Operator Whitelaws of Stonehouse, South Lanarkshire, says that the ContiPressureCheck tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) has significantly reduced tyre waste on its 23-strong fleet of buses since it was introduced in 2015.
Whitelaws was an early adopter of the Continental Digital Solutions TPMS product. It has an in-cab display to warn drivers of any issues as they arise. That allows the vehicle to be attended to before the problem becomes serious, says Director George Whitelaw.
Mr Whitelaw adds that ContiPressureCheck “has undoubtedly saved us a significant amount of money over the years.” He explains that Whitelaws has suffered around 10 roadside tyre incidents since the system was installed. Prior to that, the operator averaged one terminal puncture per week. Mr Whitelaw believes that such a reduction equates to an annual saving of at least £20,000.
“Tyre waste was huge,” he continues. “They are very expensive if you have to replace them earlier than you would otherwise need to. Managing costs is critical to any business, and we need to extract the maximum life out of a tyre without, of course, compromising the safety of our customers and others on the road.
“ContiPressureCheck has saved us money in the workshop by allowing us to be more efficient, and the bus is not off the road for so long, which means it can spend longer in revenue earning service. I am also able to forecast tyre life cycles using the pressures, which has helped us to optimise our tyre supply contract.”
Opening the relationship with Continental Digital Solutions was complemented by a switch to using Continental tyres across Whitelaws’ fleet.
That contract is delivered by tyre supplier R&J Strang. It pre-fits ContiPressureCheck sensors to all new tyres for the Stonehouse operator.
“It’s a much simpler and easier process for us,” continues Mr Whitelaw. “I can fit six new tyres to a vehicle in as little as half an hour. All I have to do is recalibrate the sensors, road test the vehicle and retorque the nuts, and it is ready for service.”
Whitelaws is now closely following the latest innovations facilitated by the second generation of the Continental Digital Solutions sensor. While cost benefits are key to the operator’s partnership with the supplier, Mr Whitelaw adds that safety factors are equally important.
“People are trusting us with their safety every time they board one of our buses, and it’s both a huge responsibility and a huge liability. The system provides us with peace of mind and any new features can only help to increase that further.”
