Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products has announced it has entered into a partnership agreement the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, one of the oldest bus fleets in the US. The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, with over 11 million passenger trips a year, is Ohio’s fourth largest public transit system. Its fleet includes diesel buses, electric trolley buses, ‘Project Mobility’ vans and buses and vintage ‘Wright Flyer’ trams.
According to Euro Car Parts, Britain’s largest independent distributor of car parts and accessories, the company stocks the most comprehensive range of exhaust and catalytic converters available in the UK. A range of more than 6,000 exhaust references and 2,000 catalytic converter references are kept at their Central Distribution Centre at Wembley. Furthermore, more than 2,000 exhaust references and 400 cat references are kept at selected branches around the UK.
ATS Euromaster has extended its contract with Europe’s largest metal recycler, European Metal Recycling, into Scotland to include a fleet of 15 commercial vehicles acquired through recent acquisitions. Like the company’s Salford-based fleet, these trucks will benefit from daily tyre inspections carried out by mobile service vans from ATS Euromaster’s truck centre in Bellshill.
Craig Fisher, European Metal Recycling’s Transport Manager for the North West and Scotland, said: “Our fleet operates across 70 sites in the UK where there is a lot of scrap metal, so daily inspections to check the condition of tyres ensures that the fleet is always ready for work the following morning. It has also helped to reduce our tyre related breakdowns at the roadside by 25 per cent, which equates to a huge saving in unexpected vehicle downtime,” he adds.
In addition to the Sottozero, discussed on Tyrepress.com last month, Pirelli has a range of tyres for fitment on cars, sports utility vehicles and vans, and while winter capability is the obvious primary function of the series, the company is proud of the diversity of its seasonal collection.
The winter Snowsport – for passenger cars – attempts to use its versatility to its advantage. Whilst combining excellent traction and braking on snow, it also promises to offer improved handling in both wet and dry conditions, all the while maintaining performance levels. The full silica mixture and the design with Cap and Base technology ensure performance at low temperatures, whilst the four longitudinal channels provide superb aquaplaning resistance.
John Bean, a brand within Snap-on Equipment, has introduced the Visualiner Prism, a mobile wheel alignment system ideal for workshops with lift bays unsuitable for a full 3D alignment machine. Prism is a hybrid of Charge Coupled Device (CCD) and 3D alignment technology and enables a run-out compensation procedure to be undertaken to ensure precise wheel alignment.
Accurate wireless data communication is ensured through the use of Bluetooth technology, which provides uniform alignment readings on vehicles ranging from small cars through to vans. The system also features long-life rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, with sufficient power reserves to last three days, based on three to four alignment checks per day. Furthermore, the batteries are software-controlled, providing an early low power warning to prevent interruption of an alignment procedure.
Independent petrol haulage contractor Suckling Transport has signed a three-year PPK (pence per kilometre) contract with Michelin and ATS Euromaster. The deal sees all of Suckling’s 86 vehicles and 96 petroleum tanker trailers adopt a 100 per cent Michelin Group tyre policy.
West Thurrock-based Suckling Transport worked with Michelin for many years before awarding a three-year contract to another manufacturer in 2005. According to the French manufacturer, the decision to reappoint Michelin followed a national tyre audit which highlighted key areas of improvement.
Kwik-Fit Fleet reports that corporate demand for its range of non-core services – vehicle servicing, MoTs and brake inspection and replacement – has soared in the first six months of 2008. In addition an increasing number of businesses and company car and van drivers are reported to be turning to Kwik-Fit Mobile for tyre repair and replacement and tyre safety checks taking demand to unprecedented levels. Kwik-Fit Fleet anticipates this demand will continue to rise as companies review their fleet operating policies in light of the continuing credit crunch.
Kwik-Fit Fleet introduced vehicle servicing and MoTs to fleet cars and vans two years ago, following a retail pilot. Earlier this year, growing corporate demand for the company to regularly service company cars and vans led to it improve its offering to businesses with the launch of its ‘While U Wait’ manufacturers’ service initiative. The 275,000 strong vehicle fleet belonging to Lex, the UK’s largest contract hire and leasing company, was the first to benefit from this new initiative.
The private label of the Dubai-based Al Dobowi Group, Infinity continues to gain ground in international brand recognition. The label endeavours to offer a competitively priced tyre range throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe, including a growing winter tyre segment. This year, the brand is consolidating its range by bringing in a series of new sizes for the INF-049 winter tyre and introducing the INF-059 – a winter tyre made especially for vans.
