Fleet Transport Sep 2020

IRELAND'S LEADING COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MAGAZINE Inside!

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SEPTEMBER 20

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2015 Volvo FH460 6x2 Globetrotter Cab

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I-Shift gearbox 13 Litre Comfort Spec Full Service History

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2016 Volvo FMX410 Tipper 8x4 Sleeper Cab Palfinger Crane

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2014 Volvo FL240 Refrigerated 4x2 Day Cab • Euro 5 • 7.7 Litre • Manual Gearbox • 5.1m Wheelbase

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Contents SEPTEMBER 20

www.fleet.ie | 3

For pan-European transport related updates on COVID-19 log on to www.fleet.ie 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

4 News • Western Truck & Trailer Ltd., moves • Refuse sector interested in Dennis & Renault electric trucks 6 Interview With Mike Corcoran, MD at Volvo Financial Services

26 Comment COVID-19 evolutionises transport 28 Opinion The EU Mobility Package 30 Finance Business survival

Editor: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie Contributors: Sean Murtagh, Paul White, Donal Dempsey, Howard Knott, Jerry Kiersey, HSA, Johanna Parsons Photography: Jarlath Sweeney, Paul White, Cathal Doyle, Howard Knott, conceptcars.com Administration: Orla Sweeney Email: enquiries@fleet.ie Advertising: Mary Morrissey - mary@fleet.ie Design: Eamonn Wynne Printed in Ireland

8 Cover Unique comparison between two Renault Trucks 10 New Fleet Featuring new a fire engine, rigid trucks and tractor-units 12 Milestone Marking four decades of the Renault Magnum 14 Obituary Remembering the late John Breen 16 Appointments Significant changes at the top within the Traton Group & VWCV

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.

18 Profile Quinn Transport, Athlone – 50 years in business 20 Safety Matters Looking out for hazards in the workplace 22 Fleet Maritime Shipping & Freight newsletter

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31 Fuel Prices Supplied by the IRU 32 Open Letter To the new RSA CEO HANDLING NETWORK 34 News • IEA Western Council Network meetings • HIAB’s successful focus on aftermarket • Misconceptions within pallet sector • MPM Specialist Vehicles now handle Tuffa Tanks 36 Case Study I Lynas look to Axiom automated systems 37 IFOY Awards Announcing the 2020 category winners 42 Case Study II A look at Combilift’s broad range 45 Testimonial Nutkao spreads its sweetness with Coyote 46 Supply Chain IEA Supply Chain events go on-line

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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 Intralogistics & Forklift Truck Awards follow us on twitter twitter.com/fl com/fleettransport eettransport

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4 | NEWS 1

Western Truck & Trailer Ltd moves

A

s an indication of its progress in business since establishment in 2015, Western Truck & Trailer Ltd., has moved to a larger premises.

Originally located at a warehousing unit on the Kiltimagh Road, Claremorris, County Mayo, the commercial vehicle parts and components retailer has now moved to a new building situated near the IDA Business Park, at a facility that previously sold agri parts.

Open from Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Western Truck & Trailer Ltd., stocks a vast range of replacement spares for HGV, Bus, LCV, Trailer and Van. “We believe that the success of our business is down to providing fi rst class service accompanied by quality products at competitive pricing. We are delighted to have moved into our new premises, which is bigger and more centrally located. We are able to stock an

even broader range of leading commercial vehicle parts brands and third party component supplies,” said Andrew Grennan, Western Truck & Trailer Ltd. “We now have two parts delivery vans on the road to further serve our customers even better,” he concluded.

Keen interest in Electric Dennis and Renault Trucks from Refuse sector

S

etanta Vehicle Sales, the importer and national distributor for both Renault Trucks and Dennis Eagle Municipal Vehicles, recently introduced products featuring the latest zero emission electric powertrain technology from both brands to the waste management industry.

Keen interest has been expressed by leading companies in the refuse collection sector in both the Renault Range D Z.E. Wide and the Dennis eCollect.

As previewed on www.f leet.ie, the first right hand drive D Wide Z.E. is a 6×2 Renault Trucks chassis cab model which has been specified for urban refuse collection, although the range is additionally available for distribution applications. Power comes from two electric motors, delivering maximum power of 370 kW, continuous power of 260 kW and maximum torque of 850 Nm. The D Wide Z.E. is equipped with a 22kW on-board AC charger and is compatible with DC fast charging up to 150kW. 200 KWh batteries (four packs of high energy density Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) Lithium-ion cells provide the optimum balance between operating range and payload, with the D Wide Z.E. offering up to 150km range according to application and body specification.

The D Wide Z.E. uses regenerative braking, as with all Z.E. models, utilising the motor to convert the kinetic energy during deceleration into electrical energy, conserving energy and extending driving range.

FLEETTRANSPORT | SEPTEMBER 20

Inside the day cab, the roomy interior is equipped with an air-suspended comfort driver’s seat including driver’s armrest.

All Z.E. vehicles are designed to look and feel familiar to drivers, featuring the same interface in the cab as Renault Trucks’ diesel range, albeit with a few new commands. A new electronic PTO engages with body equipment in a similar way to the mechanical version to ensure bodybuilders can work with an interface they already know.

The aim from the outset of design was for the vehicle to collect 20 tonnes of waste on an 8-hour shift before it needed recharging.

The five packs of lithium ion batteries, each with 12 cells to a pack, produce 300kWh of power to drive the 200kW motor. The battery packs are carefully positioned on the chassis under the body for optimum load distribution and payload.

Due to the nature of Refuse Collection Vehicle (RCV) working patterns, the vehicle will normally be left to fully recharge overnight.

Charging times are very much dependent on how full the battery is upon start of charge,

but typically it will take between 6-7 hours to replenish completely. The longer they can be left to charge the better though, as this helps the battery cells balance out more equally. The level of charge is displayed on the vehicle cluster so the driver always knows how much is left.

Likewise, the Dennis eCollect is based on the brand’s conventional Elite Narrow 6x2 rear-steer RCV with its Olympic OL19 body and Terberg ‘Omni’ automatic split lights.

This is the only all-electric RCV produced by an OEM, the complete package built under one roof with no need to involve another manufacturer.

“Orders have been tentatively placed subject to some demonstration drives. We are assured the two brands offering this electric technology will deliver the zero emission footprint these major waste management companies are seeking,” explained Harry Nash, MD at Setanta Vehicle Sales Ltd (Dublin).

• See pic of Renault Range D-Wide Z.E. on Page 3

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6 | INTERVIEW

One-to-One with Mike Corcoran, Managing Director at Volvo Financial Services

Hire Purchase to more complex Contract Hire Solutions. As a captive, we know our products, we understand our customers’ business needs and goals and we have a strong history with many loyal Volvo Group Customers, meaning we can be flexible and creative to support them.

With the introduction of the new generation Volvo Trucks, will there be special finance packages on offer?

We work closely with all of our business areas to provide campaigns and fi nance support packages for all vehicles. I am confident that we will continue to do that with the next range of Volvo Trucks as well.

What percentage of the business is divided up between truck and bus/coach operators?

Since your appointment as MD of Volvo Financial Services (VFS), the whole commercial and business landscape has changed. How have you adapted?

We have adapted extremely well and I hope our customers would agree. Like all fi nance companies we saw a significant increase in customer requests to support with payment restructures. We have always made a point of ensuring our employees are trained to understand and be able to flex across our organisational functions and we were able to leverage and enhance this breadth of skill to manage the volumes. At the same time, we successfully transitioned our workforce to home working overnight. I believe the key to this is communication, both with our customers and within our team here at VFS. We have worked tirelessly to keep up regular dialogue with everyone and that has really made the difference.

VFS really came to the fore during and after the last recession from 2008/09 onwards, offering transport operators an attractive and viable option compared to the main street banks. What’s different this time around?

I believe our strength again lies in the relationships and communication with our dealers and the customers. We offer a range of solutions from straight forward FLEETTRANSPORT | SEPTEMBER 20

The vast majority of our business in both Ireland and the UK is with our Truck and Construction equipment, but we value our Bus and Coach customers and always strive to provide a high level of service to meet their needs.

How do your monthly / annual rates compare to the commercial banks?

We believe we are extremely competitive. We have a strong portfolio and, as I mentioned earlier, unique knowledge of our products.

Significant experience of tailoring solutions to meet customer requirements and working closely with our Volvo Group partners enables us to be very competitive. I would always encourage customers to speak with their supplying Dealer about funding

solutions through Volvo Financial Services.

In Ireland we fi nance circa 50% of all Volvo Group products sold and that is a clear demonstration of our competitiveness and value to our customers.

You are in a bett er position, of course, to provide additional services, such as repair and maintenance, roadside recovery and other aftermarket products. Anything else?

That is correct, for many years we have offered tailored and packaged solutions for vehicle fi nance, repair and maintenance (including Breakdown cover). We also incorporate Road Fund Licence, Telematics Contracts, Tyres and Replacement Vehicles.

In addition, we offer GAP products and other insurance products to provide our customers with peace of mind throughout the contract life. Our Used Truck Finance Offer and associated manufacturer backed Warranty Products are also extremely competitive and provide additional support options. We fund over 40% of Retail Used Trucks in Ireland and the UK, so again please ask for a fi nance quote from the dealer when considering the next used purchase.

As mentioned, during COVID-19 repayment moratoriums were sought and provided by transport operators. How was this handled and will it affect residuals in the long run?

A lot of operators felt the initial shock of COVID-19 but after the early moratorium of 2-3 months the majority of customers have returned to their normal payment

INTERVIEW | 7

schedule. In terms of Market Value we’re seeing the Used Truck Market pick up quite strongly and so in the long term I do not feel COVID-19 will have a dramatic effect on residual values. In fact the lower supply of new trucks in 2020 from the reduction in manufacturing may well create a shortfall in used truck supply, in turn supporting their value.

What is the typical financial offering to customers? How does the process start?

What are the criteria?

I would not say there is a typical offer to customers. It depends on the customers’ requirements, the type of vehicle they require and what contract they are operating.

We take all of these factors into account.

Does the system differ from the owner driver customer to the large fleet buyer?

The system does not differ greatly, clearly the level of lend is different but the process of application, credit approval and payment are identical whether it is a single truck or a large piece of construction equipment.

There are many types/options available, can you briefly explain what they are about and where they differ?

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

There are two main types of funding – loan and lease.

Operating Lease and Contract Hire are leasing options with a fi xed monthly rental that can provide customers with peace of mind during contract life with consistency of payment and again at end of lease when the vehicle is returned to us for re-marketing.

The difference between Contract Hire and Operating Lease is that Contract Hire includes the full Repair and Maintenance package in one fi xed monthly repayment.

