Continental Tyres has introduced a new range of steer and drive-axle tyres designed to help reduce costs for heavy trucks that cover high mileage on motorways.

Using a 40-tonne articulated truck/trailer as the benchmark, Continental calculates that its HSL1 (steer-axle tyre) and HDL1 (drive-axle tyre) 'Eco-Plus' range can reduce tyre-dependent operating costs by up to 4.4 per cent for fleet operators.

Tyre-dependent costs include fuel, maintenance, and repairs - as well as the cost of the tyres themselves - and comprise 29% of the general costs of operating a 40-tonne truck in Europe. Choosing the correct type of tyre for the operating environment can make a significant difference to operating costs.

In an analysis of European sales by segment versus tonne-kilometres, regional transport tyres accounted for 75 per cent of sales, while long-distance tyres accounted for only 9 per cent.  However, regional traffic clocked up 366 billion-tonne kilometres, compared with 1,100 billion-tonne kilometres for long-distance traffic*.  "This indicates considerable use of inappropriate tyres," explained Jill Rodgers, Marketing Manager for Truck Tyres in the UK and Ireland.

"A 40-tonne articulated truck, which travels 125,000 miles per year - at average fuel prices and road speeds in Europe - could potentially save more than £1,400 per truck per year by switching to the correct type of tyre. 

"Long-distance haulage accounts for around 16 per cent of traffic volume in Europe, and is forecast to increase by 2.7 per cent by 2008, at the expense of regional and local traffic - so there are very significant savings to be made by fleet operators if they choose wisely."

The structural strength of the new tyres is designed to control flexing which reduces heat generation.  This helps the tyres maintain the optimum contour for efficient load distribution, reducing rolling resistance and minimising wear.  Their 'Eco-Plus' designation refers to both the brand new tread compound developed for these tyres and their intelligent tread pattern design.

*Source ERMC and Eurostat