Electrical Retailer Switches on to Michelin Contract

Michelin UK reports it has won a major contract to supply tyres to the distribution fleet used by electrical retailer Comet, which is operated by supply chain solutions specialist Wincanton. The new contract has been set-up on a ‘pence per kilometre’ (PPK) basis and replaces a previous ‘pay as you go’ agreement with another manufacturer. It will be supported by ATS Euromaster’s fleet of 1,200 mobile service vehicles which will be used to fit tyres at Wincanton and Comet’s own distribution depots, coupled with the provision of 24/7 emergency roadside assistance in the event of a tyre-related breakdown.

Upon announcing the agreement, Andrew Shean, Purchasing Manager at Wincanton, commented: “We invited Michelin to tender for this contract based on our positive experiences of working with them in other parts of our business. Moving to a PPK deal enables us to pay Michelin a set amount per tyre dependant on the distance our fleet travels, without the up-front cost of buying tyres outright. It also sees the introduction of detailed electronic tyre inspections carried out across the fleet on a monthly basis by ATS Euromaster, with a range of management reports to allow us to monitor tyre performance and fleet trends.”

Chris Watson, National Transport Manager at Wincanton, added that “awarding the contract to Michelin is part of a strategic move to ensure we benefit from an end-to-end tyre policy, where all aspects of the tyres’ life is managed to ensure maximum performance and safety, from the initial fitment through to disposal.”

Michelin’s contract with Wincanton covers a fleet of approximately 70 4×2 tractor units and 140 trailers, which are used to distribute electrical products between the company’s distribution centres and a network of more than 250 Comet stores throughout the UK. It will see Michelin XZE2+ tyres fitted as standard to the steer axles of tractor units, with XDE2 Remix tyres on the drive axles and a mixture of XTE3 and XTA2 Energy tyres on the trailers. All tyres will follow Michelin’s Four Lives tyre policy.

The monthly tyre inspections are to be carried out using ATS Euromaster’s electronic data capture (EDC2) system, which allows technicians to record each tyre’s condition and tread depth onto a small handheld computer before uploading the report in ‘real time’ to a central database. The nature of vehicle movements means the monthly checks typically capture approximately 70 per cent of all vehicles and trailers in the parc, with 100 per cent guaranteed to be inspected at least every quarter.