Fleet Transport April 2011 by Orla Sweeney

IRELAND'S LEADING COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MAGAZINE Inside!

Maith an Magnum! APRIL 11

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FEATURES:

• Renault Trucks' flagship enters third decade • Telematics in Transport • Aftermarket; Spare Parts • Case Study - Visbeen Transport & DAF Ecoombis

INSIDE

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contents APRIL 2011

www.fleet.ie 42 GROUP TEST Another Exclusive: Arctic Van Test 2011

Editor: Jarlath Sweeney

4 NEWS RSA issues Paper on HGV/ADR Tests • Diesel taxes crippling the Coach industry • TimoCom goes Green • All-Ireland Warehousing Association formed •McCarthy Commerials Team reach VISTA semis • Mitsubishi Fuso Dealer of the Year announced • Low-cost trucks on the way • Irish Continental Group issues financial results • TPN & Independent Express Cargo achieve Excellence Award

Contributors: Sean Murtagh, Gerry Murphy, Cathal Doyle, Paul White, Jonathan Lawton, Donal Dempsey, Howard Knott, Jerry Kiersey, Michael Corcoran, Rob Van Dieten, Ailbe Burke, Ivan van der Meer

8 COVER Appraisal of the Renault Magnum 480 & 520 hp versions

50 COMMENT Turning the tide to wave power!

Photography: Jarlath Sweeney, Gerry Murphy, Cathal Doyle, Paul White, Michael Corcoran, Rob Van Dieten, Alexander Louvet

10 INTERVIEW With Mark Fielding, Chief Executive, ISME

52 WAREHOUSING Full details on the formation of the All-Ireland Warehousing Association

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

Administration: Orla Sweeney, Denise Vahey, Helen Maguire Advertising: Mary Morrissey, Orla Sweeney

12 NEW FLEET Recent sales of Scania, UNVI, Mercedes-Benz & Renault Trucks

Design: Eamonn Wynne

13 HEALTH & SAFETY Safety matters column from the HSA

Fleet Transport/ Fleet Car/ Fleet Bus & Coach/ Fleet Van & Utility/ Fleet Trailer & Body Builder/ Fleet Maritime/ Green Fleet Management are published by JJDS Publications Ltd. Registered Office: D’Alton Street, Claremorris, Co. Mayo. Co. Reg. 368767 Directors: Jarlath Sweeney, Sean Murtagh.

45 TECHNICAL Part I of advice on Truck ABS/EBS Systems 48 LEGAL More details on Cabotage 49 FINANCE Surviving in the Irish Road Transport industry

53-56 FLEET MARITIME Newsletter from the Irish Shipping & Freight Associations

14 REPORT I IRU hosted two events in Brussels

58 PREVIEW Part II of the build up to the CV Show 2011, NEC, Birmingham plus information from FPS EXPO 2011

16 FLEETING SHOTS Topaz & McDonalds, KRAZ Trucks, Audi’s Glass Box & Celtic Horizon Tours featured here

60 TIMES PAST Looking through the various artefacts around the National Transport Museum

18 SECTOR Telematics in Transport

62 CONFERENCE 38th IRHA AGM

22 WORKSHOP Spare Parts and the Aftermarket

63 REPORT II CILT Smart Freight Event, Dublin

25-40 FLEET VAN & UTILITY

64 CASE STUDY Visbeen’s DAF Ecocombis

41 FUEL PRICES & ASK THE EXPERT Latest Fuel Prices and Legal updates

66 SOAPBOX Open letter to RSA Chairman, Gay Byrne. THE OFFICIAL IRISH JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL VAN OF THE YEAR & INTERNATIONAL PICK-UP AWARDS

Disclaimer: Fleet Transport Magazine management can accept no responsibility for the accuracy of contributed articles or statements appearing in this magazine and any views or opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Fleet Transport management, save where otherwise indicated. No responsibility for loss or distress occasioned to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the authors, contributors, Editors or publishers. The Editor reserves the right to make publishing decisions on any advertisements or editorial article submitted to the magazine and to refuse publication or to edit any editorial material as seems appropriate to him. Professional legal advice should always be sought in relation to any specific matter.

Fleet Transport Official Irish Jury Member of the International Truck of the Year Award Cover picture taken by Paul White at Lusk, County Dublin.

Volume 8. No 1. SPRING 11

Just take a test drive at your nearest Mercedes-Benz Commercial Dealer

P 14 P 16 • Buyers Guide 2011

• Arctic Van Test 2011 - Finland

P 25

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

NEWS 1

RSA to reform HGV + ADR Roadworthiness Tests

s part of an overall reform of the commercial vehicle and A DR (Dangerous Goods) vehicles Testing procedures, the Road Safety Authority has launched a public consultation process seeking views of all interested parties involved. The reform programme will drive a ‘step change’ in the roadworthiness standards of commercial vehicles operating on Ireland’s roads with the purpose of saving lives and preventing injuries by reducing the number of accidents involving commercial vehicles.

State; creating a ‘level playing field’ for Ireland’s operators through targeting those who choose not to maintain the roadworthiness of their fleet; enhancing testing and testing efficiencies for Ireland’s network of commercial vehicle and ADR test centres (which test roadworthiness of vehicles carrying dangerous goods); and ensuring greater compliance of commercial vehicle annual testing.

Among the benefits include a reduction of congestion and other economic costs to the

The consultative process lasts until Wednesday 4 May 2011.

You are invited to email your views to cvrtestcentreconsultation@rsa.ie or in writing to: Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness and ADR Vehicle Testing Consultation, Road Safety Authority, Clonfert House, Loughrea, County Galway.

This proposal may be viewed and/or downloaded from the RSA’s website at w w w.rsa.ie/ CVRTestCentre-Consultation.

High diesel taxes killing Irish coach tourism industry

ith tourist numbers down and diesel costs rising the CTTC – Coach Tourism & Transport Council is calling on the new Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Leo Varadkar T.D., to introduce a revised form of excise duty rebate. The abolition of the previous excise rebate added 34.5 cent per litre of diesel which has crippled the coach industry ever since. The CTTC makes this appeal as its members cannot sustain current diesel prices and more jobs will be lost. “Since 2006 our coach tourism industry has diminished by more than half,” says Gerry Mullins, Chief Executive of the CTTC. “And in the same period, the tax we pay on diesel has risen to more than half the price at the pumps. There is a simple and very direct relationship between the price of diesel and our ability to compete for International visitors.”

Gerry pointed out that on a litre of diesel costing around €1.45, the coach company will spend around 47 cent on excise duty (including carbon tax); 25 cent on VAT and 2 cent on the National Oil Reserves Levy. The CTTC is calling for a re-think on the matter of fuel taxes. “Marketing Ireland abroad is welcome, but it will have little effect if the cost of transporting tourists when they come here remains high. Lower taxes on diesel would be more beneficial,” said Gerry. According to Failte Ireland figures, the decline in the number of coach touring visitors from overseas is startling. In the year the rebate was abolished, 640,000 overseas visitors enjoyed a coach touring holiday in Ireland. The following year, that number dropped 21% to 507,000 and in 2008 the number

plummeted further to 418,000. In 2009, the last year of available figures, the number of overseas visitors taking coach tours in Ireland was down to 293,000; less than half the 2006 levels. This loss of around 347,000 visitors equates roughly to a decrease of €347 million to the Irish economy. “That’s around €1 billion in lost tourism revenue since the excise rebate was abolished,” stressed Gerry. One option for the Government is to offer a Grant Scheme to coach operators similar to that available in the UK. The Grant reimburses the major part of the excise duty paid on the fuel consumed in operating a bus service.

Everything’s green at TimoCom • IT service provider committed to environment

‘G

reen We Can' is the new slogan from web based transport placement platform provider TimoCom. The German fi rm’s commitment to the environment sees its customers benefit from an eco-labelling system that helps to avoid empty running. Sustainability is a term that’s certainly in the media and advertising. The issue is one of the 21st Century’s main challenges, which TimoCom is facing. “Sustainability has always been one of TimoCom’s main pillars,” says TimoCom’s Chief Representative Marcel Frings, “by nature, our products contribute to efficient work, thus conserving resources.” TimoCom’s Truck&Cargo alone provides up to 300,000 freight and vehicle

offers daily which means thousands of empty runs are avoided, eliminating unnecessary pollution and the emission of CO2 . A positive side effect of being ‘green’ is the cost savings according to Marcel. “Of course, economic factors also play a role,” he says. “Investment in a modern and energy saving data centre is good for the environment but is also profitable because of the increase in cost efficiency. Sustainability is therefore a requisite for business success.” More and more logistics service providers are discovering that ‘green logistics’ is an important competitive factor for the company. More details on www.timocom.com.

MIKE MURPHY INSURANCE GROUP The Insurance Centre, 7 Sandyford Business Centre, Sandyford, Dublin 18. Working with the Irish Road Haulage Industry for over 35 years. Just call us for a quote! Tel: 01 2932350 Fax: 01 2932360 Email: info@mikemurphyinsurance.ie Web: www.mikemurphyinsurance.ie Mike Murphy Insurance Group is a trade name of Insureforsure Ltd. Is a member of IBA & Regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

4 FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

NEWS II

AIWA – All-Ireland Warehousing Association established New organisation to serve the needs of the sector

new Cross-Border initiative announced on 16 March sees the establishment of a 32 County Trade Association dedicated to the Third Party Logistics (3PL) sector. The All-Ireland Warehousing Association – AIWA, will embrace all companies in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland that provide warehousing and other logistics support services in the supply chain and the new Association is open to retailers and manufacturers. It will be directly affi liated to the UKWA – United Kingdom Warehousing Association with an office based in Claremorris, County Mayo run by Fleet Publications.

A dedicated website – www.warehousingireland. ie is being set up with the next step being the formation of an Executive Steering Group. Roger Williams, CEO, UKWA (pictured) was pleased to announce the launch of the AIWA at the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, County Down and said, “the new organisation will be able to serve properly the needs of the whole of the Irish Warehousing sector and we believe that an affi liated organisation, working closely with us could deliver a vital service in providing a focus for this important sector.” More details and photographs from this announcement on Page 52.

McCarthy Commercials Cork reach VISTA Semi-finals

he McCarthy Commercials team from the Watergrasshill workshop has reached the semi-finals of VISTA – Volvo Trucks’ & Volvo Buses’ Worldwide competition and training programme for mechanics and service personnel. Pat Geary (Parts Technician) and Christy Beecher (Technician) are all part of the ‘Contact Helpdesk (again)’ Team that have successfully come through three rounds of theoretical questions and now aim to qualify for the World Finals in Gothenburg in June. Nine UK based teams also reached this stage and go forward to the semi-fi nals in Greece later this month. After competing against each other, only the two best performing teams will get the opportunity to progress to the World Finals. “Everyone who has completed all three rounds should be congratulated for their magnificent efforts and considering the level of competition, all teams who have made it to the semi-fi nals

should be tremendously proud,” says Johanna Lundberg, Project Manager for VISTA, adding “The standards have been very high, and I hope VISTA 2011 has inspired and motivated all teams

that have taken part, but what is really important is that participants keep telling us how much they are learning from the competition.” The aim of the competition is to develop and improve employees’ knowledge and skills, and improve Volvo Trucks’ and Buses’ Aftermarket customer services. It is estimated that every participant who has completed both rounds of VISTA 2011 has received around 90 hours of extra training, making a significant contribution to all UK and Irish dealerships and workshops. A record 13,704 participants initially entered VISTA 2011 – in 3,740 teams – including 102 teams from Great Britain and Ireland. The Dennison Dealership team (Ballyclare Bandits) in Northern Ireland just failed to make the Top Ten by one point.

K.D. (Garage) Services – Mitsubishi FUSO Dealer of the Year

n recognising excellence in sales, service and business development K.D. (Garage) Services was awarded the prestigious accolade 2010 Mitsubishi FUSO Dealer of the Year. At the presentation, Gerard Rice of Mitsubishi FUSO Ireland said, “K.D. (Garage) Services are very deserving winners. They continue to put their customers fi rst in these tough times and only recently secured a major contract to supply new Canters to Wexford County Council.”

“The fact that Mitsubishi FUSO produce some of the most reliable trucks in the world makes our job that litt le bit easier but it is still a huge honour and testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff,” said Keith Deacon of K.D. (Garage) Services Ltd. Pictured L-R at the presentation of the 2010 FUSO Dealer of the Year award are: John Downey (MD, Mitsubishi FUSO Ireland), Gerard Rice (General Manager, Mitsubishi FUSO Ireland), Keith Deacon, (K.D. (Garage) Services) and Alexander Kuhnt (Mitsubishi FUSO Europe).

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

NEWS 111

Low-cost trucks en route

emand for low-cost trucks is set to grow steadily over the next 5 years, according to analysis from Frost & Sullivan with over 3.2 million low-cost goods vehicles being manufactured globally in 2016. Their ‘Strategic Analysis of Global Low-cost Truck Market Report’ estimates that in the same year 29 low-cost truck models will be introduced by the big global brands to meet the demands of various weight categories within the market. But they will not all be ‘budget’ trucks as powertrains, chassis, safety, comfort and convenience and other marketing related expenses will be key focal points for cost reduction to produce low-cost trucks. “Opportunities in the global low-cost truck markets require OEMs to focus on creating trucks cheaply and not creating cheap trucks,” notes Frost & Sullivan Global Program Manager Sandeep Kar. “The emergence of Asian OEMs, rising total-cost of ownership demands from both developed and developing nation truck buyers, economic uncertainty in mature markets, and strengthening urbanization trends are stroking demands for cow-cost trucks and some OEMs are moving faster than others to convert these drivers into revenue growth opportunities.”

In an endeavour to penetrate and grow in global markets, Asian OEMs have created low-cost truck platforms that are customisable to meet local market needs. The North American and European OEMs are acknowledging the threat and also realising the opportunities that they can avail through participation in the global low-cost truck market. While the growth potential is appealing, it is, nevertheless, clear that end-users do not just want cheap trucks, but trucks that can help reduce total cost of ownership. Therefore, participation in this fast growth segment requires recalibration of OEM and supplier strategies.

Made in China - Iveco Leoncino

“Most major truck makers are either creating new platforms, or creating new nameplates to create and introduce these low-cost vehicles,” comments Kar. “These trucks will feature innovative technologies, optimised systems and components, developed through incorporation of aggressive design-toprice strategies. However, it will prove increasingly difficult to maintain low-cost advantage as stricter regulations, rising demand for reduced maintenance requirement, relatively lower margins, and rising labour costs will challenge market participants.” The global OSMs and suppliers will face strong headwinds in the form of rising regulatory requirements and increasing manufacturing costs while developing and marketing highquality reliable trucks. This implies the need for unique and innovative approaches that cut across all corners of truck manufacturing. Iveco has hit the ground running on this score having established strong links with two Chinese truck builders in recent years with the aim of manufacturing European bound middle-weight trucks. In addition the Italian brand will also source high quality low-cost spare parts from this emerging state, again destined for our Continent.

Irish Continental Group posts strong 2010 results

he Irish Continental Group includes, Irish Ferries, Eucon, Feederlink and the Dublin and Belfast Freight Terminal Companies. Commenting on the 2010 results, Company Chairman, John McGuckian said, ”Irish Continental Group delivered a strong set of results in 2010 with earnings before tax etc. up by 5.7% to € 53.6 million and earnings per share up 53%. Key factors in the results included a strong performance from the passenger side of

our business, where revenue was up by 12.3% and the profit on the sale of the vessel Pride of Bilbao of € 9.4 million, partly off set by a weakness in the freight side of the business due to a sharp reduction in economic activity in Ireland over the last number of years, and the effects of ship overcapacity in the market”.

of higher fuel costs and austerity programmes in Ireland and the UK providing a challenge. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that they had made a good start to the year and that results would be satisfactory. Howard Knott

Looking towards 2011 he said that ICG was facing into an uncertain year with the combined effects

TPN and Independent Express Cargo excel to ‘Excellent Through People’ Award

reight and transpor t service provider TPN (The Pallet Network) and sister company Independent Express Cargo have qualified for the ‘Excellent Through People Standard’. Both firms achieved this award for implementing improved performance and achieving business goals through their employees. It is the only quality standard dedicated to the role of people and their impact on business. The focus of Excellent Th rough People is to get organisations to look at their people as a key resource of competitive advantage. The programme was designed in response to requirements from business to maximise their investment in human resources.

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

passed a vigorous vett ing process before being invited to be listed as a preferred supplier to Retail Excellent Ireland, which has a membership of 580 leading retail companies operating over 8,000 stories in the Irish market.

TPN and Independent Express Cargo Ltd, part of the Independent Express Group both

Commenting on the award, Owen Cooke, Chairman, Independent Express Cargo, said, “It is great to see Independent Express Cargo and the central operations for TPN receiving independent recognition for Best Practice Human Resources standards. The award is a reflection of the team spirit, quality and dedication of the staff and we look forward to working together to ensure that we build upon, and reach the gold standard in 2010.”

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COVER

Test Drive Report:

RENAULT MAGNUM – ‘Maturing Nicely’

nly a select few trucks have ever raised as many eyebrows as Renault’s Magnum did when it was launched. It may seem strange now, but in the pre-Magnum days high cab trucks were a very rare sight on the road. While over the last twenty years Magnum’s towering presence has become a familiar sight on the roads of Ireland - it still manages to turn heads. We have become so accustomed to high roofed cabs now that a standard height vehicle at times seems odd. Prior to Magnum’s launch in 1991, the number of high roof cabs in Ireland could be counted on the fingers of two hands, and it caused many to consider a move away from their preferred brands. Possibly Magnum’s biggest impact was to set a benchmark for other manufacturers in the area of driver comfort. In particular, to have a ‘flat floor’ in the truck was arguably the most outstanding achievement. Having re-written the rulebook on heavy vehicle styling and design, the competition had to follow Renault’s lead. Which it must be said most have done admirably - though for some there is still room for improvement.

always believed it to be safe and well designed, and have certainly encountered greater difficulty with some other ‘lower’ vehicles. Clever use of space has improved storage capacity over the windscreen, and the hinged cab-width locker mounted on the rear wall ensures items are well secured when travelling. Further improvements ensure an ample supply of 12/24V sockets, with attention also being given to simple necessities such as bottle holders in the door pockets and good quality interior lighting. The dash layout is pleasant and functional, containing all the necessary switchgear, which is well positioned, and of good quality. The ‘Excellence’ trim package in our test truck included a pivoting passenger seat, under-bunk fridge and CD player with MP3 and Bluetooth connections. Over two decades it is the small improvements Renault have made to their flagship that has ensured its popularity with drivers.

One possible consequence of designing such an iconic truck, was how to improve on it - or what to replace it with. Custom would hold that to improve a vehicle you make it bigger. However with no subsequent increase in the permitted vehicle dimension/s regulations, some believed Renault had painted themselves into a corner – you can’t get much bigger than Magnum.

After a quick tour of the 520 hp version, we hitched to our test trailer from ‘Hireco’ Dublin, which supplied a brand new double-deck, stepframe curtainsider. Although the combination of Renault’s Magnum pulling a Double-Deck curtainsider presented a formidable presence on the road, the low-slung, Montracon built tri-axle, was a delight to pull and followed the Magnum perfectly, behaving as easily as any standard height top-spec trailer would.

Well it turns out that you can; the design team in Lyon, France have increased the internal headroom to over two metres. A first glance might give an impression that the interior is a little spartan when compared to its competitors. However, Magnum caters as well, if not better than most for long-haul driver’s needs - with top of the list being the flat floor. This may sometimes only be truly appreciated, if required to spend long periods of time living in the vehicle. Stories about getting in and out of Magnums are legendary at this stage. Nevertheless we have

Anyone new to Magnum soon discovers one of its more surprising characteristics - its drivability. There is no doubt that the original design team set out to produce a long-haul highway vehicle - which is what it has achieved. However, the big Renault

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

handles small twisting roads and hazardous urban driving without difficulty. The loft y appearance belies how quickly anyone becomes accustomed to the truck. Some concerns have always been raised regarding near-side visibility when the driving position is so high. However from the driver’s seat the blind spot is no more of an issue than with any other high-spec tractor unit, and forward visibility is arguably the best available. The driver-side mirror arrangement can cause a blind spot though, this is a problem common to many modern commercials. Driveability is further enhanced by Renault Truck’s Optidriver+ 12 speed automated manual transmission (AMT). Using the same drive-train the now familiar AMT works well with both the 480 hp and the 520 hp. A final drive ratio of 2.64:1 allows the DXi 13 to run at 1,075 rpm when at a steady 80 kp/h. Renault’s figures quote an engine speed of 1,283 rpm @ 90 kp/h. The 12.8 litre inline six, has proven itself to be a solid and reliable option and for Irish operations would never be unduly stretched. With this in mind the difference between the 480 and the 520 is a little hard to distinguish. So engine choice would mainly come down to what type of work it was intended for. Operators continuously at maximum weights or those operating regularly to Southern Europe may prefer to break the 500 hp barrier.

COVER As both trucks were equipped with the ‘Excellence’ cab trim and the same driveline, it just left the rated horsepower to separate them. Renault Trucks can also offer a slightly scaled down version, which may appeal to national fleet operators. By opting for the basic cab trim and excluding some items such as side-skirts, and fitting smaller fuel tanks, the price can be significantly reduced. Running up through the gears the Renault is perhaps a little noisier when compared to the DXi 11 fitted to the Premium, but not unduly so - and once at cruising speed it becomes very quiet in the roomy cab. Good aerodynamic design ensures wind noise is minimal for such a large fronted vehicle. As part of a revamp back in 2001, Renault Trucks improved the braking efficiency of Magnum, managing to reduce the stopping distance from 90 kp/h by a remarkable 12 metres. Since then braking on the truck has been class leading, and when combined with the powerful ‘Optibrake+’ giving 512 hp (382 kW) of retardation at 2,300 rpm - stopping is effortless. Current regulations demand an effective deceleration of 5 metres per second. Renault claims its centralised braking system has the capacity to exceed the standard by delivering a deceleration of 7 metres per second. The equally well tuned four point cab suspension gives comfortable stability with no undue leaning or nodding from the high mounted cab. Road holding is precise and directional control is positive and assured, no doubt helped by the ‘Low Profile 385/55 Bridgestones’ up front.

The fact that Magnum is celebrating its twentieth birthday is a milestone worth marking. Externally with the exception of a few minor facelifts the ‘big one’ has changed little over two decades - which is a testament to the original design concept. While the cab has aged gracefully it still commands attention and has managed to maintain a loyal following with both operators and drivers. This loyal following ranges from one vehicle owner drivers, to some of the largest fleets operating in Europe. Few vehicles offer such a commanding position for the driver and Magnum is a pleasant and enjoyable truck to drive with a touch of individuality that appeals to many. It is a practical vehicle which can be used for local or national work as its size is no more an issue than any other big tractor. In addition for those who must spend more than the regulation driving hours in the truck, Magnum affords levels of comfort and space few other vehicles can equal - even twenty years on.

