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IRELAND'S LEADING COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MAGAZINE Inside!

FUSO eCanter enters Electric Avenue INSIDE :

INTERVIEW: Emmanuel Jupet, V.P. NW Europe, Renault Trucks REPORT: ACEA Conference MARKETPLACE: HGV Sales 2017 MOTORSPORT: Dakar Rally 2018 & Africa Eco Race 2018 TESTS: IVECO Trio PROFILE: Toner Transport & Logistics, Dublin

FEBRUARY 18

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Contents FEBRUARY 18

www.fleet.ie | 3

4 News • New appointment at Close Brothers • Investment needed to improve road safety standards • Access to Scottish Ports affects Irish hauliers • Harris Group appoint new Chief Operations Officer • Pictorial: TPN Annual Awards 2017

30 Fuel Prices World petrol and diesel prices from selected nations

36 Trailer ROAD development from Chereau

Editor: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

8 Interview With Emmanuel Jupet, Renault Trucks (Europe)

Contributors: Sean Murtagh, Paul White, Cathal Doyle, Jonathan Lawton, Donal Dempsey, Howard Knott, Jerry Kiersey, HSA, Dr. Betty Maguire, Rob Van Dieten

10 Cover Introducing the FUSO eCanter

Photography: Jarlath Sweeney, Paul White, Cathal Doyle, Rob Van Dieten, Howard Knott, Gianenrico Griffini, Juan Pablo Ravasi, Florent Gooden

12 New Fleet 181 Renault, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo Trucks

Fleet Transport Magazine, D’Alton Street, Claremorris, Co. Mayo, Ireland. F12 E7P2 Tel: +353 (0)94 9372819/ 9372826 Fax: +353 (0)94 9373571 Email: enquiries@fleet.ie Subscription Hotline: 094 93 72827

Administration: Denise Owens, Paula Mullarkey Email: enquiries@fleet.ie Advertising: Mary Morrissey - mary@fleet.ie Sponsorship/Events: Orla Sweeney - orla@fleet.ie

Printed in Ireland

34 Profile Toner Transport & Logistics, Dublin

38 Finance Planning for 2018 business year

14 Report ACEA CV Powertrain Options Conference, Brussels 18 Marketplace Review of HGV Sales for 2017

Design: Eamonn Wynne

31 Tests Appraisal reports on a trio of Iveco’s

40 Opinion Democracy and preaching 42 Legal RSA – friend or foe?

44 Comment Ongoing affects of Brexit 46-49 Fleet Maritime

20 Fleeting Shots Iveco Defence gains major supply contracts Toyota’s new e-Concept Palette

50 Factory Tour Inside the Iveco facility in Cordoba, Argentina 52 Soapbox Transport Minister and Brexit

24 Health Matters Alzheimer’s Disease

55-84 Handling Network Magazine Fleet Transport/ Fleet Car/ Fleet Bus & Coach/ Fleet Van & Utility/ Fleet Trailer & Body Builder/ Fleet Maritime/ Green Fleet Management are published by JJDS Publications Ltd. Registered Office: D’Alton Street, Claremorris, Co. Mayo.

Co. Reg. 368767 Directors: Jarlath Sweeney, Sean Murtagh.

26 Motorsport Dakar Rally 2018 and Africa Eco Race 2018

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Disclaimer: Fleet Transport Magazine management can accept no responsibility for the accuracy of contributed articles or statements appearing in this magazine and any views or opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Fleet Transport management, save where otherwise indicated. No responsibility for loss or distress occasioned to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the authors, contributors, Editors or publishers.

The Editor reserves the right to make publishing decisions on any advertisements or editorial article submitted to the magazine and to refuse publication or to edit any editorial material as seems appropriate to him. Professional legal advice should always be sought in relation to any specific matter.

Fleet Transport Official Irish Jury Member of the International Truck of the Year Award

Official Irish jury member of the International Forklift Truck Award follow us on twitter.com/fleettransport

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Transport Barometer: Data from 17/12/2017 - 15/01/2018

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Vehicle shortage continues to worsen Free vehicle capacity is getting scarcer in Europe, according to TimoCom’s Transport Barometer. In the 4th quarter of 2017, Europe’s largest transport platform had only 29 vehicle offers to fulfil 71 transport orders.

On average, in 2017, the TimoCom Transport Barometer showed a freight to vehicle ratio of 70:30 within Europe. In September 2017, an all-time high of 78 percent was calculated for freight. That means: an ever-growing number of goods that need to be transported from A to B have fewer and fewer trucks available to transport them.

4 | NEWS 1

New Regional Sales Director at Close Brothers

G

arvan McCauley is the new Sales Director for the Fermanagh, Tyrone, and Mid-Ulster regions at Close Brothers Commercial Finance, with responsibility for providing asset fi nance, including refi nance, to the SME sector.

“I look forward to working alongside my colleagues who specialise in invoice fi nance as together we can offer a bespoke solution that is unique to each of our clients,” he added.

He has built up over 15 years of experience in the finance sector – having previously held several positions at First Trust Bank. His most recent role was as Business Acquisitions Manager for SME & Corporate Banking at First Trust Bank.

Garvan said: “I am delighted to join a dedicated and passionate team at Close Brothers, helping SME businesses in Fermanagh and Tyrone and the wider Mid-Ulster area to fund their growth and

expansion plans. Not only are Close Brothers Commercial Finance expert providers of asset finance and invoice finance, they are extremely flexible and offer even more funding options to SMEs with asset based lending.”

Gary Coburn, Regional Sales Director said of the appointment: “Garvan’s role will help us extend our local presence across Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland, which has many thriving SMEs that we look forward to engaging with. He brings extensive banking experience to the team and we are pleased to welcome him to Close Brothers.”

Winter 2017 marked the 10th Anniversary of Close Brothers Commercial Finance trading in Ireland.

More funding and education required to improve road safety standards

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he Department of Transport and the Road Safety Authority have been called upon to increase funding for education and awareness campaigns for all road users and particularly the vulnerable road user. According to FTA Ireland (FTAI), dedicated funding is vital to continue to improve road safety standards and to focus on areas of concern, including the security and safety of cyclists while on Ireland’s roads.

15 cyclists lost their lives in Ireland’s roads in 2017, an increase of 50% on the 2016 figures.

The FTAI highlighted matters of pressing concern for its members, with road safety as a priority, at a recent meeting with Shane Ross TD., Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and his Department officials. Trucksafe and VanSafe programmes were highlighted to the Minister as proactive measures that FTA Ireland members are already taking to improve compliance and road safety. The Association asked for more recognition of this from all stakeholders, including

FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

Government. Other areas discussed during the meeting included Brexit, clarification of the weights and dimensions standards for 5-Axle rigid HGV’s, fuel equalisation and alternative technologies.

“Recently touted legislation that would require motorists to give cyclists at least 1.5m of space on roads while overtaking is non-enforceable, and we stressed this at our meeting with the Minister. Our members believe that the focus must be on education and awareness for both drivers and cyclists, and that includes periodically reviewing the ‘Rules of the Road’. Every road user, whether under pedal or engine-power, has a responsibility to educate themselves about the potential risks involved in travelling along Ireland’s road networks. The Government has a key role to play in keeping all road users safe and compliant, and we believe that better education will help to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities experienced by vulnerable road users,” stated Aidan Flynn, General Manager of FTAI. To encourage its members to revisit their

own safety procedures, FTA Ireland is promoting a series of road safety tips to its members, as well as cyclists. The list of advice includes speed management, sightline advice for drivers and those on bicycles, and correct lane management.

NEWS II | 5

Poor road access at Scottish Ports disadvantages Irish economies *Stena Group - Stena Rederi acquiries 25% of NTEX

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usinesses across the island of Ireland continue to be disadvantaged by poor road access to key markets across Great Britain. That's according to Stena Line, which has raised concerns with local political and business stakeholders to increase the focus and necessity of addressing a critical infrastructure deficit which impacts a range of key NI business sectors, including manufacturing, food production and tourism.

While road connections across Northern Ireland have been keeping pace with economic development, a situation which will be greatly enhanced once work starts on the York Street Interchange project, the same cannot be said of key roads in Scotland, specifically the road network to and from Loch Ryan, which handles approximately 45% of Irish-Scottish trade with the UK. Paul Grant, Stena Line’s Trade Director (Irish Sea North) explained: “We have been working hard over a number of years to try to get key road improvements made on the A77 and more importantly the A75 heading south from Scotland. Despite significant investments by ferry operators between Northern Ireland and Scotland, including Stena Line’s new £80m port and terminal facility at Cairnryan, which included the introduction of two larger ferries, successive administrations have been unable to commit the necessary capital resources to carry out these vital road upgrades.”

“Access to and from Scottish ports is severely lacking compared with other UK hubs. Journeys could be made easier and travel times shortened which would help support key economic contributor groups such as hauliers and tourists. Investments have been made to roads at Holyhead and Heysham and these are already providing tangible benefits to business and tourism levels in their regions.”

Meanwhile, Stena Rederi one of the companies within the

Stena Group - has acquiried 25 percent shareholding in the Swedish transport and logistics company NTEX. Headquartered in Gotheburg, NTEX is a big player regarding truck and trailer based goods transports between Sweden, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Stena Line’s CEO Carl-Johan Hagman becomes a new member of the NTEX Board. “It is true that Stena has become a partner in NTEX and that Carl-Johan Hagman enters the company’s board,” stated Thomas Ström, CEO and principal owner of NTEX to Svensk Åkeritidning, the Swedish road haulage magazine and website (akeritidning.se).

“More recently, Ole Frie, former CEO of DFDS, also joined NTEX as a Board member, but I do not want to comment on this at this time.”

Following the change in ownership, which took place on 31 December 2017, Thomas Ström controls 75 percent and Stena Line 25 percent of the shares in NTEX. NTEX is a transport and logistics company that provides road, sea and air transport and terminal management at its three terminals in Gothenburg, Helsingborg and Gislaved. The company was founded in Gothenburg in 2003 and has since grown to almost 300 employees and today sells SEK 1.3 billion. The head office is located in Gothenburg, and offices are also located in Norway, Finland, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Harris Group appoints John McEvoy as Chief Operating Officer

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ong established truck, bus, light commercial vehicle and car importer, assembler and distributor, the Harris Group has appointed John McEvoy, as its new Chief Operating Officer. The appointment is part of the Harris Group’s strategy for growth as the company continues to drive investment across every area of the business.

With more than thirty years’ experience in the commercial vehicle and fleet sectors, John will drive the company’s expansion plans and joins the company at a pivotal time as it prepares to open a new headquarters on Dublin’s Naas Road. The new Harris HQ will house not only its full commercial

vehicle range including LDV, Sinotruk, Higer, Hino and Isuzu, but also a new parts distribution centre and Sinotruk assembly plant.

Commenting on his new role John said: “The Harris Group has long been one of Ireland’s key players in the automotive industry and I am pleased to join the company during such an exciting period of growth. 2018 is set to be another busy year with a range of product launches and an impressive new HQ to look forward to.”

John joins the Harris Group following more than 10 years at the Kerry Group, where he worked as Supply Chain & Fleet Manager, picking up a number of accolades for his work

at the annual Fleet Transport Awards. His earlier career was with Wincanton.

The Harris Group is one of Ireland’s longestestablished and leading automotive and assembly companies. Founded in 1961 by the late Pino Harris, it secured the exclusive franchise for the Hino truck brand in the UK and Ireland in 1968. The privately-owned company is best known for its commercial vehicle brands that include Isuzu, LDV, Hino, Sino and Higer. www.fleet.ie

6 | NEWS III

TPN Annual Awards 2017 – Prize winners

D

unboyne Castle Hotel was the venue hosting the presentation of the annual ‘The Pallet Network (TPN) Awards’ event. “Held every year since 2008, the awards presented are based on hard facts on delivery performances from

the Network’s IT system and from a member’s survey taken every Autumn,” explained Seamus McGovern, Managing Director, TPN Ireland. The Pallet Network is Ireland’s leading distributor of palletised goods and is fully ISO9001 accredited.

Best Sales Growth – AM Transport (Larne) Mark Duggan, Managing Director, TPN UK; Alex Maguire, AM Transport and Owen Cooke, Chairman, TPN Ireland

Best Sales Award – Independent Express Cargo (Dublin) Mark Duggan, Managing Director, TPN UK; Hugh Burns, Independent Express Cargo and Owen Cooke, Chairman, TPN Ireland

Outstanding Contribution Award – Liam Connolly, Roadfreight (Lisnaskea) Mark Duggan, Managing Director, TPN UK; Ivor Armstrong and Liam Connolly, Roadfreight and Owen Cooke, Chairman, TPN Ireland

Customer Service Depot of the Year – South East Freight (Bagenalstown) Mark Duggan, Managing Director, TPN UK; Andy Cowman and Anne Haskins, South East Freight and Owen Cooke, Chairman, TPN Ireland

Outstanding Contribution Award – Breffni Couriers (Monasterboice) Mark Duggan, Managing Director, TPN UK; Jamie Dempster, Breff ni Couriers and Owen Cooke, Chairman, TPN Ireland

Depot of the Year Award – Martin Ryan & Sons Transport (Cappamore) Mark Duggan, Managing Director, TPN UK; Brendan Ryan, Martin Ryan & Sons and Owen Cooke, Chairman, TPN Ireland

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8 | INTERVIEW

Renault Trucks gaining Credence and Confidence

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enault Trucks’ European market share continues to increase thanks to improving sales performances in the UK and Ireland. Emmanuel Jupet (pictured), Vice-President North West Europe for Renault Trucks stated at the end-of-year press gathering that in general the EU truck market is stable at a high level, with Renault Trucks’ market share increasing 0.5 points to 8.5%. “Th is is the result of good progress made on our key priorities such as product quality, parts availability – now at 90%, good residual value and sales presence and competences.”

The brand’s key focus for 2018 is on product and services. On the latter Emmanuel points to further progress on perfecting ‘the basics’ such as retail performance and people development, while electro-mobility solutions will be rolled out with a series of zero emission truck offerings by 2020 with technology support from the Volvo Group. Mr. Jupet reminded us that Renault’s electrical innovation dates back to 1924 with the first Berliet electric truck, while the Maxity electric re-started the zero-emission campaign once again in 2011. At the recent Solutrans exhibition in Lyon, France the Range D Electric was on display.

“Our ambition is to design and develop electric solutions up to and including 26 tonnes. Badged ZE (Zero Emission), we will further reveal a full-electric 16-tonne Range D prototype during the year, in fact, the first of which is undergoing trials in Lyon city centre right now. In 2019, we will bring a 26-tonne ZE refuse collection prototype to market. For those customers looking for more range, we are also taking steps to bring in-house the production of our CNG powered Range D at 18 and 26-tonnes.

Serialising production will bring 10 percent production cost savings, which we fully intend to share with our customers.”

On the home front, Emmanuel was pleased with sales in the UK and Irish markets, and for the French brand this region is the third largest with close to 4,000 units per annum.

