Happy New Year from Buy Big Tires!

We’d like to wish all of our customers, website visitors and suppliers a happy new year. We hope you all have had a great and prosperous 2015 and we wish you all a wonderful 2016. We look forward to providing you great customer service and high quality OTR tires at fantastic prices again next year!

In observance of the New Year's holiday, we will be closed on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Our offices will be open on Monday, January 4th. If you need to finish conducting any business with us before the New Year's holiday, please call our office number before the end of the day.

Happy New Year!

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U.S. Mining Industry: Oregon's Mining Industry, Then and Now

Oregon's mining tradition stretches all the way back to the 1850s, when prospectors first discovered gold in what was then the Oregon Territory. Throughout subsequent decades, other minerals were mined, and one-man operations gave way to large-scale mining operations such as the Mother Lode.

Travelers along the Oregon Trail bound for the Willamette Valley are said to have discovered gold in northeastern Oregon in 1845, but mining in earnest did not begin until 1861. (Wikipedia)

By 1920, the workings in this area, including the Mother Lode Mine, had produced more than $78,000 worth of gold and silver. In the mid-1920s high-grade copper ores were discovered and developed by the Oregon Copper Company, which consolidated the Mother Lode Mine with several other workings in the area (Mining Artifacts).

Although it helped to jump start the great Western gold rush, Oregon is currently only eleventh in the nation for gold production, clocking in just ahead of Washington and New Mexico. Running an eye down the list of one hundred and thirty-nine mines currently active in Oregon reveals a diversity of commodities, including lime, crushed stone, perlite, cement, clay, shale, gravel, gemstones, pumice, and so forth.

As in most states, Oregon's mining industry is still working to recover from the after-effects of the national recession. Although many industries have already recovered from the post-recession lows, Oregon's mining industry has yet to do so.

Here at Buy Big Tires, we enjoy highlighting different aspects of the U.S. mining industry, fully aware that our country owes much of its development to the mining industry's direct influence. Not only did various gold rushes push settlers West and give the territories enough residents to apply for statehood, but the mining industry's continued presence in those same regions continued to supply jobs, stability, and commerce to those same regions down through history.

Remember that we carry a full supply of OTR tires for all of your mining, farming, and industrial needs. Feel free to contact us for the best deals.

Image credit: BigFishGames.com. You know I just couldn't resist the Oregon Trail connection!

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Merry Christmas from Buy Big Tires!

We'd like to wish all of our customers, website visitors and suppliers a very Merry Christmas and happy holiday season. We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas holiday with your family and friends.

In observance of Christmas, we will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Our offices will be open on Monday, December 28th. If you need to finish conducting any business with us before Christmas, please call our office number before the end of the day.

Merry Christmas!

Image credit: Pixabay

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Recent Political Developments Impact Brazilian Mining Industry

Early in December, after much political wrangling, Brazil's government finally opened impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff. In wake of recent revelations regarding fraudulent financing and other policymaking disasters, this move hardly comes as a surprise. While Rousseff's political opponents claim her actions have made such a step inevitable, the Economist points out that an impeachment is the last thing Brazil actually needs.

With a vast corruption scandal in full swing, an economy in free fall, public finances in tatters—and a self-serving political class in no mood to tackle any of it—the country has now been served up a constitutional crisis. (Economist)

Of course, all of the turmoil isn't doing any of the nation's industries any favors--including the mining industry. Brazil's economy is predicted to shrink by a total of 2.8% by the end of 2015, with another 1% predicted for 2016. This would be the first time the country has experienced two years of back-to-back recession since the 1930s.

[The] Brazilian economy needs structural reform, in the form of tax and political reforms, to address its fiscal imbalances. In a democratic framework, this can only be achieved through political consensus, which, as things stand currently, is lacking in Brazil right now (Investopedia)

With the sort of political shenanigans occupying Brazil's higher-ups just now, it doesn't seem likely that the necessary public policy issues will be tackled any time soon. We hope, however, that the turmoil soon passes, and that the country can soon haul itself up by its own democratic bootstraps.

Do you have thoughts, concerns, or predictions regarding how Brazil's volatile political situation could impact the mining industry both inside and outside its borders? Feel free to share in the comment section.

As always, remember that we carry a full line of OTR tires for all of your mining, farming, and other big-rig needs. Feel free to contact us for more information.

