Leading tyre companies claim hauliers that put in place correct tyre management programmes can make significant fuel savings. The comments came in response to the most recent CM/Michelin business monitor, in which commercial vehicle operators were asked how often they checked the tyre pressures on their vehicles.
A total of 19% said they checked them daily 40% said they carried out weekly checks 7% said fortnightly 14% said they carried out monthly checks and 20% said less often. Paul Kendrick,
managing director of product management for trucks at Michelin, says: "Under-inflated truck tyres cost hauliers thousands of pounds in extra fuel and are dangerous as well as uneconomical."
In the survey, 75% of hauliers surveyed said they regrooved their tyres while 76% said fuel consumption did not affect their tyre choice. "On average, it is possible to get an extra 25% life out of a tyre through regrooving," Kendrick adds.
Rival Bridgestone says correct choice of tyre and tyre management programme can make a "big difference" to a fleet's performance and cost base. A spokesman for the company says: "Fuel costs comprise around 21% of a long distance fleet's total costs. Running a tyre at incorrect pressure such as 6 BAR instead of 9 BAR will increase fuel consumption by 14%. Tyres under-inflated by 20% will also lose around 25% of their tyre service life."
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