Fleet Transport October 2014

IRELAND'S LEADING COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MAGAZINE Inside!

DAF CF Series for Euro 6: Versatility meets Efficiency OCTOBER 14

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Renault Trucks Range T wins International Truck of the Year 2015 Award

Contents OCTOBER 2014

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

4 News • Renault Trucks’ Range T wins ITOY 15 • FIAT Professional backs Fleet’s Best Van Fleet Award • Finalists to Best Driver Award • Revise HGV Taxation • Merc Predictive Powertrain wins • Scania YETD winner selected • Fleet Transport joins Forklift Jury 10 Cover DAF Trucks CF Series explored

Subscription Hotline: 094 93 72827 Editor: Jarlath Sweeney Contributors: Sean Murtagh, Paul White, Cathal Doyle, Jonathan Lawton, Donal Dempsey, Howard Knott, Jerry Kiersey, Rob Van Dieten, HSA, Joe O'Brien, Dr. Betty Maguire, Christian Jenne, Leonard Allison Photography: Jarlath Sweeney, Paul White, Cathal Doyle, Rob Van Dieten, Howard Knott, Joe O'Brien, Leonard Allison Administration: Orla Sweeney, Denise Owens, Paula Mullarkey Advertising: Mary Morrissey, Orla Sweeney Design: Eamonn Wynne Printed in Ireland

12 New Fleet Extra!

Recent Sales by Shaw Commercials, Renault Trucks’ dealer 14 Distribution/Innovation Aerodynamic Atego

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34 Fuel Prices/Safety Matters 36 Health Matters Stress & Burnout 38 Warehousing Forklift Operator Training 40 Comment Investment in transport 42 Opinion Intervention is needed 44 Legal Unwanted Passengers 46 Finance Life Cycles

16 Fleeting Shots Going camping, dog racing and crossing countries

48 Shipping & Freight Maritime News

18 Test Iveco Eurocargo 74E19

50 Profile Celtic Transport Solutions

20 Preview Bus & Coach Shows across Europe

52 Times Past Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart

22 Awards Trailer Innovation Award Winner 2015

54 Soapbox First Impressions Last

25 Review 65th IAA CV Show 2014, Hannover, Germany 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.

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Transport Barometer: Data from 16/08/2014 - 14/09/2014

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

Newly appointed jury member of the International Forklift Truck Award

follow us on twitter.com/fleettransport

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TimoCom world now mobile

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TIMOCOM’s development of mobile access for the daily requirements of modern logistics operations had the understanding that all those involved in transport today must be able to respond quickly and be flexibe to changes.

"With mobile access we have expanded the availability of our product range - the logical step, for us, in a mobile future," said TimoCom's Chief Representative Marcel Frings.

“At IAA 2014, planners, freight forwarders and contractors from trade and industry can now experience mobile access to the TimoCom world themselves. The advantages are obvious for daily work it means that it does not matter if you use a Tablet or Smartphone, with the help of the Transport Barometer App, you can now log into your TimoCom mobile account anywhere and at any time.” www.fleet.ie

4 | NEWS 1

Renault Trucks’ T lifts International Truck of the Year 2015 Award

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enault Trucks’ new Range T has been elected International Truck of the Year for 2015 by a jury of 25 leading commercial vehicle editors and senior journalists representing 25 major transport publications throughout Europe. The prestigious award was handed over to Bruno Blin, President of Renault Trucks, during the VDA Gala Dinner on the evening of the opening press day of the 65th IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover, Germany.

Truck of the Year Chairman Gianenrico Griffi ni commented: “The new Range T combines the best features found in Renault Trucks’previously-successful models together with the advanced functions built-into its latest generation of heavy-duty products. The result is one of the most significant new truck launches for many years.”

Bruno Blin, President of Renault Trucks, commented: “I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of Renault Trucks and would like to share it with all those working in our company and network throughout the world. Th is award makes us proud, as it will also bring pride to those who purchase our trucks and drive them.”

He added: “One year ago, Renault Trucks entered a whole new era with the launch of an entirely new range. Th is award is the best possible way of highlighting the new Renault Trucks identity, I am certain that recognition of the Renault Trucks, T’s qualities by specialised, independent journalists from 25 European countries, will be a powerful argument for winning over new customers.”

With a winning score of 129 votes, the new French heavy-duty long-haul truck model fought-off the challenge posed by DAF’s CF heavy distribution series, which collected 81 votes, and by Mercedes-Benz’s new Atego medium-duty range, which fi nished in third place with 49 votes.

Based on the International Truck of the Year (ITOY) rules, the annual award is presented to the truck introduced into the market in the previous 12 months which has made the greatest contribution to road transport efficiency based on several important criteria including technological innovation, comfort, safety, driveability, fuel economy, environmental ‘footprint’ and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

With its latest Range T Renault Trucks has designed and developed a brand-new, longdistance truck line-up that represents a huge step forward over its previous heavy-duty models. At the same time, Range T combines and improves

upon the best qualities found in its Magnum and Premium Route predecessor models, not least in terms of comfort, prestige and fuel-saving features.

Summing up the jury’s vote, International

Mr. Griffi ni thanked the UK RHA for independently co-ordinating the election procedure.

Also that evening the Iveco Daily was announced as winner of the International Van of the Year 2015 and the MAN Lion’s City GL CNG, the Bus of the Year 2015.

FIAT Professional backs Fleet Transport’s Best Van Fleet Award

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ne of Europe’s leading commercial vehicle brands, FIAT Professional has come on board as sponsors of the newly created Best Van Fleet Award in the annual Fleet Transport Awards 2015.

“Th is new award sets out to recognise companies which operate a number of light commercial vehicles and consistently demonstrates best practice in their day-to-day operation. As the van sector includes a large number of companies which are not primarily engaged in transport, there is great scope to include these SMEs in this competition which use light commercials to provide services to their customers or end users,” stated Jarlath Sweeney, Group Editor, Fleet Transport magazine.

Five companies operating a fleet of vans around the country have been shortlisted for this inaugural prize namely; Colkar Transport (Dublin), DPD Galway (Deavey Transport), Homecare Medical (Mayo), Sligo Haulage & Distribution Ltd (Sligo) and Thermodial (Dublin). Representatives from each company were invited to make a presentation

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

to an expert panel of adjudicators with the overall winner announced at the Fleet Transport Awards Gala Dinner to be held at the Citywest Hotel, Dublin on 2 October next.

Over 800 representatives from the Irish transport industry and commercial vehicle sector are expected to attend this high profile event compered

by Today FM’s Bob Conway and RTE Radio 1’s Brenda Donohue with entertainment provided

by Galway based Arcana. FIAT Professional, the brand name for Fiat Group Automobile’s Light Commercial Vehicles subsidiary, manufactures and markets a broad range of vans from the Fiorino, Doblo Cargo, Scudo & Ducato.

Commenting on the sponsorship deal for the Fleet Transport Best Van Fleet Award, Tim Cronin, newly appointed FIAT Professional Brand Manager Ireland, noted: “We were very keen to be present at Fleet Transport Awards as each year is attended by the most successful transport businesses in the country. Being able to sponsor the new “Best Van Fleet Award” was a perfect opportunity to not only have the FIAT Professional brand represented at this important event, but also showcase our full range of vehicles including the new, six-generation Fiat Ducato.”

NEWS II | 5

Finalists announced for Ireland’s Best Truck Driver Award follows:1.

2.

3.

4.

Adrian Brady (Brady International) Paul Byrne (Greencoole Haulage Ltd) Kevin Dunne (Keyline Transport) Paraic Fahey (AQS Environmental Solutions) 5. Anthony Fitzgerald (P.D. Flaherty) 6. Paul Flynn (Adare Transport) 7. Niall Lynch (Millbrook Foods) 8. Gerard McKenna (AHS) 9. Brendan O’Toole (Securispeed Ltd) 10. Gabriel Warde (Lynx Transport & Logistics)

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ollowing two rounds of heats in the search for Ireland’s Best Truck Driver Competition, 10 professional drivers have been selected to go forward for the final driving element of the newly established award programme launched by Fleet Transport magazine in association with Advancedrive and sponsored by Enprova.

From Monday 15 September right through to Friday 20 September the drivers assembled at the Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles headquarters in Dublin to take to the wheel of the multi-award winning Actros tractor-unit for a cross-country run. Vehicle and driver performance was monitored in real time using Daimler FleetBoard Telematics System. Th is

information plus ongoing monitoring by Advancedrive personnel determined the top 10 drivers to go through to the Grand Final on 2 October next.

Th is daytime event coincides with the annual running of the Fleet Transport Awards Gala Dinner at Citywest Hotel, Dublin hosted later that evening. Here, the drivers have to manoeuvre the Actros and curtainside trailer around a set course along with a vehicle defect inspection and a load safety examination under the watchful eye of the Health & Safety Authority.

The top 10 drivers that will compete in the fi nal round of the Fleet Transport Ireland’s Best Truck Driver Award 2015 with Enprova are as

In wishing the drivers the best of luck in Round 2 of the competition, Jarlath Sweeney, Group Editor, Fleet Transport magazine said, “Well done to these drivers on reaching this driving round, which I know they will enjoy their time in the Mercedes-Benz Actros. The top ten was selected from this heat to go forward for the Grand Final on 2 October next. Thanks to our sponsors Enprova, Mark Dodd at Advancedrive and MercedesBenz for their support and assistance in the programme.”

“Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles is delighted to have the top 10 Truck Drivers show off their skills in the latest Actros, the Fleet Transport Truck of the Decade and avail of the data obtained from FleetBoard telematics system,” said Fergus Conheady, Sales Manager, Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles Ireland.

Call to reform HGV taxation system

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ure to find favour with Irish based transport operators is An Taisce’s proposals to reform the taxation of goods vehicles. According to the Irish National Trust’s Policy Director James Nix, speaking at the Environment Ireland Conference, a tax based on emissions is the best way to ensure newly-purchased goods vehicles use less fuel and emit fewer pollutants. Th is move would level the playing field between Northern Irish and Republic of Ireland registered hauliers in relation to the UK Lorry Road User Charge and also stem the tide on the ongoing ‘flagging-out’ of trucks to the UK, Poland and Bulgaria.

“Newly-purchased trucks should be taxed on three criteria - emissions, carrying capacity and a road user charge. The road user charge can be annualised for Irish-registered trucks but levied on a daily basis for HGVs from abroad," stated James.

“It’s vital to make a start on reforming the taxation of goods vehicles in Budget 2015, to avoid more and more trucks re-flagging to the UK,” he added.

“In early 2014 the loss of 58 Dundalk-based trucks to England cost the State €230,000 in road tax alone - and that’s just one example.”

“Reforming truck tax would restore jobs and improve the environment, he stressed, adding

that the industry estimate for the money lost to the State each year by failing to charge foreignregistered vehicles for the use of Irish roads was €23 million and rising.

Both the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) and Freight Transport Association Ireland (FTAI) have not called for the introduction of the similar Lorry Road User Charge in the Irish Republic and that registered hauliers in the Republic would benefit from reduced annual road tax fees as per their counterparts in the North. FTA Ireland believes that international operators are reflagging their fleets abroad in order to take advantage of lower fi xed costs, most especially road tax.

“If our international fleet was to expand at the same rate as the national fleet, there would be an additional 3,000 trucks on international licences, resulting in a substantial boost to Excise, VAT and Local Authority Motor Tax. This revenue is being lost to the UK, Poland and Bulgaria because of the very high fi xed costs of running a transport business in Ireland,” said Neil McDonnell, General Manager of FTA Ireland.

According to Snejina Badjeva, K AMIONI magazine, “there is an increasing number of foreign companies registering their offices here in Bulgaria – it is very simple to register a limited company – with practically no expenses, and

they pay less taxes than in Ireland, for example.

Profit tax is only 10% flat rate. Another advantage for them is they can hire cheaper Bulgarian and Macedonian drivers very easy. I know Belgium companies working in this way – I was at one road hauliers meeting where they complained that such companies are hiring the best drivers and at the same time they don’t have any expenses here because they hire only a lawyer who registers the company - no workshops, no other employees.”

Recently, the IRHA met with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Reform & Expenditure to outline the urgent need to overhaul Commercial Vehicle road tax in the forthcoming Government Budget. It is requesting for a change in the taxation system which would move over to a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) system as opposed to the current approach of unladen weight. Coupled with that is the change directed towards the number of axles on the commercial unit to be the reference point in order to establish the road tax rate applicable.

As the final part of its proposal, the IRHA is calling for a ‘cap’ on the road tax charge of €1250 on five/ six axle vehicles while equalising duty rates across all commercial traffic. It is such an approach that will support the licensed industry while bringing about a tax neutral offering for Government. www.fleet.ie

6 | NEWS 111

Mercedes-Benz Predictive Powertrain Control ‘Does what it says on the tin!’

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ndependent tests conducted by MercedesBenz Commercial Vehicles with three of Ireland’s leading transport companies has proven the effectiveness of its Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC) system in delivering fuel savings when fitted to its new multi-award winning Actros tractor-units.

The companies involved were Dixon International Logistics (Dublin), Perennial Freight (Taghmon, County Wexford) and Noone Transport (Slane, County Meath) with each company assigned a driver to test drive the latest Euro 6 Actros and assess the value of PPC. Driving the same vehicle – with a gross laden weight of 38 tonnes - over a 95.8 km long route from Ballymount, Dublin to Rathnew, County Wicklow, (once without PPC activated and once with PPC activated), an average fuel

stated Glen.

To add further credibility to the tests, each trip was double-checked and verified by an on-board FleetBoard monitoring system which broke down and identified each driver’s behaviour in detail, showing that there was no discernible difference in driving style over the two trips driven by each driver.

saving of 2.8L/100kms or 7.8% was achieved.

Dixon International’s Transport Manager, Glen Morgan revealed to Fleet Transport the figures relating to the trials – 30.1L/100km for the trip without PPC compared to 28.2 L/100km in the Actros driven by one of his colleagues in the fi rm. “For sure it does what it says on the tin,”

Commenting on the results, Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles Sales Manager, Fergus Conheady said; "these latest results confi rm earlier findings proving the effectiveness of Actros fitted with PPC when it comes to delivering real fuel savings. Over the lifetime of a truck, these results would add up to a level of cost cutt ing that no operator could afford to ignore."

Baker turns silver to gold in Scania YETD Irish finals

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he quest to find Ireland’s representative in the Scania’s Young European Truck Driver (YETD) was held at Westward Scania on Saturday 13 September. Fifteen finalists came together in Strokestown, County Roscommon to batt le it out for top spot and a chance to go to Sweden to compete against Europe’s elite professional truck drivers.

From the number of applicants who entered and completed an online questionnaire, the top 35 were selected to go through to the semi-fi nals.

The drivers completed a return test run to Roscommon and were assessed on fuel efficiency and defensive driving with the top sixteen performers making it through to the fi nal.

These fi fteen fi nalists then competed a series of tests which challenged their manoeuvring skills and accuracy at knocking over designated bollards, against the clock.

Gavin Agnew and Robert Baker surpassed their competitiors to compete head-to-head for fi rst fi rst place and a chance to win a new Scania R-series at the European Finals at Scania’s HQ in Södertälje, Sweden.

Ultimately Robert Baker from Cahir, County Tipperary won impressively, making only one mistake which was corrected on the second attempt ensuring his place as the Irish representative having previously came second to Gabriel Warde in the Irish Finals two years ago.

The drivers also had to undertake two other tests, one in load securing, carefully monitored

by Mark Dodd from Advancedrive. There was also a pre-journey fault fi nding test and Road Safety Authority officials were present to oversee proceedings. The action began at 10am with Gabriel Warde, YETD winner from 2012 giving a quality demonstration of the driving courses.

Joe Crann, MD of Westward Scania and Michael Goode of Michelin Tyres presented the prize of €1000 and trophy to Robert, who drives for Daltons of Cahir . Second and third places were awarded to Gavin Agnew (Monaghan) and Eoghan Durkin (Leitrim).

Leonard Allison

Fleet Transport elected to the International Forklift Truck (IFOY) Jury

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he International Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY AWARD) recognises the year’s best materials handling equipment and intralogistics solutions has elected Fleet Transport magazine as the Irish jury member. Group Editor Jarlath Sweeney joins five new members on the adjudication panel which now comprises 22 members from 13 European countries. The aim of the non-profit organisation is to document the performance capability and innovative drive of the materials handling and intralogistics sector, helping to boost competitiveness and raise the profi le of the entire intralogistics sector in the public arena.

The winners of the IFOY Award are selected once a year by this independent jury of international FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

trade journalists. A neutral test and an innovation check by the Fraunhofer IML forms the basis for assessment by the jury. The sponsor of the IFOY Award is the VDMA Materials Handling and Logistics Systems Sector Association.

