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IRELAND'S LEADING COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MAGAZINE Inside!

DAF TRUCKS Continuous Innovation • Improvements to Powertrain & Transmission F E AT U R E S

MAY 16

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Contents MAY 16

Fleet Transport Magazine, D’Alton Street, Claremorris, Co. Mayo, Ireland. F12 E7P2 Tel: +353 (0)94 9372819/ 9372826 Fax: +353 (0)94 9373571 Email: enquiries@fleet.ie Subscription Hotline: 094 93 72827 Editor: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie Contributors: Sean Murtagh, Paul White, Cathal Doyle, Jonathan Lawton, Donal Dempsey, Howard Knott, Jerry Kiersey, HSA, Dr. Betty Maguire, Michael Corcoran, Rob VanDieten, Leonard Allison

4 News • Successful IRHA AGM & Conference • TII awards major contract to Jacobs • Close Bros appoints new Munster Director • Good start to 2016 for VW Truck & Bus • Waterford Truck & Motor Show 2016 • ECG looks to paperless transactions

30 Awards Fleet Transport Awards 2017

8 Interview With Marc Preedy, Commercial Director, UK & Ireland, Goodyear Tyres

36 Workshop Connectivity at Daimler Trucks

10 Cover Latest innovations at DAF Trucks 12 New Fleet 161 Volvos, Mercedes-Benz & Krone

15 Construction Mercedes-Benz Arocs with HAD

Administration: Denise Owens, Paula Mullarkey enquiries@fleet.ie

16 Fleeting Shots MAN, Volvo & Port of Cork featured

Advertising: Mary Morrissey - mary@fleet.ie

18 Launch Pad Build Your Dreams – in Europe!

20 Pictorial SEAI Energy Show 2016, RDS, Dublin

Design: Eamonn Wynne Printed in Ireland

35 Preview I Tip-ex & Tank-ex 2016

38 Trailer Latest from Kracker 40 Times Past More urban transport stories

43 Shipping & Freight Happenings from the sea 43 Finance Profit is a must 45 Legal Tachograph issues 46 Health Matters Medical trials 48 Opinion RSA – doing its job

22 Review 1 FPS Expo 2016, Liverpool

49 Preview II Multimodal 2016

25 Review II CV Show, NEC, Birmingham 29 Fuel Prices/Health Matters

P8

32 Report IRHA AGM & Conference 2016

42 Comment Platooning

14 Econovation Zero emission Fuso Canter

Photography: Jarlath Sweeney, Paul White, Cathal Doyle, Rob Van Dieten, Howard Knott, Joe O'Brien, Michael Corcoran, Jerry Kiersey, Leonard Allison

Sponsorship/Events: Orla Sweeney - orla@fleet.ie

www.fleet.ie | 3

50 Soapbox Ireland’s new Pirate Queen

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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.

Transport Barometer: Data from 16/03/2016 - 14/04/2016

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

Official Irish jury member of the International Forklift Truck Award

TimoCom goe s Multimodal 2016 *Get acquainted with Eur op e's largest transport platform

TimoCom, Europe's lar ge s t tr ansp or t platform, will attend Multimodal 2016 in Birmingham. With access to a network of 36,000 verified companies with more than 110,000 users, TimoCom is a profitable solution for everyone in the transport chain and in particular, for those involved in manufacturing and trade.

So come and visit Timocom at Multimodal 2016 from 10/12 May and meet Maria Toft Madsen, Country Manager, Northern Europe; Jan Bjerlestam, Manager Sales & Customer Care, Northern Europe and Mikael Andersson, Account Manager, Sales Northern Europe at stand 1204 in Hall 3/3A.

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4 | NEWS 1

Successful IRHA Conference as Wright Insurance Brokers continues commitment to haulage industry

T

he 43rd Irish Road Haulage Association (I R H A) AG M & Conference, which was held in Wexford recently proved to be a tremendous success.

Wright Insurance Brokers, as main sponsors, hosted an Insurance Seminar on Friday evening followed by a welcome reception held in a specially erected ‘Marquee on the Quay’.

The seminar addressed insurance issues facing the haulage industry currently, in addition to highlighting new challenges that operators in the sector will face going forward, and most importantly the steps that they can introduce now to overcome these issues.

Launched at the event was the new HGV Driver Apprenticeship Programme, an initiative which the IRHA is championing to promote professionalism and excellence in driving. It will be rolled out initially through the Cavan & Monaghan Education & Training Board and is a 3-year programme

at the end of which the apprentice will gain a FETAC Level 6 qualification.

Wright Insurance Brokers has supported the HGV Driver Apprenticeship Programme since it was fi rst presented, recognising it as a significant step by the haulage sector to find ways of overcoming insurance barriers.

To date the company has secured support from four leading insurance companies for this new training initiative.

Tony Wright, CEO, Wright Insurance Brokers commented: “We are proud to be associated with the Irish Road Haulage

Association in what has been a challenging time for the industry.

We are also delighted to support the HGV Driver Apprenticeship Programme which has been negotiated by the IRHA with the Government. The aim of this apprenticeship is to promote HGV driving excellence on the road by building a panel of highly skilled drivers in Ireland, ensuring that the Irish economy and business is supported in the future by a professional industry, which is crucial for the distribution of our products.

We are working closely with the IRHA and our panel of Insurers to secure insurance solutions for drivers who successfully complete the programme.”

Wright Insurance Brokers has also pledged support for an annual bursary to be paid under the HGV Driver Apprenticeship Programme in memory of Katie Drennan and Kevin O’Donovan, in addition to donations in their names to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and Pieta House, the charities close to the hearts of their families.

Jacobs wins contract from Transport Infrastructure Ireland

A

global leader in infrastructure construction, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has successfully won a four-year contract from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to provide multi-disciplinary consultancy services for the delivery of national roads projects operated and managed by the new Government.

Jacobs is providing technical consultancy services under three framework agreements.

These services span minor improvement

projects and pavement programs of work (with an estimated construction value up to €3 million); and larger programmes of work (greater than €3 million construction value) from inception, construction, handover and closeout, through to operation and maintenance. TII is the central purchasing body for the framework agreements.

The US headquartered company has worked closely with TII for several years and is currently also providing health and safety advisory services and inspections on

major roadworks and traffic management sites, together with corporate support for occupational health and safety.

Jacobs delivers major transportation projects around the world and has completed more than 350 highways projects in the last five years.

Th rough its network of highway and traffic experts in Ireland and the United Kingdom, Jacobs is providing a range of capability from transport planning and modelling, intelligent mobility, design, engineering, construction management and more. celebrating

TRANSPORT AWARDS 2017

Citywest Hotel, Dublin.

Thursday 13 October 2016 www.fleet.ie

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

Fleet Transport Awards

years

NEWS II | 5

New Munster Regional Director at Close Brothers Commercial Finance

S

tephen McCarthy is the newly appointed Regional Director at Close Brothers Commercial Finance for the Munster region. He will be responsibile for providing working capital and asset based lending solutions to the SME sector.

Th is new role will complement and work alongside Close Brothers’ existing team in Cork/Munster which focuses on providing asset finance solutions for small-to-medium sized fi rms through a range of products including leasing, hire purchase and contract hire.

Stephen brings with him over 20 years of experience in the fi nance sector, with over a decade of expertise in the invoice fi nance industry, having previously held positions at Ulster Bank and Anglo Irish Bank. His

most recent role was Senior Manager - SME Banking at Ulster Bank.

“I am looking forward to working as part of a committed and passionate team at Close Brothers, helping SME businesses in Munster to fund their growth and expansion plans,” said Stephen on his appointment.

“As well as being expert providers of invoice fi nance and asset fi nance, Close Brothers Commercial Finance has the ability to be extremely flexible and provide even more fi nance to SMEs via asset based lending, allowing them to access funds against other assets such as commercial real estate and stock.”

Successful 2016 start for Volkswagen Truck & Bus

S

ince the activities of MAN Truck & Bus, MAN Latin America and Scania came under the one banner of Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH, around 42,000 trucks and buses were sold by the group, in the fi rst three months of 2016, up 6% on the prior-year level.

In the fi rst quarter of 2016, MAN Truck & Bus sold 18,940 units (+17%), MAN Latin America sold 4,670 units (-23%), and Scania 18,440 units.

Volkswagen Truck & Bus' beginning of the year was particularly successful in the truck business. With 38,640 units sold, truck sales were up 7% compared with the same quarter last year. The development of the regions varied: sales in Western Europe increased by 24%, especially the United Kingdom, France, and Germany posted an increase.

Unit sales also increased in Central and Eastern Europe, buoyed especially by the positive trend in Poland.

The developments in South America continued to be a challenge. The situation still remains exceptionally strained in Brazil. Due to the market climate, truck sales there declined by 23% in the fi rst three months.

Andreas Renschler, CEO of Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH is optimistic: "Our start in 2016 has been a great success, both in terms of building our business and in demand for our products. Particularly in Europe, orders for trucks are on the rise again. Brazil still remains a challenge: the market there has virtually ground to a halt.

However, I am confident that we will see improvements there in the medium term,

too. Our strong position there will be a major advantage and contribute significantly on our way to becoming global champion. Even in difficult times, we stand fully behind this key market of the future."

www.fleet.ie

6 | NEWS 111

Waterford Truck & Motor Show – Sunny South East Awaits!

F

rom its humble beginnings four years ago, the Waterford Truck & Motor Show has seen considerable growth year-on-year to become one of the top weekend events for truck owners, drivers, fleet managers and motor enthusiasts from all over Ireland to attend.

important to us in the committee that this annual event became a fi rm fi xture on the calendar for those involved in the transport and truck sectors. We wanted to provide visitors with an opportunity to network with their industry colleagues, share their passion, meet with industry suppliers and network with captive customer base,” explained Lynda.

The 2016 running of the Show, which raises funds for a number of charities, will be held at a new venue Tramore, on Saturday/ Sunday - 28/29 May. “This year will see us move from the Waterford Airport Industrial Estate, which has been our home since day one, to the Promenade in Tramore with the help and support of Waterford City & County Council,” explained Lynda Lonergan, on behalf of the organisers.

Th is two-day event has been att racting exhibitors and attendees from Ireland and the UK, many of which have commented that the Waterford Truck and Motor Show, is completely unrivalled in Ireland.

“It has been noted by many to be comparable to the prestigious Truckfest, Peterborough event in the UK,” said one overseas visitor.

The Waterford Truck & Motor Show has been of huge commercial success to past exhibitors, most of whom have returned year after year. Visitors to the show are key people from within the Irish Haulage and Motor Industries.

“From the day it was conceived, it was

“In addition to the business and commercial aspect of the event, we have paid particular attention to families attending, and offer a range of entertainment, activities and retail stands that will keep the whole family entertained for the day. As a not-for-profit organisation, this year the Waterford Truck and Motor Show is committ ing all proceeds from the event to a selection of local charities in the South East Region,” she added.

The 2016 Waterford Truck & Motor Show is supported by DAF Trucks, Renault Trucks, Scania, Mercedes-Benz, AIB, Topaz & Volvo Trucks with Fleet Transport as media partners.

Member States holding back digitalisation of EU Transport Logistics

S

peaking at the annual ECG Dinner Debate, held in Brussels at the European Parliament, host MEP Gesine Meissner (German Liberal, ALDE Group) spoke openly of the great need for digitalisation in transport logistics and the lack of sufficient harmonisation at Member State level.

A legal framework for the use of electronic transport documents already exists for road, rail and maritime transport. The ‘e-CMR Protocol’ (2011) provides for the use of electronic consignment notes for international transport.

ECG – The Association of European Vehicle Logistics, is an active and valued member of the Commission’s Digital Transport & Logistics Forum which supports the digitalisation of freight transport and logistics.

Lack of standardisation at European level regarding multimodal transport e-documents is a barrier to seamless, streamlined, flexible transport logistics within the EU. The economic, social and env ironmental advantage of e-documentation is clear. 16.5 million cars transported annually in Europe result in 33 million pieces of paper or 135 tonnes FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

of paper each year. The courier industry has been paperless for over 20 years with electronic tracking and online proof of delivery accepted as standard throughout the EU. Application in the transport sector is being hampered by insufficient harmonisation at national level.

The EU Reporting Formalities Directive (RFD) 2010/65/EU aims to simplify, harmonise, and rationalize administrative procedures and reporting requirements for maritime carriers calling at EU ports.

By 1 June 2016 Member States should have implemented measures to allow the electronic submission and reception of reporting formalities concerning vessels, their crew and cargo via a ‘national single window’. However, no effort has been made by the majority of Member States to harmonise their national requirements resulting in a patchwork of systems and requirements, sometimes even within the same country.

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8 | INTERVIEW

One-to-One with Marc Preedy, Commercial Director, UK & Ireland, Goodyear Tyres

by Jarlath Sweeney

anything from them that you may not have heard before, with regard to how they manage their tyres?

Fuel trial data results with fleet customers, has led to contract wins, backed-up by continued efforts to help operators drive cost out of their business through optimising their tyre investment, is keeping you very busy - pleased?

Yes, we have a great range of products which put us in a strong position good situation to allow us to focus more on service, service delivery and looking after customer’s product requirements. So what we try and aim to do is that we look after these elements correctly, then we’re in a situation where we can retread and we’ve got a total life cycle and a lower total cost of ownership.

If I look at the last 18 months to two years, really the ball started rolling for us in the third quarter of 2014 when Stobart came on board, but since then we’ve taken on a large number of big fleets such as Culina, Calor, Iceland, XPO Logistics, DHL and FedEx. What do you put these conquest contracts down to?

First and foremost, the products, then service and looking after customerss interests in the best way that we possibly can.

So, working with new customers, have you heard FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

No, not really, some operators are more focussed than others, some people like to leave you alone to manage it, but then most will manage it every day. We’re more than happy to be able to do either of those solutions.

We work with our operating systems, but as customers get real firm access to what we do on their fleet anyway, they want the challenge, and have the ability to immediately do that by use of our internet facility, again with a touch of a button they’ve got the right solutions to problems further down the line, working hand in glove together.

So what do you do to extend the life of the tyre?

Well ultimately, we regroove it, and we move it round the axles, and then when finished with that we’ll retread it and we can regroove the retread, so it goes back into the cycle again.

Fleet customers request that kind of thing.

with fleets means that we’ve got a guaranteed supply of used tyres for retreads, more than self sufficient to generate what’s needed. So that helps in a number of different ways, by reducing carbon footprint, recycling, reusing, etc.

