What are Last-Mile Delivery Tires?
Product Information, New Products | 05/22/2025
LMD Tires Offer a New Commercial Option
Last-mile delivery (LMD) tires are a specialized type of commercial tire designed specifically for vehicles that handle the final leg of the delivery process, typically from a distribution center to the customer's door. These tires are engineered to meet the unique demands of urban and suburban delivery routes, which involve frequent stops, heavy loads, short distances, and varied road conditions.
Tires serving LMD functions have existed for decades under different labels such as commercial or light truck tires but the term last-mile delivery was coined post 2020, when the demand for last-mile delivery services skyrocketed.
What Makes LMD Tires Unique?
Last-mile delivery tires are designed to optimize driving in urban and suburban areas which often involves frequent stops and some curb bumps along the way. In order to support vehicles and drivers during the “last mile” of their delivery service, they need to include the following characteristics:
- Improved Fuel Efficiency: LMD tires feature low rolling resistance to help fleets lower fuel or energy costs, which is important for both gas and electric delivery vans.
- Urban Resilience: The curb guards and abrasion-resistant compounds on these tires protect against sidewall damage from urban obstacles.
- High Load Capacity: They are built to carry heavy cargo repeatedly without degrading quickly.
- Reinforced Sidewalls: Their internal structures support frequent payload stress.
- Durability in Stop-and-Go Traffic: LMD’s have optimized tread patterns and compounds that reduce wear from frequent braking and acceleration and are designed for constant stopping, curb impacts, and tight turns.
- All-Season and All-Weather Performance: Often rated M+S (Mud & Snow) or 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake) for winter reliability, LMD tires are designed for safe operation in rain, light snow, or dry urban roads.
Why has this tire segment grown so fast?
The LMD segment has grown rapidly since 2020, due in part to the pandemic which created an increased demand for e-commerce (i.e. home delivery from Amazon, Instacart, and DoorDash). The demand has also been driven by urban delivery expansion, electric fleet adoption (which places different demands on tires), and fleet optimization, where tire cost and performance have a direct bottom-line impact.
How has Sentury Responded to the Growing Need?
Sentury released the new Delinte DV3 LMD AS at SEMA in 2024, which is the first LMD available in the Delinte lineup. Engineered for the all-season segment, the DV3 LMD AS has durable and tough sidewalls that help with curb impacts and a unique all-season cut/chip tread compound that combats road debris for longer tread life and ensures exceptional all-weather performance. It also features a 3D sipes design to ensure stiffness during braking, acceleration, and handling — and is also M+S RATED.
DV3 LMD AS Fitments for Popular Last-Mile Delivery Vehicles
The rise in popularity of LMD tires has led auto dealerships and manufacturers to equip new vehicles with LMD tires. Delinte’s DV3 LMD AS is made for these specific vehicles which include the Chevrolet Express Van, the Brightdrop Zevo 440/600, the FORD Transit, the Mercedes Sprinter, and the RAM ProMaster. The DV3 LMD AS comes in five sizes, with the most popular being: LT245/75R16, LT225/75R16, and 235/65R16C.
Watch this video below to learn more about Delinte’s DV3 LMD AS.
