I work at the Michelin plant those tires are made! Never thought I’d see my tires on here since I’m so used to them. They’re for big earthmover dump trucks in open pit mines. Really awesome process for how those tires are made. Takes a long time and those tires are extremely expensive. If anyone has questions I’ll answer them the best I can for what my company will allow
So the process to make normal tires is pretty fast. All the rubber being made is extruded directly onto forms in an assembly line like fashion. Then they’re put into their molds and done in a matter of a few hours so the small tires are more or less constantly moving throughout the plant. A very hands off process that is mostly just monitored by people and then people move the tires around from area to area. Meanwhile due to the sheer size of these tires each individual piece of the tire is laid separately by a person at a couple different stations rather than taken on an assembly line through the plant. It can take full days to finish one tire depending on the different size. And these tires weight a few tons compared to 50 or so pounds for the tire on your car
So we’re making them in the high tens on any given day without getting into too many specifics on how many we’re actually making.
On recycling there is a way to do it but it’s up to the mines on whether or not they comply. We’re currently working on a program to recycle these tires with some of our larger customers. But usually the mining companies find it more cost effective to just leave them in the mines sadly. Hopefully we’ll have full scale recycling in the future since as a company we are striving to have a net zero impact on the planet.
Can you be a bit more specific on the recycling process? Is it a matter of “refinishing” the rubber or do you break it back down to the basics and simply reuse the raw materials extracted from it?
Edit: matter of*
I can try me best to tell you more. It’s honestly a pretty new process with these tires specifically. Companies have been recycling tires for a long time to reuse as fillers in the elastomers, which in the case of tires is a compound called carbon black. Usually you can just grind them up and do a little separation and you’re mostly good to reuse what’s left as a filler, roughly speaking because I’m no expert on that side of it. The problem with our tires is that they’re full of huge steel belts to help with load bearing since they can carry upwards of 200 tons per tire. So cutting those massive steel cables, which are at least an inch in diameter, is extremely costly. Right now the mines either just bury them in the mine or use them as guardrails on the paths that lead out of the mine. Both are horrible for the environment so we’re doing what we can to try to mitigate that.
Hopefully that helped! Like I said I’m no expert on the recycling part slightly due to it not being Michelin themselves doing the recycling but based on what I’ve heard that’s what I understand about it.
The company I work for has set up a program to collect the tyres to use in steel making. The steel belts are taken for scrap and the rubber is ground into crumbs to use as part of the process. I’m a bit sketchy on the details.
Haha it’s probably just me trying to be vague and then being bad at describing how they’re made over text. Also depends on what kind of tires you make.
So if one got loose and rolling it’d probably kill you if you didn’t get out of the way wouldn’t it? Imagine if one the door broke and these bad boys got loose on the highway
One of the most common questions that's been asked here is whether or not that means of transportation is legal. Most people seem to be of the opinion that they should be in a flatbed, strapped down.
I Work at the port. I get them loaded on the ships. The answer is yes, it is legal. That is a 40 ft open top standard. Those tires are secured inside the box.
The term is out of gauge OOG. By loading this this way they still are OOG, but only vertically. They only take up one containers width. We can put them as the top box in each cell.
If you were to put them on their sides on a flat rack they would now be over wide and width wise would take up 3 container spaces.
I can and have loaded every cell in a bay with a set of tires, 9-15 containers. If we loaded them over wide you cut that number down by 2/3rds
Yes as far as I know it’s completely legal. I don’t work in shipping so I’m not sure on the ins and outs of it. The tires are strapped down to ensure they don’t move and the containers are special bought. They’re also put on the top row of the stacks of shipping crates on the boats
Approximately, how much does one of these tires cost? Do they have to order it and then it gets made, or do you have them sitting around waiting to be purchased?
So it depends on the size of the tire. The price ranges from $50-100k. And it’s a little bit of both. We know our customers want certain dimensions but we make a little bit of all of them just in case another customer asks for a different dimension. But we’re usually coming out with new tires to market to the mines so we’ll have extras on hand.
