Twenty years after first entering the market, BFGoodrich is reintroducing itself with two new all-terrain tires designed for the growing energy, construction and logging markets.
“What a way to reintroduce the BFGoodrich brand to North Americathan with the Cross Control,” said Adam Murphy, B2B vice president of marketing for BFGoodrich parent company Michelin North America. “We think it really embodies and exemplifies everything the BFGoodrich brand stands for.”
The announcement was made at a press briefing on Thursday morning at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, KY.
The Cross Control S (steer) and D (drive) tires feature thick sidewalls to resist damage from impacts; heat-release compounds to help reduce internal casing temperatures; a full-protector ply, which is 75% wider than a leading competitor, to provide protection from penetrations and road hazards even past the outer grooves; and anti-cut and chip resistance to help prevent damage that can take a tire prematurely out of service.
Murphy noted that the needs (tractor, durability, driver satisfaction) of the three targeted segments are very similar, making the tire an ideal match for any.
Features of the tires include serrated, staggered should for optimal traction in tough terrains such as construction sites and deep groove bottom protectors. “[These] are designed to prevent stone drilling, but also protect that casing for retreadability,” Murphy said.
The tires follow BFGoodrich’s standard retreadability program with up to 4 retreads possible.
The full coverage protector ply is needed because “obstacles don’t discriminate,” Murphy noted. “Obstacles are likely to hit any area of the tire.”
The Cross Control S replaces the ST565 wide-base tire and provides up to 20% more miles, Murphy said. The Cross Control D drive tire features 25% more lugs on the road, which enhances traction.
Each tire comes with a Work Hard Guarantee that says if a customer is not satisfied with the tire’s performance or it needs to be removed from service in the first six months and can’t be repaired, BFGoodrich will refund 50% of the purchase price up to 6 months after purchase of 50% of the tread life.
The BFGoodrich Cross Control S tire is available in sizes 11R22.5 and 11R24.5 (Load Range H), 315/80R22.5 (Load Range L), and starting in May 2018 will be available in sizes 385/65R22.5 (Load Range J) and 425/65R22.5 (Load Range L). The Cross Control D tire is available in 11R22.5 and 11R24.5 sizes (Load Range H).
“To ensure we are meeting customer demand for durability and traction, we will be revitalizing the entire product portfolio over the next few years,” Murphy said. “In addition, we are also eager to introduce a new BFGoodrich brand technology — an augmented reality (AR) app — an exciting tool that brings a 3-D version of the new tires to life in the user’s environment.”
Available soon through the app stores, it is designed for newer iOS and Android devices. The BFGoodrich AR app allows users to interact with the tire’s features, benefits and key support materials, including technical specs, videos and customer testimonials.
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