The “official logistics provider“ is Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, presentation partner is the leading international CeMAT trade fair for intralogistics in Hannover.

The IFOY Award 2015 entrant portal at www. ifoy.org opened on September 18, and all manufacturers of MHE vehicles and providers of intralogistics services are called on to enter for one of the five coveted awards in the period up to December 1, 2014.

Entries for the IFOY Award 2015 are invited in five categories: 1. Counter Balanced Trucks up to and including 3.5 tons 2. Counter Balanced Trucks from 3.51 tons 3. Warehouse Trucks like pedestrian-controlled warehouse trucks, tow tractors, seated/standup material handling devices, VNA trucks, reach trucks etc.

4. Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs): driverless transport systems, shutt le systems, automated/ partially automated materials handling equipment in the context of its applications 5. Intralogistics Solutions: intralogistics system solutions that have been successfully implemented at a customer company.

More information at: www.ifoy.org

8 | TRUMPET CALL

Biomethane versus diesel truck engines in the haulage industry by: Christian Jenne, University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) - Institute of Product Engineering, Transport Systems & Logistics Department, Duisburg, Germany

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n order to become cost competitive and stay ahead of the game in the road transport sector, it is more and more crucial to keep fleets and more importantly, running costs as low as possible.

The majority of running costs are unavoidable.

There are a number of factors which can effect fuel consumption such as driving behaviours as the majority of trucks of 12-tonne gross capacity and above are powered by diesel engines. In Europe, commercial vehicles are most commonly diesel powered. With rising fuel costs, maintaining a profitable business is becoming harder, as evidenced by the number of haulage contractors who have ceased trading.

However there is an alternative to petrol and diesel fuel which offers a very att ractive choice when making a price comparison.

CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) and CBG (Compressed Biomethane Gas) are becoming more popular in Pakistan, Th ailand, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and other European countries.

The importance of fuel saving is crucial to keeping running costs on haulage trucks to a minimum. Highlighting fuel savings of a few cent per litre/kg can save thousands of euros for long distance haulage companies. In order to make a straight comparison between diesel and gas powered trucks, several areas need to be assessed to make the right choice in the truck selection. There are various types of gas powered trucks on the market with differing fuel types and fuel qualities. Currently, Ireland has only one CNG fuelling station which is just open to selected companies and not for the public.

The majority of this natural gas is currently imported and therefore, unfortunately, no CBG is available due to the limited numbers of landfi ll sites and biogas-and treatment plants which have purifying facilities for their produced biogas.

It is also very difficult to compare CNG/CBG, LPG, LNG with diesel fuel due to the fact that some fuel types are measured in weight (kilogrammes) and others are measured in liquid volume (litres). CNG/CBG prices are often given in gaseous metric volumes (m3) which makes it even more difficult to compare like for like.

Energy heat values known as calorific values are also very much dependant on temperature and pressure to achieve the right measurements and volumes. A comparison chart below illustrates the most common fuel types in Germany given as caloric values, compositions and price ranges.

(See table 1).

allowing for limitations of CNG and LPG, these fuels are very competitive in comparison with diesel fuelled vehicles, especially for trucks travelling more than 100’000 km per annum.

The major obstacle for Ireland is the lack of fi lling stations infrastructure. CNG is a proven technology in Europe with approximately thousand fi lling stations in Germany which indicates the growing demand for this fuel. For Irish companies to stay competitive, CNG has to be one of the considerations but for this to happen the infrastructure needs to be in place.

Even if the outlook points favourably towards biomethane powered trucks, a fuelling station network is clearly the most problematic and challenging obstacle in Ireland. Th is is also the sole reason why Ireland has not so many gas powered vehicles. The table below details a small selection of Iveco gas powered trucks with relevant characteristics.

Iveco Stralis gas storage options: CNG gas storage tanks can be fitted around the truck's chassis, but again this is very much dependant on the size, length, truck frame, semi-truck or carriage version and double/ treble axis truck type. In this case study, a CNG powered Iveco Stralis 26 tonne 6x2 rigid truck was selected with a total number of 12 CNG storage tanks installed. Th is truck has been fitted with 12 x 80 litre. gas storage tanks with a combined storage capacity of 960 litres. It can be additionally equipped with 3 more 120 litre. CNG tanks behind the cabin, which can increase the maximum storage capacity to a total of 1320 litres of compressed CNG. LPG fuel tanks can be installed in addition to CNG tanks which potentially could double driving range distance. (See table 2).

Acknowledgement This research was financially supported by EU Marie Curie ITN ATBEST - FP7 project (Advanced Technologies for Biogas Efficiency, Sustainability and Transport) which is an EU collaboration project between Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom & Sweden.

Having analysed all the pros and cons and even Fuel Source

Fuel Price Calorific values Combination level

CNG/CBG (High gas) 1,105 €/kg 13 kWh/kg

Minimum methane concentration of 96%

Comparison & comment table Refuelling time

Iveco Stralis CNG

Iveco Stralis Diesel

Normal fi lling Extremely long refuelling time process (8 times longer). For CNG (Low gas) 0,983 €/kg 10 - 11.5 kWh/kg Minimum methane new truck drivers refuelling concentration of 80% training is essential Filling station Clustered and not available Broadly available Diesel 1,354 €/L 9.86 kWh/L Assumption with 5% infrastructure in all countries, so journey biofuel mix pre-planning is extremely important Petrol 1,545 €/L 8.77 kWh/L Assumption with 5% biofuel mix Fuel cost Approx. 40% cheaper than More expensive Diesel fuels LPG (Autogas) 0,830 €/L 6.6 kWh/L 60/40 Driving range 30 – 50 % less than Diesel Up to 1000 km butane/propane fuel mix trucks due to fuel storage possible limitations LNG (-162°C @ 1,08 €/kg 15 kWh/kg Minimum methane Running Up to 30% quieter than Diesel Noisier than gas atmospheric pressure) concentration of 99% noise and Petrol trucks powered trucks Table 2: Comparison table, Own data collection, 2014 Table 1: Own table comparison and price research in Germany, July 2014 FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

10 | COVER

Precision Engineering at DAF Trucks with new CF Series

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ust like the Formula 1 teams eeking out tenths of seconds in lap times from Grand Prix circuit to circuit, DAF Trucks’ objective with the new CF Series with the newly developed MX-11 is to squeeze out the last gramme of weight from the drivetrain while offering optimum performance. Mission accomplished in both regards as the 10.8 litre MX11 comes in at 180 kg less than (PACCAR) DAF’s MX-13 with lower fuel consumption of up to 3%, while it’s lower in noise too.

According to Ron Borsboom, Head of Product Development at DAF Trucks NV, (pictured above) “The new PACCAR MX-11 engine offers excellent performance with dedicated torque ratings for distribution and heavy haulage, with high engine brake performance.”

“Service intervals of up to 125,000 km ensure maximum uptime,” added Ron. Compact in design, the 6-cylinder in-line Euro 6 unit with Common Rail Injection, Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) covers from 290 to 440hp. The distribution range is offered with 290, 330 and 370hp with 400 and 440hp catering for more demanding transport applications. Maximum torque levels stretch from 1,200Nm (from 1,0001,700 rpm) for the MX-11 210 (kW) – 290 hp, to 2,100Nm (from 1,000–1,450 rpm) with the MX-11 320 (kW) – 440hp. New transmissions have been co-developed with ZF, and the new Euro 6 CF comes with 9, 12 or 16 speed manuals and 12 and 16 speed AS-Tronic automated systems.

Now included with the latter are specific features such as EcoRoll (which allows controlled driving downhill driving on a disengaged clutch, making maximum use of natural momentum) and Fast Shift for quicker changing between upper gears. Especially for municipal applications, a new fully automatic 6-speed Allison gearbox is available. A new lighter rear axle is also now available for combination weights of up to 44 tonnes on engine torques of up to 2,300 Nm. The new fi fth wheel mounting plate, the smart way in which the battery boxes have been fitted, and the new steering system also result in weight savings.

Boasting an attractive new exterior design, the 2.3m wide cab with only two entry steps is closely aligned with the styling of DAF Trucks’ flagship XF model, together with a new interior look and feel that with improved ergonomics leads to higher driver comfort. Changes to the cab suspension has helped in this direction along with improved ride and handling. One of the many elements to the revamp in the instrument cluster is the inclusion of a Driver Performance Assist Programme, which monitors the driver’s technique in real time. “The focus here is on fuel economy,” explained Ron. “The innovative Driver Performance Assistant offers driving advice and coaching that covers anticipation, shifting and braking with economic driving behaviour rewarded through general fuel savings.” Another item worthy of merit in the new CF Series is the new Low-Beam lights – “which brings lighting systems in trucks to the next level,” said Ron enthusiastically. With 2.23m standing height available from the higher cab offering (SpaceCab), the cabin offers 900 litres of storage space, with the new multi-function steering wheel and new mirrors adding to increased productivity and efficiency.

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

COVER | 11

Automatic engine idle shutdown on the CF Series helps to improve fuel economy.

Test Drives For the CF Series test drive programme DAF Trucks NV moved camp from its Eindhoven Headquarters to Truckparking’s Rotterdam, a location in the heart of Europe’s busiest port. Here 276 trucks can be securely parked 24/7 all year round for a nominal fee of €10 per night. Facilities for the driver are good with showers, laundry, refreshments, TV and WiFi available as, well as Café Restaurant de Punt next door.

Of the 18 various configurations from the new CF Series covering 18 tonne rigids to 44 tonne arctics, the choice was broad so a decision was made to concentrate on the distribution sector. To beginn the day long activity, the CF370 4x2 rigid at 188 tonnes GVW was tried around the hour longg route away from the Port of Rotterdam. Withh n numerous traffic lights along the way, the run was typical of the type of run undertaken byy delivery drivers. This Sleeper cabbed unit withh box body had a 10.2 tonne payload and the 370 horses moved along swiftly up and down the 12-speed AS-Tronic box with intarder. Well equipped specification wise, the only glitch was the blind spots from the quarter light type frame on the passenger door and rather large h mirror. Otherwise, visibility was good. Moving up the distribution scale but still very much involved in getting around the urban jungle, the Day cabbed CF400 4x2 rigid with trailer, both with flatbed body was designed and manufactured to carry three refuse skips. The combination

flowed along seamlessly with the 400hp and 1900Nm mating superbly with the 12-speed ZF AS-Tronic transmission.

CF290 as a construction Day Cab 6x2 rigid was a little different although still catering for the refuse/municipal sector. For this vehicle, the 290hp MX-11 was married to the latest generation 6-speed fully automatic box from Allison Transmissions. Improvements to the drivetrain in terms of low revving gear changes, low engine noise and all round comfortable drive makes the aspect of continuous stop/start operation of this vehicle less of a chore. While we found the rear-view camera an excellent aid when on the move, the application of the foot operated engine brake did seem softer than the other versions driven on the day (a stalk on the steering column engages this traction system also), but the foot option is handier as it cancels automatically when not in use.

Best suited far more on construction sites and gravel tracks the CF440 8x4 was a 32 tonne GVW German specification with short-wheel-base fitted with a strong steel Meiller tipper body. Featuring a heavy sub-frame, payload was reduced all round by about 1,500 kg compared to the normal 8x4 used here.

Even the 12-speed AS-Tronic had special off-road soft ware. On the road, however the heavy duty tipper did not at all feel cumbersome or difficult to manoeuvre around the chosen route which contained some traffic congestion due to road works, etc. Finally, the journey back from Massvlakte 2 was done in the CF330 4x2 SpaceCab with supermarket spec trailer featuring on the rear-most tandem axle configuration. Power on tap here was from the 1400Nm of torque generated from the 330hp Euro 6. Nothing major to report here except that it was flawless, comfortable, efficient and productive. The DAF Trucks’ CF Series in a nutshell!

Massive Expansion at Rotterdam Port Europe’s largest port by a long shot, the Port of Rotterdam is among the top eight in the world (next to Asian ports) and with a €2.9 billion investment in expanding land mass and facilities, enormous growth is planned. The Port of Rotterdam Authority, a private company, aims to increase the Port’s competitive position as a logistics hub providing world class leading industrial facilities, not only in terms of size, but also quality.

Sustainability is a key focus area as well as offering a speedy and safe service for shipping.

Currently the Port Authority has 1,100 employees with a turnover of €600 million. Over 87,000 jobs are sustained directly from the Port. By 2035, when the Massvlakte 2 (as the new development is called) will be fully operational, over 6,000 people will be employed by the Port Authority and the Port.

Since 2008, land has been reclaimed from the sea, with new seawalls constructed and quay walls and terminals built. Over 240 million cubic metres of coarse sand dredged up from the North Sea bed was required to create over 20 kilometres of land mass for Massvlakte 2 for additional container handling, distribution and the chemical industry. The new port is 20 metres deep, so the bigger container ships can have access to the zero emission automatic Text & Photos: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

cranes now in place. Nature and sea life have been seriously considered within the €2.9 billion investment with conservation areas provided and sea bed protection mechanisms in place. Two container terminals are already installed with APM (Maersk) and Euromax (ECT), two of the biggest players in the business now in operation with extended services. Security is paramount here, with scanners capable of trawling through fully loaded containers that can pinpoint a needle within same in just 60 seconds (at 60 kp/h). Looking towards the future of the terminal that shares the main share of Europe’s oil requirements, huge tanks to store Natural Gas have been built.

Presently, 50% of container traffic moves by truck, 37% by waterway barges and 14% on rail tracks. By 2035, these levels are to change with 15% less truck/trailer activity but an increase to 45% by barge and rail up to 20%. On the latter, 36 parallel rail lines have been laid down on site to accommodate this growth potential. On the storage side, Canon/Nippon Express has built a 70,000 square metre warehouse that will service Europe with stock and parts with its electronic gadgetry. A visit to the multi-interactive visitors’ centre at Massvlakte 2 is the best way to discover all that is happening here at this vast site. www.fleet.ie

12 | NEW FLEET EXTRA!

Fren ench Connection triumphs R enault Trucks Dealer for the West, Shaw Commercials, Castlebar, County Mayo is pleased to welcome many new customers to the French 'Connection'. “They are choosing Renault as their brand of choice and this decision is based on trucks that are designed to deliver fuel savings, driving pleasure, comprehensive warranty and

a selection of repair and maintenance packages tailored to suit the customers’ needs,” explained Mick Shaw, Managing Director. “Renault Trucks makes every effort to help their customer achieve success.”

Outlined over these two pages are some new sales by Shaws Commercials in recent months.

Harringtons and Renault Trucks team up

H

arrington Concrete & Quarries' new Renault C430 8x4 on its fi rst day at work! Following a two day trial of the new Renault Range C Construction 8-wheeler at Harringtons in Kilkelly, company owner

Frank Harrington took no time deciding to order two new tippers fitted with Thompson tarmac specification insulated bodies .

Mick Shaw said he was delighted to be partnered

East West Express Go Renault Trucks!

E

ast West Express, Charlestown, has chosen Renault Trucks for its new 26-tonne rigid. The new Range T430 6x2 with sleeper cab comes with a 25ft Cafco built curtainside body with Zepro tail-lift, and is fitted with an air-operated draw-bar.

Double driven, the new T430 runs to Dublin overnight with a drag trailer and then operates as a rigid truck around Mayo every day clocking up over 20 hours on the road.

James Marren, MD at East West is very impressed with his new purchase and said, “Fuel economy is very important in our business and with the new Renault T added to our fleet, we can already see the savings.”

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

with Harringtons for the first time and is confident that these tippers will generate cost savings in their business as a result of reduced fuel consumption, extended repair and maintenance programmes and a comprehensive warranty.

NEW FLEET EXTRA! | 13

once again in the We West!

Brian Cunningham – Back for More!

Dempsey International - More than a Truck!

astlebar based National & International haulier, Brian Cunningham Transport recently put to work 6 new Renault Premium Long Distance 460hp 6x2 tractor-unit with blowing equipment. “I chose the Renault Premium once again for its payload and for its exceptional fuel return, “ expained Brian. He added, “Shaw Commercials and Renault Trucks provide driver training and I was overwhelmed by the results which recorded an improvement on fuel consumption of around 5%. As fuel is king in my business, this means a lot. In addition, the service and back up from Shaws and Renault Trucks across Europe has been second to none and one breakdown in 4 years sums it up!”

C

he Renault Range T460 6x2 tractor-unit is the choice of truck for Dempsey International (Monaghan), and company owner Barry stated the reason he chose Renault Trucks is, “You get more than just a truck with Renault, and can be sure that your needs have been anticipated with its lower fuel consumption, engine performance and reliability.

