Countrywide switches CV fleet to ATS Euromaster

Rural community retailer Countrywide has appointed ATS Euromaster to provide its tyre maintenance and checks across all 14 of its operating centres in the South West, Cotswolds, Midlands and Wales. The 80-strong Countrywide commercial vehicle fleet ranges from vans to articulated trucks and was previously serviced through a range of independent dealers.

In particular, ATS Euromaster provides support for Countrywide’s LPG tanker fleet, which supplies Autogas for heating and vehicle use. As tankers cannot carry spare tyres, in the event of a tyre-related breakdown the driver needs rapid roadside assistance from a skilled technician to get them back on the move. This now comes through ATS Euromaster’s nationwide network of more than 820 service vans, the largest in the country.

“With so many depots and vehicles in disparate locations, it was challenging to get a consistent service on fleet inspections and tyre-related breakdowns through a network of independent suppliers,” commented Darren Moor, LPG operations manager at Countrywide. “But with ATS Euromaster, we get exactly what we’re looking for and we are truly looked after. We receive an email report after every inspection which gives us complete visibility and lets us manage our fleet more effectively, and their roadside assistance network has the best coverage with just one number to call.”

Because Countrywide’s depots have a variable fleet capacity, ATS Euromaster has implemented a ‘hub’ approach to fleet inspections. Technicians will visit main ‘hubs’ where several vehicles are based at any one time. ATS Euromaster will conduct checks at depots that typically only have one or two vehicles on site whenever it visits a larger depot in the area. Feedback given by the ATS Euromaster technicians then allows the fleet team at Countrywide to make informed decisions about the fleet to maximise uptime.

Countrywide operates a Pirelli fitment policy plus a custom tyre tread depth policy that ATS Euromaster manages on the retailer’s behalf. Moor explains: “We prefer to change our tyres before they reach the legal limit, so ATS Euromaster helps us to deliver on this more proactive policy, maximising our vehicle uptime and fleet safety.”

Countrywide is a supplier of products and services to the rural community. The company operates a network of retail stores and direct delivery to farms.