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Slash your fuel consumption, reduce your carbon footprint and dramatically extend the life of your tyres simply by ensuring that inflation levels are correct - this is the message from Continental Tyres. Ultimately the tyre maker wants widespread adoption of its Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (which currently isn't offered as an option on any new trucks), but general manager of technical services Roger Sanders admits that the same financial savings can be made by manually monitoring the  levels on a frequent basis.

He says: "Carry out pressure maintenance and you can decrease your rolling resistance by 6%. That's an increase in tyre life of 15% to 20%."  Sanders says if you also ensure that wheel and axle alignment are correct, the savings are even greater. He estimates that over the life of the tyres a haulier running 30 trucks would save enough money to buy a new truck. More savings can be achieved by ensuring that tyre-valve dust-caps are fitted. Continental gives the example of a 15-strong truck fleet, which has 25 missing caps and five poorly fitting ones.

It estimates that the resulting incorrect pressures caused by inevitable air seepage will cost £330 over the life of the tyres. "That's purely premature tyre wear," says Sanders, "and doesn't factor-in the improved fuel economy. "Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves." Chinese tyre makers will use the UK as a stepping-stone into mainland Europe, according to Herbert  Mensching, director of marketing and sales at Continental CV tyres. "It's very easy to enter the UK as opposed to the rest of Europe," he says.

Mensching believes that although the Chinese are currently devoting much of their effort to supplying the domestic market, in the long-term their sights are firmly set on Europe. In his opinion, they will command between 5% and 7% of the European tuck tyre market within five years. "But there is nothing to stop us from entering the Chinese market," he says. Although Continental says some Chinese tyre casings are not suitable for retreading, it refuses to comment on whether they are as safe as European tyres.

Continental says its tyres are lighter than its competitors, giving its customers a considerable payload advantage.Speaking at the relaunch of its ContiNetwork last week, Roger Sanders, general manager of technical services, says its tyres are on average between 5kg and 10kg lighter than an equivalent Michelin.

"That's a saving of up to 80kg on a tipper," he says. "Now if you look at this across the entire fleet you can calculate the extra profitability throughout the course of a year." But Sanders is keen to point out that in this case "lighter does not mean weaker. In fact they are slightly more durable than the old ones." Continental will have a tyre weight calculator on its stand at April's CV Show.