Fleet Van July/August 2013

FleetVan B E S T P R A C T I C E F O R B R I T A I N ’ S L I G H T V A N O P E R A T O R S July/August 2013 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan £5 where sold

DELIVERING YOUR SPECIAL MESSAGE

Enterprising fleets use van liveries as mobile billboards – or to motivate drivers Case study: WDH

Fleet overheads cut by using O-Licence standards

Spotlight: Roadload

Company finds solution to problem of bigger payloads

Driven: Ford Fiesta Van

Impressive new model falls short on stated mpg

Contact us Fleet News, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA. Email – fleetnews@bauermedia.co.uk

CONTENTS

If you or someone you know is aged between 16 and 24 and is interested in work experience opportunities at Bauer Media go to www.gothinkbig.com

4 I Fuel management

Editorial Editor-in-chief Stephen Briers 01733 468024 stephen.briers@bauermedia.co.uk Deputy editor Simon Harris 01733 468308 simon.harris@bauermedia.co.uk Associate editor Trevor Gehlcken Contributors Mark Cartwright, John Charles, Louise Cole, Chris Lowndes (photographs)

6 I News digest

Production Head of publishing Luke Neal Production editors Andrew Ryan Alan Salt Designer Charlotte Boon Advertising Commercial director Sarah Crown 01733 468320 B2B commercial manager Sheryl Graham 01733 468256 Account managers Wendy Cowell 01733 468046 Lucy Herbert 01733 468800 Lisa Turner 01733 468345 Stuart Wakeling 01733 468342 Marcus Woods 01733 468269 Head of project management Leanne Patterson 01733 468332 Project managers Angela Price 01733 468338 Kerry Unwin 01733 468327 Telesales/recruitment b2brecruitment@bauermedia.co.uk 01733 468275/01733 468328 Events Event director Chris Lester Event manager Sandra Evitt 01733 468123 Event organiser Kate Howard 01733 468146 Events administrator 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 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 submitted to the magazine without further consent.

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

We cannot accept any responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, images or materials lost or damaged in the post. 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.

ISSN 0953-8526.

Printing: Headley Brothers Ltd, Kent

Simple steps can help fleets reduce their fuel bills.

Stories you ought to know from the last month.

9 I Model update

A look at what’s being launched and which models are getting an upgrade.

12 I Fleet Van Awards

It’s time to sort out your entries for the LCV industry’s benchmark awards .

16 I Cover feature Fleet livery

Wrapping vans in self-promoting advertisements is taking off in a big way.

18 I Routing and scheduling

How self-funding software can help cut costs and improve customer service.

21 I Remarketing

Residual values are key to wholelife fleet costs.

24 I Case study: Wakefield and District Housing

Van Excellence champion believes in unbundling SMR from leasing deals.

26 I Spotlight: Roadload

Honeycomb panels behind revolutionary idea.

28 I Driven

Ford Fiesta Van, Volkswagen Crafter, Renault Trafic, Volkswagen Transporter.

NEXT ISSUE – September Risk and safety

Safe loading – the dos and don’ts for drivers

Operations insight

Racking and plylining: making the right choice

Case study

Fleet Van Award winner NHS Blood and Transplant: running a safe and efficient fleet fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2013 3

B e n c h m a r k i n g b y t h e F TA Fu e l m a n a g e m e nt

Fuel is a cost van fleets cannot afford to ignore Diesel accounts for almost 50% of a vehicle’s running costs, but bills can easily be cut

By Mark Cartwright, head of LCVs, Freight Transport Association hewing on a whole jalapeño will hurt.

It will rain on bank holidays. Diesel is expensive.

All statements of the blindingly obvious, but with fuel representing almost half of the day-to-day running costs of a van, what are operators doing to control their costs and what can we learn from them?

After 12 months of price swings at the pump, diesel prices have been relatively stable in recent months. Even so, we have seen an average increase of around a penny a litre over the past month as a stronger pound failed to offset all the impact of higher oil and wholesale fuel costs with an overall increase of around 2% over the year.

A bit of ‘back of fag packet’ maths easily puts the annual fuel cost of a typical van covering 25,000 miles at getting on for £7,000 – a pretty significant sum.

Against this background, what steps do we see operators putting in place?

The old adage is ‘you can’t manage what you don’t measure’ and this certainly holds true here.

An overwhelming 85% of respondents to a recent Van Excellence survey measure consumption across all of their van fleet with the balance checking on some of their fleet. Encouragingly this figure is up from the 54% who measured their whole fleet in our survey 12 months ago.

We also wondered how much detail operators were able to draw from this analysis. Were they comparing drivers, routes or vehicles?

Again it seems operators have upped their game on this with most comparing stats by vehicle type, but with more starting to look at individual driver performance with the support of their telematic providers (Greenroad and Van Excellence partners LightFoot being pre-eminent in this field).

The message when looking at fuel purchasing practices seems to be not to put all your eggs in one basket with most respondents using a mix of methods. Bulk purchasing and bunkering of fuel remains the mainstay of most operators, albeit with a recognition that the fragmented nature of van operations with many vehicles based at the

C

Does your organisation currently measure fuel consumption across your van fleet?

120

100

Partially 15% Partially 33%

80 No 17%

60

40 Yes 85%

Yes 54%

2013

2012

20

0

drivers’ homes didn’t always lend itself to the traditional HGV model of fuelling at base.

Interestingly, several operators reported their business continuity plans called for access to alternative supplies should circumstances require this.

So what practical measures do we see operators taking to reduce fuel use?

Half of our respondents don’t plan vehicle routeing; a surprisingly high figure given the ease this can be achieved with off-the-shelf sat-nav units and other software (see page 18). Those who do plan their routes reported useful savings; just the introduction of standard sat-nav units and instructing drivers to plan their routes and to fill-up at supermarket forecourts gave major savings in excess of 10%.

Driver training and competition among drivers was reported as having positive results, although

“The more our driver thinks of being efficient, the more efficient he becomes. He checks the shortest route even if it takes longer to travel” Julia Foreman, Robin Wilkinson Motor Engineer 4 July/August 2013 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

there is a recognition that, without the competitive element among drivers, the effect can sometimes be shortlived.

Julia Foreman, of Robin Wilkinson Motor Engineer, said: “The more our driver thinks of being efficient, the more efficient he becomes.

“He is then conscious of his routes and always checks the shortest route available even if it takes longer to travel.”

An increasing number of operators seem to be adopting technology in a bid to manage operational costs. Our survey last year identified around 34% of operators used telematics across their van fleet – this figure has almost doubled to 64% – and there’s an increasing use of speed limiters (43% from 35%) and rev limiters (8% from 5%).

We asked operators what messages they would pass on to fleet managers looking to manage their fuel costs and, while perhaps somewhat predictable, their comments really underline the need to do the simple things well, use the technology and that there is no single answer.

Amey operates more than 1,500 vans across the UK. Its fleet manager underlined the importance of planning operations to minimise or even remove mileage, the benefits of training drivers and efficiently buying fuel in bulk.

This message is supported by George Farrell, fleet manager at Mansfield District Council.

Which purchasing method does your organisation use?

How do you compare/ benchmarking data captured?

Route Driver Route Driver Benchmarking Benchmarking Benchmarking Benchmarking 20% 1%

Bunkering

10%

20%

20% 1%

10%

22%

59%

59%

2%

22% 22%

General fuelcard

Do you plan routes?

2%

22% 26%

26%

General fuelcard

Do you train your drivers in fuel efficient driving?

Frequently Frequently 14.3% 14.3% Occasionally Occasionally 14.3% 14.3%

2% 10%

2%

20%

Vehicle Vehicle Benchmarking Benchmarking

Brand specific fuelcard 10%

Bunkering

NoNo 14.3% 14.3% Sometimes Sometimes 28.6% 28.6%

Always Always 50% 50%

YesYes 57.1% 57.1%

Never Never 21.4% 21.4%

14.3%

21.4% 80 60 40 20 0

214%

61.5%

28.6% 7.1%

7.7%

64.3%

15.4%

42.9%

7.7% 7.7% Speed limiters Never

Rarely

Rev limiters Sometimes

He said: “We find driver training beneficial coupled with processes to monitor driver behaviour. We’ve also found vehicle choice important in reducing costs.”

Our research shows there really is no magic bullet to manage fuel costs. Choosing the best

Often

Brand specific Stephen Briers, editor-in-chief, Fleet Van fuelcard

T

he process for the Fleet Van Awards 2013 kicks off this month, as we search for the most professional van fleet operators in the UK, plus the best vans and suppliers to the sector.

It’s all change for this year. We’ve introduced new categories putting the emphasis on comparing likefor-like van fleets in their entirety rather than singling out safety for all the glory as we did in the previous two years.

That means five van fleet business awards, including fleets in utilities, public sector and the general business sector, and two additional categories looking specifically at safety and environmental initiatives.

You can find out all the details on page 12 and 13.

“New categories put the focus on comparing likefor-like fleets in their entirety”

Which technology do you use to reduce fuel spend?

100

EDITOR’S COLUMN

Telematics Always

purchasing strategy for your business is important, as are processes to measure and manage performance driver by driver.

