« from Union Plus blog on September 2, 2012
The U.S. Department of Transportation requires 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 looks 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.
Here 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 tire made by the United Steelworkers (USW).
In addition to company brands, these codes also appear on “Associate Brand” and “Private Brand” tires. The key to making sure you’re getting a USW-made tire is the DOT code.