Fleet Transport March16 webfull

IRELAND'S LEADING COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MAGAZINE Inside!

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Truck brands #reducingCO2together with ACEA VIEWPOINT: Harrie Schippers, DAF Trucks TEST: Scania R580 4x2 Blue Stream PREVIEWS: CV Show, FPS Expo & SEAI Show INTERVIEW: Moyagh Murdock, Road Safety Authority FEATURE: Truck & Trailer Contract Hire & Rentals

MARCH 16

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April 26 - 28th NEC BIRMINGHAM

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The number one road transport and logistics event in Britain, catering for every operator’s business needs, the CV Show is the leading meeting place for suppliers and operators alike – a true one stop shop for the industry.

Located at the NEC, at the heart of the motorway network, the Show is open from 08:30 to 17:30 April 26 – 28.

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Contents MARCH 16

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

4 News • FTAI Transport Manager Seminar • Good result for DKV Group • CV Show 2016 • IRHA President raises insurance issue • London’s HGVs to improve safety • Green Tiger honours WW II heros • Redlough benefits from Northgate • Universal Graphics appointed by 3M • Ford tops LCV sales in 2015 8 Viewpoint From outgoing DAF Trucks President Harrie Schippers

www.fleet.ie | 3 29 Fuel Prices & Safety Matters 30 Field Trial Eoin Gavin’s Eco-Combi out on the road 32 Review I IEA Export Leadership Forum 33 Review II National Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference 34 Health Matters Diesel exhaust fumes

Editor: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

10 Cover ACEA Transport Conference

36 Times Past Municipal Vehicles

Contributors: Sean Murtagh, Paul White, Cathal Doyle, Jonathan Lawton, Donal Dempsey, Howard Knott, Jerry Kiersey, HSA, Dr. Betty Maguire, Michael Corcoran, Rob VanDieten, Gianenrico Griffini, Leonard Allison

12 New Fleet 161 Mercs, Scania, DAF & Renaults

38 Trailer • 2015 EU market • Krone • Faymonville • Gray & Adams

Photography: Jarlath Sweeney, Paul White, Cathal Doyle, Rob Van Dieten, Howard Knott, Joe O'Brien, Michael Corcoran, Jerry Kiersey, Leonard Allison, Shutterstock, Dreamstime, Carmen Hidalgo

14 Test Special Edition Scania R580 16 Fleeting Shots Featuring Fulfil, Volvo Ocean Race & Paul

Administration: Denise Owens enquiries@fleet.ie

17 Preview I CV Show 2016

Advertising: Mary Morrissey - mary@fleet.ie

20 Interview Exclusive interview with Moyagh Murdock, CEO, Road Satety Authority

Sponsorship/Events: Orla Sweeney - orla@fleet.ie Design: Eamonn Wynne Printed in Ireland

40 Opinion Impact of IRHA 41 Logistics Omni-Channel Logistics 42 Comment BIM’s PLB 44 Shipping & Freight New Container weights

23 Preview II FPS Expo 2016

46 Legal Duty of Care

24 Preview III SEAI Energy Show 2016

48 Finance Profitability

25 Feature Truck & Trailer Contract Hire & Rentals

50 Soapbox Time for a National Freight Policy

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P12

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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.

Transport Barometer: Data from 16/01/2016 - 14/02/2016

TimoCom Transport Barometer: Lows & Highs in 2015 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

The turn of the year as a result of an economic slowdown in Europe, the refugee crisis and pessimistic shippers all had an impact on the T imo C om Tr anspor t Barometer. The freightto-vehicle ratio was 46:54 in Q4 2015 and therefore remained well below expectations even though the final quarter started off positively.

The freight to vehicle ratio for 2015 as a whole amounted to 47:53 in the final account and was two percentage points above the previous year (45:55). The outlook is cautiously positive. "There are some positive signs for 2016. Spain and Ireland, for example, appear to have emerged from the financial crisis with stronger and higher quality growth. Consumption may prove to be a central pillar which benefits from rising employment and higher wages,” said a spokesman.

4 | NEWS 1

Senior GB Traffic Commissioner to address FTA Ireland Transport Manager seminar

W

ith a high percentage of Irish haulage transiting Britain day and night, mostly en route to mainland Europe, Beverly Bell (pictured), Senior Traffic Commissioner for Great Britain, will address attendees at the FTA Ireland’s Traffic Manager Seminar 2016.

Ms. Bell will explain how Traffic Commissioners in the UK regulate and enforce road transport law. She will also speak about the enforcement authorities’ perception of Irish freight operators transiting the UK and explain the differences between the UK and Irish systems - the latter being enforced through the Civil Courts system.

The annual Transport Manager Seminar, which will be held on Wednesday, 9 March at Johnstown House Hotel & Spa in Enfield, County Meath, will also have speakers from the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, Mercedes-Benz, Purdy Fitzgerald Solicitors,

freight traffic passing through the UK, the Traffic Commissioners have a significant impact on Ireland’s import and export trades.

It is vital for Irish operators to ensure they are compliant with UK transport law.”

The Transport Manager Conference, sponsored

by Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Goodyear, Enprova and Total, and supported by media partner Fleet Transport magazine, will focus on ensuring that transport managers have all the information, guidance and best practice advice they need on forthcoming legislation and enforcement changes.

BOC Gases, the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), the Garda Traffic Bureau, the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) and the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

Neil McDonnell, FTA Ireland’s General Manager, who will be chairing the Conference, said: “We are delighted to host Beverly Bell at TMS 2016. Because of the amount of Irish

The cost for FTAI members is €250 plus VAT for the first delegate and €220 + VAT for subsequent delegates; for non-members €300 plus VAT for the first delegate and €260 plus VAT for subsequent delegates.

For further details or to book a place, call FTA Ireland on 01 844 7516 or email info@ftai.ie

DKV Group achieves record result Up to 100 new jobs planned across Europe

T

he DKV Mobility Services Group, which incorporates DKV Euro Service, the European market leader for fuel and service cards, recorded its most successful business year in its 80 years history. It achieved total sales of €5.8 billion in 2015, which represents a growth of 1.8% compared to the previous year.

“Although the diesel price over this past business year was about 12 percent below the level of the previous year because of global oversupply, the DKV Group was able to compensate for this turn of events,” said Managing Director, Dr. Alexander Hufnagl. “If the low diesel price in 2015 is factored out, the sales figure amounts to

€6.3 billion,” added Managing Director Dr. Werner Grünewald.

Compensation made for lower diesel price The DKV Group was able to compensate for this turn of events by integrating further country tolls (including in Russia), successfully establishing the NOVOFLEET card in the car fleet segment and expanding the Europe-wide supply network into Eurasia. Much effort was put into improving efficiency: at REMOBIS, which takes responsibility for VAT refunds for haulage firms within the Group, the time taken for refunds to be received has been halved on average across Europe.

In order to meet future challenges such as the integration of further European tolls, the consistent further development of its invoicing infrastructure service and the entry into new business fields, the DKV Group intends to create up to 100 new jobs in 2016 in the areas of customer service, IT, product management, marketing and sales, taking its total number of employees in Europe to around 880.

CV SHOW 2016 – Annual calling comes ‘round again!

C

alling all Commercial Vehicle heads! The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, adjacent to the International Airport, is the place to be for all road transport and logistics professionals from April 26/28 next.

With free entry, the chance to network, and fulfi l your sourcing needs from the latest

FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

in vehicle technology, product and service innovations, the CV Show is the exhibition for the industry.

By popular request, Workshop 2016 will be back for fleet engineers and technicians, while Cool 2016 is the place to chill for anyone involved in transporting under temperature controlled conditions.

There really is something for everyone at the CV Show so register immediately, or for more information visit www.cvshow.com.

NEWS II | 5

IRHA President raises insurance cost crisis

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erona Murphy, President of the Irish Road Haulage Association (I R H A), recent ly made representation to Finance Minister, Michael Noonan, T.D. to establish a Government appointed inquiry into the spiralling insurance costs within the sector, similar to that of the Motor Insurance Advisory Board (MIAB) in 2002.

“The IRHA believes that given the lack of insurance providers/underwriters that provide commercial vehicle insurance cover for the national fleet, coupled with the increase in insurance premiums being sought from current providers, the sector is essentially being held at ransom with no alternative options available. The sector cannot afford the exorbitant insurance costs that are being sought across the board, and we genuinely find ourselves at a critical juncture,” stressed

Verona. “We have made stringent efforts to seek to remedy the industry difficulty, but unfortunately to no avail. Consequently the Association is requesting the urgent intervention of Government at this very difficult time,” she added.

costs, and called on the establishment of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB), which did lead to lower premiums. 45 percent of PIAB cases now go to Court.

“Following analysis of our members’ experiences in the renewal of their commercial f leet insurance in 2015, operators are experiencing an increase on their premium of 50-70 percent. That’s an astronomical increase in anyone’s view, but such percentage increases are being applied where no claims have been made during the previous twelve months of the haulage operator’s insurance cover. The IRHA believes that the level of increase is completely unjustifiable.”

“Without swift and decisive action, there will be a significant reduction in licensed operators available to service the country’s economic demand, not to mention a very challenging environment to encourage young apprentices into a training programme that bears limited prospective employment options,” concluded Verona.

The 2002 MI A B report offered recommendations on reducing insurance

*The 43rd IRHA AGM & Conference 2016 will be held on the weekend on 15/16 April next at the Clayton Whites Hotel, Wexford.

London’s approach on truck safety rejected

T

he much publicised proposal

by London Mayor Boris Johnson to change the technical features of HGVs to improve safety has been rejected by the Freight Transport Association (FTA).

A public consultation launched last month sets out the intention to require all HGVs on London’s roads to have a transparent panel fitted in the lower half of the passenger door to improve visibility (with the exception of a small number where retro-fitt ing is not possible).

FTA’s Head of National & Regional Policy, Christopher Snelling explaines: “Improving visibility for HGV drivers is really important, but there are many different ways to achieve this. We are disappointed that the Mayor has chosen to focus on just one option without clear evidence that this is the best way to deliver the desired outcome.

Side panels have limitations, for example, if the vehicle is carrying a second crew member or equipment, then the view may be obscured. In recent years the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) have made additional mirrors, cameras and sensors a priority for HGVs. Now suddenly this one panel is the answer – and those who have already eliminated this blind spot through technology will be forced to adapt their vehicles again to address the same problem.”

Increasing the direct visibility from HGVs is a priority and FTA advises members to explore the use of vehicles with reduced blind spots in their fleets.

“Wholly redesigned cabs with lower seats can eliminate far more blind spots - including those that affect pedestrian collisions as well as cyclists. But they are much more expensive - partly because so few are made. London can now help make these vehicles a part of the mainstream by allowing operators to off-set the cost of buying them against a reduced congestion charge,” added Christopher.

Truck manufacturer Mercedes-Benz currently leads the way with an innovative redesign of its Econic municipal truck that meets all of the criteria set by the TfL under the ‘Construction Logistics and Cyclist Safety' (CLOCS) programme.

World War hero themed trucks continue on Green Tiger Express fleet

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reen Tiger Express, the prominent Irish car transporter company that also has a strong presence in Britain, has continued its unique naming of its trucks after World War heroes.

On its previous fleet renewal programme, Jerry Kersey, the company’s Managing Director,

reminded us of the tribute paid to eight Irish holders of the Victoria Cross from the Second World War. On Green Tiger’s four new Scania P410s and EVO8 Transporters from Hunwick Engineering, four heroes from World War I are honoured namely, James Jackman VC, James Magennis VC, Claude Raymond VC and Marcus Ervine-Andrews VC. www.fleet.ie

6 | NEWS 111

Redlough Landscapes cuts fleet running costs with Northgate

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ublin-basedRedloughLandscapes, has substantially reduced in-fleet running costs thanks to partnering with Northgate Vehicle Hire.

To tend to its growing customer base across Ireland, Redlough was in need of new vehicles, as well as a fleet package that would keep its vehicles on the road and allow for associated costs budgeting.

Since teaming up with Northgate, Redlough Landscapes has saved €30,000 on service, maintenance and repair (SMR) thanks to the all-inclusive package which sees such costs included in one fi xed monthly price.

This has been helped by the introduction of fresher commercials - since switching to Northgate, the average age of Redlough’s 30-strong fleet has more than halved, from seven to three years/ This means fewer repair bills, increased reliability and improved efficiency.

Aaron Redmond, Business Development Manager at Redlough, said the changing nature of both the weather and the industry means that flexibility is key in a fleet supplier.

Northgate provided Redlough with a variety of vehicles to meet the differing needs of its business, including tippers, 4x4s and vans of all sizes.

Ciaran McCarthy, Business Development Manager at Northgate, said its one-stop service has helped Redlough to accurately budget for fleet costs and provided financial peace of mind, as well as boosting customer service.

Universal Graphics appointed 3M Select vehicle graphics partner

I

n a change of structure for Ireland and UK, 3M’s Commercial Graphics division of the sciencebased technology company, has appointed Universal Graphics as a Select Partner for its printing and application of print wrap films in the rail and fleet markets.

3M Select is a global initiative and gives customers the assurance of dealing with a qualified partner backed by certification and a comprehensive warranty.

3M Select has already been successfully introduced in the US, Canada, Germany and Benelux and qualifies partners against a common set of strict, transparent criteria applied consistently worldwide. The programme has two levels: Platinum and

customers’ commitment to their brand.

The 3M Select programme is a realisation of that, and brand owners can approach a 3M Select partner with complete confidence.”

Gold, with Universal Graphics qualifying for the highest status.

Commenting, Pen Webley, Senior Marketing Executive for 3M Commercial Graphics said, “Global, national and regional businesses rely on 3M Commercial Graphics products to protect their brand identity. 3M shares

She added, “For more than 40 years 3M Wrap Film Products have consistently set the industry standard for quality, performance and value. 3M is recognised as an innovative leader in supplying graphics systems, amongst them products that will not only withstand the fluctuating Irish weather but maintain excellent image quality. The new 3M Select programme is designed to allow us to maintain this by directing customers to partners that embrace our values and commitment to quality.”

Ford tops the EU LCV sales scale in 2015

2

015 not only marked the 50th anniversary of the Ford Transit, but the ‘blue oval’ marque became Europe’s top selling commercial vehicle brand - for the fi rst time in 18 years.

European customers purchased more than 280,000 Ford commercial vehicles last year, a 23 per cent increase over 2014, thanks to its renewed and expanded Transit line-up – Transit (2-tonne), Transit Custom, Transit Connect and Transit Courier. Together, these sold 233,000 vehicles in 2015, an increase of 46,000 compared to the previous year.

FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

At the same time, the Ford Ranger overtook its rivals to become Europe’s No. 1 selling Pick-up, with total sales of 27,300 units - up by 27 per cent compared with 2014. Ford CVs achieved a market share of 12.6 per cent in 2015 - a rise of 1.2 percentage points year-on-year - to replace Volkswagen CV as

the top selling brand. In addition, last year marked 50 consecutive years of commercial vehicle leadership in the UK market, while Ford also held a leading position in Denmark, Hungary, Ireland and Turkey.

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8 | VIEWPOINT

Harrie Schippers, President, DAF Trucks NV

T

"2015 was a good year for DAF Trucks, as we invest for the future”

hanks to a recovering economy, and having the highest quality and most fuel efficient trucks in its history, DAF Trucks’ President Harrie Schippers is very confident about the future. “With a growing heavy duty market share in Europe last year, we are on track towards our mid-term objective of 20%. Outside Europe we will further expand presence with focus on demanding markets with modern emission standards.”

