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.
Bridgestone has launched Fleetcare, the tyre manufacturer’s integrated tyre and fleet management solution. The new solution represents an evolution of Bridgestone’s Total Tyre Care, combining Bridgestone tyres and tyre management solutions with fleet management solutions from Webfleet. Bridgestone says Fleetcare offers a “complete package” of efficiency tools targeting the reduction of total cost of ownership from a single mobility partner.
A-Star Transport has already saved itself a potentially costly breakdown since protecting its fleet of coaches and buses with Wheely-Safe’s latest generation technology. The Telford-based operator has fitted Wheely-Safe’s wheel loss and tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) to its vehicles, having been impressed with the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the product.
Wrexham-based haulage firm BJ Clarke is reaping the benefits of Michelin’s accidental tyre damage guarantee following a recent incident which totally wiped out two of its trailer tyres. James Clarke, Director at BJ Clarke and son of owners Brian and Nancy, says: “One of our trucks rolled over a girder that was sticking out near the roadside, at no fault of the driver, completely taking out two of the trailer’s tyres on one side. Usually, we would have been looking at a replacement bill of roughly £900 but thanks to the tyre guarantee we got 75 per cent of that paid back to us, to help fund the new tyres.”
Bridgestone’s telematics solutions provider, Webfleet Solutions will present the first global edition of the annual Webfleet Mobility Conference online on 26 April 2022. Titled ‘Mobility 2032: Are you ready?’, fleet and mobility experts will share insights and best practices to equip fleet decision-makers and business leaders with knowledge, inspiration and practical tools to design the fleets of tomorrow.
Kitchen products supplier Waterline is in the process of rolling out Wheely-Safe technology across its commercial vehicle fleet. Eager to improve the safety and compliance of its operation, the business is fitting 29 Volvo FL delivery trucks with Wheely-Safe’s latest generation wheel loss and tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). Waterline was introduced to the technology by its tyre supplier, Three Counties Tyre Services.
Continental
Michelin
Shutterstock/Krasula
Michelin
Wheely-Safe
Bridgestone
Wheely-Safe
Michelin
Wheely-Safe