Most carriers know what a tire costs and how long it lasts. Far fewer have actually multiplied those two numbers across all 18 positions, factored in the casing value, and run the recap math. The gap between what fleets think they spend on tires and what they actually do is usually 20%–30% — and it always hurts the smaller operation more.
This is the spreadsheet our shop uses on every new spec. It's not complicated. It just has to be done.
How do you calculate tire cost per mile?
The whole calculation, written once:
Position CPM = (tire cost ÷ tread life in miles) × tire count in that position
Then add the position CPMs together for the truck-and-trailer total. That's it. The mistakes happen in the inputs.
What do truck tires cost in 2026?
Industry-typical 2026 pricing for new commercial tires, before any fleet account discount. Premium brands include Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear; mid-tier covers Continental, Yokohama, Hankook, Toyo; lower-tier import covers brands like Sailun, Double Coin, Sumitomo's value lines.
| Steer — premium | $575 – $700 |
|---|---|
| Steer — mid-tier | $475 – $575 |
| Steer — import | $380 – $475 |
| Drive — premium | $525 – $650 |
| Drive — mid-tier | $425 – $525 |
| Drive — import | $340 – $425 |
| Trailer — premium | $400 – $500 |
| Trailer — mid-tier | $340 – $400 |
| Trailer — import | $280 – $340 |
| Retread (drive or trailer) | $185 – $290 |
How long does tread last by position — steer, drive, trailer?
Tread life is the most contested number in tire economics. The ranges below assume reasonable inflation discipline and a balanced load. Mileage tires (lower rolling resistance, harder compound) live longer than traction tires; pull a traction drive at 250k miles instead of 400k.
| Steer — virgin, premium | 120k – 150k mi |
|---|---|
| Steer — virgin, mid/import | 100k – 130k mi |
| Drive — mileage compound | 350k – 450k mi |
| Drive — traction compound | 250k – 350k mi |
| Trailer — virgin | 200k – 300k mi |
| Trailer — retread | 150k – 220k mi (per cap) |
| Drive — retread | 180k – 280k mi (per cap) |
A casing that's been retreaded once and stays healthy can often take a second cap, putting total casing life north of 500k miles. That's where the real savings come from.
What does tire CPM look like on a 6×4 sleeper with a 53' van?
Here's the math on a single tractor-trailer combo, all virgin tires, premium brand:
- Steer (2 tires): $625 × 2 ÷ 135,000 mi = $0.00926/mi
- Drives (8 tires): $585 × 8 ÷ 400,000 mi = $0.0117/mi
- Trailers (8 tires): $450 × 8 ÷ 250,000 mi = $0.0144/mi
Total tire CPM, all virgin: $0.00926 + $0.0117 + $0.0144 = $0.0354/mi (about 3.5¢/mi)
For a truck running 120k miles a year, that's roughly $4,250 a year, or $51,000 across a 12-truck fleet at the same utilization. That's the all-virgin baseline.
Do recaps actually save money?
Now run the same truck with virgin steer + retreaded drives and trailers:
- Steer (2 tires, virgin): $625 × 2 ÷ 135,000 mi = $0.00926/mi
- Drives (8 tires, retread): $250 × 8 ÷ 230,000 mi = $0.00870/mi
- Trailers (8 tires, retread): $215 × 8 ÷ 180,000 mi = $0.00956/mi
Total tire CPM, mixed-retread: $0.00926 + $0.00870 + $0.00956 = $0.0275/mi
That's a 22% reduction in tire CPM versus all-virgin in this single example — and it's a conservative case. Fleets running disciplined casing management with two retread cycles per casing routinely see 30%–40% lower CPM than all-virgin operations.
| STRATEGY | VIRGIN ONLY | VIRGIN STEER + RETREAD D/T |
|---|---|---|
| Tire CPM | ≈ $0.035/mi | ≈ $0.027/mi |
| Annual cost @ 120k mi | ≈ $4,250 | ≈ $3,300 |
| Casing value captured | ≈ $80/tire on trade | ≈ $80–$120/tire (recapped twice) |
| Risk profile | Lowest failure rate | Higher with bad casings |
| Best for | Single-tractor owner-ops | Fleets with casing tracking |
What is your casing actually worth?
When you trade in a worn-out tire that's still got a healthy casing, the retreader pays you a credit — the "casing value" or "core charge." In 2026 that's typically $50–$120 per casing, depending on brand, age, and condition. On a 12-truck fleet pulling 16 drive tires per truck per year, that's $9,000+ in cash you're leaving on the table if you scrap them.
Casing-killers (the things that disqualify a tire from retreading):
- Sustained under-inflation (the #1 cause).
- Sidewall punctures or curb damage.
- Run-flat events (the casing overheats internally even if it looks fine).
- Age over ~7 years.
- Multiple plug repairs in the tread.
Track casings the way you track your trucks. They're worth real money.
How much does pressure management affect cost per mile?
The single highest-leverage thing you can do for tire CPM is keep them inflated correctly. Under-inflation kills casings, and a dead casing is $50–$120 you don't get back plus an early replacement at $400–$600.
Three options, increasing in cost and reliability:
- Manual weekly checks. Free, and the most common — and the least reliable across a multi-truck fleet.
- TPMS (tire pressure monitoring). Driver gets an alert in cab. $400–$1,200 per tractor installed.
- ATIS (automatic tire inflation, trailer-mounted). Maintains pressure from the trailer air system. $1,200–$2,200 per trailer installed; payback in casing preservation typically 18–30 months on a high-utilization trailer.
About the "1 PSI per month" rule — it's industry shorthand. Real pressure loss is dominated by temperature swings (about 1 PSI for every 10°F ambient change), valve/stem leakage, and slow rubber permeation. A truck parked in November at 90 PSI shows up in January at 78 PSI without a leak — that's just physics. Check weekly and stop trusting the rule of thumb.
The cheapest tire program is the one with healthy casings. Inflation isn't a tire issue — it's a casing-asset issue.— Jaron M., FOMO Dispatch
What should tires actually cost you per mile?
Pull each position's CPM, run the recap math, and track casings like the assets they are. Most carriers running on instinct lose 20%–30% to tires versus carriers who actually do the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is not optional.
If you want our worked CPM template for your own spec, our desk runs this as a 10-minute exercise with new sign-ons. Apply takes about 12 minutes, or call (928) 517-4993 and we'll send the template either way.