Fowler Welch currently fits Continental tyres to the steer axles of its vehicles, paired with Bandvulc tyres on the drive and trailer axles. All tyres across the fleet are managed by the Galahad platform as part of Conti 360° Fleet Services.
Two DAF 6x2 tractors were used for the trials, which comprised five rounds of testing. All variables were eliminated to ensure accurate mpg figures. The trucks were driven simultaneously; the entire testing sequence was calibrated, and both cost and CO2 reductions were evaluated.
One truck acted as the control vehicle, with the same tyres fitted for all five rounds. The other became the test vehicle and was fitted with different tyre combinations. The fifth round saw both vehicles tyres’ deflated to 20% below the recommended level to measure the difference in recorded mpg.
After the data was analysed, the results showed that the combination of Continental and Bandvulc low rolling resistance tyres led to an increase in fuel efficiency of over 5%.
When the tyre pressure was dropped for the final test, the trucks suffered a 2% loss in mpg.
Maurizio Romano, head of fleet strategy at Fowler Welch, says: “We were extremely impressed by the professional way in which Bandvulc organised these tests, and equally by the vast difference that low rolling resistance tyres offer.
“The figures speak for themselves and offer real food for thought as we look to adapt our tyre policy.”
Fowler Welch has eight depots across the UK and its fleet of 400 Euro VI vehicles and 750 trailers covers 57 miles a year.