In Brazil, long-distance highway hauls often transition abruptly to unpaved roads. Tyre performance directly impacts fleet uptime, fuel costs, and driver safety. This case study examines how a 25-truck São Paulo fleet cut costs and extended tyre life using Forlander FR886 (steer) and FR202 (drive) in 295 80R22.5 tyre specification.
I. Client Background
The fleet operates regular routes from São Paulo to Fortaleza, covering over 2,600 km of mixed terrain: high-speed paved highways (BR-116, BR-101) and unpaved rural access roads at both ends. With 25 heavy-duty trucks running daily distances of 300–600 km, the fleet manager, Mr. Costa, sought a reliable tyre solution to reduce escalating maintenance costs and roadside failures. As a typical brazilian tires user, the fleet needed products specifically suited to local road challenges.
II. Previous Challenges
Before switching to Forlander, the fleet faced persistent tyre-related issues: long highway runs caused heel/toe scalloping wear on steer axles, requiring premature replacement every 10 months; stone drilling and sidewall cuts on unpaved sections led to unexpected flats; block chipping and tearing on gravel roads resulted in early drive tyre removal; additionally, the stiff compound of previous tyres contributed to higher than expected fuel consumption.
III. The Forlander Tyre Solution
In early 2025, the fleet installed Forlander FR886 and FR202 tyres on 10 test trucks, using 295 80R22.5 steer tires for both steer and drive positions. The tyres were chosen based on:
FR886 (Truck Steer Tire)
Widened driving surface for even contact pressure; shallow grooves for grip on wet/loose surfaces; unique shoulder cooling design to reduce irregular wear.
FR202 (Truck Drive Tire)
19.5 mm tread depth for extended mileage; widened transverse shoulder grooves for mud/skid resistance; block-connecting bars to prevent chipping.
Both models feature retreadable casings – critical for lowering total cost of ownership in long-term fleet operations. This commercial truck tire solution proved ideal for the fleet’s mixed-route demands.
IV. Performance Results of 295 80R22.5 tyre
After an 8-month controlled trial (over 140,000 km per truck), the Forlander FR886 and FR202 demonstrated outstanding performance:
| Metric | Previous Brand | Forlander FR886 (Steer) | Forlander FR202 (Drive) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steer tyre life | 116,000 km | 145,000 km (+25%) | – |
| Drive tyre life | 96,000 km | – | 130,000 km (+35%) |
| Fuel consumption | Baseline | 7.5% improvement | – |
| Sidewall failures | 3 per 100,000 km | 0 | 0 |
| Block chipping | Frequent | – | Eliminated |
Daily operation: 300–600 km across mixed routes
Route served: São Paulo ↔ Fortaleza (via BR-116 and rural connections)
Retreadable casings confirmed for both FR886 and FR202 after first life
The consistent wear pattern and minimal tread depth reduction indicate these tyres will comfortably exceed projected mileage, providing exceptional value and reliability for brazil tire conditions.
V. Customer Feedback
“FR886 completely solved the steer tyre scalloping issue, and FR202’s 19.5mm deep tread showed no chipping even on the worst gravel roads around Fortaleza. Our cost per kilometer dropped by 18%, and all casings are retreadable.” – Mr. Costa, Fleet Manager
VI. Future Plan
Based on the outstanding performance of FR886 and FR202, the São Paulo fleet plans to standardize Forlander tyres across all 25 trucks and future additions, adopt scheduled replacement cycles based on proven mileage data (145,000 km steer / 130,000 km drive), enroll in Forlander’s casing management program for retreading to further reduce cost per kilometer, expand usage to trailer positions, and test Forlander’s TPMS system in 2026.