Thomas Kelly Haulage – first off the T!

Moy Transport – Masters of the Fleet!

eading to Yeats County is Thomas Kelly Haulage’s new Renault Range T460, the fi rst from Shaw Commercials. Sligoman Cian Kelly was very impressed with the ergonomic driving position, overall comfort and spacious cab, everything for a pleasant life on-board.

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M

Reliability and reduced downtime are two important factors for Cian choosing Renault as with operating between Ireland and the UK, tight deadlines have to be met with deliveries and ferry times etc.

“Shaw Commercials have a very good understanding of the pressures and demands that we are under to deliver our product and it is for this reason that we felt confident to renew our contract with them,” the company representative said.

T

The creative styling of the new Renault Range T lends itself to eye catching livery as the superb paint job by Tierney's (Monaghan) demonstrates.

oy Transport, Ballina recently took delivery of its second new fleet of Renault Master vans, 13 in total. The company which delivers for United Drugs nationwide stated to Fleet Transport the reason for dealing with Shaw Commercials and Renault was for their combined outstanding aftersales service.

www.fl fleet.ie i

14 | DISTRIBUTION / INNOVATION

‘The Age of Aerodynamics at Mercedes-Benz’

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ith the launch of the new Atego last year Mercedes-Benz Trucks finalised an extensive redevelopment of its complete truck range. The vehicle update began with the flagship Actros and continued through Antos, Arocs and finally attention turned to the Atego. It is possible that being last in what was a very busy period for the engineering teams meant that Atego benefitted from the experience gained during the design process for the other models.

Although not long after the official launch, it has been a particularly busy period in the industry. So with this in mind Mercedes-Benz invited a select group to their Business Information Centre (BIC) in Stuttgart to have another look at its light truck, and to reveal some new developments.

The head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Stefan Buchner welcomed the ITOY Group to the Business Information Centre’s large exhibition hall. Th roughout the BIC there was a selection of Ategos displaying factory designed bodywork for different applications. The bodies ranged from straight box and fridge bodies to fire fighters and road sweepers with over fifty examples to view. Stefan Buchner explained, "Our goal with the new Atego series was to offer a truly unique vehicle portfolio and a range of variants that meet the requirements for any kind of use, however special that may be.” With over 7,000 units sold to date they appear to be on target to achieve that goal sooner rather than later."

In addition to the wide selection of body types, Atego offers four different cabs. Operators can choose from seven engine variants from 115 hp to 300 hp, and nine transmission options. They would appear to have most applications covered. Mr. Buchner believes “That the innovations for Atego should support the driver and need to be as diverse as the drivers,” who drive Atego.

For the operators he highlighted “That new Atego uses 5% less diesel than its

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

predecessor, and with even more economical AdBlue consumption, further savings are possible.” In addition he noted that due to extended service intervals, operators can benefit from reduced service contracts which could amount to a 5% saving.

The importance of reducing costs in all areas of transport is not lost on the Research & Development Department in Stuttgart. At the 2012 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover, Mercedes-Benz introduced a streamlined truck and trailer based on the new Actros. The innovations from this project have now been optimised and transferred over to enhance the Atego with an attractive aerodynamic styling package. By using the experience gained with the Actros truck and trailer project, Mercedes-Benz believes it can achieve a 12% reduction in air resistance, which delivers a 3% reduction in fuel consumption.

The Aerodynamic Atego is based on a 12-tonne 4x2 chassis, with a 2.3 metre wide cab. The truck achieves the savings by incorporating a number of features including a neat ‘boat tail’ at the back doors, and some creative tapering of the side guards as they move towards the rear of the truck. Other features include the slight rounding and gentle contouring of all angled sections of the bodywork, which will no doubt deliver a reduction in drag and so deliver savings. However the question with aerodynamics is always how much will it save, and how can it be quantified.

Calculating the benefits of drag reduction is a mathematical formula, which can be applied quite simply in the design studio. However on the road the pure science of mathematics is more difficult to apply where the parameters are constantly varying. One example is the vehicle’s speed. In a case where the truck cannot reach a reasonable cruising speed for a long enough time, it is hard to determine what savings can be achieved. To be fair this is a problem for all vehicle designers and manufacturers who are trying to achieve savings for their customers. Nevertheless apart from the possible savings it's worth remarking

DISTRIBUTION / INNOVATION | 15

that for a small distribution truck the new Aero Atego looks stunning.

It is important to note that savings do not just come from reducing fuel consumption. Investment in other areas such as technology can provide significant savings that can equally improve a company’s bottom-line and long term viability. This theme was further explored with a presentation by Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, Member of the Board of Daimler AG with responsibility for Daimler Trucks & Buses.

Dr. Bernhard explained that there are 5,600 employees in the R&D Departments of Daimler Trucks, and they invest around €1 Billion annually in new technology. The key areas for research are safety and efficiencies in the relatively new area of connectivity. Connectivity has delivered systems like Predicative Powertrain Control (PPC) and Active Brake Assist (ABA 3) and strongly indicates where future development might lie. One example being the autonomous driving ‘Mercedes-Benz Future Truck’ recently unveiled in Magdeburg.

Interestingly both PPC and ABA have seen a dramatic increase in uptake from operators, with the installation rate for PPC up to 65% from 30%, and ABA now fitted to 35% of all new orders. Development of these new systems are not just good news for Daimler. Dr Bernhard showed that in the period from 2000 to 2011 truck transport performance increased by 15%, while at the same time achieving a corresponding decrease of 60% in truck accident fatalities.

While the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck will continue to evolve through to projected launch date of 2025, the need to find a solution for accidents involving trucks and cyclists is far more immediate. At the special test track demonstration we were able to see the new Blind Spot Assist (BSA) in action.

Blind Spot Assist has been available for Mercedes-Benz cars and vans for quite some time, although it has never managed to climb the steps into the truck cab - where arguably it can do its best work. In 2012 in Germany alone there were 102 persons killed by trucks over 12 tonnes, 87 of the 102 were cyclists.

The BSA for truck uses a radar sensor located on the near-side just in front of the drive axle. One important feature is that the sensor can detect and compensate for different lengths of trailer automatically. It can also differentiate between moving and parked hazards such as traffic lights and signposts.

If the system detects a cyclist within the zone it will alert the driver with an

amber LED illuminating on the 'A' pillar. If the driver then attempts to turn, the 'A' pillar LED will change to red and set off an audible alarm to warn the driver.

While the system does not absolve the driver from checking the mirrors. It will be of immense benefit to drivers working under pressure especially in town centres. BSA will also warn the driver if the trailer is closing on a stationary object like traffic lights or another trailer when manoeuvring. We observed a number of scenarios involving the cyclist and the truck, and other scenarios where the system delivers benefits. Another important feature could help drivers when overtaking, as BSA will let the driver know when it is safe to pull back into the nearside lane.

Currently the device only warns the driver that there is a potential problem. It still requires the preventive action to be taken by the driver. Looking further down the road to the next round of safety features, Daimler may link BSA with ABA 3. Combining the two systems could dramatically reduce injuries to vulnerable road users. Mercedes-Benz does not have a definite price for the system, though it believes it will be set at a reasonable level. In reality if the system can prevent what is almost inevitably a fatal collision with a vulnerable road user, then there is a strong moral obligation for investing in BSA. This is separate to the economic case for investing, which may also be significant and could reduce insurance premiums.

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

www.fleet.ie

16 | FLEETING SHOTS

Marco Polo ACTIVITY – set for any adventure

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he Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, one of the biggest mobile leisure exhibitions in the world presented Mercedes-Benz with t he oppor t u n it y to launch the all-new Marco Polo ACT I V I T Y campervan. Based on the Vito panel van it features the ultimate in functionality and excellent sleeping comfort, and is equally ideal for long trips or daily and urban use.

The compact Marco Polo ACTIVITY also boasts exceptional versatility with highly v a r iable i nter ior, comfortable berths for up to five people, five engine variants and three traction s y stem s . It c a n also be customised to indiv idual requirements. As such, it is the ideal vehicle the whole year round for young families as well as for sports and outdoor activity enthusiasts.

Vivre la Vivaro! New van journeys from Clogherhead to Siberia

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Go Greyhound Racing with Dublin Coach

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t Harold’s Cross Greyhound track Dublin Coach was revealed as the new sponsors of the Puppy Derby as well as being the new official Transport Partner for the Irish Greyhound Board.

Dublin Coach, operated by well-known greyhound owner John O’Sullivan, will be sponsors of the Puppy Derby for an initial fi ve year period.

Among the benefits of the partnership will be the provision of complimentary return shutt le services from Dublin City Centre to Harold’s Cross and Shelbourne Park every Friday and Saturday evening and also on Saturdays from Arthur’s Quay in Limerick to the Limerick Stadium and will continue on a trial basis to at least the end of December.

The new sponsorship was announced by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Tom Hayes T.D., who described the whole package as a real boost for greyhound racing and a really positive development for an industry that has a bright future.

Speaking about the sponsorship, Phil Donnelly, Marketing Director of Dublin Coach remarked: “We believe that this is a very fitt ing association for our brand. For us, there are two key factors that influenced this whole partnership - Irish heritage and connectivity. Greyhound racing is appreciated across Ireland, it is the very fabric of our culture and the subject of lively conversation across many settings. At Dublin Coach, we believe in providing quality transport experiences and connections. Th rough this association we are providing the infrastructure to connect the greater Irish community and the tourist with an authentic Irish experience and one of the nation`s most loved sports – Greyhound Racing.”

5,000 kilometres, 21 countries, 14 capital cities and 2 continents, three all new GM Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro vans took on the challenge to undertake the longest possible journey overland without crossing an ocean.

The Siberian challenge began at Clogherhead, Ireland’s jagged headland of rock and the team then travelled alone across Europe until they entered Azerbaijan where they were joined by a local guide in each country from then on. The differing route tested the recently launched panel van in standard FWD form with 1.6 litre diesels, on high-speed autobahns, broken tarmac, rough tracks across Mongolia’s vast Steppe and fi nally 2,000 miles of graded dirt roads in Siberia to the city of Magadan.

Completed in two months the driving and navigation team consisted of a number of ex-service men and women in support for Help for Heros, the official charity for soldiers injured during actual service in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Daily temperatures endured over the 425.50 hours on the road averaged 26o C. Landmark destinations such as the Dracula Region, the Door to Hell and the Road of Bones were passed along the way.

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

Pictured launching the new partnership between Dublin Coach at the Irish Greyhound Board at Harold’s Cross were Minster Tom Hayes and IGB Chairman, Phil Meaney while in front are John and Una O’Sullivan, owners of Dublin Coach, and the IGB CEO Geraldine Larkin.

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

18 | TEST

Iveco Eurocargo @Euro 6 ‘Spoilt for choice’

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hen we think of any vehicle manufacturer’s products it is usually the biggest and most glamorous that comes to mind.

It is rarely the regular middle of the road hard grafter that get the attention. Though, in many cases these are the most profitable vehicles in any fleet.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that increased levels of internet shopping, and more Just-in-Time deliveries is creating a demand for transport at the lighter end of the market. Trying to service this demand with trailers is not practical never mind economical, and this is where the 7.5 tonner is King. However the work is tough on both man and machine, who have to work in an environment that is not particularly welcoming. One reason usually mentioned for restricting truck movements in urban areas is the levels of tailpipe emissions.

Well that is not the case anymore - enter Iveco’s Euro 6 compliant Eurocargo.

Eurocargo may not immediately spring to mind when you think of Iveco trucks, though the model has been an immense success for the Italian producer. The mid-range Iveco goes about the day's work without any fuss, it is only when you start looking that you realise how many Eurocargos there are on the road.

The latest version of Eurocargo was launched late last year, following the upgrades made with the other family members of the Iveco truck family - Trakker and Stralis. We like the look and feel, it lends some level of authority to the truck without being too aggressive, an important feature when operating in the urban environment. The interior has also been given an update and brought more into line with its larger siblings.

Drivers used to Eurocargo will be familiar with the features, and drivers new to the truck should get comfortable with Eurocargo in a very short amount of time.

For most manufacturers the volume seller is invariably their larger tractor units, with rigid trucks accounting for around 30% to 40% of sales. Although the figures for rigid sales are lower, the complexity of the chassis and body types seem never ending. To meet this demand Iveco is able to offer customers over 11,000 variants of Eurocargo across the range of complete vehicles and chassis cab. There is no doubt that being able to supply such a wide range specifications off the shelf has increased the appeal of Eurocargo.

Our test truck the Eurocargo 75E190 had the middle of three power options from the Tector 5 engine range at 190hp, there are additional versions at 160hp and 210hp. If more grunt is needed then you can move up to the six-cylinder 6.7 litre Tector 7, which offers four additional power ratings of 220, 250, 280, and 310 hp. All seven engine variants deliver their rated power at 2,500rpm. The Tector engines use Iveco’s Hi-eSCR to comply with Euro 6 regulations. Hi-eSCR is a system developed by the company’s sister brand within the CNH Industrial, ‘Fiat Powertrain Technologies’ (FPT), and allows Iveco to achieve Euro 6 without the need for Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR).

The Tector 5 is a fi ne example of how the engineers at FPT have developed a relatively small four-cylinder diesel for use in commercial vehicles, if you consider that many Pick-Up Trucks in the United States use similar sized or occasionally larger engines than the 4.5 litre fitted to this Eurocargo.

The on-road performance of Iveco’s Tector 5 is quite remarkable, and on the important issue of fuel consumption. Iveco claims a reduction of between 4-4.5% when the new six cylinder Euro 6 is compared to the previous 220hp Euro 5.

The now familiar six-speed ZF 6AS700 is the transmission of choice, in that it is the standard fitment, and one that works well for this segment.

It has proved popular with drivers and trouble free for operators. The ZF Eurotronic transmission fitted in our test truck complimented the 190hp unit and is well suited for multi-stop distribution work. Its secret lies in its simplicity of operation, in that the driver just presses the drive button and moves off . Additional benefits can be found for companies where frequent driver changes are the norm, and skill levels may vary widely.

For these types of operations Eurotronic is really the way forward. Within the transmission options, Iveco can offer a 12 speed version of the ZF automated, and if automated is not for you, there are alternatives with a ZF 5 or 6-speed manual, or a fully automatic Allison.

Our Eurocargo 75E190 is a well-designed truck for the intended area of work. It has all the att ributes we would expect in this class of truck, such as easy access to the pleasant functional cab, which has a light airy sense of space. The test truck was trimmed in a serviceable fabric, which again was suited to the area of work. First class seating combined with a well laid out dash delivers good ergonomics and makes for a high quality workplace. Visibility is critical for a commercial operating in highly populated areas and Eurocargo ticks this box more than adequately. On occasion the mirror assembly can cause a blind spot though few vehicles are exempt from this issue, and the problem is very much dependant on the drivers' seating position.

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

TEST | 19

We began our test heading from Enfield back towards Maynooth and then across to Naas, after which we took in a wide variety of traffic situations on motorway, urban and rural roads in what turned out to be a miserable wet and windy day. Th roughout the drive Eurocargo impressed as it always has. Although the truck feels light and agile, it moves with purpose on the road, and has always delivered the sense that you are driving a much larger vehicle. The common rail in-line four is deceptive and few would realise it was not a six-cylinder by the manner it pushes out the 190 hp.

The Tector engine may appear a litt le noisy on start up from cold, and this remains for a few minutes until normal operating temperature is reached, after which the engine operates quietly and smoothly. When required it is quick to respond and lively.

For over two decades Eurocargo has delivered in an unassuming manner for Iveco, and its customers. With the latest Euro 6 version it appears to have moved the truck up a notch in levels of comfort, driveability, and importantly safety. It is a well thought out truck that can offer positive transport solutions for a wide variety of operators.

Spec Check Make / Model

Iveco Eurocargo 75E19

Chassis / Cab

4x2 Rigid Box Body

Engine

FPT FE4A - 4 cylinder 4,485 cc

In this market segment it can be immensely difficult to satisfy all your customer’s needs. One unusual aspect is that some companies may not want trucks, and would seriously prefer life without them. Transport may not be their core business, and may just be a consequence of the core business. In addition many drivers in this segment have no particular interest in driving the trucks. It is possible that they could not even tell you the make or model of truck they are driving.