For loans we have the traditional Hire Purchase, where the vehicle is paid down completely over typically a 4 or 5 year term and the customer looks to own the vehicle at the end of the loan period. We also offer Finance Lease where the asset is still paid down but the VAT is funded over the term as part of the monthly payment. Whereas in Hire Purchase the VAT is paid up front along with a deposit. Whichever solution a customer chooses will depend on many factors according to their needs.

Is the same fi nancial off ering/package available on the Used Volvo Trucks programme?

Hire Purchase and Finance Lease are more popular on Used but Used Equipment Contract Hire and Operating Lease are also possible.

Finally, who looks after the Irish market for VFS and what role do the VT dealerships play?

Peter O’Flynn is our VFS Country Manager for Ireland. He works very closely with our Volvo dealers and our customers. The Dealers play a key role in our partnership and Peter has an excellent relationship with their Sales Teams. We work extremely well together and our business in Ireland has gone from strength to strength. This year we have had our highest fi nance penetration to date in Ireland, with over 60% of deliveries funded through VFS. Ireland is a very important market for VFS and the Volvo Group, hence why we took the decision last year to set up our own offices in Cork and employ our own local dedicated team in Ireland, supported by our office in the UK. Th is local investment gives us the ability to be even more flexible and supportive to our customers and dealers.

Yes, we regularly do provide all of the above solutions on Used as well as New.

www.fleet.ie

8 | COMPARISON

Renault Trucks Magnum versus Range T High ‘Renault’s Magnum Opus’

W

hen first launched, Renault Truck’s Magnum caused a degree of controversy, not least because of its unique design which was completely different to anything seen up to then. It quickly moved on to become an icon, a status it continues to hold to this day. The question is, does it deserve the accolades? And how does it compare to its descendant, the Renault Range T High?

Fleet Transport decided to find out, and with thanks to Brian Egan of Wexford, took the opportunity to span two decades with a head-to-head drive between a 2000 reg Magnum 560 and Renault Trucks’ latest 480hp Range T High.

The first run out was in the Range T. It is, without doubt, a fine example of the modern tractor-unit and comes with a host of the latest devices and systems to enhance ease of use, driver comfort, and road safety. This Range T High flagship, in its striking white livery, included an impressive list of factory fitted equipment and accessories to please most drivers.

Access to the Range T is fi rst class and clearly more conventional than the method in climbing into the Magnum. This is especially true when the Range T’s front air-suspension is lowered. Nevertheless, both units are high standing cabs and require the full four steps to get to the driver’s seat.

Comfortable seating has always been a FLEETTRANSPORT | SEPTEMBER 20

High hallmark of Renault Trucks and the T T-High does not disappoint in this aspect. Much time and effort has been invested in maximising the field of visibility to the driver and this has paid off, although we would strongly argue that the Magnum is equally as good in this respect.

When parked side-by-side one can see that the cabs are of almost equal size, although the Range T is 12% narrower at the front to enhance its aerodynamic profile. However, if one observes the dash line from the driver’s seat towards the passenger side ‘A’ pillar, it is arguable that the Magnum actually provides greater visibility than its newer sibling. This was clearly demonstrated when taking the high left-hand drive Magnum through the busy main streets of small towns and dealing with all the potential hazards that that entails.

In 1990, Magnum’s cab was arguably its most talked-about feature, notably its sheer size and means of access to the four-point air suspension, as well as its famous flat floor.

While drivers are now used to high standing flat floor cabs, at the time the Magnum held some concerns as to how the high mounted cab would behave on the narrow Irish roads.

What was learned back then, and from this recent drive is that the cab behaves as well as the Range T - which is exemplary.

Internally both give the driver top-class comforts, although Magnum may appear somewhat spartan when compared to the luxurious Range T. However, one should remember that back then the standard truck cab had no more space than a small family saloon and that was the norm prior to Magnum. For those drivers who stayed away from home for weeks, the idea of having good storage and the ability to walk around the truck afforded a certain amount of dignity, something that only those who did that type

th t time ti could ld ffully ll appreciate. it off workk att that The Range T High on test was powered by Renault’s DTi 13 litre engine developing 480hp and a max torque of 2,400 Nm from 950 rpm. It delivers the power in a smooth and continuous manner with the in-cab noise level whisper quiet. As with the majority of modern trucks, power is transmitted to the rear wheels by an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) which in this case is Renault Truck’s own 12-Speed Optidriver Transmission. Both major driveline components work together to provide a seamless experience for the driver and with almost no physical inputs to be made, it allows the driver time to simply observe the road.

COMPARISON | 9 On the road, the 480hp Range T High performed as one would expect, and was a delight to drive. The braking and stability performance of both trucks was first class, remembering of course that Magnum was one of the first heavy trucks to come with disc brakes. While the Range T came with ventilated disc brakes all round it also featured Renault Trucks’ powerful engine brake system Optibrake. The Magnum was equally well equipped with an original Voith Retarder, another feature of the era. Nevertheless, both trucks benefitted by pulling the brand new walking floor tri-axle from Knapen Trailers. enginewasa16 engine was a 16.44litreV8thatdelivered560hp litre V8 that delivered 560hp, and like most ‘V’ engines is best described as bulletproof. The sense while driving this Magnum is that its powerful and willing V8 will not be troubled regardless of terrain or load size. It is of course worth remembering that even today a 560hp truck would be regarded as a high power unit, whereas two decades ago anything above 450hp was regarded as outright decadence.

In the majority of European markets, Renault Trucks fitted Magnums with the 16-speed Range Change gearbox with Splitter function, and this was the case with this example. The chance to drive a manual is always welcome and this small piece of time travel was more in keeping with the truck. Despite its age, this transmission has proven its worth in reliability and durability. The gearbox is easy to operate, using gentle but positive inputs on the selector.

We’ve felt from previous experiences with this manual gearbox that the Double H selection pattern was always smoother in a left-hand drive vehicle than in a right, something this 20-year-old working truck reaffirmed.

It is important to recognise that while the Range T High is a superb truck and has been greatly refi ned with improved materials, engineering and technology, it has not greatly improved on what the ground breaking Magnum originally delivered - space for the driver. This shows the difference between fashion and good design. Fashion is created to be replaced, whereas good design will last.

When Renault Truck’s Magnum landed on these shores many drivers were proud to drive one and that remains true today. It is a debatable point, but even those drivers who preferred to drive other marques always had a grudging respect for a truck with such an impressive presence, and for how it raised the bar (or roof) for driver comforts. Despite this particular Magnum being twenty years old, and at times showing its age, it went well and was a pleasure to drive. It should also be noted that after a few minutes behind the wheel getting reacquainted with the legendary truck, this driver would have no trouble heading to Spain, Italy or further afield with Renault Truck’s ‘Magnum Opus.’

Spec Check

Nevertheless, while on the road there are a number of controls and functions the driver must monitor and attend too. The Range T will display a wealth of information including driving time, fuel consumption, and vehicle status throughout the journey.

Conversely, the Magnum was from a different era and had litt le in the way of onboard diagnostics to concern the driver. Also from a different age was the Magnum’s powertrain.

This unit was powered by an engine from the well regarded American manufacturer Mack Trucks, which at the time was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Renault Trucks (both now are under Volvo Group ownership). The Mack E9 Text & Photos: Paul White - paul@fleet.ie

Make

Renault Trucks

Model

Range T High

Magnum

Chassis Type

6x2 Tractor Unit

4x2 Tractor Unit

Engine

RT DTI 13 In Line 6-Cylinder,

Mack E9 V8

Rated Power

480hp (353kW)

560hp (412 kW)

Rated Torque

2,400 Nm

2,500 Nm (app)

Transmission

Automated 2412F Optidriver (12-Speed AMT)

Manual 16-Speed Range Change & Splitter

Endurance Brake

Renault Optibrake

Voith Retarder

Braking

Discs all-round

Discs Front / Drums Rear

Suspension

Air all-round

Springs / Air

Safety Systems

EBS, EBA, EBL, ESC, LDW, Hill Start, ACC, ASR

ABS

Test Trailer

Tri-axle Knapen Walking Floor / BPW Running Gear www.fleet.ie

10 | NEW FLEET

Landmark new Fire Tender for County Clare

O

ver the past number of years, the Office of Government P roc u re ment a nd t he Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage, in association with the Chief Fire Officer’s Association, has overseen the development of a national standard specification and a Procurement Framework to manage the purchasing of new Class B Fire Engines (Standard Fire Engine) in Ireland.

“The Framework has two main Irish suppliers - Sidhean Teo in Spiddal, County

Senior Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Fire & Building Control Department, Central Fire Station, New Road, Ennis, County Clare.

Galway and High Precision Motors Products in Tullow, County Carlow.

Both companies build fi re engines to a very high standard,” stated Tom Burke,

An example of this collaborative project is this new Scania P320 4x2 Crew Cab, with Allison automatic gearbox. Destined for County Clare Fire Service, at Shannon, it can accommodate 8 fire service members and has an 1,800 litre water tank capacity. It was due for delivery last month from coachwork supplier Sidhean Teo, with the truck chassis/cab provided by Westward Scania, Strokestown, County Roscommon.

New Renault Truck’s customers on a ‘High’

P

rominent County Monaghan based haulage company BM Transport Ltd has taken delivery of six new Renault Trucks’ Range T-High 520 6x2 tractor units.

Purchased from Setanta Vehicle Sales (Dublin), the half-dozen new trucks are fi nished with near every possible extra from the factory according to Setanta salesman Aaron Clarke. They include Dura-Bright alloy wheels, front air suspension, pneumatic sliding fifth wheel, and road pad infotainment pack with Tom-Tom Sat-nav, Aaron added that the trucks are also fitted with Renault Trucks anti-roll away system, side-skirts and a striking paint and graphics combination

in the distinctive BM Transport livery from Tierney Motors.

Kieran McKay Ltd., has added another new Renault Range T-High 520 4x2 tractor-unit to its impressive fleet. Supplied by Setanta through Aaron Clarke, it comes equipped

with numerous extras including front airsuspension, driver comfort pack with leather seats, air-con pod, axle-load indicator and microwave, while a Kelsa top-bar with Dutch headboard and Dura-Brite alloys set it off externally.

Renault Truck sales at Dennehy Commercials’ Limerick

D

ennehy Commercials’ Renault Trucks dealership has reported that demand for high quality used trucks is strong while trade for new trucks has somewhat slowed, with clientele pausing purchasing until the future becomes a litt le more predictable, according to sales executives Martin Hough and Paul Hynan. “2020 had been really brisk pre-COVID-19,” said Martin highlighting two recent sales in particular.

“Greaney Concrete, from Shanagolden,

FLEETTRANSPORT | SEPTEMBER 20

purchased its fi rst new Renault Trucks in 2019. They were so impressed with its comfort and power, while delivering excellent fuel efficiency, that they soon looked at upgrading one of their tractorunits and bought this new C480 6x2 Tag-lift, fitted with crane hydraulics. Th is particular heavy-duty model with its straight pein front axle and its 13.5 tonne drive axle with low diff ratio, can be plated for 60 tonnes GVW. Th is particular truck is probably the most rugged on/off road vehicle in its class. Special block grip tyres on the drive axle ensure maximum traction,” he said.

