Case study
A mining fleet comparing tires on unit price instead of downtime
Rigid dump trucks and wheel loaders on unpaved haul roads
Example framework. Machine names, figures and outcomes on this page are placeholders and are not published as results.
What was failing
Tires were compared on unit price alone. Nobody was recording which position failed, how many hours it ran, or what the failure looked like, so the cheapest quote always won the order and the same position failed again.
The cost being argued about was the tire. The cost being paid was the shift.
What we asked for and compared
We asked for the equipment list with the size marked on each position, the haul route and gradient, the load carried at each axle, and photographs of the failed tires.
From that we built a position-by-position comparison: which sizes the catalogue documents for each position, what the published load index and speed symbol allow, and which of the failures were a specification question rather than a driving question.
From site visit to purchase
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Site findings · Week 1
Position list and failure pattern
The fleet list is annotated with the size currently fitted at each position, and the failed tires are photographed with the position they came from.
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Trial · Week 2
Candidate sizes, with the gaps named
For each requested size we state what the catalogue documents and what it does not. A size with no published load index is marked as such rather than filled in.
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Review · Week 4
What the trial actually showed
The customer records hours run and the failure mode per position. Without those two numbers there is nothing to review, and the framework says so instead of producing a percentage.
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Procurement · After review
Supply plan against confirmed sizes
Quantities are set per size and per position, with the delivery sequence agreed before the first order rather than after it.
Outcome
The measured outcome is being confirmed with the customer. Until that confirmation exists, this page states the condition and the specification rather than a number.
If you are running the same machine in a comparable condition, the useful next step is a comparison against your own site data — not against someone else's.
Common questions
Can you tell us which tire will last longest on our haul road?
No. Service life depends on the route, the load and the driving, none of which can be measured from here. What we can do is confirm which sizes are documented for each position and mark the ones that are not.
What do you need before quoting a size?
The size marked on the sidewall at each position, the machine model, the quantity and the destination port. A photograph of the failed tire is useful but not required.
Do you publish a saving figure for this kind of case?
Not until the customer has confirmed the measured hours and the comparison basis. A percentage without a sample and a date is advertising, not evidence.