Inside the $400M Rubber Track Industry: A Conversation with RTS’s Max Bitner
In this episode of Around the Bead, host Joe and co-host Big John sit down with Max Bitner, Vice President of Operations at Rubber Track Solutions (RTS), to explore the fast-growing world of rubber tracks across agriculture, construction, and earth-moving industries.
Max shares the origin and evolution of RTS, the rise of track machines, how rubber tracks are designed and manufactured, and why tracks are becoming a critical performance solution for modern equipment. The conversation dives deep into track technology, maintenance, performance metrics, and what the future holds as machines grow larger, more powerful, and more demanding.
🔧 Topics Covered:
Who Rubber Track Solutions is and their role as North America’s largest independent rubber track distributor
The evolution from tires to tracks and why track adoption has exploded
Where rubber tracks are made and how global supply chains affect the industry
The “Big Four” agricultural track manufacturers: Camso, Trackman, Bridgestone/Firestone, and Susi
How farmers and contractors choose the right track for their equipment
Differences between standard vs. severe duty tracks
How tread design, pitch, traction, flotation, and clean-out impact performance
Positive drive vs. friction drive track systems explained
Maintenance requirements for track undercarriages and best practices for longevity
The growing role of quad-track machines and their impact on heavy equipment performance
Sustainability, retreading, and the future of track remanufacturing
Where track technology is headed over the next 5 to 10 years
Show Notes:
Episode: Inside the $400M Rubber Track Industry: A Conversation with RTS’s Max Bitner
Host: Joseph, Big John, Max Bitner
Runtime: 36 minutes
Summary: Tracks aren’t just a niche anymore, they’re transforming agriculture, construction, and fleet industries. In this episode of Around the Bead, hosts Joe and Big John sit down with Max Bitner, VP of Operations at Rubber Track Solutions (RTS), the largest independent rubber track distributor in North America. We cover: The evolution of tracks from the 1980s to today Why tracks are taking more positions from tires Maintenance, durability & cost considerations The “Big Four” OEM track brands (Camso, Trackman, Bridgestone/Firestone, Susi) Where tracks succeed AND where tires still make sense From John Deere 9RX to Case Quadtracs, and from vegetable farms in California to earthmoving projects across North America, this episode dives into the track technology that’s reshaping industries. 📺 Subscribe to Around the Bead for more insights on tires, tracks, and fleet solutions.
What You'll Learn:
Why rubber tracks are no longer a niche solution but a core performance upgrade
How to evaluate track performance based on real-world conditions and application needs
What truly affects track lifespan and how proper maintenance protects your investment
How equipment manufacturers are pushing the limits of track engineering for higher horsepower machines
The strategic advantages of tracks in agriculture, construction, and earth-moving operations
How innovation in rubber compounds and materials will shape the future of heavy equipment
Links:
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Transcript:
00:00:01
[Music] Around the bead podcast, tire talk for trucking, mining, agriculture, and more. Your home for fleet solutions. Aiming to inform, pioneer, and entertain the tire world in connected industries. Sponsored by East Bay Tire, keeping essential industries moving forward. Welcome back to Around the Bead. I am your host, Joe. I'm joined by my co-host, Big John. And today we have a very special guest, Max Bitner with Rubber Track Solutions. Today, we're not kicking tires, we are kicking tracks.
00:00:49
Gentlemen, welcome to the show. >> Thanks for having us. >> Yeah, thanks, Joe. Thanks for having us, >> Max. I've been I've been really pumped for this. We've we've had a a variety of guests on the show talking about a tires and all different types of a solutions, but tracks are really really unique. Um, and I feel like it's a a small space that deserves a little bit more recognition, a little bit more information. Um, can you tell us who is RTS? What is RTS? What do you guys do?
00:01:18
>> Sure. Yeah, Joe. Um, well, first off, thanks for having me. you know, I love the content that you're producing and, you know, what you're trying to do for the industry, uplifting and and sharing content and um trying to fill that gap between fleets, consumers, and you know, the manufacturers. It's uh it's a unique space that you guys are filling. Um so, yeah, first off, uh my name is Max. I work for a company called Rubber Track Solutions. Track is in the name. Solutions is in the name. That's what we
00:01:49
do, you know. Um ultimately, um you know, rubber tracks and tires are similar in that they're both constructed of rubber and steel. >> Yeah. >> And they're vulcanized. Uh but after that, some of the similarities stop, right? Um there's obviously going to be tread patterns and that that are uh similar. Um you know, fit, form, and function is going to be different than the tire. Um, so Rubber Track Solutions has been sitting in this space since, you know, about 2001. >> Okay.
