Selling Light Truck Tires Beyond Size and Price

So one of the most consistent product trends in your reporting was rugged terrain.

How does the RT fit into this larger story?

I think RT may be the clearest example of what's happening across the entire light truck tire market.

A number of manufacturers told me RT is growing rapidly.

Nexen described it as the fastest growing segment in the category.

Linglong said data it tracks shows RT has already surpassed traditional MT.

Other manufacturers described an ongoing migration away from mud terrain towards rugged terrain.

I wouldn't take those individual claims and turn them into one universal industry statistic because they may be working from different data sets.

But when that many manufacturers independently point to the same movement, I think the trend is clear.

And what makes it interesting is why consumers are moving in that direction.

They still want the aggressive look, they still want off-road capability, but many of them spend most of their miles on pavement.

So they also want lower noise, better road manners, better wear, and more comfort.

RT is essentially a response to a customer saying, I want the capability and appearance, but I don't necessarily want all of the compromise of an MT tire.

That's why I think it's such a good case study.

It shows how manufacturers are creating more nuanced products because customers have more nuanced expectations.

So we also have to talk about price with this topic.

So you heard plenty of concern around affordability and economic pressure.

How does a dealer sell on application and value when the customer is very clearly watching their own budget?

I think the first thing is recognizing that those ideas aren't contradictory.

Customers are absolutely price sensitive.

Dunlop described a slow start to 2026.

TBC talked about pressure on Tier 2 products and movement toward lower upfront costs including Tier 4 and trade brands.

Other manufacturers talked about consumers keeping vehicles longer and becoming more cautious about spending.

So nobody should interpret sell value as pretend price doesn't matter.

Price matters.

So one of the most consistent product trends in your reporting was rugged terrain.

How does the RT fit into this larger story?

I think RT may be the clearest example of what's happening across the entire light truck tire market.

A number of manufacturers told me RT is growing rapidly.

Nexen described it as the fastest growing segment in the category.

Linglong said data it tracks shows RT has already surpassed traditional MT.

Other manufacturers described an ongoing migration away from mud terrain towards rugged terrain.

I wouldn't take those individual claims and turn them into one universal industry statistic because they may be working from different data sets.

But when that many manufacturers independently point to the same movement, I think the trend is clear.

And what makes it interesting is why consumers are moving in that direction.

They still want the aggressive look, they still want off-road capability, but many of them spend most of their miles on pavement.

So they also want lower noise, better road manners, better wear, and more comfort.

RT is essentially a response to a customer saying, I want the capability and appearance, but I don't necessarily want all of the compromise of an MT tire.

That's why I think it's such a good case study.

It shows how manufacturers are creating more nuanced products because customers have more nuanced expectations.

So we also have to talk about price with this topic.

So you heard plenty of concern around affordability and economic pressure.

How does a dealer sell on application and value when the customer is very clearly watching their own budget?

I think the first thing is recognizing that those ideas aren't contradictory.

Customers are absolutely price sensitive.

Dunlop described a slow start to 2026.

TBC talked about pressure on Tier 2 products and movement toward lower upfront costs including Tier 4 and trade brands.

Other manufacturers talked about consumers keeping vehicles longer and becoming more cautious about spending.

So nobody should interpret sell value as pretend price doesn't matter.

Price matters.