SPEC CHECK Model

Renault Magnum 480 DXi

Renault Magnum 520 DXi

Chassis Type

Tractor Unit - 4x2

Tractor - 4x2

Cab Trim

Excellence Package

Engine

DXi 13 12.8 Litre, in-line six cylinder

Rated Power

480 hp (353 kW) 1,450 – 1,900 rpm

520 hp (390 kW) 1,430 – 1,900 rpm

Rated Torque

2,400 Nm @1,050–1,400 rpm

2,601 Nm @1,050–1,430 rpm

Euro Rating

Euro 5 - (EEV) – SCR with Ad Blue

Transmission

Optidriver+ 12 Speed AMT

Braking & Stability

Discs all round EBS – ASR - ESP

Discs all round EBS- ASR - ESP

Retardation

Optibrake+ 512 hp (382 kW) @2,300 rpm

Suspension

Front: Parabolic Leaf Springs Rear: Air & Shock Absorbers

Axle Ratio *Source Renault

2.64:1 *Engine Rpm 1,283 @ 90 kp/h

Overall Length

6,210 mm

5,910 mm

Wheelbase

6,175 mm

Tyres

Steer Axle: Bridgestone: (Low Profi le) R249 - 385/55 R22.5 Drive Axle: Bridgestone M749 - 315/70 R22.5 Trailer: Goodyear Marathon LHT 245/70 R17.5

Trailer

Montracon Tri-axle, Double-Deck, Step-frame, Curtainsider supplied by Hireco, Dublin

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

Search is on for the oldest working Renault Magnum. Check out www.fleet.ie FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

INTERVIEW

One-to-One

Mark Fielding, Chief Executive, ISME - Irish Small & Medium Business Enterprises Association Ltd., with Jarlath Sweeney

JS. In relation to your organisation could you just describe your day to day activities? MF. The ISME is the only independent representative body for small and medium businesses. We distinguish ourselves from the likes of IBEC in that IBEC is multi-national and then has a division within it called the SFA. The difficulty there was that we used to be the Small Firm Association but we left IBEC because we weren’t able to lobby against Banks and Insurance companies back in the late 80s and when we were lobbying against them they threatened to withdraw their funding. So en masse the members of the SFA left, with 700 members joining under the umbrella of an independent organisation. So we got independence from Government, independence from big business and obviously independence from Unions. ISME is owned and run by owner managers and I report to a National Council which is elected every 2 years. We are also a very broad church in that we go from someone who is selfemployed with no employees right up to someone who has 250 employees. We have members of all sectors from retail to distribution, transport, wholesale, manufacturing – the lot. And the profile of those members has changed over the last number of years with the reduction of manufacturing and the increase in services. But overall it’s a Members Organisation. We’re almost a Trade Union for owner managers or employers of small/medium businesses. JS. But you are not calling yourself a Trade Union, but more of a lobbying group? MF. Yes, there are only three things that we do – we lobby and represent our owner managers, the second thing we do is pass on information to our members through our monthly newsletter and our publications. We have a number of publications – one on Health & Safety, one on Employment Laws for Owner Managers, one on environmental issues and we also have a 24 hour Helpline. This is obviously manned by the office from 9am until about 6 o’clock in the evening and then after hours manned by myself and my colleague on our mobiles – and we do get calls outside of hours! Although it’s part of getting that information out to our members through the media and the 24 hour helpline we also provide training. One of the biggest issues for small businesses is the downsizing of good management and trying to get managers to actually take on the training and so we do training in a way which best suits managers at reduced costs. It’s not that the course will take place at 9 o’clock and be finished at 5, we have training here in the morning from 7 o’clock till 10 o’clock which allows people to go 10

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

back to their workplace. We also have training going on from 12 o’clock until 9.30 in the evening, so it’s a mixture, but very much focussed in on the owner managers. In a nutshell that’s what we do – lobbying and representation, information, dissemination for want of a better expression and making sure our members know what’s coming down the track – talking about red tape, legal stuff coming from Europe. And the third is on counter production. As with 8,500 members around the country we can purchase in bulk, for instance, have a different scheme for insurance. Last year the average reduction in insurance premiums for our members was about 19%. JS. Is training one element that has evolved since the recession in that owner managers have to diversify? MF. We’ve always had a training arm here. It has changed over the years, but it’s always been a cornerstone of ISME. Getting good training out to owner managers is paramount. What I mean by good training is that there was a plethora of trainers who didn’t have industrial experience and what we were able to do was find those people who were able to train and teach people and because they had the scars, they knew the difficulties our managers were experiencing. So it’s always been a cornerstone but what has changed is the cost of training. We’ve been able to bring down the cost over the last number of years and we’ve gone from strength to strength. It’s given us the ability to make it very much owner focussed and industry led than in the past. We have owner managers who are looking for training in a particular area and because of the different sectors we have we’ve been able to bring it very much owner focussed and industry led. Only 2 weeks ago we had different training for retail jewellers who would have specific needs and we were able to get the training for that. The Irish Weighing Association and Affi liated Group have a very very specific need and we were able to source those types of specialist trainers and bring them in from Germany and the UK. So it brings up the calibre of the owner managers from a manager’s point of view. JS. With regard to the road transport industry have you any specific areas that you concentrate on? MF. Well, we would have a good number of road haulage businesses as members. Obviously they have their own Road Haulage Association and that works very well, we would work in conjunction with them and have some cross-overs. We also have a cross-over with a good number of retail Trade Associations. We work for instance with

the Irish Hardware Association and co-operate on training. We’ve worked with Engineers Ireland and lots of others. In a small business you have to be flexible and be able to move and use the money and resources that you have. We’re a small organisation and so we lobby with other organisations – whatever it takes and this adds strength to our campaign. JS. Do you see an opportunity for you in the passenger transport sector? MF. I think there’s great opportunities. Of course the public sector union are going to try and hold on for dear life but I think what we have to do is again for the Government to look at what’s best for the Country, what’s best for the consumer and you can’t beat competition – it’s as simple as that and the more competition the better. As long as the public is properly serviced there is probably room for both, but there is a need for the private sector we’re looking forward to that. There have been a number of attempts and a number of businesses, as we all know, have gone to the wall as a consequence, but hopefully that’s in the past now, so that now the consumer can benefit in the longer run. JS. Just going back to lobbying and how do you campaign, at what level? MF. We lobby at a number of different levels. Obviously we’ll be knocking on the door of the Government, speaking and getting meetings with the various Ministers. An example would be the success of the recent past in the wake of the appointment of John Perry as the new Small Business Minister. On behalf of ISME we have been lobbying for that for over 10 years and been promised at different stages and nothing has happened. This is fantastic actually. We worked very closely with John who was then Opposition Spokesperson when he was putting together a manifesto for small businesses. So this development is brilliant to raise the profile of small and medium businesses and again for every business man or woman working on their own. They now have a Minister that they can lobby and we can actually heighten the profile of the small business. For too long this sector has been regarded as the ‘Bonsai’ version of big business and Ministers, other politicians and their civil servants didn’t understand the dynamics of an owner manager, who puts their own money into the business and lives and breathes their businesses. They kept on thinking they were just smaller versions of the professional managers that went into manage the likes of Microsoft or Intel or any of the large Irish businesses. It’s a totally different dynamic as we all know, and now with our own Minister hopefully that will be able to be brought to the fore and encourage more people to get involved into entrepreneurship and having said that hopefully they’ll be a knock on effect. Like children leaving school. I know with my own children nearing the end they were supposed to be getting career guidance. I used to be joking with them in one sense by saying why don’t you ask about setting up a business on your own and the teachers hadn’t a notion! They were only interested in safe jobs. But setting up business on your own even the teachers couldn’t see it was an option. Hopefully now, that will change and we can actually build on the entrepreneurial thinking.

More details on www.fleet.ie

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NEW FLEET

McNamara Logistics – Serious about Scania

oyal Scania operators McNamara Logistics based in Rockfield, County Roscommon recently took delivery of two new editions from the Swedish brand from Westward Scania. The fi rst was a R620 6x2/4 high spec ‘King of the Road’ tractor-unit equipped with leather luxury air seats, fridge freezer, factory fitted sound system, remote control immobilizer, leather steering wheel,

walnut dash and Durabright Alcoa alloy wheels. It also has Scania’s new aerodynamic side skirts with batteries fitted at the rear of the chassis and 715 litres fuel capacity. McNamara specializes in car transportation, box container and drinks haulage. The second was a Scania P400 LB4x2B rigid with Kassbohrer car transporter body. This truck

was specified with low profi le tyres, low chassis height and low sleeper cab to accommodate car transportation. It too is of high spec with luxury leather seats, long dash, factory built sound system and air conditioning. Th is Euro 5 EGR engine does not require AdBlue. Painting on both trucks was by Gavin Quinn, Bailieboro, County Cavan.

Mercedes-Benz UNVI Sprinter GT for Scales Bus Tours

C Kevin Cooney’s new Actros is a miller!

ictured on the delivery date of the new Mercedes-Benz Actros 2555 6x2 at Somer’s Commercials, main Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle Dealers, Camolin, County Wexford are Pat Kenny (Somers) and Philip Wilson, Transport Manager for Kevin Cooney Ltd, Gorey, County Wexford. Grain distribution specialists Kevin Cooney Limited is part of the long established Cooney Group that is accredited to HACCP food safety regulations. The Actros 2555’s overall operational costs and reliability were the deciding factors on purchasing this award winning MercedesBenz flagship truck.

entral Bus & Coach, Longford, the main Irish agents for UNVI recently supplied a new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter UNVI 616 GT to Scales of Ennistymon, County Clare.

To emphasise its VIP status, the Scales Bus Tours 16+ seater features Fainsa Amercian VIP seats, 2-point seatbelts, monitor/ DVD, double glazing, aircon, reversing camera, tables, luggage racks, decorative curtains, cooler box, large boot and 2-power sockets. David Quinn conducted the sale. No doubt this new vehicle will be seen frequently at the Cliff s of Moher and further afield.

From Scania to Renault to EU for TLT

ivestock haulage specialists TLT International, Mullingar, County Westmeath has obviously chosen the Renault Magnum for not only the vast interior space that it has on offer, but the other driver comforts available when criss-crossing the EU. Recently the fi rst four of fi fteen new low profi le Magnum 520s with Excellence Cabs were supplied by Joe Curran Commercials, main Renault Trucks Dealer, Oldcastle, County Meath. Voith intarders and larger fuel tanks were also specified on these new flagship models, which replaces the Scanias on TLTs fleet.

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

HEALTH & SAFETY

Safety Matters . . . . Safety Matters . . . . Safety Matters . . . .

Preventing Injuries at Work What are you doing to ensure that no-one is injured or harmed where you work? It is a fundamental right of each of the 1.8 million people at work in Ireland to not suffer any impact or injury as a result of work. 7,284 people were injured at work in Ireland in 2010, resulting in absences of 3 days or more from work. Just over 1000 of the injuries occurred in the Transport and Storage sector.These injuries are having a damaging impact on businesses across the country. The Health & Safety Authority is working with business to foster best safety practices so that work-related risks are managed in such a way to prevent injuries and harm and safeguard your business. Employers have legal responsibilities to protect their workers and others affected by their work activity. Employees have legal responsibilities to act safely at work. Discharging this responsibility

makes business sense. Managing safety and health is good for business! • Saves you money • Reduces the chances of an accident in your workplace • Fewer days lost due to accidents • Fewer missed orders You need to be fully aware of the hazards that you face and create in your everyday work and take action to protect people from harm. A priority area for employers should be the management of vehicle related hazards associated with driving for work, vehicle movement, loading & unloading, maintenance & repair. The ‘Vehicles at Work’ www.hsa.ie/eng/Vehicles_ at_Work/ section of Health and Safety Authority website provides invaluable resources to help you to manage your vehicle risks. In addition you can call our dedicated helpdesk, in confidence, on LoCall: 1890 289 389 (between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday) on any safety query.

News for Dangerous Goods Drivers & Carriers A new credit card size ADR driver training certificate will be issued in Ireland from 14 April 2011. The new card incorporates improved security features. Some 2,000 drivers undergo mandatory training and examination in Ireland each year to drive vehicles carrying dangerous goods. The introduction of this new certificate will improve safety and security by improved ease of verifying that a driver is qualified to drive a vehicle carrying dangerous goods. Employers, consignors and carriers should ensure that drivers who drive dangerous goods vehicles are suitably ADR qualified and hold a valid ADR certificate. For further information on driver exams contact www.cilt.ie or general ADR queries may be forwarded to wcu@hsa.ie.

BeSmart Online Tool BeSmart is a FREE, easy to use, on-line tool, developed as part of the Taking Care of Business initiative, to enable small businesses to generate risk assessments and a Safety Statement for their business. Access it directly at http://BeSMART. hsa.ie.

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REPORT 1

Coming to the Capital: Traffic Restrictions & Congestion Charges Representing The Netherland’s Haulage Association TLN, Paul Poppink

customers. By restricting the use of buses and coaches and particularly visiting touring coaches, uncoordinated city policies actually contribute to increased CO2 emission and traffic congestion, and limit the contribution of coach tourists to local and regional economies, whilst negatively impacting the efficient functioning of the European travel and transport market. Participants also stressed that such a harmonised framework should also contain provisions and recommendations for consultation with the industry, as well as timely and accessible multilingual information provided to EU travellers, as well as local and visiting operators. Establishing an EU-wide public-private platform to deal with these issues, supported by the European Commission, could open the way for productive discussions and creative solutions jointly devised by public and private stakeholders.

ith the National Transport Authority (NTA) launching a Discussion Paper on a whole new Traffic Management Plan for Dublin City and its environs, the IRU hosted event ‘Traffic Restrictions and Low Emission Zones (LEZ) in Europe’ was timely. Held in Brussels and attended by Fleet Transport the two main sessions concentrated primarily on the Bus & Coach sector but all modes of transport were included as ultimately, they are all affected. The debate on ‘Access Restriction Schemes in European Cities’, followed by information on the pan-European LEZ website, drew most interest while in the second session, ‘London’s LEZ Experience’ as well as other case studies from Germany, Sweden and The Netherlands demonstrated that city access restrictions is widespread and growing. To date over 220 cities have some form of traffic embargo with a hundred more in the pipeline. In essence, that was the purpose of the seminar – achieve a harmonised framework for LEZs across Europe not only for existing participating cities but especially the new regions entering the fray. Under the IRU’s ‘Smart Move’ banner, over 100 representations from the PSV industry, city and Local Authorities, MEPs collectively requested the European Commission to provide a panEuropean framework that all cities would have to adhere to when introducing Low Emission Zones or other similar access or traffic restrictions. At present, practically every city involved has different qualifications or access criteria and as time moves on, continues to evolve. Take London as an example, by 2012 (3 January) Euro 4 emission controlled HGVs/PSVs will be the only accepted drivetrains to have free movement within the Congestion Charged Zones and it’s a similar scenario in some German cities. In contrast, Stockholm’s LEZ only applies to goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and not to buses/coaches, although

14 FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

Euro 2/3 engines must have a soot filter fitted. In 2012, vans will come under the LEZ restrictions. Mentioning the soot filters, the cost of retrofitting same can stretch from €6,000 – €8,000 depending on the vehicle but as 80% of the PSV fleet out there is still running on Euro 3, this obligatory requirement will add to the already financially stretched transport operator. In his closing remarks, IRU Vice-President & President of the IRU Passenger Transport Council, Graham Smith highlighted that point and called for a postponement of the 2012 deadline set for introduction in many European countries. “There are today over 200 European cities with different LEZs schemes, which makes it extremely difficult and costly for travellers and businesses alike to find their way in this increasingly inhospitable administrative environment. Most affected are vehicles equipped with Euro 3 engines, despite being the best environmental deal only 5 years ago! Postponing city traffic restrictions that affect some 80,000 Euro 3 coaches until 2015 would save the European bus and coach industry up to €2 billion, which could be invested in even cleaner All for one and one for all! vehicles.” Mr. Smith, who operates a family run bus and coach business in Oxfordshire, added, “The lack of a harmonised framework to support the introduction of Low Emission Zones (LEZs) in the European Union results in the European single market and travel area being increasingly fragmented, which generates inefficiencies and soaring costs for individual travellers, businesses and their

Designing and implementing a bus and coachfriendly legal and administrative framework at EU level is instrumental in doubling the use of collective transport by bus and coach over the next decade and achieving sustainable mobility for all, as advocated by the Smart Move campaign.

Case Studies London Low Emission Zone Probably the best-known traffic restriction project to us as it directly affects many Irish transport operators that work in and around the Congestion Charge Region. Initiated in 2003 and expanded in 2007 (which has rescinded to its original area in January of this year) traffic numbers are down on average 27% or 86,000 vehicles less per year than pre-LEZ. “Traffic flow is easier, congestion is a cost to living too,” emphasized Samantha Kennedy, Head of Strategy & Stakeholder Partnerships, Transport for London (TfL). However, air quality is still a big issue for TfL and in order to meet

REPORT 1 2012 EU standards further restrictions are to be implemented. On top of the ongoing replacement of the Victorian water & sewage system as well as the updating of the gas pipeline network not to mention the forthcoming Olympic Games, heavy and medium-sized goods vehicles will face higher charges if their engines do not comply with Euro 4 emission control standards. Samantha recommends the retrofitting of exhaust filterization systems but as mentioned earlier this additional cost is high. Euro 4 engined vehicles can pass through without penalty once registered on the number plate recognised system. Large vans and PSV that are powered by Euro 3 engines will be exempt from 2012 also. “Consultation with stakeholders is ongoing on this issue,” she stressed. Taxis will also come under this spotlight too, with a 15 year age limit on the traditional ‘Black Cab’, and Euro 4 the standard from new. Private hire vehicles such as mini-cabs and MPVs will have a 10 year lifespan under this 2012 regulation.

Stockholm To indicate how forward thinking the Scandinavians on the eco-front LEZs were introduced in July 1996. Any vehicle above 3.5 tonnes has some form of Congestion Charge or restriction. That said, the Municipals within the City decide their own criteria for entry with many differing from each other. In general, goods or passenger vehicles of up to 6 years of new registration are clear to entry, which can be extended up to 8 years if a Euro 3

engine is specified. By 2016 and 2020 respectively, Euro 4 and Euro 5 engines will be the entry point requirement. Among the exempted vehicles include emergency service vehicles and vintage/ classic cars etc. Lars Göran Larsson, from the City of Stockholm’s Traffic Department stated that over the years strong political courage was required to implement the change – the public general acceptance had to be counterbalanced with rejection from transport operators. In that time also, Euro 1 and Euro 2 engined vehicles have been made obsolete. Since 2000, emission levels around the City have reduced by 40%. He called for an update to the whole programme in the advent of Euro 6 in 2013.

The Netherlands Representing The Netherland’s Haulage Association TLN, Paul Poppink pointed out immediately that the Dutch system favours Bus/Coach operators in deference to road transport companies, as PSVs are exempt from Congestion Charges. Chaos loomed after initial discussions got underway in 2005. The following year the National Government agreed on the strategy, which was subsequently endorsed by 10 cities with 5 more following. Tax rebates were offered to operators that retro-fitted soot filters or invested in Euro 4/5/EEV technology. Other financial incentives were offered to purchasers of diesel/electric hybrid vehicles or electric powered vehicles. In some cases where individual companies were finding it hard to comply certain time limits

were extended, depending on the operation. With the pending introduction of LEZ including vans under the LEZ umbrella, Paul’s organisation is looking for improvements to the City’s goods delivery/distribution system and he did cite that Euro 5 engines work less efficiently in terms of clean emission controls in urban traffic situations, and that Euro 6 could pose a bigger problem as a result. In conclusion, Mathieu Grosch MEP enthusiastically encouraged all participants to come together to achieve this goal and suggested to go even further than the guidelines suggest. “Be courageous,” he said, “set a benchmark for best practice.” Graham Smith in his closing address proposed that a three-point action plan for 2011 get underway now. “Create a pan-European platform, address the primary issues and get the European Parliament involved. Discuss and agree on a harmonization programme and thirdly set about LEZ guidelines for all.” “Consider the lifestyles of the commercial vehicles when implementing these regulations,” were his final words. Check out www.lowemissionszones.eu, a dedicated website which supports vehicle operators, providing a single one-stop-shop for information on Low Emission Zones in Europe. More details and information on www.fleet.ie.

IRU Spring Cocktail Event, Brussels IRU Annual Spring Cocktail: the future of transport is on the horizon The IRU’s annual Spring Cocktail brought together over 300 leading transport and travel representatives from the EU’s political, business and industry spheres, including MEPs, EU Commission officials, trade associations, manufacturers, transport operators, NGOs, as well as IRU Member Associations. Addressing the guests on the upcoming EU White Paper on the Future of Road Transport, IRU President, Janusz Lacny, stressed the need for earmarking to be reintroduced into the revision of the Eurovignette Directive to effectively minimise externalities of transport and committ ed the road transport sector to working closer together with the European enforcement community. Recalling previous remarks by the Transport Commissioner and Vice President of the European Commission, Siim Kallas, that inland freight transport over 300 km should be carried mainly by rail and inland waterways, Mr Lacny questioned whether or not this meant another att empt by the institution to force a modal shift despite its dramatic failure as a policy line in the last decade. Replying on behalf of the Transport Commissioner, Henrik Hololei, Head of Cabinet of Vice President Siim Kallas, offered reassuring words that the European Commission was aiming for a more efficient and environmentally fr iendly European transport system where all modes of transport are treated equally. Pictured left: IRU Henrik Hololei, Head of Cabinet of EC Vice President & Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas, addressing IRU Spring Cocktail’s guests.

With regard to the IRU’s co-operation with the enforcement community – the Spring Cocktail event saw yet another example of the organization carrying out its mott o of working together for a bett er future, by signing a Declaration of Intent with Euro Control Route and TISPOL – a declaration that will ensure that the road transport sector and the enforcement community will be working together for improved, simplified, fair, applicable and enforceable legislation. IRU Secretary General, Martin Marmy, explained, "We will do this by working together towards establishing common approaches, harmonised legal interpretations, efficient enforcement procedures and improved training and education." Pictured left: IRU President Janusz Lacny, IRU Secretary General, Martin Marmy, TISPOL Director, Ad Hellemons, Member of the Executive Committ ee of ECR, Danny Drooghenbroodt, and IRU General Delegate to the EU, Michael Nielsen Photos: Alexander Louvet

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

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

FLEETING SHOTS

M8 with Topaz and McDonald’s KRAZ adds cab over engined otorists on the new M8 from Dublin to Cork will soon have a trucks to range welcome stop-off point at the Cashel Interchange following the

coming together of Topaz and McDonald’s to establish a new Service Station there. Located at Junction 8, the new facility, currently under construction on a 1.75 acre site will be open for business at the end of May. The €6 million open all hours split level premises creating up to 100 jobs is the fi rst of a number of similar stations to be built by Topaz close to the motorway network.

RA Z, the Ukrainian manufacturer of durable bonneted trucks for decades has just entered production of a new generation of cab over engine versions. Two cab types will be offered to the home and export markets, the fi rst (pictured) features plastic panels built around a metal frame or a variation of the Renault Kerax produced under licence, can be ordered.

Eddie O’Brien, CEO of Topaz (pictured left with John Atherton, M.D., McDonald’s Restaurants of Ireland) said that the company’s aim is to provide customers with the best services and facilities available.

KRA Z – Kremenchugskij Awtomobilnij Zavod based at Kremenchug continue to build bonneted trucks which are powered by Russian made 11 litre V6 Euro 3 & 15 litre V8 Euro 3 – YAMAZ turbodiesel engines. For the special orders, Renault Trucks dCi 11-litre common-rail Euro 3 or Euro 4 can be supplied.

“We now have an excellent motorway network but there is a shortage of service sites and we want to address that. Currently there is no site servicing the M8 and we see this service site as being a vital rest and refuelling stop for motorists travelling between Dublin and Cork. Th is will be a five star service area and facilities will include wi-fi internet access, a hot food buffet and café, children’s play area, toilets and showers,” stated Eddie.

KRA Z trucks are used primarily for municipal, tipper and military applications. Russia is its main export market with right hand drive models exported to India, Pakistan and the UK for almost 50 years. Thanks to our Russian colleague Fedor Lapshin for this information.

McDonald’s has agreed a 25 year deal with Topaz to provide food services on the site. The partnership with Topaz represents McDonald’s first location on the new motorway network and will bring the number of McDonald’s in Ireland up to 78.

Celtic Horizon Tours Teams Up with EagleRider Audi’s Mobile Terminal

ay McGrath Transport took on the task of delivering a fragile 10 tonne plus glass box from Cork to Dublin on behalf of Audi Ireland. The successful logistical exercise is for all to see under the watchful eye of The Dublin Eye adjacent to the O2 formerly known as the Point Theatre. Adhering to the requirements of the Health & Safety Authority, the 8000mm x 2000mm wide x 3125mm high glass unit was safely taken from the Drimnagh based company’s Scania 8x4 rigid by a large crane. Once the ‘Mobile Terminal’ was in place the temporary innovative ‘showroom’ was soon to be embellished with a brand new Audi A1 displayed inside. The ‘Audi Mobile Terminal’ concept was fi rst seen in Australia by the newly appointed Audi Ireland M.D. Andrew Doyle when he worked in his native land.

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

eltic Horizon Tours has formed a partnership with EagleRider, the biggest motorcycle tourism organiser in the world, which sees Irish customers being able to avail of the best motorbike tours of the USA and beyond. But they will also include inward bound tours for motorbike enthusiasts visiting Ireland. Th is new deal builds on Celtic Horizons existing expertise in the motor tourism sector where it already offers motorbike and car tours of the UK, Europe and further afield. Commenting on the partnership, David Buckley, MD of Celtic Horizon Tours said, “We are delighted to partner with EagleRider. If you have ever dreamt of riding Route 66, the Pacific Drive or Arizona Desert Trails, we can make that dream a reality. Most importantly you will have the backup of the world’s biggest motorcycle tourism operator to ensure you have a safe, hassle free experience where you’re only concern will be to maximise your enjoyment and collect enough memories to relive this carefree trip of a lifetime.” More details on www.celtichorizontours.com

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

ISUZU Ireland A MEMBER OF THE HARRIS GROUP

The New Isuzu D-MAX

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SECTOR

Telematics in Transport

‘T

elematics’ – the branch of information technology that deals with the long-distance transmission of computerised information is the description given by the Oxford Dictionary to the word originated in the 1970s that blends ‘telecommunication with informatics’. For the transport industry, telematics has evolved from the simple tracking of vehicles to driver and vehicle performance and much more. With operating and running costs increasing practically on a daily basis, never more than now is the investment in telematics a worthwhile exercise. Over the next few pages Fleet Transport’s ‘Sector’ feature explains what’s on offer from the truck manufacturers ex-factory together with associated system providers that can provide the complete package from back-office to warehouse to vehicles.

Truck brand’s telematics Dynafleet is probably the best known and appreciated telematics systems used in trucks from Volvo. First introduced in 1994, Dynafleet enables the transport operator to view a number of parameters in real time including current vehicle location, vehicle fuel consumption, driver times, vehicle emissions and service intervals. As a web-based package it communicates with mobile tracking hardware installed on the trucks through GPS, which can be accessed via internet from any computer. A communication screen in the vehicle allows for two-way dialogue between the driver and the back-office. In addition to fuel consumption, the system is capable of recording how many times the vehicle stops or is idling, can also monitor the load along the route and with the arrival of Euro 4 SCR engines its AdBlue consumption can be logged. The Volvo Trucks Dynafleet programme, as with practically all other system providers, can tailor their packages to suit individual customer needs.