What percentage of your fleet clientele is keen on recycling, retreading and re-grooving? Is it growing?

Every single fleet we have has a spin on how the operator want that to be managed, nobody doesn’t, so every single customer always comes with that in mind. The only real exception are the rental fleets, who really aren’t too concerned about the day-to-day running of stuff as long as they are able to minimise damage and damage recharge.

Easily 80% of what we do with fleet customers is influenced by the fleet management policy we have in place.

Do you have a dedicated retreading facility?

What are the different applications from long haul to construction, to waste management - these tyres suffer from various elements of damage, do you analyse this and use it for future product evolution?

We have a retreading facility in Wolverhampton that will be closing later on this year, but we have a separate facility in Germany. The good thing about that is that our business

We do it many ways, we use it by vehicle, by customer, by location, to identify pockets of concern within this organisation that might be causing some issues on damage. There was

INTERVIEW | 9 one particular site, which was an auto scrap yard, and we kept getting complaints until we analysed the site and followed the vehicles round. It turned out that there was a metal breakdown section where they would chop up bits of car seats for their frames, and the trucks were driving near it, picking up the wire bits on the way past. By then cleaning up that site we improved our downtime, so that was one area where we worked with the customer and proved beneficial to both sides.

So, we do lots of hi-viz visits to sites with clipboards to watch and observe. Then we feed this information on how the product performs back to the R&D team.

You’ve lots of competition from fellow premium brands but also with a lesser quality Asian tyres.

When your sales person goes to the transport manager or a fleet owner to say that their tyres can be optimised through Goodyear’s entire management system – what’s the clincher to the deal?

The clincher is the product performance, and the lack of downtime. Any fleet operator wants to be able to operate 100% of the time and have their fleet fully maximised. If they can’t do that, it’s costing money. Looking at the Chinese import, which may look good, very rarely does it retread, its not reusable, its not very good on fleet, when you add all of those things together, it’s poor value. We don’t really see any damage to the premium sector caused by Chinese imports.

Over the course of the last month or so, we saw a spike in raw materials starting to come through and I see the first instant that of Chinese product – I’ve seen four or five examples where Chinese prices are going up anywhere between 5 and 8%.

With truck manufacturers, we did a huge amount of work in a partnership to see whether or not we can generate improvements all round. We continue to evaluate the fuel performance with our FuelMax range.

Currently, we have two trials in the UK that were incubated with technology that allows us to have a look at how that performs in the marketplace. We also constantly run trials for customers, and try out as many of the variables as we possibly can, same drive, same route, same track, similar configurations, but we also do a huge amount of testing in the Luxembourg where we have our test track.

If you look at the UK and Ireland, traditionally people would say that our marketplace is a regional not a fuel tyre type market, but what we’ve seen we’ve proved that we can actually easily put a fuel tyre in the UK to save money.

Technology in terms of the distance length

of the fuel tyre is catching up with that of the old regional, but the differential between the mileages is not so great anymore that you would want one or the other.

Finally, looking at the alternative sources of rubber, where is Goodyear in this field?

The Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Company has reached a supply agreement with Yihai Food and Oil Industry in China for silica derived from rice husk ash. Goodyear will begin using the silica this year in a consumer tyre that will be manufactured in its factory in Pulandian, China, and sold in China. Goodyear has tested silica derived from rice husk ash over the past two years at its Innovation Centre in Akron and found its impact on tyre performance to be equal to traditional sources.

Is that due to the situation in the Chinese economy?

There’s a small element of that, but most of the Chinese tyre plants are subsidised by the Government anyway, but this is due to raw materials, the increasing price of rubber, natural rubber – the only thing that is really cheap is steel and we all know why, because of oversupply globally.

In terms of helping to reduce fuel economy and also reducing operator’s carbon footprint, these can only be achieved through field tests, do you have partners in that respect?

www.fleet.ie

10 | COVER

DAF Trucks show ‘How to G

T

he last time we met DAF Trucks’s Director of Product Development Ron Borsboom, he said: “We are past the point of tweaking one or two things and getting a 5 or 6% fuel saving - it is now all about small improvements.” Nevertheless, any reductions in fuel consumption, no matter how small, are welcome, and all combine to deliver greater efficiencies for transport operators.

Since last time, Ron and his development team at Eindhoven have been busy tweaking lots of things, not just fuel consumption.

They have delivered a number of upgrades across the LF, CF, and XF Series models, to enhance driver comfort, and the operator’s bottom line. We caught up with them in Spain to see their new ideas in action. It also gave us a chance to meet the new President of DAF Trucks NV, Preston Feight. Since 1 April, Preston succeeded Harrie Schippers who has been promoted to Senior Vice-President, with responsibility for DAF Trucks and PACCAR parts.

The event was aimed to introduce the reason for, and thinking behind many of the latest features DAF Trucks has brought to its range - and first up was LF Series. Since it was introduced in 2001, we have always liked LF, and while it may not be the flagship headline grabbing model, it is a hard working, flexible truck, and one that DAF has continuously developed and upgraded with the same

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

effort and enthusiasm invested in its larger siblings.

For 2016, the LF Series gets some small yet thoughtful upgrades. While some are required by legislation like the Advanced Emergency Braking System, and Lane Departure Warning, the entry-level DAF now gets Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), and increased capacity for the heating and ventilation system. Other safety features include an improved field of vision in the proximity mirror over the near side door, and new rear LED lighting clusters, which are also available for CF and XF. A couple of changes to the drivelines are worth a mention. The four-cylinder 4.5 litre PACCAR PX-5 claims an improvement of 5% in fuel efficiency achieved through better air flow and heat management plus some software updates. The 6.7 litre PX-7 is now available with a 12-speed AS Tronic transmission for the 250, 280 and 310hp versions. Testing Manager at DAF Raoul Wijnands, explained: "This option can increase the torque available at the road wheels by up to 40%, and reduce fuel consumption by 2%". Also a new longer wheelbase, up from 5.40 to 6.70 metres for high volume transport can increase loading capacity by up to 25% on certain LFs. In total DAF is offering an additional seven wheelbase lengths for the model.

One topical issue in the Netherlands, and one

that will no doubt spread to all European states - is the issue of noise levels and commercial vehicles. DAF Trucks has been to the fore in reducing the noise levels and its ‘Silent’ option is now available for LF, CF and XF Series, through component encapsulation and limiting the engine rpm when operating in Silent Mode. The noise level does not exceed 72 dB(A), which is approximately equal to normal conversation at a distance of 1 metre.

It also equals the noise levels of gas powered trucks though for a greatly reduced outlay and no special infrastructure needed. The LF 2016 edition with the PX-5 can also be pre-prepared to accommodate a Frigoblock generator for fridge work.

The Dutch American owned brand is now extending the range of CF with the PACCAR PX-7 to include a number of three-axle rigids. The possibility of increasing in payload by using the 6.7 litre may appeal to many operators. The 6.7 litre comes with a 9-speed manual as standard, and the 12-speed AS Tronic is an option. Also CF will be available with a rear steered axle for added manoeuvrability, and the options of the PACCAR MX-11 and MX-13 are still available.

While the market in Ireland for low running trailers is relatively small, it is easy to see the att raction of the concept throughout mainland Europe with its strict 4.0 metre height limit. DAF’s new low deck CF and XF comes with a fi fth wheel height of just 91cm

COVER | 11

Go Low’

and allows a clear internal loading height of 3 metres. Th is market is growing and just to show its importance DAF Trucks has joined forces with Goodyear to develop a special low profi le tyre, to handle the specific stresses low deck trailers are subject to. The new low deck tractor runs with a 315/45/R22.5 on the rear, with a choice of either a 355/50R22.5 or the new 375/45R22.5 which Goodyear has exclusive manufacturing rights to for a period of one year.

While this engineering solution offers operators a loading volume of over 100m3, drivers must be constantly vigilant. Because the truck runs lower than usual, regular obstacles such as speed bumps pose a greater risk of damage. To resolve this issue DAF has installed a raising control which lifts the front of the truck to increase ground clearance.

All models benefit from further enhancements to DAF’s ‘Driver Performance Assistant’ (DPA). The onboard system has been around for a few years and most drivers would be aware of what it does and how it works.

The improvements now link the DPA with the Digital Tachograph and can display any driver’s daily, weekly or fortnightly driving periods. Interestingly the DPA can display information in any one of thirty-seven languages, which it identifies from the driver card that is inserted.

We drove all three models in a variety of combinations, and each of the models Text & Photos: Paul White - paul@fleet.ie

impressed in its own way. We were particularly taken with the 18.75 metre 4x2 LF with the single axle drawbar. Using PACCAR’s PX-7 with a rated 280hp and the 12-speed AS Tronic, it was well able for the gross test weight of 23 tonnes. It proved to be an exceptionally flexible truck to drive and highly manoeuvrable for the length. The cab may be smaller than the XF but the combination is just as long and requires the same room.

Nevertheless, at less than 4.0 metres high it offers a loading volume of 120m3. We were also impressed with the LF 180 ‘Silent’ which we found to be an exceptionally quiet truck, even when not operating in Silent Mode. Another LF we were curious about was the 4x2 tractor hitched to a tandem axle machinery trailer.

The 250hp with a 6-speed AS Tronic again delivered a very positive drive and we feel its usefulness for city and urban deliveries has not yet been fully explored.

Building from the original Euro 6 platform DAF now offers Predictive Cruise Control, and Eco-Mode, enhanced MX-Engine Brake, which is exceptional, together with improved aerodynamics, especially with the Aerobody LF. DAF Trucks range impressed in that matter of fact way that the Eindhoven company does things without great fanfare, by heralding the latest innovation with just a pragmatic presentation of good engineering solutions that work. Which is really all any operator wants. www.fleet.ie

12 | NEW FLEET

Eight new Volvo FH.500s for McCulla (Ireland) Ltd

P

ictured in front of the magnificent Titanic Centre, Belfast are the fi rst three of eight new Volvo FH.500 6x2 trucks delivered to Fleet Transport Award-winning McCulla (Ireland) Ltd from Volvo Truck & Bus dealer for Northern Ireland, Dennison Commercials.

According to Laura Reeve, Marketing Manager, Dennison

Commercials Ltd., these are the fi rst new model Volvo FHs added to the McCulla fleet and will be supported with a five-year repair and maintenance contract.

Next Mercedes-Benz Actros ready for next Fuel Duels

M

ercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles Ireland has re-armed its Actros 1545 4x2 tractorunit with a new generation Euro 6 engine in readiness for its next series of Fuel Duel Challenges.

In European tests, the new Daimler OM471, 6-cylinder, 12.8-litre engine fitted in the latest Actros, returned up to 3 percent fuel savings, compared to the model it replaces.

Mercedes-Benz att ributes the fuel saving

solution for exhaust gas recirculation and simultaneous control of the exhaust gas turbocharger.

1

Before this second generation engine was introduced, the Actros completed numerous Fuel Duel tests on Irish roads and in local conditions, returning fuel consumption figures some 10.4 percent better than its main rivals. figures to a combination of factors, including sophisticated engine technology, a unique X-Pulse injection system, a patented

Interested fleet operators can obtain further information or arrange a Fuel Duel by contacting: fuelduel@mercedes-benz.ie

Krone Trailers provide ‘Flexibility & Speed’ for Tarrant International

D

onagh Tarrant, and Fergal Tarrant from Tarrant International Transport are pictured in front of one of four new Krone Profi Liner curtainsider semi-trailers added to their fleet.

From its Glanmire headquarters in County Cork, Tarrant International, one of Ireland’s leading logistics and distribution operators, runs a refrigerated and dry freight service throughout continental Europe, Northern Africa and Eastern Europe with main routes to France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Greece, Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux regions.

“These are the first Krone trailers we have operated,” said Donagh “The Profi Liners are prett y unique in that they have multiple

service to the UK and Europe for both refrigerated and ambient goods. The fleet is ADR-certified and comprises a waste division, which is licensed in 32 countries. From its Sarsfield Court premises, which include warehousing, vehicle maintenance and truck wash facilities, the company operates 54 trucks and 120 trailers. lashing points along each side rave – about 130 per side – and this means we can securely strap virtually any load at any point along the trailer. Also, the sliding roof makes for easy crane loading of larger items such as precast concrete or automotive parts.”

Established by Liam Tarrant in 1973, Tarrant International is a family run business. With over 40 years’ experience in continental logistics, the company provides a daily export and import

“Key to our success is our ability to provide a fast and efficient service,” continued Donagh.

“Our customers rely on us to safely handle their cargo and expect every delivery to be made on time, every time, and in both respects these trailers help us to deliver a premium service. The Profi Liner is built for fast and flexible loading and no question, these four are already proving to be a valuable addition to the fleet.”

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or Log onto www.mikemurphyinsurance.ie TODAY! CELEBRATING 40 YEARS IN INSURANCE Haulage: • Single Vehicles • Motor Fleet for Hauliers • Haulage Risks • Carriers Liability • Warehouse Risks • Public Liability • Employers Liability Mike Murphy Insurance is a trade name of New Sure Life Ltd. and is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

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14 | ECONOVATION

FUSO Canter E-CELL ‘An E-motion(al) day’ We drove two different versions of E-CELL around Stuttgart, and there is no doubt that for municipal work, it is hard to argue against the reasoning. One criticism of EVs in the urban environment is the potential hazard for pedestrians as the vehicles operate so quietly.

To remedy this the Canter E-CELL is fitted with a 'Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians' (VSP).

The VSP is activated when the driver presses a button to produce an audible buzzing noise.

S

Could the Canter E-CELL be the ‘positive’ watershed moment we have all been waiting for? Unfortunately, there is no defi nitive answer to that question yet. As a light truck, Canter's qualities are well-known, what is not known is the lifetime of the battery, and how the initial costs could be recouped. Other questions include, do operators lease the batteries and how long will the guarantee run for?

At the event it was inferred that the same 10 year guarantee that covers the batteries for the Canter Eco-Hybrid will extend to the E-CELL. We expect to have more news announced at the IAA Commercial Vehicles Show in Hannover this September.

Stuttgart's Mayor, Fritz Kuhn is equally committed to a cleaner environment and said: "Sustainable mobility is a key for cities and electric mobility is an important element. So we have decided to make a change to our fleet, and all new cars purchased by the municipality will be electric."

