Are Medium, Commercial, & TBR Tires the Same?
Culture | 04/22/2025
Commercial tires, TBR tires, and Medium tires are often spoken of interchangeably, and while in some instances it is accurate, it’s important to understand the key differences between Commercial, TBR, and Medium truck tires. For instance, while Medium tires are a type of Commercial tires, there are other types of tires that fall under that term as well. Here are some similarities and differences between these tire terms.
TBR Tires
TBR stands for “Truck, Bus and Radial”, and applies to tires that are constructed for use on heavy-duty vehicles that carry heavy loads over long distances, such as semi trucks, 18-wheelers, big rigs and buses. Radial construction refers to the internal construction of the tires, which includes belts (often steel) in a radial arrangement, from the inside to the outside of the tire. This construction allows TBR tires to carry heavier loads, and also has the benefits of a smoother ride, increased fuel efficiency and better handling. For this reason, most TBR tires have a higher load range and ply rating than Medium tires.
Medium Tires
In contrast to TBR tires, Medium tires are most often used on medium-duty or medium-haul vehicles. Examples of vehicles that would use Medium tires include delivery trucks, box trucks, and vocational vehicles such as utility trucks. These tires are not designed to carry as heavy loads as TBR tires, and often operate within shorter distances and in regional or urban settings. Some construction vehicles use medium tires, but most often will use specialty “Off-The-Road” tires designed for that specific type of vehicle and use. Despite having lower load ranges than TBR tires, these tires are still designed for commercial vehicles and a good quality Medium tire is durable, fuel efficient, and safe.
Commercial Tires
Commercial Tires is the overarching tire category that includes both TBR and Medium tires. “Commercial” refers to the tires’ use on commercial vehicles, which can span the truck that delivers a new appliance, to the vehicle used to fix power lines, to the long-haul semi truck carrying food from a farm in one state to a grocery store in another. Since they are used on such a wide variety of vehicles, Commercial tires span a wide range of sizes and load ranges, and even positions on the truck, such as Drive, Steer and Trailer tires. For this reason, it is important to understand the differences between the different types of commercial tires and their applications.
Groundspeed’s Range of Commercial Tires
Groundspeed offers a wide range of commercial tires for varied uses, from Regional to Long-Haul, Drive, Steer, Trailer, and All-Position. With fuel costs rising, vehicle and fleet owners are often looking for fuel-efficiency, and Groundspeed offers select SmartWay Certified tires as part of their commercial tire range, which means that tire has been shown to decrease fuel consumption and emissions. With replacement tire costs constituting the second largest expense for commercial vehicle owners, it’s important to choose a tire with longevity. Groundspeed’s tires were designed with features that promote long, even tread wear so commercial drivers and fleet owners can get the most out of their tire purchases. Take a look at Groundspeed’s range of Commercial tires here.
Read a previous related blog:
Dealer Locator
Find Groundspeed tires at a preferred dealer near you.
Light Truck
From highway-terrain and all-terrain, to mud-terrain, the Groundspeed light truck lineup is functional and rugged.
Passenger
All-season, touring, and UHP tires are hyper-focused on exceptional quality for passenger tire performance.
Commercial
The Groundspeed TBR lineup consists of regional, long-haul, and mixed-service products. We are SmartWay™ Certified.
Dealer Inquiry
Want to become a Groundspeed dealer? Connect with our sales team to find out more about our warehouse & factory direct programs.
Groundspeed Tires
Passenger, light truck, and commercial tires. Adopting the same meticulous standards used to manufacture aircraft tires. Hyper-focused on quality so you can focus on the drive.