00:02:20
>> Um, our founder basically saw a compact track loader, which is basically a skid loader on on tracks. >> And who was your founder? >> Uh, Jerry von Green. Yeah. So, um Jerry, um you know, was in the was in the tire business as part of a tire dealership and he identified um that, you know, wheel positions were being lost. You know, that hey, that skid loader that was needing a replacement of tires is now going to a track. I don't have something to take care of the customer. You know, I don't
00:02:54
have something to to keep up with their uptime. And so he he identified that and that was like I said back in 2001 when you know uh 2 to 5% of what was coming out of the factory line was on rubber track you know everything else you know 95 to 97% was still on tires. >> Mhm. um you know you take it today's you know uh model 85 to 90% of uh compact equipment is coming out on a rubber track rather than a tire. Um, so Rubber Track Solutions identified, you know, that, hey, there's going to be a need
00:03:36
for parts here, you know, and it's not just Rubber Track as a part, but it's as a as a tool to uh amplify an industry, you know, to uplift industries such as paving, such as construction, or even precision farming, you know. So, we see the rubber track uh really evolved in into something that's uh not so much a niche, but it is its own industry at this point. And >> you're you're being a little humble when you when you speak of RTS, but RTS is my understanding is the largest rubber
00:04:13
track distributor in North America. >> Yes. So when it comes to you know a broad range of products um broad range of industries um broad range of brands that are being offered uh we do consider ourselves the largest independent master distributor of rubber track. So whether it's uh construction equipment, paving, uh farming, um any sort of you know specialized equipment that's coming out on rubber track, uh we we um try to provide a solution for that. >> And Max, what's your role at RTS?
00:04:50
>> So just recently took over vice president of operations. So um try to remain humble. You know, that's one of our our core core values at RTS. um don't have a background in sales and marketing. So hopefully that puts >> that's kind of why we invited you. >> Hopefully that puts a little bit of the misnomer about any information that I'm speaking about. You know it's more about the industry, our business and you know basically how we can connect manufacturers, dealers and the consumers
00:05:23
and and uplift um an industry kind of sit in the middle and provide those solutions. >> Right. So, uh, how long have you been with RTS? >> Um, so RTS was originally actually a DBA of a a tire dealer and it was always kind of operated on its own. Um, you know, I I uh started with them, I suppose, 15 years ago. Um, worked various jobs, you know, and through through that learned a lot of different principles, you know, how do we take care of the customer? what what actually elevates the customer experience? Uh
00:06:00
what does it mean to be humble, right? What does it mean to uh to have hunger, you know, to actually have that drive um to, you know, produce something of value for the industry, to produce something of value for the customer. Um you know, in 2019, we incorporated Rubber Track Solutions on its own. And from there, we really saw a big flywheel moment. uh we we created a lot of momentum and that's when I started you know officially just as you know with rubber track solutions uh from there you know we've we've
00:06:34
definitely taken our bumps and bruises you know over the last uh six seven years um and I'll try to keep this as timeless as possible you know not talk too much about current events but um you know just after we went to our own corporation. Uh COVID started, you know, and every ever since then it's been, you know, every six months there's a new crisis that we're dealing with. And it's taught us a lot about resilency, resilience, and you know, how do we have grit to overcome?
00:07:10
How do we con continue to stick to our our founding principles, our core values, and uh um actually deliver that value for the consumer and for the dealer. I I love that. That was great. >> Well said. >> Um, so pivoting a little bit to to tracks themselves, where where do these things come from? Where where are they produced? You've got compact tracks, you have a tracks, you guys carry it all. You guys carry the undercarriage, too. All the parts? >> Yep. >> Um, just tracks. Where are tracks made?
