There’s no question that Scottish aggregates firm, Patersons Quarries, has a strong working partnership with Continental-owned tyre business R&J Strang Tyre Services Ltd. Boasting a staggering 25-year professional affiliation, the pair have recently committed to hitting their pearl anniversary, with a new five-year deal, securing a total three decades of collaboration. For Patersons, an outstanding, personal level of service is matched by Continental and Bandvulc’s durable and dependable tyre offering.
With five active quarries across Scotland’s central belt, Patersons Quarries fleet of 80 trucks are a common sight on the country’s roads. Founded in 1973, the company’s ethos of providing Scottish construction sites with locally sourced materials has helped Patersons to enjoy sustained growth and build an enviable reputation for quality and service. 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.”
Selected for its robustness and reliability both on-and-off road, the Patersons fleet uses the Continental CrossTrac HS3 tyre on steer axles. In a quarry and building site environment, the tyre’s robust four-belt casing and innovative tread design provides excellent grip and durability in all weathers. On highways, the same tread design helps to maximise fuel economy over long distances, whilst the enclosed tyre shoulder inspires confidence with exceptional handling and stability characteristics. Drive axles are fitted with the Bandvulc Big D premium retreaded tyres, with the high-polymer compound, ArmorbandTM sidewall reinforcement and extra deep tread supporting Patersons’ trucks to keep going in the harshest of conditions.
“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. We’ve been shouting about Continental’s family of products for years, and their tyres have a well-earned place in the quarrying market. At the end of the day, it comes down to quality. Despite the environment we operate in, we’re happy that we get a fair and reasonable lifespan from the Continental and Bandvulc products. It is a case of you get what you pay for.”
All aspects of the Patersons Quarries tyre contract is managed through Continental’s R&J Strang business, as part of their wider Conti360° Fleet Solutions package. A holistic, integrated tyre management provision, Conti360° delivers a comprehensive all-round service and provides greater efficiency to help drive down running costs. Continental’s network of highly experienced tyre technicians is perfectly placed to supply and fit the correct rubber and perform regular fleet inspections to minimise vehicle downtime.
Conti360°’s reliable and straightforward system also allows easy access to 24/7 365-day Europe-wide coverage in the event of a tyre breakdown. With more than 30 years at the forefront of tyre breakdown services, Conti360° members can drive safe in the knowledge that Continental’s drive-on-time guarantee ensures a maximum downtime of just three or four hours, dependent on the country.
“We all have a close working relationship with R&J Strang”, says Gordon. “They offer excellent advice, and we trust them to make the necessary decisions for the benefit of the fleet. We receive daily inspections, and they’ll send support, 24-hours a day, seven days a week. You only need to give them the fleet number or vehicle registration, and the team will handle the rest. It’s that attention to detail that means we have minimal vehicle downtime, which is fantastic.
As far as I’m concerned, we wouldn’t consider a move from R&J Strang and the Continental product offering. The tyres are excellent, the service is exemplary, and the combination helps us to perfectly meet our customers’ needs.”
