In the modern logistics system, tires, as a key component connecting vehicles and the ground, directly impact the operational efficiency and economic benefits of logistics companies through their performance, lifespan, and cost. With the continued deepening of the national “dual-carbon” strategy, the accelerated popularization of new energy logistics vehicles, and the accelerated globalization of China’s automotive industry, the tire industry is facing a critical juncture of technological innovation and industrial upgrading. As a leading enterprise in China’s tire industry, Shandong Linglong Tire Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Linglong Tire”) uses technological innovation as its engine, deeply focusing on the pain points of the logistics industry. From intelligent tire R&D and sustainable material applications to customized product services for a global layout, it has built a comprehensive solution that not only helps the logistics industry reduce costs and increase efficiency but also leads a new direction for the coordinated development of the tire and logistics industries.
Smart Tires: Equipping Logistics with a “Smart Brain”
Last year, the “Smart Sensors” key special project on smart tires was included in the 2024 national project. Linglong Tire, as the project leader, undertook the research and development task of “tire-embedded integrated sensor array and road condition perception application” technology, transforming smart technology into actual productivity for logistics transportation.
“Tires using this technology employ a multi-source sensor array, achieving over 95% accuracy in predicting tire and road surface smoothness under various working conditions. They can accurately identify 8 types of road surfaces and 8 types of road surface anomalies, shortening the information identification time to within 10ms, enabling real-time rapid response to road conditions and tire status,” emphasized Sun Songtao, Executive Vice President of Linglong Tire. This technological innovation not only improves the safety of logistics transportation but also effectively reduces the probability of tire blowouts and abnormal wear, reduces overall vehicle fuel consumption, and brings significant economic benefits to logistics companies. It also provides key data support for the “visualized” management of logistics transportation, driving the transformation of logistics operations from “passive response” to “proactive early warning.” Currently, Linglong’s TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) smart tires have been piloted in batches on long-haul transportation routes of logistics companies such as Shanghai Anji Logistics, Shanghai Yuantong Logistics, and Zhengzhou Qiankun Logistics in Henan. Through real-time monitoring and early warning of smart tires, logistics companies can promptly handle tire abnormalities, ensuring the safety and efficiency of the transportation process. Its performance and value have been highly recognized by customers. Research Platform: Driving Continuous Upgrades in Tire Performance A powerful research platform is the core support for Linglong Tire’s product innovation. Relying on the first tire noise laboratory in China’s tire industry, the only equipment driving simulator virtual laboratory in China, and the first large-scale outdoor comprehensive tire testing ground in China built in cooperation with Spain’s IDIADA, Linglong Tire has constructed a full-chain R&D system covering “simulation R&D – performance testing – actual verification,” providing a solid guarantee for the technological iteration of logistics tires. The noise laboratory, in particular, is built with a dedicated simulated asphalt road surface system strictly in accordance with the ISO10844 international standard, achieving a background noise level as low as 20dB(A)—close to the limit of silence perceptible to the human ear. It solves the key pain point of traditional anechoic chamber testing environments being too “idealized” and disconnected from the acoustic environment of actual vehicle driving conditions. These top-notch testing grounds and equipment together construct an efficient and precise modern R&D system, helping Linglong Tire develop more competitive logistics tire products with lower total cost of ownership, and driving the Chinese tire industry to leap from “large” to “strong.” Furthermore, guided by the “dual carbon” goal, Linglong Tire has extended its technological innovation to the field of sustainability. Relying on collaborative innovation between industry, academia, and research, its own technological accumulation, and support from new materials, it has developed the world’s first tire made of 79% sustainable materials. “This bio-based concept tire product contains 79% bio-based materials, of which 3% are recyclable materials, including bio-based rubber, bio-based reinforcing agents, bio-based plasticizers, and bio-based additives,” added Sun Songtao. More importantly, this product also uses some recyclable and reusable materials, promoting the high-value recycling of waste tires from a long-term and macro perspective. It recovers pyrolysis carbon black and reclaimed rubber from waste tires for recycling, promoting “zero pollution,” “zero residue,” “zero emissions,” and “full utilization” of waste tires, providing material solutions for the green transformation of the logistics industry.