The Infinity winter tyre range is manufactured in China and was introduced in 2006. During 2007 the Infinity INF-049 winter range offered fifteen sizes in both T and H ratings, along with a distinctive asymmetric tread pattern, a proven winter rubber compound and benefits including improved braking performance, extensive tread wear resistance, low noise ride comfort, plus a reinforced bead that ensures comprehensive safe handling on all types of winter road surfaces. Now, in 2008, more PCR sizes have been added, in addition to the first 5 sizes in the new INF-059 Winter van range, which will comprehensively cover 80, 70 and 65 profile tyres.
ATS Euromaster has begun to receive the products of the company’s £4.5 million investment, comprising in the main new Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, Iveco Dailys and Renault Kangoos. A total of 150 new light commercial vehicles will be integrated into the firm’s operations as part of its fleet replacement programme for 2008. The vans are leased on four to five-year rental agreements.
Designed to take on specific roles in the fleet, the delivery includes mobile fitting vans for both cars and commercial vehicles, frontline rapid-response vehicles for providing emergency roadside assistance, flatbeds equipped to transport agricultural tyres and smaller vans for use in the company’s mobile fleet inspection department.
A Continental Tyre Group survey of van tyres bought online has found that the vast majority of sampled tyres were either poorly marked or potentially unsafe. Peter Robb, Continental product manager explained the process: “Through an outside agency we randomly purchased 15 tyres over a period of 3 months. We were very conscious that the test be as fair as possible so the tyres are representative of 7 manufacturers, including Continental and were bought from different areas of the country and for different tyre sizes appropriate to vans”.
Once purchased the tyres were examined by Continental’s technical tyre consultants, entyrety, The findings showed that whilst each of the tyres were within legal limit for tread depth in other respects they did not comply with the regulations which came into force in June 1995 and many of the tyres were in poor condition.
Hofmann Megaplan UK, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of high-performance tyre equipment, has launched the megamount 401 XL Racing – a new tyre changer designed to be used in a mobile fitting van.
The device has been developed from the ‘swing-arm’ principle popularly used in mobile fitting vans, but that has also presented limitations in terms of the range of wheels they can handle. The new apparatus represents an attempt to overcome these limitations by utilising the ‘Quadraclamp’ turntable system from Hofmann Megaplan’s 701. In conjunction with the “megafit” arm this allows a much larger clamping size than previous mobile fitter models.
Roadrunner Tyres, part of Bridgestone’s First Stop network of tyre dealerships, has invested over £5000 on the refurbishment of its reception area. The refurbishment of the site, which is based in Cabus near Preston, follows a recent expansion into servicing for cars, vans and 4x4s. These add to the facilities already on offer which include brake, suspension and exhaust repairs.
The depot has also taken advantage of the Toyota Aygo courtesy car scheme, which is available to high performing First Stop dealerships. The vehicle can be used by Roadrunner employees to go to and from work, as a courtesy car or as a general run-around for collecting parts.
Andrew Hodgkinson, managing director at Roadrunner Tyres commented: “Although our customers have always been our number one priority, these recent developments allow us to provide new and existing customers with an even better experience when visiting Roadrunner Tyres.
Continental AG, an official sponsor of UEFA Euro 2008 and exclusive tyre partner, has equipped all 16 team buses with HSR 1 premium bus tyres on all axles. Continental did something similar during the 2006 FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany, when the team buses also ran on Continental tyres.
In addition, almost the entire Continental summer tyre line is used on more than 60 official UEFA vehicles. These include: ContiEcoContact 3, ContiPremiumContact 2, ContiSportContact 2 and ContiSportContact 3, as well as the ContiCrossContact UHP and the Conti4x4Contact for SUVs as well as the VancoContact 2 for vans. Additionally, all Continental shuttle buses are being equipped with the special edition bus tyre HSL 1, which was already issued during the FIFA World Cup 2006, with stylized soccer balls and a Continental colour logo on the side panel.
An extensive in-house trial conducted by Collease Truck and Trailer Rentals has led to Michelin winning a contract from the Norwich-based firm.
The trials, which compared the performance of Michelin’s truck tyres against a number of other manufacturers’ products, have resulted in Collease fitting Michelin-branded tyres across a 3,350-strong fleet of commercial vehicles and trailers, ranging from vans to 44 tonne tractor units and trailers.
Hofmann Megaplan has recently introduced what the company claims to be the most capable tyre changer ever designed to be used in a mobile fitting van.
The megamount 401 XL Racing works on the space-saving ‘swing-arm’ principle that has proved so popular over the years in mobile fitting vans, but that has also presented limitations in terms of the range of wheels they can handle. The 401 overcomes these limitations by utilising the ‘Quadraclamp’ turntable system from the 701 model that allows clamping up to 26″, and the ‘megafit’ arm for handling stiff, low profile and run-flat tyres.
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