AuguryHankook Tire Holds ‘2025 TBR Fleet Meeting’ in Nairobi on December 3 to Brief Fleets on Truck-and-Bus Radial Solutions
This article was written by the Augury Times
Nairobi briefing: Hankook convenes fleets and OEMs on December 3, 2025
On December 3, 2025, Hankook Tire & Technology hosted the “2025 TBR Fleet Meeting” in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together more than 60 fleet managers, OEM partners and logistics operators to discuss truck-and-bus radial (TBR) tyre solutions and service plans across East Africa. The one-day event combined presentations, product demonstrations and roundtable discussions intended to sharpen tyre selection, maintenance and total-cost-of-ownership practices for commercial fleets operating in the region.
The company framed the meeting as a practical, hands-on forum: Hankook said the goal was to help fleet customers reduce downtime and operating costs while growing its service footprint in East Africa. The event followed a string of regional customer engagements the company has staged this year.
Who attended and what was on the agenda
The meeting drew a cross-section of the regional haulage ecosystem: fleet operators from long-haul and urban delivery companies, representatives from local bus operators, and several original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that supply trucks and trailers to the East African market. Hankook identified its local distributor partners and service-network managers as co-hosts.
Agenda items blended commercial and technical content. Morning sessions covered product line-ups and service options for TBR tyres, including new casing warranties and retreading programmes. After lunch, fleet managers took part in breakout groups on tyre selection for mixed-surface routes, predictive maintenance schedules, and tyre pooling arrangements. A short demonstration showcased tread patterns and compound differences for wet versus dry performance and puncture resistance.
Hankook said the format emphasized dialogue: vendors presented data and fleet operators shared real-world pain points such as tyre wear on rough secondary roads, seasonal load variations, and supply-chain timing for replacements.
Practical tyre-management guidance shared with operators
Technical takeaways were focused and operational. Hankook recommended regular tyre-pressure monitoring at least once a week for long-haul trucks, routine visual checks before each shift, and systematic rotation schedules to even out wear across axles. The company stressed that maintaining proper inflation and timely alignment checks typically extends tyre life by 10–20% compared with ad hoc maintenance.
Hankook also highlighted retreading as a cost-effective option for fleet tyres, describing retread compatibility and casing selection criteria that help fleets maximize cycles. Presenters gave specific guidance on matching tread compounds to road conditions—harder compounds for rough, rocky routes to resist chipping; softer compounds for urban, stop-start routes to improve grip and fuel economy.
On the data side, Hankook encouraged fleets to adopt basic telematics integration for tyre-pressure and temperature alerts, while noting that incremental investments in sensors can quickly pay back through reduced blowouts and lower fuel burn from underinflation.
Why Nairobi matters: East African fleet dynamics
Nairobi sits at the crossroads of significant regional freight flows: transit cargo between Mombasa port and inland markets, cross-border trade with Uganda and Rwanda, and growing last-mile logistics within Kenyan cities. Those varied use cases create different tyre demands—long-haul transit concentrates on longevity and fuel efficiency, while urban operations prioritize retreadability and puncture resistance.
Regional trends also matter: infrastructure upgrades on some corridors reduce wear rates, but many secondary routes remain rough and accelerate tyre degradation. Rising freight volumes, driven by e-commerce and regional trade agreements, are prompting fleets to look for ways to control operating costs, which is why tyre management is becoming a higher priority for fleet managers.
What the meeting suggests about Hankook’s regional strategy
The Nairobi event signals a tactical push by Hankook to deepen commercial ties in East Africa through after-sales services, training and local partnerships rather than relying solely on product shipments. Emphasizing retreading programmes, distributor collaboration and training for fleet technicians suggests the company is positioning service and total-cost solutions as a differentiator in a price-sensitive market.
That approach aligns with common industry playbooks in emerging markets: build brand loyalty through practical support that lowers operating costs for fleets, then expand product uptake. For Hankook, success will depend on synchronizing spare-part availability, local retreading capacity and timely service delivery across several countries with uneven logistics infrastructure.
Company background and announced next steps
Hankook Tire & Technology, a global tyre manufacturer known for passenger and commercial tyre lines, said the Nairobi session is part of its wider 2025 TBR programme of fleet engagements. The company announced plans for follow-up pilot programmes with selected fleet partners and a commitment to expand distributor training in the coming months, according to its press release.
Hankook indicated it will host additional regional workshops in 2026 to track pilot results and refine tyre-service offerings for East African operators.
Sources