Fleets could make substantial savings on maintenance budgets by basing tyre choice on real-world data, not just unit price, according to i247 Group.
The outsourced fleet management provider, which maintains over a million vehicles on UK roads, says fleets should adopt a policy based on the right tyre for their vehicle and operating behaviour – including load, start-stop and how they drive.
A recent tyre spend analysis for one client found savings in excess of £1m simply by selecting a more suitable tyre for operations.
Payload and driving style have a significant impact on which tyre is best suited to each individual fleet. By examining fleet tyre data and metrics – such as average miles per old tyre, damage rates and average days since last change – fleets can assess which tyre works best.
David Legg, director of tyres at i247 Group, explained: “Data is absolutely key to creating an optimal fleet tyre policy. It’s so important for fleets to think broadly, rather than just picking a generic premium tyre or a particular rebated brand. Because each brand has its own strengths, which can make a significant impact to performance.
“We want fleet managers to think beyond tyre unit price point and think about whole-life cost. Our customers have been blown away by the savings they can make just by selecting the right tyre.”
A recent i247 Group case study of a 1,400-vehicle delivery fleet highlighted a potential tyre cost saving of £1.03m over a five-year period – purely from selecting the most suitable tyre. The tyres were chosen because of their ability to handle stop-start driving and regular kerb mounting.
Analysis by the group showed that 28% fewer tyres would need replacing over the contract term versus the next most suited premium brand. On average, the recommended tyres lasted almost 6,000 miles longer than the next closest match and 12,000 miles longer than a budget alternative.
Alongside the cost savings on tyre procurement, fleet can also gain from a reduction in tyre changes and failures as a result of fitting the right tyres. This then increases vehicle uptime and decreases the number of mobile fitter callouts. From an ESG (environmental, social and governance) perspective, using fewer tyres also supports business sustainability goals.
