{"id":3753,"date":"2019-11-24T11:47:42","date_gmt":"2019-11-24T10:47:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/?p=3753"},"modified":"2019-11-24T11:47:42","modified_gmt":"2019-11-24T10:47:42","slug":"3753","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2019\/11\/24\/3753\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Manage Tires for Optimal Minutes and Miles"},"content":{"rendered":"

How to Manage Tires for Optimal Minutes and Miles<\/h3>\n

From the day it shows up in a yard or in a shop, collecting data on a tire throughout its lifespan will lead to reduced operating costs, fewer breakdowns, and better tire purchasing decision<\/p>\n

Truck tires lead multiple lives. They can begin life in a drive or steer position, then slowly work their way backwards on a tractor-trailer after three or even four retreads, until the casing finally wears out.<\/p>\n

The trick is managing those lives in a way that allows a fleet to get the most out of its tires in terms of both tread mileage and maximum retread lives. That can be hard to do, given the staffing limitations and technician shortages most fleets deal with today. And that\u2019s not to mention that tires can be difficult to track accurately even under the most favorable circumstances.<\/p>\n

But fleets with active tire management practices report fewer tire-related roadside service calls, more successful retread programs, and overall lower cost-per-mile for tires, according to Derek Babcock, distribution development, Michelin North America. A well-managed program can save a fleet in many ways, including more profit, with fewer CSA violations, less downtime, and fewer unplanned expenses.<\/p>\n

\u201cA total tire management strategy should be part of every fleet\u2019s operation,\u201d Babcock says. \u201cHaving a strategy encompassing fleet equipment inventory, tire selection, tracking, preventative maintenance, expected casing life, pressure and tread data, loads carried, miles achieved from tires and retreads, inspection frequency, removal timeline, casing management, scrap tire analysis, end-of-life inspection, data analysis, retread guidelines, inventory of automatic inflation devices, driver training, and budget review should all be part of the overall strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The benefits fleets gain from a total life cycle tire management plan are significant, adds Brett Wilkie, senior director, fleet services, for Fleet Advantage, a fleet management consulting firm based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He says when it comes to operating heavy-duty trucks, tires are one of the most important yet costly aspects to maintain.<\/p>\n

\u201cTire management strategies such as proper tire utilization and monetarization can save millions to a fleet\u2019s bottom line,\u201d he notes. \u201cMore specifically, effective maintenance and repair practices combined with appropriate lifecycle strategies also reduce costs significantly.\u201d<\/p>\n

The overall goal of a tire management strategy, according to Wilkie, is determining total cost of ownership for the tires in your fleet. \u201cTires, tubes, liners and valves make up to 43% of the top maintenance and repair costs to operate a truck,\u201d he says. \u201cBut proper utilization of tires can help manage these costs contributing to tire management as an overall strategy for reducing costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

And there are more benefits beyond controlling and reducing operating costs. Once you have a solid understanding of your tire TCO, you can make more educated decisions concerning new tire purchases, since you\u2019ll have a solid baseline of operational data in hand to compare performance figures to.<\/p>\n

\"Collecting
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Collecting data is great \u2014 but only if that data gets to fleet managers who can use it to paint a picture of tire use and areas for improvement in fleet operations.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dedication and compliance<\/h5>\n

In essence, a good tire life cycle program is an exercise in record-keeping, Babcock explains. Using records systematically can allow fleets to make solid operational, maintenance and purchasing decisions with confidence. \u201cGood record-keeping allows for the true and total cost of the operation to be calculated beyond the initial purchase price of the tires,\u201d Babcock stresses. \u201cRecords should be commensurate with the size and complexity of the fleet, not be based on recollection and opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some fleets opt to use an established service network, which offers a comprehensive and consistent set of tire management solutions and tools to help fleets improve their tire program operations. This information is available via a single point of internet access for the fleet. The data can be integrated with the fleet\u2019s asset maintenance system for a more efficient and effective total tire management program. And these services can be a boon for fleets already struggling with a shortage of technicians.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d prefer to keep your tire life cost program in-house, Babcock says such programs aren\u2019t hard to implement, but they do require rigorous dedication and compliance from your employees in order to be successful. To begin with, he suggests establishing a tire maintenance policy that stipulates and records the following data points:<\/p>\n