Firmin Transport has opted for a further three-year, fleet tyre-management deal with Watling Tyres. For the past six years, the Sittingbourne-based transport business has been running exclusively on Continental Tyres, managed on consecutive three-year contracts by the local tyre dealer.
Stuart Joyce, Head of Fleet and Compliance for Firmin, said, “We have a long-standing relationship with Watling Tyres, and this latest three-year contract is a clear expression of the trust we place in both the Continental product and Watling Tyres delivery of the management programme. We believe Continental tyres are the right product for our fleet, German Engineering with a reputation for complete reliability.” The Firmin Transport fleet now operates both with new Continental tyres and ContiRe retread products.
An independent Conti360 Network member, Watling Tyres was formed in 1962 and now has 15 depots across the South East of England. Rob Rose, Commercial Sales Manager for Watling Tyres, said “We spend a long time regularly analysing the fleet and its needs. Today, we have a policy of fitting the latest Continental Hybrid series tyres across steer and drive axles on trucks, these are the HS3 and HD3 tyres, and the HT3 variant on all Firmin trailers. These models deliver outstanding mileage performance and fuel efficiency in both wet and dry conditions. It means we can give Firmin maximum economical operation, mile after mile after mile.
“We run the whole management system on a ‘Pence-Per-Kilometre’ fixed price programme, which the customer likes, as they can build this into overall operating costs as a consistent known factor. We take responsibility for routine monitoring of the whole fleet for tyre wear and damage, removing and handling disposal or retreading of worn casings. So, alongside the new tyres we fit, we can also enhance the overall economy of the package by fitting top-quality Continental Hybrid Series retread tyres on drive and trailer axles. This is handled through the worn casing return programme and the excellent Conti LifeCycle retreading system.”
The Continental LifeCycle™ product is a retreaded tyre based only on original Continental Tyre casings which have passed the manufacturer’s strict quality checks. The tread is completely replaced using materials identical to those used in the production of new tyres. The process helps energy saving and efficiently reduces the number of used tyres requiring scrapping while, at the same time, reducing the amount of raw materials needed to put a fresh tyre back on the road.
“The overall package gives excellent value for money,” says Rob Rose, “and enables Watling Tyres to control costs for the customer. Our online fleet inspection portal, ContiFleetCheck, also gives the customer full visibility of the fleet and helps us jointly manage the process. We have built a good working relationship with Firmin Transport through understanding their business, their needs and what works best for them. It’s a relationship that relies on mutual trust, and I would like to think that this has played a major part in Firmin’s decision to stay with Watling Tyres over the years.”