“Our ambition is to consistently grow the market share and this will come from the introduction of our flagship tractor-unit the Renault Range T High.”

FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

Improved aftersales service is another area for maximising potential. “2017 has seen us continue to build collaboration with our customers reducing their downtime and costs.” Two main customer service measures are Service Excellence Programme (SPR) and faster parts availability. “SPR is probably the best initiative we ever launched, working with all dealers to improve collaboration between them, improve diagnostics and parts availability. First time fi x rates have improved significantly,” he added. On parts availability, Emmanuel said; “Th ree years ago we introduced a new Logistics Parts Agreement with our dealers where we took responsibility for managing their parts orders. Th is has resulted in an 8% increase in availability to 93% over the counter. In addition, we recorded 11% growth in volumes through our Exchange unit programme, after we reviewed prices with some major units coming down by over 30%.”

Commenting on Renault Trucks’ current line-up, Mr. Jupet mentioned that its Range D distribution series “is punching below its weight for some time”. However that is changing, and he is happy to see “that the renewed focus is delivering real results for us as sales volume for the 18-tonne version is delivering up to 18% in a market that has shrunk by 8%.” Similar success is being recorded in the medium duty market too, as volumes are up 52% in a market up only 4%.

Regarding residuals, Emmanuel was upbeat despite the used truck market being challenging for all manufacturers and customers this past year.

“However, the arrival of the Range T this year has been a great success as it’s a great durable product that is liked by drivers.

With volumes higher than we planned, pricing has been stronger on the new range, proving we were right to be confident with residua l va lues knowing Range T is a massive step forward from our Euro 5 products.

Range T is proving its worth. As the product gets older, it is not only proving to be reliable, but is also delivering better than perhaps expected used truck price levels. You and I all know this because the truck is good and the service from the network is good.”

On the 2018 market, Mr. Jupet forecasts that new registrations will be just below last year at 45,500 in the UK and 2,200 in Ireland. He cited ‘headwinds’ such as Brexit and currency exchange rate fluctuations bringing uncertainty and perhaps slowing the economy. “As the Euro 6 market matures, we are seeing the availability of shorterterm tractor-units contracts reducing, and subsequently their prices rising.”

In conclusion, Emmanuel was praiseworthy of happenings in Ireland. “Testament to our success is the strength of our Irish importer Setanta Vehicle Sales, and the growing competence of its network in that our market share in Ireland goes from strength to strength. At the end of November its market share is at 10.9% (up 0.5% on 2016).”

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

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10 | COVER

eCanter floats eFuso down Electric Avenue

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Canter is the first of a series of all-electric trucks and buses from Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus under eFuso branding. eFuso is therefore the first full production zero-emission OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) to have a standalone electric mobility range of commercial vehicles.

Fuso has been on this electric journey for over seven years now, and the eCanter bears its origins from the Canter eCELL and Eco-Hybrid models, to become the start of a truly global product line. Fleet sales have already begun in Japan and New York, with Berlin the chosen location for the handover of a fleet of eCanters to a number of prominent transport and logistics operators in Europe. With its 100 km range, it is seen as a very suitable urban delivery vehicle being most energy efficient, with a carbon neutral trail left behind. According to Marc Llistosella, President & CEO Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corporation (MFTBC), one eCanter can save 16,000 tonnes of CO2 per year versus an internal combustion engine which is significant.

Marc eluded to the fact that the 7.5 tonne GVW chassis/cab with box body becomes an integrated ecosystem in that the telematics on board provides all the necessary data required to ease any range distance anxiety, increase uptime and lower total cost of ownership.

This includes route planning, scoring (performance) and also part of the proactive sensing on board. He does realise that the charging

FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

station infrastructures has to vastly improve for emobility to really work in our fast growing and congested cities. MFTBC is prepared to engage with fleet customers to provide the required stations at their warehouse depots or hubs.

Leading up to the introduction of the inaugural eCanter 1.0 as its termed, over 160,000 km endurance testing at various locations around the world were undertaken successfully. Critical to the efficient operation of the eCanter is its quick charge facility and up to 80% battery charge can be guaranteed within one hour using a DC850V system. Although the overall payload of the units versus the Canter 3.0 litre diesel is around 700 kg less and that the maximum speed is set at 80 kp/h, the regeneration of the energy power is restored through deceleration and engine/foot brake use. While a more conservative driving style is required, the silence of the drivetrain makes the experience the more pleasurable, lessening the stress on drivers as they try to get though the traffic. Slight modifications have been made to the cab’s front and the interior design and layout has been improved.

For the European and North American markets, the eCanter is manufactured at Fuso’s plant in Portugal. Sales will be conducted through a fi xed lease arrangement with ongoing technology upgrades.

The electric motor/battery pack is said to have a first lifespan of ten years.

COVER | 11 maintenance reduction, noise and emission reduction, while the key challenges to come with the 2.0 version include range extension, payload increase, broader charging infrastructure and better battery packaging on the vehicle.”

Lars Schroeter from FUSO's technical department highlighted these points during the workshop sessions at the Berlin event.

“The achievements so far with eCanter 1.0 include fuel cost saving,

Spec Check Make/Model Cab GVW/Payload Range Distance Max-Speed Engine Transmission Battery Pack Brakes Suspension Tyres/Wheel size Wheelbase Fitt ings

Fuso eCanter 7C16e Comfort-Single Cab (1,995mm side) 7.5 tonnes/4.290 kg 100 km 80 km/h 129 kW/390M, Electric Fully Automatic 6 x 13.8 kWh Deutsche HV Discs front/rear with ABS + EBD, ESP Springs front/rear 205/75 R17.55 3,400mm Rear view camera/Reversing warning buzzer Lane detection system

Leading logistics companies take to the streets with eCanter

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USO eCanter’s high-profile trial customers are all in the logistics business, and will use the vehicles for work that is usually carried out with conventional drivetrains. The customers’ decisions to opt for the FUSO eCanter were influenced by factors such as noise and emission reductions, fleet-sustainability and also for economic reasons.

The drivers of the FUSO eCanter will be trained to operate the vehicle, ensuring the best results can be gained from it. The customers will operate the 7.5 tonne box bodied rigids via a 24-month long-term rental from CharterWay, Daimler’s own commercial vehicle rental and leasing business.

Deutsche Post DHL will use its six vehicles in two of its business divisions: Two units will perform inner city delivery runs to business and private customers of DHL Freight’s Berlin branch, for heavy individual cargo items, such as electrical or large household appliances.

DHL Paket will use four vehicles for the delivery of goods to businesses and corporate clients. For this, the electric trucks will be fully integrated in existing business processes and will replace the vehicles with conventional drivetrains which were used to date.

Commenting Uwe Brinks, CEO DHL Freight said: “The usage of alternative drivetrains, as in the all-electric FUSO eCanter, plays a major role in reaching our corporate goals to reduce all logistics related emissions to zero by 2050. DHL Freight is firmly committed to playing its part in this. With the help of the eCanter we want to reduce emissions

and local air pollutants of our logistics and so optimize our own CO2 footprint as well as our customers’ one.”

DB Schenker chose the FUSO eCanter consciously, giving the company an opportunity to test a series production electric vehicle for inner city logistics under real-life production conditions. Among other tasks, one of the three trucks will deliver and collect general cargo in the inner city of Berlin.

Ewald Kaiser, COO DB Schenker AG stated: “At DB Schenker we have been working for years toward becoming the global leader in “green“ logistics for our customers. Using the new eCanter is the next logical step to further our already existing eco-friendly solutions in overland transport, so that we can reach our goal to reduce the CO2 balance of our entire logistics operations by around 30 percent.”

Rhenus Group, a globally operating provider of logistics, will use three FUSO eCanters within its home delivery unit. From the central warehouse in Hoppegarten, the allelectric trucks will deliver furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and heavy sports equipment to the inner city of Berlin.

Nicolas Rottmann, Head of Rhenus Home Delivery added: “Within Rhenus Home Delivery we follow a sustainable corporate philosophy. In addition to introducing nopaper deliveries we have been preoccupied with eco-friendly alternative drivetrains for a long time. The eCanter is now giving us an opportunity to test battery-based electric vehicles in our fleet. On account of short

Text & Photos: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

distances from our central warehouse in Hoppegarten to our end customers, the inner city of Berlin provides an ideal surrounding for a sustainable all-electric vehicle.”

Two more FUSO eCanters will be with transport company Dachser. Their job will be the general goods transportation core business on the last mile, meaning pallets with industrial goods either at micro-hubs or delivered directly to the customer, as well as collecting goods and delivering them to the Dachser branches. At these branches, the eCanters will recharge overnight using a high-voltage loading station.

In conclusion Stefan Hohm, Corporate Director, Corporate Solutions, Research & Development Dachser SE said: “The vehicles are components in our project “City Distribution” and complement our innovative and sustainable concept for delivery in cities.

In each city, it is about putting together an ideal vehicle-mix and to combine the fleet with innercity micro-hubs. We have decided on the FUSO eCanter, because the vehicle is the first series-produced electric truck and so will give the entire commercial vehicle class a push. Furthermore, Daimler CharterWay has been a partner of our fleet for many years, on which we can rely in terms of city logistics in the future.”

www.fleet.ie

12 | NEW FLEET

Stunning paint work on Aran Transport’s new Renault

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t’s been a very busy start to the New Year for Renault Trucks’ 181 handovers at Setanta Vehicle Sales on the Long Mile Road, Dublin.

leather seats, Alcoa Dura Brite alloy wheels, pneumatic sliding fi ft h-wheel, along with factory fitted tipping equipment and an array of additional lighting, all fi nished off with superb paint and graphics, with an American Indian theme, dedicated to Jay & Sean by David Dunne of Mayfield Body Works.

Sporting Moyglare Sand & Gravel’s distinctive colour scheme, check out this stunning Renault T520 6x4 tag-axle tractor unit just collected by the Kilcock company’s haulage contractor John Kelly of Aran Transport Ltd.

Pictured at the handover at Setanta Vehicle Sales HQ are John Kelly (Aran Transport) and Jim Toner, Renault Trucks Sales Executive at Setanta Vehicles Sales, Dublin.

This stand-out T520 comes complete with many extras including comfort pack,

Noone Transport extends Mercedes-Benz fleet to 43

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lane, County Meath familyrun road haulage firm Noone Transport & Warehousing has welcomed in the New Year with a delivery of 10 new Mercedes-Benz Actros tractorunits, bringing the number of the Daimler brand’s trucks in the company to 43.

Finished in Noone Transport’s distinctive white and red livery, the 10 new 1845LS Big Space 4x2 tractor units – complete with continental specification – come fitted with night heaters, air-conditioning, fridge, roof

Ireland’s leading logistics and distribution companies. Since 2001, the company has operated from its current, more extensive headquarters which includes 25,000 sq.ft of warehousing, located near Slane GAA Club and Rossin Rovers FC at Monknewtown.

pods and Predictive Powertrain Control.

Founded in Duleek in 1986, Noone Transport has grown to become one of

In addition to a dedicated national transport service, Noone also operates a Europe-wide service for full and part-load consignments employing ambient and temperature controlled trailers.

181 Volvo Truck Sales by Irish Commercials (Naas)

New Volvo FL.210 12-tonne rigid with Thompson Beavertail body purchased by Southern Machinery. Pictured at handover are Conor Horan, Sales Director, Irish Commercials Naas; Ken and Philip Tutt y, Southern Machinery.

New Volvo FMX.410 8x4 with I-Shift with mixer supplied by Midland Mixer Parts to Mark and Sarah Hume.

New Volvo FH.540 6x4 tractor-unit with rear-lift axle and I-Shift with crawler gears, Globetrotter Cab was delivered to Darren and Aisling Ducie.

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Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

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14 | REPORT

ACEA hosts ‘Powertrain Options for Commercial Vehicles’ Conference Autoworld, Parc du Cinquantenaire, Brussels

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ooking towards the top of the imposing archways at the Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels, the sculpture of the powerful horse-drawn carriage brings passers-by back to the early days of road transport.

Of course, this form of transport wasn’t entirely emission free, but was at least, biodegradable!

Outside one of the landmark buildings built during the reign of Leopold II to commemorate fifty years of Belgian independence that leads into the glorious halls of the Autoworld Museum, an impressive line-up of modern day load and passenger carriers with alternative drivetrains were displayed. The commercial vehicle exhibition was part of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association’s (ACEA) special conference to explore the potential of the full range of powertrain options to contribute to further decarbonising road transport.

The aim of the event – entitled ‘Powertrain Options for Commercial Vehicles’ - in

FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

line with the objectives of the European Commission’s Mobility Package, was to explore the short, mid and long-term power choices for trucks, vans and buses. These can include conventional powertrains running on diesel or petrol - but more efficiently, to alternative drives, running on biofuels, natural gas and hydrogen, as well as electric and hybrid-electric technologies.

It was a timely opportunity to have an open discussion on this subject from the perspective of commercial vehicles, which are much more complex and diverse in terms of user-cases compared to passenger cars. For instance, as pointed out by Volker Mornhinweg, Executive Vice-President of Mercedes-Benz Vans & Chairman of ACEA’s Light Commercial Vehicle Committee, “Some policy makers consider vans as passenger cars with big trunks – but this is certainly not the case.”

An issue debated by all present - including industry representatives and policy makers as well as the end-users of commercial vehicles - was why diesel powers well over 90% of all trucks, vans and buses on the roads today, and what it will take to increase the market uptake of alternatively-powered vehicles in the future.

Preston Feight, President of DAF Trucks & Chairman of ACEA’s Commercial Vehicle Board, shared a number of key policy recommendations with the attendees: Infrastructure “Truck drivers simply cannot be in a situation where they find themselves unable to recharge or refuel quickly and easily as they deliver goods from one country to another,” stated Mr. Feight.

The ACEA supports the Commission’s action plan for boosting investment in charging

REPORT | 15 and refuelling stations throughout the EU. For all power choices, there needs to be adequate infrastructure available. Th is ranges in complexity from the continuation of low-sulphur diesel, to the availability of electric charging stations, and compressed or liquefied natural gas fuelling stations. It even covers the capability of the electrical grid to cope with demand if high volumes of electric-powered vehicles are introduced into the market. The point was raised however on the source of the electric power, whether it has a green supply chain throughout.

Support structures “The affordability of alternatively-powered vehicles is key, as operators simply have to make money with their vehicles,” said Mr. Feight. “Taxation policies, incentives and public procurement can be useful tools to stimulate sales of alternativelypowered vehicles. But it is crucial that there is sufficient clarity, harmonisation and long-term stability in this regard. Owning and operating these vehicles need to be att ractively priced and viable as transport companies have to include this running cost in the price of items delivered.

Technology-neutral policies “Not every powertrain is ideal for all tasks, so it is not possible to designate a single technology for a particular vehicle, let alone an entire vehicle class. The choice should ultimately be commercially-determined by the end-user, based on his or her specific and unique needs, and the overall benefit to society. As commercial vehicles provide a more diverse range of alternative technologies, the safe development and operations of these powertrain options is a must, with no compromises,” concluded Mr. Feight.