With fuel at £7 per gallon and representing around half of a van’s operating costs, can you afford not to?

In September we will be running our annual Fleet Van Summit (September 10 in Peterborough) with topics covering all elements of van fleet management, including legislation, driving down accidents and rising MOT failures.

This is a great opportunity to keep up to date with the latest industry happenings as well as network and learn from your peers. I look forward to seeing you there.

Fleet Van takes a break for summer; our next issue will be published on September 19.

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July /August 2013 5

The month in news w w w.fleetnews.co.uk /vans/

News digest M O R E T H A N H A L F O F VA N F L E E T S O P E R A T E O N A F O U R -Y E A R C Y C L E Research carried out for GE Capital’s Fleet Services division has discovered that four years is the most common replacement cycle for van fleets.

The second, quarterly edition of Company Van Trends found that more than half of organisations (55%) from among the 176 questioned are running a four-year cycle with just over a quarter (27%) opting for five years. At the other end of the spectrum, 10% of respondents said that they kept vans until they were defunct.

VA N F L E E T S R U N C O R P O R AT E MANSL AUGHTER RISK Many businesses with company vans are not following the most basic steps to protect themselves against potential prosecution in the event of an accident, according to AXA Business Insurance.

Its study of 300 businesses with one or more vans found that nearly half (45%) are totally unaware of corporate manslaughter despite the law’s introduction five years ago.

As well as a general lack of awareness, the research from AXA revealed three main areas of concern in the way businesses manage their vans: poor administration in relation to the paperwork for drivers and vehicles, unchecked damage to van bodywork and windscreens, and a casual attitude to core maintenance required to keep vehicles safe.

SPEEDY ADDS 400 FORD COMMERCIAL VEHICLES TO FLEET Equipment rental company Speedy has added 400 Ford commercial vehicles to its fleet.

This latest Ford order is worth in excess of £8.6 million and marks an 18-year association between the companies.

The Speedy order – comprising 380 Ford Transit vans, including new Transit Custom models, and 20 Ford Ranger pick-ups – will be operated through 283 fixed Speedy sites throughout the UK. As with all of Speedy’s fleet, the new Ford vehicles will be fitted with telematic equipment to provide comprehensive reporting of driver behaviour, in an effort to encourage improved fuel economy and reduced CO2 emissions.

Speedy logistics director Richard Martin said: “Our fleet is an extension of our company brand so it is important that we choose the right vehicles to meet our customers’ needs and requirements.”

FURMANITE RENEWS FLEET WITH CITROËN LCVS Plant and pipeline maintenance specialist Furmanite is again renewing its 100 strong LCV fleet with Citroën vans.

The deal sees the company taking delivery of a mixture of predominantly L1H1 Dispatch and Relay vans on four year, with maintenance, lease contracts through Lex Autolease.

The initial orders included 28 Dispatch, 24 Relay and three Berlingo vans, which will be ply-lined by supplying dealer John Wilding of Morecambe.

A further 11 Dispatch L2H1, six Relay 33 L1H1 and 35 Relay L2H2 vans are now on order.

In service, Furmanite vans run fully loaded and will cover around 90,000 miles during their four-year life.

B E VA N C H O O S E S N I S S A N N V4 0 0 VA N FOR AFTERCARE FLEET Bodybuilder Bevan Group has purchased 20 Nissan NV400 vans for use by its national network of mobile technicians.

The fleet of 3.5-tonne GVW front-wheel drive 124bhp NV400s in SE trim will be used as mobile workshops to maintain and repair all makes and models of truck and van bodies as well as ancillary equipment such as tail lifts, cranes and roller shutter doors.

The vans also feature factory-fitted satellite navigation systems and supplying dealer West Way Nissan has fitted ply-lining kits, deadlocks, alarms, immobilisers and roof-mounted beacons. Bevan will run the vehicles for three years and 105,000 miles.

6 July/August 2013 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

G IN

OR es NIT lud MO inc LE Y ST GIN IV DR

Award-Winning Vehicle Tracking

Van Fleet World

0870 013 6663

|

enquiries@quartix.net

|

www.quartix.net

Search begins for the UK’s best van fleets CATEGORIES FLEET MANAGER AWARDS • Van Fleet of the Year – Utilities • Van Fleet of the Year – Transport/Logistics • Van Fleet of the Year – Public Sector • Van Fleet of the Year – Business Services • Van Fleet of the Year – Wholesale/Retail/Food • Safe Van Fleet of the Year • Green Van Fleet of the Year SUPPLIER AWARDS • Van Fleet Management Company of the Year • Van Rental Company of the Year • Best New Product or Service • Technology Initiative of the Year MANUFACTURER AWARDS • City Van of the Year • Small Van of the Year • Medium Van of the Year • Large Panel Van of the Year • Pick-up Truck of the Year • Best Van Chassis Derivative HEADLINE AWARDS • Supplier of the Year • Van Fleet Manager of the Year • Commercial Vehicle of the Year • Van Fleet Manufacturer of the Year

Entry deadline is Friday 27 September 2013 Sponsored by

and is open to all van fleet operators, van suppliers and van manufacturers

For more details or an entry form please contact Kate Howard on 01733 468146 or email kate.howard@bauermedia.co.uk

Model update

What’s new on the road A look at what’s being launched and which models are getting an upgrade Twizy Cargo has a payload of 75kg

Renault’s van with a difference Oddball launch of the year must surely be the van version of the Renault Twizy electric car called the Twizy Cargo.

Priced at £6,241 ex-VAT plus £36 per month for battery hire, the Twizy Cargo swaps the car’s rear tandem seat for a boot with a lockable door. Renault will also offer a single seat version with a load area of 180 litres.

Payload is a rather diminutive 75kg.

Renault believes it will appeal to pizza delivery firms and companies offering callout support in areas such as IT.

The van has a range of around 50 miles on a single charge and it costs about £1 to ‘fill up’, which takes three-and-a-half hours. It is exempt from the London Congestion Charge.

A Renault spokesman said: “It’s got more than enough oomph to surprise tabloid-toting white van man in urban conditions.

“It’s also a doddle to get in and out of, especially as the driver can get in from either side and get on the move, shaving even more time off multi-drop stops. It can also be parked simply and in the tightest of spots.”

Ford is now offering high roof versions of the Transit Custom

Cherry pickers boost APS range Fleets needing to use cherry pickers now have a new choice – Access Platform Sales (APS) is entering the sector as the official UK importer and distributor for Isoli SPA. The introduction of vehicle mounts completes APS’ line-up of access platforms for all applications.

APS will install Isoli platforms on UK-sourced vehicles at its workshops in Telford, Shropshire. Its sister company, PSR, will provide nationwide product support through its 23 mobile service engineers.

The Isoli range comprises telescopic and articulated pantograph boom models.

APS will install platforms at its Shropshire base

Crew-van Combo to cost £14,208 Vauxhall has launched a crew-van version of the Combo van. It has room for five people but is still classed as a commercial vehicle, so firms can claim back VAT. There will be a glazed option with windows at the rear and a glazed tailgate. Prices start at £14,208 ex-VAT.

Ford changes new Custom options Ford has made changes to the specification options of the new Transit Custom.

Sat-nav is now available on base models at £1,000 as part of the ICE pack, while a full bulkhead on this model can be deleted.

A glazed bulkhead can now be specified on

Combo crew-van

all models, while additional tie-down points can also be ordered at £25. High roof versions are now available on standard and long wheelbase models at £500, all prices ex-VAT. Prices of the Transit Custom range from £18,321 to £26,271 ex-VAT.

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2013 9

It’s time to enter Fleet Van Awards 2013 – the benchmark for the LCV industry

N

By Stephen Briers ow in their sixth year, the Fleet Van Awards are the benchmark for the light commercial vehicle industry.

The emphasis for the fleet categories has changed. We have reverted back to looking at every aspect of the van fleet’s operation, rather than simply focusing on safety, and reintroduced the business sectors format.

It means that van fleets now need to display their expertise on cost-saving initiatives, driver management and the environment, as well as safety. And they will be pitched against peers from the same area of business.

However, we will also honour the safe van fleet of the year and the green van fleet of the year, recognising two key areas of fleet management.

The van categories compare vehicles across a number of core fleet criteria, including payload, safety, technology, running costs, fuel efficiency/ CO2 emissions, reliability, aftersales service and back-up offered by the dealer network. They also include driver appeal.

New for this year is chassis cab of the year which recognises a vehicle that offers a flexible base from which to build a variety of body styles as well as acknowledging the role of the manufacturer in facilitating bespoke conversions.

The four supplier categories are open to all companies supplying products and services to van fleets: they reward service and innovation.

12 July/August 2013 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

The categories FLEET CATEGORIES (new for 2013) The judges will be looking for a detailed understanding of all aspects of fleet management related to commercial vehicles.

There should be clear awareness of current and future legislation and a commitment to ensuring the fleet is run as safely and efficiently as possible.

