ATD: Covid-19 is Shaping the Tire Supply Chain of the Future

In this episode [of Tire Review’s What’s Treading podcast], we talk to supply chain experts from American Tire Distributors about navigating supply and demand during the pandemic and what they see needs to be improved in the tire supply chain for a more efficient future.

With rapid change around supply and demand during the onset of COVID-19, the need for just-in-time tire delivery was critical, especially when economies started to open up. At the forefront of predicting and acting on these supply and demand swings was American Tire Distributors.

ATD has more than 140 distribution centers across the U.S. serving a network of around 80,000 dealers. Add COVID-19 into the mix, and the company could have had a supply chain nightmare on its hands. But, with weekly meetings, data analytics and strong partnerships with manufacturers, they say it’s actually been kind of fun and exciting, from a supply chain perspective that is.

In this episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, we talk with Bill Hancock, ATD’s senior vice president of supply chain operations, and Mark Chandler, senior vice president of supply chain for the company. We talk about:

• How ATD has navigated supply and demand in the tire industry during the pandemic;
• What they’ve learned through the highs and lows of COVID-19;
• How the tire distribution and supply chain need to be improved for a more efficient future;
• How ATD is preparing for the ITC’s ruling on PLT tire imports from Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea and Vietnam; and
• How they feel the tire industry will fare the pandemic.
• Listen here or subscribe to “What’s Treading with Tire Review” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play and Spreaker.