New records set DAF Trucks also benefited from the larger market. Indeed, the Dutch brand headquartered in Eindhoven, received 30% more orders last year for its CF and XF series compared with 2014, the highest number since 2007. To meet the high demand, production in Eindhoven was increased in just four months by 50%. "Production has never risen so quickly. A great achievement. In the last three months of 2015, a total of 11,500 trucks were produced in Eindhoven, which is a new quarterly record. In total, we produced almost 41,000 CF and XF trucks last year, and around 9,700 LF models.”

Focus on CO2 “What we try to explain to the legislators in Brussels is that we as an industry don’t need legislation to reduce CO2 emission, as it is directly linked to fuel consumption,” explained Harrie. “We simply deliver lowest fuel consumption automatically, because our customers ask for it. On top of that more and more politicians in Brussels are starting to understand that it is very complex to make general legislation, because every truck is different. The VECTO simulation tool to be introduced in 2018 gets a lot of attention now, and the way we are going to declare CO2 emission on a comparable, audit-able and verifiable basis will further strengthen market forces and make all manufacturers run even harder. The industry will invest enormously in future too to make trucks even more fuel efficient and cleaner. “ “Nevertheless, it is good to question whether we should spend so much effort and cost on reducing CO2 emissions from trucks. All FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

future technologies needed to make the next step will cost our customers some €300 to save one tonne of CO2 , whereas on the free market you can still buy emission rights for only €6 a tonne. Th ink about that!”

Tractor market is most demanding “Whatever the market does, it is our ambition to grow in both the tractor and the rigid segments,” continued Harrie. “In tractors we have a very strong position indeed, however, in the last quarters of last year our growth in rigids was even stronger. As I always say, the first 2.5 metres of tractors and rigids are the same. 80% of the value is there. In countries where we are market leader, our market share in rigids is higher than in tractors. Many emerging markets, like Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary are real tractor markets. Tractors are used for international transportation, in which competition is most severe. I’m proud that DAF Trucks performs best here. We have many programmes in place to further grow in rigids and we are making good progress. But when we are at 20% market share in Europe on the midterm, we will still be stronger in tractors. Our objective for this year is a 16% share in the heavy-truck class.”

Confidence in future DAF has a large number of investment projects running, such as the construction of the new cab paint shop in Westerlo, (Belgium) costing about €100 million. “In addition, tens

of millions will be invested in Eindhoven: for the production of new gearwheels, in a new large press in the sheet metal component plant and in a new production line for cylinder blocks and cylinder heads. These major investments illustrate confidence in the future of our factories in Eindhoven and Westerlo. All these investments are done to be prepared for the future in which I have strong confidence, thanks to the best and most efficient trucks we ever offered, developed, manufactured and marketed by over 8,000 dedicated DAF employees and our over 1,000 dealers in Europe and beyond.”

2016 Developments For 2016, it is expected that the recovery of the world economy will continue cautiously, with growth of the European economy again increasing by almost 2%. "Despite the unrest in the Middle East, oil prices remain at a low level. With the economic recovery, transport volumes are likely to remain at a good level, with a slight growth in the truck market as a result. For 2016 it is anticipated that the European market for heavy trucks will be between 260,000 and 290,000 units. 2016 could be the best market since 2008," Harrie said with optimism, “And yes, the market is at a sustainable level, at or even above what under normal economic situations would be a replacement market. However, I don’t have a crystal ball - all depends very much on how the economy develops.”

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10 | COVER

Reducing CO2 from road transport “together”

B

y 2020 CO2 emissions from road transport can be reduced by at least 20%, but only through an integrated approach. This was one of the main points highlighted at an ACEA themed conference held in Brussels last month. ACEA, the European body for vehicle manufacturers has been working with various stakeholders with the common goal of reducing emissions and set the platform for discussion and comment on the subject.

350 attendees heard from speakers representing truck manufacturers, pollutions, fuel organisations and freight carriers. Erik Jonnaert, ACEA Secretary General welcomed the audience and set the tone for the day’s proceedings.

Martin Lundstedt, President & CEO Volvo Group in delivering the keynote address as Chairman of ACEA’s Commercial Vehicle body, began by reflecting on the industry’s track record. He noted that “efficient transport is the backbone to EU growth and competitiveness and that transport links other economic sectors.” Contrary to general opinion, heavyduty vehicles in Europe account for less than 5% of the overall 25% of European greenhouse gas emissions related to the transport sector.

For the record, cars and motorbikes contribute the highest level at 11%. Emissions from energy generation is the biggest emitter at 30%. ”Contributing to the lowering of harmful exhaust emissions and a decrease in fuel consumption has been driven by market forces, not by regulation,” claimed Martin.

Since the mid-60’s and throughout the various stages of Euro emission regulations from 1 to 6 which began in the early 90’s, fuel consumption alone has dropped 60%, while pollutant emissions from the latest trucks are near zero.

In order to achieve the united goal in reducing CO2 from road transport, Martin has a threepronged attack:•

Take into account the complexity of the heavy-duty market: No one truck is like another.

Strengthen market forces through improved customer information. VECTO’s computer FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

simulation empowers customers to choose the most fuel-efficient vehicle. Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool (VECTO) calculates specific emissions data for each individual truck configuration.

Mobilise all stakeholders through an integrated approach, in order to more than double CO2 reduction potential.

“If all stakeholders join forces, we can unlock additional potential, taking into consideration vehicle related measures: vehicle, trailer, tyres; fuel; Operations: Day-to-day running, infra-structure, fleet renewal.” For long haul and regional delivery operations, CO2 emissions can be reduced by 20% over the next 6 years under the aforementioned parameters – 4.8%/0.5%/16% respectively.

ACEA has brought together the various bodies associated with transport and the environment across Europe including its truck brand membership and trailer manufacturer.

Guest speaker Marjolijn Sonnema, Deputy Director General of Mobility, Ministry of Infrastructure & Environment, the Netherlands began by making a broad statement that perked the ears of the attendees. “The next 20 years in transport will see more changes than in the past 100 years.” She cited current happenings such as the unbridled use of the smartphone, and the advent of autonomous driving. While mobility becomes greener and smarter she noted that : “Smart mobility will have a greater

impact on safety helping to reduce the 90% of RTA's associated with human error.”

As the Netherlands holds the EU presidency, Ms. Sonnema mentioned the hosting of an International Ministerial Environmental and Transport meeting discussing a green and smart mobility on 14/15 April next.

Before then, a week earlier, the first staging of a Pan-European Truck Platooning Challenge concludes in Amsterdam. On public transport, Marjolijn said that by 2020, the country’s cities will run zero-emission electric buses only and will be looking for a similar result for trucks operating within the city centres.

Outspoken Dutch MEP Wim van de Kamp, raised more questions than answers. One headliner was why the proposed VECTO–CO2 assessment system, which uses a simulated mechanism, cannot include real life field test data to ensure accuracy. He brought to notice the Volkswagen ‘EmissionGate’ scandal from last year to make his point. He praised the advances of road transport in moving freight with good pricing, reliable and offering a door-to-door service in deference to rail and waterways transport, which has failed to make the same impact despite much investment.

Wim did however outline that transport contributes to 24% of CO2 emissions, 74% of this from road transport compared to 29% from the energy sector.

He admitted that politicians are never satisfied and will always call for lower emission limits

COVER | 11 trial in Italy, where 1.5 metres had been added to trailer lengths bringing about about an average 15% CO2 savings.

Marjolijn Sonnema, Deputy Director General of Mobility, Ministry of Infrastructure & Environment, the Netherlands

Wim van de Kamp, Dutch MEP

Michael Nielsen, IRU delegate at the EU, based in Brussels, mentioned that road transport always had an integrated approach, due to its goods producer, haulier and customer combination. He estimated that a CO2 of 30% is achievable within the next decade - 10% from more efficient transport operations, 10% from the truck and trailer manufactures and a further 10% through ITS and far more extensive border-free use of Eco-Combi - extra long vehicles.

John Cooper, Director General, Fuels Europe (formerly with BP London) reminded the attendance that petrol and diesel are biofuels, but very old ones! “Petrol and diesel has made an enormous contribution to society. There have been issues and continue to be.” He made one significant point in that fuel taxes among European Member States are among the highest in the world. He called for the spread of more efficient transport combination vehicles throughout the world.

Christophe Nicodème, Director General, ERF (Europe Union Road Federation) said it was time to stop the bashing of road transport as it delivers huge socio-economic benefits.

“Creating infrastructure for road transport is expensive but an investment for the future,” he said.

Martin Lundstedt and Harold Peters, UPS President, West Europe

in order to improve the air quality for the 502 million citizens in Europe. While praising all of the technological developments achieved by the automotive industry, Wim called for more harmonisation between EU Member States relating to legislation, policy difference and subsidisation.

Panel Discussion Pierre Lahutte, Brand President at Iveco stated that transport is entering a new chapter in that emission control was legislation led by the European Union, but now many stakeholders have joined in to reduce the combined carbon footprint. Better planning when it comes to infrastructure was highlighted by the Frenchman. He mentioned proudly the Iveco buses operating on Biomethane gas in his hometown Lille, produced locally from a landfill adjacent to the bus park. “Gas technology is an old as the diesel engine itself,” he said. Pierre then focussed on the successful

The Q&A which followed highlighted that smoother road surfaces, be it either concrete or asphalt can contribute to lowering CO2 emissions, while a higher percentage of Natural Gas powered trucks, with a better infrastructure would contribute significantly.

All were in agreement with the comment that people love to hate the truck and will never knock the car. “We should take more pride in our industry,” said Pierre Lahutte and cited that the first autonomous truck was created in Europe, and not the US, or China, as some are led to believe.

From the end user’s perspective, Martin Lundstedt was joined by Harold Peters, UPS President, West Europe who endorsed the integrated approach to lower CO2 and that we all have a social responsibility, just as UPS does.

“A growing number of our customers request our CO2 ratings and policy, which benefits the end user also. He praised Volvo Trucks and commercial vehicle manufacturers in general for their constant investment in delivering the

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

latest technology, which companies like UPS depend on.

Martin, in reply, reiterated the point by saying that as a truck producer, the Group is also a big buyer of transport to deliver its products and goods, and looks at ways of increasing efficiencies in that regard. He sees the future in increased connectivity between operator and truck, truck to truck and truck to driver.

“Currently, Volvo Trucks has over 650,000 units with ITS (Intelligent Transport System) connectivity.

At the separate press conference, Martin Lundstedt and Erik Jonnaert, ACEA Secretary General commented on the current buoyancy in the European commercial vehicle market and the major economic contribution in terms of production, sales and exports. “In 2015, the EU market showed a consistent uplift by 12.4%, rising for the third year in a row,” stated Martin, “Exceeding two million commercial vehicles registered.”

“In addition, European commercial vehicle production posted substantial growth (+92%) reaching 3.2 million units, while production in China declined, as it did in Japan and Brazil,” added Erik.

On the export markets, over the first ten months of 2015 EU exports of heavy commercial vehicles and buses remained stable, while the export value of light commercial vehicles decreased by 1.1%, this business totalling €3.3 billion.

Martin emphasised the great achievement by the truck brands in lowering harmful emissions and cited the transition from Euro 5 to Euro 6 as the biggest challenge. He reiterated some of the topics covered earlier regarding the further expansion of the use of Eco-Combis, Eco-driver training and investment in lower rolling resistant tyres, plus that he is a keen advocate of truck platooning, all with the one aim to reduce CO2 in road transport.

In reply to questions from Fleet Transport, he said that although fuel prices are at an all time low, operators should not take their eyes off fuel efficiency, as fuel will always be the highest running cost alongside labour. On the subject of individual policy regulations in cities such as London relating to truck design and additional visibility, Martin said his industry is happy to work with these individual legislators, which often work outside the EU norm.

www.fleet.ie

12 | NEW FLEET

20 new Actros brings Noone's ‘Stars’ to 28

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oinciding with Noone Transport’s 30th anniversary year, the Slane-based firm has taken delivery of twenty new MercedesBenz Actros 1845LS BigSpace tractorunits. Finished in the company’s familiar white and red livery, the new arrivals bring to 28 the number of Actros units currently on its fleet.

Challenge tests which showed that on Irish roads and in Irish conditions, the Actros uses 10.4% less fuel than its main rivals. These results were an influencing factor in Noone Transport’s decision, as well as what Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles Sales Manager, Fergus Conheady described as “the excellent fuel efficiency and reliability of the eight existing Actros trucks on their fleet.”

This order comes hot on the heels of recent Mercedes-Benz Fuel Duel

Keenan International continues link with Scania & McElvaneys 1

S

ix new Scania R450s for Dundalk headquartered Keenan International Transport have now been added to the two new 152 units bought last year from McElvaney Motors.

The new Streamline 6x2 tractor-units are highly specified and include leather ventilated seats with built-in bluetooth, touch-screen sat-nav, fridge/freezer, xenons, LED tail-lights, exclusive interior lighting, drivers pack, comfort pack and prestige pack.

It is interesting to note that the second generation of McElvaney and Keenan families (Adrian and Thomas) are now continuing the long-standing business relationship that their fathers cultivated more than 30 years ago. Tommy Keenan Snr collected his first two new Scania trucks from the late Oliver McElvaney back

DAF does the biz for South Coast

A

ward winning South Coast Transport (Fermoy) has begun updating its fleet in response to securing three new major haulage contracts.

Th rough DAF Trucks dealer Truck Services Cork, it has taken delivery of ten new DAF CF.460 6x2 tractor-units, seven in January and the remaining part of the order to go into service in May. Last year, South Coast bought five Euro 6 CFs, with four similar Euro 5 units purchased in 2014.

in 1985. At that time there was no mention of Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Advanced Emergency Braking (AEB) or Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) on the R112s, compared to todays R-series!

Renault Trucks Delivers!

R

enault Trucks’ promotional slogan ‘DELIVER’ comes to mind when looking at Dundalk Oil Products’ striking new Renault Range T430 6x2 rigid tanker.

Featuring the Day cab variant with rear lift and steer axle, this full ADR-specified truck has a very tight turning circle with this particular axle set up. It was sold through Setanta Vehicle Sales, Dublin.

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FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

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14 | TEST

Scania R580 Road Test -

T

hose who know about such things have for many years forecast the imminent demise of the V8 engine in a standard road going truck. However, they underestimate the appeal of a V8 soundtrack, which comes with a resonance that cannot easily be replaced.

It was generally thought that as emission regulations tightened, the heavy duty V-shaped engines would no longer make the grade for road transport. Expectations were that the big V power units would retire to serve out their days in the marine and agriculture sectors, at least until the regulations caught up with those industries as well.

How wrong we all were. The mighty V8 is alive and well, and arguably more popular with drivers and operators than ever before. We took a spin to Westward Scania in Strokestown, to revisit the legendary V8, and see why for many, even in this era of frugality, a 16.4 litre engine is the only choice.

The R-series cab has been with us for quite some time now, but despite the fact that its competitors have all either launched new or updated cabs,

FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

Scania’s heavy duty offering remains an incredibly popular truck. The Swedish brand has managed to extend the longevity with some clever upgrades and special Limited Editions designed by the well-known concept coachwork company Svempas AB. Svempas is responsible for some of the most eye catching truck designs ever created, and its portfolio of work lists editions such as the Black Amber and Black Diamond models. Its latest development is ‘Blue Stream’ and this test truck is number 87 of only 200 being made by Scania.

