Best 12-Ply Truck Tires: Top 8 Options To Buy

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

There should never be anything compromising while equipping your truck with proper tires.

Imagine covering long distances in adverse weather conditions, with higher risks of blowouts and even accidents to some extent.

You must choose tires that are highly rated for their off-roading and all-terrain capabilities.

In this regard, 12-ply rated tires can meet most of your requirements due to their heavy-duty output.

However, not all 12-ply tires will be suitable for your truck. You need a combination of everything to get the best performance.

So, what can you do?

Don’t worry, as we will discuss the 8 best 12-ply truck tires with different use cases to solve your dilemma. Without wasting much time, let’s check them out!

Image
Best Overall
Grand Ride Set 4 FREE COUNTRY Trailer Tires ST235/85R16 12 Ply LR F 128/124M Steel Belted Radial w/Featured Scuff Guard 11137
Best For All-Weather
Set of 4 (FOUR) Transeagle ST Radial Premium Trailer Radial Tires-ST225/75R15 225/75/15 225/75-15 121/117M Load Range F LRF 12-Ply BSW Black Side Wall
Best For Light Trucks
Carlisle Sport Trail LH Bias Trailer Tire - ST205/85D14.5 LRF
Title
Grand Ride Set 4 FREE COUNTRY Trailer Tires ST235/85R16 12 Ply LR F 128/124M Steel Belted Radial w/Featured Scuff Guard 11137
Set of 4 (FOUR) Transeagle ST Radial Premium Trailer Radial Tires-ST225/75R15 225/75/15 225/75-15 121/117M Load Range F LRF 12-Ply BSW Black Side Wall
Carlisle Sport Trail LH Bias Trailer Tire – ST205/85D14.5 LRF
Price
$446.98
$495.93
$110.23
Best Overall
Image
Grand Ride Set 4 FREE COUNTRY Trailer Tires ST235/85R16 12 Ply LR F 128/124M Steel Belted Radial w/Featured Scuff Guard 11137
Title
Grand Ride Set 4 FREE COUNTRY Trailer Tires ST235/85R16 12 Ply LR F 128/124M Steel Belted Radial w/Featured Scuff Guard 11137
Price
$446.98
More Info
Best For All-Weather
Image
Set of 4 (FOUR) Transeagle ST Radial Premium Trailer Radial Tires-ST225/75R15 225/75/15 225/75-15 121/117M Load Range F LRF 12-Ply BSW Black Side Wall
Title
Set of 4 (FOUR) Transeagle ST Radial Premium Trailer Radial Tires-ST225/75R15 225/75/15 225/75-15 121/117M Load Range F LRF 12-Ply BSW Black Side Wall
Price
$495.93
More Info
Best For Light Trucks
Image
Carlisle Sport Trail LH Bias Trailer Tire - ST205/85D14.5 LRF
Title
Carlisle Sport Trail LH Bias Trailer Tire – ST205/85D14.5 LRF
Price
$110.23
More Info

Some Considerations Before Getting 12-Ply Rated Tire for Truck

The tire market is saturated, and you’ll struggle to figure out the right 12-ply tire for your truck.

In this regard, you must ask yourself a few questions to determine the most suitable option for your truck.

These questions include your preferences for driving. Let us look at some probable questions you need to answer before buying:

  • Are you seeking a tire that’s good for adventure and can sustain massive dirt?
  • Are you looking for a tire that can handle rain, slush, or snow?
  • What is the mixture of dirt and pavement that your tire can handle?

These are some sample questions you must ask yourself, and many more. It will help you figure out the type of output you prefer and help you select the perfect 12-ply tires for your truck.

8 Best 12-ply Truck Tires To Buy

Tires on your truck will rapidly degrade when you don’t select the right type. There will also be less stability while you maneuver your truck.

After rigorous observations and tests, we have figured out nine 12-ply rated truck tires that will suit all needs.

