12th December 2007
BOUGHEY SWITCHES TO ALL-MICHELIN FLEET
Boughey Distribution says its decision to switch to an all-Michelin tyre fleet has slashed its downtime, and resulted in significant cost savings. Group fleet engineer Paul Brimelow explains that the company had traditionally bought on price, but this policy had resulted in a huge breakdown problem. "It used to be horrendous," he says, "especially when a tyre took out a mudguard or trailer light bracket."
He explains that Boughey takes its legal obligations very seriously, and it is a sacking offence if a driver moves a damaged truck. As a result, a blow-out can result in a truck being taken off the road for a long period, and the average tyre failure costs the company an estimated £2,000. Brimelow made the decision to switch to Michelin, which he says resulted in an immediate reduction in downtime. "They aren't the cheapest," he says, "but then buying Michelin is all about whole-life costs. Michelin's Four Lives programme allows us to get the maximum out of the tyres."
However, despite improved reliability and wear characteristics, Brimelow says he was consistently let down by various tyre providers. They were apparently unable to cope with Boughey's rapid expansion - its fleet having increased five-fold in the past six years. The solution was Quinton Tyres of Greater Manchester, which was recommended by Michelin. It now supplies and manages Boughey's 1,800 Michelin tyre fleet. Quinton has its own bay at the haulier's workshop, and a dedicated tyre fitter on site who ensures tyres are checked every three weeks.
"We haven't had any problems since switching to Quinton," says Brimelow. "We now average eight breakdowns a month, which is three times lower than it used to be. And it is incredibly rare for a tyre to blow for no reason. This is proof of the importance of proper tyre management."