Export & Freight Sept-Oct 22

COMMENT

Welcome to our biggest issue this year of Export & Freight which includes a comprehensive round-up in words and pictures of our highly successful and well supported Annual Transport & Logistics Awards, back with a bang after a two year absence because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The event attracted the most entries ever and according to the judges, the quality was absolutely outstanding, proving that our industry is so resilient and continues to thrive despite all the challenges it is facing, so well done to everyone who joined us on the night. As you will also read in our regular column from Logistics UK’s Seamus Leheny, the logistics sector continues to deliver despite skills shortages and other economic factors.

The number of those employed in logistics in Northern Ireland in 2021 was 34,200, and while this figure remains widely unchanged since 2020, recruitment still presents a significant challenge with high numbers of job vacancies, so we congratulate all those in the industry who are running various recruitment schemes, apprenticeships and upskilling of employees to counter this challenge – and that includes Transport Training Services which has been approved to deliver Heavy Vehicle Trailer Maintenance and Repair as a level 2 apprenticeship, designed to help address the skills shortage which has been identified across the sector.

In other news, we take a look at DAF’s New Generation XD series which has been voted ‘International Truck of the Year 2023’. We turn the focus on the vital parts and servicing sector, and we also report on the unveiling of the design of a new100% electric passenger ferry being developed by Artemis Technologies in Belfast, plus we look back at a record breaking IAA show which we attended in Germany – and, of course, we have all our usual regular columns and features.

Remember, you can keep up to date with all the industry news 24/7 by logging on to our website at www.exportandfreight.com. You should also be receiving our FREE weekly newsletter, sent to your inbox every Wednesday; if not, let us know and we will make sure you do.

GENERAL NEWS

DAF XD awarded ‘International Truck of the Year 2023’ Page 04

Scania UK appoints new Managing Director Page 08

Continental launches Generation 5 Conti Hybrid Page 18-19

RHA & Council keep up momentum on Driver Academy Page 50

REGULAR FEATURES

David Mullan, Transport Regulation Unit Page 22-23

Seamus Leheny, Logistics UK Policy Manager-NI Page 24

Court Report Page 25

Ken Davis, CILT Page 28

SPECIAL FEATURES

Focus on Parts & Service Page 32-35

Looking back at IAA 2022 Page 40-49

SHIPPING NEWS

CLdN to acquire Seatruck Ferries Page 106

P&O Ferries Doubles Lo-Lo Capacity at Zeebrugge Hub Page 108

From Shopping Boats to Floating BridgesStena Line Celebrates Its 60th Anniversary Page 109

VAN & PICK-UP IRELAND

All the latest developments and new launches from the world of vans & pick-ups Page 110

either in part or in full, including photocopying and recording,

of any nature without prior written consent of 4 SM (NI) Ltd.

DAF XD awarded ‘International Truck of the Year 2023’

DAF’s New Generation XD series for vocational and distribution transport has been elected ‘International Truck of the Year 2023’. Harald Seidel, President of DAF Trucks, received the most prestigious award in the transport industry during an award ceremony at the IAA Transportation in Hanover, Germany.

Just last year, the New Generation DAF XF, XG and XG+ series for long haul and heavy transport was elected ‘International Truck of the Year 2022’.

Based on the International Truck of the Year rules, the annual award goes to the truck introduced into the market in the previous 12 months, making the most significant contribution to road transport efficiency. This judgment relies on several critical criteria, including technological innovation, comfort, safety, driveability, fuel economy, environmental

‘footprint’ and Total Cost of Ownership.

Summing up the jury vote, International Truck of the Year Chairman Gianenrico Griffini commented: “With the introduction of the new XD series, DAF has delivered a state-of-the-art distribution truck that sets a new benchmark in its class. The truck range significantly improves direct and indirect vision thus safety, a key factor for distribution vehicles. Also, the vehicle’s efficiency and driver comfort are introducing a new standard in this segment.”

Griffini stressed that the IToY jury appreciates

First full-electric Volta Zero drives off the production line in Steyr, Austria

Volta Trucks has confirmed that the first Volta Zero vehicle has been completed at the company’s contract manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria.

The landmark vehicle, the first of a series of secondgeneration ‘Production Verification’ prototypes, will form part of a Pilot Fleet of trucks. These will be loaned to customers for extended periods in late 2022

and early 2023 to allow fleet operators to understand how the first purpose-built full-electric medium duty commercial vehicle will integrate into their operations. The start of series production of customer specification vehicles is

the driving position and the all-around enhanced visibility provided by a large, curved windscreen, side windows with low beltlines, and the optional kerb-view window. “These features - along with the corner view camera and the optional digital vision system that replaces the traditional main mirrors– improve safety of vulnerable road users in an impressive way.”

In addition, the 24 jury members also praised the performance of the new, highly efficient powertrains of the XD, featuring the powerful PACCAR MX-11 engines with ZF TraXon automated gearbox with advanced predictive features. Also the announcement of a series of brand-new, fully electric powertrains impressed the jury committee.

‘A wonderful recognition’

DAF Trucks’ President Harald Seidel commented: “Winning the International Truck of the Year Award 2023 is a wonderful recognition for our DAF employees and dealers. It proves that the premium DAF XD sets the new industry standard for customers in vocational and distribution applications, offering first-class safety, efficiency and driver comfort.”

on track to start in early 2023. Steyr Automotive has reserved a capacity of 14,000 vehicles per year for Volta Trucks from their total available production. Over time, manufacturing the Volta Zero will create 510 jobs, plus 180

jobs in the building of the cargo boxes, in addition to an estimated 2,000 positions within the supply chain. The manufacturing contract has a value of up to €1 billion over its lifetime.

Start

Mandata appoints Chief Customer Officer

Mandata, a leading transport management software provider, has appointed Christopher Farnath as their Chief Customer Officer.

Christopher joins Mandata with 25 years’ experience across multiple industry sectors. In his previous role as Chief Customer Officer, he helped customers

including Sodexo, Universal and National Trust to increase their adoption of software solutions and consistently improve their outcomes. Mandata’s CEO, Chris Rigg, commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Christopher to the Mandata family. His appointment emphasises our commitment to helping our customers achieve success and grow their businesses by providing them with world-class services and solutions. Christopher brings with him a wealth of best

practices in the customer experience arena, acquired across several different business-to-business industry sectors, which will enable us to deliver a customer experience unrivalled in our industry.”

Farnath’s experience will help Mandata support and develop the high-performing teams necessary to achieve greater customercentricity as the business expands its transport management software network in the coming months.

A Fresh New Look For PRM

PRM has revealed its new brand identity - winking at its heritage while reinventing itself for today’s modern world.

The Lisburn based sales & distribution business was founded in 1988 by Philip & Lynne Morrow. Celebrating 35 years in business next year the company now employs 250 people and has production facilities in Dromore and Derry.

PRM offer a complete range of services that enable them to meet the diverse requirements of leading food brands, grocery retailers and their customers, thus making them the distribution partner of choice for many today.

CEO & Founder, Philip Morrow said, “We started the process of refreshing our brand with a very clear vision of where we wanted our company to be positioned and the key messages we wanted our new corporate identity to communicate in relation to our service offering, our customer service commitments and our values as an employer.

“This brand refresh signifies the beginning of the next chapter for PRM as we accelerate plans to futureproof and further grow the business as we respond to the continued

demand for route to market services.

“Part of our plans for growth include an expansion of our physical capacity and warehousing capabilities with the construction of a new purpose-built facility adjacent to our current premises in Lisburn.

Key Challenges

“Like all other local businesses, we have had to navigate the key challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit over the past two years. However, Brexit has presented us with new opportunities to offer solutions to the supply challenges many brands and retailers now face across GB and Ireland.

“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved over the last 35 years, none of which would have been possible without the excellent people who have contributed to the continued growth of the business, some of whom have been with us from Day One and are still here today leading the company

Farnath said, “I am passionate about improving outcomes for customers by helping them shorten the time to achieving value from their software investment. It is hugely rewarding to help customers realise their business goals while delighting them with timely, authentic, and personal service.”

Farnath will focus on supporting customers by establishing strategic initiatives that will deliver first-rate customer service to Mandata customers.

forward within their various departments.”

Detailing some of the upgrades to the company’s brand toolkit, Marketing Manager Emma Morrow highlights that, “Within this reset of our brand our logo, colour palette and typeface have all been given a style evolution. Our new identity conveys quality, freshness and the dynamic nature of our business — representing our continued commitment to providing solutions for our suppliers and customers alike.”

The company is in the process of launching its new website, staff uniforms and unveiling new livery across a fleet of 30 multi-temperature controlled vehicles.

FORS confirmed as Delivery Partner with Driving for Better Business

The Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme is now officially a Delivery Partner with Driving for Better Business, the Government-backed National Highways programme helping employers reduce Work-Related Road Risk.

The move sees FORS join a host of influential industry organisations and stakeholders, including the Road Haulage Association and Logistics UK, in supporting the Driving for Better Business vision of creating ‘a world where those who use the roads for work do so safely, efficiently and sustainably’.

Partnering with Driving for Better Business is a significant step for FORS, underscoring its commitment to collaboration with likeminded organisations to communicate important messages of best

practice to the industry. As a Delivery Partner, FORS will share its resources, expertise, support and thought leadership to help promote the values of the DfBB programme to the transport sector. FORS Concession Director, Ian Henderson, said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Driving for Better Business to help operators manage their Work-Related Road Risk. The programme aligns with our own mandate to help FORS accredited operators work ‘safer, smarter

and greener’, and we know it’s making a positive difference for their businesses, for vulnerable road users and for the wider community.

“Today, FORS is a nationwide accreditation scheme comprising some 5,000 accredited operators, each delivering benchmark levels of safety, efficiency and sustainability. We’re setting out what ‘best-inclass’ looks like for businesses in these essential operational areas. We look forward to working closely with National Highways on the Driving for Better Business

programme, together promoting best practice for drivers and transport professionals, and to drive up standards throughout the UK.”

Driving for Better Business is a free, Government-backed programme that helps employers in the private and public sectors to reduce road risk in their business, improve driver safety and wellbeing, and ensure that their driving for work policies are compliant – typically leading to significant business benefits.

Driving for Better Business Campaign Manager, Simon Turner, said, “It’s really exciting for us to have FORS on board as a partner with such a large community of experienced fleet operators. We will be keen to share some of that good practice, as well as the impressive business benefits seen by FORS accredited operators.”

Philip and Lynne Morrow.

Scania UK appoints Chris Newitt as its new Managing Director

Scania UK has appointed Chris Newitt as its new Managing Director; he began his tenure on 20 September and is responsible for guiding the business through the biggest transition the heavy transport industry has ever seen.

James Armstrong, Executive Regional Director for Scania Europe North, said: “I am delighted to welcome Chris to Scania UK. He has a proven track record and will bring a wealth of experience to one of the most revered positions in the industry.”

Chris has extensive expertise in the automotive business, having held several senior positions at Jaguar Land Rover for more than a decade, as well as significant senior experience working for Volkswagen Group UK.

Commenting on his appointment, Chris Newitt, said: “Scania is known around the world for its brand heritage, innovation, and deep engineering integrity. It will be my privilege to lead this fantastic company in the UK through what continues to be the most testing time of our generation. “Renowned for their passion and spirit, the people of Scania UK are the driving force behind its success. I couldn’t be more excited to join the team continuing to shape the

future of this iconic company in the UK.”

Chris succeeds and will report to James Armstrong, who will take up his new role as Executive Regional Director for Scania Europe North Region, where he will manage six European markets – UK, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and the Baltics.

FTAI Transport Manager Seminar Back by Popular Demand

FTA Ireland’s much-anticipated Transport Manager Seminar is due to return on 19 October 2022, to be held at Johnstown House Hotel Enfield, County Meath.

Back by popular demand, the event will allow delegates the opportunity to hear from a range of senior industry experts and policy makers who will be discussing key legislation and topical issues.

Aidan Flynn, CEO of FTAI, commented: “Whether businesses operate a small fleet of just one

vehicle, or a larger fleet of over one hundred vehicles, it is vital that they remain compliant. FTAI’s Transport Manager Seminar is an essential tool to help keep transport managers up-to-date with the very latest industry developments amid the ongoing uncertainty to international supply chains,

providing the latest changes in regulation and information to support future business plans.”

The seminar features an impressive speaker line-up, including a keynote session from the Minister of State for Transport, Hildegarde Naughton. Other speakers include key figures from the Department of

Hultsteins partner with TNS 365 for 24/7 aftercare support

Diesel-free hydraulic and electric refrigeration system manufacturer Hultsteins UK have partnered with UK commercial vehicle call handling specialists TNS 365 to offer customers a 24/7 breakdown helpline.

The partnership ensures an uplift for Hultsteins aftercare support services, allowing customers to contact the diesel-free refrigeration manufacturer in the rare event of a system requiring breakdown assistance and repair. Since 1962, Hultsteins has been developing refrigeration units that use only the cleanest power source – the one that’s already available and operates the truck. And, says Hultsteins, they are continuing along the road of virtually eliminating all harmful emissions currently produced by dieselpowered transport refrigeration units.

Commenting on the new partnership, Hultsteins UK Managing Director, Graham Usher, is upbeat: “Hulsteins UK have selected TNS 365 to be our 24/7 breakdown support arm. Speaking with TNS 365, it is clear that

their service values echo those of our own and their passion to form a close working relationship with customers shines through.

“Their custom-built modern systems will give Hultsteins UK an array of feedback regarding any

Transport, Road Safety Authority, Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland, and Dublin Airport Authority.

Topics to be covered by the event’s knowledgeable speakers include decarbonising transport, fleet operator compliance, the introduction of a new national fleet database and the importance of air freight for the Irish economy.

This year’s programme is sponsored by ENPROVA, Brigade Electronics and Calor Ireland. To attend, the cost for FTAI members is €225 plus VAT; for non-FTAI members the fee is €275 plus VAT.

For further information or to book your place, call 01 8447516 or email info@ftai.ie

issues as they arise, so they can immediately be handled by the TNS 365 dedicated breakdown team. Plus, we’re able to view 24/7 live data and oversee situations should we need to. It’s a fantastic partnership for both parties and we look forward to what the future holds.”

With over 55 years of combined call handling knowledge, TNS 365 Directors Adam Drake and John Myers are pleased to bring on yet another manufacturer to their growing list of commercial transport industry clients. Already heavily involved in the truck, trailer & tail lift part of the commercial vehicle sector, it’s a strategic move further into the commercial refrigeration industry. “We’ve found a perfect partnership with Hultsteins UK,” says Adam Drake, TNS 365 Director. “Their forward thinking and commitment to customers mirrors our own approach. TNS 365 have brought several new ways of working within our industry and are always looking to the future to see what new, modern technologies can offer.

“Using custom-built software, our modern systems enable us to be flexible to our clients’ needs in this fast-moving commercial transport industry. Bringing Hultsteins UK onboard is a great move for us as we both look to what the future holds for refrigeration transport and the ability to support assets out on the road, 24/7.”

Chris Newitt.

A SOLUTION TO TAKE CHARGE

Charging an electric truck is easy – just plug it in, right? Well, the hard part is all about figuring out where, when and how it’s going to be plugged in.

At the depot or the destination? Or both?

Fast top-up charge or slow overnight? Is there enough capacity in the grid? In the chargers? How many trucks do you need to charge at the same time? And how do you charge them with green power, at the

lowest possible cost? Which hardware to choose? And which smart charging system?

Charging is a complex part of every electric solution. A key part. But with thorough analysis of your existing vehicles and routes – we’ll ensure you get an electric solution that covers all the bases – from day one, and into the future. So that when it finally comes time to plug it in – your drivers already know where, when and how.

Schmitz Cargobull Ramps Up UK Production

Trailer manufacturer Schmitz Cargobull is doubling production at its UK manufacturing plant in the coming weeks to address increasing demand and as such, new trailers ordered within the next fortnight can be in operation before the end of this year.

While some manufacturers have extended lead times, the Manchester-based Schmitz Cargobull team is increasing production capacity so it can deliver standard versions of its popular S.BO PACE and S.CS FIXED ROOF curtainsider models in a matter of weeks.

Schmitz Cargobull UK and Ireland’s Managing Director – Operations, Paul Avery, says: “Operators are facing more demand from their customers, but at the same time having to deal with a shortage of vehicles.

“By working with our colleagues across Europe and due to the strength of the Schmitz Cargobull group, we have secured a strong supply of parts so we’re able to increase our build capacity in the UK and provide delivery before the end of December, which we know is what customers need.”

He adds: “Schmitz Cargobull has always led the way with the best products, services and packages. Our Manchester factory means we can also now provide one of the shortest lead times on the market for operators in the UK and Ireland, based on our capacity increase.

“We look forward to supporting existing customers, as well as working with new operators who will benefit from incredibly fast

delivery as well as low total cost of ownership.”

The S.BO PACE is a lightweight, fully-modular semi-trailer targeted primarily at the parcel delivery and dry freight market. It combines Schmitz Cargobull’s renowned build quality with innovative composite STRUKTOPLAST panels which mean each trailer weighs around 600kg less than competitor models. Its design ensures the panels do not absorb moisture, even if damaged, so the tare weight

of the trailer remains consistent over time, ensuring the payload potential on day one is maintained for the entire life of the asset. It also comes with a 12-month body warranty.

The S.BO PACE has proved so popular in the UK and Ireland it is being introduced in Europe and will be demonstrated on the continent for the first time at the international trade fair IAA TRANSPORTATION in Hanover from September 20th-25th.

The S.CS FIXED ROOF curtainsider has a straight front wall for free side loading and tarpaulin tensioning, an XL load securing side curtain with standard anti-theft protection and a Schmitz Cargobull aluminium roof which allows a side loading height of 3,100mm.

Both trailers are fully EN 12642-XL certified, are built on Schmitz Cargobull’s fully galvanised MODULOS chassis which comes with a 10-year warranty against rust-through and have ROTOS axles covered by a 1,000,000km or six-year warranty, whichever comes first. Both trailers are fitted with Schmitz Cargobull’s TrailerConnect® telematics as standard.

Schmitz Cargobull’s Manchester factory first began production in September 2021 and is now home to the entire UK team.

New FORS Champion Portakabin drives supply chain safety and sustainability

Leading modular building manufacturer, Portkabin, has become the latest organisation to step up as a FORS Champion. The company’s goal is to ensure that all of its preferred suppliers are at least FORS Silver or FORS Gold accredited by the end of 2024.

Portakabin delivers interim and permanent bespoke buildings for a variety of applications, operating across the healthcare, education, transportation, manufacturing and construction sectors. Its distribution team has

recently made great strides in improving internal safety and sustainability standards, but, as Distribution Manager, Gary Owen, explains, becoming a FORS Champion will help drive similar operational improvements across the company’s supply chains:

“My role is to find ways of providing a safe and efficient service to our customers, and that extends to the services provided across supply chains at Portakabin. Due to the variety of industries in which we operate, ensuring consistency and quality

is a major challenge. Promoting FORS is a way of ensuring that consistency, holding our suppliers to the same high standards that we demand of ourselves, and having a set framework that enables us to do it.”

Paul Avery, Schmitz Cargobull UK and Ireland’s Managing Director – Operations, says the company has secured a strong supply of parts to increase build capacity in the UK.

Almost half

fleets are failing to plan for a net zero future

According to the Keener to be Greener study, conducted among 300 fleet decision-makers, more than a third (34 per cent) also believe their current technology systems are insufficient to help them manage the environmental impact of their vehicles.

The findings come despite more than half (57 per cent) acknowledging that the reputational benefits of having a sustainable fleet would lead to increased business for their company.

“Transport electrification is gathering pace but establishing a management strategy for fleet decarbonisation is viewed by many as a challenging undertaking,” said Andrea Manenti, Vice President North

Region, Bridgestone EMIA.

“Not only must businesses plan for transitioning to electric vehicles, but also for optimising their operations – from maximising electric miles to ensuring effective charging, maintenance and service delivery. Data insights generated by dedicated software solutions are a critical ingredient to helping simplify this process, enabling fleets to make the right decisions at the right times.”

A lack of specialist EVs for different business uses was cited by 47 per cent of fleets as the number one barrier to EV adoption, closely followed by a lack of rapid charging infrastructure (41 per cent).

The study also found that more than half (56 per cent)

believe transport decarbonisation risks being held back by competing business interests, while 61 per cent claim a cultural shift is needed within their company for it to be embraced by all business stakeholders.

“While some fleet and transport managers are under pressure from board level execs to develop electrification strategies apace, others are struggling to champion the cause and make their voices heard,” said Beverley Wise, Regional Director for Webfleet, UK and Ireland.

“Establishing a strong business case that brings all influential stakeholders on board – from sustainability and utility managers to heads of finance, HR, procurement and marcomms –can be crucial for fleets looking to make the electric transition.

“Calculating projected Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) savings, using telematics data to compare conventional internal combustion fleet running costs with EV alternatives, can be a persuasive starting point. Wider justifications can include supporting ESG, CSR, reputational benefits and meeting the environmental expectations of customers.

“Electric passenger cars may have been the motor industry’s headline-makers to date, but commercial EV adoption is now set to enter a phase of exponential growth as progressive fleets look to stay ahead of the curve and retain their competitive advantage.”

Only 53 per cent of commercial fleets have a ‘robust’ strategy for net zero transport, latest research from Bridgestone Mobility Solutions has revealed.

Start the Future in Distribution

European charging infrastructure joint venture kicks off

The Traton Group, Daimler Truck, and the Volvo Group have completed the final step in forming the previously announced joint venture for charging infrastructure in Europe. The new joint venture, with Anja van Niersen as appointed CEO, is expected to have a significant role in supporting the European Union’s Green Deal for carbon-neutral freight transportation by 2050.

As announced last year, the joint venture plans to install and operate at least 1,700 highperformance green energy charge points on, and close to, highways as well as at logistics hubs across Europe. The parties are committing to invest €500 million in total, which is assumed to be by far the largest charging infrastructure investment in the European heavyduty truck industry to date. The JV intends to take a catalysing role as a charge point operator (CPO) in the value-chain by installing and managing charging stations for heavy-duty trucks and coaches. It will be a self-standing legal entity, operating under its own corporate identity and based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Anja van Niersen, who will be taking the helm of the new company, will bring with her a breadth of experience from the energy and charging industry sector, most recently serving as CEO and later as Chairman of the Board of a major European electric vehicle charging network provider. With a strong customer-driven approach focusing on transport operators’ specific needs, the JV

will provide reliable and accessible high-performance charging stations for all battery electric heavyduty vehicle fleet operators. This kick-start is a call to action to all other industry players, as well as governments and policymakers, to work together for a rapid expansion of the necessary charging network as well as investing in renewable energy in order to reach Europe’s climate targets. As a clear signal to all stakeholders, the charging network initiated by the three parties will be open and accessible to all heavy commercial vehicles in Europe, regardless of brand.

Urgent priority

Says Christian Levin, CEO Traton Group: “To find the best solutions for the climate challenge is our most urgent priority as an industry and as the Traton Group. When we talk to customers about electric trucks, they always ask: where can we charge? To support as fast as possible, we are teaming up and from today on kick-starting the European charging network. With Anja van Niersen this JV has a CEO with a great deal of experience in setting up charging networks. Anja and her team will support the important journey to enable further

3,500 businesses risk losing ability to import goods

More than 3,500 businesses risk significant delays to importing goods if they don’t move to the UK’s new streamlined customs system now.

Businesses submitting import declarations must use the Customs Declaration Service from 1 October this year when the Customs Handling Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system will close for import declarations. Businesses should check that their customs agents are ready to use the Customs Declaration Service. Those without a customs agent must set themselves up to make their own declarations using software that works with the system. Many businesses are already using the Customs Declaration Service, however around

3,500 businesses are yet to move. It can take several weeks to be fully set-up on the Customs Declaration Service so those waiting to register risk being unable to import goods to the UK from 1 October.

Julie Etheridge, Director of Programme and Operational Delivery for Borders and Trade at HMRC said: “Businesses need to move now or risk being unable to bring their goods into the UK. Registering takes time so businesses should start moving to the Customs Declaration Service to ensure a smooth transition and avoid disruption to their business.”

progress of sustainable transport.”

Martin Daum, CEO Daimler Truck, adds: “We are very excited to kick off this new joint venture together with our partners. It is crucial that we are now taking the initiative for building up the much-needed charging network. Still, we call on the entire industry to join in our effort. The number of charge points has to increase significantly as fast as possible to make electric long-haul trucking a viable solution for our customers.”

And comments Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO Volvo Group: “This is a long-awaited and major step towards achieving the required charging infrastructure for the rollout and success of battery-electric long-haul trucks and coaches. We are making what would be impossible for one actor alone to accomplish - this strong partnership is a significant milestone and accelerator towards carbon neutral transport in Europe by 2050.”

Scaling Up

The JV team will work quickly to scale up operations and network deployment to provide reliable and convenient public charging for heavy-duty vehicles. As the demand for battery electric trucks and coaches is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years, the team will work collaboratively across industries to design and build charging solutions that match the needs of transport companies and drivers. More information including the reveal of the brand name will be available during 2022.

To help all businesses and agents prepare for the Customs Declaration Service, declarants are being contacted by phone and email to inform them of steps they need to take. Further information is available on GOV.UK, including a Customs Declaration Service toolkit and checklists, which break down the steps traders need to take. Traders can also register or check they have access to the Customs Declaration Service on GOV.UK and access live customer support services for additional help. Once registered, businesses which use a Duty Deferment Account will need to set up a new Direct Debit Instruction for the Customs Declaration Service by 30 September. If this is not set up, the Duty Deferment Account will no longer be usable, and individual immediate payments will need to be made each time an import declaration is made.

CHIEF will close for export declarations on 31 March 2023, with businesses being required to use the Customs Declaration Service to send goods out of the UK.

Martin Daum (left), Christian Levin (center) and Martin Lundstedt (right).

WOODLAND NI OPT FOR AT&T RENTALS FOR ITS TRANSPORT NEEDS

Until recently Woodland NI, a family run business manufacturing high quality kitchen, bedroom and bathroom furniture, outsourced their transportation needs to third parties. Recently, rising costs persuaded management to investigate other more efficient options, and turned to AT&T Rentals; a decision they haven’t regretted.

The manufacturer, established in 1987, opted for a top of the range DAF XG, and a Schmitz Euroliner trailer, supplied by AT&T Rentals in Woodland NI’s own distinctive livery. Comments Woodland NI’s transport manager Michael Patton: “We’ve always used third party hauliers to serve our transportation needs, but, when we sat down to look at all the costings of doing so in the current operating climate, all indicators pointed to going down the contract hire route.”

So, why AT&T Rentals? “They were recommended to us by one of our business contacts who’ve been using their services for some time and were very satisfied, so we followed his advice, and we are very happy we did.

“Taking delivery of the DAF XG and Schmitz trailer on a long-term rental contract is essentially an exercise to explore what avenue we might go down in the future, and so far, so good. It has certainly made us think more seriously about our transport business model going forward.”

