Walking on water, Beware the Match Game, R.I.P. Wayne

When it rains, these shine

It’s one thing to read about new tires and totally another to try them out. By now you’ve probably seen Cooper’s new all-terrain AT3 family of tires. We have the AT3 4S for SUVs and light duty pickups, AT3 LT for conventional commercial sizes, and the AT3 XLT for plus sizing on lifted trucks. Before we go any further, our friend Doby Middleton wants the point made clear, this isn’t confusing as the sizes don’t repeat over the three lines. You pick a size and only one new AT3 is available. The right one with no guesswork. Back to the story - Cooper invited a few of us down to their proving grounds outside of San Antonio to sample the goods. One particular event really stood out -- racing around in the wet. They have a 14 acre piece of flat pavement that they wet down and set up cones on to make an autocross course. Ahead of time, Cooper folks asked distributors what they wanted to test the new AT3s against. Hankook’s ATM were the most requested, and this seemed to be a good choice to me, as the ATMs do really well in Consumer Reports testing. The plan was four laps on the Hankooks to get a feel and set some times, then the same drill with the Coopers. The vehicles were identical full size Chevy Tahoes. It’s funny, after a few laps you quickly figure out how hard you can go into a corner before losing traction and how fast you can get back on the gas while exiting a turn. By the 4th lap you know the story. Then you jump into the other Tahoe with the AT3 4S. Flying into turn 1 you get off the gas, squeeze the brakes and turn in. Hmmmm... the Tahoe didn’t slide. I could have gone in hotter! Your brain thinks it knows the limits after just a few laps and now it needs a reset. My fastest lap was 51 seconds and some change. My average lap was 3.35 seconds quicker on the Coopers, and 3.35 seconds on a 51 second lap is a moon shot of a difference. Of course nobody buys a Tahoe and sticks all-terrain tires on it for racing but think about the safety cushion these tires provide in the rain: braking, turning, accelerating. The difference was massive. I always smile when someone tells me that all tires are the same. But, Cooper can’t sit back, Hankook’s new A/T is coming soon.

Match Game ‘76

Just read a well thought out article on retail tire pricing. Mike Townsend wrote it for Modern Tire Dealer magazine. Mike talks about all the consolidation and how some dealers are feeling the pressure on pricing. He cautions against selling too cheaply and discusses the danger of matching competitor’s pricing. He gives a great example on how Quiznos tried to go toe-to-toe with Subway on price. To read his piece click HERE.

What the heck is going on?

Bridgestone and Goodyear get in bed. So do Michelin and TBC. Some pull out of ATD. Everyone is buying out everyone else. It seems that many want to sell directly to your customers. TBC has announced Tire America, which is their way of selling direct to consumers and offering installation services at one of their 1,413 locations - NTB, Merchants, Midas, Tire Kingdom, Big O... Then we have Amazon first offering installs at Sears and now Monro stores have signed on. All parties can’t wait to sell online. One problem, only so many consumers want to buy tires online. It’s confusing. It might be a hassle. You really need an experienced human being to make a solid recommendation on that not unimportant link between your vehicle and the road. The percentage of US consumers BUYING tires online has been around 6 - 7% for years. Huge numbers of consumers like to research tires online but most never pull the trigger. They end up buying local. So what does it mean when everyone is diving in? My guess is that they’re cannibalizing each other’s business. Where Tire Rack used to be the main player, I think others are nibbling away. Did anyone notice that Tire Rack now has ‘Free Shipping?’ Did their prices go up? The good news is that people, by a vast margin, prefer to buy their tires from someone they trust. As for all the brands and their gyrations? You are INDEPENDENT tire dealers and you can turn on a dime to support the people and companies that have your best interests in mind. Remain calm. All is well.

RIP Wayne Williams

The best friend an independent tire dealer could ever have passed away on July 19th. I know many of you read Wayne’s column in Modern Tire Dealer. I was a fan of his well before I got to know him as a friend. He was a serious gear-head and we’d have fun sending each other car pics and tire trivia. After family, friends, and faith, Wayne absolutely treasured the idea of making things better for the independent tire dealers and especially the counter guys and gals out there. You could tell it from reading his Counter Intelligence column and especially in a conversation. He had a well thought out plan that unfortunately he didn’t get a chance to administer. Wayne’s passing is a huge loss for our industry and I know I’m going to miss him. To read his obituary please click HERE .

Thank you for your continued support!

Jeff Short

VP of Sales

717.314.4949