Innovation and a clear plan for cost control are also important. Good examples of best practice, including gaining support and authority within the company, will be valuable and there should be a clear knowledge of most factors relating to the fleet. n Van fleet of the year – utilities n Van fleet of the Year – transport/logistics n Van fleet of the Year – public sector n Van fleet of the Year – business services n Van fleet of the Year – wholesale/retail/food n Safe van fleet of the year The judges will be looking for clear evidence of safety initiatives introduced by the fleet and their impact on safety. Vehicles, drivers and the journey will all be key considerations, as will the fleet’s incident rates, training records

and attitude towards risk management.

Good examples of best practice, including gaining support and authority within the company will be valuable and there should be a clear knowledge of most factors relating to the fleet. n Green van fleet of the year The judges will be looking for a detailed understanding of all aspects of environmentally-focused fleet management related to commercial vehicles. There should be clear awareness of current and future legislation and a commitment to ensuring the fleet is run as efficiently as possible, without compromising other core aspects of an effective fleet, such as safety.

SUPPLIER CATEGORIES n Van fleet management company of the year Winner 2012: Hitachi Capital Commercial Vehicle Services n Van rental company of the year Winner 2012: SHB n Van fleet safety award Winner 2012: FMG

ENTRY DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Sponsored by

To enter please contact Kate Howard on 01733 468146 or email kate.howard@bauermedia.co.uk

Judges VAN CATEGORIES n City van of the year Winner 2012: Fiat Fiorino n Small van of the year Winner 2012: Volkswagen Caddy n Medium van of the year Winner 2012: Volkswagen Transporter n Large van of the year Winner 2012: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter n Pick-up of the year Winner 2012: Ford Ranger New category Chassis cab of the year MANUFACTURER CATEGORIES n Green manufacturer of the year Winner 2012: Ford n Fleet Van manufacturer of the year Winner 2011: Volkswagen HEADLINE CATEGORIES n Supplier of the year Winner 2012: Kwik-Fit n Van of the year Winner 2012: Ford Ranger n Van fleet manager of the year New category

FLEET CATEGORIES n Stephen Briers, Fleet News/Fleet Van editor n John Maslen, Sewells brand director n Mark Cartwright, Freight Transport Association head of LCVs MANUFACTURER CATEGORIES n Stephen Briers n Simon Harris, Fleet News/Fleet Van deputy editor n Trevor Gehlcken, Fleet Van associate editor n Alastair Houston, East Midlands Vehicle Hire managing director n George Alexander, Glass’s chief commercial vehicle editor n Ken Brown, CAP LCV editor n Mark Lovett, LeasePlan head of commercial vehicles SUPPLIER CATEGORIES n Stephen Briers n John Maslen n Dale Eynon, Environment Agency n Phil Cane, Sainsbury’s

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2013 13

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Fleet operations Liver y

Virgin liveries vans to look like vehicles in TV shows such as Thunderbirds to incentivise and reward good driving behaviour

TURN YOUR VAN INTO A MOBILE BILLBOARD

Enterprising van fleets use livery to promote their company and motivate drivers

A

By Alisdair Suttie dvertising your business with vinyl stickers has been around since the 1960s, but it’s only much more recently that wrapping has taken a more serious hold in the van market.

Advances in material technology for the vinyl wrap sheets, as well as for ink and printing sophistication, mean that wrapping is now the easiest way to apply your chosen livery to a van and has all but completely replaced traditional sign-writing.

Richard Davies, trade marketing manager for 3M, one of the world’s largest vinyl wrap material producers, says: “The market has moved on from large trucks and more into the van sector. New films and technology make it easier to wrap the more complex shapes of a van compared to the relatively flat sides of a truck.”

However, Davies points out that van operators are still relatively unaware of vehicle wrapping and the benefits it can offer.

Modern wraps offer van users the choice of a simple company logo all the way to a complete wrap that can wholly change a van’s colour and impact on passers-by.

This is a key reason why wrapping has become much more popular. Van operators can use their vehicles as mobile billboards.

Simon Wallis is sales and marketing director of Dominos Pizza and he has no doubts about the effectiveness of wrapped vehicles as an advertisement: “We spend around £1,000 per vehicle to have it wrapped. With 70 vehicles in our fleet, it’s a considerable expense, but when you compare it to traditional billboard advertising it’s a bargain.

“Our vehicles are on a five-year lease plan and the combined mileage of the fleet is 2.1 million miles per year. They are on the road 365 days a year. If we were to buy the equivalent billboard space in static sites all year round, I don’t think we’d see any change from £2 million.

“It’s hard to evaluate the impact our wrapped

16 July/August 2013 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

vehicles have on awareness of the company and our brand, but now we have our vehicles wrapped we wouldn’t be without it.”

Size doesn’t matter There is no limit to the size of van that can be wrapped, large or small.

Before choosing the design, you need to consider who will apply the wrap. For small signs, you can order stick-on vinyl online, but to get a professional finish you will need to use a qualified wrapping company. There are plenty across the UK, but the best will have been trained and accredited by at least one of the major vinyl film producers.

3M has created the website www.wrapyourcurves.co.uk to find the nearest wrapping firm approved to use its products. It is also worth speaking to other van operators with wrapped vehicles about their experiences.

When considering a company to wrap your van, look for one that has spotlessly clean, dust-free

Getting the message across – there are no restrictions on the size of vehicle when it comes to wrapping

premises with an enclosed space that can be heated to apply a wrap. Ask to see other vehicles the company has wrapped and ask for samples of the film and colours that will be used on your van to make sure they meet your expectations.

Once you’re happy its wrapping skills are up to your standards, you can agree on a design.

Most wrapping companies will design your wrap in one of two ways. The first is to take an image or logo and apply it to a computer template of the van it will be applied to. This allows the wrapper to make sure the design fits properly and shows your logo in the way you intended.

The other option is to ask the wrapping company to come up with a bespoke design. It will have templates and designs to work from or can design something from scratch. However, bear in mind the cost goes up the more bespoke the design is. The typical cost for a small van in a simple complete vehicle wrap would be about £600, while a large van with complicated wrap could be £1,500. Much of this cost is due to labour as it takes around 15 hours to apply.

The wrap is applied to the van in sections, though those using solvent-based inks need to be left until the solvents have evaporated before they can be applied. Water-based inks are used with most modern wraps and are more environmentally friendly.

More producers of wrapping films are also moving towards non-PVC films as they are less damaging to the environment and are easier to work with. Other new developments include films that remain pliant at lower temperatures and

have no ‘memory’ so they don’t try to spring back into their original shape when applied to a vehicle’s curved bodywork.

When the wrap has been applied to your van, check it covers all of the areas you agreed. Look for neat trimming around panel gaps and doors, and be sure the vinyl film sits right into concave panels, such as the door handle recesses. Stand back and check there is no distortion of the image or logo and it’s all positioned where you want it.

“Most good quality wraps will last five years with no discernible fading”

Novel approach to improve driving behaviour Karen Karolyi, fleet manager for Virgin Media, says: “It takes time to build a good relationship with a livery supplier, which is vital if you have a number of vehicles. However, it’s worth it as you then know what to expect of them and they know what you demand.”

Virgin takes a novel approach to its liveried vans.

In addition to the standard Virgin wraps, the company also liveries a selection of vans to look like well-known vehicles from TV shows, such as the A-Team, Thunderbirds or Dukes of Hazzard.

Employees who top its driving performance tables get to drive the vehicle – it has improved motivation and encouraged better behaviour.

Once your van has been wrapped, keeping it clean is no trickier than washing normal paintwork.

However, 3M consumer vehicle wrapping marketing executive Paul Kitchen, warns: “It’s best to rinse the bodywork before washing to avoid scratching the vinyl wrap’s surface. On matt wraps, don’t use polish or wax as it will create a gloss finish, and try to avoid brush and jet washes

as they can lift exposed edges on a wrap.’

Most good quality wraps will last five years with no discernible fading or wear. Repairs to damaged panels should be easy if the wrap has been professionally applied in sections, while rewrapping will be an additional cost to consider.

You should also bear in mind that you need to inform your insurance company when your van is wrapped to avoid invalidating your cover.

When the van reaches the end of its life on your fleet, reputable wrappers will include the cost of removing it in the original invoice. Removing the wrap is best done by a professional to avoid damaging the paint underneath. Once the wrap is removed, there should be no signs of it or ‘ghosting’ where a wrap’s edge meets a painted panel and dirt has accumulated.

With a professionally applied and removed wrap, there could also be a small benefit to the residual value of your van as the paintwork should be as good as new when you come to sell it.

It might not offset the cost, but the advertising benefits of a quality wrap are worth far more.

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2013 17

Environment Routing

R

By Louise Cole outing and scheduling software works faster, smarter and more objectively than humans. There is often a business case to be made, therefore, for introducing an R&S application into even the smallest fleets.

There are a variety of products and different approaches which can be used, so it is important to clarify an operation’s current and future needs and then look carefully at the options on offer.

“Most R&S software is Windows-based so on the surface it can all look very similar,” warns Will Salter, managing director of Paragon Software Systems. “It is important to ensure you understand what’s going on under the surface and that the product will deliver the quoted savings.”

“Any decent provider should be able to prove it will pay back rapidly with replicable savings based on your data” 18 July/August 2013 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

SAVE TIME AND CASH WITH R&S SOFTWARE Self-funding routing and scheduling systems can benefit fleets of all sizes

The software should be self-funding. It should pay back rapidly – and any decent provider should be able to prove this with replicable savings based on your data before the system is even purchased.

