Fleet Van - July/August 2014

FleetVan Fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

Business support... Running costs, fuel prices, CO2 emissions tools

Missed an issue? Access our full Fleet Van archive online

B E S T P R A C T I C E F O R B R I TA I N ' S L I G H T VA N O P E R AT O R S

Follow us... Get the latest van updates on Twitter

July/August 2014 ÂŁ5 where sold

Insight: Downsizing

SAVE MONEY

BY CHOOSING SMALLER VANS Switching from a heavy van to a medium van can save ÂŁ3,000. Is downsizing for you? Find out inside

Profile: Clancy Group

First drive: Vivaro and Trafic

Insight: FTA analysis

Road risk audits reduce driver accidents by 30%

Find out how the Vauxhall and Renault twins match up

How fleets monitor and address the risk of accidents

Contact us Fleet News, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA. Email – fleetnews@bauermedia.co.uk Editorial Editor-in-chief Stephen Briers 01733 468024 stephen.briers@bauermedia.co.uk Acting deputy editor Sarah Tooze 01733 468901 sarah.tooze@bauermedia.co.uk News editor Gareth Roberts 01733 468314 Web producer Christopher Smith 01733 468655 Associate editor Trevor Gehlcken Contributors Mark Cartwright, John Charles, Ben Rooth, Chris Lowndes (photographs) Production Head of publishing Luke Neal Associate editor (production) Andrew Ryan Production editor Finbarr O’Reilly Designer Erika Small Advertising Commercial director Sarah Crown (maternity leave) B2B commercial manager Sheryl Graham 01733 366467 Account managers Wendy Cowell 01733 366472 Laura Holloway 01733 366469 Lucy Herbert (maternity leave) Lisa Turner 01733 366471 Stuart Wakeling 01733 366470 Marcus Woods 01733 366468 Head of project management Leanne Patterson 01733 468332 Project managers Lucy Peacock 01733 468338 Angela Price Kerry Unwin 01733 468327 Telesales/recruitment b2brecruitment@bauermedia.co.uk 01733 468275/01733 468328

CONTENTS

4 I Aftersales

4

8 I News digest We highlight the important news from the past month in the van sector.

13 I FTA Benchmarking: Road risk 79% of van operators fail to record ‘near miss’ RTAs.

18

Fleet Van is published 10 times a year by Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, registered address 1 Lincoln Court, Lincoln Road, Peterborough, PE1 2RF. Registered number 01176085.

No part of the magazine may be reproduced in any form in whole or in part, without prior permission of the publisher. All material published remains the copyright of Bauer Consumer Media Ltd. We reserve the right to edit letters, copy or images without further consent.

The submission of material to Bauer Media whether unsolicited or requested, is taken as permission to publish in the magazine. Any fees paid in the UK include remuneration for any use in any other licensed editions.

Whilst every reasonable care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publisher is not responsible for any errors or omissions nor do we accept any liability for any loss or damage, howsoever caused, resulting from the use of the magazine.

18 I BT Fleet Conference BT Fleet saved £100 million by fighting bogus claims.

20 I Profile: The Clancy Group Road risk audits cut driver accident frequency by 30%.

23 I Insight: Remarketing Growing economy drives increase in values.

24 I Insight: Downsizing Shrink costs and CO2 with smaller vehicles.

20

28 I Ford Transit Courier City van completes LCV replacement programme.

Events Event director Chris Lester Event manager Sandra Evitt 01733 468123 Event organiser Kate Howard 01733 468146 Events co-ordinator Nicola Baxter 01733 468289 Publishing Managing director Tim Lucas 01733 468340 Group marketing manager Bev Mason 01733 468295 Office manager Vicky Meadows 01733 468319 Group managing director Rob Munro-Hall Chief executive officer Paul Keenan

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles revises its aftersales promise to fleets.

30 I Iveco Daily Third-generation van provides improved efficiency.

32 I Renault Trafic Redesigned cabin and new engines for revised model.

24

33 I Vauxhall Vivaro Fuel-saving technology delivers 23% greater efficiency.

34 I Ford Transit long-termer Little touches provide the ‘wow’ factor.

35 I Running costs: SWB low roof heavy panel vans Spotlight on all the important data you need.

32

ISSN 0953-8526.

Printing: Headley Brothers Ltd, Kent

NEXT ISSUE – SEPTEMBER

Insight: Engine remapping Does it really does improve fuel economy?

Insight: Livery Top tips for getting it right for your fleet.

“ Before trying out new ideas on my eet, I want a partner that’s already tried it on theirs.”

Our award winning SMR and ®eet solutions are trialled on our own ®eet before bene­tting yours.

0800 032 0012 bt eet.com

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2014 3

a f t er s a l e s

VW CV revises its aftersales promise to fleets Dealer network failed to meet targets on service performance set by manufacturer’s van division Need To kNoW n diagnosis time now within one working day n Like-for-like replacement if a vehicle under warranty is off the road more than two hours

By Sarah Tooze olkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) has revised its aftersales promise to fleet customers after it discovered not all of its commitments were being met by its dealer network.

Kevin rendell, head of parts and service at VWCV, told Fleet News that after joining the business in february 2013, he reviewed how dealers were performing on the previous service programme and adjusted it following research with customers.

Previously, if a van broke down, the brand promised to diagnose it within 30 minutes, but that wasn’t being achieved. Diagnosis time is now within one working day. rendell acknowledges one working day is “not where we ultimately want to be”, but the brand wants to make sure its promises are realistic and can be delivered. a lot of the new 10-point service promise is “hygiene”, according to rendell, such as not doing additional work until authority has been given.

However, VWCV is also guaranteeing like-forlike replacement if a vehicle under warranty is off the road more than two hours. It will even source a van out of brand if it means getting a customer back on the road.

“If you’ve got a fridge unit we’ll find you a fridge unit,” rendell said. “Our first preference is that it is a Volkswagen base unit, but the important thing becomes that it’s a fridge unit.

“I appreciate that most customers’ vehicles are converted, so you’ll never get a true like-for-like, but the ambition is to try and minimise the impact on the customer.”

VWCV wants to raise awareness among fleet customers about what it offers. “there are people incurring cost in rental vehicles, people paying for downtime contracts,” rendell said. “they are not aware what’s in a manufacturer’s package that comes as standard.” the research the brand carried out with fleet managers operating 25-700 vehicles last year

V

found that the majority had purchased their own roadside cover despite VWCV offering three-year european roadside cover. “a couple of them wanted to keep various manufacturers under one management portfolio, but for others it was just because they weren’t aware,” said rendell.

“What they want we predominantly offer, but we need to talk about it more.” the new 10-point promise is optional for VWCV’s 71 van centres and 28 authorised repairers, but the network is 100% opted in “without any armtwisting going on”, said rendell.

“We had a debate, do we get business service centres? But actually we are a dedicated network, we are a singular network that focuses on vans.”

VWCV is using mystery shopping as well as randomly quizzing dealership employees to check knowledge of the new promise, which will also work as a sales tool for the network as the brand looks to grow beyond the market.

All of VWCV’s 71 van centres and 28 authorised repairers have opted in to the new 10-point promise

“We’re not just selling vans; we’re selling a complete service package that goes with them,” rendell said.

Customers can choose to pay monthly, annually, or when each service is taken. fitted parts pricing has been fixed nationally.

VWCV plans more servicing launches soon and the business is considering introducing extended opening hours.

For more information, visit fleetnews.co.uk/aftersales promise

“We’re not just selling vans; we’re selling a complete service package that goes with them” Kevin Rendell, VWCV VWCV’s 10-point serViCe promise We will always give you a quote before we start work, so you understand the work required and how much you will pay.

We will advise you if additional work is 2 required, give you a cost estimate and won’t carry it out until you authorise us to do so.

We will guarantee you an appointment 3 within five working days when you book your vehicle in to your local van centre.

We will either offer you a courtesy 4 vehicle, a while-you-wait appointment or a collection-and-return service.

If your vehicle is out of action for over two 5 hours, and still within warranty, we’ll do everything we can to source a like-for-like replacement, or the best alternative.

1

4 July/August 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

If your vehicle breaks down and is recovered to our van centre, we will perform an initial diagnosis within a maximum of one working day.

We will fit genuine Volkswagen parts, 7 designed and manufactured to suit your vehicle and maintain optimum performance.

We will give you a two-year parts and 8 labour warranty.

We will fully explain all work carried out, 9 including warranty work and any work paid for by your fleet company or service contract.

We will always wash your vehicle free of 10 charge following a service.

6

editor’s Column

Sarah Tooze, acting deputy editor, Fleet Van

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ decision to revise its aftersales promise (see article, left) raises the question: are other dealer networks meeting the commitments set by their manufacturers?

Fleet Van asked several van makers how they check that dealers are sticking to their promises. ford uses mystery shoppers to check lead times and is piloting a downtime management system to monitor the vehicles going into its transit Centres.

WhAt other mAnufACturers promise fleets Citroën: Collection/delivery service within stipulated areas, fleet menu pricing, ability to carry out Class 5 and Class 7 MOts, Citroën racing service (one-hour van service scheme). Citroën dealers aim to conduct initial diagnosis on urgent vehicles off the road, order parts within two hours of arrival and complete most repairs in the same working day. Customers can upgrade to a Business Class package which includes Citroën assistance for four years.

Ford: last year ford opened 100 ‘transit Centres’, offering elevated aftersales service standards and extended opening hours. a new transit24 aftersales programme offers whileyou-wait servicing, including late-night appointments, and will respond within 20 minutes to online service booking requests. It provides priority treatment for urgent work with the aim of completing vehicle off-road repairs on the same working day or within 24 hours. Collection and delivery can be arranged, with every vehicle washed before leaving the dealership. fleet national pricing is available for 25-plus fleets.

Mercedes-Benz: Mobility guarantee for the life of the vehicle (up to 30 years), including payment

Mercedes-Benz offers a mobility guarantee for the life of the vehicle of taxi fares and replacement vehicle, free on-the-spot breakdown or starting assistance should the vehicle break down or fail to start for two years after initial registration, service24 anywhere in europe and extended opening hours with some dealers open at the weekend.

Nissan: aims to keep customers mobile while a vehicle is undergoing a warrantable repair. all UK-supplied Nissan fleet vehicles are covered by three-year/60,000-mile raC roadside assistance and Nissan’s business centre staff are trained to mandatory Nissan standards. Nissan is currently updating and improving its fleet ‘promise’.

