‘12% of fleet vehicles running on under-inflated tyres’ – ATS

Fleets are racking up additional running costs though drivers running vehicles with tyres that are underinflated.

According to ATS Euromaster, 12 per cent of the vans and cars it sees under its fleet Mastercare programme feature tyres that are below pressure.

The results, says the national tyre and maintenance provider, will be to inflate running costs by between 3-10 per cent depending on the degree of under-inflation.

“That’s a significant loss on fuel,” says Gordon Robertson, mobile area operations manager – North, ATS Euromaster. “It can also change the driving quality of a vehicle which puts extra driving demands on the driver as well.”

Robertson points out that with fuel costing an average of 186p per litre for diesel, a fleet losing 10 per cent across a 100 van fleet could cost £1300 a month.

“Even if 75 per cent of the fleet is running on correctly inflated tyres, the 25 per cent still represents a worthwhile saving. Can fleets really be ignoring such basic driver checks?”

According to the TyreSafe organisation, underinflated tyres reduce the tyre patch in contact with the road and are more likely to suffer from rapid deflation while also suffering unnecessary wear on the outside circumference of the tyre.

The organisation adds that the benefits of a properly inflated tyre include longer life and reduced running costs, particularly important at a time when fleet SMR budgets are under pressure.

ATS Euromaster inspects 5800 vehicles each month- including dotcom grocery fleets such as Tesco – and that on average 32 per cent of vans need actionable maintenance.

“Mastercare is about managing tyre life and ensuring vehicle downtime is minimised,” adds Robertson. “Fleets fulfil their duty of care with regular maintenance and inspection, which means we can offer advice on cost-saving measures to prolong tyre life.”

The ATS Euromaster Mastercare service is for major fleets, covering both van and cars.