Rated Power

192 hp (137 kW) @2000 - 2500 rpm

Rated Torque

680 Nm @1250 - 1900 rpm

Euro Rating

Euro 6 Iveco Hi-e SCR

Transmission

ZF 6AS700 - 6-Speed Automated

Braking

Discs all-round - split air/hydraulic ABS

In such cases what is needed is a robust, easy to drive truck that will perform economically, be reliable and not let the company down - and here Eurocargo performs. As a total transport package the Iveco makes an att ractive prospect for the operator. Iveco and FPT have invested heavily in research and development, with the results being applied across their whole commercial vehicle range. On the business side of the equation Iveco believes that it has tackled the issue of Total Cost of Ownership’ (TCO) and feels it has the lowest TCO in the market.

Retardation

Exhaust Brake

Suspension

Parabolic springs front and rear (P 2 Airbags Rear)

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

Stability & Safety Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control (EVSC) Axle / Ratio

Iveco Hypoid - 3.58:1

Wheels / Tyres

205/75R 17.5

Body

JC Payne box with tail-lift www.fleet.ie

20 | PREVIEW

CTTC Coach & Bus Show 2014 RDS Simmonscourt Pavilion, Dublin – 14/15 November

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uch is the demand for exhibition space at the forthcoming Coach & Bus Show 2014 at the RDS on 14/15 November that additional halls at the Simmonscourt Pavilion have been acquired by the event organisers the Coach Tourism & Transport Council (CTTC). Sponsored by Campion Insurance, this bi-ennial expo is Ireland’s largest and most successful passenger transport show, and once again is expected to attract a large gathering from this broad industry.

One of the social highlights of the weekend event is the Bridgestone Gala Ball will take place on the first night of the Coach & Bus Show, Saturday 15 November 2014. The Ball will take place at the Ballsbridge Hotel and will feature a four-course meal, comedy and music.

Coach Driver of the Year Competition 2014 For the second occasion, the Coach & Bus Show will host a competition to decide who is Ireland’s top coach driver, sponsored again by the Swilly Group. Coach drivers from all over the country will compete for this elite title. The competition will consist of an interview process, knowledge test and driving skills assessment.

The winning driver will receive the Martin Guilfoyle Memorial Trophy, donated by Bernard Kavanagh & Sons Ltd, in memory of their late esteemed colleague.

For further details please contact cherylhalpenny@ gmail.com or phone: 087 2573417. Overnight accommodation can be booked by contacting pdownes@ballsbridgehotel.com. Please reference CTTC Gala Ball for discounted rates.

The competition will be facilitated by Damian Kerin and the team at The Swilly Group [www. swillygroup.com], specialists in driving, training and consultancy. The Harris Group, Dublin will supply the coach for the driving assessment module. More details on this soon.

Quality Seminar Programme an integral part of the Euro Bus Expo Bus Experience

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high quality seminar programme will once again be an integral part of the total show experience when Euro Bus Expo 2014 opens this November.

As well as being able to see fi rsthand a wide spectrum of innovations in the bus and coach sectors from more than 240 exhibitors, visitors to Euro Bus Expo 2014 – which takes place from 4 - 6 November at the NEC Birmingham - will be able to hear latest industry thinking and views presented at the extensive seminar programme that will be taking place as an integral part of the show.

A special Environment Stage area of the show will be shared, over a three day period, by speakers from Greener Journeys, the Low Carbon Partnership, Transport for London and Reading Buses to name but a few.

(ATCO) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) will also be presenting in the MasterClass Theatre as part of the free to attend learning programme supported by DriveCam throughout all three days of Euro Bus Expo 2014.

In addition, a MasterClass Theatre – situated in the Technology Zone of the show - will feature a packed programme of activities on each of the three days of the show. As well as keynote addresses from Ian Morgan, Chairman of CPT (UK) and Leon Daniels, Managing Director of Surface Transport of TfL, a ‘Tomorrow’s World’ panel session facilitated

by David Guest is bound to see some lively debate on some of the issues that will shape the future of the bus and coach industry.

Speakers from a variety of organisations, including the Young Bus Managers Association, the Association of Transport Coordinating Officers

Speaking ahead of the show, Simon Posner – Chief Executive of the Confederation of Passenger Transport CPT (UK) - commented; “The bus and coach industry has an enviable record of innovation across many facets such as improving accessibility, attracting more passengers and enhancing their travelling experience, delivering ever better environmental performance and increasing the use of smart technology. Visiting Euro Bus Expo – with its extensive seminar programme as an integral part of the event - is a great way of keeping up to date with the latest developments and trends across all these key areas.”

FIAA announces its twelfth edition under the slogan "Technology in Motion"

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FEMA has announced the twelfth edition of the International Bus and Coach Fair, FIAA, which will take place from 28 to 31 October 2014 in halls 7 and 9 of FERIA DE MADRID. The event will seek to bolster its international standing with a revamped image and has the backing of the leading sector associations. FIAA will run parallel with MATELEC, the International Trade Fair for the Electrical and Electronics Industry, one of the most important industrial trade fairs in Spain and Portugal. Over one hundred companies confi rm their presence at FIAA 2014.

The Fair, the leading event for the industry, represents a major commercial opportunity

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

which, in the words of the recently appointed FIAA and the IFEMA Automotive Area Director, Miguel Aguilar, “is being held at a particularly appropriate moment, as the automotive sector, anticipating both the beginning and the end of the recession, is emerging from a complicated

economic situation and is starting to view the future with greater optimism.”

One of the features that the FIAA International Bus and Coach Trade Fair makes available to the companies from around the world taking part is the wide range of communications that will help them to maximise the benefit from attending the event. In addition to the traditional channels (press releases to the general and specialist media, newsletters, websites etc.), this year the fair has assumed the challenge of the communications 2.0. era, opening profi les on Facebook, Twitter and Google+, all of which are managed by a company specialising in Social Media.

Text: Sean Murtagh - sean@fleet.ie

22 | AWARDS

Trailer Innovation Awards 2015 presented at IAA CV Show 2014

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erman manufacturers dominated the 2015 Trailer Innovation Awards presented at the IAA Commercial Vehicles Show in Hannover. Of the seven trophies presented from 82 entries covering categories from Body, Chassis, Components, Concept, Environment, Safety and Smart Trailer, five awards went to German brands. The other prizes went to near neighbours, Belgium and the Netherlands.

In congratulating the various new title holders, Jörg Montag, Chairman of the jury said, “The Trailer Innovation 2015 competition was a great success with 83 innovation entries from 51 manufacturers out of the 10 European countries taking part. This pan-European competition once again presented a kaleidoscope of amazing technologies around the trailer with a huge variety of innovations as the vehicles become more intelligent, lighter, more durable, environmentally friendlier, more aerodynamic, safer and last but not least more economical.” He added, “It was tough work for the jury members from eleven European transport magazines to elect the winners in the seven categories ‘Body’, ‘Chassis’, ‘Components’, ‘Concept’, ‘Environment’, ‘Safety’, and ‘Smart Trailer’. What is most important is that the innovations must lead to significant improvements in the tough daily routine of the transport business – from the magnetic door retainer to Smartphone App-controlled electronics. The jury of Trailer Innovation is very proud to promote these new aspects to the world of road transport, and we would like to thank all the participants and the VDA (German Automotive Association) for the excellent co-operation.”

Category: Smart Trailer Winner: Knorr-Bremse/TIP Trailers Product: iTAP FleetRemote Using a WiFi connection to your SmartPhone or Tablet, iTAP FleetRemote, jointly developed by Knorr-Bremse & TIP Trailers facilitates the remote control of the functions of the trailer independent of the truck-trailer combinations. Whether it’s operating the lift axle or raising/ lowering the chassis, to mention a few functions, they can all be done directly from the cab in a safe and controlled manner.

Unlike existing telematic solutions, iTAP FleetRemote periodically transfers data to allow logistics managers and repair & maintenance providers to continuously monitor and diagnose trailer performance and usage, e.g., measuring the trailer performance and to diagnose or predict failures. It’s easy to connect and set up the system – one single cable connects the iTAP ECU with the TEBS G2 module.

One important aspect of the joint German/Dutch concept is TIP Trailers’ input of including an ID-identification module within the system to recognise the truck pulling the trailer and location of same if dropped at a different address. Payment is through a very competitive 5-year service plan between the provider’s agent and the trailer operator/owner.

Category: Chassis Winner: Goldhofer Product: Semi-low Loader with Single Wheel Suspension Think MacPherson front wheel suspension used in passenger cars fine-tuned and adopted by Goldhofer for application on heavy load transportation. First FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

presented at Bauma 2013, the Goldhofer STZ-MPA is based on a single wheel air suspension system for low loaders.

The Trailer Innovation jury acknowledged the MPA axle as the lightest single wheel system on the trailer market, designed with minimum use of parts (only three main components – wheel carrier with brake, shock-absorbing strut and one suspension arm) for functions such as axle control, steering, suspension and damping. Semi-trailers with more than 6 axles can be accommodated with this system.

Less wear and tear on vital joints and other components such as brakes are some of the objectives achieved as well as functional safety through larger track and largest possible centre-to-centre spring distance. In addition, the Goldhofer MPA’s lightweight construction and approval for 12 tonne axle loads in Germany enables the operator to gain noticeable payload benefits while also reducing the required number of axles. In some instances a 4-axle MPA can be used for the same missions as an ordinary air-suspended 5-axle semi-trailer.

Category: Components Winner: Sörensen Product: Tail-lift with integrated Scissors Lift

Unique to this innovation is that the scissor tail-lift from Sörensen actually does not only carry the load from the vehicle floor to the ground and back, but for the first time, the load can be lifted above the vehicle floor level – for example, to a docking ramp that is higher than the vehicle. Due to its clever design the scissors lift disappears completely into the torsion box of the platform.

Heavy or bulky items can be handled with ease using this application and with the integration of a scissors lift into the tail-lift platform, the Sörensen system can lift the load from the horizontally placed platform up to 520mm on the level of the ramp.

Irish company, Prime Transport Solutions was also a finalist in this category with its Pneumatic Landing Legs system that has made in-roads in North

AWARDS | 23 America with both Daimler and Volvo Trucks among its customers.

Category: Safety Winner: Schmitz Cargobull Product: Tipper Semi-trailer Safety Package At the SchmitzCargobull pre-IAA Press event, we were impressed with the many safety aspects associated with its new tipper semitrailer product line.

One of the dangers it helps eliminate includes controlling of the tilt angle; that is the articulation angle between the tractor-unit and the trailer can be monitored and the tipping process interrupted in time in order to prevent the entire unit from tipping over, especially in uneven terrain. The driver is warned before a critical tipping angle is reached which helps prevent accidents.

Another advantage is that the tipping angle can be set, reducing the risk of hitting an obstacle or tipping over. This is all done via touch screen controls on a SmartPhone or Tablet PC through wireless LAN connection. Other elements to the trailer’s components can be controlled or monitored such as releasing the back door, rolling/unrolling the load cover or weighing the actual load on board. But that’s not all, as the TPMS – Tyre Pressure Monitoring System not only informs the driver of the pressure of each tyre but can inflate and deflate, if necessary.

Sensors connected to the electronic brake system of the trailer transmit all this information co-developed with Knorr-Bremse and the device actions which are clearly displayed on the handheld screen. This data can be also accessed via the internet using the Cargobull Telematic portal.

Category: Body Winner: Langendorf Product: ISOXX Thermo Tipper From the 1 January 2016, new regulations in the German transport sector will require that asphalt/tarmac carried on tipper trucks and trailers be maintained and monitored at a standard temperature.

This means that the sidewalls of the trailers must be insulated and in the case of the Langendorf innovation, the inner and outer walls of the trailer are heated. In addition to the required covering of the load, loss of heat can be prevented according to the legal requirements.

The ISOXX system can be retrofitted on older trailers and is easy to repair.

And as the insulating material does not absorb water and does not corrode, due to the insulation, payload is reduced by 200 kg. ISOXX is maintenance free and does not need any additional equipment to operate efficiently.

Category: Concept Winner: Faymonville Product: Semi-trailer Concept Chassis CombiMAX

systemsofthe CombiMAX are steered w ith a single, newly developed gooseneck offering the possibility to configure extendable modular combinations, using a telescopic centre beam.

According to the Belgian manufacturer, 50% of the traditional modular trailers are considered ‘too-heavy’ for road transport and are too complex and expensive to maintain. By using I-axle modules which Faymonville calls ‘Joker Axles’, each combination can be easily adopted to the axle load requirements. As this modular combination can be extendable, the operator can up or downgrade the vehicle’s capacity at any point. The required axle for extra payload can be configured at any time. Fitted with electromagnetic valves, the vehicle becomes more user-friendly, with all axles steered by the gooseneck, increasing performance.

“Define your transport challenge, configure your trailer solution,” is the motto used by Faymonville to describe the CombiMAX and thanks to its huge flexibility, numerous combinations can be built under Faymonville’s ‘Configure to order system.’

Irish and UK based trailer company SDC had an entry in this category with a customised Trombone Trailer with advanced on-board safety equipment.

Category: Environment Winner: TWAN Heetkamp Trailers Product: Cooling without Diesel Engine Dutch company TWAN Heetekamp Trailers BU raised eyebrows w it h it s refrigeration cooling unit driven totally by electricity.

Apart from being zero-emission, there is no more danger of having the diesel tank tampered with! Generating the power is achieved in a number of ways – sun/ solar panels on the roof. Charge the batteries, then there is a specially adopted axle that regenerates when the vehicle brakes. Then on the PTO Shaft there is a gear housing, which connected to an oil pump that can produce electricity, which goes directly to the batteries. A third charging possibility is done the conventional way through a 380 volt socket. All these charging tools provide the batteries with enough power to run the reefer engine and as it is without a diesel engine, it saves on weight big time – 250 kg instead of the average 900 kg for the conventional systems. Running temperature is less than normal too, not to mention the low noise, reaching the PIEK requirements easily.

According to TWAN, running costs are much lower by up to €45 per day based on an average 35 litres used with the diesel motor. Part of the PNO Group in Scandinavia, TWAN is primarily a trailer sales and rental company based in Venlo, the Netherlands. It has 3,000 trailers in its fleet, 700 reefers fitted with diesel motors and is currently trialing an all-electric unit with success over the past year. Currently after some fine-tuning, 10 more units will be installed which will be rented out to customers.

At the IAA Commercial Vehicles Show, visitors were very interested in the world premiere of Faymonville’s award winning, One-Neck-Technology. All axles Text & Photos: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

www.fleet.ie

REVIEW | 25

65th IAA Commercial Vehicles Show 2014 – Hannover, Germany

Daimler points to the Future

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aimler AG, highlighted its dominance as the world’s biggest commercial vehicle manufacturer, by presenting its five brands, numerous world premieres, new services and the spectacular Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 concept at this year’s IAA CV Show in Hannover. 63 trucks, buses, and vans took up Halls 14 & 15, with Daimler’s impressive line-up was further outlined by new models from North America and Asia.

Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, the Daimler AG Board

of Management Member responsible for trucks and buses, emphasized at a special press briefi ng on the eve of the Show’s official opening: “Our goal is clear: We want to lead our industry - both technologically and economically. With strong technology, a global presence and intelligent platforms. Daimler is the world’s only real full-line supplier and fulfi lls every transport operator’s need.”

With its range of trucks, vans and buses, Daimler is more global in ambition than any other manufacturer and the German brand’s strong

international position is also reflected in the number of commercial vehicles it sold in the fi rst eight months of the year. Altogether Daimler sold around 516,000 trucks, buses and vans worldwide, representing an increase of over five percent on last year’s result. The van business did especially well, with sales growing by ten percent to approximately 181,000 units. Truck sales rose in the fi rst eight months of the year by three percent to about 314,000 vehicles, while bus sales totalled around 20,000 units, which was more or less unchanged from last year.

Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 is first autonomous truck

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t this year’s IA A, the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 took centre stage. With the Future Truck 2025, Daimler not only put the autonomously driving truck of the future on the road but also highlights Daimler Trucks’ tec h nolog ic a l leader sh ip.

According to Dr. Bernhard, “The Future Truck 2025 will be a key element of tomorrow’s transportation system, because it will make freight transport safer, more efficient, and more closely networked. This year Daimler is also presenting pioneering new safety systems such as Blind Spot Assist, which will help to significantly reduce accident figures in the future.”

In addition to the Future Truck, which served as the IAA’s main show-stopper Daimler’s presentation in Hannover concentrated on the company’s technological leadership with regard to trucks, buses, and vans. “The focus here is on maximum customer dedication.

In the commercial vehicle business this dedication is primarily expressed by the three letters “TCO”, which stand for “Total Cost of Ownership.” No matter whether a vehicle is from Mercedes-Benz, Setra, Fuso, Western Star, Freightliner or BharatBenz, Daimler trucks,

the future Daimler Trucks will be offering the two most fuel-efficient trucks on the North American market.

vans, and buses focus on minimizing costs by combining the highest levels of efficiency with maximum performance,” added Wolfgang.