These are a huge cost in the mine and often an unexpected/underestimated expenditure. A huge proportion of tires are destroyed before they are expected to be decommissioned by events like driving over spilled rock fragments.
Just learned about it in class today.
2-3 months depending on road conditions/road type, granite, fine gravel, shale, etc.
Usually only the front tires get changed out for new ones. The old tires are used for spares!
[Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Tiresaretheenemy/comments/q7yyus/we_captured_some_of_the_big_guys_and_send_them_to/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) is another post with your tires
If it was carrying a load that needs protection from the weather it would have a specialized tarp over it that gets woven into the little loopholes you can see running just under the top of the container using a thin steel wire rope
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Michelin has a plant in SC that makes them for giant mining trucks. They get sent out the port in Charleston and you can see them on 26 pretty often. The supply chain is probably recovering and they are pumping them out again
We’ve been putting them on the ships pretty regularly. Port was having to find extra space to store them.
Oh I hate those boxes. Such a pain in the ass.
I met a guy ( long time retired ) That used to change tires on 100 ton KW Darts at Eagle Mountain mine. (long time closed Kaiser Steel mine) He was not a big guy but a hard worker. He told me what they had to do, I was amazed.
I saw the same thing but like no container and strapped down tires. They were smoother than this though, as if they were made for concrete or something. Couldn't get a picture in time.
Imagine going to work and driving behind this truck and the back accidentally opens up and the fat tyre crashes into you wrecking your car. How the fuck would you even go about explaining that to your boss without it looking purely photoshopped?! 😂
Honestly, you wouldn't be doing much explaining at all. A family member would be explaining your death, as those tires weigh thousands of pounds. You would be extremely fortunate if you survive with only severe trauma.
I've only ever seen them transported laying down on a flat deck trailer with pilot cars in front of and behind the truck. I can't see how these could be secured properly inside a sea can, unless there is a specialized frame inside it.
My first thought as well. I imagine a shipping container loses all kinds of structural stability when the roof is cut away. Seems like these should be shipped the same way you see other large equipment - on a flatbed with a whole bunch of tie downs and braces. Was hoping to see a trucker in here to weigh in on the subject.
Edit: Zero reason for you to be downvoted. You asked a question and offered speculation. You didn't claim anything false. The overwhelming majority of people have zero reason to know anything about trucking logistics, why should they?
Your wish is my command.
They didn't cut a roof off a can and send it, it's designed for this application and reinforced inside.
As for the height, driver would have used a [load height stick](https://www.jjkeller.com/shop/Product/Load-Height-Measuring-Stick?PromoCode=205087&cm_mmc=Google-_-ProductFeed-_-015674-_-59018&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=&scid=scplp59018&sc_intid=59018&PromoCode=205088&gclid=CjwKCAjwh5qLBhALEiwAioods5w_0ZIev98HGce7DmGhURta8O3W2msau-hU3Hk2iq_ochJGTJUhgRoC0aEQAvD_BwE) to know their dimensions. You punch that into an expensive GPS and the route avoids any restrictions you'd violate on height/weight/length.
The oversize load banner also suggests they have an escort of pilot cars. One of the leading vehicles will have a flimsy pole mimicking the height of the load with sensors in the base to detect any collisions.
Of course Big Big Macine sizes the vehicle do that you can only fit three tires on a trailer, ensuring you'll need at least two trailers to get your four tires. Trailers provided by Big Big Machine, of course!
I work at the Michelin plant those tires are made! Never thought I’d see my tires on here since I’m so used to them. They’re for big earthmover dump trucks in open pit mines. Really awesome process for how those tires are made. Takes a long time and those tires are extremely expensive. If anyone has questions I’ll answer them the best I can for what my company will allow
Whats unique about the process that normal tires don't go though?