Martin also mentioned this new Renault Range D 14.250, sold to Kilkenny based Farm Relief Services. It was purchased earlier in the year but as the Coronavirus led to the Renault Trucks factory being shut down for 10 weeks, it was only delivered recently fitted with a triple drop side body

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12 | MILESTONE

40 Years of Magnificent Magnums

T

ime to celebrate another significant milestone in the history of trucks. First launched in 1990, the Renault Magnum, with its big square cab, served as a spacious home-from-home for the long distance driver. Its rather unique design received instant acclaim from the press and the public alike and was duly awarded International Truck of the Year 1991.

Revolutionary right from its launch, the Magnum has stood the test of time for many decades. With a totally flat floor, the spacious cab provided interior headroom initially of 1.8m (subsequently raised to 2m), allowing unprecedented freedom of movement inside.

Among its other unique features were the flat vertical side steps, while the high driving position combined with the vertical dash ensured greater road visibility. The Magnum was forward thinking too on the mechanical side, with disc brakes at the front as well as an advanced front axle. Over its lifetime, the Renault Magnum was upgraded on five occasions to ensure that it kept up with the latest technology, before production fi nally ceased in mid-June 2013.

Back in 1990 Renault Trucks was known as Renault Véhicules Industriels, (before being taken over by the AB Volvo Group in 2001). The precursor to the birth of the Magnum was the VE10, a prototype unveiled five years earlier with special aerodynamics. Further modification to the VE10 heralded the arrival of the Renault AE (for Aerodynamic), the original name for the Magnum. In 1996, the AE heavy-duty truck, available

Viraces VE10 FLEETTRANSPORT | SEPTEMBER 20

in tractor-unit and rigid forms, became the Renault Magnum, receiving a redesigned cab and new engines. Two years earlier, the VE20 prototype had been revealed which in turn led to the second generation Magnum.

Designed by Marcello Gandini, the AE was the fi rst modern truck with a completely flat floor while having mechanically separate cab and engine compartments.

The inaugural version, the AE380 featured a 6 cylinder turbo-diesel with 374 hp, while the much sought after variant was the AE500.

Th is featured MACK badging, as the 503 hp MACK V8 diesel powered the Magnum’s flagship model produced from 1990 to 2013 at Renault’s Bourg-en-Bresse factory. Available in 4x2, 6x2 and 6x4 configurations, it was eventually succeeded by the Range T which featured some design traits from its iconic predecessor.

Never more than now, used Magnums are in demand from the corporate sector and private buyers. Even celebrities such as Jeremy Clarkson have wanted a taste of the ‘High Cube’. The then presenter of BBC TV’s Top Gear paid around £5,000 for one to use in a Truck Driving Challenge, driving the 12 litre 400 hp tractor-unit through a solid wall. What a shame!

In 2001 Xavier Allard worked on the original model to create the second generation, freshening up its looks while keeping the Magnum’s character with its box shape and separate engine and

MILESTONE | 13 cab concept. Its cab suspension was strengthened, resulting in a much improved driving experience, as many drivers had criticised the topsy-turvy movement of the original version, especially on twisty roads.

In line with the corporate synergy strategy within the Volvo Group, the diesel engine used in the second generation Magnum was the D13 in-line 13 litre 6-cylinder with power ratings of between 440 hp and 520 hp. Th is block proved most popular with a 16-speed ZF air assisting servoshift manual, while a 12-speed OptiDrive offered an automated transmission choice.

On Wednesday 26 June 2013, the keys to the last Magnum ever built were presented to haulier Robert Chabbert and to the Berliet Foundation Conservatory, where it joined a long line of vehicles bearing witness to a brand that has its roots stretching back to 1894.

Harry Nash, M.D. at Setanta Vehicle Sales, the Renault Trucks’ Irish Distributor, secured a 1999 version to mark the Magnum’s 40th Anniversary and to celebrate the opening of his company’s new landmark headquarters at Ballycoolin, Dublin. Acknowledging the Magnum and its five upgrades over its lifetime, Harry said: “The Magnum has now become a true legend in the truck industry. It was created with and for long-distance truck drivers, and for so many of them, Renault Magnum was the ideal truck. They saw it as much more than just a powerful, high-performance working tool. It had plenty of personal space in which to work, live and relax, as well as being an extremely powerful means of projecting an image for their transport company.”

40 Years of Renault Magnum: Significant moments 1985 Renault VE10 concept premiered 1990 Launched as the Renault AE, designed by Narcello Gandini 1991 Voted International Truck of the Year 1997 New interior design for greater comfort 2001 Revamped cab design undertaken by Xavier Allard 2005/6 New chassis developed and new Euro 5 engines 2008 Cab given greater height inside and storage capacity added.

2011 Launched at the CV Show, Birmingham Limited Edition Magnum Legend featuring the black and white colour scheme of the original model.

2013 Final two Magnums roll off the Bourg-en-Bresse production line.

Renault Trucks in Formula 1 Over the decades the Renault Magnum formed partnerships with a number of Formula 1 teams, providing invaluable, reliable transport and logistics support at every European Grand Prix weekend. In 2008, for instance, 16 new generation Magnum 500 hp were supplied to ING Renault F1 Team Racing. The contract stemmed from an agreement signed in 2002 with Renault Trucks France which facilitated the complete renewal of the fleet every season to take advantage of the best build quality and the very latest technological advancements.

In 2010, Sauber F1 were provided with 15 Renault Trucks (4 Magnums).

For the 2012 season, Renault Sport F1 was once again serviced by a 36 strong fleet of 520 hp Magnums for its own logistics operations and those of three other teams (powered by Renault R527 engines): Red Bull Racing, the Lotus F1 team and the Caterham F1 Team. At the time, the question was asked, why Magnums? “The world of F1 is a world of excellence. With Magnum, we project the same type of prestigious image and the philosophy of excellence. It’s the best there is,” explained Jean-Pierre Raymond, security and logistics manager for Renault Sport F1. “These trucks carry extremely costly and sensitive instruments that have an incredible promotional impact. For Renault Sport F1, it is vital to have vehicles of this calibre to protect our equipment and our engineers’ expertise,” he continued.

Jean-François Caubet, Managing Director of Renault Sport F1 added: “Thanks to our partnership with Renault Trucks, we benefit from totally dependable vehicles at the very cutting edge of technology which perfectly meet our needs for covering the European Championship meetings. We proudly display the Renault Trucks colours in the F1 paddock for all the world to see and this enables Renault Trucks to build on Renault’s fame in Formula 1 to publicise its latest products. Th is really is a win-win partnership.”

Special Limited Editions 2009 Route 66: Presented at the annual Le Mans truck race, designed to evoke the American Dream with unique decoration and trim.

2011 Limited Edition: Featuring further upgrades with retro look of the first model – the AE. 2011 Jovoto/Doc Stop versions: 10 Magnums were liveried with different jackets resulting from an international competition. Young Romanian designer Ionica Dogaru created the ‘Zip Fastner’ at the centre of the radiator grille being the key element. “It marks the separation between the upper part and the lower part, which each represents the Magnum’s two values – tradition and modernity.”

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

www.fleet.ie

OBITUARY: John Breen (JC Breen Transport) Some Wexford people have a great way of telling a story from the past, but in the present tense. John was a superb narrator, a listener would nearly think that they were there too when it happened. He was often funny without knowing or trying to be.

He told one time about purchasing fi sh for the water feature he had built at the front of the house. There was an edge to the story and the ending was not good for someone. Turns out that the, up to then, harmless family cat had feasted on the fi sh. “And I wouldn’t mind but those fi sh were mad dear,” concluded John.

After a long, hard and brave batt le with cancer, John Breen, JC Breen Transport, Ferns, County Wexford lost his fight for life at the end of July. He was described in the Wexford Guardian as: “A man of his word, who built a business on the back of his integrity”.

Back in the 1990’s most road hauliers were sceptical of ‘Pallet Networks’ as an emerging trend in transport. At the time, successful companies that have now built substantial and profitable operations on this concept would not have countenanced the idea.

John Breen was different and immediately saw the potential for his business by embracing this type of co-operation between carriers. Th is vision then and throughout his business life kept him and JC Breen Transport one step ahead.

While passionate about what he did, John was never one to raise his voice in anger. For sure, he could be fi rm, but he was always respectful. His silence at a meeting was the only sign of criticism witnessed. As Chairman of the South-East Branch of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), his patience was often tested, yet he invariably managed to defuse many explosive and robust debates at local meetings.

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In the years that John was receiving treatment he always remained positive, and never let it interfere with his passion to keep JC Breen Transport an innovative and successful company. His wife Theresa was always by his side as were their children; Ashleigh, Nicholas and Barry and more recently grandchildren, Cian, Dillon and recently arrived, Ellie. On the tougher days, John’s determination sometimes became their frustration. Theresa often said, “John never worked a day in his life, because he loved what he did”. Away from work, John enjoyed a weekly game of golf at Coolatt in, where by all accounts standards were a bit inconsistent and the prize money even less. Early in his life he tried a bit of car rallying, that fi zzled out and he sett led for attending Formula 1 Grand Prix races. He also had a love of the sea, with Courtown Harbour his home port. But regardless of where the week took him, Saturday was his day for the garden.

John was well regarded by all, not least by the staff at JC Breen & Co. He will be dearly missed but his legacy will live on.

As John began his fi nal journey from the church at Monageer to his fi nal resting place, a soloist sang that famous Wexford anthem, Boolvogue, while the staff of Breen Transport, and members of the IRHA from all-over the country formed a guard of honour. Like the Pike Men and Fr. Murphy of 1798 rebellion fame, he has now entrusted the future to a very capable next generation. (SM)

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16 | APPOINTMENTS

Major Executive shake-up at TRATON Group & Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles

I

n a surprise development during the Coronavirus lockdown, Munich headquartered TRATON SE, parent company of Scania, MAN Truck & Bus and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus (South America) reorganised its Board of Management with Andreas Renschler handing over the Chairman’s role to Matthias Gründler, formerly the Chief Financial Officer. Dr. Andreas Tostmann, who was a Board member at Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand with responsibility for Production & Logistics, has taken over from Joachim Drees as head of MAN Truck & Bus. Mr. Drees has left TRATON Board by mutual consent. In addition, Prof. Dr. Carsten Intra, currently the Board member responsible for Human Resources, has taken over as Chief Executive Officer of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

In a statement Hans Dieter Pötsch, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of TRATON SE said: “Andreas Renschler has made a significant contribution to the successful course taken by TRATON. After the successful IPO in Frankfurt and Stockholm, together with the Board of Management, he laid the foundation for the company’s future-oriented position and ensured that the company, with a strong network of strategic partners, has access to all the relevant markets.”