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

In essence, the three main services on offer are 1) Perform: reports on fuel consumption, driver performance and vehicle maintenance intervals, 2) Locate: covers vehicle tracking with detailed maps and 3) Operate: communication between home base and driver. Sales of Volvo’s Dynafleet Online telematics systems reached an all-time high in 2010 with 9,984 units sold compared to 4,103 in 2009, an increase of 143%. Today more than 15,600 vehicles across the EU are actively connected to Dynafleet. A new version was launched late last year which now includes an improved customer interface, Google maps integration for easy route planning and traffic light reporting. A new service packaging gives increased flexibility to customers, who can now tailor their own solutions according to their specific needs. Services include ‘Fuel and Environment’, ‘Positioning’, ‘Driver Times’ and ‘Messaging’. “Dynafleet Online provides our customers with an easy, reliable and affordable tool to track both fuel and the environmental impact of their operation. Recognising fuel saving opportunities becomes more important in tough economic times and Dynafleet Online can create savings in any customer operation,” says John Russell, Business Solutions Manager at Volvo Trucks.

Telematics Explained Telematics systems offer a broad range of features but at their most basic they provide vehicle tracking technology linked to a computer in the business office. Th is makes drivers’ position available in real time, allowing job allocation, for example, to be scheduled efficiently. Additionally, satellite navigation, live HD traffic information communication links and a variety of record keeping logs can be added to improve the scope of benefits from a telematics system. These integrated systems known as ‘connected navigation’ provide an off-the-shelf, costeffective solution to the full spectrum of fleets – from small two person outfits to those operating thousands of vehicles. Most such systems are discreetly installed and this standalone unit can be transferred from vehicle to vehicle and upgraded on a regular basis. Typical benefits recorded by businesses using telematics: • Sav i ng f uel a nd ma x i m i si ng profitability; • Increasing productivity through efficient allocation of jobs; • Boosting customer service by providing accurate ETAs thanks to industry-leading routing and HD traffic alerts; • Reducing the amount of admin necessary to comply with journey logging/driver records; • Monitoring/reducing environmental impact of vehicles by complementing driver training and fuel savings. and months, pinpointing factors that cause costs and initiating counter measures,” said Kurt Metz, Mercedes-Benz Professional Advisor. Over the past 10 years, the German company has built up a 140 strong workforce that has equipped almost 70,000 vehicles with its telematics services. And this is not the only impressive figure to report. In 2009 FleetBoard customers were able to reduce CO2 emissions by a total of 174,000 tonnes. “European commercial vehicle fleets are more profitable with FleetBoard and, by purchasing a

Reynolds Logistics is one of the biggest exponents and ambassadors of the Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) FleetBoard telematics system. The award winning petro-chemical transport specialists has optimised the FleetBoard application to focus more on monitoring and assessing driver performance and to more efficient scheduling. “Technology that saves fuel and benefits the environment, advice that boosts efficiency, driver training – FleetBoard is an indispensable tool in this respect for evaluating trips or an individual basis as well as entire weeks

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

SECTOR telematics system, are investing sustainably,” stated Markus Lipinsky, Managing Director, Daimler FleetBoard GubH. “FleetBoard customer profitability calculations reveal that it is possible to save up to €6,500 and reduce CO2 emissions by 6000 kg per vehicle per year after purchasing a FleetBoard system. The amortisation period is less than 10 months. New customers have reported average fuel DAF Telematics savings of 7% within the first 3 months after introduction and training based on FleetBoard, while long-standing customers notice significant reductions in maintenance and repair costs. Then there are intelligence transport management and time management solutions, which have led to the automation of logistics processes and documentation of drivers’ working hours at many companies.” Scania too has provided a telematics system (called Fleet Management) for some time now. With the introduction of its latest generation R-series, the Scania Driver Support System installed in-cab provides on-board economy and performance coaching. This unique and innovative real-time support system relays hints and feedback directly to the professional driver which in turn helps to refine their driving style. Measured properties include: Hill Driving, Anticipation, Braking and Gear Choice. While the Scania Driver Support System promotes the driver to improve fuel economy and driving style based on continuous analysis of the driving, the programme data is not (as yet) downloadable or transferable to the transport companies back-office. Unlike the Volvo and Mercedes-Benz telematics systems the DAF Telematics Services Portfolio is integrated in the truck’s dash making it easier to use. Included in this unique fitting is the DAF’s Navigation System and blind-spot cameras. DAF’s Roadside Support is also combined in this programme, which pin-points the exact location of the stricken vehicle leading to speedy reaction times. On-line data is stored for 6 months on the unit and on the server for 5 years. EcoStyle is the brand name of the MAN Truck & Bus fleet management on-line solution to vehicle performance, compliance and maintenance. Many customers have based their purchasing decision to buy MAN on its EcoStyle System. Accessed via a single portal on its Trucknology website, it represents a major breakthrough in vehicle administration and management. Among its modules are EcoStyle Performance Reports where driver performance is graphically reported instantly and available 24/7. DOT annual vehicle roadworthiness tests, preventative maintenance inspections, tachocalibrations documentations are just a sample of the multitude of information that can be downloaded. Documents once stored are completely tamper-proof and fully compliant with

Daimler FleetBoard

the relevant Authorities. Its Automated Service and Inspection scheduling module provides transport workshop managers with schedules for vehicle inspections and maintenance work. Via email, the manager is notified when the truck is due into the workshop for scheduled work and will flag if there are any missing or expired documents. As with all MAN Fleet Management offerings, access is gained via a simple web browser, with user and password protection. In association with Qualcomm, the World’s leading provider of fleet management solutions, Iveco market Blue&Me Fleet. Available initially on the EcoDaily light commercial range, the telematics function suite is now available on the stralis heavyduty model line-up. A very practical facility is the unique text-to-speech function. It enables the operator to instruct your driver during the route, without the driver taking his/her hands of the wheel or having to stop to read the information. Also good to know is that Blue&Me Fleet has a built-in MP3 player, a USB interface and a practical Bluetooth functionality. Blue&Me Fleet can even be connected to an external navigation system that for example might already be integrated on your mobile phone and may use the integrated GPS module connected via Bluetooth. Iveco also has a sophisticated remote diagnostic system that has a direct link between its drivetrain technology department at its headquarters in Turin and the dealer workshop.

Trailer Manufacturers According to leading trailer manufacturer Schmitz Cargobull freight demand for semi-finished products of every kind is increasing because a continually growing number of companies – industrial suppliers – are involved in the manufacture of a product today. Economical and high quality freight services are gaining in importance and are shaping the competitive market. These high requirements can only be met with the help of sophisticated information technology and Schmitz’s Telematics systems range from satellitebased traffic navigation systems to mobile data communications. TControl trailer surveillance is the system from Krone Trailers. As trailers are often left standing it

can be difficult for operators to keep full control of its fleet. TControl keeps the owner informed about the status of your asset and of the goods loaded on the trailer. In collaboration with Carrier Transicold and axle supplier BPW, the user has constant access to the position, the temperature and the technical information – from wherever. Mentioning temperature control TracKing from Thermo King is a web-based GPRS system that offers temperature management to ensure top product quality delivery to its customers. It prevents load loss with real-time temperature alarm and fuel level notifications as well as two-way remote access to the Thermo King unit. These features and the ability to download the datalogger on the TracKing website make it unique in the telematics market. It also offers improved security with GPS location tracking. Thermo King understands the need for the logistics and transportation industry to lower their operating costs and optimise their assets. As a result, Thermo King offers TracKing as an option with its refrigeration unit equipped right from the factory in Galway. Meanwhile WABCO’s TrailerGuard won the 2010 Telematics Award for Asset Protection at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2010. TrailerGuard combines trailer telematics with diagnosis of the braking system and other vehicle operating data. It allows fleet managers to monitor and track the status of trailer temperature, doors, tyre pressure, axle load and the trailer’s electronic braking system, among other operating functions. TrailerGuard also helps to locate a vehicle in real time, allowing optimized planning and utilization of each trailer. “We are proud to be honored with the 2010 Telematics Award as it recognizes WABCO’s outstanding capabilities in engineering and system integration. Driven by our passion for technology, we continue to deliver systems that help customers to further increase vehicle safety and efficiency,” said Nick Rens, WABCO Vice President, Trailer Systems. “In today’s highly competitive transport business, TrailerGuard helps fleet managers to optimize the utilization of their fleets, and as a result, enables them to further improve their business.” By continuously informing drivers and fleet owners in real time regarding brake wear status, mileage and other information, TrailerGuard further improves FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11 19

SECTOR

SCANIA Driver Support System

vehicle safety and reduces maintenance costs. Fleet operators can access all information about their trailer from any location via a simple and easyto-use internet portal. In the event of any critical situation, such as a cooling system malfunction or issues with the trailer braking system, WABCO’s TrailerGuard alerts the fleet operator who can take appropriate and timely action such as sending an alarm via text message (SMS) to the driver.

identification fob, which is used to register at the start of the journey; this allows for accurate data Volvo Dynafleet per driver and allows for multiple drivers of each vehicle. An LED indicator will also display the current rating for 30 seconds at the beginning of a journey, reassuring the driver of their status.

TrailerGuard is available for all types of trailers in Europe and can be customized for specific needs. All data can be implemented into the customer’s IT system to further improve trailer management efficiency.

The in-cab unit consists of 3 LEDs that offer your current rating at the start of the journey and flash when a new event has been logged. It also includes a ‘support assist button’. This button when pressed automatically sends both a text and e-mail to the preconfigured contact requesting support. It includes the date/time and location of the request.

Tuam based Celtrak, has an ongoing relationship with Thermo King as a strategic telematics partner. In January, Celtrak launched an innovative product Driverite, which improves driver safety and reduces costs. Driverite incorporates a basic GPS vehicle-monitoring device incorporating key driver behaviour such as harsh braking, excessive acceleration and speed infringements. Celtrak’s idea was to combine a driving behaviour solution with its existing tracking product to offer a low cost product that actively supports driving for work policies; allows for monitoring of continuous improvement and protects both employees and employers. This low cost combined offering was not available in the Irish marketplace previously. An integrated accelerometer captures events like harsh braking and excessive acceleration and gives this feedback in the form of 3 LED’s fitted to the dashboard of the vehicle. These events are transmitted over GPRS to servers where this information is combined with the GPS and speed information that is transmitted in parallel. The speed information is compared to our speed zone database for Ireland, to determine if an infringement has occurred. A sophisticated calculation process combines the information to offer a ‘rating’ for each individual driver. Drivers can be grouped by real or virtual groups for trend graphing and comparison purposes. Each driver is configured with an individual

www.celtrak.com 20

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

The online soft ware dashboard shows the current and historical performance of each driver. Real and Virtual groups can also be viewed depending on the required summary data, e.g. training groups, vehicle types and geographic locations. The safety target ratings can be configured by the customer.

low cost combined offering was not available in the Irish marketplace previously. An integrated accelerometer captures events like harsh braking and excessive acceleration and gives this feedback in the form of 3 LED’s fitted to the dashboard of the vehicle. These events are transmitted over GPRS to servers where this information is combined with the GPS and speed information that is transmitted in parallel. The speed information is compared to our speed zone database for Ireland, to determine if an infringement has occurred. A sophisticated calculation process combines the information to offer a ‘rating’ for each individual driver. Drivers can be grouped by real or virtual groups for trend graphing and comparison purposes. Each driver is configured with an individual identification fob, which is used to register at the start of the journey; this allows for accurate data per driver and allows for multiple drivers of each vehicle. An LED indicator will also display the current rating for 30 seconds at the beginning of a journey, reassuring the driver of their status. The in-cab unit consists of 3 LEDs that offer your current rating at the start of the journey and flash when a new event has been logged. It also includes a ‘support assist button’. Th is button when pressed automatically sends both a text and e-mail to the preconfigured contact requesting support. It includes the date/time and location of the request. The online soft ware dashboard shows the current and historical performance of each driver. Real and Virtual groups can also be viewed depending on the required summary data, e.g. training groups, vehicle types and geographic locations. The safety target ratings can be configured by the customer.

WORRIED ABOUT FUEL PRICES? The Facts • • • • •

The average tractor unit covers 120,000 kms per year It consumes 42,000 litres of fuel which costs €46,000* It earns an income of €120,000 per year** It makes bottom line, €2,000 annually If you could save a mile per gallon (4lt per 100km) on fuel

YOU WOULD MAKE AN EXTRA €5,000

ALL THE MORE REASON TO TALK TO

RENAULT TRUCKS

CLASS LEADING FUEL ECONOMY COMBINED WITH OPTIFUEL TRAINING SOLUTIONS Lo-call RENAULT TRUCKS 1890 403403 *(based on 8mpg or 35lt per 100 kms & todays fuel at €1.11 per lr) **(based on €1 per km driven) Setanta Vehicle Sales Dublin 12 T: 01 403 4555

Surehaul Commercials Co. Tipperay T: 051 640194

Croom Park Truck & Trailer Co. Limerick T: 061 602866

Transport Services Cork T 021 430 0200

Joe Curran Commercials Shaw Commercials Co Meath Co. Mayo T: 049 854 1114 T: 094 902 5908

Surehaul Commercials Co. Kilkenny T: 056 883 8696

Garahy Commercials Co. Offaly T: 057 912 1366

Kelly Trucks Co. Roscommon T: 071 963 7070

Mike Horgan Commercials Co Kerry T: 068 32086

WORKSHOP

The Aftermarket –

The Sum of Parts

hough not officially recorded, the debate probably began not long after the wheel was invented; it almost certainly took hold when the wheels needed a new axle. Since then the question of vehicle servicing and what parts to use has been one of the longest running debates known to mankind. For some the thought of using anything from a box without the ‘Original Equipment Manufacturers’ (OEM) stamp on the box, is unthinkable. Others see no reason to pay extra for what they perceive to be exactly the same item. This long running debate has always been quite polarised. OEM’s state their products are specifically designed to suit individual vehicles, stopping just short of proclaiming their components possess supernatural powers. Whereas alternative part suppliers ensure that there is absolutely no variation in quality or performance, and the only difference being the price. While the last few years have seen changes, the debate continues. Increased levels of new vehicle sales during the so-called boom years developed closer relationships between vehicle manufacturers and operators. When investing

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

in a new vehicle, operators are keen to ensure warranties remains valid and would adhere to the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding scheduled servicing. Th is brought into question the value of maintaining one’s own vehicles. Entering into a maintenance contract with the vehicle supplier has a number of benefits. Vehicles are sure to comply with related roadworthiness standards, it gives the operator a strong case to argue if things go wrong, and it can help to improve residual values when trading in. Many companies prefer this ‘Total Cost Option’ (TCO) option, as there is no need to operate an in-house servicing facility, employing additional staff and incurring the expense associated with stocking parts and lubricants. However, the cost/ benefit also depends on the number of vehicles/ trailers to be maintained, and the type of work that the fleet undertakes. Moreover as vehicles get older and maintenance levels increase, savings can be made servicing your own, particularly on the labour charged by main dealers. Having discussed the issue with a number of component suppliers and Main Dealers, one trend is becoming more evident. Sales of parts are increasing, as operators are more inclined to hold onto vehicles a litt le longer than they might have previously.

Although BOD Vehicle Support Services’ Brian O'Donoghue strikes a cautionary note stating “yes - parts sales are increasing, but there are far fewer companies around to buy those parts, citing for example the construction industry, which has been decimated”. Brian also highlights the difficulties companies are fi nding obtaining fi nance, as a reason why they are not replacing vehicles. Th is change in operators purchasing patterns has been met head-on by the Main Dealers who have now diversified into supplying used, reconditioned and alternative components. Initially they remained true to their own vehicle marques, but many have now expanded to offer parts from other vehicle types. This idea has proved very popular with operators allowing them to select from a number of options, and offer good value depending on the item needed. Choosing from an OE replacement, second hand or a third party alternative can dramatically reduce vehicle running costs. Feedback from suppliers indicates that for parts like a rear lamp unit or lens, operators are fi ne with the alternative option. However for safety critical items or important driveline components operators will still opt for the OE part to ensure vehicle standards. In supplying reconditioned or alternative parts, Main Dealers have responded to hard-pressed vehicle operators seeking increased value for

WORKSHOP money - which can be found just a few clicks away on the Internet. It has also provided Main Dealers with an additional and important revenue stream at a time when new vehicle sales have slowed. This highlights another development parts dealers have observed recently. It is that operators are shopping around; no longer will they take the easy option. Transport companies are prepared to go online or ring around to get the best deals wherever they can be found. Arguably, anyone using non-genuine parts no matter how good the quality, may still have some lingering doubts as to the effectiveness, or durability of the item. Nevertheless, the savings can be significant, and when extended out over a number of vehicles this cannot be dismissed. Furthermore, cost is often the deciding factor as to which brand is purchased. In reality, the lingering doubts may have no basis. If we take the example of standard oil or fuel fi lters, it is not viable for most Vehicle Manufacturers to establish a parts production facility just to produce oil or fuel filters for a single vehicle type or model. Therefore, to outsource fi lter production to a third party and ensure that certain standards are adhered to is the more economically option. To become an ‘approved supplier’ to any of the major vehicle producers is not easy, as the OEM demands a stringent and verifiable quality assurance system throughout the supply chain. Quality Assurance in the production and supply of vehicle components to OEMs is ensured under a specific ISO ‘Technical Specification’ (TS). The TS applicable to the automotive industry is ISO/ TS16949: 2009. TS16949 is an agreed system, which oversees the design, development and production of vehicle components. Consequently, once the alternative parts being fitted to a truck/ bus have been produced in accordance with the criteria demanded by TS16949, they should also meet the OEM’s technical specifications and performance requirements. That being said if the OEM stamped fi lters or bearings were available at the same price as the alternative options – we would all select the box labelled ‘genuine parts’. Yet some aftermarket suppliers not only achieve the OEM’s standards they exceed them. The ‘Diesel Technic Group’ (DT) has a long history in the design and manufacturer of quality parts for all major brands of truck and bus. DT is so confident of its product's quality that they come with a 2 year guarantee - something none of the OEMs have offered to date. (BOD VSS has recently been appointed as an approved supplier for Diesel Technic). When written down on paper the figures are quite simple, alternative parts are cheaper. However, the days when oil changes were for some a weekly occurrence, are long gone. Materials technology has developed to such an extent it has now allowed certain vehicle manufacturers to extend engine oil change intervals out to 150,000 kms and transmission lubricants to 300,000 kms. In addition, they are also confident that it is possible for brake pads to last 300,000 to 400,000 kms. Such extended servicing intervals provide important savings on consumables and downtime. Text: Paul White - paul@fleet.ie

Therefore ‘investing’ in the more expensive ‘genuine’ replacement parts to ensure the same savings seems sensible and prudent. Without doubt, the vast number of computer applications employed by vehicle manufacturers has somewhat prevented operators from carrying out many repairs to their vehicle. The high cost of special diagnostic equipment needed to faultfi nd on modern commercials, prohibits any sane person from having a go. However for standard routine servicing some operators are taking the opportunity to reduce overheads by shopping clever and doing it themselves.

those parts. Nonetheless that is for the buyer to establish, which can take some time and effort, but realises a clear cash benefit. When an operator purchases original parts from the manufacturer, the quality assurance is inherent in the product, as is that good feeling you get - that you have done the right thing, even though it may have cost you. Although the debate possibly started a few thousand years ago, deliberating the best type of wood to use for a replacement axle – we are still not exactly sure.

From talking to people on all sides of the argument, t he pr i m a r y concern of the debate is not cost but quality. There are alternatives to OM supplied parts which by definition are just as good as the original, what must be ensured is the provenance of FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11 23

The Road Transport Specialists www.scitrans.ie

Digital Tachograph Solutions for the Irish Market

Scitrans

Solutions for Bus and Truck Operators

Would your company pass a Road Safety Authority Inspection? The RSA are now visiting all road transport operators to inspect tachograph records and systems. New tachograph legislation (SI 431/2010) now imposes fines of up to €100,000 on those who fail to keep proper tachograph records. Our Tachograph Systems Audit will evaluate your tachograph records and documentation. Based on the Audit findings, Scitrans will deliver recommendations that will enable you to meet (and exceed) the RSA’s requirements. The Systems Audit also extends to your vehicle maintenance program. We will review the recording and scheduling of vehicle maintenance and make recommendations for legal compliance.

Passenger & Haulage Services Scitrans cater for both the Passenger and the Haulage market. Services include on-site training for drivers and managers in; • Driver CPC (Haulage & Passenger) • Logistics • Fleet Maintenance • Analogue and Digital Tachographs

Contact

Robert Whoriskey Ardrumman, Ramelton, Donegal, Ireland.

EasyTac Downloader Software and Hardware Our kits are really easy to install and use. Unlike other software suppliers there are no annual fees to pay, updates and support are free to all purchasers of EasyTac Downloader. The kit provides you with the means to meet all of your legal requirements under Tachograph Legislation. Scitrans can provide you with the following essential supplies for your tachograph system;

Land Line : (00353) (0)74 9151164 • High quality tachograph rolls Mobile : (00353) (0)85 134 0022 • Tachograph Infringement E-Mail : robert@scitrans.ie Reports Web : www.scitrans.ie • Driver Daily Vehicle Check Book

Your cargo, your deadline... Our speciality. If your business is moving freight between the UK and the Continent, Brittany Ferries operate a regular and reliable service to Cherbourg and Santander from the Port of Poole. The Port of Poole is conveniently located close to London and the Midlands and offers an unrivalled service for hauliers, including excellent lay-over facilities. The port operates a fleet of Terberg Tugmasters, each with a fifth wheel capacity of 30 tonnes to service the movement of unaccompanied trailers. Gooseneck attachments are also available for mafi trailer movement. A fleet of forklifts ranging from 3mt up to 32mt are available to facilitate any load adjustments or overloads. 24 hr weighbridge operation. There is vehicle parking for drivers who need to lay over. Remove uncertainty from your logistics operation, and use the Port of Poole and Brittany Ferries for a smooth, trouble free service.

International Freight Port www.portofpoole.co.uk

FREIGHT SALES Telephone: 0871 244 0411 • Fax: 0871 244 0912 Email: freight.sales@brittanyferries.com | Website: www.brittanyferriesfreight.co.uk

THE OFFICIAL IRISH JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL VAN OF THE YEAR & INTERNATIONAL PICK-UP AWARDS

Volume 8. No 1. SPRING 11

Just take a test drive at your nearest Mercedes-Benz Commercial Dealer

• Buyer's Guide 2011

• Arctic Van Test 2011 - Finland

toyota.ie

Auris Van €13,228

from

ex VAT.

Starting with a new, sharper look and continuing into a whole range of details and technologies, Auris is a very comfortable car. In a van. And its cleverly designed interior makes it ideal for small businesses. Auris Van oﬀers special value for 2011. It’s reduced by a whole €5,585. That’s one incredible discount.

And it’s a Toyota. Toyota commercial vehicles. Nothing to prove. Auris Van from €13,228 ex VAT.* Model shown is the 1.4 D-4D Terra- RRP €15,995. Excludes delivery and related charges. Comes with a 3-year or 100,000km warranty, whichever occurs first, and 3 years Toyota Eurocare emergency roadside assistance. Toyota Ireland is a 100% Irish owned company.

www.fleet.ie

contents SPRING 2011 28 NEWS Exclusive: Win a Mercedes-Benz Vito! • Tallaght Fiat’s successful ‘Be Road Safe’ campaign • New Pick-Up from SsangYong • GM & Renault to continue partnership • Big interest in Ford’s electric Transit Connect • Overload . . . at what cost? • Recent Mercedes-Benz sales 30 BUYER’S GUIDE 2011 What’s new for Model Year 2011 from the LCV/Commercial SUV brands plus Renault Maxi-mizes Kangoo range 34 COACHWORKS Quinn’s of Athenry keep the bellows blowing!

SUBSCRIPTION FORM Please send me an issue of Fleet Transport magazine (plus supplements) every month for one year starting with the next available issue for the cost of €65 (Ireland), €85 (Europe) €120 US. Name: Job Title Company: Email: Address: Phone: Fax: Three ways to subscribe: 1. Cheque made payable to Fleet Transport for € 2. Please charge my debit/credit card for the amount of € Laser, Mastercard, Visa, Electron & Maestro. Card No. Expiry Date: CVV No. Signature: Date: 3. Please invoice me for € Purchase Order No. (if applicable). Send completed form to: Subscriptions, Fleet Transport Magazine, D’Alton Street, Claremorris, Co. Mayo, Ireland. Fax: +353 94 9373571

FV&U 04.11

37 TEST The Nissan Vanette NV200 is our Long Term Test van 38 INTERVIEW with Paul Burke, Volkswagen Commercials

P 28 P 38

Are you Involved in Logistics & Transport? Are you A Member of The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport Ireland? If you are a professional involved in any form of Logistics & Transport, or a student studying in these areas, You Really should be a Member, if you value your career, and your career development, it’s just too good an opportunity to miss!!!