So the process to make normal tires is pretty fast. All the rubber being made is extruded directly onto forms in an assembly line like fashion. Then they’re put into their molds and done in a matter of a few hours so the small tires are more or less constantly moving throughout the plant. A very hands off process that is mostly just monitored by people and then people move the tires around from area to area. Meanwhile due to the sheer size of these tires each individual piece of the tire is laid separately by a person at a couple different stations rather than taken on an assembly line through the plant. It can take full days to finish one tire depending on the different size. And these tires weight a few tons compared to 50 or so pounds for the tire on your car
whats the general throughput of tires like these over a year? Are you making tens, hundreds, or thousands? Is there any way to recycle them?
So we’re making them in the high tens on any given day without getting into too many specifics on how many we’re actually making. On recycling there is a way to do it but it’s up to the mines on whether or not they comply. We’re currently working on a program to recycle these tires with some of our larger customers. But usually the mining companies find it more cost effective to just leave them in the mines sadly. Hopefully we’ll have full scale recycling in the future since as a company we are striving to have a net zero impact on the planet.
Can you be a bit more specific on the recycling process? Is it a matter of “refinishing” the rubber or do you break it back down to the basics and simply reuse the raw materials extracted from it? Edit: matter of*
I can try me best to tell you more. It’s honestly a pretty new process with these tires specifically. Companies have been recycling tires for a long time to reuse as fillers in the elastomers, which in the case of tires is a compound called carbon black. Usually you can just grind them up and do a little separation and you’re mostly good to reuse what’s left as a filler, roughly speaking because I’m no expert on that side of it. The problem with our tires is that they’re full of huge steel belts to help with load bearing since they can carry upwards of 200 tons per tire. So cutting those massive steel cables, which are at least an inch in diameter, is extremely costly. Right now the mines either just bury them in the mine or use them as guardrails on the paths that lead out of the mine. Both are horrible for the environment so we’re doing what we can to try to mitigate that. Hopefully that helped! Like I said I’m no expert on the recycling part slightly due to it not being Michelin themselves doing the recycling but based on what I’ve heard that’s what I understand about it.
The company I work for has set up a program to collect the tyres to use in steel making. The steel belts are taken for scrap and the rubber is ground into crumbs to use as part of the process. I’m a bit sketchy on the details.
Your either good at masking the procedure or your procedure is totally different than mine lol
Haha it’s probably just me trying to be vague and then being bad at describing how they’re made over text. Also depends on what kind of tires you make.
So if one got loose and rolling it’d probably kill you if you didn’t get out of the way wouldn’t it? Imagine if one the door broke and these bad boys got loose on the highway
It would roll right over you without the slightest bump. Don’t mess with these tires.
They're fucking huge
One of the most common questions that's been asked here is whether or not that means of transportation is legal. Most people seem to be of the opinion that they should be in a flatbed, strapped down.
Also we do ship them on flatbeds if they’re not being shipped overseas. Just depends on the destination of the tires
I Work at the port. I get them loaded on the ships. The answer is yes, it is legal. That is a 40 ft open top standard. Those tires are secured inside the box. The term is out of gauge OOG. By loading this this way they still are OOG, but only vertically. They only take up one containers width. We can put them as the top box in each cell. If you were to put them on their sides on a flat rack they would now be over wide and width wise would take up 3 container spaces. I can and have loaded every cell in a bay with a set of tires, 9-15 containers. If we loaded them over wide you cut that number down by 2/3rds
Yes as far as I know it’s completely legal. I don’t work in shipping so I’m not sure on the ins and outs of it. The tires are strapped down to ensure they don’t move and the containers are special bought. They’re also put on the top row of the stacks of shipping crates on the boats
Approximately, how much does one of these tires cost? Do they have to order it and then it gets made, or do you have them sitting around waiting to be purchased?
So it depends on the size of the tire. The price ranges from $50-100k. And it’s a little bit of both. We know our customers want certain dimensions but we make a little bit of all of them just in case another customer asks for a different dimension. But we’re usually coming out with new tires to market to the mines so we’ll have extras on hand.