Image credit: "Dilma Rousseff - foto oficial 2011-01-09" by Roberto Stuckert Filho/Presidência da República - Agência Brasil. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 br via Commons

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Find the Right Loader Tires for Your Operation

Loader tires are one of the key elements of just about any open-pit mining operation. And possibly one of the easiest to overlook. The ability to move overburden from place to place is a focus of most any operation, but loaders are also crucial in building infrastructure as you go deeper into the earth. Front end loaders aid in building roads for haul trucks and do most of the heavy lifting for your mining operations. Since wheel loaders are used in almost all aspects of open-pit mining, the tires that keep them rolling are going to wear out faster. Proper maintenance and care is necessary to keep your loaders working around the clock. With better tires, suitable to the needs of your terrain, a loader can work longer hours and continued shifts without blowouts or breakdowns, through mud, rocks, heat, cold, or anything else the pit can throw at you.

In the event of tire damage, depending on the quality of the tires you are equipping your loaders with, this can make a mechanic's day, or ruin it. Better tires can limit the severity of damage caused by tire failure, so you are looking at only a few hours offline to replace a tire, as opposed to days, or even weeks, to order and replace other parts that could have been salvaged with a better quality product.

The role of a front end loader is possibly one of the most varied in any mining operation. A loader operator wears many hats. From building and extraction to reclamation and finer details of landscaping on a large scale. You hire the best to do a job, so why not give them the tools they need to get the job done?

Contact us for your loader tire needs today. Our experienced staff can help you select the right tire for your specific loader and the terrain it is operating on.

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Recent Catastrophe in Brazil Highlights Need for Increased Safety Protocols in the Global Mining Industry

The Brazilian mining industry has been facing recent concerns that their overall safety protocols are not up to international standards. These concerns follow hard on the heels of a major mining disaster.

In early November, a dam collapse at the Samarco iron ore mine in the village of Paracatu de Baixo left 8-9 people dead, 19-21 missing, and hundreds of local residents inconvenienced or displaced by the massive mudslide that buried their village.

According to the Vancouver Sun, this catastrophe, seen in light of the recent Mount Polley mine failure in Canada, increases concerns that unless changes are made, mining failures will continue to increase.

A research report by the U.S.-based Center for Science in Public Participation and Bowker Associates released this summer concluded the global rate of serious tailings dam failures was increasing. According to their report, 33 of 67 serious tailings dam failures in the last 70 years took place in the past 20 years.

Amidst calls for changes to safety protocols, however, Brazilian locals are careful to point out that since 80% of their local revenue is generated through the mine, they have no desire to see the mine close.

Herein lies the tightrope that mine officials and legislators must walk as they navigate potential changes made in wake of the disaster. Although everyone's desire is to see the work continue, they do not want to rush to make changes that could mean job losses for the men, women, and families who rely on the mine for their livelihood.

Of course, this situation plays out around the world in the wake of any mining disaster. It's our hope to see positive outcomes in the wake of tragedy.

Have an opinion about potential changes to global safety standards in mining? Be sure to chime in via the comments.

Remember that we carry a full line of OTR tires for all your mining needs. We routinely ship OTR tires to mines throughout Brazil and the rest of South America. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have.

Image credit: The Guardian

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Temperatures and Tire Pressure: An Important Annual Tire Consideration

PressurePro TPMS on Rigid Haul Truck

Whether you operate a truck that runs on a standard set of tires or you're responsible for heavy equipment that operates on truly big tires, the onset of winter brings around an annual tire consideration: the relationship between tire pressure and air temperature.

During the dreaded Polar Vortex of 2014, men and women across North America noticed their tire pressure warning lights flicking on with increased regularity. That's because as ambient air temperatures drop, a tire's PSI will drop as well.

There's actually a clear scientific explanation for this phenomenon.

...a given volume of air will expand or contract as its temperature increases or decreases. In truck tire terms, for every 10-degree change in air temperature, tire inflation pressure will change by 1-2 psi (up with higher temperatures and down with lower). (Trucking Info)

Because we know our readers are well-trained professionals already well-accustomed to handling the variations of the seasons, we know that this news will not come as a surprise to many of you. We just seek to remind you to take extra care during the winter months in order to ensure optimum personal safety and increased tire life.

Drivers of long-haul trucks are likewise encouraged to take special care, since driving on low tire pressure will not only negatively affect gas mileage while simultaneously increasing tire wear; but driving on under-inflated tires could also lead to increased friction resulting in a blowout.

Don't forget that we also carry PressurePro's Tire Pressure Monitor System and can help you get it installed on your heavy equipment and next set of OTR tires. A TPMS system provides real-time tire pressure and tire temperature data to the heavy equipment operator.

No matter the season, remember that we carry a full range of OTR tires for all of your farming, trucking, and mining needs. Please feel free to contact us for the best deals.