The FUSO brand is the best-selling truck of the Daimler Group, and to highlight the importance of FUSO, Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard (Head of Daimler Truck & Bus) performed the official vehicle handover. At the event he said: "We are getting to a point where electric trucks are now affordable and technically possible," and confirmed that: "We at Daimler are promoting the use of EVs and we have been working on this for a long time - we first presented a study in 2010 at the IAA." He continued: “We believe that our trucks will do such a good job that Stuttgart will be the role model for many cities."

tuttgart has been chosen as the location for the first fleet test of pure electric zero-emission trucks in Germany.

The Daimler AG project will be run in association with parcel specialist Hermes Logistics, and the Municipality of Stuttgart. Managing Director of Operations at Hermes Germany, Dirk Rahn commented on the project: "We intend to systematically halve the CO2 emissions of our fleet by 2020." Hermes had previously partnered with Daimler for Electric Vehicle (EV) testing in Berlin and Hamburg, and the company has already moved to all-electric deliveries in central London.

While FUSO Trucks is a member of the Daimler Group, the Japanese brand has always had its own identity and a distinguished reputation for developing alternative drivelines for commercial vehicles - one recent example being the Canter Eco-Hybrid. Now following the successful trials of eight vehicles in Portugal, which revealed a reduction in operating costs of up to 64 percent, this hard working light truck will soon go into series production as a full electric vehicle (EV).

The world’s vehicle manufacturers have embraced the EV challenge, and none more so than Daimler through its FUSO brand. However, the next leap forward must come from the battery manufacturers, and will first appear in the world of IT with longer battery life for smartphones and laptops. Only then will we become less anxious about how far we can roam from the nearest charging point.

Canter E-CELL is powered by a set of four lithium-ion battery packs that weigh about 600kgs and completely replace the familiar 3.0 litre diesel. The electric motor generates 150hp (110 kW) and produces 650 Nm of torque instantly from start up. Power is transmitted to the rear axle via a single speed transmission and the truck is limited to a maximum speed of 90kp/h. The batteries are topped up once the driver lifts off the accelerator, or engages the ‘engine brake’, and good use of Canter’s energy recovery system gives the E-CELL a range of 100 kilometres.

As always the problem of range anxiety rears its ugly head, and arrives like a swarm of ants to spoil the electric picnic. However, there appears to be a growing pragmatic acceptance about the limitations of EVs, with people embracing the overall benefits and looking to find solutions to the range issue.

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

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

CONSTRUCTION | 15

‘Have occasional 4x4 trucks ‘HAD’ their day?’

T

he Hydraulic Auxiliary Drive (HAD) system from Mercedes-Benz is attempting to solve two completely different but associated problems. Both are familiar to operators using vehicles, which need to go off-road occasionally how to get more traction without gaining more weight?

HAD is typically aimed at any tractor-units and rigid trucks that spend the vast majority of their time on paved roads, but need some off-road capability when pulling trailers off-road onto sites and work areas. Th is is particularly important when loaded light or running empty, and especially when a tipper body is raised, as without the weight, the unit becomes difficult to move.

One obvious answer would be a tractor-unit with four-wheel drive, although this is really a sledge hammer to crack a nut solution.

Because for most of the time traction is not a problem, and may only become an issue if it rains. HAD allows the operator to have all wheel drive available without the added expense, weight and fuel penalties that come with a heavy transfer box and the extra components.

By simply pressing the HAD switch the driver engages the wheel hub motors on the front axle, and turns the 4x2 into a 4x4. The 40kW wheel motors are engaged using an engine mounted high-pressure pump operating at about 450 bar, and they develop a peak torque of 6,250 Nm per wheel. The motors will remain engaged up to a speed of 25kp/h when they switch off.

However, if the truck’s speed drops below

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

15kp/h the HAD system will re-engage the wheel hub motors to gain traction. Another useful feature is that the system can be engaged whilst the truck is moving and can be pre-selected if the driver anticipates the going will get soft. To keep the system cool, a radiator with a capacity of 20kW is mounted on the side of the chassis. The system circulates a total of 32 litres of oil though it is, effectively, maintenance free with a fi lter change at 600,000kms. HAD can deliver weight savings ranging from 350 to 500 kg depending on the specific comparison.

There is nothing like seeing the system in action, so Mercedes-Benz introduced us to civil engineering specialists Fischer of Weilheim GmbH, who were asked to test an Arocs fitted with HAD and compare it to the equivalent 4x4 trucks in their fleet. At the end of the trial Fischer placed an order for 12 new Arocs units fitted with HAD, and it also decided to keep the test unit. Th is decision was based solely on the figures which make a strong argument.

Managing Director of Fischer Joachim Schmid (pictured) explained that across the company’s eight locations its 180 vehicles (80 tippers) transport about 10,000 tonnes per day. Field trials have shown that when compared, the Arocs HAD delivers a clear 5% fuel saving, and in Fischer's case a 400kg weight advantage over a Arocs 4x4. For Fischer, this means an additional payload of 4 tonnes per day per truck completing 10 tours. HAD is also popular with the drivers because of the greatly improved traction, and because the trucks are easier to manoeuvre due to the better steering angle.

Joachim said that "unless the terrain is extremely difficult the advantage of the Arocs HAD over the Arocs 4x4 are plain to see." “It had a five percent lower fuel consumption based on 85,000 kms per year that means you save about 1,700 litres of diesel- which he values at around €2,000."

After the presentation we headed for the quarry in one of Fischer’s 4x2 Arocs, with tipping trailer and the combination grossing 40 tonnes. For once we welcomed the rain as it was going to to make conditions difficult in the quarry. If conditions were dry, then it is possible that HAD may not have been needed. However, over different surfaces in the quarry such as stone, sand, loose gravel and a thick slimy mud, which fi lled the tyre treads, HAD certainly did its job. Even with the body raised while tipping and moving forward it managed in difficult conditions to maintain traction.

Certainly for those that need the additional traction of a 4x4 occasionally, the savings are clear with the Mercedes-Benz HAD system. And we never even mentioned the loss of time and productivity waiting for the loading shovel to tow you out those 3 or 4 metres. www.fleet.ie

16 | FLEETING SHOTS

MAN TGM joins RNLI fleet

T

o support its ongoing lifeboat maintenance programme, sea rescue charity the RNLI has purchased a new MAN TGM 15.250 4x2 curtainsider, with L Sleeper cab to join its fleet of 12 trucks. It is powered by MAN’s D0836LFL66, 6.9 litre, 6 -cylinder, Euro 6 diesel that has 250hp and 1,000 Nm of torque, mated to the MAN/ZF TipMatic 12 speed automated transmission.

Paul O’Brien RNLI Transport Co-ordinator explained: “We operate a fleet of trucks at the

moment ranging from 15 tonnes through to 24 tonnes GVW and three of them are MAN. The vehicles cover an average 80,000 to 90,000 miles a year doing coastal deliveries such as taking lifeboat spares to any of our 237 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland. We buy our vehicles outright. Aaron Tamplin, MAN Truck & Bus Sales Executive, added: “We are pleased to have met the RNLI’s requirements and that they found the MAN package so competitive. We look forward to seeing the TGM out on the roads

helping to deliver the lifesaving equipment nationwide.”

New Volvo Ocean Race CEO

M

ark Turner (48), one of the most respected figures in professional sailing, has been appointed Volvo Ocean Race CEO, stepping down after 23 years at the helm of global sports marketing company OC Sport.

Having competed in offshore sailing’s leading international event as a Whitbread Roundthe-World sailor in 1989, and masterminded the Dongfeng Race Team project in the 2014-15 edition, Mark will take up his new position in succession to Knut Frostad from 7 June.

Henry Stenson, Chairman of the Volvo Ocean Race board, said he was delighted with the appointment: “It has been a long and thorough process, but I know that in Mark we have found the right person to take on this very challenging role,” he said.

“We need a man with the expertise, determination and vision to take the event to the next stage after all the great work done

by Knut, and Mark has all these attributes in abundance. The future under his guidance looks very exciting indeed.”

Mark, who is also a very keen cyclist, swimmer and skier, will now undertake a period of leave before taking up his new responsibilities with the race, ahead of the 13th edition in 2017-18 which starts in October next year.

New Tug ‘Celtic Fergus’ arrives at Port of Cork Deepwater Berth in Ringaskiddy

C

ork shipping company Celtic Tugs, a subsidiary of Irish Mainport Holdings, has received a new tug into Ringaskiddy Deepwater Berth in the Port of Cork. The new tug is expected to rejuvenate the company’s existing fleet of three tugs in operation by Celtic Tugs.

Currently named ‘Efesan Port’, initially registered in August 2015 under the Turkish flag, the new tug will be renamed in the coming days as ‘Celtic Fergus’ and will operate under an Irish flag.

The 24/45tbp tug was designed and modified by well-known Canadian designer Robert Allan Ltd and has a pair of CAT 3512 high

speed diesel engines driving Schottel SRP 1012 FP propellers. The tug is able to serve as a fire fighting vessel with the help of an engine driven firefighting pump.

In addition to a frequency controlled electrical driven fore towing anchor winch, the vessel is fitted with aft towing winches and rescue boat crane for long distance towage. The vessel is able to accommodate 6 crew on board if necessary.

On the new purchase, Dermot Curtin, Fleet Director, Irish Mainport Holdings said: “The tug has been purchased as part of Celtic Tugs long term plans to rejuvenate the present fleet of three tugs and shows our commitment

and dedication to our current clients and contracts. The ‘Celtic Fergus’ will replace the ‘Celtic Banner’ which has served flawlessly in the Shannon Foynes Port area for the last 16 years.”

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MIKE MURPHY INSURANCE

or Log onto www.mikemurphyinsurance.ie TODAY! CELEBRATING 40 YEARS IN INSURANCE Haulage: • Single Vehicles • Motor Fleet for Hauliers • Haulage Risks • Carriers Liability • Warehouse Risks • Public Liability • Employers Liability Mike Murphy Insurance is a trade name of New Sure Life Ltd. and is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

THE RENAULT TRUCKS CONSTRUCTION RANGE. TRUCKS TO BE PROUD OF.

BUILT TO LAST FOR DETAILS OF OUR DEALER NETWORK AND TO BOOK A DEMO CALL (01) 403 4500 Setanta Vehicle Importers, Long Mile Road, Dublin 12 www.setantatrucks.ie

18 | LAUNCH PAD

BYD’s Greener & Cleaner World

B

YD's dream is coming true, as the Chinese company's commitment to a cleaner world is on its way to fruition. It is the world's largest battery manufacturer for a broad selection of everyday items and in the automotive industry. Build Your Dreams (BYD) is also the leader in electric bus manufacturing and supplies directly to customers such as Transport for London and Schipol Airport in Europe as well as delivering thousands of units to a number of major cities in China. Currently it has over 50 cities across the EU and elsewhere pilot testing its electric single deck and double decker buses. One of its biggest solar projects to date is in the Netherlands with Heinekin where the brewery company will soon be self sufficient in its energy requirements.

One of the big advantages BYD has over its competitors is that it produces its own batteries for its forklifts, buses and cars/vans and can increase output at any time when required. Therefore, it can offer customers and users the lowest cost of ownership with its forklift line-up, for example. Up to 50,000 forklift units can be made per year should demand require, currently it's at 20,000. So, there are no plans to bring production to Europe as new markets are established such as the UK, Ireland, France, Portugal, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, to join Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, already set-up. Phase three will see Italy, Poland and some other BYD Forklift factory

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

Eastern European countries join the dealer network. "To date, our dealer line-up is good and they are happy," said Javier Contijoch, Business Development Director, BYD Europe.

Quality of the products produced is high as blue chip European component companies such as Grammer and Continental supply BYD from their manufacturing bases in China. In order to maintain the high quality profi le of its complete product line, BYD undertakes an ongoing pre-production test programme for all outsourced components.

High performance, quality and strong aftermarket back-up are the main att ractive selling points and while the forklifts will not be sold any cheaper than its main competitors, BYD's trump card is that its lithium-ion phosphate (LiP) batteries will last longer and recharge quicker. One of the advantages of the BYD trucks is that the battery pack, which is completely sealed, waterproof, and explosion proof, does not have to be taken out of the machine for recharging. That takes less that 5 hours, with a quick charge option. The machine itself does not get too hot and keeps 98% of its energy intact, unlike lead acid battery types, which require a battery change within the fi rst five year life cycle, and need to be topped up with distilled water, unlike LiP. A guarantee of 8-years/10,000 hours service life verifies this high quality standard.

BYD Batt ery for e6 car

LAUNCH PAD | 19 Lithium-ion phosphate battery technology is not new, as it has been around since the 1950s, it's just that BYD has embraced it and innovated further. At one of its battery factories visited, we were amazed at the supremely high levels of automisation, and the pharmaceutical standards of hygiene on the assembly line. It's temperature controlled quality test centre is almost as big as the production facility itself, where every known permutation on battery safety and performance is fi ne tuned. Production of batteries for cars, forklifts and buses takes place 24/7. Adjacent is its massive storage facility with rugby goalpost high fully autonomous racking systems in place.

For the European market, the second generation range of forklifts that are offered for sale feature modern design and more sophistication than the initial range, which was only sold in China. They feature twin motors for extra flexibility. On average up to â‚Ź2,000 can be saved from each single cycle machine every year compared to diesel or gas powered machines, plus they are maintenance free. Another plus is that electric forklifts can operate efficiently in extreme temperatures, low and high, without losing much of their capacity.

"The future is in lithium-ion phosphate," stated Javier, the Spanish native, who has a long career path in the global automotive industry having worked for Lexus, Audi, Ford, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and UPS. The forklift plant employs 800, 200 of which are engineers. Numbers will increase depending on demand. Lead time for orders is 4 to 6 weeks with the same amount of time needed or delivery to Europe from China, though stocks are kept at its EU wide HQ in Rotterdam.

Parts can be supplied within 24 hours through its warehouse in Masstricht, The Netherlands.

Formed in 1995, BYD is a Chinese Stock Listed company that has US entrepreneur Warren Buffet among its high profi le shareholders.

Electric cars will be introduced into Europe once the company is satisfied that the charging infrastructure and potential marketplace has been fully established. That said, plans are afoot to go ahead within two years. Two new Hybrid SUVs have been launched in China, the Tang and the Qin, offering over 100kms in pure electric drive, backed up by an efficient, yet powerful petrol engine. In 2013, BYD entered a joint venture with Daimler to produce a new Denza electric hatchback that offers a range distance of 400kms.

