Fleet Business
Steve Richardson, founder of Direct Tyre Management (DTM) has announced his retirement from a tyre industry career spanning 45 years. A familiar, well-regarded name around the sector, Richardson set up DTM in 2004 having distinguished himself in a rapid ascent in a variety of roles with Central Tyres, ATS Euromaster and Motorway Tyres. He will continue to provide guidance to DTM over the coming months before enjoying his retirement.
Hendrick European, provider of customised logistics and transportation services across Ireland and Europe, has seen exceptional mileage from the Michelin X Multi D tyres it runs across its fleet – with one set clocking 500,000 km. The Dublin-based firm, which specialises in road transport, groupage and distribution of all types of goods, operates 95 trucks and 150 trailers from depots in Ireland, UK and Poland.
Harrow-based Desi Coaches has protected its entire fleet with the latest generation Wheely-Safe technology. The public transport operator has installed the in-motion wheel loss detection system, which combines brake and hub temperature monitoring with an intelligent tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), to maintain best practice in health & safety and compliance across its business.
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.
Two years after first partnering to develop an intelligent tyre monitoring system, Bridgestone Corporation is extending its collaboration with Microsoft. It will use Microsoft Azure to create value for customers, primarily global fleets and OEMs, by integrating advanced tyre analytics to provide a better overview of treadwear and casing health. By doing so, Bridgestone aims to raise customer productivity and efficiency by maximising retreading and informing when tyre maintenance may be needed.
The haulage industry is facing rising cost pressures and efficient fleet management is becoming an irreplaceable ingredient in many logistics firms’ recipes for success. Continental is now introducing an upgraded version of its ContiConnect tyre management solution that comes complete with a comprehensive tyre asset management offering. It says this system provides made-to-measure tools designed to make fleet management efficient, convenient, sustainable and future-focused.
As of this year, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is accrediting road safety products with two levels of accreditation: DVSA Recognised, for products that are well-designed and have the potential to improve road safety; and DVSA Endorsed, for established products whose contribution to safer roads can be demonstrated. Wheely-Safe reports that its latest generation wheel loss detection system, which combines brake and hub temperature monitoring with an intelligent TPMS, has become one of the first products to become DVSA Recognised.
Global supply chain specialist Bullet Express is undergoing a major fleet upgrade, adding 32 new trucks to its operation each equipped with Wheely-Safe’s intelligent tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). Founded in 1990, the firm provides comprehensive supply chain logistics and storage solutions to customers throughout the UK, Europe and Worldwide.
AMP Clean Energy is a distributed energy company which develops, funds and runs low carbon heat and power solutions including biomass heat installations and flexible energy plants. The company has announced that it is switching its commercial vehicle fleet to a full Michelin tyre policy, to reduce downtime and boost the sustainability of its operation.
The SuperTruck dealer consortium is gearing up to launch in six European markets, including the UK, and Prometeon Tyre Group has appointed Riccardo Schena to lead the network during this time of growth. The company introduced Schena, who has served as Prometeon’s chief financial officer for Europe since September 2020, to dealers at a recent meeting in the Italian town of Gubbio.
Volta Trucks, the full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has completed its first customer driving evaluation and feedback sessions of the Volta Zero Design Verification prototype. The review gave customers their first experience of the zero-tailpipe emission medium-duty truck designed for urban logistics, providing a real-world understanding of the vehicle’s performance, world-first driver-centric cab and innovative safety features. Volta entered a tyre partnership with Bridgestone in August 2020, with the manufacturer supplying tyres to Volta’s pilot fleet since 2021.
Family-run haulier FG Bond & Son has specified Michelin X Line Energy tyres as original equipment on its new Volvo FH 500, having been hugely impressed with the fuel savings the same tyres have delivered in the past. The Wiltshire-based business is taking advantage of the sustainability benefits of Michelin’s most fuel-efficient truck tyres, after it found the fitments to unlock a one mpg advantage in fuel efficiency compared to a competitor brand it had been running on the front axle of another truck.
East Lothian-based Hamilton Waste & Recycling is opting for Wheely-Safe’s technology across its 35-strong truck fleet, having experienced first-hand the perilous dangers of wheel loss. The recycling and waste management business aims to eliminate any risk of human-error by installing the system, following a successful trial. The move to protect its fleet follows an incident a few years ago that left a lasting impact on the business.
Bridgestone has launched Fleetcare, the tyre manufacturer’s integrated tyre and fleet management solution. The new solution represents an evolution of Bridgestone’s Total Tyre Care, combining Bridgestone tyres and tyre management solutions with fleet management solutions from Webfleet. Bridgestone says Fleetcare offers a “complete package” of efficiency tools targeting the reduction of total cost of ownership from a single mobility partner.
A-Star Transport has already saved itself a potentially costly breakdown since protecting its fleet of coaches and buses with Wheely-Safe’s latest generation technology. The Telford-based operator has fitted Wheely-Safe’s wheel loss and tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) to its vehicles, having been impressed with the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the product.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
Continental
Michelin
Volta Trucks
Michelin
Wheely-Safe
Bridgestone
Wheely-Safe