One of the keynote speakers, Henrik Hololei, Director General of DG MOVE at the European Commission, highlighted the significance of transport in the European economy - employing 11 million people and contributing to 5% of the EU’s GDP. “Transport matters in our daily lives and we as policy makers have taken too much for granted when it comes to legislative issues that affect those involved in the industry.”

In line with the European Commission’s objective to become a world leader in decarbonising road transport, with the aim of ultimately improving the air quality for its citizens, Mr. Hololes said: “We must

Erik Jonnaert, ACEA Secretary General

Henrik Hololei, Director General, DG Move EC

Preston Feight, Chairman ACEA CV Board & DAF Trucks President

become less dependent on imported fossil fuels and commercial vehicle producers must continue to make a contribution.” He mentioned that there is a Th ird EU Mobility Package due next Spring which will cover carbon reduction aspects for heavy duty commercials. “Better enforcement of rules is needed, as is the implementation of common standards with the alternative fuels infrastructure, while the TEN-T Corridors need to be more multimodal,” he stressed.

Agreeing with the last point was Sergio

Barbarino, Research Fellow, Procter & Gamble, which aims to increase the use of rail freight by more than 25% than it uses today.

He also said that in general, warehousing centres need to be more efficient with their logistics movements, which can help hugely to reduce transport’s carbon footprint.

Marc Vanhoutte, Bus Fleet Director, Transdev, which operates 43,000 buses, 500 of which are electric, was critical of the public procurement process as it does not allow for all that is involved in providing www.fleet.ie

16 | REPORT

and running an alternative fuel powered fleet in urban areas in the long term.

As ACEA Secretary General, Erik Jonnaert, summed up: “Different transport needs require different transport solutions. Much has been done, more needs to be done and will be done.”

Policy must recognise and support this market-based approach.

With the right conditions in place, ACEA believes that over time the market will see a stronger shift to alternatively-powered commercial vehicles, particularly in urban environments. Hakan Agnevall, President of Volvo Bus Corporation and Chairman of ACEA’s Bus & Coach Committee, stated during the open panel discussions: “Electrification is going to be one of the major ways forward in city transport, but not the only one.”

In parallel, the latest-generation of diesel technology - delivering low CO2 emissions and low real-world pollutant levels - will continue to be a powertrain of choice for many use-cases, such as the long-haul delivery of goods.

To bring the topic to life, 17 trucks, buses and vans, powered by different technologies, were on display. They included examples from DAF Trucks, Iveco, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, Scania, Volvo, Citroën, Ford, Fiat Professional, Renault Pro+ and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Before the conference began, Mr. Feight, Mr. Jonnaert, Mr. Mornhinweg and Mr. Agnevall led a group of policy makers from the European Commission, European Parliament, the permanent representations and the European Investment Bank on a tour of these vehicles, with their technologies explained by representatives from each of the manufacturers.

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18 | MARKET PLACE

2018 HGV marketplace on par with 2017

T

he slight downturn in new truck sales, cautiously anticipated by some representatives from the sector, materialised in 2017. Overall, new heavy commercial vehicle registrations decreased by almost 10% compared to a year ago. During 2016, 2,511 new trucks were sold with last year’s figure at 2,263 units. Reasons why could be purported to be the ‘wait and see Brexit effect’. One underlying concern is the increasing number of used imports crossing over from the UK. 14.8% more used trucks are now in operation across Ireland with re-registered number plates changing from yellow to white. During 2016, 2,968 units were ‘brought over’ with that number adding to 3,406 in 2017. Peak periods according to figures available from the SIMI – Society of the Irish Motoring Industry were March (357) and November (387), which roughly coincide with the trade-in transaction period in Britain.

along with the availability of quality ex-fleet Euro 5 engine emission trucks being traded-in.

Volvo Trucks regained its number 1 status in the HGV market with 542 unit sales, commanding 23.95% market share. The Swedish brand’s biggest rival Scania was not too far behind, with 524 new registrations and a 23.16% market share. DAF Trucks once again took the third podium position with a 12.02% share of the market with 272 sales.

Joe Crann, Managing Director, Westward Scania, was pleased with the better than expected results, achieved on the back of the arrival of the New Truck Generation heavy-duty S & R-series: “As predicted, the HGV market for 2017 was down on 2016. Th is was better than expected but the ongoing five-axle rigid legislation “guess work” lead to new market opportunities. These five-axle purchases are likely

Renault Trucks and Mercedes-Benz continue to batt le it out for fourth and fi ft h places in the overall sales table with the French on 246/10.87% ahead of the Germans with 233/10.30%. The other competing brands such as MAN, Iveco and newcomer Sinotruk made up the remainder of new business undertaken, while Isuzu and FUSO cater for the light to medium weight categories.

Commenting on the figures SIMI Director General, Alan Nolan stated: “Although new Commercial Vehicle registrations showed an increase for both Light and Heavy Commercial Vehicles during the fi nal month of the year, with very low volumes in December, this did not impact on the overall trend for the full year. New Light Commercial Vehicle registrations (LCV) at 24,195, recorded a fall of -14.2% for the year in 2017, while new Heavy Commercial Vehicle registrations (HGV) 2,602 saw a decrease of -9.4% over the 12 months compared to 2016 (2,873). Used Commercial Vehicle Imports increased during 2017 with LCVs up 21.3 percent and HGVs increasing by 14.8%. 2017 was a very challenging year, mainly due to the impact of Brexit on Euro/Sterling exchange rates. Without Brexit, we would have anticipated a reasonable level of growth in the market but in the aftermath of the UK Brexit vote we had modified our projection.”

Regarding the rising numbers of used imports, the 3,406 units entering service across the country feature all the main truck brands. Scania was the most popular choice with 647 units, up over 50 units from last year. Volvo Trucks which headed the posse last year with 639 units, saw a 1.56% reduction over the last 12 months, equating to 10 less trucks brought in. The majority of these transactions are actually undertaken by Volvo Truck dealers in Ireland, which sourced Gold Standard used vehicles for their clients. DAF Trucks (582), Renault Trucks (323), MAN (318), Mercedes-Benz (275) and Iveco (206) and even Hino (97) were imported in higher numbers during 2017. Th is trend is likely to continue as the Euro/Sterling fluctuation continues, FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

VOLVO FMX 8x4

Scania XT

to displace four-axle sales in the short term, but without question have provided a fantastic opportunity for operators who could take advantage of the high technical GVW’s on offer.”

“At Scania, we were happy to achieve over 500 units (above 16t GVW) and almost 29% market share, given the lead time difficulties associated Mercedes-Benz Actros

MARKET PLACE | 19 with a new product launch. Scania too has introduced several price changes in conjunction with the new model launches, and while these new premium prices make life difficult for the salesman on the ground, we are receiving excellent feedback on the new product from both a driver's and operator's view. The New Truck Generation has set new standards in terms of fuel consumption and driver comfort, and the newly launched V8’s are continuing in this vein.”

“Again, in parallel with 2016 there was a hiatus in July and August, but the order intake picked up in the last quarter, ensuring that 2018 will get off to a good start. Overall, there is a good level of confidence in the market, with more hauliers seeking to replace less fuel-efficient trucks with newer efficient ones. With a good supply of competitively priced fi nance available, this will ensure a reasonable truck market for 2018. Overall, we predict it to be on par with 2017.”

“The used truck market is not one that concerns us unduly. We are pleased that when a transport operator chooses a used truck that they choose a Scania. Our dealer network looks after many of these trucks for our customers, and all we would advise is that the customer chooses carefully. Th is applies to any used truck of course, so it is a case of caveat emptor, with the customer checking the truck over thoroughly, checking the specification and the service history to ensure that the truck really will provide long-term value,” concluded Joe.

DAF CF 530 6x4 XF 530 6x2

day to day basis there is a natural slow down in fleet investments by companies both sides of the Border, and this uncertainty is also coupled with the significant rise in used imports of LCVs and HGVs which has had a knock on effect across new truck sales, for all brands.

FUSO Canter with ready to operate bodywork

Fergus Conheady, Sales Manager, Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles Ireland gave his insight on the Irish truck business: “For 2018, we don’t see the market improving any, with the main reason being the uncertainty that Brexit continues to throw over the market. While there has been an increase in used imports, the age profi le of these are very much down the years which leads us to believe that a new vehicle purchase was never on the agenda for these customers.”

On new product launches Fergus added: “We look forward to welcoming the new Actros towards the end of the year and expect this to be revealed at the IAA CV Show in Hannover in September.”

Nicky Gill, Sales Director at DAF Distributors Ireland provided his take on the marketplace: “DAF Trucks has had a strong start to 2018 and if this trend continues we expect a solid year ahead, building both the brand and the market share. We are delighted to be winners of International Truck of the Year 2018 with the new XF and CF series which features game changing fuel economy and driver comfort that will enhance driver retention along with lower cost of ownership for our customers. We will be holding XF and CF demonstrations across Ireland in the coming months and soon we will be launching a new CF 8x4 construction chassis. The Brexit effect is still being felt across the sector with some large and medium sized fleets holding off purchasing or taking longer to decide. Pricing remains a constant issue and what is on offer re warranty and what’s the real offer. DAF Trucks in Ireland provides a 3-year bumper to bumper cover on many of our models. Our top selling LF series, also benefits from the recent modifications, again leading to lower fuel consumption and running costs. Due for launch is the new City 7.5t version with multiple applications.”

Roseita Burke, Marketing & PR Manager at FUSO Ireland commented: “There is no doubt that 2017 was a challenging year for truck sales in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland markets. With the uncertainty that Brexit is causing for businesses operating on a Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

However, in 2017 FUSO continued to have a strong performance in Ireland - taking 20% market share in the 3.5 to 7.5 tonne range, up 1% from 2016. The introduction of factory produced units with Scattolini bodies met with strong market demand, which we expect to continue to be key selling units in 2018. FUSO pre-orders across the range look very positive and the initial signs in January show this momentum continuing into 2018. For customers buying new FUSO Canters in Ireland it means they benefit from FUSO Ireland’s 5-year warranty and free annual health check, which is not available in the UK or on used Imports. Having a strong relationship with local FUSO dealers ensures that customers receive excellent Aftersales care for the duration of their vehicle’s lifespan.”

New truck models due in 2018: DAF Trucks: Roll out of new CF/XF series FUSO: New zero-emission eCanter to arrive as demo vehicle Iveco: New Stralis X-Way range due MAN: Latest TGS/TGX ranges available Mercedes-Benz: All-new Actros to be premiered in September at the IAA CV Show, Hannover Renault: Gas and Electric mid-weight Distribution series Scania: XT is its construction-based line-up along with the new L-series Low-Entry Urban cabs Sinotruk: Further extension of A7 model range Volvo Trucks: Gas-power on the FH range available wwww.fleet.ie

20 | FLEETING SHOTS

Iveco Defence Vehicles deliver to German and Romanian Armed Forces

I

veco Defence Vehicles has signed two major contracts with German and Romanian Government agencies.

280 specially built and equipped Eurocargo military medium multipurpose 4x4 trucks will be delivered during the year to the German BwFuhrpark Service GmbH for the German Army.

The other significant order was from the Romanian Ministry of National Defence for the delivery of 173 military logistic vehicles, to be completed within 2018.

Over the last decade, Iveco Defence Vehicles, the defence and civil protection brand of CNH Industrial, has delivered nearly 1,000 vehicles to the German Army from its wide product range, which have already been extensively fielded in operational areas such as Afghanistan and Mali. The latest order

for MLL 150 E 28 WS Eurocargos will be supplied with an unprotected long-distance cab with a highly comfortable new seating arrangement, flexible storage for radio systems and soldier equipment, off-road single tires, a roof hatch, a NATOblackout-light, trailer version, a spare wheel carrier and an innovative multipurpose swap-body-frame to support multi-missionoperations outside Germany. Other recent contract awards with the Bundeswehr also include 133 armoured Trakker-8x8 trucks.

Both are further testament to Iveco Defence Vehicles’ leadership in technical and economic terms.

The contract with the Romanian Ministry of National Defence consists of purpose designed 6x6 military logistic vehicles from Iveco Defence Vehicles’ high mobility truck range. Designed as troop and transport carriers with a self-recovery winch, the vehicles offer exceptional mobility (Central Tire Inflation System included) and fording capability to provide tactical support to any military operation. In addition, they are C-130 air transportable.

Toyota premieres e-Palette Concept Vehicle at CES

A

t the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Los Vegas, Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda revealed an e-Palette Concept Vehicle designed to meet the demands of future multi-mode transportation and business applications.

“The automobile industry is clearly amidst its most dramatic period of change as technologies like electrification, connected and automated driving are making significant progress. Toyota remains committed to making ever better cars. Just as important, we are developing mobility solutions to help everyone enjoy their lives, and we are doing our part to create an ever-better society for the next 100 years and beyond.

This announcement marks a major step forward in our evolution towards sustainable mobility, demonstrating our continued expansion beyond traditional cars and trucks to the creation of new values including services for customers,” said Mr. Toyoda.

The e-Palette Concept Vehicle is one of Toyota’s visions for Automated Mobility as a Service (Autono-MaaS) application.

It is a fully-automated, next generation battery electric vehicle (BEV) designed to be scalable and customizable for a range of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) businesses. Amazon, DiDi, Pizza Hut, and Uber will explore various applications of the e-Palette Concept e-Palette Alliance as service and technology provider partners.

With its open interior design layout, the multi-wheel vehicle can be fitted with purpose-built interiors in accordance with the user’s needs, whether it be parcel delivery, ride sharing, or on-the-road e-commerce.

Toyota envisages that the e-Palette Concept will be made available in three sizes varying from 4m to 7m approximately.

Toyota plans to conduct feasibility testing of the e-Palette Concept in various regions, including the United States, in the early 2020s.

It also hopes to contribute to the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 by providing mobility solutions like the e-Palette and other innovative mobility offerings.

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FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

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The jury was par ticularly impressed by the technical innovation of IVECO’s new range and for “presenting the new Real Driving Emission diesel engine now - three years ahead of the EU’s RDE regulation which will be mandatory for vans - far ahead of any competitor” and also by the absolute driving pleasure of the Daily Hi-Matic Natural Power. The prestigious award is recognition of the brand’s focus on using technology to improve sustainability, with the judges agreeing that the Daily Blue Power “puts together the main and viable solutions to reduce the environmental impact of LCVs in urban and suburban operations. IVECO has the sustainable vehicles the market is asking for” and that the range’s “Electric, Natural Gas and SCR are all proven technologies developed by IVECO”. *Zero tail pipe emissions

“ IVECO has always been at the forefront of sustainability in the LCV segment.

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24 | HEALTH MATTERS

Alzheimer’s Disease Anno Domini or a preventable condition?

A

diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease is a devastating one to be given. Until recently the relatives of the patient were usually much more upset than the patient themselves, as one of the features of the disease is a mental distancing from reality, so the significance of the diagnosis would have been lost on the patient.