Renault: Introduced the renault Business Quality Commitment for all dealers four years ago. Its Pro+ 12-point customer promise for its 34 Pro+ dealers supports requirements of larger corporate operators and includes 120-minute pit stop servicing, less than 73 hours’ booking lead time, like-for-like vehicle replacement, full transparent pricing and four years’ renault assistance.

Ford’s ‘Transit Centres’ offer higher service standards and extended opening hours

Vauxhall: is to re-launch its van aftersales programme. No details are available yet.

“Ford is piloting a downtime management system to monitor vehicles going into its Transit Centres” Mercedes-Benz checks every dealer each month, both as an individual dealer (e.g. sparshatts sittingbourne), as a complete market area (e.g. sparshatts of Kent), and against its national network. Its dealers are checked on a range of key performance indicators. Dealers receive a financial bonus based on their performance. renault carries out a quarterly review of all of its Pro+ dealers to assess delivery of the performance by the area management team.

But what are your experiences?

Please get in touch with me at sarah.tooze@bauermedia.co.uk and let me know.

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2014 5

FROM £24,186

FOR PANEL VAN L1H1 330 110

You’re a fleet manager. You need vans. But every business has different requirements. That’s why our New Peugeot Boxer van comes in all sorts of combinations. Length, height, body type or engine, there’s an option that’s just right for your drivers. Even better, it ‘s got high specification as standard such as bulkhead, DAB and Bluetooth, and delivers up to 41.5 mpg. So think differently. Box Clever.

Official Fuel Consumption in mpg (l/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km) for the Boxer range are: Urban 29.7 (6.4) – 33.2 (8.5), Extra Urban 44.1 (6.4) – 48.7 (5.8), Combined 37.7 ( 7.5) – 41.5 (6.8) and CO2 199 - 180. MPG figures are achieved under official EU test

NEW PEUGEOT BOXER

PEF0814_FN_297x210_DPS_04.indd 1

03/07/2014 16:33

FP_FLEETVAN_PEF0814FN2.id1297062.pgs

>>AdRocket<<

business.peugeot.co.uk/newboxer

NEW PEUGEOT UG O BOXER O

BOXING CLEVER HIGH STANDARD SPECIFICATION SIX DIFFERENT BODY STYLES WITH LOAD VOLUMES UP TO 17m3 UP TO 1900KG PAYLOAD FROM 180 G/KM CO2

NOW AVAILABLE TO ORDER

TOUCHSCREEN, INTEGRATED NAVIGATION & DAB DIGITAL RADIO

Visit business.peugeot.co.uk/newboxer or call 02476 884 644 for more information

conditions, intended as a guide for comparative purposes only, and may not reflect actual on-the-road driving conditions.

Model shown is a Boxer Professional L2H2 from £29,466.

PEF0814_FN_297x210_DPS_04.indd 1

03/07/2014 16:37

FP_FLEETVAN_PEF0814FN2.id1297063.pgs

>>AdRocket<<

NE W S DIGE S T

W W W.F L EE T NE W S.C O.UK / VA N S

Study reveals road risk Analysis of more than 1.3 million police crash reports has shown van drivers face an increased risk in a number of areas when compared to all other motorists.

The study from AXA Business Insurance, which looked at crash reports between 2008 and 2012, examined situations where van drivers are at more or less risk on the roads than anyone else.

The most startling finding was about reversing

– van drivers are 142% more likely to crash during this manoeuvre.

When they’re parked, vans appear to be more of a crash target than other vehicles – by more than 40%. Changing lanes and motorway driving also came up as danger points for vans.

Tiredness, observation errors and longdistance motorway driving also came out as higher risks for van drivers.

DVSA: Government will not introduce a licensing regime for van operators The Government will not introduce a licensing regime similar to that faced by HGV fleets to raise standards for van operators, according to Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

The agency has been tasked with cracking down on businesses using LCVs which do not meet existing regulations.

Despite finding a high proportion of offenders, it says the Government will not change the law.

Paul Walker, trade and industry engagement manager at DVSA, said: “The legislation won’t change.

“There is no appetite from Government to bring in any fresh legislation; it is trying to

“There is no appetite from Government to bring in any fresh legislation; it’s trying to make it work within the existing framework” Paul Walker, DVSA

make it work within the existing framework.”

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), which was replaced by the DVSA in April, announced a drive to improve standards within the van industry last year.

The organisation, which had traditionally focused on HGVs, increased its roadside inspections and other enforcement activity to target issues such as vehicle roadworthiness, overloaded vans and towing infringements.

It said it would try to educate operators in the first instance, but would issue fines of up to £200 per offence to drivers if required.

Ian Walker, who is also a trade and industry engagement manager at DVSA, said: “The reason we were focusing on van compliance was that there were a lot of complaints. After initially embarking on a trial, our findings were quite shocking.”

LCVs are involved in twice as many accidents as HGVs and have an MOT first-time failure rate of 50%, compared to 33% for cars.

Furthermore, in DVSA checks, LCVs are on average prohibited six out of 10 times while vehicles are overweight three-quarters of the time. The top five prohibitions issued to vans this year, according to DVSA’s effectiveness report, were for windscreen and wipers, tyres, engine and exhaust, road wheels and hubs, and transmission.

Crash-for-cash gangs target vans Light commercial vehicles are increasingly being targeted by criminals running crash-for-cash fraud rings, according to research by automotive anti-fraud company APU and commercial law firm Hill Dickinson. Vans have been involved in almost a third of all deliberate collisions caused by the gangs in a trend that has emerged in the past 12 months.

Experts in fleet conversions and modiƒcations www.cmspecialistvehicles.co.uk

|

01942 815600

8 July/August 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

Just Fleet and How’s My Driving join forces to cut cost of accidents Just Fleet, a dedicated motor fleet insurance broker where every vehicle is fitted with a 3G front-facing accident camera, has teamed up with How’s My Driving to help reduce the human and financial cost of road accidents in the UK. Under the new partnership, all Just Fleet customers will pre-qualify for the road safety scheme’s membership, which is shown to cut accidents by almost a quarter and reduce associated costs by more than 50%.

National Grid adds Transit Custom vans National Grid has added 200 Ford Transit Custom vans to its fleet of 3,350 vehicles, for use by its engineers maintaining the gas supply network.

The fully-liveried 2.2-litre TDCi Econetic models are equipped with racking systems, first aid equipment and lighting.

They are used for emergency call-outs and day-to-day by engineers.

AA takes delivery of 90 Transporters Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is supplying The AA with 90 new Transporters for its roadside technicians.

The Transporters are part of a partnership deal following The AA’s appointment to provide more than 110,000 Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles customers with roadside assistance support.

AwardWinning Vehicle Tracking

• From £13.40 per vehicle per month + £20 setup charge

• 36-month contract • FREE installation • On-site warranty

The 12th man for your business.

Van Fleet World

Call us today for a quote

0870 013 6663 • enquiries@quartix.net • www.quartix.net

A Daimler Brand 12594 MEC FLEET FLEETVAN DPS (1) CAM.indd 1

08/05/2014 13:22

FP_FLEETVAN_12594MECFL.id1290431.pgs

>>AdRocket<<

The Citan delivers.

Economy, safety, status.

Discover the Citan. www.mbvans.co.uk/fleet

12594 MEC FLEET FLEETVAN DPS (1) CAM.indd 2

08/05/2014 13:22

FP_FLEETVAN_12594MECFL.id1290433.pgs

>>AdRocket<<

BEnchm A RK inG By T hE F TA : R oA D Ri sK m A n AGEmEn T

79% of van operators fail to record ‘near miss’ RTAs Although van-related deaths have halved, fleets can reduce road risk further

By Mark Cartwright, head of LCVs, Freight Transport Association here were 1,713 road accident fatalities last year, a fall of 2% on the previous year and the lowest total since records began in 1926, according to a Department for Transport report.

‘Reported road casualties in Great Britain: main results 2013’ (fleetnews.co.uk/2013incidents] states that serious injuries fell 6%, to 21,657, compared with 2012. Apart from a blip in 2011, serious injuries as a result of road traffic accidents have been steadily falling for the past 20 years.

Encouragingly, while the number of vans operating on UK roads has increased by 32% between 2003 and 2013, the total number of recorded incidents has fallen by 36.8%, with the number of fatalities in 2013 down 48.6% on the 2003 total.

A number of factors influenced these results, from better road design and safety technology to greater awareness and better management of occupational road risk.

T

about minimising risk, what kind of changes they had made and, crucially, what produced the best results. not surprisingly, all respondents had processes to record their ‘on-road collisions’, with most citing well established procedures to capture the facts around the incident, including driver interviews.

Less encouragingly, however, only 21% had processes to identify ‘near misses’ and even among those with processes in place there was concern that the level of reporting was patchy.

There was, however, wide acceptance that analysing this information can be invaluable in identifying risk ‘hot-spots’, whether in specific geographical locations, types of journey or even individual drivers. one fleet manager (who asked to remain anonymous) admitted that “in hindsight we should have identified an unsafe practice across a number of our drivers which, although poor road design contributed, could have averted a serious life-changing collision”.

1,713

people were killed on British roads in 2013, down 2% on the previous year

48.6%

fewer van-related road fatalities took place in 2013 than in 2003

Identifying the best ways to minimise road risk The Freight Transport Association’s Van Excellence programme sought the views of operators on how they went

Why is the management of road risk so important?

The obvious answer is it is simply unacceptable to expose employees, colleagues and members of the public to the risk of death or injury as a result of your business’s activities. it is also a company’s responsibility to comply with the law. if that is not enough, the cost impact of collisions must surely get the attention of any business. september 2013’s article looked at the cost of having vans off the road, for repair, and concluded that many businesses either didn’t know the financial impact or greatly underestimated it. it would seem the same is true with the real cost of collisions.

Research by the hsE during the 1990s identified that the true costs of collisions can be eight

Do they use telematics/driver behaviour technology to aid with managing down risk?

39% Yes

11% Sometimes

50% No

86% 75%

83%

53%

14% 0%

25%

6%

0%

41%

48%

17%

20

33%

40

0%

20

60

19%

40

80 Incidents involving on-board equipment – 17%

60

On-site near misses – 33%

80

On-site collisions – 71%

100 On-the-road near misses – 21%

If you do monitor, are the number of incidents rising or falling?

On-the-road collisions – 88%

Do you measure “risk incidents”?

100

0 0

On-the-road collisions

On-the-road near misses

On-site collisions

On-site near Incidents involving misses on-board equipment

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2014 13

BEnchm A RK inG By T hE F TA : R oA D Ri sK m A n AGEmEn T to 36 times greater than those immediately apparent. There has since been much debate about the reliability of those figures, but even if the figure is ‘just’ three to four times higher, it could have a significant effect on finances, as these costs are straight off the bottom line. some of these unforeseen costs can include lost time; sick pay; damage or loss of product and raw materials; repairs to plant and equipment; extra wages, overtime working and temporary labour; production delays; investigation time; fines; loss of contracts and legal costs.

