Stoke-on-Trent, May 13, 2016
Blaby District Council in Leicestershire has switched to a Michelin tyre policy across its commercial vehicle fleet, after a test set of Michelin X Works tyres demonstrated extraordinary longevity in a year-long trial.
Impressed with the test results, Blaby District Council now fits Michelin across most of the fleet, which includes a mix of 18 Mercedes-Benz and Dennis refuse collection vehicles (RCVs), a 12.5 tonne road sweeper, two 5.2 tonne Iveco Dailys and a single 7.5 tonne DAF 45, plus 30 light commercial vehicles. It is also specifying the tyres as original equipment.
Blaby District Council’s Servicing and Fleet Manager, Martin Bennett, says: “Blaby District is an area with a lot of narrow roads, meaning that a high proportion of our tyre costs come from repairs to sidewall damage or replacements from kerbing. We decided the best way to test Michelin’s tyres was to fit them to the RCV that had the highest rate of tyre damage – in this case having its tyres replaced sometimes every three to four months.
“I was really impressed by the tyres, and the results of the trial. Michelin’s X Works tyres were more than up for the challenge; in fact, it was 10 months before they needed turning on the rim and they lasted then another 8 months, which was far better than the previous set of tyres on that RCV.”
Martin Bennett is also Fleet Manager for Oadby and Wigston Borough Council, and after trialling the X Works fitments in Blaby District, changed the Oadby and Wigston fleet of 15 RCVs to a Michelin tyre policy, and is specifying tyres for both districts under the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) tyre purchasing framework.
Both councils have also registered their tyres on Michelin MyAccount – an online portal for companies running commercial vehicles – which gives both fleets access to the Michelin X Works accidental tyre damage guarantee across both replacement and original equipment-specified tyres.
“The guarantee is one of the major benefits of specifying tyres from Michelin. It gives me peace of mind that if one of the tyres suffers accidental damage before the tyre is 50 per cent worn – which we know from experience with other tyre brands can be common in a refuse collection application – I can log in to MyAccount and get a refund determined against the tyre’s remaining tread depth.
“That removes much of the perceived risk of fitting a premium tyre in an environment where the risk of damage is higher. Plus, we benefit from a tyre casing which lasts longer, minimises downtime and reduces the number of wheel interventions during its life in service,” he adds.
Blaby District Council’s RCVs operate up to seven hours a day, five days a week, collecting refuse from across the 50 square mile district, and delivering it to waste transfer stations. All tyre servicing will be carried out by local dealership Lodge Tyres’ Leicester branch.
The council hopes to regroove as many tyres as possible, extending tyre life by up to 25 per cent, and making full use of the additional layers of rubber built into all new Michelin truck tyres. Once a regrooved tyre is worn to a set minimum tread depth, it will be retreaded by Michelin into a ‘Remix’ tyre – tyres which perform almost identically to a new Michelin fitment, reducing the council’s environmental impact through reduced raw material consumption.
Michelin X Works tyres are designed with robustness in mind. Reinforced shoulders improve resistance to lateral impact damage, while the tread pattern minimises tread tear. The architecture of the tyre is optimised for challenging conditions, which increases the tyre’s durability and helps reduce the chance of tyre-related vehicle downtime.
Michelin is an approved supplier under the CCS framework, which allows customers in both central government and the wider public sector to benefit from savings, by negotiating commercial relationships as a single organisation.
For further information on the Michelin commercial vehicle tyre range visit http://trucks.michelin.co.uk/
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Michelin , the leading tyre company, is dedicated to sustainably improving the mobility of goods and people by manufacturing, distributing and marketing tyres for every type of vehicle. It also offers innovative business support services, digital mobility services and publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 170 countries, has 112,300 employees and operates 68 production plants in 17 countries. The Group also has a Technology Centre, responsible for research and development, with operations in Europe, North America and Asia. (www.michelin.com)
For further press information please contact:
David Johnson, Michelin Press Office
Tel: + 44 (0) 1782 402341 Email: d.johnson@uk.michelin.com
Andy Hemphill or Beth Laws, Garnett Keeler PR, Inver House, 37-39 Pound Street,
Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 3PG
Tel: +44 (0)20 8647 4467 Fax: +44 (0)20 8544 4711 E-mail: andy.hemphill@garnettkeeler.com or beth.laws@garnettkeeler.com
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