Pirelli's UK Truck division has highlighted Motor Wheel Service Distribution's (MWSD) wheel safety campaign as a key reason to entering a preferred supplier agreement for supply of complete tyre and wheel fitted units.
Under the terms of the agreement all sales will consider the wheel and tyre as one item, ensuring the optimum technical fitting for a vehicle's usage including component weights, required load capacity, driving conditions and tyre attributes including and above those listed on the label.
The service, which will be available to both OE manufacturers and the aftermarket, will cover MWSD's complete range of Chevron marked steel wheels, which highlight quality products while aiding future traceability, and the company's exclusive xlite forged aluminium wheels.
Chris Evans, Director of Truck business at Pirelli, said: "Both the tyre and wheel are safety critical items, so it makes sense that they are offered as a single solution. We believe that this will be a benefit to all fleet operators because they will be able obtain complete units that don't compromise on safety or performance.
"We selected MWSD as the company is the market leader in the distribution sector, their technical knowledge, skilled technicians, expansive range of products and impressive work in the wheel safety campaign will ultimately benefit Pirelli through increased market penetration and sales."
John Ellis, managing director of MWSD, added: "The agreement with Pirelli is a huge coup, and the move to fitted unit sales is a natural progression of the wheel safety campaign where we have long argued that the two items should be considered with equal safety, performance and financial importance."
Earlier this year MWSD announced that its commercial vehicle wheel safety campaign has been successfully incorporated in the new European Union (EU) Roadworthiness Package, which became law in May 2014 and must be implemented by Member States by May 2017.
Following adoption by both the European Parliament and European Council, the new law states ‘compatibility between parts and components, such as between wheels and wheel hubs, should be treated as a critical safety item and should be checked during roadworthiness testing'.