It is never easy for a fleet operator to strike the right balance between tight revenues and rising fuel and parts’ costs. However, if chosen wisely, important elements such as tyres can help in business advancement. Rajesh Rajgor finds this to be true in the case of Saabri Logistics
When Rajasthan-based Saabri Logistics was looking for expansion from 4 trucks to 26 trucks in order to meet its growing business with Ultratech Cement in 2019, it opted for Bridgestone tyres. One would be surprised on a fledgling fleet operator’s conviction in its understanding of the tyres; however, it is Director Sajjad Hussain’s pragmatic choice that comes to play at Saabri Logistics. Hussain explains: “These days, everyone’s lives are more complicated than they used to be and so everyone is looking for ways to simplify their lives and make things a little easier. I enquired about the right tyres for my application and came across Bridgestone’s durable tyres and immediately opted for them.”
The fleet operator who has been in the transport business of cement, fly-ash coal, red soil and gypsum across the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat has been moving raw materials and cement to sites in tune of 7,000 to 8,000 tonnes every day. Apart from deploying its own trucks, the company also presses into work a fleet of close to 200 trucks from the open market every month. Its association with Bridgestone tyres began when it had just four vehicles but today, it uses 100% Bridgestone tyres across its entire fleet.
Choosing Wisely
Saabri Logistics’ impetus on proper tyre selection stems from the basic fact that unlike most fleets it focuses on adapting, reviewing and improving a tyre-maintenance programme in order to improve duty cycles. Choosing the best tyres for the vehicle is a critical step in any fleet’s tyre management strategy. With the Bridgestone team coming in as partners with their immense and in-depth knowhow, they emphasised on evaluating the trucks and routes to determine the type of application, as well as the weather and climate conditions the tyres would most likely encounter for the majority of their run time. “Ever since we started using Bridgestone G611 tube-type tyres, we have experienced an initial tread mileage of 1.5 lakh km,” Hussain says. Today, Bridgestone not only supplies tyres for Saabri Logistics’ various requirements but also helps it to gain top-notch efficiency as a fleet operator. “We realised what a good association we have firmed up with when the Bridgestone team suggests the correct preventive maintenance of tyres from time to time,” he adds.
“Every 10,000 km they suggest that we change the tyres from rear to front and vice-versa on both the sides. This has been one of the main reasons behind the good tyre mileage we get. Ever since we switched to Bridgestone tyres, our expenditure on fuel has been significantly lesser than our peers on the same route,” he adds. In a nutshell, the fleet realises that even though a casing of the tyre is unaware of the wheel position it is in, the tread design and features improve tyre performance in specific positions. “One of the reasons for our low-cost per km spending is the correct application-specific tyre recommendations from Bridgestone,” he adds.
Cognizant of Checks
The Bridgestone team goes above and beyond to provide expert tyre maintenance and tyre management assistance to its customers. Placing this in context, Hussain says: “The Bridgestone team’s expert advice and input have helped us understand the importance of maintaining proper tyre pressure to achieve the desired tyre and fuel mileage. We now ensure our drivers and mechanics check the tyre pressure every other day.” Periodic check-ups of vehicles and tyres ensure greater vehicle uptime and faster turnaround time for a fleet. In the current scenario where fuel costs are increasing daily, every rupee counts.
Saabri Logistics has been working on a tight budget and deals with the fuel price revision every 15-20 days with its clients. Hussain explains: “Fuel hike is a national issue and the clients understand this volatility. The revision in fuel escalation helps us mitigate our spending and we ensure that freight transportation doesn’t get affected by any means. By all means, the transportation business has its own challenges, but once you are realistic with your expectations and targets, everything works well.” It is no rocket science that being cognizant of checks in areas of tyre maintenance, vehicle inspections and repairs, as well as driver education and training have a significant financial impact on a company’s bottom-line.
“We have a great support system among the people we work with. Our drivers are happy since they get the best training, well-maintained vehicles and periodic health check-ups from Bridgestone. If you chose a high-quality product and have been diligent in your maintenance programme, things do fall in place even in a crisis. We would reach an approximate turnover of Rs. 40 crore this financial year and hopefully continue to grow at 10% every year,” states Hussain. Given the benefits that the fleet has experienced, it would only be fair to say that the association with Bridgestone has certainly inspired Saabri Logistics’ advancement.
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“Ever since we started using Bridgestone G611 tube-type tyres, we have experienced an initial tread mileage of 1.5 lakh km. We realised what a good association we have firmed up with Bridgestone when their team started helping us with preventive maintenance of tyres from time to time.”
– Sajjad Hussain, Director, Saabri Logistics
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Bridgestone’s aces to help Saabri Logistics
• Application-specific tyre recommendations
• Preventive maintenance of tyres
• Huge improvement in tyre mileage and fuel saving