Now there is a new diagnostic technique that can predict this disease before it is obvious, as it is important to identify people early in order to delay or slow the progression using appropriate therapy.

Alzheimer’s Disease was previously known as senile dementia, and is not uncommon in people who live to an old age. It is a progressive wasting disease in which the patient is cognitively impaired, and also becomes physically frail.

Loss of short term or recent memory occurs, as does deterioration in behaviour and intellectual performance, and the patient’s thought processes slow down.

It is not unlike severe depression.

It is basically brain failure, and to a certain extent it doesn’t matter what the exact cause is, it results from various foreign proteins getting tangled up in the brain tissue and interfering with the transmission of messages along the pathways from one nerve to another.

These abnormal proteins accumulate in both ageing and Alzheimer’s Disease. They may be laid down before the age of thirty and will accumulate with age.

The brain is a sturdy organ but not immune to trauma. Any substance which interferes with its performance will damage it - perhaps slightly but may leave consequences either in the short term or later in life.

An accumulation of these insults to the brain will hasten brain ageing and perhaps brain failure. There is of course a genetic component also, so persons with a strong family history of Alzheimer’s Disease should be aware of this and act accordingly.

Repetitive impact injuries to the brain, as in some sports, such as boxing, and football, can demonstrate brain damage later in life, and present as intellectual impairment. (Remember Muhammed Ali ?)

Illegally used substances - cannabis, cocaine, morphine products - also alcohol; these will immediately come to mind, as they alter states of consciousness and by defi nition interfere with normal brain function.

narrowing all blood vessels including those supplying the brain.

Th is is a secondary effect of nicotine use, but deeply insidious, as it is usually a long term habit.

Multiple disorders - such as suffering from heart disease and diabetes mellitus, or arthritis and blood pressure with related kidney disease, increase the likelihood of cognitive disorders in older people.

Very often an elderly person who has a general anaesthetic, will, for whatever reason, emerge from the anaesthetic mentally the worse for wear. It is with this in mind that great efforts are made to replace a general anaesthetic with a local anaesthetic. With hip replacement, for example - generally an older person’s operation - this is successfully done under a local anaesthetic, as are several other major operative procedures.

Identification of people at risk of developing senile dementia and Alzheimers Disease in particular is of major economic importance, particularly if preventive strategies or therapeutic action is to be developed.

Mild cognitive impairment is often observed by the patient’s family (“Not doing as good as this time last year, Doctor, can’t remember things - can drive well and do the shopping but then forgets where the car is parked at the supermarket”). Th is patient with mild cognitive impairment is a good candidate for a brain scan which combines a close radiographic study of the brain into which has been introduced a biochemical molecule which binds with the abnormal proteins that clog up the tissues, thereby affecting the efficient working of the brain.

These abnormal proteins are then demonstrated objectively on X-ray and the amount of brain damage can be ascertained, which can lead to a prognosis as to how the disease will progress.

This means that the patient can be diagnosed before he /she develops full blown dementia, compared to previously when a defi nite diagnosis was only available at post mortem.

A diagnosis without treatment is probably futile, just an exercise in intellectual curiosity, but fortunately there are some quite effective therapies available at present. That said, each patient has a differing form of the disease and will respond differently to treatment. It is also easier to halt the progression of cognitive impairment than to reverse it - early diagnosis is desirable but the brain scan has its disadvantages - high doses of radiation to the patient combined with a high fi nancial cost either to the patient or to the taxpayer - all this can be somewhat off-putt ing to the doctor ordering the test.

Also, do you really want to know?

Smoking tobacco will increase the stickiness of the blood and contribute to lining the arteries with a layer of cholesterol thereby FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

Text: Dr. Betty Maguire - contributor@fleet.ie

Transport Companies Wanted for Deliveries to Stores Lidl is a European wide company in the food retail market, with four warehouses across Ireland servicing our network of stores.

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Whether a company is regional or international, we seek partners who have a high degree of flexibility, reliability, quality, service and who are willing to develop and grow with us.

The ideal company we are looking for is well established in the haulage market and has a medium to large fleet of high quality trucks and trailers.

The goods to be transported consist of both temperature and non-temperature sensitive goods that are picked on pallets.

The vehicles will primarily be used for round trips i.e. the start and end points of a trip will always be the central warehouse. Transport companies can express an interest in operating within one or all of our regions, namely Newbridge, Charleville, Mullingar and Nutts Corner.

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26 | MOTORSPORT

Down – but not out as Iveco’s Dakar Rally achieves result

Members of Team Petronas De Rooy Iveco at the finish in Córdoba

S

o near and yet so far – a one second lead turned to a deficit of several hours as the Petronas De Rooy Iveco challenge to the almighty Kamaz Masters team came to an abrupt and heartbreaking halt, as the Dakar Rally 2018 reached its penultimate stage. Up to that point, the truck category in the annual cross-country rally was the closest ever and fastest too, according to South American motorsport hero Federico Villagra, having performed brilliantly in the black Iveco Powerstar with two stage wins. The Argentinean multiMotoCross and Rally Champion excelled in the latter part of the rally to continually regain time over long-standing leader and eventual winner, Russian Eduard Nikolaev as the event reached its climax on the hillside near Cordoba, Argentina.

Villagra’s team-mate Dutchman Ton van Genugten fought to the bitter end despite suffering mechanical problems in the De Rooy prepared Iveco Powerstar, while Artur Ardavichus (Kazakhstan) come home in fourth position as the cavalcade came to an end on 20 January, after 14 days of competitive action.

timed section, lines and lines of enthusiastic spectators of all ages cheer along the courageous racers in the various classes from bikes, quads, SxS (Sport Side by Side) to cars and trucks. The fast-moving circus took in three countries this time – beginning in Peru before stretching into Bolivia and coming to a conclusion in Argentina.

All three nations benefit greatly from the massive global media exposure that continues beyond the annual two-week machine bashing exercise.

Despite having to give into transmission and steering linkage problems, Federico Villagra was pleased with his overall performance and all the thrills and spills that Dakar 2018 brought. “It was a very tough event, very hard on the trucks, but a true classic in terms of variation in the terrain from fast WRC style stages to soft, sand dunes, which I enjoy.” He appreciated the back-up of the De Rooy

Two other Eastern European truck brands made a big impression this time around in the event, with Siarhei Viazovich (MAZ) and Martin Macik (LIAZ) fi nishing second and fi fth overall. Nikolaev’s team-mate in the Russian Kamaz team, Ayrat Mardeev rounded off the fi nal podium position over 6 and half hours behind his counterpart.

Unless attending the event, the Eurosport TV coverage does not portray the massive following that the Dakar Rally has continuously achieved since moving to South America, a decade ago. At every FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

Winner in Action! Kamaz driver Eduard Nikolav (Russia)

MOTORSPORT | 27 6th Overall - Hino - Teruhito Sugawara & Mitsugu Takahashi

Ferderico Villagra (Argentina) pictured at the Iveco Factory in Córdoba

technical team who endured long sleepless nights to ensure his YPT sponsored race truck got back out on the rally stages early the next day. The high altitudes in Bolivia proved most difficult as altitude sickness set in with the crew. Overall power was down in the 1,000 hp Cursor 13 block, prepared by Iveco’s sibling in the CNH Industrial family – FPT Industrial. Federico looks forward again to competing next year. In the meanwhile, he recommences participation in the upcoming Argentinian Rally Championship in a Ford Fiesta.

along with time out on the road and off road with the trucks as they went rough various preparation stages for the Rally,” he said during an interview at his hotel in Córdoba, the morning after the closing ceremony. Ton also enjoyed the contrasting terrain and weather conditions on the 2018 stages in this year’s Dakar, which reminded competitors (and spectators) of how the terrain used to be, with waves and waves of high and low sand dunes to contend with. He looks forward to next year already and the fi nal fitment of various modifications to the Iveco Powerstar as mentioned by the Team Manager in the Africa Evo Race report that follows.

QUAD Winner - Ignacio Casale (Chile)

Second overall - Siarhei Viazovich -MAZ (Belarus)

Ton van Genugten was in general pleased with his overall performance in the Powerstar (aka Torpedo) for the 40th running of the Dakar.

Like his Argentinean counterpart, Ton will soon get back to normal life, working in the family haulage business in the Netherlands.

Having years of MotoCross experience built up, it helped somewhat but not physically, as the continuous pounding of the body tests muscle power and stamina which means many hours are spent in the gym and out testing over man-made surfaces. “For four months leading up to Dakar, we were in the gym twice a week for sessions

Ton mentioned that he was grateful for the ‘excellent engineering’ from Iveco and the great support from the De Rooy team mechanics who worked hard every night; “Excellent team work all over,” he said. It was Ton’s fi rst time in the bonneted Powerstar, having completed in the cab-over style Iveco Trakker in recent years. “The Powerstar is fantastic, more comfortable at higher speed over the bumps,” he said.

SxS Winner - Reinaldo Varela - South Racing Can Am

Motorbike Winner: Matt hias Walkner - Red Bull KTM Factory Racing www.fleet.ie

28 | MOTORSPORT

Dakar Swansong delivers hat-trick of wins for Peugeot Sport

Team Peugeot Sport Total Lion roars again!

T

he might of Team Peugeot Total recorded its third consecutive victory in the world’s most demanding cross-country off-road marathon, the Dakar Rally 2018.

On the 40th edition of the Dakar, the tenth held in South America saw ‘El Matador’ Carlos Sainz, former World Rally Champion and Dakar winner with Lucas Cruz alongside, drive the Peugeot 3008 DKR MAXI with speed and tactical brilliance to mark the French brand’s departure from the sport on an all-time high.

Up against a strong challenge from, first of all, his high-profile team-mates

in Stéphane Peterhansel, Sébastien Loeb and Cyril Despres, the Peugeot Sport crews battled against the ever-stronger Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux team and the X-raid MINIALL4Racing line-up, which introduced a new John Cooper Works Buggy race-car. On the demanding 9,000-kilometre route which took in three countries – Peru, Bolivia and Argentina, the Peugeot 3008 DKR secured seven special stage wins (out of 13). Sainz won SS6 and SS7 to take the overall lead and was never headed, despite the all out effort of multi-winner Peterhansel, who recovered from two big crashes to finish fourth overall, and clocked three stage wins.

Closest rivals, the Toyota Hilux drivers (and former winners) Nasser Al-Att iyah and

Giniel de Villiers proved to be the surprise package of the event fi nishing second and third respectively. Jakub Przyqoński brought home the leading MINI JWC Rally in fi ft h overall.

A disappointing result all round for the German X-raid squad, as the latest MINI John Cooper Works Rally and newly developed MINI JCW Buggy did not make its usual big impact as expected. If back next year, expect a great fight again from Toyota and also from Nissan, which announced that it is to return to Rally Raids after a long absence.

Austrian bike rider Matt hias Walkner with

De Rooy secures win on Africa Eco Race 2018 in the Sahara Desert; and 2. The team wished to carry out real life tests on a newly built race truck.

Afr ica Eco Race Podium

W

ith Team Petronas De Rooy Iveco participating in two Cross-Country Rallies in two different continents within a three week period, the first element paid off with Gerard De Rooy taking the truck class honours in the Africa Eco Race 2018.

FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

The Dutch team leader chose the 10th running of the Africa Eco Race, which follows the traditional route once taken by the original Dakar Rally when held along West Africa, in preference to Dakar 2018 in South America.

There were two main reasons for move – 1.

Gerard loves sand dunes and looked to excel

Gerald De Rooy, dominated the truck category from start to finish in the 2018 edition of the Africa Eco Race, which began with a ceremonial start in Monaco and took in 12 special stages, covering 6,500 km across three countries – Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal. Finishing fourth overall in the mixed race car and truck class, De Rooy managed to steer well ahead of Tatra driver Tomáš Tomeček and Johannes van De Laar (DAF) over the fast rocky tracks and challenging sand dunes. At the trophy ceremony on the beach at Lae Rose, near Senegalese capital Dakar, Gerard was pleased with the performance.

“I enjoyed both the beautiful specials and toughness. That was what it was all about in the first place, having fun again. There were long specials, but still short days, I really look back on it with a very good feeling.” It had

MOTORSPORT | 29

Toyota Gazoo Racing's workshop at the overnight bivouac located at the Mario Kempes Stadium, named aft er the legendary Argentinina and World Cup winnning footballer

his first win for KTM assured that the brand continues an impressive sequence of 17 consecutive Dakar victories.

Team Peugeot Total’s other top line drivers Despres and Loeb, the former Dakar bike winner and multi-WRC champion began the New Year adventure with rapid pace only to succumb to the elements. Early leader Despres seriously damaged the rear of the 3008 DKR after hitt ing a rock. Loeb’s strong initial challenge came to nought after dropping into a deep, soft, sandy hole which left his co-driver Daniel Elena injured and unable to continue.

At the end of the final competitive stage, high up on the hills, two hours from Córdoba, a victorious Carlos Sainz said: “It was a very difficult rally for me. It’s probably been the most difficult Dakar that I’ve ever taken part been eleven years since De Rooy completed in Mauretania and Senegal.

Despite his love for the sand, De Rooy, driving his trusty Iveco Powerstar (Torpedo) bonneted race truck, did get stuck on a few occasions due to the softness of the dunes.

“They were very soft with sharp edges,” he said. Other times he excelled in the favoured terrain. Team-mate Wuf van Ginkel fared less well in the newly developed Powerstar Evo. By SS5, the FTP Industrial Cursor 13 had come under too much pressure, meaning immediate withdrawal. Issues had arisen a few days earlier on Gerald described; “The

in, even counting the ones in Africa. The organisers gave us a truly challenging route, with so many incredibly difficult stages. Even the two stages right before the fi nish were unbelievable and Peru was also very tricky.

Of course, it’s very satisfying for Lucas and me to win such a difficult rally. And the same applies to the whole Peugeot team, which has done a fantastic job throughout the entire programme. The Peougeot 3008DKR Maxi is probably the best car I have ever driven on rally raids. Thank you to everyone who has supported us in this project, and a big thank you to Peugeot Sport.”

Peugeot Sport will now concentrate on the forthcoming FIA World Rallycross Championship which gets underway in April in Barcelona with Sebastian Loeb once again behind the wheel of the Peugeot WRX. In the meantime, the engineering team will truck gets more hits here in Morocco than in for example Silk Way Rally. As a result, some unexpected things have broken. There was an oil spill that affected the engine as well as after the expansion tank broke down, causing the engine to get too hot.” Steering and tyre pressure problems led to initial time delays for van Ginkel in the earlier part of the race. His Powerstar Evo featured a new independent suspension and cab setting design development for the first time, which did work well, according to Petronas Team De Rooy Iveco Team Manager, Henk van Louvern.

prepare a new 208 for the inaugural electric Rallycross series due in 2020.

Out of eight official works participations on the Dakar Rally in Africa and South America, the French Lion roared to the top of the podium on several occasions.

