Michelin has a wide variety of products suitable for the UK winter season, including fitments for smaller city and high performance passenger cars, 4x4s and small vans. The company stresses the importance to the UK market of offering performance in cold, damp conditions as well as in snow or ice.
Sykes-Pickavant has announced its new Pneumatic Wheel Lifter, which the company says helps to comply with regulations regarding the working environment and safety in the workplace. It is – says Sykes-Pickavant – particularly useful for larger SUV, 4WD and Van wheels and tyre.
Features include the ability to lift wheels in less than ten seconds with its all in one continuous movement, stopping precisely at the desired position, the wheels rest on rollers making it easy to turn the wheel until the correct position is found and it has an additional compressed air outlet to connect an air wrench with free access to wheel nuts.
In addition to the lifter, the company has announced a wheel trolley, specifically for mounting and dismounting large wheels on SUVs, 4WDs, vans and trucks. It has rotating rollers make it easy to turn the wheel until the correct position is found, with the rollers able to be fitted in 3 positions for different wheel sizes. Find the detailed specifications for both pieces of equipment after the jump.
Pirelli has announced its range of winter tyres designed for the 4×4/SUV and van segments. The Scorpion Ice & Snow is designed to work particularly well at low temperatures and is produced in aspect ratios 35 to 75 Series, wheel diameter codes 15 to 21 and speed codes T, H and V. The Chrono Winter, meanwhile, is available for vans in aspect ratios 60 to 75 Series, wheel diameter codes 14 and 16 and speed codes R, S and T. Both tyres are emblazoned with the “Snowflake” symbol in the North American market, which is embossed on the sidewall of winter tyres that indicates their specialisation for snow.
Coppid Hall Farm on the Isle of Wight has switched to Michelin XMCL tyres on its JCB Loadall on the recommendation of local agricultural tyre specialist ATS Euromaster. The change in tyre policy was reportedly made after the previous set of tyres needed replacing after just 1,800 hours operation. As the workhorse around the dairy, the Loadall is said to clock up approximately 1,100 hours each year on tasks ranging from transporting cattle feed through to putting silage into the pits, as well as general duties around the 250 acre farm.
Harold George, owner of Coppid Hall Farm, says: “I’d previously seen as much as 3,000 hours out of a set of tyres on the telescopic handler, but this has steadily dropped off with the last two sets of Goodyear tyres, to 2,500 and 1,800 hours respectively. ATS Euromaster’s local agricultural specialist, Jim Wollweber, suggested we try Michelin XMCL tyres and after three months operation, I’m confident they are performing well and will deliver a significantly longer life.
Interstate Tire & Rubber Co added a commercial van line to its range. The Interstate Van IVT-1 tyre is designed for the new generation vans, combining high mileage with driving comfort. According to the company, the tyre’s wide tread design increases load-capacity through its spiral carbon belt and improves grip on wet roads. The ISST low noise technology reduces noise levels and increases a durable performance for intensive commercial use, consistent wear and resistance to aquaplaning make this tyre an excellent choice.
The Interstate Van IVT-1 is available in sizes 195/70R15C and 205/65R16C. Another seven sizes in 8-ply will be available soon. The complete programme of Interstate Tires will be on show during the Equip Auto in Paris at October 13-18, 2009.
The Department for Transport has confirmed that the draft regulations limiting the fitting of replacement CATs to type approved products only are expected to be presented for ministerial consideration this month (June). There is scope for amendments to be made by the minister, but in essence these draft Regulations implement mandatory European requirements, and are expected to become law about four weeks after signature by the minister. The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) will then be responsible for policing and enforcement of a law requiring replacement catalytic converters intended for cars and light vans registered from 2001 to be fully type approved.
Paul Hannah, business development director at Klarius Group commented: “In relation to vehicles to which the requirements apply, the Department for Transport have confirmed that the result of supplying or fitting a non-type approved CAT will be to make the company or business responsible and ‘potentially certain officers or equivalent of the company or business’ liable to prosecution with a maximum fine of £5,000. Professional Motor Mechanics need to learn quickly about what to do to adhere to the law and protect themselves; their customers, their employers and suppliers.”
The Delivery Co has appointed ATS Euromaster to manage the tyres across its mixed fleet of DAF, Iveco, Mercedes-Benz, Scania and Volvo commercial vehicles on a pence-per-kilometre (PPK) contract. The agreement will see ATS Euromaster support the company’s fleet of 350 trucks with 30 distribution centres across the UK. The contract will see Pirelli and Vacu-Lug tyres fitted across The Delivery Co’s fleet, supported by ATS Euromaster’s 250 frontline rapid response vehicles. These vehicles are further supported by another 950 mobile service vans, which carry out routine tyre maintenance at a customer’s own premises.
Online and mobile tyre fitting business Event Mobile Tyres has reportedly received over 10,000 positive testimonials on its website. The company broke the 10,000 mark prior to going to press with the news, so the running total is understood to be in excess of 10,313. Speaking to Tyres & Accessories, IT and marketing manager Dave Jones explained that despite having had so many customers satisfaction rates remain very high. In real terms this means there have only been six or seven negative comments compared with five-figures of positive responses.