He expressly thanked Mr. Renschler for his work since 2015 and the successes achieved on TRATON SE’s path to becoming a ‘global champion’.

Commenting on Matthias Gründler becoming CEO of TRATON SE, Mr. Pötsch said: “With Matthias Gründler as successor, we were able to acquire one of the most experienced

FLEETTRANSPORT | SEPTEMBER 20

experts in the industry. In addition, he knows the company from his years of experience and has also played a significant role in the company’s development. He will now continue this course on the front line with the entire TRATON team.”

Henrik Henriksson will continue his successful work as a member of the Board of Management at TRATON and as Chief Executive Officer of Scania. TRATON Board of Management member Christian Levin, who serves as the Chief Operating Officer and the Head of Research and Development, will also remain in his positions.

Professor Dr. Carsten Intra has succeeded Dr. Thomas Sedran as Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand. Dr. Sedran is to head up the management of commercial vehicle and engineering assets within the Volkswagen Group and in this role will report directly to Board of Management member responsible for HR, Gunnar Kilian, who will take over responsibility for the Truck & Bus division at Group Board of Management level.

As well as playing a significant role in the operational management of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand, Thomas Sedran was also involved in a key way with negotiating and driving forward the strategic alliance with the Ford Motor Company. Together with the Board of Management he set up the future strategy GRIP 2025+, starting the biggest transformation of all time of the brand. Part of this is the development towards electro-mobility along with the fully electric ID. BUZZ, that will be produced at the Hannover plant as of 2022. The cooperation with Ford, signed in June 2020, will ensure

production volume at VWCV manufacturing sites. Under the leadership of Dr Sedran the brand got responsibility at Group level for the development of autonomous driving vehicles.

Investments in Argo AI plays an important role in this. “The ongoing development of the commercial vehicles business in line with the Global-Champion-Strategy and the strategic further development of the engineering operation are two of the Volkswagen Group’s key future areas of work,” said Chairman of the Volkswagen AG Board of Management Dr. Herbert Diess.

Since July 2017 Dr. Carsten Intra has been Human Resources & Industrial Relations Director at MAN SE and MAN Truck & Bus SE. He is also a member of the management board of TRATON SE, responsible for the areas of personnel and IT. With a doctorate in mechanical engineering, he brings with him for his CEO role at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles broad experience from the commercial vehicles segment. He began at what was then MAN Commercial Vehicles AG in 2001 as a production engineer and by 2004 had already been entrusted with management of the central planning operation for the network of plants. From 2006 onwards Intra headed up the HGV unit. Following further management positions in Turkey and Brazil, Intra took over the Production & Logistics brief on the management board of MAN Truck & Bus AG in 2004. From November 2015 he was also responsible for the Research & Development brief.

The MAN Supervisory Board thanked Joachim Drees for his good work over the past five years, with the product portfolio well positioned and successfully placed on the market. In particular, the New Truck Generation (TG) recently presented was very well received by customers.

Joachim Drees initiated a sustainable change process at MAN and drove it forward in his five years as CEO of MAN Truck & Bus. The MAN TG product portfolio was completely revised and successfully launched on the market within a short time. His commitment also extended to the successful entry into electromobility.

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

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18 | PROFILE

Quinn

transport

(ATHLONE)

– At the Heart of Road Transport

I

t is said that there is a book in everyone. Well, in Tony Quinn’s case, a novel about his time spent on road transport trips near and far would cover many chapters.

As his Athlone based company, Quinn Transport, celebrates 50 years in business in 2020, Tony can reflect fondly on his experiences and the many life lessons learned while out on the highways and byways, not only in Ireland but across many Continents.

A modest man, there is no doubt he can be extremely proud of how his business progressed over the decades, not least that the second generation is now involved in the day to day operations of the company.

If Tony Quinn’s firm was to be described in one word it would be ‘versatility’, as the transport company can turn its hand to collect

and deliver any item, product or load. The same could be said of Tony, whose ability to adapt to any task ensured that any challenge was not a problem.

Serving his time as a trainee mechanic in his early days proved very beneficial when he acquired his first truck - a Bedford TK with a flatbed trailer. Long trips back and over to England carrying farm machinery was the main work in those early days.

Located at Blyry Business Park in Athone, a long term business association with local company Irish Cable & Wire helped to put Tony on the nation’s roads, literally. Operating more on a national scale within Ireland along with some trips to England allowed him to spend more time at his home base. The ‘cable’ work continues to be a mainstay for the company even though the local manufacturer

has since closed, as imports from a Turkish producer are still distributed by Quinns to the UK and across Ireland.

Looking through a selection of photographs from yesteryear, Tony could describe in detail the technical specs of each Hino, Fiat, DAF, Iveco and Mercedes-Benz that the company ran from the late 70s and on into the 80s and 90s. Indeed even going further back when he drove Leyland Beaver, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo 88/89, BIG J Guy and a Foden S36 680 trucks, Tony’s memory of details is fantastic, sharing with us many stories of particular happenings on certain journeys with each truck. Back then versatility played a vital role in sustaining and maintaining the business, with refrigerated box trailers, scrap metal trailers and curtainsiders with steel coils, all featuring on the back of these tractor-units.

Tony fondly remembers when Fiat Trucks entered the scene in a high profile way with the importer Frank Fahy, a Mayo entrepreneur who set up headquarters in Athlone. From his initial experiences with the 170NT and 190 Turbo in the late 70’s, a strong relationship was established with the Italian marque (which later integrated into Iveco) and continues to this day. One of the photographs displayed in Quinn Transport’s meeting room shows a twenty plus line-up of Iveco tractor-units including EuroTech, EuroStar and Stralis models from the noughties.

Quinn Transport was honoured twice by The Pallet Network at its annual Awards. Quinns was also a finalist in the Fleet Transport Awards recently.

FLEETTRANSPORT | SEPTEMBER 20

In more recent times there has been a move towards Renault Trucks, and today the French marque dominates Quinn’s fleet. Dealings with Setanta Vehicle Sales, the Renault Trucks

PROFILE | 19

Tony and Mark Quinn.

importers for Ireland began in 2007, soon after the new distributor was set up. Running Renault Premium tractor-units, Tony found them reliable and economical to run and was particularly pleased with the aftermarket back-up provided at home and abroad by the brand and its dealer and aftermarket representatives. These days some Renault Premiums remain in the fleet, although other examples have been replaced by a selection of Range T tractor-units, the two generations making up the majority of the 36 trucks wearing the Quinn Transport livery.

That said, the link with Iveco remains, with a number of Eurocargo and Stralis rigids operating around the Athlone region. Tony fondly remembers epic haggling sessions with the late Pat Jennings (Tullamore) over the purchasing of the Iveco trucks in the fleet.

These days Quinn’s primary undertaking is with TPN (The Pallet Network), covering the counties of Westmeath, Longford and south Roscommon. In fact, pallet work now takes up over half of Quinn Transport’s business, with one of its two warehousing units the main hub for this 24/7 operation.

Up to 300 pallets per day are handled by 25 trucks (15 articulated/10 rigids) and 2 vans for this business alone.

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

“We are a member of The Pallet Network since 2008,” explained Tony. “It is the main freight distribution service for palletised goods in Ireland and the UK and the only network that has achieved ISO9001:2008.

The network links us to 22 other regional haulage companies throughout Ireland, and to over 80 in the UK. This enables us to organise collection and delivery of palletised freight and parcels on a twenty-four hour nationwide service and forty-eight hour UK service.”

To ensure customer satisfaction, a track and trace system, with barcodes and individual parcel and pallet numbers is assigned to all goods, so that the journey of each parcel and pallet can be monitored.

Quinn Transport was honoured three-times

by The Pallet Network at its annual Awards, scooping the TPN Depot of the Year 2014 and 2016 as well as winning the Best Livery Award in 2014.

Having a mechanical and technical mind, Tony also manages to keep on top of happenings at the workshop, which is situated across the road from Warehouse Unit II. Parked there when we visited was a long framed chassis trailer, specially configured for 40ft River Cruise boat carriage. Th is aspect of Quinn Transport is a labour of love for Tony, as contacts from the Cruiser company often

mean long trips to Spain or France taking a number of days, which he loves. It reminds him of his many weeks away on the Continent transiting from country to country at a time when long border control delays and other complications were the norm.

Certainly the past fi ft y years of Tony’s life and career have generated many memories.

Describing it as a ‘roller coaster ride’, he is grateful for having experienced all the ups and downs, but equally is delighted that his two sons Mark and Darragh are now directly involved with the business. His daughter Tracey is also involved with the transport and logistics sector in Cork. He paid special tribute to his long serving and willing staff for their dedication over the years, noting especially how they are coping so admirably over the ongoing Covid-19 emergency.

As we finished our interview, Tony headed off to collect a load at the Kepak factory in Ballymahon. In fact, refrigerated meat transport also forms a major part of Quinn's business. Traversing the well-travelled route gives him time to reflect back on a successful 50 year career as well as look forward to the road ahead for the company. And maybe put his thoughts together for that best-selling novel!

www.fleet.ie

20 | SAFETY

Safety Matters . . .

Safety Matters . . .

Help to manage vehicle risks at work

The driver should think about putt ing the vehicle in the required position for the safest and most efficient manoeuvre. Drivers need to think about where the manoeuvre should start and fi nish to minimise risk and undue complication. One way systems and designated manoeuvring areas make a very effective contribution to the safe manoeuvring of vehicles.

V

ehicles are involved in almost half of all deaths at work reported to the Health & Safety Authority (HSA), and just under a quarter of all road collisions involve an employee. Over 1,000 lost work day injuries are reported to the HSA every year from the Transport and Storage sector alone.

Th is represents a substantial cost to businesses where staff are absent for long periods of time owing to serious injuries sustained at work.

Therefore, employers need to familiarise themselves with the risks that their employees face and create when using vehicles for work or when working in the vicinity of moving vehicles. Th is applies equally to the workplace and to the public road. Employers have a legal duty to effectively manage the risks and prevent avoidable harm at work. Vehicle manoeuvres and reversing continue to be the main activities most involved in vehicle deaths in the workplace.

To help Employers and Duty Holders get to grips with Work Related Vehicle Risk Management, the Health & Safety Authority has developed a web portal to facilitate easy access to information on a wide variety of vehicle related topics. The portal is intended to bring the person seeking information on a specific vehicle related safety topic directly to that topic with the click of just one button. Useful material related to the topic from the HSA, and other sources, are collated under each specific button.

For example, by clicking on the “Forklifts” button the user is taken directly to a series of video clips on forklift safety as well as links to all the HSA published documents.

Reversing and slow speed manoeuvre accidents happen because vehicles all too often engage in multiple or lengthy manoeuvres that could have been avoided if yard managers and drivers gave consideration to the tasks that commonly occur at a premises.

