Wellingborough, Northamptonshire-based agricultural and aggregate specialist Finedon Bulk Haulage has switched to a 100% Michelin policy, following a successful 12-month trial, which saw tyre longevity increase by 60%.
Director Corey Donaldson says he was sceptical about changing tyre make, because his fleet of 10 tractors and 10 bulk tipper trailers has to negotiate farm tracks and rough quarry terrain on a daily basis – tough for any manufacturer.
"Our tyres are subjected to a fair amount of wear and tear," he comments, "but we pressed ahead with the Michelin trial and were very impressed with the durability and overall performance."
The trial saw Finedon fit Michelin XZE 2+ tyres on the steer axles of its tractors and XTE 3 on the trailers, with a mix of Remix and Encore on the drive axles.
Whereas the Bridgestone tyres previously fitted were averaging 70,000km, Donaldson says he has been getting 110,000—120,000km out of every new Michelin tyre, with excellent casing acceptance for the Remix and Encore remould processes.
"As well as lasting longer, there were far fewer cuts, which, in turn, means fewer repairs and improved fleet uptime," states Donaldson. "We haven't calculated the exact savings yet – but I can tell from the drop in the number of tyres that need replacing, that fitting Michelin will make a healthy contribution to the bottom line."
Michelin's XZE 2+ tyres are designed for national and regional operations and have four deep longitudinal grooves in the tread to aid grip. They also feature specially designed sipes to minimise stone trapping and crown damage. Meanwhile, the Michelin XTE 3 trailer tyres use a new damage resistant rubber compound and are designed with a wide shoulder for improved resistance to scrub when cornering or manoeuvring.