Here’s what the 10,000th happy customer, Andrew Sturgeon, said: “Competitive prices and friendly, helpful staff mean I don’t waste time searching the web because there seems little point in going elsewhere. Above all they keep you informed so you don’t waste time waiting. Now been using them for five years.”
A good set of tyres can perhaps minimise the risk of accumulating dents, scratched bumpers or scuffed alloy wheels, but most motorists are unable to avoid ‘battle damage’ entirely. To take care of these inevitable dings and scratches, Kwik-Fit Fleet is expanding its one-stop shop service portfolio through the launch of a SMART (Small to Medium Area Repair Technology) service. At present this facility is being trialled at six Kwik-Fit locations – and the company believes it is the first time a fast-fit company has moved into offering SMART repairs.
Kwik-Fit Fleet may soon be adding SMART (Small to Medium Area Repair Technology) repairs to its service offering. The leading fast fit company recently embarked on a trial offering of the service at six locations. It is reportedly the first time that a fast-fit company has moved into offering SMART repairs.
The service will be offered on a menu-driven pricing policy, which means repairs are cheaper than using a traditional bodyshop, at centres in Edinburgh, Birmingham, St Helens, Telford and Slough with a mobile service available in London. Prices start at £45 for paintless dent removal on dents less than 75mm wide, for scuffs, chips and scratches less than 200mm wide and for repairs to holes less than 50mm and scratches less than 150mm wide on trim, velour and leather. Multi-repair discounts are also available.
Devon-based Gregory Distribution Ltd, which operates over 450 trucks and 750 trailers, has renewed its agreement with ATS Euromaster to fit Michelin tyres across its fleet. The deal, valued at approximately £1 million per year, continues a business relationship dating back to the early 90s and marks one of the company’s largest independent customers. As part of the contract, a full time resident ATS Euromaster technician is based at each of Gregory’s main depots in North Tawton and Cullompton, which are together responsible for servicing tyres on over half of the fleet.
The contract sees ATS Euromaster fit Michelin rubber, with each tyre designed to follow Michelin’s Four Lives policy, which involves regrooving and remixing tyres to deliver maximum performance and economy. Once the regrooved Remix tyre has reached the end of its fourth life, it is sent back to Michelin’s factory in Stoke-on-Trent where it is remoulded into an Encore tyre – enabling customers to benefit from a fifth life from the original Michelin casing. The Encore tyres are fitted to drive axles in the company’s milk collection fleet, which operate on farm tracks where there is a greater risk of damage.
We’ve been bombarded with a multitude of Trinny & Susannah style homely to comely shows and home renovation programmes along the lines of ‘Changing Rooms’, but to date vans have been largely left out of this makeover mania. One UK company – Vanstyle – intends to change all this. While it won’t be coming to a television near you any time soon, the company is calling upon all van, SUV and truck drivers to join its campaign to give the nation’s vans the once-over with new wheels and accessories.
Ultimately every van or truck driver chooses his or her vehicle for its functionality, and this naturally shouldn’t be overlooked at makeover time. But Vanstyle says this “doesn’t mean the beast can’t be tamed”. In other words, why not make your machine look good?
Kwik-Fit has beaten a string of companies responsible for delivering a range of solutions to Britain’s multi-billion pound fleet industry to be named Fleet Supplier of the Year by Fleet News. While Kwik-Fit Fleet has been a regular winner of the Best Fast-Fit Company title at the annual awards ceremony, which for more than two decades has been hosted by the fleet industry weekly newspaper, this is the first time that the company has beaten off competition from other sectors – including the likes of AA Business Services and RAC Fleet – to win the top supplier accolade.
The Fleet Supplier of the Year Award is designed to identify the organisation which has gone the extra mile in providing exceptional service to fleet customers and has ‘stand out’ service levels, products and staff and a commitment to providing the best products or services. The award was presented at a ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on March 18 and follows Kwik-Fit Fleet being named the nation’s top fast-fit company for an impressive 16 years in succession in the annual BusinessCar Awards announced earlier this year.
The Tyre Industry Federation has announced that its estimates put the UK replacement car tyre market at well over 30 million units. The new figures, which include 4×4 and light van tyres, represent the first time an official estimate has been as high as 30 million units annually. The TIF data is based on figures contributed by the tyre manufacturer associations and the Tyre Wholesalers Group of the National Tyre Distributors Association. These indicate that sales into the UK market totalled 29.7 million units in 2007, before imports, retreads and part-worn tyres.
R H Claydon has announced that it has relocated its Scunthorpe wholesale warehouse operation. R H Cladon has occupied a location in the Flixborough Industrial Estate since 1990 and has now “well out grown the site [and] moved to a larger location on the same industrial park.” The new branch occupies some 43,000 square feet and is served by a newly built loading bay to handle container traffic. This warehouse will better serve an expanded area that runs from the East Midlands north and east to the Scottish Border.
The location is said to have a larger holding capacity that will initially serve five delivery vans. This and the company’s other sales and service branches (at Bury St Edmunds, Swindon, Stockport and Falkirk) stock passenger, van, 4X4, light and heavy truck, agricultural, construction, industrial, small implement, Turf and ATV tyres – not to mention tubes and more.
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