Partnership leads to new all-terrain tyre range

Challenging off-road driving conditions will be easier to navigate for our teams with the introduction of newly developed tyres across our all-wheel drive van fleet.

Staff requests for a tyre with better traction have led to a new all-terrain tyre coming to market after a collaboration between us, Micheldever Fleet Solutions (MFS) and General Tire.

The companies worked with us to address the need for a tyre that could not only work on the road but also off-road when engineers need to reach remote rural infrastructure to carry out maintenance and repairs to the electricity distribution network.

MFS and General Tire needed to ensure the new Grabber AT3 tyre provided the correct load index to accommodate the modifications required to operational vehicles, which allow engineers to safely carry the parts, cabling and tools needed to undertake their work.

The new tyres will initially be used on all-wheel drive Ford Transits before being potentially rolled out to other vehicles.

Nigel Wright, fleet area controller, said: “We have one of the largest business fleets in the UK, with vehicles that have to operate in a wide range of conditions and terrains.

“Sometimes off-road driving was difficult for our teams, so it was great to work with General Tire and MFS to address this. They have provided us with a solution that is good news for us and our customers as it will ensure greater operational responsiveness and efficiency.”

Peter Gittens, head of Micheldever Fleet Solutions, said: “This has proved to be a successful collaboration to address a real-world issue which will not only benefit National Grid Electricity Distribution but other fleets in the utility and fleet sector.”

Dave Dineen, director of specialist sales at Micheldever Tyre Services, added: “Listening to our customers is very important and this is a perfect example of how a supplier and a manufacturer can work together to deliver new products that meets business needs.”