Alcaline hits the road with award-winning MaxiTrailer tyres 03 February 2010

European haulage firm Alcaline has changed its tyre policy across the entire fleet, having completed year-long trials of Michelin's X One MaxiTrailers on the trunk roads between Ashford, Kent and Italy.

Alcaline fleet engineer Mick Richards says he organised the trials because trailers were experiencing so many damaged tyres, even where fitted as original equipment – and often within six months from new. He agrees that the unforgiving entrance onto the Eurotunnel shuttle wagons doesn't help tyres, but claims the casing failures and heavy wear on side walls and edges were exceptional.

Richards says a set of the new Michelin 455/45s was fitted to one of its new Schmitz Cargobull tri-axle trailers and compared against Dunlop tyres, fitted from new to other curtainsiders. "We got a test set first, because they're a bit bigger than the Dunlops and we thought it might be a bit tight getting them on. But the clearance was fine and we had no problems at all, even where the trailer floorboard bolts come through," he says.

By the end of the trial, the MaxiTrailers had covered 176,569km with no damage and still had 9mm of tread remaining, which, Richards reckons, meant another 78,000km life before re-grooving, in-line with Michelin's 'four lives' policy.

Since then, he says, seven of Alcaline's new Schmitz Cargobull tri-axle curtainsiders have been fitted with the X One MaxiTrailer tyres, and the rest will be fitted as the originals wear out or fail. "These are the best tyres we've ever bought. There's almost no difference in price and the performance is far better," says Richards.

Michelin says that's because its 455/45 R 22.5 X One MaxiTrailers were designed to deliver up to 50% more mileage than its 385/65 R 22.5 XTE2 tyre, the secret being its InfiniCoil technology, which uses a 400 metre steel cord wrapped continuously around the crown of the tyre for increased robustness. The tread band is also 120mm wider and has 35% more usable rubber.

Richards says that doesn't just reduce wear: it also means lower rolling resistance, which improves fuel efficiencies, and better shock absorption is helping to cut trailer maintenance costs. "Overall the trial has been such a success that we have adopted an all-Michelin policy for the fleet and are specifying X One MaxiTrailer tyres as original equipment on all new trailer purchases," he says.

Michelin also claims that, when fitted to new conventional or mega volume trailers, the MaxiTrailers can increase load volume by between five and nine cubic metres, because of it low profile. The firm also suggests that the tyres' increased tyre footprint means greater stability and so improved safety.

Author
Brian Tinham

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