TRUCKING NEWS

J Adams & Sons Transport to extend tyre life with Michelin policy

Ballymoney-based J Adams & Sons Transport is switching its fleet of 16 tractor units and 35 trailers to a full MICHELIN X Multi new and Remix policy, in a move designed to maximise tyre life and sustainability. Commenting, Managing Director John Adams says: “We were previously paying less per tyre but fitting more tyres, as we just weren’t getting the longevity. With Michelin we’re paying more per corner, but we can already see from tread depth readings that the tyres are on target to deliver much better mileage performance.

“This will see our tyre bills reduce over time, whilst the extended replacement intervals will mean less downtime and fewer wheel interventions as a result. We also have the reassurance of Michelin’s tyre damage guarantee to protect our investment in a premium fitment.”

Local dealer Modern Tyres in Ballyclare is supplying the Michelin tyres and will regroove them when they reach around 4mm of remaining tread depth. This process increases mileage potential by around 25 per cent per tyre, saving approximately 70kg of raw materials for every four tyres regrooved. It will also manage the fitment of Michelin Remix tyres

Light Up the Night returns for 2022

which can nearly double the lifespan of a new Michelin casing, saving natural resources and supporting UK manufacturing.

The company runs 12 Volvos, two Scanias, and one Renault and DAF tractor unit, operating with a predominantly curtainside trailer fleet – plus an animal feed trailer with Moffett truck-mounted forklift. On average, each truck covers around 125,000 km per annum..”

After two years of a Covid 19 forced break, Light up the Night is delighted to be back on the road, lighting up the highways and byways of North Kilkenny and beyond on New Year's Eve.

Since its inception in 2016 Light up the Night North Kilkenny truck and tractor run has grown year on year with a total of 335 tractors and 180 trucks participating in its last event. The event was set up as a raise the issue of suicide awareness and provide support for those suffering. As a byproduct of the awareness raiser, donations started coming in from participants, spectators, businesses and members of the general public. From those donations the Group are proud to say that to date they have donated in excess of €60,000 to worthy groups and organisations dealing with people’s mental health issues in their areas.

For 2022 they are delighted to announce that their tractor parking will take place similar to previous years at Holland’s yard, The Square Ballyragget and the truck parking in a new venue at Cillin Hill, Dublin Road, Kilkenny. The organisers offer their sincere thanks to all involved in offering their venues for this event.

All trucks and tractors are welcome to attend, from ones in their working clothes to ones in Their Sunday best. Refreshments will be served on the day.

To top it off the organisers are holding a cabaret at Fitzpatrick’s bar the square Ballyragget on New Year’s Eve.

Dundalk - Tel: 042 932 8317

- Tel: 01 864 9900 Roscommon - Tel: 087 7751983 Cork -

021 4975544

Belfast Harbour and Stena Line open new passenger terminal following a £3m extension and upgrade

Northern Ireland’s largest ferry operator, Stena Line, has opened the doors of its new passenger terminal at Victoria Terminal 2 (VT2) in Belfast Harbour.

The new-look passenger terminal has been expanded and refurbished to provide new facilities to cater for the increased passenger levels on the busy Birkenhead route, with a further £3m investment by Belfast Harbour.

The significant upgrade to facilities has transformed and extended the original terminal building with new check-in booths for passenger vehicles and includes a full refurbishment of the interior of the terminal. The development includes a new departure lounge with an increased capacity for approximately 200 people, as well as a new Barista café area and passenger waiting area. Externally, there are three new vehicle check in booths and an extended queueing area for passengers in vehicles and coaches.

Paul Grant, Stena Line’s Irish Sea Trade Director said: “It is great to see the next stage of the investment in our Belfast operations come to fruition. In partnership with Belfast Harbour, we have taken our old and dated building, with limited space, and totally modernised the design with a great new range of improved facilities. Customers using our new modern vessels needed a new modern terminal to serve them and now they have that, to ensure they get the best travel experience from departure to arrival. Over the past 26 years we have grown our Belfast hub into the biggest within the Stena group across all of our European routes, and we will continue to invest and improve our services in Belfast and Northern Ireland.”

