With five active quarries across Scotland’s central belt, Patersons Quarries’ fleet of 80 trucks are a common sight on the country’s roads.
Raw aggregates form a large part of Patersons’ offering, however, the firm also manufactures its own construction materials, including bricks, blocks, kerbstones and concrete. Patersons runs a range of vehicles to support the delivery of its diverse product range, including 20 eight-wheel tippers and 11 mixers for concrete deliveries.
Gordon Carlton, Transport Manager at Patersons Quarries, said: “Working in aggregates and quarrying, our tyres have to stand up to harsher treatment than in other sectors or industries. Our vehicles spend a significant portion of their day away from paved roads, and a hard-wearing compound is critical to keep them moving for longer.
“We face two major hurdles when it comes to finding the right tyres for the job. Firstly, the tyre needs to be strong enough to minimise penetration risk. A flat tyre or a blow-out is not only a safety risk for the driver and general public, but it’s also a lorry off the road and creates a delay or missed delivery for one of our customers.
“The second issue we battle is traction. The nature of our plants and our customer’s construction sites means that our vehicles are often driving over grass, mud, sand, gravel and rocks. With a vehicle typically spending 60% of the day off-highway, we need to trust the tyre to help drivers remain safely in control at all times. The Continental and Bandvulc offerings enable us to meet both of these needs.”
The Patersons fleet uses the Continental CrossTrac HS3 tyre on steer axles. For the quarry and building site environment, the tyre includes a four-belt casing and tread design intended to offer excellent grip and durability.
Drive axles are fitted with the Bandvulc Big D premium retreaded tyres, featuring the high-polymer compound Armorband sidewall reinforcement and extra deep tread.
“Safety and reliability are critical to our success,” Gordon explains. “We’re more than happy to invest in the tyres needed to deliver the results.”
All aspects of the Patersons Quarries tyre contract is managed through Continental’s R&J Strang business, as part of its wider Conti360° Fleet Solutions package. Continental’s network of tyre technicians supplies and fits the correct rubber and perform regular fleet inspections to minimise vehicle downtime. It also includes access to tyre breakdown recovery services.