Michelin’s X Works rugged tyre range has transformed the fortunes of Scottish oil distributor Carnegie Fuels.
The Brechin-based company typically delivers to farms, industrial areas and residential properties that can often only be accessed on rocky off-road terrain – putting the 6×2 rigid tanker fleet’s fitments at an increased risk of stone cuts and ingress.
Following a visit from one of Michelin’s Technical Managers, Dan Lamb, last summer, owner Kevin Carnegie agreed to trial sets of Michelin X Works D drive axle tyres and XZY3 steer and tag axle fitments on two of his 13 delivery vehicles.
Carnegie admits the superior mileage he’s getting from the tyres and the total lack of stone damage have far exceeded his expectations.
He says: “We were getting a big problem with stone ingress. We got involved with Dan, who has now visited us a few times. He’s a really good technical guy and he’s worked very well with us to solve the problem – to the point where we’ve now got a set of Michelin tyres on a vehicle that have lasted longer than any other set we’ve used before.
“They were regrooved in January, and Dan expects us to get another 25 per cent out of them – that’s on top of the 105,000km they’ve already done. I can’t actually believe how good the X Works tyres are. They’re doing a really good job for us.”
Recalling his initial reluctance to test-run the tyres, he reveals: “I thought they weren’t the right tyres for us because they looked too much like a construction tyre – and we’re all about distribution. But I’ve been very impressed with them. It doesn’t matter if it’s wet, icy or dry, they perform well in all conditions.”
He adds: “We used to have real problems with stone damage. Water would get in and the rubber would start to peel. We used to get a lot of cuts. But with the Michelin X Works, we’re getting no stone ingression at all and virtually not a cut.”
As part of Michelin’s commitment to Carnegie Fuels, Lamb ran a regrooving training course at the fuel oil distributor’s site, prompting Carnegie to purchase the required equipment to carry out the process on-site in future – ensuring it can extract the maximum performance from its new Michelin X Works tyres.
Lamb adds: “Not only has the fitment of the X Works improved Carnegie’s tyre costs as they can utilise the full life of the tyre, but the regrooving will extend each tyre’s life in its most fuel efficient state, meaning the potential for savings at the pumps.”
Carnegie Fuels’ X Works tyres are covered by Michelin’s accidental damage guarantee, providing protection against the financial cost of accidental damage – and reinforcing the benefits of investing in premium Michelin products.For further information on the Michelin commercial vehicle tyre range visit http://trucks.michelin.co.uk/