So what can be done to better manage road risk?

As always, the starting point is to measure and analyse. Look at your driver’s working day and identify the areas of risk; a major civil engineering company clearly identified that the most dangerous thing their high-voltage cable jointers did was driving the van to and from the job – not working with 120,000 volts.

Requiring drivers to report accidents and, importantly, near misses is crucial. several respondents talked about the benefits of creating a ‘blame-free’ culture to encourage a more open dialogue with drivers.

The use of schemes to reward drivers for good behaviour while penalising those involved with blameworthy incidents was also found to be helpful, provided systems were strong enough to identify non-reported incidents. more and more operators are turning to telematics to help, with more than half of our survey respondents using tracking systems in at least part of their fleet. most said their experience with telematics had been positive, although data overload was mentioned as an unforeseen side-effect and one respondent said disciplinaries increased workload. many operators implement straightforward and costeffective measures such as speed limiters and rev limiters, which also have significant fuel economy benefits, and reversing sensors.

The use of driver trainers and comprehensive risk assess-

Even van operators that do record near misses express concern that the level of reporting is patchy

For the latest on risk management and duty of care, visit fleetnews.co.uk/risk

If you monitor incidents, do you benchmark...

20

10

No 63% No 16%

30

No, but we’d like to 5%

40

No, but we’d like to 18%

Yes 35%

50

No, but we’d like to 25%

No 47%

60

Yes 13%

70

Yes 79%

80

0 Across your business

With other businesses in your sector

14 July/August 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

Across a range of other businesses

ments can be beneficial. Kevin shepherd runs more than 500 vans for southern Water and reports “significant improvements in our road risk profile have been achieved by better understanding the work our drivers undertake and then putting together the right driver training package”.

“We work in a high-risk industry,” says steve haigh, group transport manager at environmental, health and safety and risk management company Lexia solutions.

“We understand the risks inherent in our demolition and asbestos removal businesses, but we also recognise the significant risks our drivers deal with each day getting to and from their jobs. it’s important to us that we encourage the correct behaviours and have found the use of driver training and risk assessments to be very useful.”

The impact of any collision, incident or accident can be life-changing. it can have very serious implications for your business’s finances and for its reputation.

The stress and mental anguish cannot be underplayed and, if culpable, the threat of legal proceedings can hang over individuals for months and years.

There are many tried and tested ways of measuring, managing and ultimately reducing occupational road risk.

And with the threat of a police investigation if one of your drivers is involved in a serious incident while on company business, can you afford not to take it seriously?

“In hindsight, we should have identified an unsafe practice across a number of our drivers which, although poor road design contributed, could have averted a serious lifechanging collision” Fleet manager (who asked to remain anonymous)

PUSH IT. STACK IT. LOAD IT. TRANSIT.

ALL-NEW FORD TRANSIT

With our best-ever payload and volume

Many things make all-new Transit the backbone of business.

Such as the fact itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now shipping with up to 15.1 cubic metres of loadspace and van payloads of 2281kg. However you look at it, nothing else helps you go further.

Vehicle shown is an L3H2 Trend Series. Dual-side load door is available on all models except Bus M2 or Transit ECOnetic models.

The 270* opening door stopper is optional on L3 models and standard on L4.

ford.co.uk/All-New-Transit

FP_FLEETVAN_205145.id1135774.pgs

>>AdRocket<<

VAuxhALL COMBO

BEST IN CLASS. AGAIN. COMMERCIAL VEHICLES The Wheels of Business Call 0845 740 0777 or visit www.vauxhall.co.uk/vans

FP_FLEETVAN_GMBC445Q3C.id1289188.pgs

>>AdRocket<<

LIGHT VAN

LIGHT VAN

FP_FLEETVAN_GMBC445Q3C.id1289191.pgs

>>AdRocket<<

B T F l ee T c OnF erence re v ie W

‘BT Fleet saved £100m by fighting bogus claims’ Best practice on risk management, safety legislation and the future of fleet

By Stephen Briers ighty per cent of work-related deaths in the UK are believed to occur on the road, making road risk the biggest occupational risk for companies.

Fleets attending the BT Fleet conference last month discussed the thorny issue of risk management, the challenge faced by legislation and the need to address mobility management and in-car connectivity.

According to Dave Wallington, BT Fleet group safety adviser, no training should be undertaken without a full driver assessment, including driving style, fuel use, online assessment, accident data and licence checks.

Only then can the fleet decide the best course of action – computer-based, classroom or one-to-one on-road training (or a combination of the three).

“You will have some drivers with skills issues, but others with ‘will’ issues,” he said. “They have to have manager support and the right business culture to address this.”

Accidents will still happen, Wallington added, but the key is to capture information, particularly those of any third parties involved, to control costs.

“Driver reporting is key, especially about the occupancy of the other vehicle, to tackle fraud issues. BT Fleet has saved £100 million of claims costs by rebutting claims alone,” he said.

E

£100m the amount BT Fleet says it has saved by rebutting claims

4.8

fatal accidents per billion miles driven involve vans, compared with 17 per billion miles involving cars

MOT tests ‘out of date’ The MOT is out of date as a way of assessing vehicle safety, according to BvrlA legal and policy director Jay Parmar.

He referred to the much-publicised MOT failure rates of cars (40%), vans (50%) and trucks (25%), pointing out that many of the failures were on vehicles more than seven years old and that many people use the MOT as a test to see what needs fixing on their vehicle. “lighting/signalling is the top area of failure, but that is not safety-critical,” said Parmar.

Despite having a worse failure rate, vans were involved in fewer fatal accidents per billion miles driven than cars and trucks (4.8 versus 8.6 and 17 respectively).

Driver error was the prime cause of accidents, at 48%, compared with vehicle defects at 1.4%.

“Since 2002, the number of vans involved in accidents has reduced by 32%, yet the number of vans on the road has increased (to three million, covering 21bn miles),” Parmar said.

However, while the figures suggest professional fleets are doing a good job in managing road risk, there are major knowledge gaps among smaller companies. Almost one in four van owner-drivers (24%) has no knowledge of British domestic rules on driver hours related to 3.5-tonne vans, such as rest times.

BT FleeT roundTABle n David Bowen, BT Fleet managing director n Duncan Webb, BT Fleet commercial director n Joe Fielder, BT Fleet sales and marketing director Technology will be key to improving customer service, particularly for delivery-type van fleets.

Duncan Webb, who is responsible for the company’s in-house fleet, believed technology would integrate the van into the customer service proposition.

“Rather than knowing the parcel is on the van, you will know where the van is and how far is it from your house,” he said.

This technology is not about scheduling; it is about empowering the customer to track their groceries or a service provider, enabling them to anticipate exactly when they will arrive at their house.

Joe Fielder, responding to a question about unbundling of services, said there is not one solitary solution for fleets.

“Ask how many suppliers do I want to manage and do they fit my business

needs and culture,” he said. “It’s about sensible levels of unbundling.”

BT Fleet intends to bring its external garage providers up to the same standards as its own network of workshops through a combination of joint ventures and better auditing. The company is also trialling 24/5 opening hours for its Openreach fleet, but said it requires critical mass in order to offer the same service permanently for all customers.

“If we see it work with Openreach then we will roll it out to give it that critical mass,” said David Bowen. “It will be difficult otherwise unless someone is willing to pay a premium for the service.

We – or someone – have to make this work financially.”

Joe Fielder pointed to opportunities for BT Fleet to help its customers collaborate more closely on optimisation and utilisation programmes.

“If you drive your fleet hard during the day and another customer drives its fleet hard at night, we can see opportunities for Joe Fielder, optimisation between the two customers,” BT Fleet sales and marketing director he said.

18 July/August 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

“Rather than knowing the parcel is on the van, you will know where the van is and how far is it from your house” Duncan Webb, BT Fleet commercial director

“It’s about sensible levels of unbundling”

How To minimise driver roAd risk

“If we see it work with Openreach then we will roll it out to give it that critical mass”

Integrate road risk strategy into a company’s health and safety strategy.

1

Dave Bowen, BT Fleet managing director

Lead from the top: if management think it’s important, then drivers will think it’s important.

2

Policies have to be data-led to target interventions. Insurers are a good source of information.

3

Driver behaviour is not the most important factor.

There are many things a company does that influence the way a driver behaves, such as vehicle maintenance, work load and business expectations.

4

“There is a lot of talk about the number of vans on the road increasing. All it takes is for one major incident to hit the headlines and politicians will get involved,” said Parmar, although he added: “The DfT says it has no specific issues of concern that are significantly different from other vehicles, so it would be hard to justify a much stronger regulatory approach.”

This suggested the much discussed introduction of licences for vans up to 3.5 tonnes was unlikely to happen, he said.

Parmar also calls on van fleet operators to consider better utilisation of vehicles, pointing to data that showed 39% of vans were running at less than a quarter full.

Moving towards ‘total cost of mobility’ it has been widely reported that analysts expect 15% of global car sales to be alternative fuel models by 2020 – an ambitious target given current levels of demand.

However, Graeme Banister, consulting director at Frost & Sullivan, said manufacturers have announced plans for more than 115 micro-mobility vehicles, including ‘last mile’ delivery models such as Segways, two-wheelers, bikes and four-wheel/one-seat cars.

By 2020, Banister predicted that 90% of cars will be connected and that fleet optimisation via telematics “will be the norm”.

He said technology will reshape the vehicle landscape, not

least in smoothing the way towards integrated mobility.

“Total cost of ownership (TcO) is moving towards total cost of mobility (TcM),” he added.

“TcO is about how well you manage your fleet and educate drivers, including the grey fleet. TcM is about how well you deliver integrated services and empower all your employees.”

Banister said there are currently just over 1,000 vehicles in corporate car share clubs across europe; by 2020 that could grow to 80,000. car share is particularly attractive to employees: “They don’t want a car; they want access to a car.”

Gathering real-time data on vehicle faults BT Fleet is trialling asset utilisation and maintenance software that it could eventually offer to other fleets, according to Mujtaba Khan, head of transformation.

The system will be one element of a future fleet optimisation product which will include ‘pay how you drive’, geofencing and asset tracking, eco-driving and analytics.

“We are trialling a system now for predictive analytics, which will give us real-time information on faults,” Khan said.

He hoped to have a product ready for launch in the first quarter of 2015 that will provide fleets with predictive data about maintenance and inform them about the best time to replace vehicles.