That put it on par with the Tesla cars we are gett ing to know. In its own car plant, around 500 units are produced per day. Four models are currently in the range including the e6 all electric hatchback which is sold primarily as a taxi. With an annual capacity of 200,000 BYD Forklift Batt ery

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

units per year, its welding section within the vast plant will become fully automated by next July. A new medium sized van is envisaged, in the meantime, a major fleet order has been secured with global express delivery company DHL for its present model, which is not unlike the e-NV200 from Nissan. A major collaboration deal has also been secured with Alexander Dennis recently.

BYD, with 180,000 employees, recorded an 80 billion RND turnover last year, 2.8 billion of which is directed towards R&D, overseen by 25,000 engineers. In all, there are eleven BYD manufacturing plants in China, all on the country's east coast. In Pingshan for instance, gadget batteries are produced for the likes of Nokia, Phillips and Energiser, while in Hangzhow, buses and coaches are assembled. BYD even makes the cases for our smartphones, notebooks and laptops. Its solar power division is another area of great growth potential as it not alone produces the solar panels in various shapes and sizes, it has developed transfer stations for the electricity generations that can be fed to the national grid. It also makes windmills to complete the green dream picture, producing green energy for its products that is non-fossil fuel dependent.

The company began with this vision from company founder and owner Wang Chuan Fu, a chemist, who started component battery manufacturing with ten staff. Obviously with his home country having the worlds biggest population, China was his biggest target market. Now the world is to be conquered, with North America and Europe next on the agenda, with the objective to double the fi rm's turnover within five years.

Under its 7 plus 4 strategy, BYD plans to introduce 7 new products in the automotive sector and 4 from its industrial division. The former includes new buses and coaches, the next e6 taxi, more EV Hybrid cars and the launch of a range of light to medium weight electric trucks. On new developments on the industrial side, expect to see products catering for the mining industry, port and airport equipment as well as expansion of its warehouse offerings.

To come are a number of associated warehouse products including a 5-tonne Tow Truck, 1.6/1.8 tonne Reach Stackers, 5-8 tonne Counterbalance trucks, 1-4 tonne Stackers and 2/3/4-tonne Pallet Trucks, all of which will be premiered at the CeMAT logistics show in Hannover next month. Currently under development is a heavy duty pallet truck, stand on reach stacker and other variations of its present line-up, such as AGVs - automatic guided vehicles, which we saw in pre-production test. Step on order packers are being considered also. "Great potential lies for BYD at the heavier end for its electric lift trucks," added Javier.

BYD Tow Truck

www.fleet.ie

20 | PICTORIAL

SEAI Energy Show 2016

O

nce again, lots to do and see at the annual Sustainable Energy Association Ireland (SEAI) Energy Show at the RDS, Dublin.

Over the two days, a number of briefings and networking events were held including electric vehicle test drives from Nissan, Mitsubishi, Renault and Volkswagen, all of whom also exhibited their latest innovations.

Orla Sweeney & Mary Morrissey were there for Fleet.

SEAI Stand

BMW i3

Enprova pictured are Paddy Sweeney and Seona Farrell

ESB ecars

Gas Networks Ireland

Nissan e-NV200

Renault Ireland - Conor Dixon

Show Premiere; FUSO E-CELL all-electric

Tesla Model S on the Merrion Fleet stand

Volkswagen Passat GTE plug-in hybrid

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

22 | REVIEW I

FPS EXPO 2016 Exhibition Centre, Liverpool

N

ew venue, new beginnings and many new exhibitors brought about the biggest and best FPS Expo to date. Liverpool’s new Exhibition Centre in the heart of the city’s Docklands, hosted the show for the fi rst time as the

Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) moved from its traditional location in Harrogate. Jarlath Sweeney made his annual trip to meet the exhibitors and an increasing number of Irish visitors.

152 North Irish Regiment RLC Positioned to the rear of the vast hall was this major eye-catcher. Th is specialised truck is called CST – Close Support Tanker. It’s an OSHKOSH 6x6 powered by an 11.9 litre Caterpillar diesel that pulls a 20,000 litre Magyar fuel tanker and is based in Belfast.

Carbery Plastics Ltd The Clonakilty based tank manufacturer, which has a sales base in Ledbury, Herefordshire, England has expertise built up over the past four decades. On display was a small selection from its AdBlue diesel, heating oil, waste oil and lubricants.

Envirostore UK Ltd For the seventh year-in-a-row, Envirostore from Drogheda is again involved with the PFS Expo and promoted its new triple skinned fire-check tanks, unique to the industry. Also on display was an example from its AdBlue tank range, which will be much in demand from the fleet van sector.

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

Harlequin Tanks Hailing from Moira, County Armagh, Harlequin has designed and manufactured tanks for over 30 years. Sarah Irvine, Marketing Manager and Nicola Coey, Administration Director were on hand to explain about its new fuel station tank (from 1,300 – 10,000 litres) from the family owned business.

Aztec Oils Ltd 18 years in business, Aztec Oils is a leading independent supplier of a broad range of lubricants and greases. It supplies containers of various sizes to branded and own-brand vendors. Jason Cope, Lisa Hemmings and Derek Watkins are pictured here.

Dunraven Systems Ltd Freda Adamson and Jessica Belton from the Dundalk headquartered fi rm, founded in 2003 by Jerry Jones, highlighted the launch of RMS Lite from its Apollo range of ultrasonic fuel tank monitors. Th is system will keep an eye on daily usage, and reduce wastage for a moderate fee.

Herbst Soft ware The Dublin company located in Ballymount Industrial Estate (and Wicklow), specialises in developing paperless systems and handheld machines for data processing. Latest element to its live hand-helds for drivers includes a complete walkaround vehicle inspection check.

REVIEW I | 23

HM Revenue & Customs Members of the UK Revenue & Customs Road Fuel Testing Unit were on hand to demonstrate the new fuel marker test on board its mobile units. It is fully digitalised and used to tackle tax fraud associated with fuel laundering on both sides of the Irish Sea.

Kingspan Environmental Ltd Generous sponsors of Ulster Rugby and Cavan GAA, Kingspan’s Environmental Division has introduced Diesel Pro, its fuel tank system. Two other products mentioned

by Jonathan Heasley include Kingspan sensor (monitoring) and Titan, its security package.

MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd Staunch supporters of the FPS Expo, MAN Trucks specialises in ADR specific versions of its TGL, TGM, TGS and TGX ranges. Two versions of the MAN TGS 24,440 6x2/2 BLS Midlift Lite tractor-units were showcased along with a TGM 15.250 4x2 BL 15 tonner with Day Cab.

Morgan Fuels Another GAA County supporter, Morgan Fuels, the Newry based firm has become one of the largest suppliers of fuels in Ireland. It is also a major fuel card provider operating across 17 countries in Europe, which covers fuel, AdBlue, parking, etc. Michael Morgan and Vladislav Mozgovey were on duty.

Platinum Tanks Ltd Once again the Cassidy Brothers from Carrickmacross, County Monaghan were present at the FPS event. Patrick (pictured) introduced its new multi-purpose bin, which can cater for grit, animal feed, salt, etc and has a novel trap-door system internally to avoid spills.

Scania (GB) Ltd The leading Swedish truck brand had actual trucks in its stand, such as this G450 6x2 tractor. Other versions from the Scania truck family were dotted around the venue, including the G410 8x2/2 from LCM, a P320 6x2 at the Magyar stand.

Sentinel Systems Ltd Allan Robertson (right) had colleagues Daniel Hadfield and Jamie Bonthron to hand to demonstrate the vast array of multi-camera recording solutions and systems, that help the driver detect wayward cyclists, pedestrians and motorbike riders. Other items on display were LED lighting systems.

TankQuip & Rigual A joint UK and Spanish combination has put together a high-spec rigid tanker, built on a DAF LF 4x2 chassis/cab. Juan Sanchez and David Stanley represented Rigual (Spain) and TankQuip (UK) respectively. The Spanish fi rm has been manufacturing fuel tanks for the Spanish, UK, Ireland, France and German markets.

TIP Trailer Services Ltd News from the trailer and tanker supplier that made its debut at the show (in Liverpool) is that TIP has taken over Harts Tanker Rental to offer a broader range of products and services to the fuel tanker fraternity, according to Stuart Vanes, Area Sales Manager, UK South.

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

www.fleet.ie

+VTU XIFO ZPV UIPVHIU GVFM FÄ…DJFODZ DPVMEOgU HFU BOZ CFUUFS XF TBWF ZPV VQ UP BOPUIFS Presenting the Mercedes-Benz 2nd generation 12.8l engine.

For more information and to arrange a Fuel Duel contact: fuelduel@mercedes-benz.ie www.mercedes-benz.ie

REVIEW II | 25

CV Show 2016 -

N

o trucks, no trauma! At least the light commercial vehicle and trailer sectors were happy. Attendance was brisk with three halls of the National Exhibition Centre packed with over 400 exhibitors. As the main focus was on vans,

Air 1

New and potential customers that run a fleet of cars, vans or other light commercials were interested to hear from Air 1, the intricacies involved with Euro 6 and the AdBlue requirements, especially the high level of product quality necessary. Or else, the exhaust emission reduction system (SCR) will not work as it should.

BPW

As one of the leading suppliers of running gear systems, BPW highlighted and promoted its disc and drum brake axles with ECO air compact suspension and the new ECO plus 3 Hub, which allows easy removal of the disc/hub assembly. Also promoted was its Hestal fastener systems.

BVRLA

The British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA), as a trade body, oversees a combined fleet of approximately 3.8 million vehicles. At the Show it launched a comprehensive guide entitled ‘The Industry Fair Wear & Tear Standard’ for operators of contract hire, rented and leased vehicles over 3.5 tonnes GVW.

April 26 - 28th NEC BIRMINGHAM

there were many new launches, which are featured in our Fleet Van & Utility supplement. Here in this four-page speed is part one of our extensive coverage from the show.

Blue Tree Systems

As its new slogan goes, Galway founded telematics fi rm Blue Tree Systems specialises in developing open-platforum solutions for truck fleets, refrigerated vehicles and dry-lined trailers. Th is one-stop system includes real-time reporting for tacho compliance, driver and vehicle performance, plus much more.

Bridgestone

Conor Curran, Bridgestone Ireland was on hand to demonstrate the various offerings from the three tyre brands distributed by the Japanese company such as Bridgestone, Firestone and new budget range called Dayton, aimed at competing against the Asian brands head-on.

Carrier Transicold

Interestingly developments from the French/American transport refrigeration company in that it has launched the world’s fi rst CO2 prototype multi-temp reefer system that is featured on this Gray & Adams trailer destined for Sainsburys. It fits inside the standard Vector bulkhead. www.fleet.ie

26 | REVIEW II Chereau

The leading French supplier of refrigerated transport solutions was promoting its SmartOpen-C, patented electric rear opening system with new lighting panel added. Also there was its MultiDeck-C 2.0, which has 1-3 loading levels between 800mm and 1600mm above the floor. Fully loaded, it can carry up to 65 Europallets.

Corcra

Meaning purple as gaeilge, Corcra is the new name for NIBC, the fleet management and communication fi rm based in Northern Ireland and now Chester, GB. Progress has been satisfying for the company in that many new customers have been generated for its systems and services.

Fuller Tanks/VanHool

UK & Irish Agents for VanHool Tankers, Fuller Tankers had a selection of the best from the Belgian fi rm. Most noteworty was the Alcohol ADR spec stainless steel 38,000 litre single compartment trailer built for Con Dennehy & Co Ltd., Cork, featuring Goodyear tyres, BPW brakes etc FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

Continental

Continental VDO retraced the first ten years of the Digital Tachograph and looked ahead to the next decade. Today’s ‘tacho’ has evolved with the one minute rule benefiting driving time while the data can be downloaded quicker and Smartphone connectivity is a good asset.

Don-Bur

Don-Bur showcased its revolutionary Plasma Actuators, which reduces rear drag and replace components normally required for boat-tails and is expected to generate fuel savings of up to 7%. It also featured it’s trademark blade panels. On the trailer is an impressive internal cube of 124.5m3 from the 4.9m high unit, with double the capacity of a standard 26 pallet single deck trailer.

Hankook

An extensive portfolio of its commercial vehicle type was showcased including the new all-season SmartFlex alongside the SmartWork owned off-road range plus its bus tyres. The appearance of the European Cup was a special att raction - as corporate sponsors, Hankook has gained a much higher profi le across Europe.

REVIEW II | 27 Hatcher

Hatcher Components was once again present with a cab conversion featuring wind-cheating air management systems like the “Active Freddy” spoiler, and the under-trailer Freddie which is based on a parabolic curve to reduce wind resistance, especially on motorways at cruising speed.

Kässbohrer

With expansion plans for both UK and Ireland, European trailer company Kässbohrer exhibited at the CV Show for the fi rst time.

On offer was its semi-trailer product line such as the four-axle low bed, the K.SLA4, a 60 cubic metre-tipping silo, the K.SSK60 and its heavy-duty platform, the K.SPW.XS.

Quinn Refrigerated Vehicles

The Athenry company, with a strong UK customer base, exhibited its range of temperature controlled solutions for rigid and semi-trailer applications. Most clients are in the dairy, food and pharmaceutical industries. Also featured was a range of “Quinn Aero” – aerodynamic bodywork styles to reduce fuel consumption.

Iveco

The Italian fi rm’s international winning trio were present in the shape of the Stralis, Eurocargo, Daily, with the Dakar Rally winning team’s participant the Trakker, all displayed outside the NEC. Most significant about the Iveco line-up was that it was the only truck manufacturer present.

Montracon

On display were three trailers consisting of a postless cutainsider, a Fridge box trailer (Morrisons) and a Heavy Machinery Carrier. A new load restraint system Retract “n” Slide was shown on the curtainsider, featuring 13 independent cross-straps that can be positioned along the trailer and is suitable for single/double deck trailers.

SDC Trailers

One of the big attractions was SDC’s new Kinetic energy recovery trailer, wearing Eddie Stobart livery. This curtainsider comes equipped with a hybrid system supplied by the French transportation technology developer Adgero. The Kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) is estimated to cut fuel usage and carbon emissions by up to 25%. www.fleet.ie

28 | REVIEW II Stena Line

Offering one of Europe’s broadest short sea networks and services for freight and passengers, Stena operates 23 routes with approximately 35 vessels. Both RoRo and RoPax ships are bases of its reliable and frequent schedules, with a dedicated website for transport - www. stenalinefreight.com

Tiger Trailers

Generating new business is the main objective for exhibitors at the show. With over 1,200 units in operation across the UK and EU roads, Tiger Trailers from Cheshire promoted its mega straight frame chassis with a curtainside body. It has a full length lift ing deck with a lift ing roof, allowing top loading.