00:07:41
>> Um, so if we if we stick with construction track, that's probably the easiest place to start, right? So, um, the raw materials are going to come from Southeast Asia, you know, that's where rubber trees are, you know, it's no different than tires. Um, you know, and basically the raw materials come from there. And at this point, there is not a US domestic producer of construction rubber track. So, basically almost all of it comes from, you know, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, you know,
00:08:12
anywhere kind of >> there's Japanese uh Bridgestone track. >> Bridgestone. Yep. They make their track in Japan. Yeah. >> They still make a a compact track. >> They do. Yeah. >> I didn't know that. >> It's a good one, too. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Um Yeah. So, they uh they make theirs there. But basically, that's you know, the raw material. So, from there, we take the raw materials, the rubber, the you know, the rubber compounding, the
00:08:35
steel, the steel cabling, form it, you know, basically in a press. Uh but then basically everything comes from overseas. So, um, >> that's on the compact track side. >> Yep. And that's on the compact track side. Yep. And so, you know, we we sit as a distributor, so we handle the logistics part of that, right? Uh, figure out what inventory is going to need be needed for domestic consumption. Um, and then be able to put those solutions into people's hands. >> And then what about tracks? Where are
00:09:05
those produced? So, a tracks, there's uh there's, you know, four main brands of a tracks and then, you know, there's some some offshore options at this point um that are trying to kind of reverse engineer what those other four brands are doing at this point. >> What are the big four? >> So, you've got Camso, which is now own that's a brand owned by Michelin. You've got Trackman, which is owned by a company called American Ryan Matal. Um you got Bridgestone or or Firestone
00:09:36
owned by Bridgestone and then you've got Susi. >> Susi. Okay. >> Yep. Susi. So um Kimo is made right in the heart of America, Kansas. Um Trackman is made in St. Mary's, Ohio. And then Susi is out of Drummondville, Canada. And Firestone's made in Japan. So that's actually an imported product. the are speaking of current events, August 2025, uh the two Japanese Bridgestone and uh Canadian Su Sauy Susi >> Susi >> Susi being heavily impacted by terrorists. >> Um it kind of depends on who's who's
00:10:18
reading what ruling, you know, and um >> I guess is it is it affecting farmers today? >> It kind of depends on which which part. So on the on the a track, um, Firestone is they do have a tariff on it. There's just a straight baseline tariff on that product. We have yet to see any price adjustments on that, but I would expect something to happen. >> Um, and then on SUSI, I I do believe due to the USMCA rulings, um, Atrack is exempt. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Ah, interesting.
00:10:55
So, you you own a a John Deere 9 series track, the the T version. Uh how do you how do you pick between those four? I mean, which tracks and why? >> Sure. Um first off, you know, uh you know, a 9T, a 9000T, it's an older model series at this point. Um you know, I think John Deere stopped producing that in the early 2000s. Um, and then you know, basically they moved into the 30 series and then up into what they call 9RT now. And you know, at that that point, this tractor's got a lot of hours
00:11:32
on it. >> You know, this tractor is probably not your mainline tractor. You know, for a a major major producer, um, you know, it's most likely going to be doing tillillage if you got that big heavy horsepower tractor like that. And so you want to start looking at, okay, can we start narrowing it down from there? Who offers a track for that? You know, does everybody offer something like that? Um, is there a price point concern? You know, um, is there a performance concern that we need to
00:12:05
meet? Um, how long do we want to keep running this tractor? How many hours are we putting on it per year? Um, and that'll start to qualify what you're looking for, a standard or a severe duty, you know. Um, >> what's the difference between the two? >> Typically, it's it's carcass construction. So, that's going to be um, you know, main cable sizing. And then the biggest difference, you know, visually that you're going to see is in the is in the tread height and then what
00:12:36
they call the tip width. >> Yeah. >> Of the tread bar. >> And that's that's more traction. That's more wear. What is that to a farmer? >> Yep. So what you can also look at is the pitching. So pitch is basically distance from one tread bar tip to the next tread bar tip. And you can start looking at that and that's what's going to um adjust your tractive effort. So how much traction am I getting versus what's my ride quality? Right? So we can really
00:13:08
space those tread bars out, but you better put your mouthpiece in because it's going to be a rough ride, you know? um where you can bring in, you know, the pitch to a shorter pitch. And um it'll improve ride quality and it'll also um it'll reduce your, you know, tractive effort, but it'll um it it won't reduce it completely, you know. So, you got to kind of find that happy medium. What what truthfully is going to work? And um you know that's where we try to work with manufacturers do testing you know
