New Bridgestone regional tyres hit the road
Tyre specialist Bridgestone has been showcasing its new generation of regional tyres in a series of roadshows across the UK.
Bridgestone and its Truck Point network hit the road to reveal its R-Steer 001 and R-Drive 001 products in Glasgow, Leeds, Crewe, Bristol and Brentwood, and has reported a positive response from customers to the tyres’ fuel efficiency benefits.
Both tyres have been developed in response to the trend towards changing fleet operating conditions and a broader mix of usage conditions in regional applications, Bridgestone says, ranging from highway driving to light on-off-road usage.
Scores of dealers – who already work in partnership with Truck Point – were given an insight into the cost saving benefits of fitting the tyres, which will ultimately replace the highly successful R297 and M729.
Bridgestone also used the event to promote its casings management system and Bandag retreading offering, which are said to extend tyre life and further reduce the overall tyre cost per kilometre.
Bridgestone’s UK product and marketing manager Andy Mathias said: “In what is still a challenging economic climate, one of the best ways for fleets to optimise their operations is to get the greatest possible use out of each one of their trucks.
“To be able to communicate this message so concisely to so many dealers was invaluable and we were delighted with the success of each roadshow as a result.
“Using trucks for a variety of different jobs requires tyres which are just as versatile, which can cope with regional roads, highways and other lighter conditions, which is where the R-Steer 001 and R-Druve 001 products come into their own.”
Andy Christmas, managing director at Lodge Tyres, said: “The roadshow I attended was really well organised and got me thinking more about the various benefits of a tyre that I didn’t necessarily appreciate until I listened to the presentations.
“Knowing that both the R-STEER 001 and R-DRIVE 001 offers lower rolling resistance, less irregular wear and last longer were important facets to appreciate.
“I for one will be looking forward to fitting them and hearing more feedback from my fleet customers.”
Bridgestone also revealed a tyre cost calculator at www.totaltyrelife.eu which allows fleets to see how much money they would stand to save by using the company’s Total Tyre Life offering.