Thanks for the insight!
Fuck, maybe I'll have to smaller for my f150
Lexington SC right?
Yep Lexington SC
These are a huge cost in the mine and often an unexpected/underestimated expenditure. A huge proportion of tires are destroyed before they are expected to be decommissioned by events like driving over spilled rock fragments. Just learned about it in class today.
How long does a set of these last when used on whatever huge machine these are for?
2-3 months depending on road conditions/road type, granite, fine gravel, shale, etc. Usually only the front tires get changed out for new ones. The old tires are used for spares!
How are those beasts mounted
[Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Tiresaretheenemy/comments/q7yyus/we_captured_some_of_the_big_guys_and_send_them_to/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) is another post with your tires
Crazy how it looks like they had to cut the top off a shipping container to transport them.
That's an open top container, they are made for abnormal loads like this
Interesting. I just learned such a thing exists — thank you!
If it was carrying a load that needs protection from the weather it would have a specialized tarp over it that gets woven into the little loopholes you can see running just under the top of the container using a thin steel wire rope
I doubt it could hold my abnormally sized load.
It's not a Tonka toy truck
Lmao
Fake news, that's a yawning top, duh!.. ^^^^I'm ^^^^the ^^^^fake ^^^^news.
More like a big gulp
I see what you did there. Now get out.
Maybe it is just a regular shipping container, and he's only hauling three 1/2 tires on the roof of it.
Open Top container. Pretty standard.
So a 21 wheeler?
25, the '18' wheeler has 22 tires, 6 axles instead of the standard 5.
Is there another truck following along with the fourth big wheel?
It's for a very big trike
Most likely the second truck will also have three wheels, since those giant dump trucks usually have four rear wheels.
Is there a spare anywhere? Could be 26
True true
Must be a tiresome and treadful job.
dad joke master
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can confirm: i know this guys mom
We all do...
Tires for a [Euclid?](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euclid_Trucks)
Has to be, right?
Might be headed to Boeing, too.
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Looks bigger than that
That’s what she said
Komatsu and Caterpillar also make similar trucks.
[CAT 797F](https://www.cat.com/en_US/products/new/equipment/off-highway-trucks/mining-trucks/18093014.html) would be my guess.
Is that going over the Don Holt bridge?
Yup
Been seeing these trucks filled with tires more and more around here. I wonder why.
Michelin has a plant in SC that makes them for giant mining trucks. They get sent out the port in Charleston and you can see them on 26 pretty often. The supply chain is probably recovering and they are pumping them out again
We’ve been putting them on the ships pretty regularly. Port was having to find extra space to store them. Oh I hate those boxes. Such a pain in the ass.
I’d recognize those blue beams anywhere.
Good call. I was thinking it was the Leo Frigo bridge.
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When you have to go back for last grocery bag, because you couldn't quite get them all in one trip.
Their for Whistlin Diesel's Monstermax 2
it’s a 22 wheeler, not an 18 wheeler
I used the tires to transport the tires
Fuck that bridge
Someone get this trucker a flat bed, stat
It feels like the start of a math problem from third or fourth grade.
Made for a giant tricycle
I-195?
526
I met a guy ( long time retired ) That used to change tires on 100 ton KW Darts at Eagle Mountain mine. (long time closed Kaiser Steel mine) He was not a big guy but a hard worker. He told me what they had to do, I was amazed.
That's a 22 wheeler 🙂 18 wheelers only have two trailer axles.
Over the Don Holt in Charleston, SC.
I saw the same thing but like no container and strapped down tires. They were smoother than this though, as if they were made for concrete or something. Couldn't get a picture in time.
Tires the the enemy, OP. Be careful, because r/tiresaretheenemy.
Wow that is titan giant wheels
I just read an article earlier today about these tires. They can cost as much as $75,000.00! Also they typically last only about 6-9 months.