Dakar 2018 Data Countries visited: Peru, Bolivia and Argentina Distance: 8,793 km – 4,047 competitive stages over 14 legs, 13 Special Stages Highest maximum speed: 195.9 kp/h (Despres – SS3) Highest average speed: 108 kp/h (Sainz – SS6) Highest Ambient temp: 35o (SS13) Lowest Ambient temp: 6o (SS6) Maximum Altltude: 4,786 m (SS8)

out was the lowering of its centre of gravity, better weight balance/distribution with the moving and splitting of the fuel tanks, and the new 4-point cab suspension settings (from two). The team had nineteen personnel on location, while a 23-member crew were on duty in South America for Dakar 2018.

On Gerard De Rooy’s truck, it was specified for the first time with a new automatic gearbox, supplied by Allison Transmissions. Henk expects that ZF Transmissions will develop a Rally Raid specific automated gearbox in time for next year’s off-road marathons.

Other big modifications on the new truck tried

IVECO Powerstar driven by Gerard De Rooy in the Afr ica Eco Race Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

J. Przygonski (Poland) T. Colsoul (Belgium) MINI JCW Rally

Wuf Van Ginkel_#403_ Afr ica Eco Race stage1 www.fleet.ie

30 | FUEL PRICES (WEEK 4)

Mrs Smith claims your driver is responsible.

Country

Currency

95 Lead Free

98 Lead Free

Diesel

Albania

ALL

170.00

-

170.00

Andorra

EUR

1.080

1.120

0.910

Austria

EUR

1.204

1.355

1.156

Belarus

EUR

0.523

-

0.532

Belgium

EUR

1.448

1.528

1.401

Bosnia-Herzegovina

BAM

1.96

2.20

1.95

Bulgaria

BGN

2.15

2.43

2.20

Croatia

HRK

9.70

10.27

9.25

Czech Republic

CZK

30.08

32.71

28.22

Denmark

DKK

10.59

11.13

8.99

Estonia

EUR

1.289

1.335

1.259

Finland

EUR

1.445

1.518

1.336

France

EUR

1.500

1.557

1.425

Georgia

GEL

2.55

2.43

2.33

Germany

EUR

1.329

1.531

1.185

Greece

EUR

1.543

1.647

1.317

Hungary

HUF

374.00

-

396.00

Ireland

EUR

1.389

-

1.299

Italy

EUR

1.599

-

1.465

Kazakhstan

KZT

150.00

164.00

129.00

Latvia

EUR

1.223

1.292

1.149

Lithuania

EUR

1.195

1.244

1.105

Luxemburg

EUR

1.197

1.253

1.058

Macedonia

MKD

66.50

68.50

59.50

Moldova

MDL

18.10

18.70

16.32

Montenegro

EUR

1.250

1.320

1.110

What price a reliable witness?

Netherlands

EUR

1.693

1.757

1.383

Norway

NOK

15.83

16.82

15.13

Poland

PLN

4.67

5.01

4.58

Portugal

EUR

1.559

1.594

1.368

Romania

RON

5.28

5.38

5.33

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Russia

RUB

41.80

-

40.23

Serbia

RSD

141.90

-

149.90

Slovakia

EUR

1.298

-

1.162

Slovenia

EUR

1.307

1.421

1.262

Spain

EUR

1.249

1.389

1.178

Sweden

SEK

14.61

15.21

14.46

Switzerland

CHF

1.500

1.570

1.502

Turkey

TRY

5.68

5.70

5.14

Ukraine

UAH

29.43

30.62

27.27

UK

GBP

1.218

1.322

1.246

USA

USD

0.676

-

0.800

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FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

TESTS | 31

Turin Trilogy Motorways, Mud-plugging & Main Streets On board Iveco Stralis, Eurocargo 4x4 & Daily

O

ver a two day period, Fleet Transport had the opportunity to test three models within the Iveco Commercial Vehicle range. While the trucks were all standard off-the-shelf versions, each came with its own unique selling points.

Iveco Stralis XP First up was the latest version of Iveco’s flagship, the Stralis XP (Xtra-Power). When XP launched in mid-2016, it appeared that externally at least, litt le seemed to have changed. Nevertheless the new vehicle introduced many refi nements including a much improved driveline, while the Cursor 13 engine received a small increase in the top power rating from 560 to 570hp.

The XP tested here came with a Cursor 11 engine rated at a more modest 480hp. The common rail Cursor 11 delivers its 353 kW (473hp) from 1500 to 1900 rpm. However, from just above tick-over speed at around 750 rpm, there is almost 1600 Nm of torque available, with the max torque of 2300 Nm delivered from 970 rpm. Having all the torque available below 1000 rpm makes the Stralis 480 very drivable, especially in urban traffic.

We have always felt the Stralis cab internally to be a well-thought out space, and over time it has evolved to offer the driver a well-appointed workplace and spacious rest area. While it is always a subjective point, we feel Stralis has arguably the best driving position on the road. It is currently difficult to encourage people into the industry, so when they do come in, it is important to entice them to stay. Well appointed cabs are one incentive - and in this aspect Stralis scores highly.

Now with XP, Iveco is offering operators important fuel savings and what the company claims to be the best ‘Total Cost of Ownership’ (TCO) on the market.

One of the main features of Stralis XP is the extra power. This isn’t derived from increased engine output, but rather from improved

transfer of power to the wheels, primarily thanks to the new ZF 12-Speed TraXon (HiTronix) transmission. The changes brought by this new unit are quite remarkable and immediately noticeable. Shift times are faster and smoother, with Hi-Tronix enhancing Iveco’s fuel saving predictive cruise control (Hi-Cruise) and Eco Roll functions. Running with a standard fi nal drive ratio of 2.64:1, the Stralis performed well over the mixed test route and should deliver appreciable savings for operators.

While Iveco may have taken its time in introducing predictive cruise, the Hi-Cruise operates accurately and engages quickly.

Importantly the driver gets a simple, easy-toread display, which gives positive feedback and encourages good performance.

Spec Check Make / Model / Chassis Engine Rated Power Rated Torque Euro Rating Transmission Braking Suspension Retardation Devices Drive Axle Ratio Length / Wheelbase Tyres Trailer / GVW as Tested

As the Stralis Hi-Way cab is notionally aimed at the long haul market, it means that the spacious cab is more than wellappointed for a fleet spec tractor. Hi-Way comes with plenty of practical storage space both overhead and under the bunk where we fi nd a sizeable fridge and access to the external lockers. In the dash and centre console there are other useful pockets, trays and cup holders.

Overall, Iveco has managed to strike the right balance between comfort ride and handling from the big 6x2, and while the steering did feel light at fi rst it was always accurate and precise. Stralis XP is a competent well specced tractor that few drivers could earnestly fi nd fault with.

Iveco Stralis AS440S48TX/P XP / 6x2 Mid-lift 11 Litre, in-line six cylinder – Euro 6 Step C 353 kW (480 hp) @ 1,550 –2,100 rpm 2300 Nm @ 970 – 1550 rpm Euro 6 Step C, Hi-e SCR, DOC, DPF ZF TraXon / Iveco Hi-Tronix 12-Speed Ventilated discs all round - ABS, EBS, ASR, ARB Front Springs Rear Air Iveco Engine Brake 2.64:1 6477 mm / 4000 mm Michelin - 315/70 R22.5 Tri-axle Box Van / 43,880 Kgs www.fleet.ie

32 | TESTS Iveco Eurocargo 4x4 nother model from Iveco’s line up that proved to be a touch harder on the road than the Stralis, was the Eurocargo 4x4. Th is tough truck may not be a common sight here as the demand for heavy duty off-roaders in Ireland is not that big. Nevertheless, there are operators that rely on vehicles to work in extreme environments and weather conditions where the truck’s abilities can mean a life or death situation.

A

It is a niche market and not all manufacturers offer suitable off-road models in their product line up. Of course, the most famous offroad worker is the renowned Unimog from Mercedes-Benz. It does come with a unique price tag however, meaning you need a very good reason to invest. However, with the 4x4 Eurocargo Iveco has an alternative that may appear more fi nancially att ractive.

The big selling Eurocargo has always been a well-regarded workhorse across a wide variety of sectors throughout Europe and beyond. Externally, the latest version of Eurocargo sports the contemporary Iveco family grille, while internally the truck is all Eurocargo, with the exception of the additional off-road controls and a selector for the standard 6-speed manual transmission.

Powered by Iveco’s 6.7 litre Tector 7 engine with a rated output of 207 kW (281hp) at 2500 rpm, the in-line 6 cylinder unit produces 1000 Nm of torque from 1250 to 2000 rpm.

The 6-speed manual gearbox has ratios that allow the truck to drive comfortably on-road, starting in 3rd gear. In fact apart from the increased ground clearance, and Michelin XZL2 tyres, Eurocargo can offer operators a high level of versatility as on-road it performs similarly to a regular truck.

While different standards are applied to the interiors of 4x4s, the standards are by no means lower than with road-going versions, and Eurocargo 4x4 caters well to drivers’s needs. The fully adjustable air suspended seat with arm rests helps to smooth out the bumps and hollows. All switchgear is within easy reach, and controls for the transmission and differential locks are to hand, simple and practical. An important point when working off-road, as discovered from the drive around Millbrook Proving Grounds near Milton Keynes.

FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

Put thought its paces at the testing facility, Eurocargo’s performance was self-assured.

Its ability to tackle the basic muddy hill climbs and wading pool, encouraged us to seek out more arduous challenges, with each successful endeavour instilling ever more confidence in its capabilities. The steepest descents were easily negotiated by engaging 1st or 2nd gear, keeping both feet on the floor and using the engine brake to control the descent at idle speed. Ascending the hills was never an issue irrespective of the surface conditions, mud, sand or loose stones.

Millbrook is designed to test all types of motor vehicles and its facilities are used by a wide selection of equipment manufacturers Spec Check Make / Model / Chassis Engine Rated Power Rated Torque Euro Rating Transmission Torque Distribution Braking Suspension Retardation Devices Drive Axle Ratio Length / Wheelbase Tyres

and Defence Forces. With Eurocargo we managed to cover all areas open to us at the facility, with the exception of one test area used by the military which is in reality reserved for tracked vehicles.

We had high hopes for Eurocargo, and were quietly confident the truck would perform well over the off-road sections, not least because within the Iveco family, under CNH Industrial parentage, there is Iveco Defence Vehicles (IDV), a significant global player in the development of military vehicles and offroad technology. With that type of expertise available in-house, producing a regular 4x4 truck should be as simple as sliding down a muddy hill with a 45% gradient.

Iveco Eurocargo 4x4 Tector 7 - In-line six cylinder - 6.7 Litre - Euro 6 207 kW (280 hp) @ 1970–2500 rpm 1000 Nm @ 1300 – 1970 rpm Euro 6 – SCR, DOC, DPF Iveco 65 1-00 TO / 6-Speed Manual 33% Front / Rear 67% Drums all round - ABS, EBS + ASR Front and Rear Parabolic Iveco Engine Brake 6.34:1 6666 / 3915 mm Michelin - 395/85 R20

TESTS | 33 Iveco Daily

W

hile the Eurocargo 4x4 could be described as short and tough, the final vehicle tested could be described as long and refined. Iveco has produced a long wheel base 7.2 tonne version of the multi-award winning Daily for a while now. In fact, the Italian brand’s light commercial is already available in over 8,000 variants.

Th is particular model features the regular 3.0 litre diesel developing 205hp matched to Iveco’s latest 8-speed Hi-Matic automated transmission, and finished with a 33.5m3 curtainside body from JC Payne.

Daily is a highly popular light commercial in its many guises and in this case it performs as one would expect. The van has always been driver friendly and now with the availability of the newly enhanced and excellent Hi-Matic transmission it’s even more so. Hi-Matic can be overridden using the manual mode and if needed there is always Power mode, though we found little to be gained in using this, especially as the 7.2t Daily is limited to 90 k/ph. A small point quickly remembered when attempting to overtake a truck on the M1 Motorway.

There are many advantages to this combination and it will suit many operators. As said, it is easy to drive and should be cheaper to operate. While the 7.2t Daily has carrying capacity comparable to many 7.5 tonners, it does come with some of the disadvantages that drive companies to operate vans rather than trucks. Because the Iveco weighs 7.2 tonnes it requires a minimum C1 driving licence and suffers from the restrictions that apply to many commercial vehicles over the 3.5 tonne breakpoint. Importantly due to its weight it may also require any operator to have a transport licence, and any driver to hold a Certificate of Professional Competence.

In addition the truck may, depending on operations, come under the scope of the Tachograph & Driving Hours Regulations.

Nevertheless the 7.2 tonne Daily offers operators a high volume, easy to drive light commercial, and the easy to drive aspect should not be ignored. This type of light truck may well operate in tight city centre areas where the 8-Speed automated transmission will come into its own, as will the Iveco’s high degree of manoeuvrability. Some caution will be needed due to the large bodywork and rear Text & Photos: Paul White - paul@fleet.ie

tail-swing. However, the van-like cab offers many benefits in urban operations, especially with regard to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. Also important is the low cab ease of access for a driver getting in and out numerous times a day.

Currently many European city authorities Spec Check Make / Model / Chassis Engine Rated Power Rated Torque Euro Rating Transmission Braking Suspension Retardation Devices Drive Axle Ratio Length / Wheelbase Bodywork / Capacity Tyres

are racing each other to see who can be the quickest to raise the greenest flag the highest. On this point it is worth mentioning that Iveco has for many years been a leader in alternative fuel technology - and a 7.2t alternative powered Daily could be the answer to a question that hasn’t really been asked yet. The last mile.

Iveco Daily 3.0 Litre, in-line four cylinder – Euro 5 150 kW (205 hp) @ 3047 – 3500 rpm 470 Nm @ 1400 – 3047 rpm Euro 6 – EGR, SCR, 80HP70L - Iveco Hi-Matic 8-Speed Discs all round - ABS, EBD, ASR, Brake Assist S-elliptical springs, Shocks, Torsion & Anti-roll Bars Iveco Engine Brake 4.3:1 8890 mm / 5100 mm JC Payne Curtain-side / 33.55m 3 Michelin - 225/75R16 www.fleet.ie

34 | PROFILE

Toner Transport & Logistics (Dublin) Third Generation family run business

T

oner Transport & Logistics (Dublin) is one of the longest established family run road haulage businesses in Ireland.

Founded in 1936 by James and Margaret Toner at the premises of the family’s original home in Newport street, in the heart of Dublin City, the company is now run by third generation family member Paul Toner. His father James successfully ran the business until the turn of the millennium and although now in his 80’s, he still holds a keen interest and regularly calls to the fi rm’s HQ in Greenogue, Dublin.

Over the decades the company has gone from strength to strength and is one of the most prominent transport operators in Ireland.

