Wincanton secures five-year transport deal with Halfords p3
Smooth operator
XPO rolls out tailor-made logistics package for Christy p4
To the fore Register now for the CM Golf Day 2023 p6
The greatest show, man
With four events in one, this year’s Road Transport Expo promises to be the best yet p8
Chinese vehicle manufacturer
Maxus has unveiled the e-DELIVER 7 – its latest all-electric van – as it continues its drive into the UK electric van market.
This new addition to the Maxus eDELIVER range lands at midpoint, bridging the gap between the smaller eDELIVER 3 and the larger eDELIVER 9.
The eDELIVER 7 offers a range of up to 226 miles on a single charge from its 88kWh battery and comes in three size configurations, with a payload of up to 1,200kg.
Harris Maxus director Mark
Barrett said the Maxus eDELIVER 7 is the company’s sixth vehicle launch in just seven years.
“In that time, we have positioned ourselves as a market leader
when it comes to electric vehicles and the eDELIVER 7 builds on our EV range, securing our position in this regard,” he said.
“Our electric vans have proven popular with businesses in the delivery, pharma and grocery/retail sectors, as well as being the number-one choice for many local councils that are looking to switch to electric.
“Our latest addition is pitched at those who need more payload capacity than the eDeliver 3, but who may not need the full-size capabilities of our eDeliver 9.”
The UK’s zero emission HGV market is “shackled” by the absence of a charging infrastructure, the lack of a national roll-out plan and the absence of effective incentives for operators, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has warned.
The SMMT said that unless the the UK government acts urgently to ensure the rapid roll-out of public HGV-dedicated charging and hydrogen filling points across Britain’s roads, it will fail to unlock operator investment.
The warning comes as research by the SMMT reveals that Britain’s strategic road network has not a single HGV-dedicated electric charging or hydrogen filling point.
The SMMT is urging the government to match its bold plan to ban the sale of new diesel trucks by 2035 with an equally bold plan to deliver the HGV charging infrastructure and provide operator incentives and investment.
It also wants the government to
develop this strategy within the next 12 months, warning that the 2035 ban on the sale of new diesel trucks leaves many operators with just one full eight-year cycle of fleet renewal to make the transition.
Without this government strategy, the SMMT warned that the current lack of infrastructure will continue to act as a serious impediment to the “vast majority” of operators considering investing in zero emission trucks.
It points to the lack of zero emission trucks on the UK’s roads to date as evidence, with just one in 600 trucks being zero emission, despite HGV manufacturers investing heavily in developing electric and hydrogen powered trucks.
The SMMT said: “Given the unavoidably higher costs of zero emission vehicles and the necessary depot investments, operators whose businesses are run on tight margins and pence per mile calculations need to be incentivised to make the switch.”
GLASGOW KISSED: A new design of hydrogen fuel cell truck has been unveiled by Glasgow-based Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS) after six years’ work. The 40-tonne, 370-mile range HGV demonstrator “underlines the company’s objective of being the first indigenous UK designed and developed hydrogen-electric HGV on the market,” HVS said. Funded by the Advanced Propulsion Centre, Innovate UK, Scottish Enterprise and Energy Technology Partnership, another investment partner is the service station and grocery retailer EG Group, which will provide the hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.
CLEAN MACHINES: This year’s Road Transport Expo (RTX) will have a wide range of low-carbon and zero-emission technology to explore from leading manufacturers. From electric trucks and vans through to Euro-6 biogas and diesel models, there will plenty to discover. You can even take vehicles for a drive in our Ride & Drive experience, or simply experience the journey from the passenger seat if you prefer. RTX is a bumper three-day tradeshow, which is free to attend and takes place from 28 to 30 June at NAEC Stoneleigh in Staffordshire. You can book your place today at roadtransportexpo.co.uk
Wincanton has won a new fiveyear contract with cycle and car accessories retailer Halfords to manage its entire transport operations for the UK and Ireland.
Under the contract, Wincanton will transport over 63.5 million items per year from the retailer’s three distribution centres to its network of nearly 400 stores across the UK and Ireland.
This contract builds on Wincanton’s existing eight-year partnership with Halfords, which has seen the group use its transport management technology to deliver £10m of continuous improvements to the efficiency and sustainability of Halfords’ transport operations.
Wincanton has also introduced a fleet of eight LNG vehicles to support Halfords’ net-zero ambitions, an initiative that has removed 628 tonnes of carbon emissions from Halfords’ transport operations.
Rachel Gilbey, Wincanton MD of general merchandise, said: “Halfords is a valued, long-standing customer and we are proud to be extending our partnership with them for a further five years.
“Today’s announcement is a testament to the great work that
we do delivering operational improvements for our customers, and we look forward to continuing to use our innovation and technology to drive efficiency in Halfords’ transport operations in the years to come.”
Ian Ridley, Halfords head of logistics, added: “Following a comprehensive market review, we are pleased to announce that we are continuing our partnership with Wincanton with the award of a new five-year contract.
“Having held a very successful and long-standing partnership, we are delighted to be able to continue our efforts in delivering further service and cost improvements.”
Fleet operators are being urged to check yards for debris after a survey found a high level of punctures caused by on-site litter.
The two-year ‘Fleet Debris Study’ by tyre manufacturer Bridgestone looked at the source of debris-related punctures across five of its biggest fleet customers in England.
