As everyone knows, the tire industry is constantly evolving. Even before the pandemic, it faced various challenges to remain competitive and current.

Qué-Mont Equipment has been supplying tire and retreading service centres since 1981. The company now shares its expertise in wheel accessories, which must also adapt to the evolution of the field.

A larger inventory

With the pandemic, import delays are much longer than they used to be, up to several months. This forces tire and mechanical centers to deal with tight inventory management and planning for increased demand to avoid inventory depletion.

However, some items are becoming more and more sought after. This can make it difficult to properly assess the need and inventory levels. For example, wheel nuts. With over 275 models, these require greater expertise.

As each vehicle has its own particularities, it can sometimes be difficult to find your way around. This is why some distributors, such as Qué-Mont Equipment, have created a catalogue to help garages make their choice. In order to help their customers, they also offer, since a few days, two kinds of racks to classify the different models that some garages keep in stock.

Greater expertise

In the same way as for wheel nuts, which have multiple models and require greater expertise, the strong growth of TESLA cars among the population requires mechanical workshops to adapt and maintain a dedicated inventory of accessories specific to this brand of car. For example, the round rubbers that protect the vehicle when using an elevator or the new TPMS for TESLA.

Of course, the increase in the number of electric cars on the market requires mechanics to have more expertise in the field, but also to keep an inventory specific to this type of vehicle.

Seasonal planning

Mechanical shops must also plan their stockpile, sometimes up to eight months in advance, depending on the season. For example, with winter approaching, they need to be able to find a super gel tire lubricant specific to service trucks, which work 24/7 on the roadside in inconvenient and very cold weather.

Although the pandemic brought its share of challenges to the import of wheel accessories, both in terms of import times and prices, it demonstrated the adaptability of the province’s mechanical shops. The Association des Spécialistes de Pneu et Mécanique du Québec (ASPMQ) is proud to support the shops and to navigate with them in the evolution of this beautiful industry.