One reason why some garages have been known to side step sensor servicing and replacement during the MOT is because of lack of experience of handling this kind of product. And it has to be said that some vehicle manufacturers have earned themselves more of a reputation in this respect that others. According to tyresensors.com, many people consider Renault TPMS sensors to be more hassle than they are worth. However it needn’t be so.
ATS Euromaster has launched a pilot mobile service designed to help large truck fleets save on fuel costs and as a result reduce carbon emissions. The “Carbon Cutter” service uses technicians with purpose-built vans to visit customers’ sites across the UK to check, and if necessary adjust, the tyre pressures of every vehicle and trailer in the fleet. The technicians will also look for wheel alignment problems. They will also offer green valve caps as an indication of checked vehicles. Simon Tattersall, head of National Truck at ATS Euromaster, explains: “It’s no secret that correctly inflated and aligned tyres reduce rolling resistance on the road, yet in many cases we’re finding significant potential for fleets to further improve the accuracy of their pressures and alignment.
Renault has announced that it will become the first vehicle manufacturer to offer its customers an own-branded tyre, when its Motrio range is released to UK Renault dealers on 1 February. The manufacturer is pitching the budget segment tyre to drivers of “older Renault vehicles, with prices starting at £36 per tyre fully fitted”. Renault recently lowered its new car prices by up to £2,000, and it says the own-brand tyres will “help drive down the cost of motoring” further. The manufacturer says the Motrio range “has been tested to Renault’s strict specifications to ensure owners can be certain that the performance of the tyre is in harmony with their vehicle”.
Cold weather and snowy conditions do not just provide an opportunity for those selling winter tyres, Pro-Align has explained in a new statement. The effects of the climate last long after the snow has cleared, with the quality of road surfaces affected and providing motorists with the additional hazard of potholes. The UK’s pothole problem costs UK motorists around £2.8 billion each year according to the website potholes.co.uk, and Pro-Align says workshops without the latest four wheel alignment equipment may be missing out on a lucrative revenue opportunity. Driving over potholes is a major cause of wheel misalignment, which can reduce vehicle safety, increase fuel costs plus poor vehicle handling, causing distraction and concern for drivers. Unless workshops are equipped with the correct equipment, they will not be able to properly diagnose customer’s alignment problems and carry out the subsequent corrective work, claims the alignment specialist.
Premier Vehicle Rental (PVR) has selected Avon Tyres for its new three-year, fixed-term tyre supply contract through ATS Euromaster (ATSE). PVR is aiming to double its fleet of 150 vehicles and will benefit from the combined strength of ATSE’s nationwide centre network and its fleet of nearly 1,000 mobile service vans.
PVR has reportedly been seeking to better manage costs and says streamlining tyre servicing through a national provider will help take it “from strength to strength.” Its intention to double its fleet size in the next three ears, with an increase to 220 vehicles in the next six months, means that adopting a one-stop national approach is a vital step for the business. PVR’s fleet comprises mainly Mercedes-Benz Vito and Sprinter vans, which are rented on contracts for a minimum of 12 months. Its customers range from maintenance firms to food delivery services.
Based on the principles of the need for quick and efficient tyre servicing, especially in the peak seasons of spring and autumn; the variety of staff experience used in workshops to deal with the high turnover and any customer inquires; and the ability to deal with increasingly popular runflat and ultra high performance tyres, Beissbarth says that the market is now placing increased quality demands on the tyre fitting process. At Automechanika in Frankfurt, the company showcased three new tyre changers and two new balancers for tyre service and contracted workshops, which it says fulfil all of the requirements for quick and easy tyre service. All three changers are certified for fitting RFT and UHP tyres by the Trade Association of the German Rubber Industry (WDK).
HiQ fast reports that Stockport entrepreneur Leslie Brady has become the latest franchisee to join its fast fit network. Brady has opened a HiQ forecourt venture, known as Fleet Care Maintenance, in the Conway Centre. The newly re-branded site offers MOT and servicing and in addition to selling and fitting tyres, the centre boasts new wheel diagnostic technology that HiQ says will help vehicles last the harsh and often expensive winter months.
