The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently recognized tires made by Continental Tire North America and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. for meeting the EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership tractor-trailer equipment specifications.

Eligibility is based on a comprehensive set of tire performance requirements, including environmental design and fuel consumption performance.

Continental tires recognized by the agency are the HSL (premium long-haul steer), HDL Eco Plus (premium long-haul drive), and HTL (all-position trailer) tires.

Goodyear commercial tires meeting the SmartWay specs feature the company's Fuel Max Technology, including the Goodyear Unisteel G395 LHS (steer), Unisteel G305 LHD (drive) and Unisteel G316 LHT (trailer) tires in standard (11R22.5) and low-profile (295/75R22.5 and 285/75R24.5) sizes, plus UniCircle and precure retreads.

The SmartWay Transport Partnership is a collaborative program between the EPA and the freight industry to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution. Specifically, the SmartWay Transport Partnership aims to save between 3.3- and 6.6-billion gallons of diesel fuel per year by 2012, the equivalent of taking nearly 12 million cars off the road.