For our statewide tire contract, Wisconsin uses specifications and Qualified Products Lists developed by the GSA Federal Tire Program. This program was created about thirty years ago to develop standards to improve the federal purchasing of tires, and they have been refining the specification and testing tires ever since.

Federal Specification ZZ-T-381 covers both new and retread tires.

Qualified Products List QPL-ZZ-T-381-7 (or its latest revision) lists tires by brand that have been tested and meet the federal specifications.

Through the "Quality Assurance Facility Inspection Program" GSA does on-site inspections of tire retreaders to certify those that meet Federal Specification ZZ-T-441.

Best of all, this federal program welcomes the use of its specifications and QPL’s by state and local governments. The contact for the Federal Tire Program is Ken Collings at (703) 308-4673.