The U.S. Department of Transportation requires that 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 would look 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. The following is a listing of U.S. 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 USW-made tire.
| United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Code | Company/Location (Parent Company) |
USW Local Union No. |
| BE | B. F. Goodrich, Tuscaloosa, AL (Michelin) |
351L |
| BF | B. F. Goodrich, Woodburn, IN (Michelin) |
715L |
| AN | B. F. Goodrich, Opelika, AL (Michelin) |
753L |
| VE/YE/YU/8B | Bridgestone/Firestone, Des Moines, IA (Bridgestone) |
310L |
| 2M/3M | Bridgestone/Firestone, Bloomington, IL (Bridgestone) |
787L |
| D2/E3/W1/Y7 | Bridgestone/Firestone, Lavergne, TN (Bridgestone) |
1055L |
| 2C/4D/5D | Bridgestone/Firestone, Morrison, TN (Bridgestone) |
1155L |
| UP | Cooper, Findlay, OH | 207L |
| UT | Cooper, Texarkana, AR | 752L |
| DY | Denman, Warren, OH (Penslar Capital) |
98L |
| DA | Dunlop, Buffalo, NY (Goodyear) |
135L |
| JJ/MD/PU | Goodyear, Gadsden, AL | 12L |
| JN/MJ/PY | Goodyear, Topeka, KS | 307L |
| JE/MC/PT | Goodyear, Danville, VA | 831L |
| JT/MK/TA | Goodyear, Union City, TN | 878L |
| JP/MP/PL | Kelly-Springfield, Tyler, TX (Goodyear) |
746L |
| JF/MM/PJ | Kelly-Springfield, Fayetteville, NC (Goodyear) |
959L |
| CC | Yokohama Tire, Salem, VA (Yokohama) |
1023L |
| Canada | ||
| Code | Company/Location (Parent Company) |
USW Local Union No. |
| JU/PC/UK | Goodyear, Medicine Hat, Alberta | 628L |
In addition to company brands, these codes will also appear on “Associate Brand” and “Private Brand” tires manufactured at the above plants. The key, then, to being sure of getting a USW-made tire is the DOT code. Be sure and check it with this listing.