Transaid

A taste of Africa transcended across the halls of the NEC as the transport charity added a little spice to the occasion, with African music, decor and treats to eat at its stand. Gary Forster, Transaid CEO, said, “We always relish the opportunity to attend the CV Show and talk to people about what we do, the different ways they can get involved and how getting involved may benefit them as well as us.”

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

Thermo King & Frigoblock

From the conventional IC powered T-series range from Thermoking to the electric powered refrigeration units from Frigoblock, both Ingersoll Rand brands highlighted their various produces; services and solutions for short haul truck and trailer applications for inner city and last mile deliveries. TK’s range of SLXe trailer units were there also!

TIP Trailers/Tankers

TIP Trailer Services had two stands to demonstrate why it is the number one tanker service provider. One of its new six compartment petroleum tanker was on display and representatives were on hand to advise and promote its new inspection application which is a camera using App that sends trailer condition reports through to company headquarters.

Transdek UK

Specialists in building double-deck trailers, Transdek exhibited its award winning temperature-controlled wedge trailer along with its unique DUET Urban decker. Wedge can carry up to 50 pallets or up to 90 roll cages, twice the load of a standard box trailer. Transdek’s innovative V2G double-decks lifts were also displayed.

Text & Photos: Jarlath Sweeney & Leonard Allison

FUEL PRICES (WEEK 17) / SAFETY MATTERS | 29 Country

Currency

95 Lead Free

98 Lead Free

Diesel

Country

Currency

95 Lead Free

98 Lead Free

Diesel

Albania

ALL

159.00

-

158.00

Lithuania

EUR

1.082

1.127

0.953

Andorra

EUR

1.016

1.076

0.816

Luxemburg

EUR

1.091

1.160

0.896

Austria

EUR

1.099

1.244

0.988

Macedonia

MKD

62.00

63.50

44.00

Belarus

EUR

0.542

-

0.561

Moldova

MDL

15.77

16.37

13.07

Belgium

EUR

1.344

1.415

1.141

Montenegro

EUR

1.070

1.100

0.900

Bosnia-Herzegovina

BAM

1.81

-

1.66

Netherlands

EUR

1.575

1.654

1.193

Bulgaria

BGN

1.81

2.01

1.74

Norway

NOK

14.90

-

13.20

Croatia

HRK

8.90

-

7.77

Poland

PLN

4.22

4.58

3.87

Czech Republic

CZK

27.63

-

25.53

Portugal

EUR

1.471

1.595

1.173

Denmark

DKK

10.37

-

8.29

Romania

RON

4.71

5.17

4.34

Estonia

EUR

1.099

1.149

1.019

Russia

RUB

37.69

-

35.53

Finland

EUR

1.352

1.423

1.141

Serbia

RSD

129.20

-

130.90

France

EUR

1.348

1.394

1.103

Slovakia

EUR

1.213

-

0.996

Georgia

GEL

1.60

1.70

1.40

Slovenia

EUR

1.202

1.264

1.059

Germany

EUR

1.273

-

1.049

Spain

EUR

1.148

1.282

1.005

Greece

EUR

1.352

1.513

0.998

Sweden

SEK

13.17

13.77

12.38

Hungary

HUF

304.00

-

306.00

Switzerland

CHF

1.403

1.448

1.399

Ireland

EUR

1.299

-

1.099

Turkey

TRY

4.36

4.38

3.61

Italy

EUR

1.466

-

1.266

Ukraine

UAH

20.50

27.20

18.00

Kosovo

EUR

0.90

-

0.88

UK

GBP

1.078

1.176

1.073

Latvia

EUR

1.064

1.113

0.894

USA

USD

-

-

0.581

Safety Matters . . .

Delivering Safely

D

eliveries and collections are essential to business, but can be some of the most dangerous activities transport operators have to deal with. Risks may include manual handling injuries when moving the goods, being struck by a moving vehicle or simply falling off the vehicle. The drivers of these vehicles are often the victims. Many delivery and collection accidents could be prevented if there was better co-operation between the parties involved.

Joint Responsibility Individuals (mostly drivers) are often unfairly blamed for accidents which could have been prevented if duty holders had co-operated with one another.

The three key duty holders are: • the consignor sending the goods • the carrier - the haulier or other company carrying the goods • the consignee - the entity receiving the goods Co-operation In order to ensure deliveries and collections are carried out safely there must be effective co-operation between the main duty holders. Risks must be assessed and safe systems of work implemented.

Some Key Risks: • people falling from height off vehicles • vehicle collisions • people hit or run over by vehicles • people struck by falling objects Safe Delivery Plan: The general principles that suppliers, carriers and recipients should follow are: • send out safety information on deliveries and collections to other parties in the delivery chain • request safety information on deliveries and collections from other parties in the delivery chain

Safety Matters . . .

• • • • •

include information on how the vehicle was loaded if this is needed for safe unloading plan the best times for deliveries to arrive know the route, anticipate problems plan to have the right people and equipment ready to handle the delivery when it arrives plan how to keep the driver and all others who may be affected by the activity safe

What the Law Requires Safety, Health & Welfare at Work Act 2005 (No. 10 of 2005) requires: • Employers manage and conduct their work activities (including; Loading/Securing/Deliveries/Unloading/Collections) in such a manner as to ensure the safety, health and welfare of employees.

• Transport hazards that exist in the workplace must be risk assessed and appropriate steps taken to eliminate or reduce any risks found.

Note: Vehicles are defined as a Place of Work under the Act, and an employer must ensure so far as reasonably practicable that: • Vehicles are designed, provided and maintained in a condition that is safe and without risk to health • Safe means of access and egress to and from the vehicle is designed, provided and maintained • Systems of work are planned, organised, performed, maintained and revised as appropriate, for example safe systems of work must be available for vehicle loading, deliveries and unloading activities • Information, instruction, training and supervision is provided for all employees who operate work related vehicles For more information on managing deliveries safely go to www.vehiclesatwork.ie www.fleet.ie

Fleet Transport Awards

years

celebrating

in association with Rosslare Europort

GALA DINNER Thursday 13 October 2016 Citywest Hotel, Dublin ó[XiÉj Ld J_ÉY_É`ck\XZ_k 8i 9_Ù`k_i\ IfX[ JX]\kp 8lk_fi`kp

AWARDS

Fleet Transport Awards 2017 Irish Haulier of the Year Entry Form Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Position: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Company Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Company Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Telephone: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mobile: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Email: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Website: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. of Vehicles: . . . . . . . .

Category Entering - please tick boxes National Haulier of the Year International Haulier of the Year Own Account Transport Operator of the Year Owner Driver Haulier of the Year Regional Transport Operator of the Year Best Van Fleet Award Best Livery Award Best Safety Practice Award

Innovation Award Environment Award Fleet/Transport Manager of the Year Women in Transport Award Excellence in Warehousing & Product Handling Customer Service Excellence Award Technician of the Year Services to the Transport Industry Award

‘I have read and understood the terms and conditions of entering the Fleet Transport Awards 2017’.

Signature: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Please send completed Entry Form plus additional material by Friday 1 July 2016 to Competition Secretary, Fleet Transport Awards 2017, D’Alton Street, Claremorris, County Mayo. Alternatively it is much simpler and quicker to enter online at www.fleet.ie.

Tel: 094 93 72819 Fax: 094 93 73571 Email: awards@fleet.ie

Terms & Conditions: • • • • • • • • •

Any licensed Haulier or Own Account Transport Operator is eligible to enter in the Fleet Transport Awards 2017, established to honour excellence in operation or services to the transport industry.

Entries must be received by Friday 1 July 2016 and will not be returned. There is no entry fee.

All entries will be treated in strict confidence and are judged by a panel of experts from the industry.

Confirmation of receipt of entries will be sent out to all applicants.

The completed entry form can be accompanied by a 1000 word document outlining further details on your company and its operations. Photographs and customer testimonials can be included.

The finalists will be published in the September edition of Fleet Transport Magazine.

Shortlisted candidates will be called for interviews on 7 & 8 September 2016. A five minute video or Powerpoint presentation, although not essential, will be welcomed on the day of the interview.

Presentation of the prizes will take place on Thursday 13 October 2016 at an Fleet Transport Awards Gala Dinner at Citywest Hotel, Dublin.

The decision of the Adjudication Panel is final and no correspondence will be entered into afterwards.

celebrating

TRANSPORT AWARDS 2017

Citywest Hotel, Dublin.

Thursday 13 October 2016 www.fleet.ie

Fleet Transport Awards

years www.fleet.ie

32 | REPORT II

Successful 43rd IRHA AGM & Con

W

ith over five hundred and forty delegates at this year’s Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) Annual Conference Gala Dinner at the Clayton White’s Hotel, Wexford, it was obvious that the Irish road transport industry is strong.

Buoyed by a President and Management team that are eager to improve standards and professionalism within all aspects of the industry, the Presidential address from Verona Murphy was of great interest to members and

patrons alike on the night.

Key speaker was Minister Paul Kehoe, acting Government Chief Whip, a local man who has a full understanding of the importance of national and international haulage to our economy. Clearly his work with Verona Murphy on the heavy commercial vehicle road tax reduction has indicated his ability to work with the stakeholders within the industry to achieve real results.

With regard to IRHA’s influence in key decisions at European level in Brussels, Sean

Kelly MEP attended the Conference and while he did not speak publicly, he confirmed his support of the industry was working post-event on various issues with Deputy President Jerry Kiersey at the European Parliament.

Verona Murphy’s Presidential address was short and concise. She expressed her pride in hosting the event in her home town with family and friends attending. Her commitment to tackle three crucial issues facing the industry were highlighted, which are insurance costs, driver availability and the maintenance of viability within the sector.

Trade Stands & Exhibition Area No annual IRHA Conference weekend would be complete without the support of

the businesses that service the transport industry. A number of these companies took

stands at the Clayton Whites Hotel using opportunity to meet with their customers.

AON Insurance AON has a long history in the underwriting business, and is well recognised as supporter of the work the IRHA undertakes on behalf of the road transport industry. As well as vehicle underwriting, AON can also help operators with warehouse, employers and public liability cover.

Ctrack Ctrack has devised a simple ‘Driver Behaviour Indicator’ system with red, amber and green lights to alert the driver to poor behaviour on the road. While its simplicity in the cab works well for the driver, the system does provide highly detailed information for operators.

IRHA Toll Tag Paul Fitzgerald and Kealen Fitzgerald promoted the IRHA Toll Tag. The device offers operators a discounted rate on a number of tolled routes throughout Ireland.

Paul explained it is hoped to expand the service with stronger links to other toll companies outside of Ireland.

Kinesis Fleet Management Zara Daly and Carol Smith answered queries on the relatively new but highly successful Kinesis telematics system. Within 18 months of launch, over 6,000 units have been installed with vehicle owners, which is linked to the transport company’s fuel card, for all sizes of fleets.

Mercedes-Benz As the main sponsor of the truck display, Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles took up a position with the Fuel-Duel Actros that was impossible to miss, placed near the front doors of the Clayton Whites Hotel over the weekend. Robert Dunne was available to meet the customers and handle enquiries.

Stoneridge It would be highly unlikely to have any gathering of transport operators, social or otherwise, and for the subject of Tachographs and Driving Hours not to come up. So it was fortunate that leading experts Stoneridge were on hand to address the issues and answer the endless questions!

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

REPORT II | 33

onference 2016 in Wexford Wright Insurance Brokers As the main sponsor of the IRHA AGM & Conference, Wrights had a prominent presence throughout the weekend.

Its marquee on Wexford’s quayside hosted many of the gatherings and was the venue for the keynote address announcing the Driver Apprenticeship Programme. It is widely acknowledged that Wright Insurance Brokers played a pivotal role in the development of the programme.

Stena Line Though fully accepted as a major multinational company, the Stena Line brand in Wexford is about as home-grown as it gets. The long association of the company with Rosslare Europort, and its close ties to the transport industry, make it a key player in the economic health of the county, and further afield.

Transpec Truck and trailer parts specialist Transpec also attended to offer operators another avenue to acquiring replacement parts and lighting requirements for their vehicle. It can supply equipment for all the major commercials and trailer brands from its branches in Baldonnell, Dublin and Limerick.

Patrona Underwriting Laura Corrigan and Martin Stamper’s display was in the Wright Insurance Broker’s ‘Marquee on the Quay’. Patrona Underwriting, available through preferred agent Wrights is a new approach to transport insurance, specialising in securing insurance for operators who are having difficulty getting cover, possibly due to high frequency of claims, and currently suffering from excessive renewal premiums.

Topaz Q8 Oils The Topaz Q8 Oils team of Jack Condon, Nina Byrne and Fionuala O’Donovan, were on duty to explain about the Topaz Fuel Card, particularly about the additional services available for card holders. Topaz recently partnered up with telematics specialists Transpoco and Fleetmatics.

Outside Display Area Mercedes-Benz L1418 If you bring the most modern truck with the latest trailer, painted with the most beautiful artwork to any gathering of transport people, it will be appreciated, admired, and then just as quickly ignored. Rather, everyone will gather around the old timer or vintage truck with flat paintwork and reminisce about the old days. So it was the case in Wexford with people admiring Charlie Nolan’s Mercedes-Benz L1418 which was (as such) restored from a pile of metal fi lings left in a field.

www.fleet.ie

34 | REPORT II

Ashbourne Truck Centre The well known trailer specialists from Ashbourne presented a selection of Schmitz Cargobull and Faymonville brands. The MAX Trailer models from Belgian producer Faymonville have long been regarded as a benchmark in exceptional load transport. The Schmitz brand has an equal reputation for the more regular transport work.

DAF Trucks DAF Trucks, through Cork Truck Services dealer displayed two units from its range series from the Dutch brand - the CF and flagship XF model. These were accompanied by some new additions to customer fleets.

Dennison Trailers In addition to its stand at the Hotel, Naasbased Dennison Trailers had a number of units on show. As well as a smart tri-axle curtainsider for BM Transport of Monaghan, we had another look at the ‘Eco-Combi’ from Eoin Gavin Transport. Which, as expected, generated many comments and much discussion from the patrons.