Based in Rasharkin in County Antrim, Woodland NI has become one of the leading designers and manufacturers of kitchen, bedroom and bathroom furniture for trade customers in the retail market throughout Ireland and the UK. Its contracts team also design and fit-out hotels, student accommodation and residential projects to a turnkey standard. In recent years, it has opened state-of-the-art

facilities including a new Product Development and Marketing Suite, extended its production factory and completed a new finishing and assembly line facility. It has also invested in its I.T. infrastructure and upgraded its precisionled equipment that will help towards futureproofing the business for years to come. Securing the new truck and trailer from

AT&T Rentals could be seen as a natural progression for Woodland NI, a move which also necessitated taking on its very first professional driver. “We are strong supporters of creating new employment opportunities within the local community; the new driver has slotted into the role very well and he loves the new truck,” says Michael.

Chris Steele (left) accepts the keys of the new truck from AT&T Rental’s Chris Heaney.

IMAGE CONSCIOUS

Image, too, is important to Woodland NI and the impressive new generation DAF XG has fitted in perfectly, boasting a host of driver friendly features ranging from a luxury air suspended driver’s seat, leather multifunctional steering wheel, LED headlights and skylights to comfortable bunk bed, fridge pack and DAB radio, so it is not difficult to see why Woodland NI opted for the truck from AT&T Rentals. The manufacturer is already seeing the benefits of going for the competitively priced contract hire package from AT&T Rentals. “We don’t have to worry about service and maintenance, as that’s included in the package, as is 24/7 breakdown cover, so we can remain fully

focused on what we do best,” says Michael, who adds that the company may not stop at putting just one truck and trailer on the road.

“If the business continues to grow and expand as it has done in recent years, our transport requirements may very well increase too!”

ABOUT AT&T RENTALS

With a history dating back to 1988, Newtownabbey headquartered AT&T Rentals offers a full range of rental and leasing services from short term to multi-year contract rentals, tailored to meet each individual customer’s needs. The company has built up a broad customer base, supplying assets to owner drivers right up to large fleet operators.

Comments AT&T Rentals Chris Heaney: ‘It’s

been an absolute pleasure to collaborate with the Woodland NI management team from concept to delivery. We began with a lunch meeting and tour of the Rasharkin headquarters and factory, allowing me to get an initial feel for the daily operations of the family business and what the exact requirements would be for their first unit and trailer.

“Ultimately, we were delighted to be able to supply this stunning, high spec DAF XG coupled with a Schmitz Euro-liner trailer which ticked all the boxes for loading and offloading. We welcome Woodland NI’s business and hope this can be the start of a long and prosperous working relationship, where we continue to provide innovative solutions to their transport needs.”

CONTINENTAL TURN UP THE HEAT WITH GENERATION 5 CONTI HYBRID

Continental certainly turned up the heat in more ways than one when they invited us to a spectacular Press launch of their new Generation 5 Conti Hybrid tyre line, as Export & Freight’s Phil Eaglestone reports from Seville in Spain.

The launch of the new Conti Hybrid HS5 and HD5 - and a new VanContact A/S Ultra for the delivery van market – included some breath-taking displays under a midday sun that saw the temperature shoot up to a sweltering 37C; it was a tough day, but someone had to do it!

Getting the ball rolling for Generation 5 is the Conti Hybrid HS5 for the steer axle and the Conti Hybrid HD5 for the drive axle – in 22.5-inch format for combined use on regional roads and highways. The tyres meet the diverse requirements of heavy-duty fleet use, i.e. frequent acceleration, braking, manoeuvring and cornering on a variety of road surfaces.

The new premium tyres rise to the myriad challenges with an array of cutting-edge developments; innovative treads, rubber compounds and state-of-the-art casing constructions deliver superb performance thanks to excellent mileage, durability and traction combined with optimised rolling resistance. This makes the new Conti Hybrid a reliable partner throughout its service life. The

new Conti Hybrid Generation 5 tyre line stands out with a mileage up to 20 percent higher than that of the predecessor generation –depending on the tyre size involved.

This new tyre line offers fleet operators exceptional overall performance throughout the tyres’ service life, as they have been developed specially to meet the demands of regional transport.

“With the high mileage on offer and premium retread solution, the long service life of the tyres helps to achieve a high level of fleet

efficiency and therefore ensure sustainable fleet management,” says Hinnerk Kaiser, Head of Product Development Bus and Truck Tyres at Continental.

The rubber compounds used by the Conti Hybrid Generation 5 tyre line have been further developed specially to meet the exacting demands of regional transport. The treads, with their two-layer construction (cap base) and innovative compounds, enable a high mileage and considerable robustness while

also optimizing rolling resistance in regional transport use. This also has a positive impact on fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions.

Both the Conti Hybrid HS5 for the steer axle and the Conti Hybrid HD5 for the drive axle offer topclass performance in all weather conditions and even with residual tread depths towards the end of the tyre life. A robust tread with new, full-width 3D matrix sipes takes the credit here.

The newly developed tread structure of the Conti Hybrid HD5 protects the tread and casing very effectively against stone damage at the drive axle. Centre grooves with increasing cavities in the second half of the tyre’s service life and special stone ejectors prevent stones becoming embedded in the tyre.

DELIVERY VAN TYRES

The new VanContact A/S Ultra range, available since last December and being expanded this year, clearly demonstrates how Continental is striving for sustainability in tyres for delivery vans, too, yet without one compromise in safety-relevant tyre characteristics. The new model now being produced in four sizes in a diameter of 16 inches can be installed on vehicles frequently used for delivery services and trade businesses, such as the

Hinnerk Kaiser, Head of Product Development Bus and Truck Tyres at Continental.

Mercedes Sprinter, VW Crafter and Fiat Ducato, as well as on smaller vans like the Mercedes V-Class or VW T6. The product range will be significantly expanded this year to include other sizes of 15-, 16- and 17-inch diameter. Expanding urbanisation, the general trend toward electric mobility also in the transport industry, and the increase in inner-city and door-to-door deliveries have significantly changed mobility habits and requirements. Vans are also commuting and traveling longer distances more frequently, entailing stop-and-go driving in cities as well – and all these demands and requirements are reflected in the design of these new Ultra-series tyres. Continental has developed tyres for this purpose that are robust and durable and offer the safety and rolling resistance performance of premium products. To achieve this high level of progress

in tyre properties, Continental engineers have developed a new rubber compound, profile and sidewall. New fillers were added to the rubber compound that reduce rolling resistance – an important factor for low fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emissions. At the same time, the functionalised polymers in this new compound provide for high mileage in both summer and winter use. The “snow traps” – small bars in the tread grooves – are also aimed at winter use, holding the snow in the grooves and thus offering

good friction with the snow on the road. They also stabilise the profile and contribute to precise handling and high mileage. The smart 3D sipe was developed to achieve good grip when driving on snow and on wet roads, a special design that stabilises the tread blocks, thereby providing for short braking distances. In winter operation, this design allows the sipe to open wide when rolling into the ground contact area, thus producing high snow grip via the sipe edges. The combination of profile design and rubber compound

mitigates the conflict of objectives between mileage and rolling resistance as well as wet grip. Vans operated in urban areas can hardly avoid hard tyre contact with roadside curbs. To ensure the sidewall is ruggedly resistant to such tough conditions, the scuff rib was applied around the entire sidewall. Its “brick pattern” protects the sidewall against damage and thus contributes to making the tyre highly robust.

Continental’s engineers have also developed a new, clearly visible tread depth indicator for the new VanContact A/S Ultra. that displays the tyre’s remaining tread depth much better than the small bars in the grooves. Four groups of figures distributed across the tyre circumference on the tread blocks indicate the remaining tread depth between five, four and three millimetres.

DAF TRUCKS SENIOR MANAGEMENT MOVES, PLUS NEW EV DEPARTMENT

DAF Trucks has announced a senior management reshuffle and the introduction of a new, dedicated EV Sales and Service function specifically to support the company’s expanding zero-emissions product and service offering.

Nigel Beckett is appointed UK Parts Sales & Marketing Director following the retirement of Trevor Mitchell. Nigel has scaled the career ladder at DAF Trucks after joining the company in June 2005, fulfilling a number of senior management roles; most recently as Business Planning Director. That position is now filled by Gareth Halliwell who departs his role as Dealer Sales Director – a responsibility he has held

since 2019. Gareth too is a ‘DAF man’ having embarked upon his career with PACCAR Financial (DAF Trucks’ in-house finance division) in 2007 before moving to truck sales in 2012. Gareth is replaced by Adam Russell who becomes UK Dealer Sales Director. Also a long-serving employee at DAF Trucks, Adam joined the market-leader in 2008 gaining a thorough grounding in Parts and Fleet Sales positions

before his most recent role as Business Services Manager.

The transition to Low and Zero emission Vehicles is likely to be the most significant strategic challenge for DAF Trucks, and the wider commercial vehicle industry during the next decade. To meet this challenge, Adam Bennett has been appointed to head-up a new, dedicated EV Sales and Service function based at DAF Trucks’ UK headquarters in Haddenham.

His newly-created position of EV & Sustainability Manager follows his excellent work in supporting the introduction of DAF Trucks’ zero-emissions trucks to the UK market; namely the DAF LF Electric and CF Electric products. Adam has been instrumental in supporting DAF Trucks’ role in the recent Battery Electric Truck Trial now being rolledout by the UK Government. He is also the EV Charger ‘SPOC” (Single Point of Contact) for his colleagues at DAF Trucks in Eindhoven. Adam joined DAF Trucks in 2019 as Parts Regional Sales Manager and he reports to Gareth Halliwell in his new role.

Supporting Adam is newlyappointed Amy Carter, EV Operations Manager, who has been a Technical Trainer for DAF Trucks since 2018, recently specialising in EVs. Amy possesses a wealth of product knowledge and has worked in many roles in the automotive industry; she also boasts Six Sigma certification.

David Price, previously DAF Trucks’ EV expert and Municipal Sales Manager, leaves the company to fulfil an EV sales and support role with home counties DAF Dealer group, HTC.

Adam Bennett and Amy Carter take up roles in DAF Trucks’ newly created EV Sales & Service function.

Adam Russell becomes DAF Trucks’ UK Dealer Sales Director.

Nigel Beckett is appointed UK Parts Sales & Marketing Director.

Gareth Halliwell replaces Nigel Beckett as Business Planning Director.

Keep Er Lit For PIPS Truck Run Raises £55,000

The recent Keep Er Lit For PIPS Truck Run in memory of Stephen Farrell which saw 322 lorries roll into the tiny village of Camlough on the outskirts of Newry, raised over £55,000.

The organisers recently presented a cheque for £55,512.69 to Seamus McCabe and Paudy Heart of the PIPS Hope and Support charity.

“We couldn’t have achieved this unbelievable success without the support of individuals, organisations and businesses, locally and nationwide,” said a spokesman for the organisers. “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the management at S.A.F.E Fuels and committee at Shane O’Neills Camlough for yet again pulling out all the stops in providing

us with two fantastic show grounds.”

He added: “A special mention to Stephen’s family, in particular his brother Brian and son Callum who assisted us immensely throughout the planning stages and on the big day. Thanks also to Seamus McCabe and Padraig Harte at PIPS for your patience and professionalism in dealing with all the admin work and endless queries from ourselves.

“We were also very pleased to present Seamus with a plaque for his outstanding commitment

and dedication to the community and to all who have benefitted from the invaluable services PIPS provide. To the volunteers who assisted us throughout the day, thank you, and to all the individuals, businesses and entertainment providers, we will be forever grateful for your generosity and kindness.”

PIPS Hope & Support say the money was the largest amount raised from one fundraising campaign. It was the third such event over the years, bringing the total amount raised for all three to over £120,000.

The Keep Er Lit Truck Run committee presents largest ever fundraising donation to PIPS in Memory of Stephen Farrell.

David Mullan

Head of Transport Regulation Unit

LICENSING SYSTEM NOW GONE DIGITAL

Back in the March edition we included an article called “Future of licensing applications – Going Digital!” I’m pleased to report that, after an initial amnesty during which the final remnants of paper forms were accepted and processed, the Vehicle Operator Licensing (VOL) System has now “Gone Digital”.

Going forward applications for an operator’s licence, or to make a major variation to an existing licence, must be completed using the VOL self-service system.

This, along with the recently introduced application checker, allows those making an application to see those important things they need to do in order to get their application right first time. This is part of our commitment to continuously develop the VOL system to ensure that it meets the needs the modern day –faster, more accurate processing, cutting down unnecessary extra work for you and for our caseworkers. This gets you on the road and compliant faster. If you don’t currently have access to self-service you can create an account now at www.vehicleoperator-licensing.service.gov.uk

The Self-Service system is also used to apply to add Light Goods Vehicles to your licence. The extension of the licensing requirements from vehicles over 3.5t to include vehicles over 2.5t when used internationally for hire and reward is now well established. With Northern Ireland having the UK’s only land border with the EU there’s a particular need to ensure that you meet the new requirements.

TRACTION ONLY OPERATIONS

In line with our colleagues at the Office of the Traffic Commissioner, the Department for Infrastructure is concerned with multiple cases this year where it has been suggested that some trailer suppliers and operators are avoiding responsibilities to ensure safe operation of trailers on the road.

The lack of adequate arrangements regarding regular and frequent brake testing and regular maintenance has been a prominent failing. The potential impact on our roads is significant and the Department feels the need to issue warnings regarding this type of third-party trailer operation.

For the avoidance of doubt, operators providing traction-only

services to third-party trailers are responsible in law for the condition of that trailer when in use.

Transport managers are also required by law to manage the transport operation continuously and effectively. The operator’s licence requires “satisfactory facilities and arrangements for maintaining the vehicles used under the licence in a fit and serviceable condition”. In that context, “vehicles” includes any trailer (including those from abroad) being drawn. An operator providing tractiononly services must have trailer authority on that licence and must specify an inspection period. The trailer provider is likely to have its own inspection periods, which should be based in part on the age and characteristics of the trailers

and work involved. However, the operator needs to satisfy themselves that it is appropriate. The operator must ensure that any trailer it operates meets the stated frequency for inspection.

If the operator cannot satisfy themselves that a suitable assessment has taken place, then the operator must make their own assessment, as per the declared intervals.

Operators involved in this type of work should refer to the current DVA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness, the link to the brake testing guidance, and may be further assisted by reference to the IRTE publication: Roadworthiness: Industry Best Practice for third party trailer operators, which includes a suggested “Co-operation request letter to trailer owner”.

Responsible suppliers of trailers have already taken the advice to ensure that operators have access to relevant information which indicates the annual test expiry, the date of the last Preventative Maintenance Inspection, for trailers not fitted with electronic brake performance monitoring the date of last roller brake test and to confirm that this was laden, and contact details for reporting of defects. Drivers may also require additional training on conducting an effective walk-around check.

DRIVER POSTING – UPDATE

On 2 February 2022 the EU implemented new rules as part

David Mullan

Head of Transport Regulation Unit

of the EU Mobility Package which apply to operators who move goods from point to point outside of their home state. Effectively, any operators moving goods from place to place within an EU state outside of their state of establishment, or between two other member states, have to make a declaration on an EU web portal, where they must provide information about the drivers they will deploy on those operations. These drivers are considered by the EU to have been ‘posted’. The aim is to ensure that pay and conditions for drivers are equalised across Europe.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and Europe, which established frameworks for commerce and business between the two territories post-Brexit, applies the same requirements to UK operators who wish to operate within the EU.

An article in the March edition of this newsletter provided details

on how the new system works.

At the present time the system is working without effective enforcement in the United Kingdom, as legislation is not yet in place to ensure compliance by both UK and EU operators.

This doesn’t mean, however, that there is no enforcement at all happening across the European Union, as each member state will be taking its own approach towards managing compliance.

It is possible that some countries will place a heavy emphasis on checking that driver posting has been properly carried out, whereas others will not see it as a priority.

Within the United Kingdom, legislation is currently being prepared which will formalise the rules for both home-based and EU haulage companies. Two separate legislative instruments are required, one of which will establish a means by which UK operators who

fail to comply with the posting requirements can be sanctioned, and one which will enable sanctions against EU operators who are similarly failing to comply.

The first of these will re-make the existing legislation around European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) permits, inserting the driver posting requirement into the ECMT regime. All journeys into Europe are required to have either an ECMT permit, or an exemption.

The vast majority of the journeys requiring posting will fall under the existing exemption provisions.

So, the legislation will be amended to say that, where an operator doesn’t carry out the required driver posting, their exemption will be considered null and void, and so they will be operating without a permit and without an exemption. These Regulations will be drafted in the autumn and are currently expected to be laid in early 2023,

The second instrument will have to be made locally, via the Northern Ireland Assembly, as it will change aspects of devolved legislation.

An equivalent set of amending regulations will be made in Great Britain, to cover England, Scotland and Wales, and is likely to come into operation in Spring 2023.

It is important to note that all of this will only apply to those operators who are moving goods from place to place in other EU member states.

This will include the Republic of Ireland. More information will be made available as we move towards the making and laying of the amending legislation.

You can find the published guidance on the following link: New rules for international road haulage in 2022 | Department for Infrastructure (infrastructure-ni.gov.uk)

becoming operative in Spring 2023.

Seamus Leheny Policy Manager - Northern Ireland. Logistics UK

A FUTURE IN LOGISTICS

Time and again, the logistics sector has shown itself to be flexible and resilient, continuing to deliver for the nation despite skills shortages and other economic factors. The number of those employed in logistics occupations in Northern Ireland in 2021 was 34,200, approximately 2.1% of all UK logistics jobs. While these figures remain widely unchanged since 2020, recruitment remained a significant challenge with high numbers of job vacancies.

Logistics is an exciting, dynamic industry with numerous opportunities for career growth. Data shows that it creates more jobs than any other sector in regions of the UK that have been identified by the government as ‘levelling up’ priorities. However, research shows that 90% of the UK has never considered a career in the logistics sector – despite it being one of the nation’s biggest employment areas. Generation Logistics – a new industry-led campaign – is set to change this, by raising awareness of the varied employment opportunities available to all ages, locations and backgrounds.

Generation Logistics launched earlier this month and is already changing perceptions about the sector, highlighting roles from technicians, mechanics, warehouse staff and HGV drivers through to backroom support workers and developers.

Supported by the Department for Transport (DfT), the campaign also aims to change the stigma surrounding the logistics sector (which can be seen as old fashioned or dirty), raise awareness of its importance to the UK economy and allow the public a deeper understanding of how goods reach them. While the greatest proportion (41.8%) of logistics jobs are grouped as low to middleskilled, followed by low-skilled (26.1%), the pandemic highlighted the importance of all roles across industry. A 2022 report – ‘The Impact of Logistics Sites in the UK’ – commissioned by Amazon and produced by Frontier Economics, found that two-thirds (63%) of logistics managers today do not have a university degree.

This further highlights the sector’s importance in powering social mobility; not only does the logistics industry create jobs, but it creates rewarding careers with opportunities to advance.

INFLATIONARY PRESSURES

However, as an industry we must be mindful that we are competing with other sectors for workers, and, combined with inflationary pressures on wages, attracting and retaining staff is very challenging for many NI businesses.

The most recent Labour Market Report for Northern Ireland, published by Northern Ireland statistics and research agency (NISRA) in August 2022, shows another record high for pay rolled employees, while the level of payroll earnings continues to exceed pre-pandemic levels.

The trend of low numbers of redundancies across the economy continues, where the latest 12 months totals for confirmed and proposed redundancies were the lowest since 2000. Measures of total employment (e.g. employment rate and hours worked), unemployment and economic inactivity have not yet returned to their pre-pandemic position. The latest HMRC payroll data showed the highest level of pay rolled employees on record in July was 3.5% above levels recorded in March 2020 pre-COVID and 2.6% higher than July 2021.

The Labour Force NISRA Survey shows a statistically significant decrease in the unemployment rate over the year. When compared to pre-pandemic levels, the total

number of hours worked in April-June 2022 was 4.5% lower, while the employment rate was 2.7 percentage points (pps) below. The economic inactivity rate remains 2.5pps above the prepandemic position and the unemployment rate sits just 0.3pps above the pre-pandemic period. When we compare employment figures for Northern Ireland compared to Great Britain, the NI employment rate (aged 16 to 64) for April-June 2022 of 69.7%is nearly 6% below the overall UK rate (75.5%) - the lowest of the twelve UK regions. No wonder employers are having to fight to recruit every new employee. The number of people employed in NI increased in July by 0.4% in a month and 2.6% in a year to reach a record high of 779,321. The annual increase in employment in July 2022 was driven mainly by the services industry sector (+9,050 jobs) and the manufacturing sector (+2,370 jobs).

MUST WORK HARDER

These figures tell us that businesses in the logistics sector here in Northern Ireland have a smaller pool of workers to recruit from compared to other UK regions, combined with increasing wages and significant demand in staffing in other sectors, businesses must work harder to attract and retain workers. I know from speaking to many of our members of the various recruitment schemes, apprenticeships and upskilling of employees currently being undertaken to counter this challenge and it’s this innovative way of working that will help businesses grow and continue to be able to cater for their client’s needs.

For potential employees out there, they have many options and their own cost of living pressures that will dictate choice. An innovative problem-solving industry, logistics needs to ensure that this dynamic ethos of work is also applied in how it recruits and retains those vital key workers.

Tachograph Offences & No Operator Licence

A Country Armagh operator has been convicted at Newry Magistrates’ Court and fined a total of £1000 after DVA Enforcement Officers stopped a curtain sided rigid goods vehicle near Banbridge.

An inspection of the vehicle was carried out including the tachograph records. It was found that the driver was using a digital tachograph card which did not belong to him.

As the driver had been using the vehicle with a tachograph card of which he was not the named holder, a false record had been created.

The vehicle was also not on a Goods Vehicle Operator Licence.

When driver’s card was downloaded using the department’s analysing equipment it was noted that it had not been downloaded within the timeframe set by regulations, the deadline missed by 34 days.

The operator was fined £250 for no Operator Licence; £250 for five counts of driving whilst failing to use a driver card; £50 for failing to download the driver card within the regulatory timeframe; £50 for failing to take sufficient daily rest; £150 for three counts of failing to take a break after four and a half hours of driving; £50 for recording false data; £50 for the cause or permitting the use of his driver card; £100 for two counts of exceeding the daily driving limit and £50 for causing or permitting the driving of a vehicle were the driver had not completed sufficient CPC training.

Fined £5,000 on Tachograph Charges

A County Armagh operator was convicted at Newry Magistrates’ Court and fined a total of £5,250 on a series of tachograph charges.

The conviction arose when DVA Enforcement Officers stopped a 3axle Scania articulated lorry in combination with a 3 axle trailer on the A1 near Banbridge and discovered the driver was using a driver’s card on which he wasn’t the named holder.

The driver’s card that was used had not been downloaded in 271 days, 243 days outside the 28 day limit. Further analysis of the driver’s own card showed it had not been downloaded in 103 days, 75 days outside the 28 day limit. It was noted that the vehicle was driven without a card in the recording equipment on 5 occasions. The operator was fined £3,750 on five counts of causing or permitting the driving of a vehicle without a driver card being used and £1500 for two counts of failing to download a driver card within the regulatory timeframe.

Career

Missed Tachograph Download Deadlines

A County Tyrone operator has been convicted at Ballymena Magistrates’ Court and fined a total of £1600 after DVA Enforcement Officers stopped a 3 axle Scania heavy goods vehicle in combination with a 3 axle trailer at Larne Harbour.

An analysis of the data taken from the vehicle’s tachograph unit highlighted the vehicle had been driven without a driver’s card inserted in the tachograph unit on 4 occasions. Analysis showed the vehicle’s tachograph unit had not been downloaded within the regulated timeframe of 90 days. The number of days since the previous download of the vehicle’s tachograph unit was 431 calendar days. Therefore, the download deadline had been missed by 341 days. Further analysis showed the driver’s card had not been downloaded within the required regulated timeframe of 28 days. The number of days since the previous download was 496 calendar days, therefore the downloaded deadline had been missed by 468 days.

The vehicle was also not specified on an Operator Licence. The operator was fined £300 for failing to download the driver’s card within the specific time; £300 for failing to download the vehicle unit within the specified time; £500 for having no Operator Licence and £500 for cause/permitting driving whilst failing to use the recording equipment.

Magnet Used to Disrupt Tachograph Recording

A County Tyrone driver was convicted at Ballymena Magistrates’ Court and fined a total of £1450. The conviction arose when DVA Enforcement Officers examined a 3+3 axle Volvo articulated goods vehicle at Larne Harbour. The driver’s tachograph records were examined and it was noted that he had used a magnet to manipulate the tachograph into recording rest whilst the vehicle was being driven. By doing this, he had also disguised the fact that he had failed to take the required minimum daily rest. He was fined £1000 for two counts of installing a device to interfere with the proper operation of the tachograph unit; £300 for two counts of driving whilst failing to use the recording equipment and £150 for failing to take the required daily rest.

THERMO KING UNVEILS BREAKTHROUGH ADVANCER TRAILER REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS

All Thermo King Advancer units are manufactured in the company’s state-of-the art and carbon neutral production line in Galway, Ireland.

“From the outset, Thermo King’s ambition behind Advancer has been to move beyond incremental enhancements and to create trailer refrigeration systems that feature innovation never before seen on the market,” said Colm O’Grady, trailer product leader at Thermo King.

“Our goal has been to develop even more sustainable refrigeration technologies, enable our products to fit alternative power sources, reduce energy consumption to the lowest possible levels, and to use this innovation to reduce the total cost of ownership of our products for our customers. The technology behind the expanded Advancer portfolio makes these goals a reality.”

The three new trailer refrigeration systems, which featured at the recent IAA Transportation 2022

show in Hannover, Germany, expand the market-leading Thermo King Advancer A-Series portfolio, renowned for its performance, temperature control, unrivalled system efficiency and fleet connectivity.

ADVANCER SPECTRUM

The new Advancer Spectrum features a 48V DC mild-hybrid technology now available for temperature configurations of two distinct zones during the same journey, with precise temperature management and set point control. Advancer Spectrum introduces a new level of performance to the multi-temperature trailer Advancer A-Series, fastest temperature recovery and pulldown, and highest refrigeration capacity on the market. Advancer Spectrum delivers up to 30% savings on fuel costs compared to the market average. The units’ architecture also lowers service interval rate of up to 30% and reduces unscheduled

maintenance by up to 60%.

The new, custom-designed remote evaporators bring additional capacity to the remote zone, maximising the flexibility and efficiency of customers’ operations. Combined with the all-new Advancer multitemp controller, customers are able to precisely manage the temperature while gaining realtime insight into how the unit is running, how the temperature zones are performing and how much fuel the unit is using.

Advancer Spectrum is the first multi-temperature trailer unit on the market offering complete transparency of fuel levels and consumption. Customers can access the fuel consumption and other data both on the unit and remotely via telematics, enabling them to optimise their fleet more innovatively. Fleet intelligence is standard, as Advancer Spectrum comes included with 2 years of full, two-way

telematics connectivity service. The Advancer Spectrum’s unrivalled system efficiency significantly lowers customers’ CO2 footprint with engine emissions substantially lower than the maximum allowed by latest NRMM Stage V emission standards. The Whisper Pro version offers sound levels meeting the PIEK enforced standards, thus complying with the most stringent noise-regulations for quiet, innercity deliveries at any time of day and night. Advancer Spectrum units are also compatible with alternative power source solutions like the AxlePower or Envirodrive.

