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Privacy Policy

At USTRN, we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your data. This policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our platform.

Last Updated: March 5, 2026

This Privacy Policy applies to all users of the United States Tire Recycling Network (“USTRN,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) — including Generators (tire shops, auto centers), Haulers (transportation providers), and Processors (recycling and processing facilities). By accessing or using our website, mobile application, or any related services (collectively, the “Platform”), you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Who We Are

USTRN is a digital B2B platform that digitizes the lifecycle of used tire management in the United States. We connect Generators, Haulers, and Processors in a seamless network to track tire pickups, in-transit transport, and delivery to processing facilities — replacing paper-based systems with a verifiable digital chain of custody.

USTRN operates as both the data controller and data processor for information collected through our Platform. If you have questions about this policy or our data practices, please contact us at support@ustrn.org.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information depending on your role and interaction with the Platform:

a) Account & Identity Information

  • Full name and business name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Business type and role (Generator, Hauler, or Processor)
  • Business address and facility location(s)
  • License or registration numbers (where legally required)

b) Operational & Trip Data

  • Trip IDs, pickup and delivery records
  • Tire counts, types (whole tires, crumb rubber, etc.), and volumes
  • Digital manifest and receipt data
  • Origin and destination facility details
  • Timestamps for each step in the chain-of-custody (pickup, transit, delivery, verification)
  • Trip status logs and confirmation records

c) Location Data

  • GPS location data from Hauler devices during active trips (with permission)
  • Location of Generator, Hauler and Processor facilities as registered on the Platform
  • Address data entered manually for trip logging purposes

Location data from mobile devices is collected only while the USTRN app is actively in use and when you have granted location permission. You may revoke this permission at any time via your device settings.

d) Contact & Communication Data

  • Email address and message content submitted via our contact form
  • Support request history and correspondence with our team

e) Technical & Usage Data

  • IP address, browser type and version, operating system
  • Device identifiers (for mobile app users)
  • Pages visited, features used, and session duration
  • Log data and error reports
  • Referring URLs and search terms

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • Service Delivery: To operate the USTRN Platform, including creating and managing accounts, logging trips, generating digital manifests and receipts, and providing chain-of-custody documentation.
  • Network Coordination: To connect Generators, Haulers, and Processors and facilitate tire pickup and delivery workflows.
  • Regulatory Compliance: To help users meet local, state, and federal tire disposal and recycling regulations by providing accurate, timestamped digital records.
  • Customer Support: To respond to inquiries submitted through our contact form and to provide onboarding and integration assistance.
  • Platform Improvement: To analyze usage patterns, diagnose technical issues, and improve features and performance.
  • Security & Fraud Prevention: To detect and prevent unauthorized access, fraud, and misuse of our Platform.
  • Communications: To send you platform updates, important notices, or information related to your support requests. We will not send unsolicited marketing emails without your prior consent.

4. Legal Basis for Processing (Where Applicable)

  • Contract Performance: Processing necessary to provide our Services under our Terms of Use.
  • Legitimate Interests: For Platform improvement, security, and fraud prevention.
  • Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable laws, particularly tire disposal and environmental regulations.
  • Consent: For device location access and any optional marketing communications (you may withdraw consent at any time).

5. How We Share Your Information

USTRN does not sell your personal information. We share data only in the following limited circumstances:

With Network Participants

Trip and manifest data is shared between relevant Generators, Haulers, and Processors involved in a given transaction. Each party sees only the information pertaining to their role in a specific trip.

With Service Providers

We use trusted third-party vendors to operate our Platform (e.g., cloud hosting, database services, analytics, and customer support tools). These providers are contractually obligated to use your data only as directed by USTRN and may not use it for their own purposes.

For Legal and Regulatory Compliance

We may disclose information if required by law, court order, regulatory authority, or governmental request. We may also disclose information to enforce our Terms of Use or to protect the rights, property, or safety of USTRN, our users, or the public.

In Connection with a Business Transaction

If USTRN is involved in a merger, acquisition, asset sale, or similar transaction, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

6. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active, or as needed to provide our Services. Specifically:

  • Operational records (trip data, manifests, receipts) are retained for a minimum of 5 years or as long as required by applicable state and federal environmental regulations governing tire disposal.
  • Account data is retained for the duration of your account plus up to 2 years after closure, unless deletion is requested earlier and permitted by law.
  • Contact form submissions are retained for up to 1 year for support and communication purposes.
  • Usage and log data is retained for up to 90 days unless needed for security investigations.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include:

  • Encryption of data in transit (TLS/HTTPS) and at rest
  • Role-based access controls ensuring each user type (Generator, Hauler, Processor) sees only what is relevant to their account
  • Secure authentication and session management
  • Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, please contact us immediately at support@ustrn.org.

8. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience and understand how our Platform is used.

  • Essential Cookies: Required for core Platform functionality such as secure login and session management.
  • Analytics Cookies: Used to understand page visits, feature usage, and user behavior in aggregate to improve our services.
  • Preference Cookies: Used to remember your settings and preferences.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect Platform functionality.

9. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights with respect to your personal information:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
  • Correction: Request that we update or correct inaccurate information.
  • Deletion: Request that we delete your personal information, subject to our legal data retention obligations (particularly for regulatory compliance records).
  • Portability: Request that we export your data in a machine-readable format.
  • Opt-Out of Communications: Unsubscribe from any marketing communications by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or contacting us directly.
  • Withdraw Consent (Location): Revoke location permissions at any time through your device settings.

To exercise any of these rights, please email us at support@ustrn.org. We will respond within 30 days. Please note that certain operational records may be required to be retained by law and cannot be deleted upon request.

10. Children's Privacy

USTRN is a business-to-business (B2B) platform intended for use by business entities and professionals. It is not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected such information, we will delete it promptly.

11. Third-Party Links

Our Platform may contain links to third-party websites or services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through our Platform.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will notify registered users via email or a prominent notice on the Platform, and update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Platform after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please reach out to us: support@ustrn.org