The Rise in Popularity of LMD Tires
The rapid expansion of ecommerce, which was accelerated by the pandemic, has dramatically increased the volume of home deliveries. This surge has created a greater demand for last-mile delivery style fleet vehicles that fulfill the "last mile" portion of the delivery in urban and suburban areas — thereby increasing the need for durable, purpose-built LMD tires.
While tires serving LMD applications have existed for decades, often classified under broader categories such as commercial or light truck tires, the term “last-mile delivery” gained prominence around 2020 as their demand increased, creating the need for a unique segment with products specifically engineered for LMD purposes.
Additionally, as more people move into cities and suburban areas, delivery routes have become denser and more complex. LMD tires are designed to handle the stress of tight turns, curb impacts, and frequent acceleration and braking, making them increasingly essential for modern fleets.
What Makes LMD Tires Different to Light Truck Tires?
While all LMD tires fall under the light truck category, not all light truck tires are suitable for LMD purposes. Last-mile delivery (LMD) tires are a specialized category of commercial/light truck tires engineered uniquely for vehicles responsible for completing the final segment of the delivery process — typically from a distribution hub to the end customer’s location. These tires are designed to withstand the distinct operational challenges associated with urban and suburban delivery routes, which commonly include frequent stops, substantial payloads, shorter travel distances, and a variety of road conditions.
Last-mile delivery (LMD) tires and light truck (LT) tires may appear similar at a glance, but they differ in several key ways due to their intended applications. Light truck tires are designed for a wide range of uses, including personal, recreational, and light commercial purposes. They’re built to carry heavier loads than passenger tires but are not tailored for the intense, repetitive demands of last-mile operations.
What is Considered an LMD Vehicle?
LMD vehicles typically include cargo vans like the Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Ram ProMaster, and Nissan NV, which are ideal for urban routes with multiple deliveries per day. They have easy maneuverability, large cargo space, and customizable interiors.
Step/walk-in vans are also common, like the Freightliner MT45 and Ford F59 chassis-based vans. These are most commonly seen in the form of courier services like UPS and FedEx vans. They are used for their high-capacity, walk-in cargo area, and easy access for quicker package retrieval.
Box Trucks such as the Isuzu NPR, Ford F-650, and Hino 155/195 are also considered LMD vehicles and are suitable for larger deliveries or bulkier cargo over short distances. These are chosen for their larger payload capacity, while still being capable of navigating suburban roads.
Some EV vehicles are also used for LMD routes like the Rivian EDV, BrightDrop Zevo, and Ford E-Transit. These are often used by fleets as an eco-friendly alternative to lower emissions and operating costs for these repetitive deliveries.
What are Unique Characteristics of LMD tires?
In order to support vehicles and drivers during the “last mile” of their delivery service, LMD tires need to include the following characteristics:
- Improved Fuel Efficiency: LMD tires feature low rolling resistance to help fleets lower fuel or energy costs, which is important for both gas and electric delivery vans.
- Urban Resilience: The curb guards and abrasion-resistant compounds on these tires protect against sidewall damage from urban obstacles.
- High Load Capacity: They are built to carry heavy cargo repeatedly without degrading quickly.
- Reinforced Sidewalls: Their internal structures support frequent payload stress.
- Durability in Stop-and-Go Traffic: LMD’s have optimized tread patterns and compounds that reduce wear from frequent braking and acceleration and are designed for constant stopping, curb impacts, and tight turns.
- All-Season and All-Weather Performance: Often rated M+S (Mud & Snow) or 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake) for winter reliability, LMD tires are designed for safe operation in rain, light snow, or dry urban roads.
How has Sentury Responded to the Growing Need?
Sentury released two LMD options at SEMA in 2024. These include the Delinte's DV3 LMD AS and Landsail’s LMD 100 AS. The DV3 LMD AS has durable and tough sidewalls that help with curb impacts and a unique all-season cut/chip tread compound that combats road debris for longer tread life and ensures exceptional all-weather performance. It also features a 3D sipes design to ensure stiffness during braking, acceleration, and handling, and is M+S RATED. Landsail's LMD 100 AS features a computer-optimized footprint and offers improved wear, handling, ride comfort, and fuel economy. It is also EV compatible and can be used with most popular electric vehicles.
LMD AS Fitments for Popular Last-Mile Delivery Vehicles
The rise in popularity of LMD tires has led auto dealerships and manufacturers to equip new vehicles used for last-mile delivery purposes with LMD tires. Both the LMD 100 AS and DV3 LMD AS are made to fit these specific vehicles as an after market option: the Chevrolet Express Van, the Brightdrop Zevo 440/600, the FORD Transit, the Mercedes Sprinter, and the RAM ProMaster. For a list of available sizes, visit LMD 100 AS and DV3 LMD AS.