90%

of cars will be connected by 2020

80,000

vehicles will be in corporate car share clubs across Europe by 2020

For van case studies, visit: fleetnews.co.uk/ vans/case-studies/

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2014 19

p r of IL e: T He CL A NCy Gr oup

Road risk audits cut driver accident frequency by 30% Driver monitoring ‘is saving the Clancy Group a lot of money’

By John Charles s it should be for every employer, health and safety is part of the DNA of the Clancy Group.

But its decision to introduce an occupational road risk management strategy as a key part of its duty of care has also delivered “significant financial savings”.

The £250 million turnover business, best known via its civil engineering and utilities division Clancy Docwra, has recorded a 30% reduction in driver accident frequency since it began an audit trail of drivers, vehicles and journeys.

The group measures its accident rate in a number of ways, including by turnover. It calculates that road traffic accidents peaked at almost 1.8 per £1m of turnover in 2009/10, identifying work-related road safety as a “key health and safety risk”, according to Ian Housley, the group’s associate director for health, safety, environmental and quality.

The figure is now below 1.2 accidents per £1m of turnover on a light commercial vehicle (LCV) fleet that has increased slightly to more than 1,000 units with a further 125 HGVs and 450 company cars.

Many of the LCVs have multiple drivers – about 1,100 in total – and they drive a total of 29 million miles a year.

The group’s vans were involved in 286 accidents (own fault and third party) last year, having peaked at almost 350 (in 2008/09) prior to the introduction of at-work driving safety initiatives. In the first five months of 2014, the number of accidents was 127; in the same period in 2012, the figure was 189.

The group attributes the improvement to its increased fleet

A

Clancy Group uses ARI Fleet UK’s online RiskMaster technology

20 July/August 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

1.8

per £1 million of turnover – Clancy Group’s 2009/10 road traffic accident rate

1.2

RTAs per £1 million of turnover – the group’s current rate

For the latest van reviews, visit: fleetnews.co.uk/vans/ case-studies/

The family-owned business introduced the new system after annual accidents peaked at 350 in 2007/08 and 2007/09

size and significantly improved reporting by drivers. All vehicle damage is now highlighted, following the introduction of a £100 fine if an incident is not reported within 48 hours.

Last year, the own-fault accident rate per van mile driven was 0.00000517 (150 incidents) meaning an own-fault accident rate per van of 15%. In 2012, the respective figures were 0.000006 (131 incidents) with an own-fault accident rate per van of 13.6%. four years ago, the privately owned family business conducted a review of its risk management processes across its fleet and drivers.

Central to Clancy Group’s at-work road safety management developments is ArI fleet uK’s online riskMaster technology, which has helped to change driver behaviour.

The technology also acts as an online informationgathering hub to enable the business to further improve operating cost management and better target interventions as well as meet its legal obligations.

Other initiatives have also been introduced, including: n fitting vehicles with speed limiters, set at 62mph. n fitting tracking devices that monitor vehicle location, driver performance, fuel economy, etc. n Integrating information from tracking devices with fleet management system data. n recruiting an in-house driver trainer. n All new drivers are required to undertake a 60-minute driver competency assessment. n Improving accident reporting and carrying out more detailed incident investigation.

“We know the reduction in accidents is saving the group a lot of money, but there is much more to do” Ian Housley, The Clancy Group

Ian Housley plans a range of further safety-focused initiatives

The company’s success in reducing accidents led to it being named Safe Van fleet of the year in the 2013 Fleet Van Awards. The judges declared: “With van fleets already focused heavily on risk management and reducing accidents, a fleet had to have made exceptional progress to stand out in this category. Clancy did just that. There is clear evidence of a long-term commitment to keeping accidents down that has been shared throughout the business.”

Housley says: “We have an occupational road risk management scheme in place that is second to none within the utilities and construction industries.

“The group recognised that to further improve existing controls it needed to ensure it had in place a comprehensive audit trail of drivers, vehicles and journeys as a key part of its duty of care.”

Through the combination of safe driving interventions and the use of a range of driver communication tools, the group has also recorded a fall in the severity of accidents as well as fuel savings and reductions in vehicle service maintenance and repair costs as employees adopt a more sympathetic driving style. Insurance premium savings of 20% have also been recorded.

The focus on safe driving has also resulted in the improved reporting of incidents by drivers at the group, which is a member of the freight Transport Association’s Van excellence scheme.

“I am expecting the overall downward trend to continue, but there are monthly spikes and I believe that is down to improved reporting rather than a worsening accident frequency,” says Housley.

“We believe some minor incidents, such as wing mirror damage, were hidden from us in the past.

“Throughout the whole process we are learning about the robustness of the data captured.”

While the company has greatly improved over the past four years, the occupational road risk management journey is far from over, says Housley, a founding member of the recently launched fleet Industry Advisory Group.

“We continue to strive to evolve and improve as we want to achieve a step change in Clancy Group’s health and safety performance.

“But it is not just down to the fleet department, the training department or the insurance department. It is about

everyone working together across different departments alongside board support.

“A highlighted strategy for our company is to continue to improve upon the key areas of corporate responsibility, in particular the health and safety of the group’s employees and drivers, the health and safety of other road users impacted by the group’s operations as well as the commercial impacts associated with vehicle incidents in terms of injury compensation, accident repair costs and the loss of revenue through vehicle downtime.

“We know the reduction in accidents is saving the group a lot of money, but there is much more to do.”

Housley says the group plans a range of further safetyfocused initiatives, including: n A trial of forward-facing and driver-facing cameras in cars, vans and HGVs. n Monitoring employees’ driving styles using vehicle tracking and fleet management system information. n Investigating the possibility of encouraging subcontractors to enrol on a driver management programme. further underpinning the group’s safety focus is its membership of the fleet operator recognition Scheme (forS). Its van fleet has bronze level certification due to its success in achieving Van excellence operator status four years in succession. The HGV fleet is also certified to forS silver status for London operations and forS bronze status for operations nationwide.

Board approval for the implementation of riskMaster was critical in achieving driver compliance, according to Housley, with joint company chairmen Kevin and Dermot Clancy among the first to register. The group used riskMaster’s ability to compile a Driver operating Life report – a day-byday record of an individual’s driving history – alongside issuing employees with a permit to Drive.

“We adopted the principle of no permit to Drive, no keys to vehicles, which meant staff would be unable to do their job and therefore wouldn’t get paid,” says Housley.

He says this was a powerful motivator to drivers to register on riskMaster and comply with company policy. But it is not all ‘stick’ – ‘carrots’ take the form of a quarterly draw for the safest employees for £200 worth of red Letter Day vouchers.

The group also has high hopes that one of its “exemplary drivers” will be victorious in the first Van excellence Driver of the year competition being held this month. “riskMaster is not a disciplinary tool; it is used to monitor all employees’ driving and that helps meet the board’s aim of further improving the health and safety of staff, while also reducing the number of incidents involving vehicles, which costs the business money,” says Housley.

“The fact that our employees know that we are monitoring their driving behaviour is resulting in a change of attitude when behind the wheel.”

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2014 21

Advertisement feature

Seasonal factors in play as van values stall verage values for commercial vehicles fell back in June as the market softened ahead of the summer holiday season, although year-onyear values remain well ahead. Both fleet and lease and dealer P/X van values fell during the month, with nearly-new values rising.

The average van at BCA sold for £5,339 in June, a fall of £248 (4.4%) compared to May. Year-on-year values remain well ahead, however, up by £633 (13.2%) over the 12month period, with age and mileage relatively static and performance against CAP declining slightly.

BCA’s general manager – commercial vehicles, Duncan Ward, commented: “Activity in the commercial vehicle market typically slows over the summer months and we expected to see some pressure on average values. Despite the monthly fall, the underlying strength of the market is highlighted by the year-on-year figure which is up by over £600. What we have seen this year very much follows the pattern of previous years and, in reality, the marketplace has not shifted significantly from last month as we remain short of good retail-quality stock.

“With increasing numbers of buyers choosing to purchase via BCA Live Online, vans presented in the best condition with the benefit of Video Appraisal will typically make values well in excess of guide price expectations.

“However, vendors should beware of expecting a similar return for vehicles in

A

The underlying strength of the market is highlighted by the year-onyear figure which is up by over £600

Year-on-year table: All vans All vans

Avg age (mnths)

Avg mileage

Avg value

Sale vs CAP

June 2013 June 2014

57.95 57.74

80,714 79,520

£4,766 £5,399

100.34% 99.98%

poor or below average condition or offered in obvious corporate colour schemes.

There is little to be gained by placing overaspirational reserve valuations on LCVs if the market is not prepared to meet those expectations.”

performance improving by nearly a point to 99.2%, but retained value against Manufacturer Recommended Price declining to 37.1%. Year-on-year, values were up by £545 (9.1%), although performance against CAP was slightly down on 2013.

Fleet and lease Values for fleet and lease LCVs fell by £282 (4.1%) in June to £6,518, with CAP

All LCVs 2012-2014 £6,000

£5,000

Part exchanges Following a notable increase to near record levels in May, part-exchange values declined in June, falling by £108 to £3,643.

CAP average comparisons fell to 102.2% but continue to outperform the fleet and lease sector by several points. Year-on-year values remain ahead by £607 or 19.9%, with the average van being two months older and 3,000 miles less travelled than in 2013.

Nearly-new

£4,000

Jun

Apl

May

Mar

Jan

Feb

Dec

Oct

Nov

Sep

Aug

Jun

July

May

Apl

Mar

Jan

Feb

Dec

Oct

Nov

Sept

July

Aug

May

June

£3,000

Nearly-new LCV values improved to £13,292 in June with CAP comparisons up by one point to 97.54%. As always, this has to be taken in the context of the very low volumes reaching the market and the model mix factor.

Europe’s No.1 vehicle remarketing company Log on to bca.co.uk or call 0844 875 3480

rem a rk e t ing

LCV values keep rising as used supply falls sharply auction houses report year-on-year increases of up to 14% as supply tightens

By Trevor Gehlcken he ongoing improvement in Britain’s economy has ensured that the value of used vans at auction is continuing to rise at an unprecedented pace.

People setting up their own businesses and needing a van to do it are chasing those everelusive one-owner, good condition vehicles and pushing prices higher and higher. all the main auction houses are reporting a rise in values of anything up to 14% over this time last year. One reason for this is that the volume of vans being offered is down 9%, according to the latest figures from the national association of motor auctions (nama). alex Wright, chairman of nama’s commercial vehicle group, said: “a sharp fall in volume and a significant reduction in age suggest the strong returns enjoyed by vendors could mark the high point for prices in 2014.

