The term “commercial tires” refers to the tires designated for commercial vehicles, transporting goods or passengers. On this page we will focus on used commercial tires for trucks, discuss their characteristics, pros and cons, and focus on products offered by our company.

What makes a good commercial tire?

The tires of the trucks that are carrying products across the states need to have great endurance and to sustain long hours of continuous driving. They ought to be produced of strengthened rubber compounds in order to prevent heat and quick wear. The tread pattern should be simple to avoid uneven or premature wear, and the tire should also be able to hold heavy loads.

Commercial trucks are made to carry big loads from one point to another, so commercial tires need to be strong and wear resistant. Solid construction with reinforced structures is a total must. It will help to retain the initial shape of the tire even under heavy loads and during long trips.

Types of new or used commercial tires (as positioned on a truck)

Steer tires

Steer commercial tires are placed on the front wheels (the steering axle) and their main purpose is to offer good controllability and precision. Usually they have a ribbed tread design, and a long lifespan. The pressure is distributed equally along the entire tread area, which prevents irregular wear. These tires also help to reduce the fuel intake thanks to their low rolling resistance. Some models are Michelin X Line Energy Z, Bridgestone R284 Ecopia and the Continental HS3.

Drive tires

Drive commercial tires are placed on the torque axle (drive axle) on the rear of the truck. Their main goal is to offer good traction at different speeds and on various road and weather conditions. They have a more aggressive tread design, which offers good traction and grip. They work in conjunction with the steer tires to reduce the fuel consumption. Some models are Michelin X Line Energy D, the Bridgestone M726 ELA and the Continental HDL2.

Trailer tires

Trailer commercial tires are used to carry the loads, so they are the ones that have to do the heavy lifting. They have a robust construction which prevents them from getting deformed under the huge loads, and come with radial or bias ply constructions. Radial structures maintain the tires cool under the driving pressure, reducing heat, while the bias ply structures help in keeping the heavy loads. Some models are Michelin X Line Energy T, the Bridgestone R197 and the Continental HT3 EcoPlus.

All position tires

All position tires feature a combination of all above, and can be safely placed on any of the axles or on the trailer. They offer controllability, reduced rolling resistance as well as strength for holding the heavy loads. For example, the Americus LT2000, the Thunderer RA401 or the Roadmaster RM170.

Types of used commercial tires (by season)

All-season commercial tires

All season used commercial tires offer a good balance of traction and comfort both on dry and wet roads. The life of the tread is pretty good too, and they can even be used during the winter, on light snow. They are not as performance in extreme weather conditions as winter or summer tires, but they are great for areas with mild climates.

Popular models at UTires.com — Americus Commercial LT and the BFGoodrich Commercial All-season.

Summer commercial tires

Tires of this category are also known as performance tires and they offer good handling, traction and steering during warm weather and on hot roads. They offer great traction even at high speeds, so they are suited for trucks driving on highways during hot summers. Down sides — shorter tread life, less comfortable ride, and the need to replace them as soon as it gets cold outside.

Winter commercial tires

Tires specially designed for low temperatures (below -40-45 F°), snow and ice. They are made of a special rubber that is resistant to cold and the tiny grooves on the tread offer good traction on snow, slush or even on black ice.

New or used commercial tires?

New tires can be quite expensive, and if you have a large fleet of commercial vehicles, the costs will add up very quickly. That’s why multiple business owners are choosing to buy used tires instead. If you know where to shop and what to look for, you can find plenty of great used tires with a lot of tread left, and you can end up saving a lot of money.

New tires have the tread marked as 10/32”. So any tread that is above 6/32” is great and will last for a good amount of time;
5/32” — an acceptable level of tread, but the tire starts to lose traction on wet roads;
3-4/32” — the minimum safe level of tread while purchasing used tires;
2/32” — the legal limit allowed for driving. These tires should be changed as soon as possible!

