Soaring steel prices may have been one of the biggest challenges r tank trailer builders and truck manufacturers over the past year, but if s not the only material-based problem they faced. Tires are emerging as another issue. Tire concerns cropped up in the second half of the year and have been a big topic of discussion at recent truck shows. Original equipment manufacturers (both truck and trailer) report being put on allocation by some of the largest tire suppliers to the industry. "Within the past 60 days, our company was put on allocation," one trailer manufacturer said during the International Trucking Show in September in Anaheim, California. "In fact, Bridgestone has cut off our tire supplies for the rest of the year. Michelin says they have plenty of wide-base tires but only limited supplies of standard size truck tires. If s been a long time since we've seen component shortages on this level."
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