When Tire Pros dealers gathered for their national conference in San Diego, Calif., it was nearly impossible for them to miss the mobile tire installation van on the trade show floor.
Mark Reece, who owns two Tire Pros stores in California, is one of the group's first members to test the mobile tire installation market.
Reece, owner of the two-location Benedetti Tire Service & Express Lube Tire Pros, which is headquartered in Sebastopol, Calif., says the new van is designed to offer passenger and light truck tire sales and service.
He says COVID-19 changed the way people live and have services done. As a result, consumers are looking for more convenience.
“People are thinking, ‘Okay, how can I not leave my couch?’ And Doordash is huge where I am at, so I figured if people want to click a button and have food delivered to them, they probably want to click a button and have the automotive shop come to them,” says Reece.
The idea for a mobile service van was brought to Reece’s attention nearly two years ago at a Tire Pros meeting. The group, which is offered and administered by American Tire Distributors Ltd. (ATD), wanted to head in that direction and “a lightbulb went off” for Reece.
“It’s an opportunity for me to reach consumers we wouldn’t normally reach and I think it’s something that once we get going, will be able to support itself and be successful,” says Reece.
Reece got his van at the end of October 2022. Scott Blair, who is the co-founder of another mobile tire service, 2U Tire & Wheels, made the van and spent two weeks at Reece’s location to provide hands-on training on how to operate the van and the equipment inside.
The Ford Transit van can hold up to about 20 tires at a time, depending on their sizes.
“The van is fully self-contained and self-powered,” says Blair.
“(Tire) mounting, flat repairs, custom wheels and battery service (are) all available in this van. The van comes with all the necessary tools inside."
Blair is a Tire Industry Association-certified trainer.
The software in the van is provided by a United Kingdom-based company, Halfords, with its Avalyer software, which ATD brought to the North American market about two years ago.
Reece says his stores have performed around 30 installations so far, but have just recently made his mobile tire services available online via Tirebuyer.com and Tirepros.com, so he expects more business soon.
Customers who choose mobile service pay a premium fee, he explains.
“A customer makes their purchase online at Tire Pros and once they pull the trigger on the sale, and if they are in my 20-mile radius, my mobile tire van is the first option for them,” he says.
“And then the brick-and-mortar (stores) will be number two or three.”
Reece thinks of his van as another location. The van is capable of offering all tire services, including flat repairs He is still working on providing other services, like oil changes.
His goal is to install eight sets of tires per day. He also wants to make a van available at each of his locations by the end of 2023.
