Michelin Tyres' Longevity Persuades Haulier to Make Switch

Agricultural and aggregate specialist Finedon Bulk Haulage has switched to a 100 per cent Michelin policy following a 12-month trial which saw tyre longevity increase by approximately 60 per cent compared with the previous fitment, according to a Michelin statement today. The haulier’s fleet of ten tractors and ten bulk tipper trailers are required to negotiate farm tracks and rough quarry terrain on a daily basis; director Corey Donaldson had previously been sceptical about investing in a Michelin fitment: “Our tyres are subjected to a fair amount of wear and tear, but we pressed ahead with the Michelin trial and were very impressed with the durability and overall performance.”

The trial comprised the fitment of Michelin XZE 2+ tyres on the steer axles of its tractors, XTE 3 on the trailers, with a mixture of Remix and Encore on the drive axles. Whereas the Bridgestone tyres previously fitted were averaging approximately 70,000km, Michelin states that Donaldson achieved between 110,000 and 120,000km out of every new Michelin tyre, with excellent casing acceptance for the Remix and Encore remould processes.

“As well as lasting longer, there were far fewer cuts in the Michelin tyres, which in turn means fewer repairs and improved fleet uptime,” says Donaldson. “We haven’t calculated the exact savings yet – but I can tell from the drop in the number of tyres that need replacing that fitting Michelin will make a healthy contribution to the bottom line.” The remaining vehicles are now being switched to Michelin tyres as wear dictates.

Michelin’s XZE 2+ tyres are designed for national and regional operations and offer improved resistance to tread damage, with four deep longitudinal grooves in the tread to aid grip throughout the tyres’ life. They also feature specially designed sipes to minimise stone trapping and crown damage – making them more suited to the environment Finedon Bulk Haulage vehicle operate in. The Michelin XTE 3 trailer tyres use a new damage resistant rubber compound to minimise wear and are designed with a wide shoulder for improved resistance to scrub when cornering or manoeuvring.

Finedon Bulk Haulage is based in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. Its fleet is in operation five days a week, performing up to seven drops a day, and each vehicle averages around 145,000 km per year. The company carries out work for a range of customers across England and Wales, including BOCM Pauls, Hanson, Aggregate Industries, Frontier, Breedon Aggregates, Camgrain, Glencore Grain, Gleadell Agriculture, Openfield and Tarmac.