Tyre Management Policy and Procedures

Appointing a Tyre Champion

It is highly recommended that a “Tyre Champion” or a similarly responsible person be appointed to oversee all tyre management and maintenance duties within the fleet. This individual plays a pivotal role in ensuring the ongoing safety and efficiency of the vehicle fleet.

Tyre Management

The responsibilities of the Tyre Champion should encompass several key areas. They are tasked with ensuring that tyre selection is appropriate for the various vehicle types and their specific operating conditions. A crucial duty involves the meticulous recording of problems, which includes creating and maintaining a spreadsheet or database to track tyre-related issues. This tracking should detail the nature of tyre wear (e.g., uneven wear indicating an alignment problem), identify tyre failure trends (such as common causes for punctures, slashes, or bulges), and pinpoint the locations that frequently cause tyre problems (e.g., particular collection or delivery points).

Tyre Maintenance

Furthermore, the Tyre Champion is responsible for the creation and ongoing updating of a comprehensive maintenance schedule. This schedule should cover planned periodic safety inspections of tyre condition, tread depth, pressures, and the accurate recording of tyre age. They also manage external tyre fitters, which involves producing formal written contracts or other supporting documentation and diligently monitoring their performance. For in-house maintenance, the Champion ensures that technical facilities and staff competence are entirely adequate for the size of the fleet and the types of vehicles operated.

Tyre Recycling

Responsible recycling and disposal of tyres is another vital responsibility. The Tyre Champion implements a procedure for disposing of tyres in strict accordance with local waste regulations, recognizing that tyres are non-biodegradable and, if burned, produce dangerous toxins that pollute air, ground, and water sources.

Driver Training

Training drivers to undertake daily walkaround checks is also paramount, ensuring they are proficient in conducting thorough inspections through practical demonstrations of the tyre checking procedure. They also coordinate spot checks, ensuring supervisors and transport staff regularly inspect vehicles and trailers to help identify any missed defects.

Tyre Storage

Finally, overseeing tyre storage is essential; the Champion ensures that if tyres are stored on-site, they are kept in a secure location to prevent damage or theft.

Procedures & Responsibilities

Regarding practical procedures, the company must possess the means to thoroughly review and analyse information gathered about their fleet’s tyres, along with evidence demonstrating how they have acted upon this information to make improvements. A defined procedure for monitoring wheel nut torqueing and wheel alignment is necessary, supported by the appropriate reporting procedures.

There should be a clear plan for periodic spot checks of tyres conducted by transport operations staff.

Defect reporting

A robust procedure for drivers to report tyre defects is vital, which should detail the necessary actions, contact information for relevant parties, and what to do in emergency situations.

Drivers must be properly trained on how to inspect tyres as part of their daily walkaround checks, ensuring consistency and thoroughness.

Recycling & Disposal

A clear procedure must be in place to action the disposal and recycling policy of the operation in an environmentally sound manner.

Safe storage of tyres

Lastly, a procedure is required to ensure that if tyres are stored at the operator’s premises, this is done in a safe, secure, and risk-free manner to prevent damage or theft.