Courses: Certificate in Logistics (Distance Learning Programme) Diploma in Logistics & Supply Chain Management

FLEETVAN&UTILITY | Spring 2011 27

NEWS 1

Win a Mercedes-Benz Vito in association with Fleet Transport’s Fleet Van & Utility Magazine It’s back – Mercedes-Benz Vito Giveaway Returns!

brand new Mercedes-Benz Vito CDI LWB model worth €23,895.00 (incl taxes).

ack by popular demand – ‘Win a Mercedes-Benz Vito’ Prize Draw jointly promoted by MercedesBenz Commercial Vehicles Ireland and Fleet Transport Magazine’s Fleet Van & Utility supplement returns with much fanfare. 2011 marks a significant milestone for Mercedes-Benz as the triple-pointed star brand celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. And on top of that historical occasion, the new Mercedes-Benz Vito is the reigning Continental Irish Van of the Year.

All one has to do is fi ll in the following to arrange a Test Drive at your local Mercedes-Benz Dealer and answer a simple True or False question. On announcing the 2011 ‘Win a Mercedes-Benz Vito’ competition, Fergus Conheady, Sales Manager at MercedesBenz Commercials Ireland pictured with Fleet's Jarlath Sweeney, said that his Dealer Network are pleased to see the return of this popular give away after an absence of three years. “Already, the new Mercedes-Benz Vito has received the top honour from the Irish Van of the Year Jury and I’m sure the award will support the Vito’s success in the Irish markets. And what better way to get the ball rolling is to re-introduce our 'Win-a-Mercedes-Benz Vito’ competition? • See enclosed Entry Form for details.

As per the two successful ‘Win a MercedesBenz Vito’ free-to-enter competitions run in 2007 and 2008, what’s up for grabs is a

Tallaght Fiat initiates schools ‘Be Road Safe’ Campaign

ichael Kerslake, Dealer Principal of Tallaght Fiat was surprised at how few local children wore any kind of reflective clothing during the dark winter months and decided to do something about it. The safety packs he compiled, which were distributed free of charge to local schools, not only contain a high-visibility jacket and a reflective armband, they also come with a copy of the ‘Safe Cross Code’ and the full support of the Road Safety Authority.

Adrian Walsh, MD of Fiat Group Automobiles Ireland, voiced his enthusiasm for the campaign, saying, “I am delighted with the initiative taken by Tallaght Fiat in launching this campaign. It’s great for the local community and will hopefully go a long way towards improving road safety in the area, while also building awareness and goodwill for the business.” To underline Tallaght Fiat’s commitment to the ‘Be Road Safe’ campaign, each participating school will also be entered into a draw to win €1,000 towards their school fund.

The recently established Fiat Dealer on the Airton Road, Tallaght distributed 5,000 Road Safety Packs to schools in Tallaght, Clondalkin and Walkinstown areas.

SUT 1 Pick-Up from Ssang Yong GM Opel/Vauxhall & Renault s an evolution of the Actyon Sports Pick-Up, SsangYong revealed continue LCV co-operation the SUT 1 concept at the Geneva Motor Show and from its

positive reaction will go into production later this year. It will be powered by a new in-house developed Euro5 2.0 litre diesel available with six-speed manual or automatic gearboxes and two or four wheel drive transmissions.

With a maximum power of 155 PS and a maximum torque of 360 Nm at 1500-2800 rpm, its low end torque of 190 Nm can challenge the best in class. In real-wheel-drive form with a manual transmission, it produces 193 grams of CO 2 per kilometre. According to the information received, the SUT 1 concept made in Korea adds a modern style to the original Pick-Up design. With its spacious interior and sharp lines, this dynamic, robust and trendy sports utility truck is perfect for both leisure and business activities. 28 FLEETVAN&UTILITY | Spring 2011

ollowing the joint announcement between General Motors (Opel/ Vauxhall) and Renault last September when both companies agreed to continue their successful co-operation in the Light Commercial Vehicle segment, production locations for the next generation models have been revealed. As and from 2013, the next generation Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro will be built at GMs plant in Luton, UK while in Sandouville, France production of the new Renault Trafic model as well as the next high roof (H2) version of the Vivaro is expected to reach 100,000 units per year once all versions have been launched. The current Vivaro and Trafic models were fi rst produced in 2001, and by the end of 2010 Opel Vauxhall and Renault had built over 1.25 million Trafic and Vivaro. While the sister models are being jointly developed and produced in Opel/Vauxhall and Renault-Nissan plants, they are independently marketed and sold through the respective brand distribution channels.

NEWS 11

Zero Emissions Ford Transit Connect

urther to our exclusive fi rst drive in the Ford Transit Connect Electric (as featured in last November’s edition of Fleet Transport) the ‘blue oval’ officially showcased the production version of same at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Transit Connect Electric will offer European operators the opportunity to eliminate fuels bills in their small vans and help to lower overall running costs. “By providing a variety of electrified vehicles, we are making it easier for our customers to embrace this fuel-saving technology,” said Bill Ford, Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company. “Th is strategy is true to our heritage of making innovative technology available to as many people as possible and to our vision of developing

Developed in conjunction with Ford’s US-based electric vehicles partner Azure Dynamics, it has a proprietary Force Drive battery electric drive train powered by an advanced battery pack designed by Johnson Controls-Saft . With 28kW of power to call on, Transit Connect Electric has a top speed of 75mph (120km/h) and a range of up to 130km/80 miles. Its lithium-ion battery pack is charged via a standard power outlet – an onboard converter then charges the battery pack. Fully charging the batteries using standard European 220/240-volt outlets takes up to 10 hours. great products, building a strong business and contributing to a better world.”

Overload at a cost

an owners and drivers that continue to overload their goods vehicles are not only a safety hazard but with fuel costs continuing to rise are also increasing their running costs. This warning has been issued by tyre safe organisations, TyreSafe following a report by VOSA that overloading on light goods vehicles are on the increase. “Unless operators compensate for carrying loads by increasing their tyre pressures to the recommended levels, their tyres will wear out quicker, their fuel consumption will increase and their safety may be compromised,” stated the TyreSafe Chairman, Stuart Jackson.

The effects of overloading and under-inflation are very similar. Excessive heat builds up inside the tyre, which significantly increases the likelihood of experiencing a dangerous blowout, particularly on high speed motorway journeys.

When under-inflated, the tyre’s contact patch with the road surface is reduced to two smaller areas towards the outer edges of the tread. With the full vehicle load placed on these two areas, the tread wears at a much higher rate forcing replacement much earlier than would be otherwise needed. By running tyres at just 80 percent of the recommended pressure, operators can expect tyre life to be reduced to around 75 percent. If the pressure falls to 60 percent, they can expect to achieve just 35 percent of the potential mileage from the tyre. When van tyres are inflated to the correct pressure for the load being carried, they help the vehicle to travel further on each tank of fuel and reduce the amount of CO2 emissions produced. Calculations from one TyreSafe member show that when tyres are underinflated by just 20 percent (around 6psi), 3 percent more fuel is used.

“Overloading in itself is a serious safety hazard which operators must address, but even if they are carrying legal loads, they should ensure their tyres are adjusted and inflated to the correct pressure,” explains Stuart Jackson, Chairman, TyreSafe. “If tyres do not contain enough air for the load being carried, they are much more likely to experience a rapid deflation which can result in a terrifying accident. There are also other significant downsides such as longer stopping distances, reduced stability, increased tyre wear and higher fuel consumption.”

The correct pressures for both the laden and unladen state of the vehicle can be found in the vehicle manufacturers’ handbook, inside the fuel filler cap or on a plate located on the front door sills.

Western Hygiene sticks with Sprinters • Enercon turns too!

estern Hygiene, the well-established supplier of hygiene and cleaning products has on this occasion stuck with the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter for its

nationwide deliveries. The ISO-accredited Tuam based company recently traded in two 2007 registered Sprinter 415 models in exchange for two new Sprinter 416 extra long panel vans.

The new panel vans will be based in Tralee and provide installation and maintenance services to Enercon’s wind farms countrywide.

Specified with automated transmission, the two new vehicles were purchased from newly appointed Mercedes-Benz Light Commercial Dealer for Galway, Cunningham Higgins. Meanwhile leading wind turbine and energy company Enercon has purchased two fully kittedout Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313 MWB vans purchased from Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles Ireland. FLEETVAN&UTILITY | Spring 2011 29

BUYER'S GUIDE 2011

Van sector to press on with ongoing developments

ith the Light Commercial Sector showing some signs of recovery last year the majority of importers/distributors see now that the only way is up and judging by some of the aggressive marketing that’s out there, punters are in for good value. Renault Ireland introduced a scrapage scheme on vans with instant success. The French brand’s market share jumped from mid-field to the top three with 14.3% of new registrations in February. Eric Bassett , Managing Director, Renault Ireland is very pleased with the achievement, “In the LCV sector, we are very happy with the monthly results, over ten per cent up on last year. So far, for the two months of a tough year, Renault is staying its ground and combined figures show we are at 9.4% of the market.” While the market situation dictated a realignment of retail prices, with all suppliers participating, Opel got their thinking caps on and came up with an att ractive 3 year’s free servicing offer on all new LCVs ordered before the end of March. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles put a fi nance package together through the parent company’s own bank. A large fleet

contract with An Post for the supply of Caddy vans has been done through Leaseplan with more fleet sales to follow. Fiat Professional set up a Business Bonus Scheme with up to €5,500 available across its entire LCV range from the Fiorino to the Ducato. Mentioning the Ducato, Fiat’s popular award winning large panel van and chassis/cab is due a makeover. Most of the modifications will be to the drivetrain and the interior. Expect the same to happen with sister products from PSA Peugeot Citroën, the Boxer and Relay respectively. Developments from other manufacturers due to be revealed include the revamp of the Volkswagen Crafter and the launch of the all-new Mercedes-Benz light van produced in collaboration with Renault. Another joint production exercise happens in Turkey to where the new Opel Combo van will roll off the same assembly line as the Fiat Doblo Cargo and share its main components. Badge sharing is the name of the game in this business nowadays and yet another example of this ‘partnership’ is the new Nissan NV400, which in reality is a replica of the Renault Master and Opel Movano.

Fiat Professional: Fiorino/Doblo Cargo/Scudo/Ducato

Following the launch of the all-new Focus in a few months, expect to see a CDV van version before the year end. As it will be another while before the new generation Transit rolls off the production line (Fleet Van & Utility has seen the prototypes already!), the current model will soldier on. On the SUV front, the latest Ranger off-roader comes on stream in 2011.

Fuso: Canter No change, apart from the dropping of the Mitsubishi lettering from the main badge on the grille. Just above the broader Fuso labelling sits the brand’s three pointed diamonds logo. Now under Daimler parentage Mitsubishi concentrates on R & D of the Group’s hybrid and electric power technology.

30 FLEETVAN&UTILITY | Spring 2011

The following pages outline what’s new from the Light Commercial Vehicle brands available in Ireland over the course of 2011 together with a closer look at the new Renault Kangoo ZE, one of the most significant developments in the Compact Van sector this year.

Ford: Fiesta Van/Focus Van/Transit Connect/Transit/Ranger

No major changes from the Italian manufacturer, but technical advances with its drivetrain throughout the range is expected later in the year. As Europe’s number one producer with the lowest carbon footprint, its van line-up will follow suit. Plans are afoot also to introduce a Natural Power (CNG) version of the International Van of the Year winning Doblo Cargo. Big news from the parent company was the contract signed with GM Opel for the supply of the new Combo Van based on the award winning Doblo Cargo.

Honda Due to a number of factors, Universal Honda, the importers and distributors of the Japanese brand will not continue marketing the CR-V Commercial derivative. Which is a pity as the 5-door ‘Executive’ business offering was one of the best value vehicles of its type – good looking too!

Drivetrain issues are however very much to the fore for all LCV manufacturers. The European Parliament has set out a stringent programme to reduce CO 2 emission levels between 2014 and 2020. The targets will be gradually enforced over the next decade, with manufacturers expected to have 70% of their van fleet emitt ing 175g/ km CO 2 , or less by 2014. Th is increases to 75% the following year, 80% by 2016 and a full 100% from 2017. The ‘longer-term’ target of 147 g/km CO 2 , which is set for introduction in 2020 is subject to a review in 2 year’s time. To achieve these goals, the use of Stop/Start technology and automated transmissions will become standard specification. With VRT – Vehicle Registration Tax due to increase for Commercial SUVs and some Vans in May, now is the best time to buy!

New Ford Ranger

BUYER'S GUIDE 2011 Hyundai: Santa Fe Commercial/iLoad With the introduction of the new Santa Fe SUV, Hyundai Ireland followed up with a commercial version that looks every bit as good as the passenger model. Th is 4WD model is powered by the same Euro 5 2.0 litre diesel that boasts 150 bhp. Priced at €27,995 expect a Euro 5 exhaust emission controlled engine seen in the iLoad Hyundai’s medium sized RWD panel van formerly known as the H-1, built in Korea but designed in Germany for European markets.

Isuzu: D-Max/N-Series Model Year 10.5 D-MAX was introduced by Isuzu Ireland at the back end of 2010. It received minor cosmetic changes and a specification upgrade, which should carry the durable off-road Pick-Up until the totally new model range comes onto the scene in 2012. It is available in Double and Single Cab forms as before.

Jeep With Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge now coming under Fiat Auto ownership, expect some changes in due course. In the meantime, the commercial derivatives from Jeep remain the same but developments to its engines will reduce carbon emissions and reduce fuel consumption. “During 2011, its product lineup is to be reviewed,” said a spokesman for importers/distributors, the OHM Group.

Hyundai Santa Fe Commercial

Iveco: EcoDaily Launched earlier in 2010, the revised Daily (now called the EcoDaily) is fi nally about to make its way to the Irish market. Building on its strength and reliability the ‘baby’ Iveco comes as a high volume panel van, dropside or crew-cab. For the utilities sector, there’s the 4x4 version.

Kia: cee’d With the arrival of the new Sorento into the marketplace, Kia Motors Ireland awaits Type Approval in order to sell the new model as a Commercial SUV. There will not be a business version of the new Sportage however. The 5-door cee’d Sporty Wagon in commercial form is still available but the 3-door version will not be continued.

Land Rover: Discovery 4 Commercial/Defender For 2011, the Land Rover Discovery 4 Commercial, which has just been awarded the title of Continental Irish Commercial SUV 2011 fits the bill in terms of looks, power and practicality. Wonder if the new small Range Rover – The Evoque – will ever have a flat floor and blocked out windows to turn it into a commercial vehicle?

Mercedes-Benz: Vito/Sprinter/M-Class Most concentration from the Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle division will be centred round the new Vito, fresh from winning the Continental Irish Van of the Year Award 2011. Featuring a whole new drivetrain and suspension layout together with some facial cosmetic surgery, the Vito will attract conquest customers. * See enclosed insert on how to win a new Mercedes-Benz Vito in a free to enter competition.

Mazda: BT.50 New BT.50 will be available by special order only through dealerships.

Mitsubishi: Outlander/L200/Pajero Not much change here either at Mitsubishi, although there is a new L200 Pick-Up on the cards later in the year. Again the revised version of the award-winning Pick-Up will be available in Single and Double Cab forms. Meanwhile the current model and the long serving and extremely versatile Pajero lead the way.

FLEETVAN&UTILITY | Spring 2011 31

BUYER'S GUIDE 2011 Nissan: NV200/Navara/Pathfi nder/ Primastar/Interstar/NV 400

Opel: Corsavan/Combo/Astra van/Vivaro/ Movano

One of the major debutants at the Commercial Vehicles Show in Hanover was the new Nissan NV400. Basically, it’s a re-badged version of the jointly designed Renault Master and Opel Movano, as it uses the same body shape and drivetrain. Only the ‘Nissan family’ grille separates it from the two. When the NV200 was introduced, Nissan had plans to design and produce its own larger panel van but the global recession put paid to that project in the short term at least. The NV400 will replace the popular Interstar.

No sooner had GM Opel entered the commercial vehicle sector with the Movano, the European (US owned) brand had already moved on to the next level of its product renewal programme. Recently, it signed an agreement with Fiat Auto and its commercial vehicle manufacturer Tofas to produce a version of its successful Doblo Cargo as an Opel Combo. It will be made in Turkey with availability from 2012. In line with the revised Corsa there will be a new Corsavan.

Peugeot: Partner/Expert/Boxer

Nissan NV400

Peugeot welcomes the new set of CO2 targets for light commercials set by the European Parliament safe in the knowledge that its fleet of efficient HDi powered vans already meets the target set for 2014. Their Euro 5 Partner van for example comfortably meets the cut-off point with the help of Stop/Start technology. The French manufacturer is phasing in Euro 5 engines right across the range, helping operators reduce running costs and bringing even its largest Expert and Boxer vans right up to date with regard to tailpipe emissions.

Renault: Kangoo/Trafic/Master Following the launch of the all-new and impressive Master, Renault Ireland is expanding the range to include two different types of people carriers. First to come is the 5-person Crew-cab Master with the 17-seater mini-bus to follow. However, the most significant arrival is the electric Kangoo otherwise known as the Kangoo ZE – (Zero Emission).

Toyota: Hilux/Land Cruiser/Dyna/Hiace

Volkswagen: Golf Van/Caddy/Transporter/ Crafter/Amarok Hail the Amarok, the International Pick-Up award winning utility from Volkswagen. As Europe’s fi rst one-tonne Pick-Up, the Amarok will sell fast across all global markets. Produced in South America, it is powered by the VW Groups 2.0 litre common-rail diesel with a choice of power options. Launched initially as a Double Cab, a Single Cab version was revealed in Hanover last September. A revised Crafter with the same drivetrain will be launched later this year.

Ireland’s best selling Commercial Sports Utility the Toyota Land Cruiser has got a makeover. Sporting a new look and more powerful and fuel-efficient engines, the latest version will inject new life into the popular workhorse. The revised Hilux is already on sale here and a review of same was featured in the December edition of Fleet Transport from the International Pick-Up Award trials held in Ireland. Toyota Land Cruiser

Volkswagen Amorak

32 FLEETVAN&UTILITY | Spring 2011

BUYER'S GUIDE 2011

Renault Maxi–mises & Electrifies Kangoo range with ZE van and crew versions

As experienced last year, driving Kangoo Maxi ZE delivers a whole new type of motoring pleasure. Thanks to the availability of peak torque (226Nm) the moment the driver pulls away, responsive acceleration is instantly available at low speeds. A silent ride and the absence of gearshift s, Kangoo Maxi ZE combines impressive performance and comfort.

hen Renault launched its electric vehicle offensive in 2008 it originally announced that the line up would include four vehicles. The first of these the Fluence ZE which is due to go on sale this autumn, will now be joined by two versions of Kangoo Van ZE, enabling business customers to choose the zero-emission vehicle that best suits their specific needs. Kangoo Maxi ZE is based on the longwheel base version of the Kangoo Van ZE, which was unveiled at last year’s IAA Commercial Vehicles Show. With an overall length of 4.60 metres this modular, versatile electric vehicle will be available in two and five-seat form.

The first of these two versions the Kangoo Maxi ZE essentially targets conventional transport use and comes with a carrying capacity of up to 4.6m3, which is 1.1m3 more than the standard ZE. Maximum load length extends to 2.90 metres and it’s height of just 1.82 metres permits access to underground Car Parks. Equipment and options that can be specified for the diesel range of Kangoo Maxi will also be available for Kangoo Maxi ZE. There are no shortcomings on trim levels or colour choice either.

The Crew version of Kangoo Van Maxi ZE comes with a 60/40-split folding rear bench seat and seats up to five occupants. This modular vehicle can be put into one of four different interior layouts depending on the number of passengers. The rear bench seat folds away into the floor to produce a completely flat deck and frees up almost 3.4m3 of carrying space.

and the ability to pre-heat the vehicle while the battery is being charged have also been developed to maximise the range. Last but not least, to further optimise range and reassure customers, Renault Ireland will market a number of connected services, tailored to meet the needs of individual motorists (Connected Pack) or fleet managers (Fleet Asset Management).

Kangoo Maxi ZE will appeal to business customers (fleet owners, trades people, public authorities, etc.) who are looking for maximum carrying capacity, and in the case of the crew version, additionally a people carrier and to those who wish to lower their fleet CO2 emissions.

Kangoo Maxi ZE will go on sale at the end of 2011 in Ireland at a price of €21,200 for the twoseater version, or €22,000 for the five-seater crew version. The €5,000 Government subsidy will bring this price down to the equivalent of that of a diesel Kangoo Maxi, ie. €16,200 and €17,000 respectively.

Both models will be built at Renault’s MCA plant (Maubeuge Carrosserie Automobile) in France, on the same production lines as those which manufacture the rest of the Kangoo Van range. The electrically-powered Kangoo Maxi ZE is recognisable at first glance thanks to the chrome ZE badging at the rear and on the body sides, as well as the absence of an exhaust and the inclusion of a flap at the front which will enable the battery to be charged in between six and eight hours. The bonnet conceals a 44kW electric motor (equivalent to 60hp), which is powered by a twin 22kW lithium-ion battery pack is located beneath the floor. The vehicle’s combined-cycle range of 170km can vary one way or the other depending on factors such as type of road, temperature, terrain or driving style.

As is the case for the rest of its electric vehicle range, Renault separates ownership of the vehicle and battery to ensure optimal capacity of the latter throughout the vehicle’s working life. Customers will either buy or lease their vans and take out a monthly subscription for the battery, with pre-tax prices starting from €72/month. Meanwhile, running costs – including battery lease, the electricity required for battery charging (€2 average for a full charge) and maintenance – will be similar to those of an equivalent internal combustion-engined vehicle when the annual distance travelled is less than 15,000km. They will be competitive when the annual distance travelled exceeds this figure.

To opt i m i se ra nge management, the dashboard has been revised to incorporate a new MMI (Man Machine Interface), which displays the battery’s level of charge and the vehicle’s remaining range (in kilometres). The Eco-driving mode Text: Jarlath Sweeney – editor@fleet.ie

FLEETVAN&UTILITY | Spring 2011 33

COACHWORKS

Quinnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of Athenry diversify

ith a history going back to 1802, Quinn Refrigerated Vehicles, Athenry, County Galway is a fourth generation family run business. That adds up to a lot of peaks and valleys from their original trade as blacksmiths right up to the present. Today under the stewardship of Micheal Quinn, with family support and a dedicated skilled workforce, their success can be measured by the long list of satisfied clients, that include some of the biggest and most successful transport companies. With a huge depth of experience and a first class reputation, Quinn RV, in 2009. completed construction of the first Ambulance to be built by the company for the Royal Air Force (RA F) and they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t looked back since. Coupled with their long established refrigerated body building business, the Ambulance building sector has progressed to producing one complete vehicle per day and a healthy order book. At the core of this success is a new production plant producing composite body panelling that is both stronger and lighter than the traditional aluminium body. In fact, under this new system, which uses the most modern manufacturing, cutting and forming equipment in Ireland, the weight of a single vehicle has been reduced by 750kgs. That doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it weaker though, as the Quinn Ambulance,

when first safety tested passed all crash tests using just one vehicle, something that has been unheard of up to now. It also fully complies with ECWVTA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; European Whole Vehicle Type Approval Directives as well as the exacting standards demanded by the National Health Service in the UK. Using the same attention to detail and the same high quality that the company are renowned for with their refrigerated vehicles, the same quality applies to the manufacturing process used in the building of ambulances. Using the MercedesBenz Sprinter, 5 Tonne Chassis Cab, 95% of all ambulances produced in Athenry are exported to the UK. Quinnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take the basic chassis, manufacture the panelling, form it, furnish the interior with cabinets and other fittings, install all of the exterior light fittings, such as the blue lights. It is then forwarded to ASTR in Tullamore for futher specialist kitting out.

It demonstrates the diverse talents that exist within the Quinn organisation. Micheal now has 47 employees on his books. Those talents are constantly working to develop innovative solutions to modern transport challenges. Specialising in rigid bodywork, multi- temp, specialist bodywork, utility vehicles, remounts, repairs and now ambulances. Quinnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are constantly pushing for greater efficiency, through new innovative methods that can make life for operators easier and increase the efficiency of the vehicle for drivers and customers.

Since our last visit to the Quinn factory in Athenry three years ago, much has changed. The new panel manufacturing plant is in full production, with this state-of-the-art building producing and forming body panels for the ambulances, together with Quinnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traditional refrigeration products and another new development for the company, the Structural Insulated Panel Systems We make your van (SiP) for energy efficient work smarter homes. W hile not directly related to the transport business this is another area that is showing exceptional scope for growth and one that Quinnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s have been developing for a few years.

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Unit 55 Doora Industrial Estate, Quin Road, Ennis, Co. Clare Main Sales Agents for Hino and Iveco trucks to the mid-West.

