Page 29 - CTB N12 - 2015-04

NEWS EXTRA
Anglian Water Manages Tyre Pressures to Near Perfection
Anglian Water are celebrating the success of a five year drive to ensure tyres are maintained at the correct pressure across its 4,000 employees’ vehicles.
A sample of nearly 100 cars and vans inspected by Michelin in the latest study found average tyre pressures accurate to within less than 0.1 per cent across the fleet, compared with under-inflation by an average of 15.2 per cent in 2011 when the project started. The fleet’s tyres are now projected to be lasting their full life, whereas tyre life was previously
cent in 2013 and 4.8 per cent in 2014.
David Leggett, Fleet Maintenance Workshop Controller at Anglian Water, explains: “The relationship with Michelin is not just about them selling us tyres and walking away; it’s about their continued proactive work and innovation to help us to achieve our goals. Michelin has sustained its focus and delivered tangible savings to our fleet every year.”
Andy Fern, Michelin’s Head of Fleet, adds: “If every employer followed Anglian Water’s example, the
environmental results could be off the scale. The beauty of this project is that it can be repeated with any fleet – there’s no investment on their part required. It’s about changing attitudes to tyre care for the long-term; we’d be willing to
support more customers in achieving these results.”
Key to the success of this project has been the delivery of a training module by Michelin, for use by managers at all levels to educate staff about the impact tyre pressures have on the environment, fuel efficiency and tyre life. Michelin has also provided tyre inflation posters to display in Anglian Water’s offices and workshops, as well as content for its intranet.
reduced by as much as 10 per cent as a result of operating under-inflated. The dramatic results – achieved by educating employees about the importance of tyre pressure maintenance – are estimated to have saved 143.7 tonnes of CO and 60,546 litres of fuel over five years, marking a significant contribution to carbon reduction and fleet efficiency. Levels of under-inflation have consistently improved since the project began, dropping to 9.1 per
Jean-François Berruyer
‘comprehensive’ centres within the company’s national network.
Taking over the role of
Group Finance
Director is Jean-
François Berruyer, who
has more than five
years’ experience
within the Michelin
Group, most recently
as European
Partnership
Programme Manager at Michelin’s worldwide headquarters inClermont-Ferrand, France. He joined Michelin as a Quality Manager within the European
Finance Group in 2010, prior to which he enjoyed a decade at GE Capital in senior financial roles, following four years as a Senior Auditor at KPMG.
Vipal Carries out Comparative Tests with VRT3 Tread
The streets of Puglianello, Italy recently hosted a series of performance tests aimed at proving the superior performance of Vipal’s VRT3 tread from Vipal
Rubber. In the first
performance comparison
in Europe, Vipal claims its
product achieved 8%
better mileage than a
similar competitor
product.
The test was conducted on
paved roads, in a cargo
vehicle with trailer and
drive axles. The track,
comprising moderate
climbs and descents and
an abrasive surface,
resulted in an average degree of severity. The performance evaluation was done with supervision by the Vipal Europe team and technical support from the R&D and Technology team in Brazil, according to established quality standards and with equal conditions.
The carrier
involved was
Autotrasporti
Felice Michele
Vinchiatauro, a
company with
a fleet of 20
trucks, which
provide live
cargo transport
services.
Autotrasporti
Felice has been
in the market
since 1978
and retreads
most of the
tyres it uses. For the company’s owner, Michele Vinchiatauro, the up to 60% cost savings achieved with a retreaded tyre compared to a new one is crucial. “We always strive for
quality and savings, which is one of the reasons we are steadily increasing the percentage of retreaded tyres in our fleet,” he says.
ATS Euromaster Announces New Directorships
The general manager of Vipal Europe, Alessandro Campos, emphasises how essential this kind of testing is, saying “In addition to demonstrating the quality of our treads in a practical way, these initiatives bring us closer to customers and reinforce the benefits
ATS Euromaster has announced the appointment of two new directors. Rachel McMullen has been named Group Operations Director -
Comprehensive after nearly eight years leading the company’s finance department. In March 2015 she was named UK Finance Director of the
Year at the Business Finance Awards. McMullen joined ATS Euromaster in October 2004, initially as Commercial Analysis and Decision Support Controller, following an eight year career as a Senior Finance Manager at TDG. She will now take over control of 180
Rachel McMullen
of retreading, two key issues for Vipal Rubber”.
Commercial Tyre Business 29