2007.09.25 First positive practical experiences

Hanover / La Bobadilla, April 2007. The new HSC1, HDC1 and HTC1 construction site tires from Continental run longer thanks to greater tread depth, and the new tread pattern promises improved traction. The first customers have already had good experience and are highly impressed with the new tires.

A kick to test a tire is the very least that can happen to a construction site tire. In tough, day-to-date operation, the unassuming black hoops are subjected to much more demanding tests. Sharp-edged rocks, tricky turning manoeuvres, loads exceeding the load limits, road service during hot weather – it is a gruelling job.

Before Continental releases the new HSC1, HDC1 and HTC1 construction site tires for general sales, they had to pass some tough tests. Following internal testing, which already included every imaginable hurdle, the tires were turned over to selected customers, because despite extensive simulations and actual test drives, situations arise at customers' construction sites again and again that are even more specific and more extreme.

"After 40 years, I know just what makes a good construction site tire," says the Spanish driver Francisco Arques Salaet of Kanars S.L. in Tarragona, Spain. He hauls construction materials, sometimes on the motorway as well: "Above all, the new HSC 1 from Continental boasts precise handling and outstanding driving properties on the road." His Italian colleague Giuseppe Mattina of Toscana Scavi s.r.l. in Carrara, however, was impressed with entirely different characteristics, since he drives his vehicle back and forth between the marble quarries and the town: "When I drive up the narrow, rocky roads, I have to be able to rely on my tires. With their very good traction and the enormous endurance, the new Continental construction site tires turned out to be an excellent choice for my requirements. I trust them entirely."

But the new Conti construction site tires performed impressively on heavy commercial vehicles not only in southern Europe. Curt Wiklund, owner of the Swedish company Wiklunds Akeri AB in Kalhäll, which hauls trash for recycling as well as transporting many goods on the roads, is delighted with the tires: "Since we are on the road in all seasons, the tires have to be reliable in the wet and on snow as well. With the competitor's tires, we usually had three to four flats a month. That has improved considerably with the durable Continental HSC1/HDC1 tires, which save us time and money.

Werner Speer, head of acquisition at DFA Transport und Logistik GmbH in Ronneberg, Germany, is also impressed. DFA works on renaturing former uranium mines near Gera in eastern Germany. The road conditions vary considerably, with sharp-edged stones, heavy clay soil and demolition rubble: "This tire was developed by Continental especially for our mixed service application. We were impressed with the very good handling properties together with the excellent traction provided by the new HSC 1 in size 385/65 R 22.5."

Vit Curd, head of the transport department at Sokolovska Uhelna in Sokolov, Czech Republic, also pointed out the good grip. In the surface mining of lignite coal, the vehicles must operate under extremely harsh conditions: "The traction of Continental's new HDC1 construction site tire is very impressive – especially in view of the challenges it faced last year on muddy and slippery surfaces. Our drivers also praised its self-cleaning capabilities, and its good durability reduced the number of punctures."

Thanks to this successful debut, Continental is looking to the future with confidence. The new construction site tires will hit the road – no matter how sharp the stones, or how gruelling and muddy the way may be.

Continental Truck Tires, Europe

As one of the largest manufacturers of premium tires for commercial vehicles, Continental carries a broad range of high‑performance products finely tailored to specific application areas for heavy‑duty and light trucks, buses and off‑road vehicles. Continental AG produces truck and bus tires under the Continental, Uniroyal, Semperit and Barum brand names. In existence since 1978, the ContiBreakdownService is an immediate‑response network of authorised dealerships providing an added margin of safety in the event of tire failure.

The Continental Corporation is a leading supplier of brake systems, chassis components, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers. Consolidated sales in 2006 amounted to i14.9 billion and employees currently number approximately 85,000 worldwide.