Utires.com has plenty of commercial tires with good tread left (such as the BFGoodrich Commercial), and many of them have only been used once (the Americus Commercial LT). Not only will you spend less, but also make a positive impact on our environment. This is a form of recycling and you can save a lot of rubber that is being thrown away. Don’t worry, our used tires are carefully inspected in order to meet all the safety criteria.

How to read used commercial tires sidewall

There are multiple numbers and characters on used commercial tires’ sidewall, and here is how to read them:

Service type

The first letter refers to the type of vehicle the tire is made for, and for commercial tires you will have to get LT or C. All of the types you will find are P (passenger vehicles), LT (light trucks), ST (special trailers), T (temporary / spare tires), C (Commercial in Euro-metric sizes), M (Motorcycles).

Width

The first number in the size sequence refers to the measurement from one sidewall to another. The wider the tire, the more road surface it covers, which increases grip and handling. But be aware that the bigger the wheels and the bigger the tires, the bigger the prices too.

Utires’ selection of used commercial tires is presented with widths ranging from 225 to 275: BFGoodrich Commercial, the Thunderer Commercial and the Americus Commercial.

Aspect Ratio

Two numbers divided by a slash. Refer to the relation between the width and the height of the tire, in percentages. For example, a tire with 60 means that the height is 60% of the width. In case there is no number, it means that the tire has the standard ratio of 82%. Our current models for commercial vehicles have the aspect ratio of 70 and 75, for example, the Americus Commercial LT, the BFGoodrich Commercial LT or the Thunderer Commercial.

Construction

The letter after the number sequence. Possible options — R (radial construction), “-” or D (bias-ply or diagonal construction), and B (bias-belt construction). Used commercial tires in Utires.com catalogue have radial construction, which means less rolling resistance, good grip and comfort at high speed, as well as a reduced fuel consumption.

Rim Diameter

The number after the construction reference, refers to the diameter of the rim on which the tire can be placed. The average choice of models at Utires.com is featured with diameters of 16”, 17” and 18”.

Load index

The last indicator in the size sequence, placed together with the speed index. Shows the maximum load that the tire can take when fully inflated. Passenger tires will have one load index, while LT tires and Euro-Metric Commercial tires will have two numbers. The first one is the load in a single application, while the second is the load in a dual application. Our current models range from 119/116 (2.998 lbs. / 2.756 lbs.) to 125/122 (3.638 lbs. / 3.307 lbs.).

Speed Index

Represented by a letter that corresponds to a maximum speed which the tire can take in laboratory conditions. The most popular indexes that you’ll find on the sidewalls of commercial tires are Q and R — max 160 mph and 170 mph accordingly.

UTires.com customers’ choice of used commercial tires

Utires.com features a wide variety of new and used tires, from the top manufacturers such as Bridgestone, Dunlop, Yokohama, Goodyear, Cooper, Continental etc. Our customers’ all time favorite models are:

Americus Commercial
BGGoodrich Commercial
Thunderer Commercial
Wild Trail Commercial

But feel free to come back to this page as more models are added constantly, and also check our offer of used truck tires.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much are used commercial tires?

The final price for a used commercial tire depends on its size, brand, condition and tread. The current models we have on stock now range from $34 to $169 per piece. For example you can buy a used Americus Commercial LT with a tread depth of 13/32 for $83 or a BFGoodrich Commercial with a tread depth of 8.5/32 for $68.

Why is it better to buy used commercial tires online?

First of all, it is convenient. Just sit back and do your research. For example, Utires.com offers the biggest selection of used tires in the US, and all of our products are carefully inspected to meet quality and safety standards. United Tires’ experienced technicians are making sure to offer you good and safe tires that come with high tread and great prices.

We are selling more than 200,000 tires each year, both online and in stores across the USA and Canada. We have thousands of positive reviews on Google and eBay, and our previous clients can testify to the quality of our used tires.

Shop for tires based on brand, model, make, year, size and other criteria. Check out our hot offers and keep in mind that all used commercial tires come with FREE shipping.

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