North Somerset’s Alvis Contracting has fit its four new Stewart silage trailers with Michelin CargoXbib trailer tyres. The manufacturer says the decision to fit dedicated agricultural trailer tyres on the trailers mirrors a policy being adopted across the company’s fleet, with seven 10-year old silage trailers being upgraded with air brakes and a set of CargoXbibs during 2011.
Goodyear has announced the first fleet deal involving its new 275/70R22.5 Marathon LHT II trailer tyre. One of the largest car transporter companies in the UK, ECM Ltd, fit the tyre to one of its vehicles at a 25 November event in Carlisle to mark the deal. ECM Ltd has an existing partnership with TruckForce, Goodyear’s truck tyre service and breakdown assistance support network. The tyre has been specifically introduced to the Goodyear range for ECM, with the product to be made available to the wider market later. Robert Mason, Goodyear’s regional business manager said: “I am delighted that we are able to strengthen the partnership that we have maintained with ECM Ltd over the last eight years.
Goodyear has announced a new range of low platform trailer tyres for applications such as car transporters in both long and regional haul service and also for heavy haulage trailers. The Regional RHT II 19.5” and 17.5” have been developed to provide increased operational mileage and improved wet grip. Goodyear says the low rolling resistence tyres meet the requirements of the future EU Regulation 661/2009. The Goodyear Regional RHT II is fully regroovable and retreadable.
Goodyear has launched a successor to its Regional RHT range of trailer tyre and claims the new product outperforms the tyre it replaces in a number of key areas. Perhaps most importantly, the new Regional RHT II, which is intended mainly for use on vehicles operating in the regional haul sector, boasts up to 30 per cent better mileage than its predecessor. This greater mileage potential is said to be due to a new tread compound and 15 per cent more wearable rubber volume; the tread of the Goodyear Regional RHT II is 10 mm wider and has eight per cent more depth than that of the Regional RHT.
Companies wishing to survive as retreaders these days either need to find a profitable niche where few competitors exist and margins are high or they must have the absolute will to follow current market trends and the ability to invest. A factor particularly responsible for changing the market is the growing demand for premium retreads by professionally managed fleets – the new tyre industry is a driver of this change. Therefore small and medium-sized retreading firms must make an effort to retain sufficient business. A real-life example of a company that is thriving despite the market changes is Bavaria, Germany based Reifen Müller.
Hankook’s recent partnership with the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead has revealed some worrying concerns over the tyre maintenance of horseboxes and trailers. According to the company, last year alone tyre failures accounted for approximately 30 per cent of all horsebox breakdowns at the roadside, many of which could probably have been avoided. In an effort to raise standards of tyre maintenance amongst the horse riding community, Hankook has published this advice:
Continental Tyres has appointed City 1st Tyres in Slough, Berks as an accredited Conti360° Partner outlet. City 1st, which specialise in new truck and trailer tyres as well as retreads, joins Continental's existing pan-European network of outlets that services the tyre manufacturer's fleet customers.
ATS Euromaster has announced that Allied Bakeries’ fleet of 756 trucks will run on Michelin-supplied rubber, managed by ATS-E for another three years. ATS-E revealed that the fleet, which also includes 180 trailers, has carried out confidential development work on tyre pressures, tyre longevity and fuel consumption in recent years with the support of both suppliers.
Indian-based industrial tyre manufacturer Emrald Resilient Tyres has opened a European operation. Based in Kalmthout near Antwerp in Beglium the business, which was founded six months ago, is headed by V I Srinivas. According to company representatives, the operation consists of a marketing office and warehouse, which contains 4-5 container loads of stock and achieves about the same amount in throughput.
Farmers and contractors are specifying flotation tyres on increasing numbers of new-build agricultural trailers and Lincolnshire-based trailer manufacturer Bailey Trailers says it has responded to this market demand with the single largest order for Michelin’s CargoXbib tyres ever placed in the UK. A total of 1,100 CargoXbib tyres are being delivered to its Sleaford factory in 2011, a figure that nearly doubles the 600 supplied last year. Michelin explains the specialist tyres and wheels offer increased ground protection and lower rolling resistance compared with remould truck tyres.
Following 44 years with Michelin, UK and Ireland product marketing and technical manager Peter Debenham has announced his retirement. Taking over the position is Laurent Mozziconacci; the 38-year old from Michelin’s hometown of Clermont Ferrand in France is new to the UK operation but brings 17 years’ experience at Michelin with him as he crosses the Channel. He previously spent eight years working for the agricultural division in France, most recently in the same role he is taking over in the UK. Prior to specialising in agricultural tyres Mozziconacci spent eight years as an account manager for Michelin's truck product line – initially covering the Nice region of southern France, before spending four years in Grenoble at the foot of the French Alps.
National and international haulier Massey Wilcox Transport has signed a deal to fit Michelin tyres across its entire fleet. Michelin’s price per kilometre (PPK) contract, with tyres serviced by ATS Euromaster, has been adopted by the haulier. Massey Wilcox Transport’s managing director, Robert Wilcox, says: “The quality of Michelin’s tyres will improve fleet performance and give us cost savings on fuel and tyres. We are confident that this is the start of a long relationship with Michelin.”
At the launch at the IAA in September 2010 of Bridgestone’s latest range of truck tyres under the Ecopia brand, Europe CEO Mac Ohashi said a range of Ecopia retread patterns would follow for the M749 and R109 drive and trailer tyres. The former was released through the company’s European Bandag dealer network in January 2011 as a replacement for the Qualitread M749, while the company says the R109 Ecopia retread – a completely new product previously unavailable in the exiting Qualitread range – will follow later in the year. Tyres & Accessories spoke to Bridgestone Europe’s TBR/Retread Business Unit about the development of the Ecopia retread range and how it is presented to the market.
Maxxis International’s large ATV and 4×4 range makes the company’s tyres a suitable option for agricultural workers’ lighter transport needs. Maxxis is an accredited original equipment supplier to Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Polaris and Suzuki, giving it a track record of producing all-terrain tyres which perform across a variety of applications. In the Trailermaxx range, Maxxis also offers a line of high-speed trailer tyres.
Suckling Transport has renewed a contract to fit Michelin tyres across its fleet following an 11 per cent reduction in tyre-related breakdowns since it began fitting Michelin tyres in 2008. The independent petroleum haulage contractor, which runs a fleet of 62 tractor units and 74 trailers from its base in West Thurrock, Essex, has also seen its regroove rate rise from zero to 53 per cent. It predicts an annual saving of £20,000 as a result of the contract renewal.
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