ADVANCER AXLEPOWER

Advancer AxlePower’s smart energy generating system delivers the power needed to run the trailer refrigeration unit by converting energy recovered by the trailer’s axle during the vehicle’s routine operation. Developed in partnership with BPW, a leader in running gears and mobility services for transport, the Advancer AxlePower is a fully integrated, tractor independent system that combines BPW’s ePower axle with Thermo King refrigeration unit and battery storage technology.

Thermo King has unveiled three new breakthrough models of the Advancer trailer refrigeration solutions: the multi-temperature Advancer Spectrum, the Advancer AxlePower energy recovery system and the electric, engineless Advancer-e.

range.

The system stores the energy generated while the vehicle is rolling or braking in a high voltage battery and reuses it to power the refrigeration unit – enabling fully electric, low or zero-emission and autonomous trailer refrigeration. The battery pack, depending on the configuration, provides an average of five hours of refrigeration unit autonomy to cover stationary operations. Featuring smart power management that controls the engagement and disengagement of the generators, Advancer AxlePower also minimises the resistance on the tractor and provides the driver and fleet manager with real-

time performance visibility to avoid ‘charge anxiety’.

The possibility to capture and reuse energy makes the Advancer AxlePower system an ideal solution to future-proof and increase the sustainability of all types of trailer journeys.

With silent running and no CO2 emissions from the refrigeration unit when operating from the battery-pack, this technology allows customers to sustainably run long-haul and inner-city deliveries, including in Ultralow Emission Zones (ULEZs) and low noise urban areas.

ADVANCER-E

Designed to accelerate the

realization of carbon neutral trailer fleets, the Thermo King Advancer-e incorporates an engineless and electric architecture with all the features that make the Advancer A-Series the most efficient trailer refrigeration systems in the market. Advancer-e is poweragnostic and compatible with all major engine-alternative power sources including the Advancer AxlePower, Frigoblock’s Envirodrive alternator and inverter technology, Thermo King’s battery Energy Pack, and shore-power when stationed at the depot.

With its fully electric architecture, one Advancer-e unit can reduce a trailer fleet’s

carbon footprint by up to 10 tonnes of CO2 per year. Advancer-e is compatible with any tractor for inner-city deliveries or for long-haul assignments when combined with the right power technology solution available from Thermo King. The flexibility of the Advancer-e enables transport companies to be more than a step ahead of changing lowemission legislation. Combined with the same A-Series controller and intuitive telematics, the Advancer-e delivers sustainability advantages and temperature control efficiency - top strategic priorities for many transport companies making the move toward full electrification.

Advancer AxlePower.

Ken Davis

THE END OF DIESELWILL IT AFFECT THE AVERAGE HAULIER?

Despite the other news stories at present, we can all see that climate change is a real issue. Some people believe that it is not man made, but I’ll work on the basis that they are too busy on the internet in their secure bunker to read this article.

So, what do I mean by the end of diesel? Well, in simple terms, the UK government have committed to phasing out the sale of new diesel powered trucks by 2040 at the latest. Note those last three words, we’ll come back to them later. But something will have to happen, given that, according to the DfT, following the closure of most of the coal-fired generating stations, transport is now the biggest sector for carbon emissions in the UK at 24%. Of this lorries are responsible for 16% of this total, despite comprising less than 2% of the total UK vehicle fleet.

Surely that means an alternative fuel has been identified? Well, actually no. The SMMT on behalf of vehicle manufacturers have stated that 2040 is too soon. And bear in mind that in 2020, 98.6% of the UK HGV fleet was diesel powered. So the alternatives are limited at this time.

So where are we with alternative fuels to diesel? Well, how long have you got? There are a host of choices, including biodiesel, propane, natural gas, ethanol, hydrogen and electricity.

From an operational perspective, any alternative fuel needs to have similar properties to diesel,

in that it needs to be readily available, reasonably accessible, energy dense, simple to handle by the vehicle operator and not to require excessive vehicle downtime when refuelling.

The big hope going forward is electric power. The problem with electricity is providing the power in the vehicle. One option is battery power, but currently the batteries required to power an HGV would weigh several tonnes, taking up payload (both weight and cube), and take time to recharge. Solutions to this problem include a trial in Germany of overhead electric catenary for road vehicles. Hmm. Battery technology is advancing rapidly, but it’s hard to see them becoming light enough.

HOLY GRAIL IS GREEN HYDROGEN

The “Holy Grail” to provide power is hydrogen, generating electrical power via a fuel cell. Don’t worry, I failed my O-level chemistry, so this won’t be a science lecture. But as I understand it, the hydrogen generates electricity in a fuel cell and the only by-products are water and heat. Even better, hydrogen is almost 3 times as energy dense as diesel, and is the most

abundant element on the planet. Unfortunately, the difficulty is getting hold of the stuff, as most of it is combined with oxygen in water. Much of the hydrogen used in the various experimental fleets at present is produced chemically by a process known as steam reforming which generates CO2, which rather defeats the object. This is known as grey hydrogen. Produced by electrolysis, the problem historically has been finding cheap enough electricity to justify the inherent inefficiency of using that electricity to produce hydrogen that is then converted back to electricity in the fuel cell. And that’s where renewable power comes in. The UK is already in the position that some electricity generated by wind power cannot be used at the time of generation, so the advocates of hydrogen are proposing that this is the perfect way of using this “surplus” electricity. Of course there are other options; the UK has had pumped storage schemes for decades, whereby off-peak electricity is used to pump water “uphill” into reservoirs, whence it can be released downhill to generate power when we all

switch our kettles on at half time during the World Cup final.

There is even a scheme in the USA to use off-peak power to haul old rail freight wagons uphill, and release them to generate electricity when required. It must look a bit like the wacky races.

That’s all well and good, but as per the title of this article, how does it affect me, if I’m the “average” operator with a fleet size of 5.2 vehicles (DfT, 2020)?

The point is, nobody knows. There are many geo-political reasons why governments want to remove power from the existing producers of hydrocarbons, countries such as Russia.

The technology is just an enabler, but the change will happen for climate and political reasons. Don’t forget that the majority of the price of fuel is tax (VED), so it is quite possible that the wholesale introduction of new technology will be accompanied by road charging instead of fuel duty.

So, once those in power have decided that the technology is sufficient to make the change, it will happen rapidly. This might mean that 2040 gets bought forward considerably. With the average UK truck being 7.8 years old, (DfT 2020), the next purchase is probably going to be diesel powered, but fuelling the one after that? Watch this space.

FORS Transport Planner helps fleets achieve greater efficiency

FORS, the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme, has partnered with transport optimisation specialists, The Algorithm People (TAP), to bring FORS Transport Planner to accredited operators as part of its Affinity Partner programme expansion.

While fleets are experiencing spiralling costs across all areas of their business, FORS Transport Planner can help. Utilising the very latest in optimisation technology, the algorithms compute the best combination of jobs, assets such as available drivers and vehicles, and routes to give the most efficient results. The outcome is fewer vehicles, running fewer miles for the same amount of work, saving time and fuel and lessening emissions.

FORS Transport Planner works with fleets across different sectors and industries, it also works with petrol, diesel and electric vehicles, or a mixed fleet. The software will automatically consider vehicle payload, variable routes and other necessary information and can also factor in range and charging for electric vehicles.

CEO of TAP, the company behind FORS Transport Planner, Colin Ferguson, said: “My background is in transport operations, so the system was built with that experience front of mind. Our aim is to help operators of all sizes, many of whom don’t have access to this kind of

technology or are currently relying on manual route planning or fixed route sequencing.

With only 10 per cent of fleets optimising their transport planning, we believe FORS Transport Planner can help level the playing field, we regularly see customers reporting savings and efficiencies of up to 30 per cent.”

He continued: “Our business model is based on three pillars – decarbonisation, optimisation and innovation. Helping operators reduce costs, improve their profitability, and begin their decarbonisation journey through better optimisation is essential for any business. Our evidence-based analysis and firsthand knowledge of transport infrastructure means we can also advise on how fleets can best transition to electric and other low emission vehicles, ensuring they continue to decarbonise their fleets in the way that most makes sense for their unique business.”

FORS Concession Director, Ian Henderson, commented: “FORS Transport Planner absolutely reflects the ethos of the FORS programme.

Helping our accredited operators find ways to work smarter and greener is to the benefit of all. The FORS Transport Planner team have extensive industry experience, as well as fleet and electric vehicle expertise and I’d encourage all operators to start a conversation about decarbonisation and see what savings and benefits can be gained.”

FORS Transport Planner does not require lengthy installation or consultancy with large upfront costs, relying on an easy-to-use interface for fleet managers to input data, and providing onboarding teams, a technical helpdesk and online user guides. There are a number of flexible payment options, enabling customers to choose the contract length or even work on a pay as you go basis. Quick access to the system means operators can start seeing the benefits from the very first day of operation.

Moffett Automated Storage opens new Monaghan Head Office

The rapid global expansion of Monaghan warehousing innovators Moffett Automated Storage has led to 30 specialist roles at the company’s recently completed new head office facility in Monaghan.

Thanks to a growing client list now spanning 10 countries, the company plans to bring its automated warehouse hardware to even more customers. Their pacesetting pallet storage and retrieval system is controlled by proprietary software also developed in-house by the Moffett team.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar congratulated Moffett Automated Storage for their investment. “The company really is going from strength to strength, and I know that is thanks in a big way to its commitment to constantly innovate and look at how to do things better. The team and the talent in the business is obviously a major part of its success too. I look forward to seeing what’s next. The very best of luck to the entire team.”

The business is the brainchild of Sam Moffett and has achieved its success in just five years from launch. Sam is the son of renowned engineer Robert Moffett, who founded the international Irish-headquartered forklift brand Combilift.

Moffett Automated Storage MD Sam explained that his business has gained a global reputation very quickly thanks to its proprietary approach to a growing problem

for warehousing: “Along with the system to move, track and organise pallets, we developed software to help solve many of the problems faced by companies who have a need to store and access palletised stock fast.

“The system, by design, delivers superb density of storage, savings on energy, labour cost reductions plus significant benefits around the safety of operatives and stock.

With the need for storage and logistics services on the rise and limited warehousing space available, companies need a new solution and we’ve been excited to help our customers deal with this challenge.”

Specialist Team

Sam added that he is “very

confident about the future” as his company has “used a growth mindset from day one” and he paid tribute to his specialist team: “The success of the business during the past five years has given me confidence to invest in the growth of Moffett Automated Storage. A huge factor of our success has been the work of an expert team supporting projects around the world using skilled, specialist know-how.”

Moffett Automated Storage typically has over 8-12 live projects in four different countries around the world, each ranging from storage of 5,000 pallets to 15,000 pallets. The system has no limitations on height of the warehouse allowing company

use their footprint to the maximum.

All Moffett Automated Storage solutions are linked to warehouse management software allowing organisation of pallets to be automated.

Items for dispatch are waiting by the door exactly when they’re needed, meaning a substantial efficiency upgrade for clients.

Commented Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys: “The development of these offices in Monaghan which will in turn lead to the creation of up to 30 new jobs is testament to the innovation and expertise of Sam and his team at Moffett Automated Storage. With a long history of innovation within the Moffett family this is another significant venture that will create jobs in Monaghan and surrounding areas.

“As part of Our Rural Future, I want to see homegrown businesses creating jobs locally in rural Ireland. I am delighted that my Department through the LEADER Programme has supported the upgrading of the company facilities to now house a spacious comfortable working environment for current and future staff of Moffett Automated Storage.”

Tom Kelly of Enterprise Ireland said: “The company is one of our High Potential Start-Ups, which means that from its earliest days Enterprise Ireland saw the global potential of the business idea backed Sam and his team with a range of supports. We look forward to working with Sam and his expanded team in the future to support Moffett Automated Storage ambitions plans to compete and win in global markets.”

Northern Ireland exporters up, but revenues down

According to the latest UK Exporter Monitor by Coriolis Technologies and The Institute of Export & International Trade (IOE&IT), Northern Ireland exporter numbers increased more than any UK nation in the past month. However, these same exporters fared worse than their counterparts in other UK nations over July with revenues dropping by nearly 7% and employment by 4%.

Over the last year, according to the rate of change, NI’s exporters have suffered less than exporters in other nations. Although NI exporter activity has faltered from June to July particularly in revenue and employment, over the course of the year their overall momentum has outperformed all other UK nations in both number of exporters and employment. This suggests that despite the current headwinds from supply chain shortages and uncertainties around the NI protocol, they remain more resilient.

The total number of UK businesses exporting increased by 1% but revenues decreased by 2%. Total exporter revenues across the UK fell by another 2% since last month, an overall loss of £58.46m. Northern Ireland’s revenues fell by 7% (£3.5m), followed by a loss of 4% in

Wales (£1.6m), a decrease of 2% in Scotland (£4.2m), and a loss of 1% in England (£49m).

As outlined in the Q2 UK Exporter Monitor, this activity sits against a backdrop of lower overall volumes of exports. An increase in the cost of imports against a decline in volumes is putting pressure on what consumers have to pay and adding to the cost living crisis.

Institute of Export & International Trade Director General, Marco Forgione said: “Our latest Exporter Monitor suggests that Northern Ireland’s businesses are remaining resilient in the face of adversity, as exporter numbers continue rise. However, the decline in revenue is concerning.

Our members are reporting that because of the global logistics problems it is more difficult to diversify their supply chains, something we are

addressing through education and training.

“In partnership with SERC we recently opened an office in Bangor, Northern Ireland, and are already actively helping NI Businesses to grow their international trade.”

Coriolis Technologies

Chief Executive, Dr Rebecca Harding said: “UK exporters continue to face difficult conditions. Within this we are seeing regional variations and despite facing additional uncertainties around the NI Protocol over the past twelve months Northern Ireland’s exporters have suffered less than their UK counterparts.

“Challenges remain for all exporters and as a result we expect future Exporter Monitors to show a further decrease in the number of UK exporters.”

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar at the opening of the New Moffett Automated Storage Head Office Facility.

Brigade Electronics launches new artificial intelligent vehicle safety system

Brigade Electronics– has launched a new artificial intelligent vehicle safety system to the UK market.

CarEYE Safety Angle Turning

Assistant from EYYES GmbH has been offered by Brigade GmbH in Germany for more than a year and was trialled by its long-standing partner, Geier & Söhne Transportgesellschaft mbH in the country. Geier & Söhne Transportgesellschaft mbH fitted the device, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to detect pedestrians, cyclists and objects, to one of its Mercedes Actros vehicles.

The system’s AI is set up to accurately evaluate the images from cameras fitted to the vehicle and is able to calculate the future course of motion of nearby people or objects. Based on this data, the system reliably and accurately warns the driver in real time of a possible collision before it occurs.

Warnings are issued either actively with an audible and visual red alert if a person or object is at risk of being hit, or passively with a visual yellow alert if, for example, a person or object is moving away from the danger zone – dramatically reducing false alerts.

CarEYE has also been rated as a clear winner in the ADAC performance tests demonstrating its optimum performance and outranking other similar vehicle safety devices on the market. ADAC cited CarEYE’s reliability for reducing false alerts significantly, the visual feedback for drivers being clear and easy to understand, and its quick reaction times for detecting people and objects for its top place position.

Emily Hardy, Marketing Manager of Brigade Electronics UK, said: “The accuracy of CarEYE’s AI makes false alerts extremely rare and provides the driver with absolute peace of mind that they can manoeuvre their vehicle with the utmost safety. The system is able to differentiate between cars, trucks, people, bicycles and static objects, such as trees or bollards. Movement and the expected direction is then calculated, making the system extremely reliable.”

Emily added: “There were 141 cyclists killed and 4,215 seriously injured due to road traffic collisions in 2020. One in three of these accidents could have been prevented with a sideguard assistant, such as CarEYE. This makes such technology crucial in enhancing safety for every road user and helping to save lives.”

Brigade’s Sidescan®Predict is the next generation of side-detection sensor system, designed for collision avoidance between vehicles, objects and vulnerable road users.

Utilising ultrasonic technology, this intelligent system predicts if a collision is likely to occur and alerts the driver by a visual and/or audible warning, depending on the severity of the calculation.

Sidescan®Predict

DIAMOND TRUCKS: PLAYING THEIR PART AT YOUR SERVICE

In today’s challenging operating environment in the transport & logistics industry, no one can afford the potential for costly downtime due to unexpected breakdowns. Keeping the supply chain moving is more essential than ever, with so many businesses dependent on a reliable service that delivers time after time and on schedule.

It has been said that buying a truck, trailer or van represents only 25% of the deal, three quarters of the deal is commercial vehicle parts and service. The reality is: if you don’t have that you have nothing – and it is only when things go wrong that you realise the truth of those words. That’s why at Renault Trucks Newtownabbey based dealers Diamond Trucks they work as a closely knit team to keep their customers’ vehicles on the road and running smoothly.

With eight service bays and a full length MOT test lane, Diamond Trucks can call on a team of 13 highly qualified technicians, offering prompt

turn-around times so operators’ trucks are not off the road for any longer than necessary.

So what makes a good service department?

Comments Aftersales Director David Watts:

“It’s knowing your customers and their specific requirements and striving to meet those demands in the most efficient manner.

“Fortunately, we have built up a great working relationship with all our customers over the years, and we have a well bonded team in the service and parts departments, all of whom are very well acquainted with the Renault range.

“The fact that many of our staff have been with us for many years also means customers can benefit from that continuity and get to know the team on a personal basis, as indeed our technicians and parts counter staff also

Arlene McKeag, James Jordan, Alan McCullough and Paul Lamont of the Diamond Trucks Service Department.

Robert Buckley, Matthew Porter, Andrew Conleyand Paul Addis of the Diamond Trucks Parts Department.

come to appreciate the individual requirements of the customer, all of which contribute to the smooth running of our service.”

At Diamond Trucks depot, the service department consists of a Service Reception which has a dedicated driver waiting area and tea/coffee making facilities as well as the fully equipped and manned workshop itself where the technicians offer both responsive and effective servicing and repairs.

“Our dedicated technicians are trained to the highest standard by Renault Trucks with quality of service, efficiency and professionalism in mind. They have the skills, experience and know-how to ensure a level of service, a quality of service and a delivery of service that is second to none,” says David.

ORIGINAL PARTS

The parts department, which is headed up by the recently promoted manager Paul Addis, houses all component parts required to carry out effective and prompt servicing, repairs and maintenance, with only Original Equipment Approved Renault Truck Parts being used.

All Renault Trucks Genuine parts fitted by Diamond Trucks carry a 24 month warranty Availability is rarely an issue, as Diamond Trucks achieve a 93% first time pick for parts – and if a particular part is not readily

available over the counter, then it can be ordered up for collection or delivery next day.

ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

That you are in good hands at Diamond Trucks is underscored by the fact they provide a 24/7 breakdown service, with two fully equipped service vans on the road and a network of service partners, offering an average response time across Northern Ireland of just an hour. If the vehicle cannot be repaired at the roadside, it will be taken to the nearest service partner.

Outside of Northern Ireland, Renault Trucks 24/7 assistance takes over; it offers a Europe wide service, and adds David: “Thankfully, the Renault Trucks range has proven to be very reliable meaning customers’ downtime is kept at a minimum.”

Scott

Conley, Matthew Herron and Ben Ferguson the Diamond Trucks Apprentice’s currently in training at their Mallusk Depot.

Paul Addis, Parts Manager.

Andrew Conley, Apprentice Parts Technician.

I.T. INVESTMENT STRENGTHENS SDC TRUCK & TRAILER PARTS SAME-DAY DELIVERY SERVICE

Leading supplier of Aftermarket Parts, SDC Truck & Trailer Parts has introduced a new state-of-the-art I.T. system to strengthen their same-day delivery services to customers in the transport and logistics industries.

The live inventory management and order processing technology will further optimise supply chains across their Ireland and UK network, ensuring key parts are always available, while impress stock customers will also benefit from a new streamlined ordering system.

SDC Truck & Trailer Parts offer the largest parts network in Ireland, fulfilling an average of 200 deliveries daily, with 95% of these orders on a same-day delivery service. For over 21 years, the company has demonstrated integrity and longevity in regard to the supply of high-quality parts and their recent announcement reflects

their continued commitment to providing the highest level of service to its customers.

Director, Gavin Diamond, revealed the investment was part of a wider growth strategy that will allow them to scale up operations in Ireland and the UK.

“SDC Truck & Trailer Parts has achieved remarkable growth and our latest I.T. investment will allow us to further expand our regional teams to meet market demand with more operational flexibility. We have great pride in what we have built over 21 years and our loyal customer base who have

worked alongside us. With this in mind, we will always look at ways to enhance our operations and ultimately help our customers.

Our management and warehousing team worked closely over the last six months to carefully introduce the technology alongside our existing operations, allowing us to streamline order processing and delivery times with a specific and renewed focus on customer service. The feedback from our impress stock customers has been incredibly positive, so we want more customers to reap the benefits, particularly at a time when cost and efficiency savings are key.” SDC Truck & Trailer Parts has established an in-depth understanding of their customers’ needs, working with the industry’s leading Commercial Vehicle suppliers to provide high quality aftermarket parts. There are currently over 16,000 Truck & Trailer parts for customers to choose from within the portfolio, including axles, suspensions, ABS, air brakes, electrical components, landing legs, body, general parts, and consumables.

NO MATTER WHAT YOUR REQUEST IS, YOU CAN BE REST ASSURED THAT SDC TRUCK & TRAILER PARTS HAVE GOT YOU COVERED.

SDC

NEW LOCATIONS

The company recently opened two new locations in Glasgow and Newbridge, Co. Kildare, making in-store purchasing more convenient and enhancing service to customers in the regions. A 30,000sq ft warehouse in Toomebridge acts as their central distribution hub, storing over 700 pallets and supporting regional depots in Belfast, Omagh, Lurgan, Newry, Newbridge, Dublin, New Ross, and Cork.

In May of this year, SDC Truck & Trailer Parts moved their UK hub to a larger distribution warehouse in Warrington, with daily dispatches to branches in Warrington, Haydock, and Glasgow depots, and plans already underway to open a new facility in Doncaster this Autumn. Each location is fully kitted with the latest order processing systems, which play a critical role in supporting both new and existing customers with accurate parts identification and rapid response times.

In addition to twelve branch locations, SDC Truck & Trailer Parts have an extensive fleet of over 50 delivery vehicles providing a same-day or next-day delivery service that many customers rely upon in the case of unplanned downtime.

Gavin said: “Our three core values will always be Price, Service and Quality. As a member of the SDC Trailers group, SDC Truck & Trailer

Parts leverages its high-volume purchasing power, to provide consistently competitive pricing, where other providers cannot.

“Every customer is assigned an account manager who is their point of contact should they require assistance and we maintain a surplus of products in stock at each branch, ensuring minimum waiting time for customers. No matter what

accepting new applications to their Franchise programme. The programme provides established CV Parts individuals with the opportunity to form a distribution partnership, while availing of SDC’s well-established product portfolio and resource.

Gavin added: “SDC Truck & Trailer Parts

Franchise programme is a great opportunity for individuals who are working in the CV industry, to pair the strong resource that SDC has to offer with their local market knowledge. Over the last 21 years we have formed strong industry relationships and a leading reputation for quality parts, so we are well placed to expand our network, I am confident that with the right industry partners, SDC Truck & Trailer Parts will continue to strengthen our position in the market.”

your request is, you can be rest assured that SDC Truck & Trailer Parts have got you covered.”

The company employ over 80 staff and created a number of new positions at their Newbridge and Glasgow branches, with staff undertaking product training across their Parts range.

As they move to strengthen regional operations across England, SDC Truck & Trailer Parts is

Franchise locations are dependent on market demand and prospective partners who can strengthen SDC Truck & Trailer Parts position in the market. Details on how to apply can be found at www.sdctrailers.com/parts

Adrian McGuckin, David Cassidy, Lee Caskey, Gavin Diamond (Parts Director), John Quinn, John Mulvenna and Scott Cowie from the SDC Truck & Trailer Parts team.

DAIMLER TRUCK FINANCIAL SERVICES UK PLEDGES TO LEAD ON ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLE FUNDING SOLUTIONS

UK customers for Mercedes-Benz and FUSO trucks, and Mercedes-Benz buses and coaches, can now call on the support of a fully dedicated financial solutions partner, following the launch of Daimler Truck Financial Services UK.

By developing intelligent and sustainable solutions, the new business is set to play a key role in driving the take-up of alternatively-fuelled vehicles.

Dedication ensures that Daimler Truck Financial Services’ extensive range of purchase and leasing products, as well as the insurance packages it will be introducing next year in the UK, can all be perfectly tailored to meet the needs of commercial and passengercarrying vehicle operators.

Daimler Truck Financial Services is a fully integrated part of the world’s biggest truck and bus manufacturer, Daimler Truck AG. Prior to the UK launch, Daimler Truck Financial Services was already doing business in 11 markets on six continents. Further expansion is planned this year in Turkey and Spain, and thereafter in Germany and France. With a global contract volume of 18 billion Euro, it is the road transport industry’s largest captive financial services company.

Stephan Unger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck AG for Financial Services and CEO of Daimler Truck Financial Services, said: “We are very happy to welcome our new colleagues in the UK, which is an important market for us and plays a key role in our global strategy. All over the world we see growth opportunities

for new finance products and service solutions to support the transfer to e-transportation or in connectivity services.”

The launch follows the spin-off of Daimler Truck from its former parent company Daimler AG in December 2021, marking the dawn of a new era of entrepreneurial independence for the truck and bus business.

Operators of trucks, buses and coaches bearing the three-pointed star, and light trucks with the FUSO three diamonds badge, were previously served in the UK by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, which continues to fund passenger cars and vans. Their agreements have now been transferred seamlessly to Daimler Truck Financial Services on exactly the same terms as before.

The DTFS team in the UK is led by Managing Director Nick Andrews and shares its headquarters in Milton Keynes with MercedesBenz Trucks UK. Customers for new and used vehicles are being welcomed aboard by their own, personal Finance Specialists.

EXCITING TIMES

“This is a tremendously exciting time to be launching our new business, not least because of the alternative fuels revolution now underway,” declared Nick Andrews. “UK operators can

already choose battery-electric rigid trucks such as the FUSO eCanter and Mercedes-Benz eActros.

“Other vehicles that produce zero tailpipe emissions such as the lowentry eEconic and the eCitarocitybus are just around the corner, while customer testing of the eActros LongHaul tractor unit begins next year, and the first hydrogen fuel cell-powered Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Trucks will be on UK roads by the end of the decade.

“Transformative products like these require new and innovative approaches to the business of funding their acquisition and operation. We will support our customers on their journeys to a more sustainable, environmentallyfriendly future, by offering leasing, financing and insurance products tailored to these new technologies.” Nick said DTFS was fully-focused on serving B2B customers and had adopted a streamlined structure that would allow rapid responses to changing market needs.

EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

DTFS UK has acquired existing truck and bus business from MBFS. “This is just the beginning, though, as our strategy is designed to deliver an integrated and sustainable solution for truck and bus operators across the UK,” he affirmed. “Like our colleagues at Mercedes-Benz

Trucks UK and EvoBus UK, and those in their respective Dealer networks, we already have vast experience and expertise in the commercial vehicle sector.

“We’re committed to building lasting partnerships based on trust with customers, whether they be an owner-driver with a single vehicle or the CEO of a ‘blue chip’ fleet operator. And we’ll do that by providing flexible and customercentric financing, leasing and insurance solutions and services with predictable costs over the entire lifecycle of a vehicle.”

He added: “Our customers know their businesses best. Our role is to tailor-make acquisition, insurance and other products that enable them to achieve their own financial and operational goals.”

Heiko Selzam, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK, commented: “The launch of Daimler Truck Financial Services UK comes at precisely the right time, as we transition to zeroemission trucks and prove ourselves as an independent, modern, collaborative company with ambitious growth targets and a clear focus on customer satisfaction.

“I am excited that we are now fully integrated, offering our customers everything they need under one roof, while being united as one team, with one focus. We put truck operators first, by offering them not only the best trucks in the world, but also the best services and the best way to fund them.”

Managing

Managing Director Nick Andrews outlined the new company’s plans to support operators in Britain and Northern Ireland.

Uganda,

provided advice, cab sanitisation materials and PPE

keep HGV drivers

and build community

logistics sector.

Zambia

expanded

Malaria at Scale programme

MAMaZ

reduce

rural communities

themselves, installing hand wash stations,

PPE for health workers, and raising awareness

radio adverts, posters and talks.

whilst ensuring our life-saving bicycle ambulance service for patients with severe malaria

running.

TTS Approved to Deliver Trailer Maintenance & Repair Apprenticeship

Transport Training Board, based at Nutts Corner, Crumlin, is now approved to deliver Heavy Vehicle Trailer Maintenance and Repair as a level 2 apprenticeship.

TTS is the first to offer this brand-new apprenticeship within Northern Ireland. It’s designed to help address the skills shortage which has been identified across the sector.

Apprenticeships are open to all 16 – 24-year olds including new entrants and existing employees.

“Our apprenticeship is delivered on a block-release basis where your apprentice

will attend our specialist training centre one week in every eight.

Apprentices will normally be fully qualified to Level 2 in two years and may be entitled to go on to study Level 3 for a further year depending on their circumstances at that time,” says TTS’s Stephen Wilkinson. “Grants are available upon successful completion

of the apprenticeship. If you are interested in partnering with us for the delivery of this brand-new apprenticeship or if you would like more information, please get in touch as we’ll be happy to discuss the nature of the apprenticeship and its contents.”

Stephen can be contacted by email at stephenw@transporttraining.org

Transport Regulation Unit officials visit McCulla Ireland’s depot in Lisburn

McCulla Ireland Ltd in conjunction with the RHA recently hosted an awareness visit for the Department for Infrastructure’s Transport Regulation Unit at their depot in Lisburn.

The purpose of the visit was to provide the officials with an insight and greater understanding on the “end to end” processes and requirements in managing a international logistics service in 2022.

The Transport Regulation Unit’s team including David Mullan, Sergio De la Puente and Richard Lee were given a comprehensive tour and insight into all aspects of the business including compliance management, in house maintenance facilities, customer service, customs, traffic management and business sustainability with the use of biomethane generation in their own bio-digestor located on site. The officials witnessed the various systems and procedures in action for managing the fleet where vehicles are fitted with trackers, on board remote data downloaders and on-board camera systems that provide instant real time access to vehicle location for load and route

planning, data of driver’s hours and rest period management for compliance management and camera footage that can be used to provide evidence of any alleged road traffic collisions. These systems and data ensure maximum fleet utilisation efficiency and provide a compliant, safe and secure service to its customer

base, its drivers and the business.

The officials also witnessed the cold store and cross dock facility where loads including foodstuffs are brought in from various suppliers in GB, the EU and rest of world which are then loaded onto the fleet of local delivery vehicles for distribution across the region. This aspect of the tour highlighted

the importance of reliable and timely supply of product from GB to NI where ferry capacity availability and deadlines are critical. Any delays with ferry sailings or delays due to checks by officials at ports on products or paperwork has the potential to significantly impact the business’s ability for onward deliveries of goods for the local market and affects short shelf life goods, ingredients for food manufacturing/processing or food for the hospitality, catering or care sectors.

The feedback from both McCulla’s and the Department’s officials was extremely positive and will hopefully lead to a better understanding of the various roles that both the Department plays in ensuring the sector is effectively and proportionately regulated and business plays in keeping the economy supplied with the goods it needs in a timely and compliant manner.

Belfast Harbour Welcomes Planning Approval for New Logistics Hub

Belfast Harbour has welcomed Belfast City Council’s decision to grant planning permission for a new high quality logistics warehouse facility located at Westbank Road on the Harbour Estate.

With sustainability at its core, the development of the new 50,000 sq ft warehouse represents an investment of £9m and will include provision of high efficiency chilled and ambient warehouse space with 17 loading docks, over 40 HGV parking spaces, and parking provision for both cars and bicycles. The site on Westbank Road is in close proximity to the Port’s RoRo ferry terminals, providing unrivalled operational efficiencies for the occupier for freight travelling to and from GB and further afield.

The high-quality specification and occupier-led design of this new facility will allow for flexible use of the space, as well as energy and cost-efficient operations for users with the

development being constructed to a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating. With the volume of RoRo traffic moving through Belfast at an alltime high, the recent investments made by the Port in terminal infrastructure and Stena Line’s

addition of new ships serving NI to GB routes, makes Belfast Harbour a compelling location for logistics operators. Opportunities exist for the development of further warehousing capacity in this location for operators seeking

Tesco Rolls Out First 18 Tonne 100% Electric Truck

Tesco is rolling out its first 18 tonne 100% electric truck, a Renault Trucks E-Tech D Wide with Solomon Commercials refrigeration body.

The new zero-emission refrigerated electric truck is now delivering from Tesco’s Dagenham distribution centre to more than 400 stores in Greater London, with further electric vehicles planned to enter service in the coming months.

Fully electric, the E-Tech D Wide is eligible to operate in the capital’s Ultra Low Emission Zone and Congestion Charge Zone without incurring charges, while its zero tailpipe emissions in use and low traffic noise make it ideal for Tesco’s urban deliveries.

Tesco’s E-Tech D Wide vehicle features Carrier TRS Syberia 11 refrigeration equipment with power converter and is powered directly from the vehicle batteries via Renault Trucks’ 600v TVJB Fridge power supply unit. The vehicle has multi temperature zones, allowing the truck to move stock with differing temperature needs.

Jason Tarry, Tesco UK and ROI CEO said: “We all want to see improved air quality and less pollution in our towns and cities, and electric vehicles will play a crucial role in achieving this. The Tesco distribution network is one of the largest in the UK and provides us with a great opportunity to roll out new technologies like this industry-leading E-Tech

electric truck from Renault Trucks.

Together with our switch to electric home delivery vans and rolling out electric vehicle charging points for our customers, we’re really excited about the improvements we’re making across our business and our transition to electric vehicles.”

Carlos Rodrigues, Managing Director, Renault Trucks UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted that Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, has chosen to partner with Renault Trucks on its journey to net zero and selected the E-Tech D-Wide for its first fully electric model to move refrigerated goods more quietly and with zero emissions across the Greater London area.”

Tesco’s first Renault Trucks E-Tech D Wide E-Tech 18 + 1 tonne dispensation on a 4.75m wheelbase with Day Cab is equipped with Solomon Commercials refrigerated body, 6.4m external length with rear shutter door and 1500kg column tail lift, built to Tesco specification.

Powered by 265kWh, 600 V lithiumion batteries (four battery packs of 66 kW each, located in the wheelbase) the

to leverage the competitive advantage of the location.

Michael Robinson, Port Director at Belfast Harbour said: “We are really pleased to see the new logistics warehouse receive planning permission as we believe the development will further cement Belfast Harbour’s place as NI’s key shipping and logistics hub.

“The decision to proceed with this project at the heart of the Port was driven by both an increase in customer demand, and the desire from logistics and supply chain businesses to improve connectivity and increase sustainability through reduced mileage. The warehouse will not only provide much needed new capacity in the sector but will also create jobs locally and support Belfast Harbour’s position as a world leading regional port and key economic hub for the region.”

The central location within Belfast Harbour, flexible leases and the connectivity of the location are key attractions and by putting sustainability to the fore of the development offers occupiers warehousing solutions that are net zero carbon ready.

Alternating Current synchronous electric machines (providing power for the vehicle and recovering regenerative energy) with permanent-magnet technology deliver maximum power of 370 kW peak, continuous power of 260 kW and maximum torque of 425 Nm. The E-Tech reduction gearbox offers two forward speeds and one reverse.

The vehicle comes with Renault Trucks Battery Performance Promise which guarantees that the battery will operate for up to 10 years or deliver 300 MW of energy over the vehicle’s life. The D Wide E-Tech will recharge at Tesco’s newly installed electric charge points at its Dagenham distribution centre.

Aftersales support for the E-Tech D Wide is provided by Renault Truck Commercials Essex and funded by Renault Trucks Financial Services on a full service lease that offers flexible and convenient financing terms consolidated into one simple monthly payment.

CGI images of how the new warehouse facility will look.

LOOKING BACK AT RECORD BREAKING IAA TRANSPORTATION 2022

Global trade is increasing. Logistics chains are evolving. At the same time, delivery and freight traffic must be harmonized with the shift to new forms of urban mobility.

The IAA Transportation is regarded by many as the world’s most important platform for the future of the commercial vehicle industry and as such it has to keep up with these developments. No matter whether you’re looking at electric or

hydrogen-powered buses, connected, automated truck fleets for long-haul routes, driverless people movers or electric cargo bikes – with its exhibitors and brands the IAA Transportation stands for an overall picture of transport – and as the industry

meeting place of the year, it was the place to be.

Over the next number of pages, the Export & Freight team bring you some of the highlights of the show in words and pictures…

Mercedes-Benz Trucks showcases latest diesel-powered trucks

Mercedes-Benz Trucks showcased which innovative solutions it intends to use to further expand its strong market position with the help of the Actros L and the Actros L Edition 3.

The top-of-the-range Actros L model caters for a high level of driver comfort which is emphasised by the driver’s cab with its width of 2.50 metres, available as Stream Space, Big Space and Giga Space variants. The flat floor in the cab creates a cosy ambience. The improved sound and heat insulation reduces the noise level and makes the time spent in the cab even more pleasant – both when driving and during rest stops.

The third-generation 12.8-litre OM 471 engine for heavy-duty commercial vehicles is an example of further optimised fuel efficiency.

The new engine available in the Mercedes-Benz Actros L from October 2022 features a vast range of technical innovations that are consistently aimed at reducing the total cost of ownership with regard to fuelsaving driving, reduced CO2 emissions, lower operating costs, and higher margins, without affecting performance, vehicle dynamics or driving comfort. In addition, safety assistance systems such as the fifthgeneration Active Brake Assist with pedestrian detection (ABA 5), Lane Keeping Assist and the

second-generation MirrorCam, or the equipment options of the second-generation Active Drive Assist (ADA 2) for partially automated driving to Level 2, or Active Sideguard Assist (ASGA), also make important contributions to safety.

ACTROS EDITION 3

As a limited special model of the Actros L with a “Wow!” effect, Edition 3 was also being

showcased. The luxury of the Edition 3 is marked by a whole range of equipment features. In its stylish interior, these include the instrument panel and door handles in nappa leather, various interior parts with a carbon fibre look, and the roof hatch with its ambient lighting.

The Edition 3 badge on the front passenger side and the illuminated “Edition 3” entry badge on the driver and front passenger

sides are also eye-catching. The top bunk comes with bedding and is 900 millimetres wide.

An all-round curtain – almond beige on the inside, black on the outside – ensures stylish privacy. The same applies to the curtain with the MercedesBenz star in front of the bunk.

Highlights on the exterior include the exclusive decals on the side wall, the “Edition 3” lettering in the white aluminium sun visor with two additional LED headlights, the Actros emblem at the front in dark chrome, and the Actros lettering on the upper rear cab wall. The stainless steel entry steps are striking features on the side of the vehicle. The front and rear axle caps are also made of stainless steel. Edition 3 is available for all two- and three-axled models of the latest Actros L generation with GigaSpace and BigSpace cabs in left- and right-hand drive versions. The cab paint finish is freely selectable and can be adapted to customers’ liveries, while the front of the vehicle is always painted in white aluminium metallic to guarantee a high recognition value.

Whether it’s high-end power with the 15.6 litre OM 473 engine or further reduced consumption with the new OM 471 engine in its third generation, thanks to improved gearshift performance by PowerShift Advanced for all available drivetrains the Actros L Edition 3 offers all drivers impressive performance and a high level of driving pleasure.

Introducing new applications for Mercedes-Benz eActros

Following the market launch of the eActros 300/400 for heavy-duty distribution in 2021, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is not only pushing ahead with the introduction of further battery electric models for this and the coming years, but also focusing on even more diversity and flexibility in applications for the eActros itself.

At this year’s IAA, Mercedes-Benz Trucks showcased a wide range of new applications for the eActros. As a tractor unit for heavyduty distribution transport, for example, it is available with an electric power take-off solution for hookloaders and skiploaders. How Mercedes-Benz Trucks is expanding the application variants of the eActros consistently is demonstrated, for example, by the eActros 300 as a tractor. Production launch is planned for the second half of 2023. Particularly suitable for flexible use in heavyduty distribution transport, the electric truck is based on the same technology as the eActros 300 as a solo vehicle or articulated train. The vehicle with an M cab can tow all common European semitrailers, taking into account the maximum permissible overall towing length.

As with the eActros 300, which has already been launched, the technological centerpiece is the drive unit, an electric rigid axle with two integrated electric motors and two-speed transmission. The two motors mounted centrally on the rear axle generate a continuous output of 330 kW (443 hp) and a peak output of 400 kW (536 hp).

The direct torque supply of the electric motors, coupled with the two-speed transmission, ensures powerful acceleration, impressive driving comfort and dynamics that enable more relaxed and stress-free driving compared to conventional diesel trucks. Three battery packs are fitted, with an installed capacity of 112 kWh.The range is up to 220 kilometres.

When driving with foresight, recuperation can recover electrical energy and increase range. The battery-powered tractor can be charged with up to 160 kW: The three battery packs take just over an hour to charge from 20% to 80% at a standard DC fast-charging station with 400 A charging current.

As with all eActros models, the safety equipment includes the external Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System in accordance with legal requirements; fifth-generation Active Brake Assist technology with pedestrian detection capability; and the Sideguard Assist turning assistant. For visual warnings, the turning assistant uses the MirrorCam display, which is installed in the eActros instead of conventional mirrors.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks will continue to expand its portfolio of medium-duty batteryelectric vehicles for distribution transport. The manufacturer is already working intensively on the eAtego, which will be launched to the market in the next few years.

FULLY ELECTRIC EECONIC

The eEconic, also shown at this year’s IAA Transportation, is technologically based on the eActros. It celebrated its trade show premiere at the end of May at IFAT 2022 in Munich and went into series production at the Wörth plant in July.

The eEconic is intended to cover the vast majority of routes typical for the Econic in single-shift operation without intermediate charging. The electric drivetrain enables a level cab floor, which in turn makes it easier to climb through the cab – a particular advantage if the driver wants to get out via the folding door on the passenger side, exiting onto the pavement rather than into the path of traffic. The modern and intuitive Multimedia Cockpit also represents a significant upgrade compared with the conventional Econic.

IVECO goes electric with the new eDAILY

IVECO unveiled the brand-new zero-emission eDAILY; conceived to be the “electric twin” of the iconic Daily, eDAILY covers all LCV applications – including heavy-duty missions and conversions.

eDAILY is the same Daily you know – just electric. Performance is in line with the ICE version: 140kW (190CV) max power, 400Nm max torque and up to 120km/h maximum speed. Driveability is improved by the instant torque delivery of the eMotor. When extra-power is needed, drivers can take advantage of an additional boost by activating eDAILY’s distinctive Hi-Power function. Energy use can be optimised thanks to the Driving Mode Selector –which allows either to extract maximum power or minimise power absorption. eDAILY’s One-Pedal Drive mode makes driving easier and converts brake kinetic energy into electricity, thus reducing energy

consumption and brake pads wear. eDAILY offers as much range

as necessary: modular battery installation allows customers to

choose the level of range autonomy that best suits their mission. The configuration can be upgraded throughout the vehicle’s life.

eDAILY is offered in van, cab, crew cab, chassis cowl and minibus body variants from 3.5 to 7.2 GVW, in single wheel and twinwheel versions, with a broad range of height and wheelbase options. All technology and comfort features of the standard Daily are available on the electric model, including the AIR-PRO intelligent pneumatic suspension.

eDAILY can be already ordered across Europe, with deliveries starting from the beginning of next year.

MAN shapes the change

The decarbonisation of freight transport, the digitalisation of logistics and the worsening shortage of truck drivers pose fundamental challenges for transport companies.

MAN Truck & Bus used the IAA to provide some answers to these questions, and shaping the change: in conventional products with even lower consumption, even more workplace attractiveness and comfort for drivers as well as even more innovative digital services; for future CO2-free and intelligently networked transport with the development of autonomous vehicles and the market launch of the purely electric large-series truck from 2024.

That eTruck was showing for the first time in Hanover as a near-series prototype. With a daily range of up to 800 kilometres and megawatt charging capability, the new eTruck, which will go into service with the first customers from 2024, will not only electrify long-distance transport, but with its versatility also all common transport segments covered by diesel trucks today. Its production with conventional trucks on a series production line makes the switch from diesel to electric particularly flexible. Together with comprehensive advice on electromobility and charging infrastructure, MAN thus makes it much easier for transport companies to switch to CO2-free drives.

A special technical feature of the pioneering electric lion is its preparation for future megawatt charging: high charging capacities with short charging times make the electric truck suitable for heavy-duty long-distance transport with daily ranges of between 600 and 800 kilometres, and at a later date even up to 1000 kilometres.

Meanwhile, MAN brought a new edition of the D26 engine to the IAA. A large number of engine improvements mean that the allrounder for long-distance transport, heavyduty distribution applications and construction site traffic consumes up to 3 percent less fuel than the current version, which is already very economical - and that with a simultaneous increase in torque by 50 Nm and a supplement of 10 hp for all performance variants.

Additional savings for long-distance transport are brought about by new aerodynamic measures for the MAN TGX, which further reduce the air resistance when the air flows around the driver’s cab, and with extensions that improve the transition of the air flow to the trailer: Together with the engine savings, this means fuel savings of up to 4% possible in long-distance traffic.

Sustainable mobility solutions from Michelin

Michelin was showing fleet operators and managers how to get their companies fit for the future, with their stand dedicated to sustainable mobility solutions with tyres, for tyres and beyond tyres. Optimising fuel efficiency, reducing CO2 emissions, improving durability, extending tyre service life and recycling tyres – Michelin brought a whole host of solutions to IAA that will lower the overall costs associated with commercial vehicles and shrink their carbon footprint.

For example, Michelin X Multi Energy saves up to 1.1litres per 100kilometres over short and longhaul journeys. This tyre exhibits optimised rolling resistance and has also been designed for a high mileage potential – both features that benefit overall performance. Tyres from Michelin also score

Daimler Truck unveils battery-electric eActrosLongHaul truck

highly when it comes to protecting the environment and conserving resources. Two of the focal points were the key issues of retreading and recycling. For example, using the special MICHELIN REMIX retreading service to process and regroove truck tyres to a high quality standard extends their mileage performance

by up to 150 per cent.

At its modern plant in Homburg, Michelin has production capacities of up to 620,000 retreaded tyres per year. The truck plant in Stoke-On-Trent also plays a key role in this area with an annual production capacity of up to 310,000 retreaded tyres.

Daimler Truck is pursuing the goal of complete locally CO2 neutral transport. The manufacturer demonstrated this with a broad portfolio of fully electric vehicles at the show.

The highlight was the heavy-duty, batteryelectric Mercedes-Benz eActrosLongHaul long-distance truck, which the manufacturer presents to the public for the first time.

The series-production eActrosLongHaul has a range of around 500 kilometres on a single battery charge and is capable of megawatt charging. Readiness for series production is planned for 2024. Another innovation at the trade show ws the battery-electric MercedesBenz eActros 300 in a tractor version for flexible heavy-duty distribution transport. In addition, Daimler Truck has announced the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eAtego for

the medium-duty segment.

The eActrosLongHaul will be the first all-electric series-production vehicle from Mercedes-Benz Trucks to be manufactured from start to finish on the existing assembly line at the Wörth truck plant. The batteries used in the eActrosLongHaul employ lithiumiron phosphate cell technology. These are characterised, above all, by a long service life and more usable energy. The batteries of the production eActrosLongHaul can be charged from 20% to 80% in well under 30 minutes at a charging station with an output of about one megawatt.

The core of the Mercedes-Benz Trucks concept for battery-electric long-distance transport is to offer customers a holistic solution consisting of vehicle technology, consulting, charging infrastructure and services.

First prototypes are already undergoing intensive testing and the eActrosLongHaul will be trialled on public roads this year. In the coming year, near-production prototypes will go to customers for real-world use testing.

Impressive New Launches from DAF Trucks

DAF Trucks starts the future of vocational and distribution transport with the launch of the New Generation DAF XD and XDC. In addition, DAF strengthens its environmental leadership with the reveal of a completely new series of fully electric powertrains for the New Generation DAF XD and XF trucks. These exciting new trucks offer ‘zero emission’ ranges of over 500 kilometres on a single charge.

The New Generation DAF XD series shares the DNA of the ‘International Truck of the Year 2022’, the multiple award-winning XF, XG and XG+ long haul vehicles.

The cab design of the New Generation DAF XD features a large windscreen and large side windows with an ultra-low belt line for best-in-class direct vision. This is achieved in combination with the low cab position (17 cm lower than the New XF) and the new ‘Vision Dashboard’, which is characterized by being contoured towards the windscreen on the co-driver side.

As an option, a Kerb View Window and foldable co-driver seat are available for an unobstructed view of pedestrians and cyclists next to the truck on the co-driver side.

The DAF Digital Vision System and DAF Corner View add to unparalleled indirect view. The DAF City Turn Assist alerts the driver with visual and audible warnings

when other road users are in the co-driver’s side blind zone.

First class fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions are realised through the perfectly formed aerodynamic cab. It features the same large radii, curved windscreen, excellent sealing and optimal engine and under cab airflow as DAF’s XF, XG and XG+ long distance models.

DRIVER COMFORT

The New Generation XD offers superior, highly accessible and spacious cabs with volumes of up to 10 m3. Together with a Sleeper and Sleeper High Cab, a Day Cab is available that offers extended interior space as standard.

An ideal driving position is guaranteed through unmatched adjustment ranges of seat and steering wheel. The striking and highly ergonomic dashboard features crystal clear and fully digital instrument panels. Ride and handling benefit from a

new superior chassis frontend design, cab suspension and rear axle suspension.

The New Generation DAF XD is available to order in a full array of 4x2 and 6x2 axle configurations, both tractors and rigids. Production will start this Autumn.

CONSTRUCTION APPLICATIONS

DAF also presented the New Generation DAF XDC and XFC. These high-quality construction vehicles feature single or double drive two, three and four axle configurations to meet specific requirements of the vocational and construction segment.

The New Generation XDC with 10.8 litre PACCAR MX-11 engine and XFC with 10.8 litre PACCAR MX-11 and 12.9 litre PACCAR MX-13 engine, offer high payloads thanks to low kerb weights. These construction models are designed

to handle the toughest work under the harshest conditions and have a robust bumper, a sturdy grille and a steel radiator protection plate. The XDC and XFC trucks offer a large approach angle and a high ground clearance for excellent off road performance. DAF’s new premium trucks for the vocational and construction industry will enter production early 2023 and are available to order now.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Meanwhile, DAF Trucks strengthens its position as the leading manufacturer of ‘zero emission’ vehicles with the launch of the New XD and XF Electric trucks. These innovative trucks feature completely new modular drivelines for ‘zero emission’ ranges from 200 to over 500 kilometres on a single charge. The DAF XD Electric and DAF XF Electric will become available as tractor and rigid models and can be ordered now.

Volvo Trucks Presents New Electric

Axle for Extended Range

Volvo Trucks has unveiled a completely new, fully electric rear axle. Freeing up space for more batteries, the new e-axle allows for even longer range for Volvo’s battery electric trucks.

The manufacturer has the widest offer of battery electric trucks in the industry, with six different models in serial production. Depending on the model, the range is up to 440 km in one charge. The new e-axle allows even more batteries on the truck by integrating the electric motors and the transmission into the rear

axle. More batteries mean longer range, which creates opportunities to provide electric solutions for even long-distance transport. On the fuel cell electric trucks that will be introduced in the second half of this decade, the additional space comes in handy for installing other components.

“This is a breakthrough for electric trucks and a clear signal that there will be a huge

demand for public fast-chargers for heavy trucks in the near future, not least along highways,” says Jessica Sandström, SVP Global Product Management at Volvo Trucks.

Volvo Trucks will start serial production of cab over engine trucks with the new e-axle in a few years from now and it will complement the current line-up of battery electric trucks.

Scania: Visionary solutions brought to life

Scania had 14 different vehicles on display in three different areas – from visionary battery-electric trucks, smart urban solutions including buses, and industry-leading Scania trucks with the Super-based powertrain.

Scania’s recently introduced next-level battery-electric trucks for regional haulage was on display for the first time, while two new powerful – 420 and 460 hp – biogas truck engines from Scania to make their world première.

Scania has for many years conveyed the message that there is no silver-bullet solution available for the transport industry when fighting climate change. According to Scania, fossil-free fuels like

biomethane and biodiesel play an important role for reaching the company’s own sciencebased, CO2-reduction targets. The central part of the display stand was used for exposing Scania’s wide offer of digital and connected services and charging solutions. Two new services made their debut at IAA: My Scania and the Scania Driver app. Both are set to pave the way for increased customer efficiency and profitability.

On the electrification side, Scania was showing four battery-electric vehicles indoors: one unit of the recently introduced new BEV for regional purposes, one BEV bus and two BEV trucks for urban applications.

At the outdoor arena, Scania was displaying five vehicles. Among them were a BEV city tipper with the well-known Scania XT characteristics, especially

robustness and durability. It was accompanied by one conventional XT sibling with a Scania V8, plus one heavy-haulage V8 tractor and an Irizar coach.

Super Heavy Loader Crane from Hiab

Hiab presented the new HIAB iQ.1388 HiPro super heavy loader crane, the biggest on-road HIAB loader crane to date, equipped with the new advanced control system SPACEevo for improved productivity and safer operations.

The HIAB iQ.1388 HiPro is a 135 tonne metre (tm) super heavy range crane that combines Hiab’s experience in structural engineering with advancements in operating systems. The loader crane has a V10-Force decagonal profile first used in the EFFER 1000 that provides increased strength for vertical performance and improved overall precision.