The Blue Stream project is in response to the positive reaction received with the recent revival of the ‘Streamline’ name, which originally appeared in the early 1990s’ on the 143 model. The original Streamline series showed Scania that creating trucks with additional unique features generates a special appeal among the devotees. This appeal can extend through the production run of the truck, and emerge as nostalgia within the vehicle restoration circles. Today the original Streamlines are a highly prized and much sought after commodity in any condition.

TEST | 15 The Blue Stream edition comes with a wide range of distinctive features and lists air suspension on all axles, and a full length catwalk sitting on top of the fully painted chassis including the underneath. In addition to lighting and comfort packs, the interior is finished with the limited edition Blue Stream seats and boasts a kitchenette with a coffee maker, and a factory fitted CB radio. The iconic Griffin logo is impressed into the door handles and other accessories, as well as the V8 badge being affi xed to everything from dashboard to the seats to the mud-flaps. The Blue Stream is finished in a livery designed specifically by Svempas. It will certainly be noticed, as the striking metallic blue paint changes its appearance with light, and the angle it is viewed from.

With several of the normally optional extra packs included in the Blue Stream edition as standard, the driver is well catered for, and the cab is a comfortable place to spend the night. The Topline model has always offered a great sense of spaciousness, and the only feature detracting from that feeling is the slightly raised floor. We are hopeful that when Scania’s new cab arrives later this year in time for 2017, that particular issue will be resolved.

One of the Scania packs included with Blue Stream is the on-board driver pack, while it may need some time to get the best out of the programme, it is time well spent. Having one’s driving style examined and rated by the dashboard mentor gets under your skin, and constantly encourages the driver to improve performance - we all like to be rated as good drivers.

In essence Scania Blue Stream runs the same standard driveline as a regular series production model. The common rail V8 DC16 engine powers through the much improved 12-speed Opticruise transmission to a final drive ratio of 2.92:1. This is a ratio we feel works well for those operating at national or European transport levels, though some may select a different option depending on specific transport operations.

Running at 40 tonnes gross with 580hp on tap, there is little in the way of difficult hill climbs in Ireland to seriously trouble the big Swede.

When tackling the hills and obstacles we managed to create for the test drive, the R-series, as expected, made light work of them. There is a strength and purpose from the V8 that can really only be appreciated when you get behind the wheel and let it loose.

In this Euro 6 application the DC16 engine develops its maximum power of 580hp at 1,900 rpm, though it achieves approximately 565hp around 1,350. More importantly the impressive torque rating of 2,950 Nm is delivered between 1,000 and 1,350 rpm, which allows the truck to cruise with an engine speed of 1,000 rpm when travelling at 80 kp/h. At this speed we found the R580 was able to move well on the

Text & Photos: Paul White - paul@fleet.ie

twisty sections of our test route. On the straighter sections of road, we gained significantly from the Scania Active Prediction and Scania Eco-Roll functions.

A 580hp tractor is not for everyone, and Scania, along with other OEMs, readily admits that by far the largest production volume centres around its 450hp power units, with a ± 30hp variation. However, it is a credit to the engineers at Scania’s development unit in Södertälje that they have produced a Euro 6 compliant 16.4 litre V engine to continue the legacy.

Scania has always had a special following amongst particular owners and drivers, and there is little to see why this would not continue. The idea of releasing limited editions of its standard trucks is a clever way of generating interest, and helps to create a uniqueness about the brand.

However, owners are not easily fooled, and they also know that when it comes time to sell on these unique editions, they will have a queue at the door of ready and willing customers eager to own a truck with that familiar sound.

Spec Check Make/Chassis

Scania R580 4x2 tractor-unit

Model

Topline Cab, Blue Stream Limited Edition

Engine/Displacement

Scania DC16 V8 / 16.4 litres

Engine Ratings

580hp @1,900 rpm / 2,950 Nm from 1,000 to 1,350 rpm

Emission Rating

Euro 6 - Using EGR & SCR

Transmission

Scania GRSO905R - 12-Speed Opticruise automated

Rear Axle Ratio

2.92:1

Suspension

Front and Rear Air Suspension / Cab Air

Braking & Safety

Discs all round, ESP, ABS, EBS and Retarder

Additional Equipment Standard with Blue Stream Edition Full length catwalk

Chassis paint, including all parts Factory on under-side of vehicle fitted CB radio

Air on all axles

Limited Edition Blue Stream Chrome Seats Pack

Level 2 Lighting Pack

Level 2 Driver's Pack

Comfort Pack

Prestige Pack

V8 Styling Pack

Coffee maker

www.fleet.ie

16 | FLEETING SHOTS

Fulfil - World’s first Vitamin & Protein Snack Bar

A

n Irish company has created a revolutionary protein bar which is the first in the world to contain nine recommended multivitamins.

Developed by a group of Irish entrepreneurs with the help of former Irish Olympic sprinter David Gillick, Fulfil is a protein bar which includes 100% of an adult’s recommended daily allowance of nine vitamins.

The vitamin and protein bar is the brainchild of Niall McGrath and Tom Gannon, with Fulfil’s target market identified as health-conscious, onthe-go consumers across Ireland and Europe - people looking for tasty but low sugar, low calorie snacks with the benefit of 20 grams of protein and a full multi-vitamin. “It is the ultimate convenient and tasty treat, without any of the residual guilt from a chocolate bar,” Niall said.

McGrath pointed to a greater understanding among consumers both in Ireland and overseas - about the benefits of protein and the disadvantages of sugary snacks. He said healthier eating patterns were being established as growing numbers showed themselves anxious to find better snacks which were as convenient as junk-filled alternatives.

“Our aim was to create a protein bar that actually tastes great, is accessible to everyone and has all the recommended multi-vitamins making it a

truly healthy snack,” he said.

Fulfil is available in four varieties; Peanut & Caramel, Coconut & Chocolate, Strawberry & Vanilla and Cookies & Cream.

Fulfil was launched exclusively at 155 Re.Store at Topaz locations across Ireland and is now available throughout Ireland and Europe via Richmond Marketing. The Irish company has secured distribution throughout Ireland and across Europe, already showing the appeal of “snacks with benefits”.

Volvo Ocean Race Museum proves big hit with visitors

F

ollowing yet another successful staging of the Volvo Ocean Race over the past two years, the event’s museum in the busy tourist city of Alicante has established itself as one of the most popular attractions in southern Spain, attracting 50,488 visitors during 2015.

Some 44% of the visitors came from overseas to see the world’s leading offshore sailing event’s museum, 8% more than the previous year.

“Th is year the results of the museum have been exceptional,” said outgoing Volvo Ocean Race CEO, Knut Frostad. “We are very satisfied at having consolidated ourselves as a model for leisure, tourism and culture in the city.”

Alicante residents represented 68% of the Spanish visitors, with people from Madrid accounting for 11%. The museum, which offers a free educational programme, welcomed 4,842 schoolchildren in 2015.

Inaugurated in June 2012, the Volvo Ocean Race museum is a modern exhibition dedicated to the 42 years of history of the round-the-world

race for crewed boats, whose fleet for the 13th edition will leave Alicante in October/November 2017 (date to be confirmed). The museum adjoins the race HQ in the city’s marina.

The museum also boasts two Volvo Open 70 boats, Brasil 1 and The Black Pearl, which both took part in the 2005-06 edition, and are displayed outside the building ready for onboard tours at the weekends.

Paul turns Unimog into unique all-rounder!

F

or the fi rst time, German specialist Paul Nutzfahrzeuge has equipped a basic chassis of the Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 530 with an air-suspended self-steered trailing axle and all-wheel steering. The chassis modification programme makes the Unimog suitable for all-season applications with heavy and powerful implements.

The community of Lech in Vorarlberg in Austria were the recipients of this powerful all-capable vehicle. With special equipment installed, which increases the gross vehicle weight of the off-road all-wheel drive vehicle to 25 tonnes, the range of applications for mowing and snow clearing operations are considerably enhanced by the increased manoeuvrability and the increase of payload to 14 tonnes.

FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

Text: Rob Van Dieten - rob@fleet.ie

PREVIEW I | 17

Commercial Vehicle Show 2016 Up and Running Again!

I

t doesn’t feel like we are too long into 2016, and already the year’s major trade shows can be viewed on the horizon. The Commercial Vehicle (CV) Show at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is only a few weeks away, and to sample what the event may have to offer, the organisers hosted a preview day for exhibitors to outline what they might showcase at the main event from the 26-28 of April. Fleet Transport went along to fi nd out what’s in store for the visitors who make the annual trip to the West Midlands.

April 26 - 28th NEC BIRMINGHAM

will cooperate to source components and will benefit from the obvious synergies this Franco/Spanish alliance will bring. At the NEC, Chereau will show one of the 50 limited edition anniversary models, of which only 10 are destined for sale in the UK and Irish markets.

Citroën UK some important systems to operators. Most operators are familiar with the Conti range of premium tyres, and its range of secondary brands, which have seen an increase in demand of 6%. The company wants to heighten awareness of the Conti-Re retread and the Conti Pressure Check monitoring system.

Bridgestone

Citroën will be promoting its ‘Relay Ready to Run’ concept, where complete vehicles in many different body types are available, and ready to run from the forecourt. The concept and range has been a major success for the company, which it will now include a car transporter. Also to be revealed is the new Dispatch model with further announcements for further product launches in 2016.

Eberspacher

Continental Automotive

The Japanese global tyre brand will not only showcase its extensive tyre range, but will also promote its secondary brand Dayton.

Th is new range should appeal to certain operators who for a variety of reasons will fi nd Dayton to be the preferred choice. Also worth checking out is Bridgestone’s Total Tyre Care Offering.

Chereau

The news from the French refrigerated trailer specialist is the merger with Spanish trailer maker SOR Iberica. The two companies

The heating and ventilation specialists will show a very wide range of products including its new slimline roof unit ‘Cooltronic’, and the larger generator driven ‘Breezetronic’ for mobile space applications. The Cooltronic units are easy on vehicle batteries and ensure the truck will start while keeping the cab temperature regulated when stopped.

The German giant comes to Birmingham to ‘celebrate’ 10 years of the Digital Tachograph.

Conti will present what we can expect to be in place for the next generation of tachograph, and it will demonstrate a new driver’s Tachograph App. The App fully integrates with smartphones, making it easier for the driver to stay legal especially with regard to manual entries and use of the mode switch.

Ford

Continental Tyre The tyre division of Continental will bring

The automotive giant will have a lot to show in Birmingham. To begin with there is the

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

www.fleet.ie

18 | PREVIEW I new Euro 6 Connect with a 1.5 litre diesel and no AdBlue. This will be quickly followed by the new 2.0 litre engine for the two tonne Transit and revised Transit Custom. On the same stand we will also get to see the latest Ranger model, which will now be offered with a choice of rear axle ratios.

Goodyear Dunlop

Kässbohrer is the brand name for Tirsan Trailers, and the company is set to exhibit three models at the NEC in April, including a silo tank, a low-bed and a flat trailer. The company has a reputation for innovation and has invested €10 billion in a research and development centre. Kässbohrer has earned a reputation in over 55 countries for producing sturdy and robust trailers.

Mandata

around September/October.

Smart Witness

The tyre company has recently completed a longterm research project into tyre performance. The tests, which Goodyear believes are the most accurate measurement of performance to date, have been verified by the standards agency TU V Sud. Goodyear plans to announce the fi ndings in Birmingham, and claims the results will cause a rethink of tyre evaluation and costings in the future.

The telematics and software company has continued to expand its client base and includes some of the major transport operators in Ireland and the UK. It has recently developed two mobile Apps for trainers and drivers. Also Mandata’s ‘new disaster recovery facility’ can provide a complete back up service to ensure security of all information that Mandata holds for its clients.

MiX Telematics

Isuzu

With increasing evidence of operators becoming victims of ‘crash for cash’ scams, Smart Witness hopes to protect fleets and their insurance premiums by helping to produce the hard evidence needed to defend themselves against such practices. It has compiled some interesting case studies.

Smart Witness believe that LCV operators are currently the most at risk.

Stena Line

Isuzu will be celebrating its 100th anniversary, and coincidentally the 30th year of the brand in the UK. The occasion is being marked with a special limited edition D-Max model of which only 100 are being made. Despite an increased number of competitor models in the Pick-up sector, Isuzu’s D-Max remains as popular as ever, and remains a benchmark in the segment.

Kässbohrer Fahrzeugwerke Gmbh

FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

MiX Telematics will launch its new route planning programme specially developed for those engaged in ADR transport. The soft ware can be used throughout Europe and will highlight particular areas or roads which may pose a higher risk to the driver and or the load. It will also signal poor driving standards, and profi le higher risk drivers so preventative measures can be taken.

Peugeot Professional News from Peugeot is that the new Traveller large MPV will be fi rst shown at Geneva.

However, Peugeot has chosen Tuesday 26 April at the NEC for the official global launch of the van version, the new Expert, with delivery of the fi rst models set to begin

The shipping line attended the CV Show Preview to promote the services it offers to hauliers not just on the Irish Sea and the direct crossings to France. The company can offer operators over 23 range routes throughout Europe, Scandinavia, and even across the Black Sea. Representatives will be available to meet and talk to customers on their stand.

Thermo King/Frigoblock The truly worldwide company that is Thermo King will for the first time share its stand with the newest member of the Ingersoll Rand

PREVIEW I | 19 This relatively new company demands attention as its approach to trailer manufacturing is both innovative and original. In a short time it has achieved incredible success in the UK and European markets, which has lead to new and repeat orders from some of the largest and most high profi le trailer operators around.

TruTac’s ability to track the hours of agency and part-time drivers and employees.

Voith Turbo

Toyota

(IR) Group - Frigoblock. Between the two group members IR is sure it can cater any size of operator for all refrigerated transport demands in around the globe. Noise and environmental issues, a core policy, will be to the fore at CV 2016.

TEVO

The news from Toyota is that the Japanese marque is about to unleash the latest edition of the legendary Hilux. Also set for release at the same time is the Proace Verso MPV. Unfortunately we can’t say much as there is an embargo until 1 March on the panel van version of same.

The name of Voith is synonymous with commercial vehicle components and especially retarders. In Birmingham it will exhibit its impressive Turbo Retarder Clutch (TRC). We have previously reported on Voith’s TRC as fitted to the MercedesBenz SLT heavy hauler and Arocs tippers.

Now there is a chance to see this amazing component in action at the CV Show.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles

TruTac

The vehicle outfitters will be revealing a number of innovations in Birmingham including a new wiring loom to allow easy citing of beacons and other ancillary equipment. TEVO will show a new range of electrical inverters all guaranteed for 2 years, and has some novel ideas for carrying a ladder inside a van, and how to fit a folding vice.

Tiger Trailers

TruTac specialises in the analysis of Digital Tachograph records, and lists many Irish companies in its customer base. Its programme works particularly well for companies who need some form of clocking system as well as Tachograph analysis. One major benefit companies have found is

VWCV makes a welcome return to the Birmingham show in 2016, after a few years absence. In addition to showing the range of Crafter, Transporter6 and Caddy4 vans, it will also be demonstrating its integrated and approved bodywork models such as wheelchair carriers and other variants from its ‘Working with You’ concept.

April 26 - 28th NEC BIRMINGHAM Text: Paul White - paul@fleet.ie

www.fleet.ie

20 | INTERVIEW

One-to-One with Moyagh Murdock, CEO Road Safety Authority

by Jarlath Sweeney, Editor, Fleet Transport.

L

eading into taking up the position of Chief Executive Officer at the Road Safety Authority (RSA), Moyagh Murdock had served her time well.