International Trailers Chereau is one of the most popular fridges brands in Ireland. The main importers of the French products in Ireland is International Trailers of Bagnelstown, which exhibited a fi ne example - a tri-axle trailer, complete with a Thermo King SLXe Spectrum fridge unit.

Quinn Refrigerated Vehicles One company going from strength to strength is Quinns of Athenry, gained from a high reputation for top quality workmanship in body building.Th is is not solely related to trailers, it extends to all manner and size of vehicles, such as a tri-axle fridge trailer with a Thermo King SLXe 300 Whisper.

Somers Commercials Local Mercedes-Benz dealer Somers Commercials of Camolin had a couple of examples from most recent sales, including a beautifully finished 3243 Arocs eight-wheeler tipper with bodywork by Keltruck Bodies of Carlow. The truck was for delivery to L. Behan of Rathcoole.

Scania The Sodertalje based Swedish brand was well represented with two fi ne examples of what many drivers dream aspire to. Both tractorunits were R580s with one being the limited BlueStream Edition (number 87) as featured in the March issue of Fleet Transport. The other was an equally handsome R-series, in a plain black livery for O’Loughlin Transport of Blackwater (WX).

Truck & Trailer Works TT W Th is Armagh based company showcased a range of Schmitz Cargobull and Krone Trailers, like the Schmitz semi-trailer with bodywork by Ferroplast, and temperature control unit by Thermo King. Sitt ing beside it was a new tri-axle box van from Krone Trailers, already painted and ready for delivery to the customer.

Volvo Trucks The Gothenburg based Swedish brand was also well represented in Wexford with new additions to customer’s fleets. The fi rst was from well known haulier Mark Lonergan Transport with eye-catching FH.500s.

Parked just alongside was a new and equally well turned out eight-wheeled FM.460, with bodywork by Keltruck (Carlow) for Martin Fortune Transport.

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

Text: Donal Dempsey & Paul White

Photos: Paul White

PREVIEW I | 35

Tip-ex & Tank-ex 2016 – Harrogate – 2-4 June

F

or anyone involved in the tipping, bulk haulage, tanker and bulk liquid transport industries, Tip-ex & Tank-ex 2016, due to be held from 2-4 June at the Harrogate International Centre (HIC), are the only shows dedicated to these sectors. With over 100 leading manufacturers and suppliers exhibiting, many of whom only displaying at Tip-ex & Tank-ex, these have become the must-attend events for operators in the dry bulk and liquid tanker business.

Th is three-day event in the heart of Yorkshire provides a unique opportunity to see all the latest vehicles, products and services while networking with everyone who is anyone in bulk transport.

The fact that all the most important vehicle manufacturers active in the tipper and tanker markets exhibited at Tip-ex & Tank-ex last year, confi rms the importance of the show, which packs out four halls of the HIC and spills over on to the surrounding area, creating a real buzz in the centre of the town.

In the three years Road Transport Media has owned the event, visitor numbers have more than doubled to over 3,500 in 2015. The Gala Dinner now sees seven awards including Tipper Haulier and Tanker Operator of the Year, presented in front of an audience of 500 guests in the grandeur of the Majestic Hotel.

Dovetailing the main event are two other significant happenings, the CLOCS Seminar and the annual Tip-ex Auction.

CLOCS: Looking out for vulnerable road users and managing risks on the road

for the bulk transport industry.

The auction will take place on Wednesday 1 June from 10.30am at the Great Yorkshire Showground Harrogate. Th is venue allows the hosts to conduct a drive through style auction, so each lot will be up and running and driven in front of the buyers allowing them to get a real feel for the truck before they bid.

In previous years a broad range of vehicles have been sold; • 7.5 tonne to 32 tonne steel bodied tippers • 8×4 bulk alloy tippers • 6×4 and 8×4 tipper grabs • 8×4 bulk blowers • Road sweepers • Tractor-Units • Bulk Alloy tipping trailers • Fuel & Powder tankers Plus of course the Classic and Collectors vehicles, which created great interest and some excellent results. So, if you have any trucks or trailers to sell fitt ing these descriptions, then this is the auction for you. Please contact the Tip-ex Auction team on 0044 1427 871500 tipex@protruckauctions.co.uk with details of your entries.

2016 Awards The 2016 Tip-ex & Tank-ex awards recognise the individuals, teams and businesses shaping the tipper and tanker industries. The winners will be presented with their awards at The Tip-ex and Tank-ex Gala Dinner taking place at The Majestic Hotel, Harrogate on Friday 3 June 2016.

Increasingly, CLOCS (Construction Logistics Cycle Safety) is becoming the industry standard for managing this risk and you need to be prepared for what it will mean for you and your business.

When: Thursday 2 June 2016 Where: Queens Suite, Harrogate International Centre Time: 1.30pm Places at the seminar are limited so please email steve.cox@ roadtransport.com if you are interested in attending and would like to reserve a place.

Tip-ex & Tank-ex Auction Protruck Auctions are back in Harrogate to conduct the ever popular drive-through Tip-ex & Tank-ex Auction, an auction specifically Text & Photos: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

To book your place at this prestigious event, contact Sandra Greaves, Tel: 0044208 912 2170 Email: sandra.greaves@roadtransport.com Ticket price: £75 + VAT per head Table of 10: £680 + VAT Dress code: Lounge suits / Cocktail dress Awards & Sponsors • Tipper Haulier of the Year, sponsored by Montracon • Tanker Safety Award, sponsored by Feldbinder UK • Tanker Operator of the Year, sponsored by O’Donovan Waste Disposal • Show Innovation Award, sponsored by IVECO • Personality of the Year, sponsored by Hyva UK • Image of the Industry Award, sponsored by L Lynch www.fleet.ie

36 | INNOVATION

Daimler’s Shaping Future Transportation – Campus Connectivity Connect, which is Daimler’s autonomous platooning system, Sven outlined the stringent safety measures installed, such as Emergency Brake Assist and what would or would not happen should a truck leave the platoon, or should the convoy be disturbed if another vehicle cuts into the wirelessly linked line.

Apart from easing the strain on the driver, the fuel savings are significant, on average 7% overall, if three trucks or more are used.

T

he fully connected truck is Daimler’s formula for success for all those involved in transport - from operators, drivers, customers and society in general. Through its Highway Pilot Connect, networked trucks drive in a (platoon) convoy for greater safety and achieve lower fuel consumption. With it’s lead in autonomous driving on both sides of the Atlantic, Daimler Trucks’ executives and engineers explained the technology involved during the workshop sessions at its recent Shaping Future Transportation seminar.

across 40 countries. Recent developments include DispoPilot.guide and Driver.app. In introducing a major fleet customer in Wolfgang Göbel, Director Sales/Marketing/Logistics at car and light commercial transporter Mosolf, with over 1,000 trucks operating in 30 locations across Europe, Mosolf depends on FleetBoard for its vehicle, driver and logistics management, together with technical support from Mercedes-Benz. His drivers use the FleetBoard Driver.app’s modules from performance coach, time manager (for driver’s hours) and My Truck, which monitors the running condition of the vehicle.

Dr. Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Head of Strategy and Martin Zeilinger, Head of Advanced Engineering, looked at the status quo of logistics today, and from research stated that 35% of the vehicle’s working time is used for driving with 50% waiting on stand-by or parking. Traffic jams, inefficiency at cargo terminals and waiting at customs/border crossings were cited, and with the sector generating on average only 2 to 3% profit, the potential for connectivity is optimised, according to Dr. Peter. “Trucks, trailers, docks are sending data, but do not communicate with each other, which would help to eliminate unplanned downtime. Our vision: Always on.

Always driving. Fully loaded. Never stuck.

Never fail. Happy Driver!”

Sven Ennerst, Head of Product Engineering & Global Procurement (pictured) explained that V2V (vehicleto-vehicle) and V2I (vehicle-toinfrastructure) connectivity can prevent gridlocks, markedly reduce fuel consumption and emissions, and further lower the number of traffic accidents. Under Highway Pilot

Detroit Connect is Daimler’s FleetBoard equivalent in North America. Matthew Pfaffenbach, Head of Telematics, Daimler North America and Brett Brinton, CEO and Co-Founder Zonar System, co-presented the uniqueness and variances that makes the US trucking market different in many ways.

Extreme distances, variable weather, high driver turnover and fleet operators running over 1,000 trucks are common elements. “In 2011, Detroit Connect changed the industry with the introduction of Virtual Technician, whereby remote diagnostics is undertaken within two minutes with expert diagnosis to customers within thirty minutes, supplied by Zonar System, which comes as standard with Detroit Diesel Powertrain fitted to Daimler’s Freightliner trucks,” said Matthew.

Brett described the four key value drivers across eight different operational approaches – Uptime, Fuel, Risk & Liability and Operations and exampled Knight Transportation, which has Zonar fitted to 5,000 trucks. “Z Fuel is our cloud-based Analytics Solution to score driver efficiency and used to motivate driver behaviour. We have already hit the ground running, with more to come,” he concluded.

Stefan Buchner, Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks (pictured) discussed t he mer its of Da i m ler’s FleetBoard telematics system and how it continues to evolve. "In 15 years, over 180,000 vehicles are equipped with FleetBoard FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

Ashbourne Truck Centre, Ballymadun, Ashbourne, Co. Meath, Ireland Tel: 00353 18350573 Josef: 0035387 255 66 77 Sarah J: 0035386 255 66 77 Web: www.ashbournetruckcentre.com

2016 New/Unused MAX 3 axle draw bar trailer, front lift axle, rear steer axle, 26ton payload, hydraulic ramps, out riggers, storage tray for out rigger timer, pockets for twistlocks. In stock ready to go.

2016 New/Unused MAX 4 axle step frame low loader, front lift axle, two rear steer axles, out riggers, storage tray. Double Åip ramps with side shift, greaser, 48ton payload. In stock ready to go.

2016 New/Unused MAX 3 axle step frame low loader, rear steer axle, auto greaser, double Åip ramps with side shift, out riggers, storage trays, 38.5ton payload. In stock ready to go.

New Unused 2016 Faymonville lifting bed 3 axle trailers in stock, rear steer axle, available as extendable trailer also. Very easy loading angle onto gooseneck, safe and quick loading.

Large selection of second hand trailers also in stock, ready for work, DoE’d and serviced.

38 | TRAILER

‘How did Kraker ‘Krack’ trailer transport?’

L

eading producer of moving floor trailers, Kraker Trailers marked the opening of its new production facility with a weekend-long celebration at their home town of Axel, in the Netherlands. The event also marked the launch of Kraker’s new K-Force Trailer series which incorporates a number of engineering firsts in the design and manufacture of moving floor units.

of a trailer was about €60,000 - 20 years later the price went down to €48,000, and will go down further, possibly to €47,000 by 2019. Th is is the normal life cycle. The moving floor trailer market is very positive with significant growth expected in the agri, recycling and biomass industries.” It is these expected growth figures that led Kraker to develop its new K-Force trailer and the new production plant.

In the highly competitive trailer market, Kraker’s ability to innovate has helped the business expand even through the recent lean years. The company’s ‘Cargo Floor (CF) Agri-trailer’ was shortlisted for the prestigious Innovation Award at the 2015 RA I Commercial Vehicle Show in Amsterdam, and Kraker’s new K-Force series is set to revolutionise future trailer production.

Interestingly, the main reason for Kraker locating its new plant in Axel, rather than moving to the new (conceptual) EU manufacturing zone which encompasses Berlin, Vienna and Ankara. It is because Kraker believes that with increased automation in modern trailer production, the labour element is becoming smaller and less important. So, if the labour cost of making a trailer is 10 percent, and the parts cost 90 percent, then there is less benefit gained from reduced labour costs. However, by staying in Axel there are benefits to be gained from improved product quality and reduced transport costs - especially when your main customer base is located in Western Europe.

While walking floor trailers serve a niche market, the market is growing and is expected to continue growing at around 10 percent per year. For operators, the growing market should mean that new trailer prices will come down. Export Manager at Kraker, Rico Koops explained: “In 1995 the price

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

One unique feature of K-Force’s construction, is that Kraker has replaced much of the traditional welded structure with a bolted assembly using the ‘Huck Bobtail’ fastening system from Alcoa. Kraker claims the Bobtail system provides additional support at critical stress points, and from research, claims that bolted fastenings extend the life span of joints by up to five times longer than welding. Head of Engineering at Kraker, Marc Boussen highlighted the additional strength as one reason Kraker could shorten the chassis, as the bolted structure has the inherent strength to support the frame and carry the load. To show confidence in the build quality of the new product, Kraker’s K-Force range will come with a five-year warranty.

Other innovations have delivered a reduction in weight by almost 250 kg, and Kraker’s own unique axle mounting means that Kraker can fit axles from BPW, SAF, or VALX later in the assembly process, which allows it to continue the build process of the trailers and then fit axles as the customer orders.

In 2009 Jan de Kraker asked his Head of Engineering a loaded question: “Is it possible to transport a trailer in parts and then assemble it on location?” Marc set about fi nding a solution, and his answer has created a wonderful opportunity for Kraker to service new markets in the the Far East. Using an IKEA style flat-pack format, Kraker can deliver up to four new K-Force trailers in kit form using one sea container. The trailers are then assembled on site by a Kraker approved agent. The system even works for customers nearer to home as Kraker can load two K-Force kits into a K-Force trailer, and deliver up to three trailers to a customer.

Although the assemble at home concept in other areas is not new, we have been assured that a flat-pack K-Force in kit form from Kraker will go together easier than the flat pack furniture we are all familiar with.

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

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40 | TIMES PAST

HEALTH AND SAFETY bread van is being prepared for a fi lm sequence and it can be seen that the young driver wears a safety helmet. Th is is probably a rule in the equine establishment which, supplies horses and staff for fi lms and other events and it certainly set me thinking about how things were in my younger days.

Until the electrics began to take over in the late 1940s, most doorstep deliveries were by horse-drawn van and floats. A roundsman was exposed to the elements, having climbed four or five skimpy steps to reach the driver’s perch on the roof of a van. Th is operation was endured several times a day and injuries through slips or falls were probably viewed as operational hazards as long as they did not result in hospitalisation - or worse. (Up to ten different laundries, bakeries and laundries had customers on the road I came from). Only one had a motor van, but most of the others abandoned horses in the fi ft ies. As a cyclist, I was glad to see the horses go as a journey on a wet day was very unpleasant and dangerous due to horse droppings – another safety risk.

