Hankook Tire extends OE supply deal with Europe's Schmitz Cargobull
HankookTire & Technology's truck and bus radial tire for Schmitz Cargobull's new trailers / Courtesy of Hankook Tire & Technology
Hankook Tire & Technology said it has signed a four-year deal to keep supplying original equipment (OE) tires — tires installed on vehicles at the factory, before they reach dealers — to German trailer manufacturer Schmitz Cargobull, extending a partnership that dates back more than a decade.
Under the agreement, which runs from July 2026 through June 2030, Hankook will supply truck and bus radial (TBR) tires for Schmitz Cargobull's new trailers across Europe, the company said. Hankook first began supplying OE tires to Schmitz Cargobull in 2013 and has since expanded the range of products it provides.
Schmitz Cargobull, headquartered in Germany, is Europe's largest trailer manufacturer, with production plants across the continent, including in the United Kingdom, Spain, Lithuania, Romania and Turkey. The company makes refrigerated semi-trailers and dump trailers, among other commercial vehicle equipment, and is a major supplier to Europe's logistics industry.
The tires supplied under the deal will use Hankook's Smartec platform, its top-tier TBR technology line. Products include the Smart Line, aimed at long-haul highway use; the Smart Flex, for mid- to long-distance routes; and the Smart Work, designed for dump trucks.
Hankook said it also plans to expand into the replacement tire market — tires sold to fleet operators after the originals wear out — for Schmitz Cargobull vehicles already on the road.
Hankook said the renewed contract reflects the strength of its truck and bus tire lineup and its ability to meet Schmitz Cargobull's quality, performance and mileage standards, and will help the Korean tiremaker further build out its position in Europe's commercial vehicle market.
The company said it plans to keep showcasing its commercial tire technology at European industry trade shows, including the Road Transport Expo in the U.K., Germany's IAA Transportation and Transport Logistic fairs and The Tire Cologne.
Hankook Tire & Technology, a unit of Hankook & Company Group led by Chairman Cho Hyun-bum, is Korea's largest tiremaker by sales. The company operates eight production plants and five R&D centers worldwide and sells tires in more than 160 countries, with more than 85% of its revenue coming from overseas markets.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.