Customized Services: Precisely Matching Differentiated Logistics Needs
The logistics industry has many sub-sectors, and different scenarios such as long-haul logistics, urban distribution logistics, and cold chain logistics have significantly different performance requirements for tires. Linglong Tire has created a diversified product matrix to address the pain points of different logistics scenarios. Among them, the high-end brand Atlas Tire’s Sky series and Genesis series, as well as high-wear-resistant products such as the Atlas ECO – LINE921/911 designed specifically for the logistics industry, precisely match the differentiated needs of logistics companies.
For example, in cold chain transportation, the time-sensitive and high-value characteristics of goods place extreme demands on tire stability.
Linglong Tire addresses tire crown heat generation by innovatively using infinitely wrapped belt layers to reduce crown deformation during prolonged driving, thus improving shoulder durability. Simultaneously, it employs an ultra-low heat tread compound to further reduce crown heat generation by 10% compared to traditional methods, strengthening the “freshness guarantee” for cold chain transportation. In terms of service, Linglong Tire has built a comprehensive service system that synergizes with its products, further reducing costs and increasing efficiency for logistics companies. Sun Songtao pointed out: “Road transportation plays an absolutely dominant role in the flow of goods, with most of the work being carried out by logistics fleets. However, the reality is that large logistics companies face challenges such as nationwide mobile operations, difficulty in asset management, and regionalization of headquarters procurement and services.” In response, Atlas “Truck Owners’ Home,” as Linglong Tire’s commercial vehicle after-sales service brand, focuses on the needs of both “vehicles” and “people,” providing integrated after-sales service support for commercial vehicles, from tires to other vehicle wear parts, engine oil, air filters, etc. Through a combination of online and offline methods, it provides one-stop services such as maintenance and roadside assistance. Simultaneously, it promotes an asset management solution of “one-stop procurement, nationwide service” and has independently developed a new retail digital intelligence system to optimize the systems at the headquarters, store, and driver ends of logistics companies, meeting their needs for standardized, systematic, and nationwide unified services. This helps logistics companies reduce operating costs and improve management efficiency from a service perspective. Global Layout: Building a “Manufacturing + Service” Dual Engine for Overseas Expansion Under the wave of globalization, the overseas expansion model of China’s automotive industry has gradually upgraded from single-product exports to a collaborative overseas expansion model of “service + supply chain.” Linglong Tire, with its “7+5” global production base layout, saw its overseas revenue account for nearly 50% of its total revenue in 2024, becoming a benchmark for the globalization of Chinese tire companies. To date, Linglong Tire has completed the construction of five domestic manufacturing bases and two overseas bases. The domestic bases cover five core manufacturing bases in Yantai, Dezhou, Liuzhou, Jingmen, and Changchun, while the overseas bases are located in Thailand and Serbia. However, with the accelerated internationalization of China’s automotive industry and the increasingly complex international environment, the Chinese tire industry also faces multiple challenges, including fluctuating tariff policies, geopolitical conflicts, and differences in customs regulations among exporting countries. In response, Sun Songtao stated, “Linglong Tire is willing to work with all parties to jointly build a comprehensive service system covering the entire lifecycle of the automotive industry’s overseas expansion.” On the one hand, through cooperation with government departments and industry associations, it actively participates in dialogue on international trade rules, establishes a tariff and trade policy early warning mechanism, and enhances the initiative and flexibility in dealing with barriers. On the other hand, it deepens cooperation with professional service institutions in logistics, customs clearance, finance, and law to build an efficient and compliant cross-border supply chain network and improve its adaptability to the customs policies of exporting countries. While significantly reducing uncertainties in “going global” by establishing long-term communication and dialogue mechanisms, Linglong Tire is strengthening its integrated “manufacturing + service” capabilities in overseas markets. This involves establishing R&D centers, production bases, and after-sales service systems overseas to achieve a transformation towards globalization, regionalization, localization, and systematic operation, thereby reducing trade risks and enhancing market stickiness. Sun Songtao further stated, “Linglong Tire’s goal is to promote collaboration across the entire Chinese automotive industry chain, integrate domestic and international resources, help Chinese automakers achieve both quantitative expansion and qualitative leaps in their overseas expansion, and drive the global layout of Chinese automobiles from single-point breakthroughs to systemic supply, forming sustainable international market competitiveness.”
