A look back at the CV Show

Electric the Way Forward for Transport

2022 COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SHOW HAILED A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

The 2022 Commercial Vehicle Show has been hailed a resounding success, with over 230 exhibitors spanning the road transport sector together with compelling speaker sessions and thousands of visitors during the three day event in May.

Demonstrating the

confidence companies have in the event, numerous exhibitors chose the Show as the place to launch their new product lines, including Harris Maxus LCVs, TruTac fleet compliance and Locks4Vans next-generation security. This helped to deliver a larger event in 2022 with strong visitor numbers making it an unmissable show for everyone involved in the commercial vehicle industry. Ford’s stand was perpetually busy. Mandy Dean, Director, Commercial Vehicles, Ford of Britain and Ireland, said, “The Show was absolutely phenomenal for us. From Day One, huge visitor numbers have come to the stand to learn all about our new products and services. Footfall was great, quality of conversations with fleet managers, all sorts of industries – it’s been fantastic. We always use the Show to invite our existing customers, but we’ve met lots of new people as well. The stand was mobbed and was like that all three days.” The 2022 Show was Harris Maxus’ biggest ever display and General Manager Mark Barrett was delighted, ‘Throughout the Show there was a fantastic buzz around our stand,’ Barrett said. ‘Showcasing no fewer than 12 electric vehicles the Maxus line-up included our two newest entrants to the UK market, the Maxus MIFA 9 MPV and T90EV pick-up truck, which were unveiled on press day amid much fanfare. In addition to meeting hundreds of visitors during the Show, we were doing business; generating not just leads, but securing sales right across our range’ Tooling supplier, Sykes Pickavant brought its new 1500kg pneumatic EV battery lifting table with its unique patented locking system. David Noon, National Sales Manager for Skyes Pickavant said, “In the 12 years of doing this Show, I’ve never had a reaction to a single product like I have with this one. The Show has had great footfall with the right calibre of customer. It’s been fantastic, with a high quality of the leads to follow up after the Show. We’ve had people from all over the UK coming to the Show specifically to find this product.” TVL Security announced an initiative designed to support van drivers when they are victims of theft and supported by the police nationwide. Laura Moran, Managing Director of TVL Group says, “We have had a really successful CV Show this year and it’s great to see more and more people attending. We have had great engagement on our Ford Factory Fit Security options and it has been the perfect opportunity to launch the ‘Tell TVL’ initiative which has been received so positively. We’ll definitely be back next year.” Expert speakers on the Show’s two Theatres tackled some of the most challenging topics currently facing the industry. The Road Ahead Theatre in Hall 5 and the Workshop Theatre in Hall 4, delivered in association with Commercial Vehicle Workshop magazine, provided a professional forum to address topics such as: ‘Driver facilities; a right, not a privilege’, ‘What to consider when electrifying your fleet’ and ‘Using DVSA data to improve compliance’, among others. These presentation and panel discussions proved a resounding success with greater audience attendance and participation than ever before. Many presentations were standing room only as visitors gathered to find out more. Visitor numbers of over 11,100 reinforced the Commercial Vehicle Show’s position as the UK’s biggest and best road transport event, providing a unique combination of innovations, services and solutions across the industry. Murray Ellis, Show Director, says, ‘This year’s Commercial Vehicle Show did not disappoint, with a great atmosphere across all three days and positive feedback from exhibitors. After two tough years, the Commercial Vehicle Show has proven it remains the place to get business done. ‘We’d like to thank all our exhibitors, both new and returning, for providing so many outstanding products and services, which resonated with the thousands of visitors who attended. We now start planning what will be an even better 2023 event, enhancing its reputation as the pre-eminent UK Commercial Vehicle Show.’ The 2023 Commercial Vehicle Show dates have been confirmed. Next year’s Show will take place at the NEC, Birmingham from 18 - 20 April 2023.

The RHA presented a Charity Cheque to Transaid for £23,136.00 at the CV Show in Birmingham recently.

FORD PARTNERS WITH CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TO LAUNCH SUICIDE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN

As revealed at the CV Show, Ford has teamed up with the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity to “Make it Visible” - a new highvisibility campaign using higher-viz safety vests to grab attention and point people in the direction of help when needed.

The UK’s commercial vehicle leader is stepping in to help combat the issue, with as many as two construction workers lost to suicide every day, according to the Office for National Statistics. Despite extensive physical safety measures taken to protect on-site workers, construction workers in the UK and Ireland are taking their own lives, unaware of the help and support available. Working with the Lighthouse Club, and construction contractors Balfour Beatty, Ford seeks to actively promote wellbeing awareness amongst its van customers. With Ford accounting for almost one in three new commercial vehicles sold throughout 2021 – and higher into the construction industry - putting mental safety on an equal footing with physical safety on building sites is an important step for this group of customers. By helping to make the support more visible, more workers will be able to seek assistance from available resources. “This campaign is hugely important to Ford and highlights the importance of mental wellbeing alongside physical wellbeing on the construction site”, said Mandy Dean, director, commercial vehicles, Ford of Britain and Ireland. “As the UK’s best-selling commercial vehicle brand,it is likely the majority of construction workers are also Ford customers and operators, so we feel we have a duty to support them, through this partnership with the Lighthouse Club, raising awareness and getting support to those in need of it.” The “Make it Visible” campaign follows on from Ford’s “Elephant in the Transit” launch from 2018, building awareness of male suicide and promoting the front seats of a vehicle as a safe space to talk. This latest initiative sets out to provide counsellors a means to get to construction sites, with onsite posters matching the vest’s colours. These posters will direct workers to a safe place to talk off-site, so more can seek help easily. Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with Ford to deliver the “Make it Visible” campaign. These highly distinguishable vans will be visiting sites across the country to deliver visible support to the boots on the ground workforce. The vehicles are manned by the Lighthouse Club’s on-site team who are all Mental Health First Aiders with relatable experiences in the construction industry. I am convinced that this initiative will have a positive impact on workforce wellbeing and ultimately save lives.” The “Make it Visible” campaign kicked off at this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, supported by a fully liveried Transit Custom in matching high-visibility tones. In attendance on the Ford stand for launch day were construction contractors, Balfour Beatty, a key supporter of the initiative, who were involved in piloting the scheme on one of their sites in London. Heather Bryant, Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainability Director at Balfour Beatty, said: “For too long, the construction and infrastructure industry has treated mental health as the poor cousin of physical health. We must change this incredibly outdated perception – and at Balfour Beatty, we are continuing to lead the charge. “The “Make it Visible” campaign helps to build on the work we have done with the charity Mates in Mind, by specifically helping us to reach those, including our valued supply chain partners, who may not be aware of the resources available to them whilst also providing a dedicated, safe space to talk.”