“With sales volumes and age having moved downwards as prices leapt forward, this is a pattern which is unlikely to continue over the summer. encouragingly, some vendors have already aligned their expectations to this reality. “accordingly, despite the prospect of lower price levels over the next couple of months, conversion rates should hold firm, which will position LCV wholesalers to take full advantage of any autumn uplift.” at BCa, month-to-month average values of vans sold dipped slightly in June having reached record levels five times in the previous six months.

Duncan Ward, BCa’s general manager – commercial vehicles, said: “activity in the commercial vehicle market typically slows over the summer months and we expected to see some pressure on average values.

“Despite the monthly fall, the underlying strength of the market is highlighted by the year-on-year figure which is up by more than £600.

“What we have seen this year very much follows the

t

9%

The fall in the volume of vans being offered, according to NAMA

14%

The decline in auction house offerings of vehicles over 3.0 tonnes gvw

For the latest news on the remarketing sector, visit fleetnews.co.uk/ remarketing

pattern of previous years and, in reality, the marketplace has not shifted significantly from last month as we remain short of good retail-quality stock.”

He added: “While the best-quality one-owner vans remain in short supply – with that unlikely to change in the near future – the market is seeing plentiful supplies of older, higher mileage models of variable quality and presentation. these vehicles need to be sensibly valued to tempt buyers. Vans with damage, in non-retail or corporate colours or with excessive mileage will need to be realistically valued if they are to sell first time. “there can be little doubt that the improving economic background is giving a boost to the used LCV market and small- and medium-sized enterprises (Smes) remain positive about future prospects.”

Performance of the used van market has now smashed all pre-recessionary records, says manheim. analysis from its commercial vehicle team shows that, despite vans being an average of nine months older with 12,000 more miles on the clock, buyers in auction halls and online in 2014 are having to bid an average of 45%, or £1,500, more than they would back in 2006 to secure them. manheim is also seeing more buyers opt for small, carderived vans, but this is mainly due to the fact that there is a shortage of large panel vans being offered for sale. in fact, offerings of vehicles over 3.0 tonnes gvw are down 14%, suggesting that any fleets wishing to sell such vans would be advised to do so now. matthew Davock, head of LCV at manheim, said: “2014 has seen a continuation of the record levels of demand in the used van market.”

Davock added: “i encourage vendors to ensure stock is presented in its best possible light, with mopping and improved valeting ensuring buyers see them in their best light. Sensible reserve setting will ensure realistic conversion rates and days in stock are achieved.”

whAt the experts sAy

“Despite the prospect of lower price levels over the next couple of months, conversion rates should hold firm”

“The strength of the market is highlighted by the year-on-year figure which is up by more than £600”

“2014 has seen a continuation of the record levels of demand in the used van market”

Alex Wright, commercial vehicle group chairman, NAMA

Duncan Ward general manager – commercial vehicles, BCA

Matthew Davock, head of LCV, Manheim

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2014 23

In SIgh T: DO W n SIzIng

Shrink costs and CO2 with smaller vehicles

Cheaper leases/ wholelife costs

By Ben Rooth ownsizing vans is becoming increasingly popular among companies looking to ‘future-proof’ their fleets while simultaneously reducing their operating costs.

According to a number of leasing companies, there is a discernible trend for businesses to reduce the size of their light commercial vehicles (LCVs) as a means of cutting fuel and operational costs as well as CO2 emissions.

Tony grove, LCV manager at Arval, estimates wholelife cost savings can reach £10,000 for businesses that move from a heavy van to a light van across a four-year vehicle lease, while moving from a heavy van to a medium van could save up to £3,000.

“There is no doubt that cost savings can be made by selecting smaller vans,” he says.

“It is always a good thing for businesses to review their fleets because requirements can change and new models enter the market. “getting this right can deliver ongoing cost savings as well as reducing a business’s environmental impact.”

The downsizing trend coincides with many manufacturers introducing model ranges that optimise the use of available space while simultaneously improving fuel consumption.

D

24 July/August 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

£10,000 The potential wholelife saving in moving from a heavy van to a light van over a four-year lease

£3,000 The potential saving in moving from a heavy van to a medium van over the same timeframe

Marcus Puddy, director of commercial vehicles at Lex Autolease, says he is witnessing a “definite and ongoing downsizing trend”.

“3.5-tonne vans and below are certainly on the rise at the expense of vehicles in the 4.5 to 7.5-tonne category. I think that there are various reasons for this,” he adds.

“Thanks to manufacturer innovation, new model vehicles are designed with imaginative use of space and lighter racking systems.

“This makes small vans a viable option for a much broader range of businesses than was previously the case.

“Design features, such as higher payloads, different load lengths, roof heights and folding front passenger seats mean that smaller vans can now be used for jobs they previously couldn’t.

“The smaller vans on the market today incur considerably reduced fuel bills compared to their larger counterparts.

“Businesses may also feel the benefit of the necessary logistical changes that result from the use of smaller vehicles. Downsizing is not only possible for most companies now – it can be incredibly worthwhile.”

How manufacturers influence the decision to downsize Richard Bunn, director of van leasing business White hot

A growing number of fleets are assessing the potential to save thousands of pounds by downsizing their vans

“Imaginative use of space and lighter racking systems … make small vans a viable option for a much broader range of businesses” Marcus Puddy, Lex Autolease

Reduced fuel consumption and lower C02 emissions

to be to run a smaller van, then take a short-term rental vehicle for occasional requirements.”

While Simon Staton, director of client management at fleet management company Venson, agrees about the effectiveness of short-term hire vans in certain circumstances, he doesn’t view the current movement towards downsizing as a “trend”.

“I think that it’s more of an ongoing process for larger fleets to look at ways in which they can reduce costs and operate their fleet more efficiently – rather than being a trend,” he says.

“For van fleets, it’s all about reviewing where and how vehicles are used.

“This can highlight if there are spare vehicles that are not being regularly used or over-speccing a vehicle for a use that happens infrequently. The use of short-term hire vehicles often satisfies these requirements.

“It’s also important that companies build up the best possible understanding of vehicle downtime and areas where improvements can be made by liaising as closely as possible with their fleet management providers and by putting the correct vehicle management system in place to manage the process.”

The worry of legislation applying to vehicles of more than 3.5 tonnes – such as tachographs and operating licences – is also removed for companies opting for smaller vehicles.

There can be potential to expand the operating radius of a business into urban areas by using a smaller, more manoeuvrable vehicle better suited to busy and built-up streets.

Mark Lovett, head of commercial vehicles at LeasePlan, explains: “We have been approached by an increasing number of clients looking to avoid legislation governing the amount of hours that drivers of trucks above 3.5 tonnes can drive.

Consequently, we have witnessed a considerable growth in medium-sized panel vans.

“We’ve not witnessed the same growth in small vans, although this market is still growing.”

No ‘O’ licence or tachographs

Vans, which specialises in providing bespoke vehicles for tradespeople, said the role of manufacturers in facilitating the downsizing trend should not be underestimated.

“There are various benchmark sizes within the construction sector in particular – like the necessity for a van to be able to carry a piece of plasterboard that measures eight feet by four feet,” he says.

“What we’ve been witnessing in recent years is manufacturers changing the way that their vans are laid out – possibly by moving the bulkhead – so that this can be readily achieved in their smaller vans.

“The upshot of this is that companies have been able to look at smaller vans for the first time with all the savings that these can bring.” grove says he is being approached by an increasing number of businesses looking to reduce the size of their vans. “Moving to smaller vans can be advantageous for fleets – they tend to have a lower wholelife cost over larger variants because of the miles per gallon and emissions that they deliver,” he says.

“It’s fairly common that we will review a fleet and find the business is using larger vans than it needs because there is an occasional requirement to carry large loads.

“In this instance, the more cost-effective approach tends

Compare the running costs of different van models at: fleetnews.co.uk/ vanrunningcosts

Manufacturers respond to downsizing trend The trend for downsizing has also been recognised by van manufacturers.

For example, as part of its sales process, Mercedes-Benz Vans examines a customer’s requirements.

“When a fleet operator comes into our dealership and asks to buy, say, a fleet of Vitos we sit him or her down and look closely at what the vans will be used for,” says Steve Bridges, managing director of Mercedes-Benz Vans.

“Quite often we find that the smaller Citan will do the job, thus saving the customer a lot of money over the fleet lifecycle.

“Conversely we have had buyers who think they need small vans, but in fact they would be quite unsuitable for the job owing to payload restrictions.”

This shows that while the benefits of downsizing vans may be attractive, it is not always appropriate for all fleets.

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2014 25

In SIgh T: DO W n SIzIng

cAse study: environment Agency Dale Eynon, head of fleet operations

Environment Agency has been downsizing its van fleet for the past seven years.

The organisation, which exists to “create better places for people and wildlife” while also “supporting sustainable development”, has a nationwide fleet of 800 light commercial vehicles (LCVs).

Since 2007, it has sought to cut costs and CO2 emissions by reducing the size of the vans it uses while also optimising their round-theclock use.

Dale Eynon, Environment Agency head of fleet operations, says: “We’ve got a wide variety of vans in operation.

“Due to the varied nature of the work we undertake there are occasions when some colleagues

cAse study: bskyb Oliver Wanklyn, operations manager

BSkyB aims to increase the efficiency of its van fleet by up to 20% following the introduction of an ongoing downsizing programme.

The satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephone services company initially introduced a one-year trial during which it ensured its engineers could still undertake their jobs as effectively as before while using smaller vehicles.

During this time, the company also explained to the users of its 3,000 vans why it was implementing the initiative.

Oliver Wanklyn, BSkyB’s operations manager, says: “There were a number of different reasons why we began looking at whether it would be possible for us to use smaller vans three years ago. The financial implications – including the reduction of the wholelife costs of the vehicles – were at the forefront of our minds.

“Equally important was the programme’s potential to cut our CO2 emissions.

“But what became clear during the trial was that there was potential for these smaller vehicles to reduce our fuel usage alongside other unanticipated benefits like being able to park more easily on customers’ driveways.”

There was widespread buy-in from engineers

simply need larger vehicles to fit equipment in.

“But seven years ago, we looked at the composition of the fleet and began talking to those colleagues driving the vans to see how they felt about being asked to drive smaller vehicles.

“I think that this hearts-and-minds approach was a very important part of ensuring that the initiative was accepted from the outset.”

In addition, the Environment Agency looked at ways of reducing the weight of each van.

“We looked closely at the racking that the vans are fitted with,” Eynon says.

“We’ve worked with our racking company to cut the weight of this and introduced these standards to our van fleet nationally.

