While our fleet of Volvo trucks is out and about collecting all the scrap metal Manchester customers can throw at us, there’s one thing – among many other factors, of course – that helps us to do our bit for the environment.
In amongst all of the talk about recycling metal and avoiding landfill sites, it’s worth taking a closer look at our Volvo trucks – and not just for their world-famous paint jobs.
Look closer to the road surface, and you’ll see that we use Bridgestone Tyres in sizes 385/65 R 22.5 and 295/80 R 22.5.
Why does this matter? Well, as Volvo Trucks themselves discovered, the right tyres at the right pressure can add up to an incredible 14% improvement in fuel efficiency – that’s an extra mile in every seven!
For a company like ours, hitting the roads every day to collect the scrap metal Manchester’s residents and businesses need to get rid of, that’s a significant cost saving, but also a huge environmental benefit when you think of the emissions we avoid through good tyre choice alone.
Choosing your tyres
So if you want to be like us and make sure you use the right tyres to maximise your fuel efficiency (although we can’t promise you’ll get a 14% improvement on a standard road car) there are a few things to keep in mind.
Volvo Trucks found an 11% improvement alone from the choice of tyre, so if you do only one thing, buy a decent brand with good rolling performance.
Since late 2012, most new tyres now carry a label at the point of sale, giving you data about their grip in the wet, noise levels and, crucially, their fuel efficiency – which should make it easy to buy a more efficient tyre.
Whatever you choose though, there are a couple more things you can do to save an extra percent or two on your fuel consumption (again, no guarantees – the exact savings will vary depending on your vehicle).
Volvo Trucks found they could save 1% just by making sure their tyres were at the right pressure, and remember the ‘correct’ level of inflation may depend on whether your car is fairly empty, or running under a full and heavy load.
Finally, check your wheel and steering alignment – wrongly aligned axles could be costing you a hefty 2.5% on your fuel consumption, which is well worth double checking if you want to get every possible mile out of each gallon.
You can take a closer look at our fleet here.
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