The Fleet Business Authority
Issue link: http://heavydutytrucking.epubxp.com/i/307131
62 HDT • MAY 2014 www.truckinginfo.com Jim Park • Equipment Editor f Fleets spend tons of money on tires – so much, in fact, that bad tire management can become a competitive handicap. Fleets with active tire management practices report fewer tire-related roadside service calls, more successful retread programs and overall lower cost-per-mile for tires, though that metric can be application dependent. The S.2 Tire and Wheel Study Group of the American Trucking Associations' Technology & Main- tenance Council recently conducted a tire management survey, which produced some eye-opening statistics (see p. 64). Four fleets presented overviews of their tire management experiences at TMC's recent annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn., in a session called Benchmarking the Success of your Tire Program. While these four diverse fleets were not necessarily part of the sur- vey results, their insights will prove valuable for fleet managers who want to see where they stand and to improve their company's competi- tive position relative to tire costs. Moderator Al Cohn, the direc- tor of new market development at Pressure Systems International, introduced the participants and allowed each to present an over- view of their tire operation before following up with specific ques- tions for each of the fleets. FedEx Ground Pittsburgh, Penn. Jim Ricapito, manager of vehicle maintenance • Fleet: 33,240 single-axle trail- ers, 10,032 tandem trailers, 9,000 single axle converter dollies for a total 256,000 wheel positions. The company relies on independent contractors for power. • FedEx Ground recaps all casings up to 6 years of age then How does your tire management program stack up against these well-run fleets? Tires&Wheels; PHOTOS BY JIM PARK Benchmarking tires t i r e s & w h e e l s _ m a y . i n d d 6 2 4 / 2 9 / 1 4 5 : 0 9 P M 4/29/14 5:09 PM