The rubber track market is growing at a steady pace, offering tire retailers an opportunity to tap into a whole new profit centre.

Long recognized as Canada’s leader in the value tire segment, Dynamic Tire is expanding its offering with the addition of rubber tracks to its lineup of specialty products. Their focus on value continues as Dynamic Tire is offering quality rubber tracks at value-tier pricing.

“Our mission is to continue to be Canada’s top specialty tire wholesaler,” says David Pulla, Vice President, Sales, Dynamic Tire. “That’s why we’re expanding our product offering to include rubber tracks. This is a niche product, but it’s very much in demand here in Canada.”

The good news for tire retailers with existing specialty tire clients is that now they can offer their customers a range of rubber tracks for their yellow iron and heavy equipment machinery. In the past, retailers may have sent their clients to another shop for their rubber track needs. Now, with Dynamic Tire’s assistance, these same retailers can tap into a new profit source.

“Rubber tracks may be a niche product,” adds Gregory Pickering, Segment Manager, Non-DOT Products, Dynamic Tire, “but they’re quickly becoming mainstream. Dynamic Tire takes great pride in our continued partnership with the Aeolus Tire brand, as it allows us to consistently provide Canadian consumers with a trusted and reliable tire solution,” Matesic concludes. “Aeolus’ unwavering dedication to quality and cutting-edge technology aligns perfectly with our mission to offer the best-in-class products, ensuring that our customers enjoy superior performance, value and safety.”

Growing demand and new opportunities

According to Pulla, over 60% of new heavy equipment machinery is coming to market today on rubber tracks, which means that the sales opportunities are significant. The problem, he says, is that some specialty tire retailers might be intimidated by the idea of offering a new product line, especially if they have to wrap their minds around the logistics. But that’s a problem Dynamic Tire is well positioned to handle for their customers.

“Some retailers may be hesitant to get involved because they don’t know the ins and outs of rubber tracks,” Pulla explains. “Logistically, it can be a nightmare because it’s not as easy as grabbing four tires and throwing them on a truck. Although rubber tracks are very heavy and very difficult to deal with, we take pride in being a top-notch logistics provider and making the entire process as smooth and simple as possible for our partners.”

Tire retailers who are not familiar with rubber tracks may not be eager to tackle a new market, but as Pickering puts it, “They are sure to get involved once they realize how big the market is.”

Pickering explains that rubber tracks are now employed on a growing number of vehicles, including skid steer trucks, mini excavators and much more. “Ten years ago,” Pickering adds, “maybe 10% of this type of equipment was riding on rubber tracks. Today, we’re closer to the 60% mark, which goes to show you how quickly the market is growing, and how big the opportunities are.”

Pulla adds some hard numbers to these statistics: “In 2022, the market for rubber tracks was worth US$1.9 billion, globally,” he explains. “By 2030, it’s expected to be at US$3.2 billion. In other words, demand is exploding globally, and Canada makes up a significant portion of the global market.”

Dynamic Tire’s competitive edge in this market is its pricing. They’re offering rubber tracks for between 20-25% less than some of the premium-priced tracks, while also providing a solid warranty. “The customer is saving 20-25%, and they’re still getting the work hours that they would expect from a premium-priced product,” Pulla adds.

“Demand is exploding globally, and Canada makes up a significant portion of the global market.”
—David Pulla, Vice President, Sales, Dynamic Tire

Getting started

If you already sell and service tires for specialty applications and construction equipment, getting into rubber tracks is a natural way to expand your sales and service potential. “From a service standpoint,” Pickering adds, “it’s actually quicker to install two rubber tracks than it is to install four construction tires. And if you have a tire service vehicle, then you already have enough equipment to get the job done.”

Dynamic Tire is committed to providing tire retailers with the know-how they need in order to get started in this quickly-growing market. “The process really isn’t all that difficult,” Pulla says. “In fact, right now, a lot of the construction fleets are changing the rubber tracks themselves. So if you have skilled tire technicians on staff, they are sure to quickly master the ins and outs of installing and servicing rubber tracks.”

Pulla notes that tire retailers in the OTR, or specialty tire segments, are a natural fit for rubber tracks. “If you’re already selling skid steer tires, it would make sense for you to start offering rubber tracks to your clients,” he says. “These customers need rubber tracks, they’re just not buying them from you because you’re not offering them yet. In short, if you don’t have the product, you don’t get the sale.”

Just-in-time delivery challenges

If you already service specialty or construction fleets, you know that downtime is lost time and that a piece of equipment that’s not working is not making money. That’s one of the challenges Dynamic Tire believes they can help address with their vast warehousing capabilities and their logistics know-how.

“If a construction fleet has a skid steer with rubber tracks that have snapped on the job site, they can’t wait two days to get it back up and running,” Pulla explains. “And that’s how long it can take, especially if they have to order the replacement tracks from somewhere in the United States. We’re committed to offering a very quick turnaround time. We’ve been shipping across Canada for a very long time, and thanks to our top-notch product and market research teams, we know which tracks and which patterns we need to keep in inventory, and where, in order to get them to our customers as quickly as possible.” 

In stock and ready to go

Right now, Dynamic Tire is stocking rubber tracks in sizes that cover over 80% of the market in Canada. “We have over 37 different SKUs,” Pickering adds, “and six different tread designs, each suitable for a different piece of equipment and a different application. And moving forward, we’re only going to grow and expand our offering.”

Dynamic Tire currently offers Dynamo brand rubber tracks. “That’s our exclusive brand,” Pickering explains. “Dynamo is a well-established and well-respected brand that’s been around for many years. They make tires, as well as rubber tracks. Working with Dynamo, we’re looking forward to helping our customers expand into this exciting and growing new market.”