How we supplied 200+ OTR tires to an open-pit gold mine in West Africa. 23.5R25 and 26.5R25 tires from Thailand with 18-day delivery.
A mid-tier gold mining operation in West Africa was experiencing tire supply disruptions from their existing Chinese supplier — inconsistent delivery times, variable quality across batches, and escalating freight costs through the Suez Canal route. The mine operates 12 CAT 740 articulated dump trucks (23.5R25) and 4 CAT 980 wheel loaders (26.5R25), consuming approximately 200 tires annually. They needed a reliable alternative supplier with consistent quality, competitive pricing, and shorter transit times to their destination port.
THAI OTR SUPPLIERS proposed a Thailand-sourced supply program using Advance XCD2 L4 rock tread tires — proven performers in West African gold mining conditions. We offered FOB Laem Chabang pricing at 18% below their existing Chinese supplier, with guaranteed 25-day delivery to Tema port (transit 28 days from Laem Chabang). Our first shipment of 3 containers (60 x 23.5R25 + 16 x 26.5R25) included ECE certification, Form A Certificate of Origin for duty reduction, and complete photographic documentation of container loading.
Year 1 Results: 18% reduction in tire procurement costs. 100% on-time delivery across 8 quarterly shipments. Zero quality claims — all tires met specification on arrival. Tire life averaged 4,200 operating hours per tire, consistent with manufacturer claims for L4 rock tread in gold mining conditions. The mine has since signed a 3-year supply agreement with THAI OTR SUPPLIERS and expanded their order to include TBR tires for their haul truck fleet. Annual supply: 8 containers, 480+ tires.