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Many transport operators have formed close relationships with tyre manufacturers and suppliers to cut downtime and benefit from proactive monitoring as well as reactive maintenance.

The value of a carefully managed tyre policy through several lives, including the provision of the best possible fitments, also makes sense from a safety, environmental and cost perspective.

For example, animal feed manufacturer ForFarmers UK, has a contract with Prometeon Tyre Group to supply and maintain all tyres across its nationwide fleet of 160 HGVs.

The deal – agreed on a fixed price per kilometre (PPK) basis – covers the fleet of bulk and bag delivery vehicles, which together clock up about 16 million kilometres per year transporting feed to farms across the country.

ForFarmers operates eight compound mill manufacturing sites across the UK, with sites in Exeter, Portbury, Newcastle- under-Lyme and Penrith. 

With vehicles delivering direct to farms, Prometeon supplies the operator with tyres suitable for both long-distance transport as well as rough farm terrain.

Prometeon’s tyre management portal also provides enhanced visibility by offering real-time reporting on tyre health, inspections, and maintenance.

Naeve Brown, business improvement and indirect procurement director at ForFarmers UK, said Prometeon’s expertise has already helped it make improvements, such as highlighting where it did not have the most efficient tyres fitted.

She added: “That support is delivering real efficiency gains – we now have clear inspection reports and action lists that make compliance much easier to manage.

“The dashboard is very user-friendly so our transport managers can quickly access the information they need. It gives us real peace of mind.

“With PPK, it’s in both our interest and Prometeon’s to maximise tyre life through repairs and proactive management, rather than defaulting to replacements. This helps us to be more sustainable as well as cost-efficient.”

Meanwhile, bus operator Go-Ahead, has a contract with Michelin that sees the manufacturer’s Connected Solutions Division supply, fit and manage multi position tyres to the fleet.

The contract offers a combination of outsourced tyre procurement, expert management solutions and a predictable tyre budget linked to fleet activity at the operator’s more than 50 depots around the UK.

These tyres are designed for electric vehicles but just as effective for combustion engine buses.

All Michelin tyres fitted to Go-Ahead buses are managed through a multi-life process, which sees them regrooved once the tread depth reaches 3 to 4mm, helping extend each casing’s life during its most fuel-efficient state.

Once the regrooved tyres have worn, they are retreaded at the Michelin Remix plant in Stoke – a process that saves natural resources and doubles the Michelin casing lifespan.

Go-Ahead also utilises Michelin’s dedicated team of tyre management operatives working with its own in-house workshop technicians.

To help ensure the public transport operator hits targets for safety, reliability, tyre longevity and regulatory compliance, its lead technicians have taken part in carefully designed training courses delivered by Michelin’s technical department in Stoke.

Sebastian Golby-Meek, Head of Procurement and Strategic Contracts at Go-Ahead, said: “As a key strategic supplier to the Go-Ahead Group, Michelin are closely aligned with our Go-Ahead Sustainable Procurement Charter, which has been shown through annual reporting of sustainability initiatives, clear target-setting, and strong alignment with our charter’s objectives.

“This has contributed to a notable reduction in raw material consumption, minimising waste, and lowering CO₂ emissions.”

Also, family-owned waste management, demolition and recycling specialist, Hampshire-based Collard Group has cited Continental’s ContiLifeCycle sustainable retread tyres as the reason for a 50% overall reduction in blowouts across its fleet over the past two years. 

Collard Group said the Bandvulc BIG-D on-off road construction tyre it fits offers a “like new” quality and added that the technical knowledge and support it receives from Continental with its next-day delivery capabilities is “second to none.”

Lee Troddyn, Transport Manager at Collard Group, said the retread tyres help conserve natural resources while reducing landfill waste by giving worn casings a second life.

He added: “The tread design and stone ejection capabilities are perfectly suited to the conditions we navigate, whether they be quarries, construction sites, or waste management and recycling facilities.

“Combining this with the sheer durability of the product, it has greatly contributed to reducing vehicle downtime caused by tyre issues.

“Though we don’t often encounter problems that can’t be resolved easily via the online portal, the Continental team is always on hand with advice, whether that’s on tyre selection, wear patterns or how to maximise service life. That kind of partnership is invaluable in our line of work.”

National Grid Electricity Distribution, which has 20 million customers across the Midlands, South West and South Wales, needed a solution for its engineering fleet, which often struggled with difficult terrain.

In response, Micheldever Fleet Solutions (MFS) and General Tire developed a van-specific version of the General Tire Grabber AT3, offering all-terrain capability while retaining on-road performance.

It ensures National Grid’s engineers can access remote locations without compromising vehicle load capacity.

The tyre was also designed to support higher load indices, enabling vans to safely transport the heavy cabling, parts and tools essential for National Grid’s field operations.

MFS’ parent company Micheldever Tyre Services has exclusive distribution rights for General Tire and the partners have now developed multiple additional van sizes of the General Tire Grabber AT3 to target the wider all-terrain market.

Nigel Wright, Transport Area Controller at National Grid Electricity Distribution, said: “We have one of the largest business fleets in the UK, with vehicles that have to operate in a wide range of conditions and terrains.

“Sometimes off-road driving was difficult for our teams, so it was great to work with General Tire and Micheldever Tyre Services to address this.

“They have provided us with a solution that is good news for us and our customers as it will ensure greater operational responsiveness and efficiency.”

With other complex challenges such as decarbonisation at front of mind, operators will continue to look to tyre manufacturers and suppliers to provide consultancy and quality products, ensuring safe transport operations are business as usual.