The precision and safety are further enhanced by the SPACEevo control system that provides advanced safety and productivity functions for veteran and novice operators alike. The Load Stability System for vertical movements (LSSV) compensates for unintentionally excessive lever movement in vertical operations, while Hiab’s Variable Stability Logic PLUS (VSL+)

BPW’s idem telematics expands cargofleet 3 portal

Market leader BPW’s idem telematics has now made it possible for hauliers to manage transport data relating to specific trips and orders themselves and decide which specific end customers to forward it to.

Featured at the show, the telematics portal cargofleet 3 enables trip- and order-related data management for the first time. Trip data can either be entered directly in the portal or transferred from an external transport management system.

For each individual trip, the haulier can operatively monitor

the transport and specifically forward data to the shipper or other partners – right down to the continuously updated estimated time of arrival and individually selected tracking information.

In addition, trip-specific temperature reports and consumption calculations as well as many other data can also

stability feature optimises lifting capacity with maintained safety, monitoring the position of and pressure on each stabiliser leg.

The crane is suitable for several types of applications as it has a high lifting capacity, yet it can be installed on a 4 axle 32 GVW truck, making it suitable for operation in metropolitan areas. The size advantage also helps to keep purchase and operating costs down and reduce CO2 emissions.

“This is not just simply a new model. It is the answer to a long-time customer request, a super heavy crane with our most advanced control system features, designed to carry out demanding and challenging heavy lifts in the most effective way. Operators and customers will appreciate how each part of the crane has been designed to excel, from a precision, safety and speed point of view,” says Marcel Boxem, Director, Global Product Management, Loader Cranes Heavy & Super Heavy, Hiab.

and temperature alarms).

The cargofleet 3 portal is an open system that functions independently of vehicle manufacturers’ systems.

be specifically evaluated and forwarded as the haulier pleases.

However, more service and more control doesn’t mean more work – on the contrary: the cargofleet 3 portal enables data evaluation to be configured automatically. This means that alarms can be set automatically for each individual trip (e.g. geofencing

Jens Zeller, CEO of idem telematics, states: “By networking vehicle, driver and freight, the vehicle operator is able to more efficiently organise transport and significantly expand their range of services. Nevertheless, it is still crucial that vehicle operators retain full sovereignty over their data and do not become dependent on third-party systems. With cargofleet 3, we simultaneously strengthen the haulier’s service capabilities and data sovereignty. That’s our contribution to the ‘Internet of Transport’.”

In conversation with:

VOLTA TRUCKS CEO ESSA AL-SALEH

Essa joined the company as Chairman of the Board of Directors in September 2020, and taking on the role as Chief Executive Officer in April 2021, having previously spent 13 years with Agility Logistics as President and CEO. During that time, Agility grew from a one-country operation with 300 employees and $150m in revenue to a global freight and logistics business operating in over 100 countries with 18,000 employees and $4bn in revenue.

In total, Essa has over 20 years’ experience successfully leading and scaling logistics businesses to create global networks with single operating platforms and common cultures and his time so far at Volta Trucks has been more than productive.

At the IAA, Volta Trucks presented a prototype Volta Zero, the world’s first purpose-built full-electric 16-tonne vehicle designed for urban logistics, reducing the environmental impact of freight deliveries in city centres. Also planned are 7.5- and 12-tonne models which will sit alongside the 16-tonne vehicle that’s currently engaged in extensive testing ahead of the first customer use later this year - and an 18-tonne vehicle will also start production in mid-2023.

Designed from the ground up with an operating pure-electric range of 150 – 200 kms (95 – 125 miles), the Volta Zero will eliminate an estimated 1.2m tonnes of CO2 by 2025, the equivalent annual CO2 usage of 170,000 houses. The Volta

Zero benefits from an optimised load-carrying capacity, allowing operators to consolidate the same amount of goods into fewer delivery vehicles. This means that just one Volta Zero can remove up to five smaller trucks or vans from the roads, reducing congestion on city streets and improving air quality for all.

“For the launch of the range we are focusing primarily on six major cities in Europe, including Paris, London and Madrid,” Essa told us. “Going forward then, we will continue to expand across Europe; we want to come to the market at speed and at scale, as the demand for electric vehicles continues to grow at pace. In Paris, for example, they intend to ban diesel vehicles completely by 2024, so there is an urgency to offer a sustainable and safe alternative solution.”

So what plans does Volta have for the Irish market, namely Belfast and Dublin? “Those cities will eventually be covered, too, but first we need to ensure we can not only deliver, but can also provide a service network for our customers, and that will include both the north and south of Ireland,” says Essa.

“That said, at this stage we have no plans to set up any distributors in Ireland as we intend to sell directly into all our core markets where our sales teams are actively seeking customers, and that will include Ireland.”

He adds: “In terms of targeting customers, we will be initially focusing on retailers, consumer good suppliers, logistics and rental companies, more on the commercial side, less so Local Authorities and Local Councils.”

Safety is at the heart of Volta Trucks, with the manufacturer’s ambition of producing the safest trucks for cities where statistics show that, in London for example, 26% of pedestrian fatalities and 78% of cyclist deaths involve a truck, yet trucks only account for 4% of road miles.

The Volta Zero was designed for electric from the outset, which facilitates a step-change in vehicle, driver and pedestrian safety. Thanks to the removal of the internal combustion engine, the operator of a Volta Zero sits in a central driving position, with a much lower seat height than a conventional truck. This combination, plus a glass house-style cab design, gives the driver a wide 220-degree field of visibility, minimising dangerous blind spots.

Volta Trucks certainly made an impact at the IAA show Germany where Export & Freight’s Garfield Harrison caught up with Essa Al-Saleh, the manufacturer’s Chief Executive Officer.

SAIC Maxus Makes its Debut

SAIC MAXUS made an electrifying debut, showcasing its latest line-up of electric vehicles, including one of its newest additions, the MIFA 9, the world’s first, full-size luxury pure electric MPV.

MAXUS showcased five of its premium electric vehicles. The impressive line-up included the brand’s popular eLCVs the eDELIVER 3 and larger eDELIVER 9, the MAXUS MIFA 9 (MPV), the T90 EV (electric pickup) as well as SAIC’s latest project, the MAXUS Electric Light Truck.

Bringing the MAXUS brand to a whole new audience, MAXUS MIFA 9 offers a range of up to 595km / 369 miles (WLTP City) on a single charge. With a body size of 5,270 x 2,000 x 1,840mm, the sevenseater display model is a high spec vehicle boasting the industry’s first

intelligent driving housekeeper, which automatically recognises driving style through data and scene driving. MIFA 9 is available to order now, with delivery in Q1 2023.

MAXUS also showcased its allnew electric pick up with a battery pack of 88.5kwh. Perfect for both on and off-road driving, the MAXUS T90EV is equipped with a high-level spec and a contemporary and stylish interior. With a range of 330km (WLTP range combined) and a payload of 1 tonne, the visually sporty exterior is complemented by a

modern interior with a 10.25inch digital touch screen instrument

cluster providing a minimalist look. The T90EV is roomy thanks to a neat dashboard design and floor console, making more room for both occupants and storage.

Also making its European debut was MAXUS’ all-new Electric Light Truck with a driving range of up to 213km (full load comprehensive condition). The currently named EH300 Electric Light Truck features a three-seater single

cabin, with a GVW of 7490Kg. With a 127.74KWH CATL Lithium battery onboard, the vehicle will have a maximum speed of 90km/h, a peak power of 60/110Kw and a peak torque of 635/1200Nm. The new MAXUS vehicle will also have a maximum charging power of 102Kw for a DC charge and a 22Kw for an AC charge.

Charging times will vary, with a DC charge taking 1.5 hours and an AC charge taking 11 hours.

Tevva unveils19-tonne hydrogen electric truck

Tevva has officially launched in mainland Europe and has unveiled a 19-tonne hydrogen electric truck enabling it to target decarbonisation of the entire medium-duty truck segment.

The truck is expected to have a range of up to 500km depending on the number of hydrogen cylinders specified, which can be refilled in 10 minutes.

Tevva is pioneering a practical hydrogen fuel cell application that is unique to medium-duty trucks. By adding a hydrogen fuel cell range extender that replenishes the battery throughout the day, Tevva has created zero-emission urban trucks that eliminate range anxiety and can replace diesel trucks on all routes.

The dual energy system also futureproofs Tevva and its customers as Europe transitions away from fossil fuels and looks to decarbonise the transportation sector. Tevva believes hydrogen has strong potential to be a key part of the renewable energy mix for commercial transportation in Europe.

Major European governments, like Germany, France and the UK, have all committed to hydrogen strategies resulting in significant inward investment.

Carrier Transicold Demonstrates New Vector Concept

In another demonstration of its commitment to electric and sustainable temperature-controlled transport solutions, Carrier Transicold unveiled its first trailer concept powered by a dedicated hydrogen fuel cell.

The fuel cell system was specifically developed to integrate within the chassis of the Vector® transport refrigeration unit (TRU). The system delivers zero direct emissions without a reduction in performance or refrigeration capacity. Developed in close cooperation with Bosch and PowerCell Sweden AB, the new hydrogen fuel cell technology will be coupled with Carrier Transicold’s Vector HE 19 trailer unit. Central to the innovative new system is the integration of the Bosch 48-volt automotive battery,

which directly interfaces the fuel cell with the refrigeration unit, removing the need for a standalone engine or a separately mounted buffer battery system.

The hydrogen fuel cell technology delivers the same level of autonomy as existing diesel engines used in the standard Vector units. By using a hydrogen fuel cell system, customers can maintain operations with the legacy products, but without any of the associated emissions.

The new fuel cell system is powered by hydrogen tanks coupled with an electric power distribution unit (PDU). The PDU is used to convert the direct current provided by the fuel cell into the alternating current needed to operate the refrigeration unit. The refilling time for the new concept is equivalent to a standard diesel engine and, depending on the tank size, can also achieve a similar autonomy range.

Thermo King Expands its Vehicle-Powered Portfolio with New VX-Series Units

Thermo King featured the brand new VX-Series vehicle-powered refrigeration units. The new models with high capacities expand the Thermo King portfolio for vans and trucks, introducing a more compact design to fit rooftop applications and new compressor technology to maximise the cooling performance.

The VX-Series has a significantly reduced overall envelope and half the weight of the predecessor units enabling customers to carry up to 80 kg more payload during each delivery route. Significantly reduced dimensions allow the unit to be mounted on the roof of the vehicle, something that was not possible in the past with transport refrigeration units (TRU)with these cooling capacities. The new outline of the units includes modern aerodynamic and aesthetic vehicle designs. The VX-Series models also feature new hermetic compressor technology, which increases the overall efficiency, lowers noise and vibration levels, and reduces refrigerant charge for more environmentally friendly operations. The new compressor technology makes the units also compatible with battery-powered applications.

“With the new VX-Series units we are expanding our vehicle-powered portfolio introducing completely new TRU architecture in this market segment,” said Graham Wells, vehicle-powered truck product manager for Thermo King in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). “New

and durable design, reduced dimensions and weight, and increased cooling capacities of the VX-Series offer our customers new opportunities to successfully manage and operate their delivery fleet. The VX- Series will deliver exceptional performance even in extreme high and low ambient conditions, and will be easier to service, saving time thanks to improved accessibility.”

Designed for vehicles between 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes, the new VX-Series complete the cooling capacity offering of the Thermo King compressor driven portfolio of transport refrigeration units. The V-400Xis a new option in the range offering customers 4kW of cooling capacity, while the V-500X and V-600X replace the incumbent V-500 and V-600 models increasing cooling capacity of the predecessor units to 5.5kW and 6.5kW respectively.

Thermo King Premieres the E-Series

Thermo King unveiled the new fully electric E-Series refrigeration units for electric light commercial vehicles. The new E-Series were designed from the ground up specifically for battery-powered electric vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes.

The new E-Series units are connected and powered directly by the vehicle’s battery. To deliver optimal temperature-control performance with reduced energy consumption, the new E-Series features patented, customdesigned inverter technology

and a powerful variable-speed hermetic refrigeration compressor.

The patented control and power management system, intelligently optimizes supply and demand of power in real time, minimising the impact on the vehicle’s

battery when the vehicle is on route or off on a delivery.

The completely new design and architecture of the E-Series offers LCV operators the benefits of advanced electric vehicle drive technology with performance

Knorr-Bremse emerges as leading solutions provider

How systematically is Knorr-Bremse, the global market leader for braking systems and other rail and commercial vehicle systems, pursuing the development of Highly Automated Driving (HAD) systems? The answer is: very.

By preference, HAD development projects take the form of partnerships with specialists. Tried and tested expertise in vehicle dynamics (including driver assistance and high-availability braking and steering systems) puts Knorr-Bremse in an ideal position to support such projects.

To demonstrate these strategies and technologies, accompanied by virtual presentations, Knorr-Bremse invited visitors to the company’s exhibition booth at IAA. Bernd Spies, Member of the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse AG and responsible for the

Commercial Vehicle Systems division, regards the Automated Driving industry trend as one of the top development priorities for OEMs. He is very familiar with Knorr-Bremse’s turnkey systems solutions: “As a technology leader in driver assistance systems, including brake control and many others, Knorr-Bremse has an absolute understanding of the specific vehicle dynamics of commercial vehicles. This has resulted in a broad range of driver assistance solutions, right through to the systems that make Highly Automated Driving possible. This focus on innovation is firmly

previously unattainable in units of this type. The E-Series will be available for both single and multi-temperature transport with both cooling and heating modes to fit customers’ multiple application needs.

The profile design of the new E-Series makes it versatile and easy to install on panel vans, chassis cab trucks and other types of vehicle conversions.

embedded in our R&D roadmap, making us the ideal systems partner for Highly Automated Driving development programs.”

With deep-rooted systems expertise in hardware and software solutions for safetycritical systems, Knorr-Bremse is now also the perfect partner for developing reliable ADAS that can consistently and accurately detect and analyse real-time traffic conditions. These assistance systems are specifically intended for use in commercial vehicles.

With this portfolio of driver assistance solutions, Knorr- Bremse is the preferred partner of firms seeking to comply with the EU General Safety Regulation (GSR) and other industry standards. By reducing the total cost of ownership, Highly Automated Driving represents a genuine business case for fleet operators. As a leading supplier of vehicle dynamics systems, Knorr-Bremse is the ideal partner for commercial vehicle manufacturers and AI firms seeking to further develop Highly Automated Driving (HAD, SAE Level 4 and up) and equip truck/trailer combinations with the necessary systems.

Continental Showcases Three Tyre Solutions

Continental showcased a range of highly innovative tyre solutions aimed at improving the sustainability of passenger and goods transport over short and long distances.

With the Conti Urban, for example, the tyre manufacturer premieres a concept tyre specially designed for the electrified bus and delivery traffic of the future.

The share of renewable and recycled materials in this prototype, which is already approved for road use and could soon enter a testing phase with customers, is almost 50 percent. After just one retread, this figure increases to more than 90 percent.

The concept tyre has also been specially noise-level-optimised.

Continental is convinced that greater sustainability is essential in the urban passenger and goods traffic sector. Due in particular to the ongoing increase in demand for urban passenger and goods transport, the number of electrified city buses being registered is also rising.

According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), the number of new registrations for electric buses within the European Union continued to increase significantly

in 2021, with their market share rising that year to 10.6 percent. In the same period, electric buses already accounted for more than 30 percent of new bus registrations in the European Union. Market studies predict annual growth rates of up to 35 percent from 2021 through to 2025.

The tyre manufacturer also premiered a new tyre prototype specially designed for a new trailer concept, featuring a fully electric drive axle. Continental is the exclusive development partner for

Webfleet launches compact PRO driver terminal

For the first time, telematics provider Webfleet was exhibiting together with its parent company Bridgestone to launch Fleetcare, an integrated solution, which is bundling Bridgestone´s tyre solutions and Webfleet´s fleet management solution designed to fast forward business for fleets.

At the show, Webfleet launched a new compact PRO driver terminal, a new addition to its PRO range. Like a handheld computer, it is designed to support drivers in their tasks, and like a smartphone, it is built for ease and accessibility. This PRO driver terminalis a complete end-toend order management solution. Ready for business right out of the box. Visitors were able to see the first demo of the new compact PRO driver terminal, which will be available across Europe in Q4 2022.

Webfleet also presented its OptiDrive solution tailored for trucks. Webfleet OptiDrive is a complete approach to help drivers adapt to a more ‘responsible’ driving style. It provides valuable insights to both the fleet manager and the driver – delivering direct feedback to drivers before, during and after their trip. Responsible driving helps improve driver safety, lower fuel consumption, maintenance, and insurance premiums, reducing the total costs of vehicle ownership.

Meanwhile, launching in Spring 2023,

this innovative trailer from Trailer Dynamics, which is designed to hybridize truck tractor units by means of a battery-powered trailer and so reduces their CO2 emissions.

With the EfficientPro Gen 3+, the premium tyre manufacturer presents an upgrade to its EfficientPro longdistance tyre, which is well known in the original equipment business for trucks. Its rolling resistance has been specially optimised, making it very energy efficient.

Cold Chain is a dedicated temperature monitoring solution within Webfleet that supports operators in protecting temperature sensitive products. With real time visibility into temperature status and reports into critical temperature events, operators can meet end customer proof-of-delivery expectations and regulatory standards. High value loads are given extra protection with real-time alerting to breaches in max/min thresholds. Operators can quickly understand the severity and cause of problems, and take action to avoid rejected loads.

Durite Showcases its Latest Camera and Safety Technology

Vehicle safety and camera experts Durite showcased their latest technology; the company has been supplying vehicle cameras for more than 20 years and has supplied more than 50,000 systems to fleets. The company also provides a comprehensive range of vehicle safety products for fleet operators.

John Nobbs of Durite said: “In the UK, Durite is regarded as a trusted supplier and innovative leader in vehicle safety for commercial fleet. Our comprehensive offering enables commercial fleet operators to make Durite their safety partner of choice.”

Visitors to the IAA saw Durite’s Blind Spot Detection System with integrated GPS speed trigger and on-screen display. This uses a traffic light warning system to alert the driver to vulnerable road users who are close to the vehicle. It also

provides the specific location of the road user, making it especially

relevant for fleets with urban delivery and collection operations.

European premiere of FUSO’s Next Generation eCanter

FUSO has made several adjustments to the Next Generation eCanter. While the current electric truck was previously only available as a 7.49-tonner with a wheelbase of 3,400 millimetres, customers now have a choice of six wheelbases between 2,500 and 4,750 millimetres and a permissible gross vehicle weight of 4.25 to 8.55 tonnes. The load capacity of the chassis is up to 5.0tonnes.

The Next Generation eCanter is powered either by a 110 kW (150 hp) electric motor in variants with gross weights of 4.25 and 6.0tonnes, or a 129 kW (180 hp) electric motor in variants with gross weights of 7.49 and 8.55 tonnes. This optimised driveline delivers 430 Nm of torque; the maximum speed is 89 km/h. The batteries use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell technology. These are characterised above all by a long service life and more usable energy. The battery pack in the S variant has a nominal capacity of 41 kWh and enables a range of up to 70 kilometres. In the M variant, the nominal capacity is 83 kWh and the range is up to 140 kilometres. The L variant, as the most powerful

package, offers a nominal capacity of 124 kWh and a range of up to 200 kilometres. This is far more than the distance usually covered per day in light distribution traffic. Numerous features and devices ensure a high level of comfort for the driver and road safety for all involved. Standard highlights include the multifunction steering wheel with buttons for controlling the fully digital LCD instrument cluster, LED headlights that are 30% brighter than halogen models for increased visibility, the Autolight function for controlling the headlights depending on lighting conditions, and Intelligent Highbeam Assist.

In terms of safety, the batteries are mounted

Durite’s vehicle camera systems now integrate with Webfleet telematics, meaning that fleet managers can remotely access camera footage from the Webfleet portal. This includes the ability to download first notification of loss (FNOL) videos.

John Nobbs added: “Seamless integration with Webfleet gives fleet managers an enhanced view of driver behaviour and road traffic incidents. It improves relationships with insurance companies and enables fleet operators to make more informed decisions about safety.”

Durite is bringing its range of vehicle safety products to the European market against a backdrop of forthcoming safety regulations. “Across Europe, there is an ongoing drive to adopt cameras as a safety solution,” said John Nobbs. “Durite’s established range provides a flexible and cost-effective solution to keeping fleets safe and compliant.”

under the vehicle’s chassis frame with a highly rigid steel bracket that also serves as impact protection for the battery in the event of a frontal or side crash. In the event of an accident, a crash sensor automatically deactivates the high-voltage system. To ensure the vehicle is more easily heard by pedestrians or cyclists, for example, the Next Generation eCanter is equipped with an external Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) as standard. For greater safety when turning left, Active Side Guard Assist is also fitted as standard. In addition, the fifthgeneration Active Brake Assist with pedestrian detection, which is also standard, can reduce the risk of a collision in longitudinal traffic.

RHA Members and Mid and East Antrim Council keeping up momentum on Driver Academy

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council alongside members of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) are shifting up a gear with the launch of the third wave of the ever popular Transport Academy.

The Academy, which is led by Council and managed by Workforce Training Services, includes a range of community, voluntary and statutory stakeholders - including Road Haulage Association members – who work together to overcome local employability challenges - with the primary objective of supporting more people into meaningful employment.

The Transport Academy has been designed to respond to specific local needs - by closing the gap between local employer needs and the chronic skilled labour shortage in the HGV and bus sectors. This time round, those selected to take part will have the option of acquiring a Category C (HGV Class 2) licence or a PCV (bus/coach) licence.

The Transport Academy is one of a number of interventions outlined in the Mid and East Antrim Labour Market Partnership’s annual action plan. The local partnership forms part of a province-wide approach developed by the Department for Communities to address employment, careers and training issues through a collaborative, flexible and locally focused approach to employability support.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Noel Williams, said: “Council is delighted to support local residents who wish to develop new skills and enter employment in key sectors such as transport and logistics. This programme is one

of several Labour Market Partnership initiatives helping to address specific local labour market issues thanks to financial support provided by the Department for Communities.”

Securing Employment

Local company, McBurney transport, have been pivotal in the creation and continued support of the Academy - providing employment for a number of successful applicants as well as offering further upskilling for those successful in securing employment.

David Smyth recently completed the Academy training and said: “I found the course really well organised and the training provided was of a professionally high standard.

“You learn all the information required to obtain your HGV Category C (Class 2) licence and the team help put you in touch with the right employers for the role you want.

“I’ve secured a job with McBurney’s transport and I’m absolutely loving it! It’s offered me a new career that suits my life and is helping create a positive future for my family.”

Lyle Watson Training Manager for McBurney Transport said: “I am proud to be a part of this initiative, supporting our local Council and giving people the opportunity to adapt their skills, gain new experiences and enjoy full time careers in the logistics and passenger industry.”

Qualifying Criteria

Applicants to the Transport Academy must be resident in the Borough; aged over 21; willing to undertake a medical examination and hold a valid UK Driving Licence. They must also fulfil at least one of the following criteria: currently unemployed; under-employed; employed but at risk of redundancy; or employed and interested in upskilling or reskilling. Various courses will be available, comprising: a one-day theory lesson; 25 hours online training; theory test; five-day practical lesson (including test) over one week. Following successful completion of the theory and practical tests, participants will attend a one-day employability session; one-to-one mentoring including help with updating a CV and preparing for interview, after which they will be invited to attend interview(s). Applicants must be available to attend all sessions. All training will be carried out in the Borough.

Chris Ward of Workforce Training Service adds: “Workforce are delighted to deliver the Transport Employment Academy on behalf of Mid and East Antrim Council. By working in partnership with employers such as McBurney’s Transport, participants are assured of real employment opportunities upon completion of their training. Workforce are thrilled that Council are now embarking upon their third Academy which includes the opportunity for participants to gain a bus/coach license which will further help address the labour market shortage across the Borough”

Pamela Dennison, Policy Officer for the RHA said: “This is a fantastic initiative which provides valuable skills for the industry - ensuring that local transport businesses in the Council area can continue to deliver and provide employment. The Academy demonstrates the importance Council places on skills and transport within its locality.”

David Smyth and Lyle Watson, McBurney Transport.

(Pictured L-R) Chris Ward of Workforce Training Service, Sean Keenan of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Lyle Watson of McBurney.

AWARD WINNERS IN PROFILE

Rick Swann.

Sarah Travers, Compère.

Tim McGarry, Compère.

Garfield Harrison, Export & Freight.

Helen Beggs, Export & Freight.

Tim McGarry, Compère, Claire Barnhoorn, Solvoz, winner of the £1,000 Voucher Top Table Prize presented by sponsor John Martin RHA.

Garfield Harrison and Helen Beggs, Export & Freight presents the Charity cheque for £4,967.23 to Fareshare Northern Ireland, the chosen charity for the evening.

EXPORT &FREIGHT TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS AWARDS MAKE WELCOME RETURN

There were winners aplenty at the 19th annual Export & Freight Transport & Logistics awards, making a welcome return after a two year absence because of the Covid-19 pandemic; a glittering ceremony was staged at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in South Belfast which was attended by around 600 guests from all sectors of the industry.

Compered by BBC NI News presenter Sarah Travers and Actor and Comedian Tim McGarry, the event once again lived up to its billing as Ireland’s premier platform of recognition for those operating in the transport and logistics sector.

Comments Export & Freight’s joint publisher Garfield Harrison: “This year we were pleased to report that the Awards had the most entries ever and according to the judges, the quality was absolutely outstanding, proving that our industry is so resilient and continues to thrive despite the continued impasse at Stormont and the ongoing difficult economic environment.

“This event has grown year on year and my fellow publisher Helen Beggs and I are truly humbled by all your support. It’s great to be back at the Crowne Plaza, and the numbers attending demonstrated that the Awards continues to go from strength to strength, as we seek to make sure the transport and logistics industry in this country gets the recognition it deserves. None of this would be possible, of course, without our fantastic and loyal sponsors to whom we say a big ‘thank you.’

The event observed a minutes silence to mark the passing of Her Majesty the Queen, and said Helen: “No matter what our views are on the monarchy, our thoughts and prayers are for the remarkable woman that was Queen Elizabeth the Second. Her constant and unfailing sense of

SPONSORS

SAFETY AWARD OF THE YEAR BELFAST HARBOUR

TRAILER FLEET OF THE YEAR SCHMITZ CARGOBULL DRIVER OF THE YEAR RSA NI

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR BPW LIMITED

TRANSPORT MANAGER OF THE YEAR VOLVO - DENNISON COMMERCIALS

TOP TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT OPERATOR OF THE YEAR RENAULT TRUCKSDIAMOND TRUCKS

grace, duty and honour unites us all. She built bridges and promoted reconciliation. It is the end of an era, the breaking of a thread that has run through the entirety of most of our lives.”

During the evening, Group Logistics Director of the Henderson Group, Pat McGarry, was recognised for his long and distinguished service to the industry, being presented with the Transport Personality of the Year award, by sponsor Stena Line’s Anna Breen, Freight Commercial Manager, Irish Sea North.

Throughout his career of almost four decades in the logistics sector, Pat has been a strong and proactive leader, introducing and directing many innovative large-scale projects to streamline processes, reduce environmental impact and improve working conditions in the Henderson Group, a company he has served for the last 25 years.

