Latest Truck Initiatives From Michelin

In June, Michelin UK appointed Thierry Martin as Commercial Director – Truck and, in an exclusive interview with TYRES & ACCESSORIES, he spelled out the latest efforts of Michelin to woo customers in the competitive truck tyre market. The emphasis has switched from merely supplying product to providing a comprehensive service for customers. A good example is the Michelin Euro Assist breakdown programme, where customers with tyre problems in any of 17 countries across Europe can dial one number for 24-hour help.

Today’s service advisors aim to significantly cut costs for customers across the total package and double digit savings are not uncommon. Michelin’s technical advisors monitor maintenance and diagnose problems in order that the customer gets optimum usage from his tyres. Of course, in a fixed-price contract, increasing tyre life benefits the manufacturer too.

The importance of the service element was underlined when Michelin won the contract to supply tyres to Transamerica Trailer Leasing (which has 21,000 trailers in its European fleet) for the next five years. The clinching argument was not the price, but the availability of service and back-up across Europe. Michelin has extended its Michelin Business Advantage (MBA) scheme, originally aimed at car tyre customers, to truck tyre buyers.

MBA is a scheme whereby independent customers and Michelin sit down together to discuss how they can work together to improve the service on offer to customers, thereby benefiting all three parties. This leads to what Thierry Martin describes as “a win, win, win situation.”.