In stock; New Hino 7.5 tonne gross, tipper, with Hyva front mounted crane, lift capacity 1300kgs 3.5kgs @ 3.5 metres. New 8x4 Hino and Iveco. New Iveco 500 Stralis tractor units. Call for more details; Martin Hough: 087 6601648 Office phone/fax: 065 6848665 Email: martinhoughbandh@gmail.com Also in stock all genuine Hino/Iveco spares. 34 FLEETVAN&UTILITY | Spring 2011

1HZ SURGXFW DYDLODEOH

ZZZ WHYR HX FRP WHO Tevo Limited

Visit us at stand: 4C40

Unit 14 - 16 Wooburn Green Industrial Estate Thomas Road Wooburn Green Buckinghamshire HP10 0PE Tel: +44 1628 528034 Email: sales@tevo.eu.com Web: www.tevo.eu.com

supplier code: 88882

Please quote ref: Tevo025

SMMT and the SMMT logo are registered trademarks of SMMT Limited and are used with their permission.

Text & Photos: Gerry Murphy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; gerrym@fleet.ie

www.volkswagenvans.ie

Our new business lease means business. If you’re in business and want to keep control of your costs, then consider the Volkswagen Caddy and Transporter Business Lease. It’s a smart move for anyone who is self-employed and looking for the most economical way to keep their business on the road. And with low monthly payments from just €234* for the Caddy and the Transporter from €339* per month, including scheduled vehicle maintenance, it means keeping track of your monthly outgoings couldn’t be easier. To ﬁnd out more about this great lease deal, contact your dealer or visit us at www.volkswagenvans.ie

Think vans, Think us. *Prices exclusive of VAT. Terms & conditions apply. Typical APR 6.9%. This is a business lease agreement & the goods remain the property of the owner at all times. Volkswagen Business Lease is underwritten by LeasePlan Fleet Management Services Ireland Limited.

Commercial Vehicles

The New Vito has arrived - A van that doesn't break the bank. My van. The new Vito A van that doesn't generate any unnecessary cost. Because long service intervals and short downtimes ensure that a Vito isn't left standing around doing nothing. And the running costs hardly blot the balance sheet either: the new Euro 5 diesel engines see to it that fuel consumption is reduced. The Vito is more profitable than ever.

The New Vito has now arrived. Motor Distributors Ltd., Naas Road, Dublin 12. Tel (01) 4094 444

TEST

Test Drive Report:

Nissan Vanette NV200

not to mention that to seek further trip information requires the driver to put their hand through the steering wheel and press a button. Quibbles aside, the centre console between the seats is a novel affair as it flips forward to reveal a storage area. Other bins can be found on the doors and on top of the dashboard. Behind the fi xed bulkhead is an impressive load area for a van of its size. Another positive factor is its low loading height and the provision of twin-sliding doors for ease of access. Mentioning access, its tight turning circle is amazing at just 10.6m and it’s easy to park too! Yes, the Nissan Vanette NV200 is different from the rest and for that reason alone is worth a punt. Regarding the inclusion of the Vanette name in the Irish branding of the van, it’s to continue the link between the old Nissan Light Commercial from over 10 years ago (and featured in the previous edition of Fleet Van & Utility), which is no harm, as the NV200 will reach the same status in the sector in time.

n our job it is always interesting to see new concepts and innovations coming along especially in the light commercial vehicle sector where vans are vans and with so much collaboration between manufacturers it’s hard to distinguish one from another. Then when a bit of individuality enters the market, like the Nissan NV200, we all look closely and compare. Heretofore and as mentioned previously, Nissan relied on the re-badged Renault Kangoo to compete in the compact van market. A couple of years ago saw a complete change of strategy with the stand-alone development of the NV200, which created its own niche in the segment. To look at it’s narrower, higher and shorter than most of its competitors and by scanning through the stats listed, only the Fiat Doblo Cargo and Ford Transit Connect are taller while its load space is on a par with the said Cargo Maxi and Volkswagen Caddy Maxi. Payload and gross vehicle weight is average and with the exception of the Renault Kangoo is among the cheapest to buy.

So, the question is – is the NV200 just that, cheap and cheerful? Well, yes and no! We, as in Fleet Transport has entered our third quarter with the NV (Nissan Van) as a Long Term Test Vehicle and yes, it does bring a smile to our face as we drive – most of the time anyway. Its 1.5 litre Renault derived dCi diesel, which produces 86hp and 200 Nm of torque is to our liking as it has plenty of power while being economical. Seating position is perfect despite the positioning of the chairs as far forward as possible in order to maximise load space. With gearlever to hand and a sound steering feel plus good visibility all round ensures a sound drive. A few concerns though, when unloaded be aware of cross-winds. On a recent trip to Sligo, the force of the cross-winds experienced on the day required a firmer grip on the steering wheel. Then there’s the tiny data display on the dash – we have criticised the fact that the rev counter is a coloured line going across the small square to the right of the dash. Not good enough for the fuel conscious driver of today,

NV200 – how does it measure up? Engine (litres)

CO2 emissions

Power hp@rpm

Torque Nm@rpm

1.5 dCi

137 g/km

85@3750

200@2000 5sp manual

2.0 Multi Jet

148 g/km

135@3500 320@1500

1.8 TDCi N/A

110@3500

1.6 HDi

153 g/km

90@4000

Renault Kangoo Maxi

1.5 dCi

VW Caddy Maxi

1.6 TDI

Nissan NV200 Fiat Doblo Cargo Maxi Ford Transit Connect Peugeot Partner/ Citroen Berlingo

Length (mm)

Width Height Wheel Load Payload GVW (mm) (mm) Base Space (kg) (kg) (mm) Volume (m3)

Price

Disc/ Drums

4400

1695

1860

2725

4.2

752

2000

€15,925

6sp manual

Disc/ Drums

4740

1832

1880

3105

4.2

1000

2410

From €21,000

250@1500

5sp manual

Discs

4525

1795

1980

2912

3.7

898

2340

From €17,100

215@1750

5sp manual

Discs

4628

1857

1834

2728

3.7

749

2130

€17,470

146 g/km

105@4000 240@2000 6sp manual

Discs

4597

1829

1810

3081

4.0

850

2178

€15,660

151 g/km

102@4200 250@1500

Discs

4876

1794

1836

3002

4.2

750

2310

From €17,415

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

Gearbox Brakes

5sp manual

FLEETVAN&UTILITY | Spring 2011

INTERVIEW

One-to-One Paul Burke, Director, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Ireland, with Cathal Doyle cathal@fleet.ie

CD: In a subdued market Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles are performing well. PB: At the end of February we were number one. That’s the fi rst time we have been number one in my lifetime with the company so of course we are happy. I think we’ve got wonderful products, the new Caddy is performing exceptionally well, the Transporter is going well as far as segment share goes, the new Crafter arrives mid-year and the Amorok at the end of May. CD: You recently took on a significant contract with An Post. PB: Our ambition is to become the number one commercial vehicle brand and to do that we need to be in every segment of the business. Previously we didn’t have a foothold in what we call utility business, so we’re delighted that we have teamed up with LeasePlan to supply a number of Caddy vans to An Post. CD: Tell us about the new Business Lease product that you are offering to business customers.

CD: Where do you see the Light Commercial Vehicle market in 2011? PB: Year to date to the end of February we have seen an improvement of about 20% in the core market. A litt le bit of that has been lost in March, and I think overall we are on a par with last year. We’re in the third year of push, it’s a really difficult period where we are still about 60-70% below the core markets that we enjoyed during the Celtic Tiger years, and there is really no sign of light at the end of the tunnel. CD: How are the various segments within the LCV sector performing? PB: The Caddy sector is performing well; there is always demand for the light van. Th is year we are seeing growth in the Crafter segment which is unusual, but probably due to life cycle change reasons. The segment that has taken the biggest hit is the Transporter market which is the one directly related to construction. That was always probably a bit overloaded anyway, so it’s the one that is going to be repositioned the most. If it comes back to about 35% of what it was in 2007, that’s about its’ norm.

38 FLEETVAN&UTILITY | Spring 2011

PB: Business Lease is a whole new product for us and we think it’s an opportunity for the business customer that really isn’t tapped into in Ireland. In the UK for instance, 82% of VW commercial vehicle customers are supplied via contract hire agreements. Here that has been zero up to now. The Business Lease is extremely efficient from an accounting point of view for the customer in that it is off-balance sheet, it doesn’t tie up capital expenditure, your monthly outlay is pre-determined, you are not exposed to residual risk and you don’t even have to dispose of the vehicle. Effectively what we are doing is operating a business lease with LeasePlan as the leaser, but it’s a Volkswagen product. It’s also very att ractive - €235 plus VAT for a Caddy on the road. CD: How do the changes to the VRT regulations affect Volkswagen Commercial products? PB: There are two changes really. One is that all of the N-Type vehicles such as the Caddy, Crafter and their ilk will att ract €200 VRT from the fi rst of May. That’s a real price increase in that for a normal price increase the VAT is recoupable but because it is VRT that isn’t the case. But it’s better than the position that was proposed before which

was 13.3% on all commercial vehicles. Secondly, all M-chassis converted vehicles will att ract 13.3% VRT, even the bigger four wheel drives that satisfy the space criteria. The only exceptions will be factory approved N-type chassis – there are a few manufacturers that have a panel jeep that are N-chassis, and they will fall under the €200 VRT bracket. From our perspective, there isn’t a commercial version of the new Touareg and I don’t believe there are plans to bring one to market. In fact this is where Amorok will excel, Amorok will supply the people that perhaps have older Touareg panel vans. CD: Speaking of Amorok, the fact that it was the winner of the inaugural International Pick-Up of the Year Award, the trials for which were held here in Ireland, you must be looking forward to finally getting it here. PB: Yes we’re very proud of that and I think it gives the Amorok a great start. The amount of positive PR it has got even before it arrives has been very very strong. Unfortunately numbers will be restricted this year, but the good news is that it is also going to be built in Hanover Germany [as well as South America] from next year. Obviously it competes with the likes of the Toyota Hilux and Mitsubishi L200, but from enquiries to us there is also a lifestyle demand from people who are driving passenger cars. So I think it will make an impact on segments where you wouldn’t expect it to compete, particularly because it’s a 2-litre bi-turbo, not the classic big 3-litre gas-guzzler typically associated with this class. CD: A new Crafter on the way? PB: A new model is coming in June. New two litre four cylinder engines are the biggest change. They will be the best in fuel efficiency so whole life costs for the Crafter will be the best in its class. We haven’t launched prices yet but our plan is that we will hold the current price position. We’ll also be launching the Crafter 30 with a smaller payload which wasn’t available here before.

Payload 988kg

Payload 1155kg

Payload 626kg

CITROËN BERLINGO From €9,795 +VAT and Delivery

Payload 750kg

CITROËN BERLINGO FIRST From €8,995 +VAT and Delivery

Offers apply to qualifying new Citroen vehicles ordered between 01/02/2011 - 31/03/2011 for business users only and excluding VAT. Dealer related charges apply. Metallic/Pearlescent paint extra. Offers, prices and specification correct at time of going to press subject to stock availability from participating dealers.

CRÉATIVE TECHNOLOGIE

Experience Business Class at Economy rates with Citroën’s award-winning van range. Citroën Vans, welcome on board. Business users only. Contact your local Citroën dealer for more information or log on to www.citroen.ie.

FANTASTIC CITROËN BUSINESS OFFERS AVAILABLE

CITROËN DISPATCH From €13,295 +VAT and Delivery

CITROËN RELAY From €14,495 +VAT and Delivery

www.citroen.ie

FUEL PRICE UPDATE / LEGAL EXPERT The price of fuel is an important element in costing an international trip. Drivers are invited to check this report which is compiled fortnightly from information supplied by IRU national associations and by ‘TCS Touirsme et Documents’, Geneva. Prices you can see here are an average for each country (for week 13). Country

Currency

95 Lead Free

98 Lead Free

Diesel

Country

Currency

95 Lead Free

98 Lead Free

Diesel

Albania

ALL

169.00

180.00

170.00

Lithuania

LTL

4.64

4.78

4.40

Andorra

EUR

1.190

1.240

1.110

Luxemburg

EUR

1.270

1.295

1.192

Austria

EUR

1.342

1.494

1.345

Macedonia

MKD

77.50

79.00

69.50

Belarus

EUR

0.803

0.673

Moldova

MDL

15.73

16.23

14.89

Belgium

EUR

1.572

1.591

1.443

Montenegro

EUR

1.340

1.370

1.300

Bosnia-Herzegovina

BAM

2.25

2.30

2.35

Netherlands

EUR

1.675

1.739

1.403

Bulgaria

BGL

2.37

2.55

2.51

Norway

NOK

14.23

14.54

13.63

Croatia

HRK

9.59

10.03

9.28

Poland

PLN

5.07

5.29

5.02

Czech Republic

CZK

34.50

35.90

33.40

Portugal

EUR

1.563

1.674

1.431

Denmark

DKK

12.45

12.79

11.35

Romania

RON

5.21

5.69

5.28

Estonia

EEK

1.252

1.292

1.307

Russia

RUB

26.13

27.08

24.84

Finland

EUR

1.557

1.603

1.375

Serbia

RSD

122.10

127.00

France

EUR

1.527

1.563

1.378

Slovakia

EUR

1.443

1.350

Georgia

GEL

2.25

2.30

2.35

Slovenia

EUR

1.278

1.286

1.238

Germany

EUR

1.531

1.638

1.447

Spain

EUR

1.330

1.450

1.290

Greece

EUR

1.593

1.785

1.391

Sweden

SEK

14.38

14.78

14.44

Hungary

HUF

368.00

364.00

Switzerland

CHF

1.780

1.820

1.890

Ireland

EUR

1.499

1.459

Turkey

TRY

4.13

4.18

3.58

Italy

EUR

1.522

1.629

1.424

Ukraine

UAH

9.80

10.80

9.25

Kosovo

EUR

1.22

GBP

1.330

1.401

1.397

Latvia

LVL

0.897

0.927

0.897

USA

USD

1.039

Ask the Expert Q: I drive an articulated tractor, and have to collect trailers from different places. Am I responsible for the condition of the trailer as sometimes they are not well maintained?

YOUR CALL! Send in your legal questions or queries to ASK THE EXPERT – Contact: jonathan@fleet.ie

employer. In the event that you are an ‘owner driver’ then you should ask the customer to correct the problem, and, if they won’t do anything you should refuse to take the trailer and report the incident to the Gardai to protect yourself.

A: Once a trailer is att ached to your tractor it becomes your responsibility to exactly the same extent that you are responsible for the vehicle that you are driving. You should never att ach a trailer to your vehicle until you have done a ‘Walk Around Check'. When the trailer is loaded this check must include an inspection of the security of the load.

A: You are not being asked to pay for the camera simply to look after it.

In the event that you are concerned about any part of the trailer you should speak to your

I am a great believer in the practice of carrying a camera in the cab. A photograph taken at the

Q: My employer wants me to sign for a ‘disposable camera’ and then to keep it in my cab. I really don’t want to do this. What do you think?

J L SERVICES

time of an incident or problem is the best evidence that you can have of the situation. Photographs taken at the scene of the accident may well be the best evidence of the cause of the accident and, if you are being blamed, a photograph may prove beyond any doubt that it was not your fault. A photograph of a part of your vehicle may prove that the fault alleged by the Vehicle Inspector either did not exist or was not your fault. Th is may be particularly important if you are driving in the EC.

Consultant: Jonathan Lawton (MACantab) (UK Solicitor-Advocate)

We offer assistance with: • Employment documentation • Health and Safety documentation • Dismissal and redundancy procedures • Transport administration and documentation t: 094 9038087 m: 0861 510938 e-mail: jlservices@eircom.net Address: Parkmore, 16 Watersville, Castlebar, Co Mayo. Text: Jonathan Lawton - jonathan@fleet.ie

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11 41

GROUP TEST

Victory for Mercedes-Benz Vito

our vans participated in the 18th hosting of the Arctic Van Test held in Finland last February. As expected the vehicles were tested hard in severe weather conditions with the new Mercedes-Benz Vito emerging as the driver’s favourite.

The total weights of the light commercials in the test differed somewhat from each other. Highest total weight was the Fiat Ducato (3,500 kg) followed by Mercedes-Benz Vito (3,050 kg), Renault Trafic (3,035 kg) and Volkswagen Transporter (3,000 kg).

The 2011 running of the Arctic Van Test 2011 was arranged in co-operation between the three main Nordic magazines Autotekniikka ja Kuljetus in Finland, Anlegg & Transport (Norway) and Transport & Logistik iDag from Sweden.

The engine output of the vehicles in the test, were also a litt le bit different. Most power had Mercedes-Benz Vito (120 kW/160 hp), followed by Fiat Ducato (115 kW/160 hp), Renault Trafic (107 kW/150 hp) and Volkswagen Transporter (103 kW/140 hp). There were also some differences in load capacity with the Fiat Ducato (10.0m3) having the largest loading space followed by Volkswagen Transporter (6.7m3), Mercedes-Benz Vito (6.2m3) and Renault Trafic (5.9m3).

On this occasion the participating vans in Arctic Van Test 2011 were Fiat Ducato 160 MultiJet, Mercedes-Benz Vito 116 CDI, Renault Trafic dCi 150 and Volkswagen Transporter 2.0 TDI. Th is year the tests were undertaken on main and local roads within a 300 km radius of Helsinki. All the participating vehicles had a payload of 500 kg.

Six experienced test drivers from Finland, Sweden, Germany and Norway participated in the trials Mercedesand the handling tests of Fiat TEST Max Benz the vehicles. Each panel Ducato POINTS Vito member then awarded points to the vehicles Driver Points according to a number of Urban area test 20 15.2 15.4 parameters that shows in att ached tables A & B. Road tests 30 24.0 25.2

Average Speed: Fiat Mercedes-Benz Renault Volkswagen Urban area 36 km/h Ducato Vito Trafic Transporter Road test 73 km/h URBAN AREA Kilometres 131 Litres 13.3 Average (lt/100km) 10.2 ROAD TEST 1 Kilometres 365 Litres 33.4 Average (lt/100km) 9.2 42

131 11.7 8.9

131 13.0 9.9

131 11.8 9.0

365 28.5

365 26.5

365 28.8

7.8

7.3

7.9

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

Renault VW Trafic Transporter

14.8

15.2

23.4

24.0

Drive with load 10

7.8

8.2

8.1

7.8

Handling test

6.8

7.4

6.5

7.1

Cargo space

9.0

8.7

8.4

8.7

Acceleration

9.0

8.8

8.6

8.7

Heating

36.0

28.0

36.0

Noise in cabin

9.0

8.9

Fuel economy

17.0

20.0

Total

160

134

139

127

136

Measurements, evaluations

Table B

Table A: Fuel Consumption

Once again the test drive took in three different locations. The fi rst part was City driving in Helsinki followed by the handling tests at an airfield area outside the Finnish capital. The second part was driving on motorway and dualcarriageways along the route from Helsinki – Lahti – Kangasala – Hämeenlinna – Helsinki. The third part looped around Helsinki to Karjaa and back to Helsinki.

The Mercedes-Benz Vito chalked up most points (139 points) followed by Volkswagen Transporter (136 points), Fiat Ducato (134 points) and Renault Trafic (127 points). The maximum number of points to one vehicle was 160 points.

GROUP TEST Evaluations made by the judges in the 2011 Arctic Van Test:Fiat Ducato 160 MultiJet Positives z Driveability z Writing pad z Places for A4 z Stability on the road z Engine z Automated gear shift Negatives z Driver seat z Big A pillars z Noise z Auto gear shift slow

Mercedes-Benz Vito 116 CDI Positives z Driveability z Engine z Gear box z Engine torque z Comfort z Gear change z Suspension z Low noise z Seating position Negatives z Window washer handle z Hard gear change z Th ick A pillars z Poor visibility

Fiat Ducato 160 MultiJet

Renault Trafic dCi 150 Positives z Driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat adjustments z Pleasant to drive Negatives z Rumbling noise on bad roads z Heater blows on drinks bott le z Info text too screen small z Hard suspension

Volkswagen Transport 2.0 CDI Positives zGear shift z Engine power and torque Negatives z Noisy cabin z High clutch pedal z Th ick A pillar Evaluations after the Handling Test at the Airport Runway: Mercedes-Benz Vito 116 CDI

Fiat Ducato 160 MultiJet z No difference between automatic and manual gear shift ing z When speed decreases automatic shift s to lower gear with litt le power z Slow on the track â&#x20AC;&#x201C; power is lacking (ESP) z Monotonous z Reacts too slowly z Feels a litt le weak z ESP helps inexperienced driver

Mercedes-Benz Vito 116 CDI z z z z z z

ESP too strong Power goes down too much on slalom test Easy to handle on normal conditions ESP pushes on when slanting more ESP allows for some slanting if turning the steering wheel a litt le Thumbs up all round

Renault Trafic dCi 150

Renault Trafic dCi 150 z z z z z z

Without ESP is a big disadvantage Good on slalom test with uniform braking Reacts at once when brake pedal released Exact steering Easy to handle Good in total

Volkswagen Transporter 2.0 TDI z Steering exact and logical z Easy to manoeuvre with light braking z ESP too strong, reduces power at once Volkswagen Transporter 2.0 TDI Text & Photos: Anders Karlsson & Heikki Laurell

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

GROUP TEST

SPEC CHECK

ENGINES

FIAT Ducato

MERCEDES-BENZ Vito

RENAULT Trafic

VOLKSWAGEN Transporter

Marque Model Number of cylinders Displacement Bore/stroke Fuel system Injection pressure Supercharger - Model Intercooler Number of camshaft s Valves/cylinders Power output @ rpm Torque @ rpm Oxidation catalyzer Filter for particles Exhaust recirculation Exhaust certificate

Fiat Powertrain Technologies 160 MultiJet Power 4 2999 cm 3 95.8/104.0 mm Common rail 1600 bar Yes Waste gate Yes 2 4 157 hp@3500 400 Nm@1700 Yes No Yes Euro 4

Daimler AG OM651DE22LA 4 2143 cm 3 83.0/99.0 mm Common rail 1800 bar Yes Variable geom. Yes 2 4 163 hp@ 3800 360 Nm@1600-2400 Yes Yes Yes Euro 5

Renault G9U-630 4 2464 cm 3 89.0/99.0 mm Common rail 1600 bar Yes Variable geom. Yes 2 4 146 hp@ 3500 320 Nm@1500 Yes Yes Yes Euro 4

Volkswagen 2.0 TDI 4 1968 cm 3 81.0/95.5 mm Common rail

MAIN DIMENSIONS

FIAT Ducato

MERCEDESRENAULT VW BENZ Trafic Transporter Vito

Volume: cargo area

10.0 m 3

6.2 m 3

Wheelbase Length

Yes Variable geom. Yes 2 4 140 hp@ 3500 340 Nm@1750-2500 Yes Yes Yes Euro 5 MERCEDESRENAULT VW BENZ Trafic Transporter Vito

DRIVE LINE

FIAT Ducato

Gear box

ComfortMatic Eco Gear 360 PF6-012 Auto Manual Manual

KV6 Manual

Gears

6+1

Clutch type

Dry

Rear

Front

Yes

215/70R15C

205/65R16C

215/65R16C 205/65R16C

225/65R15C

205/65R16C

205/65R16C 205/65R16C

5.9 m 3

6.7 m 3

345.0 cm 343.0 cm

349.8 cm

340.0 cm

541.3 cm 523.8 cm

518.2 cm

529.2 cm

Width (- mirrors) 205.0 cm 190.1 cm

190.4 cm

Width (+ mirrors) 250.8 cm 225.3 cm

223.2 cm

228.3 cm

Height

225.4 cm 190.0 cm

194.4 cm

199.0 cm

Track, front axle

181.0 cm 163.0 cm

161.5 cm

161.8 cm

ESP

Track, rear axle

179.0 cm 163.0 cm

163.0 cm

161.8 cm

Road clearance

14.5 cm

15.3 cm

16.5 cm

Tyres: Standard Tyres: Test van

TECHNICAL FACTS

FIAT Ducato

MERCEDES-BENZ Vito

RENAULT Trafic

VOLKSWAGEN Transporter

- front

McPherson Anti-roll bar

- rear

Rigid axle Leaf springs

Indip. Susp. Coil springs

Rigid axle Coil springs

Indip. Susp. Coil springs

- front

Discs

- rear

Discs

- ABS

Yes

Electronic brake force distribution

Yes

Brake assist

Yes

Parking brake

Mech. rear wheels

- construction

Rack and pinion

Rack and pinion Variable trans.

Rack and pinion

- servo

Hydr.

