Goodyear: regulators should do more to drive industry’s future

Tyre manufacturer Goodyear used its transport symposium in Brussels last month to launch a new white paper on the future of the industry, which made a range of recommendations to European and national policymakers.

Policies proposed to European legislators included incentives for fuel efficient fleets; promotion of the EU tyre label; and mandatory tyre pressure monitoring systems for new commercial vehicles, in order to improve fuel efficiency.

The company also called for clarity regarding the reforms to rules on CV weights and dimensions; further guidelines on cross-border operations of larger vehicles; improved support for telematics users, such as harmonised standards; and support from regulators to help attract and retain skilled drivers.

The recommendations followed research commissioned by Goodyear which revealed that 53 per cent of fleet managers would favour more incentives for environmentally-friendly fleets, and 60 per cent for buying fuel-efficient tyres.

Goodyear also cited further statistics from its research, including that 11 per cent of fleet managers consider regulatory impact one of the top two challenges facing road transport; that almost three in four believe reducing fuel taxes would have a positive impact; and that 72 per cent support investment in the road network.

Meanwhile, four in ten said rising fuel costs remained their greatest concern; 92 per cent claimed to measure fuel consumption; and two thirds of those managers who deploy telematics systems pass relevant information back to drivers to improve efficiency.

The driver shortage also reared its head during the research, with one quarter of fleet managers citing the hiring and retaining of skilled drivers as their greatest or second greatest concern.

Michel Rzonzef, vice president, commercial business unit, Goodyear EMEA, said: “Our research shows that the road freight industry is willing to become even more sustainable. It clearly points out that fleets are already investing in technologies reducing fuel consumption and need further support from European and national regulators.

“Our white paper provides actionable recommendations how the institutions can help the transport industry to drive a sustainable future.”