Commercial tires require expert management to help ensure optimal performance and minimize expensive truck downtime.
Goodyear Marketing Manager Dustin Lancy says an increasing number of fleets are opting to farm out tire maintenance responsibilities to tire professionals, which in turn frees that formerly dedicated personnel – as well the allocated time and resources – that previously could have been detracting from the fleet’s core business of moving freight.
“The experts at these locations have the experience and expertise to establish tire management programs that are tailored to meet a fleet’s unique needs and help ensure that the fleet is optimizing its tire investment,” he says.
Many fleets do business with more than one tire dealer, which Double Coin’s Regional Fleet Manager Tom Rozuk says is usually their way hedging bets to keep both tire and service rates in check between providers.
However, when the time comes to pick one to handle tire maintenance, Rozuk suggests treating it like a job interview.
“You sit down and you interview them and say, ‘What do you have to offer? How are you going to save me money? Can you show me where you’ve saved somebody else money by doing this kind of program,” he says. “These are the guys that get the support out of the manufacturers, and the help. It’s like anything else. You’ve got to sit down and say ‘What differentiates you from the next guy?’”
