Page 12 - CTB N14 - 2016-02

CV SHOW REVIEW
April 26 - 28th NEC BIRMINGHAM
CommercialTyre
Management
and Fleet Business
Multiple Messages from Bridgestone at CV Show
There was no shortage of new stories on the Bridgestone stand at this year’s CV show, not least the launch of two separate new ranges of tyres including the introduction of a new brand to the truck segment.
Firstly, Bridgestone’s decision to officially unveil the Dayton range
“Dayton allows us to engage with professional hauliers and certain businesses which might not be in a position to opt for our holistic Total Tyre Care package of premium support. The Dayton range delivers consistent quality drivers and meets fleet managers’ needs to
“The number of light commercial vehicles is on UK roads is on the rise and we feel there is a huge opportunity for us in this area,” said Greg Ward. “That growth is being driven by fleets downsizing from light trucks to smaller, cheaper and less CO2/NOx- emitting vans. The home delivery sector, for example, is fast becoming shoppers’ preferred option for everything from groceries to electrical items to general goods. We must be in a position to support these ever- expanding fleets and we are confident of doing so.”
Also showing prominently on Bridgestone’s stand was the free Bridgestone Retorque app, which
the creation of the tool, which is designed to reduce back-office issues, and Kingsway Tyres has now become the first retail network to implement the ‘joined-up’ technology.
The device replaces more antiquated, paper-based methods of reporting with a digital tablet- driven, cloud-based mobile data exchange, which provides full details of each and every tyre manufactured by Bridgestone – from the moment it is fitted right through to its end of life, including any retreading processes.
It does away with the laborious process of a fitter filling in a sheet, passing it to a depot
Dave Parker, General Manager of Horndean Tyres, Steve Daly of CAM International and Anne Sherwood, Group Business Support manager at Tructyre, on the Bridgestone stand
The new Dayton range of CV tyres and the Bridgestone M-Steer and M-Drive on/off road range were on display at the NEC.
represented a new foray into the entry level sector of the tyre market for Bridgestone. Featuring the popular 295/80 R22.5 and 385/65 R22.5 sizes, the Dayton range was backed up with Bridgestone’s quality guarantee and an assurance that the Dayton line-up of steer, drive and trailer tyres is fully retreadable. Bridgestone’s commercial sales director Greg Ward commented;
get the job done safely and efficiently.
“We are confident that the range will provide us with a platform to communicate our premium Bridgestone proposition, thus creating a lasting first impression from which to build. It will also meet the needs of our Bridgestone Partner network, which is in need of a compelling solution at this end of the
marketplace.” Also new on the stand was Bridgestone’s new range of M-Steer and M-Drive on/off road tyres designed for mild and medium On/Off conditions such as those encountered in construction and excavation works. The key selling point of the new range is the cut- resistance of the tyres
Bridgestone also sees huge potential from the van tyre market and this was reflected on the company’s stand.
has been developed after a painstaking information gathering exercise with all bus, truck and trailer original equipment manufacturers and which offers the correct torque settings on all vehicles, free of charge, at the swipe of a mobile phone or tablet.
The app will be of use to anyone who removes and replaces truck wheels and Bridgestone plan to develop it further to include van data in the future.
The app recently scooped the BS EMEA Vision Award and this was proudly displayed by Bridgestone UK and Ireland’s TBR Product and Marketing Manager Andy Mathias during the exhibition. Also present on the Bridgestone stand was Steve Daly of CAM International. Bridgestone’s link with e-Jobsheet –CAM’s digital tablet based work management system - at last year’s CV Show, Bridgestone is now aligning its first Bridgestone Partner member with the technology.
Bridgestone has worked with CAM International to assist in
administrator, only for them to then upload it to Bridgestone’s reporting system at a later date. Instead, the fitter would upload the information to a tablet, thus creating clean, paperless data and real-time information for fleets.
Bridgestone’s back office manager Mike Howling said the potential for the product was enormous and hopes other tyre manufacturers will now follow Bridgestone’s lead.
“This is the first time a tyre manufacturer has linked e- Jobsheet to a dealer management system and now it is in place at Kingsway, it will be rolled out to other Bridgestone Partners,” said Howling. “The offering sits within our Total Tyre Care package of fleet support and not only benefits the dealer, but the fleet as well.”
Last but not least, a virtual clay pigeon shooting activity added a point of difference to the Bridgestone stand, which gave visitors the chance to win a series of commercially themed prizes.
Andy Mathias with the BS EMEA Vision Award.
12 Commercial Tyre Business