Being a global supplier of tyre oil, Nynas supplies its products to major tyre companies worldwide. However, the Covid-19 pandemic brought unforeseen challenges in transporting goods through all three modes of transportations, and Nynas is no exception! In an interview with Sharad Matade of Tyre Trends, Rogier van Hoof, Head of Secondary Distribution Naphthenics at Nynas, says enhanced communication and exchange of information digitally will help the company handle the new challenges. He also added that the container availability is expected to be normalised in 2022 but road transportation will remain a challenge.

Ever since Covid-19 engulfed the world, the job of Rogier van Hoof, Head of Secondary Distribution Naphthenics at Nynas, has become more challenging. Though tyre production is coming back on track speedily, the challenges at the logistic front are still demanding. Recollecting the initial impact of Covid, van Hoof says, "For Nynas, it all started in early 2020, when the lockdowns in China forced factories to close down manufacturing activities. However, the initial shock was largely seen in truck movements. As part of the measures, drivers had to go into quarantine after a long haul drive. They could pick up a container, but they had to go into quarantine when they were back at the delivery point. So we saw an immediate effect on the truck availability. The cascading impact, I don't think anybody could have predicted. We are on a steep learning curve since the beginning of 2020."

van Hoof and his team swung into action and immediately enhanced the communication with its customers, forwarders and logistic partners to evaluate options to tackle the unprecedented challenges. "I don't think anyone was prepared for what had happened afterwards. Before Covid, people used to take logistics for granted that you order something and it's there when you want it. But with the Covid situation, people have realised to approach things differently, not only on the factory levels but also on the logistics sides on a day to day basis. There are still many limitations we have to deal with," says van Hoof.

According to van Hoof, in the last one and a half years, the just-in-time concept is out of the window and long-term planning has become the priority. "In the past, we knew there was a vessel going every week, and we had substantial free times in getting the containers in, getting them loaded and bringing them to the quay. Even if we would miss a vessel, we always could ship it next week, so the delay was manageable – but that has gone completely out of the window today. It is clear that if you miss a vessel, the next vessel with space will be there maybe in a month. This means everyone needs to plan much further ahead," says van Hoof.

Most countries are now recovering from the Covid impact; however, many major export destinations are still grappling with severe restrictions. Many main ports are congested and containers are either stacking up at cargo ports or in inland depots. This imbalance results in waiting time for space on vessels, according to reports, between three to eight weeks. The logistics supply chain is struggling to get back in balance resulting in extreme price spikes and unpredictable delays. "This is a situation which is unprecedented; we have never seen it before," adds van Hoof.

van Hoof says loyalty and predictability are helping the company sail through the rough time. "We have been working with our logistic partners for a long time and, therefore, they know that what we promise them, we deliver. Predictability towards the stakeholders like transporters, shipping lines, forwarders has become key. In desperation, many companies are making overbooking of containers but failing to utilise the booking fully. In our relationship with our forwarders and the shipping lines, we have been able to show loyalty and keep our promise. If we tell the shipping line that we will ship 50 containers this week, we will make sure that these 50 containers are there. Our loyalty is rewarded by the fact that they will treat us as a preferential client. Price is no longer the highest priority, and this is something people need to realise. There's always somebody who is prepared to pay more,” explains van Hoof.

van Hoof feels the container availability situation will be normalised by 2022, but the driver availability issue will remain a more significant issue.

Currently, the company has 23 depots worldwide, of which Antwerp, Houston and Singapore are central storage facilities and blending stations. Last year, the company transported around 700,000 tonnes of oil by sea. There were also 30,000 deliveries by road tanker, 10.000 container transports and 250,000 drums delivered to customers worldwide.

However, opening more depots to tackle the logistic challenges is not viable, thinks van Hoof. Around 2018-19, shipping costs for containers were at the lowest level ever; companies always preferred shipping over setting up depots. "Now our shipping costs have not only increased substantially, but the reliability of the shipping has gone down to the lowest ever. I think that less than 60 percent of the vessels arrive at the bars on time. So we are continuously looking at what is now the best solution. But you also have to consider that opening a depot in a country is not a temporary thing. It is something you do for the long run," explains van Hoof.

van Hoof also sees a possibility of working with its clients to manage container utilisation. "There are customers who are logistically shipping more than we do. So can we use the strength of both companies to find a solution? For instance, let's say we ship 100 containers to India and our customer ships 200 containers from India, so we are seeing if we can help each other, can we use their containers? We see more and more openness among the stakeholders in tackling logistic challenges," says van Hoof.

