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FLEET TYRE MANAGEMENT
Conti360° Fleet Services
Continental’s Tony Stapleton talks about the benefits of the German manufacturer’s fleet tyre management service
Tony Stapleton
Conti360° Fleet Services is Continental’s tyre management programme, which consists of five different elements: ContiFitmentService, ContiFleetReporting, ContiCasingManagement, ContiFleetCheck and ContiBreakdownService. These individual modules allow customers to select a tailor- made service package that meets their exact tyre management requirements. We talked to Tony Stapleton, the
deliverability on costs. Fleet operators are looking for flexible solutions to lower their costs, minimise downtime and maintain regulatory compliance. We focus heavily on our customers’ tyre spend and so budgeting is extremely important”
The Conti360° Fleet Services package aims to
meet this demand, ensuring the mobility of fleets in both the UK and mainland Europe and allowing tyre costs to be calculated in advance. The packages are also financially adaptable with a choice between service-based pay-as-you-go solutions, budget accounts or ppk / fixed cost solutions. “When we look at a fleet our aim is always to consider where we can add value”, says Stapleton. “How we deliver our contract is important to us, so
attheendofa customer’s contract we make sure we conduct competitive monitoring programmes to quantify and argue the in- operation benefits of our service. It is important to
show that we are delivering the best whole-life package for the customer”.
This, of course means that Continental is looking to forge long-term relationships with its fleet customers. In practice, by their nature, these tend to typically be larger logistics operations, manufacturers, retailers etc. The key though is the partnership aspect.
This sounds great of course. But what about the argument, often leveled at manufacturers by the independent sector, that they
have a conflict of interests in managing truck fleets on behalf of customers – that their prime raison d’etre is to sell as many tyres as possible? Stapleton is unequivocal in his response. “Tyre manufacturers now focus heavily on investing in products that last longer - on whole life solutions”, he says. “We have to be able to show our customers that we are saving them money. This refutes the idea that manufacturers are just interested in selling more tyres. The focus is on cost solutions. “In addition”, he adds, “our argument would be that, as a manufacturer, we know our own product better than anyone else. It is vital to have the best product for specific applications based on whole life costs. This kind of expertise may be limited in the independent sector”.
There are other drivers, though, in making sure you are providing a good tyre management service, points out Stapleton. The first of these is making sure that the service provider delivers efficiently. “Managing the service chain is vital”, he says. “We are investing in network systems and are focusing on making sure that we give a whole supply chain solution backup”. According to Stapleton, though, the biggest driver at the moment is fuel saving/low rolling resistance, particularly in general logistics
and trunking, where considerable success has been achieved in comparative testing.
“Costs can be
reduced
substantially
with low rolling
resistance tyres”,
he says. “Indeed, in certain specific applications, if we talk in depth with the client, the fuel savings made through the application of low rolling resistance tyres can almost be equivalent to the client’s tyre bill, thereby effectively almost eliminating his tyre costs”.
Conti360° Fleet Services offer a broad spectrum of tyre products and solutions starting with the right choice of tyre for the application and professional fitting by a Conti360° tyre service provider. Customers can either buy their tyres from Continental in the traditional way or pay for usage in the form of a flat rate per kilometer.
With ContiFleetCheck, the specialist Conti360° tyre service providers monitor the use of the tyres over the entire lifecycle. Tyres are inspected for damage as well as recording tread depth and ensuring operational legality. ContiFleetChecks show the condition of tyre stock over time and enable improvements in maintenance to be made. ContiFleetReporting documents all tyre-related data, condition reports and cost analysis for the customer, and ensures cost transparency.
Finally, ContiCasingManagement handles pick-up, inspection and return of worn tyres for retreading or recycling at the end of their first life.
Conti360° Fleet Services currently operate in the UK, Ireland and 12 other markets across Europe: Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Denmark and Sweden, with more countries on the way.
company’s Commercial Fleet Sales Manager to get a tyre manufacturer’s perspective on modern tyre management packages and what a leading tyre manufacturer can bring to the table in terms of services. Stapleton has many years experience in the commercial tyre sector and the first thing he points out is that his role has now become more akin to that of a financial manager than that of a salesman.
“Of key importance is the ability to provide consistency of
Continental provides 24-hour breakdown services in 37 European countries.
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