Page 24 - CTB N14 - 2016-02

WHEEL ALIGNMENT
CommercialTyre
Management
and Fleet Business
Kathryn Beaurain and Brett Hickey with the Hunter Commercial Vehicle Wheel Aligner
It takes less than three minutes to attach the sensors to the wheels
The Mertrux workshop in Derby
Pro-Align Set for Progress with Hunter Commercial Vehicle Alignment System
It is now a year since the launch of Hunter’s Commercial Vehicle Aligner at last year’s CV Show and in the interim period the
taken a little longer than was originally anticipated, but she is keen to emphasise the potential for the system in the UK
message that commercial vehicle alignment should be viewed as a preventative maintenance exercise rather than a simply a cure for misalignment. “We are attempting to change the mindset of fleet managers and convince them that regular wheel alignment testing can save fleets significant amounts in terms of tyre wear and fuel consumption. There are two key opportunities for workshops – one is safeguarding the assets of
The key advantages of the Hunter alignment systems are the time taken to carry out an alignment check and the system’s ease of use. It is currently the only alignment system capable of providing live alignment readings on three axles simultaneously. This feature, together with the system’s revolutionary single roll compensation feature, helps reduce time for a full diagnosis to just four minutes.
company’s UK distributor Pro- Align has been busy placing the system on trial at various truck workshops around the country. Now the company is reporting that it is on the verge of significant progress as it waits for final technical approval from Mercedes-Benz.
The system has been well received by commercial vehicle workshops around the country but official approval from the likes of Mercedes is a crucial part of the marketing process, explained Kathryn Beaurain, Pro-Align’s PR and Marketing Chief during a demonstration of Hunter’s DSP 760T aligner at the Derby workshop of Mercedes dealer Mertrux, who have already installed a car and light commercial system. According to Beaurain and Brett Hickey, Pro-Align’s commercial vehicle specialist, Mertrux has already installed a car and light commercial system, which has been operational for several weeks and intends to install the CV version as soon as final technical approval is obtained. Kathryn Beaurain accepts that that the approval process has
market. To begin with, she points out that the increased use of safety radar systems, which rely on being set to the centre line of the vehicle, will mean an Increased need for workshops to make sure vehicles are correctly aligned. Secondly, Pro-Align has been tr ying hard to get across the
fleets, but there is also the business opportunity offered by providing this alignment service to third parties.”
“This,” points out Brett Hickey, “is a major contrast to other systems, which have been known to take more half an
24 Commercial Tyre Business