Cheaper or more reliable: how transport companies choose tires
- October 8, 2022
- 0
The Russian car tire market, even under the current sanctions conditions, is quite rich in offerings of “all colors and sizes”. And if it is not easy for
The Russian car tire market, even under the current sanctions conditions, is quite rich in offerings of “all colors and sizes”. And if it is not easy for private drivers to choose suitable tires from a wide variety, it is even more so for transport companies. After all, ‘reliable and safe’ is not enough for carriers: for them, given the size of their fleets, it is extremely important and ‘profitable’. And in more detail – in the material of the portal “AvtoVzglyad”.
Drive, steer, trailer, main, regional, mixed-use tires – tires geared towards trucking have a much more complex layout than those for cars. And how many manufacturers now offer their products! The Russian market has several dozen both popular and little-known brands – find them out.
As fleet maintenance is a major expense for any transport company, choosing tires is especially important for them. It is very reckless to buy the first tires that appear at the most attractive price list, because as you know, the stingy pays twice. That is why carriers balance price and performance, always taking into account the nature of their routes.
If we talk about “winter”, then tires with the 3PMSF marking (applied only to the tire if it exceeds the minimum threshold for the required grip on a snowy road, which is confirmed during tests), taking into account the crisis, do not afford anyone. So basically carriers use M+S bands (also MS or M&S) – although this option is inferior to 3PMSF, it is still considered acceptable.
– In March-September, truck maintenance costs increased by 30%. But despite this, in our opinion, it is impossible to save on rubber. By choosing cheaper and lower quality analogues, the company risks reducing transport safety and losing more in the future due to increased fuel consumption and an increase in the frequency of tire replacement,” David Shamaev, Marketing Director of PEK , explained to the AvtoVzglyad portal.
Talking about the frequency of tire changes. The standards of the same “Auto-PEK” do not allow exceeding the tire kilometers on the drive and steering axles of the car in 230,000 – 250,000 km, and on semi-trailers – 300,000 – 350,000 km. At the same time, the level of tire wear is strictly controlled as part of maintenance and if the tread depth drops to certain values, the tires are replaced. True, to what extent, the company did not specify.
As some European and American tire manufacturers have suspended the shipment of their products to Russia, transport companies have had to refocus on other brands, which are increasingly entering the domestic market. They try to give preference to those brands that have some kind of history in our country. More specifically, say, PEK switched to rubber from China and Taiwan.
We have already tested some of their products. Yes, we test in closed rooms or on machines used in cities where we have our own repair shops, parts that have not yet come across. The criteria have not changed: we need high-quality parts and tires with performance characteristics that meet the company’s standards,” noted our interlocutor.
In general, the cost of truck tires has now fallen. So if prices have increased by 70-100% in April compared to spring 2021, then they have fallen in September, and now, compared to last autumn’s prices, they are asking “only” 20-30% more for tires . But since the crisis hit the carriers quite a bit, they are still trying to “roll the tires to the maximum,” Nikolai Muratov, head of the AutoSpecCenter Kotlyakovka service, told the AvtoVzglyad portal.
Photo: www.ccjdigital.com
Photo: msbtrucktyres.com.au
Drive, steer, trailer, main, regional, mixed-use tires – tires geared towards trucking have a much more complex layout than those for cars. And how many manufacturers now offer their products! The Russian market has several dozen both popular and little-known brands – find them out.
As fleet maintenance is a major expense for any transport company, choosing tires is especially important for them. It is very reckless to buy the first tires that appear at the most attractive price list, because as you know, the stingy pays twice. That is why carriers balance price and performance, always taking into account the nature of their routes.
If we talk about “winter”, then tires with the 3PMSF marking (applied only to the tire if it exceeds the minimum threshold for the required grip on a snowy road, which is confirmed during tests), taking into account the crisis, do not afford anyone. So basically carriers use M+S bands (also MS or M&S) – although this option is inferior to 3PMSF, it is still considered acceptable.
– In March-September, truck maintenance costs increased by 30%. But despite this, in our opinion, it is impossible to save on rubber. By choosing cheaper and lower quality analogues, the company risks reducing transport safety and losing more in the future due to increased fuel consumption and an increase in the frequency of tire replacement,” David Shamaev, Marketing Director of PEK , explained to the AvtoVzglyad portal.
Talking about the frequency of tire changes. The standards of the same “Auto-PEK” do not allow exceeding the tire kilometers on the drive and steering axles of the car in 230,000 – 250,000 km, and on semi-trailers – 300,000 – 350,000 km. At the same time, the level of tire wear is strictly controlled as part of maintenance and if the tread depth drops to certain values, the tires are replaced. True, to what extent, the company did not specify.
As some European and American tire manufacturers have suspended the shipment of their products to Russia, transport companies have had to refocus on other brands, which are increasingly entering the domestic market. They try to give preference to those brands that have some kind of history in our country. More specifically, say, PEK switched to rubber from China and Taiwan.
We have already tested some of their products. Yes, we test in closed rooms or on machines used in cities where we have our own repair shops, parts that have not yet come across. The criteria have not changed: we need high-quality parts and tires with performance characteristics that meet the company’s standards,” noted our interlocutor.
In general, the cost of truck tires has now fallen. So if prices have increased by 70-100% in April compared to spring 2021, then they have fallen in September, and now, compared to last autumn’s prices, they are asking “only” 20-30% more for tires . But since the crisis hit the carriers quite a bit, they are still trying to “roll the tires to the maximum,” Nikolai Muratov, head of the AutoSpecCenter Kotlyakovka service, told the AvtoVzglyad portal.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
I’m Sandra Torres, a passionate journalist and content creator. My specialty lies in covering the latest gadgets, trends and tech news for Div Bracket. With over 5 years of experience as a professional writer, I have built up an impressive portfolio of published works that showcase my expertise in this field.
