How to keep inventory of used tires: tread depth, age and condition of every tire
A new tire of one model is the same as any other of that model. A used one is not: two tires of the same size and brand can differ in tread depth, age and repairs — and therefore in price and in what you may honestly promise the buyer. This guide explains how to record used tires one by one, how to price them by condition and how to keep that record in OrgLines.
Why “quantity by model” does not work
If the stock only says “4 pcs 205/55 R16”, the seller cannot answer the buyer's first question: how much tread is left? Staff walk to the rack, measure again and the buyer waits. Worse, a set may be sold with one tire much more worn than the other three, which leads to returns, arguments and bad reviews. For used tires the unit of stock is not the model but the single tire.
What to record for each tire
- Tread depth in millimetres, measured with a gauge in the main grooves at the inner edge, centre and outer edge. Record the lowest value; note it if the difference suggests uneven wear.
- Production date from the DOT code on the sidewall: the last four digits are week and year, so 2321 means week 23 of 2021.
- Repairs, plugs, cuts, bulges, cracks and signs of uneven wear.
- Photos of the tread, the sidewall with the DOT code and any damage.
- The exact storage place: rack, shelf, bin — and which tires belong to one set.
Measure the same way every time
Numbers only help if they are comparable. Agree on one gauge type, the three measuring points and rounding to 0.5 mm, and write it on a card at the intake bench. A new passenger-car tire usually starts at roughly 7–9 mm; the legal minimum in the EU is 1.6 mm, marked by the wear indicators in the grooves, and many experts recommend replacing winter tires well before that. Put your own selling threshold in writing, so staff do not decide it tire by tire.
An intake routine that takes minutes
- Clean the tire enough to see the grooves and the sidewall.
- Check the inside and outside for cuts, bulges, cracks and old repairs.
- Measure tread at three points, write down the lowest value and read the DOT date.
- Take two or three photos and attach them to the tire's record straight away.
- Label the tire with its number, put it in a storage location and record that location.
Worked example: pricing a set by condition (illustrative numbers)
Say your price rule for a used 205/55 R16 summer tire is: 40 EUR at 6 mm or more, 30 EUR at 5–5.5 mm, 20 EUR at 4–4.5 mm, nothing below 3 mm; minus 5 EUR if older than five years. Four tires arrive with 6.5, 6.0, 6.5 and 4.0 mm, DOT 2321. Priced one by one, three are worth 40 EUR and one 20 EUR. As a set of four sold at the “6 mm” price, you would overcharge for the worn tire and invite a dispute; sold as “set at the worst tire”, you give away 60 EUR. Better options: sell the three matching tires as a set and the fourth separately, or sell the four at 140 EUR with the 4.0 mm tire clearly shown.
How it works in OrgLines
In OrgLines a product can have custom attributes at three levels: the product (model), the batch and the single unit. For used tires you keep size, season and load index on the product, and add tread depth, production date, condition notes and photos to each unit. A unit record holds the identity, placement and condition of one physical item, so the tire stays part of the same product — search, catalogue and prices work as usual — while the seller and the buyer see the exact tire.
- At goods receipt, serial numbers can be entered per unit or generated automatically.
- Each unit is placed in a storage location of the warehouse, so staff know which rack and bin to go to.
- A unit with movement history cannot be deleted, which keeps the record of what was received and sold honest.
- Photos and documents can be attached to the product and to its units.
The same record for seasonal storage
Clients' tires in seasonal storage benefit from the same discipline: tread depth and photos taken at intake protect you if a client later claims the tires came in better, and the storage location tells staff where to find the set when the client comes back. Hand the client a short intake note with the measured values.
Common mistakes
- Measuring once in the centre only, which hides edge wear.
- Ignoring age: a tire with good tread can still be too old to sell with confidence.
- Selling “sets” that were put together from different tires without saying so.
- Storing tires without a location, so the record exists but the tire cannot be found.
- Taking photos that do not show the DOT code or the damage.
Checklist
- One measuring method, written down at the intake bench.
- Tread, DOT date, condition and photos recorded per tire.
- A written price rule by tread depth and age.
- A minimum tread below which you do not sell.
- Every tire has a storage location.