Bus operator trentbarton commits to a new contract with Michelin’s Connected Solutions division, leveraging the durability of Michelin products to reduce downtime and minimise costs for itself and its subsidiary companies.
Michelin’s Proven Quality Sees Trentbarton Sign On for Five More Years
East Midlands public transport operator trentbarton has signed a new five-year deal with Michelin, having been impressed with the longevity and durability of the product.
The Effitires contract will see Michelin’s Connected Solutions division supply and manage the tyres on more than 400 buses. These buses service routes across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire for trentbarton, as well as the Wellglade Group’s other businesses Notts + Derby, TM Travel and Kinchbus.
Matt Evans, Engineering Director, trentbarton, says, “We’ve been working with Michelin for a number of years now, and I’ve been a big advocate of the product for a long time. It is widely regarded as the best tyre on the market. The sidewall protection is second to none, which helps to keep any disruption to our services and unnecessary costs to an absolute minimum. That’s really the most important thing from an operator’s point of view.”
Regrooving and Retreading to Boost Fleet Efficiency
The new agreement will see Michelin supply the tyres directly to trentbarton, whose in-house team will handle the fitting and all replacement work. Michelin will also carry out fleet-wide inspections as part of the agreement. This will effectively ensure the customer gets the most from every tyre while maximising uptime and compliance.
All the tyres will be carefully managed through a multi-life policy with Michelin’s skilled technicians regrooving them once the tread depth reaches 3-4mm, helping to extend each casing’s life in its most fuel-efficient state. Once the regrooved tyres have worn, they will be retreaded at the Michelin Remix plant in Stoke – a process that saves natural resources, doubles the Michelin casing lifespan and supports UK manufacturing.
The buses will run predominantly on products from the MICHELIN X InCity range. The business plans to move a portion of its fleet to the new 265/70 R19.5 X InCity EV Z fitments.
Designed for electric buses, the tyres also offer outstanding performance for traditional diesel vehicles. Plus, they have an improved sidewall for urban usage and a wet grip design.
“Michelin products always stand the test of time, and the level of service we get from the team is very good,” adds Evans.
“The Michelins tend to wear evenly as well. In my experience, that can be a real issue for other manufacturers. Overall, we had no reason to look elsewhere.”
