Legislation, tariffs and the impact of autonomous trucks were hot topics at the 2025 Tire Industry Association (TIA) OTR Tire Conference.
“The OTR tire sector is poised for continued growth, but to realize this growth, we need the support of lawmakers,” Roy Littlefield IV, TIA's vice president of government affairs, told attendees during the second day of the event, which is celebrating its 70h year.
“We must push to eliminate burdensome regulations that have held businesses back for too long,” he said.
“Another opportunity lies in expanding America’s energy production,” which Littlefield said “will fuel economic growth and support the industries” that OTR tire dealers serve.
Littlefield also addressed Right to Repair and mentioned that a new Right to Repair bill could be introduced “as early as next week.
“I want each of you to stay engaged with TIA” on Right to Repair and other efforts, he told attendees. “And reach out to your elected officials.”
Carol Hochu, president and CEO of the Tire & Rubber Association of Canada, provided an overview of her country's mining industry.
Canada is among the top five global producers of 14 mined substances. It’s the largest producer of potash worldwide and the globe’s second-biggest producer of uranium, she noted.
Minerals mined in Canada account for 22% of the country’s total exports and have a monetary value of $127 billion.
“Canada is a little preoccupied with the prospect of tariffs,” said Hochul, referring to the Trump administration’s decision to levy 25% duties on Canadian exports. “A lot remains unclear."
She noted that “Canada’s leading banks are calling for cooler heads to prevail. Most banks and Canadians are optimistic that our respective governments will work something out.”
As in Canada, the mining industry in the United States remains healthy, Kevin Rohlwing, TIA’s chief technical officer, told attendees during his annual economic outlook presentation.
“There’s some good news on the horizon,” with coal mining activity expected to pick up in the “interior region” of the U.S. next year, he said.
When it comes to coal mining, “wherever 2025 ends up, expect the same for 2026.”
Gold prices “are skyrocketing,” Rohlwing told attendees. Precious metal prices, in general, “are going to continue to increase – good news for companies that provide tires to mines.”
Road and highway construction also “appear to be bright spots,” said Rohlwing, noting that $700 billion of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act money remains unallocated.
However, commercial construction will continue to struggle. "Commercial construction has tanked. Banks just don’t want the risk.”
OTR tire dealers may eventually struggle if they don’t adapt to the impact of autonomous mining trucks on the services they provide, said Jeff Kurtz, global market consultant for Caterpillar Inc.
Autonomous trucks currently make up a relatively small percentage of the mining truck fleet, but driverless technology is here to stay, he told attendees.
“Are you ready? I know of six mine sites in the U.S. alone that are looking into” autonomous trucks, which have the potential to burn through OTR tires faster than human-controlled vehicles, he explained.
“Historically, autonomous machines were really reserved” for giant trucks that work in “super-pits, but that’s changing rapidly,” noted Kurtz.
Autonomous trucks "will move slower" than their people-driven counterparts, "but they aren’t going to stop moving," which could create an even greater need for tire pressure monitoring, tire inspections by dealers and even “predictive” tire service.
“You may have to do site studies on a more frequent basis,” he added.
“I can’t stress this enough: work with your customers. A customer can’t expect to go autonomous and not change the way they do business.”
The 2025 TIA OTR Tire Conference – which attracted 500 attendees from 35 states and a dozen countries - is taking place through Feb. 21 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