FLEETTRANSPORT | SEPTEMBER 20

Falls from vehicles, even from a relatively low height can result in serious injuries, yet most falls are easily preventable. The majority of falls from vehicles occur whilst people are: • Gett ing into or out of the vehicle cab • Working at height on the vehicle or load platform.

Forklifts can be dangerous: they account for 25% of injuries at work. Many workplace accidents involve people being hit or run over by forklift trucks (typically when the forklift is reversing) because the driver did not see them. Owing to their size and weight, injuries resulting from forklifts are generally very serious.

Accidents involving them are often caused by poor supervision and a lack of training.

Pedestrians can be exposed to potential harm in their own workplaces from vehicle movements, falling objects, or slips, trips and falls. Particular attention should be paid to visitors and visiting workers, e.g., delivery drivers, who are unfamiliar with workplace operations. It is very important that visitors are supervised and controlled from the time they enter a workplace to the time they leave.

Further information on these and other transport operations and vehicle risk topics is available by clicking on the required button on the The Transport Safety Guidance Resources portal. The portal is accessed by visiting www.vehiclesatwork.ie

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22 | MARITIME I

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

Volume 15, No. 4 Autumn 2020

Liebherr Killarney-built crane is part of a major Belfast Harbour upgrade.

3 (VT3) Container Terminal.

Significantly improving the container terminal ’s safety, sustainability, efficiency and capacity, it progresses Belfast Harbour’s ambition to be the best regional port in the world. Since Belfast Harbour sources all its electricity from green energy, this new fully electric crane will also be carbon neutral.

B

M ichael Robinson, Belfast Harbour’s Port Director, said about the development: “As part of our £40m investment programme in VT3, this new crane will service the increasingly large container ships importing and exporting from Belfast. It is one of ten new cranes that are being installed, supporting Belfast Harbour’s SMART Port strategy to improve efficiency through new technology and further our ambition to be the best regional port in the world.”

The new fully electric crane is part of a three-year, £40m investment project to upgrade Belfast’s Victoria Terminal

“With a high degree of self-automation incorporated into our new crane investments we will be able to enhance operational safety and do so in a more sustainable manner.

The enhanced capability of the new cranes

elfast Harbour has made its largest ever investment in a single piece of port equipment with the installation of a new £6.6m ship-to-shore container handling crane, made by German company Liebherr in Killarney.

will also increase the container terminal capacity by 30%, helping us to cater for future economic growth. The region’s importers and exporters will also benefit from the improved container discharging and loading efficiencies provided by the new cranes and our investment at the VT3 terminal.”

Declan Freeman, Managing Director of Eucon and of Belfast Container Terminal Ltd, operators of the VT3 terminal, added: “We welcome the significant investment Belfast Harbour is making in the container terminal which will make it one of the most modern and efficient terminals in these islands. The new Liebherr ship-to-shore crane is a superb asset for the terminal and together with the investment in new automated rubber tyre gantry cranes, we are confident that operational efficiency and safety will be enhanced.”

The Liebherr crane can operate at a rate of up to 40 container lifts an hour and can safely work in wind speeds of up to 50 mph.

Liebherr is also the builder of the Ship to Shore cranes being installed at the Cork Harbour Container Terminal which are now expected to be complete and in action by the end of 2020.

Monaghan based Combilift builds intermodal straddle carrier Combilift has developed an intermodal straddle carrier specifically designed for use at inland container terminals which would typically handle lower volumes of containers than seaports, but still need effective machinery.

R

esponding to the significant development being planned in rail/road terminals throughout the European Union and elsewhere,

FLEETMARITIME | Autumn 2020

The Combi-IMSC intermodal Straddle Carrier is designed to offer a cost-effective customisable solution for mid-sized intermodal terminals which work only a small number of trains each day. Lower and narrower than most port-based straddle carriers, its smaller size means the load at

each corner would be half of that of a typical reach stacker performing the same operation.

Combilift says that the Combi-IMSC is designed to be ideal for handling containers between a terminal’s rail spur and its storage or transport lanes and is a “simple piece of hydraulic lift ing equipment which reduces the total cost of ownership”.

Though primarily designed for container handling the machine can be customised to be able to lift oversized pieces and can be fitted with coil clamps, grapple arms or rotating forks.

MARITIME II | 23

Dublin Port’s planned Cruise terminal will not go ahead

I

n 2012, the Dublin Port Company (DPC) published its Masterplan for Port development for the period up to 2040. That plan included the development of a terminal specifically for hosting Cruise ships which was to be located on the North Wall Quay Extension close to the Port entrance and the LUAS terminal.

When revising the Masterplan in 2017 as part of its commitment to a five-year review so as to ensure that the plan reflected trends in current shipping activity and future trends, the Cruise Terminal feature was identified as being one that should go to Public Consultation before substantial funds were committed to the quay works.

In opening the Public consultation in October 2019 Dublin Port Company said: “Based on the analysis of the submissions, DPC concluded the original thinking in Masterplan 2012-2040 of using the development of berths at North Wall Quay Extension (NWQE) suitable for Cruise ships as a means of reintegrating the Port with the City ‘has been undermined over the past eight years’.”

the development of NWQE, the support is conditional notably as regards sustainability, and whilst there is evident public support for the development, there is also strongly felt public opposition.”

Th is public opposition arose from concerns about the impact of multiple thousands of day tourists on Dublin City’s tourist infrastructure, along with concerns over the ability of the city’s electric power system to cope with such vessels requiring considerable loads to plug into the local grid rather than using their own generators - as they will be required to do from 2025.

DPC also noted that “while there is support from State and public bodies for

As previously advised the Port will restrict the number of Cruise ships entering the port to 80 a year for the next three years while the Alexandra Basin redevelopment is underway. All indications from within the cruise industry are that this restriction will not have a significant impact as, following the Coronavirus outbreak, the world Cruise industry will operate at a low level during those years.

The Port of Cork had planned to develop a second Cruise ship berth at its Cobh Cruise Ship Terminal facility, but the current uncertainty may lead to this plan being re-considered.

Successful introduction of direct Ireland/ USA service

T

he long-established Independent Container Line (ICL) transatlantic service has been enhanced by the addition of a call at Ringaskiddy en route to Chester – the port for Philadelphia and Wilmington, North Carolina. The 3,000 TEU vessel service calls at Ringaskiddy each Saturday, leaving at 19.00 and arriving at Chester 10 days later. After sailing from Wilmington, the vessel returns to its Antwerp base before sailing onward to Southampton and Ringaskiddy.

Johnson Stevens Ireland is the long-standing agent here for ICL, with Martina Creamer, the joint M/D, reporting strong traffic growth on the direct service. It cuts at least seven days off the only alternative routes available up to now which use transhipment at a UK or Continental port. Traffic is coming from all parts of Ireland and there is a strong reefer component in it. Due, in part, to the disruption of transatlantic airfreight services following the COVID-19 outbreak, several exporters in the pharma and medical devices sectors have switched cargo to the new service. Increased acceleration in airfreight rates on the North Atlantic route, which are now more than 150% above what they were in August 2019,

is also driving traffic to the new service. ICL is C-TPAT certified enabling US Customs formalities to be carried out without delay at the port of entry.

Transit time on the inward leg from Wilmington to Cork is fi fteen days and the Line has begun to secure significant cargo on this leg also. From week 33, the vessel is also carrying inbound traffic from Antwerp to Cork with a three-day transit time leaving Antwerp on Wednesday, arriving Cork on Saturday. Pending growth of inbound traffic to levels that match those on the outbound leg, the line will continue to bring in a supply of empty equipment.

FLEETMARITIME | Autumn 2020

24 | MARITIME III

Port rail connectivity possible key to rail freight development

I

rish Rail has commissioned AECOM Consultants to undertake a project seeking to develop a comprehensive strategy for rail freight in Ireland. Th is strategy will seek to set the direction for rail freight up to 2040 and will include a road map of the steps required to develop a sustainable role for rail in the national transport of goods and materials.

AECOM points out that rail has historically played a significant role in the transport and distribution of freight during the life of the railways in Ireland. It goes on to say that this role is likely to increase in importance again as priority climate change measures are taken under the Climate Action Plan 2019 and succeeding legislation, while achieving sustainable growth in accordance with Project Ireland 2040. Against that backdrop AECOM aims to defi ne a rail freight strategy that develops modern and att ractive services for an increasing number of customers and a Sustainable Ireland. Th rough the project it will seek to agree a consensus vision and strategy for Rail Freight 2040, incorporating stakeholder input from across the sector and establishing a strategy which is aligned to other modes, operators and interested parties. AECOM goes on to say that leveraging the strengths of rail for freight transport has the potential to reduce road congestion and support changes in transport emissions at local as well as national level.

The study will particularly focus on ports that are connected to the railway and those which could potentially, as part of a future strategy, include such a connection. Currently there are active railheads at Dublin and Waterford Ports while others at Sligo, Derry, Larne, Rosslare and Belvelly at Marino Point in Cork Harbour could be brought into use without major investment. Engineering and commercial development work has already been done on the Foynes/Limerick link making its re-establishment effectively “shovel-ready”.

The consultants are already looking at the development of “Inland Port” facilities that would enable rail and road interfaces to link with distribution centres, and also at the investment requirements for upgrading and renewal of track and rolling stock to enable the increased volumes to be carried in an efficient and lower cost way.

AECOM expects to have the fi rst draft completed in September.

Th is would include an initial set of proposals to be discussed with stakeholders and other interested parties before going on to make a fi nal set of recommendations.

The timing of the study not only coincides with the Government 2040 project development, but also with the development of European Union funding projects to encourage the development of intermodal traffic throughout the Community, as well as the development of new TEN-T and Motorways of the Sea strategies.

A clear indication of the shift in thinking comes from the launching

by CMA CGM Group (its brands on the Irish market are CMA CGM & Containerships) of its CMA CGM Intermodal product, with which it is seeking to provide a door-to-door shipping product based on use of rail or barge for inland transport, rather than road.

CMA CGM Group specifies the key benefits of its “Switch to Rail” campaign as being: • Massification of the flows; dedicated block trains with fi xed departure.

• Better control of the flows as dedicated block train is departing and arriving at fi xed hours allowing better predictability and pre-planning.

• Less accident rates by train than by truck.

• Less delay; swiss clock schedule in force by rail, avoiding road traffic jams.

Meanwhile, Global Forwarder, XPO Logistics, plans to launch a Ballina/Waterford block train service by the end of 2020 with the intention of shipping a broad range of container equipment including reefer boxes, timing the service to link with the Samskip, Rotterdam service into and out of Waterford. XPO has also indicated an interest in developing further services to and from Irish Ports.