Driving axle Front Differential lock Antislip control

SUSPENSION

Brakes

Steering

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

TECHNICAL

Truck ABS/EBS - Part I

ABS (Anti-Locking Braking Systems) are designed to assist drivers in applying the vehicle brakes in a fast safe manner without allowing the wheels to lock up until the vehicle speed reduces to about 10 kp/h. Hard braking can cause wheels to lock which can lead to loss of control of the vehicle by the driver and also longer stopping distances. Some experienced drivers when faced with vehicle wheel lock release and apply the brake several times to help them control the vehicle. The main advantages of anti-locking brakes are that they can reduce wheel lock on surfaces with poor traction such as wet or icy roads. ABS work in conjunction with a vehicle’s normal service brake system where the actions of the driver and vehicle are monitored electronically and interpreted by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) which will give the best braking scenario for any given moment. These scenarios or (Mapping of the ECU) are pre-programmed by the manufacturers into the ABS ECU. If you take a conventional air brake system and put an electronic architecture on top to monitor and assist the driver in controlling of applying the brakes of a vehicle the results have proved to be very effective. The principle behind antilock is that a skidding wheel provides less stopping force and control than a wheel that is rotating. Antilock Brake Systems prevent wheels from skidding by monitoring the speed of each wheel and automatically applying and releasing the brake pressure on any wheels where skidding is detected. ABS don’t make much difference in stopping distances on dry roads, although they can enhance vehicle stability and allow drivers to maintain steering control during emergency stops when conventional brakes might allow wheel lockup and skidding. When driving your car on normal dry road conditions you are unaware of the ABS operating as the dry conditions will allow for good friction resistances between the brake pads and disc and the tyres and road surfaces. A common complaint to garages over the last two harsh winters is that of braking systems acting strange where drivers describe how when braking they feel the brake pedal vibrating or pulsing beneath their feet as they apply the brake. This is not a brake fault but the ABS doing what it is designed to do which is apply and release the brake rapidly over a given time to prevent the wheel from locking up. And when you go below a certain speed the wheels will lock as the ABS is not needed. The reasons why drivers of cars feel the vibration is that cars use brake fluid to apply the brakes and that brake fluid has to recirculate in the brake system via an accumulator and modulator Text: Ailbe Burke

valve which will automatically apply and release fluid pressure to the brake cylinders as long as the brake pedal is applied. On heavy trucks and buses (HTB) the braking system uses air to apply the brakes which is dissipated to the atmosphere after it has been used and replenished by the compressor. The driver does not get the feeling of the brake pedal vibrating as the air pressure going through the footbrake is replaced with a new supply according to when it's needed. In order to understand how the system works we need to look at some basic electronic components, starting with the ABS control unit or commonly known as the ABS ECU. ECU’s (figures 1 and 1.1) basically operate on a time and voltage principle where information in the form of different voltage levels is supplied to the ECU over a given time. The main components of an ECU are:• An interface where all the sensors, actuators and diagnostics can connect • An internal clock quartz crystal acting as a timer and counter • An amplifier (Transistors) to increase sensor signal strength • A filter (Resistors) to clean up sensor signals • An analogue to digital convertor to convert the ABS speed sensor signals analogue to a digital signal so the ECU can read it. • Microprocessor acting as a central processing unit (CPU) to interpret and verify information received by what is called Read Only Memory (ROM) this is the pre-programmed memory set by the manufacturer and remains in the ECU when powered off. Random Access Memory (RA M) this is the information the ECU gathers from it sensors and compares to ROM. The voltage supplied to the ECU as in the case of a road wheel speed sensor (figure 2) comes in the form of analogue or alternating current (AC) signal which had to be changed to direct current (DC) so the ECU can interpret it. An analogue signal comes in the form of a wave where the voltage starts off low, increases and decreases again. This has to be changed so the average maximum voltage delivered by the wave is measured and the rest discarded, in other words a switching on and off effect (Digital signal). Figure 1

Figure 2 Canada Public Information In the block diagram (figure 3) we can see the connection of the various components from the left hand side we see the following. Circuit 30 is a constant power supply from vehicle battery and 15 is power supply from the ignition switch. Terminal 61 is a signal from the alternator to confirm the engine is running. There are also inputs from the brake light switch to let the ABS ECU know that the brake is applied. Each rolling wheel on a 4x2 tractor unit has an ABS transducer sensor which lets the ECU know the speed of each wheel it’s attached to. On the right, output side of the ECU we can see the connections to the ABS Solenoid valves. These valves act upon instructions from the ECU to 1, interrupt 2, exhaust or 3, apply air pressure to the brake cylinder it is attached to. The ABS warning light lets the driver know if the system is working properly by flashing on and then staying off or by staying on to let the driver know the system has a fault. Then there is the diagnostic connection for technicians to investigate any problems using an appropriate diagnostic tool. Figure 3

Figure 4 shows a simplified diagram of an air brake system in navy with the ABS System in black. In next month’s issue we will look at these components in detail and also see how traction control is added to the system as the components are common to both systems.

Figure 4 WABCO

p until now we have advised on the basic pneumatic (Air) braking systems fitted to trucks and buses. To improve the safety of these vehicles, new additions in the form of ABS ant-locking brake system, EBS electronic brake system have been added to the existing brake circuits. Further enhancements to these systems come in the form of ESC - Electronic Stability Control and anticollision technologies.

Figure 1.1 FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

…are you registered? From -anuary emissions standards are tigKtening and more veKicOe types ZiOO Ee incOuded

Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight, (including buses and coaches weighing more than 5 tonnes gross vehicle weight) will need to meet Euro IV emissions standards or pay a ÂŁ200 daily charge. Larger vans and other specialist vehicles between 1.205 unladen and 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight, plus minibuses with more than 8 passenger seats weighing 5 tonnes or less, will need to meet Euro 3 emissions standards or pay a ÂŁ100 daily charge. Once your vehicle meets these standards, you will need to register with TfL before you drive in to London. For advice on your options and a registration form, visit tĂ gov uN Oe]Oondon or caOO

LEGAL

Cabotage (A Further Look)

t is probably true that, for a combination of reasons, the practice of Cabotage does not have a major impact on existing haulage companies in Ireland, however, in other member states of the EC, Cabotage is seen as causing major problems. Those Irish hauliers working in the EC, of course, may well see Cabotage operations as a legal and effective way of increasing the earnings of a vehicle. ‘Cabotage’ is the carriage of goods within one EU Member State by an operator based in another Member State. The journey must start and fi nish within the host Member State. By way of example a German vehicle might travel into France to deliver a load and then, before returning to Germany, it might pick up a load in France to be delivered in France. It is easy to see that French operators might see this as a form of poaching, and it is because of continued complaints by hauliers, who work within the country in which they are registered, that the EC has attempted to lay down rules to limit the effect of Cabotage operations. The effect of the Cabotage rules is to exempt a vehicle undertaking Cabotage from the need to comply with the ‘host country’s’ licensing laws. The vehicle undertaking Cabotage is effectively carrying out work for hire and reward without a licence. Cabotage is calculated against a seven day period, the seven days to run from the moment that an international load is delivered in a country in which the loaded vehicle is not registered. Within that seven day period the visiting vehicle may carry out no more than three internal journeys carrying loads from a point within the host country to a delivery point, also within the same country. Whilst the rule may seem to be reasonably clear, predictably, Member States have managed to arrive at different interpretations. One problem area arises from the use of a vehicle for, so called ‘multi-drop’ deliveries. In the fi rst instance it is necessary to decide what amounts to a multi-drop delivery and, perhaps surprisingly, there appears to be no established defi nition of a ‘multi-drop’ load. Th is must mean that a vehicle with more than one delivery falls into this category. The question is whether or not each load on the vehicle counts as a separate load for the purpose of the Cabotage regulations: if it does, then a vehicle with three deliveries will not be able to undertake any further internal work within the seven day period. At the moment some EC Member States treat a multi-drop load as a single load, others, including Ireland, require each separate delivery to be counted as one individual load. In which case, of course, no more than three internal drops can be carried. To put the matter into perspective, in the UK the Vehicle Operator and Services Agency (VOSA) will impound vehicles found to be in breach of the Cabotage rules on the basis that the operator does not hold an operator’s licence issued in the UK, and there is no reason to think that other Enforcement Agencies will not take the same view. There remain a number of unanswered questions: for instance: when a loaded vehicle arrives at a Ferry Port does the seven day period fall to be calculated from the moment that the load that came with the vehicle is delivered, or does the journey from the Port count as the fi rst movement under the Cabotage regulations? What is the status of the last journey made by the vehicle, presumably loaded, as it leaves the ‘host’ country? It seems clear that there will have to be clarification of these issues as a matter of some urgency. As fi nancial problems increase so will haulage operator’s anxiety about competition from foreign based vehicles, and the fi rst line of defence, of course, lies in the hands of the various Enforcement Authorities. Conversely the opportunity to use a vehicle to do work in another country is an attractive source of revenue. The risks to an operator who is found to be in breach of the Cabotage regulations are already substantial and any operator who intends undertaking Cabotage should ensure that he understands the position in the country in which he intends to operate. 48 FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

Text: Jonathan Lawton – jonathan@fleet.ie

FINANCE

Competitiveness & Productivity in the Irish Road Haulage Industry

n order to survive the current economic recession every transport firm needs to review how productive it is in relation to its competitors in the Irish market. Also, what external International factors need to be reviewed and examined to see if there are new and more efficient methods of carrying out the work that delivers a better price to the customer and the ultimate survival for your company. Irish road haulage is probably the most competitive sector of industry to operate in. Entry to the industry was relatively easy with fi nance freely available. There was litt le policing of standards, plus the fact that the base would move for small savings. The market, up to three years ago was expanding and this disguised the real profits or losses actually made. In today’s economic climate entry to the industry will be more difficult, as fi nance is not readily available, enforcement standards are increasing as the RSA has learned more about the industry with simple and effective ways to easily monitor it such as concentrating on known trouble sections and also carrying out checks at Ports etc. where there is a large throughput of vehicles. However, even though entry to the industry has become more stringent there is still an overcapacity and this is leading to unproductive use of assets with competitive but loss making work being carried on to generate cash and survival. Some sections of Irish transport have become highly productive but as this productivity was gained by the throughput of large volumes they are now chasing a dwindling market with lower and lower rates. A perfect example is Irish Next Day Groupage, there are a number of networks all performing the same task but with volumes now 60% of peak. Before these networks expanded, a next day pallet delivery nationwide from the country was €60 and a pallet delivered nationwide from Dublin was €45. Now rates have dropped by a minimum of 25% but the actual cost of carrying on the work has increased. Large volumes meant the productive use of double deck trailers to trunk to Regional carriers that had large volume for delivery to within a short distance of their premises. With the reduction in volume this work is no longer profitable and for the large hubs to survive they must force the rates down to levels that carrier rates will be unprofitable. Answer will be amalgamation in this sector. In general haulage I notice increased empty running and lower utilisation of assets purely because volumes have decreased and some customers that were fi ller traffic for return leg of work have either ceased business or been poached by competition. In the current economic environment the Irish transport market is exposed to International transport fi rms mopping up key major accounts and becoming dominant forces within our industry. Short term they can absorb the cost of buying market share and learning the market, while medium to long term they are in an ideal situation to be highly productive and dominant players in the market, leading to them being rate givers as opposed to rate takers. Medium sized haulage companies are not as exposed to the International competition threat, but if you have non-Irish transport fi rms that specialise in niche sectors they may view the Irish market as easy pickings. The question is can we, as an industry, be more productive and the answer is yes, some very forward thinking fi rms actually operate in the UK sector in periods of low demand in Ireland and peak periods over there. Other Text: Donal Dempsey – donal@fleet.ie

indigenous manufacturing and distribution fi rms realise that low cost distribution in the short term with International logistics fi rms will not be in the best interest of their customers or their businesses and are working with their hauliers to achieve efficiencies and cost reductions. At present our economic survival hinges on the agricultural and ex por t dr iven manufacturing industries. A key element of their success will be our ability to transport raw materials to production and fi nished goods to market and there is now more than ever an urgent requirement for investment in logistics and finance training in the Irish road haulage industry. In the current economic climate we all need to collaborate to be more efficient and survive rather than at each other’s throats in competition.

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FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11 49

COMMENT

Forget Bio-Fuels and turn to Wave-Power From where I'm sitting - Howard Knott

ast month we spoke about the implicit dangers in the island of Ireland being massively fossil fuel dependent, that would bring the Country back to the position that it was in the early years of the Second World War. This gave rise to a lot of comment and added information. Unfortunately, perhaps, there did not seem to be a lot of disagreement with the basic argument. I went to the Skema/Props Workshop event in Dublin Port which focussed on 'Economic Recovery through Trade and Transport' (see report in Fleet Maritime) and as I arrived Helen Noble who is Head of Maritime Law at Solicitors Matheson, Ormsby and Prentice was quoting an extract from a Society of Petroleum Engineers document which stated that fossil fuel costs had increased by 300% over the last ten years and that they forecast that there is 44 more years supply of fossil fuel left. I must quickly say that I do remember hearing Willie Olsen of the Statoil Company’s Exploration Division saying twenty years ago that oil would be all gone by 2010, so that we might treat these forecasts with a certain amount of caution.

that suits Ireland almost uniquely amongst European countries. Recent improvements in engine technology particularly in cars, trucks and buses have gone a good way towards eking out the fuel supply. The introduction of a rationally organised European Air Traffic control system will reduce aircraft fuel consumption by at least 5% while the addition of those little winglets to most aircraft reduces fuel burn by 3%, while Maersk Line estimates that their recently ordered mega container ships will cut unit fuel cost by 25% per container while the completion of the widening and deepening of the Panama Canal in 2014 will dramatically reduce Ocean Carriers fuel burn. Coming right back home, Vincent Caulfield, President of the IRHA has proposed that Irish road tolls should be suspended during the late-night hours, not only to avoid noise pollution in towns and improve safety, but also by keeping trucks cruising along the Motorways, reduce fuel consumption and thus reducing costs and conserving increasingly scarce fuel. That sounds too easy.

But then I look at the Irish Continental Group’s 2010 results presentation which shows an average 2009 price for Brent Crude Oil of € 44.86 and a 2010 figure of € 60.50, and of course, by now, that figure is at around the € 100 mark. I was in Dublin Airport Terminal 2 a couple of weeks ago, (please guys, some direction signs that tired travellers can read would be a great help in navigating from car to plane and vice versa), and saw a Lufthansa aircraft at a stand. I remembered reading that that airline was so concerned about kerosene supplies and prices that it was about to launch extended trials with one of its smaller Airbuses flying with one engine powered by kerosene and the other by bio fuel. I heard later that the German Air Safety folk were not at all convinced that trials with a Bio-Fuel powered aircraft over the crowded Cities of the North of their Country was a great plan and the trial has had to be deferred. Might that imply that Bio-Fuel was not going to be the great solution to the fossil fuel problem? What do the Air Safety people know about it that the rest of us don’t? My negative thoughts were enhanced when I drove into the local Maxol Station to fill up with E85 only to find that the pump had run out and would not be replenished. I checked the company website and found that they were selling off the last few hundred litres of the fuel and would not be buying any more as the tax rebate/subsidy on such fuel had been quietly withdrawn at the end of 2010. It seems that the previous Irish Government, despite all the positives of a fuel that can be grown locally was not impressed. When you begin to look at the global picture then, perhaps, both those Air Safety people and the Irish Government are right, maybe there really is not a lot of future in any fossil fuel substitutes. The real issue is how the World’s population is going to be fed. At present that population is about seven billion, of which one billion is seriously undernourished. By 2050 the seven billion will have grown to nine billion. The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) estimates that demand for food will increase by over 70% during the next 40 years while the dramatic increase in farm productivity seen, particularly over the last 50 years, will have peaked as worse land is brought into cultivation and, as oil prices soar the cost of artificial fertilisers will become unbearable in all but the richest economies. Given these realities, does the diversion of good land, fertilisers etc to the production of Bio-Fuel really make sense? It might do in Brazil where one tonne of fuel input will produce 5 tonnes of sugar based Bio-Fuel and not in the USA where maize based Bio-Fuel production operates at a one tonne input to two to two and a half tonnes output. It seems to me that we come back to the same conclusion as we did last month that, for heat and mobility, the future is electric. Forget about Bio-fuels and put whatever resources can be made available into developing renewable energy, perhaps taking the focus off wind turbines where output is unpredictable and focus more on wave, tidal and other water flow based energy – a recipe, surely 50

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

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WAREHOUSING

All-Ireland Warehousing Association established

n the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, 16 March, the establishment o f t h e A l l - I r e l a nd Warehousing Association (AIWA) was announced at the 3rd Irish Logistics Network Luncheon at the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, County Down. Hosted by the United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA) in association with Fleet Transport Magazine the choice of date and venue was intentional as this development brought together representatives from the Irish transport and logistics from both sides Pictured at the announcement of the newly established All-Ireland Warehousing of the Border.

covered the area of best practice in the transport industry of which warehousing and logistics comes under her brief. After showing footage from the HGV Daily Driver Check Video, Deirdre began by stating that 43 work related fatalities were recorded by the HSA in 2009 with 18 of these deaths involving vehicles (42%) with 14 of these workplace transport related (33%).

The main identified causes of the 14 workplace transport deaths were being hit or run over by a vehicle, followed by vehicle overturns and being hit by part of Association at the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, County Down were Deirdre Sinnott , Health & Safety Authority; John Maguire, Vice-Chairman UKWA; a vehicle. The 14 fatalities were all male. Roger Williams, Secretary General of the Derrick Potter, Chairman UKWA; Roger Williams, CEO UKWA and Jarlath Eleven people (79%) died at the scene International Federation of Warehousing Sweeney, Group Editor, Fleet Publications. of the accident whilst 3 people died later Logistics Association and the CEO of that day. At the time of the workplace UKWA who officially launched the AIWA, transport incident, 4 (29%) of the vehicles explained the background to his unique were moving forward, whilst 2 (14%) were cross-Border initiative. “Many of you will be reversing and 2 were manoeuvring. Tractors aware that UKWA has a small membership were the main type of vehicle involved in throughout the island of Ireland, and among transport fatalities in 2009, accounting for 3PLs mostly, but it is not able to serve properly 29% of the fatalities. the needs of the whole of the warehousing sector, and we believe that an affiliated Regarding non-fatal injuries involving those organisation, working closely with us could employed in transport included drivers and deliver a vital service in providing a focus for mobile plant operators and labourers in this important sector.” mining, construction and manufacturing, equated to 60% of the workforce. Of the 528 He went on to outline the objectives of the people affected, 151 or 17% of the incidents new organisation: “Most trade bodies have were from the areas of storage, loading and similar objectives. They are to: unloading. Physical strain was the most a) Protect the interests of its members prevalent reason for injury (48%) resulting in b) Represent the views of the industry almost 500 sprains and strains. These figures c) To push up the bar of best practice. relate to 2009 and show a decrease in numbers from the previous year – 673 in total with 166 AIWA has the same objectives, and we hope (16.6%) incurring non-fatal injuries by work John Maguire, Vice-Chairman UKWA; Roger Williams, to be able to deliver a number of positive environment in 2008. Interestingly there CEO UKWA and Flexi Narrow-Aisle (sponsor); Linda Rodway, Proteus Soft ware (sponsor); Ciaran Lavelle, contributions to the industry. Such as:was only 1% difference in the figure reporting Heavey RF (sponsor) and Derrick Pott er, Chairman • Developing recognised industr y ‘non-fatal injury by gender’ – 209 females UKWA. Hoppecke Batt eries was also a sponsor. standards and best practice; (21%) and 786 males (79%) were injured • De ve lopi ng a re c o g n i s e d in 2009 versus 691 (78%) males in 2009. career structure and bespoke Ms. Sinnott mentioned that incident levels qualifications; were higher in small businesses and that • Provide a focus for networking and “the bigger the vehicles, the bigger the business development; mess”. “Are you controlling the vehicle • And a collective voice of the industry interface at work?” she asked. Two age that can be heard. groups are of concern – 18-24 year olds must be watched cautiously she stressed And it is in the area of best practice where as do the 40-55 age group. “The vehicle I believe we can make an initial mark. to human interface must also be managed rigidly also.” At this stage I would like to thank today’s sponsors – Heavy RF, Flexi Narrow Aisle, Advice on the ‘Safe Driver’, the Proteus Soft ware and Hoppecke. Your Application of Good Practice and Horgan, Brightwater Recruitment Specialists, Belfast was the lucky support today is hugely appreciated – Roisin Complicity (visibility) was also given winner of the Mid-Week Break in Johnstown House Hotel, Enfield, County Meath, thank you. and appreciated by the audience. More pictured with Roger Williams, UKWA & Jarlath Sweeney, Fleet Transport. details onwww.hsa.ie. Finally, may I take this opportunity to recognise in the months to come.” the support and collaboration of Jarlath Sweeney, the Group Editor of Fleet Publications in helping Deirdre Sinnott , Head of Transport Safety to lay the foundations of the AIWA and who will Unit, Health & Safety Authority addressed the be providing a vital mouthpiece for the new body attendees as guest speaker. Deirdre’s presentation 52

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

Text & Photos: Rob Van Dieten – rob@fleet.ie

MARITIME 1

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

Volume 6, No. 1 Spring 2011

What future for smaller Irish Ports?

ne part of the All-Island Freight Forum’s work has been to look at the alternative transport modes for the movement of freight from one location in Ireland to another. Well over 90% of this traffic moves by road with rail and coastal shipping taking the balance. The question posed, was whether or not the balance is optimal and that these modes are fulfi lling their economic and environmental potential. As an island with the main population centres located on the coast it would appear to be logical that Coastal Shipping would play a significant role but, with the exception of liquid fuels and gas products this is hardly the case and the Irish coastline is littered with piers that are completely underutilised. There is, of course, a Shipping business in supplying the populations of the islands off the west coast.

that can accommodate the 4,000 tonne vessels and less again that can take the new Arklow Shipping Coastal trade vessels.

Can the sector be revived and the infrastructures of the smaller Ports whether built for handling shipping or as Fishery Ports be put to good use as Freight Ports? If they cannot, should they seek to earn their keep as leisure activity locations, or, where the geography is right, as service Ports for the offshore power industry?

into the Mediterranean. Forty years on these sturdy, simple vessels that had very shallow draft and flat bottoms, that could carry bulk goods and/ or a few containers are getting well beyond their 'sell-by' date. A glance at the fleet list of Arklow Shipping, a European leader in the whole short-sea shipping business, will show that, while twenty years ago they were commissioning vessels with under four metres draft and with a gross tonnage of under 2,000 tonnes, the recent arrivals require almost twice that depth and have a tonnage and carrying capacity of up to seven times larger. Other owners that specialise in small ships such as Scot Line and Union Transport’s recent vessels have a draft of over five metres and a tonnage of almost 4,000 tonnes.

The major problem lies with the fact that smaller vessels are not now readily available. In the 1970s there was a burst of buildings in Dutch and German Yards, in particular, of small vessels that could navigate the great rivers of Europe and could also safely trade to Ireland, Scandinavia and down the French and Iberian coastlines and

Immediately you will see that the number of Irish Ports that would have the depth at both the Port entrance and alongside the Quay at low tide is very limited. Add to this the fact that Ship-owners are increasingly reluctant to use Ports in which vessels sit on the bottom and you will see that there are probably less than ten Ports around the Irish Coast

A Warrenpoint based Shipping Agent advised Fleet Maritime that the Port has always served the agricultural sector with a steady flow of grain and fertiliser and other input cargoes moving in to and out of the Port in smaller Coastal vessels. However, as the Port has been developed and, in particular, dredged so as to be able accommodate larger Ro-Ro vessels, the animal feeds and other bulk product importers have been able to avail of vessels with up to 40,000 tonnes capacity bringing the cargo from far cheaper sources further afield and at a very keen transport cost. The savings per tonne on Port costs are also very significant, while in a time when warehouse costs are low, the problems of bringing in product ahead of requirement are minimised. From the Port’s point of view, while the Port Community is glad to see the larger vessel coming to them and not going to Dublin, Belfast or elsewhere, they are also very much aware that their incomes will suffer. The question then, is whether and when it becomes not worth it to offer services to such vessels and the island of Ireland becomes reduced to about six freight handling Ports. As the number of fully functioning Ports is reduced so, the options for vessels to run from one Irish Port to another are closed off. It would appear that for the future; shipping fuel products by sea – yes, feedering containers from City Port to City Port by sea – perhaps, shipping other cargoes around our coasts – NO.

Maritime Management Ltd. secures major Accreditation

ublin based Maritime Management Ltd, a leading Irish International maritime services company, founded in Dublin in 2002, has been awarded ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accreditation by the International Germanischer Lloyd. Speaking at the Award Ceremony Maritime Management Managing Director, Jan Berg said: “These awards show our dedication to delivering high quality ship management services, beyond the strict compliance required in this highly regulated industry. It is of particular significance to our clients involved in underwater exploration

and scientific research and to those involved in the transport of agricultural produce either refrigerated or in bulk.” John Toner, Technical Director at Maritime Management, in welcoming the accreditation and its validation of the Company’s Green credentials also commented on the Irish maritime sector, saying, “while we have seen significant growth and increasing confidence in the Irish Maritime sector over the last few years, there is still some work to be done before we take our rightful place among world shipping.”

Maritime Management has a diverse range of International clients and operate different vessels from specialist passenger and cargo ships to specialist vessels such as the E/V Nautilus operated on behalf of the famous undersea explorer Dr. Robert Ballard. He is best known for his discovery of the Titanic, ‘PT 109’ and the German Batt leship Bismarck. Discoveries in the Mediterranean have included Phoenician vessels and previously unseen marine life around hydrothermal vents.

