Shire Aggregates specifies Michelin X Works tyre after trial highlights savings

Shire Aggregates has specified Michelin tyres as original equipment across 12 new MAN 32-tonne 8×4 tippers and adopted a Michelin policy as standard for future tyre purchases. The decision came after a trial set of Michelin X Works tyres demonstrated potential savings of “more than £26,000 a year” in running costs, the company states.

The results were based on each 8×4 rigid tipper travelling around 75,000 km a year. They showed the Catterick-based firm would save £17,892 on the Michelin X Works due to an average increase in tyre life from nine to 22 months.

Shire Aggregates also projects a saving of £7,600 in breakdown costs thanks to a dramatic reduction in punctures and blowouts versus current fleet records; only one repairable puncture was recorded during the two-year trial. The fleet added that the switch could result in sustainability improvements, as a result of fitting fewer new tyres.

Jonathan Simpson, Shire Aggregates’ managing director, says: “Being able to see the quantitative results in front of us was eye-opening, as before we weren’t aware of just how much we could be saving.

“We’ve never had a tyre policy in place and have only ever specified the occasional Michelin tyre. This trial showed us the importance of having a robust and reliable tyre, as the savings versus a budget policy are huge, both in the efficiency of our fleet and the overall running costs. It’s really highlighted to us that buying cheaper tyres is a false economy in the long run.”

Following on from the trial results, the 12 new MAN tippers were ordered and specified with Michelin X Works tyres as original equipment. The customer plans to run them through a full Michelin multi-life policy, fitting Michelin Remix tyres as replacements once worn.

Simpson adds: “This is a considerable step for us as a business. We have never specified our entire fleet with just one brand of tyre, but the trial set demonstrated excellent traction and grip on wet roads, and gave the driver more confidence in the vehicle’s ability to handle rough terrain and winter conditions. – it proved our decision to specify Michelin was the right move.”

The Michelin X Works range is designed for operators who do most of their mileage on roads, but need traction and robustness on rough tracks and construction sites for deliveries. They have been developed using several Michelin technologies, including Powercoil, a new generation of robust steel casing cables which help to make each tyre lighter yet more robust, leading to better endurance and reduced rolling resistance. Michelin X Works drive tyres also feature specially designed Z-sipes that increase the traction on road in winter conditions, especially in snow, allowing them to attain three-peak mountain snowflake certification.

Established in 1992, Shire Aggregates supplies and delivers a wide range of bulk aggregate products directly to sites for a range of trade customers operating in Yorkshire and the North East of England.