A native of Newry, Moyagh graduated from Queen’s University, Belfast with an honour’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. In 2012, she was awarded an MBA from Dublin City University and also holds a CPC in Road Transport Operations Management. Well qualified therefore, but it was the years spent in various sectors of transport that have held Moyagh in good stead for the role with the RSA for the past two years or so.

Aviation background Moyagh started her career in aviation as an Aircraft Systems Engineer with Bombardier (Shorts) in Belfast, followed by an 8-year period with Team Aer Lingus in a number of roles but fi nally as the International Line Maintenance Manager. Looking to become more involved in the operational side of business, a move as Group Product Support Manager to McCormick MacNaughton, the Caterpillar dealer, achieved this goal. Here, the demands of the heavy construction plant and marine industry had to be handled from

FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

service, aftersales, warranty, spare parts, etc., to ensure the wheels of the industry were kept turning. High pressure and demanding work.

After seven years with the Dublin company, 2007 saw a move to the public transport sector with Bus Éireann, initially as Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer with responsibility for the fleet maintenance and garage operations, which was followed by a promotion to the position of Chief Operating Officer. Then in 2014 Moyagh took over from Noel Brett, as CEO of the Road Safety Authority.

Moyagh’s time at Bus Éireann began following the tragic Kentstown accident.

This led to a major restructuring of the semiState’s operations, resulting in a separation of responsibility and duties into how the bus fleet is run, maintained and inspected.

The move away from hosting their own DOE Test Centres was significant, in that more transparent and independent checks on the vehicles were undertaken. Dealing with the regulators such as the Department of Transport, the Road Safety Authority, the Health & Safety Authority and An Garda Siochána was part and parcel of Moyagh’s daily work, plus of course negotiating with the Unions. When taking the CEO role at the RSA, she admits herself that she became “poacher turned game keeper.” For the regular RSA audits, she made sure the vehicles were well maintained and passed each time. Moyagh also managed to instil a higher acceptance of responsibility of its operations throughout, especially at Senior Management level.

Rewarding vehicle roadworthiness compliance One of Moyagh's fi rst objectives in her new role at the RSA was to continue the transformation of commercial vehicle roadworthiness and compliance which began in 2013, together with enforcement of the regulations, in the main stemming from the European Commission. “Before the now CVRT (Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Test) system was introduced, there were lots of independent test centres with broad variations in the level of vehicle inspections conducted.”

The change in the system brought instant results, bringing about a higher standard of vehicle through the test lanes and helping to bring about a level playing pitch among operators. “We don’t wish to penalise good

operators who keep their fleet well, they should be rewarded, in fact,” she stressed.

“We are talking with the Office of the Government Procurement and the National Transport Authority to see how we can establish a threshold of quality for transport operators. The objective being that those operators that reach that standard will get priority when it comes to applying for tenders.

It may be similar to a Tax Declaration Cert, which will show that they are compliant upon showing a green light in the RSA’s Risk Register, and meet the commercial vehicle reform requirements. There were unacceptable levels of failures at the test centres and yet we see operators like this tendering alongside compliant counterparts without having the same commitment to quality and safety,” she added.

Moyagh is keen on implementing this plan with the Department of Transport’s School Bus division, in order to raise the standard of vehicles by changing the way the school runs are contracted to private operators. “At the moment the system is based more on the price tendered which is at 60% and 40% on quality and safety, which can lead to a lower standard of vehicle provided.”

She cited the acceptance of heavy commercial vehicle operators to self-declare (on-line) for the Risk Indicator (CVORI) as having a major impact in the industry when it came into law in June 2014. (Buses and ambulances also come under this spotlight). “Self declaration helps to raise the operator’s profile and reduce the vehicle owner’s Risk Rating,” she said.

“Those who invest in maintaining a high standard of vehicle in their fleet will always come out on top.” She is pleased with the increasing numbers of commercial vehicles being tested annually, up from 500,000 in 2012 to 680,000 last year.

On applying for the CEO position at the RSA, Moyagh realised that it was a huge step up in her career path and soon had to get her head around the expansive portfolio within the organisation, which is primarily involved in promoting and providing education in road safety. But that’s not all, as Moyagh discovered. The Authority is very much policy driven, departmental and legislative, with specific areas of attention from commercial vehicle roadworthiness and testing, the Driver Licence and tests, driver’s hours and tachograph checks plus the Professional Driver CPC. Organising various road safety campaigns and conferences on a nationwide

INTERVIEW | 21 basis right down to school visits are included in the brief.

Ultimately the MO – Modus Operandi is to significantly reduce deaths and injuries on our roads. Th is is being achieved with the number of fatalities decreasing in recent years. The successful implementation of certain rules and regulations relating to road traffic laws and vehicle legislation - within a short time span in many cases - has not gone unnoticed at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS), which has led to even more work being put on the RSA’s table. A frustrating element for Moyagh and her team [she complemented the excellent team that she inherited and appreciated their hard work and dedication to the cause] can be the delay in setting legislation through the system, be it from the DTTAS or through the houses of the Oireachtas, in addition to the public consultation process.

Another area of concern was the moratorium against appointing key staff in certain segments of the organisation. Recently, sanction has been approved for an additional six transport officers and a senior transport engineer, front line staff which will carry out roadside inspections. In line with the upturn in the economy and an increase in

the vehicle parc, ten new driver testers will be taken on. Positions yet to fill are in its finance and IT divisions, the latter looking after the growing social media requirements as well as the online application and administration systems with the public. On the other side, Moyagh is very satisfied with the progress made with the NCTS (National Car Test Service) in that the authorised company Applus+ is meeting demand with more technicians on board allied to extended opening hours. In 2016, there is no longer a backlog for appointments in comparison to 2015. Compliance with the public has improved dramatically since the introduction of the penalty point legislation in December 2014.

Drug driving testing With regards to the implementation of a new Drug Driving legislation, the new chemical test programme is pencilled in for introduction later this year. The legislation was introduced in 2014 covering behavioural testing by the Gardaí, with blood tests in place following detection. “The new chemical tests will be able to pin-point the harmful substance while our promotional campaigners will focus on the dangers and risks to the employers though a dedicated driving for work policy in association with

the Health & Safety Authority.

The introduction of Alcolocks (portable alcohol breath test device) on vehicles, as practiced in some European countries, is something that would be welcomed at the RSA. “Alcolocks would be a great safety measure, would help to prevent intoxicated drivers, and prevent reoccurrence,” suggested Moyagh.

Uniting CVRT and PSV Tests?

In coming back to the PSV sector and the suggestion of combining the annual commercial vehicle test with the PSV inspection, which occurs every three years, Moyagh consulted with Denise Barry, Director of Standard & Enforcement at the RSA’s Loughrea office. While being in initial agreement with the idea, which has been mooted by the Coach & Bus industry, Denise accepted that there are some areas of the test procedure that differs from the PSV and CVRT, and that there are some aspects on the vehicle that the test centres cannot cover, particularly special purpose passenger carriers with specific adaptions or fitt ings.

Denise was willing however to consult with the Department of Transport on the matter as it would also help to ensure that the school bus fleet is kept to a higher standard.

www.fleet.ie

22 | INTERVIEW

Regarding the question of whether small PSVs (i.e. licensed vehicles carrying 8 people or less) can use bus lanes, like taxis, the reply was a no-no, much to the disappointment of limousine/chauffeur owners. On the subject of CVRT certs which are issued for short periods of time, Denise explained that the vehicles in question are probably overdue the test through some extenuating circumstances such as the vehicle being off the road for a period, like what happened during the downturn.

Regulating van operators Denise also mentioned that the use of light goods vehicles is being reviewed, as due to the dramatic increase in e-commerce, this has led to a growing fleet of vans on the roads that are currently unregulated when it comes to speed limiters, driver’s hours, weight limits, etc. “Currently these operators are gaining an unfair advantage over the haulage sector.”

Ongoing developments such as a bigger influx of European registered trucks are being observed by the authorities, but as Moyagh declared, the RSA does not have the power to penalise these non-Irish registered trucks with fi xed penalties for traffic offences or road worthiness failures. “We are looking at the situation at present and making recommendations with the Department on this.”

Driver CPC Michael Dolan, ADI Chief Examiner at the RSA, attended the meeting to cover questions on the Driver CPC, which began with a query on what documentation is required for a qualified driver after completing the 5-year module programme. “The DCPC card will FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

suffice, but not doing so will have implications for the driver and their employer. Drivers that have not done the courses cannot be employed, as the employer or operator will come under the CVR Risk Rating spotlight,” he said. “Irish HGV/PSV drivers are well compliant,” he added and said that the one day a year periodical training covering five years is the best system, as opposed to the five days in the one year exercise required in NI and GB.” While agreeing with the suggestion that a practical element to the Eco-Driving module would be beneficial, Michael felt that it would make the course too expensive for the individual, and would require another day off work. “The emergence of telematics in trucks has reduced this requirement now,” he added.

He mentioned that feedback from the DCPC course attendees was positive, and that 38% admitted to changing their driving style and confi rming that the learning exercise was worthwhile. “It is a constant work in progress for us as we look to improve the content and the standard of tutoring, while bearing in mind the changes and trends associated with the road transport and passenger industries.

For now, learner drivers passing the driving test in an automated truck or bus will only get a licence for that type of transmission.

According to Declan Naughton, Director of Driver Testing & Training; “Until such time as the majority of driver training vehicles change to automated transmission as per the industry trend, the situation will remain the same.”

Enforcement of all this legislation under the RSA umbrella has been a bone of contention among the transport bodies, as they seek a level playing pitch for compliant membership.

Moyagh puts her hands up in admitt ing that due to reduced Garda resources, the planned increase on multi-agency roadside checks has thus far not materialised. She is hopeful that once the new Government is established, a resurgence of the programme will get underway, as the additional RSA vehicle inspectors will be in place.

Moyagh, in conclusion, is concerned that the continuing upturn in the economy will put increased demands on the Irish road transport fleet, and that risks may be taken to break the law in certain areas such as driver’s hours and vehicle roadworthiness.

Plus the fact that the current penalties “are not as meaningful as other jurisdictions.” She exampled: “Maximum fi nes may not deter repeat offenders, there is no graduated scale like Northern Ireland,” and mentioned a recent high profile case where 22 trucks were confiscated from the transport company and their drivers fi ned. “Legislation for certain traffic and transport offences need updating.

We are in consultation as part of the Criminal Justice Group with the DoT, but this will take time as after the draft ing process, gett ing [legislation] through to enactment is the big challenge,” she emphasised.

Two years on, Moyagh is enjoying the position, as no two days are the same in the ongoing efforts to bring about a change in att itudes and behaviour that will benefit all road users.

PREVIEW II | 23

FPS EXPO 2016 More big brands signed-up!

M

ore new names have been confirmed for FPS EXPO 2016, the annual showcase event for the oil and fuel industry in the UK & Ireland, which will be held at the new Exhibition Centre Liverpool (ECL) on 20/21 April.

Wincanton, Suttons Group, TIP Trailer Services UK Ltd, Essar Oil UK Ltd, Liquip UK PTY Ltd, Backwatch Safety, In Control Projects Ltd and Tyretracks Ltd to name but a few will feature at FPS EXPO 2016.

“This year’s show promises to be even more exciting than previous exhibitions, with more exhibitors, and larger stands with more products and services on display, so we urge all oil and fuel industry professionals to come along,” explained Dawn Shakespeare, Marketing & Events Manager for the event’s organisers, the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS), the oil distribution industry Trade Association for the UK & Ireland.

Reynolds Logistics

“This is not only down to the incredible range of companies booked to exhibit, FPS EXPO also has for the first time, key industry professionals scheduled to speak in a series of seminars to be held over the two days, including the DVSA, HSE and CIRIA. The show will also offer great networking opportunities.”

Inver

“It’s fantastic that not only is it a new venue for us but it’s a new venue for the city, as the ECL only opened in September 2015. We’re excited about the extra space this venue provides, with exhibitors having much bigger stands and visitors more space to browse.”

In total, the exhibition will feature more than 100 exhibitors from across the UK and Europe, covering the manufacturing, supply, distribution and technology sectors. Other big names confirmed include Scania, MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd, Phillips 66, RTN, Kingspan Environmental, Hytek, Williams Tankers and Valero Energy.

Entry to the exhibition is free. The event normally attracts over 1,200 visitors from around the globe, including from the USA, China and Europe, but this year the FPS is expecting to exceed those numbers.

Cobo

“Liverpool benefits from an excellent communications network and visitors can travel to the venue easily from anywhere in the UK or overseas thanks to the motorway network, rail links, and the nearby international airport and ferry terminals,” added Dawn.

“Visitors to FPS EXPO are able to see and experience first-hand the latest technology, products and services from new tankers and tyres through to the most innovative soft ware yet to reach the market, as well as network with many of the leading industry professionals.”

Since its launch in 1980 FPS EXPO has become the largest event dedicated to the oil distribution and fuel industry. “We hope to make FPS EXPO 2016 our biggest and best event yet,” concluded Dawn.

Visitors can register to visit FPS EXPO 2016, as well as book tickets for the after show party, on the show’s website – www.fpsexpo.org www.fleet.ie

24 | PREVIEW III

Lots to see at SEAI Energy Show 2016

I

t’s full steam - or should that be alternative energy? - ahead for the 2016 SEAI Energy Show. Ireland’s leading event for professionals in the sustainable energy sector celebrates its sixteenth year in 2016, and, with around 4,000 visitors expected over the two day event, looks set to be the largest to date.

Taking place from Wednesday 6 to Thursday 7 April, at the RDS in Dublin 4, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland organised show brings together over 160 exhibitors demonstrating the latest energy saving technologies across a range of sectors. The free to attend event is a business only exhibition showcasing many leading suppliers of energy efficient and renewable energy products and services from Ireland and Europe.

As in previous years, the transport sector is going to be well represented at the 2016 SEAI Energy Show, with a dedicated Electric and Alternative Vehicle Showroom. It will feature a broad selection of the rapidly burgeoning selection of electric, gas and hybrid propelled cars and commercial vehicles available for sale in Ireland.

Many of the main manufacturers are expected to be represented, with FUSO Ireland and Mitsubishi Motors Ireland among those exhibiting. FUSO will show the world’s first factory built purely electrically powered light truck, the Canter E-CELL, as well as the Canter Eco Hybrid – Europe’s first hybrid light truck in series production. “The Canter E-Cell has an extremely long operating range of over 100 km, is very easy to drive, particularly manoeuvrable and has zero CO2 emissions,” stated Marketing Manager Roseita Burke.

Meanwhile Mitsubishi will unveil its new Outlander PHEV to an Irish audience.

“Mitsubishi Motors Ireland has attended the SEAI Energy Show for the past three years.” explained Roseita. “The Energy Show allows us to highlight the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid EV to the range of businesses in other sectors who are also actively involved in energy efficient and renewable energy products in Ireland. We are delighted to launch the New Outlander PHEV – with a new distinguished exterior FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

design, improved driving performance a nd s mo o t he r acceleration and quietness.”

Renault will be showcasing its ZOE electric car. Conor Dixon of Renault I rel a nd noted , “Th is two day event is an exhibition showcasing leading suppliers of energy efficient and renewable energy products and services, but when people think of energy saving solutions they seldom think of electrical vehicles and how they play their part. The ZOE is 100% electric with a range of 210km (official NEDC European figures).

A single charge for ZOE costs between €2 and €4 (depending on where and when you charge). I can’t think of a better place to display and demonstrate this vehicle to the public.”

