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BUS & COACH TYRES
Michelin Achieves Bus and Coach Contract Success with New Adventure and Mainline
Michelin has announced a couple of major contract successes in recent months in the bus and coach sector, confirming the Stoke-on-Trent based company’s commitment to the part of the market.
Firstly, coach and bus operator New Adventure Travel is switching to a predominantly Michelin policy, after conducting successful trials that showed it could achieve at least double the lifespan of its existing tyres.
The Cardiff-based firm has moved to fitting predominantly 245/70 R 19.5 and 265/70 R19.5 Michelin XZE2+ tyres on its service buses and 315/80 R 22.5 X MultiWay 3D XZEs on its coaches.
Jason Campfield, Fleet Engineer at New Adventure Travel, says: “With the Michelin tyres we’re getting around three times the tyre life of the GT Radials we previously ran on the
difficult climatic conditions. The design merges excellent traction, longevity and fuel-efficiency with outstanding safety, comfort and cost- effectiveness.
The 19.5” XZE2+ tyre is a popular choice for local buses, using a rubber compound specially designed to improve resistance to accidental damage. It features innovative sipes to reduce stone trapping and crown damage, plus the tread rubber and crown ply are designed to improve protection of the casing against the ingress of moisture and oxidation in the event of severe accidental damage. The tread is also designed to optimise the contact patch resulting in an improved mileage potential, wear pattern and grip on most road types – in comparison with the previous generation XZE2 tyre in the same dimension.
Meanwhile, South Wales-based
second or third life on its low- mileage contract vehicles, meaning that it had to obtain new budget tyres to keep its older contract vehicles on the move.
“They were a nightmare,” he says. “We had 80-series budget tyres lasting just 40,000 km. The sidewalls just didn’t last the distance.”
Fraser Greer, the local Michelin Account Manager, continued meeting on a regular basis with Mainline Coaches and following the poor performance of the competitor brand tyres, Michelin became the choice of
tyre again for the firm after just 18 months. Mainline now specify Michelin’s latest generation 315/80 R 22.5 X MultiWay 3D XZE multiposition tyres all-round, and the first sets have already covered in excess of 300,000km.
The company receives tyre support from its local Michelin Certified Centre, Celtic Tyres, which supply, fit and service the majority of its rubber. In addition to this, it also uses an account with ATS Euromaster, providing 24/7 roadside assistance for its vehicles across Europe.
Seminar Programme to be Integral Part of Euro Bus Expo
buses, and twice the life of the premium brand fitments we had on our coaches.”
Although it is currently too soon to accurately predict the magnitude of the financial savings from switching to Michelin, the firm is already enjoying the benefits of longer tyre life.
Campfield explains: “With our previous tyre policy we had to change rubber much more frequently, which had knock-on implications in terms of scheduling vehicle downtime. Now we don’t have that problem anymore as the tyres are lasting longer than we’ve ever known before. As the policy rolls-out to additional vehicles it will mean fewer man hours taken up in the workshop, which is also a cost saving for us.
New Adventure Travel coaches are benefiting from one of Michelin’s latest generation of regional tyres, the X MultiWay 3D XZE. These multi- position tyres get their name from the three-dimensional nature of the tread sipes which generate grip in
Mainline Coaches has returned its fleet to operating on 100 per cent Michelin tyres after an exercise to reduce running costs ended up costing the fleet money.
Mainline Coaches are a family-run business with a 43-strong vehicle fleet, which range from 16-seat minibuses to 70-seat coaches, whilst also boasting a number of 49-seat platinum executive coaches with full leather upholstery for VIP and corporate hire.
Three years ago, Mainline Coaches trialled a move away from Michelin tyres, by opting to fit an alternative premium brand tyre on its coaches and budget brands on contract vehicles. The Engineering Director of the independent coach operator, David Pope said, “Back in 2011 industry tyre prices were rising and we looked at alternatives. However, rather than reducing our tyre bills by fitting tyres which cost less up-front, our replacement costs shot up.” Further to this, Mainline Coaches found that the tyres it was fitting on its coaches were not suitable for a
A high quality seminar programme will once again be an integral part of the total show experience when Euro Bus Expo 2014 opens this November.
As well as being able to see firsthand a wide spectrum of innovations in the bus and coach
sectors from more than 240 exhibitors, visitors to Euro Bus Expo 2014 – which takes place 4th – 6th November at the NEC Birmingham - will be able to hear latest industry thinking and views presented at the extensive seminar programme that will be taking place as an integral
24 Commercial Tyre Business