The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed new truck tire standards for vehicles with gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 10,000 pounds. The proposal from NHTSA would adopt more stringent endurance test requirements, a new high-speed test for several heavy load range tires, and requirements that the tire sidewall be labeled with the tire’s maximum speed rating.
NHTSA intends to upgrade Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) #119, which specifies requirements for new truck tires, as announced September 29, 2010, in the Federal Register.
This proposal was required under the Transportation Recall Enhancement Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act of 2000. The last time new tire standards were proposed for heavy-duty trucks was 37 years ago.
NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said, “FMVSS 119 went into effect in 1973 and has not been significantly updated since then. Heavy truck tires on the market today perform far and above the requirements of FMVSS 119. We’ve been conducting extensive testing to determine what the new performance requirements should be.”
For more information, contact TRALA’s Joe Sculley at [email protected] or by calling (703) 299-9120.
