Motor Transport 4 June 2018 by Motor Transport

Sharp ■ Informed ■ Challenging

4.6.18

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MOTOR TRANSPORT AWARDS 2018

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NEWS INSIDE

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01/02/2018 12:03

Losing its polish

Canute surrenders Tetrosyl to Bibby Distribution p3

Consolidation

Pallet networks need to take the next step

Shocking behaviour

Mick George fined £565,000 for regulation breaches p10

OPERATORS IN THIS ISSUE Bibby Distribution..................................p3 CML F&L (Telford) .................................p7 Canute Haulage Group ...........................p3 Culina Group .........................................p7 DHL ......................................................p7 DPD .....................................................p7 Great Bear Distribution .........................p7 Integrated Packaging Services ..............p7 M and J Haulage ...................................p6 Massey Wilcox .....................................p6 Mick George .......................................p10 Milk & More ........................................p15 Morgan McLernon .................................p7 Royal Mail ...................................... p7, 32 W Gibson (Haulage) ............................p22 Walkers Transport.................................p3 Warrens Group .....................................p7 Whistl ..................................................p4 Wincanton ..................................... p7, 15

FLYING THE FLAG: Montgomery Transport is the first Northern Ireland haulier to be accredited in the DVSA’s earned recognition scheme. Operators in the scheme share performance and compliance information with the DVSA, and in return their vehicles are less likely to be stopped for roadside inspections. Steven McBride, general manager of group company Montgomery Distribution (pictured), said: “This status is difficult to achieve but it sends out a signal to our customers and competitors that we are committed to delivering high standards across the business and leading the way in road safety for everyone.” Montgomery Distribution, Montgomery Tank Services and Montgomery Transport are among more than 40 haulage, coach and bus firms that are part of the scheme.

But Asda and Sainsbury’s suppliers might be affected if merger gets the go-ahead

Transport won’t be cut if supermarkets merge By Carol Millett

No DCs will be closed if the proposed merger between Sainsbury’s and Asda gets the green light, Sainsbury’s group chief executive Mike Coupe has pledged. There could, however, be cuts to suppliers working with both supermarkets, and a reduction in supplier deliveries, according to information supplied by both supermarket chains to the House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee. Writing in response to the committee’s request for information on the planned merger’s effect on jobs and suppliers, Coupe said: “I can confirm that none of the synergies in our plan are based on us closing stores or DCs,” adding that the growth of online shopping would result in employing more drivers and in-store pickers.

Coupe said the merger could result in fewer deliveries for some suppliers, as suppliers to the separate businesses streamline deliveries. “Examples of where we have done this previously include working in partnership with suppliers to reduce the number of deliveries to depots. “This means their lorries are fuller and they can reduce costs as well as their environmental impact.” Asda Stores chief executive Roger Burnley echoed this view in his written response to the committee’s request for information on the merger. He said: “As volumes increase, there will inevitably be economies of scale, especially for suppliers that supply Asda and Sainsbury’s with the same goods.” Both letters were published on the committee’s website this week.

The proposed merger of the two supermarket groups, announced in April, is being i nv e s t i g a t e d b y t h e Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). If the CMA gives the supermarkets the go-ahead it will create the UK’s largest supermarket business, with a 60% share of the market. The committee has called on the CMA to “look closely at the effect of this merger on the supply chain as well as the effect on competition in the supermarket sector”, warning that any cost savings “must not come through squeezing those further down the supply chain”. The CMA has published a preliminary invitation to comment on its website and is planning to contact interested parties as part of its investigation. The investigation is expected

to be completed early next year. David Madden, market analyst at CMC Markets, warned that duplication was inevitable if the deal went ahead, adding that the combined group’s distribution network including depots was likely to see cuts (MT 6 May).

Tip-ex review p14 Focus: urban p15 Interview: Joachim Drees p18 Marketplace p20-28 Parcels p32 MT Awards shortlists p34-38

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Bibby Distribution and other operators took on Tetrosyl’s transport days before Canute’s pre-pack

Canute loses its polish By Chris Druce

Canute Haulage Group surrendered a contract with car care products manufacturer Tetrosyl days before its pre-pack administration, which has left creditors owed millions of pounds (MT 28 May). Bibby Distribution has confirmed that it, along with several partners, including Walkers Transport and Nuttall Transport, took on the work as Canute teetered on the brink of collapse. Bibby Distribution had worked with the manufacturer of T-Cut, CarPlan and Wonder Wheels products since 2000, before Canute usurped it. Tetrosyl is headquartered in Rochdale and manufactures its products in Chadderton, Greater Manchester, where they are then distributed to the rest of the UK and more than 100 countries. Bibby Distribution was Tetrosyl’s first outsourced logistics partner, and initially complemented the manufacturer’s in-house distribution fleet. Within two years it had taken over the entire UK distribution operation, including Tetrosyl staff and vehicles. In 2008 Bibby relocated its Tetrosyl work from its own

Heywood DC to its client’s Greengate site in Chadderton. The partners signed a new five-year deal in 2010, but Canute is believed to have won the contract, understood to be worth in the region of £1.2m a year, in 2017. A report earlier this month by Rochdale Online suggested the deal may not have commenced until this year, as it stated that Canute’s five-year contract had been terminated after just five months of operation on 4 May. In a statement to MT, Bibby

Distribution said: “We can confirm that Tetrosyl has terminated its contract with Canute and that Bibby Distribution is one of several 3PLs that are now providing logistics services to Tetrosyl.” However, there appears to be confusion regarding who is employing the 20 staff who are believed to have been attached to the Tetrosyl contract. Canute is understood to have claimed that its former employees now work for Bibby Distribution, and the other partners that have succeeded

it, due to Tupe. This is refuted by those operators. Bibby Distribution HR director David Haworth said: “Following conversations and detailed written communications with Canute, whereby it maintains that a number of specified employees have transferred t o Bibby Distribution’s employment under Tupe, at this stage we do not believe Tupe applies. “However, we are conscious of the effect this uncertainty may have on those affected employees who cannot choose

how the legislation applies to them. The fact remains that they are not Bibby Distribution employees and so are left in limbo due to Canute taking this stance. “While we believe they remain Canute employees [and should be redeployed or made redundant by Canute], we have nonetheless been liaising with them regarding other vacancies,” he said. A spokesman for Leedsbased Walkers Transport said: “Following a recent notification from Canute that it believes some of its employees have transferred to Walkers employment under Tupe, we are working with our legal representatives as a matter of priority to ascertain further clarity and information. “Once our legal obligations have been established, to the extent that there are any, we will seek to fulfil them. Until then we are unable to comment further. As to the contractual relationship between Tetrosyl and Canute, we are unable to comment.” Nuttall Transport declined to comment. Tetrosyl could not be reached for comment, and Canute had not replied to a request for comment.

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An integrated one-stop broker delivery solution will ensure operator thrives

Whistl confident of future By Chris Druce

Whistl believes its ability to offer customers a one-stop shop from mail through to parcels and fulfilment services will ensure its future success as the mail market stagnates. Presenting its full-year results for the year to 31 December 2017, the downstream access (DSA) mail specialist, which was subject to a management buyout in 2015, declared it had a significant opportunity to increase market share in parcels thanks to the explosion in e-commerce. In their statement to the accounts, the company’s directors stated that “the UK parcel market has shown significant growth in value and volume in recent years, which has largely been driven by e-commerce”. Citing analysis that suggests the UK market has increased by nearly 63% since 2012, from £6.2bn in 2012 to more than £10bn by value in 2016, Whistl added that the market is expected to exceed £13bn in 2021. “No single carrier offers the full range of services from economy to DSA to premium parcels, resulting in the need

for multi-carrier relationships with high complexity and additional cost. “This is where Whistl steps in, as we offer an integrated one-stop broker delivery solution for large letters, packets and parcels for multi-channel retailers,” the directors said. “We are well positioned to acquire new customers and continue to cross-sell within our existing customer base,” they added. In 2017, and to facilitate its e-commerce growth plan, the operator spent £1.37m acquir-

ing the remaining shareholdings in what is now Whistl Fulfilment and Whistl Fulfilment (Farnborough). The operator already fulfils orders for the likes of Long Tall Sally, Oliver Sweeney, Warner Bros Studios and the National Trust. It sees huge potential to attract further business from small- to mediumsized retailers that would rather be selling their products than spending time and money arranging delivery of the goods to customers. Whistl’s turnover for the

year increased 3.1% to £544.6m driven by growth in parcels and international work. Daily mail volumes reduced 0.4% in the period. Intense competition in the mail and parcel market along with the return of inflationary pressures, and an exceptional cost of £1.2m regarding the transfer of its Leeds and Warrington hubs into its new, larger Bolton facility, knocked annual profit. Pre-tax profit decreased by 42% to £4.9m compared with £8.4m a year ago.

Use technology, not taxation, urges FFUK Pressure group FairFuelUK (FFUK) has called on UK’s decision makers to make better use of technology in reducing road transport emissions further, rather than using the blunt instrument of increased taxation. FFUK was responding to a recent report, The unintended consequences of freezing fuel duty’, written by former government transport advisor Professor David Begg on behalf of Greener Journeys. The report, which calls for a fuel duty increase, claims the government’s seven-year freeze has caused an extra 4.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by encouraging people to abandon public transport in favour of cars. As well as an increase in carbon emissions, an additional 12,000 tonnes of NOx emissions and 816 tonnes 4 MotorTransport MTR_040618_004.indd 4

of PM10 particles have been emitted during this period. FFUK director Howard Cox said: “Vehicle pollutants have been decreasing and continue to do so because fuel technology is evolving at a rapid pace. They could fall further if existing practical ways to improve air quality were implemented now, instead of punishing drivers in the pocket. “FFUK is working with MPs to convince the government to do that, in a series of APPG Fair Fuel Inquiries in July, chaired by Kirstene Hair, Conservative MP for Angus.” Cox said FFUK had looked into technology such as bulk additives including Green Plus and Opti-Diesel, as well as affordable retrofit options and – for petrol engines – increased bioethanol use in the fuel mix.