“In addition, we’ve talked to those who drive the vehicles to find out whether they really did need all the kit they thought they did or whether much of it was just being carried about because it always has been.

“We discovered that some kit was used

infrequently and could potentially be removed.”

Both the size of the Environment Agency LCV fleet and the size of the vans has decreased yearon-year since 2007.

This coincided with manufacturers making vans lighter and more fuel-efficient.

Until three years ago, Environment Agency had a solus agreement with Ford, which resulted in much of its fleet consisting of Transits.

Since then, the make-up of its fleet has begun to diversify and last year its flood defence team took delivery of more than 30 low-emission Citroën Berlingo Enterprise vans.

“We still operate a lot of Transits and I’ve noticed that manufacturers generally seem to be trying to make their vehicles weigh less, which can only be a good thing,” Eynon says.

“Our aim for the foreseeable future is to continue reducing the size of the vans we operate in order to ensure that we continue to operate the most efficient fleet possible.”

“We’ve worked with our racking company to cut the weight and introduced these standards to our van fleet” Dale Eynon, Environment Agency

during this trial period despite the fact that they had been using medium-sized vans for many years.

The trial period was also spent reconfiguring the vans’ racking in order to maximise the available space.

“I think that this was also a very important part of the whole process,” says Wanklyn.

“We discovered that within the medium-sized vans that we’d traditionally used there was always around one cubic metre of dead space.

“By reconfiguring the racking and talking through with engineers about ways to organise their equipment better, we realised that it would be possible to introduce smaller vans across the fleet.”

Over the past two years, BSkyB has introduced 1,000 Volkswagen Caddys to complement its 2,000 Transporters.

Wanklyn anticipates that many of these larger Transporters will be replaced with Caddys as their leases expire.

“We’ve noticed that the smaller vans are around 20% more efficient than their equivalent mediumsized vehicles,” he says.

26 July/August 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

“I think that the main thing is to talk through with those colleagues who’ll be using the vehicles what the business and environmental benefits will be.

“And by actively consulting them about ways to improve the racking in the vehicles, we also ensured that their buy-in was present from the start.”

“We discovered that within the medium-sized vans that we’d traditionally used there was always around one cubic metre of dead space” Oliver Wanklyn, BSkyB

ACHIEVE MORE TOGETHER. Fleet management for better team and business performance WEBFLEET® is the easiest way to be informed about your vehicles. With WEBFLEET your drivers and office staff work closer together and everyone makes smarter decisions. That’s the key to happy customers, great governance and the ability to keep moving towards your business goals.

Call 020 7255 9774 or E-mail business.uk@tomtom.com to request a free demonstration from Europe’s leading fleet management and vehicle tracking provider.

www.tomtom.com/telematics

F Ir s T drI V E

1.5 TdCI TrENd

FOrd TrANsIT COurIEr Impressive city van completes manufacturer’s range replacement programme Need To kNow

CoSTS

n Courier comes in single wheelbase and roof height n electronic stability control is fitted as standard n official combined fuel economy of up to 76.3mpg n Up to 2.6 cubic metres of loadspace

Price (ex-VAT): £11,921 RV (4yr/80K) £3,097/26% Fuel cost (ppm) 8.99 Running cost (4yr/80k) 23.09ppm

By Trevor Gehlcken ord’s plan to change its entire van range within two years comes to fulfilment this month with the launch of the Transit Courier.

The Courier name disappeared from the Ford range in 2004, but has been reintroduced as part of its strategy to split the Transit name into four: Transit (heavy panel van), Transit Custom (medium van), Transit Connect (small van) and Transit Courier (city van).

This vehicle will go head-to-head with the Citroën Nemo, Fiat Fiorino and Peugeot Bipper, which have dominated the sector since they were launched in 2008.

All Ford’s new Transit-named vehicles so far have received rave reviews – the company won 27 commercial vehicle awards in 2013 – and having tested left-hand drive Courier models I can confirm that this new arrival very much follows what has gone before.

The new Courier, which is available to order now for delivery in spring next year, is instantly recognisable as one of the Transit family; it looks like a scaled-down version of its bigger three brothers.

The likeness is not just skin deep. Inside, the dash looks like a smaller version of the bigger vans and some of the engines are shared too.

Mark Easton, Ford’s LCV product manager, told Fleet Van: “Our customers are very upbeat at the moment with the economy booming and they are looking for fresh new products, so there has never been a better time to launch all our new models.

“At the same time companies are looking to reduce their carbon footprints and thus downsizing has become the key word.

“Many fleet users carry around excessive amounts of stuff in the back of their vans and they are beginning to realise that they could have smaller vehicles which are cheaper to run.

F

SpeC Gross vehicle weight (kg): 1,795 Power (hp/rpm): 75/3,750 Torque (lb-ft): 140/1,700-2,000 Load volume (cu m): 2.3 Payload (kg): 660 Comb fuel economy (mpg): 68.9 CO2 emission (g/km): 108

key Rival Citroën Nemo 1.3 HDI 75 X Price (ex-VAT): £11,787 Gross vehicle weight (kg) 1,750 Power (hp/rpm): 75/4,800 Torque (lb-ft/rpm): 140/1,500 Load volume (cu m): 2.5 Payload (kg): 660 Comb fuel economy (mpg): 65.7 CO2 emissions (g/km): 119

Mark Easton, LCV product manager, Ford

Running cost data supplied by KeeResources (4yr/80k)

Side sliding doors allow easy access to the cargo area

28 July/August 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

“Many fleet users are looking to reduce their carbon footprints and downsizing has become the key word”

“We are seeing downsizing from Transit to Transit Custom, from Custom to Connect and now with Courier on board we expect to see further downsizing from Connect to this model.

“Fleets are buying a mix of vehicles now – it’s no longer a case of one size fits all.”

Built at Kocaeli in Turkey, the Transit Courier comes in a single wheelbase and roof height, either in panel van or five-seat kombi guise, and offers a payload of 660kg and a loadspace of between 2.3 and 2.6 cubic metres with the optional folding passenger seat and swivelling bulkhead.

It can accommodate loads at floor level of lengths up to 1.62m, and side doors allow easier loading of bulky items.

LEd loadspace lighting is optional.

Engines on offer are a 1.5-litre turbodiesel with 75hp, 1.6-litre with 95hp and a three-cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engine with 100hp. All powertrains have a one-year/18,000mile service interval.

Fuel economy ranges from 54.3mpg to 76.3mpg and prices go from £11,821 to £15,726. despite its diminutive size, the Courier offers plenty of legroom and the seat and steering wheel both have height and reach adjustments, meaning everyone should be able to find a comfortable driving position.

Ford has managed to factor in two coffee cup holders and a space for A4 documents or a laptop in the centre console, as well as an overhead parcel shelf.

The cargo area features a wipe clean plastic floor, half-height side protection, a full bulkhead and six loadlashing eyes, including four on the side walls instead of on the floor.

Transit Courier shares many exterior and interior (below) design features with other Transit models

There is a wealth of optional extras, including a connectivity package for an iPhone with a dock on top of the dash to hold the smartphone, connectivity to Ford’s sync system that includes Emergency Assistance, an array of airbags, tyre pressure monitoring, hill start assist and rollover mitigation.

Electronic stability control is standard across the range.

The hilly terrain on our route provided an excellent test for this perky new performer and I tried both the higherpowered diesel and the petrol variants, both loaded with 150kg of sand in the back.

I started off in the 95hp diesel variant and even on some steep hill climbs (and with that sand in the back), the Courier didn’t struggle.

Handling, meanwhile, is pin-sharp and with a full bulkhead the van proved whisper-quiet.

On the motorway section of our route I thought the Courier’s five-speed gearbox could have done with an extra gear.

I also think Ford could have made stop-start a standard fitment across the range.

It is fitted to some models but as this van is likely to be used exclusively in urban areas, this addition could be useful in helping fleets to reduce their fuel bills.

I wasn’t really expecting much from the three-cylinder petrol variant but it turned out to be a real delight.

It’s cheaper to buy and quieter and smoother than the diesels, so this would seem to be the choice for anyone undertaking only low mileages.

The Courier is certainly a stunning looking van and I liked the additional roof bars fitted to the test models, which are a £150 option.

There is plenty of plastic cladding all around the bodywork

veRdiCT Ford’s new model line-up is now complete – and what a line-up it is. The blue oval has moved the whole LCV sector on to a new playing field and the others now have a lot of catching up to do.

Compare van costs at: fleetnews.co.uk/ vanrunningcosts

to protect it from low-speed knocks and scrapes.

As this van is likely to be used mainly in urban environments, such incidents are sadly a probability rather than a possibility.

I was particularly impressed with the Courier’s solid build quality. All the doors slam shut with an upmarket clunk.

The driver’s seat offers plenty of support and I didn’t suffer any back twinges during the lengthy test drives.

Air-conditioning is a £400 option, which means it probably won’t be fitted to most vans sold to fleets.

This is a pity as many drivers appreciate the increased comfort it can offer in hot weather.

The folding passenger seat and swivelling bulkhead (a £200 option) could mean that fleets which normally buy the bigger Transit Connect opt for this cheaper van, as loads of up to 2.59 metres long can be carried.

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2014 29

F Ir S T DrI V e

35S15V e5 LD 3000 H1

IVeCO DAILy Third-generation van offers better economy and an improved driving experience Need To kNow

coSTS

n Prices same as old model n Six different wheelbases are available n Solus fleet deals possible on everything from small vans to 44-tonne trucks

Price (ex-VAT): £26,590 RV (4yr/80K) n/a Fuel cost (ppm) n/a Running cost (4yr/80k) n/a

By Trevor Gehlcken n the face of it, Iveco is having a disastrous year with sales of vehicles up to 3.5-tonnes gvw down 19% in an LCV sector that is rising by 13%. But things are not always what they seem.

The reason for the fall is not that the secondgeneration Daily heavy panel van is on run-out, but simply that one of Iveco’s biggest fleet clients happens to be buying fewer vans this year. Take that fleet out of the equation and the Daily continues to be a reasonably popular extra heavyweight contender, selling 1,352 year-to-date compared to 1,676 in 2013.

With a third-generation Daily set to arrive in the UK in September, the Italian manufacturer is expecting to make up the aforementioned sales shortfall and increase its market share again.

At the launch of the new Daily, Iveco product director Martin Flach told Fleet Van: “There are more than 8,000 different versions of the new Daily so everyone will be able to find the exact vehicle they need.

“We are confident that we will make up our sales losses by the end of this year as fleets realise what a fantastic vehicle this new Daily is.”

