Successful tire programs require more than just the rubber that meets the road. The advancement of tire and digital technology will continue to evolve the commercial industry, making it vital for fleets to stay informed about what tools are available to them and how best to use them.
By Timothy Netzel
To say tires are essential for a fleet鈥檚 success would be an understatement. They are a top expenditure for most fleets operating in the U.S. and have a strong influence on profit margins because their performance determines the uptime or productivity of the vehicles they power forward. Because they rely so heavily on the performance of tires to operate successfully, many fleets have developed programs to maintain and protect their tire investments. The purpose of every tire program is to drive productivity, efficiency, and sustainability into operations.
When managing a tire program that optimizes vehicle performance, there is more than one way to be successful, because not all fleets are the same. However, the following tire program best practices can get you started on the right foot and be applied to your operation regardless of whether you are a long-haul trucking fleet of 100 vehicles or an urban waste and recycling fleet of just five.
Photos courtesy of Bridgestone.
Understand the Life Cycle of Your Tires
Knowing your tire usage is foundational to developing a successful tire program. If you are just starting, tracking the number of tires used is an excellent place to begin. This knowledge gives businesses a baseline of how many tires are needed to remain operational in a given month or year. As you develop your tire program, the goal will be to reduce these numbers by maximizing the lifespan of each tire.
Next, how are you measuring each tire? Is it total miles, cost per mile, or maybe cost per 32/nd? Each vocation has different ways of measuring and knowing what to measure is a baseline of how to drive efficiency. Establishing this will inform whether you are using the right tires for your business and what kind of return you are getting from your investment. If you have an immediate goal of driving down cost per hour, ensure you are equipping your fleet with tires manufactured specifically for your segment. Thanks to a widespread abundance of tire dealers, an expert who can assist you in choosing the right tires is likely nearby. Global tire manufacturers have worked hard to establish large networks of advisors to help you choose the right tire and retread option for your business.
Lastly, and arguably the most crucial piece of information needed to understand the life cycle of your tires, is tracking the reason behind tire failures. A firm understanding of when and why a tire needs to be replaced can provide insight into the shortcomings of the tire鈥檚 maintenance and the road conditions it experiences. For example, if one vehicle within your fleet experiences irregular wear more often than others, you may want to proactively schedule additional alignment checks and monitor tire pressure more closely. Over time, tracking this data will provide insight into operations, which allows fleets to take a more proactive approach to tire maintenance and ensure drivers are set up for success.
For additional insight, fleets can also leverage authorized dealers to conduct scrap tire analysis to help maximize the performance of future tires in your fleet and the longevity of your tire casings.
Quality Impacts Quantity
Choosing the correct tire to meet the needs of your business is paramount. If vehicles are running on the wrong tires, you could be creating more problems for your fleet and buying more tires than you need to run your business. Depending on the type of vehicle, location of business, and how you use your equipment in your fleet, you may need specialized tires at every position. Ensuring you have the correct type of tire located at each position helps maximize the longevity of each tire and your investment. It also keeps vehicles running at optimal levels.
This practice may be common sense to most fleet owners, but it is valuable to point out because the goal of any tire program is to get the best performance while maintaining safety. With this in mind, fleets must pay attention to the manufacturing process to ensure that the tires they select will be able to rack up miles.
This does not mean fleet owners need to become experts on tire manufacturing to make smart decisions. Fleets simply need a basic understanding of tire structure. For starters, not all tires are made with the same materials. On the surface, every tire may appear identical, but underneath are differences that can have a significant impact on the tire鈥檚 performance. For example, most premium tires in the fleet space are engineered with high-quality tire casings. A tire鈥檚 casing is the core investment or asset you are buying with a new tire because when the tire becomes worn, you can retread the tire on that same casing. This means that investing in tires with premium casings can increase a tire鈥檚 retreadability, which can extend the life of that tire, stretch more miles out of your investment, and reduce overall tire waste. For more than 50 years, fleets have been confidently using retreaded tires, which stand as one of the pioneering products in the commercial industry to showcase sustainability. By adding retreaded tires to a tire program, fleet owners can get more with less while also making a considerable positive impact on the environment.
Improve Through Data Insights
The emergence and use of innovative technologies have quickly become a best practice for any tire program continually optimizing to create higher levels of efficiency. The commercial industry has seen a wave of new products and solutions enter the industry in recent years that have provided businesses with new insights. Tire monitoring solutions, for example, have become a staple for businesses aiming to stay on top of tire health by turning insights into preventative actions. Tire monitoring solutions use sensors and cloud-based software to detect issues before they arise and relay information to drivers. The data is accessible from a mobile device and assists operators in making informed decisions about maintenance. As a result, fleets that use data-driven insights take advantage of the knowledge at their fingertips and perform the maintenance needed to get more performance out of each tire, thus improving productivity and efficiency. Additionally, digital tools play a key role in the retreadability of the tire. The better you can preserve and protect a tire and its casing, the higher the likelihood of being able to retread it.
Evolve with the Industry
The advancement of tire and digital technology will continue to evolve the commercial industry, making it vital for fleets to stay informed about what tools are available to them and how best to use them. Equipment suppliers are now offering not only high-quality tires, but also the tools needed to understand and maintain them for operational and sustainability purposes. Successful tire programs require more than just the rubber that meets the road. Fleets that understand the value of data to help maintain their tires will only improve. | WA
Timothy Netzel is Director of TBR Brand Marketing at Bridgestone Americas. Timothy is responsible for the marketing strategy of the Bridgestone TBR product portfolio in North America. For more information, visit .