The BharatBenz 3143 8x4 is just as spectacular, but in a completely different way. This four-axle construction truck from the division’s Indian subsidiary has two rear-drive axles and a GVW of 48 tonnes. “It is powered by the proven Mercedes-Benz OM 457 six-cylinder inline engine with 12 litres of displacement. Th is engine is well known not only in Asia but also in Europe and the Americas.

The BharatBenz 3143 is by far the strongest local truck on the Indian market. Series production is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2015.”

In addition to being the efficiency champion in Europe as a result of Mercedes-Benz, Daimler Trucks also promoted the new Western Star 5700 as another example of outstanding efficiency. This spectacular North American truck from one of the Daimler brands was recently presented in the U.S. and will be available to customers there beginning in 2015. The WS 5700XE consumes only slightly more fuel than the Freightliner Cascadia Evolution, which offers best-in-class fuel efficiency in North America. As a result, in

Another perfect example of Daimler Trucks’ global ambitions is the FJ-series Fuso HDT2528R three-axle rigid. The Japanese brand’s product is also produced by Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) in India, which exports it to promising markets in Southeast Asia and Africa. Other vehicles featured were by Fuso which included the Canter with a GVW of 8.55 tonnes and the new Canter E-Cell, which has an all-electric drive system and is produced in Portugal. www.fleet.ie

26 | REVIEW

“The International Truck of the Year for 2015 is Renault Trucks’ Range T”

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he new Renault Trucks’ Range T was elected International Truck of the Year (ITOY) for 2015 by a jury of 25 leading commercial vehicle editors representing 25 major trucking magazines from throughout Europe, including Fleet Transport.

This prestigious award was handed over to Bruno Blin, President Renault Trucks, by ITOY Chairman Gianenrico Griffini, during the VDA Gala Dinner on the eve of the opening of the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover, Germany. Featured below is the citation by Mr. Griffini to the 700 representatives from the Commercial Vehicle industry.

“With its latest Range T, Renault Trucks has designed a brand new long distance truck line-up that represents a huge step forward over its previous heavy duty models.

At the same time, Range T combines and improves upon the best qualities found in its Magnum and Premium Route predecessor model, in terms of comfort, prestige and fuel saving.

In particular, Range T's new wedge shaped cab with its 12 degree sloped A-Pillars, excellent noise insulation, comfortable seats and main function controls close to the steering wheel represents a state-of-the-art solution to achieving low aerodynamic resistance, whilst offering good allround visibility and a pleasant working and resting environment for professional truck drivers.

All these features were noted by the International Truck of the Year jury during a recent long distance test drive from Venice to Rome, along a challenging highway mountain route.

The ITOY group also prasised the performance of Range T driveline, based on DTI 11 and DTI 13 engines combined with the advanced features of Optidriver automated transmission. Jury members further appreciated the Renault Trucks’ Eco-Cruise

control with its choice of three different settings, that allows the driver to select the best mode for optimum fuel consumption.

Therefore, I have the pleasure to announce that the International Truck of the Year for 2015 is Renault Trucks' Range T.”

DongFeng Trucks crosses the Great Wall

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X, KL and KR are the model names from DongFeng Trucks that made their European debuts at the IAA CV Show. These heavy and medium duty trucks come from China’s leading commercial vehicle maker that has collaborative links to the Volvo Group among other in its homeland. From its 15 plants in China production capacity is at 200,000 trucks per year. Established in 1969, its head office is located in the city of Shigan, in Hubei Province in the centre of China.

While everyone has a good idea what Chinese trucks look like, not everyone has had an opportunity to see them in detail. However at this years IAA the welcoming staff on the Dongfeng stand gave everyone a chance to get close enough to push this, press that, and pull the other. The company arrived in Hannover with three models to show, first up was the 4x2 KL rigid. Next on the stand the stand was a 4x2 KR tractor unit, with the third being kept under cover.

The unveiling of Dongfeng’s flagship KX model drew a very large crowd and the audience appeared suitably impressed with what they saw. Th is 6x4 tractor was painted in an unmissable, and (we must say) attractive shade of yellow. The KX model powered by a Euro 5, 13-litre Cummins develops 480hp and an impressive 2,320 Nm FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

of torque between 1,000 and 1,300 rpm. All of which drives through a ZF’s 12AS2540 automated manual transmission. Watch this space.

To date, DongFeng Trucks has established networks in Asia, Africa, South America as well as Eastern Europe.

REVIEW | 27

MAN matches Efficiency with passion

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n Hall 12, the full diversity of MAN Truck & Bus models awaited visitors with a display arena of some 10,000 square metres. Fuel efficiency was the central theme of the new models that MAN presented. Innovative technology has reduced fuel consumption on the part of trucks and buses, resulting in lower running costs on the one hand and fewer emissions on the other.

During MAN´s prominent appearance at the IAA, attention was directed towards its top-of-the-range TGX D38 truck. Delivering outputs of 520, 560 and 640hp, the new flagship rounds off the high end of MAN´s range. This flagship model offers a tailored powertrain with numerous new efficiency features and is predestined for demanding transport tasks.

At the heart of the vehicle lies the newly developed D38 six-cylinder in-line engine with a displacement of 15.2 litres. This power unit delivers superb pulling power, with maximum low-end torque to meet all needs – without striving to break any records in terms of horsepower. Instead, MAN engineers

have focused their attention on reliability, efficiency and low running costs.

Hybrid & Natural Gas – alternative drives MAN Truck & Bus also provided event attendees with a glimpse into the future of commercial vehicles. Based on the heavy-duty TGX Hybrid concept, MAN exhibited for the first time a hybriddrive system for long-distance transport. In this case, a diesel engine acts as the primary source of power, while an additional drive system operated by an electric motor opens up the possibility of recovering, storing and reusing braking energy.

Most kilometres are driven on long-haul stretches so that, compared with all other hybrid vehicle applications, the overall potential for reducing CO2 is largest in this sector. Since the electric motor serves merely as a backup for the diesel engine, this gives rise to a lean, weight-saving system whose hybrid components weigh about 400 kilograms.

that trucks powered by natural gas are not only much more eco-friendly, but also quieter. A TGM with CNG drive is up to 3dB(A) quieter in terms of both interior noise and pass-by noise during acceleration. This figure means that for human ears, the vehicle is about half as loud. And, as in the case of buses, the benefits of economic efficiency also have an impact, with fuel costs falling by up to 35 percent.

In the case of distribution transport, however, other forms of drive offer a preferable alternative.

As a result, MAN is expanding its portfolio of CNG vehicles and from 2014 onwards, will also be adding trucks with CNG drive to its existing range of natural-gas-powered city buses. At the IAA 2014, MAN previewed CNG technology in trucks based on a TGM distribution chassis.

These vehicles can, for instance, be used in the municipal sector, as delivery vehicles in the retail trade or as parcel delivery trucks. The advantages offered, especially in urban areas, include the fact

Back to the Future for Iveco

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id you know that Iveco’s roots stretch back to 1864? Yes, that is when the Margirus brand was established and many years later was to become subsumed when Iveco was born in 1975, which is now a brand in itself within the CaseNewHolland (CNH) Industrial Group.

Iveco’s Brand President Pierre Lahutte focused on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) confi rming Iveco’s status as industry leader when it comes to fuel saving technology, and with the Hi-SCR catalytic reduction (High Efficiency SCR) system “saving fuel has never been so simple” for Iveco

customers, he stated.

Apart from the new IVOTY 15 Daily taking all the headlines, Iveco’s new Euro 6 Stralis LNG powered by Liquefied Natural Gas features a new type approved tank storage system, which is an important step in the sector. Other examples from the Italian manufacturer is its latest Eurocargo, Trakker multi-axle application and sister vehicle the Astra HD9 as well as Iveco Bus, its renamed bus and coach division formerly known as Irisbus. Fine examples were on display including the new 12m Crossway Low Entry.

Mr. Lahutte also mentioned that LC3, a leading logistics company, confi rmed its confidence in Iveco with its latest purchase of 50 Stralis LNG Euro 6 trucks. “Th is order arrives shortly after the fi rst five of its kind were put on the road,” stated Pierre.

“The vehicles will be used by LC3, a company specialising in temperature-controlled transport and container that has continuously strived to equip its fleet with alternative technological solutions capable of reducing the vehicles’ environmental impact,” he added.

Following the opening of the fi rst ENI Liquefied Natural Gas Station in Piacenza, LC3 was the first company in Italy to purchase the Stralis LNG and use them on the country’s roads. www.fleet.ie

28 | REVIEW

ACEA promotes Eco-Combis

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epresented at the ACEA round-table discussion were DAF Trucks, Iveco, MAN Truck & Bus, Mercedes-Benz & Scania. As a group they stated that the OEMs were on track to achieve the goals set out in Vision 20-20. However, the group representing European Auto & CV industries, also called for a more practical and relevant system of measuring commercial vehicle emissions noting that ratings should be based on a tonne/kilometre basis.

The five members present also stated that allowing introduction of the European Modular System (EMS) or Eco-Combis, is the quickest and easiest way to reduce carbon emissions and one that would require no investment and would deliver immediate benefits.

Scania’s Martin Lundstedt assured the audience that EMS will immediately deliver 15-25% fuel savings and there is “no additional safety issue”. He confi rmed this because his figures are based on the “pilot programme they have been running in Sweden for over 50 years.”

Scania continues to lead in sustainability

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n his speech CEO Martin Lundstedt focused on the importance of fuel saving saying that at Scania, “our heritage is very strong, we have been, we are, and will continue to be the leader in sustainable transport.” He supported the Swedish brand’s product performance with figures from the fi rm’s in-house transport company ‘Scania Transport Laboratory,’

2012 IAA. Since then over 4,000 contracts with customers have been created and “saved on average more than 10%.” Other areas of interest highlighted were the Euro 6 R450 with SCR only and the 9-litre CNG for distribution and municipal work.

Speaking on market share, Mr.Lundstedt said the Scania was increasing market share across Europe, although 60-65% of the business is now outside Europe particularly South America.

The experienced gained from running Scania Transport Laboratory, enhanced the development of the Scania’s Ecolution programme which was announced at the

Volvo Group developments continue

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it h a ser ies of major announcements over the past number of years, the main news from the truck division this year is the introduction of Volvo’s new I-Shift dual clutch transmission. The system will deliver quicker shift times between gears as the ratio is preselected. Th is means that there is no perceptible loss in torque which is especially beneficial when hill climbing.

municipal services unit will further enhance the Swedish company’s reputation in this market. One major announcement coming from Volvo Bus was the presentation of its new Plug-in Electric Hybrid Bus. The I-Shift Dual Clutch can be described as two parallel-linked gearboxes.

“For trucks, a dual clutch transmission is a major improvement, offering far smoother and easier driving,” said Astrid Drewsen, Product Manager Drivelines at Volvo Group Trucks Sales & Marketing EMEA.

Climbing into the cab of the Volvo FE 320 on the stand was possibly as simple as it gets.

Th is new low entry version of the popular

DAF Trucks goes Silent with CF

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inancial performance for the PACCAR group continues to be very positive.

Although DAF Trucks expect a slowdown during 2014 due to increased sales pre-Euro 6 regulations.

Product news from Eindhoven is that Predictive Cruise Control will be available as an option from January 2015. Also highlighted at Hannover was the new version of the CF Series, the CF Silent.

DAF Trucks will soon reveal a new low height tractor and trailer combination trailer with FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

an internal loading height of 3.0 metres. Th is is being accomplished while remaning under the 4.0 metre limit.

Sales news from Eindhoven was delivered by the President of DAF Trucks, Harrie Schippers with the announcement of a 1,000 truck deal for Warberers’s Transport of Budapest (H).

REVIEW | 29

Freight Exchange provider Timocom goes mobile!

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n the day-to-day logistics business there is an absence of a good and secure possibility of organising transport jobs with a tablet or smartphone.

TimoCom has closed this gap by creating a mobile access to all its products. Th is innovation freight and vehicle space search portal was presented for the fi rst time in Hannover. TimoCom currently operates in 44 European countries and provides its services in 24 European languages.

At the IAA Convention Centre, the market leader among the freight and vehicle exchanges in Europe promoted its enhanced free Transport Barometer App with access to all its products.

TimoCom customers can log into their accounts via the security access software TC Login integrated in the App - regardless of where they are.

All contracted TimoCom products are then available without any restrictions. Therefore it is possible to fi nd new jobs in the freight exchange

compatible with all operating systems such as Android, iOS and Windows.

Truck&Cargo while the truck is still on the loading bay of the current job. Likewise, the driver can grant the new customer permission to track the vehicle via the tracking platform TC eMap, or in the case of a refusal to accept the goods, quickly fi nd storage facilities via TimoCom's warehousing exchange. It does not matter whether one uses a tablet or smartphone for mobile planning.

The transport barometer app is of course

"Our main challenge was in applying TimoCom's high security standards also to the mobile use of our products," informed Marcel Frings, TimoCom. Th is important factor was achieved with an additional security level in the App. A mobile login takes place via TC Login. Th is security access is already well known from the desktop PC version. In addition, an individual PIN number must be entered for a mobile access to a TimoCom account.

"It is the same principle as with a bank card but even more secure," he explained. "TC Login, individual PIN and the corresponding mobile device are all linked together. If one piece of the puzzle is missing, it is not possible to access TimoCom. It is as if my Bank Card would work with only my PIN and without any need of a cash machine. Th is is a great security advantage for our customers."

ZF – seriously on the move

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or leading drivetrain component manufacturers ZF, having just taken over American giant TRW Automotive Holdings for $13.5 billion was not a distraction here at the IAA as the German conglomerate highlighted semiautonomous manoeuvring through its innovation truck with hybrid technology, with transmissions, steering and telematics systems featured on same all controlled remotely.

Right across its broad product portfolio, ZF adopts lightweight construction especially with suspension systems. For example, the independent suspension for heavy trucks saves 40 kilos alone compared to the current air-spring

The demonstration of reversing an 16.5 metre artic or a 25.25 metre combination remotely by a driver using an I-Pad was quite impressive. We viewed the indoor scaled model version, and a full scale demo was ongoing at the outdoor arena.

solid axle, which is guided by control arms.

Highs and Lows for Knorr-Bremse

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norr-Bremse, the leading

When answering the question would the MAN - Scania cooperation on transmissions have a significant negative impact on ZF Dr. Stefan Sommer replied, “we were expecting this, and so it was no surprise. However, he appeared to have some doubts when he continued to say, “though whether a transmission can be developed for both drivelines remains to be seen.”

Bosch heading for growth with Natural Gas

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manufacturer of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles highlighted its commitment to the development of innovative braking solutions. Launches included the ST7 disc brake for trailers, currently the lightest two-piston brake for 22.5-inch wheels on the market.

oard member of Bosch Wolf-Henning Scheider delivered the presentation for the company.

Interestingly he noted that Bosch e x pec t s g loba l commercial vehicle produc t ion to expand between 2-3% this year. He also forecasted that sales will increase more than 10% within the segment.

Knorr-Bremse has also developed a solution for gett ing heavy trailers to turn within the prescribed radius in collaboration with Kässbohrer. The Steer-by-Brake system relies on partial load reduction and selective braking of the rear wheels. Another new product is the Intelligent Leveling Control System iLvl for trailers which allows the system respond more rapidly and raise and lower the trailer much faster than in the past.

Much of this growth is expected to come from further integration of technology as standard. Mr. Scheider stated, “as soon as 2016, we expect every new commercial vehicle in Europe and the United States to be webenabled.” The company is also seeing a significant increase in Natural Gas drives, and in 2015 Bosch will fit almost 50,000 Commercial Vehicle engines with Natural Gas power - twice as many as 2014. www.fleet.ie

30 | REVIEW

Flower Power at Continental!

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s Continental’s global headquarters are in Hannover, the rubber products and component giant was very much on home soil.

While Conti gave an update on a number of projects especially in the area of telematics and tyre pressure monitoring, it was the announcement that it is developing an alternative to natural rubber from Dandelions, that raised a few eyebrows. It appears that Dandelion roots have similar elastic qualities to natural rubber.

The product called Taraxagum is not a wholly new idea as the product was originally used during World War II. Some of the benefits are that it is cheap, easy to grow and apparently only requires the same amount of growing area as natural rubber.

Schmitz Cargobull – forging ahead

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arket leader Schmitz Cargobull delivered a very healthy fi nancial report card to the IAA, and the forecasts appear just as healthy.

Turnover is boosted

by Schmitz fi nancing 45% of all trailers sold. “The Elephant is moving East,” stated Andreas Schmitz, as the company has now expanded to St Petersburg and opened a new facility in Wuhan, China.

