TP Niven lifts 1.7 million litres of milk every day for the dairies, including 70% of the organic milk produced in Britain. Typically, the firm’s high-mileage fleet is double-shifted, averaging 250,000km per truck, per year, but in the last fortnight movements have spiked by a further 12%.
As well as milk, TP Niven’s fleet carries payloads including pharmaceuticals, electrical products and pet supplies. It fits Michelin X Works XZY tyres on its milk collection tankers, which can be required to navigate around 10km of farm tracks every day, on top of up to 500km by road. The remainder of the fleet runs on Michelin X Multi regional tyres, both new and Remix.
Duncan McFegan, TP Niven’s fleet engineer, emailed Michelin, saying: “Your help in keeping our fleet on the road has been invaluable. You are an integral part of supplying four of our depots in Lockerbie, Edingham, Palnackie and Mauchline, keeping 96 tractor units and 150 trailers on the road.”
McFegan adds: “We demand a huge amount from our suppliers, particularly when utilisation is running this high. Knowing our trucks are operating on Michelin tyres gives me real peace of mind... there’s no better tyre for guaranteeing uptime.”
TP Niven trialled tyres from a competing brand two years ago, as part of a cost-cutting exercise. However, less than a year later, it returned to Michelin, citing rising costs, uneven and increased tyre wear, plus shuddering felt by drivers through the steering wheel.
The fleet has been back on an all-Michelin policy since March 2019.