FLEETTRANSPORT FLEETMARITIME | DEC | SPRING 10/JAN 11 11 63 53

MARITIME 11

New Operating rules will make UK Port vehicle checks fairer

he vexed question of fairness in the way in which the UK Vehicle Operator VolumeServices 5, No. Agency 4 Winter 2010 (VOSA) operates has fi nally been addressed following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Agency and the British Ports Group together with other representative Agencies. This follows the publication on 3 March of a report on the VOSA Ports Operation by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee.

companies concerned. Fleet Maritime previously reported the concerns expressed by the Milford Haven Port Authority that VOSA appeared to be targeting the Port of Pembroke and that there was a diversion of traffic to the Rosslare to Fishguard route. Dover Port, Operations Director, Robin Dodridge was recently reported as holding the view that VOSA Inspectors had in the past tended to concentrate their activities in the Port rather than on their rival Eurotunnel terminal.

Many UK Ports have expressed strong concerns that the presence of VOSA vehicle checkpoints within or close to the Port has deterred drivers from using Ferry Services operating into the affected Ports and that this has prejudiced the business, both of the port and of the Ferry

The March MOU stated that, in principle, where there is no reasonable alternative to carrying out vehicle checks at Ports, VOSA should be given access to suitable areas; that vehicle checks carried out within or close to Ports should be coordinated and carried out so

that fair competition is maintained and that the level of checks carried out at competing ports and inland checkpoints is proportionate; and that checking of vehicles is carried out, so as to minimise disruption to traffic. VOSA has also put into place arrangements for inspection of HGVs at Coquelles on the French side of the Eurotunnel with the intention of reducing congestion on the M20 route caused by roadside inspections and being consistent with their operations in Dover. VOSA will also now have access to the UK Revenue and Customs Freight targeting database. It expects that this arrangement will help them to target the highest risk traffic.

Cobelfret Group’s bring largest vessels onto Irish routes

ince the beginning of 2011, Luxembourg based CLdN Group subsidiary has brought the largest Ro-Ro vessels in its fleet onto the Zeebrugge and Rotterdam to Dublin routes to meet peaks in cargo demand. The sister vessels, Pauline and Yasmine each have over 5,000 metres of lane space, almost double that of vessels that have become regulars on the route over the last twelve months, and with a capacity, over three times that of the vessels used to introduce the Irish services just over two years ago. A significant factor in the steep increase of carryings on the service, has been the consolidation by

the Irish and UK markets and, instead, they are using the Cobelfret regular services. The January registration peak in the Irish market led Cobelfret, not only to substitute these larger vessels for their normal service vessels on a temporary basis, but also to add extra sailings.

many of the motor distributors of their principal European Distribution hubs at Zeebrugge. This has eliminated the need for the specialist vehicle carriers to operate their own feeder vessels to

On the linked Radicatel to Dublin Lo-Lo service this is no longer a C2C Lines joint venture operation between Cobelfret and ECS European Containers. The vessel Marus is now operated by CLdN RoRo S.A. and operates a weekly Radicatel/Dublin rotation, leaving out the Dublin to Waterford leg.

Stena Line thinks big for its new Belfast /Cairnryan link tena Line has announced that it has entered into a long term lease agreement with Baltic operator, Tallink for the lease of sister ships, Superfast VII and Superfast VIII and will introduce them to open the service from Belfast to the Stena Terminal in Cairnryan in Lough Ryan in the Autumn 2011. Building of the new Terminal there is due for completion by end of September.

The Superfast vessels, with a cruising speed of 27 knots will be able to complete the Belfast/Cairnryan sailing in two and quarter hours. Prior to entering Stena services the vessels will each be altered to allow for extra deck height to accommodate the trend for higher, more efficient freight units. Each vessel will be able to carry up to 1,200 passengers and 660 cars or 110 freight units.

The new ships, the largest ever to operate on the Scotland/Northern Ireland route will displace the HSS Stena Voyager and the cruise ferries, Stena Navigator and Stena Caledonia. Th is latter vessel was one of the last ships built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast and, as the St. David, was introduced by Sealink to the Rosslare/Fishguard route in 1981. This boat moved to the Northern Corridor ten years later and was re-named Stena Caledonia. She was one of a group of four sister ships built for Sealink and the other three vessels are currently operating in the Western Mediterranean.

Frank Nieuwehuys, Freight Manager, Stena UK and Ireland said, “Belfast is now firmly established as the logistics focal point in Northern Ireland and the deployment of the new ships later in the year will coincide with the opening of our new purpose built £80 million Port facility at Cairnryan, replacing that at Stranraer.” He added, “The new ships will be the largest ever to operate between Scotland and Ireland and will provide Stena with the increased operational efficiency of replacing three ships with two.” Asked separately about Stena Line’s stated commitment to level the playing field as far as

54 FLEETMARITIME | SPRING 11

possible for smaller hauliers and/or exporters who use their own vehicles and to give them a fighting chance of competing with the Big Boys, Nieuwehuys told Fleet Maritime, “Stena Line manages its pricing strategy to assure realistic price levels across our network of routes for customers of all shapes and sizes. Freight works in a highly competitive market and normal factors affecting price will apply, for instance, economies of scale that allow large businesses to improve their cost base through the traditional benefit of being able to buy in bulk whether it is trucks, trailers, fuel or, indeed, sea freight. All Stena line freight operatives work to a structured rates matrix which is developed and reviewed annually.” Meanwhile the Belfast/Birkenhead operation which Stena bought from DFDS Seaways in December has yet to clear the UK Competition Authority hurdles and remains operating under the brand, Stena Irish Sea Ferries with the existing vessels and schedules.

MARITIME 111

PORT PORTALS Commenting on the concerns being expressed through a Wexford Chamber Working Group studying the Port of Rosslare, Tony Kelly of Irish Ferries said that the Line was fully committed to the Wexford Port and its services through that Port. “Th is commitment is underlined by our recent major investment in our Ireland/ France routes and, this year, our signing of a new ten year agreement with Milford Haven Port Authority regarding our Terminal arrangements at Pembroke Dock." His analysis of the 2010 Irish Sea freight market showed a decline by four per cent of volumes shipping through Rosslare and, though there was a four per cent increase in traffic through the Dublin Bay Central corridor, this growth was entirely on the longer routes which increased by nine per cent. The routes to and from Holyhead suffered a freight decline by nine per cent in 2010.

In February Mezeron Line withdrew its six times weekly Liverpool / Isle of Man container service in the face of intense competition from the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Ro-Ro services. At the time of closure of the service it was estimated that Mezeron had taken 15% of the established company’s freight business and had forced it into an aggressive cost cutt ing exercise. The Isle of Man Company has also undertaken to refit their Ro-Pax vessel Ben-my-Chree so as to be able to accommodate double deck trailers to reduce costs and drive down emissions. The Line has also put its Fast Ferry Snaefell on the sales market. Th is vessel has been used extensively on the Douglas/Dublin route and it is not clear how the vessel’s sale will affect schedules. The twice week Mezeron service, ex Garston and once weekly ex Belfast general cargo and limited number of container services, which have operated for many years will continue.

Communications Manager has pointed out, however, that in 1996, the fi rst year of the HSS service, the vessel operated up to five round trips a day over a 48 week year and carried 1.7 million passengers. Current passenger numbers, even with the boost from weather and other events in 2010, do not exceed 250,000. The Ferry service is now likely to operate on a purely seasonal April to September, basis. Dublin Port expects completion of the installation of the rail spur to the Common User Container Terminal to be completed in early April. Th is would facilitate operation by Iarnród Éireann of the four times weekly trains chartered by IWT from beneath the gantries at the Port to the Freight Terminal at Ballina at a speed that is competitive with road freight. The Forwarder expects to increase the service frequency to five times weekly before Summer 2011. The National Transport Authority’s draft Transport Strategy document for the period 2011 –2030 is currently in its Public Consultation phase. The focus is on the greater Dublin area. The NTA proposals include the retention of the plan for the outer orbital route which could link the proposed Bremore Port to Navan and run through to Naas and the development of this road in stages. The Authority also supports the Dublin City Council’s plans for the extension of the ban on HGV’s operating out of Dublin Port into the City Centre to smaller and lighter vehicles and supports the preservation of the Eastern Bypass corridor and the retention and making greater use of the rail infrastructure to take freight into and out of the Port. A Congestion Charge system is also in the proposal. The operation of Lighthouses, Buoys, and other aids to maritime navigation is funded by payment of light dues by every vessel that calls to a Port in the waters concerned. In the case of these islands the funds are remitted through Trinity House who, in turn pass the required funds for maintenance of navigational aids around the Irish coast to the Commissioners for Irish Lights. A group of major Shipping Lines, comprising of the Independent Light Dues Forum (ILDF)

have complained that contrary to experience in other waters the Light Dues in British and Irish Waters have remained very high and has pointed out that these costs can now amount to up to 45% of the cost of a Port Call. The ILDF has stated that failure to reduce such charges will drive the Ocean Lines to call only to Continental Ports and drive the Lines to serve these islands by Feeder vessels only, thus increasing costs for traders. The closure of Nuclear Power Plants and other disruption to Japanese industry has had an immediate impact on the Worldwide shipping industry. There was an immediate switch to LNG as a fuel source, leading to a serious shortage of vessels capable of bringing the gas to Japan and a spike in charter costs. Demand for coal has also surged leading to increased charter rates for Bulk Cargo vessels, while the effective temporary close-down of the Japanese based motor industry has hit the market for, in particular, the very large car carriers. Lines such as Maersk, however, confirmed that its container shipping operations through Japanese Ports have been largely unaffected. Dublin and Cork based ships’ agency company Aquaship Agencies has been acquired by the Aramex Group. Aquaship Managing Director, Andy Humphries said, “Since its founding in 1993, Aquaship has earned a reputation for consistent quality customer service.” Aramax states that the aquisition in Ireland is the latest in a series of recently formalised International partnerships and acquisitions, including in Turkey, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Kenya. The Company believes that it is building an International, strong operation. DFDS Seaways is now operating its Rosyth/ Zeebrugge Ro-Ro route on a four times weekly schedule in each direction. In order to reduce fuel use and costs the vessels are now scheduled to run a sailing time between the Ports of between 27 and 32 hours rather than the 18 hours when the route was operated by Norfolk Line. DFDS Seaways has a strong focus on trade cars and operates a substantial mafi fleet to facilitate the carriage of Lo-Lo containers, tanks and other specialised equipment.

Stena Line has concluded a two year agreement with the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company that will see the company’s ferries operating into the County Dublin Port for at least another two years. The new agreement will reduce the annual Harbour dues for the Line from €6.7 million to €2 million. Eamonn Hewitt , Stena’s

FLEETMARITIME | SPRING 11

MARITIME 1V

Brittany Ferries ‘Barfleur’ reinstated

rittany Ferries reinstated the ‘Barfleur’ on 27 February with a large dollop of enthusiasm one year after this service was withdrawn due to the downturn. Now it is confident that with the additional capacity that the faithful vessel will add to its PooleCherbourge route, will once again prove popular with both freight and car travellers on the four and a half hour trip between the South coast of England and the Northern French Port. A combination of schedules has been specifically tailored to allow hauliers meet peak overnight demand from France. A reduced passenger capacity on board also provides increased comfort for clients of the French carrier which has been on the seas since 1972. Although the route has only been resurrected until October next, Brittany Ferries does not see this as a testing of the water action, more a vote of confidence in the route and a response to the forthcoming Summer season which indicates that additional traffic is expected. Regular freight movers which ship to France, and vice versa will be well aware that Brittany Ferries also run a dedicated service for goods to and from Cherbourg on another flagship vessel, the Cotentin, which also operates on its Poole-Bilbao crossing. The addition of the Barfleur will allow it to add an extra weekly service to Spain, now numbering seven times per week. The Barfleur has a scaled down capacity of 450 passengers, catering for 20 trucks and the remainder cars while the Cotentin can carry 110-120 vehicles – all trucks – on its routes. Travelling on both you are immediately taken by the standards that Brittany Ferries apply. Speaking to some of those on board, they were high in their praise for the pleasant surroundings, the ample space and levels of comfort in the lounges and in the cabins and, most importantly the quality of the food on offer on both ships. In fact, everyone I spoke with commended the food. It is a French carrier, after all and as David Mercier, Brittany Ferries Continental

56 FLEETMARITIME | SPRING 11

Sales Manager in France said, “it’s always lunchtime in France”, so you can enjoy the pleasures of the chefs at anytime.

Ferries ships have air-conditioned cabins with en-suite facilities – a total of 6,360 beds across the entire fleet.

Poole Port itself is ideally positioned between Plymouth and Portsmouth, both of which are also Brittany Ferries routes. Access to the Poole area may not be as straight forward as the other two because it is not on a direct motorway route. There is a narrow swing bridge at the entrance, which is opened regularly which causes minor delays and can be clogged by two large vehicles meeting each other at that point – best for one or other to give way. Generally it is a clear run. A new bridge is being built and will be in operation by the end of this year.

On our trip we got to go to the control deck where Captain Daniel Roignan and his trusty lieutenants steered the Barfleur through the narrow channel which was dredged by Poole Harbour Authority to allow for the passage of big ferries, past the home of ‘Spurs Manager, Harry Redknapp and the Haven Hotel on the left both near the famous Sand Banks, some of the most expensive real estate in the World. Looking right you see Old Harry’s Rocks called after the notorious pirate, Harry Paye who terrorised ships in the past and out into the open seas bound for Cherbourg. On the way home we got to test out the sleeping quarters on the Cotentin on the overnight sailing and arrived back in the UK again at 6.30am.

Cherbourg is familiar to all Irish hauliers. As well as Brittany Ferries, Irish Ferries and Celtic Ferries are frequent users. However, it was interesting to see the number of Irish trucks that used the Barfleur on our outward journey and on the Cotentin for our return trip. Nolan Transport, New Ross was clearly one of the dominant players on both crossings. In fact, on a quick observation, Nolan Transport had more trucks on board than any other single carrier, testament to their International reach and to the convenience of this particular route. On the French side, Cherbourg is a town dominated by the Port. Most of the surrounding area is agriculturally based. Indeed, Brittany Ferries, then called BAI Ltd – meaning literally ‘Bretagne-Angleterre-Irelande’ was originally set up by a group of farmers in order to transport vegetables to Britain. That link remains today and is made stronger by the expansion of this route. The company now employs 2,700 staff in high season, 325 UK based with the majority on board being French nationals. All Brittany

Speaking about the restoration of the route, Jon Clarke, Director of Freight said, “We were first to recognise that the downturn was coming when we withdrew the Barfleur and we are the first to see that there is now a need for additional capacity. That is why we are restoring the Barfleur to the Poole-Cherbourg route. It also allows us to add extra capacity with additional services on our Poole-Bilbao route too.”

PREVIEW

Van's your man at CV Show 2011

or three days, the Commercial Vehicle Show at Birmingham’s NEC from 12-14 April will be the focus of the transport industry, with exhibitors using it as the main platform to launch lots of new products and services. Most of the van makers will have new metal on their stands, with models making UK, European and in some cases, World debuts. Hyundai makes its CV Show debut to promote its Euro 5 engined iLoad LCV and to show off its panel van (pictured) and crew-cab range (on stand 4E140). Also making an appearance will be the first Police-converted version of the iLoad, on loan from Cambridgeshire Constabulary. Hyundai Motor UK has become a preferred supplier to the UK Police Authorities.

star of the firm’s stand 5E20, supported by nine other VW vans and minibuses, including Caddy and Caddy Maxi panel vans. Transporter kombi and panel van models as well as Crafter panel vans and chassis cabs and the Transporter shuttle and Caravelle people carriers. Following record UK LCV sales in 2010, Renault will have seven UK Show debuts at the CV Show. Taking pride of place in its 14-strong vehicle display on stand 5E100, will be Renaut’s 100% electric Kangoo Van ZE (Zero Emissions). Also on display will be new additions to the Master range: four factory-built products – Box Van, Dropside, Tipper and 17-seat minibus, as well as two locally converted products – Luton Van and Curtainside.

Mark Baxter, Hyundai UK’s Product Manager commented, “Hyundai is committed to increasing the awareness of the iLoad and sees the CV Show as an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the iLoad capabilities to the wider light commercial vehicle user audience.”

One of the most interesting exhibitions will be from Tata with the Tata Ace the most popular light commercial vehicle in India and a full electric vehicle derivative is to be launched on stand 4F140 at the CV Show. The Tata Ace EV offers the practicality of a small half-tonne chassis cab, with the benefits of a low-cost, highly efficient all-electric drivetrain. The vehicle has been developed in the UK by a team of technicians and engineers from Tata Motors European Technical Centre plc. It will be assembled in the Midlands. Volkswagen will be back to the Show with a bang for the UK launch of its Double-Cab Amarok Pick-Up. The new four-door, four-wheel-drive International Award-winning Pick-Up will be the 58

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Fiat Professional will show its range of awardwinning commercial vehicles on stand 5C90 at this year’s CV Show. Taking centre stage will be Fiat’s Doblo Cargo, voted International Van of the Year 2011. And making their UK debuts will be examples of the recently introduced Euro 5 Fiorino range and the Punto Evo Van. Gerry Clarke, Director of Fiat Professional UK, comments, “Fiat Professional range of award-winning vehicles has a high level of interest from customers and the media, and this is set to continue with the introduction of new environmentally friendly Euro 5 engines in the Fiorino, Scudo and Punto Evo Van.”

Isuzu will be on stand E450 and states that its D-MAX Pick-Up relies on its truck-based origins to deliver reliable hard work, backed by an after sales network that offers support when you need it rather than when it’s convenience for the dealer. Isuzu’s recent tieup with JCB dealers is an example of this approach at work, helping to keep the wheels turning. Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle will use its stand 5B20 for the UK exhibition debut of its award winning Vito E-Cell. Power comes from a 36 kW capacity lithium ion battery pack driving through a 70 kW electric motor. The vehicle has a range of around 130 km, can carry a payload of up to 900 kg and its top speed is limited to 80 km/h. The firm will also show two Sprinter vans, a natural gas powered model and a Blue Efficiency model, which comes with lots of clever ideas to cut fuel use.

Kevin Woodward, Managing Director of the Vehicle Enhancement Division of Bott, said, “The CV Show will provide us with a platform with which to reveal our new product to a wide range of new and existing customers. Bott Vario can be installed in any vehicle type, so we look forward to meeting fleet managers working in a range of sectors, including utilities, service, telecoms, materials handling, civil engineering and rail.”

These are just a few of the huge range of supporting products and services at the CV Show to help you get the best out of your new van.

As well as the vans, there will be a huge range of supporting products and services on show such as spray-on linings for vans and Pick-Ups from Linex (stand 4C90) and an all-makes van parts range from Multipart on stand 5G120. Eminox will take bookings for its LEZ clinics on stand 5H80, where it will help van operators to plan for the next and toughest yet round of London Low Emission Zone restrictions. Mix Telematics on stand 4G124 says its new Mix Track web-based system shows how vehicle tracking should work; it is easy to access from anywhere, offering operators a simple way to increase efficiency and save cash. At this year’s CV Show, Bott will launch its new lightweight in-vehicle modular storage on stand 5G60. Bott Vario is the result of a three-year multimillion pound development programme, offering industry-leading functionality with sleek, modern aesthetics. Its flexibility means it can easily be installed into any vehicle type, and is suited to a vast range of sectors.

WorkShop 2011, also very much part of the CV Show’s agenda will host a number of after-market tools and supplies to make everyday work at the Repair and Maintenance Centre that little bit easier and help to comply with new rules and regulations also. For example, the TEXA Konfort range. From 2011 onwards, air conditioning systems in all newly type-approved vehicles weighing less than 3.5 tons must be charged with R1234yf refrigerant, less polluting than the R134a refrigerant currently in use. So garages must be able to service both new and old systems. To comply with the new environmental standards, TEXA has completely renewed its acclaimed Konfort range of air conditioning service stations, registering eight International patents for its design features. The Konfort 780 Bi-Gas can work with both R134a and R1234yf refrigerants, allowing service of both types of air conditioning systems with simple switch refrigerant types. The Konfort range and new soft ware will be on stand 4F30. The newly-launched TrukTorque pneumatic torque multiplier from Norbar Torque Tools features a special banana-shaped design reaction arm to handle bolt tightening on front and rear wheels of trucks and buses, easily accommodating wheel

PREVIEW trims and deeply recessed wheel bolts with none of the noise and vibration problems associated with impact wrenches. Norbar will demonstrate TrukTorque on stand 4L12 at the CV Show. It offers accuracy, safety and convenience for the commercial vehicle repair and maintenance workshop. The tool operates up to 1000 Nm of torque, is considerably lighter than a comparable impact wrench and is designed so that the operator’s hands do not risk getting caught in trapping zones while wheel nuts are being tightened, as well as a number of other invaluable benefits.

and Jonsered recycling cranes. These on-road load handling solutions are designed to move goods and material in a diverse range of sectors, such as construction, agriculture, forestry, industry, waste handling, recycling and by the defence forces.

The Commercial Vehicle Show is owned by the CV Show LLP, comprising the Road Haulage Association, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and IRTE Services Ltd, the trading company of the SOE (Society of Operations Engineers).

Highlights of the Show will include the Hiab XS1222-2 Di Duo loader crane and the Moffett M4 20.3 vehicle mounted forklift. Also on display will be the Kalmar TT612d terminal tractor, which features ultra fast 5th wheel movements, excellent manoeuvrability, low operating costs and superior cabin comfort.

As the market leader in vehicle mounted forklifts and loader cranes, Cargotec will be exhibiting at this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show on stands 5H120/124 and 5J132 in Hall 5. Cargotec brands are recognised as market leaders in each of their respective fields and include Hiab loader cranes (pictured), Moffett truck mounted forklifts, Multilift demountable systems, Loglift timer cranes

The Show’s websites – www.cvshow.com and workshopshow.co.uk – carry all information about the Shows, exhibitors with their stand numbers and how to get to the NEC, as well as all the latest news. The CV Show at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, will be open from 08.30 to 17.30 on Tuesday 12 to Thursday 14 April inclusive. Entry, as always, is free.

FPS 2011 Awards Dinner

FPS 2011 Expo Workshop Programme

t will be dress suits and cocktail dresses aplenty at the Harrogate International Centre for the FPS 2011 Awards Dinner on Thursday 14 April. The Dinner constitutes the highlight of FPS Expo 2011 and is ideal for entertaining clients and networking with the industry.

PS Expo 2011, the annual industry showcase for the oil and petroleum distribution sectors has been around for over 30 years now. One of the popular additions to the event programme is the series of Workshops that run alongside the Exhibition at the Harrogate International Centre. Listed below is the Workshop Programme over the two days of the event. Workshops are free to enter for all visitors.

John Martin, Master of Comedy returns by popular demand as the Awards Host and AfterDinner Speaker. To round off the evening is the ever popular fun Casino, sponsored by Adler & Allan where attendees can use their fun money to try their luck at winning some fabulous prizes.

Wednesday 13 April 11.00am Reeling Hoses & DDC Couplings for Safety in the Workplace and Environment Facilitators: Anton Martiniussen & Dan Leeson, Elaflex Ltd

Further details from Vanessa Cook on 0044 1565 631313.

12.30pm Understanding Risk in the Oil Distribution Industry Facilitator: Michael Ong, FPS

2.00pm The Fuel Pricing Maze Facilitator: Argus Media Thursday 14 April 11.00am Understanding Risk in the Oil Distribution Industry Facilitator: Michael Ong, FPS 12.30pm Reeling Hoses & DDC Couplings for Safety in the Workplace and Environment Facilitators: Anton Martiniussen & Da Leeson, Elaflex Ltd 2.00pm The Fuel Pricing Maze Facilitator: Argus Media

New Chief Executive for Federation of Petroleum Suppliers

he Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) has appointed Mark Askew as its new Chief Executive.

In succeeding Susan Hancock who retires this Summer, Mark (50) has over 30 years of experience across a range of sectors. For the fast five years, he has run the Nuclear Institute’s secretariat, co-ordinated membership activities and organised technical and commercial events on a National and European scale. A key function has been providing knowledge of the nuclear industry to, and building links with, Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

Government academia, the media and service providers. Among other achievements, Mark also managed the merger of The Institution of Nuclear Engineers and the British Nuclear Energy Society to form the Nuclear Institute and went on to develop policies and strategy for the new body. Prior to joining the Nuclear Institute, Mark spent 10 years with the Aluminium Federation, much of it as Technical Director. Again, he ran a secretariat and provided membership services and liaison with other organisations. He arrived at the representative body after extensive supervisory and management experience with companies in that sector. Appointed to drive the next stage of the Federation’s growth, Mark comments, “The FPS has achieved considerable success and I’m delighted to be joining the organisation. The FPS has always worked very hard for its membership and I intend to continue with that tradition.