00:13:43
>> um let them see real world applications. Here's what we're building. How well does it work? >> How do you how do you test and and what metrics are you looking at to to value the performance? Measure the performance. >> Sure. Um, so when you're starting to look at rubber track and tires and especially too, you know, and you guys are in the tire business, you guys um I I probably shouldn't speak about it. I've been out of it long enough, but uh you you're looking for
00:14:16
flotation, right? So, how well what's the what's the PSI? How well does this stay up on top of ground? What's what's the comp compaction rating? um how well does the the tread pattern clean out? You know, if we're in a really heavy soil, is it, you know, are we turning this into a racing tire which is really slick? Yeah. >> Or is the track actually cleaning out? Um, so you you want to look at those types of performance aspects um and and uh and figure out is is this the metric
00:14:51
that's you know um going to produce a better track? >> Are you seeing some brands and models perform dramatically better than others >> as far as uh rubber on agriculture still? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Um, are there per particular brands or products performing better? Um, >> like as far as cleanout or hours or traction where someone comes to you and says, "Hey, man, the cleanout is my priority." Um, and you say, "Well, let's start looking at these tracks."
00:15:23
>> Sure. Um, yeah, definitely. I think you can start looking at if if cleanout's going to be his priority. Um there's probably uh probably some sort of uh heavy soil or extremely wet conditions that he's going to be in. >> Yeah. >> And um manufacturers will make products that are more specific for that, you know. So, you're most likely going to want an extreme duty track and you're going to want something with a taller tread bar, right? Yeah. >> Um and then you're going to make sure
00:15:57
that you know the pitching of that tread bar um configuration is spread out to clean out. >> Does does a farmer have a bunch of options? I mean, everybody makes that. >> Yeah, I I would say so. You know, you're um you're going to have to get it in a heavier carcass package for sure. um when you go with a lighter duty track um and you're looking for you know what I I mean what you're what you're describing is what I would consider extreme conditions. >> Okay.
00:16:27
>> You know um when somebody is looking for that, you're going to want to go with an extreme duty track. you know, something that's um, you know, heavy duty like a Camo 6500, um, a Firestone Class 6, >> a um, Continental Extreme. >> The, uh, so you those Okay. Um, and I'm thinking about the Firestone here. Who's been making tracks the longest? Acts. >> Attracts the longest. Um, >> I don't actually know the history of Acts. John, you know the history of
00:17:03
Acts? Well, I know back in the early 2000s, we were one of the first um Goodyear distributors uh for a while. Um and then Goodyear transitioned into Continental, which transitioned into to where they're at today. I I'd have to say it's probably Firestone. Um Firestone or Goodyear were probably the original ones if I had to guess. And Camo, I mean, they they they were pretty early on, too, but I could be wrong. >> Let's let's hear from the track expert. >> Yeah. So, uh, the track origin story
00:17:33
actually starts in North Dakota, the Red River Valley in North Dakota. Extreme conditions, short growing cycles, um, heavy duty soils that don't dry out, right? Farmers are in there with a tire. They're stuck. Um, they've only their their growing window is shortened because they can't get into the field to plant. They can't get into the field to harvest, right? And um so Caterpillar came out with their Challenger line of tractors actually in the late 80s >> and um they were actually I believe the
00:18:08
original agriculture rubber track company which um at the time it would have been C Camlast basically took over production of that factory and um Caterpillar got out of it. So Caterpillar was the originator really. Um, so Camoplast took that over and I couldn't tell you the dates. It would have been somewhere in the mid to late 90s. Um, and I think that's about when Goodyear also got into it. Yeah. >> Yeah. Then Camel Plast sold out to Camo. >> Correct. >> Yeah. So there was actually a a merger
00:18:45
and acquisition with Solid Eel. Yeah. So Camoplast Solid Eel became Camo and that's, you know, still the brand that we know today. >> Yeah. Uh, you know, I'm curious who who's made the most advanc advancements on technology. >> That's a good question. Um, so when it comes to OEM capabilities, you know, I think that's kind of where you look at it. um from the original what they call the flat track Challenger, you know, the you know, model 65 through 95, which um you
00:19:18
know, they phased out in 2000, you know, the early 2000s and then, you know, came out with the the big MT800 that they got now. Um you you really got to look at John Deere, you know, John Deere is uh pushing that industry forward, you know. Um they recently came out with their 8Rx u the 9Rx. Um but you've also got Case I mean Case New Holland they make some really great equipment as well. And you know I think just earlier this week they announced a new model of 785. I mean it's like close to 900 horsepower.
