Below is a first-person testimony submitted to NAFA from Daniel Syler, Certified Public Fleet Professional, Biobased Certified Fleet Professional, who is a fleet management chief for the City of Alexandria:
In our continuous effort to be a sustainable and green fleet, the City of Alexandria Fleet Management has begun using the Eagle Enforcer all-weather (A/W) tires. Goodyear’s high-performance, all-season tire is developed to perform in the demanding operating conditions encountered by police vehicles. The tire is made of a soy-based rubber compound with silica.
We have found that the tire provides reliable traction and handling in dry and wet conditions as well as enhanced light-snow traction. All Eagle Enforcer A/W tires are severe snow service rated and branded with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol.
Surprisingly, soybean oil doesn’t just benefit the environment; it also improves tire performance. Tires with soy-based compounds have been found to offer better traction and grip, especially in wet conditions. This innovation means safer driving for our fleet and improved overall tire performance.
The soy-based tread compound of the Eagle Enforcer A/W is designed to deliver sure-footed traction in variable weather conditions, in addition to enhancing wear life. The multi-zoned design helps increase grip for handling and cornering stability. High silica content in the tread rubber improves traction in slippery conditions, and the swooping grooves, deep circumferential channels and open shoulder blocks increase hydroplaning resistance by providing a direct path for standing water to evacuate the footprint. The tire features high sipe density throughout the pattern, with winter-focused zigzag sipes in the center and inboard zones that work with the tread compound and independent tread blocks to deliver light snow traction capable of earning the 3PMSF symbol.
At the City of Alexandria, we recognize that sustainability is much broader and more precisely defined than being “green.” It involves a wide scope of activities that promote the future generations’ ability to meet their needs. While green focuses on the now as well as the future, sustainability is more concerned with the future. It is the ability to meet the current needs without compromising on the future generation’s ability to meet their needs.
Sustainability is often referred to as a three-legged stool since it is concerned with three pillars, including environmental health, economic benefits, and social equity. For the City of Alexandria, sustainability includes green products and services, as well as eco-friendly activities. It means undertaking changes in social, economic, and environmental processes to achieve a balanced relationship between nature and humans.
Darryl Syler, CPFP, BCFP, is fleet management division chief for the City of Alexandria. Do you have a success story to share? Reach out to Carla Kalogeridis, editor, for details on how to submit an article to NAFA’s e-newsletter or FLEETSolutions magazine.