Page 8 - CTB N16 - 2016-04

NEWS
CMA Calls for Urgent Review of Motorway Debris Clearance
advocate dealership, Universal Tyres has the advantages of including free staff training sessions and a chance to send selected, high-performing staff on dedicated ‘Tyre Academy’ training courses held throughout the year. The dealership also benefits from bespoke business support supplied by Michelin, in order to
help the company further grow its premium tyre market share across its 16 sites.
Mark Meagher, Retail Programme Development Manager at Michelin, says: “Michelin is delighted to see Universal’s Chelmsford site clinch the title of NTDA Tyre Retail Centre of the Year.”
CommercialTyre
Management
and Fleet Business
Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA) has called on Highways England to review the arrangements for clearing debris from UK motorways following a worrying rise in “swerve to avoid” and “tyre blowout” related claims.
CMA believe that part of the reason for the increase in burst tyres, vehicle trim or dead animals on motorways recently is due to the zero carriageway crossings policy adopted by Highways England from 2011. The policy was designed to protect
associated with closing a carriageway are a disincentive to removing larger items like burst tyres.”
Swift explained that even when Highways Agency Traffic Officers (HATO) or contractor do attend, there can be “a tendency to kick the problem to the side of the road”, which puts lives at risk from secondary factors, with debris also impeding drainage, leading to standing water, aquaplaning and crashes.
Swift added that; “safety is the
Trelleborg Road Show and Fendt 1000 Vario Tour Join Up to Boost Farming Productivity
the lives of contractor employees. But CMA says Highways England contractors’ reluctance to incur traffic management costs is exacerbating the danger for road users.
Managing Director of CMA, Philip Swift, said: “We are extremely concerned at the increasing number of cases involving drivers swerving to avoid debris and fear it is only a matter of time before someone gets killed. Highways England contractors are paid a lump sum to provide barrier repairs, gully clearance and litter removal, but the costs
paramount issue here, but there is a financial aspect to it as well. We find ourselves in the crazy situation where Highways England contractors are presenting claims for barrier repairs potentially caused by debris they are responsible for clearing. This irony is often compounded by a debris clearance charge being lumped in with the repair cost and an invoice being presented to either the driver or their insurer. That is astounding given the clearance task has already been paid for by Highways England, yet we see it happening ever more frequently.”
Trelleborg has been selected as the official partner for the Fendt 1000 Vario Tour, which ran from 10 to 25 September from North to South Italy. The tour, which included seven stops, attempted to showcase and field test the new Fendt 1000 Vario series tractors, with Fendt also demonstrating the Series 700, 800 and 900 in real-world environments, to exhibit the full high-power tractor range. Trelleborg exclusively equipped all tractors shown during the event.
During the roadshow, Trelleborg performed field demonstrations to highlight the importance of selecting the optimal tyre inflation pressure for specific farming operations, as recommended using the Trelleborg Load Calculator (TLC). To do so, the tyre footprint and soil compaction were measured on a Trelleborg 710/75R42 TM900 High Power inflated at two different pressures. Test results revealed that by applying the lowest possible pressure, as recommended by the Trelleborg Load Calculator app, soil compaction was significantly reduced. Alongside other financial benefits, real savings can be achieved in improving soil structure. Soil compaction from tractor tyres can reduce yield in
subsequent years: each tyre mark can mean fewer crops. Compaction affects the soil’s porosity and thus the infiltration rate, allowing rainwater to run off the surface, taking nutrients and pesticides with it.
Previous trials had proved that lowering tyre pressure could bring substantial benefits. However, only higher-specification tyres, such as the TM900 High Power range could perform well both on and off the fields. TM900 High Power provides an extra wide footprint, up to 8 percent wider than its competitor, which preserves the field, giving premium flotation and low soil compaction. The soil returns to its original state as an organic reactor, capable of absorbing air-bound nutrients, recycling crop residues and retaining water.
Paolo Fogagnolo, Country Manager Italy, Agricultural and Forestry Tyres at Trelleborg Wheel Systems, said: “It’s an honor to be involved in the Fendt Vario Tour, especially as the exclusive tyre partner. We look forward to working with the Fendt team over the course of the roadshow to highlight best practice in tyre performance and design.”
Michelin Certified Centre Wins NTDA Prize
Independent dealership Universal Tyres’ Chelmsford site has been named the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) Tyre Retail Centre of the Year. The Chelmsford site impressed the judges with its modern design, well-stocked tyre storage and fitting team. The site also became one of Universal Tyres’ eight Michelin Certified Centres earlier this year.
Simon Wright, Sales and Marketing Director at Universal Tyres, says: “We invested heavily in building the new site during 2015, converting an old commercial tyre shop, which has long been a regular supplier to truck fleets, into a state-of-the-art retail branch with one goal – to provide excellent service to motorists living in or visiting Chelmsford.”
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8 Commercial Tyre Business