NORTH WEST LOGISTICS ROLLS OUT EFFICIENT TYRE POLICY FOR COMBINED FLEET
29 April 2013
UK and European transport specialist North West Logistics has enlisted tyre expert ATS Euromaster to implement and manage a 100 per cent Michelin policy across its fleet of 60 trucks and 50 trailers. The agreement follows just months after Ainsworth & Martin merged with sister company North West Logistics to form a single operation based in Accrington, Lancashire.
Ainsworth & Martin acquired North West Logistics in 2010, but the complementary businesses were run separately until last November. Neither company had a formal tyre policy in place, instead using local independent tyre dealers to fit a multitude of different brands – with no commonality within or between fleets.
Stephen Dunn, Managing Director of North West Logistics, says: “Tyres are a significant running cost, plus they can have a big impact on fuel efficiency. When we brought the two operations together it made sense to agree a single tyre policy. In doing so we’ve combined our purchasing strength and been able to standardise on Michelins, fitted and serviced by ATS Euromaster.
“Most tyre dealers just want to sell you more rubber, but from the start ATS Euromaster adopted an honest approach and are committed to helping us extract the maximum performance from the tyres we already have in service. As they need replacing we’re fitting new Michelins, which ATS will manage through the Michelin ‘Four Lives’ process to ensure maximum performance and value.”
The new agreement sees mobile technicians from ATS Euromaster’s centre in Blackburn, just seven miles away, carrying out routine fleet inspections, as well as regrooving, twinning and turning tyres on the rim – all steps to increase tyre life.
Key to securing the contract was ATS Euromaster’s ability to provide a 24/7 roadside rapid response service for tyre-related breakdowns across Europe, managed through its Birmingham-based customer support centre.
Dunn adds: “We’re really pleased with how our new tyre strategy is progressing. ATS Euromaster’s attention to detail and technical expertise is helping to make our tyres work much harder, and at the same time the fleet is starting to benefit from the first new Michelin tyres entering service.”
Operating from its head office and distribution centre in Accrington, which has just undergone a £100,000 investment, North West Logistics offer a wide range of services tailored to customers’ specific requirements. This includes transporting full and part loads, multi-drop operations and hazardous loads – an area where the company has extensive experience with nearly all drivers being ADR trained.
North West Logistics also covers Preston, Fylde, Blackburn and Burnley for the Fortec pallet network. Its fleet is comprised predominantly of Mercedes-Benz and Volvo units, from 26 tonne rigids to 44 tonne artics.
ends
About ATS Euromaster
Birmingham-based ATS Euromaster Ltd is part of the Euromaster Group, which operates in 17 European countries with 11,271 employees in more than 2,000 service centres. Established in Great Britain since 1961, ATS Euromaster has more than 350 centres (a mixture of retail, comprehensive and truck locations), approximately 900 mobile service vans and employs in excess of 2,600 people, providing coverage nationwide. It is the largest comprehensive tyre distributor supplying tyres for everything from cars and vans to trucks, coaches, forklifts, farm machinery and construction plant. ATS Euromaster was the first national tyre expert to be accredited by both SAFEContractor and the Contractors Health and Safety Scheme (CHAS), and also holds the Silver Award for Occupational Health & Safety from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. The company’s technicians are amongst the most highly trained in the fast-fit industry, offering a comprehensive range of products and services including tyres, wheels, fleet inspections, nitrogen inflation, brakes, batteries, shock absorbers, oil, exhausts, fault diagnostics, air-conditioning servicing, scheduled maintenance servicing and MOT testing. Further information is available from www.atseuromaster.co.uk
Note to editor: For press information please contact Faye McBride or James Keeler on 020 8647 4467.
ATS/452/13
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