One problem that Iveco has always faced is that this vehicle is its only offering under 3.5-tonnes gvw, so fleets looking for a solus deal who need small vans as well as large ones will probably look elsewhere.

If they do, they may be missing a trick as Iveco is a sister company to Fiat, which does offer small vans, and in fact around 50% of Iveco dealers have the Fiat Professional franchise too.

Flach told us: “It’s true we offer only Daily and although we are related to Fiat, we are totally separate companies.

However, with so many Iveco dealers being Fiat dealers too,

O

Plastic cladding protects the bodywork

30 July/August 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

SPec Gross vehicle weights (kg): 3,500 Power (hp): 146 Torque (lb-ft): 258 Load volumes (cu m): 7.3 Payload (kg): 1,500 Comb fuel economy (mpg): n/a CO2 emission (g/km): n/a

key Rival Ford Transit Base Medium Roof 330 SWB 2.2 TDCi 155 Price (ex-VAT): £25,270 Gross vehicle weight (kg) 3,325 Power (hp/rpm): 155/3,500 Torque (lb-ft/rpm): 284/1,600 Load volume (cu m): 7.5 Payload (kg): 1,319 Comb fuel economy (mpg): 35.8 CO2 emissions (g/km): 209 Running cost data supplied by KeeResources (4yr/80k)

if any fleets want a solus deal, they have only to go into one of these dealerships and being ‘cousins’ we can sort out any deal that fleets need, right from the smallest Fiat Fiorino right up to the 44-tonne Iveco Stralis.”

With Iveco being a truck manufacturer, Daily customers can take advantage of the extra truck aftersales care such as round-the-clock servicing and extended opening hours.

Also exclusive to Iveco is a breakdown service whereby drivers can call a free phone number and get straight through to someone who will relay any problems to the nearest Iveco dealer.

That dealer will then dispatch a mechanic and van with a comprehensive range of parts to the stricken vehicle, which in most cases will be repaired at the roadside.

With the exception of Mercedes-Benz, all the other manufacturers offer breakdown services from third-party suppliers such as the AA and rAC, who will normally tow the vehicle to a garage to be repaired.

So what exactly is on offer from the new Daily?

Unlike the recently facelifted triplets of Citroën relay, Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer, this van was designed from a blank sheet of paper and is the result of a ¤500 million investment.

One of the problems with the old Daily was that it was the only heavy panel van to have a ladder frame chassis and definitely had more leaning to a truck than a car when on the road.

The chassis remains, as do certain other best bits of the old model, but 80% of the body parts have been replaced.

This van now comes in five wheelbases and three roof heights for the van and six wheelbases for the chassis-cab.

No price increase over its predecessor Gross vehicle weights go from 3.3 tonnes up to 7.0 tonnes and load volumes go from seven cubic metres to 19.3cu m.

The big news is that there will be no price increase over the old models.

Such is Iveco’s determination to succeed with this new contender that it is prepared to take what will inevitably be quite a hit on front-end costs.

The Daily’s exterior has been totally redesigned with a stylish new grille and higher headlights, which should mean they don’t get smashed in low-speed bumps.

The windscreen is bigger to give a more commanding view of the road ahead and the bottom of the van is completely swathed in black plastic, which should ensure that costs are kept to a minimum when any knocks and scrapes start appearing.

The cabin is completely new and features a more carlike dashboard.

The seats have been lowered by 15mm and the steering wheel is 20mm smaller and set at a more vertical angle to give the van a more car-like feel.

I quite liked the macho chunkiness of the old Daily and felt like a real trucker driving it, but the trend nowadays is for a ‘car’ feel and Iveco inevitably must follow.

On our test drives I found all the seats incredibly comfortable and supportive.

There are three storage areas on top of the dash, an overhead parcel shelf and coffee cup holders on both sides.

There isn’t a 12v take-off on top of the dash as in the new Ford Transit though.

I also noticed that the side door pockets and drinks bottle bin couldn’t be accessed on the passenger side with the door shut as it is covered by the edge of the passenger seat.

Higher headlights should prevent them from being damaged in low-speed collisions

In the back, our test models all had ply-lining and wipeclean plastic floors, which will be available as optional extras, and plenty of load-lashing eyes, both on the floor and sides of the cargo area. engines are either 2.3-litre or 3.0-litre units with power outputs ranging from 106hp to 205hp.

The 3.0-litre units can be ordered as euro6 emission compliant, which means they will also have an AdBlue tank. expect a price premium of around £1,000 for these models.

All the other engines are euro 5b+.

I tried the dropside 126hp short wheelbase, the long wheelbase high-roof 205hp and short wheelbase 146hp versions and all models were noticeably quieter, smoother and better handling than the models they replace.

Although the engines are basically unchanged from the old models, certain tweaks such as the fitment of eco tyres and better aerodynamics mean this new version is between 5.5% and 14% more fuel efficient.

I usually recommend lower-powered models for fleet purposes, but bearing in mind that these vehicles will probably have a tough fleet life, I’d plump for the 146hp.

It will have enough power for even the heaviest loads on hilly routes.

“There are more than 8,000 different versions of the Daily” Martin Flach, product director, Iveco

veRdicT Iveco has made major changes to the Daily, putting it right up with the opposition in terms of smooth ride and handling. It won’t suit light-use fleets, but for those who need something a bit tougher than the rest, the Daily fits the bill nicely.

Compare van costs at: fleetnews.co.uk/ vanrunningcosts

Seats are comfortable and supportive

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2014 31

dRI V EN

SL27 ENERGy dCI 120 BUSINESS+

RENAULT TRAFIC Revised van features updated exterior, redesigned cabin and new engines Need To kNow

SPec

n Revised model due to arrive in Uk in September n driving position adjusted to be more like an MPV n 1.6-litre engines replace 2.0-litre units

Gross vehicle weight (kg): 2,760 Power (hp): 120 Torque (lb-ft/rpm): 236/1,500 Load volume (cu m): 5.2 Payload (kg): 1,077 Comb fuel economy (mpg): 47.9 CO2 emissions (g/km): 155 Basic price (ex-VAT): £20,445

By Trevor Gehlcken he Renault Trafic has been a massive success since its launch in 2001.

Some 13 years down the line, it can still hold its head up against the opposition. But the new incarnation, which is due to hit our shores in September, well and truly outstrips its predecessor in terms of style, practicality and economy.

The van has a revised exterior, a totally redesigned cab and dash, and new engines. Other features turn the cab into a mobile office, as well as including a system which links the van to a driver’s tablet or smartphone and special systems which enhance the van’s load-carrying capacity.

One thing missing compared to the previous Trafic is the bump in the roof of the cab. It was there originally to give the driver and passengers extra headroom, but there is no need for it now as the seat has been dropped by 36mm and the steering wheel put at a sharper angle to give the feel of an MPV rather than a commercial vehicle.

Both seat and steering column adjust in all directions and there is an extra 18mm of seat travel, so it should be possible for all drivers to find a comfortable driving position.

There are 14 stowage bins in the cab and most are specially-designed to fit particular items that van drivers might have, such as water bottles, coffee cups, mobile phones, notebooks, pens, hard hats and boxes.

The cab is also designed to be used as a mobile office.

There is a clip for a mobile phone, another for an iPad and the back of the middle seat pulls down to reveal a little desk with an A4 clipboard that can be stood up right or removed to give a hard board for, say, a customer to sign for a delivery.

The passenger seats lift up to reveal a large storage area for bigger items that need to be hidden from view.

Renault offers its R&Go system, which opens up a whole new world of apps and technology in which the van can talk to a tablet or smartphone, as an option.

T

optional R&Go system connects the van to a tablet or smartphone

“I found it hard to believe there was only a 1.6-litre engine under the bonnet” VeRdicT The old Trafic was so good that it was difficult to see how the designers could make it better.

But they’ve succeeded. The new Trafic is now more comfortable, has a mass of handy gadgets available for fleet drivers and is more frugal than the outgoing model.

The familiar bump in the roof above the cabin is missing on the new Trafic

32 July/August 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

The van will be available in short wheelbase versions only at launch, but long wheelbase and high roof variants will be available later.

The SWB is 21cm longer than the outgoing model; 11cm extra at the front and 10cm at the rear.

While that doesn’t sound a lot, it means an extra 0.2 cubic metres of cargo space – up from 5.0cu m to 5.2cu m.

Three Europallets can now be accommodated and there are up to 18 load-lashing eyes in the cargo area.

An optional flap in the bulkhead means that longer loads can be pushed through and into the floor of the cab area. In the long wheelbase versions this means a load length of up to 4,150mm.

Another addition that we admired at the launch was a hanging frame in the roof that will accommodate items such as ladders or pipes without interfering with the floor of the cargo area.

It is evident that a great deal of thought has gone into this van when it comes to user-friendliness.

Three trim levels will be available – Business, Business+ and Sport.

The old 2.0-litre common rail diesel engine has been replaced by a smaller 1.6-litre unit which is around 5.8% more economical than the larger units.

Four engine options are available, two with a single turbocharger and two with twin turbos. The single turbo engines have power outputs of 90hp and 115hp while the twin turbo units produce 120hp and 140hp.

The more powerful units have a first low inertia turbo that gives high torque at low speeds, meaning swift getaway even with full loads on board.

The second turbo cuts in at higher revs for smooth acceleration to higher speeds.

These engines also have standard stop-start technology.

Fuel economy is 40.3-47.9mpg while CO2 outputs range from 155g/km to 185g/km. Torque figures improve, too, and range from 192-250lb-ft.

We tested two versions of the Trafic – the 115hp single turbo and the 140hp twin turbo.

The more powerful model glided along smoothly and quietly and there was no lag between when one turbo stopped and the other kicked in.

The 115hp model had to work a little harder to keep up the power and felt less refined, although this is likely to be the bigger fleet seller.

The days when larger engines meant more power are well and truly over, and I found it hard to believe that there was only a 1.6-litre engine under the bonnet.

1.6 cdTI 90 L1H1

VAUXHALL VIVARO Fuel-saving technology delivers up to 23% greater efficiency than predecessor Vauxhall expects to make 50,000 new Vivaro models in its first year of production

Need To kNow

spec

n 40% of Vivaro parts are sourced in Britain n Available in three equipment levels n eco button and start-stop increase fuel efficiency

Gross vehicle weight (kg): 2,740 Power (hp/rpm): 90/3,500 Torque (lb-ft/rpm): 192/1,500 Load volume (cu m): 5.2 Payload (kg): 1,079 Comb fuel economy (mpg): 43.5 CO2 emissions (g/km): 170 Basic price (ex-VAT): £18,858

By Trevor Gehlcken he Renault Trafic and Vauxhall Vivaro may have been developed in a joint venture, but the two vans are very different animals.