In the mid-1990’s the business moved to

Jim Toner, Snr. FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

Cookstown in Tallaght and in early 2006 Toner Transport commissioned a customdesigned facility and compound at Greenogue Business Park in Rathcoole, County Dublin, just minutes from the Red Cow interchange and close to the national primary road network. Th is 30,000m2 premises which accommodates high palletised racking was built with energy efficient lighting and roofing. To compliment the warehouse Toners have an onsite 4-bay truck and trailer workshop and in-house maintenance team to look after its fleet. It also has an automated truck and trailer wash system that uses an ecological friendly rain water harvesting system.

“We are incredibly proud to be an indigenous Irish company and to provide full time employment to over 50 people from all over Ireland,” stated Paul Toner, Managing Director. “In order to give the best service that we possibly can to our customers, along with our Dublin facility, we have trucks and trailers based in Cork, Galway, Kildare, Westmeath and Cavan,” he added.

Paul and his management team operate more than 40 trucks and 115 trailers, with the overall fleet consisting of tractor-units, rigids, vans and trailers. Last year 12 new Renault Range T 440 hp 6x2 tractor-units joined the fleet, and just added 4 units for 2018, bringing the number sporting the diamond shaped badge to an impressive 31. The deal was truly a family affair, with truck salesman, Jim Toner at Setanta Vehicle

Sales (Dublin) concluding the sale with his brother Paul.

“Together with our warehousing storage service, we provide a pick and pack offering along with delivering full loads, part loads and groupage on a nationwide, thirty-two county basis. We practically cover every county in Ireland daily,” added Paul.

“Our successful business is built on supplying a professional, flexible, no-nonsense service to all of our customers all of the time and this we provide thanks to our dedicated and loyal team,” he emphasised.

The executive team is made up of five senior managers, led by Paul Toner. He started with the company in 1984 as an apprentice in the in-house garage looking after the maintenance and servicing of all vehicles, before working his way up through the various positions within the company. Alan Coates is the Finance Director, while Dermot Nolan is General Manager, he has many years of experience across the transport industry.

Noel O’Neill is Transport Manager and has been involved in the industry for almost 30 years, including 5 years as driver with the company and 16 years as Transport Manager.

Along with Chris Sheedy he manages all loads for various clients throughout Ireland on a daily basis. Chris started out as a driver initially almost 20 years ago and progressed up through the ranks.

Supporting the management team are the

PROFILE | 35 administration staff, warehousing personnel, client controllers, shunters/strappers, mechanical personnel and a dedicated team of loyal professional drivers.

“We believe in promoting from within and we monitor the performance and ability of all employees at all times with a view of promoting eligible personnel to suitable positions within our company when the opportunity arises,” explained Paul. “As business becomes more and more complex, particularly with the ever changing demands from our customers, our suppliers and legislation we have recognised that we must work much smarter and pre-empt what expectations might arise in the future. From a legislation perspective we are constantly monitoring what is required – we look at what is expected of us from a legal, safety, practical and logical perspective and we constantly adjust our operation to suit these requirements. To this end we now actively engage with the Road Safety Authority and deal with them on a pro-active basis rather than a re-active basis, at times this was not always the case.”

“With regard to the Health & Safety Authority, we constantly monitor their requirements, discuss same within our management structure, devise a guideline/ plan and implement same at every earliest opportunity. Safety in the work place is of paramount importance to us.”

“As a company that has been in business for over 80 years we have found that as trends, demands and requirements change, we have to do so as well. To this end, we consistently monitor the market place in which we work and adjust our business practices to suit requirements. We have always done this and will continue to do so. This is one of the main reasons why we have been around for such a long time. Having come through two of the

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

worst economic downturns that this country has ever seen, and survived, we know that the way in which we operate our business very much stands to us. We have experienced very difficult times and have adjusted our business accordingly to enable us to keep trading and maintain employment.”

“Over the next 5 years we will see continued updating of our fleet, increased employment, and a broader client base, whilst at all times maintaining and delivering a professional service to our current customer base.”

“As we run so many vehicles our biggest energy outlay is on diesel in the main. We all know that burning diesel has an negative effect on the ozone layer as well as the balance sheet, so, to try and reduce our diesel usage, we have up-graded over 25% of our fleet in recent times to more economical vehicles with newer less environmentally negative impact technologies. We have reduced the overall speed limit on our vehicles, and have implemented a “Think Green” driver training programme which incorporates tutoring on the most efficient way to drive the vehicle, and some simple measures such as keeping the curtains on the trailers closed tightly to ensure aerodynamic efficiency. We are also currently looking at an add-on feature for the trailers that could help reduce drag. Combine all of these along with lower fuel burn and thus environmental impact is reduced.”

“Attracting drivers is an ongoing problem for transport companies. For us to date, it has not been a major issue as we treat our drivers with respect, and find ourselves in a situation where drivers stay with us. When we need drivers, we look for referrals from our inhouse staff and have found that this is the best way to get good reliable drivers. Conversing with our colleagues in the industry, there seems to be a general consensus that the cost of becoming a professional driver, along

Paul Toner receiving good wishes from his brother Jim at the handover of a new fleet of Renault trucks

with the amount of time it takes, is quite prohibitive for a large number of people to get into the industry, in particular those at the younger end of the spectrum. When looking for drivers we believe in showing respect, listening to what drivers have to say, acting on suggestions that they may have where practical, and paying a fair wage for a fair week’s work.”

“We predict growth within the industry for those that are willing to work hard at being the best that they can for themselves and their customers. We have worked very hard to be where we are today and we intend to work even harder to enable us to be an even better company and a more successful company.

Our company has been in business for over 80 years and we fully intend to be in business in another 80 years,” concluded Paul.

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38 | FINANCE

Crest of Wave or Rising Tide?

F

inancial planning for 2018 and what lies ahead is the topic this month. Using nautical terms, are we on a crest of a wave, entering yet another dip or are we on a rising tide that lifts all boats?

Key factors that Ireland’s top business men and women undertake in competing in Winter league sailing races can show how this directly relates to business planning. Five key factors set winners apart: Preparation, Crew, Commitment, Reaction and Results.

In business if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. Luck is when opportunity meets preparation, and one of the realities of being in business is that you risk your money, possessions and even family when you embark on risky business processes. If you fail to prepare and risk boat and crew in a force 6 gale, the result is the same, you end up capsized and awaiting rescue. Lack of preparation in business will not result in drowning, but on the other hand there is no rescue service available for business people who fail to prepare and plan.

Remember fi nancial institutions will give you an umbrella when it’s dry and take it away when it starts to rain.

In business real success stories come from people who establish an excellent crew around them. Some motivate staff with the carrot effect, while others use a combination of carrot and stick. Most business people exhibit split personalities where staff, customers, suppliers and finance houses may all experience a different individual but one that is focused on gett ing the best for his or her business.

The crew of a sailing boat have to work under extreme conditions all working to a common goal and within normal safety parameters.

If you go overboard you may have to tread water until the boats return, especially if it is in the middle of a race. In business you have to pick the best crew, regardless of a person being a family member or a long term friend, and know when to drop non-performing staff even though this may be a difficult decision.

FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

The biggest factor behind sports and business success is commitment.

You have to be prepared and have a good workforce, but your commitment and drive are key to a business success. Most successful business people do not stop when they are fi nancially comfortable; they strive to have the best business performance and recognition by their peers, whether this is a manufacturing business or a service industry such as transport. Commitment from your workforce and customers is also crucial in business success, and how you instil this team spirit is vital for positive results. Back to our nautical example, the skipper of a racing yacht who has to be a wealthy individual to partake in the sport isn’t motivated by the small prize at the end of the day, but rather by the recognition and accomplishment of being best in class.

Accountants are often asked what are the components of a successful business. One key component is a business owner’s ability to react to changing circumstances and make the tough decisions. Often a business owner will change direction even when the business is doing well purely because they have the sixth sense to realise that the fi nancial profi le is changing and all may not be the same in the future. I see many examples of astute business people building businesses on new technology and moving on before the market catches up and margins are eliminated. A good sailor can read the water and sky ahead of them, they have reacted before the amateurs and this is how they stay ahead of the game.

The fi nal area of business planning is results. All the work and achievements must equate to increased profit and increased business value. In competitive sport it is not the taking part that counts it’s the winning. In business the hunger for results means a business is looking at maximising fi nancial gain in the short, medium and long term. It’s a culture of always looking at the cost and operating structure of the business and how it can continuously improve. Like all successful businesses, you need a plan and a hunger to succeed and the same ethos prevails in sport.

Text: Donal Dempsey - donal@fleet.ie

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40 | OPINION

Democracy is fuelled by listening not preaching

A

lthough we claim to live in a democracy where the common good and people’s opinions are the basis for decision making, it is not difficult to fi nd examples of where the opposite may be the case. Early into the New Year two situations came to my attention where in my opinion, an ‘autocratic’ type intervention overruled a local view and perspective.

View from the Operators Desk by Sean Murtagh sean@fleet.ie

One relates to Brexit and the second the continuing saga that surrounds the proposed new M20 motorway from Limerick to Cork.

While visiting the BT Young Scientist Competition at the RDS, Dublin in early January, a special project by a secondary school in Belturbet, County Cavan came to my notice. The students were all too young to have remembered the inconvenience of the Border and the massive change in the local economy that came with its removal. But like all good researchers they interviewed those that did recall these days. The people they spoke to were local shopkeepers, hauliers and some of the major factory owners in the area. The questions were simple in tone and prompted simple answers. All of the answers for me led to a strong message: “Brexit will change our lives forever and the local economy will deteriorate, back to a point of stagnation and similar to the way things were in the 1950s.”

There is no doubt that this is a story that could be endorsed by every community along both sides of the Border. Th is project highlighted the human face of what the aftermath of Brexit may look like, and that is before we look at the consequences for the broader economy. Anyway, there were many visitors to the students’ stand including the British Ambassador, some TD’s and local politicians. The teacher told me that while they were all polite and supportive the response was similar, they would take it to the relevant people and give it their full support. So, who are the relevant people?

I would have thought the relevant people were the local community.

Towards the end of January some discussion arose in the mid-west about the proposed FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

f k M20 motorway from Limerickk to Cork.

Some of the local politicians asked Transport Minister, Shane Ross for confi rmation that the project will go ahead soon. The response from the Minister was ambiguous to say the least. It seems that the Minister is reviewing the route as per Departmental protocol.

Already this project will take a number of years to complete so more consultation will only add to the timescale. Minister Ross always had the answers to these problems and dilemmas when he was a journalist and seemed to know what was more essential in terms of critical infrastructure, motorways that facilitated commerce, or Garda Stations.

I have no doubt about his concern for policing in his own back yard, but according to one Garda questioned by a Dáil Committee recently, he seemed to think there were more important priorities from a policing point of view.

Some would say that these two situations highlight the Dublin versus the rest of the country bias. Possibly, but it does show that events that can have a big impact on the economic development and commercial survival of large sections of the country can be hidden and smuggled to the safety of a ‘Committee’ far, far away. Much of the unrest that the political system is experiencing could disappear if

h establishment bl h h lead l d from f h the tookk the the people they represent, rather than from the bureaucratic system they have become part off. Democracy is fuelled by listening not preaching.

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42 | LEGAL

RSA - Friend or Foe?

T

he contribution to the quality of life made by the haulage industry is rarely recognised by the public, if at all. At best, Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) are tolerated as a necessary nuisance to be kept away from public areas if at all possible. At the very least the public need to be assured that the vehicles are safe, and that the drivers are properly trained.

reply accurately set out the position of the RSA, it did not appear to answer the complaint, merely confi rming the legal duties of the RSA.

The responsibility for ensuring that both vehicles and drivers are safe lies with the Road Safety Authority (RSA), an authority whose duties in relation to the operation of commercial vehicles are set out in various acts and statutory instruments. The RSA Commercial Vehicle & Roadworthiness Act 2012, and SI No 348, Road Safety Authority (Commercial Vehicles Roadworthiness) (Vehicle Repair & Maintenance) Regulations, 2013 being the most important of these.

It is clearly in the interest of the haulage sector and road transport industry in general that there should be a single authority sett ing and controlling standards of operation throughout the industry. It is no less important that the public should be aware that the RSA is there to control vehicles of all sorts using the roads in the Republic, with a strong and effective road safety campaign, but it is equally important that the RSA should be seen as impartial in its dealings with the haulage industry.

It is against this legislative background that the Commercial Vehicles Roadworthiness Test (CVRT) was introduced. Th is test is intended to allow the RSA to assess a company’s compliance with the legislation affecting the safety of both the vehicle and driver. The level of compliance is expressed as a percentage of the absolute standard required by the Regulations. By way of example the way in which drivers are taught to carry out the ‘Daily Walk Around Check’, and the way in which they are monitored, will be taken into consideration when assessing a company’s compliance with the legislation.

The CVRT ratings are based on data collected over a three year period. It may well be that three years is an appropriate time base for data collection, but it may be effectively meaningless from a haulier's point of view. An answer might be for the RSA to have a pro-forma letter that can be sent to a haulage company as soon as the RSA becomes aware of an infringement that might impact on a company’s rating. Th is would at least enable the company to react within the three year period.

The purpose of the scheme is to enable the enforcement authorities to target those companies who do not achieve a satisfactory standard, and the scheme appears to have gone some way towards achieving that result. The RSA, however, chooses to allow operators to view their own risk ratings and, unexpectedly, operators are now using high rating figures as a marketing tool. There can be a problem for operators if the rating is unexpectedly adverse, particularly if the adverse rating was unexpected.

The RSA has within its website a section dedicated to the provision of information about CVRT, and, among other things, it confirms that assessments are based on a three year period. How many operators can remember an infringement, possibly a minor one, three years ago which will impact on their risk rating? It is hardly surprising that there are hauliers who believe that their risk rating will be good and are then surprised to fi nd that that is not the case.

Fleet Transport Magazine, under the heading ‘Soapbox’, provides an opportunity for readers to raise issues that are of particular concern. On the 17 November last, a leading haulier used Soapbox to raise a serious complaint about the way in which the RSA had handled his company’s Risk Rating, and, no less importantly, the way in which they had dealt with his attempt to appeal their decision.

‘Fleet’ provided a right to reply and, in this case, the RSA accepted the opportunity to respond. It pointed out that it has a legal duty to implement a risk rating system for HGV operators to assist the targeting of non-compliant operators. The decision to allow operators to view their own risk rating was taken by the RSA in the belief that it would make the operation of the CVRT transparent. While the FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

Arguably the scheme needs further consideration.

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TRAILER | 43

Chereau on the ROAD to superior sustainability

R

OAD - meaning Refrigerated Optimised Advanced Design, is a collaborative project led

by Chereau to develop a new generation of refrigerated semi-trailers that are better performing, less-polluting and quieter. The three-year programme due for completion in August 2019 has two-fold objectives:

and sometimes poor road conditions. Then there are a number of other challenges of a technical, regulatory and industrial nature.

These include meeting technical innovation with imposed standards, controlling fuel consumption, conforming with the freight transport sector legislation while adapting a sustainable proposition for road transport operators.

1.

