A daily curated briefing on the off-the-road tyre industry. Manufacturer moves, regulatory shifts, supply dynamics, market signals. From an independent trader's perspective.
EDITORIAL NOTE. The Hub is a curated daily briefing. Items are summarised from publicly-available industry sources and Jewell Tyres' independent trading view. Not financial or procurement advice.
What mattered today: Yokohama-Goodyear OTR consolidation discussions continue. BKT posts 18% Q1 AU share gain. Pilbara 45/65R45 lead times steady at 7-9 weeks.
The 2015 consolidation of Goodyear's OTR division under Yokohama is now playing out in distribution. AU buyers report mixed allocation behaviour through 2026 – some Goodyear patterns now Yokohama-badged, some still under both names. The practical implication: pattern naming and SKU continuity matters more than ever when placing orders.
Read more → MANUFACTURER 25 MAY 2026Michelin's newer XDR4 SE variant has been on test fleet across two Pilbara iron ore operations since late 2025. Early reports show 8–12% lower rolling resistance with comparable service life. Not yet a commercial release in 45/65R45 size, but watch this through H2 2026.
Read more → MARKET SHARE 24 MAY 2026BKT's Australian OTR volume grew an estimated 18% year-on-year in Q1 2026, on the back of broader civil construction acceptance and continued substitution in secondary mining fleet. The Earthmax SR468 in 26.5R25 led the growth; SR45 in larger sizes is following.
Read more → REGULATORY 23 MAY 2026Queensland's Environment Department is tightening end-of-life OTR tyre disposal regulations through H2 2026, with new documentation requirements for tyres above 1.4m diameter. The practical impact is administrative not operational, but operators should brief their disposal contractors.
Read more → MARKET 22 MAY 2026Aggregated Q1 2026 import data shows Indian and Chinese manufacturers continuing to gain share in the Asia-Pacific OTR market, with BKT, Techking, Aeolus and Triangle posting double-digit growth. Tier-one brands held volume but lost share in mid-tier mining and civil applications.
Read more → REGULATORY 21 MAY 2026Standards Australia has confirmed AS4457:2019 will be reviewed beginning late 2026. Industry consultation runs through 2027 with a revised standard expected mid-2028. Mixing rules and inspection cycle requirements are likely to tighten. Watch the public comment period.
Read more → SUPPLY 20 MAY 2026Bridgestone Mining Solutions has indicated capacity expansion through 2026 will largely absorb the 2024–25 supply gap in 45/65R45 and 50/65R51 tier-one premium product. Non-contract lead times for those sizes have already eased from 25+ weeks at peak to ~8 weeks in May.
Read more → REGULATORY 19 MAY 2026Tyre Stewardship Australia's 2025 levy review has finalised the small adjustment to the levy on OTR tyres above 1.0m diameter. The change adds approximately $18 per tyre at the import point. The proceeds fund OTR-grade recycling infrastructure that has been underweighted historically.
Read more →The Hub is curated each morning from 36 OTR industry sources across five buckets: manufacturer announcements, regulatory bodies, mining industry press, supply chain analysis, and Jewell Tyres trading intelligence. The summaries are written by Jewell editorial – not auto-generated, not OEM-fed.
For the technical reference side – TRA codes, mixing rules, specifications – see the OTR Earthmover Tyre Guide →.
Spotted something we missed? Tell us. We read every note.