00:19:55
>> Wow. Um, so now when you talk about a rubber track going on a 900 horsepower out of the factory piece of equipment, you need some severe engineering to make sure that that track is going to hold up to that. You know, that's some serious torque. Um, you know, as far as um, you know, when it comes to that track, the track is going to be the fuse, right? So, something in that system has got to let go, you know, and unfortunately, it's probably going to be the track, and that's probably what you
00:20:32
want. You don't want it to be an engine or a transmission or something like that. But track manufacturers have to work to basically build something that's going to hold up to that type of abuse. >> So, when you have that kind of torque with that horsepower, is it the guide lugs that usually give out or is it the um the lugs? Um, so on that it's going to be a positive drive system and it's going to be, you know, the the drive lugs >> for our viewers out there. What's a
00:21:00
positive drive system? >> Yeah. So that's that's also a great >> That's for me. >> Yeah. Yeah. So uh that's that's a great question. And so if you look at uh any of the tractors that Case is building, if you look at, you know, any of the newer model John Deere John Deere, the 9Rx, the 8 RX, basically on the inside of the track, there's, you know, basically drive lugs and they positively engage with what looks kind of like a squirrel cage. So there's basically a
00:21:31
drive um drive wheel that engages the track and and propose uh propels it forward. >> And that's versus a friction drive which is what? >> So friction drive is think of think of the a rubber track as a as a rubber band, right? Or like a belt. >> And you know it's kind of a common term as people refer refer to them as a belt. And basically you're you're taking that rubber track and you're stretching it tight over, you know, a drive wheel and an idler and you're basically pulling it
00:22:08
tight. And it's actually friction between that drive wheel and the rubber track. So it's rubber on rubber that actually moves it forward. >> That's a great metaphor. I like that one. I'm going to use that. >> Yeah. W with with that said, how important do the do the drive wheels and the bogey wheels and idler um wheels all play a part in that that preventive maintenance of that track lasting? >> Yeah, that's a that's a great question, John. Uh yeah, 100%. I mean, um a track
00:22:40
system has to be maintained, you know. Um, I would say that anybody that's, you know, a prospective track customer, you know, you're looking at a piece of equipment, there's a little bit of upfront cost just in the maintenance side of it, right? Um, and that turns some people off, but it's also, you know, hey, if if we're going to be having a piece of equipment, it's only going to last if we take care of it, you know, and so, um, >> how much how much cost? You know,
00:23:10
there's an upfront cost of >> this is like before you start using the track or you mean just as a cost associated with maintaining the track? >> I think both, Joe. That's Yeah, that's also a good question. So, um the the machine is going to go for more value, right? you know, the rubber track um increases the value of the tractor and it's gonna cost it's going to cost more, >> but there's >> generally a little bit more maintenance cost over a tire, you know, just because
00:23:41
um as John was asking about the the bogey wheels, the the mid rollers, um the idler, the drive wheel, you know, there's just more moving components there. There's more grease points. Um, with that there's, you know, just a little bit more that you got to pay attention to. And, um, say if you've got a mid roller that's missing rubber polyurethane, it's going to be an issue because now you've got, you know, basically you've got a metal surface on a on a rubber track. You're going to
00:24:13
wear out basically the inside of that rubber track, you know. So, you maintenance is is definitely a must. Um we we do see some issues with uh lack of maintenance. Um but you know it it can be remedied. >> Yeah. >> So what can a farmer expect from a maintenance perspective? Uh use a 8 RX example. Uh what type of investment do they need to put in the maintenance of all that undercarriage? Hm. That's a that is a good question. Let me think about that for a second. Um, you know, you've you've got tracks that have a
