Learning tour

摘要

One of the perks of this job is the opportunity to travel and learn new things from aggregate producers and equipment suppliers. My travel schedule this fall included a chance to visit Michelin's proving grounds in Laurens, S.C. As you may know, Michelin makes only radial tires, and the company invited a group of journalists to the site and demonstrated the many benefits of radial earthmover tires over the bias equivalents. Michelin made a very good case, and made it in a memorable way. Each journalist had an opportunity to drive two identical Komatsu wheel load- ers over a series of 4x4 boards. A large tank of water was placed in each loader bucket, and one loader was equipped with Michelin radials, while the other vehicle sported bias tires.