MacKay & Company recently released its 2026 DataMac Medium & Heavy Duty Tire Distribution Report for vehicles Class 6-8 and trailers.
"Tire distributors report positive commercial tire sales in 2025 following a decline in 2024," says David Kalvelage, senior market analyst at MacKay & Company. "Increased total operating populations of commercial trucks and trailers continues to drive commercial tire demand. Unless we have an economic slow-down which would impact vehicle utilization, commercial aftermarket tire demand should continue to increase, albeit slowly."
MacKay surveyed tire distributors in January to measure their 2025 business in terms of, among other things, changes in tire prices, tire sales, margins and inventories.
Tire prices are up
New tire prices increased 3.9% year over year in 2025, a big leap from the 0.7% rise in 2024. Retread prices are 1.2% higher than in 2024, a moderation from the 1.8% increase the previous year.
[RELATED: What tire treads reveal about truck performance]
Overall, the survey showed, half of respondents reported no change in tire prices while 67% reported no change in retread prices. About half, 46% of respondents note an increase in new tire prices, while only 28% of respondents indicate higher prices on retreads. Historically, MacKay & Company says, very few tire distributors have reported year over year decreases in prices.
Tire sales are up
Tire distributors reported new tire sales increased by 2.2% in 2025 and retread sales were up 1.9%. Historically, with some minor variations, about half of the tire distributors report no change in tire sales.
Tire inventories are down
New tire inventories declined by 3% in 2025, the survey shows, with retread tire inventories down 1%. New tire inventory for 2025 stood at 30.4 days. Tire businesses indicated 0.2 days of sales, more than they desire for new tires. Retread tire inventory days of sales are 22.2 days; that's in line with business expectations.
Brand selection rationale
Tire distributors say the top four brand selection rationale are unchanged from the last five years. They are:
- Longest original tread life.
- Past experience using brand.
- Lowest price for preferred grade.
- Lowest cost per mile.
Building customer loyalty
Tire distributors consistently rank customer service as the top factor in building customer loyalty and it's the case again for 2025. Price is the second most critical, the survey says.