“Nowadays people will generally run tests before any decision,” says Salter. “Systems can easily be tested running days’ worth of orders, or orders taken from peak periods, slack periods and even scenarios such as if the business grew by 150%. If it is set up properly, the system ought to pay back very quickly – 10-20% saving is a realistic direct benefit, even before you look at improved turnaround or customer service.”

Three-stage approach Route Monkey also believes R&S software should be self-funding. CEO Colin Ferguson says the company used to offer a benchmark and trial as optional but now it has a standard three-stage approach to selling and installing the software.

“It simply works better. We benchmark the operation, running a trial, first looking at how your company organised it and then how Route Monkey would do it. Then we pilot the software; and then once we go live, we tailor and adjust it to that operation,” he says.

Ferguson says the last phase of adjustment is crucial; optimisation is not just about freight and vehicles, but lots of small variables. “If we find one driver has a heavier right foot, for instance, we set a parameter putting him on motorway journeys where that will be mitigated.

That’s how you start to get every drop of benefit,” he says.

He also says products approach optimisation in different ways.

Overhauling fixed route systems Fleets move to R&S software for different reasons. AAH Pharmaceuticals, which has 30% of the wholesale medicines market, and 600 vehicles running out of 19 depots, says it brought in new software to help it overhaul a fixed route system which had evolved over many years.

“Paragon has effectively enabled us to reevaluate our transport operation with minimum fuss,” says Steve Anderson, organisation manager.

The software has now been rolled out at three sites and is showing savings of £300,000 at Birmingham, and a combined saving of £500,000 at Ruislip and Leeds. Anderson says he expects these savings to continue stacking up as it is rolled out across more depots. The company has also improved customer service, as it can now guarantee ETAs to the nearest 15 minutes.

Liberty Wines, a London-based national wines wholesaler, turned to automated R&S planning partly because it offers better control and streamlining of its mixed fleet, which comprises 80% subcontractors.

“The majority of our drivers are long-term subcontractors who are paid a daily rate. When we plan manually we can only estimate start and finish of their runs, but [now] we’ll have visibility of their workloads,” says customer services manager Ben Marriott.

Iceland has invested in what supplier Route Monkey believes to be the largest roll-out of R&S software in any UK van fleet. It wanted to boost the performance of its home delivery fleet of 1,300 vehicles across 800 stores. Unlike many operations, which can schedule each morning, Iceland’s customers will be offered the next available two-hour slot, whenever they shop, meaning routes are recalculated in real-time.

“It enables us to optimise the use of our fleet and driver resources, while also reducing our fleet mileage and emissions. We conducted extensive trials and were extremely pleased with the return on investment. It allows us to do more deliveries in fewer miles,” says director of delivered sales John Mackie.

The company also tailored the software to work with new PDA kit, and a deviation function, which sends an alert to drivers or managers if the vehicle is a set percentage off course or off timescale.

Most R&S software will integrate with other Windows-based logistics and fleet software, such as telematics, tracking and fleet management systems, but the extent of potential integration is a question operators should always ask.

Some systems, such as Route Monkey, are very much delivered in whatever form the company wants it, whether integrated with an in-house system or standalone. There are also exceptions, as in the case of parcels carrier XPD, where the algorithm behind the Route Monkey software has been embedded directly into the parcel company’s own system.

Examine how software is delivered How software is delivered and paid for is also worth examining. Paragon produces an out-ofthe-box system, which can be tailored by the user by adjusting existing parameters. Generally it is sold as an installed system, although it can be hosted, and, technically, cloud-based if a customer wanted it.

Route Monkey suggests that software as service cloud-based products, which are still unusual in the routeing market, is actually more useful for very small firms.

“For fewer than 30 vehicles we would recommend a SAS model, although we can also install it on PCs or a server,” says Ferguson. “For larger businesses it’s a decision that requires some consultancy. Although generally you have only one person [at a location] accessing R&S software at a time, because you don’t want multiple plans, a company like Iceland has many depots which may all be planning at once. Placing their software on the cloud means their resource can be scalable to the number of transport planners working at that moment – if more come online, more servers can fire up.”

Key tips n Check the software can be sufficiently tailored to your operation, needs and even drivelines n Look at different methods of hosting or installation, and payment n Ensure the software proves itself in trials using your data before you commit n Initial routing is usually fast; but check how long it will take to reconfigure your plan for lastminute jobs n Ensure you can compare the planned routes with the actual performance by the driver, otherwise your savings may remain on paper.

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2013 19

Advertisement feature

Fleet & lease values continue to rise

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alues for fleet & lease LCVs continued to rise in June, although headline values across the board fell back for the second month running, according to BCA’s latest Pulse report.

Values remain well ahead year on year, underlining how the relative shortage of good quality stock has continued to dominate proceedings.

The average June figure of £4,766 for all LCVs represented a fall of £104 (2.1%) compared to May. Average age remained at just under 58 months, although average mileage increased for the second month running. Fleet & lease values improved marginally over the month, while dealer part-exchange sectors saw values decline for the second month running and are now 10.5% down from the record levels seen in April.

Year-on-year, June 2013 was ahead by £595 or 14.2%, a significant rise on last month’s figures with age declining and mileage rising over the period. Average CAP performance was notably higher in 2013.

Year-on-year table: Fleet & lease vans Fleet/Lease Avg Age Avg Mileage (mnths) June 2012 44.62 69,556 June 2013 42.93 68,851 compared to April’s record breaking average value. CAP comparisons fell over the month to 101.73% but continue to outperform the fleet & lease sector. Year-onyear values remain ahead by £191 or 6.7%, with average age declining and mileage up quite significantly (10.1%) compared to a year ago.

Nearly-new Nearly-new LCV values fell in June by £600 (4.6%) to £12,241 with CAP performance improving to 99.92%. As always, this has to be taken in the context of the very low volumes reaching the market and the model mix factor.

BCA’s Duncan Ward commented: “While average values declined for the second month running across the board, the low supplies of good retail-quality vans mean demand for these vehicles remains strong and this has benefited the fleet & lease

LCVs: fleet & lease values 2011 - 2013

£7,000

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£6,000 £5,000 £4,000 £3,000

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Apl

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£2,000 May

Fleet & lease Values in the fleet & lease LCV sector improved in June, rising by just £31 to £5,973, a rise of 0.5% compared to May and the second highest value on record for corporate LCVs. Performance against CAP improved to 99.8%, while retained value against Manufacturer Recommended Price fell back to 35.21% from 36.05% recorded in May. Year-on-year values remain well ahead, up by £1,008 (20.3%) compared to the same month in 2012 – with average age and mileage down over the year. Retained value against MRP improved by more than three points.

Part-exchange van values fell for the second consecutive month, down by £135 (4.2%) to £3,036 and are now down by 10.6%

BCA says Smart Prepared services help sellers get the best returns on their vans

Avg Value Sale vs CAP Sale vs MRP £4,965 £5,973

97.82% 99.81%

31.68% 35.21%

sector where values rose yet again. The overall decline in average value is simply a result of buyers becoming a little more selective and not showing the same willingness to bid as strongly on high mileage and damage. Many corporate sellers are investing in pre-sale preparation – this is particularly important where vans have been body wrapped in vinyl livery as it allows their vehicles to be presented to the used buyer with an original factory finish.”

Smart Preparation He added: “While Smart Preparation is largely used by car vendors, its application can be equally important in the van market, provided vehicles are chosen carefully. For a 2009 model year van at 10,000 miles in good condition, but with a few small dents on 2 panels, Smart Prepared can be a cost efficient choice for the vendor. The return on the investment to bring a five-year-old, 100,000 mile van, without a straight panel to its name, back to ‘showroom condition’ is likely to be less rewarding.”

Ward added: “The summer months are traditionally been quieter in the wholesale van markets and with the school holidays imminent at the time of writing we should expect to see demand softening a little over the next few weeks. Now would be a good time for volume sellers to review their remarketing plans and make sure they are fully in tune with market sentiment.”

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

Remarketing Improving residual values

Residual values are key to wholelife fleet costs Manufacturer improvements aimed at both new and used van buyers

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By Trevor Gehlcken he key to running vans cost-effectively is by looking at their wholelife running costs.

These figures include the front-end price of the vehicle, running costs such as fuel and servicing and the predicted residual value – ie, what the vehicle is expected to make when it is sold.

Van manufacturers make great play of courting the experts from guides such as CAP and Glass’s as they know that a thumbs-down on residual predictions can spell doom for a new van when launched.

Manufacturers pull out all the stops to make improvements that will add value not just for first buyers, but further down the line too.

More safety features are being added as standard. Electronic stability control systems (ESC), which help prevent sideways skids, are now standard on all vans from Volkswagen, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Iveco, while Fiat has just added it as standard on Ducato.

But do these extras really make a difference when it comes to rolling your vans out for sale at your local auction centre?

According to Duncan Ward, BCA’s business development manager – commercial vehicles, it is not attributes such the metallic paint that will attract buyers, because many simply want a basic van to do the job.