Nynas is currently implementing a transport management system within the company, which will allow it to digitalise the information. The transport management system allows exchanging data between stakeholders, including Nynas' depots, transporters, forwarders, inspectors and customs agents. "Today, everybody's under stress, and people need real information in real time," adds van Hoof.

The company plans to go into the second phase to integrate all that information with other stakeholders.

The Nynas executive advises the youngsters in the transporting job to be agile and eager to learn to tackle unusual situations. "You need to deal with much information and make sense of that information and use it correctly. So if you are somebody who gets up in the morning and goes to work, and has no idea what will happen during the day, then you're a suitable candidate for the job. For me, I make a little list of two or three things to do every day, and at the end of the day, I'm always happy that I've done two or three jobs, because, during the day, there are so many other things that need attention or immediate attention," concludes van Hoof. (TT)

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TBC Corporation, one of North America’s largest marketers of automotive replacement tyres, has introduced the Doral Powerline portfolio, which includes the Rugged Path RT tyre along with updates to highway terrain, all-terrain and passenger tyres.

The company distributes these tyres across North America and has added sizes to the collection.

To assist customers, TBC’s wholesale marketing team developed a toolkit, which contains showroom tools and digital assets, such as posts and web banners, to help retailers with the brand.

The Doral Rugged Path RT features tread blocks, grooves, and siping technology. It features a compound used for performance in winter, off-road, and cold weather. The Doral Powerline catalogue includes tyres for CUVs, SUVs, pickup trucks and passenger vehicles, with 200 SKUs ranging from 15-inch to 20-inch.

TBC Corporation states that several product lines within the portfolio have been redesigned. The Elite Edge A/S Passenger Touring features a centre rib and water channels for handling, while the tread design manages road noise. The Journey HT Highway Terrain uses channels and sipes to evacuate water and a contour to distribute pressure. The Road Ranger AT All-Terrain uses a profile for contact and pressure distribution, with tread and lugs to protect sidewalls.

Bill Schafer, Chief Revenue Officer, TBC Wholesale, said, "TBC Wholesale customers depend on us to listen to their feedback and improve our offerings so we can deliver more robust product portfolios that increase their speed and ease of doing business. This portfolio enables us to provide customers with a broader range of tyre sizes and improved tire technology, all while maintaining the trusted products they've relied on us for, for the past 70 years.”

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TyreSafe, UK’s charity dedicated to raising tyre safety awareness, has entered a strategic partnership with the Road Haulage Association (RHA) to strengthen tyre safety standards within UK’s commercial vehicle industry. This collaboration unites TyreSafe’s educational expertise with the RHA’s membership of over 8,500 companies operating more than 250,000 commercial vehicles. The initiative also extends to coach and van operators, ensuring a broad range of professionals receives targeted maintenance guidance.

The joint effort tackles persistent tyre challenges among small and regional haulage firms by reinforcing compliance and efficiency across fleets and supply chains. Recent roadside checks at Lymm and Exeter revealed a clear divide: larger national fleets maintain high tyre standards, while smaller operators struggle with poor condition and practices. The partnership focuses on raising awareness of tyre safety, supporting legal obligations and promoting best practices in inspections.

Poor tyre maintenance can lead to roadside breakdowns, unsafe conditions, higher fuel costs, legal penalties up to GBP 20,000 and individual driver fines of GBP 200 per illegal tyre plus penalty points. Proper management reduces blowout risks, improves fuel economy and CO₂ emissions, lowers downtime and maintenance costs and ensures compliance. Tyres are essential for safe braking, handling, load stability and control.

TyreSafe and the RHA will collaborate on targeted communications and educational campaigns to elevate tyre safety standards across the commercial vehicle sector. The partnership supports all operation levels, from owner-drivers to major fleets, ensuring tyre safety is recognised as a fundamental pillar of safe and responsible fleet management across UK’s road transport network.

Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe, said, “We’re delighted to welcome the Road Haulage Association as an official TyreSafe supporter. This partnership is about engaging with the haulage sector – from fleet operators to professional HGV, coach and van drivers. Heavy goods vehicles keep our economy moving, but they also operate in demanding conditions where tyre safety is essential. While many larger fleets are leading the way, we know there is more to be done to support smaller and regional operators with key information about tyre safety management. By working together with the RHA, we can bridge that gap – empowering operators, drivers and technicians with the knowledge they need to keep vehicles safe, compliant and efficient.”

