New Continental HDC 385/65 for single-tire drive axles debuts on new Mercedes-Benz Arocs Loader concrete mixer

The truck tire industry plays a very important role when it comes to cost-efficient transportation and road safety, especially in the Middle East and North Africa region. This is why all the major tire manufacturers like Michelin, Pirelli and Continental keep on developing new tires and road safety-related systems.

So, only a few weeks after Pirelli introduced its GPS-assisted ‘Cyber-Fleet Tire’ for trucks we found this week Continental introducing its new HDC 385/65 tire for single-tire drive axles.

Continental says it has developed this new single tire for the European construction industry that will be added to its range this spring.

The Continental HDC in the size 385/65 for single-tire drive axles will make its debut on the new Mercedes-Benz Arocs Loader concrete mixer. These special tires with increased load rating allow a lower unladen weight and a greater payload.

Around half of all construction-site vehicles do their work on the actual construction site. About one third delivers supplies and building materials and around 15 percent are concrete mixers transporting ready-mixed concrete. More than ever the construction industry is demanding trucks that can adapt themselves to their usage conditions. Commercial vehicle manufacturers can only put them on wheels if all components and bought-in parts like tires can reliably perform the set tasks.

Continental has therefore designed a new tire specially for 8x4/4 concrete mixers where payload is crucial. Thanks to its greater load rating, it is suitable as a single tire on the rear axles thus reducing the vehicle’s unladen weight and allowing greater payloads.

Continental’s new HDC 385/65 R 22.5 single tire with a load index of 162 allows loads of up to 9.5 metric tons instead of the normal 9.0 metric tons. The additional so-called single point (164 J) even enables an axle load of 10 metric tons with a reduced maximum speed.

The tough belt packages of the HDC 385/65 R 22.5, an on/off rubber compound and a tread specially designed for the task ensure very good traction, resilience to cuts and notches and maximum operating hours. Concrete mixers are thus well equipped for both asphalt roads and rough construction site terrain even when heavily loaded.

Thanks to the wheel mounting being moved to the outside, the wide traction tires in traditional trailer format are flush with the outside of the mudguards. As a result, the axle track remains wide, stability is high and the harmonious appearance of the vehicle is retained.

In terms of reliability and safety, customers face hardly any risk. Concrete mixers mostly have a working radius of around 70 kilometers. Greater distances are rarely possible since the fresh concrete in the drum hardens after approximately one to two hours (or a maximum of three with additives) and can no longer be unloaded.

With those kinds of short distances, a replacement tire can be obtained quickly in case of punctures — particularly as immediate tire problems occur mainly on the construction site and not during road usage. Frequently it is psychological factors that lead to poor acceptance of single tires in the construction industry. Continental has therefore equipped the HDC 385/65 R 22.5 with such high load capacity reserves that, when a tire fails, the three intact drive tires can carry the full load at a reduced speed.


With preliminary sales of €32.7 billion in 2012, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also an expert partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has approximately 170,000 employees in 46 countries.


As one of the world’s leading tire manufacturers, with more than 42,000 employees, the Tire division achieved preliminary sales of €9.7 billion in 2012. Today, the division has 22 production and development locations worldwide. The broad product range and continuous investments in R&D make a major contribution to cost-effective and ecologically efficient mobility.


The Commercial Vehicle Tire business is one of the largest manufacturers of truck, bus and commercial specialty tires worldwide.

TS
11.04.2013
Hanover - Cairo - Dubai