The most effective representation comes from the whole of the sector working together. Achieving this will mean increasing membership, especially in Ireland. With increased numbers, we can establish an even stronger industry presence, promote successes and address challenges and issues to best effect. We will need to develop further our communication to the wider community in which we operate. I hope to encourage the sharing of best practice between member companies and to extend the already successful training offered by the FPS into other operational areas. And, of course, I hope to get to know the sector and its members better, because it is only through understanding them and their needs thoroughly that we can all work together towards a more prosperous future.” FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

TIMES PAST

Artefacts

Ballsbridge Works in the early Twentieth Century - Tram Nos. 32 & 65

Manhandling Tram Jacks

deeply involved in moving trams during the 1970s. It then turned out that some of these jacks were stored in an obsolete store at Broadstone and CIE presented them to the Museum.

ost of the Times Past offerings dealing with the Transport Museum concentrate on vehicles. There is, however, another type of exhibit which up to now has escaped detailed attention – artefacts. Unbelievably varied, some of them were used directly with particular vehicle types, others were ancillary to the service provided. These artefacts range from the smallest hand tools up to very large items of equipment and this month I would like to introduce a few of them – and describe both how they were used and how we keep track of them. Since 1998, the Transport Museum has benefitted enormously from being part of the Heritage Council’s Museums Accreditation programme. We have attended several courses organised by the Council in Museum practice and have put into operation the many procedures they recommended. This includes the creation of a register giving every vehicle and artefact a year-related accession number, the information being recorded both in a ledger and on the computer. The few items covered this month come from this register.

Adjusting Tram Jacks under No. 253, 20 Feb 1993 60

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When electric trams arrived during the 1890s, a heavier version of the jacks used with the horse trams was designed to lift the heavier electric tram body from its truck or bogies. The picture reproduced here and dating from about a hundred years ago shows two sets of these jacks in use at the Dublin United Tramways Company’s workshops at Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge; Ballsbridge Motors is now located on this site. This picture is one of those that show some new detail every time you look at it, but it is also one of those sad images showing nine members of staff whose names were never recorded. This is a circumstance surrounding countless old pictures of nameless people whose work has contributed so much to social and economic progress. Returning to the jacks, it can be seen how they were deployed; two at each side of the tram, a steel I-beam connecting each pair under the platform bulkhead. Four men turned the handles of the extremely low geared jacks, lifting or lowering the tram very slowly but safely, enabling the truck or bogies to be rolled in or out. These jacks remained in use in various depots during the entire tramway era and were more or less forgotten until the Museum became

The tram jacks have been used on several occasions when trams had to be transported to or from the Museum and their deployment can be seen clearly under No. 253; a lowloading trailer has no difficulty going under the tram body. That this lifting equipment is still in use a century after the Ballsbridge photo is noteworthy and another fact that hasn’t changed is the sheer slavery these jacks represent. We usually have two men per handle, relieving each other at frequent intervals. There is also the matter of moving them – the physical effort needed is enormous, but we are glad that the connection with the early days of electric trams has been preserved. Another artefact from the tramway era survives in two more of this month’s pictures. All tram routes were electrically isolated into half-mile sections, the overhead wiring of which was fed from the underground distribution cables. Every feed was marked by a section box containing fuses etc. The Dublin boxes were highly decorated, carrying

Vandalised Blackbanks Tramway Section Box Apr 1981

Restored Section Box

TIMES PAST other shelter along the line. Running time was laid down for each part of the route and the conductor had to punch his time card each time his bus reached a check point. As traffic congestion worsened, early running changed to the exact opposite and the time clocks were taken away. The one in the Museum collection stood outside Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin until about 1974 when, long out of use, it was removed and presented to the Museum. The artefacts just described are among the hundreds in our care. In earlier years we displayed many smaller objects but thieving by souvenir hunters forced us to put many of these into store because we don’t have suitable display cases. Larger items, such as sectioned engines and components donated by Dublin Institute of Technology, can be shown on the platforms of various lorries. Obsolete Garage Cranes - Phibsboro Garage, June 1999

Time Clock in front of Bus P347

the shields of both the tramway company and the suppliers of the electrical equipment. When the trams were withdrawn several of the boxes were used by Dublin Corporation in the public lighting network. A vandalised survivor that stood at Blackbanks (Raheny) near the former Howth line was rescued by the Public Lighting D e p a t me nt w ho restored it beautifully and presented it to the Museum in 1995. It GNR Gardner No. 213 - Installing Engine carries the British Thomson-Houston and Dublin installing an engine in Great Northern Railway United Tramways crests and the date 1898. An bus No. 213 is a reminder of the physical effort interesting fact is that British Thomson-Houston expended on such work in years gone by. This (BT-H) is today part of Alstom, major suppliers and picture dates from about seventy years ago. Again, contractors to the Luas tramway system. we don’t know who the men are, but bus No. 390, mechanically the same as No. 213, survives in the In the days before forklift trucks and engine lifts, Museum collection. another form of very hard work fell to the teams of mechanics who changed the power units of A very different artefact is the clock pictured on front-engined vehicles. There has been a variety the Museum floor in front of bus P347. This clock of engine jacks and cranes over the years and the was one of many dating from the 1950s and 60s Museum has been lucky to have examples that came before Dublin traffic congestion became a problem from Dublin Bus and An Post. We hope to have and a serious obstruction to the bus service. To these and many other large artefacts on display discourage early running, time clocks were installed as soon as we can create the necessary space. In in bus shelters at each suburban terminus and, the meantime, the picture of three mechanics according to the length of the route, in at least one

One artefact included with the current selection shows that bad as things may be, they were worse in times past. This is a scales that came to the Museum on a trailer and had originally belonged to a coal merchant. Until about forty years ago, coal roundsmen delivered fuel to domestic customers who were both large companies and sole independent operators. They were known as bell men from the horse days when a bell attached to the animal’s harness announced their arraival in a particular street. Coal was sold by the ton (sixteen ten-stone sacks), half ton (eight sacks) or quarter ton (four sacks). Some less wealthy customers would take one or two sacks, but there were also many – far too many - very poor people who could only afford to buy less than a bag and this scales was used to weigh out these meagre purchases. The scales ended up on the back of a lorry that was being scrapped and so came to the Museum. As the scales illustrates, social as well as vehicle and transport history is an important aspect of the Museum collection and a future Times Past will hopefully revisit the theme of artefacts.

The National Transport Museum, Heritage Depot, Howth Demense, Howth. Opening Times: Sept - May: Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays, 2.00 - 5.00pm.

26 Dec - 1 Jan: 2.00 - 5.00pm daily.

June - August: Artefacts and picture frames crowded on to body of Austin ZD 4998

Coal Scales

Text & Photos: Michael Corcoran – enquiries@fleet.ie

Monday - Saturday, 10.00am - 5.00pm. FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

CONFERENCE

IRHA Conference & AGM 2011

Transport (the ‘Permanent Government’).

Date: Saturday 9 April 2011 Venue: Limerick Strand Hotel, Ennis Road, Limerick The 38th Annual General Meeting of the Irish Road Haulage Association - Timetable: Session 1: 9am - 1pm Agenda • Notice convening the meeting • Minutes of Annual General Meeting • Matters Arising • Auditors Report

Session 2: 2pm – 4pm Agenda • Appointment of Auditors • Nominations for Council • Resolutions from Branches • Any other Business Council Meeting The fi rst meeting of the newly elected National Council will be held on Saturday evening. Business will commence at 4.00pm. Agenda • Minutes of last AGM Council Meeting • Election of Officer Board • Election of Management Committee • AOB Drinks Reception: 7.30 pm until 8.15 pm. Gala

D i n ner

“The IRHA has, like the last Government been ineffective in stemming the overwhelming economic disaster hitt ing our industry. The new IRHA team will be expected to achieve much but will have their work cut out to achieve anything. They will need a clearly laid out list of priorities and those priorities will have to be fought for tooth and nail both here in Ireland and in the EU.

w it h

Further details from Catherine Molony – Email: info@irha.ie Tel: 01 801 3380

Speeding: Noel Brett , CEO of the RSA has repeatedly stated that achieving road safety is not a numbers game, that is exactly what the new GATZO vans are playing at with fi nes being imposed for four kilometres over an eighty limit, he needs to be brought to account on this. The costs to our industry are potentially enormous and I am proposing a campaign of non co-operation with all penalty notices to be sent to the RHA and that we employ legal representation to fight these through the Courts (perhaps we should engage some of the legal reps who have fought so successfully for some of our senators and TD’s in the Tribunals)?

The issues I believe we should focus on are:Fuel: a decrease in the cost of diesel to what is a vital part of economic life in Ireland, to be blunt, we are not to be treated the same as someone taking their children to school or a boy racer.

Lunch: 1pm – 2pm

Fol lowe d b y Entertainment.

Former President Jerry Kiersey sets out an agenda for the road transport organisation's new Management Team and Council as its Programme for Government.

Eurovignette: the cost of diesel is being added to ever increasing taxes by way of tolls etc across Europe and the UK, it now appears that it’s very close to taxing in some way foreign (Irish) trucks crossing their territory which is our primary route to and from mainland Europe. Agricultural Tractors: the appalling suggestion from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and Department of Transport to legalise haulage by agricultural vehicles is to be opposed by ALL means both here and in Europe.

We are a small organisation representing small to medium size businesses and to achieve our aims, “We will need to win friends and influence people”. I have proposed in the past a Transport Umbrella Group ‘TUG’ where we share information and lobbying resources on common goals, ie. The Irish Exporters Association (IEA) has made more of the need for an essential user rebate than the IRHA has and they represent our customers. Th is has been resisted by IRHA Management as they see it as weakening our organisation, I see it as a strengthening – we have common ground with IEA, Irish Small & Medium Enterprise (ISME), Small Form Association (SFA) and the Transport (AA) on the issues that I have outlined above. Let us communicate around a table and use their resources along with our own."

Cabotage: the cabotage ruling from the EU is damaging Ireland’s national interests and needs to be rescinded long before Commissioner Kallas’ aim of 2013. IRHA members working in the UK and Europe are keeping Irish people employed. We are adding value to our exports and earning foreign revenues – we are exporters of services and that the last Government allowed this to happen in the condition of our economy is an indictment of both them and the Department of

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

REPORT 11

‘Smart Freight or a Dearth of Knowledge?’

he Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (CILT) hosted an event titled ‘Smart Freight’ at the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) Bolton Street to the audience that listened attentively as the guest speakers presented their slide shows, highlighting facts and figures relating to the transport industry. CILT had invited speakers from the Department of Transport (DoT), The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), National Transport Authority (NTA) and DIT. Laura Behan, then Principal Officer at the Department of Transport’s newly formed ‘Freight/ Laura Behan (Principal Officer Dept of Transport) Logistics Division’ spoke about the remit of the new Division, which aims to develop and publish a National Freight Strategy. Th is strategy is hoped to promote alternative and sustainable transport methods within an ‘All Ireland Forum’ and fully intends to include all interested stakeholders. IRHA President, Vincent Caulfield presented some statistics from the road transport sector. He stated that road haulage contributes €365 million in duties and to date has paid €32 million in respect of the ‘Carbon Levy’ alone – in return, the industry has never received any support from successive Governments. Vincent added that any Michael Aherne (National Transport Authority) industry, which directly employs over 30,000 people, deserves recognition, calling on “the ‘new’ Taoiseach to appoint a Junior Minister within the Department of Transport, to deal exclusively with road transport matters”. Adding that, “previous Ministers often became too involved with issues such as Terminal 2, LUAS, DART and Aer Lingus”. He also called for greater co-operation between the DoT and the IRHA and for the Department to encourage membership of the Association. Michael Aherne of the National Transport Authority explained the findings from a 2005 ‘Price Waterhouse Coopers’ survey of transport managers, Michael Aherne (National Transport Authority), - Hugh Finlay (DIT), Monica (Eastern Section Chairperson CILT), Laura Behan (DoT), John Henry drivers and other interested parties. The Murphy (Dublin Transport Authority Retired) & Vincent Caulfield (IRHA) survey funded by the European Union was intended to establish how best to improve His presentation highlighted a number of anomalies, transport networks throughout the EU. Conducted which conflict with our general thinking on in 2005, the sample surveyed appeared to disagree transport planning. One finding from the report with what Europe considers to be good for the claimed that ‘vehicle fuel consumption was not a industry. Mr. Aherne believes that the findings primary concern for the majority of hauliers’. This reveal, “Europe’s priorities are not necessarily may have arisen because the survey primarily dealt our priorities.” with transport in the ‘Greater Dublin Area’ and Text & Photos: Paul White - paul@fleet.ie

included a high number of light delivery vehicles. Realistically many of the findings are questionable, but they do provide a starting point to re-visit the issues – which is now the intention. Hugh Finlay of DIT, detailed a research project, which investigated the question of City Centre deliveries. In association with a number of companies including Musgraves’, TDG, TSS (Zepro) and Thermo King, his research examined what was being delivered, who it was being delivered to, and the resulting affect on traffic disruption and noise levels. The largest percentage (38%) of deliveries to Dublin City Centre was to the retail food and catering sectors. While the noise levels associated with deliveries are high, they are difficult to eliminate. Fridge engines are noisy, as are tail-lifts and empty roll cages. Mr. Finlay now intends to assess the feasibility of using electric vehicles for the ‘Last Mile Delivery’. Electric vehicles are certainly quieter, though silencing taillifts and other handling equipment will be another day’s work. The event was highly informative because it made us realise that, as US politician Donald Rumsfeld famously stated – “there are things we don’t know, we don’t know”. We are only now realising that many previous decisions were based on unsound data or flawed assumptions – of what we thought we knew. Meaning the respective bodies have been working hard to find solutions to what they ‘thought’ were the questions. All speakers referred to there previously being a “dearth of knowledge” – and stating that this problem will now be addressed. The road transport industry has previously complained (with good reason) when it was not consulted about transport policies. There is now an opportunity for the industry to have an input and make its voice heard – this opportunity should not be missed. The CILT deserve credit for organising this important event. Bringing the respective parties together brings with it a realisation – that maybe we are all on the same side.

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

CASE STUDY

Visbeen Transport uses Ecocombi’s:

Efficient = Sustainable

hat sustainable and efficient transportation can go hand in hand is underlined by the Dutch company, Visbeen Transport, which operates four new Ecocombi’s based on the DAF CF85.460 SpaceCab. The new 25.25m/60 tonnes GVW combinations are on the road 24 hours a day, six days a week. Annual distances of up to 385,000 kilometres are covered nationally. Following a feature on Visbeen six years ago, Fleet Transport returns to the Netherlands based company to investigate if the business has evolved since then. Every haulage company knows that efficiency and sustainability go hand in hand, but never has it been as clearly demonstrated than with Visbeen’s new DAF CF85 Ecocombi’s. Using four Ecocombi’s for transporting Lamb Weston potato products results in a reduction of 850,000 truck kilometres per year and a decrease of more than 600 tonnes in CO 2 emissions. The numbers reflect the difference between the use of six tractor-semitrailer combinations and the four Ecocombi’s chosen by Visbeen and Lamb Weston. Th is is achieved due to Dutch Law enabling the possibility of 25.25 metre long combinations with GCW’s to 60 tonnes. Following an extended test period, this extremely efficient and environmentally friendly concept has now been written into the Law, offering hauliers and shippers this very efficient possibility of road transport. Requirements Package American company Lamb Weston, produces deep-frozen potato products. Production is based, among others, in Oosterbierum in 64

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

the Dutch northern province of Friesland. From there the pallets of deep-frozen chips are transported to the central distribution centre in Bergen op Zoom in the south. Lamb Weston laid down a sizable package of requirements to Visbeen Transport for the application of Ecocombi’s. The capacity of the combinations had to equal at least 52 euro-pallets with a total load capability of 38.5 tonnes. Important here was Lamb Weston’s requirement that the Gross Carrying Weight (GCW) of sixty tonnes should not be exceeded. Visbeen Transport saw possibilities to realise these requirements within the maximum permissible dimensions and weights. Director Adrie Visbeen explains, “Not only the number of pallets and the GCW had to be right, but Lamb Weston also required

a chain installation in the vehicles that had to connect with the installation in the factory as well as the freezer house. Such a chain-driven system whereby the pallets can be loaded and unloaded automatically naturally adds its own weight, which makes the challenge even greater. So, we contacted the body and trailer builder, Van Eck of Lexmond.” In turn, Van Eck approached the Technical University of Delft and the design office of Airbus to develop an extremely light and strong construction for these combinations. Lightweight No stone was left unturned to arrive at the desired low kerb weight. The largest weight saving was achieved from the floor construction.

CASE STUDY Normally the chain installation would have been mounted on the existing trailer floor, but is now integrated in the insulated floors of the bodies. By making use of an advanced aluminium-sandwich technique in combination with high-quality plastics, it was possible to accept the large forces that are generated during loading and unloading. Furthermore, new Valx trailer axles were chosen for the trailer. The two trailing axles are both able to accept ten tonnes, but they are each 87 kilos lighter than comparable axles. Other weight-saving measures include an aluminium support frame, a special lightweight chassis construction for the dolly and trailer, and a lightweight TRS cooling system. Th is electric cooling system is driven by a PTO generator that can simultaneously feed the chain installation. Normally, the combination uses electricity from the factory or the stores, but it can now also use its own power supply. Th is doesn’t affect the speed; in both cases, the loading and unloading of the combination takes just four minutes. Naturally, the low unladen weight of the DAF CF85.460 contributes significantly to the low total kerb weight. In the end, Van Eck succeeded in achieving a total kerb weight of only 21.5 tonnes for the total combination. By applying all these innovative new techniques and applications, no less than 3.850 kilos were saved.

The DAF CF85.460 SpaceCab rigid chassis with body weighs 12,895 kilos, the dolly weighs 2,190 kg and the twinaxled trailer weighs 6,897 kilos. Together that is exactly 21,982 kilos. The difference with the 21,500 kg mentioned in the text lies in the amount of fuel.

Space Cab Visbeen chose the DAF CF85.460 FAN because of its low kerb weight. Although the vehicles were not in principle intended for overnight use, Space Cab versions were chosen. Adrie Visbeen again: “For us, a sleeper cab is standard and that isn’t just because of the roominess. I see it also as an investment in comfort and safety. Furthermore, we also chose the Space Cab because of possible subsequent use, and of course for the trade-in value. It also looks great and saves us a spoiler set.” The FAN chassis with steered trailing axle is the ideal option for this application, according to Visbeen. “It steers superbly while the tyre wear is minimal. The steered axle makes the dolly and the mounted trailer follow precisely and everything stays perfectly within the maximum tracking path. I have driven this combination myself and it is unbelievable how light these Ecocombi’s drive. The steering is exemplary. Important in this is the extra turntable under the fi ft h wheel on the dolly. Th is ensures extra stability and makes the trailer less sensitive to ruts in the road surface.”

In the Netherlands, the use of Ecocombi’s is governed by a number of strict requirements. All parts of the combination must be specially approved. Furthermore, the combination must remain within a specific turning circle and a large number of safety measures must be carried out. These include covered side protection, a camera system, an axle-load indication system, and ESP. Furthermore, the driver must hold an Ecocombi certificate on top of his driving licence. All Dutch motorways are open to Ecocombi and specific areas of operation are also indicated, like Industrial Estates. For addresses outside these areas a permit is required from the respective Highway Authority.

The four combinations operate from Bergen op Zoom in the south and from Oosterbierum in the north of the Netherlands, a distance of well over 250 kilometres. Two combinations are based at both locations. The drivers work in shift s whereby the vehicles can operate 24 hours a day. In this way, the annual mileage can be as high as 385,000 kilometres. Visbeen has in the meantime built up sufficient experience with the 25.25 metre long Ecocombi’s that he has only one wish: for European law to enable him to cross the borders with these extremely efficient and durable vehicles. In Europe, Lamb Weston produces not just at the plant in Oosterbierum, but also in Kruiningen, Bergen op Zoom and in Wisbech in England. All potato products come together in the new, completely automated freezer house of Partner Logistics in Bergen op Zoom, which supplies Europe, Afr ica, the Middle East and South America. Text: Iep van der Meer

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

SOAPBOX

To the Chairman of the Road Safety Authority Dear Mr. Byrne, I have been more of a radio listener than a TV watcher of your good self throughout the years, mainly because I drove trucks for many hours of the day. Unfortunately when you changed the Late Late Show from Saturday to Friday night I was not home on time to watch as being self-employed meant the work had to be done. Now I do have the pleasure of listening again to you both on Lyric FM on Sunday afternoons and when you speak out in your role as Chairman of the Road Safety Authority. Like myself, you have always had a passion for Road Safety (the fact that you have been a ‘biker’ for so many years would give you an even deeper understanding of just how dangerous our roads can be. As a ‘trucker’ I have always endeavoured to be as professional in my business and many years ago (more years ago than I care to remember) I served on the Road Safety Committee of An Foras Forbartha. It, you may remember, was closed down by the Government of the day for being independently critical of road safety issues, indeed you spoke of it at the time on your radio show. When the RSA was created I was optimistic that at long last we were going to bring a level of professionalism to our roadways and the users thereof. When it was announced that you were to be the Chairman I was convinced it would succeed as you would not pay 'lip service' to any office you undertook. However for the reason outlined below, I believe the RSA has been ‘Got At’ just like old times and road safety is the loser. Since it’s foundation the RSA in conjunction with An Garda Siochana has grappled with the problem of large agricultural tractors pulling trailers of unknown design (mostly sawn off back ends of scrapped trucks). There have been a number of Court cases, which have for one reason or another has not cured the problem nor led to any clarity on where the law stood. Daily these illegal vehicles can be seen on our main Motorways pulling outsize loads and usually driven by teenagers who invariably seem to have a mobile phone glued to one ear. To try and bring some clarity to the situation the RSA in 2008 published a Consultation Paper, which both identified the problem and suggested cures and the following are some extracts from that paper which I am sure neither of us could disagree with? There appears to be an increasing use of agricultural vehicles carrying out work previously carried out by road haulage vehicles. This is a modern

development of agricultural vehicle use and one that is not legislated for in road traffic and vehicle regulation. It is important to recognise that a certain proportion of non-agricultural work could only be carried out by tractors and trailers. This, however, should not justify the widespread use of tractors and trailers for non-agricultural purposes.

situation does not exist anywhere else in the EU? To proceed as now proposed, I hope you will agree, makes a complete farce of all they have achieved since their foundation, it is truly an ’Irish Solution to an Irish Problem’ and can only have one reason – they have been politically ‘Got At’ just like An Foras Forbartha of old.

Consideration must be given to eliminating commercial haulage carried out under the guise of agricultural work to ensure that the exemptions granted to the agricultural sector are not abused and that the haulage industry is not undermined and that road safety is maximised.

My industry, the Road Transport Industry has had Directive after Directive enforced upon it, mostly quite rightly so, although some were both onerous and unnecessary in my view. Take just one example, we are now required to fit ‘look down’ mirrors to the fronts and sides of truck cabs to ensure we can see pedestrians and cyclists. Following our hearing of some dreadful accidents we fitted these ourselves without waiting for the law to change and they are indeed a God-send. Just where does one fit these mirrors on an agricultural tractor? On the safety front alone the legalizing of these ‘monsters’ on our roads defies the imagination on just where they contravene all that has been designed into making European trucks safer for all road users, tractors were never designed with pedestrians or cyclists in mind, it is a physical impossibility to make these vehicles as safe as the trucks they will compete with.

Under current road traffic law, prosecutions involving agricultural and works vehicles require the Gardaí to undertake a very detailed and time consuming procedure to prosecute an offence. There have been difficulties in prosecuting some cases due to the ambiguity surrounding the definitions and use associated with agricultural vehicles. Fixed penalties can provide enforcement agencies with an effective and visible way of responding to lower level infringements of the law. It has been suggested that many common offences relating to agricultural and works vehicles could be made ‘fi xed charge offences. In the UK, agricultural vehicles cannot be used to haul for hire and reward. The position adopted by the main Authorities in the UK (VOSA and the Department for Transport) is that agricultural vehicles may only avail of the ‘exemptions’ relating to fuel, tax, driver licensing, operator licensing when they are engaged on purely agricultural work. There is no widespread use of agricultural tractors and trailers for haulage purposes in mainland Europe. There are no directives on roadworthiness testing for agricultural tractors. However there are proposals to introduce a new Directive which will include new standards for braking on agricultural tractors and trailers. The following are details of a recent survey carried out on 242 agricultural tractors and 71 trailed appliances for the Health and Safety Executive by BAGMA (British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association). It was found that 166 (69%) tractors and 40 (56%) trailed appliances did not meet road requirements. My reason for writing is that despite all of the above both the RSA and the Department of Transport are now proposing (14 Jan 2011) to actually legalise that which in 2008 was unacceptable to them. How in all conscience can they do so when such a

Their one glaring advantage is that they will be much cheaper to operate. Therefore as sure as night follows day, there will be a huge upsurge in the use of such vehicles made even greater by the removal of so many costs being borne by truck operators in the current economic crisis. If this comes to pass the RSA will become an object of ridicule to those of us who care about road safety, pedestrians, cyclists and bikers will be in the most danger and it will be fought both here and in Europe. Our haulage licences are issued by the Department of Transport on behalf of the European Union with the State simply acting as a National awarding agency. Can you see our British and European neighbours allowing an agricultural tractor issued with a European haulage licence to ply their roads. Nor indeed will they be happy with the ability of Irish tractor operators to compete with them and would correctly be interpreted as a form of State subsidy. Road Safety will be so compromised that I am sure that you, like myself, must find the whole suggestion appalling and as Chairman of the Road Safety Authority you should not allow the Road Safety Authority to be brought into such disrepute. Yours in Road Safety, Jerry Kiersey.

FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 11

Text: Jerry Kiersey - jerry@fleet.ie

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