European liquid, bulk powder and palletised road transport specialist Abbey Logistics has signed up its 730 commercial vehicle assets to EFFITIRES™ by Michelin solutions, describing the tyre management package as “a perfect fit for our operations”.
The price-per-vehicle deal covers 100 per cent of the company’s 300-strong fleet of tractor units, which includes 280 DAF and 20 MAN tractors. The company’s mixed fleet of 430 tankers, reefers and curtainside trailers is also covered by the deal, which replaces a transactional agreement.
Paul Jamieson, Finance Controller at Abbey Logistics, says: “We’ve enjoyed a close relationship with Michelin for many years, and rank the company’s tyres as number one in the market. As such, when the time came to consider a fleet-wide tyre management solution, Michelin solutions’ approach came out on top.
“The EFFITIRES™ programme is a perfect fit for our diverse operations. We provide temperature-controlled logistics, and also operate bulk powder, liquid and palletised transportation networks throughout the UK and Europe. With such a hard-working and wide-ranging fleet, we need tyres that offer excellent longevity, safety, durability and on-road performance – and a tyre management programme to match. That’s where EFFITIRES™ comes in – everything just stacks up.”
Michelin solutions will work closely with Abbey Logistics to ensure the company’s diverse fleet always fits the best tyre for the application, chosen from the manufacturer’s wide range of fitments.
“As part of the Abbey Logistics Group’s attention to detail, we commissioned the British Transport Advisory Consortium (BTAC) to run tests on Michelin products to ensure we were specifying, as part of the agreement, the most fuel-efficient tyre available for our operations. Under the guidance of David Batty, Chairman of BTAC, a weekend’s testing was carried out at the MIRA proving to ensure our decision was cost-effective, and right for the ‘green culture’ within our business,” Jamieson adds.
Service provider ATS Euromaster will support the company by fitting and maintaining the Abbey Logistics fleet’s tyres under the EFFITIRES™ contract.
Abbey Logistics will also fit Michelin Remix tyres under the contract – retreaded fitments that provide almost the same performance as new Michelin tyres.
As well as cutting Abbey Logistics’ tyre bill, the move also supports the company’s drive for environmentally-conscious operations, by reducing the number of casings sent to landfill and doubling the lifespan of the company’s tyres. Remix tyres can also be regrooved, further extending each casing’s lifespan.
Signing up to the EFFITIRES™ solution provides Abbey Logistics with the services of a dedicated team of business support personnel, auditors and technicians, to ensure its tyres are serviced to the highest possible standards.
Michelin solutions will also carry out fleet‐wide tyre safety inspections and develop a shared action plan to ensure harmonised operations – cutting complexity and red tape while ensuring safety, regulatory compliance and peace of mind.
Abbey Logistics operates from six main UK depots in Hull, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlewich and Wirral, plus six smaller depots around the country. As well as its core transport services, the company offers a silo/tanker evacuation service, tanker cleaning facilities in Liverpool and Hull and 150,000ft2of warehousing space in Bromborough, Wirral.
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