The chosen charity to benefit from the night was FareShare NI, part of the UK’s national network of charitable food redistributors and the largest food redistribution organisation in Northern Ireland. They take good quality surplus food from right across the food industry and get it to 164 frontline charities and community groups every week. The generosity of those attending the event saw almost £5,000 being raised, so well done everyone!

INNOVATION EXCELLENCE AWARD DAF - TBF

TOP FLEET OF THE YEAR MERCEDES-BENZ TRUCK & VAN (NI) EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE CLOSE BROTHERS COMMERCIAL FINANCE VAN OF THE YEAR CAMERAMATICS

TOP TEAM OF THE YEAR SDC TRUCK & TRAILER PARTS WORKSHOP OF THE YEAR IRTE CHILLED OPERATOR OF THE YEAR THERMO KING - TTP

LIVERIED VEHICLE OF THE YEAR MOTIS

HAULIER OF THE YEAR CIRCLE K

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL HAULIER OF THE YEAR IVECO NI TRUCKS

LOGISTICS & WAREHOUSING SPECIALIST MAN - RK TRUCKS CENTRE LTD

FLEET TRUCK OF THE YEAR AQUARIUS - CUBO

TRANSPORT PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR STENA LINE

AWARD WINNERS

SAFETY AWARD OF THE YEAR WINNER: DHL MALLUSK

TRAILER FLEET OF THE YEAR WINNER: SUREFREIGHT LTD

DRIVER OF THE YEAR WINNER: WINSTON BRADFORD, MCCULLA (IRELAND) LTD

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR WINNER: CONOR MCALISTER, TBF THOMPSON LTD, PORTADOWN

TRANSPORT MANAGER OF THE YEAR WINNER: EUGENE HUGHES, LCC GROUP

TOP TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT OPERATOR OF THE YEAR WINNER: DERRY GROUP IRELAND

INNOVATION EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNER: MCCULLA (IRELAND) LTD & DERRY GROUP IRELAND

TOP FLEET OF THE YEAR WINNER: RIVERRIDGE

EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE WINNER: TRANSPORT TRAINING SERVICES

VAN OF THE YEAR WINNER: MERCEDES-BENZ 315 SPRINTER

TOP TEAM OF THE YEAR WINNER: DERRY GROUP IRELAND

WORKSHOP OF THE YEAR WINNER: TBF THOMPSON DAF TRUCKS

CHILLED OPERATOR OF THE YEAR WINNER: MCCULLA (IRELAND) LTD

LIVERIED VEHICLE OF THE YEAR WINNER: CAMDEN GROUP

HAULIER OF THE YEAR WINNER: CARMICHAEL LOGISTICS

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL HAULIER OF THE YEAR WINNER: DERRY GROUP IRELAND LOGISTICS & WAREHOUSING SPECIALIST WINNER: PRM GROUP

FLEET TRUCK OF THE YEAR WINNER: DAF XG

TRANSPORT PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR WINNER: PAT MCGARRY, GROUP LOGISTICS DIRECTOR, HENDERSON GROUP

Congratulations to the winners: Mallusk

SAFETY AWARD OF THE YEAR

WINNER

DHL MALLUSK

The award was in recognition of a company that demonstrated how they manage, control, and monitor the quality aspects of their respective operations, ensuring compliance with all regulatory bodies.

Commented the awards judges: “Always a well supported category, DHL Mallusk excelled by demonstrating many good working safety practices, with the emphasis on excellent interactive communication.”

DHL are one of the UK’s leading delivery specialists, connecting retailers with customers across the UK, Europe and around the world. With a national network of more than 50 sites and 2,000 vehicles, they provide convenient delivery choices which fit in to the busy lifestyles of consumers. It recently announced plans to invest £482m

across its UK e-commerce operation, DHL Parcel UK. The investment comes following a 40% volume uplift since the start of 2020 and soaring demand for its e-commerce and B2B services.

The expansion project is designed to deliver the right infrastructure to facilitate growth as well as putting the business at the forefront of sustainable and digital logistics. The business will also invest over £190m to create 10 brand new collection and delivery depots across the UK, and 20 more existing sites will be expanded. The new and expanded depots will create an additional 3,500 jobs across the country. The locations of the new sites have been strategically chosen to reduce the distance required to serve customers, enabling further roll-out of electric vans and improving speed of service.

Belfast Harbour, one of the UK’s busiest Ports, is Northern Ireland’s principal gateway to trade, handling more than 70% of the region’s seaborne imports and exports, with more than two thirds of trade passing to and from Great Britain.

It is celebrating 175 years of investing in both the Port and in its stakeholder communities; its current programme of £254 million of strategic investments in its Port and wider estate continues to build on the legacies of past generations, by developing a modern and resilient Port and estate, that generates jobs and stimulates social and economic growth.

The delivery of Belfast Harbour’s ambitious ‘Port for Everyone’ vision, and its significant programme of community investments also ensures that Belfast Harbour continues to provide a gateway to opportunity for current and future generations.

DHL Mallusk was presented with the ‘Safety Award’ by Michael Robinson, Port Director at Belfast Harbour who sponsored the category.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Martin Preshur, DHL, Michael Robinson, Belfast Harbour and Sarah Travers, Compère.

FINALISTS: Derry Group Ireland , DHL, LCC Group, PRM Group and Riverridge.

TRAILER FLEET OF THE YEAR

WINNER

SUREFREIGHT LTD

Surefreight was one of the big winners, being presented with the ‘Trailer Fleet of the Year’ award Stephen Mallett, Head of Sales for UK & Ireland, for category sponsors Schmitz Cargobull.

It is the third time the company has won this particular award after being able to demonstrate that its trailer fleet consistently offers exceptional standards in every aspect of operation, including use of innovation, safety performance, vehicle efficiency and operational uptime.

The Newry headquartered company runs a fleet of over 500 trailers ranging from curtain sides and double decks to walking floor and bulk trailers, and has a rolling programme to update and expand its fleet in the months ahead.

From humble beginnings in 1989 Surefreight has grown to become one of the top haulage operators between Ireland and England. The business developed from a two man operation to a large well organised company with depots located in strategic locations across the UK. The company now employs in excess of 250 members of staff across these sites. The company has invested significantly in

refurbishment over the past few years in order to modernise and update the trailer fleet and recently ordered 100 new curtainsider trailers which are now beginning to enter the fleet and will continue to do so as they roll off the production line over the next eight months.

Following on from that purchase, Surefreight is also looking to add a further 100 trailers in 2023, designed in customers’ own livery.

Over the years, the company has steadily expanded its business, and today has depots across the UK, including Manchester, Cardiff and Bradford. Its Newry depot is ideally located on the main economic and transport corridor between Dublin and Belfast and just minutes away from the Port of Warrenpoint, enabling it to make full use of all major shipping routes linking Ireland, Britain and Europe.

Schmitz Cargobull is Europe’s leading manufacturer of semitrailers, truck bodies and trailers for temperature-controlled freight, general cargo and bulk goods.

Three years ago it established a new company, Schmitz Cargobull Ireland, in support of the country’s rapidly expanding haulage market. The new country office provides a direct contact point for sourcing advanced smart trailers equipped with the company’s own refrigeration unit and telematics system, leading to lower lifetime operating costs.

Bolstering the manufacturer’s presence in Ireland is a network of Service Partners, including depots in Dublin, Wexford, Cork, and Belfast. While out on the road, operators are also be able to call on the support of Schmitz Cargobull’s wider panEuropean network of more than 1,700 Service Partners across 40 countries.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Martin McGoldrick, Gary Moates, Surefreight, Stephen Mallet, Schmitz Cargobull and Sarah Travers, Compère.

FINALISTS: McCulla (Ireland), Derry Group Ireland, LCC Group and Surefreight.

DRIVER OF THE YEAR

WINNER

WINSTON BRADFORD McCULLA (IRELAND) LTD

McCulla Ireland’s Winston Bradford was voted ‘Driver of the Year’ and was presented with his award by Tim Graham, Managing Director of category sponsors RSA NI.

Described as “the epitome of the professional driver”, Winston does the same run for the company each week, with customers speaking very highly of him, commenting that he is always well-mannered, greets them with a warm friendly smile and never fails to act in a pleasant and professional manner. Indeed, it has been said that “you could set your watch by Winston” due to his impeccable time management. The awards judges said that while all drivers in the finals showed exceptional skills on the road, Winston ‘nailed it this year with only one minor fault during his driving assessment, the fastest time and the joint closest to the barrier of 9cm during the tricky manoeuvring exercise, which had been made harder this year!”

Completely accident free in his eight years working for the company, Winston’s behaviour, driving skill and the manner in which he maintains his truck make him an ideal brand ambassador for McCulla Ireland.

All McCulla drivers are monitored against five KPIs: vehicle idling, cruise control usage, harsh braking, harsh acceleration and overspeeding, and each receives a weekly ‘Driver Performance Score’. Winston’s name is almost always at or near the top of this score sheet. It wasn’t the only award that went McCulla Ireland’s way. The company also picked up the Chilled Operator of the Year and an award for Innovation Excellence.

RSA Insurance is recognised as one of the leading insurance providers to the Transport and Logistics Sector and widely regarded as being part of the fabric of the industry. With a long history of providing comprehensive tailored insurance solutions in this area, RSA are particularly proud to be associated with this award.

RSA NI’s team of highly experienced insurance professionals offer a blend of strong technical capability and local market knowledge to assist the transport and logistics industry.

RSA NI’s key priorities are to deliver profitable growth, enhance its technical expertise, drive operational efficiency and build its organisational capability in the province. A major emphasis is placed on delivering a world class service to its brokers and effective risk management and claims services to its customers.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Winston Bradford, McCulla (Ireland), Tim Graham, RSA NI and Sarah Travers, Compère.

FINALISTS: Andy McMaster, SRF, Barry McParland, Surefreight, Paul Hagan, Allen Logistics, Mark McAleavey, PRM Group and Winston Bradford, McCulla (Ireland).

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR

WINNER

CONOR MCALISTER

TBF THOMPSON LTD, PORTADOWN

TBF’s Conor McAlister, who was presented with his award by Glyn Davies, Sales Director at sponsors BPW Limited, started his apprenticeship in Heavy Vehicle Maintenance & Repair in 2018 at TBF’s Portadown depot in partnership with Transport Training Services and Bristol College.

He has exceeded expectations in terms of product knowledge, enthusiasm and diligence, and has a great future with the company. For the past year Conor has progressed in the job to be part of the breakdown team providing 24 hour breakdown cover for their customers.

In winning the award, he has followed in the footsteps of another TBF Thompson apprentice David Dunlop who won the same category last time the event was staged in 2019 before being postponed the following two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Recognising that workshop skills are key to the future of a healthy transport industry, sponsors BPW joined forces with Transport Training Services and the Institute of Road Transport Engineers to also present Conor with £750 worth of tools and £75 to each of the finalists.

With the rapid increase in the complexity of today’s trucks - and the technology needed to keep them up and running - first class training for those involved in the vital servicing and maintenance of these vehicles has become more important than ever, which is why TBF Thompson recruit new and experienced technicians every year.

All the company’s apprentice mechanics go through the DAF Trucks National Dealer Apprenticeship scheme which gives individuals like Conor the chance to join the select group of specialist technicians working on some of the most modern, sophisticated trucks on the road. And it’s not just a job. It’s the first step in a career that presents an opportunity to advance and succeed in the industry.

BPW has an enviable worldwide reputation for producing quality, engineered trailer running gears, body superstructures and a market leading trailer telematics system.

BPW first began producing axles and suspensions over 100 years ago and in that time, it has developed rapidly and now encompasses multiple companies, development sites, production facilities and aftermarket distributors across the globe.

Its product portfolio today ranges from axles and suspension systems, brake technologies, landing legs, lighting systems, body superstructures to user-friendly telematics applications for trucks and trailers. Through this expanded portfolio BPW have now positioned themselves as a total system partner for vehicle manufacturers.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Conor McAlister, TBF, Glyn Davies, BPW Ltd and Sarah Travers, Compère.

FINALISTS: Andrew McFadden, Dennison Commercials Ltd, Dungannon, Andrew McGahon, Road Trucks Ltd, Larne, Calum Styles, NI Trucks, Mallusk, Conor McAlister, TBF Thompson, Portadown and Kevina Burns, Surefreight.

Saving

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Volvo FH with I-Save – our ultimate long haul truck, is designed, tested and proven to save fuel in long haul operations. Without compromising productivity this truck can cut fuel costs*. It combines the D13TC engine and the unique Long Haul Fuel Package which includes hi-tech, fuel-saving features such as an update of I-See predictive cruise control and an improved Economy Mode. You can also look forward to 300 Nm of extra torque at low revs and together with I-See, the engine makes it possible to tackle hills and gradients in a higher gear – enabling an increased average speed without using more fuel. Effortless efficiency.

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fuel improvement

TRANSPORT MANAGER OF THE YEAR

WINNER

EUGENE HUGHES LCC GROUP

LCC Group’s Eugene Hughes manages a large fleet of mostly fuel tankers; he won the award for demonstrating the highest levels of up to date knowledge, professionalism and ability in managing a modern transport undertaking.

He was assessed against all aspects of transport management including driver recruitment, maintenance, driver licensing, operator licensing, drivers hours/rest periods, vehicle testing, contracts of employment, vehicle excise, financial management, use of IT, fuel efficiency and disciplinary procedures.

The award judges said that “he was able to demonstrate that he has excellent knowledge of all aspects of legislation and goes beyond that which was expected.”

All maintenance of the LCC Group fleet is carried out in-house, with Eugene planning well ahead for the acquisition of new vehicles and liaises with his maintenance department which is run separately to ensure they can cope with increased numbers.

The awards judges said that while all three finalists ‘showed excellent knowledge of all aspects of their respective industries and the

current legislation pertaining to road transport in Northern Ireland,’ Eugene came out tops.

“We would conclude that the industry is in safe hands with this calibre of transport manager in Northern Ireland. It was extremely difficult to decide upon a winner as the candidates all came from very different industries with various rolls dictated by the company and not the individual.”

LCC is a family-owned company providing a range of transport services in the Ireland - UK and mainland Europe. Its services range from a single home delivery of oil to large bulk vessel deliveries of oil to its own operated terminals. Along with the LCC family is the GO fuels brand, with a range of sites around Ireland and now entering into mainland UK; all these logistics operations are controlled in a central hub, with a high calibre of employees who strive every day to go a little further in achieving the goals the company sets itself to keep its service levels to a high level.

Volvo Trucks is based on the core values of quality, safety and environmental care. In 2021 around 123,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Customer support is provided by their longest established dealer in the UK and Ireland, Dennison Commercials.

Volvo is now introducing fossil-free steel in its trucks – the world’s first truck manufacturer to do so. The steel is produced by the Swedish steel company SSAB and the heavy-duty electric Volvo trucks will be the first to include it. The steel from SSAB is produced using a completely new technology,with a much lower climate impact than conventionally produced steel. Small scale introduction of the steel in Volvo’s heavy electric trucks will begin shortly.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Eugene Hughes, LCC Group, Joe Roddy, Volvo Trucks and Sarah Travers, Compère.

FINALISTS: Eugene Hughes, LCC Group, Gary Barnes, Balloo Hire Centres and Harry McIntyre, Riverridge.

EVOLUTION CONTINUED

TOP TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT OPERATOR

WINNER

DERRY GROUP IRELAND

Patrick Derry started the company in 1999 with one lorry and trailer, at the age of just 19. He was the sole proprietor for the first 16 years, then incorporated the business on 1st January 2016 and is now the Managing Director.

The business was based from Patrick’s family home for the first 14 years. Following substantial growth, expansion to a second site at Vicarage Road was necessary in 2013 and now, all operations run in the newest addition to the company, Carn Coldstore, on the Carn Industrial Estate in Portadown.

In recent years, the business has seen steady growth, due to several factors including its extensive distribution channels, quality staff and investment in fresh plant. Derry Group Ireland recognises the importance of having a strong workforce, providing its employees with endless amounts of opportunities to ensure that they are fully equipped for their individual roles.

The company, for example, understands its drivers represent the face of the organisation, and so it is in its best interests to train them to be professional in every aspect of their work duties.

To avail of this, the company is consistently developing its training packages to meet current and future requirements, to promote food safety, legality, quality, and integrity, whilst also remaining compliant to all of its responsibilities.

For all staff, it conducts an Annual Performance Review and has in place a Personal Development Plan to monitor staff activities and to assist in developing the individual to progress in further roles.

The award was not the only one presented to the company on the night; it also picked up awards for Innovation Excellence, was named Top Team of the Year and was voted National & International Haulier of the Year.

“We are extremely grateful to have received not one, not two but four awards which reflect our fantastic team’s hard work, dedication and effort.”

French manufacturer, Renault Trucks have long been are a leading truck supplier to the UK & the Republic of Ireland through an impressive network of whollyowned, independent distributors & dealerships - including Newtownabbeybased dealer Diamond Trucks.

Renault Trucks is focusing on its fully electric current Renault Trucks E-Tech range from 3.1 tonnes to 26 tonnes GVW, with zero tailpipe emissions and quiet electric engines that allow access to inner city areas even with strict traffic restrictions. From 2023, an all-electric Renault Trucks E-Tech will be available for each segment, namely distribution (E-Tech D), construction (E-Tech C) and long distance (E-Tech T).

The manufacturer has committed that 10% of its total sales (vehicles over 12t) will be electric by the end of 2025, rising to 50% in 2030 and by 2040, all its vehicle ranges will be 100% fossil-free.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Katie Forker, Derry Group Ireland, Grahame Neagus, Renault Trucks and Sarah Travers, Compère.

FINALISTS: Derry Group Ireland, LCC Group, McBurney Transport Group and Riverridge.

INNOVATION EXCELLENCE AWARD (JOINT)

WINNER

McCULLA (IRELAND) LTD

McCulla Ireland’s ‘Innovation Excellence Award,’ was for its Circular Economy Waste-to-Energy initiative to create a sustainable carbon neutral transport and business model.

The company now has its own energy division, Alternity Biogas Energy. This includes an anaerobic digester plant which enables the company to generate electricity, which is used to keep temperature-controlled ingredients and food products for McCulla customers in the company’s cold stores. The AD plant also generates bio-methane gas, which is used to power McCulla’s trucks being used to transport food to retail stores and hospitality outlets. The company aims to phase out diesel in favour of this sustainable transport model across its entire fleet within five years to further reduce its emissions and eliminate its reliance on fossil fuels.

Initially the circular economy process was pioneered in conjunction with Lidl Northern Ireland. This partnership was the first of its kind between a UK/Irish retailer and a logistics company. Following proof of concept, the model

is now rolling out to other customers. Now there are other suppliers of waste food and other customers using the sustainable transport fleet, demonstrating strong collaboration here too. Now operating from three strategically placed locations, McCulla Ireland has diversified significantly from standard refrigerated haulage into a fully integrated cold chain including warehousing and bespoke logistics solutions for customers of all sizes. Offering comprehensive services including product collection, storage, picking to order and delivery by the box, pallet, or full load to anywhere in continental Europe, the company is entirely flexible to customers’ needs. It wasn’t the only award of the night for McCulla Ireland; it also was named ‘Chilled Operator of the Year,’ and one of its drivers, Winston Bradford, picked up the ‘Driver of the Year’ award on the same evening, making it’s a triple success.

DAF Trucks are the UK’s market leading manufacturer of trucks and here in Northern Ireland they are represented by TBF Thompson, who have been supporting DAF operators across the country for well over twenty years.

TBF Thompson took on the DAF franchise in 1995, marking the beginning of one of the most successful outlets for the DAF brand in the UK.

DAF Trucks revealed the New Generation DAF XD, a completely new generation of distribution and vocational trucks, at the recent IAA show in Germany.

The New Generation DAF XD is based on the same platform as the ‘International Truck of the Year 2022’; the multiple awardwinning XF, XG and XG+ range.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Ashley McCulla, Brian Beattie, Peter Summerton, McCulla (Ireland) Ltd, Phil Moon, DAF Trucks Ltd, Fionnuala McKeown, Derry Group Ireland and Sarah Travers, Compère.

FINALISTS: DHL, CameraMatics, Derry Bros Shipping & Customs, Derry Group Ireland, LCC Group, McCulla (Ireland), SmartWitness, Solvoz, Allied Fleet Services and Manfreight.

INNOVATION EXCELLENCE AWARD (JOINT)

DERRY GROUP IRELAND

During the COVID-19 global pandemic, it was a particularly challenging time for drivers and other employees in the transport and logistics industry, and it was no exception for the team at Derry Group Ireland.

With the implications of the coronavirus outbreak and the introduction of the first initial lockdown in March 2020, Derry Group Ireland like any other business had to ensure that all measures were implemented for the safety and wellbeing of their staff.

Measures such as social distancing, driver paperwork had to be placed at the back of the trailers to limit contact with office staff, and personnel working from home meant that communication was limited. Although this was in everyone’s best interest, being a family run business and with such a tight knit workforce meant that this new environment brought many challenges.

With the limited amount of communication across all of the company’s four sites, Senior Management and the Derry Group had began to brainstorm ideas to determine how to keep the workforce together during this uncertain

period. The company realized that most of its staff had access to a smartphone, so to keep informed the hundreds of employees working across multiple locations in Ireland, it partnered up with Thrive who created and assisted the company in the development of an App.

“With the Thrive App, our employees can now easily access the information they need to support them in their role, they see important updates as they occur, and they know what is happening across all areas of the business. The launch of Thrive App will bring everyone closer together, which is particularly important during the current challenges of Covid19 and the fact that we have teams in various parts of the country,” said Patrick Derry, Managing Director of Derry Group Ireland.

“We are extremely grateful to have received not one, not two but four awards which reflect our fantastic team’s hard work, dedication and effort.”

DAF Trucks are the UK’s market leading manufacturer of trucks and here in Northern Ireland they are represented by TBF Thompson, who have been supporting DAF operators across the country for well over twenty years.

TBF Thompson took on the DAF franchise in 1995, marking the beginning of one of the most successful outlets for the DAF brand in the UK.

DAF Trucks revealed the New Generation DAF XD, a completely new generation of distribution and vocational trucks, at the recent IAA show in Germany.

The New Generation DAF XD is based on the same platform as the ‘International Truck of the Year 2022’; the multiple awardwinning XF, XG and XG+ range.

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Ashley McCulla, Brian Beattie, Peter Summerton, McCulla (Ireland) Ltd, Phil Moon, DAF Trucks Ltd, Fionnuala McKeown, Derry Group Ireland and Sarah Travers, Compère.

SPONSORED BYWINNER

FINALISTS: DHL, CameraMatics, Derry Bros Shipping & Customs, Derry Group Ireland, LCC Group, McCulla (Ireland), SmartWitness, Solvoz, Allied Fleet Services and Manfreight.

TOP FLEET OF THE YEAR

WINNER

RIVERRIDGE

The award judges were looking for “an outstanding fleet of vehicles based on appearance, quality, maintenance programmes, driver efficiency, skill and professionalism, with carefully planned maintenance systems, low levels of downtime, well-kept vehicles and drivers and investment in the latest models, driving aids and technology,” and said they recognized all of that in the RiverRidge fleet.

Operating one of the freshest and safest fleet profiles within NI’s transport sector, with almost 100 vehicles and 45 trailers, the company has established a reputation as Northern Ireland’s leading waste management provider, servicing over 95% of the region’s postcodes. With this reputation comes a high level of demand on the company’s fleet to minimise downtime and ensure customers receive the high standard of service they have come to expect from RiverRidge.

The company is renowned for its innovation and will shortly welcome its first biogas vehicle. The compressed natural gas vehicle will collect food waste, which will be converted into fuel

at the company’s new Anaerobic Digestion wash plant at its Craigmore site. The waste plant will take organics out of waste, which produces methane that will subsequently fuel the company’s fleet of vehicles. With transport one of the biggest factors contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, air pollution and noise pollution, by using natural gas within its vehicles as a fuel alternative, RiverRidge will significantly reduce its carbon footprint, which forms part of the company’s carbon pledge that it signed with Business in the Community in 2021. By signing the pledge, the company publicly committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 50% by 2030.

Mercedes Benz Truck & Van NI is Northern Ireland’s only commercial Mercedes-Benz dealer and has been the premium choice for new and used truck, van and parts needs for over 20 years at sites in Mallusk and Dungannon.

The battery-electric eActros LongHaul long-distance truck was MercedesBenz Trucks’ trade show highlight at this year’s IAA in Hanover. The manufacturer announced the 40-tonne truck in 2020 and presents the “concept prototype” exactly two years later for the first time.

The eActros LongHaul shown at IAA provided a preview of the design theme of the series-production vehicle. The tractor unit is also part of the eActros LongHaul test fleet. In the coming year, near-production prototypes will get to customers for real-world use testing. Series readiness is planned for 2024.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Stephen Thompson, RiverRidge, Richard Skidmore, Mercedes Benz Trucks UK and Sarah Travers, Compère.

FINALISTS: LCC Group, Derry Group Ireland, McCulla (Ireland), Riverridge, Surefreight and TST Group.

EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

WINNER

TRANSPORT TRAINING SERVICES

Transport Training Services (TTS) is the training delivery arm of the charity the Transport Training Board for N. Ireland. The social enterprise focuses on apprenticeships and career development training specifically for the retail motor trade, transport and logistics sectors in Northern Ireland.

Commented the awards judges: “This was an exceptionally well subscribed category, but TTS was a clear winner demonstrating that a social enterprise can excel in customer satisfaction and sustain growth whilst also achieving social and community impact.”

TTS is led by Michael Strain who has been in post as CEO since August 2021. Michael has brought a renewed enthusiasm, drive and leadership to TTS. Around the same time, the TTB Trustee Board was strengthened to include a team of 10 credible industry professionals. Along with Training Director, Stephen Wilkinson, and a bolstered Senior Management Team, Michael has devised and implemented an ambitious strategy to pave the way for progress leading into the future. More recently, TTS has officially added the logistics/supply chain sector to its portfolio, due to its natural fit with the other sectors it represents and it has also been approved to deliver Heavy

Vehicle Trailer Maintenance and Repair as a level 2 apprenticeship. TTS is the first to offer this brandnew apprenticeship within Northern Ireland. It’s designed to help address the skills shortage which has been identified across the sector.

Apprenticeships are open to all 16 – 24-year olds including new entrants and existing employees. “Our apprenticeship is delivered on a block-release basis where your apprentice will attend our specialist training centre one week in every eight. Apprentices will normally be fully qualified to Level 2 in two years and may be entitled to go on to study Level 3 for a further year depending on their circumstances at that time,” says TTS’s Stephen Wilkinson. TTS regularly surveys its customers (apprentices and professional development clients) on a range of topics including quality of teaching, teaching methods, facilities and support received, and across the board respondents are highly satisfied.

Close Brothers Commercial Finance is a leading provider of asset and invoice finance for SMEs and large businesses across Ireland, with flexible asset finance, invoice finance and asset based lending solutions.

With offices in Belfast, Cork, Dublin and Galway, its team of specialists have extensive experience working with businesses in a variety of sectors.

