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FLEET TYRE MANAGEMENT
Tyrenet: Continued Growth for Independent Fleet Tyre Management Network
Liverpool based Tyrenet is now in its ninth year of trading and has rapidly become one of the country’s leading fleet tyre management networks. Set up in 2004 by local tyre distributor Mike Riley as a branded network of independent tyre dealers, Tyrenet focuses on providing a comprehensive tyre management service to medium sized truck fleets. However, with 60% of business coming from breakdowns and a national network of over 800 outlets, the company has also developed a reputation as offering one of the strongest breakdown networks on the market.
costs broken down per vehicle and per location. Fleet management is all about controlling costs and specialist fleet management companies like Tyrenet are able to focus closely on making sure that the necessar y cost analysis is carried out, something which local dealers are not always able to do, because they are often engaged on actually doing the operational work”.
Despite these words, Mikoleizik emphasises that Tyrenet’s aim is not to take business away from local dealers – more to support them – providing a national breakdown network for their customers to use when they are operating outside of the dealer’s area as well as providing service jobs from Tyrenet’s own contracts, thereby helping independent local dealers reduce the risk of their fleet contracts from being vulnerable to attack from competitors.
“Of major importance is the personalised service that we provide”, says Mikoleizik. “All our telephone support staff are tyre industry people – ex tyre fitters, many of which are Michelin trained – so they know the industr y and can talk the driver and/or fleet manager’s language. We also focus heavily on making sure that we can fit the brand requested by the local fleet, wherever they are in the
countr y. Indeed, we currently manage a 90% fitment rate”. Mikoleizik uses casing management as an example of how the company can
save fleets money: “It’s important to carr y out an in-depth cost analysis”, he says. “Can you be sure that your casings are being managed in an optimum manner? Are they being removed prematurely? What are the removal reasons and
what are the residual tread depths”. Tyrenet’s casing reporting service is carried out by casing specialists UK Tyre Technicians. The company offers a casing credit scheme (although not a casing bank) and has relationships with all retreaders to fit any desired brand of retread.
According to Mikoleizik, Tyrenet’s main focus area is on fleets with between 300 to 1000 vehicles (although the company
does
manage
smaller
fleets too).
The
company
also
operates
Hankook’s
Truckmaster
network and
is part of the
TEN
European breakdown network, offering service support across Europe. Through this, Tyrenet has developed a relationship with Dutch TEN member Profile Tyrecenter to establish a branded network in the UK for car fleets. According to Mikoleizik, systems are currently being put in place with a view to developing the Profile Tyrecenter brand in the UK in the near future. “This offers a further opportunity for independent tyre dealers”, he says, “Because many have not had access to car fleet work in the past due to the dominance of Kwik-Fit”.
Although fleet management companies have grown in prevalence in recent years, Mikoleizik acknowledges the competition from the major
European based tyre manufacturers, whose financial strength, he points out, enables them to offer larger fleets deals that independent tyre dealers cannot hope to achieve. This, he points out, is a particular worry at the moment due to the recent rises in tyre prices, originally introduced as reaction to rising raw materials and freight costs. Although raw materials costs have fallen again and freight prices
Tyrenet is part of the TEN European breakdown network
stabilised, tyre prices have not, allowing manufacturers more room in their contracts to do special deals. Mikoleizik argues that that short term gain from tyre manufacturer deals may be a
Aaron Mikoleizik
We spoke to Finance and Operations Director Aaron Mikoleizik about the trend towards managed tyre fleet contracts in general and about Tyrenet in particular and began by asking why a fleet should consider using the services one of the UK’s growing number of professional fleet tyre management companies.
The key point, says Mikoleizik, is the level and sophistication of management reporting that can be obtained for relatively little extra cost. “If a fleet has more than one location and wants a higher level of management reporting, the Tyrenet online management system provides a much higher level of information focused on multi location reporting with
false economy, pointing out that the primary concern of companies like Tyrenet is to make tyres last as long as possible, whilst tyre manufacturers main interest is to sell as many tyres as possible.
Mikoleizik acknowledges that some fleets feel more comfortable dealing direct with the manufacturer but with Tyrenet increasing their turnover 30% year on year, he feels the evidence is there to support the argument that opportunities for fleet management companies will continue to grow.
Tyrenet is planning to introduce the Profile Tyrecenter network into the UK
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