00:24:56
value. You have uh you know, the on that one it's just idlers and bogey wheels basically that make up the undercarriage. Um, as long as you're not running them down the road and getting them really hot, they're they're going to last longer than you think, you know. But if if you're gonna uh go beyond the weight and load chart, you know, you might tear something up and you're gonna probably have to pay for that. >> Yeah. >> So, um you know, we're we're here on a
00:25:31
on a show about tires, you know, talking about tracks. Um tires have a certain amount of variance in the load and weight chart, right? I don't know, manufacturers won't tell you that, but there's say a 10% variance that >> you know, you go a little bit heavier, you go a little bit faster. >> Um, take that 8 RX for example. >> If it says 54,000 lbs at, you know, 19 mph, that doesn't mean 20, you know, that doesn't mean 55,000 lbs. You know, you really got to make sure that you're
00:26:06
you're weighing the weighing the tractor with the implement and then obeying speed, >> right? So especially just going down the road primarily. >> So is there a typical rule of thumb on you know every other track replacement or every track replacement we need to replace components of the undercarriage? Is there a rule of thumb on that or is it just based on wear and tear? Um I I you know I go back to you know when I was a little bit more involved in track sales in the early 2000s. A lot of
00:26:36
people never thought of the undercarriage. it was get me a track, put it on and and I think we seen a lot of um you know what we thought at that time were adjustment issues which were really not adjustment issues it was lack of preventive maintenance. Is is there a rule of thumb in today's world that says, "Hey, look, you you really should replace this stuff um you know, every so often. Is there is there a rule of thumb on that?" >> You know, that's a good question. I would say refer to the, you know,
00:27:02
basically the equipment guide book, you know, and just, you know, what what does a manufacturer recommend that way? >> Um is there a rule of thumb? No. Um, you know, we do see some people when they're replacing a track, they're going to buy a set of bogey wheels, you know, just, you know, a track is an investment, you know, and you want to you want to get the most out of your investment, and that's actually how you, you know, deliver the value. And so, it seems like a, you know, fairly inexpensive way to
00:27:31
drive a little bit more value. And hey, if I'm already got it in the shop, if I've got it torn down already, why wouldn't I, you know, uh, you know, take off the eight bolts and put eight, you know, put >> Why would you replace a valve stem in an air tire, right? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So, you can I don't know that there's that, but any, you know, just like a tire, chipping, chunking, you know, cuts, tear, tears, anything like that. Um, that's just good rule of thumb to
00:28:01
replace it. So, Max, you sell a tracks, compact tracks across North America. How big is the the Atrack market today? >> The Atrack market as far as uh say like replacement units or just uh um >> replacement units or dollars, >> you know? Um replacement units. I got to think I got to think you're somewhere between oh 12 and 13,000 units or so, you know, being replaced yearly. Um, that could be a little bit of a high estimate. So you're looking at and maybe uh between you know OEM and aftermarket you're
00:28:49
probably looking at uh you know 350 $400 million industry >> in incl or including compact not compact. >> Oh okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That was just a um >> I I can see that. I had it at 250 >> you know in there but yeah 350. >> You could be closer. Yeah. I uh I I was just making a guess. >> That's a good guess. So, of of that the replacement market, where are tracks succeeding the the most? Like what's their what's their niche? Where where are they doing really well?
