With A multimedia event featuring videos, demonstrations and information from executives, Continental Tire North America Inc (CTNA) launched its “Continental Revolution.” This is a new program designed to improve the product, service and training offerings to Continental's commercial vehicle tire customers.
Paul Williams, executive vice-president of CTNA's commercial vehicle tire group, announced that Continental is ready to reveal the “Untamed Innovation Tour,” an unprecedented opportunity to take advantage of the need for fleet customers to lower their costs in today's economic conditions.
“Continental has an amazing opportunity to move to another level and to better serve our customers, moving beyond the public perception that we are the ‘best kept secret’ in the industry, he said. “We are ready to deliver the lowest overall driving cost to our fleet customers, and are taking our message of product performance, service and people to the market.”
An expanded sales force in its commercial division, increased by 50% this year, will deliver expanded customer service, said Shaun Uys, CTNA director of replacement sales.
Enhancements to Continental's fuel savings calculator have resulted in a new name for the calculator along with increased value to fleet customers, said Tom Fanning, CTNA's director of original equipment sales for The Americas. The new ContiCostCalculator product was launched in April in both desktop and Web-based formats.
“It takes into account the tire's purchase price, mileage and rolling resistance to give truck fleets a true comparison of total tire cost,” Fanning said. “When fuel savings are compared with overall tire mileage, fleets that increase total miles per gallon will save on cost of ownership compared to additional running miles.”
Clif Armstrong, director of commercial vehicle tire marketing for Continental Tire for The Americas, added: “Also critical to lowering overall driving cost is an efficient tire maintenance program, and Continental is launching the ContiTireManagement program to address this need. The program is based on industry best practices for the tire manufacturer, the fleet and the tire dealer. ContiTireManagement uses an online portal for Continental field sales teams and select Continental Tire dealers to create individual tire maintenance programs tailored to the fleet to help lower the overall driving costs.”
Benefits of the new ContiFleet program include access to nationwide emergency road service for owner-operators and small fleet owners. “Truckers who join ContiFleet can access 24-hour emergency road services via the Continental TrukFix hotline, and also receive guaranteed emergency service pricing, access to towing and mechanical work and information on tire maintenance best practices,” Armstrong said.
The “Continental Revolution” continued with the announcement of five new Continental commercial vehicle tires: a redesign to its regional steer tire-the HSR2; a new over-the-highway long haul drive tire-the HDL2 DL; a more fuel efficient trailer tire-the HTL Eco Plus; a new heavy steer urban tire-the HSU2; and a new wide-based super single trailer tire-the HTL1.
Armstrong explained that these five new tires are based on designs from customer feedback and help fleet customers achieve their lowest overall driving costs. ”We listened to our customers and used their feedback to create tires that maximize the efficiency of their operations and offer them the lowest overall driving costs,” he said.