Post-Brexit rules on movement of goods clarified

T

he UK Government has published its guidance on moving goods under the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol. In relation to trade moving between Northern Ireland and the EU it states: “There will be no change for the movement of goods covered by the Protocol between Northern Ireland and EU Member States, including Ireland. That means there will be no new paperwork; no tariffs, quotas or checks on rules of origin; nor any barriers to movement FLEETMARITIME | Autumn 2020

within the EU Single Market for goods in free circulation in Northern Ireland.

No EU Member State will be able to apply any tariff or related barriers to goods from Northern Ireland: the EU is obliged under Article 5 of the Protocol to guarantee tariff free, frictionless access in any scenario from 31 December 2020. Th is does not just apply to movements from Northern Ireland to Ireland: it applies to movements to any other EU Member State, including for example using transit procedures.”

There are several other potential problems in moving goods to and through Northern Ireland concerning registration and clearance and these will have to be resolved over the coming months.

MARITIME IV | 25

Some Brexit beating services •

•

F

acing i into i considerable id bl uncertainty i as the EU/UK negotiations make slow progress towards some sort of trade deal between them to come into force at the end of 2020, an increasing number of companies in Ireland are diverting exports and sourcing imports from Continental Europe rather than Britain. It has also become clear that the British Landbridge option for transport to and from Continental Europe is likely to become much more unreliable than it is at present, if only due to the very significant traffic congestion likely to be experienced on the roads to and from Dover and Folkstone. This is despite the talk of “Green Lanes” to facilitate Irish trucks running through these and continental ports.

Th is means that shippers are having to seek out alternative direct services to and from the Continent. Shipping Lines have responded by adding new services and enhancing existing operations with better frequencies and more capacity.

Th improvements i The announcedd or implemented to date include: • Brittany Ferries: In addition to the year-round twice weekly Rosslare/ Bilbao service launched in February, a once weekly seasonal Rosslare/ Cherbourg rotation will commence in March 2021. Th is freight orientated service will link in with Brittany’s planned rail operation running from Cherbourg to the Spanish Border.

Other rail destinations ex-Cherbourg will be introduced later and will also be available to users of the existing Irish Ferries and Stena Line services from Ireland into the port.

• Independent Container Lines (ICL): ICL has introduced a weekly Lo-Lo service from Antwerp to Cork linked to its transatlantic service.

• CLdN: A weekly service into Cork with vessel originating in Esbjerg on Thursday before calling at Zeebrugge and arriving in Cork on Sunday morning. The return service reaches Zeebrugge on Wednesday and Esbjerg on Thursday. At Zeebrugge trailers and

•

containers can be transhipped onto CLdN’s other services.

CLdN: A weekly service operating round trip Santander to Dublin calling Liverpool en route. Vessel also makes an additional round trip between Dublin and Liverpool.

Containerships: A weekly Rotterdam/ Dublin round trip Lo-Lo container service was launched on 6 July. Th is operates into the Rotterdam Short Sea Terminal and connects with other Containerships group services to Scandinavia, Finland, Russia, the Baltic States as well as the Canary Islands and Morocco. (Note that Containerships parent company CMA CGM has grouped all its European short sea services under the Containerships brand eliminating the MacAndrews and OPDR names).

BG Freight Line The week ly Rotterdam/Liverpool/ Waterford/ Rotterdam Lo/Lo service is now carrying additional feeder container traffic for Hapag Lloyd deep sea services.

The fast transit to Rotterdam reduces door-to-door transit times for customers based in the Southeast.

In addition, talks are in progress around the establishment of a daily direct Con-Ro service linking Rosslare and Dunkirk. As proposed, the sailing time between the ports would be under twenty hours, matching the average time currently being achieved by driver accompanied British Landbridge services.

Shipyard insolvency prevents building of Irish Ferries vessel

T

he filing for insolvency by German shipyard, Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) means that the cruise ferry ordered from the yard by Irish Ferries will not now be built. The vessel had been due for delivery at the end of 2020 and was intended to take over the schedule sailed by Ulysses. Irish Ferries owner ICG has since secured the return of the 20% deposit (€133 million) paid at time of order.

The building at the yard of the W.B. Yeats was beset by problems and cost overruns leading to the payment of late delivery penalties.

That led to delays in getting the building of the LNG fueled Honfleur ordered by Brittany Ferries underway and, at the time of declaration of insolvency at the yard that vessel remained unfi nished. Brittany Ferries has since sold its interest in the vessel to the new operators

of the yard. The building at the AVIC Shipyard in China of the three e-Flexer cruise ferries chartered by Brittany Ferries remains on schedule, with the fi rst delivery expected later this year.

The third similar vessel for Stena Line’s Irish Sea services remains on schedule to enter service on the Belfast/Birkenhead route in early 2021.

FLEETMARITIME | Autumn 2020

26 | COMMENT

COVID-19 enables/forces freight transport to think things out again

A

s we head into the Autumn of what everybody the world over hopes will be the singular year of COVID-19, it is becoming very clear that many of the certainties of the old ways in which product was manufactured and delivered to customers will have gone, and everybody involved is facing a blank page.

Difficult as this all is for goods and freight, the passenger transport scenarios are much more challenging.

To try to make sense of all of this we could look at the whole business of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment). That story made global headlines but there were many other similar stories, both globally and closer to home.

In March, the virus, which until then had been something that affected people in far off places, swept into neighbourhoods large and small throughout Europe. In setting out to tackle it, Health Boards and other Agencies were able to draw on the experience of the previous couple of months in Asia but immediately the drastic lack of PPE became a key issue.

Then Europe discovered that the outsourcing of manufacturing to China because it was cheap and quite efficient, had left Health Agencies completely exposed to any production problems. For a moment it looked as if things might be OK as Chinese factories were getting going again after their lockdown, but then, the realities of Supply Chains from far distant locations began to dawn. A seven-week transit time using Seafreight was no answer, while shipping freight below deck on passenger aircraft would not work as most passenger services had ground to a halt. Rail freight promised a three-week transit time, but it too had closed.

Two answers emerged; the first was to ship the PPE in cargo only planes. But, particularly over the last ten years, the availability of cargo aircraft had dropped drastically as elderly gas-guzzling freighters headed to the scrapyards, while the replacement supply of relatively new secondhand passenger aircraft converted to cargo spec had slowed. Also, wide-body passenger aircraft with good underfloor capacity provided lots of capacity and high service levels. A solution emerged with Aer Lingus as a leader, where passenger aircraft were chartered to Health Agencies to fly to China returning with PPE and other medical equipment both in the FLEETTRANSPORT | SEPTEMBER 20

From where I'm sitting - Howard Knott - howard@fleet.ie lower hold and fi lling out the passenger cabin.

As the months have gone by this solution has been further developed, with capacity being increased further by taking out the seats in the passenger cabin.

All of this has underlined the value of having equipment capable of moving both freight and passengers at the same time. It’s something that the ferry companies, particularly those operating on Irish sea routes, learnt many years ago. Leasing companies and some airlines are now ordering Boeing 737 conversions with the front portion of the aircraft sealed off for cargo and a passenger cabin at the rear.

Meanwhile, some container lines operating routes out of China to the US West Coast have introduced “Premium Express” services, with the “Express” containers being last-on, first-off, thus achieving door-to-door delivery in two weeks and halving the normal delivery time. For several Irish exporters, a similar result is now being achieved following the introduction in June of the Independent Container Line service sailing ex-Cork each Saturday and discharging at Chester, near Philadelphia ten days later, easily beating the available airfreight transit time alternatives. Train services from China to European destinations also got going quickly and are now carrying significantly increased volumes in both directions.

The second big lesson of the PPE crisis was that product from China may be cheaper to buy and, using massive container vessels, cheap to transport but, there is value in sourcing vital products closer to home. The crisis gave many Irish based companies the opportunity to diversify into a wide range of products needed to fight the COVID pandemic. The products from these companies are more than meeting the volume and technical needs and a very comprehensive directory of the suppliers concerned has been produced by John Carr, Chairman of the Irish Exporters Association Western Regional Council.

There is no doubt that a significant outcome of the COVID-19 crisis will be a much more mature appreciation of Supply Chain issues.

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28 | OPINION

Mobility Package – Were drivers consulted enough?

A

new transport Mobility Package has been agreed and passed into law by Europe. It will bring significant changes over the next few years to the regulations truck and bus drivers are currently subjected to. According to the European Commission, the aim of the new regulations are to maintain a balance between driver safety, social justice and a sustainable economy. While taking care of the market and economic needs of European Union Member States, they summarise it by saying that the aim of the Mobility Package is to improve the working conditions of drivers in all European countries.

Brilliant news indeed and a good initiative but the best starting point would have been a wide ranging consultation process with drivers.

Maybe it had been boxed off some place in the proposals and possibly some type of interview took place with drivers, so maybe these legislators feel they have genuinely heard from drivers.

Or possibly a pre-prepared generic questionnaire was circulated to a limited number and from that an untypical representation of regular drivers was achieved.

Let’s go back to the people that made these regulations, and as the majority of them probably arrive in Brussels by plane, they don’t understand what the real issues are. Would they attempt to make the same regulations for nurses or doctors? Damn right they would not!

It would not be tolerated by any other trade or profession.

Look at the difference between bus drivers and teachers as they prepare to get back to school. While there are some differences, one could argue that bus drivers are looking for solutions rather than problems associated with the transition. Where are the legislators and regulation makers here? Have they more respect for teachers, or are they just afraid of them as a vested interest?

So, let’s get back to the broader picture of what drivers think of these new regulations. If really interested in finding out, before a regulation was written or enacted into law, all drivers need to be stakeholders.

Look and listen politicians. Go to the various Truck Shows, check the back door of the supermarket, look to the ferry ports and share a cup of cold coffee and an overpriced sandwich with them after they have been refused permission to use a toilet or other facilities. Now try and tell them you are going to improve their working conditions with these proposed regulations. They will laugh themselves silly.

Why? Because they have heard it all before. They know that in the past small operators and drivers are the butt of all these regulations.

Enforcement agencies are not always very nice to drivers, some regulations are enforced in a way that is not in the spirit of what was intended in the first place. The reach of regulation is very powerful and the level of ease with which some regulations can be enforced is severe. Certainly the agencies on the continent are guilty of using foreign truck as mobile ATM machines and a revenue stream for their Governments. I hope that is not something we will see creeping in to this country.

lot. Certainly none of them felt it would bring the profession to a place where they would want their family to follow in their footsteps. Th is may be a surprise to some of our MEPs, as I am sure their intentions are good.

Consider this scenario. A driver stops at a shop near a ferry terminal and decides to use violence to raid the till. Now, let’s say the driver makes it to a ferry and out of the jurisdiction to legal safety from a criminal charge for the murder of the shopkeeper. It could take years to have him or her extradited, but that person could be parked up for 45 hours if the authorities felt that this HGV driver had not enough rest. Even though the serious offence, if it was one, was committed in a different country, drivers see these situations as the victimisation of a profession, not support.

