UK’s ‘most puncture-prone fleet’ appoints ATS-E

A 173 vehicle fleet thought to be amongst the most likely to sustain tyre damage has appointed ATS Euromaster to help maintain its tyres. Oxfordshire-based Chevron Traffic Management is the UK’s largest independent traffic management company and claims to operate in one of the most demanding environments for road-based vehicles in the UK. Chevron runs 4×4 pick-ups, vans and trucks completing daily tasks on debris-strewn motorway hard shoulders.

Fleet manager Alan Flynn says the company’s tyre bill is the second highest vehicle running cost after fuel, and at least one vehicle suffers a puncture every day – and often many more: “The risk of punctures and irreparable sidewall damage is our biggest problem.  Every tyre in the fleet ends up being replaced due to damage; well before the tread depth reaches the legal limit or we have a chance to regroove.”

Chevron has six depots across the UK and previously sourced its tyres via the Independent Tyre Distributors Network.  Flynn says increasingly high charges for roadside callouts and lack of adherence to its specified budget tyre policy forced Chevron to consider different suppliers.

“We chose to put ATS-E to the test based on the strength of its nationwide coverage and 24/7 mobile support.  This gives us access to the largest mobile tyre fitting fleet in the country, which helps ensure fast response times for roadside callouts – even in the middle of the night, which is our busiest time.”

ATS-E’s roadside call-out charges follow an agreed national pricing structure and the company is committed to adhering to the customer’s budget tyre policy, with a range of budget brands stocked nationwide. Flynn adds: “This should mean an end to fitters arriving at a breakdown with expensive premium-brand tyres.  We’ve trialled premium fitments before, but they aren’t a viable option given the nature of our work.

“On occasions where we have been forced down this route at the roadside it’s been an unnecessary cost for the business to swallow.  It’s why we are ringing the changes – ATS Euromaster is fully geared up to fit the tyres we specify.”

For routine tyre replacements, Chevron Traffic Management utilises a stock of spare wheel and tyre assemblies.  Local ATS-E centres collect any spare rims twice a week and fit new budget tyres, before returning the completed assemblies to Chevron’s workshops for fitment. The tyre servicing company undertakes monthly tyre safety inspections at each of the company’s six depots, designed to help reduce instances of tyre-related breakdowns and support the fleet’s commitment to good tyre husbandry.

Chevron undertakes all types of temporary traffic management, including lane closures, contraflows, narrow lane systems and mobile lane closures, working in support of the Highways Agency and major infrastructure development companies. It recently worked on the widening of the M25 between Enfield and the QE2 Bridge, which utilised more than 40,000 traffic cones.

In addition to its 4×4 pick-ups and vans, the truck fleet ranges from Mitsubishi Canter chassis cabs mounted with dropside bodies for cone carrying, to a flagship fleet of 18 tonne Mercedes-Benz Axor, DAF CF 65 and Eurocargo Impact Protection Vehicles (IPVs).  The IPVs feature a hydraulically-operated crash cushion for protecting teams working on the roadside and a rear facing Vertical Lift Light Arrow Board.