The fleet software provider says that costs are rising mainly because specialised wheel and tyre size numbers are growing and becoming ever more vehicle-specific.
“When you look at operational data, this is not just a question of bigger tyres being more expensive but also seemingly more susceptible to accidental damage and even more likely to be stolen,” states Chevin managing director Ashley Sowerby.
“All of these factors lead to higher costs and fleets are increasingly trying to take managerial control in this area,” he continues.
“This is something that is being seen on a wider industry basis with some of the largest fleets changing their buying arrangements... We see reflections of this in increased levels of price comparison using our software.”
Sowerby says he sees a “strong desire” among fleet managers to take “a greater amount of operational control” over tyre costs.
But, pointing to Chevin’s own tyre management module – part of its FleetWave software – he advises that for fleet managers to be successful requires a change of culture, thinking of tyres as separate, specific assets.
“Managing this asset might mean ... looking at examining different tyre replacement cycles for different drivers in similar vehicles, and seeing which are getting through sets of tyres more often and why,” he explains.
“It might also mean identifying which drivers most often suffer accidental tyre damage and, again, trying to work out whether this is a result of their driving style or other factors.”