Continental tyres clock up 659,000 kilometres for haulier

Haulage contractor, H&L Transport which operates major contracts with Gist, has found switching to Continental Tyres from a previous premium brand has brought real benefits.

Checks on the original fitting dates for recently removed Continental HD3 315/80 drive axle tyres, taken off a Scania 490hp 6×2 mid-lift tractor unit, showed the Continental products had delivered 659,721kms of safe and reliable wear.

Mike Hill, partner in the small Cumbrian-based fleet, said: “I was astonished. We always check fitting and removal dates to keep an eye on tyre costs and performance, but we’ve never experienced anything like the distance covered by these Conti HD3s. I was so sure we must have made a mistake, I checked another Scania in the yard, and found it had already done almost 440,00kms and still had a good 11mm of tread depth. And that was a 450hp truck with the slightly smaller 315/70 HD3s.

“We have always used premium tyres to try and guarantee safety and wear, so had rather assumed we would simply be getting comparable performance, but the Continental tyres have been just outstanding.”

H&L now specifies any new trucks with Continental tyres fitted and has embarked on a Continental-only programmes when it comes to any replacements. The company works with local dealer, Cumbria Tyres, buying stock of its preferred specs from them, which are then held in reserve at the dealership to ensure they are always available for them.

Hill added: “We know that if we do have a problem on the road, such as hitting some debris at night, the Conti360ᵒ Network is very quick to respond, wherever we are. It’s a truly outstanding service and unlike any other manufacturer service we have used in the past. With experts committed to helping us with any problem, no matter how big or small, we’re now aware of the level of standards we should be getting and wouldn’t accept anything less.”