Specialised fleet tyre service management protects transport operators against financial
and safety risks from illegal tyre practices and increased mileage
Australia’s number one tyre management specialist warns truck and bus fleet operators that
poor workshop instruction and laziness is leading to lower performance and higher costs.
With close to 50years experience in the truck tyre industry, Mr Brad Bearman of Bears Tyres
in Sydney warns that “illegal and unsupervised tyre practices” are not only persisting but
escalating, potentially costing major fleets BIG BUCKS $$$$ in avoidable losses, while
introducing safety and operational hazards.
Mr Bearman, emphasises that “active rorting” – sometimes deliberate fraud but more
commonly, straight-out mismanagement – is thriving in large-scale operations where
oversight is stretched thin across multiple depots and regions.
“For fleets with hundreds of vehicles, the scale amplifies the problem,” he explains.
“What starts as minor discrepancy can balloon into huge financial black holes, all while
happening right under management’s radar.”
Mr Bearman points out that tyre-related issues in fleets are often masked as routine wear-and-
tear issues or inventory errors, but they stem from deeper malpractices. He outlines these
primary threats:
. Premature Tyre Retirement and Waste: Tyres are frequently retired far earlier than
their optimal lifespan – sometimes at just 50-60% wear.
“Tyres vanishing from inventory without trace or seeing them being scrapped
prematurely isn’t just inefficiency; it’s theft disguised as operations,” he says.
. Financial Rorting and Hidden Costs: Mr Bearman notes that having a management
system can show that they are getting bang for their buck out of the product.
According to Mr Bearman, it’s pretty simple: Tyres managed during their life will perform to
their maximum – having proof of data gives clients the right way to go for choice of product
used.
Mr Bearman, renowned for his Bears Tyre Tracker service stresses that data transparency is
the antidote.
“Our system consolidates all depots under one view, flagging anomalies in real-time,” he
says.
“Unfortunately, the larger the fleet, the greater the vulnerability,” Bearman adds.
“Operators assume their scale brings different operating economies, but without vigilant
controls it invites exploitation.
“If your fleet’s tyre costs seem ‘normal’ but unexplained, you’re likely bleeding money $$$$.
“When workshops lack proper procedures, log sheets, and tyre assessment discipline that are
provided by a system like our Tyre Tracker, the things that initially appear to be small
inefficiencies can quickly turn into major financial drains.”