Using overhead satellite heat maps and daily checks, Bridgestone discovered 504 items of debris across the five sites, 200 of which were rated as medium to high risk hazards and potential sources of punctures.
The report follows an earlier study by Bridgestone in 2018, which found that 56% of the tyres analysed had failed due to road hazards, including punctures caused by sharp objects.
This latest study found that the highest amount of debris accumulated across the five fleets was in the vehicle washing areas, which the report said could be the result of parts becoming dislodged as vehicles are washed.
It also found that “considerable” debris was located in loading and unloading bays, which Bridgestone believes could be the result of drivers sweeping rubbish off their vehicles.
Gary Powell, Bridgestone technical manager for the north, headed up the Fleet Debris Study. He said: “Depots which employed a road sweeper were successful at significantly reducing the amount of debris, and specifically high-risk debris items like bolts and nails.”
Cutting punctures all about clean depots, says study
XPO has won a multi-year contract for end-to-end management of luxury bed and bath linen retailer Christy England’s supply chain for all channels in the UK and Ireland.
The two companies collaborated on designing a customised supply chain solution that integrates inbound product transport from multiple manufacturing locations, storage at XPO’s shared-user warehouse in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, and outbound transport of product orders to retail stores and outlets in the UK and Ireland, as well as the retailer’s e-commerce operations and niche delivery points.
XPO said its shared-user storage solution will provide the partnership with greater flexibility in the use of warehouse space and improved overall efficiency, aided by its state-of-the-art warehouse management technology that oversees inventory control and logistics management of lastmile orders.
Dan Myers, XPO UK and Ireland MD, said: “Working together in partnership, this new solution will broaden and further enhance Christy’s retail options for customers in all channels, from e-commerce to the bricks-andmortar experience.”
Mike Holland, Christy director of product and supply chain, said:
Logistics workers at Nestlé’s warehouse in York are facing the threat of redundancy as the food manufacturer restructures its UK and Ireland logistics operations.
Nestlé is reorganising operations at its logistics warehouse CF2 in York, which will see the facility moving to a full pallet operation. The firm has begun consultation with staff. It is understood 39 roles are at risk.
GMB organiser Katharine Mitchell said: “This announcement means a very worrying time for those members whose jobs are at risk. The GMB team at York is working hard to reduce the number of job losses.
“Regular meetings are planned with Nestlé about these proposals. GMB has a strong track record of getting good outcomes for workers at Nestlé and we will ensure our members’ voices are heard.”
“At Christy, we have always held ourselves to the highest standards of quality and service, and we prioritised these same attributes in the competitive tendering of our supply chain. Our choice of XPO has given us a cohesive, multichannel solution that delivers immediate benefits and will evolve along with our needs.”
A Nestlé spokesperson said the changes to its logistics operations would “reduce complexity, increase capacity and improve our service to customers.”
“As always, we are speaking to our employees about this proposal first and nothing will be confirmed until consultation has been completed.”
Wakefield-based A Davies Transport is creating three new jobs as a result of becoming a shareholder member of Pallet-Track.
The family-run company, which was established by MD Andy Davies with just one truck in 2007, now operates a fleet of 38 vehicles and 60 trailers, and employs a team of 55 staff.
It has a broad customer base across West Yorkshire, including companies in the food and drink, retail, construction and printing sectors.
Davies (pictured) said: “We thought long and hard about our service proposition and finding the right pallet network to support our growth.
“As a robust, quality network, Pallet-Track is a great fit for our business and is aligned with our core values, while offering a number of features that will benefit our operation and our customers, particularly as we grow.
“This move will enable us to utilise the most up-to-date IT systems and technologies and provide our customers with the very best systems the industry has to offer, including pallet tracking, SMS alerts and mandatory proof of delivery photos.
“We have been in a pallet network for well over a decade now and it is a vital service offering for all our customers; having a strong partner network across the UK is essential for us.”
Caroline Green, Pallet-Track chief executive, added: "A Davies Transport has a first-class reputation in West Yorkshire and a proven track record, so we are delighted to welcome the team to the Pallet-Track network.
“As a network, we continue to attract high-calibre members and A Davies Transport brings the commitment to customer service and working in partnership that runs throughout Pallet-Track.
Planning for the Commercial Motor Golf Day 2023 is now in full swing and operators are invited to join in the fun this summer.
Taking place on Thursday 31 August at Lambourne Golf Club in Burnham, this popular annual event is a perfect networking day for you and a team of colleagues or customers.
Not only will you get a full day’s golfing at a prestigious course, but you will also get a delicious lunch midway around and a fully inclusive drinks reception and evening meal to round off your day in style.
Prizes and trophies will be awarded to the winning team, whilst a fundraising raffle will also
DB Schenker has sealed a deal with electrical manufacturing giant Siemens to provide production logistics support for its oldest UK manufacturing site.
The 10-year contract marks the first time DB Schenker has been chosen to operate warehouse facilities for a Siemens site in the UK. It will support the Siemens factory in Congleton, Cheshire, which produces variable speed drives. More than 1m units are assembled each year, for a wide range of industrial applications.
DB Schenker’s purpose-built 124,000sq ft depot in nearby
be taking place in aid of industry charity Transaid.
“It’s always been a muchenjoyed day out for all the teams that have joined us at our previous golfing events,” said Vic Bunby, divisional director of Road Transport Media.
