What Are those Really Big Tires Called?
At various social events, I get presented with the same query: What do you do? I’ve responded in different ways: “I consult for a company that worldwide.” or “We sell construction tires.” What I desire to tell them, is that I sell OTR Tires, but honestly, no one would have a clue about what I am talking about..
So, I usually just frame the conversation this way: ” I sell big tires for mining equipment. Some tyres are as large as 12.5 feet tall (~4m, for those outside of the US).” It sounds bragadocious, but it is needful to open their thoughts to accept something with a wheel size larger than twenty inches.
Now, the fact is, most of the my company sells are far less than 12.5 feet. In fact, many of them are only 4′ high.
So, what is an OTR Tire? The definitions deviate greatly, but we will begin with the acronym “OTR”. It stands for “Off the Road”, or in smaller “Over the Road”. More often than not, the ensuing types of equipment use it, and I won’t include every type here, because you would be reading all day.
The elementary types of equipment that use these tyres are: loaders(skid steer , front end, and wheel-), haul trucks (rigid and articulated dump, crash trucks, cranes(the tyres are stocked in both on and off-road types), road graders, and scrapers.
Now, some purists may say I am ignoring tractors & combines, but those are generally categorized as “agricultural use”, and don’t fall under “OTR”, per se. Others will pronounce that the category is much larger. This is an honest assessment. However, I am giving you the rudiments you need to understand, not a doctoral dissertation on the tires.
The tires are available in bias and radial flavors, just like passenger tyres are. The essential deviation is in the size of the rims(20-63″ for the most ), and the heavy duty nature of the lugs, and rubber compounds. These are tires that can take the abuse that gravel, large rocks, and mud throw at them.
As to employments, these tires can be found operating in the most extraordinary conditions, from the Mines of South Africa, to the Tar Sands of Canada.
So, what is an OTR Tyre? Very simply put, it’s a tire for construction, mining, or industrial purposes, that maneuvers in severe, off-road conditions, on very heavy equipment.
That’s the layman’s version. If are in need of more information on OTR Tyres, please call OTR Tire Supply.
