Ahlmark Shipping (UK) has boosted the performance and lifespan of its forklift fleet after switching to a more robust tyre specification, following a detailed on-site analysis that revealed its existing tyres were failing far earlier than expected.
The company, based at the Port of Hull and handling heavy forestry products arriving into the UK, operates 11 Caterpillar diesel forklifts tasked with moving several tonnes of material from dockside to storage. Although the trucks had arrived with medium-intensity rated tyres, the rubber was wearing out rapidly — with some steer tyres lasting as little as 350 working hours, far below the team’s expectation of around 1,000 hours.
Managing Director Danny Carmichael said the business had little time to investigate the issue until Solideal On-Site Service carried out a technical survey. “The technical survey was invaluable. We’re so busy day-to-day that we hadn’t had time to consider why our tyres were failing sooner than expected,” he explained. The analysis made it clear that the fleet required a stronger tyre capable of withstanding the heat and stress of continuous operation. “Armed with the data we were confident that if we paid a little more for our forklift tyres to start, we would save money in the long run and boost productivity.”
Territory Business Manager Kayte Masterson led the investigation, fitting sensors to the forklifts to monitor tyre behaviour during normal operations. The data showed the original tyres were frequently pushed beyond their design limits, generating excessive heat and causing delamination. The fleet also spent a high proportion of time running unladen, shifting more weight onto the rear tyres and accelerating wear through scrubbing.
To address the problem, Solideal recommended the SOLIDEAL RES 660 Xtreme Series solid tyre, designed for high-intensity environments and engineered to run at lower operating temperatures. Its abrasion-resistant compound offered significantly longer life than the tyres previously fitted. Carmichael said the experience highlighted the danger of choosing tyres on price alone, noting that “running with the wrong tyre is a false economy. Cheaper tyres wear out too quickly, and you end up fitting too many new ones, which is inefficient.”
Ahlmark Shipping (UK) has also adopted Solideal On-Site Service’s Wheel Exchange programme, allowing technicians to replace damaged wheels and tyres as a single unit without the delays associated with a mobile tyre press. The removed wheels are refurbished and refitted with new tyres, ensuring they are ready for redeployment.
For work carried out aboard vessels, the company equips a secondary fleet of forklifts with SOLIDEAL RES 550 Magnum Series tyres, better suited to those operating conditions.