MUSCATINE, IOWA (Feb. 26, 2010) - Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions (BBTS), a division of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, announced its Bridgestone-brand R260F and R250F commercial tires are approved for use on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay-certified equipment. The R260F and R250F all-position radials are engineered to promote long tread life and low cost per mile in high-scrub environments including pickup and delivery, urban and regional hauling.

“This is a tremendous benefit for our customers participating in SmartWay,” said Chris Hoffman, Manager, TBR & Retread Product Marketing, BBTS. “Until now, most tires approved for SmartWay-certified vehicles were long-distance radials, which aren’t built for the high-scrub environments encountered by beverage hauling, package and parcel delivery, grocery, food service, and other P&D operations. Adding the R260F and R250F to the verified technology list allows SmartWay fleets to specify the right tire for the job.”

“The R260F and R250F are California Air Resources Board (CARB) compliant too, which is great news for regional and P&D fleets running in California,” continued Hoffman.

With 22/32˝ tread depth, the R260F is engineered for long tire life in the highscrub environments of regional and urban service. It uses Bridgestone’s patented Equalizer Rib™ structures to fight irregular wear and groove-bottom platforms to enhance retreadability. The R260F also has thick protector ribs on both sidewalls to fight curbing, common in P&D and urban service. Both sidewalls are ribbed, so if one set of protector ribs is worn away, the tire can be reversed on the wheel for continued protection.

The tough R250F is a long-time fleet favorite for brutal urban and local P&D hauling in both steer and trailer positions. In fact, R250F was the first “applicationspecific” tire produced for this fast-wear work. Straight-line grooves promote superior traction and durable protector ribs on both sidewalls fight damage from curbing, cuts and abrasions. The casing incorporates four steel belts with an all-steel casing ply for long life and retreadability.

In 2004, SmartWay created a long-term initiative for shippers and carriers of all sizes to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. This voluntary program helps fleets make the right choices when specifying for optimum fuel efficiency – including recommendations for both OE and replacement tires.

The EPA certifies low rolling resistance tires achieving at least three percent better fuel economy than the average, “best selling” new tire. Fleets participating in the SmartWay partnership may use EPA verified tires to meet their SmartWay goals.

For information on the R260F and R250F – or any other Bridgestone-brand tire approved for use on SmartWay – ask your Bridgestone representative, your dealer or truckstop operator or visit BridgestoneTrucktires.com. For information on becoming a SmartWay fleet, go to www.epa.gov/smartway.

About Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions:
Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions (BBTS), a division of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC, manufactures, markets and sells medium and heavy duty truck tires for the original equipment and replacement markets in the United States and in Canada through Bridgestone Firestone Canada Inc. Bridgestone, Firestone and Dayton brand truck tires are available through more than 2,500 dealers and truck stops across the U.S. and Canada. Around the world, top truck fleets and original equipment manufacturers rely on Bridgestone and Firestone brand tires for long tread life and low cost per mile. In addition, through its Bandag brand, Bandag retreading dealers have access to industryleading research and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales expertise. This combination of new and retread product offerings provides trucking customers with total tire solutions.

–END–