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Michelin Debuts AI Retread Platform, Predictive Tire Tech
New TreadVision and Smart Predictive Tire Aim to Cut Costs and Raise Fleet Reliability
Key Takeaways:
- Michelin introduced its TreadVision retread platform and Smart Predictive Tire monitoring system at the Technology & Maintenance Council’s 2026 meeting in Nashville.
- The technologies aim to cut fleet costs and improve consistency and safety through AI-driven retread inspection and predictive trailer tire monitoring that identifies issues early.
- Michelin executives said fleets testing the monitoring system have seen fewer emergency tire failures and longer tire life, with broader rollout expected as adoption grows.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Michelin North America debuted a new generation of retread and tire monitoring technologies aimed at helping fleets cut costs, improve sustainability and boost uptime.
The company introduced TreadVision by Michelin Retread Technologies, a platform that uses artificial intelligence, robotics and laser measurement to automate and standardize key steps in the retreading process. Michelin also unveiled Smart Predictive Tire, a trailer tire monitoring solution from its Michelin Connected Fleet subsidiary designed for Classes 7 and 8 fleets.
Speaking at the Technology & Maintenance Council’s 2026 Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition on March 17, Michelin executives framed the new technologies as a way to modernize a process that has traditionally relied heavily on manual labor and subjective judgment.
Emily Ledbetter, retread marketing manager for Michelin, said retreading remains one of the most effective tools fleets have to manage operating costs and sustainability, but she acknowledged that variability in manual inspection can affect quality and consistency.
“We’ve long believed that innovation in the mobility space goes well beyond designing and building great tires,” she said. “It is also about finding new ways to help our fleet partners operate more sustainably, reduce costs and keep vehicles moving safely and reliably.”
Ledbetter said the TreadVision platform integrates AI-driven inspection, precision robotics and real-time data to deliver more consistent retread quality for fleets with tight performance standards.
She added that the technology also addresses physically demanding tasks, such as repeatedly lifting and loading heavy tires, and reduces the risk of errors caused by fatigue, distraction or inconsistency during manual inspection.
“It is probably safe to say that none of us are 100% accurate and consistent in our work on a daily basis,” Ledbetter noted, underscoring the limits of traditional processes.
The goal, she said, is to improve retread quality and consistency while also shortening turnaround times for customers.
“This is not just another retread,” Ledbetter explained. “It is a new way of looking at the entire retread process and the role of data in tire management.”
In a separate announcement, Willem Moore, CEO of Michelin Connected Fleet North America, introduced Smart Predictive Tire as a trailer tire monitoring solution designed to help fleets proactively manage tire health through real-time pressure and temperature data combined with predictive analytics.
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Moore. (Michael Freeze/Transport Topics)
Moore framed tire-related breakdowns as a costly and disruptive operational challenge.
“What if the most expensive roadside breakdown in your fleet is due to a tire failure that could have been avoided?” he said. “What started out as a routine delivery becomes costly, stressful and disruptive to operations. No fleet manager or driver starts their day wanting to deal with a roadside breakdown.”
Anderson Abernathy, vice president of marketing for Michelin Connected Fleet, contrasted traditional reactive tire management with the predictive approach enabled by the new system.
“Before Smart Predictive Tire, the driver experiences a sudden failure resulting in an emergency roadside service event,” he said. “The driver’s safety could be at risk, delivery windows can be missed, and the operational ripple effects can extend throughout the day.”
Abernathy said the system continuously monitors tire conditions and alerts fleet managers to developing issues before they lead to failures.
“Tire pressure anomalies are detected early, and the fleet manager receives an alert in advance,” he said. “Maintenance teams can plan proactive intervention; drivers stay on the road and deliveries stay on schedule.”
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Abernathy. (Michael Freeze/Transport Topics)
Early testing programs outside North America have shown measurable benefits, Abernathy said.
“Fleets have seen up to 80% fewer emergency roadside service events and up to 9% longer tire life when chronic underinflation is corrected,” he said. “They have also seen up to 4% lower fuel consumption when recommended pressure is maintained over the life of the tire.”
The system relies on continuous pressure and temperature monitoring combined with Michelin’s analytics, including its Smart Leak algorithm.
“It reads tire pressure and temperature and uses predictive analytics to estimate time to critical,” Abernathy said. “That helps fleets understand how serious an issue may be and how urgently maintenance teams need to respond.”
Feedback from early adopters has reinforced the value of the technology, Abernathy added.
“We’re giving fleet operators a new level of visibility and control over trailer tire health,” he said. “When you prevent the unexpected, drivers stay safe, deliveries stay on schedule and fleets stay productive.”