“Not only is it a brilliant opportunity to connect with colleagues, existing customers and potential new connections, but it’s also a fantastic golf course with top-class catering throughout the day.
“We do hope to see lots of familiar and new faces joining us in August.”
To find out more or to book tickets for your team, simply email katy.court@roadtransport.com
The competition is made up of 23 teams of four (92 players in total). The format will be a four-ball full handicap Stableford competition, and the best three individual scores per hole per team will count.
Date: Thursday 31 August 2023
Location: Lambourne Golf Club, Burnham, SL1 8NF
Includes: Green fees, a golf-related gift, lunch and dinner with inclusive drinks, a raffle and trophy presentations.
Pricing: 4 ball team – £900 + VAT (includes all the above for 4 players)
Hole Sponsorship – £350 + VAT (includes editorial coverage, group sponsor sign and individual sponsor sign)
Truck Placement – £350 + VAT Buggy hire – £25 + VAT (limited buggies available)
A six-month trial of a new micrologistics hub in Pimlico aims to improve air quality by cutting the number of trucks and vans delivering parcels to offices and residents’ homes in Central London.
Middlewich will handle inbound deliveries of components for the Siemens factory, storing them securely and ensuring the required items are always available when needed. The items will then be transported on the 12-mile trip to Congleton up to eight times per day.
This latest partnership builds on DB Schenker’s existing relationship with Siemens around the world. Rob Matthews, head of supply chain at Siemens Congleton, said: “We are very happy to have completed the migration of our third party logistics relationship to DB Schenker.
US firm CATrak Technologies has launched a device to prevent catalytic converter theft which alerts the owner when a theft is in progress.
The system has been launched in the UK, where thefts of catalytic converters from commercial vehicles are 10 times higher than in North America.
The smart CATrak module is installed on the vehicle, as well as a separately mounted alarm and custom cut-detect module (CDT). It incorporates a 140dB alarm and the real-time GPS location of the vehicle being targeted.
During an attempted theft, if the device, wiring harness or converter itself is cut, the alarm is activated
and the owner is notified of a theft in progress via the CATrak app.
John Rollins, CATrak co-founder and chief operations officer, said the innovation was designed to meet the needs of fleet operators.
“Because of the increasing value of precious metals used to reduce emissions, thefts of catalytic converters have reached epidemic proportions all over the world,” he said. “Converters can be stolen in less than two minutes and enormous losses are being borne by insurance companies and fleet operators, as well as the disruption and loss of revenue from vehicles being undriveable.”
Westminster City Council, together with Cross River Partnership (CRP), has set up the hub, where online purchases will be delivered by electric cargo bikes. Based in the Q-Park car park in Cambridge Street, the 750sq ft hub has been built and equipped by Infinium Logistics.
Delivery Mates, which has been appointed to run the hub, will receive goods via electric vehicles and then deliver them to the local area. The council estimates that cargo e-bikes will deliver about 2,000 parcels a day from the hub to residents and businesses, reducing congestion and pollution.
Delivery Mates, which already operates five existing hubs in London, will share data from the trial, such as CO2 savings.
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Westminster City Council cabinet member for city management and air quality, said: “This new micrologistics hub has an important part to play by promoting healthy, greener and more efficient deliveries.”
There will be plenty to see and do for visitors at this year’s RTX, from drop-in conference sessions through to product exploration and a Ride & Drive experience.
With its ‘All about the truck’ focus, this exciting new event is perfect for anyone involved in the road haulage sector and will bring together all the leading manufacturers and experts in one vast venue.
And just as importantly, it is a perfect place to meet and greet industry colleagues, catch up with existing customers, and connect with potential new contacts.
RTX is a very sociable event, with plenty of places to sit and relax, or grab a bite to eat or a refreshing beer in the British (we hope!) sunshine.
Plus many exhibitors will be
The greatest industry tradeshow is back this year as Road Transport Expo (RTX) returns for a second summer outing to wow exhibitors and visitors alike, taking place from 28-30 June at NAEC Stoneleigh. Hayley Tayler reports
pulling out all the stops to engage with visitors on their stands.
You might be tempted to try the free Guinness and frites over on the Van Hool stand, or grab a pair of sunnies and join the fun Austrian vibe with lighting specialist Aspöck.
Tanker specialist Feldbinder is well-known for its fantastic hospitality stand, while bodybuilder Thompsons will make sure a cool drink awaits on
RTX is a new concept, launched to industry last year. However, it still brings together all your favourite elements from previous events Tip-Ex, Tank-Ex and Freight in the City.
For those with specialist bulk haulage needs, you’ll be able to access leading manufacturers to discuss your fleet’s bodybuilding requirements, be they for tippers, skip-loaders or materials handling gear, through to hydraulics and lighting and everything else you require.
These include top brands such as AKFS, Aluexbeams, Bailey, BSP Hydraulics, Boweld Truck Bodies, HIAB, Hyva, JOST, Megalift, Palfinger, Quicksilver Truck Liners,
its stand, as will trailer-maker Lawrence David as it looks to celebrate its 50th anniversary with visitors.
Hireco and BPW will also be offering visitors tasty food and drink choices.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg of what you can discover at exhibitor stands, from exclusive show offers to fun giveaways and product demonstrations.
