Michelin Lands Eco-Aware Haulage Fleet Contract

Michelin has been awarded a fleet contract with construction and land remediation company, GSE Haulage. The company believes the French tyre manufacturer can help the growth of its business with the fitment of Michelin XZE 2+ and XDY 3 tyres to its twenty Scania tippers, on a “pence per kilometre” contract. The vehicles will be operating on and off-road in the punishing environments of construction and quarry sites, meaning that mileage potential and resistance to damage – therefore reducing downtime – are the most important issues for GSE. Highlighting the importance of his tyre policy, Ricky Hemmings, Managing Director of Kent-based GSE Haulage explains: “One of the lessons we have learned with tyres is that price isn’t everything and by adopting a fleet-wide Michelin policy we have been able to radically reduce vehicle downtime.”

He continued, “The biggest issue for hauliers such as ourselves is productivity. This means getting the best return from vehicles, especially in the current economic climate by maximising fuel savings, cutting downtime and reducing overall running costs. Our business is growing rapidly and Michelin is helping us do this, which when linked to other aspects of vehicle management has seen our productivity increase by 15 per cent.”

The PPK structure allows GSE Haulage to own its Michelin tyres without the up-front cost of outright purchase. With vehicles operating across the south of England, the contract is serviced by independent Michelin dealer, Commercial Tyres, which offers weekly fleet inspections and a rapid response service.

As well as delivering environmental and financial savings through its tyre policy, GSE Haulage is also trialling cutting-edge hydrogen technology developed in conjunction with the University of Kent – resulting in a 20 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions, with fuel savings of up to 10 per cent. “Through the introduction of Michelin tyres and green hydrogen technology, it gives us the edge in a competitive market when talking to prospective customers who are mindful of their carbon footprint. We see practical implementation of a clean energy policy as the way forward because it offers us a number of significant environmental and financial benefits,” concludes Hemmings.

The XZE 2+ is an all-wheel position radial truck tyre designed with an extra-wide, extra-deep tread to deliver increased mileage potential, combined with durability and scrub resistance. In comparison, the XDY 3 has an aggressive directional tread pattern to increase traction on difficult surfaces.