Valentyna Zhuk
Marketing Communications Manager
Reviewed by:
Peio Martin Elustondo
VP of Marketing at Anyline
Every tire carries its size, its DOT code, and its wear. Tire data collection adds what the tire cannot show: the vehicle, the wheel position and the date.
The car is back for its next service, and the record from the last visit is open on the screen. It shows the tire size, one DOT code and a tread depth of 5/32 in. It does not say which wheel that reading came from, or whether all four tires share the code. The tires have been rotated since, so today’s readings have nothing to be compared against.
Every number in that record may be correct. What it lacks is a link between each reading and one tire on one car. Tire data collection is the work of making that link while the tire is still in front of your team. Then the next visit, the next recall check and the next quote can all build on it.
What is tire data collection?
Tire data collection means recording what each tire is, how much tread it has left and what condition it is in. Each of those readings is stored against the car and the wheel it came from. Most of that recording happens during digital inspections, on a phone or tablet your team already carries. The sidewall holds the printed details and the grooves hold the tread depth. Condition is your technician’s call.
What a complete tire record holds. Size fields as explained by the Tire Industry Association.
| Tire data | Where it comes from | What your team uses it for |
|---|---|---|
| Tire size, for example P225/70R16 91S | Sidewall: P for passenger, 225 mm section width, 70 aspect ratio (sidewall height as a percentage of width), R for radial, 16-inch rim, 91 load index, S speed rating | Ordering, fitment and stock checks |
| DOT code (Tire Identification Number) | Sidewall: plant code, manufacturer’s code, and the week and year of manufacture | Tire age, recall checks and registration |
| Brand and model | Sidewall | Matching tires across an axle, quotes |
| Tread depth | The grooves, across the width of the tread | Replacement timing and wear patterns |
| Condition | Your technician’s visual check, with notes or photos | Repair or replace decisions |
| Vehicle, wheel position and date | VIN or license plate, the wheel, the visit | Linking each reading to one tire over time |
The printed details follow a fixed format, so a phone camera can read them and software can check them. Our article on how computer vision reads the tire sidewall explains why black-on-black lettering is hard to read.
Why does tire data need the vehicle and wheel position?
Tire data needs the vehicle and wheel position because many tires carry the same markings. Under federal tire identification rules, the DOT code names the plant, a manufacturer’s code and the week and year the tire was made. Tires of the same type from the same plant and week carry the same code.
The date can also go missing. Since September 2009, only the intended outboard sidewall has had to carry the full code. The inboard side may show a shorter code without the date, so a reading taken there leaves the tire’s age blank. Our guide to DOT tire regulations explains each part of the code.
The vehicle supplies the key the tire is missing. A VIN or license plate tells you which car the tire is on. The wheel position tells you where it sits, and the date tells you when the reading was true. With all three attached, a tread reading from March can be compared with one from September, even after a rotation. A tire recall that lists DOT codes by plant and week can then be checked against the cars your team has serviced.
For a software team, this shapes the data model. Each tire reading needs a vehicle ID and a wheel position at the moment it is taken. Neither can be added reliably later.
Which tire data collection methods are there?
Service businesses collect tire data in five main ways, and each method is strongest on a different kind of data.
| Method | What it collects | Strongest at | Falls short on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread gauge and written notes | Tread depth at a few points; size and DOT code copied by hand | Low cost, works anywhere | Covers only the points someone measures; the vehicle link exists only if someone adds it |
| Phone-based digital inspection (AI and optical character recognition) | Size, brand, model and DOT code from the sidewall; tread across the width; VIN or license plate | Uses devices your team already has; tire and vehicle identity in one inspection, in any bay or lot | Needs a person at each tire; reads only what the camera can see |
| Drive-over or drive-through lane | Tread depth as the car passes over the unit | No technician time per tire at the lane entrance | Fixed to one site; reads only cars that pass through it |
| RFID tag in the tire | A serial number unique to each tagged tire | Gives each tire its own ID; reads without line of sight | Works only on tires that carry a tag; no tread depth or condition |
| Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) | Pressure, and on some systems temperature, while the car is driven | Continuous readings between visits | No size or DOT code, and no tread depth on most systems |
Phone-based digital inspection fits where the tire carries no tag and the car never crosses a lane. It also fits wherever the record needs your technician’s judgment next to the numbers.
