OTR have won the contract for tyre supply and onsite service at the five Corus steelwork sites in South Yorkshire, managed by Harsco Metals.
The contract involves full tyre supply and management of all tyres, pneumatic and solid, from LGV/4x4, HGV and OTR Fil tyres up to 33.25 x 35's on the large Kress Carriers, and includes all repairs.
But, as OTR's Paul Aykroyd said: "It was much more than just tyres that won us the contract. It was obvious early on in our discussions that OTR and Harsco share the same 'tyre' objectives - if we look after the first life of new tyres, overall tyre life will be extended, and costs reduced".
The OTR task therefore is not just to supply and fit tyres, but through implementing their TotalTyreLogic management system, to improve the overall life of the tyre and reduce machine downtime with tyre change, rotation, repair and retread paramount.
"Certain areas of the sites are very harsh, so management data collected will look at the working environment, and identify problems before they impact on the performance of the tyres. We are also working closely with OEM's trialling compounds and tread patterns for certain vehicles to develop tyre life," continued Paul.
The contract involves two onsite fitters and four vehicles - two 26T specialist fitting trucks plus 7.5ton and 3.5ton support vehicles.
'Day to day' responsibility for the project has been given to Ken Tomkins; one of OTR's most experienced managers. He said: "Management data is critical for this project, and performance will be measurable, within clearly defined parameters and targets. Operational procedures and overall health and safety are paramount, but we are confident that we will improve the machine downtime statistics". With more than 160 vehicles spread across the sites, that will be some task.
Repairs and tyre / wheel maintenance are also within the OTR remit, but with good tyre management, and the quality of the OTR Tyre Repair Service, Ken is confident that machine downtime will be minimised.
"Harsco provide the onsite service for Corus - they keep the steelworks moving. OTR assist with that overall objective by keeping the wheels on all vehicles turning," concluded Paul.
The five sites are Aldwarke, Steelphalt, SMACC, Forgemasters and Stocksbridge, all in the Sheffield and Rotherham area.