Fleet Business
Michelin has secured a new three-year Effitires contract to supply, fit and manage the tyres across the Fred Sherwood Group’s entire HGV fleet – totalling in excess of 650 trucks and trailers. The deal includes Fred Sherwood Transport, Bulk Freight, KJ Transport and George Varney Bulk Services – marking a return to a 100 per cent Michelin policy for the Group, following several years of running a rival manufacturer’s tyres.
Services provided by location data platform Here Technologies are being integrated into the Goodyear Total Mobility one-stop fleet management solution. Goodyear says that by combining its solution with Here’s services, fleets can benefit from a fully customisable suite of vehicle-to-fleet operation management tools that will minimise vehicle downtime.
M&N Transport is a Wiltshire-based bulk transport firm. The company runs its growing commercial vehicle fleet of 35 trucks and 40 trailers exclusively on Michelin, having found the tyres to last significantly longer than any other truck tyre in the market. M&N is also utilising Michelin’s Effitrailer telematics package across its fleet of trailers and the company has experienced reduced downtime and cut its fuel costs since making the switch to Michelin, improving the sustainability of its operation in the process.
This year, Goodyear asked fleet operators in Europe for their views on issues related to sustainability and what they’re doing to reduce carbon footprint. A total of 985 fleets from 36 European countries responded during August and September 2021, and the results of this 2021 Goodyear Sustainable Reality Survey are now out and available from Goodyear upon request. Responses suggest that sustainability has a significant prominence for operators in the transportation industry.
Vehicle rental company Collease has signed a two-year agreement with Bridgestone, incorporating all types of trailers and motorised equipment. Collease operates around 2,000 vehicles from the east of England. It said Bridgestone’s flexibility, attention to detail, and long-term approach to fleet management secured the partnership.
Belfast last-mile van fleet FJM Logistics has opted to fit Michelin’s all-season van tyre, the Agilis CrossClimate, across its 37 vans. Michelin says the move will halve the number of tyres fitted over the coming year, as well as offering year-round traction and grip. FJM Logistics delivers up to 5,000 parcels every day, and the intensiveness of its operations led managing director Fraser Orr to take a closer look at the firm’s tyre fitment policy.
At this year’s Solutrans show, Michelin is launching Michelin Connected Fleet in its home market of France. This launch follows the introduction of Michelin Connected Fleet in Spain in October 2020, and Michelin says it will also debut in the UK by the end of this year, as well as in Germany and South Africa.
As part of their commitment to help shape sustainable future mobility, Bridgestone EMIA and its Webfleet Solutions subsidiary are supporting the adoption of electrified fleets across the region. As sponsors of MOVE 2021, both companies are today in London showcasing their work to address EV concerns among fleet customers and accelerate the electric future.
The partnership between Goodyear and TIP dates back more than 15 years, and the two companies have extended this relationship with the signing of a new five-year contract. The latest agreement includes the Goodyear Total Mobility customisable end-to-end offering, which includes retreading, advanced Proactive Solutions and the support of a broad service network with over 2,000 locations in Europe alone.
Skip hire, recycling and aggregates business PSH Environmental has specified Michelin’s X Mine D2 Pro tyres across its fleet of Volvo wheeled loaders. As a result, the company says it has eliminated all instances of punctures. Nigel Parker, who runs PSH Environmental alongside his brother Martyn, says: “We fit the Michelin product because it is by far the best option for our wheeled loaders. The Volvos are fantastic machines, working in a very tough environment and we use a premium tyre to ensure we get the best out of them and avoid costly downtime.
TyreWatch has recently expanded its tyre management platform with AutoAlign, continuously monitoring for wheel misalignment, an issue it estimates affects a third of UK commercial vehicles, and VanSmart, a specific system for light commercial vehicles. With the new systems, TyreWatch has expanded its service offering further around the transport industry as it strives to balance commercial considerations with safety, compliance and ecological green initiatives. It says they enable fleet managers across all commercial sectors to reduce running costs and increase safety while limiting the environmental impact of their operation.
Northampton-based Britannia Bus, which operates five local service bus routes, is on course to eliminate instances of punctures across its six-strong fleet after beginning the switch to a Michelin tyre policy two years ago. Managing Director Derek Taylor says he would previously suffer a puncture within the fleet at least once a month, but since beginning the move to a Michelin X Multi Z policy, the new tyres have delivered 100 per cent uptime.
Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) has reached an agreement with tech-focused private equity firm Sumeru Equity Partners, connected vehicle specialist Danlaw and other shareholders to purchase Azuga Holdings, Inc. (Azuga) and the Azuga fleet management platform for US$391 million. Bridgestone says the acquisition will accelerate its efforts to develop and deploy sustainable mobility solutions as a “central pillar of the company’s advanced mobility strategy.”
Translink has signed a contract to protect its entire 1,400-strong bus and coach fleet with the latest generation Wheely-Safe technology. The deal was secured following a successful trial that highlighted the unique safety benefits of the system. Northern Ireland’s biggest public transport provider will now roll out the full suite of Wheely-Safe’s intelligent tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), wheel loss and brake temperature sensing systems over the course of the next 12 months.
Telematics and fleet management services provider Masternaut has launched its new MoveElectric solution. With MoveElectric, the Michelin-owned firm aims to support the management of company fleets as they transition from internal combustion engines (ICE) to electric vehicles (EV).