Schmitz Cargobull, the Thompsons Group, TVS Interfleet, VBG Group Sales and Weightlifter Bodies.
There will also be tankers galore to explore. Leading tanker firms at the show include Colson Trailers, Crossland Tankers, Feldbinder, Interpump Fluid Solutions, Meller Flow Trans, Padoan, TCL Tanker Rental, TIP Group, Trainsairvac International, Van Hool and Vallely Tankers.
When it comes to the best vehicles for urban logistics, then RTX has you covered, from the smallest utility models brought to you by Bradshaw Electric Vehicles, to the latest HGVs and vans from leading manufacturers and rental firms, including
“While RTX is a bustling business tradeshow offering a onestop shop for all your HGV fleet needs, we also want visitors to know it offers a fun, lively atmosphere and a fantastic networking platform,” said Vic Bunby, divisional director at show organiser and MT publisher DVV Media International.
“I can’t wait to see what exhibitors will be bringing along to this year’s show and look forward to exploring the stands, both inside and outside, at the NAEC Stoneleigh.”
DAF, Dawsongroup, Ford, Isuzu Trucks, Hireco, Iveco, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, Renault Trucks, Scania, Terberg Special Vehicles, Thomas’s Vehicle Rental & Contract Hire and Volvo.
You will also be able to chat to our charging partner Equans about your electric fleet infrastructure needs, or check out a wide range of safety, training and compliance aids aimed at those operating in busy, built-up areas.
Our exhibitor list is growing every day, so make sure to check out roadtransportexpo.co.uk for the latest companies joining us. You can even filter by product type to help you plan your day.
In my last article, I sparked a debate about licence fees, and many favoured a fee review and paying more for a better service. Sitting alongside this is whether we still need administrative traffic areas. We all know that boundaries and borders delay vehicles when transport operates 24/7, 365 days a year.
Goods and passengers are constantly delayed by red tape as operators navigate the relentless maze of bureaucracy. We know about delays at ports and airports when red tape takes over and we sympathise with hauliers and coach operators as time-critical delays of fresh food become worthless and passengers are taken to hotels as they cannot spend any longer on the road with no facilities.
But what about the delays, extra costs and red tape caused by still having traffic areas? In a former life as senior traffic commissioner, I always said (and do still say) that
operator licensing is not there for reasons of red tape – it is there to promote road safety and fair competition. But I also said that having eight traffic areas in Great Britain was nonsense. Why should an operator have to apply for a separate licence in each traffic area when they have a licence to operate their vehicles in Great Britain or internationally? No one sees the delay and cost implications of this on the national news.
This might be because Great British operators do what they always do best – getting on with the task in hand, delivering for the benefit of Great Britain without complaining and without asking “Why?”; Without asking “Please may we stop this nonsense?”; Without asking “Please may we just have one licence in Great Britain to operate?”
Reform of the system is easy. We can still have eight traffic
commissioners and apply to them – just as we do now – if we want to operate in Lancashire and Lincolnshire. We can still close our Conwy depot and open a new one in Caithness if the TC agrees we can move from Wales to Scotland – just as we do now. We really don’t need to apply for a whole new licence again to do this.
If the TC trusts us to operate safely and have enough money to maintain our fleet in Lancaster, then surely, they must trust us to do the same if we move to Lincoln. We don’t lose our minds and our money or throw our maintenance planners and tachograph analysis contracts out of the window as we move across the M62, down the M1, and across the A57 do we?
So why must we have another whole new licence? Why can’t we just vary the existing one? Change it, make it bigger or smaller. Add or remove depots. Still pay a fee and still advertise in the local paper
for the new depot – just as we do now. But there is no need for another licence. The DfT might not like it. They would have to change the law. But that’s not hard – after all that’s their job, isn’t it?
My message to the Great British transport sector is clear – please don’t accept eight traffic areas anymore. Ask the DfT, your MPs and your trade associations to stop this nonsense. Campaign for one licence for each operator – not up to eight. Quicker, easier and less red tape. What’s not to like?
Time for me to stop writing and get campaigning. I have said enough and made my point. I think you can tell how strongly I feel about it. Time to buy a placard and march up and down Parliament Square shouting “One operator, one licence”. Anybody like to join me?
■ Beverley Bell CBE, director, Beverley Bell Consulting
Iam a great fan of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 and listen with growing incredulity – maybe it’s my age or maybe the world really is going mad – to some of the crazy goings-on it reports every morning.
Steve Hobson Editor Motor TransportJust one example – Just Stop Oil protestors throwing orange dye over a snooker table. What on earth does snooker have to do with global warming?
But a story the other morning got me thinking. A company that makes votecounting machines in the US sued Fox for falsely accusing it of helping rig the last election in which Donald Trump was defeated by Joe Biden. Although they didn’t get the full $1.6bn Dominion was seeking, Fox still had to stump up $787m in damages, the largest publicly disclosed monetary settlement ever in a US defamation action, according to The Washington Post.
If false allegations of vote rigging can produce that sort of outcome, the UK transport industry should sue the UK government in a US court for the biggest con trick ever attempted – namely telling everyone that the sale of new diesel trucks will have to end in 2040 without giving us any idea how on earth this is going to be paid for.
According to DfT statistics, Great Britain-registered HGVs operating in the UK in the 12-month period ended June 2021 shifted 152 billion tonne kilometres of goods – up 8% on the year before.
