What Is Tire Regrooving?
Tire regrooving is a precision process that restores tread depth on worn commercial trailer tires. Using automated depth-limited equipment, we carefully remove a thin layer of rubber to recover usable tread, extending tire life without removing wheels or compromising safety.
Unlike tire replacement ($300–$800 per tire) or retreading (which requires wheel removal and curing), regrooving happens on-site, in your yard, in about 20 minutes per trailer.
Key point: Regrooving is legal for 53-ft trailer tires marked "regroovable" by the manufacturer and complies with DOT and CSA standards.
The REGROOVABLE marking on the sidewall is the first eligibility gate
How Does Tire Regrooving Work?
- Pre-inspection — We inspect each tire to confirm it's safe and manufacturer-marked as regroovable. Damaged or unsafe casings are skipped.
- Trailer positioning — Your trailer is safely jacked as needed for access to all tires. No wheels are removed.
- Automated cutting — Our gantry system uses precision blades to cut new grooves in the tread, following the original manufacturer pattern (straight ribs only).
- Depth control — A mechanical limiter ensures we remove only worn rubber, leaving a minimum 3mm safety buffer above the steel belts.
- Service complete — Each trailer (8 tires) is finished in approximately 20 minutes.
Ready to see how regrooving works for your fleet?
Book a 2-Trailer Pilot — validate safety, downtime, and cost on two trailers, on-wheel, in-yard, no wheel removal.
Book a 2-Trailer PilotRegrooving vs. Retreading vs. Replacement
| Regrooving | Retreading | Replacement | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $80/tire | $200–$400 | $300–$800 |
| Time | ~20 min/trailer | Days | Immediate |
| Wheel removal | No | Yes | Yes |
| Life extension | 30–35% | 50–60% | Full new tire |
What Tires Can Be Regrooved?
- Manufacturer-marked as regroovable (check the sidewall)
- 53-ft trailer tires with straight-rib patterns only
- Tread depth ≤3mm remaining
- Never previously regrooved
- Passes pre-inspection (casing, sidewall, belt integrity)
The 3mm Safety Buffer: Why It Matters
Our depth-limited process leaves a minimum 3mm rubber layer above the steel belts. This protects belt integrity, prevents heat buildup, aligns with DOT/CSA standards, and keeps the tire retreadable.
The guarantee: groove depth within ±0.5mm of target. Out-of-spec service is reworked at no charge.
No-Belt-Touch Guarantee
If our regrooving ever exposes a steel belt, we cover the casing value. Backed by mechanical depth limiters, pre-service inspection, and documented proof of compliance.
Book a 2-Trailer Pilot
Validate safety, downtime, and cost on two trailers — on-wheel, in-yard, no wheel removal.
Book a 2-Trailer Pilot