Let us dive deep into the review:

1- Grand Ride Free Country Truck Tires ST235 – Best Overall

Grand Ride Set 4 FREE COUNTRY Trailer Tires ST235/85R16 12 Ply LR F 128/124M Steel Belted Radial w/Featured Scuff Guard 11137
  • Featured Nylon overlay cross ENTIRE tread area, significant upgrade from most other products on the market have nylon strips on shoulder area only, add critical safety feature!
  • Featured “Scuff Guard” ring on tire wall for better tire side protection
  • 12 ply rated, load range F, load speed index: 128/124M

We were looking for a tire that balanced value and performance. It eventually led us to shortlist the Free Country ST235 as our first option in this review.

This 12-ply rated tire is curated to be a part of your truck for a long time, mostly due to the nylon overlay in its tread area that avoids separation.

Compared to other contemporary brands, we found its tread wider, contributing to its longer lifespan.

While driving, we found the tires smoothly navigating while pulling the truck. Despite being around 100 pounds, the tires didn’t require much effort from our end to install.

It also appeared that there won’t be major issues even if you travel hundreds of miles at a stretch. The load of the truck wouldn’t affect the tire.

Lastly, investing in this tire model would be a win-win situation for you due to its super affordable pricing compared to contemporary brands.

Pros:

  • Good for trucks aiming for a long move
  • Affordable pricing 
  • Superb rubber and scuff guard 
  • Long-lasting value

Cons:

  • Flexible sidewalls

2- Transeagle Radial Steel Premium Truck Tire – Best For All-Weather

Sale
Set of 4 (FOUR) Transeagle ST Radial Premium Trailer Radial Tires-ST225/75R15 225/75/15 225/75-15 121/117M Load Range F LRF 12-Ply BSW Black Side Wall
  • Treadlife: N/A
  • Season: All Season
  • Performance: Highway
  • Car Type: Trailer
  • Load Range F, 12-Ply Rated, 12-PR

The best 12-ply tire suitable for all weather is this model from Transeagle. It will enable you to set out with your truck in dry weather, damp roads, or snowy weather without any complications. There are absolutely no issues with road gripping.

The best part of this tire is its tread design. After trying different models of tires, we can say that the existing tread design in this tire works in the way of avoiding hydroplaning.

Thanks to its build quality, now traveling a long distance in rough weather is not a big deal. You’ll face minimal resistance while driving in challenging road conditions.

Despite heavy blows, we faced no major hiccups or tire blowouts. It is mainly due to a balanced nylon and ply-build-up in the tire, which also ensures good load handling.

However, improper tire installation may prove to be otherwise for your truck. We reckon there are higher chances of blowups in this regard.

Moreover, proper installation will ensure how well you can get the best out of this tire for your truck.

Pros:

  • Highly durable
  • All weather suitability
  • Good road gripping

Cons:

  • No significant problems

3- Carlisle Sport Trail LH Bias Tire – Best For Light Trucks

Sale
Carlisle Sport Trail LH Bias Trailer Tire – ST205/85D14.5 LRF
  • Tire only, Rim not included
  • Designed for trailers used for construction, utility, agriculture, shorter-distance/infrequent boat or cargo hauling
  • Compatible with popular boat trailer brands such as Alumacraft, Continental, Crestliner, Karavan, Lund, Mako, Nitro, Ranger, Regency, River Pro, Sea Ray, Smoker Craft, Stratos, Striper, Sun Tracker, Tahoe, Tracker, Triton, Triumph, Warrior and Yamaha

This tire from Carlisle is an all-rounder and caters well to light-purpose trucks.  It’s a good tire if you want to travel longer distances through rough terrains.

It has a solid build-up and rugged appearance. We tried observing how it fares well in different types of hauling activities. 

That said, we were pleased with the versatile nature of this tire for it is suitable for a wide range of works.

Even rough usage of the tire for a few thousand miles doesn’t make it lose shape. Its adaptive capabilities with difficult terrains are top-notch. The rolling resistance was noteworthy, and suitability with gravel roads was decent. 

Besides, the heat from continuous friction doesn’t have any impact on the tire. But there are a few issues, like the tire’s compatibility with heavy loads. 

We felt that the trucks with heavy loads were too hard on these tires, and there were risks of blowouts in the middle of the journey. 

Nonetheless, it’s a good tire that will offer you value for money for light trucks.

