Falcon Coaches of Byfleet has signed a fleet tyre contract with Bridgestone. It represents a move away from the operator’s previous ‘pay as you go’ approach to tyres.
The change has seen all of Falcon Coaches’ vehicles fitted with Bridgestone tyres. Managing Director Richard Telling (pictured, left) says that one of his priorities for 2022 was to embark on a tyre programme with a premium manufacturer. “For some time, we were replacing tyres as we’d go, featuring different brands on different axles, and I wanted to create a sense of uniformity with a brand that we could trust,” Mr Telling explains.
Falcon Coaches will benefit from the Duravis and U-AP 002 products. They have been developed with coach and bus applications in mind and have reinforced sidewalls and what Bridgestone describes as “fuel economy technology.”
The U-AP 002 was launched in 2021 as Bridgestone’s flagship urban bus tyre. It is specifically designed for electric and diesel-electric hybrid fleets and has 3PMSF markings for winter driving. The supplier says it is 2dB quieter than a previous iteration of tyre and has a capacity of up to 8,000kg imposed load on a steer axle.
Mr Telling adds that Falcon Coaches engaged with various tyre manufacturers in seeking a long-term supplier. “It soon became clear that Bridgestone would be the ideal company to partner with. Its attention to detail has been second to none and its products have impressed us greatly.”
The Bridgestone Partner network is cited as a further benefit, along with the FleetBridge reporting system. It offers “full transparency” on the condition of every tyre fitted to each vehicle.
“We are already seeing the benefits of Bridgestone’s premium tyres, which complement our daily operations perfectly. The level of reporting and transparency is huge, too. We benefit from a monthly fleet inspection, which frees time for our drivers who would otherwise be carrying out these checks themselves,” Mr Telling continues.
“There have been a number of positive facets to the fleet partnership and we are very happy.”
Adds Bridgestone National Fleet Executive Neil Collison (pictured, right): “Our premium coach and bus products play a huge role in our overall package but being able to reduce cost of ownership through effective tyre maintenance and clear, concise reporting is also something that we were able to demonstrate. We are already working extremely closely with Falcon Coaches and we are excited by the opportunities ahead.”
