Truck Tyres
October’s Brityrex International ‘10 show in Manchester is a sell-out, with all exhibitor stands taken, according to organisers ECI International. The news follows a run of late confirmations including: SD International, Gripen Wheels, Marix UK; Ayce Systems and aircon supplier Autoclimate. Market analysts Encircle Marketing, tyre education operation TEFORS, Banner Batteries, Strongman Tools and Straightset are also said to be on board.
Liverpool-based wholesaler Kirkby Tyres is promoting the latest additions to its Double Coin range of “non premium” truck tyres. According to the company, three new 19.5-inch low profile tyres in sizes 445/45R19.5, 435/50R19.5 and 385/55R19.5 were recently added to the range. To complement these, a selection of low profile 22.5-inch tyres have also been released in 295/60R22.5, 315/60R22.5 and 385/55R22.5. Double Coin products are already available in 17.5, 20, 22.5, 24 and 24.5 variants.
Yokohama Tire Corp. has launched SmartSolution, a new communication and promotion push targeting commercial tyre dealers, fleet owners and truck operators in the USA, reports Tire Review. “Now more than ever, fleet owners and truck operators are faced with the pressure of effectively managing tyres as assets in their business,” said John Cooney, Yokohama director of commercial sales.
The introduction of the new HTL 2 Eco-Plus long-distance trailer tyre sees Continental complete its new tyre product range for international long-distance transport that the firm has been successively launching since 2009. By using a casing and tread pattern that is configured for long-distance transport, this trailer tyre is designed to combine further optimized furl consumption figures with “considerably extended life.” According to the company, Continental’s latest truck offering also complements the HSL 2 steer axle and HDL 2 drive axle tyres that have already been successfully launched. The latest development sees the company add the XL extra load carrying designation to its product line, enabling it to carry heavier axle weights.
From Continental’s perspective, sales across the EU in the truck tyre replacement market are up 29 per cent versus the same timeframe last year, with the UK figure said to be up 5.5 per cent, a few percentage points less than other estimates. Raw materials are still increasing, with the knock-on effect of pushing tyre prices up. Supply is also expected to be tight in the second half, as tyre manufacturers are struggling to meet the increase in demand (and cope with the shortage of raw materials). “We are also seeing a high level of hire vehicle utilisation which could lead to vehicle shortages towards the end of the year,” company representatives told Tyres & Accessories recently.
As in almost all industries, the calamity of the credit crunch has had a huge impact on the truck tyre market, reducing demand for products, and forcing manufacturers and traders to regroup. As a result of the economic crisis commercial vehicle businesses were forced to become savvier, demanding more from their tyres. Others simply went under. So with the remaining customers demanding improved performance, mileage and fuel consumption from their tyres while simultaneously being under economic pressure themselves, what affect has this scenario had on the size and development of the market? And what does this mean for truck tyre pricing both in the UK and across Europe?
With the economic recovery now seemingly underway and truck tyre sales in the UK growing again, demand for Pirelli truck products has reportedly outstripped this increase three-fold. According to the company, Pirelli’s success can be attributed to its focus on the premium market, the launch of two “extremely successful products” during the year and a number of new commercial fleet contracts. But how have these three elements linked together to put Pirelli’s sales so ahead of the market trend?
Last month NR Evans put the first of three engineers through Bridgestone’s Roadside Technicians course. Martin Jones (based at NR Evans’ Aldridge site) became the 410th technician to complete the Bridgestone course and gain the National Roadside Scheme ID Card administered by the IVR UK Ltd (Institute of Vehicle Recovery).
Bridgestone UK’s success in the retread market has seen some significant milestones reached in 2010, along with major investments in equipment and integration with both the Bandag and Bulldog product lines (for further details of how this is panning out across Europe see this month’s Retreading Special supplement). In the UK the integration has resulted in advancements into new sectors, one of which is waste management. SITA UK is one of its contract gains with Bridgestone providing tyres to support SITA’s core business of providing a range of recycling and resource management services to business and local authorities throughout the UK. They collect recycling and general waste from 12 million residents and 40,000 businesses across the country via 300 facilities.
