Some businesses have entire fleets to manage while others might just have one delivery van or a sole company car. Either way, business vehicles make up a considerable expense for companies large and small. You shouldn’t just be focussing on how much you are spending on lease payments of refuelling, though, because one of the so-called hidden commercial costs of running a business vehicle is associated with tyres. What can you do to lower your expenditure on car, van and lorry tyres and make sure you are getting the best out of the set you currently have? Read on to find out.
Shopping around
To begin with, wherever you are located in the country – from West Yorkshire to West Kensington – you shouldn’t buy tyres based on the convenience of getting to the tyre fitters. Your local outlet might not have the best deals on offer so check places within driving distance that offer choice and value for money. With such a huge range of new car tyres in stock, Reg Greenwood offers tyres in Pontefract and they have something for all budgets. So, whatever your business priority might be – from budget tyres to get you through a lean period or premium brands to offer a longer-term return on your spend – it pays to shop around.
Checking pressure regularly
When your company van or sale rep’s car is driven by different individuals, it often becomes a grey area as to who is responsible for simple maintenance issues. Make sure someone in your organisation has a duty to check the tyre pressure of all your company vehicles every month or so. Check more frequently if the vehicle is used for long-distance driving. When the pressure is low, the tyres will create more rolling resistance for every revolution they perform while in contact with the tarmac. In turn, this will make your company vehicles more expensive to run since this will diminish your fuel economy. What’s worse is that it will also make the tread wear out sooner. Don’t over-inflate either since this can lead to unwanted blowouts which would mean needing to buy new tyres prematurely.
Considering potential UV damage
Sunlight is something that affects all road tyres, not just those fitted to business vehicles. If your employees are always in the habit of parking the same way, then ask them to sometimes switch the position of the vehicle around. This is particularly important if one side of the vehicle tends to face south all the time when parked and, therefore, gets more exposure to UV light than the other side. Why is this important? Basically, ultraviolet light will slowly begin to deteriorate the condition of tyres by breaking up the compounds that hold them together. Excessive exposure to the sun can lead to ageing and, in the worst cases, unsafe tyre deformities.
Driving less urgently
Accelerating hard, hitting the brake pedal because you are too close to the car in front and dropping the clutch when you are pulling away will all have negative outcomes on your tyres. Instead, encourage your drivers to finesse their driving and hang back from other road users. As a result, they’ll be able to spot potential hazards that might do your vehicles’ tyres damage. In addition, they will wear down less quickly and save you money as a result.
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