00:29:24
>> Yeah. So, um on uh on egg, you know, I think it originally started as a niche, you know, I think uh any anybody that you know, it was just something to try, right? Um, you know, now a consumer, a producer of of these these products, you know, somebody that's growing, you know, vegetables, grains, you know, any any sort of these um um, you know, farming products, right? I don't think it's so much a niche anymore. I think anybody that values efficiency, that values uh productivity, that that values u
00:30:06
performance of equipment, you know, and that's really looking to increase their yield. Um, you know, essentially lower input costs as well. >> Yeah. >> Um, tracks are a good option. Um, now there's there's certain in instances I would say not great option. just um you know if you got a you got 70 miles in between fields probably not a great option. >> So niche may not be the best word. I mean biased tires still exist. They still have a huge huge amount of them out there. They have their place in the
00:30:38
market that the market wants them. Um say in in in my in my world in vineyard farming, you don't see a lot of tracks out there. And that's for a lot of different reasons. Where do tracks do really well? Where are they really popular? >> Yeah, so we see u a lot of the vegetable farmers out here in California. You know, they do >> um you know, this is actually the largest track population in the United States, you know, basically west of the Sierra Neadas. Um, you know, we see a lot of guys that are
00:31:13
doing, um, you know, grains in the Midwest, you know, soybeans, corn, um, they do very well. You get down into just, you know, north of here, there's rice fields. You got down in, uh, the Mississippi, Mississippi Delta, so like Arkansas, Tennessee, um, you know, Mississippi, you got rice fields down there as well. Um, one thing we haven't talked about is earth moving. >> Yeah, >> that's a, you know, the pole behind scraper. Um, you want to increase your cycle time, you know, you want to
00:31:49
increase your, uh, uh, you know, productive out output of equipment, you know, you want to get into a little bit rougher terrain, >> scraper tractor is an awesome option. >> Huge, huge. I mean that's I think that's one of the things that's influencing the west population for tracks is that case quad track. I mean that's the I see it out there moving dirt in dairies for residential. It doesn't matter what it is. It seems like if you want to move dirt fast you move it on a quad track.
00:32:19
>> Joe Joseph mention mentioned quad tracks. How how big of a part of that played in the versatility of track machines? >> Um we didn't see quad tracks a lot of them anyways. question. Why quad? Why four tracks? >> Yeah. So, um I think there's a couple different reasons and uh I'm probably not the biggest gear head to talk about the difference between like a twotrack and a fourtrack system. I think it gives you extended footprint, you know, and now you can go into a wider track. So,
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you've increase the versatility. A lot of those are center articulated, so now you've got increased mobility as well. um they work I think is is the the reason behind it. So >> do you see them taking more positions away from u dual tracks machines? I think in heavy tillage application and earth moving uh definitely. Um when it comes to like row crop crop applications or something like that, not so much. Just cuz uh to to make one of those machines, they're they're just so big. They're so heavy.
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You know, deer's got the 8x, which is, you know, it's uh not a it's it's a fixed frame tractor. It's not a center articulated tractor. Um, and it's it's a lot for a track system to handle, you know, it's it's a lot going on there, you know, when when you get to a narrower track. You talked about California being one of the largest track markets in the US. Um, when we started seeing track machines really start to, you know, come into the market in the early 2000s. you know, by 2010,
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you drive up and down the the central valley or the or the north or central coast, there's track machines everywhere. Um, has that market grown or is it reduced over the last say six, seven years in your opinion? Um, as far as uh just track population, I think uh I think it's grown, you know. Um, you know, once you get up into a 7, 8, 9 series tractor, there's a lot of advantages to a track versus a tire. Um, you know, when you're in vegetables, compaction is a big issue. you know, um
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>> you want to provide that that vegetable the best bed to, you know, to grow and come up out of the ground. Um you know, to to do with that with a tire. Um not say it can't be done, you know, I think, you know, I think that's why we see that uh track market uh growing. At a certain point, you're going to see a leveling off because in certain applications it doesn't work. you know, in in some it works very well. You know, >> what's Go ahead. >> What's next for tracks
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>> as far as uh technology? Um >> could be anything. I mean, you guys have your distribution across North America. Um they have their place in the market. There are diehard track fans out there. Um the OEM market is increasing as you said. John Deere and Case continue to invest in those machines. What is next for tracks? Is it is it a technology advancement? Is it changeovers? Where do you see tracks 5 years, 10 years from now? >> Yeah. You know, I think at a certain point um you know, I talked about tires
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having a certain level of variance, right? You know, there there's a you can go just a little bit over, you know, with the track you can't. And the the reason behind that is is is kind of technology. Rubber can only do what rubber can do. Yeah, >> if you start running that rubber at a certain speed, it's going to generate heat. That heat is the number one en enemy of a rubber product. Um, you know, at a certain point we're going to have to figure out either rubber compound or,
