COUNTRYWIDE CUTS COSTS AND IMPROVES UPTIME WITH SWITCH TO ATS EUROMASTER
23 September 2015
Rural community retailer Countrywide has appointed ATS Euromaster to provide its tyre maintenance and checks, providing consistency of service across all 14 of its operating centres located in the South West, Cotswolds, Midlands and Wales.
Countrywide operates a fleet of 80 commercial vehicles ranging from vans to articulated trucks, previously serviced through a range of independent dealers. By switching to ATS Euromaster, it is now easy for the retailer to organise consistent inspections and fitments across the Countrywide operating area, simply by calling one number.
In particular, ATS Euromaster provides support for Countrywide’s LPG tanker fleet, which supplies Autogas for heating and vehicle use. Critically, tankers cannot carry spare tyres, so in the event of a tyre-related breakdown, the driver needs rapid roadside assistance from a skilled technician to get them back on the move, which is now provided through ATS Euromaster’s nationwide network of more than 820 service vans, the largest in the country.
Darren Moor, LPG Operations Manager at Countrywide, says: “With so many depots and vehicles in disparate locations, it was challenging to get a consistent service on fleet inspections and tyre-related breakdowns through a network of independent suppliers. But with ATS Euromaster, we get exactly what we’re looking for and we are truly looked after. We receive an email report after every inspection which gives us complete visibility and lets us manage our fleet more effectively, and their roadside assistance network has the best coverage with just one number to call.”
Because Countrywide’s depots have a variable fleet capacity, ATS Euromaster has implemented a ‘hub’ approach to fleet inspections which makes the process far easier for the retailer. Technicians will visit main ‘hubs’ where there are several vehicles based at any one time. For depots that typically only have one or two vehicles on site, ATS Euromaster conducts checks on these at the same time it is currently working at a nearby larger depot. Honest feedback then allows the fleet team at Countrywide to make informed decisions about the fleet to maximise uptime.
This approach helps keep costs down for Countrywide and ensures that all vehicles receive the same quality of service, wherever they are based.
Countrywide operates on a Pirelli fitment policy, plus a custom tyre tread depth policy that ATS Euromaster manages on the retailer’s behalf. Moor explains: “We prefer to change our tyres before they reach the legal limit, so ATS Euromaster helps us to deliver on this more proactive policy, maximising our vehicle uptime and fleet safety.”
Countrywide is a supplier of products and services to the rural community. The company operates a network of retail stores and direct delivery to farms.
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About ATS Euromaster
Birmingham-based ATS Euromaster Ltd, part of the Euromaster Group, was established in 1965 and operates approximately 345 centres, more than 820 service vans and employs nearly 2,600 people, providing coverage across Great Britain. It is the country’s largest comprehensive tyre distributor, supplying tyres for cars, vans, trucks, buses/coaches, materials handling equipment, agricultural machinery and construction plant. The company’s expertise also extends to car and van service, maintenance and repair (SMR), including: menu-driven servicing, Class IV & Class VII MoT tests, brakes, batteries, shock absorbers, oil, exhausts, fault diagnostics and air-conditioning servicing. ATS Euromaster is accredited by both safecontractor and the Contractors Health and Safety Scheme (CHAS) and has been granted a Royal Warrant as tyre specialists to Her Majesty The Queen. It is also an official ‘industry partner’ to the Freight Transport Association’s Van Excellence programme. For further information visit: http://www.atseuromaster.co.uk/business
Note to editor: For press information visit ATS Euromaster’s online newsroom or contact James Boley or James Keeler on 020 8647 4467, or by email to james.boley@garnettkeeler.com / james.keeler@garnettkeeler.com.
ATS/620/15
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