chicot60
07-01-2011, 12:56 AM
By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY
As if gas prices weren't high enough, now motorists face another reality check: shortages of some tires, especially for SUVs and pickups.
After a number of plant closures and the reduction of bloated inventories during the recession, some tiremakers have been caught short as demand picked up for new cars and motorists who had delayed spending headed in to replace balding tires.
There are "definitely problems" in supplying tire dealers with all the stock they need, says Dan Zielinski, spokesman for the Rubber Manufacturers Association, the tiremakers' trade group in Washington, D.C.
While shortages are sporadic, there are some dealers that "are not getting all the tires they order," he says.
MORE: Drive On blog
"Each tiremaker is being challenged," says John Rastetter of the Tire Rack, the big online and direct-sales tire retailer. "We encounter some long-term back orders or some suspension of low-volume tires."
Besides increased demand as the economy picked up, Rastetter says tiremakers have been vexed by the proliferation of different tire sizes and types that makes it harder to keep dealers fully stocked.
He says Tire Rack offered 129 unique tire sizes in 2000. Today, it's 204.
"Even we don't get 100% of the tires we order from the manufacturers," he says. Customers are being told about competing brands for the same size when a tire is out of stock, or they just wait.
Even though there is a shortfall, the worst might be over. Tire sales aren't burning rubber as they were last year. The RMA projects that tire shipments will grow 3% this year after a 9.7% boost last year — driven by 29.3% growth for pickup and SUV tires.
With lower growth, shortages are starting to ease, says Fred Koplin, marketing director for Yokohama Tires, a big maker. Still, he says supplies of tires such as the brand's popular Geolandar ATS and HTS tires for trucks are tight.
"Three months ago, I would have said, 'Please be patient.' Today, I would say in most cases, we would able to meet demand, and it's not going to be a long wait."
He says Yokohama has spent $13 million to expand its plant in Salem, Va., and is taking other steps to get tires to dealers.
Still, "demand is greater than supply" at the moment," says Bob Ulrich, editor of trade publication Modern Tire Dealer. "There are some tire manufacturers selling every tire they can."
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2011-06-30-tire-shortage_n.htm
As if gas prices weren't high enough, now motorists face another reality check: shortages of some tires, especially for SUVs and pickups.
After a number of plant closures and the reduction of bloated inventories during the recession, some tiremakers have been caught short as demand picked up for new cars and motorists who had delayed spending headed in to replace balding tires.
There are "definitely problems" in supplying tire dealers with all the stock they need, says Dan Zielinski, spokesman for the Rubber Manufacturers Association, the tiremakers' trade group in Washington, D.C.
While shortages are sporadic, there are some dealers that "are not getting all the tires they order," he says.
MORE: Drive On blog
"Each tiremaker is being challenged," says John Rastetter of the Tire Rack, the big online and direct-sales tire retailer. "We encounter some long-term back orders or some suspension of low-volume tires."
Besides increased demand as the economy picked up, Rastetter says tiremakers have been vexed by the proliferation of different tire sizes and types that makes it harder to keep dealers fully stocked.
He says Tire Rack offered 129 unique tire sizes in 2000. Today, it's 204.
"Even we don't get 100% of the tires we order from the manufacturers," he says. Customers are being told about competing brands for the same size when a tire is out of stock, or they just wait.
Even though there is a shortfall, the worst might be over. Tire sales aren't burning rubber as they were last year. The RMA projects that tire shipments will grow 3% this year after a 9.7% boost last year — driven by 29.3% growth for pickup and SUV tires.
With lower growth, shortages are starting to ease, says Fred Koplin, marketing director for Yokohama Tires, a big maker. Still, he says supplies of tires such as the brand's popular Geolandar ATS and HTS tires for trucks are tight.
"Three months ago, I would have said, 'Please be patient.' Today, I would say in most cases, we would able to meet demand, and it's not going to be a long wait."
He says Yokohama has spent $13 million to expand its plant in Salem, Va., and is taking other steps to get tires to dealers.
Still, "demand is greater than supply" at the moment," says Bob Ulrich, editor of trade publication Modern Tire Dealer. "There are some tire manufacturers selling every tire they can."
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2011-06-30-tire-shortage_n.htm