In my opinion drivers and operators have plenty of respect for law and order, but agencies are enforcing some regulations like a senior council would use the same point of law to win a multi-million pound claim.

I fully support regulation and accountability in the passenger and haulage sector. Nobody wants dangerous or unhealthy working conditions, drivers or operators. Consultation is the key here, not a bigger stick to belt operators and drivers with. Don’t let regulations be based on people’s experience of flying in and out of Brussels.

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30 | FINANCE

Can your Business Survive without You?

D

elegation is the crucial ability to develop and expand a business through others.

Many road transport companies have developed over the years from a single owner operator to that same individual now being the Managing Director of an organisation with a multimillion Euro turnover with hundreds of employees. The ability to delegate in the current crisis may be the deciding factor on whether businesses survive, as no company should be fully dependant on one individual.

needs to continue to hold control. Keeping contact at the top level with customers should always be the main function. If repairing trucks is a favourite chore and the tedious job of customer contact and rate negotiations is left to the transport manager, do not be surprised that at the next annual review the top customers are being poached.

Let’s look at the main functions in a transport business and how best these can be delegated but controlled by the ‘boss’.

•

Th is article deals with the art of delegation - delegate too litt le and the fi rm will never expand to the potential the business is capable of. In extreme cases where the business has expanded but without delegation, it will be at the expense of family life or health or both.

Most Irish transport fi rms have delegated to family members: the wife and daughter oversee administration and the sons are the eyes and ears on the ground. Proper planning or discussion in relation to delegation ensures that individuals are not pigeon-holed into positions that either they are not cut out for, or are side-lined because of gender.

In order to delegate, one must lay down clear lines of communication and responsibility.

Even when roles are delegated to family members, the ‘boss’ still needs to hold all concerned responsible for work done and ensuring deadlines are met. Ideally a fair internal control system of meetings should be set up so that the business does not run away.

See how really big companies can delegate but not lose control? No matter what level of delegation is present in the business the ‘boss’ FLEETTRANSPORT | SEPTEMBER 20

• • • •

Business Development (new customers and rates) Transport management Financial management HR and staff Fleet repairs and renewal

Normally the best person to sell is the owner!

But if it’s an activity of distain then the sales manager should put a deal in place, but before it is sealed, the owner should have the fi nal say and remain the face of the business. Any rate negotiation has to be passed by him or her. Have a strategy that will generate profit and sustainability with regard to cash flow and allow expansion in line with what is desired for the business.

Transport management is a tough job, with many ties to the activity. It can be a 16 hour day and without all customer contacts, locations, trailer requirements, trailer locations etc at instant disposal, it’s a very difficult position to slot into. Good systems mean that there is more than one individual doing the job. Being able to do the job on an ad hoc basis or at least having the ability to randomly check what the route schedulers are doing is critical for the business owner.

A basic understanding of the financials within the business is enough, even with an annual audit (external check). The business owner just needs to know what monthly controls are in place so that information presented is accurate and correct. Every expense involved should be reviewed annually.

Employees who never take holidays and never delegate because they are the sole custodian of the bank details should be reviewed. Administration and finance is the simplest function to delegate once there is total control over the process.

Most medium to large transport fi rms have an internal workshop with a foreman and a number of technicians. Systems should still be in place to ensure that any scheduling of repair work flows through the business owner, or can be reviewed by them. Allowing the foreman to dictate vehicle and trailers suppliers or even parts providers can be a recipe for hidden costs.

With proper delegation and control one can operate multiple branches successfully. There is no need for the ‘boss’ to have a physical presence on site (although ad hoc visits without notice with a pre-set checklist are advisable). Even if a business owner is always on site, the staff will either underperform, take over the business or affect it fi nancially without proper delegation. So, the secret is to review key areas, put in place controls, monitor and change regularly these controls and review all employee activities on an ongoing basis.

Delegation with clear controls and fair reward structures makes a business manageable and profitable.

Text: Donal Dempsey - donal@fleet.ie

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Country

Currency

95 Lead Free

98 Lead Free

Diesel

Austria

EUR

1.061

1.223

1.024

Belarus

EUR

0.568

0.634

0.568

Belgium

EUR

1.390

1.445

1.371

Bosnia-Herzegovina

BAM

1.854

1.967

1.835

Bulgaria

BGN

1.800

2.190

1.829

Croatia

HRK

8.870

9.730

8.670

Czech Republic

CZK

27.630

29.740

26.910

Denmark

DKK

10.190

11.190

8.390

Estonia

EUR

1.259

1.309

0.999

Finland

EUR

1.431

1.517

1.244

France

EUR

1.371

1.420

1.254

Georgia

GEL

2.060

2.290

2.090

Germany

EUR

1.249

1.456

1.077

Greece

EUR

1.401

1.633

1.128

Hungary

HUF

372.900

397.100

377.300

Ireland

EUR

1.269

-

1.165

Italy

EUR

1.451

-

1.331

Kazakhstan

KZT

173.370

-

193.490

Kosovo

EUR

1.200

-

1.170

Latvia

EUR

1.127

1.187

1.027

Lithuania

EUR

1.075

1.174

0.955

Luxemburg

EUR

1.106

1.174

0.970

Moldova

MDL

15.550

15.970

13.100

Montenegro

EUR

1.130

1.170

1.010

Netherlands

EUR

1.685

1.764

1.303

North Macedonia

MKD

59.500

61.180

52.000

Norway

NOK

16.510

17.060

15.280

Poland

PLN

4.440

4.740

4.380

Portugal

EUR

1.473

1.497

1.309

Romania

RON

4.140

4.390

4.160

Russia Federation

RUB

47.950

54.110

47.780

Serbia

RSD

135.400

144.400

142.900

Slovakia

EUR

1.154

1.282

1.036

Slovenia

EUR

1.000

1.138

1.000

Spain

EUR

1.178

1.333

1.063

Sweden

SEK

14.130

14.730

12.880

Switzerland

CHF

1.420

-

1.500

Turkey

TRY

6.627

6.649

6.093

Ukraine

UAH

23.080

24.520

22.500

UK

GBP

1.132

1.275

1.181

USA

USD

0.576

-

0.641

www.fleet.ie

32 | OPEN LETTER

An Open Letter to Mr. Sam Waide, incoming Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority Dear Mr. Waide, When the then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar addressed the Nation on the COVID-19 pandemic, he praised and thanked the Essential Front Line Workers of Ireland.

Amongst those he lauded were those involved in the road haulage industry for putt ing their health and that of their families on the line to continue the flow of essential products into and across Ireland. It is an essential service which you as the newly appointed Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) will have an overarching responsibility to maintain.

Personally, as a member of the industry since 1973 with a proven track record in both the industry and road safety, I have found myself in continuous confl ict with the RSA of which you are now in charge. Certainly I have never felt that I was regarded as a member of an essential service. As an operator with a track record dating back many years before the arrival of the RSA, I have been insulted, hurt and angered by the att itude of the RSA to both my company and the industry in general. Th is is a situation that, in the interests of both the industry and the RSA in providing an essential service, should not prevail.

In my opinion, the pandemic has exposed the total failure of the RSA to respect the needs of the essential service that is the Irish road haulage industry. Witness the changes mandated by the review of Directive 645/2018, which would have been ideal to deal with the consequences of the Pandemic. Sadly they have been totally ignored. As I understand, this is in breach of our obligations as members of the European Community, with none of the required steps as outlined in the Directive (see sidebar) having been implemented by the 22 May 2018 deadline as required.

Additionally, the failure of the RSA to offer anything online to the road transport industry as this pandemic prevails sums up its failures. I will not bother you with a list of the organisation’s previous failures as they could all be eradicated with the type of leadership essential to the RSA. The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) does not claim to be above the opinions of the RSA however, we can and do offer years of experience to arrive at a consensus, which ensures the mandate of the RSA is achieved.

Hopefully you will meet with the IRHA management at your earliest convenience for an open and frank discussion. However, prior to that, it is essential that steps are immediately taken to allow CPC courses to be taken online. I refer to the recent RSA communication (see right) in response to a query about online training which hopefully you will agree is unacceptable. It fact it is in complete disregard of the RSA’s mandate, which only exists because of our membership of the European Union.

Mr. Waide, it is the norm that tensions exist between a trade organisation and a national body charged with its regulation. However a normal level of tension is far removed from what has existed for the last six years between the transport industry and the RSA. We would ask for a fresh start in the interest of the nation as a whole, and wish you every success in your new role.

With best wishes, Jerry Kiersey, Green Tiger Express.

FLEETTRANSPORT | SEPTEMBER 20

Directive 645 / 2018 Taking into account developments in training and education, and in order to enhance the contribution of Directive 2003/59/EC to road safety and the relevance of training for drivers, subjects relating to road safety should be strengthened in the training courses, such as hazard perception; the protection of vulnerable road users, in particular pedestrians, cyclists and persons with limited mobility; fuelefficient driving; driving in extreme weather conditions and carrying abnormal loads. In this context, the courses should also relate to intelligent transport systems and should evolve in order to keep pace with technological developments.

Member States should be provided with a clear option to improve and modernise training practices with the use of information and communication technology (ICT) tools, such as e-learning and blended learning, for part of the training, while ensuring the quality of the training. When improving and modernising training practices with the use of ICT tools, it is important to take into account the fact that some specific topics require hands-on training and cannot be properly addressed with these learning tools: for example, fitting snow chains or securing the loads, or other training elements where the practical side is important. Practical training could, but does not have to, consist of driving. A substantial amount of the training required under this Directive should be carried out at an approved training centre.

To ensure consistency between the different forms of training required under Union law, Member States should have the possibility to combine different types of relevant training: for example, it should be possible for them to combine training on the transport of dangerous goods, on disability awareness or on animal transport, with the training provided for in Directive 2003/59/EC.

Can I do my CPC courses in the North of Ireland as they are now conducting them online?

There is no on-line training in the South and therefore we are unable to recognise this training as we cannot bench-mark it against training delivered in the South.

We will exchange valid CPC cards issued in the North for an Irish CPC card up to the expiry date of the NI card.

AUTUMN

IFOY Award 2020 Winners Announced

AUTUMN 2020 NEWS 1

Irish Exporters Association Western Network Groups discuss hub network in the region The Irish Exporters Association has set up online monthly Regional Network group meetings to ensure that its members in the Western, Southern and Midlands regions of Ireland have a regular platform to discuss COVID-19 issues arising from the pandemic as well as Brexit preparedness planning.

The monthly meetings strengthen the connection between the IEA and its regional members. The gatherings are an opportunity for business networking and are a means to finding collaborative solutions within the business community to current challenges. They directly contribute to the IEA’s communications and public affairs work.

