Martens Freight Forwarding Relies on Bridgestone Truck Tires

Reliability, safety, punctuality: These three aspects play a crucial role in hazardous goods logistics to meet delivery deadlines and legal requirements – just like for Johannes Martens (GmbH & Co. KG) freight forwarding company. The company, specialized in the transportation of mineral oil and technical gases, has been focusing on quality and safety for nearly 80 years.

(Drestedt/Frankfurt) Therefore, the freight forwarding company with its own workshop at its headquarters in Drestedt relies on regular maintenance and inspection as well as high-performance tires from Bridgestone. Since 2022, the premium tire manufacturer has been supporting the fleet in terms of safety, performance, and efficiency, resulting in a strong partnership that continues to this day.

Hazardous Goods Logistics Places the Highest Demands on Tires

The fleet of the freight forwarding company includes over 100 tank vehicles for mineral oils and technical gases. In 2023 alone, the vehicles covered over 10 million km on nearly 70,000 trips for 75,000 deliveries while transporting 2.3 million liters of mineral oil and gas.

The vehicles are designed for use on various surfaces to ensure access to refineries and tank storage facilities. They require high maneuverability to navigate tight curves and access roads. This combination leads to particularly high demands on the tires: “We need particularly lightweight vehicles and thus a tire that provides very good traction and ensures shorter braking distances as well as good cornering stability,” says Christian Gleiss, fleet and workshop manager of Johannes Martens (GmbH & Co. KG) freight forwarding company. “In addition, a high level of reliability is required to meet the daily challenges of freight forwarding and to deliver on time at all times.”

Premium Tires for Maximum Safety On and Off the Road

The strong partnership between the freight forwarding company and the premium tire manufacturer is based on trust in high product quality and reliable service. Based on internal test results from Johannes Martens (GmbH & Co. KG) freight forwarding company, the decision was made two years ago to use Bridgestone tires. In particular, the premium tires excelled in terms of traction and price-performance ratio – and sustainably. Since then, the company has primarily relied on the Duravis R002, whose performance characteristics have proven convincing. Especially the excellent wet grip and very good traction of the Duravis premium products from the tire manufacturer ensure improved driving stability and handling. Over time, many more positive experiences with this premium tire have been added. Consequently, the decision was made to switch the vehicles in the original equipment to Bridgestone. Additionally, the freight forwarding company uses the Ecopia H002 for certain vehicles alongside the Duravis R002 and is also testing the new Ecopia with Enliten technologies.

Since the start of the collaboration in 2022, the partnership has been continuously deepened and expanded, particularly due to the high reliability and performance of the premium products. “Fleet operators can rely on our innovative and high-performance premium tires,” emphasizes Christoph Frost, Director Commercial Products Bridgestone Central Europe. “They impress with outstanding mileage, traction, and fuel efficiency. In particular, the new Bridgestone Ecopia tire series with Enliten technologies comprehensively demonstrates these properties in everyday operations.”

No wonder: The latest premium truck tire from the Bridgestone product portfolio achieves the label classification A for fuel efficiency and offers improved rolling resistance on both the drive and steering axles compared to the previous tire generation. In addition, it achieves the wet grip label B and also has the 3PMSF marking. “The new Bridgestone Ecopia tire series was developed for fleets that want to maximize their fuel efficiency and optimize their total operating costs,” explains Christoph Frost. “For the first time, the innovative Enliten technologies were used in a truck tire with the Ecopia. This state-of-the-art technology platform offers maximum safety, outstanding tire performance, and significant advantages in terms of sustainability. At the same time, the tire technologies ensure that the tire is EV-ready and thus suitable for all types of drive systems.”

Increased Operational Efficiency, Reliability, and Sustainability

The performance of the premium tires has made a measurable difference: With tests of the Ecopia, Johannes Martens (GmbH & Co. KG) freight forwarding company was able to further optimize operational efficiency. “Targeted preparation and reliable performance are essential for the transportation of hazardous goods – from the particularly good training of drivers to the planning and coordination of transports to equipping vehicles according to the strictest regulations and standards,” explains Christian Gleiss. “Only in this way can we achieve the high reliability in transport processing and adherence to deadlines that is a given for us. Bridgestone significantly supports us in achieving the highest level of safety and reliability on the road.”

In addition to performance, the two companies are also connected by sustainability aspects. “We must pay close attention to special requirements regarding health, safety, and environment as well as our own guidelines and those of our customers – also in terms of sustainability,” adds Christian Gleiss.

These guidelines and requirements also apply to Bridgestone. The premium tire manufacturer supports fleet customers with concepts, advice, and premium tires to help them achieve their sustainability goals. “According to our internal calculations, tire choice can significantly influence CO₂ emissions and enable classification into better emission classes,” explains Christoph Frost. “Therefore, in addition to improved fuel efficiency and mileage as well as maximum safety, we also place particular emphasis on more sustainable tires and forward-looking tire development. This way, we can continue to offer our fleet customers ideal solutions in the future.”

Photo: © Bridgestone/Martens