The Continental General Tire (CGT) Commercial Division introduces the Continental HDL drive tire for heavy highway service. The HDL offers an open-shoulder tread pattern with a new feature - sipes in the tread block. These sipes effectively turn each tread block into three separate elements to reduce heel/toe wear. This means the HDL offers the wet and snow traction of an open-shoulder tire with the irregular wear resistance of a close-shoulder tire.
Another feature of the HDL is greater angularity between the variable-sized shoulder tread blocks. The acute angles mean reduced stone retention, while variable-size blocks produce less noise. Special compounds are designed for low rolling resistance, and an H ply rating ensures a more durable casing.