The second-hand buyer will value a good retail colour on a van Ward says: “The van market is always the poor relation in terms of vehicle specification.

“The new van buyer is generally a corporate owner and the manufacturers inevitably focus on the needs of that sector, particularly in the areas of fuel efficiency and emissions, driving safety, parking aids and vehicle security.

“The first corporate owner will want to ensure that all the vehicles are fit for purpose and are presented

Citroën tempts buyers by including a free Trafficmaster sat-nav and stolen vehicle tracking system on most of its vehicles

“The van market is always the poor relation in terms of vehicle specification” Duncan Ward, BCA in the appropriate corporate identity.

However, the used buyer has a completely different set of aims and objectives.

“The second user will value airconditioning and a good retail colour, but will inevitably be less concerned with low CO2 technology or stability systems.

“Feedback from buyers attending BCA’s regular LCV Forum underline this, with the condition and presentation of LCVs being critical to the initial buying decision, with mileage, specification, and the ‘pedigree’ of the seller also important.

“Remembering that the next owner is likely to be a small business or sole trader then other factors also assume importance.

The engine and payload is important to the building trade, while

plumbers and electricians will look for internal storage and racking and a small catering company may value a side-loading door.”

Manufacturers are aware of the need to support the residual value of their LCVs and are keen to improve them.

The reason for this is simple – if used values are strong then the benefit this brings to wholelife costs will translate into lower lease rental rates for the comparable new van.

As rental agreements account for around 75% or more of all panel LCVs sold, the stakes are high with those manufacturers who fail to improve residual values.

George Alexander, Glass’s Guide to Commercial Vehicles commercial vehicle

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2013 21

Remarketing Improving residual values editor, says: “To improve the prospects for any used light commercial vehicle, the strategies to adopt will basically fall into to just two categories – those that are transparent on the vehicle and are there for all to see or experience and those that are less obvious yet of possibly greater importance over the long term.

“It is now expected that all vans will have easy load access.

“Ford’s fold-down roof rack and the extended load length offered beneath the passenger seat are further examples of manufacturers having to run faster to stand still.

“What were once extras are now often fitted as standard, at least on premium products, such as tinted glass, electric windows, air-con, reversing sensors, ABS, traction control, but never metallic paint.

Even offers of free sat-nav packages are commonplace yet these rarely add significantly to the residual value, although they will undoubtedly improve its sales prospects.”

Alexander reckons the most beneficial action that any manufacturer can take is to improve the fuel economy of any new model over its predecessor.

With the three big costs of running any commercial vehicle being drivers’ wages, depreciation and fuel costs, any saving to the latter will translate into additional profit.

He says: “Behind the scenes, all the marques strive to create brand loyalty yet this is a big task when businesses remain under the cosh, with the only way a manufacturer can achieve this goal is to do what

never comes naturally to them – think long term.

“They need to invest in their dealer networks, both coverage and quality of service offered, to include extended opening hours and to squeeze service and parts costs to a minimum.

“They also need to offer finance and service packages (to include roadside repair/recovery) in order to make life easier for their business customers.

“Over a period of perhaps five years, reputations become established with loyalty being engendered. Conversely, strong brand images can be squandered overnight by not offering the highest service standards.”

Low running costs and businessorientated specification are the two keys to higher residual values, according to Martin Hamill, Citroën’s director of fleet and used vehicles.

Appeal for subsequent buyers Hamill says: “Our range includes many features to appeal to initial purchasers and equally importantly to subsequent owners, such as low cost automated-manual transmission (Nemo/Berlingo), dual passenger seats (Berlingo LX/Dispatch/ Relay) and enhanced traction packages (Berlingo and Dispatch).”

Another key part of maintaining the residual values of Citroën LCVs is the channels into which they are sold.

Hamill says: “Citroën has no desire to engage in business that by its very nature could lead to a negative pressure on residual values, such as an over reliance on daily-

Nissan’s fleet bosses believe close contact with residual value guides and leasing companies is key to its improving residual values

“Strong brand images can be squandered by not offering high service standards” George Alexander, Glass’s

Ford’s extended load length offered beneath the passenger seat gives it extra versatility rental. We have a very limited foot print within daily rental and our sales volume is managed to avoid used vehicle over supply, so that RVs remain strong.”

Nissan’s fleet bosses keep in close contact with residual value guides and leasing companies as they feel this – plus offering the right level of standard and optional spec – is the key is improving residual values.

Matt Dale, Nissan GB sales director, says: “Nissan has had a key strategy of building its brand in the fleet sector to match its ever growing

range of light commercials.

“Sharing all our latest model information in detail and in real-time is vital so the residual value guides and leasing companies can make immediate decisions on our product, which has made a big difference.

“Passing on our overall aspirations on volumes, pricing even down to parts prices all help build an overall picture for future asset owners on residual values.

“Both the NV200 and NV400 were slow to get off the ground but once we had held detailed sessions with future owners and given them vehicles to test, sales started improving and NV200 is now one of the current best performers in its sector which is transferring into demand in the used market.

“Understanding the thinking behind a new vehicle such as the entry-level Navara – the Visia – is key to understanding who then may want to buy it as a used vehicle.

“We have made the decision to add equipment like sat-nav to the options list rather than push up prices by adding it as standard. ” Importance of safety features Steve Bridge, van sales and marketing director, Mercedes_ Benz believes safety features are key to residual values.

The Sprinter is about to be relaunched with five class-leading safety systems.

Bridge says: “We firmly believe that safety is a big selling point for second users.”

22 July/August 2013 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

Accidents in your fleet?

Don’t be put in the spotlight Put Selsia centre stage

Find out why more fleets are switching to Selsia To arrange an appointment, call us on 01525 863 938 or email us at info@selsia-vac.co.uk Vehicle care across the UK selsia-vac.co.uk

Fleet case study Wakefield and District Housing

O-LICENCE STANDARDS HELP WAKEFIELD CUT ITS FLEET OVERHEADS Van Excellence champion believes in unbundling SMR from leasing deals

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By John Charles ore than two decades of knowledge and experience gained in the regulated HGV sector are being used by Rick Young to run an awardwinning light commercial vehicle fleet.

The heavy haulage sector is so tightly regulated through the O-Licence that, says Young: “It is hard not to do things right.”

By contrast the light commercial vehicle sector is ‘lightly’ regulated so when Young took on the newly-created fleet manager role at Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) he used O-Licence standards as the template for the organisation’s 360-strong van operation.

“That is the way I still run the fleet because van operations don’t have a set standard,” said Young, who won the Small Public Sector Fleet title in the 2012 Fleet Van Awards.

However, he is hoping to change the perception of van fleets and is a leading figure in the Freight Transport Association’s Van Excellence scheme.

WDH was among the first organisations to join the initiative and Young has recently been elected vice-chairman of the Van Excellence Good Governance Committee, which oversees the direction of the organisation.

Van Excellence is an industry-led initiative backed by the Freight Transport Association that aims to enhance standards of van operator compliance.

Running a safe transport operation “All fleet operators should join Van Excellence,” says Young.

“By joining Van Excellence and adhering to the code, fleet operators know they are managing vehicles the right way and running a safe transport operation.”

Since its launch in 2011, Van Excellence has grown to include vehicle manufacturers and LCV suppliers as well as van operators.

Young says: “Van Excellence is becoming more and more recognised. I think operators will start to highlight Van Excellence accreditation in their tender documents as a business requirement for manufacturers and other suppliers.”

Meanwhile, it is a new four-year fleet tender that has Young’s focus this year with the new contract due to be in place on January 1, 2014.

“I am a great believer in vehicles being regularly checked by mechanics” Rick Young, Wakefield and District Housing 24 July/August 2013 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

360

LCVs make up Wakefield and District Housing’s fleet

31,000

homes are currently on Wakefield and District Housing’s books

The urban fleet of 360 LCVs – 358 vans from across the Citroën range and two Land Rover Defenders with one adapted as a snow plough and gritter – are driven by tradesman employed by WDH, one of the country’s largest social landlords with more than 31,000 homes.

The diesel vans are replaced four-yearly, irrespective of mileage although that is below 10,000 miles per van per year with mileage pooled.

The fleet was leased via Lombard Vehicle Management, and transferred to Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions earlier this year.

Value for money from leasing partners The new tender is via the Government Procurement Service’s framework agreement which features seven approved manufacturers and nine contract hire and leasing companies.

“My time is being spent working alongside our procurement department in making sure that we get the right manufacturers and right leasing companies to deliver the right product and value for money is obtained,” says Young.

WDH was established in March 2005, taking over Wakefield Council’s former housing stock. Nine months later Young joined as fleet manager and inherited a transport operation of ageing Ford vehicles with most owned, but some on long-term hire, and little in the way of record keeping.

It was, in effect, a clean sheet for Young that led to Lombard winning the contract to provide the fleet. Critically, in a departure from the norm, service, maintenance and repair (SMR), glass repair/replacement, the fitting out of vans with racking, roof bars and the like, livery, telematics and accident management were unbundled from the funding contract with work handled locally although, technically, the contract is classed as ‘with maintenance’.