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OTR Tire Roundup: Recent News Snippets from Around the Web

Interested in keeping your finger to the pulse of OTR tires? You've come to the right place. As we move from fall to winter and 2015 comes toward an end, we thought it would be a good time to comb the web in search of the most recent developments in the world of OTR tires. For your convenience, we've condensed them but still supplied handy links in case you desire more information. Enjoy.

Recent Tire News Snippets from Around the Web:

• High Altitude Climber to Speak at TIA OTR Conference - Thirty-three year climbing veteran Jim Davidson (pictured above) will speak at the Tire Industry Association’s 2016 OTR Conference in February of 2016. The conference is sponsored by BKT Tires and will take place in San Diego, California.
• Vietnam Tire Market to Reach $2.7 Billion by 2020 - Recent in-country developments such as rising automobile sales and favorable government policies have made rapid growth of Vietnam's tire industry possible. These developments have also been aided by the automotive boom across Southeast Asia.
• Titan Chief Ready to Pull Trigger on OTR Tariff Play - Although a careful read of the post allows us to understand that author Jim Smith is only spit-balling ideas, he does have some interesting facts to shore up his belief that Titan International chief Morry Taylor will petition the Commerce Department regarding imported tires. Perhaps by the time this article posts, he will already have done so. Then again, perhaps not. The whole article is conjecture, but since it's conjecture based on logical argument supported by facts, we found it interesting.
• Doublestar Setting up Kazakhstan JV Tire Plant - Here's some hopeful news: China's Qingdao Doublestar Tire Corporation has set up a joint venture truck and OTR tire plant in Oskemen, Kazakhstan, setting it up as their base for serving former Soviet bloc countries. This is quite a boon for Kazakhstan's already-growing economy and will benefit mining industries in surrounding countries as well.

We'd love to hear your side of the conversation. Be sure to sound off in the comments below with your opinions regarding these developments.

As always, remember that we carry a full line of OTR tires for all your mining needs. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about the OTR tires we carry.

Image credit: Twitter.com

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It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Skid Marks: Driving Big Rigs in Ice and Snow

As November gives way to December, many of our readers will begin to face tough winter driving conditions. Because accidents are more likely to occur under such conditions, it's always a good idea for drivers of big rigs and heavy equipment to review safety protocols and ensure that they're current on winter driving protocols.

Physical Preparation

Your first step is to prepare your vehicle for winter conditions. Not all steps will apply for every vehicle, of course, but systems such as fluids, brakes, and tires should be checked and winterized accordingly. In addition, drivers should stock up on any winter supplies they might need: jumper cables, blankets, high-calorie (non-perishable) snacks, flashlights, road flares, and other items that would be helpful if the driver became stranded in his vehicle during a storm.

Mental Preparation

Before operating any vehicle in winter conditions, the driver must undergo a mental shift to influence instinctive driving habits: cruise control must be abandoned, driving distances must be increased between vehicles, and the way that drivers use brakes must shift in order to keep from skidding out on ice. (For more information on proper defensive driving in icy weather, please consult AAA's "How to Go in Ice and Snow.")

Although these guidelines hold true for any types of vehicles, the drivers of big rigs and heavy equipment must take even more care. Their sheer size and mass can easily lead to large-scale catastrophe if caution is not exercised.

Are there any tips that we missed? Do you have a harrowing winter driving story to share? Feel free to sound off in the comment section.

If you're in the market for heavy equipment tires, don't forget to check out our full line. Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns that you might have.

Image credit: "Hwy 11 Ontario Winter" by P199 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons

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OTR Tire Deals for December 2, 2015

It's been a little while since we've offered you a great deal on some great OTR tires. We are sorry to have kept you waiting so long, but don't worry with these prices, it was worth the wait!

• 4pc - 29.5R25 Bridgestone VMT 1* - $4,400.00 (pictured)
• 4pc - 29.5R25 Michelin XADN+ - $5,300.00
• 6pc - 2400R35 Bridgestone VRQP - $8,350.00
• 6pc - 2400R35 Michelin XDTB - $7,450.00
• 12pc - 24.00R35 Michelin X-Traction - $7,400.00
• 8pc - 9.00R20 Michelin X-Mine - $1,600.00
• 4pc - 280-80R20 Michelin XMCL - $600.00
• 8pc - 12.00R24 Michelin X-Mine - $2,750.00
• 6pc - 26.5R25 Titan STL3 - $2,650.00
• 2pc - 35-65R33 Bridgestone VSDL 1* - $8,750.00

Prices are per tire USD, and are plus freight. Please contact us to secure the tires you want. We can also provide you with a freight quote.

If you would like to get OTR tire deals like this delivered to your email inbox, then subscribe to our OTR Tire Deals & Specials email list.

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