“The country of origin has nothing to do with the quality of the product.”
Brian Mielko, VP Marketing, Dynamic Tire Corp
Lower priced Chinese tires could be the answer to your maintenance budget woes.
Perhaps, like many fleet managers, you’ve thought about lower-priced Chinese tires for your fleet, but you’re not completely convinced. Are they safe? Will they last? What are you really buying? If these questions have crossed your mind, you’re not alone. Many wonder if Chinese tires can hold their own against better known brands. So let’s look at the facts.
Country of origin.
Let’s begin with the made in China question. “The country of origin has nothing to do with the quality of the product,” says Brian Mielko, VP Marketing, Dynamic Tire Corp, manufacturers of Sailun brand tires. “Quality has everything to do with the factory of origin. And just as in every other country, there are great factories in China, and there are less than great factories in China.”
China builds whatever the customer wants. They can build cheap toys and inexpensive car parts, or they can build Apple computers and flat screen TVs. It’s also important to realize that many of the better-known brands build their tires in China as well. “Basically all the majors build their tires in China,” Mielko points out. “So the country of origin is not an issue.”
Aaron Murphy, Vice President of China Manufacturers Alliance (CMA), the marketing arm for Double Coin tires, agrees. “Many products are manufactured in China because China can meet the quality standards that are required by the consumer and by regulating governments. Our motto is that Double Coin tires aren’t ‘Chinese-made’ tires, but tires produced in China and sold all over the world; exactly just like most global manufacturers do today.”
Standards
When buying a tire that has been manufactured in China, you can rest assured that you’re getting the quality you expect. “We have to meet government standards for quality and performance,” Murphy adds. “So from a quality and safety standpoint, our tires meet the same standards that all tire manufacturers have to meet.”
Mielko agrees, adding that his company tests every steer tire for uniformity before it comes to Canada. “We test every passenger and light truck tire as well, and our warranty rates are extremely low. We have one of the strongest warranties in the business.”
Performance
FleetDigest has had the opportunity to test Sailun tires head-to-head with a couple of well-known brands, and the performance of Sailun’s winter and all-season tires are indistinguishable from some of the major names. So when it comes to performance, these tires can hold their own.
In truck tires, you may see a difference in performance points with the different tread compound technology, Murphy adds. “In addition, some component technology enhances the wear rates to allow a major manufacturer’s product to offer longer wear rates in certain wheel positions. If you compare a set of steer tires from the major manufacturers, they may result in longer run out mileage than other products like ours. This is mainly due to tread compound advancements. But, if the mileage is 20% longer but the cost of the tire is 40% higher, in many instances, our tires are a good choice to drive down cost per km. Both tires are safe, so you have to determine which product fits your fleet best.”
Murphy adds, “In many instances and applications, our performance is equal to or greater than major brand products, which point to a greater savings for the fleet.”
