TWG TWGNEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER

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TWGTWGTWGThe NTDA Tyre Wholesalers GroupThe Tyre Wholesalers Group (TWG) is the wholesale section of the National Tyre Distributors Association – the trade association for UK tyre dealers and fast-fi ts – and the name says it all. There are 24 national and regional members of the TWG and it is estimated that we supply around 75% of the car tyres sold on the UK replacement market – that’s nearly 26 million tyres a year, with a value of £900,000,000.

To be successful, the wholesaler has to deliver what the customer wants, when he wants it, but the TWG members do far more than merely deliver product; they pass on information on forthcoming legislation about tyres and are available to offer customers help and advice.

Indeed, the purpose of this newsletter is to keep TWG customers informed about issues that will have an effect on the way that you do business – all part of the service!

National Tyre Distributors Association, 8 Temple Square, Aylesbury, Bucks. HP20 2QHTel: 08449 670707 Fax: 01296 488675 Email: info@ntda.co.ukWebsite: www.ntda.co.uk

SPRING 2012

We have been alerted to potential problems that may affect the tyre retailer when changing tyres on a 4x4 vehicle.

A motorist took a seven-year-old Land Rover Freelander 1 into a tyre depot, as it had suffered a puncture. The fi tter said that both tyres on the axle would have to be changed and offered her the same brand as was already fi tted, or a cheaper brand and she chose the latter.

Some days later, the lady’s husband telephoned, saying that the viscous coupling in the drive chain had failed and the garage said this was because the tyres had been changed. The customer wanted the tyre depot to cover the repair costs of around £1,000.

The replacement tyres were the same nominal size as those already fi tted (225/55 R17) and bore the same load and speed ratings. Furthermore, when measured, they were found to be within ETRTO tolerances.

Apart from the fi nancial implications, an incident such as this does nothing for customer goodwill and can adversely affect a business’s reputation, so is it an isolated case, or is there a more widespread problem with mixing tyre brands on some 4x4s?

A member of the TWG, who has specialised in 4x4 tyres for many years, said that this was a well-known problem. He continued: “4x4 vehicles have varying

sensitivities to tyre heights and we have found that the Freelander 1 is hugely intolerant. As such we recommend that tyres are replaced in sets of four – although the differences in overall diameters are minute, there is a real risk of transmission failure due to differential wind up because of the varying tyre diameters. This is especially true of vehicles with permanent four-wheel drive.”

Land Rover told us: “Land Rover recommends that tyres should be replaced as sets of four but if this is not possible, they are to be replaced as axle sets. However, the new tyres (axle set) are to be fi tted to the rear axle.”

BMW 4x4sExperience has shown that other “hugely intolerant” 4x4s include the BMW X3 and BMW X5. This latter vehicle has different size tyres front and rear, although the rolling circumferences are the same. It should be noted that BMW fi ts its own, vehicle-specifi c tyres, which carry a star on the sidewall and these differ in size from non-star tyres, even though the sidewall size markings will be the same. If you try to fi t a non-star tyre, a warning light comes up on the dashboard, indicating that something is wrong with the transmission.

The wisest course of action seems to be replacing all four tyres with the same brand, but it could be problematic trying to explain to a customer why, when he has one tyre punctured, he needs a set of four tyres. It is always worth referring to the vehicle’s handbook to see what is recommended, or even contacting the manufacturer for guidance – a customer may not be convinced if told by a tyre fi tter, but cannot easily argue if the manufacturer says ‘replace all four’.

Of course, the motorist may still reject your advice and, should this be the case, it is worthwhile putting this down in writing and getting him to sign it – the alternative could be a prolonged and potentially costly legal wrangle for repairing a damaged differential.

Potential Problems with 4x4 Tyre ReplacementWhat about sales on the Internet, where the tyre is ordered and paid for online – surely again the subject of choice is academic, as it is with sales to fl eets, where there may be a strict brand policy in operation?

Something that might affect wholesalers is possible loss of labels in transit – it is hoped that some allowance might be made for this, but we have yet to see.

There are a number of these grey areas and the NTDA is keen to clarify exactly when a label might not be required, not least because the Association is planning a series of regional workshops on the subject of labelling, at which it hopes to be able to dot the ‘I’s and cross the ‘T’s. Unfortunately, the DfT is not yet ready to spell out offi cially what are its intentions, although it has given some hints of the way its thoughts are going, so these questions remain unanswered as we move ever-closer to the introduction of labelling.

One indication from the DfT refers to the body that is to enforce the new regulations. While not revealing who it will be, the DfT has suggested that this will be a national body, rather than a series of regional ones, so hopefully there will at least be some consistency across the country.

When it comes to enforcement, it is also a fact that no level of penalties has been offi cially set, although fi nes for non-compliance for the S-marking of tyres have been set at £5,000 per tyre and perhaps this might offer a guide?

As things stand, the talks with the DfT are still on-going and the tyre industry is still seeking clarifi cation on these and other questions. The DfT has said that it is mindful of the potential burden of delivering labelling information, especially for retailers, and it is to be hoped that it reveals its thinking sooner rather than later, so that we know where we all stand in all the different sales scenarios.