A notable success from last year’s event was the electric vehicle pavilion which offered show visitors the opportunity to test drive the latest generation of alternative fuelled cars and commercial vehicles. The ride and drive event returns for 2016 and represents a great opportunity for show visitors to find out first hand just how capable these vehicles are.

One car at the RDS will be guaranteed to draw the crowds. Show organisers have confirmed that an all-electric DeLorean car will be making an appearance. Designed and built by students from the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at Queen’s University Belfast, this DeLorean uses a 270hp Bulgarian electric motor and a 27kWh Chinese aerospace f i r m sourced battery pack.

The DeLorean may be most famous for its starring role in the 'Back to the Future' film trilogy, but

appropriately enough for its star showing at the Energy Show, this electric car is very much using Here in the Present technology.

Another highlight of the 2016 Energy Show will be the Energy Theatre - a series of 45 minute briefings on a range of relevant topics. Of particular interest to the transport sector will be a seminar entitled 'Progressing Electric Vehicles in Ireland - a focus on the technology and infrastructure'. It will provide updates on the progress of electric vehicle technology, the current state of markets and highlight opportunities for delegates. It will also look at the current EV infrastructure, profi le future requirements and discuss how this can be paid for.

With best practice demonstrations, Product of the Show awards, an international markets pavilion, and networking events, the SEAI Energy Show will have something for every professional involved in the sustainable energy sector. Visit http://www.seai.ie/EnergyShow/ to register for free show passes.

Text: Cathal Doyle - cathal@fleet.ie

FEATURE | 25

Truck & Trailer Contract Hire & Rentals Business 2016

Could Commercial Vehicle Hire be the way forward?

M

aybe it's something in the Irish DNA, but we have always seemed uncomfortable with renting or hiring anything. Th is goes from housing and accommodation, to the family car, and through to commercial vehicles. It has always been accompanied by such descriptive terms as ‘dead money’, or ‘sure you would buy one for less than that,’ and to be fair there is a great deal of truth in these expressions.

To date we have always viewed ownership of property or capital equipment as a measure of personal or business success, although things could be about to change. The voices of social commentators on news and media outlets say we must alter our expectations.

Popular opinion now says that renting property, cars and our overall lifestyle is the way forward. That this is the way it has been done in Europe for years and we should get on board. Th at the prospect of young people owning a house in the future is not what it was a few years ago, and they should realise that they will have to rent possibly for life.

On the plus side, the availability of Personal Credit Plan (PCP) fi nance for the family car has allowed the average man and woman in the street to become reacquainted with the wonderful fragrance of a new car’s interior. PCP has also been responsible for the recent and welcome surge in new vehicle registrations.

Similar shifts in att itude across the transport industry have also occurred. Certainly a generation ago the prospect of hiring a vehicle for anything other than a near life or death emergency would be unheard of. Whereas today many are gett ing to grips with the concept. So, what has changed, and does that change in attitudes arise from hard facts and figures - or is it something else?

Dan Ryan Truck Rental - Built-in R&M more appealing There are various influences that may have altered the way we now source capital items. Not just the vehicles transport companies use, but all manner of machinery - even office equipment. One reason mentioned by Dave Coolings of Dan Ryan Truck Rental is that “as vehicles become increasingly more complex, the possibilities to service and maintain your own are becoming increasingly more

www.fleet.ie

26 | FEATURE

difficult.” He continued: “The appeal of contract hire with a built in maintenance agreement is att ractive especially to the large companies.” In addition, with a greater focus on scheduled vehicle maintenance, and increased activity from the regulatory authorities, Contract Hire can offer additional safeguards for the business in the area of legislative compliance. Which may only be fully appreciated in the aftermath of an unfortunate workplace accident.

Another factor that may have encouraged a rethink of previously held beliefs, is that many of the people who now manage transport companies do not necessarily have the same view of trucks and trailers as previous generations. Their view is that this is a business and they apply recognised business formulas to capital investment, and expansion programmes. They may view a large capital investment in equipment as being unwise, and feel it more prudent for them to increase and decrease the number of vehicles in line with the work available. They see no benefit in a business struggling to pay fi nance on equipment surplus to requirements, in the hope of realising a good residual value after three, four or five years.

In the passenger car market, readily available PCP product should work. If it does not, then the fallout will in most cases be a problem for the manufacturers who are usually underwriting the fi nance.

However, for commercial vehicles the idea of making an investment and using figures for the projected residual value of equipment is not always that sound. A Minister for Transport could at a whim change traffic regulations or amend vehicle dimensions and suddenly make a series or type of vehicle no longer viable. Recent examples would include the enforcement of the maximum vehicle height regulations, the move to allow 46 tonnes on six-axles, and the reduction back to 40 tonnes gross for five axle combinations from 30 June this year.

These changes can have a sudden and dramatic affect for good or bad on the perceived market value of any vehicle or trailer. Other factors might include the reputation for reliability, or a particular defect inherent in a vehicle or series of vehicles may determine the value three to five years hence.

What this revisionist thinking has shown is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. An important factor in this equation is the type of equipment needed, and the nature of the work involved.

The idea of a company having a couple of extra container trailers, or an elderly but well maintained box van lying idle in the yard is not really a problem. It can add great flexibility to a company’s operations, especially when work is offered and there are no trailers available for hire from the regular rental companies. It can allow for some in-house transhipping to free up a more valuable piece of FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

equipment to generate greater revenue. Nevertheless, the benefits of having trailers available on hand in the yard soon decrease as the value and cost of the trailer increases. A container carrier lying idle in the yard does not compare to a fridge, or other pieces of specialised or dedicated equipment such as a rear end loader for the refuse industry.

The advantages of contract hire can become not just more appealing as the initial outlay increases, it may be the only realistic way to acquire the equipment needed because the amounts required for investment are often so large. Few small to medium enterprises would by defi nition, have the resources available to meet the requirements - otherwise they would not be an SME. Certainly in recent times the regular fi nancial institutions were not enthusiastic about lending to small businesses for specialised (or hard to shift if it went wrong) projects.

Walker Vehicle Rental - Greater safety enforcement att racts However, as is usually the case, the closing of one door opens another for someone else - someone like Walker Vehicle Rental. Unlike many during the recession, Walker met the downturn head-on and invested in equipment when there was an oversupply. It also cleverly re-engineered and adapted vehicles when there was additional capacity in engineering workshops. The result being that through the recession Walker’s business grew. It increased turnover, increased the size of the vehicle fleet, and was ready to capitalise when the economy began to improve. One man with his fi nger on the pulse of this at Walker Vehicle Rental is Dave McCormack. His knowledge and experience has helped the company expand to become one of the leading players in the contract hire industry.

Dave believes that there are several advantages why people should migrate to contract hire. One of the main reasons is “due to greater enforcement of commercial vehicle roadworthiness standards by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).” Interestingly, Dave feels that demand for contract hire, especially in the light goods sector, will increase with the full implementation of Euro 6. Some van operators have already expressed concerns about the reliability of the technology in light vans and passenger vehicles, however, if an operator has their vehicles on a contract hire arrangement, it ceases to be the operator’s problem.

National Truck Rental - Simplicity is key to rental growth Another prominent name in the business is National Truck Rental which has over 30 years experience and commitment in all aspects of commercial vehicle hire. “We are Ireland’s leading independent

FEATURE | 27

supplier of tailored transport and fleet solutions. We operate independently of any manufacturer, with the key focus of providing impartial, expert advice to deliver the right fleet solution to our customers,” commented Jim Byrne, Managing Director.

Operating well over 1000 vehicles throughout Ireland, National Truck Rental’s replacement policy ensures a steady supply of new, expertly serviced trucks and vans for hire. “Whether your requirement is for a day, a month, a year or even five years, we have the expertise, flexibility and commitment which enables us to build long term strategic relationships with the customer,” added Jim. From its website, glowing testimonials can be read from very satisfied customers.

National Truck Rental operates from a purpose built maintenance facility at Stadium Business Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin 11.

Trailer specialist TIP Trailer Services in Cloghran, Dublin is finding there is a growing acceptance of contract hire. TIP’s Mike Murphy is in no doubt that the simplicity of contract rental alone is what att racts many to the company. He said: “For an operator to have an inclusive rate which covers maintenance, keeps everything compliant, roadworthy, and off the balance sheet is so straightforward.” Again Mike noted the influence of the increased enforcement of vehicle standards as a factor moving operators towards no longer wanting to be the owner of the equipment. In addition, it can be an easier option for companies who struggled during the recession and may have some difficulties obtaining fi nance while gett ing back on their feet.

Close Brothers Finance - Offering more choice We previously mentioned the closed door, open door metaphor. Is it possible that during the recession when so many operators had the doors closed to them, that they in turn are now closing the doors on the traditional fi nancial institutions? Could the move to contract hire close the door on the friendly local Bank Manager? We spoke to Adrian Madden of Close Brothers Finance, which specialises in the world of commercial vehicle fi nance, and is highly regarded for its support of truck and bus operators during the lean times, when few fi nancial institutions would return the phone calls.

With his view from the other side of the desk so to speak, Adrian feels: “liquidity is returning to the markets, though there is still a level of uncertainty in fi nancial circles.” Th is uncertainty is, as always, dependent on a wide range of geopolitical factors, and while keeping a positive outlook, he is cautious about the future.

Nevertheless, Adrian does feel its important to highlight the work of the Strategic Bank Corporation of Ireland (SBCI). The SBCI was created to fund SMEs and encourage the businesses to develop and grow. The service is available through the regular bank channels of Allied Irish and Bank of Ireland branches, plus third party commercial fi nance companies and are another avenue for operators to investigate.

Ashbourne Truck Centre - Providing specialist equipment While engaging with the SBCI would only be of value if a company were interested in purchasing, rather than renting, this remains the preferred method of acquiring equipment for many operators. One important reason for this is the type of equipment a company uses.

As main suppliers of Faymonville and Schmitz Cargobull trailers, Ashbourne Truck Centre in Ashbourne, County Meath has for over twenty years sold high quality products to the industry. While they will hire trailers to facilitate a customer, in reality many of their customers are operators who require specialised equipment which cannot be easily sourced. Ashbourne’s Sarah Mooney explained: “Our customers still prefer to buy outright to ensure they have exactly what they need.”

Star Plant - Residuals not a concern when renting Another important company in the contract hire business in Ireland is Star Plant of Cork. It’s company representative John Seaman said that while a number of operators choose the contract hire route because of difficulties with the regular fi nancial institutions, he feels that contract hire “is the way forward,” and believes that it will become the norm. Again he cited the issues of maintenance and residual values as being some of the most important. With his experience of the vehicle hire business John is well positioned to assist new start-ups with sound realistic advice. Star Plant can arrange all manner of vehicle and plant equipment from vans to tractor-units.

For many transport operators the opportunity to move to vehicle hire depends on the nature of the work. Th is industry is somewhat unusual in that a larger investment does not necessarily generate an increase in revenue - and certainly not profit. In addition it may www.fleet.ie

28 | FEATURE

be the case that the more specialised a piece of equipment is, the less potential it has to generate revenue from alternative cargos. Car transport and tank bodied trailers would be examples.

Hireco - Rentals gaining greater acceptance It is an arguable point that short term contract, and spot hire volumes in the trailer market are a far greater barometer of the economy than sales of new trucks. Especially now as some truck manufacturers seek to increase market share and profitability with in-house finance deals that are hard to turn down. To discuss this further we spoke to Helen Flynn of Hireco Trailers. Dublin based Hireco Trailers has supplied trailers of all shapes and sizes to the industry for decades.

Over the years the company has grown and diversified to provide a number of additional services along with the regular trailer hire business. Hireco’s recent experience is that contract hire remains stable, as does the spot and medium hire business. However, Helen has seen more activity in operators entering into rental purchase agreements with the fi rm. With one of the largest trailer fleets in the country Hireco, is well placed to gauge what works for operators.

The idea of rental purchase seems to be a logical approach, and seems to strike a reasonable balance between the various options.

FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

Dennison Trailer - Improving economy encouraging trade We have said the type of truck, trailer or equipment is often the determining factor as to hire or not to hire. Another important factor is the economic climate. Th rough the dark years of the recession transport companies suffered not only reduced traffic volumes and reduced rates. They also had to contend with increased costs of tolls, shipping, and especially fuel. George Dennision, of Dennision Trailers believes that operators are trying to improve the rolling stock that was not replaced during the recession. He agrees with Hireco’s Helen Flynn and others that greater enforcement of CVR standards has seriously focused the minds of hauliers. Though he also notes that the “reduction in both fuel and road tax has encouraged operators to think about investing again.”

That said, all operators know that while they’re currently basking in the warm sunshine of unrealistically low diesel prices, and reduced road tax, the storm clouds can quickly gather and give rise to an icy wind. With many having emerged battered from the last economic storm, they are hesitant to set sail again on a capital intensive voyage to purchase equipment. If they are about to embark, then maybe to have the lifeboat of a contract rental agreement might help to calm the ever unpredictable waters of the transport industry.

Text: Paul White - paul@fleet.ie

FUEL PRICES (WEEK 8) / SAFETY MATTERS | 29 Country

Currency

95 Lead Free

98 Lead Free

Diesel

Country

Currency

95 Lead Free

98 Lead Free

Diesel

Albania

ALL

159.00

-

159.00

Lithuania

EUR

1.038

1.083

0.898

Andorra

EUR

0.973

1.034

0.765

Luxemburg

EUR

1.000

1.054

0.846

Austria

EUR

1.051

1.195

0.948

Macedonia

MKD

58.00

60.00

41.00

Belarus

EUR

0.476

-

0.492

Moldova

MDL

15.97

16.57

13.32

Belgium

EUR

1.258

1.316

1.076

Montenegro

EUR

1.020

1.060

0.840

Bosnia-Herzegovina

BAM

1.71

-

1.61

Netherlands

EUR

1.483

1.564

1.119

Bulgaria

BGN

1.82

2.02

1.76

Norway

NOK

13.98

-

12.64

Croatia

HRK

8.17

-

7.35

Poland

PLN

3.95

4.30

3.69

Czech Republic

CZK

26.98

-

25.08

Portugal

EUR

1.357

1.484

1.110

Denmark

DKK

9.49

-

7.69

Romania

RON

4.36

4.83

4.10

Estonia

EUR

0.957

1.007

0.947

Russia

RUB

37.14

-

35.47

Finland

EUR

1.316

1.386

1.116

Serbia

RSD

122.70

-

124.40

France

EUR

1.270

1.307

1.031

Slovakia

EUR

1.151

-

0.955

Georgia

GEL

1.59

1.69

1.39

Slovenia

EUR

1.159

1.171

0.992

Germany

EUR

1.180

-

0.967

Spain

EUR

1.061

1.195

0.927

Greece

EUR

1.266

1.485

0.939

Sweden

SEK

12.32

12.82

11.78

Hungary

HUF

328.00

-

316.00

Switzerland

CHF

1.280

1.360

1.280

Ireland

EUR

1.219

-

1.039

Turkey

TRY

4.05

4.07

3.44

Italy

EUR

1.398

-

1.207

Ukraine

UAH

18.94

21.45

15.51

Kosovo

EUR

0.90

-

0.88

UK

GBP

1.018

1.114

1.007

Latvia

EUR

0.994

1.049

0.864

USA

USD

-

-

0.523

Safety Matters . . .

Safety Matters . . .

Safe Load (Cargo) securing for Road Transport

New guidance on securing high-risk loads - Why should loads be secured?

Apart from the human cost, think about what the impact of failing to safely secure loads may have on your business.