DfT research shows that there are “few in any” road freight operations that cannot be performed by a zero-emissions vehicle, which may or may not be technically true. But with these vehicles still costing three times current prices, how will this shift be paid for over the next 17 years? That’s the con.
The UK warehouse and logistics sector has undergone a major shift in recent years, with the pandemic causing an e-commerce boom that has transformed the nature of work.
should be explored. Open dialogue is also vital to ensure employees have everything they need to do their job and feel comfortable asking for additional aids or equipment as needed.
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Dave Howarth Executive director SCALAOnline demand and home delivery is a huge challenge, especially when considering that one retailer or manufacturer can have tens of thousands of different products that need to be handled, picked, packed and delivered quickly and efficiently. And, with many businesses offering next- and even same-day delivery options to remain competitive, operatives are under more time pressure than ever before.
Against this background there is a growing problem with the availablity of drivers and warehouse operatives. Brexit and the changing nature of e-commerce has exacerbated the skills gap. The CILT found 86% of companies had lost experienced warehouse operative staff in the past two years, while 60% suffered driver shortages.
High order volumes and targets put strain on an under-resourced business, but also take a physical and mental toll on employees. Stress is often tied to unsociable hours, tough repetitive work, and safety risks.
Organisations should encourage regular breaks, with walking or stretching away from the work station to break up long periods of repetitive motions.
Where possible, employees should also be provided with ergonomic equipment that can be adjusted to fit each individual to reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries. Rotating employees across different warehouse roles to create more variation
It’s also crucial that mental health is treated with the same importance as physical health. Organisations should provide access to support and resources to help employees manage stress and other mental health issues. Employees want to feel valued – authentic actions are vital to stop staff moving to another employer for slightly higher pay, especially in this cost of living crisis.
It can also be beneficial to consider how automation can help support employee safety and wellbeing. Our recent research highlighted how automation has enabled one global safety lead to increase safety in busy materials handling areas, while another shared how automation has meant they’re less exposed to staff absence. Automation can help improve the nature of the job, handling more of the monotonous work and freeing up employees to manage more engaging tasks and take on supervisory roles.
Greater job satisfaction, retention and productivity are all benefits created by a safer and healthier workplace.
Showing real care for warehouse operatives can be a huge competitive differentiator in the battle for talent, as well as making warehouse and logistics careers more attractive and fulfilling prospects.
If you would like to contribute to MT’s Viewpoint, email steve.hobson@roadtransport.com
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© 2023 DVV Media International Ltd
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With cheap red diesel left on the shelf, many businesses running temperature-controlled trucks and trailers are moving to all-electric packages for their fridge engines.
Steve Banner reports
Cheap red diesel used to be the lifeblood of fridge engines. Last year saw its demise so far as the road transport industry is concerned – a long-heralded change that has prompted businesses running temperature-controlled trucks and trailers to consider other power sources.
Simply switching to white diesel instead is an option, but an expensive one. Nor does it address the criticism increasingly levelled at diesel donkey engines – that they are a source of NOx, particulate and CO2 emissions.
They also generate noise; bad news if you are attempting to make late-night deliveries to residential locations with slumbering householders in the vicinity.
Some operators have concluded that the best bet is to move away from diesel fridges and go electric. By doing so, they can tap into an environmentally friendly source of energy.
Delivering supplies to some 1,550 restaurants across the UK, Martin Brower has decided to pursue that route.
It has acquired 24 temperature-controlled Gray & Adams semi-trailers on contract hire from Centurion Truck Rentals, each of which is equipped with a Carrier Transicold Vector eCool system.
A gearbox and generator mounted on the centre axle of the trailer’s tri-axle bogie
SWITCHED
energy generated by the axle and brakes, which would otherwise be lost, into electricity. It is stored in an onboard battery and used to power engine-less versions of Carrier Transicold’s Vector HE 19 fridge.
When a trailer is parked it can be connected to a threephase electrical supply using a standard five-pin standby plug, which will recharge the battery in a couple of hours, says Carrier. Generating very little noise, the package is PIEK-compliant, which allows goods to be dropped off out-of-hours without causing a disturbance.
Working out of Martin Brower’s Hemel Hempstead distribution centre, the new trailers are being deployed on delivery routes in and around London. In service seven days a week, they are scheduled to clock up around 87,500 miles each annually.
Says Carrier Transicold’s UK sales and marketing director James Bell: “Vector eCool has been around in Europe for the past 10 years and we’ve been placing units into fleets and on the road for the past couple of years. More and more UK operators are using it.”
Thermo King has developed a similar package to eCool under the Advancer AxlePower banner in co-operation with BPW. It uses BPW’s ePower axle and can be combined with Thermo King’s Advancer-e electric fridge.
Three trailers employing Advancer AxlePower are now in service in the Netherlands with hauliers working for supermarket chain Albert Heijn. Thermo King hopes to see Advancer AxlePower in operation with at least two transport companies on this side of the North Sea by the end of this year, says UK sales manager Stephen Williams.
He does not deny that kitting out a fleet’s trucks and trailers with all-electric packages is an expensive exercise.
“A lot depends on the exact specification, but as a ballpark figure Advancer AxlePower will cost you €50,000 to €55,000 (£44,500 to £49,000),” he says.
