Alvis Contracting fits Michelin’s CargoXbib

North Somerset’s Alvis Contracting has fit its four new Stewart silage trailers with Michelin CargoXbib trailer tyres. The manufacturer says the decision to fit dedicated agricultural trailer tyres on the trailers mirrors a policy being adopted across the company’s fleet, with seven 10-year old silage trailers being upgraded with air brakes and a set of CargoXbibs during 2011.

Daniel Harding, manager of Alvis Contracting, explains: “We have traditionally fitted super singles on our trailers, but we trialled some CargoXbibs on our last batch of new trailers and they have really proved their worth. In wet maize the CargoXbibs just float over the soil, whereas the lorry remoulds tend to dig in, causing rutting and soil compaction.”

In addition to its general contracting work, Alvis Contracting farms over 1,800 acres of arable land for Alvis Brothers Farms. This allows the team to see the impact that soil compaction can have at first hand.

“We get to see both sides of the business,” says Harding. “When we are growing it’s plain to see how yield is being affected in areas where the sub-soil has been damaged. The CargoXbibs will help to stop this, plus they will give us the confidence to work in even the wettest conditions, whilst still protecting the land.

“We’ve not measured the fuel benefits, but since these tyres offer significantly improved rolling resistance, particularly in the wet, we’re sure there are some,” he adds.

Michelin’s CargoXbib tyres are designed to carry heavy loads at lower pressures, with each tyre’s large contact patch and rounded shoulders offering the maximum flotation, minimising rutting and sub-soil damage. Compared with a remould truck tyre, which is typically inflated to around 100psi, a CargoXbib runs at between 17psi and 35psi, depending on the tyre size and load being carried.

Alvis Contracting operates within a 25-30 mile radius of is base at Lye Cross Farm in Redhill, Bristol, meaning its fleet spends approximately 80 per cent of its time on the road. Despite this, the original sets of CargoXbib tyres tested by the company have lasted between two and three years before being replaced. Performance is equally strong on the tractor fleet, with Michelin MultiBib tyres being the dominant fitment; Michelin says three of the 2007 tractors, John Deere 6830’s, have already clocked-up more than 8,800 hours on their original MultiBib tyres. Replacement tyres are supplied by Coombe Garage Tyres in Nailsea, with fitting carried out directly by Alvis Contracting.