“If vehicles are being operated locally then you don’t need national service coverage,” says Young. “Additionally, I think better pricing and value for money can be obtained locally.

As a result, the money that WDH is paying is going directly into the Wakefield and district economy.”

Young oversees a range of local suppliers – independent garages undertake SMR work although the local franchised dealer handles warranty work – with all vans serviced every six months to ensure safety and roadworthiness.

“Our tradesmen are skilled carpenters, plumbers and the like and not professional drivers. Although they undertake daily vehicle checks, I am a great believer in vehicles being regularly checked by mechanics,” explains Young.

“It is a policy of preventative maintenance.”

The policy means that SMR work can be planned with garages undertaking routine servicing on a while-you-wait basis. This will reduce downtime compared with drivers having to remove tools and equipment from vehicles and load into another van and then reverse the process once work is completed.

Rick Young: focused on a new four-year tender for his fleet Following the switch to Hitachi, tyre repair and replacement is via ATS but all other vehicle-related requirements are managed by Young through local suppliers.

“As all vehicle-related work can be planned, it means that there is virtually no requirement for daily rental vehicles,” explains Young, who has individual invoices sent to Hitachi for payment with any costs outside of the contract terms recharged on a monthly basis back to WDH. New vans arrive equipped with requested factory-fit options, but then Young utilises an army of local suppliers to make the vehicles ‘ready for purpose’, according to a strictly self-designed build sheet that has been compiled in partnership with suppliers and drivers.

Electric vans or hydrogen?

The urban stop-start nature of the fleet would, in some eyes, mean that electric vans could have a place at WDH. However, explains Young: “Vans are operating at the upper level of their payload and battery range would be compromised by carrying the weight of goods and equipment required. Additionally, we would require a major recharging infrastructure to be established in the area.

“Currently electric vehicles are not for us in terms of operational requirement or wholelife costs. Diesel vans continue to be the way forward for WDH at the moment, although I will be looking towards hydrogen power when we undertake our next tender in 2017 for introduction in 2018.”

Not surprisingly given Young’s heavy haulage background coupled with the high-profile local operation of the WDH fleet, occupational road risk management is of paramount importance.

Driver authorisation, including online driver licence checks, driver awareness training and an assessment for all new employees expected to drive, as part of their induction programme as well as for current employees involved in an incident, are well established. So is drivers’ daily defect reporting, post incident interviews with remedial action if required and vehicle tracking, introduced to aid fleet utilisation that triggered a 15% fleet size reduction.

The comprehensive programme resulted in a £20,000 insurance premium saving in 2013/14 following a record of reduction of both claims (down 48% since January 2011) and costs with incident severity (down more than 60% over the same period).

WDH gave its duty-of-care procedures a boost last year with the launch of driver awareness sessions, which were attended by all tradesmen required to drive.

“We wanted to remind drivers of the business benefits of daily vehicle checks, risk assessments and safe and fuel efficient driving. If they understand the total financial cost of accidents to the business then they can play their part,” says Young.

“All the initiatives taken to improve driver and vehicle

£20,000 insurance premium saving followed a reduction in claims and costs

15%

cut in fleet size was possible after vehicle tracking was introduced

safety are underpinned by our fleet policy incorporating contributions from all levels of the organisation and issued to all authorised drivers in a format that is up to date, robust and explains exactly what WDH expects from its drivers. It also contained all the relevant information they need to ensure the safe operation of their vehicle.”

That is exactly what drivers have done and next the focus is on issuing ‘be careful’ reminders aimed at reducing the replacement cost of damaged van wing mirrors at a price of £250-£300 a time.

Staff help to downsize vans “We have introduced many initiatives and through the driver awareness sessions we have made employees more mindful of their responsibilities and how they can help the business.”

Critically, drivers also have a say in the size of van they drive and its specification. “We have been able to downsize the vans on the fleet by tapping into the employees’ knowledge and experience of the goods and equipment they need to do their jobs,” he says. “The result is that drivers care more about their vehicle.”

Further benefits of such an engagement strategy include fewer incidents, fuel bill savings as a result of employees driving ‘smarter’ and a reduction in end-of-contract vehicle damage charges.

Young says: “Winning the Fleet Van award makes clear to the community in which we work that the vans are operated to the very highest standards and that I, as fleet manager, am doing something right.”

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2013 25

Industr y spotlight Roadload

LIGHTWEIGHT SOLUTION TO BIGGER PAYLOADS Honeycomb panels are behind revolutionary idea

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By Trevor Gehlcken t April’s CV Show in Birmingham, one exhibitor was head and shoulders above the others.

It was not just that Roadload managing director Keith Jones stands at an imposing 6ft 9in, but his firm’s light commercial vehicle offerings towered above most of the other 3.5-tonners too.

For Roadload, based at Thetford in Norfolk, specialises in adding gargantuan load areas to van chasses while reducing weight and load height – and its high quality offerings in this niche sector are proving very popular.

Vans at 3.5-tonnes gross vehicle weight make up the biggest sales sector in the industry at present – and it is not difficult to work out why.

Go over that weight and fleets have to apply for an O-licence and fit tachographs to their vehicles, which means restricted driving hours and a whole heap of other administrative headaches that are best avoided if possible.

So it stands to reason that operators are opting for vans at this weight – and at the same time expecting to squeeze every last drop of practicality from each vehicle.

Honeycomb panels The biggest load volume from an off-the-shelf manufacturer at present is 17 cubic metres, but Roadload’s Superdeck models go much further. The biggest 3.5-tonner offers up to a staggering 32 cubic metres. And payload isn’t sacrificed either. This van still carries a respectable 1,300kg. Go for the bigger five-tonner and that volume increases to a maximum of 44 cubic metres.

So exactly how does such a large van manage to weigh so little? Managing director Keith Jones says: “We use honeycomb polypropylene panels welded together to make a complete body. Most of our rivals still use GRP riveted together with aluminium rails, so our vehicles are much lighter. In fact, in a marketplace where payload is king, we are in a class of our own.

“Because our panels are welded it means they won’t leak either and we’ve just invested in the equipment to spray on Line-X non-slip sealed floors in place of plywood floors.”

Roadload is a relatively new company which was started

by Jones from a former business which specialised in

“In a marketplace where payload is king, we are in a class of our own” Keith Jones, Roadload 26 July/August 2013 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

building access ramps for disabled people.

The first product was not in fact the Superdeck, but the U-Tail system (see picture, bottom right) which made an impressive debut on the Peugeot stand at the 2010 CV Show in Birmingham.

The U-Tail is a Peugeot Boxer with a U-shaped chassis at the rear with cargo boxes that can be uncoupled, so that one vehicle can have multiple rear ends. But while many fleet operators admired the technology and practicality of this vehicle, it has not yet been a big sales success.

Jones says: “Many van fleet operators are set in their ways and scared of innovation. The U-Tail is a brilliant invention but sadly it is ahead of its time and, while we believe the concept will catch on in the future, it is not a big success at present.”

Roadload conducted a year-long trial with Tesco.com and while the tests allowed the company to fine-tune its product for commercial sales, the supermarket decided against buying into it.

Jones says: “It is a shame as many fleets could use this vehicle. For example, councils often have vehicles sitting in their compounds doing nothing for most of the year and these could be replaced with one U-Tail which could be used for many purposes.”

Faced with a sizeable hole in its business, Roadload turned to the high-cube van sector – and here it has found much greater success.

Jones and his team realised that there was a small but untapped market for vans with massive load volumes and payloads, as at present most of the offerings on the market suffer from smaller payloads as they use heavier parts in their construction.

Vehicles trialled The Superdeck series was launched at the beginning of 2013 and after a successful appearance at the CV Show, Jones has been a very busy man.

He says: “We have had many enquiries from some of the biggest distribution fleets in the country and at present several of them are trialling our vehicles. People just can’t believe that we can get such large payloads in such big vehicles. We have a ground-breaking product here and people are beginning to realise that. The Superdeck is in a market of its own.”

Roadload uses a Peugeot Boxer chassis for the Superdeck and two models are available – at 3.5 tonnes and 5.0 tonnes gross vehicle weight. The smaller vehicle has load volumes from 18 to 32 cubic metres and payloads of between 1,300kg and 1,500kg.

Meanwhile the five-tonner comes with volumes between 25 and 44 cubic metres and payloads of 2,300 to 2,600kg.

Comparing costs of this vehicle against a traditional 7.5-tonne truck, Jones said load volumes and payloads were better (44 cu m and 2,600kg against 37 cu m and 2,300kg for the truck), while average fuel economy figures were 28mpg

The Peugeot Boxer chassis is used for the Superdeck

Factfile Name: Keith Jones Job title: managing director, Roadload Brief career history: carpenter until the age of 24, started on own ramp manufacturing business in 1992-2009, Roadload to present Favourite book: Bravo Two Zero, by Andy McNab Favourite film: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Favourite holiday destination: Turkey What three records would you take to a desert island?: Level 42, Lessons in love; Tears for Fears, Rule the World; Lou Rawls, Lady Love.

for the Superdeck against 14mpg for the truck.

It’s a convincing story, but that doesn’t means that Jones and his team are getting an easy ride from potential fleet buyers. For example, the firm has still to gain any predicted residual value figures from the price guides (although negotiations are underway) which is hampering talks with some of the big leasing and rental firms at present.