Ford Bus and crowd, Bachelor's Walk

H

aving fi nished more than twenty years ago in a job where health and safety were of extreme importance, two recent events brought me back to this often controversial subject quite dramatically.

And don’t think for one moment that commercial motor transport was a paragon of safety and one of the accompanying pictures says most of it. Taken on Bachelor’s Walk, Dublin (not by me) in the late 1940s, it shows a Ford lorry, somewhat past its best and which I would not like to bring in for a test. There is clearly something wrong with the front off-side suspension, the vehicle has no rear wings and it is quite clearly overloaded. The roping of the load is also questionable, but the worst problem is the spare wheel. How it was put up is a worry, as are its security and how the driver could possibly get it down safely. You can use your imagination but one can only be thankful for modern rules and methods.

The first was brought to my attention when I heard of a young Health & Safety inspector walking down a street when he came to a fi re station. The doors were open, a turn-out was in progress and the fi re fighters were cascading down the pole with their usual alacrity.

Horrified, he drew up a safety programme requiring, among other things, that a railings be erected around the pole and that 30 seconds should separate each descent – and this was to be enforced in every fi re station. The fi re chief was outraged and the safety officer was severely disciplined. However, it turned out that this story was simply an urban myth and has been heard in several cities. So much for the often derided Health & Safety official.

A very important feature of this picture is the behaviour of the pedestrians. Th is was in the days before traffic lights and the presence of the Garda is to try and prevent the people in the picture from killing themselves. They surround the lorry and are standing in front of the bus which will want to move as soon as the lane is clear. Jay walking has been a problem from when cities developed and people have, quite simply, never learned to treat traffic with the care needed to ensure that we all come home safely.

My second recent encounter came from a photograph taken in the National Transport Museum yard in Howth by my colleague Liam Kelly a few weeks before this was written. A Period horse-drawn

A practice which has, thankfully, died out is shown in another of this month’s pictures. Again a view from the late 1940s, this shows some traffic details at O’Connell Bridge. The platform lorry nearest

Boland van in Howth yard, March 2016

Boland Horse Van 65, note Bowler (hard) hat

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

TIMES PAST | 41 the camera has children on the back, their legs dangling dangerously off the vehicle. Th is was the practice known as scutt ing where the participants ran after the vehicle, hauled themselves up on to the rear and hoped the driver might not have noticed.

It was widely practised, its most dangerous version being to jump up the rear ladders of buses with roof racks where one or two children would cling to the ladder. Another example is shown with four youngsters chasing and boarding a GSR horse cart in Parnell Street, again in the 1940s.

O'Connell Bridge from Bachelor's Walk c.1946

GSR Cart, Parnell Street 1947 - Scutt ing

The O’Connell Bridge picture shows two men on the back of the fi rst cart who were possibly helpers, and the driver of the two-wheeled cart is seated. But these drivers often worked standing up and were in constant danger of being toppled. Also in the picture are a horde of cyclists who are all over the road, some of whom are likely to have had an altercation with another road user before long – what has changed in the last seventy years? The dominant vehicles in this picture are the trams, and they too were boarded by children who climbed on to the bumpers, holding on to the windscreen frames.

Much of this contribution goes back to the days before health and safety was taken as seriously as it is today – some would say too seriously. As time went by, even horse-drawn vehicles began to feature some advanced thinking on driver safety – and comfort.

One example was Merville Dairy, which as late as 1950 built a fleet of four-wheeled milk cars with cabs for the roundsmen. But the day of the horse was over and when the fi rst electrics appeared they, too, went through a number of stages before absolute comfort and safety were achieved. Another instance was fi re engines, which progressed from completely open to the enclosed vehicles we know today. And the heavier commercials, too, which had open-sided cabs into the 1930s (and lasted more than twenty years), are now as comfortable as any quality car.

We have come a long way.

The National Transport Museum Heritage Depot, Howth Demense, Howth, Dublin 13.

Opening Times: Saturdays, Sundays & Bank Holidays - 2.00 - 5.00pm Cab entered from vestibule at rear Text & Photos: Michael Corcoran - contributor@fleet.ie

www.fleet.ie

42 | COMMENT

Trains: The Original Platoon

From where I'm sitting - Howard Knott

I

t's a rather frightening fact that the first of these Comment pieces was published a quarter of a century ago. I remember at the time thinking that doing these columns would only last a few months before we ran out of possible material.

If anything, the growth of mass and alternative media for dissemination of information and views has added to the level of confusion about freight transport and everything related to this business.

During the summer I might have a look at some of the earlier columns and see what was bothering us then, what has improved and what has gone the other way but, in the meantime, we can look at three not particularly “Road transport friendly” issues.

The first is the obvious one and which was the subject of last month’s column, BREXIT. If Britain does indeed quit the EU, the whole notion of land bridging to the continent will take a severe hit, not to mention a likely drop-off of export cargoes to Britain.

The second and slightly related question comes out of developments from companies such as CLdN and Seatruck, with their focus on unaccompanied trailer traffic. CLdN, for example, schedules Dublin to Zeebrugge in 36 hours and to Rotterdam in about 40. These are not bad times compared to landbridge, as well as doing away with the need for driver and the uncertainties of British motorways. Up to now the snag about direct services to Benelux has been lack of frequency but, the way things are going, daily sailings cannot be too far away.

But, maybe there’s a catch here. The same CLdN schedules its LoLo containership to sail from Dublin to Rotterdam in 44 hours, not a lot slower and indicating that, along with the other Lo-Lo lines from Irish Ports, there is a prett y continuous shutt le that is cheap and cheerful as well as being “green”.

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

The third issue is the one discussed by this magazine's editor Jarlath Sweeney in the cover story for last month’s “Fleet Transport”, that of platooning. Th is is something that has been bubbling up over the last couple of years as being a prett y good way to reduce congestion on Europe’s Motorways through having trucks driving in convoy, in some proposals, less than six metres apart. A more sophisticated version of the concept is that of ‘driverless’ trucks or, at least, a platoon of trucks controlled by a single driver. Leaving ‘driverless' to one side for the moment, I can see some of the logic behind the idea. Scania Trucks has quoted the results of some tests done with platoons where there was a fuel saving of 12%, which would amount to up to 4,000 litres a year – enough to fuel a couple of family cars.

But there’s more to it than this. I personally would feel that being at the wheel of a truck somewhere in the middle of a platoon, six metres from the truck in front and driving at 85 km/h on cruise control for hours at a time, is surely a recipe for dozing off and being completely unable to control the beast in case of any sort of an incident. There is also the other very simple one; how is it all going to work out if, in the inside lane of the motorway there is platoon after platoon each with ten or more trucks, making it all but impossible for any other vehicle to join or leave the motorway, therefore bringing traffic in the centre lane to a stop and generating huge tail-backs on the entries to the highway?

Of course, you could sort this out by building special motorways for platoons, but that has already been done. The routes are called railways, the trailers can be driven on to wagons, as happens with the Channel Tunnel, or, to be more radical, the cargo could be loaded into ISO containers. These can be moved, fi ft y or perhaps even a hundred of them at a time with a single driver and no congestion on the motorway. I really must say that I feel that there’s a lot to be said for keeping things very simple.

Text: Howard Knott - howard@fleet.ie

SHIPPING & FREIGHT | 43

Ro-Ro Shipping activity accelerates into the future

L

aunching the 2016 edition of the Irish Maritime Transport Economist, IMDO Director, Liam Lacey revealed that the number of Ro-Ro units shipped through Dublin, Rosslare and Cork, Irish Ports in 2015 topped the one million mark for the fi rst time, with volumes growing by 6% in the last year alone. In the boom year of 2007 such traffic through these ports did not exceed 920,000 units. Early indications for 2016 are that the pace of growth is, if anything, picking up further, not only on Irish sea services but throughout Europe.

One indication of the pressure on capacity has to be the return to service of the Julia that had, following the cessation of service in the Cork-Swansea route, been sold on to become an accommodation ship for personnel building offshore windfarms, but she has now been purchased by Moby Lines for service in the Mediterranean.

Another operator rescued a similar vessel from Turkish shipbreakers and put her back into operation. Meanwhile, the service that has been constantly under threat of closure, that running between Rosyth and Zeebrugge operated by DFDS, has reported strong traffic and fi nancial results for 2015.

P & O Ferries has, instead of borrowing a vessel from one its other European services to cover the maintenance period of its Irish Sea fleet, chartered the Neptune Lines, Neptune Aegli, a vessel which normally operates as a new car and truck carrier in the Mediterranean. Her trailer capacity is similar to that of the normal vessels on the routes.

Seatruck at Dublin

Fjord Lines.

CLdN has announced that it plans to add 70% capacity to its fleet over the next four years. It has ordered a series of 8000 lane metre vessels from a Korean yard with deliveries commencing during 2017. It has now ordered two further vessels, these ones with a 5400 lane metre capacity from the Croatian Uljanik yard and has taken an option on a further four similar vessels.

Stena Line has also placed a major Ro-Ro vessel order for a new fleet of RoPax ferries. The Chinese based AVIC Shipyard will deliver four ferries during 2019 and 2020 while Stena holds an option to build a further four similar vessels. Stena intend that these 3,000 lane metre vessels with a passenger capacity of 1,000 with full passenger services, will become its new standard ferry type. The ships will be “gas ready�, capable of being LNG or methanol fuelled. Stena stated that these vessels will have 50% more capacity than the present ones and will have considerably better operational performance while minimising emissions and running costs.

Neptune Aegli in Dublin.

The big acceleration in capacity growth has been with CLdN, which has now introduced a seventh vessel onto its Dublin to Benelux ports routes. Th is brings its capacity on the Dublin-Zeebrugge route above 10,000 lane metres each week and over 5,000 lane metres plus the capacity of an 850 TEU container vessel to Rotterdam. The line reports a strong take-up of its through sailings offer taking trailers and other cargo through to a range of Scandinavian and Portuguese ports. A recent addition to its schedule has been a call at the Jutland Port of Hirtshals enabling trailers to be booked through to the west Norway ports of Stavanger and Bergen as well as to Langesund in Oslo fjord. Th is arises from a co-operation agreement made with Text: Howard Knott - howard@fleet.ie

Stena Horizon

Meanwhile, on a more domestic front, Arklow Marine Services is reported to building a new Ro-Ro ferry for service to and from Rathlin Island. The company, which traces its roots back into the mid-nineteenth century builds a wide range of craft, including ferries and offshore support vessels.

www.fleet.ie

44 | FINANCE

Increased Profit Margin is a must

A

ccountants specialising in transport are often amazed that the vast majority of hauliers feel it's inappropriate to make a profit from their business or at least to be seen to be making a profit from the business. A reporter on Prime Time television programme on RTE recently interviewed a developer who said unless there were 15% plus margins in building houses, the banks and investors were not interested and his att itude was the same. When mentioned that NAMA would enter the market and build houses with lower cost and lower margin, his comment was that they will only satisfy 20% of demand and it's back to the developer and high margin for the rest!

Why are margins so low in the Irish transport industry? There are many reasons, but the main factors are competition, and lack of self-belief in the real value created by the transport industry in general. The developer throws up a shoddy product, previously free of any real regulation to a market which had no idea of the value of the item purchased. When a couple bought the €1.2 million house in the suburbs, they bought a property that cost €200k nett plus taxes to build, the rest was margin on the actual land and building cost. Competition was forcing prices up and the more one paid, the better clientele of neighbour was guaranteed. Developer's huge margins were only reduced by their large overheads, which were a means to divert funds into their ranches, containing helicopter pads, Olympic-sized swimming pools and artificial lakes.

Donal Dempsey, Accountant - Industry Expert in Road Haulage for AIB and Alan O'Regan, Head of Asset Finance AIB

economy and nation.

List the total number of skills you have to master to operate a compliant transport fi rm, then look at the onerous repercussions of accidents in transport and then explain why transport operators should not plan, achieve and expect margin from their businesses.

Is road haulage the only industry that applies marginal costing principles to determine a rate (backload rate which is below the full cost but does contribute to margin)?It is similar to someone booking the last appointment with their GP, getting a minor procedure (blood pressure check) and then trying to negotiate the charge from €60 to €15, because all the previous patients covered the overhead and your time used was short!! You know the answer you would get!

In the haulage industry overheads are tight, fi nance houses will fi nance the business only if personal guarantees are provided, and as soon as there is any light at the end of the tunnel, the operator will be hit by either the customer requesting a rate decrease or a competitor trying to muscle in.

It should be the accepted norm that margins of double digits are achievable in transport if a compliant and efficient business is run.

Profitable businesses can take advantage of reinvestment to increase productivity and long term sustainability of the industry. It means indigenous business can develop and compete with their much larger European counterparts, and also means that the business has cash to reduce the stress of working capital management and concentrate on the core activity of efficient, compliant transport services.

Because the transport industry is a core ingredient in our economic recovery, why should hauliers not expect to have a margin from their business? Th is margin is created by the efficiencies and cost control built into the business, along with the long hours, hard work and determination. So, unlike the developer this margin is hard earned and really is only eroded by non-compliant or misguided competitors, and by some customers whose own greed for profit has to overrule all others.

Being one of the most competitive industries in Ireland, the road transport sector was great for ease of access and perceived value to customers, but obviously an industry with higher margins and better regulation will in the long term be more beneficial to the FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

UK registered charity no 1072105. Patron HRH The Princess Royal.

Text: Donal Dempsey - donal@fleet.ie

LEGAL | 45

Another look at the Tachograph

I

n a time of increasing enforcement activity, it should not be forgotten that the legislation imposes specific duties on employers in relation to the tachographs installed in the company’s vehicles: (Currently, the relevant legislation being ECC 3821/1985, and EC 561/2606).

The most important obligation is the requirement that the employer monitor the records produced by the tachograph in each of the company’s vehicles. Unlike the word 'check', the word ‘monitor’ requires positive action. Specifically the employer is required to look generally for breaches of the regulations.

Has there been compliance with the Drivers’ Hours legislation? Are there occasions when speed limits have been exceeded? Is there evidence of missing mileage? Have the driver’s activities been correctly recorded? In other words there should be a regular examination of each driver’s tachograph records.

