Over the years, there have been a few iterations of how tyres are sold and utilised by fleets. Increasingly digital technology is paving the way to ever more accurate fleet tyre management, with that comes a change in how manufacturers approach fleet tyre contracts
Goodyear moves to tyres as a service model for fleets
One of the players at the forefront of the latest tyre management offer is Goodyear with its Tyres as a Service. This brings together all the strands of tyre management under one banner and creates a service for fleets where they can expect the optimum performance from the tyres fitted to their vehicles.
Essentially, Tyres as a Service is tyre leasing in all but name. Goodyear’s Richard Tawlks explains; “Tyres as a Service is a subscription-based service that replaces ppk contracts. It based on reducing the total cost of ownership.
“We focus on the key elements of tyre management. We take care of the specifications based on our own expertise.
“By utilising our own systems, we can improve vehicle uptime and reduce downtime by 1.5per cent. Breakdowns have been reduced by 75 per cent and we are now seeing 95 per cent of operations within our tolerance rates.”
In this model, the customer does not own the tyres, he pays for the service and his use of the tyres on a kilometre basis.
Tawlks says that the system is serviced 24/7 and the Data gathered from TMPS and tyre checks ensures that the predictive algorithm helps plan tyre maintenance schedules to avoid downtime and faults.
The system is now a global offer from Goodyear and is serviced wherever possible by Goodyear Equity Truck Force operations. In 2024, the UK had 12 Truck Force hubs. This has now risen to 15 hubs.
The equity Truck Force vans are all equipped identically to do the job. They all have the same tools and equipment, and all have access to the same diagnostic tools to create a constant standard of service.
The vehicle telematics are supported by, in the case of larger fleets, or fleets operating out of the same depot all of the time by Checkpoint and Drive Point.
Drive Point is a post reader that picks up tyre pressure data from the vehicle tyres as they pass the reading post. If there is a fault the operator, and or the fleet manager is alerted and the fault can be remedies.
Checkpoint is the in-ground drive over system that in addition to checking the TPMS reading can also check for tread wear.
Drivepoint and Checkpoint are more suited to larger fleets.
All data gathered by the telematics, or the Drivepoint/ Checkpoint systems is fed back to the Fleet Hub giving customers and end-to-end tyre care system through the Truck Force network utilising the Fleet Online Solutions system.
From here the service teams can view the work to do and our clients are connected from start to finish throughout the tyres’ lives.
Tawlks adds; “This is about reducing the total cost of ownership and reducing stress events such as tyre failure or breakdown.”
In today’s logistics operations it is ever more critical to avoid delays – a delay in delivering fresh produce can mean a reduction in quality. In some cases a late delivery can incur a penalty.
In others the costs of a fault could be not only astronomical but dangerous. Tawlks points out that a car transporter carrying high value vehicles cannot afford to have a tyre related incident. Vehicles carrying dangerous goods need to be safe at all times. This, is the benefit of Tyres as a Service.
Ultimately, Tyres as a Service removes the load from the fleet manager and Goodyear take on the full tyre service from start to finish, ensuring that the fleet is at its optimal standard, in relation to tyres, at all times.
Tyres as a Service tackles the issue of the capital expenditure of buying new tyres, spreading the costs over the lifespan of the tyres. This is a key selling point as one of the barriers to fleets choosing premium tyres can be the initial outlay. By spreading the cost, the best tyres become more accessible.
The ongoing monitoring and checking of tyres ensures that there is a minimal risk of tyre failure due to poor maintenance.
Tyres as a Service is an indicator of where fleet tyre management will head in the future, but it is here now with Goodyear.
