What Tires Does a Haul Truck Use?
At diverse events, I get presented with the same query: So, what is it you do for a living? I’ve answered with various things: “I consult for an organization that worldwide.” or “We sell mine tires.” What I want to tell them, is that I sell OTR Tyres, but honest to goodness, no one would have a clue about what I am talking about..
So, I usually just frame the conversation this way: ” I sell big tires for construction equipment. Some of these tires are as large as 12.5 feet tall (~4m, for those who are on the metric standard).” It sounds bragadocious, but it is necessary to broaden their minds to accept something with a rim size larger than 20″.
Now, the fact is, most of the my organization sells are far less than 12.5′. In fact, many of them are only 4′ high.
So, what is an OTR Tire? The definitions vary greatly, but we will with the acronym “OTR”. It stands for “Off the Road”, or in smaller cases “Over the Road”. More often than not, the following types of equipment use it, and I won’t include every type here, because you would be reading all day.
The primary types of equipment that use these tires are: loaders(wheel, front end, and skid steer - this is also considered an industrial tire-), haul trucks (articulated dump and rigid frame, crash trucks, cranes(the tyres are available in both on and off-road flavors), scrapers & road graders.
Now, some picky folks may say I am snubbing combines and tractors, but those are generally assorted as “agricultural use”, and don’t fall under “OTR”, per se. Others will pronounce that the class is much broader. This is correct. However, I am giving you the basics you need to understand, not a doctoral dissertation on the tyres.
These tyres are acquirable in bias and radial stock, just like passenger tires are. The primary deviation is in the size of the rims(20-63″ for the larger ), and the heavy duty nature of the lugs, and rubber compounds. These are tires that can take the abuse that gravel, large rocks, and mud throw at them.
As to roles, these tires can be found operating in the most extreme weather, from the Tar Sands of Canada, to the mines of Novosibirsk.
So, what is an OTR Tire? Very plainly put, it’s a tyre for construction, mining, or industrial functions, that works in harsh, off-road conditions, on very heavy equipment.
That’s the simplified translation. If are in need of more information on OTR Tyres, please call OTR Tire Supply, at 877-426-1090 .