Page 6 - CTB n3 - 2013/3,

NEWS
Miniclipper Logistics & Nexans UK Win Bandvulc Sponsored Partnership Category at 2013 Motor Transport Awards
Leighton Buzzard based Miniclipper Logistics and Milton Keynes company Nexans UK (a power, telecom and fibreoptic cable manufacturer) were the winners of the Bandvulc sponsored partnership category at this years
Motor Transport
Awards held in
London
recently.
These two
partners came
together in
October 2010,
when Nexans
appointed
Miniclipper as
its sole
distributor for mainland UK deliveries. Because of the strategic significance of the partnership to both parties, the Mininex team was established. This is a partnership that works well at all levels of the operation. Since the partnership has started, transport costs have been reduced by 2.3 percentage
points to 3.2% of sales value. The judges said; “The Mininex team is superb evidence of a true partnership; working in teams with members of both parties.” Bandvulc Managing Director Patrick O’Connell, who
presented the award to the winners commented; “The benefits of working together to reduce costs and improve service and quality are aptly demonstrated in this successful collaboration. It’s a winning combination of trust and co- operation.”
Continental Tyres go the Extra Mile at Tarrant International
With 280,000 kilometres already achieved during trials of Continental's HD Hybrid tyre, leading Irish haulier Tarrant International Transport is confident that 300,000 kilometres will be reached before the tyres finally require replacing.
"This is exceptional and well beyond the mileage that we have been getting out of another premium brand that we use," says Donagh Tarrant, transport manager in the Cork based family-run firm. "As a result of changing tyres we expect almost double the mileage we were getting previously."
The HD Hybrid is a dual-purpose drive axle tyre designed for vehicles that do a combination of regional and long distance work. It delivers in a broad range of applications without any compromise in rolling resistance, energy efficiency, grip, safety and noise. This makes the tyre well suited to Tarrant International's operations in which their trucks average 160- 180,000 kilometres a year on journeys that can take them as far as Eastern Europe and North Africa.
The company has been trialling the HD Hybrid on a FH13 Globetrotter XL which has a power rating of 460 bhp and a torque output of 2300 Nm. The tyre has proved well able to handle these large amounts of power and torque as well as the high retarder forces exerted during steep hill descents.
"The HD Hybrid tyre has also coped well with the wide variety of road
surface and climatic conditions that our trucks encounter on their long trips across Europe," adds Donagh Tarrant. "It takes all these variations in its stride and performs equally well in wintry conditions as in the heat, and as a tyre designed for a combination of motorway and regional use it suits our operations perfectly."
Tarrant International runs a fleet of 42 top-of-the-range artics and over 100 trailers, including refrigerated, curtainsider, euroliner and tipping types. When replacing tyres, its current choice is the Continental HSR2 for steer axles, the HTR2 for the trailers and of course the HD Hybrid on the drive, all supplied through local Conti360? dealer Advance Pitstop in Mallow.
On steer axles the Continental HSR2 is Tarrant International's tyre of choice. It features intermediate blocks for extra traction, a deep cut and chip resistant tread compound and a tread design that is resistant to scrub wear.
On its trailers the company uses the Continental HTR2 tyre. The low weight of this tyre contributes to better fuel economy and high mileage is achieved as a result of the use of a precisely balanced compound and the tyre's unique tread geometry. The patented groove pattern ejects stones easily, reducing the risk of tyre damage, whilst keeping noise levels low and within legal limits.
"We're very satisfied with the performance of our Continental tyres both on our tractor units and our trailers," says Donagh Tarrant. "They tick all the boxes in terms of safety, high mileage, and good performance in all road and load conditions and the HD Hybrid is proving particularly impressive. We also get excellent service from our local Conti360 network partner, Advance Pitstop."
capacity of several million truck and bus radial tyres manufactured at its modern production facilities located in north-east China.
Gary Short, Managing Director of G&S Tyre Services Ltd. commented: “We recognise the quality of Linglong as one of the up-and-coming brands in the U.K. tyre market and as a leading Asian tyre manufacturer with impressive global reach. We are confident that our customers will be
attracted by this new arrangement with Linglong, producing a high quality product at a price level to benefit any cost-conscious operator”. Mr. KK Singh, European TBR Tyre Sales Manager for Al Dobowi, added: “We are delighted to partner with G&S Tyre Services. As one of Asia’s leading TBR tyre producers, Linglong’s range is ideally suited to a quality tyre operation with such excellent retreading capabilities”.
G&S Tyre Services Appointed as Linglong Distributor
The Al Dobowi Group, U.K. distributor of Linglong TBR tyres, has announced a new distribution partnership with Essex based G&S Tyre Services. G&S, who have developed a reputation for providing an exemplary level of service to the
U.K. fleet market, will be marketing the Linglong brand alongside the company’s Bandag retread manufacturing facilities.
Established in 1975, Shandong Linglong is now one of the world’s ‘Top 20’ leading tyre producers with a
6 Commercial Tyre Business