Firestone introduces advanced fleet tires for highway work trucks and last-mile vans

Bridgestone Americas is rolling out new Firestone-branded commercial fleet tires for heavy-duty highway operations and light-duty last-mile delivery. The new Transforce HT3 and CV2 tires feature Bridgestone’s Enliten Technology.

“The new compound built into the Transforce HT3 is designed to extend the tire’s wear life, meaning the tires will last longer than the predecessor, reducing the frequency of tire replacements due to treadwear,” Iris Ocasio, Bridgestone Americas’ planning and development product manager, told FleetOwner. “Similarly, the Transforce CV2 has also been optimized for longer wear life, with the added benefit of a sidewall defense rib to provide extra protection and durability.”

The rubber company said that the new tires were engineered to provide commercial highway vehicles with performance in wet weather, low-speed refinement, and high-speed handling. According to Bridgestone, Transforce HT3 and CV2 tires maximize wear performance to help improve sustainability over the tire’s life.

The Transforce HT3 tire is for heavy-duty trucks, while the CV2 tire is for last-mile delivery vans. The hardwearing tires have commonalities, including construction and tread pattern, while broadening the Transforce line with distinct features like sidewall design and tread compound.

“Our goal for the Firestone Transforce HT3 and CV2 tires was to create two surefooted commercial highway tires that hold up to the strenuous duties of fleet service while focusing on a quiet and long riding experience,” Jeremy Norwood, chief engineer of consumer replacement product engineering, said. “Transforce HT3 and CV2 deliver the performance that fleet managers expect—so much so that they won’t even think about the tire.”

This graphic highlights the tread pattern designs on the new Firestone Transforce CV2 and HT3 commercial truck and van tires.

Firestone Transforce HT3 commercial tire facts

Vehicle size: Class 1 through Class 3
Operations: Hauling, towing, handyman, plumbing, work trucks
Size: LT
High rim diameter size: 16-20”
Material: Contains Firestone’s new compound designed to resist irregular wear
Tread: Pattern reinforced with interlocking 3D sipes to provide uniform stiffness and resiliency
Sidewall: Off-shoulder design features noise abatement
Seasonal: Year-round
Weather: Improves wet road performance with accelerated water evacuation

New compound in HT3 ‘reduces uneven wear’

Offered strictly in LT sizing, the Transforce HT3 tire is designed for heavy-duty trucks with a high rim diameter between 16 and 20 inches. It features an off-shoulder sidewall design with noise reduction, making it both quieter and more aggressive in appearance, according to a Bridgestone press release.

“The Transforce HT3 targets LT applications up to Class 3, including pickup trucks and heavy-duty models,” Ocasio said. “It serves consumers towing and hauling, as well as professionals like handymen and plumbers who require a durable and reliable tire for job site access. The new compound reduces uneven wear, and the pattern includes interlocking 3D sipes to enhance stability, even under heavy loads.”

See also: Latest in truck tires for 2024

The tiremaker said that the Transforce HT3 tire’s distinct tread compound emphasizes traction, durability, year-round use, hauling, and towing.

Additional key engineering features of the Firestone Transforce HT3 tire include:

Wear: Built with Firestone’s new compound designed to help resist irregular wear, the Transforce HT3 also features a tread pattern reinforced with interlocking 3D sipes to help provide uniform stiffness and resiliency that fights irregular wear, even when loaded.
Wet Traction: Avoid the added stress of hauling heavy loads in the rain. Transforce HT3 features open shoulder slots and a high see-through void to accelerate water evacuation from the pattern and improve wet performance, even when loaded.

Transforce HT3 tire is for pickups and work trucks with a high rim diameter between 16 and 20 inches, up to Class 3 vehicles.

Firestone Transforce CV2 commercial tire facts

Vehicle size: Class 1 through Class 4
Operations: Last-mile delivery
Size: Euro-C and LT
Material: Features Firestone’s long-wearing compound
Tread: Open shoulder design and high see-through void accelerate water away from the tread pattern
Sidewall: Defense rib provides added durability and chip-tear resistance
Seasonal: Year-round
Weather: Interlocking sipes improve snow traction, but not a dedicated winter tire
Fuel efficiency: Rolling resistance designed to help reduce fuel consumption

Transforce CV2 tire designed for last-mile delivery

Offered in EURO-C and LT sizing, the Transforce CV2 tire is more highway-focused and explicitly engineered for last-mile delivery vehicles. It includes a sidewall defense rib for added durability and chip-tear resistance, and its lowered shoulder-slot angle improves snow traction.

Ocasio said the CV2 is “the better fit” for commercial vans and light/medium-duty applications. “Designed for vehicles up to Class 4, it features long-lasting wear performance and a reinforced sidewall providing added protection when maneuvering near curbs,” she said. “Its sidewall defense rib is built for durability and chip tear resistance.”

Additional key engineering features of the Firestone Transforce CV2 tire include:

Treadwear: The Transforce CV2 features Firestone’s long-wearing compound plus a tread pattern purpose-built to resist irregular wear. Strategically placed interlocking sipes help ensure uniform tread stiffness and resiliency throughout the pattern.
Sidewall: With a curbside-delivery focus, the CV2 features a sidewall defense rib designed for added durability and chip-tear resistance.
Wet and winter traction: An open shoulder design and high see-through void help accelerate water away from the tread pattern for confident wet performance. Interlocking sipes help add dependable winter traction because the work ahead doesn’t stop for the forecast.
Rolling resistance: Firestone said the CV2 was designed to help cut fuel costs and optimize efficiency and rolling resistance in stop-and-start delivery applications.

Firestone's Transforce CV2 tire for commercial vans features a sidewall defense rib for added durability and chip-tear resistance that can extend the tire life for fleets that make curbside deliveries.

The Firestone Transforce HT3 and CV2 tires are now available, the company said on Oct. 3.

Bridgestone also noted that the Firestone Transforce HT3 and CV2 tires’ development aligns with its corporate Bridgestone E8 Commitment, eight Bridgestone-like values starting with the letter E: Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease, and Empowerment. It noted that the Firestone Transforce HT3 and CV2 tires align with its energy and economy commitments.