Truck Tire Processing: From Collection to Baling for American Haulers

By:     Kieran Donnelly

Commercial trucking generates end-of-life tires in volumes that are both predictable and commercially significant. A single Class 8 truck runs on 18 tires; a regional carrier with 100 trucks replaces tires continuously across its fleet, generating thousands of tires per year. That predictable, high-volume stream makes commercial hauling fleets the most reliable customers for tire recycling operations with the right equipment to handle Class 8 formats.

Processing truck tires from collection through to a baled, market-ready output involves more steps than processing passenger car tires, and each step requires the right approach to avoid the quality problems that cost operations money in rejected loads and rework. This article walks through the full processing sequence for commercial truck tires in a US recycling operation, with the practical details on equipment, throughput, and markets.

Understanding the US Commercial Truck Tire Stream

The dominant tire format in US long-haul and regional trucking is the 22.5-inch rim diameter, 11R22.5 size for steer and drive positions and 295/75R22.5 as a common wide-base option. These are the tires that define the truck tire processing challenge: heavy (typically 100 to 130 pounds each), steel-belted sidewalls, and structurally stiff enough to resist standard baling without pre-treatment.

Retreaded truck tires form a significant portion of the US Class 8 end-of-life stream. Retreading extends tire carcass life by replacing the worn tread while keeping the carcass, and most US fleets retread drive and trailer tires as standard practice. When a carcass is no longer suitable for retreading, it enters the end-of-life stream as a smooth, worn-tread casing. These casings process identically to worn new tires from a recycling perspective.

Sidewall Cutting: The Non-Negotiable First Step

Every US truck tire recycler processing Class 8 formats needs a sidewall cutter before a baler in the processing sequence. This is not a premium feature for larger operations; it is the minimum standard for producing bales that downstream buyers will accept at full market price. The physics are straightforward: the reinforced steel-wire bead and thick rubber sidewall of a 22.5-inch truck tire creates spring-back resistance that prevents the baler from achieving consistent compression without pre-cutting.

The Gradeall Truck Tire Sidewall Cutter processes Class 8 truck tires at a rate compatible with a downstream baler. Its cutting force is designed for the sidewall thickness and steel content of US long-haul tire formats. Paired with the MKII Tire Baler, it forms a complete Class 8 truck tire processing line producing bales suitable for TDF, civil engineering, and export markets.

Rim Separation: Managing Steel Rims from Truck Tires

Class 8 truck tires sometimes arrive with steel rims still attached. Tires mounted on rims cannot be processed through a standard sidewall cutter or baler without first separating the rim from the carcass. Including a rim separator in the processing line handles this cleanly, recovering the steel rim as a separate scrap metal stream and preparing the tire carcass for standard processing.

Steel rims from Class 8 truck tires are substantial pieces of steel that have meaningful scrap value. Recovering them separately rather than processing them as part of the tire bale preserves that value and avoids complications with downstream buyers who prefer steel-free tire bales. A rim separator positioned at the start of the processing line, before the sidewall cutter, ensures all rims are removed before the tire enters the cutting and baling stages.

“Rim separation is worth doing for the scrap steel value alone at most commercial scales,” says Conor Murphy, Director of Gradeall International. “A truck rim weighs 25 to 40 pounds. If you’re processing 100 truck tires a week and 20% of them have rims, that’s 500 to 800 pounds of steel per week that has scrap value rather than being a contaminant in your bale.

Market Options for Processed Class 8 Truck Tire Bales in the US

The US market for processed Class 8 truck tire bales covers several established channels. Tire-derived fuel (TDF) buyers at cement kilns, pulp mills, and industrial boilers are the most accessible market in most US regions. Truck tire bales have high energy content (approximately 14,000 to 15,000 BTU per pound, comparable to coal) and are accepted by most TDF buyers alongside car tire bales.

Civil engineering applications for truck tire bales are less developed in the US than in the UK and Europe, where PAS 108-certified bales are used in construction, but opportunities exist for retaining wall, embankment, and noise barrier applications where tire bale properties (lightweight, drainage, vibration absorption) are specified. Building relationships with civil engineering contractors and infrastructure project managers is the route to accessing this market.

For operations considering export as part of their truck tire bale revenue mix, the MK3 Tire Baler produces bales optimized for ISO container loading, improving the economics of export shipments from US ports.

Frequently Asked Questions

What gate fees can I charge for Class 8 truck tires in the United States?

Gate fees for Class 8 truck tires in the US typically range from $3 to $8 per tire, depending on local market competition, collection logistics, and the strength of your downstream market relationships. Direct service contracts with fleet operators typically achieve rates in the $4 to $7 range. Operations in markets with fewer processors achieve rates at the higher end. Gate fees from fast-fit commercial tire dealers are often slightly lower due to their volume and negotiating position.

How do I handle truck tires that still have rims attached?

Tires with rims attached need rim separation before they enter the sidewall cutter or baler. A tire rim separator positioned at the start of the processing line removes the rim cleanly. If you do not have a rim separator, manual rim removal using a tire machine (similar to a commercial tire shop bead breaker and demounting machine) is possible at low volumes but becomes a bottleneck at commercial processing rates. A dedicated rim separator is the practical solution for operations receiving significant volumes of mounted truck tires.

How do I set up a collection route for truck tires?

Start by mapping tire-generating businesses within your practical collection radius: truck stops, commercial tire dealers, fleet maintenance facilities, freight terminal service departments, and independent repair shops. Contact each to understand their tire volumes, current disposal arrangements, and interest in your service. A collection route serving 8 to 12 customers with 20 to 50 tires per week each builds substantial volume. Consistent scheduling, reliable collection, and clear Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest or waste transfer documentation builds customer retention.

What documentation is required for truck tire collection in the US?

Waste tire transportation documentation requirements vary by state. Most states require waste tire transporters to be registered or permitted as waste haulers, and many require a manifest or shipping document for each load of waste tires in transit. At the destination, a receipt or waste transfer document should be provided to the customer. Check with your state environmental agency for the specific documentation requirements in your state and in any states you collect from.

Can truck tire bales be exported from the United States?

Yes. Truck tire bales can be exported to international markets subject to applicable US export regulations and the import regulations of the destination country. The regulatory classification of tire bales for export purposes needs to be confirmed with your freight forwarder, as waste commodity exports have specific documentation requirements. Markets in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East have accepted US truck tire bale exports for TDF and civil engineering applications. Container-optimized bale dimensions improve export economics significantly.

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