At the 2012 IAA Schmitz announced its intention to produce its own fridge motors. At this years IAA it confi rmed selling over 1,000 units, and customer feedback is encouraging. For IAA 2014 the company announced that it is launching a new insulated tipping trailer, which will be available from January 2015. In addition all functions for the tipper can be controlled remotely from a hand held tablet.

Krone further extends component portfolio

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rone unveiled extra large LED trailer tail light from Hella, with the Krone logo lighting up permanently in the tail light area when switching on the lights and even more clearly while braking. Otherwise the focus was on its new range of Krone axles, and on the significantly larger range of services it offers compared to previously.

Using the "All-in Krone concept" for the fi rst time, it includes among other things the complete Krone trailer where all parts bear the Krone brand and have a Krone spare parts number. The used trailer exchange previously known as Secondo will now be known as Krone Used, while with Krone FairCare, Krone offers a range of service packages for trailer, tyre or cooling

engine. Other aspects of the All-In Krone concept include telematics, original spare parts, breakdown services, and fi nance.

" We noticed f requent ly in the past that our customers not only wanted to benefit from our expertise as a trailer manufacturer, but also would like us to be a complete ser vice provider for everything to do with trailers. We have responded to this, for example we have integrated the ex pertise of the a x le manufacturer gigant in our company and are now able to of fer our ow n K rone a x le. We are now also offering other components with the Krone look; t h is ma kes l i fe sig n i f ica nt ly easier for transport companies as they only need one contact now to answer all their questions concerning service, maintenance and spare parts", explains Bernard K rone, Managing Director.

Kogel’s broad range displayed

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busy IAA for the German trailer manufacturer where products exhibited included the new Kogel trailer axle, a modified Kogel Cool - PurFerro quality, the new Port 20 Tankplex semi-trailer container chassis, the new Cargo Coil trailer, a 3-axle curtain-sider truck for cargo security and rapid clearance of customs traffic - the Cargo TIR. Also featured was the Mega with its award winning Hybrid quick-opening mechanism, a 4 metre height optimised Mega, the FlexiUse flexible trailer for use with Lowliner, Midliner and Standard tractor units, and a new generation 3-axle tipper trailer amongst others.

Outside, a broad range of Kogel’s trailer products were prominently parked.

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

REVIEW | 31

Kässbohrer – Europe’s Fastest Growing Trailer Brand

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peaking at IAA, Kässbohrer Board Member Ms. Iffet Turken said that Kässbohrer is moving forward with investment in trailer engineering and customer service to increase its global customer base.

Ms. Turken told the attendees at the press conference that Kässbohrer is the fastest growing European semi-trailer manufacturer in the fi rst eight months of 2014, in key markets including Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Italy and Russia, with a sales unit increase of 27%. Ms. Turken went on to say that Kässbohrer’s sales growth is especially significant in Germany and that sales in Germany doubled in the January-August period of the current year, on year-on- year basis.

Explaining the latest investments of Kässbohrer,

we are aiming to reach an annual production capacity of 20,000 units and a turnover of €500 million per annum by 2018. On this path heading to 2018, Kässbohrer aims to become market leader in Europe in tank and silo segment by 2015, and in lowbed segment by 2016. To accomplish its objectives, Kässbohrer has already taken steps forward and made an investment of €33 million between 2011 and 2013,” she said.

Ms. Turken presented the company’s most recent achievements within its five-year development plan to 2018.

“In 2013, Kässbohrer announced its development plan for the following 5 years to 2018. Accordingly,

Having established its production network on three main locations, namely GochGermany, Tula-Russia and Adapazari-Turkey, Kässbohrer, the German brand which dates back to 1893 and owned by Tirsan from Turkey has not only has expanded its production facilities, but its product range as well in the past two years.

SDC Trailer range on show to EU customers

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hortlisted for the Trailer Innovation Award ‘Concept’ category competition held in association with the IAA CV Show, SDC Trailers were among the many outdoor exhibitors.

SDC submitted its pioneering Trombone trailer with on-board safety equipment for the prestigious category award, which was won

by Faymonville – see pages 22/23 for a full report. The custom built Severfield Rowan Trombone trailer was designed with advanced safety features for loading and securing various different materials such as tubing, decking and raw materials. An on-board Mansafe system is available for immediate use, aiming to increase operational efficiency on a busy

Other novel features include a reinforced rear crash barrier, built in straps for securing loads and extra sockets across the bed of the trailer for forward restraint.

24 lockable aluminium side posts provide additional security while confi rming to the strength required for transporting heavy loads. Cycle guards have been added to both sides of the trailer to increase safety for inner city transport. The innovative design goes above and beyond the current safety requirements and is the fi rst of its kind in the UK & construction site. An exclusion area is cordoned on both sides of the trailer using yellow extended posts and bungee cord for a forklift to safely unload material.

Ireland.

Thermo King Whispers loudly!

T

he big news from the global manufacturer of transport temperature controlled systems was that beginning in January 2015, Thermo King will offer a new line of trailer and self-powered truck units, using a next generation refrigerant that has about half the global warming potential (GWP) of refrigerant currently used. They will be followed in 2016 by vehicle powered truck products.

Also new in Hannover was the SLXe Whisper Pro trailer single and multi-temperature unit offering reduced sound levels with no compromise on performance. “It is”, said Galway based Dr. Dermott Crombie, Vice President Strategic Initiative, Climate Solution, (pictured)

T he company was a lso highlighting its PharmaSolutions platform at IAA. Dedicated to the needs of pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors and logistics providers, its aim is to ensure the efficacy of pharmaceutical products in transport with a stable and secure temperature controlled environment. PharmaSolutions offers the integration of telematics giving end-to-end visibility of refrigerated fleets and a broad spectrum of services spanning certification and qualification of transport refrigeration equipment to distribution process verification. “the only PIEK-certified, multi-temperature trailer refrigeration unit currently available on the market.” www.fleet.ie

32 | REVIEW

Carrier Transicold getting Greener

New products first off the FRIGOBLOCK

W

F

Carrier Transicold also presented its range of cold chain solutions for pharmaceutical transport, while it showcased its new 24/7 year-round incident management service, oneCALL, which gives customers access to an expanded network of more than 600 service points in 59 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Other highlights included the new FRIGO-Connect data transmission system. In addition to storing and transmitt ing temperature data, it offers customers many options for data analysis. The company had a fully electrical battery powered refrigerated truck from Meyer-Logistik with battery-powered FRIGOBLOCK inverterized refrigeration device FK 25i on show.

ith a continuing focus on reducing global warming though the use of natural refrigerant for over-the-road transport, Carrier Transicold publicly displayed for the fi rst time a natural refrigerant trailer prototype unit. Also making its IAA debut was the Vector 1350 trailer unit completing the Vector line of three specialized refrigeration units.

RIGOBLOCK, Europe’s third largest manufacturer of transport refrigeration devices presented a number of new products including a version of the refrigeration device series FK 35i with additional evaporator designed for multi-compartment service in trucks with transverse partitions.

It's all happening at VB-Airsuspension

T

here was a full line-up of products on the VB-Airsuspension stand including examples of VB-FullAir (full air suspension), VB-SemiAir (semi air suspension), VB-CoilSpring (coil spring suspension) and VB-SpecialParts (shock absorbers, roll stabilisers, leaf suspension and other spring components). In addition the company that specialises in air suspension solutions for light commercial vehicles also showed its new VB-APP, and VB-Airsuspensions ready for ESC rules for the fi rst time at IAA. VBAirsuspension products were also on display on other stands including Volkswagen Amarok and Volkswagen Crafter (both with VB-FullAir 2C) examples on the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles stand, and products on AL-KO, Mercedes-Benz and Renault stands.

With its VB-Airsuspensions ready for ESC, VB-Airsuspension becomes the fi rst accredited non-vehicle manufacturer ready for the new ESC rules. As of 1 November 2014 Electronic Stability Control will be required in all passenger and commercial vehicles sold as new. Working with TÜ V-Nord, VB-Airsuspension has developed a complete process for creating a valid simulation model for a vehicle. As a result its VB-Airsuspensions ready for ESC solution can be fitted without the need for each vehicle to be tested individually.

The VB-Airsuspension APP not only has functions such as finding the nearest VB-Partner FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

via the GPS on the Smartphone, and consulting the air suspension user manual, it can also be used to operate the air suspensions from a distance of up to 30 metres. It’s compatible with Android and iOS operating systems.

VB-Airsuspension is now a "PremiumPartner" of Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge (CV), providing VBCoilSprings (helper and reinforced replacement steel springs), VB-SemiAirs (semi air suspension)

and VB-FullAir systems (full air suspension) for the Volkswagen Caddy, Amarok, Transporter T5 and Crafter vehicles.

David Byrne, Midleton, County Cork is the Irish agent for VB-airsuspension – www.VB-airsuspension.ie

Text & Photos: Jarlath Sweeney, Cathal Doyle & Paul White

34 | FUEL PRICES (WEEK 39) / SAFETY MATTERS Country

Currency

95 Lead Free

98 Lead Free

Diesel

Country

Currency

95 Lead Free

98 Lead Free

Diesel

Albania

ALL

199.00

-

188.00

Lithuania

LTL

4.66

4.78

4.45

Andorra

EUR

1.260

1.320

1.120

Luxemburg

EUR

1.335

1.379

1.187

Austria

EUR

1.386

1.529

1.316

Macedonia

MKD

78.00

79.50

66.50

Belarus

EUR

0.802

-

0.824

Moldova

MDL

18.67

19.07

17.57

Belgium

EUR

1.639

1.683

1.436

Montenegro

EUR

1.350

1.380

1.240

Bosnia-Herzegovina

BAM

2.40

2.50

2.40

Netherlands

EUR

1.817

1.884

1.487

Bulgaria

BGN

2.55

2.73

2.60

Norway

NOK

15.64

16.39

14.19

Croatia

HRK

10.64

-

10.07

Poland

PLN

5.29

5.59

5.19

Czech Republic

CZK

36.36

-

35.75

Portugal

EUR

1.601

1.724

1.380

Denmark

DKK

11.99

-

10.47

Romania

RON

6.14

6.79

6.21

Estonia

EUR

1.274

1.314

1.259

Russia

RUB

35.43

-

34.00

Finland

EUR

1.621

1.676

1.453

Serbia

RSD

153.90

-

157.90

France

EUR

1.532

1.576

1.319

Slovakia

EUR

1.467

-

1.343

Georgia

GEL

2.22

2.30

2.22

Slovenia

EUR

1.447

1.471

1.359

Germany

EUR

1.525

-

1.364

Spain

EUR

1.407

1.531

1.330

Greece

EUR

1.640

1.831

1.322

Sweden

SEK

14.63

15.13

14.42

Hungary

HUF

421.00

-

427.00

Switzerland

CHF

1.748

1.794

1.765

Ireland

EUR

1.549

-

1.459

Turkey

TRY

4.90

4.92

4.34

Italy

EUR

1.797

-

1.671

Ukraine

UAH

16.20

18.80

16.05

Kosovo

EUR

1.22

-

1.20

UK

GBP

1.292

1.381

1.333

Latvia

EUR

1.267

1.310

1.229

USA

USD

-

-

1.004

Safety Matters . . . Safety Matters . . .

The Business Case for Managing Work Related Road Risk

U

sing the road for business is the leading cause of work-related deaths and injuries, Therefore, Work-Related Road Risk Management (WRRRM) should also be a priority for businesses and organisations for legal, ethical, moral, societal, reputational and financial reasons.

Work Related Road Safety [WRRS] is a priority programme area for The Health & Safety Authority [HSA]. The HSA is working closely with An Garda Siochana [AGS] and the Road Safety Authority [RSA] to influence improvements in work-related road safety in Ireland.

Does my organisation need to manage work related road risk?

The first question an employer needs to ask is: does my organisation need to manage WRRRM? The key questions to answer are set out below and are relevant to all organisations, large and small.

• • • • •

The agencies involved have developed a joint program to influence improvements in WRRRM, particularly in the areas of: • driving for work • working on or near the road, and • load securing for road transport At EU level, the HSA is working closely with The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) under its *PRAISE project. ETSC has recently published a report (May 2014) on the’ Business Case for Managing Work Related Road Risk’. The HSA participated in the expert group that developed the report.

For fleet managers, human resource managers and occupational health and safety managers, the report provides a framework for investing in WRRRM. Finance managers and senior management will gain a greater understanding of the financial savings that can be made as well as the legal issues involved. It provides a step-by-step approach for large and small companies and public authorities.

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

•

Do we operate vehicles for work?

Do our employees drive for work purposes?

Do employees or others drive on our premises?

Do we provide employees with personal vehicles?

Do we operate mopeds, motorcycles or bicycles?

Do we employ/contract transport services?

If the answer is YES to any of the above, executive management is responsible for ensuring that appropriate WRRRM systems and controls are in place and that they are operating effectively.

Download the full PRA ISE report at http://etsc.eu/ the-business-case-for-managing-road-risk-at-work/.

To download the FREE Driving for Work resources go to: http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Vehicles_at_Work/Driving_ for_Work *(Preventing Road Accidents and Injuries for the Safety of Employees)

36 | HEALTH PREVIEWMATTERS I

STRESS/BURNOUT

– is it inevitable?

S

tress is any factor that threatens the health of the body with an adverse effect on its functioning through injury, disease or worry. Stress is caused by uncertainty, lack of control over your own life, loss of contact with stable relationships such as home and family. Truck drivers are liable to experience stress from many sources, long work hours, night work, intermittent separation from home. More complex tasks and more time pressure than the operator is prepared to handle, as well as the opposite of this – too simple a job relative to the operators capabilities: these are also causes of stress. The whole body vibration of the truck and the difficulty of unwinding after work are, of course, a constant with truck drivers.

The truck driver’s relationship with his spouse and family is liable to be disrupted - the driver spends much of his days in his own company, and at night sleeps in the truck – the truck may be familiar, but where it is parked is often strange.

The driver will tend to try to adapt to life on the road, much of which is spent in isolation from others. He will probably smoke more, eat inappropriately, and occasionally use alcohol in his free time to relax as he tries to deal with the problem of unwinding at the end of a day’s driving with adverse weather conditions and traffic concerns.

One study reported that drivers sleep an average of 4.78 hours per day – this leads to chronic fatigue, which in turn leads to impairment of safe vehicle operation – all this will lead to more physical stress on the body as it has been found that the existence of one form of stress diminishes resistance to other forms of stress, and coping with adverse problems then becomes more difficult. Th is triggers a downward spiral of reaction – the more problems you have the worse you cope with them.

Burnout is the next step in this pathway - due to the high and sustained levels of job stress – resulting in the development of a persistent sense of failure, anger, irritability, lack of concentration, sleep disorders, susceptibility to being accident prone, suspiciousness and strong thoughts of leaving the job. These are not evidence of neurosis – objective fi ndings of an increase in two major hormones in the body have been demonstrated – adrenaline and cortisol – these levels rise immediately with stress. Persistent stress leads to persistently raised hormone levels. Th is increase in itself leads to different behaviour on the part of the person involved. Many are unaware of the onset

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

of burnout in themselves, and it sometimes takes a disaster before somebody can stand back and clarify their situation.

Is this avoidable? These are not just unduly sensitive drivers. Most of these people work very hard – for example express couriers often have many stops per day, and pressure to pick up and deliver on time. Others such as drinks deliverers are strongly associated with having back and shoulder problems.

There has been relatively litt le done in the way of research into the health of long distance commercial drivers, but overall figures for drivers in the U.S. are alarming – truck drivers are 7 times more likely to die on the job and 2.5 times more likely to suffer an occupational injury on the job than the average worker.

These global figures give an idea as to whether these workers would be a good bet for life insurance, but do not go into the fi ner details of what exactly is causing this difference in life expectancy in these workers. In the 1950s in England, it was noted that heart disease was more common in bus drivers that in bus conductors – this was put down to the fact that the drivers had the stress of driving but also were sitting down all day. Bus conductors were of course, on their feet for most of the day.

More recently it has been found that no matter how much time you spend in formal exercise, sitting for prolonged periods of time can contribute to ill health and a premature death. Truck drivers earn their living in what appears to be an unhealthy industry. Solutions for some of their problems have been suggested: a break of 11 hours between two work shifts to allow for the unwinding time, as lesser time frames mean that drivers only get 3 to 5 hours sleep between shifts.

Other suggestions have been to redesign work schedules, prescribe pharmaceuticals aids (a bad idea), or rather like the airline pilots of old - after having worked 10 hours driving a large dangerous vehicle maybe they should have two or three days off and stay in the nearest 5 star hotel.

