ATLANTA, Ga. – Bridgestone Americas is taking the story of retreading to small- and mid-sized fleets, with an international promotional campaign launched at the annual meeting of the Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC).

“The value of the impacts of retreading is measurable,” said LaTres Jarret, director of marketing – Bandag, U.S. and Canada. “We want to tell the retread story like no one else has done.”

The Fleets We Depend On campaign will shine a spotlight on retread users from fire departments to school districts and truck fleets.

A rolling display mounted in a tractor-trailer will make 27 stops including one in Chilliwack, B.C. That will feature an augmented reality display to describe the retreading process, a trivia contest, and customer testimonials. There is also a video booth that visitors can use to tell their own stories.

A related Fleets We Depend On Award is looking to spotlight fleets and individuals who make a difference in their local communities. The winner of that, to be announced in September, will receive US $5,000 and another $5,000 for the charity of their choice.

“While most large fleets already use retreads, we recognized a real opportunity to better inform small- and mid-sized fleets on the benefits that choosing Bandag can bring to their businesses. We are on a mission to showcase how retreads add value,” said Eric Higgs, president – truck, bus and retread tires, U.S. and Canada.

“Real forward-thinking fleets are also investing in retreading,” added David Stevens, managing director of the Tire Retread Information Bureau (TRIB).

Retreaded tires account for about 44% of all commercial truck and bus tires in the U.S. and Canada, TRIB reports. Each year, that helps to keep about 218 million gallons of oil and 1.4 billion pounds of rubber out of North American landfills.

www.bandag.com