When should you collect tire data?
Collect tire data at every visit where a technician can see the tires, including visits booked for other work. Oil changes, seasonal changeovers and brake work put the same tires in front of your team several times between sales. Each reading gives the next visit something to compare against. Some of those readings also turn up needed work. During National Tire Safety Week 2026, about 1 in 7 US tires inspected through TireBuddy measured below 3/32 in.
Some dealerships already work this way. André Ströttchen, BMW Dealership Manager at Autohaus Timmermanns, says his service stations record tire data during wheel changes, tire replacements and service work. The parts sales department then uses that database for targeted marketing. He describes the next step:
<em>hanks to its simple and reliable application, we aim to enable data collection at every service contact in the future, in order to fully exploit the resulting sales potential.</em>
For fleet and rental teams, check-out and check-in are the service contacts. A reading at each one ties the condition of every tire to one vehicle and one period of use.
Why choose Anyline for tire data collection?
Anyline’s TireBuddy brings AI-powered tire inspections and vehicle identification into one digital inspection. It runs on standard phones and tablets, without additional hardware. Anyline passed 100 million digital tire inspections in 2025. Discount Tire, with almost 1,100 US stores, relies on Anyline’s DOT code reading to process millions of tires. Each point below ends with a question you can put to any vendor.
Built with Discount Tire. Ready for your stores.
The world’s largest independent tire retailer rolled this out across almost 1,100 locations. Get the full case study, or talk to our team about what a rollout would look like for you.
Tire and vehicle identity in one inspection
The TireBuddy workflow starts by identifying the car from its license plate or VIN. It then reads each tire’s sidewall for size, brand, model and DOT code, so every result belongs to that vehicle. Ask whether a vendor’s tire and vehicle reads come from one product, and whether each tire result arrives tied to a vehicle.
Tread depth across the whole tire
TireBuddy measures tread depth across each tire’s outer, center and inner zones, and the results feed the TireBuddy report. Through the SDK, results come back for the whole tire, by region from left to right, and as the lowest value. Anyline publishes a precision down to 0.5 mm. Ask a vendor for its published precision figure, and whether it reports the lowest reading or only an average.
A ready app or your own software
The TireBuddy App works out of the box, with no integration, coding or setup. The TireBuddy ToolKit builds the same inspection into your own app on iOS, Android, Flutter and React Native. Which of the two fits depends on whether tire data should live in software you already run. Ask whether a vendor offers both, so a pilot can run on the app before you commit any developer time.
TireBuddy App
Powered by AI
The ready-to-use mobile app for digital tire inspections. Powered by AI. Ready to use in minutes.
Readings, with the decision left to your technician
TireBuddy records what it reads and measures. Your technician decides whether a tire needs repair or replacement. The report shows the customer the readings behind that call. Ask a vendor which of its outputs are measurements and which are judgments made by software.
Common questions
What is tire data?
How to read tire data?
What is the best software for tire inventory management?
What is a tire data collection app?
What is a tire data collection app?
About the Author
-
Valentyna Zhuk
Marketing Communications Manager
Valentyna Zhuk is Marketing Communications Manager at Anyline, where she leads press and content communications for the company's AI products, with a primary focus on automotive. She works closely with Anyline's product team to explain how the technology works in practice for the businesses that use it, including tire retailers and dealerships. She brings nearly two decades of international brand and marketing leadership to the role. Her articles cover the practical use of AI in the automotive industry.
-
Peio Martin Elustondo
VP of Marketing at Anyline
Peio Elustondo Martin is VP of Marketing at Anyline, where he leads brand and growth strategy for AI-powered tire inspection and vehicle identification. He joined Anyline in 2021, moved from growth marketing into the VP role, and now leads a team spanning brand, demand generation, content, design, and business development. He works closely with product and sales teams across the automotive, logistics, and energy industries. Peio focuses on positioning digital tire inspection as a business decision for tire manufacturers, dealership groups, tire retailers, and service operations. He represents Anyline at industry events across the US and Europe, including the SEMA Show, NADA Show, and Automechanika Frankfurt, where he presents TireBuddy, Anyline's AI-powered mobile tire inspection app.
