IT’s Flexing

Compliance And Earned Recognition

With an increasing number of operators looking for integrated fleet management technologies to replace paper or standalone digital systems, Aquarius IT is showing its range of compliance and Earned Recognition-approved management solutions at this year’s trade shows, starting with the CV Show and ITT Hub, Road Transport Expo in the summer and ending with Coach and Bus UK in November.

Manage And Communicate

The company will be showing its Asset Maintenance portal, which integrates with its tacho analysis system, defect app, and eSIGN technologies. This transforms the way operators manage, communicate, connect, and report on all areas of fleet management relating to vehicle maintenance, inspection and driver activity.

Aquarius will also be introducing its Asset Finance system, which works in tandem with Asset Maintenance to give operators and workshop managers an intuitive way of tracking costs, and monitoring maintenance and part costs related to each asset.

The flexibility of Asset Finance enables commercial workshops to examine and report on costs related to external operations.

The team will also be demonstrating all the latest features in Time & Attendance, which, in recent times, with remote

Aquarius IT director Mark Johnston says: “In 2022, we recorded our busiest year and central to this success was our total-system approach to managing all areas of fleet management data on one digital platform. By combining these technologies, our software allows operators to have full visibility of their fleet in real-time and to be able to uniquely drill deeper into this linked driver and vehicle information for greater clarity.

“This not only proves to be beneficial for compliance and safety – as well as for those seeking or reporting on Earned Recognition – it also helps our transport customers run more efficiently, both financially and practically. We have many case examples of this, from both large and small operators, and we look forward to showcasing how our approach is delivering results at all the main trade shows in 2023.”

For more details, go to aquariusit.com; email sales@aquariusit.com; or call 0330 3338789

Reliable, focused, technology solutions

Tachograph Analysis

Asset Maintenance eSign

Document Management

Time & Attendance

Defect Checking

We are committed to delivering comprehensive, real-life, technology solutions enabling operators to manage their road

Finance

Close Brothers Asset Finance provides transport and logistics finance solutions.

Despite the increased cost of doing business, more than 70% of operators plan to seek funding for investment in the next 12 months, according to research from Close Brothers Asset Finance. A key reason is because finance is a great way to get the vehicle you need without making a significant upfront payment.

As long-term funders of the haulage sector with 35 years of experience helping hauliers fund trucks and trailers, Close Brothers Asset Finance provides funding for customers looking to buy new or upgrade existing fleets.

John Fawcett, chief executive of Close Brothers Asset Finance’s Transport division explains: “There are various products that come under the broad umbrella of asset finance with one of the key ones being refinancing or capital release; it’s a proven way to make your assets work for you and release cash back into the business.

“It’s straightforward and works by the finance company purchasing the asset and financing it back to the operator, with repayments calculated in line with the income the asset is expected to generate; at the end of the refinance term, the operator owns the asset.”

Ways To Pay

Other examples of asset finance products Close Brothers offers include hire purchase (HP) and finance lease. HP allows the customer to buy the equipment on credit and the finance company purchases the asset on behalf of the customer and owns the asset until the final instalment is paid, at which point the customer is given the option to buy it.

With finance lease, the full value of the equipment is repaid to the finance company, plus interest, over the lease period. At the end of the term, the company can choose to continue to use the asset by entering a secondary rental period, sell the asset and keep a portion of the income from the sale, or return it.

Fawcett adds: “It’s important to understand that at Close Brothers Asset Finance we ensure each deal is bespoke to a customer’s needs; by offering a personal face-to-face or virtual service, we look outside the box to provide the solution needed; it’s not one size fits all.

“Our evolution is about ensuring we’re flexible to customers’ changing needs, offering agreements that fit their cashflow requirements at a given point in time, rather than merely providing a standard vanilla offering.”

Payload Capacity

According to Fawcett, some of the highest levels of demand in the haulage sector is for larger payload capacity vehicles, from long-wheelbase LCVs through to the largest tractor units.

“The emerging trend for haulage finance is the need for flexible payment structures to match income streams, plus seasonal cashflow peaks and troughs, to support the affordability of operators’ monthly commitments.”

For more information, go to closeasset.co.uk/transport; for the south call 0208 003 4735, or email enquiry. wimbledon@closebrothers.com; for the Midlands and north, email enquiry.burton@closebrothers.com or call 01283 808765

Tanker Construction

Crossland Tankers has been specialising in all areas of tank creation, repairs and maintenance for 35 years. The firm initially began as a tanker repairs and servicing company, working on local bulk liquid haulage tanks.

With so much experience of the inner workings of these tanks, Crossland Tankers started its own manufacturing plant in Swatragh, Northern Ireland. Thanks to the success of its first factory, Crossland acquired Massey Tankers in 2003 and took on its manufacturing facility in Burnley. Now, more than 130 employees work across the two sites.

Crossland provides a range of tanks for all applications. Products include tankers for food, milk, chemicals, waste vacuum, bitumen and fire authorities. These tanks can be built to ADR, PED and PSR regulations, in addition to any international standards required for businesses exporting tanks or operating in other countries.

Crossland has a wide range of customers in Ireland, the UK, the EU, and the Middle East.

While it has a core concept of tankers, with regular stock, Crossland works with customers to create innovative solutions for all transport requirements. Along with building tanks to set specifications, the team develops products that not only solve logistical issues but come with the guarantee of industry-leading quality that has become a Crossland trademark.

Speedy Turnaround

As well as custom orders, Crossland stocks standard products for a quick turnaround. The range includes truckmounted tanks, semi-trailer and drawbar solutions, all built with the specific application in mind. For example, milk tanks are designed to be extremely lightweight, offering maximum payload and ease of manoeuvrability whether they are used for farm collection or bulk transport. Various metering systems are available, along with electric- or hydraulic-powered pumping.

By using the latest technology, milk tankers come with the highest levels of insulation and temperature control and can be supplied as DTAS-compliant, with ATP approval also available.

Top Priority

This commitment to making the best tanker for the job is a priority for Crossland. Designs are optimised using lightweight materials to maximise load capacity while meeting regulatory requirements and maintaining the highest standards for safety and efficiency.

Crossland’s European Whole Vehicle Type Approval ensures every vehicle is legal and ready for use on delivery. Its dedicated production line is capable of handling quick repairs, insurance tests and full remounts. For all things tanker and trailer related, there’s also an experienced parts department with extensive knowledge of the complete range. To support all its tanks, Crossland has an expanding service team capable of providing 24/7 care for customers.

For more information, go to crosslandtankers.com; email info@ crosslandtankers.com; or call 01282 770077 (England), 02879 401555 (Northern Ireland) valid driving licence and CPC.

SmartCheck, a walk-around driver vehicle safety check platform, is also available as part of Descartes’ SmartCompliance software. SmartCompliance provides access to SmartAnalysis, SmartLicence and SmartCheck in one place, with one login.

To make the process of gathering tachograph data less time intensive, SmartAnalysis uses SmartDownload to automatically conduct remote tachograph data downloads. Collecting driver card and vehicle unit data this way ensures no data is missed and unaccounted mileage is minimised. This happens in the background