Tyre talk

The Irish Tyre Industry Association was formed in 1998 to unite all sectors of the tyre industry - manufacturers, importers, remoulders, wholesalers, retailers and equipment suppliers under a single 'umbrella'. Chief executive officer, Jack Farrell gave John Loughran an overview of the association's objectives.

The Irish Tyre Industry Association came into being following a merger of the Irish Tyre Distributors Association and the Tyre Industry Council more than four years ago. The new association had a clear raison d'etre.

"We are unique in European terms in that we have one only association to represent manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, retailers, remoulders and equipment suppliers. Consequently we have broader objectives, such as interceding with government and keeping our members informed of EU legislation and how it may affect them.'

Ireland's growing waste problem, and more significantly how to dispose of the growing waste mountain is now a hot political issue. It is an issue that also impacts on the tyre industry in Ireland. "We had an Irish solution to an Irish problem.
Traditionally large quantities of scrap tyres were taken by farmers to cover their silage pits. That solution has almost reached saturation point."

With landfill facilities brim to overflowing, the option of disposing of scrap tyres in licensed sites is no longer an option either. Jack explained: "At the end of this year whole tyres will be banned from landfill sites and shredded tyres will be banned from 2006."

Recycling is now the only option open to the tyre industry and all scrap tyres must be disposed of through a licensed waste operator. The association is actively encouraging its members to purse this option. However, a lack of licensed operators is placing a burden on the tyre industry.

"We are advising our members to dispose of their casings or scrap tyres through permit holders. The problem is the licenses or permits are very slow in coming out. We have put an industry-led proposition to the Department of Environment on the issue and they have agreed to run with it, but it can't start happening until all the permits are issued. There are a number of would-be recyclers but they have to be sure they are going to get their raw materials. That won't happen until the licensed operators are in place."

The ITIA is also anxious to inform motorists of "best practice" in relation to environmental issues. "We produced a booklet (in light of the Kyoto accord in relation to carbon dioxide emissions) which tells motorists how to use less tyres and at the same time cut down on fuel consumption," Jack stated.

As an association the ITIA plays a vital role in highlighting tyre safety. Jack commented: "We are also conscious of road safety. In the past we have organised roadside tyre-checks and checks at our depots all aimed at improving safety. These have been backed up by media campaigns. We will be running a similar campaign, later this year."

Sceptics might point to the fact that these campaigns are orchestrated to improve tyre sales, Jack argues they have their merits. In fact if the motorist followed guidelines laid down by the ITIA, they would actually use less tyres. "If you don't maintain the correct tyre pressure on your vehicle, your tyres will wear faster, you will increase the rolling resistance, which will in turn increase fuel consumption which has a negative affect on the environment."

The ITIA has also urged the Department of Environment to address an anomaly (with tyre safety implications) that has arisen since the inception of the National Car Test "New cars are fitted with tyres suitable for the speed rating of the vehicle when leaving the factory. However, the owner of the vehicle is not legally bound to stick with the rating when replacing tyres."

"The manufacturers, not us (the tyre industry), stipulate what tyres should go on the vehicle. They are best placed to know what tyres should be on the vehicle. It is not only to do with the speed rating. It is also to do with the structure of the tyre and the handling characteristics of the vehicle. Using tyres with a different rating can have a bearing on acceleration, braking and cornering."
He continued: "You now have a situation where the government backed National Car Test will pass a car with tyres that are not recommended by the manufacturer. We believe that cars with a lower rating tyre (as stipulated by the manufacturer) should fail."
The HGV market makes up a significant part of gross tyre sales annually and Jack offered some pertinent advice for transport operators. "If an operator is running with tyres that are under inflated he is wasting money and using more fuel."
He added: "Tyres should be checked at least once a fortnight for pressure. Regular pressure maintenance isn't difficult to achieve. Tyres should also be checked for cuts and normal road damage."

He also advised that there are inherent dangers associated with running tyres that are incorrectly inflated. "There is also an element of danger if tyres are not correctly inflated. The vehicle won't react the way you would expect it to react. Even a margin of error 10 per cent, which doesn't sound a lot can be dangerous."

Jack revealed that nearly 50 per cent of tyres - including HGV tyres - submitted for replacement were below the legal tread depth limit of 1.6mm. The situation has improved slowly over the years but according to Jack we still have an awful long way to go.
"People are not being deliberately careless or taking a chance, people just don't look at their tyres often enough. They just don't realise that the performance of the vehicle's brakes or steering is dependent on the condition of the tyres on the vehicle. Everything is down to the four pieces of rubber that makes contact with the road."