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you know, some sort of, you know, polymer or something that um can help uh minimize that heat or basically increase that uh the the heat rating on the track basically so you don't get the reversion. The the equipment's getting bigger. people don't want to they they want to go as fast as they can, right? We're all trying to drive efficiency. >> Um but at a certain point, um you know, that that rubber and the compounding has to improve, you know, and that's where I see that. Um I
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think you're going to continue to see manufacturers come out with bigger, bolder options, you know, to increase productivity. Um, I think you're going to continue to see them, um, you know, figure out ways to reduce, you know, the maintenance cost as well. So, I I think when it, you know, there's probably some specialized markets I'm not thinking about, but, uh, equipment's getting bigger, you know. >> Yeah. >> Tracks help that. >> Max, what about what about you? We do
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this segment on this show uh called what's your BDE your big dog energy and what it means is what's the moment you you show so much passion and knowledge about tracks what was a moment in your career where you went this is this is what I'm going to do this is where I want to be I want to be maybe with RTS or just in the track industry the a compact industry was there a moment for you >> sure um I don't know that I can take it back to you know one singular moment Um, but you're you're right, Joe. It
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starts with that that purpose. What's my why? Why am I doing this? You know, do I do I enjoy what I'm doing? You know, it you know, can I get behind the mission of of the industry? Can I get behind the mission of my business, you know? >> Um, and and from that it it turns into passion, right? That's the fire, you know, and that's the energy. And you know it really starts it it goes back to you know delivering that customer experience. You know did I help somebody today? >> Did I provide a solution? Um you know
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did uh um did I add value? Right? And there's so many different ways you can you can measure that. But you know you find fulfillment in you know um exercising your passions. Right? And this is an industry that's not just an industry to be an industry, but it's it's a tool that's useful um for elevating and creating industries as well, right? So it it helps construction, you know. Um if a guy has a broken track, he's going to have a bad day. >> Yeah. >> Can I help him on that bad day? You
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know, um a farmer wants to increase his yield. Can I help him do that? you know, um, somebody just needs inventory. Can I help them do that? You know, and so just, uh, your solution doesn't matter if somebody doesn't have a problem, right? You don't know what the problem is until you start asking questions. >> Yeah. You you share you share a lot of uh commonalities with most of our guests, which is their passion behind equipment. And we talk about class A trucks to 500, 900 horsepower pieces of a equipment on
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the show. It's all about solutions. It's all about finding something that helps that end user accomplish what they want to accomplish. >> Yeah, you bet. you know, and I think that's, you know, one thing I really like about Rubber Track Solutions is we we carry all the major brands, you know, um, we've worked with manufacturers, we've went through the quality control process, we've figured out what works, what doesn't work, you know, and we've been able to, um, you know, figure out,
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you know, the domestic side of things and figure out how to, you know, ultimately not just create an industry, but elevate in industry. >> Actually, I I don't really have much more for you, John. >> I got one more actually. I was thinking about how does retreading play a part in both tracks and the undercarriage and do you see it playing a bigger part five years from now? >> That's a great one. >> Yeah. So, uh sustainability is going to have to be part of any industry, right?
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Especially, uh the day and age that we live in. Um for undercarriage, yeah, it's a big it's a big deal. you know, you got a piece of steel, the steel doesn't necessarily wear out in one life. Um, it's just, you know, basically the coating that goes on it, whether it's rubber, polyurethane, that's a big deal, right? You know, you do a core exchange program. Um when it comes to retreading of tracks, you know, there's there's such a variability in how people build tracks that
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um I think a fully molded track is probably not a super sustainable, you know, retreaded product. Um, you know, there's I if uh if you can replace the tread bars and the guide blocks and you know, basically, you know, there's not too many broken cables, you you can retread it. Um, you know, we call that remanufacturing process and it basically would go back through, you know, original uh original manufacturing process and be a viable product in the market. >> Max, I think you brought a ton of
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knowledge to our listeners. uh and myself personally uh would love to see you guys come back. Bring Jerry on the show, hear a little bit more of the history of RTS. Um for our viewers out there, put your comments in the comments section. Uh we want to hear more track questions. We'll ping you, Max. Hopefully you can help answer those for us. Thanks for coming. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. No, thank you guys. Well done, guys. >> Till next time. [Music] Around the bead podcast, tire talk for
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