It can offer local and quick decision-making, alongside a personalised service with individually tailored packages and funding solutions that directly meet the needs of your business.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Michael Strain, Transport Training Services (TTS), Emma Blair, Close Brothers and Sarah Travers, Compère.

FINALISTS: DHL, Derry Group Ireland, Manfreight, Transport Training Services, McBurney Transport Group, Derry Bros Shipping & Customs, SDC Truck & Trailer Parts, Surefreight, RiverRidge and Modern Tyres.

VAN OF THE YEAR

WINNER

MERCEDES-BENZ 315 SPRINTER

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was once again been voted Van of the Year for an unprecedented fourth year running at this event, returning after a two year absence because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The award was presented by Ciaran Murphy, Head of Sales - Ireland for sponsors CameraMatics, after the Mercedes-Benz 315 Sprinter beat off stiff competition from three other leading manufacturers. The Sprinter, delivering more technology, safety and security features than any other large van., comes with an array of state-ofthe-art technology and equipment, leading the way with a powerful suite of sixth sense safety and security features as standard – including Active Brake Assist, Crosswind Assist, Attention Assist, Hill-start Assist and Headlight Assist. Equally reassuring are the Sprinter’s alarm, deadlock and visible VIN, which come as standard too. And as if that wasn’t enough, you can also choose from a class-leading array of optional extras.

It also features state-of-the-art MBUX technology and is fitted as standard with a high resolution 7-inch touchscreen, offering intuitive touch control and enables Mercedes PRO connect services. You can also upgrade to a 10.25-inch display with HD resolution for additional features

The driver’s working environment is spacious, uncluttered, comfortable and above all, practical, with ergonomically shaped seats, keyless start and an improved air conditioning system, together with a touch-capable multifunction steering wheel, alongside wireless charging for smartphones.

This latest award is one in a long list, including Large Van at the Fleet News Awards 2021,winner for 5 years in a row of the ‘Most Reliable Van’ at the highly respected FN50 awards, Best Large Van at the Business Vans Awards 2021 and winner Van Today Awards 2021.

The risk of fatalities and injury, direct and indirect cost of collisions, rising insurance premiums and potential legal liabilities have made fleet safety programmes a core competence in operating high performance fleets.

The CameraMatics Safety Centre helps fleet managers develop best in class driver safety, loyalty and reward programmes to deter risky driving habits and reduce claims and operating costs.

Its DashMatics, for example, utilises video, advanced AI detection and vehicle and driver data to give you a full end to end insight into your fleet operation. This purpose built solution for light commercials is designed to streamline operations, reduce cost, and have a fully, easy to use, integrated system, to manage risk, ensuring drivers are protected and accident claims are handled efficiently.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Chris Boyd, Robert Walker, Mercedes-Benz, Ciaran Murphy, CameraMatics and Sarah Travers, Compère.

72C 18HA8, Mercedes-Benz 315 Sprinter, Renault Trucks Master Red EDITION L2H2 and Maxus

Mark Donaldson of RSA and William Sproule of Gallaher Insurance. Mervyn Kelly and Jackie Neill, EDS.

Matthew Keys, Renault Trucks and Robert Coulter, Monaghan Btothers Maxus.

Brian McManus and Conor McManus, of Surefreight.

Tommy Bates of Batesy Skip Hire with John Purdy of TBF Thompson.

Nicola Anderson and John Donnelly of RK Trucks; Brian Beattie of MAN; and Clare McKenna of RK TRucks.

Paul Hagan, Julie Ann Salt and Gerry McAtamney, Allen Logistics.

Sapphire entertainers.

Jade Morrow, P&O; Carolyn Carmichael,McBurney Transport; and Jillian Duffin, P&O.

Elwyn Thompson and Graham Neagus of Renault Trucks; David Watts of Diamond Trucks; Kevin Cullen of Cullen Transport; and Iain Latimer of Diamond Trucks.

Megan Mathers and Ryan Kearney and Aoibheann O’Hare of Motis, with Gary Lyons of Lyons European.

Chloe Hall, Amanda Coburn, Arlene McCallum and Laura Best, of McCulla Transport.

Raymond Coulter, Cleona McVey, Gavin Hamill and David McCracken, of Hendersons. Damian O’Callaghan, Kevina Burns, Finbar McArdle and Ciaran Finnegan, Surefreight.

Stacey McIlhennon, Simon Rotherham and Stacey Savage, of Amet Insurance.

Andy Burns of Motis, with Claire Edwards and Shane Sullivan of Menzies.

Brian Foster, Wendy McAllister and Geof McMullan of TTS.

& TRAILER PARTS...

over 16,000 Parts for

vehicle makes

SDC Truck & Trailer Parts stock over 16,000 Parts lines from the industry's leading suppliers with 12 regional depots and excellent off-the-shelf availability. For unrivalled service, price and delivery, SDC is the only call you have to make.

TOP TEAM OF THE YEAR

WINNER

DERRY GROUP IRELAND

Derry Group Ireland currently employs over 250 staff throughout Ireland to ensure that it can provide customers with an exceptional service. Each department throughout Derry Group Ireland plays a vital role in ensuring that customers receive the highest quality of service possible.

The company has carefully crafted and invested in its team to provide both short term and long-term solutions, something that the awards judges noted. “They have shown that they engage with staff, customers and partners and also have an App which gives staff the ability to ask questions within the organisation and improve their experience within the company. This is both evident in transport and warehousing. The opening of a new coldstore in 2020 enabled them to become a one stop shop for their customers.” They added: “We believe that this is a company that is building upon the needs of their customers and is going in a positive direction. The company also greatly helps the local community and also supports their own staff in fundraising for charities that are close to their hearts.” That last comment was a reference to raising

money for Craigavon Food Bank in 2021. With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, many individuals and their families within the local community suffered severe financial hardship, leading to a huge increase on the reliance of food banks and their services.

“With Craigavon Food Bank working tirelessly to provide vital assistance to people locally, we wanted to do our bit to help them in supporting local people within our community, who were unable to afford the essentials. To fundraise, we took on the challenge of walking, running, cycling the total distance of our furthest load located in Belgium, a total of 1363 miles! We had initially aimed to raise £500 but exceeded that with a total of £739. Alongside this, we contacted our local customers, appealing for a small food donation which could be directly donated to the food bank - this was an extremely success event.”

Established in 1978, SDC operated from a small shed in Bellaghy. It has grown from a one-man operation to be the UK and Ireland’s largest semi-trailer manufacturer. It has four manufacturing plants, based in Toomebridge, Magherafelt, Antrim and Mansfield.

Utilising some of the most modern, high tech equipment in Europe, SDC supply trailers to a wide range of companies and has built relationships with the industry’s leading logistics operators, supermarket chains and hire companies, becoming Ireland’s largest supplier of Commercial Vehicle Parts, with 12 locations and 50 delivery vehicles, providing a same-day delivery service on over 16,000 quality parts.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Fiona Derry, Derry Group Ireland, Gavin Diamond, SDC Truck & Trailer Parts and Sarah Travers, Compère.

FINALISTS: Allen Logistics, Cubo, Derry Bros Shipping & Customs, Derry Group Ireland, Express Distribution Services, LCC Group, Modern Tyres and PRM Group.

WORKSHOP OF THE YEAR

TBF THOMPSON DAF TRUCKS

The award judges said they had a tough time separating the finalists, with all demonstrating safe working environments, highly trained staff throughout and extensive tools and equipment available, but said there could only be one winner – and after ‘careful consideration’ that was TBF Thompson.

TBF Thompson holds the franchise for DAF Trucks in Northern Ireland and with three depots strategically placed throughout the province, it offers unrivalled customer service and support. The company’s links to the transport industry go back many decades, so the team at TBF Thompson is well experienced in anticipating the needs of customers, with well equipped state-of-the-art workshops and highly trained technicians who employ the latest modern techniques to investigate, diagnose and fix trucks. Its workshop professionals can help operators with everything concerning repair and maintenance and parts supply for any vehicle of any age. The technicians are familiar with every aspect, using only high quality DAF Genuine Parts to keep vehicles in optimum condition, reducing the risk of breakdown and the costly effect of a delay.

TBF Thompson DAF Trucks carries thousands of parts lines and uses the latest technology to provide a fast and efficient parts selection, driven by the vehicle’s chassis number. Rapido, the easy to use electronic parts catalogue to reduce the risk of misinterpretation; it also improves efficiency and customer confidence. Urgent parts needed out of hours can be ordered through DAFaid which is computerlinked to DAF’s central parts warehouse, where around 130,000 parts are available 24/7. This ensures 97% availability - an industry best - and a near certainty that you’ll get the part you want at the first time of asking.

In addition to genuine DAF Parts TBF Thompson DAF Trucks stock a large selection of TRP branded all makes parts, providing a ‘one stop shop’ to meet all parts needs. This extensive range of products includes consumables and trailer parts.

The Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE) is a professional membership body supporting transport engineers throughout their careers encouraging high standards, safety and best practice. Recognised as the impartial voice of the industry, IRTE believes safety in operation is vital.

IRTE is also the pioneering force behind the irtec and IRTE Workshop Accreditation schemes. These schemes are recognised as the minimum industry standards for both technicians and the workplace in which they operate.

WINNER

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, John Purdy, TBF Thompson DAF Trucks, Daniel Moir, Society of Operations Engineers and Sarah Travers, Compère.

FINALISTS: Dennison Commercials, RK Truck Centres and TBF Thompson DAF Trucks.

CHILLED OPERATOR OF THE YEAR

WINNER

McCULLA (IRELAND) LTD

McCulla (Ireland) Ltd is one of the UK and Ireland’s leading temperature-controlled storage and distribution companies, serving the UK, all of Ireland and the rest of continental Europe.

Established in 1969 by David McCulla, the company is today under the ownership and direction of the second generation of the McCulla family. Brother and sister, Ashley and Carol jointly took control of the business in 1992 and have developed it into a multi-million-pound operation.

Now operating from three strategically placed locations, the company has diversified significantly from standard refrigerated haulage into a fully integrated cold chain including warehousing and bespoke logistics solutions, providing distribution services to a wide range of end-users, from major International manufacturers to the small corner shop offering specialist products.

The business has also moved into additional niche sectors, including pharmaceuticals and tech goods logistics, which are compliance-heavy sectors and involve transport of temperaturecritical and/or high value/sensitive loads. This year, McCulla diversified into container

transportation. The company can now manage the supply of ambient, chilled and frozen food from end-to-end, from factories worldwide to the end seller. This includes arrangement of shipping, customs, container collection from ports, storage and all Ireland retail and foodservices distribution.

Through its energy division, Alternity Biogas Energy, the company operates an anaerobic digester plant which enables it to produce all of its own energy – electricity for its Lisburn site and coldstore and now biomethane gas for its fleet of trucks.

A three time winner of the ‘Chilled Operator of the Year’ award, it also picked up the ‘Innovation Excellence Award,’ for its Circular Economy Waste-to-Energy initiative to create a sustainable carbon neutral transport and business model – and one of its drivers, Winston Bradford, was also named the ‘Driver of the Year’ award on the same evening, making it a triple success for the company.

Thermo King Europe is one of the market leaders in transport refrigeration and together with its sister company Frigoblock, it places high value on professionalism, innovation and best practice, with a range of options to cover all eventualities.

It is represented in Northern Ireland by one of the best dealers in their network – Technical Transport Product (TTP) who have over 40 years’ service to the industry.

TTP began life at a time when refrigerated transport in Northern Ireland was in its infancy, but as the need for transport refrigeration grew and with the weight of Thermo King behind it, so did the company.

As a Thermo King dealer, it has successfully retained “Platinum” status – the highest available within the global Thermo King network.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, McCulla (Ireland) Ltd team, David O’Gorman, Thermo King and Sarah Travers, Compère.

FINALISTS: Blair International, Derry Group Ireland, Manfreight, McCulla (Ireland) and PRM Group.

LIVERIED VEHICLE OF THE YEAR

WINNER

CAMDEN GROUP

The awards judges all felt the standard of entry was extremely high with a lot of positive design cues used in the various trucks assessed, but it was the Camden Group truck that shone brightest.

What livery looks good on a truck is a personal choice or taste, of course, however the judges were looking for simplicity, clean lines, branding and logos clearly visible front and side and a modern fresh feel. They found all of that in the truck presented by the Camden Group, a family owned company formed in 1983 by Patrick Lavery.

“The base colour of the truck looked great and was fresh, modern with subtle but effective lines on the side and company branding/logo simple but conspicuous both front and side but not over stated. A great looking truck and one you wouldn’t miss when driving on the road!”

Currently employing over 500 people, the Camden Group has been manufacturing and supplying uPVC products to customers across the UK and Ireland for the past four decades. With quality and innovation at the

core of the business, it is constantly expanding its product range and service offering.

Sustainability is at the heart of everything it does. The company has spent years developing manufacturing processes that allow it to be as environmentally-friendly as possible. This has culminated in its own on-site recycling facility where old PVC windows are recycled and reused, thereby reducing landfill waste considerably.

With its own extenkive fleet of0 articulate trucks, lorries and vans, Camden has full control of deliveries across Great Britain and Northern Ireland as well as the Republic of Ireland.

Apart from its facilities in Antrim, it has also opened a number of trade centres based at various key locations across England in order to meet demand for Camden products in the UK.

Motis is one of the most progressive shipping companies in Europe with over 3000 customers throughout the E.U. Its network covers over 500 freight ferry routes, motorway tolls throughout western europe, alpine tunnels, rolling highways, truck parking and more, in fact you could say it is a European haulier’s one-stop shop.

With head offices based in Newry, County Down, it operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with 12 locations throughout Europe; its aim is simple: to provide industry leading levels of service and innovative solutions at competitive prices to give customers the leading edge in their market places.

It also has made significant investments within the Port of Dover providing truck parking facilities and logistical services 24 hours a day.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Garfield Harrison collecting on behalf of Camden Group, Chris Polwart, Motis Group and Sarah Travers, Compère.

FINALISTS: Carmichael Logistics, Camden Group, Derry Group Ireland, LCC Group, McCulla (Ireland), PRM Group, Slurryquip SRF, Surefreight and Transport Training Services.

IRELAND’S LARGEST AND MOST SECURE FUEL CARD NETWORK

largest

that

HAULIER OF THE YEAR

CARMICHAEL LOGISTICS

Ballymena based Carmichael Logistics, a family-owned business founded by Alan Carmichael in 1999, was one of the big winners, being presented with the ‘Haulier of the Year’ award.

The awards judges praised the company for running a “highly spec’d modern fuel efficient fleet, with a rigorous programme in place to reduce its carbon footprint and an impressive driver retention rate.”

As an equal opportunity employer, Carmichael Logistics has grown steadily over the years with business development ensuring a firm footprint in the transport/haulage industry in the UK, Ireland and the rest of the EU, becoming a major player in the sector, handling dry/ ambient goods, chilled & temperature controlled goods, and frozen products in addition to recycling waste and hazardous goods. Its four storage and distribution centres located throughout Northern Ireland provide secure and accessible facilities suitable for all types of customers. The company has a core nucleus of long service and loyal drivers who enjoy the comfort of some of the best vehicles

on the market at present. With the driver’s welfare and well-being at the forefront of the vehicle allocation, employees who work in UK mainland and Europe have the best in comfort, facilities and cab space at their disposal.

Work with customers on a personal basis to ensure the best possible service and outcomes, the company is also constantly striving to reduce its impact on the environment. For example, its drivers are monitored via telematics which capture data and enable the company to encourage a reduction in idle times and increase mpg by considerate and fuel-efficient driving techniques. Its fridges are modern, quiet running and fuel efficient with split door capability to decrease unnecessary fuel consumption and running times, thus facilitating a reduction in noise pollution. Even its fork lift trucks are bio fuel powered which assists greatly in its green policy implementation programme.

Circle K is Ireland’s leading forecourt and convenience retailer with over 420 sites across the island of Ireland. It has revolutionised the forecourt and convenience retail space through its next generation fuel, its gourmet coffee and a wide range of quality food options.

With over 2,000 employees in Ireland, Circle K also has the largest branded Fuel Card network in Ireland. This gives customers great choice and opportunity to service their business needs anywhere in Ireland. Internationally the Circle K Card is accepted in all major ports, border crossings and key motorway routes across Europe are covered on its network.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Emma McCooke, Alan Carmichael, Carmichael Logistics, Fionnuala O’Donovan, Circle K and Sarah Travers, Compère.

FINALISTS: Tullyniskey Transport, Freeburn Transport and Carmichael Logistics.

Peter Summerton, McCulla Ireland; Mark Tait, Target Transport; Scott Porter, Gray and Adams; and Paul Jackson, McBurney Transport Group.

Mike Chandler and David Crangle of Fleet Simplicity with Craig Marsden and Connor Patton of Cubo.

Graeme Hanna and Richard Allen, IFS, guests of MAN. Iain McKeown and Vincent McIvor of Amet Insurance.

Wilma Farrell and George Irwin, of Hendersons.

Sapphire entertainer.

Carla Walsh, Ronan Dixon, Victoria Salter and Rose McMullan, of Close Brothers.

Robert Walker, Mercedes Benz Truck and Van; Chris Gisca and Richard Skidmore, Mercedes Benz Trucks; and Paul McCrory, Mercedes Benz NI.

Philip Mehaffey, Alan Abraham, Charlene McGonagle, Stephen Brennan, Jonny Phillips and Tony Campbell, Hendersons.

VERSATILITY

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL HAULIER OF THE YEAR

WINNER

DERRY GROUP IRELAND

With the company operating for over 23 years, Derry Group Ireland continues to provide a high-quality service to its customers and suppliers.

From initially starting up with just one truck and one trailer in 1999 to the family business currently operating 80+ trucks and 140+ trailers, the company has seen the continuous growth and demand for its services throughout the years, with depots in Armagh, Dublin and Cork.

With the majority of its trucks being less than four years old, the company is constantly investing in new fleet so that it can continue to provide a high quality of service while minimising downtime. It has also invested significantly in ensuring that its trailers are of a high standard to meet the demands of the industry and as it specialises in the storage and distribution of food products throughout the island of Ireland, all of its trailers are of a high quality to protect customers’ goods.

Refrigerated vehicles in the fleet are equipped

with the most up to date technology, including live thermograph and location tracking to provide customers with a full traceability cycle of their chilled and frozen product - from the initial collection of goods to their delivery destination.

The company has a strict fleet maintenance programme which ensures that trucks and trailers are thoroughly inspected every six weeks, with servicing and repairs carried out as and when necessary in the company’s well equipped workshop which includes rolling road and shaker plates to identify any insufficient suspension components at an early stage.

The National & International Haulier of the Year was not the only one presented to the company on the night; it also picked up awards for its Training and Development programme, was recognised for Innovation Excellence and was voted Top Team of the Year.

SPONSORED BY IVECO, your partner for sustainable transport, delivers complete customer satisfaction with its diverse, sustainable and awardwinning commercial vehicle range, including the newest IVECO Daily light commercial range, the benchmark Eurocargo, and the new IVECO S-WAY.

Represented by N.I. Trucks in Portadown and Mallusk, IVECO has an experienced and knowledgeable team of experts ready to support you.

As the first manufacturer in the world to understand the potential of natural gas in the commercial transportation sector, IVECO is a leader in the natural gas vehicle sector. With more than 20 years of experience, the brand has succeeded in creating forward-thinking solutions which will contribute to further reducing the environmental impact of the transport sector, making it the perfect partner for sustainable transport.

FINALISTS: Blair International, Allen Logistics, Derry Group Ireland, Express Distribution Services, LCC Group, McCulla (Ireland), Surefreight, TST Group and McBurney Transport Group.

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Fiona Derry, Derry Group Ireland, Lisa Fuller, Iveco and Sarah Travers, Compère.

SIMPLY MY TRUCK. SIMPLY THE BEST.

The

overall package: the new generation

with the best

that makes the people

of

costeffectiveness, optimum

LOGISTICS & WAREHOUSING SPECIALIST

WINNER

PRM GROUP

For more than 35 years, PRM Group has been at the forefront of Ireland’s food industry and has been able to celebrate many successes and milestones throughout that time.

Founded by Philip and Lynne Morrow, the company has grown from strength to strength by identifying opportunity, embracing change and developing long lasting relationships.

Employing 250 people and based in state-ofthe-art facilities on the Lissue Industrial Estate in Lisburn, County Antrim, the company’s dedicated warehousing team operate on a 24/7 basis, processing on average 300,000 cases of products a week from market leading brands, and preparing orders for customers across the retail, wholesale and food service sectors. Its logistics operation offers a varied menu of services, including standard case picking, cross docking, storage reworking, blast freezing and uptempering, as well as more complex services such as production planning.

Earlier this year, it made a significant investment in upgrading its warehouse facilities by installing a more energy efficient refrigeration system that uses 30% less electricity. It has also installed an automated pallet wrap, allowing the team to quickly complete orders ready for dispatch and distribution. Its already extensive warehousing facilities will be further expanded next year to include over 100,000 sq ft of additional space. The company also gives back to the community. In the past year it has helped raise over £80,000 for Air Ambulance NI, supported the Ukraine Crisis Appeal with gathering and delivering donations to the Ukraine border and partnered with Young Enterprise NI, giving staff the opportunity to volunteer in local schools, educating and mentoring students.

Winner of numerous International Truck of the Year Awards – the latest being for its New Generation MAN

TGX - MAN has built an enviable reputation for producing quality trucks. Today, that reputation also extends to its Customer Satisfaction programme – Customer First, designed to change the focus and dramatically improve customers’ experiences across the business.

MAN’s standard truck product range starts with the 7.5tonne TGL, and includes the medium weight TGM and then goes up to the 44 tonne TGS and TGX trucks. MAN also offer specialist transport solutions for demanding functions such as emergency services.

MAN is represented in Northern Ireland by RK Trucks, with depots in Carryduff outside Belfast, and at Dungannon, just off the M1 motorway.

SPONSORED BY

FINALISTS: Allen Logistics NI, Carmichael Logistics, Crane Worldwide Logistics, Derry Group Ireland, McCulla (Ireland) and PRM Group.

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Colin Davis, PRM Group, Graham Boyd, MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd and Sarah Travers, Compère.

Michael O’Boyle, Alan Gibb and Karl Huff, of DHL.

Julian Brown and Clare Hall of MAN with Shaun McBride of EVM.

John Quinn, DG McArdle; Eamon McGurran, BPW; and David McArdle, DG McArdle.

Elizabeth Vaugniaux, Erin Donnelly and Victoria McDonald, with Cubo.

To all the �nalists and winners at this years

To all the �nalists and winners at this years

Export & Freight Awards

Export & Freight Awards

Integrated driver & �eet compliance solutions

Integrated driver & �eet compliance solutions

Sustainability

FLEET TRUCK OF THE YEAR

NEW GENERATION DAF XG

The new generation DAF XG was voted ‘Fleet Truck of the Year’ beating off some stiff resistance from three other leading truck manufacturers.

From the driveline to the suspension, from the cab interior to the seats and bunks, combined with the best environment for driving, relaxing and sleeping, the new generation DAF XG clearly impressed an independent judging panel.

The DAF XG includes a whole range of functions to maximise active safety. These include Brake Assist, Lane Departure Warning System, Emergency Brake Lights and City Turn Assist. New features like the DAF Electronic Park Brake for smart park brake control and a Low Speed Trailer Brake for safe trailer coupling have also been added. Designed with the driver in mind, the DAF XG features excellent accessibility. Door opening angles are large and even the top-of-the-range XG and XG+ have only three well positioned entry steps. Hand rails are logically placed and in addition, for easy entry or exit, the steering wheel can be fixed in a parking position. All driving related functions are operated from the steering wheel and the steering column stalks, as are the digital display menu, the TraXon

automated gearbox and audio and phone functionalities. Secondary driving functions are operated from physical switches which are logically positioned on the dashboard and are easy to operate. This approach guarantees the driver can fully focus on the road.

Eye-catcher on the dashboard is the 12” fully digital display which shows all vehicle-related information at a glance. The driver can easily select for a modern of classic design as well as for the level of information presented, using the rotation thumb wheel on the steering wheel. The central display is configurable for each and every driver to personal preferences and taste, giving all room for personalization. The optional additional 10-inch display is located to the right of the steering wheel and offers phone mirroring, infotainment, navigation and more. The DAF Infotainment System is available in three different variants: Standard, Luxury and Exclusive, which provide increasing levels of digital radio, streaming services, navigation, camera views, DAF Connect and third-party apps.

Formerly known as NIBC, Cubo offers an extensive range of solutions including telematics, telecommunications, cameras, and compliance and prides itself on bringing these solutions together in one platform and two decades later, the company continues to place its customers at the heart of what they do. Aquarius is continuously developing its software solution, known as ‘ClockWatcher’, for the road transport industry.With clients ranging from major hauliers and well-known brands to small owner-drivers - and everything in between - its complete end-to-end solution helps operators of all sizes and disciplines manage their compliance responsibilities with ease.

SPONSORED BY

FINALISTS: Iveco S Way, DAF XG, Renault T High 520 and Mercedes-Benz Actros L.

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, TBF Thompson DAF Trucks Team, Craig Marsden, CUBO and Guy Reynolds, Aquarius IT Ltd and Sarah Travers, Compère.

THE IRISH SEA’S LEADING FERRY

TRANSPORT PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

WINNER

PAT McGARRY GROUP LOGISTICS DIRECTOR, HENDERSON GROUP

Group Logistics Director, Henderson Group, Pat McGarry, was recognised for his long and distinguished service to the industry, being presented with the Transport Personality of the Year, by sponsor Stena Line’s Anna Breen, Freight Commercial Manager, Irish Sea North, amid prolonged applause from the almost 600 guests.

Throughout his career of almost four decades in the logistics sector, Pat has been a strong and proactive leader, introducing and directing many innovative large-scale projects to streamline processes, reduce environmental impact and improve working conditions in the Henderson Group, a company he has served for the last 25 years.

Today, thanks to concepts born from his ingenuity, the company now has the most technologically advanced and efficient warehouse facility in the country and one that is held in high regard as the epitome of best practice. Pat has also been responsible for a number of innovations within the company’s logistics fleet. Most notably, he introduced the first static floor double deck trailer to Northern Ireland in conjunction with FG Wilsons. He has played a key role in driving the logistics division, to both boost customer service to retailers as well as managing the company’s

operational cost base in an effective way.

Extremely focused and insightful, he looks for ways to improve processes through challenging the “norms” whilst encouraging his team to strive for excellence. He is natural in his approach and extremely engaging, which has resulted in strong partnerships being built over many years.

He has acted as a mentor and leader for not only work colleagues, but his family too, in all aspects of life, devoting his spare time in encouraging his family to excel. Evidence of his mentorship can be seen in his son, who has been inspired to build his own career in the logistics industry. All in all, not bad for a boy who left Abbey Grammar School in 1981 and went on to Queens University Belfast to study Chemical Engineering; he plans to retire in the Spring of next year after a lifetime of service to the transport and logistics industry in Northern Ireland where his legacy is clear to be seen.

Stena Line is the largest ferry operator on the Irish Sea, offering the biggest fleet and the widest choice of routes between Ireland and Britain and is also committed to increased strategic focus on sustainability and environmental improvements.