Following a good number of years managing the tyre maker’s in-house vehicle fleet, Michelin’s John Stack recently took the decision to retire. Rather than appointing someone else to take over the role, Michelin chose the outsourcing path and launched a competitive tender process to find a new service provider. This tender was won by Fleet Support Group (FSG), and the Wiltshire based company has now taken over management of Michelin’s 340-strong fleet and begun providing a range of vehicle related services including its occupational road risk management system.
Autopromotec 2011 will see a new initiative introduced to the show especially targeted at the industrial sector. Named the Autopromotec Industrial Vehicles Service, the feature will include a tour designed exclusively for exhibitors in maintenance and servicing and road transport vehicles alongside a special logo to identify exhibitors of equipment, components and spare parts for trucks within the pavilions of Autopromotec. The biennial international trade fair for automotive equipment and the aftermarket will hold its 24th edition in the Bologna trade fair area from 25-29 May 2011.
As the Asian region’s car parc continues to swell in the wake of economic recovery, the demand for aftermarket products and services is also said to be increasing. GfK Asia, which conducts retail audits in the automotive aftermarket in major Asian cities like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila and Seoul, recently looked into the relationship between car “populations” in these cities relative to the number tyre servicing garages and compared the saturation levels in differing economies. While each tyre servicing garage in developing cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila serviced an average of 2250 vehicles, this figure is almost halved, at 1172:1 in a “developed” city such as Seoul. The Malaysian figure is almost four times the 674:1 average ratio GfK published in April 2009.
Apaseal won the Tyre & Aftermarket Supplier award, with the award said to represent the acknowledgement of Apaseal’s commitment to continuous improvement, quality of product and service. In order to achieve this feat the company had to outperform well known names Auto 4, Harvie Tyres, Pro-Align and Rema Tip Top Automotive UK. One possible reason why voters opted to support Apaseal is because the firm continues to play a leading role in the development of British Standards’ guidelines on repairs, and have been active with the introduction of what are seen as the norms today including – says the company – fitting valves, enhancing wheel balancing techniques and consistently providing the distributors with opportunities to achieve additional revenue and provide better tyre and wheel maintenance for the customer.
Parts supplier XPart has suggested that motorists should choose their garage carefully when taking their car for a pre-winter service. “Garages have a duty of care towards their customers to complete maintenance and repair work with a good level of skill, within an agreed timeline and at a reasonable cost,” comments Barry Smith, UK sales manager, XPart. The catalyst for these suggestions was a damning report in Which? magazine earlier in the year that pointed towards a general lack of rigour in carrying out checks and repairs on the public’s cars.
NFT, a leading provider of time critical logistics solutions for the food sector, has changed its tyre management solution to Tyre Maintenance Ltd, a part of the Bandvulc Group. The change sees NFT adopt a policy fitment of Bandvulc tyres and retains the majority of service operators as previously.
For NFT, David Seaton, Fleet Engineer commented: “Tyre Maintenance and Bandvulc have indirect links with NFT currently in servicing many of the same fleet customers as we do. It made sense both operationally and economically to utilise this synergy and to bring operations within the same group of companies.”
A concerted focus on helping businesses reduce operating costs and improve efficiency has helped Kwik-Fit Fleet secure a third award for 2010, this time from industry publication Fleet Van. At the Fleet Van Awards 2010 ceremony, held in London on October 6, the fast-fit provider was confirmed as this year’s Van Service and Repair Company of the Year. The latest gong to come Kwik-Fit Fleet’s way joins accolades earned in the BusinessCar Awards and from LeasePlan UK earlier in the year.
Over the coming 12 months motorists visiting any of garages utilised by Blackcircles.com will gain the added assurance provided by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders subsidiary Motor Codes. The online tyre retailer is taking steps to ensure each of the more than a thousand garages and fast fit outlets it uses subscribe to the Motor Codes ‘Service and Repair Code’, a decision it says will ensure greater peace of mind for motorists.
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