Clarke Transport moves 475 truck, trailer fleet to exclusive Michelin tyre contract

Hazardous good transport specialist Clarke Transport is fitting Michelin’s X Multi new and Remix tyres to its fleet of 475 trucks and trailers. Clarke Transport switched to an exclusive Michelin tyre policy following its three-year partnership with Michelin Connected Fleet, which resulted in improved fleet tracking and driver behaviour. Service provider Tructyre supplies and fits the X Multi tyres, while Tuf Treads in South Wales also conducts some of its local work. The worn tyres will be regrooved and retreaded as Michelin Remix tyres maximising the life of each new Michelin casing. The contract is managed by Michelin’s Services & Solutions division. The Midlands firm said using an exclusive Michelin policy will cut costs and reduce downtime.

The haulier has fitted X Multi tyres on the drive and steer axles of its 240 tractor units and rigids. The company’s 235 trailers have also moved onto tyres from the X Multi range.

Ray Sandle, fleet manager at Clarke Transport, says: “Switching to a Michelin tyre policy has transformed our operations. We are experiencing vastly reduced downtime through tyres wearing out and rapid deflations, which were some of the issues we experienced with our previous supplier.

“We were spending a lot of money on replacing tyres and had no management reporting. Partnering with Michelin has allowed us to significantly reduce costs.”

Sandle says initial talks with Michelin Key Account Manager Fraser Greer “reaffirmed my confidence in Michelin tyres and it’s multi-life policy”.

“Michelin offered a great package and we were impressed with its ‘zero to landfill’ promise, which is particularly important to us. As an operator, we are determined to reduce our impact on the environment as much as we can, and Michelin ticked all the boxes on sustainability,” he says.

“Through this multi-life policy, we have dramatically improved our tyre management approach and reduced the total cost of ownership of the X Multi tyres,” Sandle adds. “We are now able to track the life cycle of tyres across all our trucks and trailers and ensure Remix tyres are used appropriately. I’m proud to say we are a fully Michelin managed fleet.”

Established in 1933, Clarke Transport operates one of the largest privately owned ADR pallet networks in the UK. It also provides a wide range of haulage services, as well as delivery and warehousing solutions. It operates eight depots across the UK and is celebrating its 90^th anniversary in 2023.