Page 20 - CTB n5 - 2014/1

CV SHOW PREVIEW
Bridgestone Focus on Whole Life Package at CV Show
took place in 2007 has made a significant impact. It has not only increased the production capacity and sales of the company’s retreads, but it has also increased the quantity of casing sources.
4. A European network. Bridgestone UK has already spread its cutting- edge casing management expertise to the Danish market with the installation of its unique casing management system at the Tobol plant. This has improved casing
operations within the Danish market and has resulted in an exchange of casings between these two nations that further helps Bridgestone serve its customers. This expertise is now being spread across many other European countries and will – as this year progresses – result in further improvements in casing management.
Far from attempting to reinvent the wheel, Bridgestone’s underlying message at this year’s CV Show will be a remarkably simple one... “For prolonged tyre life and considerable savings, look no further than Bridgestone and our Bandag franchise network,” said retread development manager Terry Salter. Under the umbrella of Bridgestone’s ‘Total Tyre Care’ provision, fleets can expect massive savings in their tyre maintenance budgets, as Bandag embarks on its biggest investment programme in a generation. Bandag’s Alliance Excellence investment programme is responsible for the huge investment in 2014, where Bandag franchise partners benefit from state-of-the-art shearography machinery, bespoke training programmes and an overall increase in retreading capacity across the UK and Ireland. Bridgestone’s retread and Bandag franchise manager Ross Medlyn said: “The Alliance Excellence Programme not only drives excellence but it also rewards excellence as well. The ‘reward element’ is driving investment in equipment and other resources, including training.
“As the market evolves, we need to stay ahead of a changing environment. We need to stay competitive and maintain our differentiation for end users. This requires the continuous improvement of all of our Alliance partners.”
Terry Salter added: “Our overall aim is to provide the best possible value for money for fleet operators. Our retreading offering is an integral part of this aim.”
Bridgestone’s retreading provision
falls under the company’s Total Tyre Life service, which aims to maximize tyre life, thereby reducing tyre cost/km over the entire lifecycle, through the supply of Bridgestone premium new tyres and Bandag retreads.
Both Terry and Ross strongly believe that the brand is genuinely stealing a march on its competitors in this area in fleet savings, thanks to the following assets:
1. Total Tyre Life: Bridgestone’s truck tyres have retreading technology built-into the original tyre design. To realise this potential, Bridgestone’s approach to market includes not only the sale of new and retreaded tyres but also a unique and comprehensive casing collection service.
This service aims to collect the removed tyres within an average of three days of notification and then track those casings throughout the retreading process, ensuring that maximum value is realised from this key asset.
2. Total Tyre Care programme: The strength of Total Tyre Care – and Bridgestone’s Truck Point network – aims to maximize the life and usage of Bridgestone products, carrying out audits, reports and tyre care husbandry. Bridgestone’s Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), a sensor-operated system providing real-time pressure data for increased safety, is an extension of this service.
3. Bandag franchise: In addition to Bridgestone’s own manufacturing facility in Bourne, the network of successful Bandag franchisees it inherited when the global purchase of the Bandag retreading business
The introduction of Continental’s generation 3 tyres, which began last year with the launch of a dedicated bus and coach range, will continue in 2014 with a focus on the goods sector, followed by new construction tyres in 2015, and finally a new range of winter products in 2016.
The goods tyres will make their UK debut at the CV Show in April, beginning with the long distance, ultra-fuel-efficient Conti EcoPlus. The range will be available for steer, drive and trailer from early 2014 in the most popular sizes, with further sizes being added throughout the year.
All members of the Conti EcoPlus range achieve best-in-class rolling resistance, with the Conti EcoPlus trailer tyre being A labelled for fuel efficiency, due to a rolling resistance of less than four kilograms per ton. The generation 3 goods tyre also features new siping technology, offering improved performance in the wet, and increased retreadability as a result of its enhanced durability.
In addition, all of the range’s steer tyres will feature Continental’s Visual Alignment Indicator (VAI), which helps identify uneven wear caused by wheel misalignment before it adversely affects fuel efficiency and safety, or necessitates early tyre replacement.
The second half of the year will see Conti Hybrid replace the current regional tyres in sizes 17.5, 19.5 and 22.5 steer.
A further development in Continental’s commercial tyre range is the renaming of all products as they switch to generation 3, to ensure that the benefits and application of the individual tyres are immediately recognisable to customers. This approach is now reflected in all of the regions in which Continental operates.
This new tyre-naming policy began with the launch of Continental’s bus and coach tyres earlier this year. The names of Conti Coach for long
distances applications, Conti CityPlus for intercity work and the Conti Urban for urban landscapes, all make their functionality clear. Completing the passenger sector will be the Conti CoachScandinavia and Conti UrbanScandinavia winter tyres.
Similarly, the truck ranges will change from long distance to Conti EcoPlus, regional tyres will move to Conti Hybrid, and in the construction sector, customers will have the Conti CrossTrac for on- and off-road applications, and the Conti TerraPlus for pure off-road. The Conti Scandinavia winter tyre will also operate in this market once launched.
Tracey Hyem, commercial marketing manager commented: “It’s a really exciting time for Continental, with such a huge product enhancement across ever y sector. The new generation 3 tyres allow us to come even closer to our commitment of supporting our customers in achieving the lowest overall driving costs.”
The Conti Eco Plus HT3
Conti to Roll Out More Generation 3 Tyres in 2014
20 Commercial Tyre Business