If some of the causes of stress are identified – and many of them are outside the control of the truck driver himself – they could be targeted and by dealing with even a few of them the “downward spiral” of burnout could be broken.

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

38 | WAREHOUSING

Forklift Operator Training – It’s the law!

E

very year a significant proportion of workplace and transport related accidents result from forklift trucks or mobile work equipment being operated by untrained or inadequately trained drivers. With appropriate driver selection, the provision of instruction, information, professional training and adequate supervision, these kinds of accidents can be significantly reduced.

Legal Provisions The Safety, Health & Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires employers to take account of the employee’s capabilities in relation to safety, health and welfare when assigning them to a specific task. For instance, when appointing forklift drivers, the employer must ensure that the employee is not put at risk by being given work they do not have the competence for or have not been trained to undertake. Under the Act, employers must ensure that their employees have the necessary information, instruction, training and supervision, as far as is reasonably practicable to ensure their safety, health and welfare at work. Employees in turn are also required to co-operate with their employer to ensure compliance with the health and safety legislation.

Training strategy Sometimes it is not until an accident or “close call” occurs that we actually take the time to ask the questions and do the evaluations necessary to make the working environment safer for employees. “What is the safety strategy?”

“How well informed are forklift drivers and co-workers about safe work practices?” “How safe is the overall working environment?” Following an incident, there is often a major effort to fi nd the perfect solution to cure all of the facility’s safety problems, when in reality there is no ‘single’ solution.

In general however there are a number of issues which all facility managers and health and safety supervisors should bear in mind when evaluating and implementing operator safety programmes.

Under the legislation and the ‘Code of practice for Rider Operated Forklift trucks’ it is the responsibility of all businesses to train, test and certify their forklift drivers. The training should incorporate classroom training that includes audio visual instruction and guidelines on how to safely operate a forklift; how to complete a daily safety checklist and how to refuel and maintain a forklift . Testing should include both a written and hands-on practical test. Ideally the training should be tailored to suit the organisation’s specific safety hazards as well as the various types of vehicles used.

Shared work space safety Many accidents involving pedestrians and forklift s result from rear-end swing of the forklift or lack of visibility over the load being carried. In some cases, pedestrians are struck or pinned against walls or other objects which can result in serious injuries or even death. To minimise this danger, all pedestrian areas should be clearly marked with painted floor stripes, stop signs, and intersection barriers. For junctions or doorways with high traffic volumes of pedestrians and forklift trucks, implementing an alert system that integrates visual or audible alerts can be a good solution. For example, ‘Linde Blue Spot’ LED safety lights can be fitted to the front and rear of a forklift to warn pedestrians and other forklift drivers of an approaching vehicle at blind corners, doorways, racking isles or work stations. The distance at which the light shines onto the floor is adjustable to give an advanced warning of an approaching forklift truck.

An alternative system is a tag worn by pedestrians which is immediately detected by a proximity sensor mounted on each forklift truck. The driver FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

WAREHOUSING

| 39

thereby receives an audible alert that there are pedestrians in their immediate work area. UK company Transmon Engineering offer a wide range of options in this field.

While it is impossible to monitor all forklift operators in all locations around the clock, technology makes better supervision possible.

Equipment monitors and entry key pads mounted directly on forklift s capture a variety of data regarding impacts, access, and usage. Managers can download this data to a soft ware programme to help them manage their fleet with regard to issues such as scheduled maintenance and refresher training.

Driver Training While all drivers must be trained and competent to drive a forklift , the level of training required will depend on the employee’s experience and the type of work to be carried out. Company owners or managers therefore should: • Carry out a risk assessment and provide new employees with induction training and information about traffic routes, determine who is authorised to drive and give details about site specific hazards.

• Provide on the job training and information about workplace policies such as speed limits and parking procedures.

• Ensure that drivers are trained in safe driving practices, basic safety checks, proper use of safety features and how to report defects.

• Ensure drivers are trained in how to safely secure loads and how to access and leave the vehicle safely.

• Reassess the driver’s training at regular intervals and provide refresher training as appropriate to ensure driver competence. Supplementary or refresher training should be provided, if there has been a lapse in safe driving standards.

• If there are technological changes or an att achment is fitted to the vehicle, ensure that the driver receives training regarding such changes.

• Keep records of training provided and update as required. The records should include details of the vehicles that the employee is competent to operate.

It is important to be aware that one successful forklift test does not mean the operator is qualified to operate all types of forklift . If for example a driver successfully completes a counterbalance forklift training course, they are still required to undergo an additional ‘conversion’ course if they are expected to operate a reach truck or side loader.

Driver Instruction & Supervision It is important to ensure that all drivers have a clear job description detailing their role and are aware of all relevant site and company policies relating to forklift operation. Policies will typically cover issues including the use of mobile phones, in-vehicle technology, drugs and alcohol, fatigue, parking, smoking, seat belt usage, driving hours, rights of way and carriage of passengers.

Appropriate Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE), such as high-visibility jackets, safety boots or gloves, should be provided where appropriate.

Non–Irish nationals should also be provided with site rules in pictogram form or other languages as appropriate.

It is equally important to monitor whether drivers are following the site rules and to challenge and investigate unsafe operation such as lending keys to unauthorised drivers.

It is highly likely that untrained or uncertified operators will not be covered by insurance in the case of an accident.

Approved training The use of a formal driver certification or licensing system will assist in monitoring operators. Keeping a central database of who in the workplace is Text & Photos: Joe O'Brien - joe@fleet.ie

trained and competent to drive will assist in ensuring compliance with the regulations while also reducing the number of accidents or near misses.

Approved organisations such as the RTITB (Road Transport Industry Training Board), ITSSAR (Independent Training Standards Scheme and Register), IIPMM (Irish Institute of Purchasing and Materials Management) and FAS (recently renamed SOLAS); provide detailed advice and information regarding training procedures and course duration as well as recommending approved trainers. Established Irish organisations such as Nifast, The Irish School of Motoring and Daralinn also provide a wide range of courses in all areas of forklift training for both experienced and novice operators. There are also numerous experienced independent trainers nationwide who provide on-site training.

An important issue for employers to be aware of however is the recommended trainer to trainee ratio of 1:3. In addition, individual trainers should hold an Operator’s certificate themselves for the specific type of truck on which training is being carried out.

Conclusion The key to a safer workplace is planning, training, and prevention, but a fi rst step to improving overall safety is to review the current safety strategy and determine areas of weakness. Once these areas have been identified, evaluating technologies and systems that fit the specific environment becomes easier and more focused. Following through by implementing safety solutions and providing training to employees will help achieve safety success and ultimately reduce the number of accidents.

Further information on Safety and Health in the Workplace is available on the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) website www.hsa. ie or by contacting the Workplace Contact Unit on 1890 289 389.

Also: • www.rtitb.co.uk • www.itssar.org.uk • www.iipmm.ie

• www.daralinn.com • www.ismtraining.ie • www.nifast.ie www.fleet.ie

40 | COMMENT

Investment on our Transport From where I'm sitting future - Going South?

Howard Knott

W

hile relaxing with my Costa coffee and ‘Irish Times’ in the new Applegreen service area café on the N11 on the way to Rosslare, my eye caught an advert from the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport. It advised that it had just published a Public Consultation document under the title, “Investing in our Transport Future.” Th is had been drawn up by an Inter-Departmental Steering Group which had been established to develop a strategic framework for investment in Land Transport.

Th is steering group had been tasked with “overseeing the preparation of an integrated, evidence-based framework that would guide key land based transport investment decisions in Ireland.” It all sounded a bit dry and, anyway, the closing date for submissions was not until 16 October; the sun was shining outside, I closed the paper and headed south, forgett ing all about it.

By Monday morning the e-mails were flying. Folk who were obviously far more conscientious than me had been going through this very substantial document and were now highlighting those pieces that they did not agree with. It’s true that the report was not backward in criticising the relatively poor return on investment in the rail mode, particularly for services other than Dublin commuter services, but the report is actually one that needs to be read thoroughly. It is only then that the complexity of the problems and choices begin to emerge.

Right at the start of the report, there was one surprise. It looked at the growth of population as shown by the 1991 and the 2011 census figures from 3.53 million to 4.59 million, and its breakdown by sett lement type. The cities and suburban population grew by 20% to 1.5 million, that in rural areas and small towns grew by 15% to just over 1.6 million, but the big growth was in towns with

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

population of 1,000+ people, where the increase was 72% from just over 800,000 to over 1.4 million. The report made the point then that the existing spatial strategy was a failure and that the investment in the motorway network, in particular, had facilitated the movement of people out of cities to these smaller towns. The consequences of this for public transport provision were disastrous. They might have said also that the same movement did nothing for the efficient and economical provision of other public services.

The building of the motorway network mainly on Public-Private Partnership basis has, according to the report, left the State with huge annual repayments on them that swallow up most of the available transport provision budget.

It goes on to estimate a 2041 population of 5.2 million and peak road traffic, commuters and trucks, increasing by 35% over present levels. Long before those figures are reached the M50 and some other roads will clog.

As I said at the outset, this report almost passed me by; I’m glad that it didn’t and I would suggest that you, whether individually or through any group of which you are a member, have a good look at it and get back to the Department. It appears to be a serious document, out of which will emerge a transport development plan that will affect all of our lives and those of our children.

Going back into it there are a couple of strange things, one is that, when the Department is talking about trends in public and private transport usage, it appears to base its bus figures on purely those operated by the CIE Group. The private coaches and buses as well as the LUAS are not taken into account and I would feel that they would substantially change the figures.

The Report deals solely with the 26 counties and does not reference, for example the recent N.I. Department for Regional Development publication on the investment strategy for Northern Ireland Railways. There traffic patterns have developed completely differently than that South of the border and it would be instructive to try to fi nd out why this is so.

The report seems to favour ‘Steady State’ investment, which is basically keeping the existing networks operational but not doing anything to develop them further. I am sure that none of those who contribute their 2500 words to the Public Consultation will support this view.

Text: Howard Knott - howard@fleet.ie

42 | OPINION

Intervention: Action taken to improve a situation

W

hen the then Transport Minister, Alan Dukes set up a Review of the transport industry in 1999, establishing terms of reference were difficult. Remember that the Review was part of a Government brokered sett lement for the Dublin Port strike or blockade depending on your point of view, which took place earlier that year. As the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) was the fi rst body or grouping to be appointed to the Review it had a big input to these terms of reference. In order to take soundings from the members, a series of meetings were organised to make sure that every member could have their opinions heard and form part of the Review. I attended some of these meetings and there was a lot of discussion and debate about what needed to be done for the transport industry and haulage companies in general. One request from the industry was prevalent at all meetings, that was a request for a Regulator for the industry.

While the word Regulator may not have been entirely accurate or appropriate, people knew what they wanted, even though it was not always the same thing. Someone who would act like a referee over all the dealings hauliers had with their customers, suppliers and the companies they were in opposition with. In the discussions at the various meetings around the Country, many argued that had such an individual been in place the Dublin Port dispute may not have happened. Another problem that arose at these meetings was what role a Regulator would play. Some felt he/she should decide on rates while others felt the market would always dictate rates. Much of the discussion centred around the case of which ‘Phoenix’ companies seemed to trade with total absolution from their past sins.

When the fi nal presentation was made by the IRHA the last request on the document was the clearest in terms of the simplicity, an Industry Regulator.

Within days, Officials from the Department of Transport were making calls to people they would have known in the IRHA to get some ideas as to what the Association wanted, in terms of a result. Funny they were able to understand all of the seemingly complicated requests and comments, but the simplest one of all, a request for a Regulator, genuinely baffled them.

It was their belief that there was no need for one and that all the checks and balances were in place to make sure that all haulage companies were operating on a level playing field. As the report was being compiled there was some optimism that a Regulator might be appointed. In fairness to the Department of Transport, the people there at the time tried hard but could not really grasp what hauliers wanted.

When the Report was fi nally completed and presented to Government, the issue of a Regulator had not really been addressed. Most hauliers felt the fi nal document was cumbersome and lacked specifics. Those giving a measured response said it was ‘full of aspiration” and the less measured response was that it was “rubbish and bull….”. Keen to get the good bits out of the report the IRHA and the Department of Transport put in place a new document called the ‘Twenty Point Plan’. A very welcome proposal on the new document was the appointment of a Regulator. I was at the meeting when Assistant Secretary of the Department of Transport, Pat Mangan announced that the Regulator would be appointed in the form of a new authority, the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

Th is would be the ‘knight in shining armour’ that would bring fair play to all. Th is news received a guarded welcome from the IRHA and later that year at their AGM & Conference in Sligo, newly appointed CEO of the RSA, Noel Brett did inspire those attending. Most people felt that he was an honest broker and that he would be fair minded, he certainly did understand the frustrations of transport operators.

Many years later if you asked most hauliers, if they felt that the role of the RSA has fulfi lled their expectations of a Regulator, would say ‘No’.

While the RSA has streamlined all of the processes around the licensing and operation of the industry, its primary role is that of an Enforcement Agency and therefore it could not arbitrate on its own process. Were the

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

View from the Operators Desk by Sean Murtagh - sean@fleet.ie members of the IRHA wrong to have put so much into gett ing a Regulator?

Possibly, but maybe if it was called something different, it might have had more of an impact. What our industry needs is an Ombudsman’s Office with some level of statute authority. For it to be really effective it would need to have international reach. There are many anomalies in our sector.

Fines imposed on Irish trucks abroad are generally excessive and often arbitrary. When you tell people outside the sector about some of the law enforcements imposed on its interpretation, they are often bewildered.

Some of the treatment dealt out to the drivers mainly abroad is closer to what horse and coachmen suffered at the hands of the highwayman without the violence. When I was going to school I never knew what an Ombudsman was by name, but we had a teacher that had an enthusiastic sense of discipline. We all felt we were always treated a litt le unfair. It all changed one day when one of the lad's father turned up at the school. From that day on after the ‘intervention’ by a parent, the teacher in question showed a litt le more latitude and respect in his dealings with us.

Maybe a litt le intervention is timely.

44 | LEGAL

Unwanted Passengers

I

n a recent, and widely reported case in the UK, a container at Tilbury Dock was found to have 35 Sikh refugees inside. Subsequently 3 men were arrested in Northern Ireland for involvement in arranging the carriage of these refugees.

Currently it is impossible to escape news of large numbers of refugees in various parts of the world and it is inevitable that there will be those seeking to make a profit from the situation by offering to arrange safe trips to those countries offering security.

In Ireland there is a difference in law between Human Smuggling and Human Trafficking. ‘Trafficking’ is the practice of deliberately targeting individuals to be brought into Ireland by illegal means for a specific purpose, normally for use in the sex industry.

‘Smuggling’ is the provision of means to enable an individual to get into the country, once in to make their own arrangements. In 2013 there were 166,000 new applications for visas, residence, citizenship and protection.

As the case in Tilbury demonstrates, a 40 foot container on an articulated vehicle may appear to offer an att ractive opportunity to gain access to the country of choice, and refugees will pay extraordinary sums of money for such an opportunity and, as a result, both port officials, employers, and drivers have been, and are, offered substantial bribes to provide access to a vehicle.

Those companies who have articulated vehicles carrying either containers or tilts travelling into Europe or the UK need to ensure that their drivers are aware of the consequences of being found to have illegal immigrants in their vehicle, consequences of which can include imprisonment.

are found concealed in their vehicle it is also certain that they will be sent to prison.

As the flow of refugees attempting to leave their native country, whether in Europe or North Africa, increases, the popularity of an articulated vehicle as a means of escape is also likely to increase.

An employer, who must rely on the driver to check the vehicle, may not only face the loss of the vehicle if it is impounded, but may also be prosecuted if the Authorities take the view that in some way he/she was involved in the carriage of illegal immigrants.

Any employer whose articulated vehicles are involved in journeys which may att ract the attention of those trying to sell the opportunity of illegal access to a chosen country should be able to show that proper steps have been taken to avoid the possibility that his/her vehicles may be used for this purpose. At the very least any investigating officer might expect to see memoranda to all the drivers, issued at reasonable intervals, reminding them of the risk that their vehicle may be accessed by would-be illegal immigrants, and reminding them of the checks that they should carry out.

In the fi rst instance the drivers need to be reminded that parking a vehicle in a ‘secure’ park may not guarantee the safety of the vehicle, and every time they return to the vehicle, as a matter of routine, they should check the locks and access acreas. If the vehicle is a ‘curtainsider’, they should look for cuts or other signs of entry in the fabric. They should also listen to see if there is any sound from the interior of the load. Finally, as they walk back to the cab, they should be alert to the possible smell of urine or faeces.

