

However, for tire manufacturers, that does not add up to much. Sales of big singles to line-haul carriers amount to perhaps 1% to 1.5% of the total Class 8 market, according to Guy Walenga, engineering manager for Bridgestone/Firestone. Throw in bulk haulers and vocational users and it is still below 5%. As a result, the availability of the tires is scarce.

For the full story, see the Jan. 22 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.