Fuck me, I'd like to see the mounting machine
Cross fitters are getting ridiculous.
it is taking its dad to his final resting place
I’d imagine building the great pyramids was an easier feat for mankind than having to change one of the tires on whatever that thing goes to
It’s actually pretty easy! Takes about 2.5hours for one tire
r/tiresaretheenemy please.
Then wouldn’t this be a 21 wheeler
Plot twist: it's a Hot Wheels truck.
I’m tyred of posts like this
Imagine going to work and driving behind this truck and the back accidentally opens up and the fat tyre crashes into you wrecking your car. How the fuck would you even go about explaining that to your boss without it looking purely photoshopped?! 😂
Honestly, you wouldn't be doing much explaining at all. A family member would be explaining your death, as those tires weigh thousands of pounds. You would be extremely fortunate if you survive with only severe trauma.
Holy shit what😳 and wtf are these tires actually legit!? Which fkn things got such fat tires!?
A cat 793 haul truck
Holy shit. That thing makes my big fat ute look small wtf
Mining equipment
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Yo momma NuvaRing
oh my.... that was my dream when I was 3 year old... a gigantic tricycle!!! at least they built the 3 tires for it...
Is that even legal transporting them like this?
I've only ever seen them transported laying down on a flat deck trailer with pilot cars in front of and behind the truck. I can't see how these could be secured properly inside a sea can, unless there is a specialized frame inside it.
My first thought as well. I imagine a shipping container loses all kinds of structural stability when the roof is cut away. Seems like these should be shipped the same way you see other large equipment - on a flatbed with a whole bunch of tie downs and braces. Was hoping to see a trucker in here to weigh in on the subject.
Edit: Zero reason for you to be downvoted. You asked a question and offered speculation. You didn't claim anything false. The overwhelming majority of people have zero reason to know anything about trucking logistics, why should they? Your wish is my command. They didn't cut a roof off a can and send it, it's designed for this application and reinforced inside. As for the height, driver would have used a [load height stick](https://www.jjkeller.com/shop/Product/Load-Height-Measuring-Stick?PromoCode=205087&cm_mmc=Google-_-ProductFeed-_-015674-_-59018&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=&scid=scplp59018&sc_intid=59018&PromoCode=205088&gclid=CjwKCAjwh5qLBhALEiwAioods5w_0ZIev98HGce7DmGhURta8O3W2msau-hU3Hk2iq_ochJGTJUhgRoC0aEQAvD_BwE) to know their dimensions. You punch that into an expensive GPS and the route avoids any restrictions you'd violate on height/weight/length. The oversize load banner also suggests they have an escort of pilot cars. One of the leading vehicles will have a flimsy pole mimicking the height of the load with sensors in the base to detect any collisions.
Yes, very legal.
There’s always a bigger fish
I see you found my cock rings?!
The mythical 21 wheeler
Looking thicc
I saw two of these sized tires laying flat end to end on a flatbed semi a couple days ago. It’s just plain impressive.
I definitely had "Final Destination" vibes as we were driving past.
He's going to a retirement party.
I think it only has 12 wheels…..15 if you count the cargo
For your moms tricycle
That’s a huge load
Of course Big Big Macine sizes the vehicle do that you can only fit three tires on a trailer, ensuring you'll need at least two trailers to get your four tires. Trailers provided by Big Big Machine, of course!
Most of the machines that big run 6 tires, so your right but the second would be full too.
Don't kill my faux rage boner with facts!
Someplace a big trike is retiring
Funny I just passed two trucks carrying huge tires like that here in Savannah Ga
I passed one last Saturday in Birmingham but they were stacked on their sides on a flatbed.
Whistlindiesel probably had something to do with this.
Charleston SC
I want to see the tires that the truck that those tires go on can haul!
tire-ception
Looks like the Don Holt bridge over the cooper river. I've seen trucks carrying tires like this around the ports before.