British Sugar sweetens deal British Sugar has agreed to make changes to its haulage scheme after alienating some operators by encouraging capacity investment with no guarantee of tonnage. An independent analysis of British Sugar’s industry harvesting and haulage scheme (IHHS) found that resulting bad feeling was repeated annually, with each new cycle of selection negotiations. The IHHS was set up to provide transport and harvest services to growers, but concerns regarding the operation of the scheme led to British Sugar and the National Farmers Union jointly funding an independent report. The Douglas report found no evidence of wrong-doing, and that any allegations of grooming operators to invest before turning them away because of high rates were anecdotal. However, the report said there was a lack of understanding among hauliers and growers regarding the role of the tender portal. It said: “Groomed operators have allegedly been encouraged to increase capacity in previous campaigns and are then being allocated low or no tonnage as rates are deemed too high.” It recommended greater clarity and improved transparency of the haulier selection and added: “Reconciliation with groomed hauliers is necessary to prevent the perception of British Sugar ditching operators solely on price, even after investment to boost their fleet capacity.” British Sugar said it was now implementing several changes ahead of the 2018/19 harvest. MD Paul Kenward said: “I take the recommendations of the Douglas report seriously and we are committed to implementing them. The IHSS has the potential to drive further efficiencies and yield improvements for our growers and we will continue to work with NFU Sugar [growers’ representative] to deliver a better scheme for the future.” Abbey Logistics Group won the contract to move bulk sugar for British Sugar in 2016. As part of the long-term deal, Abbey runs the transport planning and delivery services. 4.6.18 31/05/2018 18:00:30

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Palletforce chief executive warns of the sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stagnation

Pallet networks need to mature By Christopher Walton

Structural change is required in the UK pallet network sector if it is to mature and continue to provide benefits to both customers and members, Palletforce chief executive Michael Conroy has warned. Speaking to MT, Conroy said growth in palletised freight through the pallet network sector had slowed over the past few years, from a high of 15% in 2014 to 7% in 2017. While many transport businesses would be grateful for 7% annual growth, Conroy insisted that a combination of mitigating factors was slowing progress in a sector struggling to mature. Conroy insisted there were not enough quality members

to cover the UK for all eight pallet networks. This, he said, had led to increased incidences of dual-running as certain members knew networks had no market alternatives to call upon. He also singled out a lack of succession planning for some family hauliers, which meant the available pool of hauliers in the UK has continued to shrink, and that there was a lack of coverage in some areas of the UK, especially in London and the South East. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is structural change required in the UK,â&#x20AC;? Conroy said, insisting that it was in the interests of the security of network members to see pallet networks consolidate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Certain companies will

swap members,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a merry-go-round of swapping and we will announce it in MT. It is just a tactic in the market. The sector requires that next level. Be it consolidation, or the middleground of co-operation.â&#x20AC;? Palletforce has made no secret of its desire to lead consolidation within the networks. In 2017, Conroy told MT that there might only be four or five networks in the market in the next few years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When it comes to consolidation there is active dialogue. We want to make it happen and we want to lead it. The pallet network concept started in 1992 and that is a long time ago now,â&#x20AC;? he said.

THEYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE GRRREAT: Somerset-based haulier Massey Wilcox has taken delivery of 16 new tri-axle curtainsiders from Tiger Trailers. This latest batch brings the number of Tiger trailers in Massey Wilcoxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100-strong fleet to 45, with each trailer expected to clock up approximately 60,000km a year. Robert Wilcox, Massey Wilcox MD, said the company had worked with Winsford-based Tiger Trailers since it started manufacturing trailers [in 2014]. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our relationship has gone from strength to strength, and the rapport weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve built means we can now hand over the specs for what we want, knowing that Tiger will deliver a reliable trailer thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s built to last, every time.â&#x20AC;?

M and J staff expected to get paid Former staff at Lincolnshire sugar beet haulier M and J Haulage are expected to be paid outstanding claims following the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collapse into administration last year. It is anticipated that companies owed money will also

receive a dividend, although the amount has to be finalised. KPMG was appointed to the firm in October 2017 following an announcement by British Sugar that there would be a reduction in contract volumes from April 2018.

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Culina Group’s acquisition drive began in 2016 with Great Bear Distribution and it shows no sign of stopping

Culina has the right recipe By Christopher Walton

Over the past few years one of the most acquisitive operators in the UK and Ireland road transport market has been Culina Group. It made headlines with its 2016 purchase of Great Bear Distribution and hasn’t really stopped since, taking majority stakes in Northern Ireland’s Morgan McLernon and – as of March – Warrens Group. MT met with Culina Group chief executive Thomas van Mourik (pictured) at the Great Bear site off the M1 in Derbyshire to discover how that integration has progressed during the past two years. “The most important thing to us, and it was promised to the staff and the previous owners, is that we would not change the name or the fabric of the business. And we have not done that,” he said of the 100% purchase of Great Bear. The proof of the pudding was when Culina Group [those with long memories will recall the 2008 merger between Culina and Baylis Logistics that lead to the creation of Culina Ambient] transferred 600 staff and five depots into Great Bear during 2016 – resulting in Great Bear becoming the sole ambient division of Culina Group. Great Bear has been under the leadership of Alastair Isbister since May 2017. “Alastair wanted to join us as Great Bear was always a thorn in his side when he was at DHL and tendering for business! So he is perfect. He has taken hold of the Great Bear business and is growing it. We have had quite a few wins and we are happy to have won

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Bacardi back after it went elsewhere for a year,” said van Mourik. Meanwhile, Culina Logistics has further grown. It has recently taken on Ornua [better known as Kerrygold] and there is more to follow. “There is momentum there,” said van Mourik. He is not kidding. Since the 2016 Great Bear deal Culina has secured business with Sacla UK, Pepsico, Mondelez, Emmi, Jack Link’s (Peperami), Friesland Campina, General Mills, Nestlé, and two own label juice manufacturers.

High ranking

Culina Group was ranked 13th in the MT Top 100 in 2017, with a pre-tax profit of £19.5m against a turnover of £420m. This comprises the activities of Culina Logistics, Great Bear Distribution, Integrated Packing Services, Morgan McLernon and CML F&L (Telford) with approximately 7,000 staff. “In 2015 we were a 50% shareholder in CML. We have since bought the remaining shares and continued to grow that business with the previous

owners, now the existing management team. We are to expand our site in Telford to deal with that growth,” explained van Mourik. “Because we were in that process of buying the shares, we also looked at doing the deal with [Irish haulier] Morgan McLernon. Michael McLernon runs a fantastic service, we own 75% of the business and he remains a 25% shareholder. With the support of Culina Group Michael can further grow the Morgan McLernon business,” he said. McLernon was, indirectly, an ambassador for Culina when it came to the next deal: Warrens Group, which was another in the 75%/25% model. Van Mourik explained that McLernon was a reference for what it is like to work with Culina, and “whether they keep their promises”. “We have no intention of buying these guys out,” said van Mourik. “They can only benefit from being with us for as long as possible. It also means we have more people on board who are focused as part of the senior management team. They are simply committed to growing the business. The same approach was taken with its co-packing division, IPS, which Culina Group acquired in 2014.” So what is the special ingredient for Culina when it comes to making the right acquisition? “Earlier this year I was invited to a conference where I had to speak about the key success factors of Culina Group. So I got my marketing guys to buy a bottle of mayonnaise and re-label it as ‘Culina

Sauce’. I had it on the stand and everyone was looking at me thinking what is he going to talk about! I went on to mention the steep learning curve with Cert Octavian [which Culina acquired in 2012] where it didn’t quite go as planned due to the fact we did not pour the Culina sauce over those businesses.” “Now, when we acquire a successful business we keep them as they were, the management, the systems, the way of working. The only thing we do is give those companies support as and when required and when it suits them: HR, IT, finance. We also update the branding to give them more of a Culina feel. But that is as far as our involvement goes. “It is well understood now that if you buy a business like Great Bear, people identify themselves with that company. You don’t want to lose the identity of the business as you risk upsetting people who have poured their heart and soul into it. We are all about people at Culina Group,” van Mourik insisted. It would also be fair to say that, Great Bear aside, Culina Group makes acquisitions of businesses that are not ‘household names’. Warrens, for example, only hit the Top 100 in 2017. So how does van Mourik identify acquisition targets? “The 30 years of experience and the knowledge I have gained along the way helps a lot,” he said. “We know the markets in which we want to operate, which is the UK and

Ireland, and across all temperature regimes. The rest is all about finding the right businesses that fit our group strategy,”

Close and trusted team

“Who knows what the future will bring? Maybe we will do something chilled or something frozen. I keep a very close eye on the performance of businesses in the marketplace. We don’t use consultants during our acquisitions as we have a very close and trusted team, which enables us to keep things under wraps. “Plates are always spinning and naturally some can fall off. They can be spinning for years and all of a sudden you land it. The process can go very quick or very slow. The fact we have landed a few in recent years is because we are consistently working very hard.” “We can see some other major opportunities coming up for Culina Group. The door is certainly open. If we can get to £600m group turnover in 2018 we would be very happy. Looking further down the path it would be great to see a round figure by 2020,” he said. Could that nice round figure see Culina join the billion turnover club comprising Royal Mail, DHL, XPO Logistics, Wincanton and DPD? “We have seen good growth over the past couple of years. Going from £350m to where we are now is testament to the people we employ,” he said of the Culina Group track record. Maybe there is something in that Culina sauce. MotorTransport 7 31/05/2018 17:16:41

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Prosecution after tipper comes too near to 33kV overhead power lines while working at construction site

Mick George fined £565,000 By David Harris

Construction haulier Mick George has been fined more than £565,000 after a tipper vehicle driven by one of its employees came into contact with overhead power lines (OPLs) during the construction of a waste transfer station. Northampton Crown Court was told that on 9 March 2016 a driver employed by Mick George was emptying a load of soil from his tipper vehicle at a site in Northampton. Mick George, which has more than 400 vehicles spec-

ified on multiple O-licences, had already identified the need for permanent protection structures (goalposts), but after an initial delay only

one was installed. To empty the remains of the load, the driver pulled forward with the body raised and the vehicle touched, or came close to

touching, the 33kV overhead power lines. The tipper vehicle suffered minor damage but the driver was unhurt. An HSE investigation showed Mick George should have assessed the risks from OPLs more rigorously and realised its system of work was inadequate to reduce the risk of tipper vehicles striking one. The company pleaded guilty to a breach of regulation 25(3) of Construction (Design and Management)

Regulations 2015. It was fined £566,670 and costs of £9,000. HSE inspector Stuart Parry, speaking after the sentencing, said: “A suitable and sufficient assessment would have identified the need to contact the distribution network operator, Western Power, to request the OPLs were diverted underground before the commencement of construction. If this was not reasonably practicable, Mick George should have erected goalposts either side of the OPLs to warn drivers about them.”

