Truck Tyres
Giti’s GTR955 Combi Road trailer tyre and Team Oliver Racing’s bonneted Volvo VNL race-prepared truck will be the highlights of the tyre manufacturer’s stand at The CV Show 2019 (Stand 4F55, 30 April – 2 May, NEC Birmingham).
A new brand of truck tyres from the company behind the Pirelli commercial range is being launched in Milan this afternoon. At launch the new Anteo line-up will consist of six products.- Pro T, Pro D and Pro T steer, drive and trailer tyres for on-road use, as well as Mover M, Mover S and Mover D for on/off-road applications.
It’s almost two years since we first heard of Guizhou Tyre Co. Ltd’s intention to establish a plant in Vietnam, and plans have been taking shape since then. On 4 March, the Chinese tyre maker’s Board of Directors approved the establishment of a new wholly-owned subsidiary.
Construction industry specialist Biker Group reports that it is saving up to £80,000 a year on fuel costs and tyre-related downtime after taking on a 100 per cent Michelin policy.
Rolling resistance data provided by the manufacturer – and verified by the firm – shows the efficiencies given by the Michelin X Works tyres have helped cut its annual CO2 emissions by 209 tonnes thanks to the improved fuel efficiency compared to competitor tyres.
Michelin has long been a leading player in the truck and bus tyre markets, with customers ranging from some of the largest fleets out there to owner operators. And yet, recent years have been tough for everyone in the commercial vehicle segment as the forces of economic uncertainty combined with a tidal wave of low-cost Chinese tyres have put pressure on businesses. As we approach Brexit, roughly a year after anti-Chinese truck tyre imports were implemented, Tyres & Accessories spoke to Michelin business-to-business sales director, Chris Smith as well as Andrew French (Michelin director services) and solutions in order to find out more.
One key outcome of the establishment of both PROF and the Roadside Rescue and Recovery APPG is that Sir Mike Penning committed to reviewing the safety of so-called “smart motorways”. His speech within the houses of Parliament at the launch of PROF saw the Sir Mike admit the information he had when he was one of the MPs that signed off on smart motorways did not reflect the correct situation.
On 4 March 2019 the European Union adopted its negotiating position on the introduction of the next phase of its European Tyre Labelling legislation. In short, the EU is updating its rules in order to add information on snow and ice grip and raise the prominence of labels for consumers. At the same time there are plans to broaden the scope of tyre labelling to include wear/mileage performance once suitable testing methods have been found.
Evonik reports that it has developed a new silica that it says is particularly suitable for use in truck and bus (TBR) tyres. In contrast to passenger car tyres, TBR tyres use mainly natural rubber, which, in combination with silane, places special requirements on the silica. With Evonik’s latest silica/silane development, fuel savings could be as high 8 per cent, the company said, which cuts costs and is better for the environment.
Marcus Broström has been appointed as Westlake Tyres’ Nordic sales manager.
The growing Hankook commercial vehicle tyre portfolio will be on display at this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, which takes place from 30 April to 2 May at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). Hankook Tyre UK can be found in Hall 5, stand 5B50, where a wide range of tyres will be presented, including the SmartWork for on and off road and the SmartFlex range for regional haul.
Following strenuous campaigning from the industry, Tyred and Frances Molloy in particular, the government announced on 26 February that it will consult on “options to ban older tyres from use on buses, coaches, heavy goods vehicles and mini-buses to help keep road users safe”. The Department for Transport explained that the proposed legislation will make it illegal for these vehicles to run with a tyre aged 10 years or over.
As part of previously-announced structural changes, Continental has merged several of its replacement truck tyre functions in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. The Conti360° Fleet Services business, which includes ContiPressureCheck and ContiConnect, has been brought together with the ContiLifeCycle business, comprising retreading and casing management services, to form the Fleet Solutions department. Ralf Benack is heading up this department as Director Fleet Solutions.
The recovery industry has joined together to form the Professional Recovery Operators Federation (PROF), which was launched at an event in the Houses of Parliament on 12 February. PROF focusses on representing the interests of professional recovery operators in Westminster.
The US International Trade Commission filed their remand determinations to the US Court of International Trade on January 30, 2019. By a majority of 3-2, the Commissioners have determined:
Armstrong Richardson, along with its sister company C&C Horse Transport, is moving its 50-strong truck fleet to a 100 per cent Michelin new and Remix tyre policy, after a side-by-side comparison projected savings of more than £60,000 a year.
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