Making such a change saves on the weight of a diesel engine and fuel tank, however, and there is no need to worry about replenishing the tank with costly diesel. The presence of an electric trailer axle has minimal impact on the tractor unit’s fuel consumption, says Williams.
Some operators favour a halfway house that allows diesel units to be retained but run electrically, an approach recommended by Swedish-owned Hultsteins.
It has developed an electro-hydraulic system called Ecogen, which employs a power take-off (PTO) from the truck’s engine to drive a generator that delivers a constant 400V at idling speeds. Using a five-pin plug, the generator can be connected to the motor of virtually every make of refrigeration unit that has an electric standby. The fridge can be mounted on a rigid or a trailer.
The latest version of Ecogen – Ecogen 2 – is fitted to five Mercedes-Benz Actros tractor units operated by nationwide catering supplies specialist Reynolds.
Reynolds’ head of national fleet Steve White estimates that each Ecogen 2 will save at least £5,000 in diesel costs annually. “It’ll take about two or three years to cover the front-end cost of the units,” he predicts.
Ecogen 2 is easier to fit than Ecogen and runs cooler because of the way it has been redesigned, says Hultsteins’ UK MD, Graham Usher. “We’ve changed the hydraulic block, the routing of the pipes and their diameter,” he says. “The capital cost is £15,000 to £16,000. It’s designed for a 12-year working life and only costs around £150 per year to maintain,” he adds. “We offer it at 400V/50Hz but it can also operate at 400V/60Hz, which gives you a 10% to 12% increase in cooling capacity.”
Fitting a PTO costs approximately £1,200 and can be a challenge with some makes and models of tractor, he warns.
Scanias, Volvos and Renaults all have the necessary timing gear in their engines, says Usher, so a PTO can be bolted on easily. With other brands a PTO may have to be specified when the truck is ordered; retrofitting is likely to involve an extended workshop visit.
If a trailer with a diesel-fired fridge is coupled to a tractor without Ecogen 2, then it can still function. All the operator needs to do is fill the diesel tank and start the engine.
Carrier Transicold offers a rival PTO-powered package called Eco-Drive. Thermo King has one available under the Frigoblock banner that is alternator driven and uses an inverter to deliver a constant voltage.
Hultsteins can also supply Ecofridge, a purely hydraulic refrigeration system. It too depends on an engine PTO, but in this case it is used to run a belt-driven constantflow hydraulic pump, which in turn powers the Hultsteins refrigeration unit.
If the engine is switched off and the vehicle is parked overnight with no power supply it can be plugged into to allow the electric standby to be used. Hopefully the operator will have specified Intelli Start, which starts the engine automatically in order to trigger the fridge unit if the load area’s temperature rises above a certain point, then switches the engine off automatically once the correct temperature has been achieved.
The device includes an immobiliser, designed to prevent a thief from stealing the vehicle even if the engine is ticking over.
An onboard battery pack is another way of keeping a fridge operational while the vehicle is stationary, though not necessarily all night. The one fitted to Advancer AxlePower can keep a parked trailer’s refrigeration system running for up to five hours, says Thermo King.
Run a fridge off a PTO and the truck will burn more fuel. The consumption penalty is modest however, argues Hultsteins. A 6x2 tractor covering 100,000 miles annually at an average 11mpg might consume an extra 572 litres, it contends. Bear in mind, though, that a diesel-powered fridge on a trailer operating for 2,500 hours annually can burn a whopping 7,500 litres of fuel and emit almost 20 tonnes of CO2 per year.
One way of reducing the amount of fuel refrigeration systems consume is to install solar panels on the roof of the truck or trailer’s body, Hultsteins points out. Using the electricity they produce to help power the fridge could save roughly 600 litres per year depending on the size of the vehicle, says the company.
Like truck manufacturers, refrigeration system developers are examining the potential of hydrogen fuel cells. Last September’s IAA Transportation show in Hanover, Germany, saw Carrier unveil a concept package developed in conjunction with Bosch and PowerCell Sweden with a fuel cell at its heart.
An electric power distribution unit is used to convert the DC current provided by the fuel cell into the AC current required by the fridge. The hydrogen tanks can be refilled in about the same time as a diesel tank, says Carrier Transicold, and offer a similar range.
Comments Carrier Transicold vice president and general manager Victor Calvo: “We’re committed to exploring every avenue to reduce emissions and deliver better sustainability for our customers – and hydrogen fuel cell technology is extremely exciting.” n
Northern Ireland’s McBurney Transport Group has come up with another application for solar panels. It is having 146 refrigerated semitrailers fitted with a small 50W panel apiece from Genie Insights.
The trailers all have diesel-powered fridge units. If any of them are parked up for a while, then the panel ensures that the unit’s battery will not go flat, and will always contain sufficient energy to start the diesel motor. McBurney’s opted for the panels after a 12-month trial with one on a trailer that went all over the UK and Ireland, including in bad winter weather with short daylight hours.
Says McBurney fleet manager Sammy Hamill: “We were surprised to see how such a simple and cost-effective solution could provide the answer to the battery-related issues we know are becoming increasingly common in the refrigerated transport industry.”
It’s not so long since tipping trailers were falling out of favour. Perhaps that’s a poor choice of words, since tipping trailer stability was one of the issues at stake. Apart from stability, the risk of touching overhead power lines and other obstructions was also contributing towards their decline in popularity.
