Alongside Bridgestone’s efficient tyre range, the company’s integrated tyre and vehicle maintenance solution Fleetcare represents a complete package for commercial vehicle fleets. The integrated tyre and fleet management programme is an evolution of Bridgestone’s Total Tyre Care, combining Bridgestone’s tyre range and tyre management solutions with fleet management solutions from telematics division Webfleet.
Independent public transport operator Go-Coach is Kent’s largest independent bus operator, operating 46 routes and carrying up to 5,500 passengers every day. The company is now rolling out Wheely-Safe technology across its fleet after a trial installation on a single Optare Solo bus flagged a potentially dangerous issue with brake temperatures.
Public transport operator Warrington’s Own Buses has switched to an exclusive Michelin policy with the tyre manufacturer’s Services & Solutions division, as the business prepares to transition its entire bus fleet from diesel to electric. An important part of the new agreement will see 105 new electric buses arrive at the company specified with Michelin X InCity EV Z tyres as original equipment. The X InCity EV Z is Michelin’s first range of bus tyres specifically designed for electric vehicles (EVs).
Banffshire-based haulage contractor, Ian S Roger, marked the company’s 50th anniversary in style with a new gold liveried Volvo FH 540 6×2 tractor unit, fitted with Michelin X Multi Z and X Works D tyres as original equipment. The eye-catching FH joins a mix of MAN, Renault, Scania and Volvo trucks as part of a 32-strong fleet of vehicles used for a variety of agricultural-based haulage work. Almost the entire fleet now runs on Michelin tyres.
Pallet delivery specialist H&M Distribution has simplified its tachograph administration by adopting a single management system with TruTac. The company operates a fleet of 73 vehicles, comprised predominantly of articulated and rigid trucks, along with a small number of vans. It delivers palletised products to more than 200 customers around the UK from its depots in Bedford, St Neots and Gloucester. It began using TruTac’s TruAnalysis system in July, prior to which it had two separate pieces of software for tacho downloads and analysis.
Fleets are racking up additional running costs though drivers running vehicles with tyres that are underinflated. According to ATS Euromaster, 12 per cent of the vans and cars it sees under its fleet Mastercare programme feature tyres that are below pressure. The results, says the national tyre and maintenance provider, will be to inflate running costs by between 3-10 per cent depending on the degree of under-inflation.
Steve Richardson, founder of Direct Tyre Management (DTM) has announced his retirement from a tyre industry career spanning 45 years. A familiar, well-regarded name around the sector, Richardson set up DTM in 2004 having distinguished himself in a rapid ascent in a variety of roles with Central Tyres, ATS Euromaster and Motorway Tyres. He will continue to provide guidance to DTM over the coming months before enjoying his retirement.
Hendrick European, provider of customised logistics and transportation services across Ireland and Europe, has seen exceptional mileage from the Michelin X Multi D tyres it runs across its fleet – with one set clocking 500,000 km. The Dublin-based firm, which specialises in road transport, groupage and distribution of all types of goods, operates 95 trucks and 150 trailers from depots in Ireland, UK and Poland.
Harrow-based Desi Coaches has protected its entire fleet with the latest generation Wheely-Safe technology. The public transport operator has installed the in-motion wheel loss detection system, which combines brake and hub temperature monitoring with an intelligent tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), to maintain best practice in health & safety and compliance across its business.
Cambridgeshire haulier G.Webb is trialling Continental’s new tyre pressure monitoring system platform, ContiConnect 2.0, fitting the latest upgrade to the majority of its fleet. The bulk haulage specialist is a long-term user of Continental Digital Solutions, and fleet engineering director Paul Broker has declared himself “a fan of the ContiConnect platform from the outset.” The new platform moves to the next step by introducing predictive maintenance, while also adding additional options via the app.
Global supply chain specialist Bullet Express is undergoing a major fleet upgrade, adding 32 new trucks to its operation each equipped with Wheely-Safe’s intelligent tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). Founded in 1990, the firm provides comprehensive supply chain logistics and storage solutions to customers throughout the UK, Europe and Worldwide.
AMP Clean Energy is a distributed energy company which develops, funds and runs low carbon heat and power solutions including biomass heat installations and flexible energy plants. The company has announced that it is switching its commercial vehicle fleet to a full Michelin tyre policy, to reduce downtime and boost the sustainability of its operation.
Fleets are facing tyre cost rises at an unprecedented rate, placing additional strain on already stretched SMR budgets, warns i247 Group, the outsourced driver support and asset management provider. The Poole-based company reports average tyre costs are likely to continue rising due to a rapidly-changing fleet portfolio mix and double-digit percentage cost increases from tyre manufacturers to its customer base.
Family-run haulier FG Bond & Son has specified Michelin X Line Energy tyres as original equipment on its new Volvo FH 500, having been hugely impressed with the fuel savings the same tyres have delivered in the past. The Wiltshire-based business is taking advantage of the sustainability benefits of Michelin’s most fuel-efficient truck tyres, after it found the fitments to unlock a one mpg advantage in fuel efficiency compared to a competitor brand it had been running on the front axle of another truck.
East Lothian-based Hamilton Waste & Recycling is opting for Wheely-Safe’s technology across its 35-strong truck fleet, having experienced first-hand the perilous dangers of wheel loss. The recycling and waste management business aims to eliminate any risk of human-error by installing the system, following a successful trial. The move to protect its fleet follows an incident a few years ago that left a lasting impact on the business.
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