• Drivers, vehicle occupants, other road users, pedestrians and anyone who may be involved in loading and unloading the vehicle could be injured or killed.

• Unsecured loads or objects may fall from vehicles and can cause road obstructions, traffic disruptions and collisions especially if drivers swerve to avoid fallen items.

• Unrestrained goods may impact the vehicle cab during emergency braking.

• Loads which have shifted may have to be manually removed from the vehicle, which may increase the risk of an injury or a fall from the vehicle.

• Items falling out of vehicles at delivery sites may cause an injury and/or property damage.

• Unstable loads can collapse during transit or unloading resulting in damage to goods.

Failure to secure a load properly can also result in financial losses as a result of damaged goods, vehicles, property and roads, including; • Worker absence through injury.

• Clean-up costs.

• Damage to company reputation.

• Increased insurance premiums.

• Result in loss of control of the vehicle.

• May cause the vehicle to overturn.

During 2015, the results of 117 inspections revealed that on average 20% of employers had • not addressed loading, unloading and load securing in a risk assessment [20%], • no documented procedures in place for loading, unloading and load securing [26%].

In addition, the joint HSA /Garda roadside “load securing” inspections carried out between 2010 and 2014 revealed the following main deficiencies relating to safety compliance: • Vehicle not suitable for load types carried.

• Inadequate load securing arrangements for common high risk loads.

• No (or inadequate) load restraint and containment procedures in place.

• Drivers not trained or aware of basic principles and methods of safe load securing.

• No written procedures for safely loading and securing common loads.

New Guidance to help compliance To increase awareness, and improve compliance, new joint HSA, Garda & RSA guidance is now available in the form of three new information sheets on safe loading and securing of high-risk loads for road transport: • Safe load securing of Plant and Machinery.

• Safe load securing of Structural Steel Loads.

• Safe load securing of Pre-cast Concrete Loads.

They are available free to download from the HSA’s dedicated load securing webpage @ www.loadsafe.ie For more information on Load Securing log onto www.loadsafe.ie or contact the Workplace Contact Unit at Lo-Call: 1890 289 389 (Between 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday), or by email to loadsafe@hsa.ie

www.fleet.ie

30 | FIELD TRIAL

Irish designed and operated Eco-Combi hits the road

P

rominent County Clare based haulier Eoin Gavin Transport, teamed up with Dennison Trailers last year to put in place a longer combination of truck and trailer to trial on the Irish motorway network.

Seen fi rst at the Fleet Transport Exhibition Arena at the Citywest Hotel, Dublin last September, the Eco-Combi has a Dennison link trailer coupled to a double deck curtainsider. It has an overall length of 25.25 metres and operates at Ireland’s 46tonne gross vehicle weight capacity.

Under EU legislation, Member States have greater flexibility to license combinations of standard truck, trailers or semi-trailers into longer units. The concept fi rst came about after the accession of Sweden and Finland into the European Union, as both countries had already spent decades developing longer combinations. To enable foreign transporters to compete on equal terms in Sweden and Finland, a compromise was reached to allow increased vehicle length and weight all over the EU on the condition that the existing standardized EU modules were used. Th is is the so-called European Modular System (EMS). Over the last number of years the EMS or Eco-Combi concept has gained momentum.

Studies show that whereas it was feared that combinations like this would present a safety issue, all reports from Denmark and the Netherlands, which have adopted the concept after extensive testing, show that the Modular concept wins out on a number of fronts including safety, fuel efficiency and capacity. A study with the general motoring public established that the average motorist was not even aware they were driving alongside 25.25m long vehicles.

Speaking to Eoin Gavin, he explained that the idea of using the Modular system was brought about by the Road Safety Authority expressing an interest in gett ing an Eco-Combi trialled on the road in Ireland. He also knew that Dennison Trailers was a major provider of this type of specialised equipment. “The benefits from the hauliers point of view is two fold, it gives greater capacity and flexibility in the load management and it also offers greater cost savings,” said Eoin.

The combination from Dennison’s offers a 7.7 metres curtainsider link trailer with a standard 13.6 metre double deck curtain, and the combined units give a total deck loading length of 34.5m. For Eoin Gavin Transport, this combination is excellent from an operations point of view, as being a Pallet Network member, volume demand is variable and therefore with the new link concept the extra capacity facilitates management of the peaks and troughs.

Another major advantage of the link trailer is that the unit closes up and basically becomes an urban trailer which is ideal around Irish FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

cities and major towns, therefore the trailer gives great flexibility on a number of fronts.

David Dennison, Innovation & Research Director at Dennison Trailers explained that the company is delighted to have worked with Eoin Gavin to bring the concept to Ireland. “We have supplied link trailers to Scandinavia since 2008 with over 500 units sold.

Whereas the trailer with Eoin Gavin is a curtainsider, the trailers sold to Scandinavia have been variations including fridge, box van, container chassis and skip link chassis. The link system from Dennison includes a roller system that has being patented throughout Europe.”

While the concept was originally championed for the long distance routes in Sweden and Finland, David stated that one of the countries that have adopted the concept since 2008 is Denmark. A country not too dissimilar to Ireland in size and population. “In Denmark, the link trailer is seen as very versatile in that by day the trailer is closed-up and used as an urban city trailer but it is also ideal for reversing up to loading bays in the closed position. By night the link is extended and coupled with another standard trailer to undertake longer distance trunking between major distributions centres in the big cities.”

Back in Bunratt y, Eoin Gavin believes the Eco-Combi concept will be a central part of his operation going forward, saving on fuel and carbon emissions plus its flexibility cannot be understated.

FASTPARTS PARTS SPEED OF RESPONSE AND AVAILABILITY OF STOCK ARE CRITICAL TO OPERATORS.

THAT IS WHY DENNISON FAST PARTS OFFERS A SINGLE SOURCE FOR HIGH QUALITY, APPROVED PARTS BY REPUTABLE MANUFACTURERS FOR ALL MAKES OF TRAILER

FAST.

Whether for a eet or single trailer, Dennison Fast Parts are available throughout Ireland and the UK via our highly responsive Fast Parts operation, designed to get parts to our customers whenever and wherever they need them.

Contact Dennison Trailers: Ireland: UK:

+353 (0)45 866468 +44 (0)1524 381808

Contact Dennison Fast Parts: Ireland: UK:

www.dennisontrailers.com

+353 (0)45 906022 +44 (0)1524 384736

32 | REVIEW I

IEA Export Leadership Forum sparks some interesting debates

T

he Irish Exporters Association (IEA) hosted its inaugural Export Leadership Forum at the Croke Park Conference Centre on 10/11 February. Over the two days more than 200 business leaders heard a wide range of presentations from thirty speakers drawn from Administrations and International business around the theme of Strategies for Success in International Markets.

Opening the Conference, Paschal McCarthy, President of the IEA and Managing Director of GE Healthcare Ireland commented: “The Irish economy grew 7.0 percent year-on-year up to September 2015.

With figures reminiscent of the Celtic Tiger years, Ireland is now in fact the second fastest growing economy in the world, lagging only behind India which achieved 7.4 percent growth.” He went on to urge the participants in the Forum to address critical issues, such as Ireland’s over-reliance on exports to three core markets, Continental Europe, the UK and the US. He urged exporters to focus on more diverse markets while ensuring that our competitiveness is not compromised by pressures on wages and other inputs in what remains a fragile Irish economic recovery.

The ‘big idea’ of the Forum was probably the New Circular Economy.

Kestutis Stadauskas, speaking on behalf of the European Commission said that this could provide a competitive substitute for imported raw materials and would have the ability to create up to two million jobs within the European Community. These would be based on the reuse of redundant products and materials rather than being dumped or incinerated. Hildegarde McCarville, CEO of Veolia Netherlands, commented that of an annual consumption of 26 million tonnes of plastic products in the Community, only a small proportion, about 3.5 million tonnes, were re-used.

Anton Brummelhuis, Senior Director for Sustainability at Philips said that the Circular Economy is not a hype, nor a trend, but is here to stay. The earlier you invest in it; the more value will be returned. The whole Philips Lighting operation has shifted from being a manufacturer of lighting products to being a supplier of a full lighting service to companies and others on a contractual basis. He instanced the contract that it has at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport in which it not only supplies the lighting equipment throughout the airport, services and maintains it, but also contracts to supply the electric power. This new system has led to a reduction of electricity consumption there of 50 percent. He went on to say, that by operating on this model, Philips has become very proactive in the development and installation of new technology that will drive down cost, while also avoiding unnecessary development of new products that are not significantly better than those already in place. He also commented that in lighting the pace of technical development within the last ten years has been very rapid, making contracts such as that at Schiphol much more interesting to consumers.

Pascal Saint-Amans from the OECD who spoke on ‘New Frontiers for a Global Tax Reform’

citizens in the US than US companies employ Irish citizens in Ireland.

Byron Angvall of Boeing, a company that accounts for 10 percent of US exports, shipping over 70 percent of its production abroad with more than 25 percent of those aircraft going to China, addressed the theme of the regulations that control the export of such products.

While these regulations are aimed at the prevention of products that could be used as weapons by unfriendly powers, Angvall did point out that this result is very difficult to achieve and warned Irish based companies to be careful in shipping such product.

A note of controversy was introduced into the Forum by an intervention from a representative of the Irish Aviation Authority. He complained about the very long delay that Norwegian Air Shuttle has encountered from the US Authorities in securing its licence to operate a service from Cork to Boston. Th is matter has now been taken by the EU Commission.

The inaugural IEA Export Leadership Forum was judged by all of those who participated in it as a great success. 2017 dates have yet to be announced.

H.E Kevin O’Malley, U.S. Ambassador to Ireland mentioned that we must do everything that we can to ensure that global trade flourishes, and went on to highlight the fact that Irish companies employ more US FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

Text: Howard Knott - howard@fleet.ie

REVIEW II | 33

Record numbers attend National Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference (+Exhibition)

T

uesday, 26 January marked the third running of the annual National Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference (MSC), held for the first time at the Citywest Hotel, Dublin. An unprecedented number of delegates - totalling over 2,000 - from leading global and Irish manufacturing and Supply Chain companies registered for the event, well beyond all expectation of the organisers. The show also boasted some 140 exhibitors including KUKA Robotics, Mitsubishi Electric, O’Toole Transport (winner of the 2015 Fleet Transport Irish Haulier of the Year), to name but a few. Some other exhibitors at the event included Superior Express Compass Logistics, International Warehousing & Transport (IWT), Kuehne + Nagel, DFDS, Johnston Logistics and Enprova, which gave a presentation on energy saving within the sectors. From a Materials Handling perspective Linde, Jungheinrich and Hyster (Irish Lift Trucks) had representatives on hand to promote their products and services.

The exhibition was further complimented by the highly informative seminars that were run simultaneously from the main stage conference throughout the day. In total there were 130 speakers and together with the main stage conferences, there was eight other seminars to choose from comprising of Research and Innovation, Quality and Health & Safety, Data and IT, HR, Skills, Training, Finance, funding and regulation, Sustainability, Lean and Future Factory and 3d Printing.

Seminar two had Logistic, Supply Chain and Traceability as the topic of the day. Tom Mulvey, a lecturer and Course Co-ordinator from the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown commenced proceedings with a presentation on Supply Chain Management (SCM) strategies explaining Joint ventures, Vertical Integration and Keiretsu Networks to the delegates. Examples were given as to how companies can forward integrate by investing or buying companies further up the supply chain towards the customer, or backward integrate whereby the company invests or buys the company back towards the raw materials stage.

The morning seminar also heard from David Brown who is head of Supply Chain & Operations at Ernst & Young (EY) Ireland, His insightful presentation Addressing Evolving Supply Chain Challenges to Improve Performances, gave an insight into how the supply chain must reconfigure to align with a customer centric view allowing it to become a critical enabler. He stated, “The supply chain re-invention must be an operational excellence journey” Rob Johnson, Lecturer, Supply Chain & Organisation Management, Dorset College was the fourth speaker and compared the supply chain to the workhorses of the insect world, ants whose traits are synonymous with a good supply chain, in that they form super Text & Photos: Leonard Allison - handlingnetwork@fleet.ie

colonies, use teamwork, plan ahead, complete a job before stopping and that their organizational and communication skills are second to none. He said that the biggest challenge for supply chains is to be in a constant state of assessment. Looking to the future companies must be involved in the digital age whether they want to or not and that satisfying customer needs is imperative. Future trends will see an augmented reality in order fulfi llment with providers having to improve responsiveness. He also listed some population mega trends including City urban growth, integration via the internet and eco-friendly solutions for sustainability which supply chains must pay attention to going forward.

“E-commerce is around a long time but m-commerce is the where it's at," stated Rob. Direct selling requires an end-to-end solution to the doorstep and from a logistics point of view this means an inter-modal solution. He concluded that if society continues with mega-trends then the supply chain will dramatically change. This was a reoccurring theme that was iterated by the previous speaker.

Some other speakers at the Logistic, Supply Chain and Traceability seminar included Declan McDonnell - Group Procurement Manager at Bord na Mona, Niall Fennelon -Senior - Procurement consultant at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Fleet Maritime’s Howard Knott who presented; “The year the freight container comes of age” which att racted huge interest from the delegates.

With so much on offer at this year’s event, there is no doubt that next year's event will be even better. www.fleet.ie

34 | HEALTH MATTERS

Diesel Exhaust Emissions – the toxic cocktail Diesel fumes are at best unpleasant and at worst carcinogenic (cancer causing)

I

n 2012 the World Health Organisation placed diesel exhaust fumes in the same category as asbestos, a highly dangerous substance to be inhaling. It was found that exposure to diesel fumes can cause lung cancer, and increase the risk of bladder cancer and heart disease.

Not only that but it has been found that after 30 minutes exposure to diesel fumes the activity of the brain is affected, and this continues for some time after the exposure is stopped.

As diesel is a type of fuel which is derived from crude oil, its exhaust is made up of gases and soot. Large engines such as those used in buses, trains, trucks, ships and some cars use the fuel. The gas portion of the exhaust is carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other gases containing sulphur oxides. The soot portion of diesel exhaust is carbon, hydrocarbons, and traces of metallic compounds.

When Rudolph Diesel invented the compression ignition engine in 1892, it was an alternative to the spark ignition gasoline engine, and ran on a less volatile form of fuel than gasoline which became known as diesel fuel.

Herr Diesel’s engine had more fuel economy, required less maintenance and became very popular in mass transportation vehicles such as trucks, buses and trains where it continues to be used to this day.

Many workers are exposed to the combustion products of diesel fuel in their workplace, including dockworkers, bus, truck and forklift drivers, railway workers, garage mechanics, construction workers etc. The ordinary person in the street is also exposed to diesel exhaust in traffic, and in the USA, it is estimated that diesel exhaust accounts for 20 percent of all vehicle produced microscopic soot, and 30 percent of all smog-causing chemicals.

Th is complex mixture of toxic compounds has a deleterious effect on humans and animals. Diesel exhaust particles are associated with sudden cardiac death in animal studies, and in humans it was found that exposure to traffic with a high level of diesel exhaust is consistently linked to an increased risk of major heart problems.

Chronic exposure to this pollutant causes irreversible cardiac damage, increases clot formation, and damages the coronary arteries.

The lungs are also damaged by the inhalation of small particles of soot from the exhaust: this is slow damage but it reduces the integrity of the lung tissue, and inhibits its ability to repair, so that people with asthma or bronchitis will have these diseases exacerbated by the exhaust.