Also some truck fleet operators are less familiar with Peugeot vehicles than established truck brands and need to be convinced that they are up to the job.

Jones says: “Peugeot spotted the need for lightweight vans early on and has some of the lightest chassis to build from.

They understand the value of fuel economy and of low loading heights that do away with the need for tail lifts and have the most suitable chassis for Roadload’s goods vehicles.”

Another potential problem of buying such large 3.5-tonners is that fleets may be tempted to overload them, prosecution from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), which has recently said it would be targeting vans in a bid to stamp out such practices.

But Jones is well aware of the dangers and any potential buyers are quizzed carefully about intended usage before vehicles are handed over.

Flagging up potential problems He says: “We start by asking what kind of loads are going to be carried and we have a software programme that we use to flag up any potential problems. If a buyer wants 3.5-tonners and we believe they are the wrong vehicles for the job, we will gently steer him to the bigger vehicles.”

As an added safeguard, Superdeck vehicles can be specified with Dunlop Loadsafe systems which alert the driver to overloading.

Roadload has also had to grapple with the latest European Whole Vehicle Type Approval rules and is still in the midst of gaining a VCA certificate for its vehicles.

Jones says: “We have a member of staff working virtually

ABOVE: The U-Tail offers detachable load boxes on a single chassis but has not been a sales success

full-time on this and we are expecting to gain our overall certificate within about six weeks. In the meantime, as we aren’t allowed to sell vans without a certificate after April 29, we are having to seek independent voluntary approval for each vehicle we sell, much in the way that someone making a kit car would do. It’s been a real headache.”

Once Type Approval has been gained, Jones is hoping that Superdeck vehicles will be sold at Peugeot dealerships along with other approved conversions.

He says: “We can’t believe how this vehicle has taken off.

It’s still very early days yet and our sales team are spreading the word, but we believe that before long our Superdeck vans will take over from traditional 7.5-tonners.”

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2013 27

D r i v e n F o r d F i e s t a V a n 1. 6 T D C i 9 5 E c o n e t i c Tr e n d

Behind the wheel It’s easy to see why the Fiesta is the best-selling car in the UK. It looks stylish and, while it’s a small vehicle, it has all the comfort and slick drivability of something much bigger and more expensive – all of which applies to the Fiesta Van too.

Its seats are like something from a small sportscar, with lots of side support.

Drivers will welcome the lumbar adjustment, which helps improve comfort on long journeys.

There is masses of legroom in the front for both driver and passenger and, despite the fact that the top of the bulkhead is mesh, the van is still quiet on the road.

This 95bhp model may be an Eco variety, but there was no lack of power and even with a full load on board, it proved lively and willing.

Unfortunately, because of this vehicle’s car origins, there’s a large lip under the tailgate so loads can’t be slid in and out easily.

Our only real disappointment was that despite driving in a reasonably economical style during our test week, the fuel economy display on the dash reached only 57.4mpg at its peak – a far cry from the 85.6mpg official combined figure.

Fiesta Van comes with electronic stability control as standard

Impressive, but falls short of stated mpg Fiesta Van claims 85.6mpg and 87g/km CO2 emissions Need to know n Stop-start technology is standard n Low-rolling resistance tyres cut fuel consumption n Load volume of 1cu m, payload of 505kg

A Specification Gross vehicle weight (kg): 1,500 Power (bhp): 95/4,000 Torque (lb-ft): 151/1,750 Load volume (cu m): 1.0 Payload (kg): 505 Comb fuel economy (mpg): 85.6 CO2 emissions (g/km): 87 Price: (ex-VAT): £13,350

By Trevor Gehlcken s pump prices continue at high levels, the need to save fuel is becoming ever more important.

The Ford Econetic moniker puts the emphasis well and truly on economy and low CO2 output and the model on test here – the Fiesta Van Econetic – is a shining example of that genre, with a combined economy figure of 85.6mpg and CO2 emissions of just 87g/km.

In the past few years, small car-derived vans have come under increasing pressure from hi-cube offerings such as the Citroën Nemo, Peugeot Bipper and Fiat Fiorino, but while the Fiesta Van can’t compete on carrying ability, it certainly has the upper hand in the economy stakes. The nearest the rival trio can manage is 68.9mpg although real-world economy is a different matter (see Behind the wheel).

Another advantage that the Fiesta Van has is true car-like drivability – it is, after all, a car with the back seats taken out.

Standard specification is something to brag about too.

Unlike the above-mentioned trio, the Fiesta Van comes with electronic stability control (ESC) as standard, along with air-conditioning, auto stop-start, Bluetooth connectivity, an aux-in connection for external music

28 July/August 2013 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

devices, lumbar support on the driver’s seat, lowered suspension, aerodynamic rear undertray and low rolling resistance tyres.

The new Fiesta Van differs from its predecessor in the bodyshape, which is now smarter and cleaner looking, with laser-cut headlamps, a new grille and the option of 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside, switchgear has been moved around and there is a new centre console.

Under the bonnet in our test model was a new 1.6-litre turbodiesel powerplant offering 95bhp and 151lb-ft of torque.

In the rear, the Fiesta Van offers a cubic metre of loadspace and there is a standard half-height bulkhead with mesh above, along with a wipe-clean floor and four load-lashing eyes. Payload is 505kg and the ex-VAT price is £13,350.

The Fiesta Van has stronger residual values than its car-derived rivals, and that should give it enough of an edge to retain a running costs advantage, where it would be tougher to compare fuel consumption over a van’s life on a fleet as although they maybe well matched on paper, any shortfall in relation to official figures in real world use would depend on the driver, load and road and traffic conditions.

Verdict

As long as you don’t need to carry large amounts of cargo about at a fast rate of knots, the Fiesta Van will save huge amounts of cash at the pumps during its fleet lifecycle. It will be interesting to see how close to this economy figure the new Transit Courier can come when it arrives early next year.

Firs t dr i ve Volk s w agen Cr af ter CR 3 0 S W B Bluemotion 13 6

Increased efficiency without compromise Bluemotion offers 38.9mpg and CO2 emissions of 187g/km

Nearside sliding door is standard on all load-carrying Crafters

Need to know n Economy improvement of 21% over standard van n Stop-start technology fitted as standard n Bluemotion costs £475 more than standard van

F

By Andrew Ryan uel is estimated to make up almost half of the day-to-day running costs of a van, with manufacturers placing a greater emphasis on improving efficiency than ever before.

Freight Transport Association research (see pages 4-5) shows that controlling fuel spend is also taking a higher priority among van operators, so the launch of the Volkswagen Crafter Bluemotion seems to have arrived at a timely moment.

This model offers fuel economy of 39.8mpg on the official combined cycle, a 21% improvement on the standard SWB CR30 2.0TDI 136.

CO2 emissions also reflect a similar trend, with the Bluemotion producing 187g/km compared to the standard version’s 226g/km.

This improvement is produced by the standard fitment of Volkswagen’s Bluemotion eco technology, which means the van comes with an energy recuperation system which charges the battery during braking, a stop-start system, low-rolling resistance tyres and cruise control, as well as improved aerodynamics.

The increased efficiency has not come at the expense of practicality either.

Load space is unchanged at 7.5cu m, while payload is down just 8kg to 1,019kg.

There is, however, a small price premium over the standard model of £475, although theoretically the extra cost of the Bluemotion model would be recouped in fuel savings in just over 2,500 miles. Over the course of a typical lifecycle of a van, this should add up to a significant amount.

Like all other Crafter vans in the range, the Bluemotion model is equipped with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist.

In the event of an emergency stop, the brake assist system automatically increases braking pressure, activating ABS and ensuring adequate braking. Volkswagen says this makes it possible to reduce braking distances by around 25%.

Crafter Bluemotion also has a nearside sliding door as standard and is equipped with load lashing eyes in the floor.

“The increased fuel economy should add up to significant savings”

Verdict

The Crafter Bluemotion offers significantly improved efficiency over the standard van with very few compromises. The small loss of payload should have a minimal impact, while the ease at which its £475 price premium is wiped out by fuel savings makes this a very strong contender in its sector.

Behind the wheel One of the biggest compliments I can pay to the Crafter is that there seems to be no discernible sacrifice made to achieve its improved efficiency.

Often an eco model brings with it tall gear ratios which blunt the vehicle’s performance, but the Bluemotion’s 134bhp engine and six-speed gearbox provide no hint of this at all.

Instead it offers plenty of performance and also feels agile on the road despite its size (the loadspace is 2,600mm long, 1,780mm and 1,650mm high), while its 12.3m turning circle makes it easy to manoeuvre at low speeds.

The cabin also impresses through its well-designed dashboard and good build quality, while there are plenty of storage options around the cab, including overhead bins, enormous door pockets, five cup holders and a handy document clip.

The wide cab means that three people can easily be accommodated on the front seats, although it does mean the volume control on the radio is a real stretch to reach for the driver.

Fuel economy during our test was not far off the 38.9mpg official figures at around 37mpg, while the stop-start system proved seamless in its operation, automatically switching the engine off and on instantaneously while waiting in traffic.