Ford takes on big seven with first long-haul truck

“Our operation requires high quality, versatile equipment which can be used for a range of different sized containers. These sliding bogie trailers can handle single 20’, 30’, 40’, and 45’ containers, two 20’ boxes at once or any standard sized tank. Also, the quick-release twist locks and compact controls enable fast and easy handling – just what our drivers require for a busy pick-up-and-drop operation.”

Ford Trucks will launch a longhaul truck at the IAA Show in Hannover this autumn, which it claims will be every bit as good as the latest offerings from the seven major European truck makers. Emrah Duman, director of international markets, said: “There will no longer be seven sisters, there will be eight. And we have ambitions to enter all the markets that they are present in.” The tractor, which has been in development since 2013, will feature a 2.5m-wide cab and a flat floor. Having had a sneak preview of the truck, MT can confirm that it will look nothing like

Mo Hasham. Director Monahans Transport.

the Cargo, which remains in production for domestic and short haul. Underneath this camouflage is a bold, modern, European design, with an imposing grille, and an attractive belt line that is reminiscent of the latest Volvo FH. It will be powered by a 500hp version of Ford’s 12.7-litre Ecotorq engine, which is claimed to be more fuel efficient than the 420hp and 480hp versions offered in the Cargo. In its first 18 months of production it will be matched to ZF’s TraXon gearbox, but in 2020 Ford Trucks will launch its own 2-pedal transmission.

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Think Logistics could learn from the successes of Think Build, a similar scheme in the construction sector

Focus more on BAME talent

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By Steve Hobson

The logistics industry must learn lessons from the construction sector and target its recruitment drive on black and ethnic minorities (BAME) if it is to find the 1.2 million new recruits it needs, according to Ian Nichol, head of logistics and lead on Think Logistics and Think Build projects at Career Ready UK. Formed in 2002, Career Ready is a UK-wide charity linking employers with schools and colleges to open up the world of work to young people. It is working with the employer-led Think Logistics project to run workshops in secondary schools informing students of the many career opportunities in the £2bn-ayear logistics sector, and Nichol acknowledged that more needs to be done to convince BAME youngsters that they are welcome and wanted. He said Think Logistics could learn lessons from Think Build, a similar scheme in the construction sector, where 70% of the 120 students on the programme are from BAME groups. “We need to be more upfront about this, and when we are talking to colleges about running Think Logistics workshops we need to get more young women and BAME students involved,” he said. “We need a more diverse student group to attend, not just white boys. It is not a success from my point of view if we have 30 youngsters and none of them are from a minority ethnic community.” According to Nichol that is

because Think Build has chosen to target towns and cities where the BAME populations are a higher percentage than other parts of the country. “There is an irony here because Think Build was set up after two representatives from the construction industry saw the success of Think Logistics in engaging with young people in school and colleges,” Nichol said. “It is about geography to an extent as we have two Think Build centres in London and one in Birmingham, Manchester and Cardiff. The London and Birmingham centres in particular are focusing on schools and colleges in city centre locations, and they have a preponderance of BAME students.

“That is why we have that 70% figure, which is pretty stunning.” The construction industry arguably has more demand for staff in large cities than logistics, which tends to be based in out-of-town locations with a bias towards the ‘golden triangle’ bounded by the M1, M6 and M42. “It’s not that Think Logistics is not working with BAME groups,” said Nichol. “Next week we are running an event in Wakefield with DHL, and in West Yorkshire there are significant numbers of youngsters from Asian heritage communities. “We are running workshops in places like Liverpool, Wakefield, Warrington, Leicester, Bristol and

Birmingham, where there are diverse populations. “But the steer we are getting from employers is that the East Midlands is where we need to be, and here there are far fewer BAME communities.” The out-of-town locations favoured by logistics raises the question of whether potential employers should arrange transport from city centres for BAME young people who do not have access to public or private transport. “An issue we have faced with internships in the summer is that a lot of DCs are outside town and city centres and there are challenges for students to get there,” Nichol said. “If there were half a dozen students could you bus them in? But that adds cost and

operators’ margins are already very tight. The problem is that fewer young people now have part-time jobs so they don’t have access to the work environment or an income to pay for driving lessons.” Another lesson Nichol believes logistics could learn from construction is to hold open days where schools and colleges can bring parties of students on site to see for themselves what a job in the industry involves. Build UK has launched Open Doors, an initiative to get employers to open up construction sites, and the most recent Open Doors event saw more than 3,000 bookings across more than 130 construction sites in England, Scotland and Wales. “This gives an insight into modern construction and the host of careers available and challenge some of the stereotypes,” said Nichol. “Think Logistics arranged a visit by West Derby School students to a modern Travis Perkins DC on the M62 and they were gobsmacked by the technology. “We are hiding our light under the proverbial bushel. Technology is key to hook young people. The industry has to be more proactive. “It will be on the agenda for the next Think Logistics steering group meeting in July, and we may find many good examples of what employers are already doing, and we need to tap into that intelligence.” ■ For more details, go to opendoors.construction; thinklogistics.co.uk and careerready. org.uk.

NEATLY PACKAGED: Fortec has brought its domestic and international freight under one roof at its Watford Gap hub as it completes a major £3m expansion of the premises. The renovation project, due to be completed at the end of June, has added an extra 70,000ft² of warehousing space, giving the network an extra 50% of operational capacity at Watford Gap and allowing the network to close its international hub at Northampton. Future plans include the installation of new technologies later this year, aimed at increasing productivity and efficiency. Fortec business unit director Craig Johnson said the expansion and improvement of the site will help the company continue to develop. “We are the only pallet network that has consolidated its international and domestic freight under one roof,” he said. He added that the move will allow Fortec to reduce lead time and limit the handling of the products to reduce damage.

12 MotorTransport MTR_040618_012.indd 12

4.6.18 31/05/2018 10:54:00

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News

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Tip-ex and Tank-ex took place at the Harrogate Convention Centre last weekend. All seven major truck manufacturers were in attendance – alongside bodybuilders like Thompsons and Wilcox and tanker manufacturers including Feldbender and Van Hool. Here are just some of the event highlights

Harrogate hails the tipper By Christopher Walton and Colin Barnett

DAF

Although pride of place on DAF’s stand went to its 90th anniversary XF tractor, there was no shortage of working vehicles, including the latest core product for construction, the CF FAD 8x4, now weighing in 250kg lighter than the previous version (bottom right). DAF marketing manager Phil Moon described the changing face of the market, with 8x4 tridems largely taking over from 3-axle chassis, and 4x2s really only used for specialist applications such as the hot box fitted to the display LF, with small loads now more likely to be delivered in bags on craneequipped 18-tonners.

Tatra

Scania

The recently launched L-series, with its low-entry cab and dramatic front overhang, made its UK debut at the show in memorable fashion, with an 8x4 tridem chassis and bright orange cab (bottom left).

BMI

The BMI Group displayed the latest version of its Rockpusher half-pipe ejector trailer, which has reduced in weight by approximately 380kg since last year, partly as the result of a lighter Edbro ram. More weight loss could come from alloy wheels, but the market still seems to prefer the strength of steel. MD Brendan McIlvanna reported that BMI is performing well in Europe, particularly with the MetalMover, an all-steel scrap metal carrier popular in

France, and regular aluminium moving-floor trailers in Poland.

ITS

Integrated Tanker Services (ITS) used Tank-ex to showcase its return to the tanker rentals business, three years after it left the rental market following the sale of the division to TIP. ITS will offer tankers from manufacturers Magyar, Van Hool and Road Tankers Northern to operators in the foodstuffs, chemicals, fuel and oil sectors. Speaking to MT, Matthew Hardwick, fleet manager, said: “We have always bought and sold new and used tankers and our yard in Walsall now has tankers for rental and for sale. Now we can advise people on what is the right option, whether it is to purchase outright or to lease. We launched on 1 April and we have a fleet of 25. The aim is to get to 50 by the end of the year.” Focusing on vacuum tankers, Hardwick said that core markets would also include waste – a sector that is “really buoyant at the moment” – and

milk. ITS is also the Dutch distributor for ESVE, the Dutch manufacturer of rear-steer tankers ideal for use in the milk trade.

Ecovrac

Exhibiting at Tank-ex for the first time, French manufacturer Ecovrac showcased its range of non-tipping trailers for the UK animal feed market. Its auger delivery system is five times faster than a blower system and, because the trailer does not tip, it is safer, eliminating risks such as striking overhead powerlines. The trailer also comes with a GPS system to map the delivery of feeds via its iVRAC service. Its stand was also shared with a wood pellet distribution tanker for the biomass sector made by Dutch firm Transmanut, as the two manufacturers share the same UK supplier representative – Hooklift Trailer Solutions. Director David Diack said: “While the auger system is not that well known in the UK, it delivers huge improvements compared with blowing.”

