FORT MILL, SC - Navistar International Corporation and Continental Tire North America, Inc. announced that Continental truck tires are the standard fitment for all International PayStar, WorkStar, and DuraStar severe service and medium-duty vehicles as of January 1.

Navistar, a market leader in the North American severe service and medium duty segments, is a natural fit with the rugged durability of Continental's on/off highway and construction truck tires, said Tom Fanning, director of original equipment sales for Continental - The Americas.

"International truck customers count on their vehicles to provide heavy duty performance and maximum uptime, even in the most demanding conditions. Now they can rely upon their Continental truck tires to work in tandem with these powerful vehicles, providing the top-level reliability and high mileage that can only come from a tire engineered to handle the toughest driving conditions," Fanning said.

Continental's expansion into the regional, on/off highway and construction segment is backed up by truck tires engineered with maximum resistance to damage, tread patterns designed for optimum traction, extra tough compounding and stone ejection systems.

"All of these factors provide excellent durability and long original mileage that complement the worksite-readiness of International brand severe service vehicles. Drivers of International PayStar, WorkStar, and DuraStar trucks will now be able to depend on Continental tires to keep them moving safely, even in unpredictable road conditions," Fanning said.

"The severe-duty cycle of International WorkStar and PayStar trucks required a tire selection that can perform under these conditions, and Continental truck tires have the intelligent engineering and durability required," said Melissa Gauger, vocational marketing manager for Navistar.

"International trucks can tackle some of the most severe conditions on earth and routinely come back for more. With our MaxxForce big bore engines and heavy-duty chassis features, we needed to select original equipment tires that were equal in capability and strength to the components of the truck itself."

"This is why Continental truck tires are the new standard for our severe service and medium duty vehicles. We have confidence that our customers will be just as satisfied with their Continental tires as they are with the power and reliability of their new International truck," Gauger said.

With the Navistar fitment, Continental is expanding its footprint into the severe service and medium duty vehicle segments to highlight its tire products that are engineered for maximum durability. Continental's complete lineup of truck tires, including tires designed for regional highway, on/off highway and construction use, can be viewed at its Web site, www.continental-truck.com.