That point is reinforced at Goodyear’s new Commercial Tire Academy Boot Camp in Dallas, where tire sales representatives undergo a week of intense training to learn more about tire issues and how they affect a customer’s tire program.

Steve McClellan, Goodyear’s vice president of commercial tire systems, said, "A fleet’s tire supplier and the fleet manager’s approach to tire management can significantly impact the bottom line. Tires are more than just tires; they’re a system in a fleet’s operating cost."

As the second largest operating expense for fleets after fuel, "a well-run tire program can help save fleets thousands of dollars," said McClellan. "Our ongoing goal has been to provide premium tires with superior casings for retreading as well as be a resource of knowledge for our customers. We want to help them better manage their tires and the associated costs."

At the academy, students get hands-on instruction beginning with how to "read" a tire. Tire inspections can detect underlying tire issues and trends, such as under-inflation, irregular wear and excessive scrubbing of tread elements on the road surface. Students use that information to help determine causes, such as whether it is maintenance or driver issues, alignment factors or tractor configuration.

Scrap-tire analysis is another tool that helps dealer representatives to understand what’s happening in a fleet’s tire program. "Every tire tells a story," said Roy Sutfin, Goodyear’s general manager for service. "Salespeople, utilizing a fleet survey on tires in all wheel positions, scrap-tire analysis and Goodyear tire-tracking software programs, determine trends and potential issues."

Students also engage in filmed simulations with "customers" to hone their skills at uncovering a fleet maintenance manager’s problem area.

"A sales representative needs to be a problem solver for the customer," Sutfin said. "The solution might not be a new or different brand of tire. It might be better management of downtime and over-the-road repairs.

"Or an area of concern might be improper tire inflation or mismanaging retreads in the system," he said.

A fleet free of tire problems would have tires with uniform, long-lasting tread wear, multiple retreads, and ultimately, low cost-per-mile. Lastly, a tire-support system should track and monitor tire performance as well as emergency tire care.

"Low cost-per-mile is what our customers desire," Sutfin said. "A savvy fleet knows it’s not about tire price; it’s all about value. The academy’s curriculum reinforces this value-added approach by transforming the sales force from tire salespeople into business consultants."

A "total tire solution" has been a Goodyear hallmark for many years. Goodyear first used the "cradle to grave" term in 1986. "For many years, we’ve looked beyond the initial tire purchase to its life cycle. In our customers’ eyes, the true measure of a tire is its mileage and traction performance, casing value and retreadability.

"It’s one thing to have the best tires and retreads. It’s another to provide value through cradle-to-grave services and training," he said.

McClellan said the Commercial Tire Academy is key to delivering that value to fleet customers. "The sales person who calls on fleets becomes very important to Goodyear and the end-user. He or she has the tools available to put together and help administer a tire maintenance program that works, a roadside assistance program that is cost-effective and a process that tracks and quantifies tire performance so they’re running the best program possible.

"Goodyear’s Commercial Tire Academy is another way we’re helping deliver the goods and services to our dealers and fleet customers," McClellan concluded.

Goodyear commercial tire systems offer complete products and services to the trucking industry, including a full range of original equipment and replacement tires. In addition, the company’s cradle-to-grave tire and service networkincludes retreading, tire management tools and business solutions for tomorrow’s trucking fleets.

For more information on the company’s tire solutions tools, go to http://www.goodyear.com/truck.

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