Photography: Sira Studio

J&R Millington was giving its newly acquired Tatra franchise its first public appearance, with a Phoenix 6x6 threeway tipper mounted above its pendant axle chassis. A cab and engine/gearbox unit straight out of the DAF CF provide reassuring familiarity. Company direc-

tor Joe Millington reported strong interest and his expectation of Tip-ex yielding firm orders. The target for this niche vehicle is realistic: 10 units in the first year would be a success.

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4.6.18 31/05/2018 16:21:40

Focus: Urban

motortransport.co.uk

Wincanton praises eCanters By Chris Druce

Wincanton chief executive Adrian Colman has praised the FUSO eCanter, describing it as the first commercially viable electric truck and pledging to add more to the 3PL’s home delivery fleet. Colman was speaking at an event at the old Evening Standard print works in Surrey Quays, where Wincanton, DPD and Hovis were unveiled as the first UK operators running the allelectric vehicle. Wincanton has five 7.5-tonne eCanters in operation, which are being used for home delivery in London and the South East, and more will be phased in when they become available. “They will be ideal for running into London. They have zero emissions, are fully electric, and are good for a 200km-range,” said Colman. “Electric vehicles work in the urban environment and tie into our sustainability profile and those of the retailers we work with, where they are looking at emissions in urban areas,” he said.

Colman added that the design of the electric-powered model, including the running gear, was consistent with that of the diesel variant, and that cost of ownership was not an issue, with the trucks expected to run at the same cost as the others. The eCanters, which have a 3-tonne payload, are used on a deliver-and-return-to-base basis, where they are then charged.

“These vehicles are a key part of our innovation roadmap, and our growth plan for urban distribution transport at Wincanton,” Colman said. The truck is manufactured in Portugal and Daimler hopes to deliver 500 units to businesses in the US, Europe and Japan by the end of this year, before ramping up production in 2019.

Clean Air Zone Roadshow heads to Leeds MT is holding a half-day Clean Air Zone (CAZ) Roadshow in Leeds on 3 July. The free-to-attend event will give operators the chance to engage with senior staff at Leeds City Council about the proposals for a charging CAZ within the outer ring road. The proposal is looking at charging non-Euro-6 HGVs (more than 3.5 tonnes) a daily fee to enter the city centre. Buses, coaches and taxis are also included in the plans, but not small vans or cars. An exact amount has not been determined, but Leeds City

Council has asked for feedback on plans to adopt the same charging regime as London’s pending Ultra Low Emission Zone for HGVs, set at £100 per day. The event will bring together vehicle manufacturers, technology experts and freight operators to discuss practical ways to get fleets ready for CAZs. Delegates will hear from Leeds City Council’s fleet manager about the extensive trials it has carried out with alternative fuels, as well as learn about funding and rental options. There will also be a workshop about

the role of retrofitting in upgrading fleets for CAZs. Delegates will hear from retrofit firms about the timescales for HGV options to receive official accreditation for use in CAZs, and which vehicles these will be suited to. There will also be an extensive display of alternative fuel and Euro-6 HGVs outside for delegates to explore and learn about from manufacturers. ■ The event will be held on 3 July at Elland Road Stadium, Leeds, from 9am to 1pm. To register and for more details, go to cleanairroadshows.co.uk.

DfT prepares zeroemission summit The DfT is to hold a zero-emission vehicle summit in Birmingham this September. The event will bring together policy makers, industry experts and opinion formers from around globe to tackle carbon emissions and to find ways to improve air quality. Transport secretary Chris Grayling said: “The government is committed to meeting our climate change targets and cleaning up our air. To help achieve that we are investing £1.5bn in ultralow-emission vehicles by 2021. “This ground-breaking event shows Britain is leading the way in developing the technology that will create jobs and help improve the air we breathe.” The summit will be held on 11 September at Birmingham International Conference Centre. It will then transfer to Cenex-LCV at Millbrook Proving Ground on 12 September, where delegates can see the latest vehicle innovation in action.

Milk & More goes electric Milk & More has spent £6.5m on 200 electric StreetScooter vans to replace its diesel milk floats fleet. StreetScooter is a subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL Group, which uses the vehicles for postal deliveries in Germany. Milk & More is the first UK operator to use the vehicles, which have a 905kg payload and an 8m3 cube box, enabling 860 pints of milk to be carried at a time. Their range is quoted as up to 75 miles.

NEARLY THERE: The government is considering a range of options to reduce emissions from last-mile deliveries, including providing grants or financial incentives for operators to use cargo bikes. Transport minister Jesse Norman is planning to put out a call for evidence on sustainable last-mile deliveries, which will help establish the support needed to boost the use of cargo bikes. This follows a DfT-supported trial delivery scheme in April with retailer Sainsbury’s. The DfT has confirmed that the plug-in van grant will continue until at least October 2018. This allows operators to receive 20% off the purchase price of a range of vans up to a maximum £8,000. Latest figures from the SMMT show that in Q1, 56 alternatively fuelled vans were registered as new, 15% down on last year’s figure of 66. Year-to-date from April 2017 to April 2018 remained broadly the same, at 389 this year compared with 401 the previous year. The most popular models in the month were the electric Renault Kangoo and Kangoo Maxi, pictured, with a combined total of 31 units registered. Also included were hybrid Mitsubishi Outlanders, Mercedes-Benz Sprinters in petrol/CNG guise, and electric Citroën Berlingos/Peugeot Partners. 4.6.18 MTR_040618_015.indd 15

MotorTransport 15 30/05/2018 15:35:11

Viewpoint

motortransport.co.uk

Benefiting from a shared operation T Paul Tyson Commercial director, Arrow XL

he rise in new technology continues to change how retailers market their products and how consumers purchase them. But it is also having a direct effect on the logistics networks put in place to deliver these items. For many years retailers preferred to operate their own transport networks for both one-person and two-person deliveries, regardless of the significant costs involved. This enabled them to maintain control while safeguarding levels of service on a daily basis. As long as they had the capital outlay and were good at it, it was thought to be the logical option. There were, however, significant downsides. For example, retailers operating their own networks had to constantly invest to ensure they could cope with spikes in volumes, but once these subsided they were left with a costly and under-used network. As margins have tightened and capital is less available, we are now seeing a growth in shareduser delivery platforms, which sees a thirdparty supplier carry products from multiple retailers in the same trailer to maximise efficiency. This is, in part, due to new and innovative software and applications that have made it

simpler for retailers to integrate, communicate and analyse the performance of suppliers. This model guarantees retailers a number of benefits, including increased flexibility, and we’re now seeing more retailers working hand-in-hand with suppliers to ensure efficient forecasting is in place. Retailers making the switch are also benefiting from access to the supplier’s highly skilled workforce, while avoiding the stress of recruiting delivery crews in an industry already suffering from a driver shortage. In addition, retailers can enjoy the latest technology being developed by carriers, without having to make their own investment. For instance, our AskAxl app provides customers with visual tracking of the delivery vehicle while reducing the ETA window from two hours to just 30 minutes. The retail industry continues to face difficult market conditions and more businesses will face the challenge of achieving substantial cost savings while trying to boost service levels. As a result, I’m certain we will see more retailers turn to shared-user platforms during 2018 – as carriers continue to provide that added value and expertise.

The newspaper for transport operators

To contact us: Tel: 020 8912 +4 digits or email: name.surname@roadtransport.com Editor Steve Hobson 2161 Editor-in-chief Christopher Walton 2163 Group news editor Chris Druce 2158 Deputy news editor Emma Shone 2164 Group technical editor Colin Barnett 2141 Aftermarket editor Roger Brown 2168 Vans editor George Barrow 2156 Urban editor Hayley Pink 2165 Group production editor Clare Goldie 2174 Chief sub-editor Rufus Thompson 2143 Key account managers Andrew Smith 07771 885874 Miranda Hall-Morley 07825 409551 Display telesales Barnaby Goodman-Smith 2128 Event sales Richard Bennett 07889 823060 Tim George 0755 7677758 Classified and recruitment advertising Head of sales operations Julie McInally 2122 rtmclassified@roadtransport.com Sales director Vic Bunby 2121 Head of marketing Jane Casling 2133 Head of events/MT Awards Stephen Pobjoy 2135 Managing director Andy Salter 2171 Editorial office Road Transport Media, Sixth Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1JB 020 8912 2170 Free copies MT is available free to specified licensed operators under the publisher’s terms of control. For details, email mtsccqueries@roadtransport.com, or call 01772 426705

Are you ignoring 13% of potential recruits? W Steve Hobson Editor Motor Transport

hen the 2018 MT Power Players was published in January we had several complaints that the top 10 were all male. But no one commented on the fact that they were all WHITE males. This tells me that the logistics industry has just accepted the fact that black and ethnic minorities (BAME) are so badly underrepresented it is just not worth commenting on. Yes women are also under-represented, and initiatives such as the Everywoman awards, Women in Logistics and She’s RHA are vital to get more women to see logistics as a good career. Failing to do so ignores half of the UK population, and with the labour shortage currently put at 1.2 million this is something the industry simply cannot afford to do, quite apart from the question of employers’ obligations on equality and social justice. The same applies to the UK’s BAME population. In the last official census, 13% of the population was identified as non-white, with

16 MotorTransport MTR_040618_016.indd 16

Asians making up 6% and black people 3%. In some parts of the country, these percentages rise much higher. Ironically, the transport and warehousing sectors have come to rely heavily on (white) eastern European labour in recent years, but seems to largely ignore the indigenous BAME workforce. This has to change. No industry can afford to overlook 13% of potential recruits at a time when competition for the best and brightest young people is only to get more intense. This is an issue Career Ready, which works with the excellent Think Logistics programme to tell school children more about opportunities in logistics, is aware of. Watch this space for more on what employers can and should be doing.

