Winter tyres boost for AAH Pharmaceuticals

Bridgestone fleet partner AAH Pharmaceuticals has been reaping the rewards of implementing a cold weather tyre policy, claiming cost, safety and performance advantages.

Geoff Wright, head of corporate services at AAH Pharmaceuticals, said: "Having cold weather tyres available to us throughout the winter months has offered safety, cost and performance advantages to the business. The tyres give our drivers piece of mind and their performance allow our vehicles to keep moving and make their deliveries in difficult conditions."

The range of Blizzak cold weather tyres used, offer greatly improved braking distances on wet or icy roads once the temperature drops below 7°C as they are constructed with a compound containing more natural rubber than standard road tyres. This extra rubber means that the compound doesn’t harden when the temperature drops, maintaining its flexibility and grip, ensuring that all AAH drivers were given the tyres best suited to keeping them moving safely on slippery winter roads.

The tyres are used by the fleet during the colder business months of the year, generally between October and April, and are stored, on rims, by Bridgestone during the rest of the year, ready to fit once again as cold weather returns.  The refitting of 3,600 tyres to the company’s vehicles is staggered across a week to ensure minimal impact on day-to-day fleet operations. While in storage the tyres are also tested using Bridgestone’s Tyre Pressure Management System (TPMS) and a decision made about the tyre’s suitability for use during the following winter season.

Andy Mathias, TBR product and marketing manager, at Bridgestone UK, said: "Having winter specific tyres available across a whole fleet may seem an expensive choice but as we have seen from AAH the strengths of bespoke winter tyres benefit the business greatly by performing well in tough conditions.

"The tyres even represent a cost saving compared to standard tyres as the wear rate at 7°C and below is slightly better. The year-round tyre management and storage solutions we offer through our Truck Point tyre service network make the transition between seasons as smooth as possible meaning that the fleet is running on the optimum tyre solution at all times."