Geraint Davies, UK Director of Partnerships at the Road Haulage Association, said, “We’re pleased to be joining TyreSafe as a supporter and to strengthen our focus on tyre safety across the sector. Our members operate in a highly regulated environment where safety, compliance and efficiency are paramount. Tyres play a critical role in all three. This partnership will help us provide practical guidance and support to operators of all sizes, ensuring they can meet their responsibilities while protecting their drivers, their businesses and other road users.”

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Tana Oy is expanding its waste processing portfolio with the launch of its Multi Waste Buckets MWB17 and MWB23, positioning the products as a lower-cost alternative to standalone pre-shredders.

The loader-mounted attachments integrate pre-shredding and bag opening at the point of loading, eliminating the need for separate shredding equipment. The approach is designed to streamline operations by reducing material size earlier in the process, improving feed consistency for downstream sorting, recycling and energy recovery systems.

The company said the integrated solution can lower operating costs by cutting the number of machines required on site, reducing fuel consumption and maintenance needs and minimising unplanned downtime. By removing additional handling steps, the buckets also aim to simplify internal logistics and improve site efficiency.

The MWB units are designed for plug-and-play installation across a range of wheel loaders and material handlers, enabling operators to process waste directly at the loading stage. The system delivers a particle size of roughly 300–400 millimetre and throughput of up to 90 cubic metres per hour, supporting higher recovery rates and reduced wear on secondary equipment.

Both models feature a three-axle design intended to optimise cutting performance and material flow, supported by higher torque on outer axles and a faster central axle. Additional design elements including protected bearings and self-cleaning structures are aimed at improving durability and reducing maintenance requirements.

The MWB17 targets 10–15-tonne loaders, while the MWB23 is designed for 13–20-tonne machines, allowing deployment across varying operational scales. The company said the products can either replace or complement conventional pre-shredders as part of efforts to improve cost efficiency and sustainability in waste processing.

“Pre-shredding is the critical first step in turning waste into value. With the TANA Multi Waste Buckets, we are bringing that step directly into the loading phase making the process simpler, more flexible and significantly more cost-efficient for our customers,” says Eetu Tuovinen, Product Marketing Manager, Shredders, Tana Oy.

Field experience has shown that integrating pre-shredding into the loading phase can streamline site operations. “Customers have seen immediate benefits in terms of reduced transport needs, smoother material flow and less downtime in downstream equipment. The ability to pre-process waste on the spot changes how efficiently the whole site can operate,” says Tuovinen.

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Finland-based Tana Oy has appointed Gerd Schreier as Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Channel Management, effective May 1, 2026, as the company sharpens its global growth strategy.

Schreier brings international experience in heavy equipment sales, aftersales and general management, having led global teams across direct and dealer networks. In the new role, he will oversee commercial operations with a mandate to expand market reach, strengthen channel alignment and drive consistent growth across regions.

Separately, the company named Olli Heinonen as Vice President of Product Marketing and Portfolio Strategy, also effective May 1. Heinonen, who has spent the past four years developing Tana’s distributor network across more than 50 countries, will now lead product and solutions strategy, with a focus on portfolio development and application coverage.

The leadership changes come as Tana seeks to scale its international footprint and reinforce its positioning in the waste management equipment market, with an emphasis on delivering measurable customer value and aligning product strategy with evolving global demand.

“Gerd brings exactly the kind of international commercial leadership and strategic mindset we need as we continue to grow our global presence,” said Jari Mennala. “His experience in building strong sales organizations and partner networks will be key as we sharpen our customer focus and accelerate growth.”

“I am passionate about building a more sustainable future through my work in the recycling industry. On a personal level, contributing to a circular economy is deeply rewarding and aligns with my values.

Professionally, I am motivated to be part of a leading organisation known for its strong customer reputation and commitment to excellence. I enjoy working in environments where innovation, responsibility and long-term impact come together to create meaningful change,” said Schreier.

“It has been a privilege to work closely with our global distributor network and to witness the strong commitment and collaboration that define Tana’s way of working. I am grateful for the partnerships we have built and the results we have achieved together. In this new role, I am excited to support the next phase of Tana’s product and solutions portfolio and strategic direction,” said Heinonen.

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