Is the tide now turning? The replacements for tipping trailers were moving floor trailers and belt trailers –arguably a variation on the moving floor theme. Both designs could overcome the tipping trailer stability issue by doing away with tipping and using mechanical means to discharge the load, but there are also limitations on the uses of moving floor and belt trailers.
For bulk trailers, there are effectively three main areas of activity: construction, waste and agriculture. The UK economy has recently managed to avoid dropping into recession, but it has been ravaged by Brexit, Covid-19, former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng MP’s disastrous budget, the invasion of Ukraine, interest rate rises, inflation and rising costs. The economy has the jitters and when that happens, the construction sector is often the first to slow.
“The overall market is very buoyant,” says Ian Barclay, operations director of King’s Lynn-based Roger Warnes Transport, “although it does experience seasonal variations, tracking the agricultural and construction trends.”
Barclay’s optimism is shared by Nigel Butler, MD of Weightlifter Bodies. “I’d say it’s pretty healthy. We saw a quiet period on enquiries in Q4 last year, but in Q1 this year it definitely picked up, we’re seeing more enquiries,” he says. “I think the balance of enquiries has shifted. The middle of last year was all about aggregate half-pipe tippers – that’s where all the demand seemed to be.
“That seems to have switched over the winter period. The construction market is a bit quieter while the agriculture market has bounced back. We would expect to be a bit busier on bulkers at this time of year anyway, because you’ve got harvest coming up from September onwards, so most of our enquiries have been around bulkers rather than half barrels.”
Graham MacMillan, UK MD of moving floor and tipper trailer manufacturer STAS, has had a different experience. He has seen the new bulk trailer market reduce quite a lot. “We’ve had a reduced amount of people asking for trailers and we’ve got a reduced amount of people actually ordering,” he says. “That’s down to many different things including uncertainty, volatility in the market, interest rates going up and people thinking prices are going to come down. People are being very careful and they don’t know what to do for the best.
“People aren’t building houses, so the stone and sand side is reduced. The aggregate side has slowed down. The grain side and agriculture hasn’t slowed down, but it somehow doesn’t seem as buoyant. People are holding onto their kit longer. Trucks run longer, trailers run longer, so you can sweat that asset more nowadays. People are using their original products for longer and deciding to repair them a bit more, rather than just selling it and buying new.”
Concerns about stability saw tipping trailers fall out of favour. But as efficiency becomes evermore important, the alternatives don’t look quite as attractive.
John Kendall looks at a shifting marketON SOLID GROUND: Ian Barclay, of Roger Warnes Transport, is optimistic about the state of the bulk haulage market Photo: Roger Warnes Transport / Karl Andre Photography Photo: Roger Warnes Transport / Karl Andre Photography
Inherent stability was the big attraction for moving floor and belt trailers. “From a health and safety point of view it ticks all the boxes,” says Butler at Weightlifter. The problems appear to be on several fronts, though; cost principally, as Butler explains.
“I think what they quickly ran into, or what they certainly found when they got a couple of years into it, was that the capital costs were significantly more expensive and that doesn’t seem to have fallen as more volumes became available,” he says.
“The economies of scale don’t seem to be there and they’ve proved to be quite expensive to run. They need a lot of maintenance, so I think then there was a general move towards belt-type trailers, where there are fewer moving parts.
“They’ve proved to all intents and purposes to be equally as expensive, both to purchase and to run. That market just doesn’t seem to have any traction.”
You might think that as a manufacturer of tipping trailers, he would say that, wouldn’t he? STAS produces both tippers and moving floors, so MacMillan has a good understanding of both trailer types. “The reason the moving floor lost its way is because the trailer weighs about 2 to 3 tonnes more than a tipper. So, you’re carrying 2 tonnes less payload. It’s roughly £30,000 more expensive than a tipper, so you’re carrying less and it’s costing you more but also it wears out three times quicker.”
MacMillan makes this calculation because of the way the moving floor mechanism works and the way that the load passes over the various sections of it. He reckons new bearings are needed every three to six years, depending on the trailer’s working cycle and if that is neglected, the underfloor section will also need repairing.
Moving floor trailers are also not suitable for every type of load. “You can only do sand, stone, gravel and tarmac, but if you have a tipper, even an aggregate tipper, you can do glass, sand, salt and all these other things,” says MacMillan.
Barclay agrees up to a point. “For general or multipurpose moving floor trailers, it’s quite possible to offer a haulage service for everything from pallets, that would normally go on a curtainsider, through to some aggregates,” he says. “They are best suited to certain products such as wood chip, compost and other similar materials.
“Finding the perfect material to fill every mile is very challenging and, of course, they are a high capital and maintenance cost. Securing the correct level of ➜ 18
“To be honest, 99% of tippers go over because of one reason – the driver,” says STAS UK MD Graham MacMillan. “If you get a bad driver, he will turn it over on the first load. If you get a good driver, who loads his trailer properly, that trailer will not go over, because the 1% that go over are to do with metal fatigue, poor loading or something breaking.
“Fatigue affects trailers that are probably over 10 years old. The reason they suffer fatigue is because steel normally rusts, or if the floor wears away that weakens the monocoque construction, so that’s where it then splits.