At a Press Conference held in Paris last month, Frederic outlined the main new features of ROAD semi-trailer, which also involved transport refrigeration specialists Carrier Transicold and a number of national and local authorities:

To reduce the environmental impact – lessen CO2 and noise emissions.

2. To improve operating conditions – more efficient ergonomics and greater safety.

“In the coming years, we are expecting an increased demand for cleaner and more fuel efficient vehicles. Today, semi-trailers provides complete solutions in terms of maintaining the cold chain. However, significant R&D work needs to be undertaken to reduce their energy consumption and environmental footprint. To date, the majority of collaborative projects in the vehicle sector focus on reducing the tractor unit’s fuel consumption and not on the equipment. The ROAD project focusses on the development of the refrigerated semi-trailer,” explained Frederic Chaillou, Project Manager, Chereau.

As refrigerated transport is the key link in the cold (supply) chain, it needs to comply with strict technical requirements such as the necessity to operate the transport system over a wide range of temperatures, carrying a broad variety of products. The delivery process from production source to supermarket shelf adds to the challenge as the truck/trailer combination has to deal with traffic congestion, unfavourable weather Text: Rob Van Dieten - rob@fleet.ie

• • • •

•

•

New design and materials used to lighten the chassis; Improved trailer aerodynamics to reduce wind resistance; Better body insulation for improved thermal performance; Clean energy production: On-board hydrogen fuel cells with no CO 2 emissions; Clean cold production: Electric refrigeration units using CO 2 as a refrigerant; Electrical equipment connectivity: This means that the operation of electrical equipment is improved in order to reduce energy consumption, enhance ergonomics and install new safety features. Chereau call it multiplexing – the connected semi-trailer.

The fi nal phase of the development is real time field testing with a renowned French transport company Malherbe. As a signatory to the objecting CO2 charter since April 2010, the Malherbe Group entered partnership with

a number of French Government agencies as part of its corporate social responsibility.

After achieving a 9.6% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions during the fi rst cycle, Malherbe made a stronger commitment to reduce its CO2 emissions by a further 5%.

Actually, it succeeded in reducing emissions by 5.6% by taking action in four major areas; its fleet of vehicles, fuel, drivers and transport flows. Malherbe’s philosophy is to meet the needs of customers by means of innovation in terms of clean transport.

Founded in 1953, Malherbe specialises in the transport of agri-food, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and construction materials and equipment. In 2017, its turnover reached €315 million, operating 29 agencies across France and having 2,150 employees on its books. Over 2,500 vehicles are in its fleet, which includes some sub-contractors.

ROAD Project Timeline September 2016: Start of programme August 2017: Specification approved September 2018: Technologies developed March 2019: Prototype produced – Field test begins September 2019: End of project – concept vehicle testing on road.

CHEREAU Facts: • 953 employees • €196m turnover • 42% of sales for export • 3764 trailers/bodies produced per day • 47.1% marketshare in France • 12% marketshare in Europe • €3m investment in production tools • €3n investment in R&D www.fleet.ie

44 | COMMENT

I

t was almost a “By the Way” comment from, I think, John Palmer from the Department of Finance on the Six-One News the other evening. When speaking about the Revenue figures for the year end 2017, he was asked about the contradiction that, while new car sales during 2017 were down, the Revenue take from VRT had held steady. His explanation was that following the drop in the value of Sterling, imports of second hand vehicles from the UK had risen by about 40%.

Th is is probably good news for the buyers of all of these vehicles but not for the regular importers and distributors that will not only have lost significant sales volumes to DIY importers, but will also have had their margins squeezed on the vehicles that they did manage to sell. In normal times the result of an exchange rate shift might have been seen as “something that happens” when operating in a world with currency swings, and there is no need to worry, things will come right again.

In brackets and away from the main argument, this must also be a textbook case of the effective use of internet commerce which empowers the individual to make deals in a completely informed and effective manner. The motor vehicle trade is now experiencing the internet driven disruption that the travel trade experienced when Ryanair arrived on the scene.

However, these are not normal times, 2018 is the year in which the BREXIT deal must be done. In nine months’ time the trading rules for an indefinite future will be cast in stone and nothing will be “normal” again. Will a flood of cheap vehicles be joined by a deluge of cheap internet shopping that will cause havoc throughout the land even if tariff duties are imposed? Will a further problem begin to emerge with cars, vans and trucks built in England and buses built in Northern Ireland, to wit that the manufacturing standards being used in the UK will begin to differ from those in the EU, therefore meaning that the import of such vehicles into Ireland or any other EU country will become very difficult? Might there be an issue where an EU based vehicle manufacturer faced with producing vehicles to a different specification to meet UK standards might decide not to bother with that market but focus elsewhere? Would a consequence of such a decision be that the same manufacturer might decide to cease building right-hand-drive vehicles altogether, thus starving the Irish market of product?

These things are probably unlikely to happen but the discussion does raise some of the unintended BREXIT issues and I am sure that similar arguments can be made in many other business sectors. It also moves the discussion towards a series of issues that I have, as yet, heard very little about, the problem where goods, be they fully manufactured or components for further manufacture, are sold to the Irish customer through an agent with a franchise to cover the UK and Irish markets.

The complexities of currency, VAT and possible tariffs will, in many cases, make it impossible for manufacturers from outside these islands to operate in this way, and the UK based agent will probably drop the Irish element of their business. Even if the product destined for FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

From where I'm sitting - Howard Knott - howard@fleet.ie Ireland is shipped using a service that does not go through the UK, these complexities will remain, while if it is forwarded through a UK based Distribution Centre, it gets even worse. In many cases the only realistic way to ship the inevitably small volumes that will be going through to Ireland will be to use direct air freight from a European Centre, and that could be a lot more expensive.

It is all very well to speculate how the BREXIT talks will go, the real point here is that if goods are routed through the UK and/or are purchased through a UK based agent it is time to get in touch with both agent and manufacturer and find out what exactly their postBREXIT plan is to service Irish businesses. At the same time chase up other potential suppliers that may have better solutions.

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46 | MARITIME I

fleetMaritime: IRISH SHIPPING & FREIGHT Compiled by Howard Knott Edited by Jarlath Sweeney email: maritime@fleet.ie

Volume 13, No. 1 Spring 2018

Harland & Wolff slipways back in action

W

hile the iconic yellow cranes “Samson’ and “Goliath” which dominate the Belfast city skyline have continued to be busy throughout the recession period, the Harland & Wolff slipways have been a lot less active.

The cranes have been central to the Dock Yard’s work on assembling wind turbines in preparation for their deployment in Irish Sea wind farms, while the business of building new vessels there has ceased.

However the repair and refurbishment of a wide range of vessels, including oil and gas well platforms has continued. That activity received a significant boost in 2017 with the major contract for the annual maintenance of upgrade of Stena Line’s Irish Sea fleet. Though the work was carried at the Yard’s slipways, it was done by sub-contractors appointed by the

fleet managers. Working to a similar model the Newry based MJM Group has landed a deal which will see it refit a major cruise vessel at the Belfast yard. MJM Group will project manage the docking, berthing and refit of the Azamara Pursuit in Belfast this April and the ship will make its maiden voyage in August. The 30,000 tonne, 704 passenger vessel which was built in France in 2001 joins the Royal Caribbean fleet from P&O Cruises.

Gary Annett, Chief Executive of MJM Group, said the deal is a “milestone opportunity” for the company and added: “The success of this project has the potential to be a game-changer for the UK maritime industry. By securing this multi-million-pound contract we are putting Northern Ireland, and the UK’s marine industry in a strong position to compete for future drydock and refit works.”

Azamara

“To secure the Azamara project we had to demonstrate that we had the ability to provide complete project management, outfitt ing, berthing and ship yard services. With Harland & Wolff on our doorstep and our experience in the industry we were able to do this. This truly is a historic day for this industry in Northern Ireland, for MJM Group and indeed our customers,” he said.

Jonathan Guest, Director of Business Development & Improvement at Harland & Wolff commented that the deal has the “potential to revive this industry in Northern Ireland.”

“Towards a Marine Spatial Plan for Ireland” launched

D

escribing the document as a roadmap for the development of Ireland’s first Marine Spatial Plan, Housing, Planning & Local Government Minister Eoghan Murphy launched “Towards a Marine Spatial Plan for Ireland” on 12 December. He described Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) as a way of looking at how we use the marine area now, and how we plan to best use it into the future. MSP will try to balance the different demands for using the sea, including the need to protect the marine environment.

He went on to say: “Ireland is a maritime nation and we derive so much of our cultural, social and economic identity from our relationship with the seas that surround us. We are fortunate to have one of the largest and richest marine resources of all EU Member States. The Government has set out clear and ambitious objectives under Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth (HOOW) - Ireland’s integrated marine

plan - to enable our marine potential to be realised. For example, we aim to double the value of our ocean wealth to 2.4% of GDP by 2030 and increase the turnover from our ocean economy to exceed €6.4bn by 2020.

Reaching these goals will mean significant growth in seafood production and aquaculture, maritime transport, marine renewable energy, marine biotechnology and ICT, marine and coastal tourism and leisure. At the same time, we also recognise the importance of our rich marine biodiversity and ecosystems to our ocean wealth. We need a Marine Spatial Plan to provide a coherent strategic spatial framework encompassing all plans and sectoral policies for the marine area that also ensures the sustainable management of our marine environment.”

Minister Damien English, who has specific responsibility for implementation of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, also attended the launch and said that: “a clear

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Cork to Santander FLEETMARITIME | Spring 2018

framework for MSP, as a parallel to the National Planning Framework, Ireland2040, will bring a new level of coherence to how we plan and manage our marine resource. For example, a Marine Spatial Plan will support sustainable environmental management of marine areas, improved certainty and predictability for private investments, lower transaction costs for maritime businesses and improved competitiveness for our marine sectors, improved use of sea space and coexistence of uses in coastal zones and marine waters."

Currently many Marine and Coastal developments have been frustrated by the complexities and inherent delays involved in securing the necessary development permissions. This has impacted particularly on the provision of berthing and related facilities at Irish Ports with significant cost implications for any such developments.

Port of Cork Company, Custom House Street, Cork, Ireland T: +353 21 4273 125 | portofcork.ie

MARITIME II | 47

Irish Continental Group (ICG) commissions an even larger cruise ferry

I

CG has placed an order for what will be the world’s largest cruise ferry in terms of capacity, scheduled for delivery from the German FSG yard in mid-2020, her introduction into service will come almost twenty years after the launch of what was then the world number one, the Ulysses.

In launching its 2018 Irish Ferries sailing programme the company planned the redeployment of a number of vessels following the introduction into service of the W B Yeats in June. That vessel will add up to three sailings a week to the Dublin-Cherbourg service for the summer months before switching to Dublin-Holyhead for the winter schedule, enabling the Epsilon to take over the Dublin - Cherbourg operation.

The new-build will have 5610 freight lane metres, and an effective peak truck capacity of 300 which is 50% more than that aboard the Ulysses. She will take over the heavily booked schedules for that vessel including the 20.55 ex-Dublin and the 02.40 exHolyhead services, while the Ulysses will move to the schedule currently operated by the Epsilon. That vessel which has been on charter to Irish Ferries since 2014 will then be returned to her owners, as the W B Yeats will take over her Dublin - Cherbourg schedule. During the summer months the

will meet these and future environmental regulations while delivering optimal fuel consumption. Unlike other ferries operating alongside Irish Ferries she will be powered by four main engines giving the sort of service reliability that has been a feature of operations with the Ulysses.

Ulysses

Oscar Wilde will continue to operate Rosslare - Cherbourg and Rosslare - Roscoff services bringing the total number of Ireland-France sailings up to seven times a week.

On the new vessel freight capacity will be located over five decks. A unique design feature is that the vessel has been designed for three tier freight bow loading so as to allow for efficient loading and unloading and quick turnaround times. Included in the passenger facilities will be a choice of state-of-the-art entertainment options and cinemas, a significant number of retail outlets and dedicated facilities for freight drivers.

The new vessel will be introduced to service at a time when the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and other agencies plan to introduce tighter environmental controls for vessels operating on the Irish Sea. The specification for the vessel includes the fitt ing of exhaust emissions scrubber technology and ballast water systems that

Referring to the announcement of the commissioning of the new vessel, Eamonn Rothwell, ICG Chief Executive Officer commented: “Th is investment underpins the confidence the Group has in the markets in which we operate. Alongside the recent investment in the W B Yeats, it brings our total investment to €315 million for these two vessels designed for our operations on the Irish Sea. The construction of a cruise ferry of this size will offer both additional capacity and an enhanced experience for both our tourism and freight customers.

Th is infrastructural investment enhances the bridge to the UK and Continental Europe that is a vital part of the continued success of Ireland’s open economy.”

Contacted by Fleet Maritime the Ports of Normandy Authority that controls the Ports of Cherbourg and others on the Cherbourg peninsula advise that they are working on developing improved access to the Ports for tourist and commercial traffic.

CLdN adds another BREXIT beater to the Dublin routes

F

ollowing the successful launch into service of the 8000-lane metre Celine onto a Dublin/ Zeebrugge/Rotterdam/ and Zeebrugge/ Dublin rotation in November, the line will introduce her sister-ship Delphine onto a similar rotation in February. At the time of writing Delphine is undergoing her fi nal trials prior to entering service for CLdN. Pat Brennan, Director of the Doyle Shipping

a beast of a ship and we now have her every Thursday evening arrival Dublin and sailing early a.m. on Friday. She is interchanging typically between 1,300 and 1,500 units during each Dublin call, which is very impressive. Overall it is working very well and these ships do seem to be the future.

From a Brexit point of view, they tick all the boxes”.

Group, the Irish port Agents for CLdN, advises that the Celine is doing very well and operating reliably in the service. “She is

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Cork to Santander

The formal naming ceremony for Celine will take place in Dublin in April.

Port of Cork Company, Custom House Street, Cork, Ireland T: +353 21 4273 125 | portofcork.ie

FLEETMARITIME | Spring 2018

48 | MARITIME III

Dun Laoghaire Ferry Terminal becomes an Innovation Campus

2

017 marked the 200th anniversary of the commencement of construction of Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the southern coast of Dublin Bay. The original purpose of what was to be the largest man-made harbour in the world was to be a “Harbour of Refuge” for sailing vessels waiting to enter Dublin Port and at risk of being driven onto the beaches in stormy conditions. It was only after building work was completed, and what was to be the world’s first commuter railway line was built to Dunleary, just north of the new harbour, that the Holyhead ferry switched terminal from Howth to the new Port.

The Holyhead/Dun Laoghaire link thrived right up to the early years of the present century when competition from larger ferries operating in and out of Dublin and from lowcost airlines reduced traffic flows substantially.

Despite the best efforts of the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company to fi nd an alternative service to operate through the Port, they were unsuccessful. In October 2017 it announced that the Ferry terminal would now have a new role as being an ‘Innovation Campus’ opening in July 2018 and with capacity to accommodate 1,000 office workers.

