Truck tires
While many pickup truck owners focus on engine horsepower, towing capacity and suspensions, tires are perhaps just as important. Equipping your pickup truck with the right tires can improve performance and ensure that you and your passengers have a safe journey.
However, purchasing new tires can be a daunting task. An endless list of brands and tire types are available, offering the perfect rubber for every buyer’s driving style, road conditions and terrain.
The best tires for your truck will depend on the specific type of vehicle you drive and its primary purpose. For example, a truck that hauls heavy loads requires a tread design significantly different from a pickup used in snowy and icy conditions.
How to choose the best tires for your truck
Truck tires can be divided into five major categories: all-terrain, heavy-duty, off-road, mud and winter tires.
To determine the best type of tire for you, consider the time you spend driving under normal on-road conditions with good weather compared to your driving time off-road, in the mud, on wet highways or the snow and ice. No single tire provides outstanding performance in all categories, so choose the one that performs the best under the two conditions you encounter most frequently.
All-terrain tires: Perform well on most surfaces, both off-road and on-road, at any time of the year and usually with a smooth, quiet ride on paved surfaces.
Heavy-duty tires: Provide maximum payload capacity for hauling heavy loads and towing campers, trailers or equipment.
Off-road tires: An aggressive tread provides the best traction on sand, gravel, mud, rocks and uneven surfaces. The robust puncture-resistant tires tend to be noisier than most.
Mud tires: Massive gaps, blocks and mud-cleaning features allow the tread to maintain maximum traction in the most challenging muddy conditions.
Winter tires: Softer rubber that resists freezing temperatures and deep sipes provide biting for improved snow traction.
Best truck tires 2021
Best all-terrain tires
Nitto Grappler G2 RadialTire: available at Amazon
Our take: The clever tread pattern helps the Grappler achieve commendable off-roading performance and makes it equally capable on the roads with excellent grip in snow and rain.
What we like: The step-block edges and lateral Z grooves of the variable-pitch tread pattern provide efficient biting for traction. Shoulder grooves clear mud from the tread, and stone ejectors push rocks out to prevent damage to the grooves.
What we dislike: More expensive than competitors.
BFGoodrich All-Terrain Radial Car Tire: available at Amazon
Our take: With Coreguard technology, these tires provide split- and bruise-resistant sidewall rubber.
What we like: With a serrated shoulder design, these tires provide increased snow, rock and mud traction. Their thick rubber and design also deflect protruding objects.
What we dislike: The tread is less effective than its competitors on muddy terrain.
Best heavy-duty tires
Michelin LTX A/T2 All-Terrain Radial Tire: available at Amazon
Our take: An enhanced truck tread compound combined with two high-tensile steel belts gives the LTX A/T2 added strength and durability.
What we like: The Michelin AT 2 offers load range options of D and E, providing some of the highest off-road performance and load-hauling capabilities in its class. Michelin Biting Edges technology includes a tread pattern with notched blocks resulting in superior traction on dirt, gravel, mud and snow.
What we dislike: The absence of debris ejectors allows a buildup of mud and rocks between the treads during off-road driving.
Falken Wildpeak A/T All-Terrain Radial Tire: available at Amazon
Our take: The Falken is one of the best load range E truck tires available, built for driving either on- or off-road in year-round weather conditions.
What we like: The relatively docile-looking tread design provides excellent traction and a comfortable ride both on- and off-road, especially in wet conditions.
What we dislike: Subpar performance in snowy conditions.
Best off-road tires
Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac Radial Tire: available at Amazon
Our take: An all-terrain, all-season symmetric tread design withstands the demanding day-to-day requirements of towing, hauling and rugged off-road use.
What we like: High-angled center tread blocks increase traction and provide lateral stability, while the self-cleaning feature prevents the buildup of dirt, gravel, mud and snow for better performance.
What we dislike: Some noise on dry pavement.
Firestone Destination X/T All-Terrain Truck Tire: available at Amazon
Our take: Destination tires combine off-road performance on all types of terrain and traction in dry, wet and wintry weather with a comfortable on-road ride and minimal noise.
What we like: An off-shoulder tread improves traction on all types of terrain, while interlocking tread blocks and notches further enhance mud traction. Steering response and handling are excellent on almost any surface.
What we dislike: Weak grip in deeper snow.
Best mud tires
BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 Tire: available at Amazon
Our take: The symmetric tread pattern is designed specifically for muddy conditions. The mud-clearing capabilities and the Krawler TEK sidewalls and casing make this one of the best mud tires available to truck owners.
What we like: Based on the technology used for BFG Dakar Rally racing tires, the T/A KM2 treads provide excellent off-road traction in all types of terrain and good performance when driving on pavement.
What we dislike: Wet-road performance is only average.
Cooper Discoverer STT Pro All-Season Tire: available at Amazon
Our take: Designed for extreme off-road driving conditions, the traction of the Discoverer STT Pro is exceptional, and its performance in the mud is second to none.
What we like: Even though the tire design focuses on off-road driving, the Discoverer STT Pro also offers outstanding on-road handling. During everyday driving, the tire is responsive, provides good braking power and demonstrates excellent grip and traction in both dry and wet conditions.
What we dislike: Some road noise.
Best winter tires
Pirelli Scorpion Winter Radial Tire: available at Amazon
Our take: Considered by many to be one of the top winter tires in the truck/SUV premium segment, the Scorpion beats out contenders.
What we like: The Scorpion offers excellent snow and wet weather control, efficient braking, responsive handling and low rolling resistance with a quiet ride.
What we dislike: Pricey.
Michelin Latitude X-Ice XI2 Winter Radial Tire: available at Amazon
Our take: This high-performance studless winter tire features a directional tread designed for 4×4 pickup trucks and SUVs.
What we like: Michelin employed its Comfort Control Technology using computer-optimized design and precision manufacturing to reduce vibrations and road noise and deliver a comfortable ride. A wide tread contact patch provides excellent winter maneuvering with cornering traction, acceleration and braking power.
What we dislike: Sometimes difficult to deal with Michelin for warranty issues.
Jeffrey Harper is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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