Subscriptions Tel 0330 333 9544 Quadrant Subscription Services, Rockwood House, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3DH Rates UK £135/year. Europe £163/ year. RoW £163/year. Cheques made payable to Motor Transport. Apply online at mtssubs.com Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper Published by DVV Media International Ltd © 2018 DVV Media International Ltd ISSN 0027-206 X

Got something to say?

If you would like to contribute to MT’s Viewpoint, email steve.hobson@roadtransport.com 4.6.18 31/05/2018 09:03:22

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31/05/2018 09:22:51

Interview: Joachim Drees

These are exciting times MAN Truck & Bus chief executive officer Joachim Drees tells Paul White how the manufacturer is preparing for the future

gainst the backdrop of London’s historic skyline, with the numerous tower cranes illustrating the amount of building work being carried out, MAN Truck & Bus CEO Joachim Drees (below) delivered an update on the company’s performance and its plans for the future. Drees, who is also chairman of the commercial vehicle board of directors of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), identified four pressing topics for discussion: urban transport; passenger transport; digitalisation; and automation. “These are the most exciting times since we replaced horse carriages with vehicles,” he says. “As a manufacturer we have optimised existing powertrains, making the engines bigger and more efficient. Now we must go beyond and look at new fields in the industry. We are on the brink of radical change, and it is in our hands to make the right solutions.”

Drees quoted research that stated that by 2050 the number of people living in cities will double. “This is hard to imagine in a city like London,” he added. “Nevertheless, manufacturers must plan and design the vehicles needed to service the cities of the future. This includes the transport of food, construction materials, waste removal and mobility. When these transport needs, which in some regards are already under pressure, are combined with the exponential rise of e-commerce, sensible transport planning is an absolute must.” Drees considers e-commerce “one of the biggest changes in transport in the last 10 years, in particular the concept of sameday delivery”. He expects volumes here to increase from three billion parcels in 2017 to four billion in 2018. He noted that meeting the needs of the sector and all the other transport needs must be achieved within a regime of increasing constraints, especially in regards to emissions standards and noise reduction. “Our mission is to make the transport of goods and people more intelligent, safer and sustainable,” says Drees. MAN’s solution is electrification. “This has become a more important player, and I believe the future for urban transport will be very much electric for goods and passengers.” MAN’s road map for electrification is clear, with the 26-tonne TGM electric – which is being produced in the former Steyr plant in Austria – the first of this new generation. Nine units are due for immediate delivery and field testing, with series production set to begin in 2021. Passenger transport is a similar though different challenge. Drees believes the pace of change in passenger transport will be quicker, and cities across Europe will only buy electric buses from 2025 onwards – “I am sure of this”.

Clean technologies

Although MAN has received many enquiries from operators interested in going electric, they are put off by concerns surrounding the initial cost, the range, and the residual values with a battery life cycle of about six years. Drees says he appreciates that electric is “more expensive, but over time the total cost of ownership will level out”. “However the question is, how fast can we get the break-even 18 MotorTransport MTR_040618_018-019.indd 18

4.6.18 30/05/2018 09:34:24

Finance motortransport.co.uk

between the electric truck and a non-electric truck?” he says. Despite this, diesel remains important and has a place, especially as “Euro-6 is one of the cleanest technologies you can provide”. The MAN boss wants politicians to realise that the commercial vehicle side of the business is part of the solution, not part of the problem. With almost any aspect of modern life there would appear to be a digitised solution for every problem, and for MAN the solution is the RIO open cloud-based operating system. Under the Volkswagen Group umbrella, MAN, together with Scania and Volkswagen Truck & Bus, receives data from “close to 400,000 connected vehicles in Europe alone”. That data includes details of vehicle position and performance, and the information can be fed back to the operator to help optimise load capacity, vehicle scheduling and maintenance. The subject of automation and the move towards fully autonomous vehicles has generated a great deal of interest. Drees’s opinion is that it will not happen overnight. “We will have several waves, and it will take many years for vehicles to become independent.” He says it will often depend on the area of work. For example, cities are different from confined areas such as mines, ports and terminals. Irrespective of the time frame, he believes greater automation will improve safety. In June 2018, MAN, in conjunction with DB Schenker, will road test truck platooning on the A9 autobahn between Munich and Nuremberg. The trucks will be driven by the regular DB Schenker drivers and not the MAN Profi-Drive test team.

THE UK MARKET

Thomas Hemmerich, MD of MAN Truck & Bus UK, says the UK market differs in many ways from other markets. UK customers are more willing to change brands than in other areas of Europe, and MAN’s backup service Mobile 24 is more important in the UK than in other markets. He felt this could be linked to a strong health and safety culture in the UK, which might also account for the high level of R&M contracts. The R&M contract figure in the UK has achieved about 50% penetration, a much higher figure than in other markets MAN sells into. Hemmerich says customer demands are changing and “the one shoe fits all doesn’t work as customers are getting more and more segmentspecific focused”. He also says MAN Truck & Bus UK would be continuing with its direct sales model and announced a new investment programme in the MAN network to improve coverage and service levels, including increased investment in the training and education of mechanics and sales personnel.

Investment

This requires investment, and Drees highlighted that in 2017 MAN invested €640m (£561m) in research and development, a figure that has more than doubled since 2011. “However, for us to continue with such investments we must continue to sell, and continue to maintain our strong position,” he says, adding that “the UK is showing to be a very resilient and important market”. “Here in the UK we have more than 10,000 trucks over 6 tonnes that were sold in the first quarter of 2018 [the entire UK market],” he adds. ■ 4.6.18 MTR_040618_018-019.indd 19

MotorTransport 19 30/05/2018 09:34:57

Marketplace

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Want a 2015 Volvo FH 500? Maritime Transport’s used business – Secondhand Trucks – sells vehicles that it has owned and operated from new. The Felixstowe operator has this 2015 Volvo FH 500 6x2 with mid-lift pusher axle, Globetrotter cab and 4.1m wheelbase for sale. The 15-plate vehicle includes I-Shift transmission, EBS brakes, new Continental tyres, sliding fifth wheel and Alcoa Dura-Bright polished alloys. There is also an external sun visor, full air management kit, sunroof, 1,000-litre polished alloy twin fuel tanks, vehicle engine brake and complete chequer plate in-fill.

The truck has a low mileage, full Volvo main dealer service history, 12-month MoT, and a warranty of up to 36 months. It features Kelsa accessories including top bar, HiBar, LoBar, BakBar, polished A-frame as well as chassis bar with LEDs. There is also LED grille lighting, two roofmounted chrome air horns, and Bailey perimeter lights. Matt Heath, general manager, fleet sales at Secondhand Trucks, said: “People who visited Truckfest recently saw an identical truck on our stand. This truck is from a Volvo main dealer and is suitable for either an owner-driver

Elaghmore to fund McPhee Mixers growth

or fleet operator. “The benefits of purchasing this particular vehicle are that it comes with excellent wholelife costs, is Euro-6, has good fuel economy, and is custom-

ised. It has had one driver and been owned from new. We believe we are the best supplier of this type of truck because of our reputation for unrivalled quality.” Price on application.

The Commercial Motor Awards 2018 are open for entries The Commercial Motor Awards are back and bigger than ever in 2018, with three new categories allowing dealerships, bodybuilders, rental and leasing suppliers and auction houses a chance to win a much-vaunted trophy. Due to the overwhelming response and success of the first two ceremonies, CM has added new categories to the only awards event to celebrate the success of the suppliers and service providers to the UK road transport industry. Firstly CM is looking to reward the outstanding display of commercial vehicles with its new Forecourt/ Showroom of the Year Award. If you’re a

franchised or independent dealer of either new or used commercial vehicles CM wants to see pictures of the best forecourts and showrooms in the country! CM judges will be looking for the most dynamic, the most visually stunning and the most lucrative ways to display vehicles for customers – in ways that show the vehicle at its best. The second new award up

for grabs is the Customer Service Award. CM knows how hard businesses work to care, deliver and support customers when it comes to the supply of vehicles, trailers, parts or maintenance to operators. CM wants to hear from its readers as to why they have the best customer service in the UK, and tell the whole industry how well they are at doing it! Finally, the third new award for 2018 is Bodywork Innovation of the Year. The Commercial Motor Awards want to see the best bespoke build or a new product line innovation from a manufacturer or bodybuilder.

Have you solved a problem for a customer, or made something that they didn’t even realise would improve their business then this is the award for you. In addition to the three new categories, there are a further 12 awards to win, including both Franchised and Independent Dealer of the Year, Sales Team of the Year, Bodybuilder of the Year and Workshop Innovation of the Year. n The Commercial Motor Awards will take place at The Vox Centre in Birmingham on Thursday 15 November and are open for entry now at Commercialmotorawards.com.