Whereas the Trafic is built in France and made with foreign components, the new Vivaro is assembled at Britain’s only remaining van manufacturing plant at Luton and is built using 40% of parts sourced in Britain.

Vauxhall was keen to emphasise this fact at the Vivaro’s launch and my test drive involved picking up chassis members from the nearby MKP factory and seats which are put together by Magna Seating.

Vauxhall has invested £185 million in the plant in readiness for this new van and expects to build 50,000 Vivaros in the first year of production. Some 52% of these vans are expected to be exported.

Brand manager Steve Bryant told Fleet Van: “We started building the Vivaro at Luton in 2001 and since then nearly a million vehicles have been made here. Building the Vivaro in the UK is worth £140m a year for the UK economy as it means 1,200 jobs and 40% of the parts are sourced within a 100-mile radius of the Luton plant.

“Our investment in the plant means that we can beat the build quality of the Trafic and we will be offering a range of bespoke fleet conversions.”

There are several other differences between the Trafic and Vivaro, too. While the Trafic is offered in three equipment levels, Vivaro comes in two – Standard and Sportive – and there will be a platform cab available for the first time, making even more conversions available.

T

43.5

official combined fuel economy (mpg) of Vivaro 1.6 cdTi 90 L1H1

The Vivaro has a wide-angle safety mirror in the passenger sunblind, which gives a view of the van’s blind spot on the nearside, as a standard fitment whereas it’s a £50 option on base variants of the Trafic.

However, Vauxhall only offers a three-year/100,000 mile warranty to the Trafic’s four years/100,000 miles.

The manufacturer says that fuel savings of up to 23% are achievable over the old model due to a stop-start system and an eco button on the dash which reduces the power slightly but improves fuel economy.

I tried this feature on my test drive and while it gives the van a rather sluggish feel, I found that by using the feature at cruising speed on A roads, I could hardly feel any difference.

Fleet buyers may want to give the driver no option of turning this device off. Bryant told us that Vauxhall was at present examining ways of hiding it under the dash.

In addition to the improved fuel economy from the smaller 1.6-litre engine, the new van gets electronic stability control as standard along with power windows and mirrors.

The residual value guides are predicting a price premium of around £1,000 over the old model.

On the pricing front, Vauxhall’s lowest priced van undercuts the Trafic by £250. residual values are predicted to see an uplift of £1,000

VerdicT As with the Trafic, there are now more reasons to choose the Vivaro. The fact that this van has 40% of its parts sourced in the UK may swing buyers away from the Renault and towards the Vauxhall.

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2014 33

LONG -T ERM T E S T

LWB HI-ROOF ECONETIC 125

FORD TRANSIT Little touches help give our long-wheelbase long-term test van the ‘wow’ factor NEED TO KNOW ■ Optional three-pin plug socket adds to practicality ■ Driver’s seat is firm, supportive and very comfortable ■ Official fuel economy of 39.2mpg

By Trevor Gehlcken ast month I eulogised about the general demeanour of our latest long-term test vehicle, the Ford Transit hi-roof Econetic 125.

Since then I have been settling down to a pleasant life with this van.

Although it is a long wheelbase version and will hardly fit on my driveway, it is proving surprisingly agile for such a big vehicle, with a nifty turning circle that makes it (relatively) easy to park.

What is impressing me the most about this van, however, is all the little touches that, added together, give it the ‘wow’ factor.

Many new vans have pathetic little lights in their cargo areas, so if drivers need to load up in the dark it’s nigh on impossible to see what’s going on.

There’s no such problem with our van, which has a dazzling set of LED lamps which light it up like the London Palladium at night.

They are a £96 option, but it’s an extra that I’d definitely recommend for any fleet.

Being a high-roof vehicle, even at 6ft 3in tall I can stand up straight in the back of our Transit, which is another point that’s important if drivers are to spend any time loading and unloading.

A bent back while working usually leads to major health issues over time.

I’d had the van for around a month before I noticed a little flap under the handbrake. I lifted it up and was surprised to find a household three-pin plug socket underneath.

Imagine how useful that will be for workmen, who can plug in and use all their power tools on site.

Once again this little extra comes at a price – £72 to be precise – but, given its usefulness, we’d certainly tick that box at buying time.

L

The cab is a vast improvement over the previous Transit’s

The long wheelbase Transit is suprisingly agile for a van of its size

SPEC Price (ex-VAT): £26,725 GVW (kg): 3,500kg Power (hp): 125 Torque (lb-ft): 258 Fuel (combined mpg): 39.2 CO2 emissions (g/km): 192 Cargo volume (cu m): 12.4 Payload (kg): 1,462

Our van is base spec, so doesn’t have creature comforts such as air-con, which would have been a boon in the recent hot weather.

It doesn’t have reversing sensors either. I’ve been a big fan of this technology for a few years now.

I believe that if the European Union wanted to do something really useful that would save no end of vehicle damage and even lives, it would make reversing sensors a legal requirement on all vans with bulkheads.

As it is, the Eurocrats seem more inclined to mess about passing stupid laws that don’t help anyone.

The cab, meanwhile, is a vast improvement over the old model and I am particularly impressed with the driver’s seat, which is firm, supportive and very comfortable.

I always had issues with the seat in the old Transit. I found it too small in the squab and lacking lumbar support so it forced me to sit in an uncomfortable bent-over position.

Thus I was very pleased to learn that this old unit had been consigned to the great parts bin in the sky when the new model was launched.

In the next issue I’ll be looking at fuel consumption and assessing whether the official combined figure of 39.2mpg is anywhere near achievable in real life.

“Our van has a dazzling set of LED lamps which light up the cargo area like the London Palladium at night” 34 July/August 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

running c o s t s

F L ee t ne W s.c o.uk / VA n s

Best in cL Ass – sWB LoW rooF He AV y PAneL VAns

By Trevor Gehlcken any medium panel vans in LWB high-roof format offer the same loadspace and payload for less money than LcVs in the sWB low roof heavy panel sector.

However, for heavier work there is no doubt that the bigger contenders offer a tougher build quality and are made very much for long distance work, with more comfortable seats and a sturdier fit and finish.

But which ones should you choose? the main thing to consider when buying new vans is to look at their wholelife running costs rather than their front-end prices.

Wholelife running costs are a mix of front-end costs, fuel, sMr (service, maintenance and repair) and what you get for the vans when you sell them (residual values).

All these figures can be accessed free at fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan For fleets which contract hire their vehicles, we’ve used www.comparecontracthire.com to highlight the cheapest models. the contenders this month are the citroën relay, Fiat Ducato, Mercedes-Benz sprinter, nissan nV400, Peugeot Boxer, renault Master, Vauxhall Movano and Volkswagen crafter.

We’ve chosen the lowest gross vehicle weights offered in each case and the lowest-powered engines. our fleet lifecycle in this sector is 48 months/80,000 miles. the relay, Ducato and Boxer are essentially the

same van (although Fiat uses its own engines), as are the nV400, Master and Movano. the citroën/Fiat/Peugeot triplets dominate this sector, coming in as the first, second and third cheapest vans to run. the sprinter and Master are the most expensive to operate from our initial selection, so miss out on the final analysis.

the cheapest to lease is the nV400 with a monthly cost of £271.07 – £105 less than the most expensive, the crafter. it is worth noting, though, that the relay, Boxer, Ducato, Master and Movano are all about to be upgraded engine-wise with more fuel-efficient powerplants, which will undoubtedly alter the results when they arrive.

PeuGeoT BoxeR 330

FiaT DuCaTo 30 SWB

CiTRoËn Rel ay 30

l1 2.2 hDi 110

2.3 Multijet ii 110

l1 2.2 hDi 110

M

leasing price: £331.24 Purchase price: £19,336 load volume (cu m): 8.0 Fuel costs (ppm): 16.47 Maintenance costs (ppm): 3.43 Running costs (ppm): 40.06

Peugeot’s Boxer has the lowest running costs of the heavy panel vans compared

leasing price: £315.32 Purchase price: £20,240 load volume (cu m): 8.0 Fuel costs (ppm): 15.56 Maintenance costs (ppm): 3.75 Running costs (ppm): 40.46

leasing price: £341.00 Purchase price: £19,480 load volume (cu m): 8.0 Fuel costs (ppm): 16.43 Maintenance costs (ppm): 4.11 Running costs (ppm): 41.34

our verdict the Boxer is the winner in the sector, beating its twin brother the relay thanks to its better residual values. An upgraded model will be launched this year.

our verdict one of a trio (relay/Boxer/Ducato), Fiat uses its own engines which are more frugal than those in the other two vans. Just pipped by the Boxer thanks to slightly lower predicted rVs.

our verdict only a tiny margin separates the citroën from its Peugeot and Fiat brothers. A new relay is due here soon offering improved fuel efficiency.

niSSan nV400

VolkSWaGen CRaFTeR

Vauxhall MoVano

l1 28 FWD 2.3dCi 100

CR30 SWB 2.0TDi 109

F28 l1 2.3CDTi 100

leasing price: £271.07 Purchase price: £18,995 load volume (cu m): 7.7 Fuel costs (ppm): 17.76 Maintenance costs (ppm): 3.78 Running costs (ppm): 40.44 our verdict the nV400 is a reworked version of the Master and Movano, but beats both rivals through its low front end price and higher predicted residual value.

leasing price: £376.96 Purchase price: £23,270 load volume (cu m): 7.5 Fuel costs (ppm): 15.56 Maintenance costs (ppm): 3.54 Running costs (ppm): 42.87

leasing price: £345.81 Purchase price: £20,693 load volume (cu m): 7.8 Fuel costs (ppm): 17.11 Maintenance costs (ppm): 3.89 Running costs (ppm): 42.44

our verdict the crafter shares underpinnings with the sprinter but its own engines prove more frugal and give it a place in this table whereas the Mercedes-Benz bows out.

our verdict the Movano is basically the same van as the Master but just scrapes into this comparison where the renault does not thanks to a higher predicted residual value.

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2014 35

Book your ticket now to be part of the benchmark awards for the LCV industry

With tickets starting at only ÂŁ165 can you afford to miss the van event of the year?

LIMITED AVAILABILITY

Thursday 18 September 2014 The International Centre, Telford

book now to secure your place at the Fleet Van Awards 2014.

Sponsors

For more information contact Emma-Louise Kinnaird on 01733 395133 or email emma-louise.kinnaird@bauermedia.co.uk

Book now at www.fleetvanawards.co.uk