Crafter’s cabin has plenty of storage options

Specification Gross vehicle weight (kg): 3,000 Power (bhp): 134/3,500 Torque (lb-ft): 250/1,500 Load volume (cu m): 7.5 Payload (kg): 1,019 Comb fuel economy (mpg): 39.8 CO2 emissions (g/km): 187 Price: (ex-VAT): £22,525

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2013 29

L o n g - t e r m t e s t R e n a u l t Tr a f i c S p o r t 115

Air-con proves its worth More van manufacturers are now fitting air-conditioning as standard Need to know n Officical combined fuel economy of 40.9mpg n CO2 emissions of 180g/km n Air-con increases residual values by around £200

I

By Trevor Gehlcken t’s been a long wait for any kind of decent weather – but as I write, the sun has finally started shining and it’s time to use a feature of our long-termer that has yet remained untried – the air-conditioning system.

The van arrived at Fleet Van in September last year,

Specification Gross vehicle weight (kg): 3,005 Power (bhp/rpm): 115/3,500 Torque (lb-ft/rpm): 221/1,500 Load volume (cu m): 5.0 Payload (kg): 1,080 Comb fuel economy (mpg): 40.9 Test fuel economy (mpg): 39.1 CO2 emissions (g/km): 180 Price as tested (ex-VAT): £20,930

“A van with air-con will be worth about £200 more than one without it”

but thanks to nine months of the most atrocious weather, the little button on the dash has been gathering dust and the system has never been tried – until now.

As our test van has a full bulkhead fitted, the cab space is actually very small so within a few minutes of the air-con being activated, the van felt rather more like a fridge and my partner started reaching for her fleece.

But it certainly works a treat.

Now, many fleet operators may not prioritise providing his drivers with such “luxuries” as air-con, but, we see this piece of kit as an essential in the H&S armoury.

After all, on a hot day it’s so easy to nod off on a long drive. And even alert, hot drivers are more likely to be short-tempered, especially in traffic jams or on city routes.

The manufacturers obviously agree with us because more and more we are seeing air-con fitted as standard – and it’s hats off to Renault for following suit with the Trafic Sport.

And there’s reason for specifying it too – experts at BCA reckon that a van with air-con will be worth around £200 more than one without it at selling time.

It also means your van is more likely to sell first time around.

L o n g - t e r m t e s t V o l k s w a g e n Tr a n s p o r t e r B l u e m o t i o n

Pushing the boundaries Volkswagen technology helping to drive the race for improved fuel economy Need to know n Transporter provides exemplay service n Fuel-saving technology does not compromise ability n Factory-fit options prove their worth

T

By Simon Harris hree months in the Volkswagen Transporter Bluemotion have flown by and during that time its work has been varied from commuting to carrying to a few long-distance runs.

In that time it has proved surprisingly frugal,

Specification Gross vehicle weight (kg): 2,700 Power (bhp/rpm): 114/3,500 Torque (lb-ft/rpm): 184/1,500 Load volume (cu m): 5.8 Payload (kg): 871 Comb fuel economy (mpg): 44.8 Test fuel economy (mpg): 40.2 CO2 emissions (g/km): 166 Price as tested (ex-VAT): £19,035

“It has proved surprisingly frugal, often achieving close to 45mpg” 30 July/August 2013 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

often achieving near the official combined figure of 44.8mpg when unladen, and still almost reaching 40mpg when worked hard.

The Bluemotion features on the van would no doubt give it a small advantage over other similar Transporters in the range, but it’s good to see that Volkswagen is pushing the boundaries of fuel economy (along with other van manufacturers) and offering choices that would strike a chord with businesses’ environmental policies.

As for comfort, the cab is pretty good for a van. I recently spent a week in another T5-derived vehicle, the Caravelle Business, which was leather upholstered and gadget laden, but the driving experience was similar with the exception of the six-seater’s 180bhp bi-turbo diesel and the seven speed DSG automatic (although both are offered in the Transporter range). And it’s no surprise that the Transporter Shuttle is often seen on private-hire airport taxi duty.

One of the options has proved surprisingly useful – the £125 floor covering as well as providing an excellent nonslip surface is also padded and helps reduce the risk of heavy non-tethered items moving during the journey. It allowed a number of heavy items of furniture to be moved without incident or damage.

Van running costs

SWB large panel vans

T

By Trevor Gehlcken he short wheelbase heavy panel van is not a regular sight on Britain’s roads, largely due to the fact that many long wheelbase medium vans are the same size and cheaper to buy and maintain.

However, the medium rivals are generally not as chunky or robust as their heavy cousins and therefore it makes sense to opt for the heavier options if they are to face a tough fleet life.

Some manufacturers are more successful at selling their smaller heavy vans than others. For example while we often see smaller Ford Transits, Citroën Relays and Peugeot Boxers, we rarely see the smaller versions of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. In fact, more than 90% of Sprinters sold are the long wheelbase high roof variant.

As these heavy vans are likely to cover high mileages during their fleet lives, we have chosen four years/120,000 miles for our lifecycle in this month’s pence per mile comparison feature. The only way to judge these vans fairly against each other is to look at the pence per mile running costs.

This month’s contenders weigh in at either 2.8 or 3.0 tonnes gross vehicle weight and are short wheelbase standard roof models – the Citroën Relay, Fiat Ducato, Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Nissan NV400, Peugeot Boxer, Renault Master, Vauxhall Movano and Volkswagen Crafter.

As with most vans, many of these models are the same with different badges, or at least share the same underpinnings. The Relay, Ducato and Boxer are all rebadged models (although the Ducato has a different engine), while the Sprinter and Crafter are produced on the same line in Dusseldorf Mercedes Sprinter loses out through its front-end price

The pence per mile running cost of the Citroën Relay is 35.66

“Many of these models are the same with different badges, or at least share the same underpinnings” but have different front ends and engines. The Master and Movano are the same too, while the NV400 is a restyled Renault.

However, a look at the all-important running cost figures show that the same vans do not necessarily cost the same to run, thanks to slightly different prices and specification and differing expectations of service, maintenance and repair costs and residual values.

For example, the Relay, Ducato and Boxer, although essentially the same van, vary between 34.91 pence per mile and 35.66ppm. This may only amount to a difference of 0.75ppm, but over the 120,000 mile fleet life the difference adds up to £900.

Topping the value chart this month is the Ford Transit which, while not the cheapest van to buy, has the latest running cost thanks to its excellent fuel economy figure and low SMR cost.

The worst performer is the Sprinter, thanks to its higher front-end price and comparatively low fuel economy figure.

RUNNING COST COMPARISON (4YR/80,000 MILES)

Citroën Relay 30 L1 2.2HDi 110 Fiat Ducato 30 SWB 2.3MultijetII 110 Ford Transit 300 SWB FWD 2.2TDCi 100 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 210 SWB 3.0t 2.1CDi 95 Nissan NV400 L1 28 FWD 2.3dCi 100 Peugeot Boxer 330 L1 2.2HDi 110 Renault Master SWB 28 FWD 2.3dCi 100 Vauxhall Movano F28 L1 2.3CDTi 100 VW Crafter CR30SWB 2.0TDI BM Tech 109

List price (£) 19,280 19,990 20,545 21,170 18,995 19,136 21,424 20,433 22,110

Power (bhp) 110 110 100 95 100 110 100 100 109

Torque (lb-ft) 184 221 184 184 210 184 210 210 221

Load vol (cu m) 8.0 8.0 6.8 7.5 7.7 8 .0 8 .0 7.8 7.5

GVW (kg) 3,000 3,000 3,025 3,000 2,800 3,000 2,800 2,800 3,000

Payload (kg) 1,065 1,155 1,273 820 1,030 1,155 994 994 1,019

CO2 (g/km) 199 186 189 240 214 199 197 205 187

Fuel economy (mpg) 37.7 39.8 39.2 31.0 34.8 37.6 37.7 36.2 39.8

Fuel cost (ppm) 17.31 16.40 16.65 21.05 18.72 17.36 17.31 18.03 16.40

Depr (ppm) 14.13 14.75 14.35 14.05 13.73 14.04 15.89 15.15 15.52

SMR Total (ppm) (ppm) 4.22 35.66 3.77 34.91 3.24 34.25 3.79 38.89 4.11 36.56 3.59 34.99 4.24 37.44 4.11 37.29 3.72 35.64 Source: KeeResources

For more van running costs, visit www.fleetnews.co.uk/vans fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan July/August 2013 31

MANAGING R!SK

Whole Vehicle Type Approval Legislation With EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval legislation now mandatory for all light commercial vehicles, the question all van fleet operators need to ask themselves is ‘am I compliant?’

10 SEPTEMBER 2013 PETERBOROUGH ARENA, CAMBRIDGESHIRE

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The Fleet Van Summit will help you understand how the legislation affects you and your fleet by covering what is compliant, what isn’t, and how you tackle the grey area.

Attend the Fleet Van Summit and ensure these new changes have minimal impact on you, your job and your wider business.

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To book your place visit www.fleetvanevent.com or contact Nicola Baxter on 01733 468289 or email nicola.baxter@bauermedia.co.uk