Michelin Solutions, a part of the Michelin Group since May 2013 manages more than 320,000 vehicles which are currently on contract with the company. Michelin Solutions works to deliver commercialising solutions for fleets consisting of trucks, busses, coaches, cars and vans. The solutions offered by Michelin are tailored towards improving the fleetâs efficiency, productivity and environmental footprint.
As part of their operations Michelin Solutions have announced that 42% of truck fleets operating around the UK with 51 or more vehicles are purchasing and managing their fleetâs tyres on a transnational basis in-house. Although the tyre manufacturing company have suggested that this management method can be the most efficient for smaller and well-managed companies; controlling medium to large fleets in this way could see their systems slipping outside of what is manageable.
Michelin Solutions offers a PPK, or pence-per-kilometre, contract that aims to get every last mile out of the tyre. The managed accounts by the Tyre manufacturing and maintenance group delivers a level of reassurance to customers when installing the tyres as well as maintaining them, carrying out regrooving, twinning and turning tyres of the rim to make sure that they fleet operators get the most out of their fleet.
For larger companies, managing their fleets in-house, on a transnational basis has a negative impact on their environmental footprints, and is more expensive in terms of the number of tyres required and the amount of fuel used. By replacing tyres while a vehicle is off the road, a process which may be convenient for the operator, slashes the life of the tyre and could mean replacing the tyre during its most efficient phase of life, which could increase the amount of fuel required to operate the fleet, and adding further expense. Michelin suggest that businesses, especially those who have recently expanded their fleet, consider what would be the most cost effective for the company in the long term.