Private equity firm Elaghmore Partners has bought truckmounted concrete mixer unit designer and manufacturer McPhee Mixers in a multimillion-pound deal. The Blantyre, Glasgowbased company, founded in 1971, also services and repairs mixers at a site in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Elaghmore is providing the financial backing to support McPhee’s growth plans, which include expanding existing sites, developing new products, boosting the sales and marketing department and expanding geographically. McPhee, which employs 70 people, will continue to operate autonomously but will become part of Elaghmore’s Total Vehicle Solutions Group, which includes SB Components and Priden Engineering. Companies in the group cross-sell products to the combined customer list and share facilities across the UK, as well as share best practice and technical expertise. Brinsley McFarlane, MD of McPhee Mixers, said: “McPhee Mixers has a long and enviable record of success in the engineering industry, and we have ambitious plans for the future. “Working with Elaghmore will help us deliver these, which is demonstrated by its track record in backing companies like SB Components,” he added.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF…DANNY GLYNN, MD, ENTERPRISE FLEX-E-RENT What time does your day begin? I normally get in around 7am. I check our daily reporting and respond to emails from the commercial team at our global headquarters in the US. I also check in with any notes from my seven direct line reports, covering specialist areas like vehicle acquisition, technical specification and accessible vehicles. What type of customers do you deal with? We provide solutions for every size of business across the UK, from SME operators needing a single truck or some vans to national companies that hire dozens or even hundreds of trucks, vans and cars, advising on specification, bespoke outfitting and branding. I stay available to support our sales and operations teams and visit customers regularly. How much of your day is spent in the office and how much on the road? I split my time fairly equally between the office and travelling. 20 MotorTransport MTR_040618_020-022.indd 20

I visit our 22 depots that extend from Glasgow to Southampton, as well as our customers. How long have you been with the business? I’ve been with Enterprise for 16 years and joined as a trainee accountant. I spent eight years as a financial controller before launching the commercial vehicle rental business in 2010, which we extended through acquisition in 2013. What types of products in your sector are selling well? We have seen strong growth across all areas, particularly with specialist vehicles like accessible minibuses and temperaturecontrolled trucks. What is most important is service and being able to fulfil a wide range of needs, like customers who require cars as well as commercial vehicles. In addition, given the uncertainty over Brexit and other economic factors, operators are especially interested in flexible rental and ways of reducing unnecessary capital costs. 4.6.18 30/05/2018 10:00:28

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MVB110 460bhp, I-shift, 8x2 Rear Lift and Steer, 2x 9t Front Axles with Super Single Tyres, 6300mm Wb, Piped for Drawbar, HIAB X - HIPRO 658, 5 Ext, Air Con, Work Lights.

Globetrotter, FH 460, I-Shift, 8x2, 6400mm Wb, PM 38.5 Crane, 4 Ext, Remote Control, Hydraulic Beavertail Body with Powered Ramps, 21ft 3 Axle Front/ Rear Lift Nugent Drawbar Trailer, Climate Control System, Beacon Prep.

2018 DAF CF 460 Cabin Spec With PM65SP+JIB EURO 6

EURO 6

MVB103

2018 Volvo FH 540 6x4 Double Drive with HIAB 858

MVB093

MVB091

2014 MAN TGX 26.480 With Cormach 34000 E5 Crane EURO 5

SN64TGE

460bhp, Euro 6, 410bhp, Space Space Cab, Manual, Cab, Automatic 8x2 Rear Gearbox, Lift and Steer,2x 6x2 Rear 9t Lift Front Axle, Axle,9t32Front Tonne, Axle, 5700mm 26 Tonne, Wb, PM 6300mm 65SP Crane Wheelbase, + JIB , Cormach 7 Crane Exts 39000E5, 6 on the 5 Exts, JIB, Remote, Radio Remote. Cabin Spec Body.

540bhp, Globetrotter Cab, I-Shift Gearbox, 6x4 Tandem Drive (Double Drive Tag), 3600mm Wb, Can Plate to 80t, HIAB 858 with 6 Ext, Jost Slider, Many Extras.

480bhp, Manual, 6x2 Tag Axle, 9t Front Axle, Tractor Unit, Cormach Serie 34000 E5 Crane with 5 Ext, Sliding 5th Wheel, Air Con, Fridge, Night Heater, Engine Brake.

2018 DAF CF 410 Cheesewedge with PM Crane

2018 DAF XF 510 FTS Tag Axle PM65025

2018 Volvo FH 460 Cabin Spec with HIAB 658 EP-6

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LK18JOH 410bhp, Auto, 6x2 Rear Lift & Steer, 6100mm Wb, PM 23 P Crane, 3 Ext, Remote, Cruise Control, Air Con, Night Heater, 360 Rotating Beacons, Engine Brake.

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MVB016 510bhp, Space Cab, Auto, 6x2 Twin Wheel Tag Axle, [ -YVU[ (_SL TT >I 7HSÄUNLY 72 ^P[O ,_[ Remote, Jost 5th Wheel, Will Take Deep Pin Trailer.

MVB060

510bhp, Super Space Cab, Auto, 6x2 Twin Wheel Tag Axle, 9t Front Axle, 3700mm Wb, PM65025 with 6 Ext, Remote, Air Con Will Take Deep Pin Trailers, Can Plate to 80t.

460bhp, Globetrotter, I-Shift, 8x2 Rear Lift and Steer, Cabin Spec, HIAB 658 EP-6, 6 Ext, Remote, 6ft Hydraulic Pullout, Crane pads and Carriers, Stainless Steel Tool Box.

2018 DAF XF 80T Tag with HIAB 638 + 150X Jib

New 2018 DAF CF 460 8x2 PM50025 Cabin Spec

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510bhp, Space Cab, 16 Speed AS Tronic Gearbox, 6x2 Twin Wheel Tag, 9t Front Axle, 3700mm Wb, HIAB 638EP-6 + Jib 150X-4, Can Plate to 80T, JOST Heavy Duty 5th Wheel.

MVB106 460bhp, Space Cab, Auto, 8x2, 2x 9t Front Axles, Lightweight Cabin Spec Body, Manual Pullout, Rear Lift and Steer, PM50025 Crane with 5 Hydraulic Ext, Remote, Air Con, Drawbar Spec.

• N AT I O N W I D E D E L I V E R Y • E V E R Y T H I N G S O L D W I T H N E W M O T • F L E X I B L E F I N A N C E PA C K A G E S AD_040618__P21.indd 21

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Marketplace

motortransport.co.uk

ON THE FARM: W Gibson (Haulage) has put its first used Renault Range T460 6x2 into operation, praising the first-class customer service and an excellent deal provided by JDS Trucks & Vans. The Garstang, Lancashire-based livestock haulier, which has a fleet of nine trucks working mainly on pig transportation, evaluated the 15-plate vehicle on a week’s trial. Director David Gibson said JDS used sales director Julian Smith proved a key factor in the company buying a Renault for the first time since 2001. He added: “We’ve known Julian for many years; he’s straight to the point and that’s exactly what we like. When he contacted us and asked if we would like to try a Range T we thought, this is a guy we can trust, so why not give it a go? We go into tight farmyards and we concluded the Range T was a great fit for this type of operation.”

Improvements to Man Truck and Bus Nuneaton site is part of a £20m investment

MAN Truck and Bus invests in its network MAN Truck and Bus Nuneaton has reopened following a £250,000 investment in a new reception area, upgraded frontage and landscaping. Improvements at the Bermuda Park Industrial Estate site include a new booking-in and waiting area for drivers, a dedicated sales desk and parts counter, and a redesigned entrance with a dedicated forecourt for TGE vans. The manufacturer plans to invest £20m in its UK dealer network over the next five years, with further investment planned for the workshop at Nuneaton, as well as finance for sites in Scotland and the North East, including Belshill and Gateshead.

Rob Zubovic, head of MAN Truck & Bus Network, said: “This improvement is just the beginning of many exciting and significant investments over the next five years.” MAN Nuneaton, which opened in 2000, covers large areas of Leicestershire,

Northamptonshire and Warwickshire. It opens 24 hours a day Tuesday to Friday. The dealership provides new and used vehicles for sale, as well as MoT preparation, parts, brake testing, tachograph and speed limiter calibration, electronic diagnostics,

engine and gearbox repairs, and body servicing and repairs. Zubovic said: “MAN Nuneaton is a key location in our network – it is close to some of the Midlands’ biggest town and cities and it is in an area with a high concentration of commercial vehicles.” PEOPLE POWER: Dawsongroup has boosted its senior truck and trailer team with three appointments. Mark Middleton (left) takes up the position of head of sales, joining from Nissan, where he was national LCV and dealer fleet manager. Nick Reynolds (right) has been promoted from finance manager to the new role of commercial manager, looking after fleet, contracts, procurement and finance. And Nick McGowan (middle) moves to head of operations, responsible for all 30 UK branches and their customer transactions, as well as branch interactions with head office.

22 MotorTransport MTR_040618_020-022.indd 22

Bell Truck and Van makes six appointments North East Mercedes-Benz dealer Bell Truck and Van has announced six new appointments. Carl Belch has joined as truck sales director from Close Brothers Vehicle Hire. He previously spent more than 20 years with Mercedes dealer Northside, where he worked alongside Bell Truck and Van MD Ben Sowersby. Former group financial controller Martin Johnson has been appointed financial director, while former Bell employee Paul Howie returns to Longbenton as aftersales manager, following a spell with Lookers. Promoted from sales positions are Emma Griffiths and Andrew Scott, who become van sales managers at Bell’s Stockton and Longbenton branches respectively. Graham Taylor becomes parts manager at Spennymoor, having previously served as parts adviser. Sowersby, who took over as MD at the dealer last October after it was bought by energy and recycling company Leo Group, said: “Customers can rest assured that we are working hard to provide them with the highest possible standards of service during this transitional phase.” Meanwhile, Bell Truck and Van will open its sales and aftersales site on the Altens Industrial Estate in Aberdeen in June, representing Mercedes Vans. The news comes after the collapse of TOM Group in March, which owned the Mercedes commercial vehicle dealer in Aberdeen, Caledonian Truck & Van. 4.6.18 30/05/2018 10:02:34

Some of our current Euro 6 Tractor Unit Stock: 2017 (17) Renault T480 6x2 Rear Lift Tractor Unit, Ex-Demo, 57,000 kms 2016 (16) Renault T460 6x2 Midlift Tractor Unit, 110,000 kms 2015 (65) Renault T460 6x2 Midlift Tractor Unit, 170,000 kms 2015 (65) Renault T430 4x2 Tractor Unit, 194,000 kms 2015 (65) Renault T460 6x2 Midlift Tractor Unit, Low-Roof Sleeper, 140,000 kms 2015 (15) Renault T460 6x2 Midlift Tractor Unit, 193,000 kms 2015 (64) Renault T460 6x2 Midlift Tractor Unit, 278,000 kms

2014 (64) Renault T460 6x2 Midlift Tractor Unit, 245,000 kms, Comfort Spec. 2014 (64) Renault T460 6x2 Midlift Tractor Unit, 301,000 kms, Comfort Spec., Fitted with Hydraulics 2014 (64) Renault T460 6x2 Midlift Tractor Unit, 337,000 kms, Comfort Spec., Fitted with Hydraulics 2014 (64) Renault T460 4x2 Tractor Unit, 245,000 kms 2014 (14) Renault T460 6x2 Midlift Tractor Unit, 227,000 kms

â&#x20AC;&#x153;FOR A GREAT DEAL WITH GREAT SERVICEâ&#x20AC;? CALL: Julian Smith on Mob: 07773 332211 or Tel: 01254 297244 Email: juliansmith@jdstrucks.co.uk JDS Truck & Van, Forrest Street, Blackburn BB1 3BB

WEBSITE: WWW.KELBERG.COM EMAIL: INFO@KELBERG.COM

PHONE: 01869 343 511 HEAD OFFICE ADDRESS: MIDDLETON STONEY RD, WESTON ON THE GREEN, BICESTER, ENGLAND, OX25 3TH.