Increasingly it is common for drivers of vehicles that are parked in the same area to keep a general watch for any people who are behaving suspiciously.

Th is mutual support does provide an excellent additional protection for drivers who may, otherwise, be vulnerable.

Employers need to understand the pressures that may have to be faced by drivers who may be offered large sums of money to facilitate access to their vehicle. It may be that the best practice is to encourage drivers to discuss these matters openly so that the experience becomes a shared experience. Drivers need to be aware of the fact that if illegal immigrants FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

Text: Jonathan Lawton - jonathan@fleet.ie

46 | FINANCE

Business Life Cycle

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s business owners it’s very easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day running of the company, without the opportunity to review how the business has got to this stage of development or what lies ahead in relation to how the business will survive and develop.

There are four stages in a business’ life cycle: 1. Infancy 2. Adolescence 3. Growing Pains 4. Maturity Infancy is when the business commences, strong emphasis is placed on the technical ability of the owner as he/she will be involved in the practical growth of the business. The owner will have handson experience in every aspect of the work, from driving, repairs, administration and customer care. Long hours and a genuine nurturing of the business is very important for it to grow. There is a real bond between the owner and the business and it’s through the owner’s hard work and vision that it will survive and flourish.

Next step is Adolescence, where the owner cannot do all functions by his/herelf, and moves from a technical role to a managerial role. Now the owner’s strength lies in gett ing the best out of others, his/her ability to understand and appreciate the work of staff is now important rather than the desire to always be at the coal face themselves. Th is transition in the business life cycle can be the most difficult for the owner. Staying small and profitable is an option because in phase two your ability to be profitable depends on business ability not practical experience.

The important element to note in this article is that all businesses have a life cycle. Understanding this concept and where your business lies in this cycle is key to the profitability and sustainability of your business long term.

Growing Pains - now the business is reaching medium to large scale, most likely the next generation is waiting in the wings and three options are staring the business owner in the face: • Avoid Growth - Stay Small • Go Broke • Push Forward to the next Cycle At this level the owner cannot personally supervise the business on his/her own, even with staff reporting to him/her it will not be sufficient to allow business growth. A management team is needed that can make decisions in each section they are responsible for, work on their own initiative based on a pre-set strategy for the business, and report key issues to the Managing Director. To get the business to this level means a substantial investment in both the owner’s time and money. Some business owners will restrict growth because they will not or cannot hand over control to a managerial team as they have been familiar with personal supervision of all aspects of their business. Creating a team that gells well together, has the same standards and profit expectations of the owner, can achieve real business value but it’s a difficult task and one that needs a new skill set.

Maturity - when a business has reached maturity it does not mean the end of growth or the certainty of decline. What you have to maintain is a passion for growth and entrepreneurial spirit as if you stand still your business will defi nitely decline. All three cycles pre-maturity are connected and the ground work put in to developing your business literally pays dividends when you reach maturity stage. It is quite common for businesses in maturity stage to be run by an external non family team but for the extended family to have ownership and key roles in the business.

Because the business is now large, focus is concentrated on economies of scale and business margin. The business will have a management team so the onus on family owners to work in the business is less. Quite often you will see family developing niche businesses that are not directly related to the core business, but use the group’s accountancy, administration, fi nancial and marketing expertise.

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

Text: Donal Dempsey - donal@fleet.ie

48 | SHIPPING & FREIGHT

Sulphur emission controls will prove costly

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s the start date for the new Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA) regime of 1 January draws closer, Shipping Lines have begun to advise their clients of the implications for their traffic being shipped on routes that transit the control areas. The affected regions include the US and Canadian coastal waters, the English Channel, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The maximum sulphur content for emissions from burning marine fuels within the SECA’s will reduce from 1.0% to 0.1%. Outside the SECA, sulphur content in marine fuels will need to be reduced from the current 3.5% level of 0.5% by the year 2020, though there is possibility that, following a review of the likely implications of the new measures this reduction may be deferred until 2025.

In an advice to its shareholders and clients contained in its fi rst six months of 2014 review, the Irish Continental Group, owners and operators of “Irish Ferries” and “Eucon” said, “As Map of the Emission Control Area (ECA) in the US and Canada as well as North Sea, English Channel set out in the 2013 Annual Report, the EU Sulphur Directive and the Baltic Sea. will come into force from 1 January 2015 in many parts of Northern Europe, including the North Sea and the English Channel, but not the Irish Sea. In short, it will reduce the permissible level of sulphur in bunker fuel from 1.0% to 0.1%. For the Group the main impact will be to require vessels in the Eucon fleet to burn low sulphur fuel, which is currently approximately 50% more expensive than the cost of existing fuel. In Irish Ferries (until 2020 at least) the impact will be limited to the section of the Ireland / France route which falls within the English Channel. The Group has communicated with affected freight customers in recent weeks on how they will be impacted by this change in environmental regulations.

Ultimately this environmental requirement is an additional cost which will have to be borne by the end users.”

The SECA will affect all vessels, not just the ferries and container ships and exporters and importers will feel the effects of the surcharges that their carriers will have to impose to cover the additional cost of either switching to low sulphur fuel or of modifying vessels to scrub out the polluting exhaust gases.

First there was ‘P3,’ now there is ‘M’ and ‘CUC’

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ollowing the surprise shooting down of the proposed P3 Container Vessel sharing and co-operation agreement involving Maersk, MSC and CMA-CGM, by the Chinese Competition Regulation Authority, the world’s major carriers have gone back to the drawing board and two new Agreements have emerged. The fi rst of these was one involving Maersk and MSC with a combined fleet of 185 vessels, with an estimated container capacity of 2.1 million TEU’s (twenty foot equivalent units), and this alliance is now seeking regulatory approval.

World number 3, CMA-CGM has now announced the signing of agreements on the biggest worldwide maritime trades with China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) and United Arab Shipping Company (UASC).

The combined fleet that the partners are planning to deploy within the agreement amounts to 132 vessels, each with an average capacity of 10,000 TEU’s. The combination of services will be branded as “Ocean Th ree”. Commenting on the agreement, CMA-CGM vice Chairman, Rodolphe Saade, said: “We are very pleased to have signed these three agreements with such reputable partners, whom we both know and appreciate. Th is will allow us to propose to our clients a high quality and reliable alternative to existing services on the market.”

Speaking about the agreements, CMA-CGM Shipping (Ireland), Managing Director, Alan Horner informed Fleet Transport: "For Irish exporters we believe that Ocean Th ree agreements will help to stabilise the East-West trades, especially the Europe-Asia trades which are a principal route for this new alliance. The Ocean Th ree will offer six departures a week from Europe to Asia using modern cellular vessels of up to 19,000 TEU capacity. Reliability, extensive port coverage and good transit times are key to the success of any service and the alliance will allow CMA-CGM to continue to provide a high level of service to its clients in a competitive environment.” He continued, “CMA-CGM in Ireland will continue to operate through its Hub-Port at Le Havre and to operate its dedicated feeder vessel services calling at Dublin, Cork and Belfast. These services will continue to expand their capacity in 2015 to meet the growing demands of Irish exporters."

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

Text: Howard Knott - howard@fleet.ie

50 | PROFILE

Coming to the Rescue Celtic Transport Solutions

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hen the dreaded phone call comes and the driver says “I have a problem,” what they really mean is that ‘you’ have a problem. If the problem happens in Ireland things can generally be sorted out, often with a litt le help from our friends. However, if the phone call comes from overseas then the problem takes on a different, and usually more expensive complexion.

When these events happen what you need is the ability to call a friend - like Jimmy Quinn of Celtic Transport Solutions.

a driver whose fi rst language is not English. If you are having a three way conversation between the operator, the driver and the garage in three different languages, something will get lost in translation. In this case James simply contacts the garage to establish the problem, and agrees the best course of action.

Originally from Cobh, County Cork, James has driven for 15 years for O’Donovan Transport in Cork on international refrigerated transport work.

However, it was through his passion for cycling that he moved to France and eventually sett led in the picturesque town of Dinan in Britt any.

James saw there was an opportunity to provide support services to Irish operators, running the main routes from the northern French ports to destinations throughout France and down into Spain. Th is led him to set up Celtic Transport Solutions (CTS). CTS then developed an association with Sebastien Danielou whose company Disez-Kergoat provides a European wide recovery service. Sebastien is also an approved agent for Scania trucks. With the backing of an indigenous OEM approved agent, it means that CTS can get things done simply and quickly.

One difficulty with any breakdown is fi nding out exactly what the problem is. Th is difficulty is often made worse where the Irish operator has employed

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

Text: Paul White - paul@fleet.ie

resources of the larger companies. Either way experience has shown that even if an operator has a new truck still under manufacturer warranty, solving the problems do not always go as smoothly as one would like. Also truck warranties do not, in most cases, cover repairs to trailers, fridges or tyres. In addition OEM warranties do not cover incidents where for example a vehicle has gone off the Motorway and must be recovered.

Due to the privatised nature of the Autoroute network in France, vehicle recovery on certain sections of road can be extraordinarily expensive. CTS can offer a package with ‘Truck Assist International’ to cover the costs of recovery which can run into thousands.

If the situation demands, James can arrange a replacement tractor-unit locally, to deliver and reload the trailer while the defective unit is being repaired or repatriated. One of the benefits of working with CTS is that it can deal independently with garages throughout France on your behalf, regardless of the make of truck or trailer you operate. If you have a problem in Montauban, Marseille or Metz, CTS can fi nd a solution.

Problems with international transport do not always come with wheels on them. For example a driver can become ill, or a truck may fall foul of the Authorities, and a fi ne has to be paid with France Truck in France and Lex Transport in Spain. When the pressure is on, operators will usually pay anything to have the problem resolved. Yet for a modest annual fee James will sort out the problem which can include driving the truck himself. "The stranded trucks need to come off the motorway to reduce the cost of repair and simplify the job," explained Jimmy.

The rates charged by CTS are reasonable. For the fi rst truck the annual charge is €150 - with additional vehicles costing less, up to a maximum charge of €530 for seven or more trucks. On top of this CTS only charges €50 per event, even if the event requires phone calls and monitoring over a number of days. The transactions are all fully transparent, and operators know exactly what they are paying for. CTS sett les the account with the French garage and then invoices the operator less VAT, but plus the €50 handling charge. Att ached to the invoice from CTS will be a copy of the original invoice from the French garage detailing all repairs and charges.

An example of value for money would be where CTS arrange a legal ‘get-me-home’ secondhand tyre. Compare this to a French garage replacing the blown tyre with a brand new model from their catalogue, at whatever price came into their head.

Already in business for a number of years, the client list for CTS reads like a google search result for Irish International Hauliers. The services CTS prov ides are available to all and are of particular benefit for owner-drivers a nd s m a l l operators who may not have the

It is a strange anomaly that so many Irish operators transport valuable loads throughout Europe hoping that things won’t go wrong, when you consider that few tourists would go on holidays to France or Spain without breakdown cover for their car. Having the asssurance of cover from CTS is surely a worthwhile investment.

52 | TIMES PAST

Mercedes-Benz Museum – Stuttgart

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trip to Stuttgart cannot be fulfi lled without paying a visit to the Mercedes-Benz Museum. While the landmark building in itself is a tribute to modern architecture and design, what’s inside will also stay in one’s memory.

Opened in 2006, the multi-floor purposed built exhibition arena is located near the main gate of the Daimler AG’s International headquarters, which is also the home of its Mercedes-Benz brand. 16,500 sq metres (178,000 sq. ft) of exhibition space is provided within the double helix concept, divided into two areas – the myth room and collections area. At any one time, 160 vehicles are displayed covering the life and times of Mercedes-Benz’ broad vehicle portfolio, right from the very earliest days of

the motorised engine.

Designed by UNStudio in conjunction with exhibition designer HG Merz, the building closely replicates a unique cloverleaf concept that uses three overlapping circles with the centre removed to form a triangular atrium.

The vehicles are lovingly cared for by the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center of Fellbach.

Visitor numbers have fluctuated over the years with 860,000 recorded in 2000 pre-recession to 702,000 last year. Descriptive display boards are written in German and English and the museum provides visitors with complimentary audio tours in a variety of languages.

Mercedes-Benz Lo 2000 diesel platform truck (1932-1940). The world’s first light duty truck with a diesel engine, the Lo 2000 prepared the ground for the automotive diesel engine’s final breakthrough. With its payload capacity of around two tonnes, it would be classed today in the van segment. From its 3,770cc displacement, 55PS was produced with maximum speed of 65 km/h.

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

Elsewhere in Germany, Daimler related museums are also open to the public, the Automuseum Dr. Carl Benz in Ladenburg, Baden-Württemberg and one paying tribute to Gott lieb Daimler’s birthplace in Schorndorf.

It was the year 1896 that Daimler–Motoren– Gesellschaft built the world’s fi rst motorised truck. Among the fi rst buyers in Germany were breweries which used the trucks for beer deliveries. Co-incidentally, Karl Benz was putting together the world’s first ‘delivery vehicle’ van. In the early 1920’s diesel power became the superior choice of fuel for goods transport and still remains the number one choice today.

Mercedes-Benz LK 338 Kipper (1960-1976). This LK 338 tipper from 1960 is one of the early versions of the Mercedes-Benz short nose truck series introduced in 1959. The abbreviation LK in the model designation stands for Lastwagen (truck) and Kipper (tipper).

TIMES PAST | 53 TRAILER

Rich Heritage – Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows Racing Cars

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

www.fleet.ie

54 | SOAPBOX

First Impressions

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n a lovely September morning as I drove towards one of Dublin’s many roundabouts, a sight to gladden the heart appeared (it also seemed to say the worst of the recession is nearly over). Two extremely smart 141 truck and trailer outfits appeared, one a Primeline Renault and the other a Dixon International Volvo. Both liveries stood out crystal clear on this beautiful morning but what was obvious was that both would stand out on any sort of day or night. Well done to the two operators, these trucks did not look so well without an amount of thought, time and money being put into them. I remember many years ago looking at the results of a Commercial Motor livery competition and what was obvious was that the judges (who came from a well known UK image house) had picked the winners based on what they saw in perfect circumstances, i.e. a nice sunny day and standing still. The judges seemed to have completely overlooked the fact that the liveries they had picked would simply merge into nothing on a wet winter’s night on Spaghett i Junction.

The majority of hauliers would not be in the business of putting up billboards to advertise their businesses; it would not be cost effective and would only work if you had lots of passing traffic. Even if you wanted to put one up outside your premises you would have to apply for planning permission.

What too many of us overlook is the fact that that is exactly what our trucks are, billboards for our businesses they don’t need planning permission, and they CAN get thousands of hits every day.

Many if asked would say it’s too costly yet that cost will last a good five years and maybe a litt le longer and if put into the cost of the truck can be spread over the life of the fi nance package. If your trucks stand out for the right reasons it will surprise how often people will say they saw one of your trucks.

Uniforms are something most of us, except the multinationals, don’t bother with. I do. Years ago I was in a service review with the manager of a fairly new customer. I believed we had some of the best drivers in

FLEETTRANSPORT | OCTOBER 14

Ireland and we had always tried to keep the trucks looking smart yet this guy said something to me that stopped me in my tracks. “You know,” he said, “when you fi rst started here I thought your drivers were a rough lot, now I know that they are rough diamonds.”

That set me thinking about why he could have thought so poorly of men I valued highly and the light dawned, trucks image good, drivers image?

We introduced our drivers to uniforms (I’m going back a good few years) and they either loved the idea or were embarrassed by it. However, after a short while they took ownership and started looking to improve on the original, and uniforms proved in time to play an important part in forging our team spirit. By uniforms I don’t mean a pair of overalls even though they have their place. I remember my fi rst visit to the States in the seventies, it seemed everyone had one and they looked comfortable and smart whereas we were going to work in our old clothes.

That was old Ireland, today’s uniforms not only keep drivers looking smart they also can play an important role in health and safety. Many companies have reflective strips on the legs and arms and if one of your drivers has a problem on a wet dark night requiring them to be out of the truck there is no better way of ensuring their visibility to oncoming drivers. Many of us work in dark places like ports and yards during short winter days, with fork truck drivers zooming about and lots of other truck movements.

Reflective strips on trouser legs stand out like lightening rods, no one can say they didn’t see them. If through someone else’s lack of care one of your employees is injured, your case will be that much the stronger if you have shown care and attention to high visibility detail.

Our trucks and our drivers say so much about who we are and how we conduct our business. If you look professional then you are professional.

First impressions come only once in a relationship, in business it’s worth making it a good one.

Text: Jerry Kiersey - jerry@fleet.ie