Tire and Retread Programs
Written by Seth Skydel on . Posted in Maintenance.
Tires are valuable and costly assets. An effective tire maintenance program can result in reduced tire costs. Some of the best resources for utility fleets are available from suppliers.
Bridgestone Americas
Bridgestone Commercial Solutions Fleet Management Services can personalize a tire program to address specific tire management issues. Fleet analysis and inventory reports, tire and equipment inspection programs, out-of-service tire analysis and nonretreadable tire reports are all included.
Fleet analyzer reports offered by Bridgestone Bandag are available using diagnostic software that provides accurate, customized reports on in-service tire inspections, out-of-service tire analysis, performance tracking and vehicle inspections. Fleet inventory reports give a view of tire inventory across the Bridgestone Bandag network to help improve tire management and reduce costs.
Also available from Bridgestone is an in-service tire inspection that provides a snapshot of the current condition of tires and wheels in a fleet. Tread depth, air pressure, tire conditions and observed issues with wheels are covered in the on-site assessment. The manufacturer also offers courses developed by its Truck Tires Learning Center specifically for fleet technicians, covering proper nail hole repairs and advanced tire analysis. Additional fleet services may be available from local dealers, including mounted wheel service, wheel and rim refinishing, and yard checks. Visit www.bridgestonetrucktires.com.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
Goodyear fleetHQ provides custom service, product solutions, detailed reporting and tire evaluation tools. It consolidates information from road service histories that can be accessed online. Tools available to help evaluate tire costs and optimize tire programs include TVTrack for tracking performance of specific tires linked to vehicle parameters. Tire Value Calc uses actual fleet performance data, as well as tire and retread price records, to find out how tire, retread and rotation changes can impact operating costs.
The fleetHQ Solution Center provides emergency roadside service with a roll time goal of two hours or less. The center offers access to more than 2,000 service locations nationwide. Visit www.goodyeartrucktires.com.
Michelin Americas Truck Tires
The Michelin Advantage Program includes competitive pricing on Michelin truck tires, retreads and services. Also offered is Michelin ONCall emergency road service.
Business tools included in the Michelin Advantage Program are available on a member website where fleets can check pricing, order tires, manage accounts and view invoices. Training, technical documents, maintenance techniques and webcasts to help improve tire performance are also available. Visit www.michelintruck.com.
Hidden Treasure
A tire scrap pile can be a gold mine of information. Going through a scrap pile and looking at tires can help find ways to adjust tire choices or maintenance practices.
All truck tire manufacturers agree that effectively analyzing scrap tires can lead to improvements in tire life and lower costs. They also universally point to the “Radial Tire Conditions Analysis Guide” published by the Technology & Maintenance Council as one of the best resources for fleets.
The TMC guide is reviewed and updated by manufacturers every three years. Included are technical details about various tire failure conditions and their causes, along with photos of commonly seen wear and failure conditions and recommended steps to resolve issues.
TMC also offers the “Radial Tire & Disc Wheel Service Manual,” which is a compendium of recommended practices associated with tires and wheel ends. It addresses critical service procedures for radial tires and disc wheels used on medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Visit www.trucking.org.