In early 2020, two new E Flexer vessels joined the Irish Sea fleet on the Dublin-Holyhead and Belfast Liverpool routes significantly increasing freight capacity within Stena Line’s Irish sea route network.

At 215 metres, the vessels are larger than today’s standard RoPax vessels and provide freight capacity of 3,100 lane metres and the space to carry 120 cars and 1,000 passengers and crew.

SPONSORED BY

L-R: Tim McGarry, Compère, Pat McGarry, Henderson Group, Anna Breen, Stena Line and Sarah Travers, Compère.

Robert Deignan, Steven Wilkinson of TTS and Caroline Delaney, IRTE Committee.

Philip Mehaffey of Henderson; Kevin Cullen, Cullen Transport and David Watts of Diamond Trucks.

Steve Noble, Tim Morton, William Hunter and Michael Daly, of Belfast Harbour. John Byrne, BPW; Eugene Drenna, President IRHA and Glyn Davies, BPW.

Pat McGarry (centre) pictured with his wife and family after collecting the Export & Freight Transport Personality of the Year Award from Anna Breen, Stena Line (extreme right).

Jenny McQuillan, Billy Thompson and Lisa Coyle, River Ridge Recycling.

Michael Petticrew, Dennisons, Ashley McCulla, McCulla Ireland and Joe Roddy, Volvo.

Shane Murphy, Michael Robinson and Ashley Wright of Belfast Harbour.

David Crangle of Fleet Simplicity; Vincent Waddell of Surefreight and Robert Heavin of Carna Transport.

Lee Caskey of SDC; Darren Getty of 24/7 Trailers; and Gavin Diamond of SDC.

Tim McGarry, Compère.

Market traders taking part in sustainable deliveries pilot scheme

The Ford Pro commercial vehicle business, City of London Corporation and DHL Supply Chain have been conducting a sustainable delivery trial at London’s historic Billingsgate Market to explore ways to reduce traffic and improve air quality.

40 traders at Billingsgate took part in the trial, which focusses on deliveries from the market to commercial customers in the capital, including some of London’s most prestigious establishments.

Many traders rely on vans to make these deliveries, but for much of the day these vans are not in use. The City Corporation identified the opportunity to consolidate trips, which avoids duplicating journeys and requires fewer vehicles.

Funded by the City Corporation, which owns and manages Billingsgate Market, the trial uses Ford vehicles, software and servicing support from the company’s Ford Pro commercial vehicle division and DHL Supply Chain expertise. The 18-week collaboration has revealed significant opportunities to benefit both businesses and the environment. There has been an estimated 37 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions compared with business as usual, from 949 fewer vehicle journeys on central London’s congested roads resulting in 15,000 less miles driven. This has also supported reduced costs and improved efficiencies for participating businesses.

This trial is part of the City Corporation’s aim to reduce

the environmental impact of its wholesale markets through innovation, including the planned relocation of Billingsgate, Smithfield and New Spitalfields markets to Dagenham Dock. Electric vehicle charging has been installed in the market car park.

Burn Clean & Less Tutu Akinkoye, GoGreen lead for DHL Supply Chain UK and Ireland, said: “We’re delighted with the results of the trial, which

support our approach to not only ‘burn clean’ through the use of sustainable alternative fuels and drivetrains, but ‘burn less’ by reducing the energy and fuel consumption of our operations. “We’re equally delighted with our engagement with the traders and partners, and the future direction that this strategic project offers customers of London’s wholesale markets – the wide choice of goods, the range of delivery options, and the more sustainable way in which

Schmitz Cargobull wins Trailer Innovation 2023 Award

Schmitz Cargobull has secured first place in the renowned “Trailer Innovations Award” in the “Environment” category.

The aerodynamic curtainsider S.CS EcoFLEX with POWER CURTAIN and Eco Pack, a vehicle from the EcoGeneration series, convinced the international jury of experts. Schmitz Cargobull also came third in the “Chassis” category with the innovative Ferry underride guard.

“With the S.CS EcoFLEX curtainsider, we have brought a vehicle onto the market that makes a considerable contribution to reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in road haulage,” said Andreas Schmitz, CEO of Schmitz Cargobull AG.

“The ‘Trailer Innovation 2023’ award recognises our ongoing work to innovate. We accept the

challenge of offering our customers solutions for sustainable transport that are not only practical but also pay off for the customer.” Schmitz Cargobull successfully launched the aerodynamic curtainsiders of the EcoGeneration last year. In practical use, customers have achieved fuel savings of more than five percent with these vehicles.

The EcoFLEX with its liftable rear can now also be equipped with the slatless POWER CURTAIN body and the Eco Pack - an aerodynamic stowage box whose design optimises air flow and realises further fuel savings. The Eco Pack provides storage space for spare wheels, pallets and load securing equipment.

products will reach the restaurants, wholesalers and consumers in and around the London area.

“Most exciting of all is the solution is replicable in other cities facing similar challenges, both in the UK and globally.”

Hans Schep, general manager of Ford Pro in Europe, said: “Bringing our expertise to bear alongside that of City of London and DHL Supply Chain has clearly shown how Ford Pro’s software-driven, sustainable solutions are solving problems for our customers – in this case helping the historic fish market combine its deliveries for greater efficiency and to help reduce congestion.

“Ford Pro makes it easy for businesses to boost their productivity while operating more sustainably as we support their transition towards an electrified future.”

The seven refrigerated Ford Pro vehicles, including an all-electric Ford E Transit, are equipped with sensors that feed real-time data into Ford Pro Telematics and Ford’s Liive5connected uptime system to support fleet managers in monitoring the efficiency, condition and health of their vehicles. This connected vehicle data helps Ford Fleet Management monitor and manage remaining oil life, AdBlue levels and tyre pressures to reduce the likelihood of unscheduled downtime. Fleet managers are also alerted to punctures or windscreen damage and can schedule required servicing and repairs around operating hours to minimise the impact on vehicle productivity.

The latest award for the aerodynamic Schmitz Cargobull EcoGeneration vehicles follows other accolades such as the “German Sustainability Award Design 2022” and the “European Transport Award for Sustainability 2022” from the HUSS publishing house.

In the “Chassis” category of the “Trailer Innovation 2023”, the new Schmitz Cargobull Ferry underride guard secured third place. Vehicle configurations with low tyres, which are often used in combined transport, sometimes lead to damage to the rear of the unit when handling vehicles on the railway, ferry or at unfavourable ramp angles. To protect them, Schmitz Cargobull has developed the Ferry underride guard with sliding rollers, which fulfils the high requirements of the ECE R58.03 underride guard directive.

In the event of contact, the sliding rollers allow the vehicle to roll and, together with the shock absorbers in the underride guard arm, prevent severe damage to the chassis or add-on parts such as lighting supports. In this way, the new underride guard also contributes to lower total cost of ownership (TCO) for customers.

Easytrip celebrate 5-yearmilestone with Blood Bikes

Easytrip has been supporting the charity since April 2017, enabling Blood Bikes to continue to provide a vital service across Ireland. As part of the celebrations, Easytrip has announced the extension of their support for a further five years. In a typically year the not-for-profit charity would make over 100,000 deliveries and in the last two years that support doubled to an estimated 250,000 dispatches. Blood Bikes, who provide urgent transportation of essential medical items such as donated blood, human tissue, breast milk to hospitals and medical centres 365 days a year, supply their service free of charge with help from a legion of voluntary drivers. Over the last two years the organisation has supported the National Ambulance Service and the HSE with Covid19 testing and medical equipment deliveries. Colin Delaney, CEO of Easytrip Ireland, said:

“We all recognise how important it is to be supporting our healthcare sector, especially over the last two years. Blood Bikes is playing a monumental role, ensuring other emergency services are not taken out of service and we are proud to be continuing our support. To date we have covered over 12,000 toll journeys for them and look forward to continuing to work with Blood Bikes in the years to come.”

Fergus Lennon, spokesperson for Blood Bikes Leinster said: “The help from Easytrip has been tremendous and we really value their partnership. It has allowed us to continue to operate and support our - hospitals, medical centres, satellite units of hospitals, HSE as well as residential and nursing homes – who all provide crucial healthcare and work with vulnerable patients. On average, we get 20 to

30 calls a day, seven days a week. Having our tolls paid automatically means that our time sensitive and lifesaving deliveries are made quicker which impacts positively on the patients who need the vital supplies we deliver.”

Established in 2012, Blood Bikes is a not-forprofit Irish charity who provide a free emergency medical transport service and operates between hospitals across Ireland in the 32 counties. Their fleet is tasked with the urgent transportation of donated blood, human tissue, stem cells, organs, chemotherapy medication and more recently, PPE, Covid-19 and antigen test kits.

Fleet Operators Urged to Go One Step Further in Avoiding Bridge Strikes

Jonathon Backhouse, director of specialist transport and logistics lawyers Backhouse Jones, has urged UK fleet operators to ensure they have protocols in place to mitigate the risk of bridge strikes following a recent spike in incidents.

In a recent presentation to road transport professionals, Jonathon focused on the implications of bridge strikes and how best to mitigate such incidents.

With over 1900 bridge strikes occurring throughout the UK per year, Jonathon Backhouse revealed that the cost in train delays and repairs as a result of incidents totals £23m or £13,000 on average per strike and that on average around five bridge strikes occur nationally every single day.

After a recent series of bridge strikes across the country, Senior Traffic Commissioner Richard Turfitt wrote a letter reminding operators of their duty to take all practical steps to avoid such incidents.

Jonathon revealed that eight out of ten bridge strike incidents are largely caused by agency drivers and stressed the importance of ensuring that all drivers are educated on the company’s protocols and receive sufficient training and guidance on how to mitigate bridge strikes. However, Geoff Cross, Managing Director of vehicle CCTV and

telematics specialists Centrad believes fleet operators could go one step further. “The need to educate drivers on company protocols, using the correct applications and offering the appropriate training, is of course paramount in driving down bridge strike incidents.

“The vast majority of bridge strikes from HGVs are as a result of human error. These could range from a miscalculation of the

dimensions of the bridge, taking a shortcut or simply being distracted.

“However, I believe fleet operators could mitigate the potential for bridge strikes even further –primarily through implementing cutting edge AI camera technology into their vehicles.

“Such products provide proactive real time alerts to fleet managers of any high-risk driving behaviour including mobile phone usage,

distraction, smoking and driver fatigue. Equally, such systems also uses telematics to warn drivers when low bridges are ahead.

“Fleet operators could install a relatively simple LED system, which would be positioned on a vehicle’s dashboard, and their drivers would not only receive instant feedback regarding their overall driving behaviour, but the system will also use GPS vehicle location data and mapping to sound an in-cab alert if the vehicle is approaching a low bridge.

“The key advantage of using such a product as both a fleet operator and a driver, is if for any reason a low bridge is not included in the database, or the GPS signal drops, the technology will accurately read the upcoming low height warning sign and will measure the dimensions of the bridge.

“The importance of having protocols in place, as has been stressed by Jonathan Backhouse from Backhouse Jones, certainly should not be underestimated, but implementing cutting edge AI camera technology alongside such procedures will only serve to reduce the number of even further – ultimately reducing incidents and in turn saving lives, reducing unnecessary costs and avoiding any penalties.”

Mobility solutions specialist, Easytrip, Ireland’s only electronic parking and tolling tag provider, celebrates their five-year partnership with Blood Bikes, a not-for-profit charity.

(L-R): Sharon Percival of Blood Bikes Leinster, PatriciaSmyth, Head of Customer Service at Easytrip, Colin Delaney,CEO of Easytrip and Fergus Lennon of Blood Bikes Leinster.Photographer Finbarr O’Rourke.

CLdN to acquire Seatruck Ferries from Clipper Group

Leading European RoRo ferry operator

CLdN has entered into an agreement to acquire all shares in Seatruck Ferries Holding Ltd. from Clipper Group. The parties have agreed not to disclose the transaction price.

With eight purpose-built vessels, Seatruck Ferries is the leading RoRo operator on the Irish Sea, transporting close to 20% of the region’s seaborne cargo volumes.

CLdN CEO Florent Maes comments: “We are delighted with the agreement, which is in line with our overall strategy of expanding current trades and developing new routes. Seatruck Ferries is an excellent company with a great route network and a strong business model.

Seatruck will be a valuable addition to CLdN’s comprehensive route network and particularly adds to our presence in the UK and Irish markets. We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to the CLdN team and together develop new opportunities for the wider group.”

The divestment of Seatruck Ferries allows

Denmark-based Clipper Group to devote all financial and managerial resources to further strengthening its global dry cargo business.

Clipper Group CEO Amrit Peter Kalsi comments: “Given the continued robust performance by Seatruck, we concluded that this was the right time to divest the company. Following a competitive process, we are very pleased to be handing over the baton to a strong, long-term, industrial owner as CLdN.

“We now look forward to focus 100% on our dry cargo core business. With a much stronger balance sheet, we are well positioned to proactively pursue market opportunities.”

CLdN’s contemplated acquisition of Seatruck Ferries is subject to regulatory approval from the Irish competition authorities, expected

before year-end. After closing, the Seatruck operation will continue to run under the Seatruck Ferries brand with the existing management team lead by Alistair Eagles.

Seatruck Ferries has shown great resilience through the challenges caused by COVID-19 and Brexit, where the company has consolidated its market-leading position on the Irish Sea. Operating profit improved in 2021 and earnings are expected to further improve in 2022 as the joint impacts of COVID-19, Brexit and driver shortages are expected to accelerate growth in the unaccompanied trailer sector.

‘Car-cations’ are booming at Stena Line

Stena Line has seen their travel business bounce back in Britain and Ireland in 2022; figures for the first half of the year show that passenger numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels, while car numbers in particular are far higher than in 2019.

The increase in the number of cars is most striking on the Irish Sea. With the cost of car hire in Ireland being the highest in Europe it is no surprise that people are instead opting to travel by ferry and take their own cars to Belfast, Dublin or Rosslare. However, the level of increase has been higher than expected, with the numbers of passengers taking their cars up almost a third (32%) compared to 2019. While over on the North Sea it

is a similarly positive story, with the number of passengers taking their cars on ferries travelling between Harwich and the Hook of Holland at higher levels than all their competitors combined.

As well as also beating levels on the popular short-sea routes, as car drivers opt to avoid delays on The Channel by travelling via the North Sea, where cars increased almost 11% on this key arterial route that serves not only The Netherlands, but also Central, Eastern and Northern Europe.

Paul Grant, Trade Director for the Irish Sea, says: “Problems in the airline industry, high car hire prices and ongoing concerns over COVID, all seem to be encouraging more and more people to switch to ferries and take their own cars with them on holiday. Ease of check-in, no queues at security, no baggage charges, no car hire costs, the advantage of being able to put your full allowance of Duty Free in your car and drive from door-to-door, all make

taking a ‘car-cation’ by ferry an attractive option for travellers.”

In recent years Stena Line has invested heavily in its state of the art ferries and offers unrivalled luxury onboard. Its Stena Plus and Hygge Lounges, and range of cabin options, with extensive entertainment packages, allow passengers to travel in comfort and style. With restaurants and cafés, cinemas, games rooms, play areas and newly expanded Duty Free shops, there is always plenty to do onboard.

Artemis Technologies unveils world’s most advanced 100% electric passenger ferry

Artemis Technologies has unveiled the design of its new100% electricEF-24 Passenger vessel, targeting the global high-speed ferry market.

This revolutionary ferry is among several zero-emission vessels being developed by Artemis Technologies in Belfast, designed to provide commercially viable green transport solutions for operators, cities and governments across the world.

With a top speed of 38 knots, the EF-24 Passenger ferry offers a range of 115 nautical miles at a 25 knots cruise speed and produces incredible fuel savings of up to 85% compared to conventional high-speed diesel ferries.

Powered by the patented Artemis eFoiler electric propulsion system, the 24m vessels will fly above the water, providing a comfortable ride for up to 150 passengers on board, mitigating effects of seasickness and producing minimal wake at high-speed, significantly

reducing the impact on shorelines.

Artemis Technologies is a spin-off from the Artemis Racing team that competed in the America’s Cup of which its founder, two-time Olympic champion Dr Iain Percy OBE is a four-time veteran.

He said: “We have combined our experience from the worlds of high-performance sailing, motorsports, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing to design and develop an electric propulsion system that is quite simply a game changer for the maritime industry.

“Our high-speed passenger ferry provides a cost-effective public transport solution that helps address air pollution, congestion, and noise.

“By encouraging multimodal transport in urban areas, we will enable cities around the world to utilise and benefit from the untapped potential of their waterways.

“With hydrofoils that lift the boats out of the water, we are dramatically reducing drag.

This is coupled with a submerged electric drivetrain that is exceptionally efficient, as proven through rigorous testing with our

12m eFoiler workboat, validating our digital simulations and performance prediction.”

The ferries will be fully accessible, incredibly spacious with a range of facilities on board including bike racks, cabin bag and overhead storage, baby changing facilities, and charging points.

The vessels will also feature a unique highspeed collision avoidance system developed with ECIT, part of Queen’s University Belfast. The system will ensure the safety of operations in port and close to shore by safely diverting the ferry on an altered path away from sea life, wildlife, debris and other in-water objects that might otherwise be obscured from view. Artemis Technologies has partnered with Condor Ferries to operate a pilot scheme using the first EF-24 Passenger ferry. This will come into service in 2024, running between Belfast and Bangor.

Iain added: “The zero-emission ferry that will be seen departing Belfast in 2024, aptly named ‘Zero’, will be the first we build at our manufacturing hub in the city, but it is only the start.”

P&O Ferries Doubles Lo-Lo Capacity at Zeebrugge Hub With Second Crane

P&O FERRIES has doubled its capacity to load and unload cargo at its Zeebrugge hub with the arrival of a second specialist lift-on, lift-off crane.

The expansion in P&O Ferries’ operations at the port is set to streamline the transportation of freight, boosting productivity and enhancing capacity to service vitally important trade routes for UK exporters and trading partners.

The arrival of a second crane will also enable P&O Ferries to upgrade departure frequency on its in-demand Hull to Zeebrugge Lo-Lo route, with an increase to six weekly sailings on a fixed schedule. Customers will benefit from the resulting growth in capacity and timetable certainty.

Thorsten Runge, Managing Director of P&O Ferries Freight Services, said: “We are determined to make P&O Ferries the best ferry company in Europe. That means: the best ships, the best routes and the best value for our freight customers.

“The investments we are making in new equipment, new sites and new capabilities, all have one purpose – to solve supply chain challenges. With the support of our parent company, DP World - the leading provider of worldwide smart end-to-end supply chain logistics - we are committed to improving and expanding trading infrastructure.”

P&O Ferries carry around 15 per cent of the goods coming in and out of the UK, including vital medicines, chemicals and fresh food. As well as operating a Lo-Lo service from Zeebrugge to Hull, it also operates routes from Zeebrugge to Tilbury and Zeebrugge to Teesport, giving it unparalleled reach for anyone transporting goods to or from the east coast of England.

From Shopping Boats to Floating BridgesStena Line Celebrates Its 60th Anniversary

Stena

Sten A. Olsson, the founder of Stena Line, began operating a shipping service from his hometown Gothenburg in Sweden to Skagen in Denmark in 1962 where he was a scrap merchant for 20 years. Where others saw waste, he saw business opportunities, as he needed a means to transport scrap metal, helping to lay the foundations for what would become one of the most iconic brands in Sweden.

In 1967, after establishing routes to Skagen and later Fredrikshavn, Stena Line opened a direct route from West Sweden with its route to Kiel, Germany. Through strategic purchases and acquisitions, Stena Line in the 80s and 90s, now under the management of Sten’s son, Dan Sten Olsson, established its first routes from the Netherlands to the UK and from the UK to Ireland where is still dominates in the Irish Sea market. Following the fall of the iron curtain, Stena Line introduced the new Karlskrona–

Gdynia route in 1995 which laid the foundations for what is now one Stena Line’s busiest regions.

Stena Line transports 6 million passengers and several million tonnes of freight units per year on 38 ships, operating 18 routes across a European wide network spanning from the west of Ireland to Latvia. Three principles have always determined the course of the company: the ambition to grow, the ability to adapt, and a never-ending curiosity

that inspires new innovations.

“At Stena Line, we never forget our heritage. Sten A Olsson was a real entrepreneur, and it was his ambition, flexibility and everlasting curiosity that shaped our DNA. Over the six decades that have passed since he opened his first shipping service, we have continued to challenge existing ideas and models within our business. This is what has enabled us to develop into a leading ferry operator. And we are now eagerly looking forward

to taking the next steps in our future, with further expansion and sustainable innovations”, said Niclas Mårtensson, CEO Stena Line.

Stena Line is characterised by its efficient, regular passenger and freight services and is constantly reviewing its business to offer its customers the best experience on the Irish Sea. Today, Stena Line is an efficient, high-frequency, freight-heavy and guest-friendly ferry transport service. Constant innovation and transition saw the original “floating grocery store” to Denmark first turn into a leisure, cruise like business driven by tax-free shopping in the 80´s and 90´s, and then into today’s resourceful, flexible and network-driven company. The next big challenge for Stena Line and the entire transport sector is the green transition. Projects like the methanol ferry on KielGöteborg, the state-of-art E-Flexer ferries, and ambitious electrification projects will put the Stena Line motto into reality: Connecting Europe for a Sustainable Future.

All-New, All-Electric E-Transit Custom from Ford Pro

Ford Pro has introduced the van small businesses across Europe have been waiting for. The all-new E-Transit Custom, the all-electric version of Europe’s best-selling van, is designed from the ground up to deliver new levels of productivity to customers in the one-tonne van segment.

Inspired by insights from small and medium businesses, the E-Transit Custom offers innovative customer experiences based on cloud connectivity and digital technologies – that can all evolve through Ford Power-Up software updates during the vehicle’s life.

“Ford Pro and the E-Transit Custom are redefining what a commercial vehicle can do –powering working people and businesses into a new digital age,” said Jim Farley, president and CEO, Ford Motor Company. “Our customers made Transit Custom the most popular commercial vehicle in Europe, and we’ve listened to those customers for well over 50 years. The new E-Transit Custom was designed and engineered to meet their needs –a Transit for the new era, but one that can still get its hands dirty when a job needs doing.”

Next-generation battery technology enables a targeted range of 236 miles and 125kW fast charging ability. E-Transit Custom will deliver outstanding performance for a range of customer needs – all supported by Ford Pro’s end-to-end solutions to manage and optimise charging.

To maximise productivity during the working day, E-Transit Custom offers new digital solutions for multi-drop deliveries, and cab and load compartment access. The cab is also a business hub, with 5G connectivity and a flexible workspace including smart features like a steering wheel that folds to become an ergonomic holder for laptops and tablets.

The digital innovation is combined with no-compromise load carrying and capability.

E-Transit Custom delivers payloads up to 1,100kg, a lower load floor with easier

access, and maximum towing capacity of 2,000kg. Independent rear suspension and class-leading motor power help deliver a new level of driving experience for customers.

Ford Pro has also introduced the all-electric E-Transit, which has now sold more than 8,300 units, and E-Transit Custom is one of four new Ford Pro electric commercial vehicles coming to Europe by 2024. E-Transit Custom will be built by Ford Otosan in Kocaeli, Turkey, and is due to start production in autumn 2023.

Uncompromised capability

E-Transit Custom’s capable new EV powertrain was designed to help small businesses and independent tradespeople – who previously relied on diesel powertrains to support their business needs – to make the switch to electric.

E-Transit Custom’s 400-volt, 74kWh useable battery pack uses advanced 82Ah pouch cells shared with the Ford F-150 Lightning to deliver 12 per cent more energy density than the E Transit. The battery enables a targeted range of up to 236 miles – over four times the average one-tonne van driver’s daily mileage, according to Ford Pro customer data. The battery’s direct to body mounting improves durability and reduces weight for optimum range. Customers can choose from 100kW or 160kW (135PS or 217PS) motor power outputs to suit their needs, each offering a class-leading 415Nm of torque. The drive motor is fitted directly to the vehicle’s rear floor, removing the need for a dedicated subframe, and is rotated 90 degrees to maximise loadspace and reduce weight and complexity. The powerful electric drivetrain delivers a class-leading towing capacity of up to 2,000kg, meaning E-Transit Custom could replace diesel vehicles in roles that no other all-electric van can match.

High-tech interior

E-Transit Custom offers a more spacious cab and increased secure storage compared to the outgoing model. The column-mounted shifter, electronic handbrake and “squircle” steering wheel combine to help cross-cab access – a valuable feature for drivers who park in tight areas and want to avoid getting out into live traffic. Ford is also introducing a segment-first roof-mounted airbag that enables dashboard storage large enough to take a laptop or A4 file, as well as increase flexibility for upfit panels and devices which can now be fitted closer to the driver using industry-standard AMPS mountings. Every E-Transit Custom is fitted with a 13 inch landscape touchscreen angled towards the driver for ease of use, equipped with Ford’s advanced SYNC 410communication and infotainment system powered by a new 5G modem for superfast connectivity to the Ford Pro tech stack.

NEW TRUCK SALES

Many thanks and a big congratulations goes to Jessica Knipe collecting her new Isuzu D-Max V-Cross finished in Onyx Black and complete with style bars and a Mountain Top roller cover. Supplied by Eakin Bros.

Long-standing customers Richard and Margaret Russell taking delivery of their new Isuzu D-Max DL40 finished in Sapphire Blue and complete with upgraded wheels and Arch kit. Supplied by Eakin Bros.

Landbridge Logistics, Dunmurry recently added this Renault Master C/Cab Curtainsider to help support its customers demands. Supplied by Diamond Trucks, Mallusk.

We are so pleased to be able to supply and maintain McAuley Tree Surgery with this awesome Isuzu D-max V-Cross pick up, if you need a professional outfit to sort your trees and garden look no further. Supplied by Eakin Bros.

H & E Crilly, collection of new Fruehauf Stepframe Smooth Side Tipper, 74 cube on BPW axles with electric cover & PM weigher. Supplied by Granco.

DAF CF450FAQ - Moore’s Animal Feeds, Broughshane sold by TBF Thompson DAF Trucks.

DAF LF230 - Lisburn Auto Salvage, Lisburn sold by TBF Thompson DAF Trucks.

MAN TG3 26.640 supplied to C J KEYS by RK Truck Centres Ltd

2 x DAF FADCF850 - Collen Bros Quarries Ltd, Portadown sold by TBF Thompson DAF Trucks.

McCulla Ireland, just recently added these two Renault T HIGH 520 6x2 tractor units to their fleet. Sold by Diamond Trucks, Mallusk, and supported by a 4 year fully comprehensive R&M package.

Murdock Builders Merchants recently added the first two Renault C320 6x2 platform cabs, working out of their Banbridge & Dungannon branches respectively. Supplied by Diamond Trucks, Mallusk.

MAN 18 250 WGZ 7447 supplied to Farmview by RK Truck Centres Ltd.

Custom-made

The S.CS FIXED ROOF Curtainsider comes with a strong and durable body construction and has all the benefits of the bolted and galvanised chassis. The fixed aluminium roof and flat front fit perfectly into the UK and Irish logistics chain. www.cargobull.com/uk