TWG TWGNEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER

With winter behind us, some of your customers might be thinking about taking their car on a Continental holiday during the summer. In the past, we have mentioned the regulations covering the fitment of winter tyres – hopefully these will not be needed for a good few months yet, but there are a number of items of equipment that it is compulsory to carry and you can inform your customer of these when he (hopefully) brings his car in for a pre-holiday checkover.

We are grateful to the AA for the following information, which was taken from their excellent website www.theaa.com and which has detailed information on driving abroad, listed under individual countries, from Andorra to Ukraine. The list of countries below is not meant to be comprehensive, but includes the major European destinations.

The AA also gives general information on driving abroad, such as which documents to take, which are:

• Valid full (not provisional) driving licence• Driving licence paper counterpart (if you have a photocard licence)• International Driving Permit (where necessary)• Vehicle registration document (V5c) – original, not a copy• Motor insurance certificate• Passport(s)

The AA recommends checking with your insurer when planning to drive abroad – some firms may provide only third party cover.

GB StickerYou must display a GB sticker or risk incurring an on-the- spot fine. If the car has number plates that include the GB euro-symbol, you do not have to display a GB sticker within the EU. However, some countries outside the EU will still require a GB sticker, so it is safer to display one.

Reflective JacketsAs you will see from the list below, many countries stipulate the carrying of reflective jackets and you should carry at least two – one for the driver and one for the passenger. Reflective jackets must conform to EU Standard BS EN 471:1994 Class 1 or 2. Car hire companies do not always provide reflective jackets, so check before you go.

HeadlightsAdjust the beam pattern to suit driving on the right. The legal requirement is “not to cause dazzle to oncoming drivers”. Delays and bad weather cannot always be predicted, so if you are making a short trip and do not plan to drive at night, it makes sense to at least carry a set of headlamp beam converters.

Speed Trap Detection DevicesThe use or possession of a device to detect police radar is illegal in most European countries and, if caught with such a device, penalties can be severe, including on the spot fines, driving ban, confiscation of equipment and even imprisonment.

Some countries also prohibit the use of GPS-based navigation systems which have maps indicating the location of fixed speed cameras, which means that you should deactivate the ‘fixed speed camera PoI (Points of Interest)’ function.

Below are some of the main compulsory requirements for some European countries, but it is worth checking the website for more detailed information, including speed limits and drink-driving limits.

Compulsory and Recommended Equipment

Warning Triangle

Compulsory: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France & Monaco, Italy & San Marino, Norway, Spain, Switzerland & Liechtenstein.Recommended: Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden.

First Aid Kit

Compulsory: Austria (in a strong, dirt-proof box).Recommended: Denmark, Germany, Sweden.

Spare Tyre & Equipment to Change it

Compulsory: Spain

Reflective Jacket

Compulsory: Austria, Belgium, France & Monaco. Norway (residents), Portugal (residents), Spain, Sweden.

Recommended: Denmark, Norway (visitors), Portugal (visitors).

NB. In some countries the reflective jacket must be kept within the car cockpit and not in the boot, as it is illegal to leave a broken-down vehicle without wearing the jacket, even to get it from the boot.

Fire Extinguisher

Recommended: Denmark, Sweden.

Photographic Proof of Identity

Compulsory: Portugal

Additional RequirementsIn addition to the above, some countries have their own regulations concerning specific aspects of motoring. For example, from 1 July this year all drivers visiting France will need to carry a breathalyser kit in their cars, as French drivers will have to. From November there will be an €11 fine for not complying with this.

The rules will apply for anyone travelling to or through France by car in the summer holiday season, even just for a day trip. Single-use breathalyser kits will satisfy the requirement. It is expected that kits will be on sale at ferry/train terminals.

In Italy any vehicle with an overhanging load (e.g. carrying bicycle at rear) must display a fully reflectorised square panel 50cm x 50cm which is red and white diagonally striped; a fine may be imposed if the sign is not displayed.

This also applies to vehicles such as cars/caravans carrying bicycles at the rear.

Err on the side of cautionBefore travelling abroad, it makes sense to fully research what is compulsory and what is recommended. However, items such as a warning triangle and a reflective jacket are such obvious aids to safety that it is worthwhile carrying them, even if not obliged to do so.

Tyre Labelling – Seeking Clarification The introduction for tyre labelling, whereby tyres will have to display information giving their performance in the categories of wet grip, noise levels and rolling resistance, is only a matter of months away.

Everyone accepts that this legislation will have a profound effect on the tyre wholesale and retail sectors, but there is some uncertainty about the responsibilities of the seller of the tyre in certain sales situations and the NTDA, along with the TWG and other interested parties in the tyre industry, has been involved in meetings with the Department for Transport to attempt to clarify these.

Broadly speaking, the aim of the label is to give the consumer a more informed choice so that he can compare products and come to a reasoned purchasing decision. The retailer will have to provide the customer with a label for every individual tyre of every brand that is kept in stock for all tyres produced after 1st July 2012.

The NTDA maintains that there will be some situations where the question of choice doesn’t arise; for example, if a customer says “fit me a tyre of brand A” or “I’m happy with the brand already fitted – put another one on” then does a label need to be supplied, as the choice has already been made?

Thinking of Driving Abroad?