ITA Reveals Cost Saving Tips for Winter

Tyres are often the most overlooked part of a vehicle, and in many cases more action is required when it comes to preparing trucks for poor weather conditions. To aid with this, the Industrial Tyre Association (ITA) has shared expert cost saving and safety tips to prepare the industrial sector for winter. ITA vice chair Clive Green has provided these tips as part of the association’s tyre selection standards to help minimise accidents and reduce unnecessary breakdowns:

1. Think ahead – Always keep in mind what operations your machines will be carrying out in winter. If they are due to change, then it is likely that a different type of tyre will be needed to meet that operation.

2. Surfaces make a difference – Different surfaces require different tyres. Make sure you select tyres that are made for the surfaces on which your trucks will be operating. If the wrong tyres are selected, this could result in accidents, unnecessary tyre ware, damage and punctures, feeding into your damage and maintenance costs. Also, if the operators do not feel safe driving the machines, this may reduce productivity rates.

3. Treat tyres as an investment – It is a common fact that a lot of companies are buying the cheapest tyres and delaying replacements to keep costs to a minimum. Companies need to treat the purchasing of tyres as an investment rather than a cost. Having the right tyres reduces accidents, breakdowns and maintenance, resulting in cost savings in the long run.

4. Invest in the premier brand – Most premier brand tyres are three stage tyres. They are more resilient, have a better life span, and increased reliability.

5. Reduce fuel costs – Make sure you select the correct tyres to fit your machine’s weight. With the correct tyres, the less you will need to spend on fuel.

In addition to these five tips, the ITA also offers the following advice:

1. Review the tyres’ life span: Before tyre selections are made, it is crucial that you review the truck/s in question to determine which type of tyre is most suitable for replacement. Look at the life span of the old tyres making sure they have met the standard uptime hours. These are:

a. Drive tyres – 2,500 hrs approx

b. Steer tyres – 1,000 hrs approx

If they don’t, it is likely that you do not have the right tyres.

2. Review ride characteristics: Make sure to review the ride characteristics, if the operators find the machines too uncomfortable to drive, or don’t feel safe, it is likely that you do not have the right tyres, which may reduce productivity rates.

Fitting

1. Only use trained fitters – When it comes to choosing a company that fit tyres, make sure they have trained their fitters properly. You can do this by requesting to see their training certificate.

2. Risk Assessments – Make sure the fitting company offer risk assessments on site.

3. Correct press tooling – Make sure the press tooling adheres to the correct health and safety measures.

4. Do a 24-hour follow-up – Once the tyres have been fitted, make sure to do a follow-up within 24 hours by getting an operator to check that the wheel nuts are still securely fastened.

5. Ensure you have disposal knowledge – If your old tyres are not being re-used, make sure you know the legal way of disposing them.

 The ITA has recently launched a new website offering expert advice and sets professional standards in best practice. If you have any concerns or would like to find out more about industrial tyres, please contact the ITA at: http://www.industrialtyres.org.