Downtime Costs “Disappear” With Michelin Policy: Fleet Operator

Michelin UK says specialist chilled food distributor FreshLinc is expecting to see a dramatic increase in tyre life and fewer tyre-related breakdowns following a company-wide switch to its tyres and the commencement of a pence per kilometre (PPK) contract. The new agreement sees the Lincolnshire based operator fit a range of Michelin ‘E’ segment regional tyres, with XZE2+ being fitted to the 140 DAF and Scania maximum weight tractor units and new XTE2 and XTE3 tyres across the 160-strong trailer parc as wear dictates. The nature of the PPK structure, comments Michelin, also allows FreshLinc to own the tyres, without the up-front cost of outright purchase.

“We supply major supermarkets in the UK all-year-round with fresh produce, so in such a customer focused environment we have to continually monitor vehicle reliability and naturally, our cost base,” explains Andy Marchant, FreshLinc’s fleet engineer. “Unexpected tyre-related downtime can have a serious impact on our customers, so we invited Michelin to help us closely examine our existing tyre policy and to make recommendations on how we could reduce this.”

The PPK contract with Michelin is being serviced by ATS Euromaster, who will routinely inspect the FreshLinc fleet using its electronic data capture (EDC2) system, which allows technicians to record each tyre’s condition and tread depth onto a small handheld computer before uploading the report in ‘real time’ to a central database. The inspections help reduce the risk of tyre related breakdowns whilst also promoting a programme of good tyre husbandry and supporting FreshLinc’s Duty of Care responsibilities.

“Since switching to a Michelin policy, tyre related downtime and the associated costs have virtually disappeared,” continues Marchant. “ This is in turn seeing our repair bill falling, as when you suffer a major tyre failure there is often the associated cost of replacing damaged bodywork, not to mention the need to hire replacement vehicles – on top of the inconvenience.”
“Michelin tyres also offer a lower rolling resistance than the range of budget brands we fitted previously, which is having a direct impact on our fuel consumption. As the fitment of new Michelin tyres continues to roll out, I’m expecting these fuel savings to continue to grow,” he adds.

Michelin’s E-segment range of tyres are designed primarily for medium haul operations, returning the best performance across a mixture of motorway, A and B road use.