Welcome to the Monday edition of Modern Tire Dealer's e-News Hotwire. Today's top news: Tire recalls are spotlighted, with Hercules, Pep Boys and TBC all recalling limited numbers. We also look at the results of Dunn Tire's earthquake relief fund efforts! The next edition of the MTD e-News Hotwire will be sent out on Thursday. Meanwhile, check out www.moderntiredealer.com. for continual updates. 

Also, be sure to swing by www.TireDealerJobFinder.com, your one-stop shop for career opportunities in the tire industry! Whether you're looking for a job or looking to hire new people, this is the place! Post your resume or a job opening today!

Hercules Tire & Rubber Co. is recalling "certain Hercules Terra Trac SUV tires" due to a defect that may lead to tread chunking or cracking in the tread shoulder area.

Add two more private brand tire lines to the list of recalled size 245/70R17 SUV tires manufactured by Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. late last year. That brings the total of recalled tires to 7,769.

Dunn Tire LLC donated $5 for every tire sold between Jan. 16 and Feb. 14, 2010, to the Haitian earthquake relief effort. It also also solicited and accepted public donations at each store.

Continental Tire the Americas LLC has agreed to supply original equipment tires to Chrysler Group LLC. Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, Continental will supply size 225/70R19.5 OE tires for Ram medium-duty Chassis Cab trucks.

At a special meeting held on March 4, 2010, in Quincy, Ill., Titan International Inc.'s stockholders approved an amendment to the company’s "Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation" to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock from 60 million shares to 120 million shares.

Delta World Tire Co. recently opened its 15th retail tire and automotive service location.

Are your tire fill rates exceptional, acceptable or just plain horrible? That's what Modern Tire Dealer wants to know.

Tirecraft Canada reports that 29 independent tire dealerships and garages recently joined its associate store program, which relaunched 12 to 15 months ago, "depending on the region," according to Tirecraft officials.

P Zero’s optimal performance proved on target for drivers and teams, and produced record lap times and incredibly close competition during the event.

The Bosch Group is being anything but quiet about the launch of its QuietCast premium disc brake pads, which feature rubber-core shims designed to promote silent operation, according to the company.

The Raybestos Rewards Program has been restructured for 2010. It will replace the Raybestos Safety Center Program.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has named Tim Noe manager of its Danville, Va., plant. Noe most recently served as manager of the tiremaker's Buffalo, N.Y., factory.

Championship contending squads again chooses Michelin as their technical partner for the 2010 ALMS season.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has announced the results of its offer to exchange any and all of its $650 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.857% notes due in 2011 for a new series of 8.75% notes due in 2020.

Take a close look at the next late-model, mid-size sedan that rolls into your parking lot. Make note of the car’s tires. More often than not, you’ll find larger tires with a smaller aspect ratio and a higher speed rating — tires that perhaps 10 years ago would have been confined to the high performance or ultra-high performance categories.

There are many tools at the independent tire dealer’s disposal that can be used to secure repeat business. Some dealers put customers on strict preventive maintenance plans. Some promote tire rotations, oil changes, brake checks and other interval-based services. Others bring customers back with specials and coupons.

Ag tire applications are evolving, and ag tire manufacturers are offering new products to match the needs of farmers. According to Michael Burroughes, director of marketing, agricultural tires for Michelin North America Inc., farms are “getting larger and larger, increasing pressure on farmers to choose farming measures and tools that are efficient.”

On Modern Tire Dealer's February cover, we featured a story on "The Changing Face of Performance." To illustrate the story, which focused on the evolution of high performance tires, we used a photo of the iconic Mustang, a 2010 model, to be more exact.

We've written about tire dealers installing energy efficient lights, windows and other things designed to reduce their shops' power consumption and impact on the environment. Would you believe there's now an eco-friendly, in-ground vehicle lift?

Barcodes allow tire manufacturers to efficiently sort tires for shipping and track tires for quality purposes and possible recalls. But do they have to be stuck on the tire bead?