Bridgestone UK reports that the new tyre market is starting to show signs of recovery, with the company’s data indicating that the market is running 6 – 8 per cent up on the same time last year. At the height of the recession, it was noted that fleets were parking up some units and using the dormant vehicles’ tyres to keep running costs lower in a process commonly known as cannibalisation. These stocks are now said to be coming to an end and fleets are placing new orders. There also appears to be a genuine increase in tyre demands from fleets. This is mainly due to increases in haulage and delivery volumes. However, although this activity is seen as positive it is still well below the level prior to the recession.
Northallerton based coach operator Procters Coaches has put the first three of its vehicle technicians through Bridgestone’s popular and successful Roadside Technician course. In addition to gaining the Roadside Technician ID card, Keith Thompson also gained 14 hours towards his driver CPC training as the course is accredited through the Institute of Vehicle Recovery.
The Sumo Firenza brand is continuing on its strategy of being a competitive option within the truck tyre market in both Europe and the UK, according to global distributor Singapore-based Stamford Tyres. In the UK Sumo Firenza truck tyres are exclusively distributed by West Midlands based International Tyres.
Company representatives attribute the brand’s progression to face that its products incorporate Japanese technology and are manufactured in the Far East. In addition Sumo Firenza’s truck tyre portfolio offers a growing size range plus a broadening choice for the Super Singles market.
Following the recession of 2008 and 2009, in the most recent part of this year there has reportedly been “an about turn” in market truck tyre demand. However, the commercial vehicle sector’s recovery is said to be much slower in the UK than in Europe. Tyres & Accessories spoke to Michelin UK’s head of marketing – Truck, Earthmover, Martin Covington, who explained how the market’s recent history has been “a very competitive 18 months.”
While Michelin reports that truck tyre volumes in Europe shot up 28.7 per cent during the first half of 2010. The UK market recovery appears to be much more gradual, rising just 6 per cent in the same period. (The niche Republic of Ireland market flew up 42 per cent, but this figure is based on the market’s relatively small volumes rapidly recovering from a low base). “OE has obviously been poor, but replacement hasn’t been as much better as it should have been,” Covington commented, pointing out that economic and political instability hit haulier confidence in the first half of the year. Interestingly (happenstance or not) the market’s return to form appears to have coincided with the formation of the current coalition government following the general election.
Bandvulc reports that its Fulda-brand commercial vehicle tyre sales “have exceeded all planned targets.” Sales for the year ending July 2010 were up 25 per cent on predicted forecasts and this reportedly shows that “the market can develop new brands if sold in a proactive, methodical way, rather than purely price driven,” according to the company.
Activity is said to have been high in all tyres sizes with the largest increase in demand seen in the heavy 385/65 R22.5 and the 295/80 R22.5 sectors. “The Fulda range has been well received by Bandvulc’s independent dealers as well as the national chains and we expect to maintain current levels as well as planning for growth of up to 25,000 units in 2011/12,” company representatives told Tyres & Accessories.
Baxters, the famous soup maker, has choosen Continental’s SC 20 solid tyre on its fork lift truck fleet at its production and distribution facility in Fochabers. Fitting the SC 20 has reportedly improved safety, cut vehicle downtime and the whole life costs of tyres at the business. According to the company, the new tyres return three times the tyre life expectancy of the firm’s previous brand.
Baxters’ Fochabers production and distribution facility runs 25 Hyster trucks, a mixture of both gas and electric from 1.75 up to 3 tonnes. Trucks are maintained onsite on a three month service cycle by an engineer from Barloworld Handling Ltd.
John Pease, stores and warehouse manager is responsible for the forklifts at the Fochabers plant: “We had been using the standard Original Equipment solid tyres that came fitted to the trucks but they were performing very poorly. Vehicle downtime was excessive which made the operation very costly. Our plant is very demanding, running round the clock but the tyres just weren’t returning the performance that we expect. Tyres were wearing quickly and unevenly and were occasionally chunking leaving trucks unstable and creating a safety issue for both products and trucks.”
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