Michael Robinson, Port Director at Belfast Harbour, said: “We are really pleased to see the newly refurbished VT2 open to passengers after a significant investment from both Stena Line and Belfast Harbour. We believe that providing modern facilities for our customers and investing in the Port’s core infrastructure is essential to supporting our partners’ ambitions, and to achieving our goal of becoming one of the world’s leading regional ports. As passenger traffic levels on Stena Line’s services continues to grow, we are committed to supporting our partners at Stena Line, as they meet increasing customer demand.”

The VT2 upgrade project took more than a year to complete and was undertaken while maintaining current ferry services. It follows significant investment in recent years by Stena Line in its Belfast operations, with the recent the launches of two brand new ferries on the route, Stena Edda and Stena Embla, which increased passenger and freight capacity by over a third and has now led to record traffic volumes being carried on the Belfast-Birkenhead route.

New Galway 'Plate' marks Walsh Waste 50th Anniversary

2022 is the year that sees Walsh Waste celebrates 50 years in business and to commemorate the occasion the Galwaybased waste management firm has added a new Mercedes-Benz Econic to its lineup of commercial vehicles, carrying a specially commissioned registration plate ‘222-G-50’. Ideally suited to the needs of waste collection operations, where workers are regularly climbing in and out of the vehicle, the Econic features a low entry cab with a pneumatic folding passenger door which can be opened with the touch of a button. Inside, the cab comes fitted with seating for a driver and three passengers and is finished with panorama glazing to maximise visibility.

Joining a fleet of 40 units, the new Econic 2630L ENA is finished in the Company’s eye-catching scarlet and black livery and comes with a 6x2 rear steer axle, full air suspension on all axles, Allison automatic transmission and a body supplied by Logic Fleet, Dublin.

A Mercedes-Benz customer for 12 years, Walsh Waste managing director, Tom Walsh says the appeal of the vehicle is ‘the reliability of the previous Econic on the fleet, coupled with the suitability of its low entry cab for urban work.’

A family-owned business since 1972, Walsh Waste is one of Ireland’s most experienced waste management companies, providing collection and recycling services across the domestic, commercial, industrial and building sectors.

Meyler Tyres, a Wexford based second generation family run business founded in1993 by Paddy Meyler and currently run by his son Patsy Meyler have confirmed the sale of their truck and bus tyre division to the Midland Tyres Group.

Patsy Meyler commented,

We are very proud what we have built and it’s for that reason we have made the decision. We owe it to our loyal customers to bring in a company who specialise in fleet tyre management and national 24/7 breakdown service to take it to the next level and I feel Midland tyre services are the only company that can do this”.

Midlands Head of Operations, Contracts and Regional Development, Chris Parle, himself a Wexford man, negotiated the transaction on behalf of Midland Tyre Services and commented,

I would like to congratulate Paddy and Patsy Meyler on their professionalism within the tyre industry over the years and commend them on the great business they have built. I have always admired them both and had the pleasure of working together with them over the years.

I want to thank them both for giving us the opportunity to build on what they have grown in the South East and look forward to servicing their truck and bus customers in the years to come”

Midland Tyre Services are based in Borris in Ossory, Co. Laois, with a number of regional depots and specialise in fleet tyre management looking after fleets on behalf of Michelin, Goodyear and Bridgestone as well as its own bespoke management contracts. Midland Tyre Services has its own in-house training centre and is Ireland’s leading truck and bus tyre company.

Patsy Meyler has confirmed that Meylers will continue to operate from Wexford Quay front and service its loyal customer base concentrating on passenger car tyres, batteries, light truck and agri tyres which has been built up over 20 plus years and the company plans to build on this even further.