Michelin damage guarantee proves its worth for BJ Clarke

Wrexham-based haulage firm BJ Clarke is reaping the benefits of Michelin’s accidental tyre damage guarantee following a recent incident which totally wiped out two of its trailer tyres.

James Clarke, Director at BJ Clarke and son of owners Brian and Nancy, says: “One of our trucks rolled over a girder that was sticking out near the roadside, at no fault of the driver, completely taking out two of the trailer’s tyres on one side.

“Usually, we would have been looking at a replacement bill of roughly £900 but thanks to the tyre guarantee we got 75 per cent of that paid back to us, to help fund the new tyres.”

BJ Clarke operates a fleet of 21 Scania trucks and a mix of more than 60 trailers, and runs exclusively on Michelin tyres, having found the product to last significantly longer and perform better than any other fitment on the market – reducing downtime and helping to boost the sustainability of its operation.

Michelin’s accidental tyre damage guarantee protects the majority of its regional and on/off-road ranges – reinforcing the benefits of operating a premium Michelin policy. It covers accidental damage suffered before a fitment is 50 per cent worn. If the tyres are less than 10 per cent worn, a full refund is issued and if the tyre is 50-90 per cent worn, a 75 per cent refund is given back.

BJ Clarke received a credit note via its local Michelin Service Pro dealer Tructyre, in Deeside, to help replace the Michelin X Multi T 385/65 R22.5 fitments that were damaged on the trailer.

“We get great support from Michelin’s team and, in our experience, the product can’t be beaten in terms of total cost of ownership,” adds James Clarke. “A few years back, we added 12 new trailers to the fleet and they arrived on a rival premium brand of tyre – but they weren’t a patch on the Michelins. They were outperformed in every department.

“The initial investment with Michelin may be a little more but what you get back through the additional mileage and reduction in downtime mean the tyres are soon paying for themselves.”

Family-run BJ Clarke was established in 1969 and specialises in the transportation and delivery of raw materials, aggregates, steel, timber, recycled waste and hazardous goods throughout the UK. The business runs an extensive fleet of bulk tippers, aggregate tippers, flat bed trailers, curtain-sided trailers and rigid vehicles from its headquarters in Wrexham.