KEL-BERG BODY PRODUCTION Grab loader build - body has 4mm thick VLGHV DQG PP WKLFN Ă RRU XQGHU Ă RRU UDP & fully galvanised bolt together subframe. %RG\ LV VKRW EODVWHG SULPHG Ă&#x20AC;QLVKHG LQ high quality 2 pack paint. Additional cost extras available.

Tipper build - body has 4mm thick sides DQG PP WKLFN Ă RRU front end ram & bolt on replacement parts for ease if damage. Body is shot blasted, primed Ă&#x20AC;QLVKHG LQ KLJK TXDOLW\ SDFN SDLQW Additional cost extras available.

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Marketplace

Body of knowledge Thompsons Group was highly commended in the 2017 Commercial Motor Awards Bodybuilder of the Year category. Roger Brown reports

26 MotorTransport MTR_040618_026-027.indd 26

orty years ago Thompsons Group was a small operation based in east London. Today it’s a national business with factories in Croydon, Blackburn, Dover and Edinburgh. The specialised manufacturer builds a range of steel tipper bodies and other tipper products and supplies skip-loaders and hook-loaders, as well as aftersales, parts and service support. Director Simon Shields (left) says: “Although we would have loved to have won at the Commercial Motor Awards, we feel proud to have got a Highly Commended. We were up against some excellent businesses that we have a lot of respect for, such as Cartwright, Wilcox and Bevan. “We think we are better in design and manufacture than other tipper manufacturers and every model we sell provides great performance, reliability and value for money. However, we are not complacent and are always asking how we can do things better.” In the early 1990s the main markets for Thompsons were around London and the

South East. It later expanded into the North of England with the addition of a factory in Blackburn, and in July 2017 moved into Scotland by purchasing Weightlifter Scotland from the Weightlifter Group.

Seamless transaction

Shields says: “The deal was uncomplicated and straightforward to complete, a virtually seamless transition for our customers and employees. Paul Weightman was the easiest person to buy from and we’ve kept everyone at the business in Scotland employed.” Thompsons Group took over all employees and assets at the company’s site in Royal Elizabeth Yard, Dalmeny, near Edinburgh. It has since invested in staff and new shopfloor machine tools at the site. “We’ve inherited excellent fully trained staff. Their attitude is great and the integration process has been really smooth,” Shields says. “Scotland is a new market but it made commercial sense for us and for Weightlifter; it was a no-brainer.” Shields adds that the firm’s Dover-based Charlton Bodies division, which builds bespoke 4.6.18 30/05/2018 11:06:40

motortransport.co.uk

EXPANSION INTO EPARTS Thompsons was run by Allan Burton until he passed away in 2010. His wife Margaret remains a major shareholder and son Scott is group director. Scott Burton tells MT that the company must keep coming up with ideas for new products and cites the online parts service Thompsons eParts, launched in February 2014, as one such success story. Thompsons eParts mainly services customers in the construction, waste, environment, highways, utilities and rental sectors, but has also picked up customers in unexpected areas: for example, the ordering by hairdressing and beauty salons of mobile sinks. Burton says: “Since 2014 our eParts business has continued to break its sales records and we stock more than 6,000 individual line items, from work gloves to complete cranes. “The commercial vehicle sector is a hard business. If you stand still you effectively go backwards, so you have to keep coming up with new ideas to ensure you are ahead of the competition.”

INNOVATIVE SIDE TIPPER

truck bodies, is also booming. The company designs and installs platform bodies, tipper grabs, rear-mounted cranes, beavertails and lightweight all-steel tipper bodies. “It’s a particularly busy time for Charlton. It’s constantly winning business; lead times sometimes stretch to several months,” he says. “It is doing a fabulous job but its success presents us with another dilemma – how to maintain that growth. We think we are reaching the point where we will have to expand the Charlton business, probably meaning an extra site in the not-too-distant future.” In January, Thompsons opened another facility in Blackburn – to produce standard tipper bodies – and invested heavily in hi-tech robotics and automated machinery at the plant to improve efficiency. Last year the company set up an aftersales and specialist engineering division, ServiceTech, based in a dedicated workshop in Blackburn, with overhead gantries, cranes and a shotblast and paint facility. Here it can carry out bodywork fitting for skip-loaders, hook-loaders and cranes, bodywork repairs to rigid tippers and trailers, 4.6.18 MTR_040618_026-027.indd 27

and general maintenance, refurbishment, paint and shotblasting. The service includes Thompsons Total, the bodybuilder’s tipper aftercare package, which offers a three-year warranty and on-site support. Shields says: “It is not just about looking after tippers but also multiple vehicle types in different applications, as that is what many of our customers operate. We can now offer the full package of vehicle services, including fittingout new trucks ready for work and comprehensive maintenance throughout their working lives.”

In February, Thompsons revealed details of its 8x4 crane-mounted side tipper, which it says offers a “genuine stepchange in specialist tipper operations”. The side tipper can eject the entire payload in a single tip, to either the passenger side or the driver side of the vehicle, whereas a conventional grab tipper can only unload from the rear. The body, built up from a 5mm steel floor with single-piece steel dropsides that are hydraulically opened and closed, comes with compact Harsh pot ram tipping gear and Epsilon/Kinshofer crane equipment. It is built at its Blackburn factory. LC Vehicle Hire, in Leeds, and T&K Gallagher, of Manchester, were also involved in the design.

New products

Thompsons Group displayed more than 30 trucks at Tip-ex in Harrogate last year and showed two new tipper bodies at last weekend’s show, including its new side tipper (see box, right). Shields says: “It’s a great platform to show off new products and tell people about the progress we are making. We typically see at least 20 customers a day. It’s a great opportunity to catch up with people and get feedback.” ■ MotorTransport 27 30/05/2018 11:07:26

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31/05/2018 09:38:18

Parcels

Joining the heavyweights Post privatisation Royal Mail is targeting the lucrative and rapidly growing large parcels sector to counteract a declining letters market. Carol Millett looks at its progress

s the decline in the letters market gathers momentum, Royal Mail is betting the farm on its parcels delivery business. Given the stratospheric growth in the parcels market over the past few years this comes as no surprise. However, while Royal Mail remains dominant in the smaller parcels market with more than 50% share of the UK’s sub-1kg parcels sector, success in the lucrative and rapidly growing market for parcels above 1kg, which Royal Mail’s Parcelforce Worldwide business is targeting, is proving elusive. Moya Greene, the outgoing Royal Mail chief executive, hailed the performance of Royal Mail’s parcels business as “the best year yet” in its full-year results 2017-2018, which revealed parcel volumes up 5% and a revenue rise of 4%, with Parcelforce Worldwide’s parcel volumes up 2% in the year. 32 MotorTransport MTR_040618_032-033.indd 32

Royal Mail attributed the volume growth to a rise in larger customers and a 28% growth in tracked and tracked returns volumes. Royal Mail’s competitors are far from impressed. One chief executive of a leading parcel delivery company told MT: “If Parcelforce is growing at 2% per annum that is a disaster. There is so much business to be had in this sector on the back of really strong demand from UK e-commerce customers.”

Former public sector company

He adds: “The problem is that Parcelforce has no strategy. It has nothing that makes it stand out in the market. Why would a customer use Parcelforce? It doesn’t lead in any particular area, not on its technology platform, not on its customer service and certainly not on its apps. It’s vanilla.” One parcels industry expert believes the problem is the very nature of Royal Mail – a

former public sector company operating in a very competitive market and hampered by its sheer size and high staffing costs. He told MT: “If I was designing a parcels network today I would certainly not base it on the Royal Mail model. The business is tied to old-fashioned operating and employment practices and agreements. “Ironically Royal Mail’s universal obligation is both its strength and its weakness. It has the structure to deliver to far-flung places, but it also has an old-fashioned and massive infrastructure that is difficult to reform, along with high rates of employment used mainly to deliver a declining postal business.” Gerald Khoo, transport analyst at Liberum Capital, believes Royal Mail is in danger of missing the tide of change in the parcels market. He argues: “The parcels market is an opportunity for Royal Mail but also one of its biggest challenges. Clearly there is market growth 4.6.18 30/05/2018 10:55:34

motortransport.co.uk

there, driven by online retail, but the question is, how much of that can be captured by Royal Mail and how much can be captured by using its existing universal network? “The market trend has increasingly been moving away from small, light, slow packages, which fit very well across Royal Mail’s universal network, with the fastest growth in premium deliveries, such as same-day and next-day and also in bigger heavier parcels, moving it away from Royal Mail’s universal network and into Parcelforce’s territory. Once you have that switchover Royal Mail loses the big advantage of its universal network and has to compete as a large, unionised organisation against much smaller, more agile and more innovative competitors who are not only non-unionised but often have hardly any employees.” David Jinks, head of consumer research at parcel delivery service ParcelHero, believes Royal Mail should be given greater credit for the efforts it has made post-privatisation to modernise its parcels business. He cites the deal Greene made last year with the unions over pay and pensions, which managed to avoid the threat of strike action, along with Royal Mail’s advances in improving its parcels delivery service, as evidence that the company is moving in the right direction. “Six months ago Royal Mail crashed out of FTSE 100 and faced a damaging strike so at that point it looked a bit rocky. Now it is back in the FTSE, and has had its best year yet in parcels,” says Jinks. “It’s also made progress in introducing more innovation. It has improved its tracking options quite considerably and introduced evening deliveries and better delivery times and, while its staffing costs are high, it is doing a lot to address those issues. But because of its size and the nature of the business it will take time for these measures to feed through.” Khoo agrees that Royal Mail is making improvements but questions if these are fast enough. He explains: “New systems need time to bed down so you can only move at a certain rate, especially across such a huge and unionised organisation. Let’s not forget, it’s 10 times the size of any of its competitors in the parcels market, so any change will come much more slowly because of its size and nature.”