Run legal, safe and cost effective

Liam Kelly has a more than 20 years experience working in tyre retailing. He manages Atlas Tyres' retail outlet in Dorset Street, Dublin, and is ideally placed to offer 'best practice' advice to the haulage industry.

Liam Kelly embarked on a career in tyre industry in 1979 with the now defunct Aran Tyres, which was subsequently taken over by S Tyres in 1989 and by Atlas Tyres (part of the MacCormack McNaughton group) three years later.
Atlas Tyres operates six mobile breakdown trucks from its premises on the Kylemore Road and Dorset Street. The company's customer base is wide and varied and Liam explained that not all of its customers adopt 'best practice' replacement policies.
He revealed: "We work for a number of different types of companies. At the top of the scale, you have big companies, where we carry out monthly surveys on their fleet and we replace their tyres before they get blow outs on the side of the road."

He continued: "At the other end of the scale we have customers where we have to respond to roadside breakdowns such as blow outs and punctures. We offer a seven-day week 24-hour service. We work through an independent network of companies throughout Ireland. That way we can offer our customers a nationwide service and allows us to compete with the bigger companies that would have outlets in every town."

Strict enforcement of legislation by the Gardai has meant that truckers are increasingly paying more intention to their tyres. Liam commented: "There are a lot more Garda checkpoints. They are now stopping on the side of the road, checking for weights, tyres, etc. That means truckers aren't as willing to chance running on bad tyres."

While the threat of a fine or a court appearance is helping to bring up tyre standards in HGV fleets, it isn't the only contributing factor. Liam believes that many hauliers now realise the cost benefits associated with implementing a tyre replacement policy. Liam explained: "Truckers now realise that if they are running on good tyres, they will have fewer breakdowns. That pays off in the long run. A lot of small companies are now getting us in to do a survey every two months or so. They may not be as conscious as the larger companies, but they are becoming more aware of the costs associated with breakdowns. Years ago that wouldn't have happened."

In the past 20 years Liam has seen a noted improvement in the quality and variety of tyres on the market. "There has been a marked improvement in the quality of remoulds on the market. There is also a better variety. Truckers have a better choice now in a competitive market."

He added: "Tyres are cheaper now (in relative terms) than they were 20-years ago because of mass production.
Improvements to the road network, has meant truckers are getting more mileage out of the tyres. You'll probably get 200,000 kms out of a set of tractor tyres now, where 20 years ago you would be lucky to get 70,000 or 80,000 kms from a similar set of tyres."

Liam believes fitting expensive tyres is not always the best policy. "Long-haul truckers are better off going for quality.
However, construction hauliers are better off going for a cheaper option. Site work is hard on tyres. You need to buy a tyre to suit the type of haulage you are doing. That is very important."

He feels that truckers can optimise tyre life by having their vehicle 'tracked' at least once a year. He commented: "A lot of new trucks are tracked for European roads. That is becoming increasingly apparent. When we replace tyres, we advise the customer to get the truck re-tracked. It pays off in the long term. A main dealer will do it and we advise that it is done, when the truck goes in for a service. If the truck is tracked regularly it can add as much as 30,000 kms to the life of the tyre."
"There is considerable savings to be made. Bad tracking contributes to premature wear on the tyre. While there have been considerable improvements to the roads network in the last 20 years, our roads are still poor in comparison with the rest of Europe. That is why it is important to 'track' your tyres at least once a year."

Maintaining correct tyres pressures can also result in considerable savings, according to Liam. "If you are carrying a maximum load and your tyres are marginally down, you are putting the tyre under pressure. That results in the tyre getting hot and you run the risk of getting a blow out. Tyres won't perform to the optimum unless the tyre pressure is correct."

Liam recommends that truckers should inspect their tyres once a week and check tyre pressures once a month. This simple procedure can prevent costly roadside breakdowns. "It costs the owner nothing to do regular tyre inspections, but it can prevent costly breakdowns. We offer our customers a preventative package where we take responsibility for tyre maintenance and we inspect the tyres regularly. That takes away the hassle for the operator and ultimately saves them money," he noted.

In recent years hauliers have been made acutely aware of their road safety responsibilities. In implementing an effective tyre maintenance / replacement policy they can make a positive contribution towards roads safety and reduce costs in the process.
The message is clear, run legal, run safe and run cost effective.