Fleet Business 4.0: Service Contract with ContiRe Tires Convinces with Sustainability and Low Costs

Hanover, July 22, 2021. At portside, out in the fields, on rail and road, dirt tracks and high-speed freeways – no route is too challenging for the 200 vehicles operated by logistics and transport company HaGe-Logistik GmbH based in Kiel, northern Germany. “With our highly versatile fleet, we are able to offer our customers in Germany and beyond a broad spectrum of transport services,” reports fleet manager Malte Johannsen. “We transport bulk agricultural goods such as grain and sugar beet, as well as other products.” When it comes to tire management, the company puts its trust in a Conti360° service contract with retreaded tires. “The tires on our vehicles have to take a lot of rough treatment every day. So a professional all-round tire service is worth its weight in gold,” says Johannsen. “With Conti360° we are effectively minimizing our overall fleet costs by saving fuel, avoiding tire damage and being able to supply our customers on schedule.” Commenting on how well the retreading approach fits with the company’s philosophy, Johannsen says: “We’re constantly dealing with environment- and climate-sensitive sectors, so we attach great importance to sustainability.”

HaGe Logistik is very much on trend with its emphasis on sustainability. “The high overall demand for retreaded tires underlines the fact that, for our customers, conserving resources and service are and will remain key points of focus,” says Ralf Benack, head of Fleet Business EMEA at Continental. In order to shine an even brighter spotlight on future themes such as digitalization and sustainability, the company has brought together its tire service portfolio for the fleet business and re-packaged it under the umbrella of Conti360° Solutions. The range of services is themed around sustainability, regionality and quality, and comprises the ContiLifeCycle retreading concept, Conti360° Fleet Solutions and digital tire management solutions – each firmly focused on customer service and sustainability.

The ContiLifeCycle plant at Hanover-Stöcken posted record order numbers in 2020. This globally unique tire factory plays a pioneering role with its hot and cold retreading services for truck and bus tires, plus its industrial-scale rubber recycling facility. Reusing selected casings enables the consumption of energy and raw materials in the manufacturing process to be reduced. In addition, the number of end-of-life tires destined for disposal is lower, as are CO₂ emissions. As a result, the process not only helps protect the environment but also helps customers cut their fleet costs. Continental has rolled out its retreading concept around the world – in Europe, EMEA, The Americas and the Asia-Pacific region.

Continental is pushing ahead with its evolution from a tire and service provider into an integrated solutions supplier. Fleet solutions will in future come in the form of an overall package: The Conti360° Solutions contracts include digital solutions like ContiConnect, as well as ContiLifeCycle with its retreading products ContiRe and ContiTread, as well as casing management. “By sharpening the focus on the ContiLifeCycle concept in our Conti360° Solutions contracts, we are targeting greater sustainability in our fleet business,” says Ralf Benack. “Conti360° Solutions makes us the partner of choice for sustainable fleet business.” A new look and new logo will make the reorganization clearly visible for Continental customers.

This move sees the company responding to changing customer requirements in a market shaped by advancing digitalization, data-driven management and cost pressure. Added to which, this strategic pooling of services in the Tires business area is helping the haulage industry to respond successfully to the growing need for greater sustainability in the field of logistics. It is all part of Continental’s “Vision 2030” strategic program, unveiled in December 2020. With increasingly data-controlled services, the company is focusing squarely on the area of predictive maintenance – a key element of Logistics 4.0.