Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/270259
CHANGING LANES 30 MARCH 2014 // WWW.CHANGINGLANESDIGITAL.COM special hauls "We began this partnership with the Yellowstone Park Foundation with the shared hope of boosting fuel economy to help the park reach its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 percent by 2016," said Pete Selleck, chairman and president of Michelin North America. "So far the results have been encouraging, and we are proud to renew our commitment to supply tires and expertise to the country's most revered historical national park." Through its donations and work, Michelin North America has helped Yellowstone National Park save approximately $275,000 to $300,000 annually, which this year represents about a 12 percent reduction in the park's fleet and road maintenance budget. In addition to tire donations, Michelin regularly deploys its field engineers to consult with the park's fleet managers on optimizing tire use for better fuel economy and performance. Additionally, they provide training on the mounting of very specialized tires, including oversized earthmovers and MICHELIN® XOne® wide base tires. This training has led to improved product performance, efficiency and safety, and a considerable reduction in maintenance costs. "National park budgets have been cut dramatically due to sequestration," said Karen Bates Kress, Yellowstone Park Foundation president. "By saving Yellowstone over a quarter million dollars each year, Michelin's exceptional generosity allows the park to divert the funds it saves to other important projects, and maximize its resources." Other benefits from the Michelin partnership with the YPF include: Donated MICHELIN X-One wide base tires that have reduced the number of tires needed on the park's tractor trailers. This saves 800 pounds of weight, allowing the units to haul more materials and reduce the number of trips needed, which in turn saves fuel and reduces greenhouse emissions. As a result of its experience on Yellowstone terrain, Michelin technicians and engineers were able to develop a new tread design that allowed the park year-round usage of just one tire for snow, ice, mud and bare pavements at the park while providing the extended wear of a Michelin product. By providing training for National Park Service personnel on the mounting of giant earthmover tires, the park saves $1,200 per loader vehicle that uses these large tires. Before Michelin's involvement, Yellowstone National Park replaced tires on an annual basis. Since that time, MICHELIN® tires have been running approximately 2 to 3 years per unit doing the same work and thereby dramatically reducing the consumption of raw materials. Along with the additional wear life of the tires, fuel economy for the fleet has special hauls 0314 cl.indd 2 2/6/14 2:00 PM