Occupational studies of railway workers, heavy equipment operators and truck drivers have demonstrated a much higher than normal incidence of lung, ovarian and oesophageal cancers. Diesel engines emit much higher amounts of ozone (which contributes to lung

FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

Diesel engines converted to natural gas emit less harmful emissions.

destruction) than gasoline engines., they also emit hydrocarbons which are also toxic to the lung.

The brain is affected by diesel exhaust, it affects learning ability, coordination, memory and judgement. It causes slowness of response, memory loss and disordered sleep patterns, as well as balance impairment, and is linked with Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimers Disease.

As if that weren’t enough, there is also a link with a reduced sperm count in males, and an increased rate of miscarriages in females who are exposed to these toxins.

As the population grows, there will be an increase in requirements for trucks and buses, resulting in more diesel emissions and unless an alternative fuel source such as bio-diesel, compressed natural gas or ultra low sulphur diesel is used, there will continue to be diesel related health problems in the general population - some of these health issues irreversible.

The control of diesel emissions is of public health interest, and can be addressed by limiting engine idling - this reduces fuel consumption and emissions, and by the use of the most up to date retro fit technologies, which include catalysts and particulate fi lters. Engine maintenance is necessary to control emissions - it also optimises fuel economy and extends the life of the engine.

Trucks should be parked while they wait for loading, instead of idling in long lines, electrically powered loading devices preferentially used, auxillary plug in heaters used to give a “warm start” to engines, and workers who work in or around diesel burning vehicles should limit the time they spend near the running engines, and be aware of their environmental obligations.

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

36 | TIMES PAST

Municipal R

A De Dion Sweeper

group of school children on a recent educational tour were taken through a notorious Dublin house now restored (excuse the word!) to its sub-human 1913 condition as a tenement.

Amazed, one child asked: “And did they not have Wi-Fi?” That question illustrated beautifully how people usually think only in the present. If that child had researched why and how today’s municipal services originated in the eighteenth century, amazement would have given way to horror. And so it remained from around 1774 until the general introduction of motor vehicles in the 1920s.

Trying to extract a few pictures of municipal vehicles proved frustrating. First there is the sheer variety of vehicles, some on chassis by makers mainly involved in this particular sphere, others being more familiar models from well-known builders. Then there is the great number of services provided by our Local Councils, all taken so much for granted that - except for those working in this sector - very few people appreciate the scope of the fleets involved. So, on this occasion, I take the opportunity of explaining a very limited selection of vehicles, all in the cleansing business.

Scarab Sweeper

S & D Freighter No. 37 FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

A hundred years ago, our streets, often insufficiently paved and fi lthy, were liberally strewn with horse droppings and general mud. On a wet day, this all coalesced into a highly unpleasant coating, well capable of gett ing inside the shoes of pedestrians.

Also, many women still wore long dresses which were destroyed by the muck. To deal with this, Dublin Corporation awarded a franchise for cleansing to Franco Irish Enterprises which was responsible for this work until the 1940s. A large fleet of solidtyred De Dion vehicles was employed, including eight street cleaning vehicles. In the fi rst photograph, one of these sweepers is shown in College Green in 1925 or 1926; this was possibly a publicity shot.

The De Dion sweepers had long working lives, not being withdrawn until the late 1950s, when they were replaced by a succession of motor sweepers, mainly on commercial chassis. These were supplemented during the 1980s by a continuously improving fleet of small vehicles which could manoeuvre in confi ned spaces and could also clean

TIMES PAST | 37

Reflections footpaths. There are especially useful in the city centre and an abiding memory is of my three-year old grandson purposefully pursuing one of these in Grafton Street – but what he would have done if he caught it is a mystery.

Pictures 3 and 4 show the development over nearly decades of the Shelvoke & Drewry refuse freighter, a familiar part of the streetscape. No 37 is a W model, a side loader of the late 1940s which shared bin collections in Dublin with similarly bodies from Dennis. These were gradually supplemented and eventually replaced by more modern types, culminating during the 1980s by the Revopak types which had much greater capacity and made less frequent journeys to the tip head than their predecessors. Regrettably, they have now all gone, as has their highly regarded maker.

Dublin City Council had a major depot and maintenance workshop at Stanley Street which looked after the cleansing fleet and several other vehicles. With the privatisation of the bin service this has now passed to the Fire Brigade, much maintenance work now being outsourced. But memories survive, which Pictures 5 and 6 show. In No. 5, a sweeper and some of the small Bedford refuse bin servicing vehicles are on the pits, but the real beauty is No. 6. Here is one of the large fleet of Reliant three-wheelers the City Council once operated which needed special arrangements for overhaul – the mind boggles at the idea of one of these being reversed over a pit!

Revopak

Stanley Street 6347

I hope to return to other municipal types at a later date.

The National Transport Museum Heritage Depot, Howth Demense, Howth, Dublin 13.

Opening Times: Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays - 2.00 - 5.00pm

Reliant on Pit

Text & Photos: Michael Corcoran - contributor@fleet.ie

www.fleet.ie

38 | TRAILER

2015: European trailer market grows by 13.4%

G

ood news for Irish based trailer manufacturers is that their nearest overseas market, the UK, is performing well with 25% growth.

That’s according to CLEAR International which has issued a new report forecasting the demand for heavy goods trailers in Europe to 2020.

levels, started the year 55% higher and fi nished up with 46% growth.

In 2015 the trailer market got off to a strong start with registrations of new trailers up 14.8% in the fi rst half of the year, and up 11.9% in the second. Overall then, the market was stronger than anticipated at the beginning of the year. The reason is that several markets, which have struggled since the global fi nancial crisis, performed very strongly in 2015. Italy for example was up 72% in the fi rst half of the year and fi nished the year up by 60%. Spain, where registrations in 2014 were half pre-crisis

“What we are seeing in these markets is basically catch-up demand. In many European markets the demand for new trailers has been so far below the long term trend level for so many years that, as soon as haulage companies regain the confidence to invest in new assets, the floodgates are opened and two or three years of exceptional increases (measured in percentage terms) are possible,” commented Gary Beecroft, CLEAR International.

The UK, which set a new record for trailer demand in 2014, smashed that record in 2015 after a 25% increase. That makes it the second largest trailer market behind Germany.

Krone introduces specific building materials trailer

G

erman trailer and agricultural machinery producer Krone has launched its newly designed building material trailer, called Load Carrier, which offers a robust and practically-oriented solution for building materials transportation.

The exceptional stability of the two-axle trailer is achieved thanks to a torsion-resistant chassis - with 30 mm thick, waterproof and sealed phenolic floor plates.

Within the big 7 economies of Western Europe, all are forecast to have accelerating GDP growth and higher business investment. Th is positive trend of economic development in 2015/16 will lead to a further increase in the trailer market in 2016. A more encouraging development is that the West European Trailer Parc (or fleet size) again exceeded the 2 million level in 2015, a figure seen only once before in 2008. It is anticipated that the parc will remain close to this level for the rest of this decade.

“The recovery in parc numbers is initially surprising given that the demand for road transport (tonne-km) remains well below the 2007/8 level. However, it is trailers from 0-7 years old that do most of the transport work, and it is these vehicles that have only been partially replaced since the 2009 crisis,” concluded Gary.

Faymonville presents a new flatdeck semi-trailer for North America

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Gray & Adams fridge-bodied 8-wheeler The anodised alloy 1,000 mm high side walls each with two tailgate flaps are easy to fold down or to remove, and have continuous tie rods. New for the side walls is an optional drop-side lift ing aid.

The tare weight of the construction material Load Carrier is approximately 3,500 kg. This means there is approximately 14,500 kg of payload. Cargo space lengths of 6,500 mm, 6,900 mm, 7,100 mm and 7,300 mm are available, the cargo space width is 2,480 mm.

Gray & Adams has manufactured this innovative temperature-controlled body mounted on a 32-tonne Scania G410 8x2 chassis.

The 9.0-metre insulated box body, positioned very close to the back of the cab to reduce drag, features an underslung Carrier Transicold Supra 950 u single-temperature refr igeration unit, and Gray & Adams’ latest, aerodynamically profiled panel cappings.

These not only improve fuel efficiency, but also give the vehicle a modern, streamlined appearance. The interior has a full checker plate floor, stainless steel rear end and a PIR (passive infrared) lighting system.

FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

Walking the walk,talking the talk

S

peaking at a briefing hosted by Allied Irish Banks (AIB) in Limerick, the President of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) Verona Murphy outlined some of the recent developments within the organisation and the current challenges facing the industry.

Five speakers, including Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan TD., delivered upbeat comments and predictions for the transport industry and the economy to the audience, which was made up largely of IRHA members from the Midwest and South. Although the event took place in advance of the General Election, the IRHA President said the Association had worked well with the Fine Gael/Labour Coalition. She listed three successful changes brought about because of strong representation by the IRHA and meaningful engagement by the Government. The fuel rebate scheme has probably kept some hauliers in business, particularly when diesel was at its highest cost.

More recently were the changes in heavy commercial vehicle motor tax rates and a promise of a reformed system to be put in place by the end of 2017. Th irdly, the establishment of a HGV Driver Apprenticeship Scheme in conjunction with Cavan/Monaghan Enterprise Board. Ms. Murphy expects this programme to be in place by September. “I hope to have full details available for announcement at our AGM and Conference which will be held in April in Wexford town.” She continued by saying that there will always be challenges facing the industry. “While the migrants in Calais are a human tragedy, the situation continues to present practical problems for our members. While a political solution is being worked out, our members need some latitude to operate and we must be sure that drivers are not put in danger.”

something the IRHA will have to resolve for their members.” In the past the IRHA would have taken this as a Government Minister walking away and turning his back on them. In its maturity, the IRHA would expect that this comment is a signal from Government for the IRHA to get their facts together, bring a workable solution to the table.

If Minister Noonan is part of the next Government he was putting down a marker, so too was the IRHA President.

She concluded by saying, “We look forward to working with the new Government and we expect the same co-operation. For our part we will not bother them with frivolous requests.”

Afterwards she took time to visit every table and meet all of the guests at the event.

ce: xcellen E r e il – a nce Tr insider a t r u c Experie ” OS S GENI de in Germany The S.C a “M ch and high-te

In a Q&A session the prime subject that came up was rising insurance premiums. Listening to various contributors, it is obvious that the difficulties facing insurance companies is turning up at hauliers’ doors in the form of higher premiums. It is likely that this issue could dominate the forthcoming AGM. In reply, the President said she was well aware of the problems with insurance and she asked for patience and some time for the IRHA to get some legislative change that may slow down the recent increase in compensation payments.

Earlier in his comments M inister Noonan acknowledged that insurance premiums were rising; “But this is

Driving.Innovation.

The new trailer generation featuring state-of-the-art chassis technology

The body and chassis of the new S.CS GENIOS

www.cargobull.com/uk

More info: +44(0)1925 732886

curtainsider offers you better performance than ever before. Plus, loading and securing your freight has never been quicker – just more.

6343

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

40 | OPINION

6343

LOGISTICS | 41

DHL reveals supply chain and logistics as most critical success factor in omni-channel business model While the omni-channel transformation is well underway, this report reveals that most companies are not yet ready for omnichannel; they are persisting with channelbased approaches that cannot meet new consumer demands.

“Consumers expect access to information at all times, faster delivery speeds, and a personalized shopping experience.

Companies can’t meet these expectations using a traditional channel-based approach.

An omni-channel strategy is needed for future success,” added Matt hias.

D

HL, the global logistics and express delivery provider, in collaboration with the data analyzer IDC Manufacturing Insights, has published the DHL Omni-Channel Logistics Trend Report, an in-depth analysis of logistics in the omni-channel e-commerce business model. It has cited that the logistics industry has a significant role to play in the transformation to an omni-channel business model.

There is growing recognition by markets and consumers that traditional channel-based approaches are now out-of-sync with the anytime, anywhere shopping behavior and delivery expectations of modern consumers.

This is driving the new omni-channel approach in which all sales channels - brickand-mortar, online, and mobile - converge into a single seamless channel of orchestrated product flow.

“Within the next three years, most of the world’s population (90 percent) will have fast mobile internet connection, and today more of us are browsing and buying online.

Already some 70 to 80 percent of consumers in the US use multiple channels before making their purchase decision and we expect this to increase in most markets globally”, explained Matthias Heutger, Senior Vice President; Strategy, Marketing & Innovation at DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation.

Text: Rob Van Dieten - rob@fleet.ie

There is a clear difference between these approaches. Multi-channel retailing aims to optimize the consumer experience in each separate sales channel, whereas the omni-channel approach is holistic, channelagnostic, and customer-centric.

Omni-channel strategy for competitive advantage The report reveals companies that master omni-channel will gain significant competitive advantage. Despite the complexity of coordinating and integrating all sales channels, and the investment required to achieve cross-channel fulfillment, early-adopter retailers report significant customer growth, increased customer loyalty, higher profitability, and improved inventory turnover.

The report also highlights that the supply chain and logistics are key enablers for omni-channel success, and are essential for fulfi lling customer promises. As companies transform their structures, processes, and IT systems to support an omni-channel strategy, logistics providers can facilitate personalized seamless fulfillment options that unlock new levels of operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Physical assets, including warehouses and stores, will continue to deliver value but with changing roles. To enable flexible crosschannel fulfi llment options, warehouses are taking on more direct consumerfacing fulfi llment activities, and stores are developing micro-warehousing capabilities.

The last mile of the delivery process is also important to an omni-channel strategy.

It provides opportunities to enhance the customer experience and to reduce delivery costs.

Omni-channel investment may be unaffordable for small, local retailers, but cities and logistics providers can collaborate to provide access to shared platforms. The report provides a case study example of the Online City Wuppertal project.

Omni-channel trends in Asia Pacific Asia Pacific is the largest and fastest growing B2C region in the world, and yet there is sparse research on omni-channel trends in Asia. The report includes the key fi ndings of an extensive survey conducted by DHL and IDC with 56 companies across the region. It fi nds that delivery speed is more important than flexibility to Asian consumers; that the fastest growth in the next two to five years is predicted to be in online marketplaces and online stores; and that companies across Asia are most likely to invest in predictive logistics, the automation of distribution centers, mobility-driven shopping, click & collect models, digitalization of stores, and same-day deliveries.

The report also highlights wide variation in omni-channel readiness and market maturity across Asia. According to Mei Yee Pang, Vice President, DHL Asia Pacific Innovation Center: “Our role at the DHL Innovation Center is to help businesses recognize this diversity, adopt best practices, and innovate for business growth in the region.”

An omni-channel strategy starts with investment in systems to enable full inventory visibility across all channels.

Advanced analytics capabilities are required to make proactive, predictive fulfi llment decisions. And flexible logistics networks and services ensure seamless product flows between e-commerce supply chains and in-store operations. www.fl www.fl eet.ie eet.ie

42 | COMMENT

Some technology Good, some Suspect

From where I'm sitting - Howard Knott

I

t wasn’t the nicest of Monday mornings, but the plan was to hop into the car and head to Howth for a demonstration and presentation by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) about its Sea Safety campaign, and to get there with plenty of time to spare for a hearty breakfast.

It didn’t work out that way, the car refused to start. I called the AA and waited. The technician arrived, the car still didn’t start; he hooked up his diagnostic kit, checked it and declared that the good news was that the car was perfect. Perfect or not, it still didn’t start.

Now he got out a mat and a lump hammer, vanished underneath the car, hit the tank a couple of good blows, re-emerged, we hit the starter button and the engine roared into life. He then explained that the petrol pump is located inside the fuel tank and that none of his, nor the manufacturers diagnostics systems can track any faults with the pump.

