courtesy of David Whitaker:
The U.S. Department of Transportation requires that all tires sold in the United States carry a code which shows, among other things, the company and plant that made the tire. The code would look like this:
DOT BE XX XXX XXX
The two symbols (either two letters or a letter and a number) which follow “DOT” indicate the company and the plant where a tire was manufactured. For example, the above code indicates a tire made by B. F. Goodrich in Tuscaloosa, AL. The following is a listing of all U.S. and Canadian unionized tire plants and their DOT codes. By comparing this list to the code on the tire you are buying, you can be certain you are getting a USW-made tire.
CODE COMPANY, CITY
BE B. F. Goodrich Tuscaloosa, Ala. BF B. F. Goodrich Woodburn, Ind. VE, YE, YU, 8B Bridgestone/Firestone Des Moines, Iowa D2, E3, W1, Y7 Bridgestone/Firestone Lavergne, Tenn. 2C, 4D, 5D Bridgestone/Firestone Morrison, Tenn. UP Cooper Findlay, Ohio UT Cooper Texarkana, Ark. JU, PC, UK Goodyear Medicine Hat, Alberta DY Denman Tire Warren, Ohio JJ, MD, PU Goodyear Gadsden, Ala. DA Dunlop Buffalo, N.Y. JN, MJ, PY Goodyear Topeka, Kan. JE, MC, PT Goodyear Danville, Va. JT, MK, TA Goodyear Union City, Tenn. JF, MM, PJ Kelly-Springfield Fayetteville, N.C. CC Yokohama Tire Salem, Va.
* Any Goodyear racing tire made in the United States is a USW-made tire.
** Any Goodrich racing tire or off-the road tire made in the United States is a USW-made tire.
In addition to company brands, these codes will also appear on “Associate Brand” and “Private Brand” tires manufactured at the above plants.
The key, then, to being sure of getting a USWmade tire is the DOT code. Be sure and check it with this listing.
from Label Letter, Vol. XXXVI, No. 3 May-Jun 2011 / Union Label & Service Trades Department, AFL-CIO.