2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the Irish Sea’s greatest maritime disaster when the Mail

Boat RMS Leinster was sunk by a German U-Boat barely an hour after she had left Dun Laoghaire, en route to Holyhead on the morning of 10 October 1918. Approximately 550 people were lost despite the strenuous efforts of a considerable flotilla of boats from Dun Laoghaire and Dublin. A Mail Boat Leinster Centenary Committee has been set up to plan a series of events throughout the year and full details can be found on its website: www.leinster2018.com

Brittany Ferries orders LNG powered vessel and charters a Stena newbuild

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n March 2019, work will begin on Brittany Ferries’ new £175 million state-of-the-art new ship named the Honfleur, for operation on the popular Portsmouth-Caen route. The ship will be built in the Flensburger SchiffbauGesellshaft shipyard in Germany and will be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Alternative fuel LNG emits less carbon dioxide than diesel following combustion and burns with no smoke. It is entirely free of sulphur and produces very low emissions of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter. In LNG-electric propulsion, four engines feed electric generators and two electric propulsion motors. Th is quieter and more efficient form of power delivery reduces vibration, meaning an even smoother ride for passengers and is the most advanced sustainable travel option.

At the annual LNG Bunkering Summit, Brittany Ferries and energy provider Total Group announced that they were in exclusive negotiations with a view to signing a contract for LNG fuel provision for the new vessel. Total was a pioneer in the LNG

vessel fleet of 22,000 TEU container ships currently under construction.

Honfleur

sector, and is today a major player.

An innovative and tailor-made supply solution will be developed, using ISO containers to bunker the vessel. This innovative delivery method overcomes a lack of LNG infrastructure in Brittany Ferries’ ports, and will be developed on a model that is currently cheaper than delivery by barge. As shown on the infographic this operation using ISO containers allows the vessel to be re-fuelled at any port, obviating the need to have special pump facilities at the port.

Total Group has also made an agreement with deep-sea containership operator, CMA-CGM to supply 300,000 tonnes of LNG over a ten-year period to fuel its nine-

NEW! TWICE WEEKLY RO-PAX SERVICE

Cork to Santander FLEETMARITIME | Spring 2018

In 2021 Brittany Ferries will take delivery of a vessel from Stena Line which replaces the 2002 built Baie de Seine currently chartered from DFDS and operated on the Spanish routes. The new vessel is one of the fleet of four sister-ships ordered by Stena from the AVIC shipyard in China and intended for use on the Irish Sea. Because the charter was agreed while the vessel was still at the design stage, the opportunity will be taken to build the internal layout to meet the longer voyage Brittany Ferries needs. As Stena has now completed the purchase of the two Superfast vessels which had been chartered from Tallink to operate the Belfast/Cairnryan route, it now appears likely that these vessels will remain on that route rather than being replaced by two of the new builds. Plans remain in place to put the other two new builds on the Belfast/ Liverpool route. It is now likely that the fourth vessel with a freight capacity of 3,000 lane metres will be deployed on the Dublin - Holyhead route displacing the 1,900 lane metre Superfast X.

Port of Cork Company, Custom House Street, Cork, Ireland T: +353 21 4273 125 | portofcork.ie

MARITIME IV | 49

Le Havre/Lausanne rail shuttle planned

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n a speech to the French Congress in November, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced a strategy for development of the Ports of Le Havre and of Marseille Fos that would facilitate the handling of traffic beyond their current hinterlands. He called on the Ports to expand beyond the borders of France, collaborating with each other and using intermodal networks to grab a larger share of European cargo.

Arising from this, the Ports will launch a rail shuttle service in March in conjunction with

intermodal operator, Naviland Cargo as they target the potentially lucrative Swiss market.

They reckon that there is a traffic potential of up 400,000 TEU on this corridor alone, and would offer the equivalent capacity to that of 12,000 dedicated trucks per annum.

frequency intermodal services linking Le Havre with Central Europe, together with the marketing of the Port as a hub for deep-sea traffic, could offer Irish traders an alternative to the already congested Rotterdam and Antwerp hubs.

From an Irish perspective the new strategy is interesting, particularly in a Brexit context.

Up to now the major drawback of Le Havre as a transit port for Irish export cargo to continental Europe has been the poor onward transport links to destinations beyond the French borders. A range of dedicated high-

Another Port rail development has taken place at Mombassa with a new rail link to Kenyan Capital, Nairobi. The eight times daily service trains will each have capacity for 216 TEU and Kenya Railways expect to reduce costs for each freight unit by up to USD500 as well as significantly reducing Port congestion.

There’s something familiar about Owenglas

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p to now this series has focussed on Ro-Ro vessels with an Irish connection many of which would be well known to hauliers both when operating to Great Britain and when driving further afield. The Owenglas is quite different, but with a long history of carrying containers on Irish sea services her name will be familiar to many people involved in the broader shipping business.

The 78.5-metre-long Owenglas which was built and entered service in 1970 is, nearly 50 years later, still in active service. However she no longer operates as a container ship, as following her conversion in 1991, she now plies her trade as a livestock carrier operating in the Red Sea. She was built for the Greenore Ferry

Service to run services between Greenore and Preston and Greenore and Sharpness. A year later she went on to a five-year charter to Coast Lines, being given the name Irish Coast running on a number of Irish Sea routes. The next charter was to Commodore Shipping, but she was back on the Irish Sea a year later running for Atlantic Steam Navigation (ASN) out of Preston to Dublin initially, but that service switched to Greenore and closed down in January 1978.

For the next thirteen years Owenglas sailed a number of English Channel routes, mainly to and from the Channel Islands for Commodore Shipping operations, whereupon in 1991 she was sold and converted to a Livestock Carrier for operation in Middle Eastern waters.

The Owenglas, now named Makkah II and registered in Panama continues to sail in the Red Sea operating mainly out of the Port of Jeddah.

(Researching this piece brought up a lot of interesting questions about the early years of the container shipping revolution as it applied to the Irish Sea. We will examine this further in future pieces but would welcome any reader input.)

Can the Ports of Waterford and Rosslare “counterbalance” Dublin?

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n the course of a joint submission to the South-East Region Chambers of Commerce final application to the National Planning Framework, the Ports of Waterford and Rosslare Europort express their belief that they can become ‘valuable counterpoints’ to reduce congestion in the Dublin area while also supporting a ‘robust and pragmatic’ response to Brexit.

Their submission goes on: “In the context of some of the challenges posed by Brexit, the South-East can offer a platform for solutions

development of the region and that this role is equivalent to that performed by the Tier 1 ports, Dublin, Cork and Shannon Foynes, for their respective regions.

that bypass the UK landbridge with little or no upfront investment. Similarly, the opportunity is there to reduce freight road miles and related CO2 emissions while taking some pressure off Dublin’s road and port infrastructure.

We submit that the south-east ports have a very significant role to play in the economic

NEW! TWICE WEEKLY RO-PAX SERVICE

Cork to Santander

The port throughput figures for the first three quarters of 2017 issued by the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) show that, while there was an overall growth in Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo traffic through Irish ports of 5% and 7% respectively, the volumes through the South-East ports did not substantially differ from those achieved in 2016.

Port of Cork Company, Custom House Street, Cork, Ireland T: +353 21 4273 125 | portofcork.ie

FLEETMARITIME | Spring 2018

50 | FACTORY VISIT

IVECO leads the way in Argentina

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ocated about 35 kilometres outside Córdoba is the large Fiat Chrysler Automobile campus, serving the needs of the Argentinean market and some export trade. Alongside is the long-established Iveco truck plant (since 1969) and the site also incorporates production of CNG Industrial agriculture and plant machinery. On average each year, 15,000 trucks are assembled in the Iveco Argentina S.A. 180,000 sq.m facility, with over 4,000 Case and New Holland tractors and 2,000 combines rolling out of a 150,000 sq.m factory adjacent. The engine supplier within the Group, FPT Industrial produces 13,000 powertrains for the domestic market here also, on a separate 20,000 sq.m facility. All told, the company employs 3,200 people, which includes network representation of 80 dealers and 130 sales/service points.

range to meet Euro 5 emission controls and these models based on the Eurocargo and Stralis that we are familiar with in Europe are now made here. The Daily van range is imported from Brazil.

Córdoba is one of eleven CNH Industrial plants in South America.

In 2016, substantial investment was made in renewing the truck

With 30,000 commercial vehicle units currently sold annually in Argentina, Iveco is market leader with 4,500 units retailed.

Production capacity in Córdoba meets that order book in one shift which operates 7 hours per day. Martin is confident that an increased required output of 5,000 in 2018 is within easy reach. “In fact, we have the capacity to reach 15,000 units annually with three shifts if required,” he added.

By July of this year the plant will have attained Bronze level in World Class Manufacturing, according to plant manager, Martin Furey, who is proud of his Irish roots stretching back 150 years to Kilbeggan, County Westmeath.

In 2017, investment continued in creating greater efficiency in spare parts availability with the amalgamation of three units into one new CNH Industrial warehouse near Buenos Aires. The $30 million facility also houses the 2,700 sq.m administration headquarters of CNH Industrial Argentina, employing 300 people.

En route to World Class Manufacturing status, every aspect on how the vehicles are produced and quality controlled is scrutinised.

The processes are more time consuming and with a strong Union presence on the shop floor, implementation of new practices and improvements are a litt le slower, admitted Martin. All trucks are built to order and it takes just two weeks delivery time once the deal is done.

While walking through the plant with Martin, there is a good share of automation mixed with manual assembly by male and female FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

FACTORY VISIT | 51

Martin Furey, Operative Manager, Commercial Vehicles Iveco Argentina S.A. with Jarlath Sweeney, Fleet Transport

Cab C ab Pr P odu o cti tion o on

workers. As 90% of the trucks produced are white in colour, there were no stand out customer liveries out of the paint shop at the time.

Interesting to note that the paint shop equipment emerged from the closing down of the old Ford Truck plant in Langley, England following the Iveco takeover from nearly forty years ago. “The machinery still works well,” admitted Martin.

Some of the Tector/Eurocargo and Stralis models had badge reference to Eurotronic or AutoShift and Martin pointed out that automated gearboxes now command over 50% of the heavy trucks produced here and growing, especially in the past two years. On average the power output for the 45 tonne GVW tractors range from 330-440hp with 480hp, mainly for heavy haulage, as Argentineans’ flat countryside in general does not require higher power. Road transport is the basis of the economy as rail freight has demised with lack of investment in rail infrastructure. “We used to have almost 50,000 km of rail network – not so much now, as its down to less than 30,000km,” stated Martin.

Drivet Dri vetrai ra n A ssse sssembl emb mbl b ey ey

Developments for 2018 include the importation of the Trakker 8x4 from Madrid and the introduction of the larger Hi-Way cab for the Stralis into the marketplace, which is being demanded by customers.

Although Argentina has its own source of Natural Gas, Iveco’s Natural Power CNG range of trucks is unlikely to make an impact for a few more years. There were some sales achieved with Natural Gas-powered trucks in Argentina and surrounding countries.

High inflation is still a big issue as the country’s economic recovery continues. From on average 40% two years ago to around 25% last year, the Government is looking to lower that figure to 15% in the short term. Th is year Argentina will come under global media attention as it hosts the G20 Summit (Group of 20) in Buenos Aires at the end of November. The thirteenth gathering of World Leaders comes to South America for the fi rst time. Last December Argentina’s capital was the venue for the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC11).

Caaabb Pa C Cab P int Pain ntsho ssho h p

In the meantime, as the Argentinean economy returns, so too will the Iveco brand increase its presence, as the company is well prepared.

Paint wor orkk Qualit uallityy Co C ntr ntrol ol Text & Photos: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

www.fleet.ie

52 | SOAPBOX

A Mediocre Minister Not a Brexit Team Player

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n the morning Brexit was announced I was going on holidays. Everyone I talked to on the ferry to France was in the same state of shock as I was. But why were we so shocked?

Possibly like our Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, the majority of them were born as citizens of the European Union and knew no other life.

On the other hand, people my age remember life before European Economic Community membership and certainly realised what membership meant to the island of Ireland. In its own way it has almost made us one. Resulting from the UK Referendum, I think in our sinking hearts we could see the divisions of the past return.

A return to a particular part of the past was the biggest fear in my mind, namely Customs Officers simply there to fi nd fault, looking for missing dots on every 'i' and missing crosses on every 't' of every form. Chaos was all I could see on the horizon.

As our Government slowly came to grips with trying to envision the future post-Brexit, an inspired person or persons came up with the idea of the Brexit Sectoral Forums and the Penultimate Forums in Dublin Castle. My article in Fleet Transport at the time reflected on the positive feelings from the meetings in that there was a meeting of minds and that we were all in this together. That in the case of the road transport industry, we would fi nally have the opportunity to work in partnership with Government to deliver of our best.

Infrastructure Ireland has just increased the price of the M50 toll by 23%, adding thousands of euros to some haulage companies.

Again, our Minister is too busy engaged in gett ing Shankill Garda Station reopened, despite the fact that An Garda Síochána sees no sense in it.

The stupidity of the Repak view that truck tyres are like car tyres just swans by under his Ministerial Nose. The self serving agendas of the legal and insurance sectors in dealing with claims and hijacking premiums is something he continuously rallied against as a journalist, yet is indifferent to as a Minister.

As a haulier of many years I have seen Transport Ministers from the outstanding Jim Mitchell and Seamus Brennan to the mediocre in Shane Ross. I suppose it is my own fault that I believed in the rhetoric he poured forth every Sunday and on TV3. More fool me.

The question is, with Brexit on the horizon how long more will he be allowed to get away with such mediocrity by Government? He is not a team player and certainly not an Ireland Brexit Team player.

That I am sure was what Government intended. However, it seems the message has not got through to the Minister for Transport and the quangos that rule our lives.

Minister Ross displayed his ignorance of rural Ireland’s industrial output (which is the major employer in Ireland) at Dublin Castle when he stated that post-Brexit, we should simply fi nd new markets for the produce currently going to the UK. While he was quite at home in the columns of the Sunday Independent, slagging off all and sundry and telling us how he would reform all sorts of Departments of this, that and the other, it seems as Minister for Transport he is quite willing to be led by the same bureaucracy he so often derided.

As a journalist he stood up for the rights of all, but as a Minister he has singularly failed to stand up for the rights of the road haulage industry. Maybe he doesn’t care where our trucks or trailers go as long as it’s not through his constituency with all those nasty loads of low value exports?

Since Brexit was born, we have seen the Minister completely ignore the stupidity of the reduction in weights on a five-axle artic from forty-two tonne to forty, displaying no interest in the fact that this reduces Ireland’s competitiveness and that it is the figment of some engineers’ imagination of reducing road damage. Likewise the complete failure of the Road Safety Authority to do its job in bringing out-of-State hauliers to book for any offence, despite the fact that DVSA checks in the UK reveal 20% of Northern Irish-based road transport operators are using emissions defeat devices. There are no such checks here for non-Irish registered hauliers. Transport FLEETTRANSPORT | FEBRUARY 18

Text: Jerry Kiersey - jerry@fleet.ie

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