It’s not like we’ve spent a lot (or any) time in open-pit mines. . . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Odds are you will never be in a vehicle that uses this tire. Unless, perhaps, you drive (pilot?) something like the Caterpillar 789 dump truck, the kind of vehicle that is used in open-pit mining: It resembles a giant box (giant as in having the capacity of 177 tonnes) that is supposed by giant tires with a cab tucked up front in between.

According to Eric Matson, Global OTR Field Engineering Manager, Goodyear, “The 40.00R57 has become Goodyear’s dominant fitment on 200-ton trucks, such as the Caterpillar 789. With a higher TKPH and load carrying capacity, the new Goodyear RH-4A+ tire size is a great option for customers who have converted their 789 fleets to this larger tire.”

TKPH? Tonne-kilometers-per-hour. We don’t know, either.

One of the features of this tire is that it is said to provide “higher productivity in hard rock underfoot positions.”

Bet that’s not going to be your concern the next time you go out tire shopping. . . .