Page 12 - CTB n6 - 2014-02

NEWS
ATS Euromaster Helps B&M Reduce Tyre Costs by 30%
ATS Euromaster has helped Liverpool-based B&M reduce its commercial vehicle tyre spend by
30 per cent, only three months after taking over the account. Before securing the new deal, ATS Euromaster completed a full tyre audit of B&M’s fleet using its new electronic inspection tool, FleetSure. This allowed it to collect precise data on the condition of B&M’s tyres, which was analysed and used to identify the changes required to improve tyre performance and longevity.
As a direct result of the audit, ATS
Euromaster has implemented a new replacement policy which sees Michelin X MultiWay 3D tyres fitted to B&M’s own-account fleet of 160 Scania tractor units. Taurus tyres, a brand sold exclusively by ATS Euromaster centres, are being fitted to its 265 trailers.
ATS Euromaster is also managing B&M’s tyres with two dedicated technicians from its local centre on site daily. They carry out routine service work such as regrooving, twinning, turning tyres on the rim and checking pressures.
Regular inspections also allow tyres
to be closely monitored and replaced at the optimal time, ensuring the maximum safe and legal tyre life from ever y asset. These inspections also support each driver’s own daily walk- around vehicle checks, helping to detect potential service issues before they can result in a roadside failure – helping to minimise fleet downtime and associated costs. Peter Rewhorn, Head of National Transport at B&M, says: “It was a competitive tender – we invited three companies to pitch for our tyre contract.
ATS Euromaster secured the business by impressing us from the outset, not only with its competitive pricing but with the high level of customer care it offered.
“Having the two technicians on site each day is testament to this – it adds real value to our operation, and as a result, ATS Euromaster is already delivering a 30 per cent reduction on our monthly tyre bills. They are achieving this whilst fitting Michelin Group tyres too, so it shows the power of expert tyre management.”
Commenting on the challenges
facing his operation, Rewhorn adds: “We have more than three million customers coming into our stores every week, so our fleet is busy replenishing stock all the time. As a result, tyre wear has been high.
“By taking the time to learn about our business and implementing a full service tyre policy that best suits our needs, ATS Euromaster has quickly demonstrated it can save us money.”
ATS Euromaster also gives B&M drivers full access to its 24/7 roadside rapid response service. This means that in the unlikely event a vehicle suffers a tyre-related failure, one of ATS Euromaster’s 900 mobile service vehicles will be despatched immediately, helping to ensure a vehicle is back on the road quickly.
B&M was founded in 1978 and
has more than 370 stores located nationwide. Its distinctive fleet, which operates in a blue and orange livery, is on the road seven days a week, delivering products including furniture, food, drink and electronics.
CEMEX UK to Adopt ContiPressureCheck TPMS System
With its fleet of over 300 trucks frequently operating in arduous quarry and site conditions that make tyres more prone to punctures and damage, CEMEX needs to maintain constant monitoring of their condition. Daily driver checks along with workshop inspections are part of the company’s tyre management regime, but even with such a rigorous process in place in-service
producing cement, aggregates and concrete looked for an automated solution based on a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
“We wanted a system from a major tyre manufacturer that works and has comprehensive technical and in-field support along with nationwide back-up,” says CEMEX Regional Logistics Manager, Carl Milton. “Our choice was the system offered by Continental as it
failures were often difficult to detect before a small problem became a large one. As a result the company, which is one of the UK’s leading building materials supplier
came from a company which both specialises in tyres and in automotive electronics, which could be provided as part of their overall tyre support offering.”
Working closely with Continental, CEMEX fitted six trial units of the ContiPressureCheck system. Two went onto MAN TGS.440 tractor 6x2 units pulling 40 cubic metre tri-axle Feldbinder cement tanks on regional distribution work out of their Rugby cement works. A further four were fitted to DAF CF85 four-axle tippers being used in different operating conditions in quarries as far apart as Shap in Cumbria and Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire.
Positive results came early in the trials with ContiPressureCheck picking up a leaking valve on a drive axle as soon as the system
was installed on the truck and a puncture on a tank trailer being detected before any structural failure occurred.
“These two events alone proved that automatic tyre pressure monitoring is the way to go with its potential to improve safety, cost and downtime,” says Carl Milton. “A significant number of our blow- outs are from slow punctures leading to overheating and tyre failure. Detecting these early will reduce expensive roadside repairs and disruption to customer service as well as improving safety for our drivers and other road users.” ContiPressureCheck is a direct
12 Commercial Tyre Business