The records produced by the tachograph of the hours worked will show clearly whether or not the ‘Driver’s Hours Regulations’ have been breached, and a trained enforcement officer is not likely to miss evidence of an offence. It is, of course, the employers’ duty to ensure that ‘hour’s offences’ do not occur, which means that a drivers’ offence is likely to lead to a prosecution of the employer. Therefore, an employer should be able to support a defence

Text: Jonathan Lawton - jonathan@fleet.ie

to a charge of this sort by producing copies of letters written to drivers who have committed minor Driver’s Hours offences, and producing evidence of disciplinary action taken against drivers who have committed serious breaches of the regulations.

expect to see tachograph records taken from the vehicle used by the offending driver, with annotations suggesting that the speed traces have been checked, with clear marks identifying those offences that have been discovered.

The record of speed produced by the tachograph raises two issues so far as the employer is concerned. In the first case any limited speed should never be exceeded. Not only can sustained high speeds affect the effective life of the vehicle but, perhaps of more immediate importance, speed has a direct effect on fuel consumption. Drivers should be reminded in writing that the employer is determined that drivers do not exceed speed limits.

The employer must then be able to show what disciplinary action, if any, was taken.

There should be an entry in a diary, or other type of record, showing when the driver was interviewed, with a record of that interview with the driver, with a note of any disciplinary action that was taken.

Enforcement authorities, however, are understandably concerned that all speed limits should be obeyed. It is important to understand that that includes local limits, such as those set at 50 and 60km/h, and the employer has a duty to support that policy.

Every employer is expected to be reasonably familiar with the route that a driver is likely to take to travel to deliver or collect a load, and to monitor tachograph records periodically in the light of that knowledge, looking for records of speed that exceed the local limit.

In the event that a driver is found to have been speeding and, as a result, there is an enforcement inspection, the officer(s) will

In more serious cases, or in the case of a driver who consistently exceeds the speed limit, the employer should have taken action which matches the gravity of the offence. This means that there may well be cases in which dismissal would be the only acceptable response.

All employers should consider writing to the drivers setting out the company’s policy on ‘speeding’, confirming that speeding will not be tolerated. Not only is it illegal, but it also affects the life of the vehicle, and, looking at the commercial implications, speed directly affects the fuel consumption. In some companies drivers whose fuel consumption figures are low are paid a bonus. By and large low fuel consumption means low speed.

www.fleet.ie

46 | HEALTH MATTERS

When things go Wrong

C

linical trials are at the heart of all medical advances – they are research investigations in which people volunteer to test new treatments in an effort to evaluate and check the treatment’s safety, side effects and efficacy.

Without these trials new therapies, which have been developed in the laboratory or by using animal models, cannot be judged as there is no substitute for testing on the human body.

The fi rst phase of testing is when a small group of volunteers are given the new treatment for the fi rst time and it is known as a “fi rst to human” trial.

were less severely affected.

These outcomes are recognised risks of clinical trials. In Dublin in 1986, a young man by the name of Niall Rush died while on a programme which was testing drugs, which were to be used to regulate cardiac rhythm.

It transpired that Mr. Rush had been having treatment for an ongoing condition and his death was thought to have been caused by an interaction between two drugs, one of which was the one on the trial.

In Rennes in France, a trial took place in January 2016, in which a product was being tested for the fi rst time on humans. Th is product had been developed as an effort to achieve the analgesic effects of Cannabis without its other effects, such as memory loss, psychosis and personality change.

In 2006, a drug trial at Northwick Park Hospital in London caused six healthy young men to need treatment for organ failure after having experienced serious reactions within hours of having taken a new anti-cancer drug in a clinical trial. The worst affected volunteer lost his fi ngers and toes, became critically ill, and all of them were told that they would be likely to develop cancers or auto immune diseases as a result of exposure to the drug.

The trial was done by a company called Biotrial and began on 7 January 2016. Th ree days later one of the volunteers developed a stroke and five others got ill shortly afterwards. One man died, three others were said to have developed severe brain damage, others

There was a certain amount of soul searching after these events.

In Ireland the Control of Clinical Trials Acts 1987 and 1990 were introduced as well a compulsory Ethics Committee Approval requirement for clinical trials.

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HEALTH MATTERS | 47 In the United Kingdom, the Medicines & Health Regulatory Agency now ensures that there is a thorough examination of all the preclinical data and rules for stopping if things don’t go as predicted.

Following the Northwick Park disaster a panel of experts issued a report in 2006, known as the Duff Report, which made various recommendations for the conduct of “fi rst to human” trials.

The British Medical Journal reported recently that a preliminary report of an enquiry into the Biotrial disaster in Rennes identified three things about it. Firstly, that following the removal of the fi rst volunteer to hospital with apparent side effects of the drug, five other participants had been issued with the same dose of the same drug.

Secondly, that these volunteers had not been informed about the illness of their colleague, and queried as to whether they wished to continue with the trial, and thirdly, that the French National Medicines Safety Agency had not been notified about the incident until four days after the first volunteer had been admitted to hospital.

A fuller report into this is expected later.

Hundreds of clinical trials take place every year in various countries – it is only occasionally that things go tragically wrong. It must be remembered that clinical research, which has gone a long way in identifying the cure for many previously incurable diseases, would not be any good without the clinical trial in which volunteers demonstrate the effects of these therapies on the working human body.

Text: Dr. Betty Maguire

Volvo Trucks. Driving Progress

RSA - keeping our roads safer

O

ne of the most important roles within the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is education, and it is a task taken seriously and delivered very effectively.

Recently, two documents/reports were released as a resource to drivers, operators and all road users. Whether you are a professional or semi-professional driver, or someone who just drives short journeys and maybe a little extra at the weekend, there are parts of these reports relevant to you. They may even save your life.

The initial report was prepared by the RSA and the Gardaí and then a leaflet followed published by the RSA in conjunction with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) which raises awareness of possible impacts of driver’s health problems and their driving.

The first report launched by Minister Donohoe revealed that one in every eight road accidents related to vehicle defects, which translated to 129 deaths in the period from 2008-2012. One of the main areas of focus was the condition of vehicle tyres. In 12% of all fatal accidents, ‘Vehicle Factors’ were noted as the primary cause of the accident. In these incidents, two thirds of these were caused by defective tyres.

leaflets offer lots of advice to drivers in managing health problems they may have. In order for the RSA to continue to ensure Medical Fitness to Drive guidelines, it established a National Programme for Traffic Medicine as a joint institution with the RCPI in 2011. All of these initiatives are certain to improve road safety.

Road safety is about good practice with regular reporting where drivers fail to develop and sustain good habits and the consequences that follow. Informative leaflets give drivers the advice and direction they need to get back on – and stay on track. A well-balanced carrot and stick approach from the RSA is keeping our roads safe.

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Speaking at the launch of the report, Minister Donohoe said: “Before you drive a motorbike, car, bus or truck, you should check your tyres and regularly take them to a garage or tyre distributor to have them professionally checked.” As a result of these findings, the Minister concluded by saying that he would bring any tyre related offence within the Penalty Point system – (these came into effect on the 18 April, 2016).

Still on the subject of road safety, but focussing more on the driver’s health, a new information leaflet has been published for professional drivers. Prepared in conjunction with the RCPI, it should help drivers become more aware of the problems that heart disease, diabetes or alcohol may have not only on themselves, but also other road users.

Professor Desmond O’Neill who is the National Programme Director for Traffic Medicine at the RCPI said that there were very few medical conditions, that, once treated would restrict people from driving, professionally or otherwise.

Declan Naughton of the RSA said that the

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48 | OPINION - View from the Operators Desk by Sean Murtagh - sean@fleet.ie

7585

PREVIEW II | 49

Multimodal 2016 hosts Air Cargo & Container Weight Regulations Workshops

A

ll modes of transport will be directed to the NEC, Birmingham, for the annual Multimodal 2016 Show, which will be held at the Birmingham exhibition arena from 10 to the 12 May next.

Many sector associated education programme Workshop Seminars have been organized for this year’s event, including taking an in-depth look at new legislation affecting all sectors of the supply chain, as well as featuring an intensive professional development course aimed at air cargo professionals. The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) will run its threeday Professional Development Workshop programme during the show.

In addition, World Shipping Council Vice President Lars Kjaer will join experts from the International Cargo Handling and Coordination Association (ICHCA), the TT Club, and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) for a session hosted by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) on the new IMO container weighing regulations.

“There is an unprecedented wave of new legislation affecting all sectors of our industry and it has never been more important to be well informed and prepared,” said Robert Jervis, Multimodal Director.

“At the same time, we need to ensure that we are nurturing the next generation of industry leaders, and so we are pleased to include the TIACA workshop as part of that commitment.”

TIACA’s programme gives an appreciation of the entire air cargo supply chain and covers market and competitive analysis, brand and revenue management, understanding and analyzing financial statements, business ethics, and leading teams.

The FTA’s seminar day, on the 11th of May, includes a session on the new EU Union Customs Code, as well as the Home Office Haulier Security Accreditation Scheme.

Multimodal has also teamed up with the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (CILT) for a programme on the 10 May, which includes a look at packing and securing containers as well as a workshop on getting business started in Asia.

“We are very focused on delivering practical advice and support as part of the Multimodal experience,” said Jervis. “A full listing of the programme is available now on our website.”

This year’s Multimodal is set to be the biggest in the show’s nine-year history and will also feature an enhanced gala awards dinner on the 10th of May at the NEC’s new Vox Resorts World venue, hosted by well known BBC TV

Bibby Distribution shortlisted for FTA Award

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ibby Distribution has strenghtened its position as a leader in driving down the carbon cost of logistics after being shortlisted for the Freight Transport Association’s (FTA) LCRS Leadership in Carbon Reduction Award.

Bibby Distribution’s nomination comes on the back of a variety of carbon-cutt ing initiatives across the business, ranging from wider use of longer semi-trailers (LSTs), and a redesign of its milk collection fleet, to revolutionary new ‘virtual’ warehouses and tailored driver training. The broad spectrum of initiatives has tackled carbon emissions at every level of the business, providing a holistic approach to sustainability.

The winner of the FTA LCRS Leadership in Carbon Reduction Award will be announced at the FTA Multimodal Awards on 10 May. Text & Photos: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

broadcaster John Sergeant.

This year’s FTA Multimodal Awards features five new modal categories and voting is live on the Multimodal website. Last year, over 8,500 supply chain decision makers visited hundreds of exhibitors at Multimodal. This year sees the return of DSV, Dachser, Wincanton, DB Schenker, Malcolm Logistics, and DP World London Gateway and new exhibitors American Airlines, Heathrow Airport, China COSCO, Yusen Logistics, Chapman Freeborn, Davies Turner, and Ewals.

About Multimodal Multimodal is the UK and Ireland's leading freight transport and logistics exhibition, which also features a series of topical seminars and master classes, and hosts a Shippers' Village, giving freight buyers a private space to meet logistics suppliers. Multimodal 2015 was the biggest in the show's history, with over 290 exhibitors and a record breaking attendance of over 8500 supply chain executives.

Fleet Transport & sister publication Handling Network will be present to report back during the event.

TruTac debuts latest innovations at Multimodal

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ruTac, one of the UK’s leading logistics software and tachograph analysis providers, is exhibiting for the fi rst time at this year’s Multimodal Show.

W it h over 2 0 years’ experience at the forefront of commercial vehicle f le e t a n a l y s i s , TruTac w ill be presenting its latest range of tachograph hardware, download tools and remote data capture devices for the HGV, PSV and LGV sectors. www.fleet.ie

50 | SOAPBOX

Great 43rd Irish Road Haulage Association Annual General Meeting

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s someone with a long time commitment to the IRHA, I look forward each year to our AGM. It’s an occasion to renew friendships forged over forty years, to make new acquaintanceships and to watch the rising stars. Wexford this year did not disappoint, from the debate on motions, to the launch of the Driver Apprenticeship.

Rising stars were everywhere but none shone brighter than the IRHA President Verona Murphy, presiding over her first AGM. With no previous management experience within the Association, it must have been a daunting job, but then I suppose as a twenty-one or so year old woman driving your own truck to Italy, the task must have been a lot more daunting. The wrong person chairing the meetings can kill discussion of the motions, however, the motions were interesting and debated in full as befits an industry that carries the bulk of Ireland’s goods.

That so many of the motions related to the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and not in a complimentary way, one could conclude that we need to understand why a national body that has such a large impact on the industry can att ract such opprobrium. The professional haulier should welcome its existence, as many of us do. For far too long too many have destroyed rates by breaking the law and running seriously defective and overloaded vehicles, leaving the honest haulier struggling. Now the RSA is gett ing to grips with them, however, listening to the comments of second and third generation hauliers that have served Ireland for years, the manner in which the RSA seems to judge us all leaves a lot to be desired.

I was reminded of the statement by the gentleman from DG Move in Brussels

Pictured at the annual ECG - The Association of European Vehicle Logistics Dinner Debate, which was hosted by the MEP Gesine Meißner, are Jerry Kiersey, Management Team, IRHA; Verona Murphy, President, IRHA; Seán Kelly, Fine Gael MEP; Cliona Cunningham and Seán De Búrca of Ms. Violeta Bulc’s cabinet.

recently, that as hauliers “we are at the bottom of the food chain” politically speaking. I don’t agree absolutely that that is the case in Ireland with the fuel rebate and changes in road tax wins, however, we need to meet with the RSA at Chief Executive level to establish what it is that we or they are doing wrong. Partnership is in the interest of road safety preventing death and injury on our roads.

The Apprenticeship Programme for which a hard core of the Association has worked so hard to achieve was launched on Saturday afternoon. It was an impressive occasion attracting a large attendance in the marquee, so graciously provided by event sponsors Wright Insurance Brokers. In acknowledging the success of her predecessors, Verona committed herself to the future success of the scheme. John Kearney of Cavan/Monaghan Educational Training Board where the fi rst apprentices will train, and Tony Wright, MD of Wright Insurance Brokers, Wexford, were

the main speakers.

Both praised the Association for its initiative and spoke of their own commitment to the scheme. They were well able to answer the many questions from the audience of particular interest was Tony Wright's assurance that there was a firm commitment from five insurance companies that subject to the installation of cameras and telematics, they were prepared to insure the under twenty-five year olds.

It was a great weekend and much credit goes to the organizers and sponsors. That said, I came away thinking of future batt les and of our position at the “bottom of the food chain”. The bureaucracies are in the ascent, IRHA President Verona Murphy acquitted herself well, will she, like the Pirate Queen, Granuaile lead us to future victories, I sure think so. celebrating

TRANSPORT AWARDS 2017

Citywest Hotel, Dublin.

Thursday 13 October 2016 www.fleet.ie

FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 16

Fleet Transport Awards

years Text: Jerry Kiersey - jerry@fleet.ie

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