Now in a rush, I headed for Howth, too late to catch the live demonstration of BIM’s compact Flotation Device with the integrated Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), but in time for the presentation on the new equipment and the safety campaign hosted by BIM Chief Executive, Tara McCarthy.

The BIM campaign is built on a series of radio and TV advertisements, along with a focussed education programme at the main fishery centres. The figures are terrible, one in three fishermen personally knew someone who was lost at sea. Fishing is 36 times more dangerous than an office job, yet over 50% of fishermen do not wear a lifejacket/ personal floatation device.

Up to now very few of these lifejacket/personal floatation devices have included a PLB. These PLB’s which feature an integrated GPS system have to be the ‘game changer’ in persuading everyone who

FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

goes afloat, whether it is to fi sh, to work or for leisure activity to wear not just a lifejacket, but a properly equipped one. In the cold Irish waters, speed of rescue is all-important. The rescue agencies here and elsewhere point out that PLB’s take away the “Search” element of what they do, and enable the “Rescue” function to click in within minutes. Traditionally many fishermen and others who went to sea would not wear any form of lifejacket, as they believed that to do so would mean that they would drown anyway and that the lifejacket would just prolong the agony.

But the really dreadful thing about all of this is that, where a body is not recovered, then a Death Certificate cannot be issued for seven years, leaving the family in emotional and fi nancial limbo for that time and longer. I had not thought about that until now.

Leaving Howth, the car did start perfectly but I took it straight to the dealer. Right from the beginning I had had occasional starting problems with this car, though each time it did eventually start.

I wouldn’t say that the folk there did not believe me, but their diagnostics certainly did. Worse than that, they told me that a number of other owners had reported similar issues, but that they had never been able to get to the bottom of it and sort matters out.

It seems to me extraordinary that a world class vehicle manufacturer can build cars, and design and install extremely expensive diagnostic kits that cannot track something that an AA mechanic can fi nd and deal with using experience and a lump hammer.

It would appear that even the best of technology has its limits, and that there is a great need for experienced people, whether in the motor industry or in maritime safety training, to be enabled to bring their experience to bear in the quest for delivery of good results for everyone.

Text: Howard Knott - howard@fleet.ie

TRANSPORT www.eet.ie

AWARDS 2017

REWARDING BEST PRACTICE )OHHW 7UDQVSRUW $ZDUGV

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Fleet Transport Awards 2017 Date: Thursday 13 October 2016 Venue: Citywest Hotel, Dublin.

Sponsorship Opportunities The Fleet Transport Awards are firmly established as the most valued and respected honours in the road transport industry.

Celebrating its 10th Anniversary, these Awards provide a platform for the sector to celebrate best practice and an ideal networking opportunity.

There are sponsorship packages currently available for these prestigious Awards. Being a sponsor at the Fleet Transport Awards will not only position you as a leading company within today’s challenging market place but will provide you with an unrivalled opportunity to give something back to a client base that is essential to your ongoing business success.

To enquire further about sponsorship opportunities please contact Orla Sweeney.

Phone: +353 94 9372819 Email: orla@fleet.ie

44 | SHIPPING & FREIGHT

Implementation of new Container weight regulations could shock exporters

T

he Marine Survey Office (MSO) at the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport, has issued a Marine Notice describing the “New Requirements for the Verification of the Gross Mass of Containers”. Th is comes into effect globally on 1 July, 2016. The requirement has been brought forward by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and is part of the global organisation’s “Safety of Life at Sea” (SOLAS) mandate.

The IMO, which was responsible for the establishment of “Sulphur Emission Control Areas” (SECA) rules in place since January 2015, has been driving the verification of container weight agenda following a number of high profile accidents involving heavily loaded container ships in recent years.

US transport publication, Journal of Commerce, has issued an infographic - reproduced here - on the new Verification of Gross Mass of Containers. Th is has become the ‘go-to’ document for shippers and others seeking to understand the new rules, and the areas of their responsibility in ensuring that goods move seamlessly through the international supply chain. In the case of Ro-Ro, whether with cargo in trailers or in containers loaded on trailers or skeletal trailers being shipped out of Irish ports, there is already a requirement under the Merchant Shipping (Weighing of Goods Vehicles) Regulations to weigh the units before shipment, but this new regime means that containers shipped on Lift-on, Lift-off vessels must also now be weighed.

bringing the container to the port could incur considerable extra cost and delays if the container is rejected on arrival at the terminal.

Some ports plan to offer a weighing facility at the entrance gates but even if this is used, the haulier will incur significant delays.

The new Regulation states that: “if the shipping document, with regard to a packed container, does not provide the verified gross mass and the master of the vessel on which the container is to be loaded or his representative along with the terminal representative have not obtained the gross mass of the packed container, it will not be loaded on to the ship”. It goes on to say that the Shipper – the person who is shown on the shipping documents as the person who owns the cargo, books the shipping and pays the freight – is also responsible for ensuring that the verified gross mass is communicated in the shipping documents sufficiently in advance, so that it can be used by the appropriate person in the preparation of the ships stowage plan.

In the USA and other places, an advance notice period of 24 hours before sailing or arrival at the export shipping terminal is being considered. There will be considerable pressure on the shipper to present the verified weight document using EDI or EDP techniques.

The weigh bridges being used to weigh a laden container should meet the requirements of the European Community's (Non-Automatic Weighing Instruments) regulations currently in force. Automatic weighing instruments meeting the same standards of accuracy may be used in place of a weigh bridge.

While the new regime is of huge importance for the party loading the container, whether the exporter or a freight forwarder, the haulier FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

Text: Howard Knott - howard@fleet.ie

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46 | LEGAL

The increasing importance of medical awareness

W

hen the driver of a refuse collection truck collapsed at the wheel in a busy street in Glasgow in December 2014 resulting in the death of six pedestrians with fifteen others injured, it was inevitable that questions would be asked of the employer.

The questions were no less predictable. Had the employer taken any steps to ascertain whether or not his driver was safe to be on the road whilst in charge of a heavy commercial vehicle? Specifically, had the driver been asked about his medical history, and had there been an independent medical examination? In the aftermath of the accident the driver insisted he did not need to go to hospital, but as the result of the public demand for information, further enquiries were made.

It transpired that the driver had a history of medical problems causing him to have ‘blackouts’ while driving, but that he had concealed this history from his employer.

In Ireland, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) published the second part of the ‘Medical Fitness to Drive’ guidelines on the 24 April 2014. It highlights to drivers and health professionals of their duty to report certain medical conditions if they are required to drive Group 2 Vehicles. It is important to be aware of the fact that drivers are expected to know when they are supposed to report a medical problem, but, and this is a most important but, this does not include a duty to tell the employer.

The RSA asks all drivers to self-declare certain existing medical conditions when completing an application for a driving licence or a renewal or exchange, while drivers of heavier vehicles (Group 2) have to submit a medical report completed by their doctor. The reason why there is no duty to tell the employer is concern that disclosure might, rightly or wrongly, result in the driver losing the chance of employment.

Conversely, the employer has a clear duty to take reasonable steps to ensure that his/her drivers are free from any medical problems

that might affect their ability to drive safely on the public roads.

‘Reasonable steps’ in this context are likely to include fi rstly, the production of a certificate or letter from a doctor, confi rming that there are no medical reasons that might disqualify the person from driving. Secondly, drivers should expect to complete a questionnaire prepared by the company which will include questions about alcohol consumption and the use of so called recreational drugs, and of course questions about previous enforcement history.

It is very important to involve the employer’s insurers in discussions about the way in which the health of drivers is supervised. The employer needs to get written confi rmation from the insurers that they are satisfied with the recruitment procedures that the employer has in place, and the insurers may well have valuable advice on the best procedures. Given the duty placed on the employer to show that ‘reasonable steps’ have been taken to ensure that a potential employee is a safe driver, it may be that the involvement of the insurers will go a long way towards proving that ‘reasonable steps’ have been taken.

Ultimately it is the employer who has the direct responsibility to ensure that any employed driver is safe on the road. Drivers should be periodically reminded of the effect of alcohol, recreational drugs, and fatigue on their ability to drive. There should be evidence of these reminders, confirming the date when the reminder was issued.

Wherever possible, any published guide should be given to the drivers, again keeping a record of when that was done.

Finally there is always direct observation. An employer should never ignore signs that a driver is coming to work in a condition that makes him unfit to drive. Anything that the employer can see can be seen by others, and is likely to be remembered if enforcement officers have reason to ask questions of other employees. So far as is possible driver safety should be seen as the collective responsibility of every employee.

FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

Text: Jonathan Lawton - jonathan@fleet.ie

IMPORTANT NOTICE Reminder for All Professional Bus and Truck Drivers

DON’T FORGET YOUR ANNUAL DRIVER CPC TRAINING DAY All professional truck and bus drivers (those who drive for a living) must hold a current Driver Certificate of Professorial Competence (Driver CPC ) Card.

In addition, to maintain your CPC you must complete at least one day’s periodic refresher training each year.

Important If you have not already completed your CPC training in full, please contact an RSA approved Driver CPC Training provider to ensure that you can complete all of the required training and obtain your Drivers CPC Qualification Card before you drive professionally.

DRIVERS, HAVE YOU COMPLETED THIS YEAR’S ANNUAL CPC TRAINING DAY? Remember it is not enough to just hold a CPC card - to keep your CPC up to date, you must complete at least one training day every single year.

If in doubt about your own compliance visit www.rsa.ie and check your status via the ‘MYCPC’ portal, if you are not ‘up-to-date’ act now before it’s too late.

Failure to keep up to date may lead to a loss of work for you, targeted enforcement and loss of credibility for your employer/employers – can you afford the risk?

To find an RSA approved driver CPC trainer visit rsa.ie Locall 1890 50 60 80 or email cpc@rsa.ie For more information visit www.rsa.ie Tel. (096) 25000

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48 | FINANCE

Profit is sanity

T

wo key business issues with the Irish transport industry are featured this month, namely the ability to increase margin, and the strategic plan of a business owner to maximise long term value of the business.

We have all heard the expression ”turnover is vanity, profit is sanity”, but it’s terminology that does not hit home in the haulage industry. The “busy fool” is rife, where a lack of proper costing and knowledge dictates that the owner believes the more work taken on will inevitably result in a positive bottom line.

Th is belief would be true if all costs were fi xed, but the busy fool is always working on marginal rates. Often the last thing they need is added work. Instead they require to access what they have and put a proper plan in place that will result in business profitability.

Due to the fact that turnover is the key benchmark consideration, other key factors such as level of service are often ignored.

Instead the business is being kept busy with low margin or loss making work, giving rise to tremendous stresses within the organisation, and ultimately turnover of staff and customers. Many Irish transport companies have fallen into this trap due to the fact that their sole business objective or benchmark was to increase fleet size.

Speak to any owner of a transport firm, even the most successful, and they will tell you that increasing fleet size is easy, but that controlling and motivating drivers that have to operate these vehicles can be a nightmare.

When you are budgeting for the next twelve months your concentration should be on how to improve profit margin. Achieve this and you will see real results from your business, lower business risk, and ultimately a business that is worth more.

Another key issue seen constantly in road haulage companies is the owner’s inability to delegate or outsource certain functions.

Granted it must be very difficult to hand over the reins of your business to a manager, especially if it is a non family member. Bosses can still be seen working eighty hours a week doing functions such as loading trailers,

FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

routine maintenance or fuelling trucks. Their time would be much better spent working on the profitability of the business.

According to the 80/20 rule, only 20% of your time is actually spent dealing with the really important factors in your business.

Th is is a scenario that is truly applicable to Irish road haulage. (The transport fi rms that can delegate, create a better work/life balance for themselves. Such companies are less likely to fail if the owner falls ill and will have increased net worth if sold).

In relation to outsourcing certain business functions, such as book-keeping or payroll, Irish transport companies can be slow to do this as they feel the costs and loss of privacy is unacceptable. In relation to the level of assistance or expertise your accountant or solicitor brings to the business, very often this is limited to doing statutory returns or ad-hoc legal cases. There is an obvious advantage for these experts to be giving

continuous advice and assistance to add value to a business.

As we exit the current recession, transport fi rms are benefiting from the short term decrease in fuel costs and the recent reduction in road tax but they are ignoring the huge cost increases in payroll, insurance and compliance. Many medium to large scale transport businesses have weathered the recession through the implementation of proper fi nancial and business planning, and the hard work and ability of their owners.

To maintain and increase profitability into the future and further develop the business, the concept of key non-family members having a stake in, or even being the future boss of the company has to be reviewed in a cold commercial manner to compete in an increasingly competitive and complex market.

Text: Donal Dempsey - donal@fleet.ie

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50 | SOAPBOX

Toll Free Motorways for Trucks

T

he IR HA and the Road Transport Industry in general has received more attention from the Government just dissolved than from all previous Governments combined. As a consequence TD’s and aspiring Dail representatives of all shades quote the needs of the industry almost ad infi nitum. It is vital that the recognition so hard fought for by the few is not allowed to wither during the course of the next Government.

Ireland has never had a national policy for road freight and the only information available on national truck movements comes from the Central Statistic Office (CSO).

The so called Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) defies my attempts to fi nd any reference to HGV’s or freight movements on its website thus continuing the tradition of its predecessors.

The economy is rapidly recovering and whilst it is true that the recovery is not felt everywhere, the increase in construction industry transport in the Greater Dublin area is very obvious, as it is to a lesser extent in Cork and Limerick. Surely now is the time to evaluate the role of trucks in our economy? The national haulage fleet, which according to the CSO represents 20.7% of the total national fleet, carried 89.6% of all goods moved in the economy in 2015. The fact that empty running is so low compared to the Own Account sector highlights how efficient we are in reducing important carbon emissions.

Without a national policy we are going to see (as in the UK) a various hodgepodge of Local Authorities introducing weight limits locally. In Dublin the idea of break bulk facilities outside the city with everything being transferred into white vans has been aired far too often to be ignored.

In November 2013, the then Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar T.D., made an attempt to encourage trucks to use motorways by introducing a Toll Free month on certain routes and the Limerick Tunnel.

Th is resulted in an overall increase of 20% more trucks throughout the motorway

FLEETTRANSPORT | MARCH 16

network, with the Limerick Tunnel scoring a spectacular 70% increase. At €6 per truck it is easy to see why Limerick truck operators with multiple daily crossings avoid it.

The Dublin Port Tunnel has been free to trucks since its inception, and has led to major improvements in the quality of life within the city cordon. Why is a tunnel in one city toll free for trucks and not in another?

The Limerick Tunnel and the M3 received subsidies of €6.9 million in 2015 (source Irish Examiner). Would it not make sense to allow trucks to go free as all of us including the truck owners pay the taxes that pay the subsidies?

It is difficult to fi nd out the true extent of subsidies to other motorways, but with our deteriorating primary route network and the cost of the wear and tear thereon, surely the savings would justify removing the tolls for

trucks? Preventing trucks from transiting as many of our country towns as possible makes those trucks more environmentally efficient, improves road safety and makes those towns a better place for all. The use of toll free lanes for trucks on motorways would also reduce the amount of fuel burnt while queuing to pay tolls. Th is has been estimated at between one and two litres per toll depending on congestion, which is yet another reason for trucks to avoid them.

The environment has loomed large in the national consciousness with the terrible f looding this winter. The time has long passed that bodies such as the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ignore this country’s road freight. The IRHA needs to engage with such bodies, and if they don’t reciprocate, then lets engage with their Ministers.

We need a National Road Freight Policy.

Text: Jerry Kiersey - jerry@fleet.ie

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