European trailer manufacturer Schmitz Cargobull and Hankook have agreed a multiyear original equipment (OE) tire supply partnership, running from July 2026 to June 2030. The agreement marks Hankook’s return to the European commercial-vehicle OE market and covers trailer tires including the Smart Line long-distance, Smart Flex regional and local distribution and Smart Work off-road ranges.
“The development of the European logistics market opens up new potential for close partnerships in the commercial vehicle tire segment, which is increasingly important to us from a strategic perspective,” said Jongho Park, president and COO of Hankook Tire Europe. “As an industry leader, Schmitz Cargobull has particularly high standards in terms of quality, performance, efficiency and sustainability. We are proud that our tires meet all these criteria and are delighted about the strategic partnership.”
Schmitz Cargobull is equipping some newly manufactured semi-trailers and trailers with Hankook trailer tires ex-works. The trailer manufacturer produces curtainsiders, dry freight containers, refrigerated semi-trailers, container chassis and tippers at three sites in Germany and facilities in the UK, Spain, Lithuania, Romania and Turkey. The agreement also covers the used-trailer segment.
“With Hankook, we are gaining a capable partner whose high-quality tires are the perfect complement to our portfolio,” said Andreas Schmitz, CEO of Schmitz Cargobull. “In addition to the product qualities, reliability of supply for our European production sites was an important consideration. The agreement will enable us to offer the right tire solutions for different applications, whether long-distance transport, regional transport or use on construction sites, while also taking into consideration our customers’ requirements for cost-effectiveness and operational reliability.”
In related news, Hankook named exclusive tire supplier for Belgian Rally Championship
