UPS Urges Study of LRR Tires

SAN DIEGO -- Parcel carrier UPS Inc. continues with its investments in and operation of alternative-fuel vehicles, aiming for 1 billion miles driven by 2017, but one of the company's engineers said low-rolling-resistance tires need to be analyzed carefully as they have problems as well as advantages. 

Mike Britt, a director of maintenance and engineering, said here on Oct. 5 that low-rolling-resistance tires do save money on fuel, but they are not as durable as conventional truck tires and they do not have as much traction.

"This needs more study," Britt told participants in an educational session at American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition. LRR tires have been endorsed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay program.

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Britt said the casings, or sides of the tires, do not last as long. As oil is a major component in tires, in terms of synthetic rubber, Britt said it is important to consider total oil usage for manufacturing and fuel.

UPS, which ranks No. 1 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of for-hire carriers in the United States and Canada, operates about 3,647 alternative-fuel vehicles worldwide and plans to buy more. Britt says the company uses both compressed and liquefied natural-gas vehicles in its package operations.

The company is also investigating high-volume trailers with three axles rather than the typical two. On such a trailer the rear-most axle would be steerable.