Stapleton’s switching to a Michelin policy after successful trial

What brand of tyres does a tyre distributor use on its own fleet? In the case of Stapleton’s Tyre Services, the answer is Michelin. The company began trialling Michelin Agilis CrossClimate tyres across 25 Renault Master vans in March, and determined it could be clocking up an extra 20,000 miles per set compared to its existing policy.

“We previously fitted winter tyres across our fleet all year round, and were seeing a 25,000-mile return. Initial tread depth readings from the new tyres project we should reach 45,000 miles on the new fitments,” shares Campbell Strickland, head of Supply Chain at Stapleton’s Tyre Services. “This is the sort of mileage you would expect to see on long-distance motorway journeys, not from the type of stop-start deliveries we make. It has really opened our eyes to the possible savings.” Strickland expects to roll out a Michelin policy across the remainder of the firm’s 400-strong tyre distribution fleet as tyres become due for natural replacement.

The Agilis CrossClimate is a summer tyre with full winter capability, and Michelin comments that its all-year mobility has been achieved by a rugged tread pattern, manufactured with innovative new rubber compounds to promote flexibility in cold temperatures and sidewall and shoulder protection features for improved robustness in service.

Inspired by the Michelin CrossClimate+ car tyre, the V-shaped tread blocks’ bi-directional self-locking sipes provide cutting edges suitable for winter conditions, whilst maintaining the long-lasting performance of Michelin’s summer tyre range on dry and wet roads.

Crucially, the new tyres offer an alternative for any light commercial fleets which have until now operated a winter tyre policy year-round. Such businesses had accepted the trade-off in longevity and fuel efficiency in the summer months, for guaranteed mobility in winter without the downtime and cost of switching between summer and winter fitments.
Strickland adds: “There’s no compromise with these new tyres at all. We have already noticed an improvement in grip during the summer heat wave, and have full confidence this will be maintained over the winter. With this performance and the savings in tyre costs and vehicle downtime, the Agilis CrossClimates tick all the boxes.”

Established in 1937, Stapleton’s operates from 11 locations in the UK as one of the largest distributors of passenger car, 4×4 and van tyres.