All Terrain Tire Comparison Ratings: How to Read and Compare Light Truck Tires

An all-terrain tire’s sidewall grades and test scores only mean something when you compare tires built for the same job under the same conditions.

A tire that feels planted on gravel can howl on the interstate, and an A/T that scores near the top of an off-road test may rank near the bottom for highway noise. Here is how each rating is set, what it hides, and how to pair the numbers with the way you actually drive.

What Do The UTQG Codes On A Tire Sidewall Actually Measure?

The Uniform Tire Quality Grading System is a federal rating program that grades treadwear, wet-pavement traction, and heat resistance for many passenger-car, SUV, and light-pickup tires sold in the United States, with grades molded onto the sidewall of applicable tires. None of the three grades describes off-road ability.

• Treadwear is a comparative number, not a mileage promise. NHTSA notes a 200-grade tire should last roughly twice as long as a 100-grade tire under the same test conditions — a ratio that does not transfer cleanly between brands.
• Traction grades wet-pavement stopping as AA, A, B, or C, with AA highest. It says nothing about dry grip, snow, mud, sand, rock crawling, or hydroplaning.
• Temperature grades heat resistance as A, B, or C, with A highest, which matters most under load and at sustained highway speed.

Treat treadwear as a rough sign of compound hardness, not a warranty. Two tires with the same grade from different manufacturers can wear very differently on your truck.

Why Independent Test Scores Compare Only Within Their Own Category

Independent test programs rate dry and wet traction, comfort, noise, snow, ice, dirt, sand, mud, and rock — and those scores are only meaningful beside tires run through the same methodology.

One off-road comparison used four sets of 265/70R17 tires on identical 17×8.5-inch wheels, fitted to a 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road, set to 20 psi. Those results describe that size, truck, and pressure — not the 285/75R18 version you are pricing, or the same model on a heavier diesel.

Distinct categories — On-Road All-Terrain, Off-Road All-Terrain, Commercial All-Terrain, and Rugged All-Terrain — are tested against each other, not across the aisle. A rugged tire’s mud score is not a fair fight with a highway-biased A/T’s comfort score.

Weight the categories to your driving. Highway miles reward wet traction, dry braking, steering response, noise, comfort, and hydroplaning resistance. Trail miles add dirt, sand, mud, rock traction, sidewall durability, and aired-down behavior. If you already know roughly which models you want, our tested roundup of rated light truck all terrain tires saves you some of the sorting.

How Do You Match A Tire To Your Truck Before Comparing Anything?

Start with the vehicle, not the review: the owner’s manual and the Tire and Loading Information label on the driver’s-side door edge or post give the required size and load figures.

Match the complete size marking — diameter, load index, and speed symbol — and never drop to a lower load index or speed rating without approval from the vehicle manufacturer or a qualified tire professional.

Construction matters too. Passenger, XL or reinforced, and LT-metric tires are not interchangeable just because nominal dimensions line up. For towing, hauling, and sustained highway speed, load range, load index, sidewall build, and heat capability outweigh a high comfort score every time.

Winter is its own question. Some A/T tires carry 3PMSF severe-snow certification yet still draw mixed feedback on ice; the mark does not make an all-terrain equal to a dedicated winter tire.

NHTSA publishes the full explanation in its tire buyer’s guide, and its tire safety pages cover the standards behind them.

The Common Rating Mistakes That Cost Truck Owners Money

• Treadwear as mileage. Using a UTQG number to predict exact miles, or comparing grades between brands as if equal, ignores how the test works.
• Cross-category shopping. Stacking a rugged tire’s off-road scores against a highway A/T’s comfort scores produces a winner that suits nobody.
• Silent downgrades. Fitting a lower load index or speed rating than the door label calls for, with no professional sign-off.
• Winter overconfidence. Assuming a 3PMSF A/T replaces a real winter tire on ice.

Read the sidewall, read the label, then read the test — in that order. The ratings only work when the tire underneath them fits your truck and your week.