No sign of abating

And therein lies the rub, Khoo adds, for the parcels market waits for no one. He says: “Royal Mail may have more than 50% of the parcels market, but in terms of revenue the competition has already grabbed a greater share of the high unit revenue, premium deliveries market.” Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, echoes this view. Pointing to Royal Mail’s failure to meet productivity targets and its high restructuring costs, he warns that Royal Mail’s move “towards a leaner and more technologically focused operation will become more pressing” adding that in the meantime the competitive market “shows no sign of abating, where Deutsche Post – let alone the seemingly ubiquitous Amazon – are menacing foes”. Frank Proud, director of market research consultancy Apex Insight, says that for the UK parcels sector and particularly for Royal Mail, Amazon is “the massive elephant in the room” as its share of online retail continues to grow unabated. 4.6.18 MTR_040618_032-033.indd 33

MANAGEMENT STYLE Royal Mail’s new CEO Rico Back clearly faces a number of challenges as he prepares to take over the leadership of Royal Mail. Back’s predecessor Moya Greene has already done a lot of the heavy lifting in her eight years at Royal Mail taking it through privatisation, introducing a radical modernisation strategy to reposition it in the parcels sector and negotiating a new pay and pensions deal while reducing headcount. Back brings significant experience in parcels logistics having led GLS, Royal Mail’s successful international parcels business since 1989. This year the company delivered a 9% rise in volumes and a 10% increase in revenues, providing around 30% of Royal Mail’s profits. Could Back be about to perform similar magic on Royal Mail’s parcels division? One leading parcels delivery MD says Back is preferable to Greene, who he claims led the group with far too tight a rein. “Greene was far too involved in the detail,” he claims, adding: “In this business you need to act quickly if you are to compete.” Gerald Khoo, transport analyst at Liberum Capital questions whether or not Back brings the right experience to the job. “Under Back, GLS has grown, year-in, year-out and performed very well but it is a different beast to Royal Mail. Like Royal Mail’s competitors, GLS is a nimble, underdog challenger to mainland Europe incumbents without unionised staff. Royal Mail, on the other hand, is a structurally challenged and incumbent operator that is heavily unionised and politically sensitive, and that will require an entirely different set of skills.”

He believes Amazon’s decision in 2014 to take a large part of its delivery in-house, much of which was being delivered by Royal Mail, was a serious blow to the group. “That was a bolt from the blue and put Royal Mail on a very different growth trajectory,” he adds. “It has lost a significant amount of its business with Amazon to Amazon Logistics and that could increase in the future, since Amazon Logistics is looking more and more like it could soon become a player in the delivery game.”

Amazonial threat

That leaves Royal Mail particularly vulnerable to the continuing rise of Amazon, says Proud. “It’s like trying to hold back the tide with Amazon. Yes, Royal Mail remains a good carrier that is particularly strong in sub-1kg packages, but unfortunately Amazon is more skewed towards the smaller parcels market, which means Royal Mail has been hit harder than other carriers by Amazon’s growth in the sector.” Khoo predicts Royal Mail and Amazon could increasingly go head to head in the parcels market. “The gigantic disruption risk is if Amazon Logistics opens up to third-party deliveries which will make it less of a major customer to Royal Mail and more of an outright, and far better capitalised, competitor,” he warns. “Unlike Royal Mail, which is obliged to offer a universal service across a national footprint, Amazon could cherry pick the best routes and pick off those businesses that are easier to fulfil and therefore more profitable, leaving Royal Mail with the more costly and less profitable routes.” So what does Royal Mail need to do to improve its performance in the parcels market? Proud says it is about delivering a quality service above that of its competitors and leveraging its considerable network and its reputation for reliability, particularly in peak periods. Khoo agrees. He says: “Royal Mail is never going to be the cheapest and so they have to find a way to compete on quality – they do have a good proposition in terms of reliability, especially at peak times – but when it comes to quality in terms of innovation and rapid delivery Royal Mail is left playing catch-up. It needs to look at those areas and focus on what it needs to do to start leading, rather than following the competition.” ■

ROYAL MAIL PARCELS PERFORMANCE 2017/18 ■ Total parcel volumes up 5%, revenue up 4% ■ Account volumes (ex Amazon) up 4%

successfully targeting faster growing sectors and winning share of volumes from large account customers

■ Royal Mail Tracked 24/48 and Tracked Returns volumes increased to 219 million best competitor benchmark, outpacing market at 28% volume growth

SALES SPLIT BY CUSTOMER TYPE 2013/14

Large companies 17% Consumers and micro-SMEs 52%

Medium- sized companies 31%

2017/18

Large companies 21% Consumers and micro-SMEs 43%

Medium- sized companies 36% Source: Royal Mail

MotorTransport 33 30/05/2018 10:56:18

MT Awards 2018 shortlists Fleet Van of the Year Sponsored by MT profiles the shortlists for this year’s awards Iveco Daily

Iveco continues to garner admirers in the fleet van sector thanks to two factors. While it may no longer be the only manufacturer to offer a fully automatic transmission, the replacement of the old Agile gearbox with the more robust Hi-Matic gearbox has earned it recognition and orders from many of the largest fleets. Coupled with the fact that the Daily is the only vehicle of its size to provide a GVW of up to 7 tonnes, it means that Iveco can rely on a loyal band of support for its lightest-weight product. Praised by our panel for its dealer back-up, the operators also liked that early adopters of the Euro-6 models were able to run their vehicles without the need for AdBlue. The Daily range continues to improve and Iveco has been successful with its latest generation of vans, most notably securing the 2018 International Van of the Year title for its Blue Power Range, which includes CNG, electric and even more efficient Euro-6 models.

Fiat Ducato

Last year’s winner of the Fleet Van category is back, with the panel once again praising both the model and the dealer support. The Fiat Professional brand continues to develop, improving servicing and support with a range of capable dealers used to servicing HGVs. That means longer opening hours and a no-nonsense approach to parts and downtime. Servicing intervals at 30,000 miles, a 120,000-mile warranty and stronger components that continue to stand the test of time, see the Ducato back on the shortlist with an even greater appreciation now said to be shown by fleet drivers for the product. As one of the lightest chassis at 3.5 tonnes, the Ducato gets a lot of interest in the conversion sector, but our panel said that if you are willing to look beyond the badge and be prepared for a few people to call it a motorhome, the Ducato is a great product. It also achieves Euro-6 emissions without the need for AdBlue; a big positive for fleets that are particularly conscious of their bottom line.

Nissan NV200

Nissan forged a path in the electric vehicle market with its Leaf-based eNV200 van, but the combustion engine version of the Nissan NV200 has cemented itself as a strong fleet performer. With a large payload volume for a van with this footprint, fleets appreciate the flexibility the NV200 affords.

34 MotorTransport MTR_040618_FLEETVAN.indd 34

A range of body styles, as well as off-the-shelf conversions including a fridge van, means there is a broad scope for the NV200 in a multi-use fleet. Our panel also commented on the reliability of the product, citing the NV200 as a benchmark of durability alongside the Nissan Navara pick-up truck. The judges also rated the NV200 highly for its driver acceptance, particularly for those downsizing from 3.5-tonne vans and its city centre manoeuvrability. Overall though, it is the NV200 range that appeals most, with the ability to run diesel and electric vans side-by-side now that the EV’s range abilities have been improved.

Peugeot Partner

Peugeot continues to make in-roads into fleets with its range of competitively priced products that now enjoy a far greater reputation for reliability. The Partner city van is at the forefront of the brand’s growth, and despite operating in a fiercely competitive segment, continues to grow market share. Built alongside the Citroën Berlingo, the pair are a formidable force in the market and offer a sensibly priced alternative to some of the more premium models. Both manufacturers have invested heavily in their network, which has impressed our panel – particularly with parts supply and delivery. The greatly improved electric model is winning customers across fleets, and with its small footprint makes it ideal for inner-city operators. Judges commented on the great build quality of the vehicle, but also the increasing driver acceptance of both diesel and electric vans – “as the market sector migrates down the GVW range, this is the strongest product available in the sector”, one judge remarked.

Vauxhall Vivaro

In the price-sensitive world of fleet operations, it would seem the Vivaro is winning over customers. Said to be one of the best vans of its size for operating costs and total cost of ownership, the Vivaro capably competes against dominant models from Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen. A previous winner of the Fleet Van award in 2015, it was shortlisted again last year, demonstrating the continued admiration that fleets have for this mid-sized worker. A strong demand in the second-hand market, good reliability and excellent warranty support keep bringing operators back to the Vivaro. Dealers are said to be supportive and parts supply is good. Fleet operators tell us they have utter confidence in operating them on a five-year cycle, while drivers instantly warm to the Vivaro. Our panel noted the van’s robustness and commented on the decision to build the next generation in Luton as an endorsement of the current van’s quality.

4.6.18 30/05/2018 14:07:02

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31/05/2018 09:40:09

MT Awards 2018 shortlists Customer Care Award