“If you put all the load on one side and you tip it up it will go over. It’s physics. But if you load it with most of the weight in the back of the trailer and then you put another dollop where the landing legs are – you don’t put anything at the front – then when you tip up, the actual weight of the pivot point is at the back. It’s trying to tip itself for you. So by doing that you’ve got more weight at the back, which gives more stability on the back end. When you’ve got weight at the front, that causes the front to rock.
“With tar, when you’re going down the road, you’ve got cold air to the front of the trailer. You should never fill the load at the front, because you get cold air hitting hot product, which will cool the
THREE AMIGOS: The bulk trailer market generally covers three sectors –agriculture, waste and construction – which all tend to be affected by economic concerns and seasonality. With a renewed eye on costs, many operators are looking at the increased payloads and greater longevity of tippers over moving floor and belt trailers
tarmac and cause it to set. My advice for tar is to get a trailer that’s longer than you need. Say, a 9m trailer instead of an 8m trailer and load it with nothing in the front corners. So when you tip, it’s not cold in the front, it will come out. By doing that you’re making it safer.”
TfL’s consultation on the Progressive Safe System that will be required on all trucks rated less than three stars for direct vision under phase 2 of the Direct Vision Standard, which comes into effect in 2024, says: “Articulated Vehicles – Sensor systems must ensure full coverage of the nearside of the tractor unit and the semi-trailer. Semi-trailer sensors must be suitably positioned to provide sufficient coverage but preventing activation solely on articulation of the trailer. Sensor systems must ensure full coverage of the nearside of the tractor unit and semi-trailer. Sensors must have a range of two metres of lateral coverage”
whether trailers have the Progressive Safe System (PSS) fitted. Currently, number plate recognition cameras correspond to a DVS safety permit, but trailers do not have vehicle registrations so it may be difficult to police.
The other issue is that trailers are interchangeable and may pass between operators. Who, then, does the responsibility lie with if a truck is hauling a trailer that does not have a PSS fitted?
their blind spot with a detection of up to 2m away. The system can identify that the vehicle has a trailer and it knows when the truck is turning, so indicator selection is not required to activate the system. Most importantly the system is predictive and therefore only warns the driver if a collision is likely, via a visual display in the cab. This means no more false alerts.
n What safety equipment do customers already require bulk operators to fit to artics before allowing them on site?
Safety systems provider Brigade Electronics says that in practice this will mean improved safety for cyclists and other vulnerable road users. There has never been a focus on trailers before.
The technology specified is much more intelligent than systems that were on the market in 2022 and prior, and will revolutionise trailer safety.
The question is how TfL will monitor
Brigade welcomes improved safety but has made some suggestions and highlighted concerns as part of the consultation process.
n How easy will it be to eliminate blind spots as an artic turns left and the trailer blocks the driver’s nearside view?
The current radar solution that Brigade will be launching this year will detect the cyclist and therefore reduce the risk of a collision, by alerting the driver that something is in
compensation for all of that is very challenging.
“From a practical point of view, moving floors tend to be higher sided to accommodate the low-density material. They can be too high for some loading methods, perhaps under a hopper or a low-lift front bucket loader.”
The market for tipper and moving floor trailers seems to be fairly consistent. Butler at Weightlifter reckons the tipper trailer market is around 1,000 units in a normal year. “In 2019 it was nearer 1,200 and about 1,100 the year before that,” he says. “But there is a replacement cycle and people need to replace units. If you have a couple of years at 700 there are probably 600 trailers that have not gone into the market and will need replacing.”
Currently operators tend to belong to either FORS or CLOCS, or need to meet DVS or HS2 requirements. Systems for those specifications include camera monitors or 360-degree systems, sidescan sensors for the nearside, an audible alert to warn cyclists that a truck is turning left and an audible alert to warn the driver that something is in their blind spots. FORS and HS2 require a reversing alarm and a rear camera is required for vehicles over 7.5 tonnes. FORS and HS2 also state that camera monitor systems should be able to digitally record camera footage.
The DVSA produces data on UK tipper and moving floor trailer sales, which shows that around 1,450 tipping trailers were sold in 2022, as well as some 500 moving floor trailers. Data for January and February this year shows 270 tipping trailers were sold and 100 moving floors. The component shortage that came about with Covid-19 is starting to ease, but MacMillan says it is still having an impact on those registrations because of the longer lead times that have resulted.
“The problem with 2022 was that you ordered a trailer but didn’t get it for between four and 10 months. So last year’s numbers are partly 2021 numbers, and anything coming between say January and April I can guarantee was ordered in 2021.
“So you’ve got that lag and what I’m seeing now is I’m very busy putting trailers through from August, September, October and November orders. If you go to December, January, February and March, it’s very, very low on orders, but everybody is.
“I’ve spoken to a few people and they’re all saying the same, they are all seeing a downturn. In the last two months, I’ve sold 15 trailers. I should be selling the best part of 25 to 30, so I’ve seen about a 30% reduction.”
Barclay at Roger Warnes is more optimistic, “Demand for tippers is widely fluctuating,” he says. “Partly that is a seasonal thing – post-sugar beet and pre-summer harvest is usually unpredictable, but grain will start moving from stores to make space for the new 2023 crop, so demand will outstrip supply. Minerals and aggregates are a little more dependent on the economic outlook but we’re not seeing evidence of the oft-vaunted slow down.” n