Pros:

  • Heat Resistive
  • Value for money
  • Suited for various hauling activities 
  • Fewer risks of blowouts

Cons:

  • Not good for heavy trucks

4- Centennial Dirt Commander Mud-Terrain Radial Tire – Best For Muddy Terrains

Tires perfect for muddy and damp terrains are always tricky to choose. The Centennial Dirt Commander is one of those few tires that won’t give you a chance to have some doubts.

After shuffling several options, we opted to stick with this just because of its high superiority in muddy terrains.

After equipping the truck with this tire and driving for several days, there were no issues with gripping on the muddy and sticky terrains. The sturdy outlook that the tire comes with will give you an off-road vibe at first glance.

That said, we were able to cut corners very smoothly while driving the truck at a relatively higher speed. It’s mainly because of the wide contact patch on the tires

There are also large gaps in tire tread blocks. Even after we drove for a few hours on a damp road, the mud didn’t settle on the tires. However, we felt that the tire gets a little noisy due to such tread design at times.

Apart from the little noisiness, it would be an excellent decision to choose this tire for your truck. When your focus is on navigating through muddy, harsh terrains, it’s one of the best.

Pros:

  • Perfect fit for all weather
  • Tread cleans itself
  • Superb stability in wet and muddy conditions 
  • Extremely durable

Cons:

  • It can be a little noisy at times

5- Miletrip All-Terrain Light Truck Radial Tire – Best For Utility Trucks

Miletrip TP99 R/T All-Terrain Mud Off-Road Light Truck Radial Tire-33X12.50R20LT 33X12.50X20 33X12.50-20 119Q Load Range F LRF 12-Ply BSW Black Side Wall
  • Treadlife: N/A
  • Season: All Season
  • Performance: Rugged Terrain
  • Car Type: Light Truck
  • Load Range F, 12-Ply Rated, 12-PR

Good stability along with variable traction on different terrains is the core offering for this tire. We tried this on both smooth pavements and rough terrains. The result was satisfactory in both cases.

But more than that, we loved the vibration-free driving experience with our truck. There was good steering response while we were moving forward and it was all no-noise operation while we were driving through.

In addition to this, we were also impressed with the self-cleaning ability of the tire. The tread design works in that way of not accumulating any dirt.

Being suitable for utility Trucks, these tires have a tad aggressive outlook. But that doesn’t imply its higher price tag. You can have them for your truck without spending a premium under the value-for-money segment.

Overall, a good addition to your utility trucks at an affordable price.

Pros:

  • Low noise operations
  • Vibration-free
  • High value for money

Cons:

  • No major issues

6- Thunderer R408 Trac Grip Mud Terrain Tire – Most Durable

Sale
Thunderer R408 Trac Grip M/T Mud-Terrain Tire LT35/1250R20 125Q 12 Ply Rating 21 32nds Tread Depth
  • High void ratio tread pattern ejects mud and sand so there’s always a clear section of tire to dig in
  • Extra-tough tread formulation resists cuts, chips and damage from gravel and debris for a longer tread life
  • Traction bars add an extra degree of protection for casing
  • 99 mph / 160 km/h maximum speed the tire can safely carry a load

If long-lastingness is your main need, choose this tire to be a part of your Truck. We loved the sporty outlook of the tire, which signifies the industrial-grade ability.

The tire comes with a radial construction with a load capacity exceeding 3600+ lbs. We tried running with a speed of more than 60 km/h and the load was balanced by the tire much more safely.

But the stability of the tire is commendable as even after getting a few blows on the tire, there weren’t any complications.

Also, an aggressive approach to the tread patterns of the tire enhances the traction. We didn’t notice much mud and debris settling only due to this reason.

But there can be issues with the tires being loud often. Other than this, no glaring problems are there to ponder about.

Pros:

  • Heavy-Duty Design 
  • Zero slippage transitions
  • Self-cleaning tire surface
  • Long-lasting

Cons:

  • It can get loud at times

7- Venom Power Primo Hauler All Steel heavy-duty Tire –  Most Gripping

This all-season tire’s superb offerings are why it was made on our list. It appears that these tires have all the elements that a Truck requires. Among these core elements, the prominent ones are traction, durability, and controllability. 

We have tried this tire for a few hundred miles on some of the roughest terrains and there was no major change in shape. It is mostly because these tires are all steel tires ensuring a greater load-handling capacity.

