G.Webb moves to predictive maintenance in ContiConnect 2.0 TPMS trials

Cambridgeshire haulier G.Webb is trialling Continental’s new tyre pressure monitoring system platform, ContiConnect 2.0, fitting the latest upgrade to the majority of its fleet. The bulk haulage specialist is a long-term user of Continental Digital Solutions, and fleet engineering director Paul Broker has declared himself “a fan of the ContiConnect platform from the outset.” The new platform moves to the next step by introducing predictive maintenance, while also adding additional options via the app.

“ContiConnect has enabled us to keep tabs on the current tyre status of our trucks. It helps us to minimize fleet costs by giving us the information we need to stop a truck with a tyre defect quickly and reliably before it escalates into a blowout or a breakdown.” ContiConnect has helped G.Webb to reduce the number of punctures and significantly improve work planning in the workshops.

“With ContiConnect 2.0 and the multifunctional app – which offers fleet managers even greater operative flexibility – we are taking the next step towards predictive maintenance,” says Ralf Benack, Head of Fleet Solutions at Continental.

Better clarity and predictive maintenance

G.Webb has Continental’s TPMS fitted to the vast majority of its fleet. And all new vehicles are delivered with Continental iTires, which integrate sensors from the factory. Data from the tyres on G.Webb’s short-distance trucks is recorded daily by the measuring station near the entrance to the site when they return. All the vehicles involved in long-distance jobs are connected to base via the ContiConnect platform.

“The new ContiConnect 2.0 portal is even clearer, more user-friendly and simpler to interpret,” praises Broker. “And the data is more explicitly displayed. In a busy office, that really makes our work easier. We’re able to extract the vital information that we need quickly. If something is wrong with one of the tyres, we pass this information through to the workshop immediately to begin repair preparations. ContiConnect 2.0 is a system upgrade that has a massively practical benefit to us.”

G.Webb runs a fleet of 55 vehicles comprising trailers, semitrailers, and construction vehicles. The G.Webb engineering team has placed their trust in ContiConnect for many years, chiefly when it comes to optimizing maintenance efficiency. And the company particularly appreciates the enhanced mobile compatibility of ContiConnect 2.0. “The new ContiConnect 2.0 app has been a great addition and has helped us to refine how we do things,” reports Broker. “After a tyre change at the roadside, the app enables us to recalibrate our tyre sensors there and then; i.e. we don’t have to bring the vehicle into the workshop.”

By saving time, optimising processes, boosting the operational reliability of the vehicles and increasing fleet efficiency, ContiConnect 2.0 improves overall fleet management: “I’ve also been able to grant access to our Conti360° Solutions account management team so that they can have live access to our fleet,” says Broker. “It’s certainly allowed us to be more widely connected and to react more quickly.”

Ian Jackson from Continental Digital Solutions in England worked closely with Paul Broker to ensure the smooth migration over to the new ContiConnect 2.0 system. Now that successful testing of the platform is complete, the two companies are collaborating further on future ContiConnect additions. “It’s exciting to think that, in the not-too-distant future, the system will be able to provide more data about tread depths, remaining mileage and general rubber condition,” muses Broker.

“When it came to trialling ContiConnect 2.0, the Continental team dedicated lots of time to ensuring that the system was fully operational and that I was fully briefed on how to use it,” recalls Broker. “The Continental Digital Solutions package has transformed the way we work. There’s so much more predictability and efficiency in workshop loading. We rarely get blowouts now, when once it was a frequent occurrence. Certainly, we could not go back to a time without ContiConnect,” sums up G.Webb’s Fleet Engineering Director.

The ContiConnect 2.0 upgrade

The ContiConnect 2.0 new-generation tyre management system was unveiled at the beginning of 2022. It builds upon existing functions and puts the framework in place for future platform developments to be integrated. Customer data is continuously analysed within the cloud, with ‘big data’ and artificial intelligence helping to deliver precise forecasting and continue the drive towards predictive, rather than reactive maintenance. Users benefit from a new, multifunctional app that provides even greater operational flexibility for fleet engineers.

G.Webb fleet engineering director Paul Broker (Photo: Continental)