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CONTRACT WINS
Vacu-Lug Snaps Up Yorkshire Tipper Firm
North Yorkshire bulk tipper operator M Kettlewell (Melmerby) has signed a fixed price contract with Vacu-Lug Traction Tyres for the supply and management of tyres for its fleet of vehicles and trailers. The Ripon-based company currently runs 33 units and 36 trailers, transporting raw materials, such as wheat and barley, for animal feed processors nationally.
As part of the tyre deal with Vacu-Lug, the company has fitted 295/80R22.5 Pirelli steers, 235/75R17.5 Pirelli lift, 295/80R22.5 Duramold WDE2+ drive and 385/65R22.5 Westlake AT557 for trailers. The tyres are managed through Vacu-Lug’s advanced tyre fleet management system VMS,
while all fitments and breakdowns are supplied and covered by ATS Euromaster. The VMS system is designed to ensure that operators get the most out of their tyres and that the best practice is adhered to, in a bid to control costs and boost operational efficiency. Managing Director Paul Kettlewell said: “I am very happy so far with the Vacu-Lug tyres supplied and believe that they will help the company keep a lid on costs which is so essential in our type of business.”
M Kettlewell is part of the Kettlewell Group which also includes fuel oil supplier Kettlewell Fuels and Kettlewell Commercials, a registered DAF service and repair centre.
Goodyear Signs Deal with Eddie Stobart
about it, we really have. During a period of extremely bad weather one of our coaches was forced to make an emergency stop. If the coach hadn’t been fitted with the Michelin X MultiWay 3D rubber it would, without doubt, have hit the truck in front. Michelin helped us to keep our passengers safe, whilst avoiding an expensive and potentially tragic incident.” Ridgeway adds: “Prior to fitting Michelin tyres to the trial vehicle we had also noted that the steering didn’t feel as sharp and precise as it had when new,
but there were no signs of anything being mechanically wrong. The minute we fitted the Michelin tyres the issues cleared up and the drivers have reported being very impressed with the handling. This trial demonstrated to us the clear benefits of investing in a premium tyre. Their sheer stopping power is phenomenal.” Vehicles in the Chapel End Coaches fleet typically cover approximately 45,000 miles a year. The company maintains a fleet of six coaches.
Goodyear Dunlop has announced that it has won a five-year contract with Eddie Stobart.
The deal will see the leading logistics brand fit its 2,500 tractor units and over 4,000 trailers with all-new Goodyear KMax and FuelMax products, in addition to utilising Goodyear’s roadside assistance and tyre maintenance experts TruckForce.
David Pickering, Managing Director at Eddie Stobart says: "Goodyear had a very consultative approach, building and flexing their solution to match our business needs. The team took the time to understand the intricacies of our operation and what product and service package was going to prove the most effective.” Pickering continues: "Our logistics operation is large and complex. At any one time we have up to 38,000 tyres on the road travelling up and down the country, so an efficient and effective product and service package is vital to our business. Commenting on the new contract win, Commercial
Director of Goodyear Dunlop UK, Marc Preedy said: "Eddie Stobart is a highly respected brand and logistics operation and we’re delighted to be working with them. Through working openly and transparently with Eddie Stobart we created a personalised package that will ultimately allow them to optimise the value of their tyre investment. The length of this deal shows the faith Eddie Stobart has in our partnership and is testament to the quality of the KMax and FuelMax range and the impeccable standards of our TruckForce network."
This latest contract win for Goodyear adds to the continued success the company has seen in the commercial market since its KMax and FuelMax products launched last year. In the last 12 months Goodyear Dunlop has added the fleets of Turners of Soham, Hanson, Lloyd Fraser, Pollock Scotrans, A&D logistics as well as retaining the business of DHL, Elddis Transport, Cartwrights and Hargreaves.
Chapel End Coaches Adopts Full Michelin Policy
Nuneaton-based Chapel End Coaches is adopting a full Michelin policy on its executive coaches after observing a significant improvement in stopping distances and grip while trialling a set of X MultiWay 3D XZE tyres.
David Ridgeway, Mechanic at Chapel End Coaches, says: “We had been sceptical about fitting a premium tyre but Michelin promised us that we would see significant benefits over the mid-range tyres we’d been running. And there’s no doubt
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