On the other hand, the tire comes with a flat tread design combined with top-quality composition. It helps increase the tractions in the wet, winter, and dry seasons.

The ribbed patterns enable the sip positioning that works in the way of properly gripping the road surface. 

Such patterns given above guarantee excellent summer and winter performance for the tire. In addition, the grooves in the tire work in channeling the slush and water for superior wet-weather traction.

Regarding the stability of your truck, we can tell that the surface contact of this tire from Venom Power is top-notch. 

The flat footprints here are one of the core reasons behind a stable formation against the pressure that eventually prevents the truck from swaying.

Pros:

  • Consistent handling
  • Heavy-load withstanding capacity
  • Superb grip against all types of pavements

Cons:

  • Bumpy output when the truck is off-road

8- Zeemax Heavy-Duty Highway Truck Tire – Best For Commercial Trucks

ZEEMAX Heavy Duty Highway Trailer Tire 7-14.5/12 Ply Load Range F -11157
  • Designed for TRAILER use only
  • 12 ply rated, rim width: Speed rating L-75 mph,
  • This tire has been wholesaling by large volume to trailer manufacturers and tire dealers nationwide
  • rims are not included

The last 12-ply rated truck tire in our review is an all-year-round tire from Zeemax. It has a ribbed tread design with a Rim diameter of 14.5 inches. 

We found that the zigzag grooves in the tire surface play a big part in slashing the water and mud.

The tread pattern aids in steering responsiveness and helps maintain the road’s stability. Faster speed isn’t an issue as the vehicle structure is stabilized against the pressure due to driving.

On top of that, Zeemax tires highly support heavy-duty tasks.  Everything, internal and external, is robust and doesn’t impact the tire shape, even under huge pressure. 

The entire framework doesn’t let the tire deform from its form and makes the tire highly suited to commercial trucks.

Appearance-wise, there is nothing to complain about. But someone new may find it a bit tough to mount.

Pros:

Cons: 

  • May seem tough to mount

Comparative Analysis of The 8 Best 12-ply Truck Tires

Before choosing a particular option, you should have a proper view of some crucial factors that will allow you to be decisive. Let us look at the table below to have a proper idea:

ModelConstructionLoad Capacity (lbs)
Grand Ride Free Country Truck Tires ST235 Radial3960
Transeagle Radial Steel Premium Truck Tire Radial3197
Carlisle Sport Trail LH Bias Tire Radial2830
Centennial Dirt Commander Mud-Terrain Radial TireRadial2600
Miletrip All-Terrain Light Truck Radial TireRadial2998
Thunderer R408 Trac Grip Mud Terrain TireRadial3638
Venom Power Primo Hauler All Steel heavy-duty TireRadial3297
Zeemax Heavy-Duty Highway Truck Tire Bias2335

FAQ

The right tire selection for your truck can be a confusing and daunting task. To make it easy, we covered a few common queries below:

Do 12-ply tires last longer?

The presence of 12 material layers on the sidewall of the tire aids durability and long-lastingness. Bigger size and sturdy construction allow its effectiveness to be longer than other usual tires.

Is higher ply better in a tire?

The higher ply on the tires means increased strength of the sidewall. It is a must when you carry heavy loads with your truck. That said, weaker sidewalls in the tire mean more chances of the tire squashing due to heavy loads.

Are 12-ply tires more puncture-resistant?

The 12-ply rated tires can be more resistant to punctures or tears when you use them in light or semi-light-duty trucks. But that should be in the case of moving on highway pavements.

What is the PSI for 12-ply rated tires?

The 12-ply rated tires come with a maximum range of 95 PSI when it’s the load range F.

Final Thoughts!

Using the proper tire for the Truck is crucial, especially the fitment and mounting. Depending on the approach you want to take with your Truck, you must choose the tire type with a tread pattern.

We have curated 8 best 12-ply truck tires, which would help you to observe and choose the desired one.

Our recommendation would be to choose Grand Ride Free Country Truck Tires ST235. But your budget, driving approach, and tire lifespan all matter in this regard.

Our goal was to cater for every type of tire that can suit every Truck. We hope we have provided you with ample options to choose from.

Related:

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top