The IEA Western Regional Network group recently held a virtual meeting with the Western Development Commission to discuss the Atlantic Economic Corridor Enterprise Hub Project. The AEC Enterprise Hubs Project is a three-year project to create an interconnected community network

from the 101 hubs identified as either operating or in development in the AEC region. With a greater number of the Irish workforce working from home, the AEC project has grown in importance to facilitate remote working.

In a submission to the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment’s public consultation on Guidance for Remote Working, the IEA has called for the expansion of the hub network with high speed broadband connectivity, that is in line with health and safety and confidentiality rules. The IEA believes that the hub network should be considered as a feasible remote working solution for employers.

The Western Network group also discussed COVID-19 measures that businesses need at present and Brexit preparedness planning. The group will e-meet on the third Thursday of every month from September.

Hiab’s Strategy to Increase Network Coverage Wins

Hiab’s strategy to increase network coverage across the UK and Ireland is paying dividends as more businesses invest in reducing downtime.

To keep trucks moving, a 150-strong team of professional support engineers are on hand to support drivers who have an issue with a Hiab crane or demountable when on the road.

Managing Director for Hiab UK & Ireland Ian Mitchell said the on-road support differentiated them in the market place, proving to be a deciding factor when investing in cranes and specialist on-road handling equipment.

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Upcoming meets are scheduled for the following dates: • • • •

Thursday 17th September, 4 - 5pm Thursday 22nd October, 4 - 5pm Thursday 19th November, 4 - 5pm Thursday 17th December, 4 -5pm

For more information about the Regional Network groups or to register your interest to getting involved contact: AnnMarie O’Brien,IEA Public Affairs and Communications Officer; Email: annmarieobrien@irishexporters.ie

“One of the biggest strengths we have in the UK and Ireland is our network coverage. We have access to 150 highly-trained field engineers among our sales dealers and service agents; this level of coverage gives us a leading edge over the competition and it’s paying off as we are seeing businesses choosing Hiab as a result,” Ian said.

“Thanks to the number of Hiab field service engineers, we are confident that any downtime is minimised so we can continue to deliver for our customers.”

Regional Manager for Hiab, Ian Bebb added: “Our customers are never more than an hour away from one of our service engineers. Reducing downtime and having confidence in the support network is a big part of our plan to become the number one partner of choice for suppliers.”

HIAB Service Agents - Ireland Gleeson Steel & Engineering, Thurles, County Tipperary Cahir House Machinery, Cahir, County Tipperary TSS, Ballycoolin, Dublin TSS, Ballysimon, County Limerick TSS, Hillsborough, County Down Dennison Commercials Ltd., Ballyclare, County Antrim HIAB Sales Dealers - Ireland Gleeson Steel & Engineering, Thurles, County Tipperary Cahir House Machinery, Cahir, County Tipperary MAW Engineering, Toomebridge, County Antrim

AUTUMN 2020 NEWS 2

The Wood Pallet Industry - 4 Common Misconceptions Although wooden pallets are common in various workplaces, many misconceptions continue to exist about them. You might hear people complain about the increasing carbon footprint, copious amounts of wood pallets in landfills or limited usage options when speaking of wood pallets. Dublin headquartered Oliver Conroy Pallets is dedicated to educating and informing anyone who might come across pallets in the workplace or in personal life. Here the supplier of wooden and heat-treated pallets in Ireland and the UK offers advice on some of the misconceptions relating to pallets.

Myth #1: Pallets Are Not Environmentally Friendly Of course, trees are essential for human well-being and everyone knows about their importance for our nature and wildlife. However, wood is a natural and renewable resource which makes it the best material for pallets. Wooden pallets are 100% recyclable and the industry is very close to achieving the zero-waste benchmark. Additionally, after the pallet

has served its initial purpose, the owner can resell it to a pallet repair company.

Myth #2: Wood Pallets Fill Up Landfills They aren’t allowed into Landfill.

This is one the most crucial myths in the industry which needs clarification. A recently conducted study by Virginia Tech found that 95% of wood pallets are being recycled. In fact, the study claims that the overall appearance of wood pallets in landfills has decreased. Wooden pallets are used, repaired if necessary, reused, or converted into mulch, animal bedding or biofuel when they are no longer useful.

Myth #3: Wood Pallets Contribute to Deforestation Yes, wood pallets are made from new lumber. However, pallet companies often use these same pallets over and over again by repairing their damaged components.

When a pallet becomes unrepairable, it is shredded into mulch or other recycled materials.

TEXT: Rob Van Dieten – rob@fleet.ie

Recyclability and the impact on the environment are extremely important nowadays when considering packaging and shipping materials. Wood pallets may not seem to be the best option at first, but businesses should take a closer glance at the benefits of choosing them for their operations *Oliver Conroy Pallets is a family business built on excellence, high quality products and superb customer service. Established over 60 years ago, the business is a leading supplier of wooden and heat-treated pallets in Ireland and the UK and is based at the Robinhood Industrial Estate, Dublin 22.

Myth #4: New Pallets are the Best Pallets To clarify, recycled pallets can be

MPM Specialist Vehicles appointed Tuffa Tanks agents for Ireland MPM Specialist Vehicles (formerly McCluskey Plant & Machinery) which supplies specialist vehicles for the Transportation, Construction and Fire & Rescue industries has been appointed Irish agent for Tuffa Tanks.

The family owned business, with its head office based in Northern Ireland, just outside Belfast on the A1 to Dublin, covers all of Ireland as sole affiliated dealer, with its product lines including Terberg Shunter Trucks, Terberg Kinglifter Truck Mounted Forklifts and Seacom Trailers. MPM also represents Western Global fuels storage and transportation products, and Cemo storage boxes.

Mark McCluskey, Managing Director, MPM Specialist Vehicles also highlighted that his firm recently commenced supplying specialist vehicles and equipment to the Fire and Rescue sectors and “We continue to export used Construction Equipment throughout Europe,” he said.

Tuffa Tanks is an established Original

as good as new pallets. The ISPM15 standard ensures that the wood pallets are sterilised through heat treatment. Furthermore, you can save a substantial amount of money by using recycled or repaired pallets instead of new ones, while also doing something good for the environment.

Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) with many years’ experience producing industrial, commercial and domestic bulk liquid storage tanks. The Tuffa range of products is extensive and diverse, manufacturing items to client’s specifications, offering technical support and advice to customers. From its Uttoxeter Staffordshire manufacturing facility, it can provide liquid storage in plastic and steel from 1,350 litres and produce a rotomoulded tank of 20,000 litres in a single unit. Its design enables up to 100,000 litres to be interlinked for maximum storage for any bulk liquid.

Tuffa Tanks are designed in the interest of pollution control. They comply with Environmental Agency Guidelines, and are manufactured to European Standards and depending on the application, Building Regulations. The Fire Protection range of tanks has Local Authority Building Control (LABC) system approval for domestic and non-domestic applications up to 60,000 litres with up to two-hour Fire Protection.

In addition to moulded tanks, Tuffa can provide tanks in steel, including stainless steel, where the contents present severe corrosion challenges; these are particularly suitable in the chemical sector.

A claim to fame for Tuffa is that the company was commissioned by the BAFTA award-winning film, Philomena, to re-create vintage steel bath tubs for its set.

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AUTUMN 2020 case study 1

Lynas takes on Axiom to automate Lusk DC

Lynas Foodservice Group is one of Ireland’s largest food distributors, offering frozen, chilled, ambient and non-food products to hotels, restaurants and take-aways throughout Ireland and Scotland.

Established in 1978, Lynas is still a family owned business. With some 540 staff it now has over 5,000 customers and offers over 6,000 products. Founded in Coleraine, the firm opened its first cross-dock for its Republic of Ireland business in 2008. More recently it took on premises in Lusk, County Dublin for an automated Distribution Centre (DC).

Alastair Magee, Finance & IT Director of Lynas explained about the ongoing developments at the company: “We

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needed a solution to free up capacity in the Coleraine DC where we hold all our stock. The automation which was installed there six years ago has been largely successful, however problems began as our business grew in the Republic of Ireland. We were getting a bigger and bigger bottleneck in the system during the early part of our evening as we re-routed product for that market.”

Lynas decided to move bulk products destined for the Republic to Dublin. This would involve re-sorting stock at the new Lusk site, with an automation system supplied by Axiom.

“The Axiom solution technically appealed to us as the best because

of its simplicity and scalability,” says Alastair. “One of the key factors was the values that we saw in Axiom which matched our own… My MD felt that he could relate well to Matthew Nickson, Axiom’s MD, because both companies are family owned and run so we understand each other in that regard.”

Operations begin at the Lusk DC at 10pm, after the trucks from Coleraine have been unloaded. Up to 45 products per minute are manually loaded onto an infeed conveyor, including boxes, tins, sacks, packs of drinks and even tubs of ice cream. The Axiom sorter can handle any shape of product up to 500mm long and for those items that are nonconveyable, trays are used.

A combination of roller and belt conveyors move products to the sorter where it passes below a camera system. Here the barcode is read and an image is taken of the product and label. The barcode data is then passed to the automation control system (ACS).

Both the ACS and programmable logic controller (PLC) communicate with Lynas’ head office system to track the items along the sorter and determine each product’s destination.

Swivel wheel sorters divert individual products to their sort lane. If any problems are detected the product bypasses the eleven sorter lanes and is routed back as an error onto a dump lane which runs underneath the sorter lanes back to the loading area at the start of the system.

Sorted products are manually offloaded from the end of the lanes and palletised ready for immediate onward despatch in the waiting trucks direct to customers.

Alastair described the benefits: “The key benefits are firstly the speed that we can re-sort products in relation to what it would take for a manual team to do it and secondly the accuracy of the sortation. The accuracy is driven by our own barcodes which not only dictate the outfeed lane the product is going to go to, but how it will be positioned properly within the load. So it’s not just a good warehouse experience it’s a good driver experience too. These are things that you can do with automation that you cannot easily achieve with human interference.”

Text: Johanna Parsons - contributor@fleet.ie

AUTUMN 2020 IFOY awards

Winners of the IFOY AWARD 2020 announced Congratulations to Bosch Rexroth, Combilift, Crown, EasyMile, Sany Europe, Still and Wiferion

The International Intralogistics & Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY) AWARD honours the best intralogistics

products and solutions of the year.

The overall decision in electing the winners is based on the three-stage audit - consisting of a IFOY test protocol comprising around 80 criteria, the scientific IFOY Innovation Check, and Jury participation in an extensive Test Days programme. The decisive factor is that the nominees are not compared with each other, but with their competitors’ equipment on the market.

The IFOY AWARD’s independent international jury is made up of specialist journalists from all over the world, with Fleet Transport/Handling Network representing Ireland.

For the 2020 IFOY AWARDS, the organisers staged a Hollywood-style virtual award ceremony at the Hannover Messe, Germany in July. Its animation team created ‘I-T20’ a flying robot, short

for ‘IFOY Transformer 2020’, which transformed into the categories of the world’s largest intralogistics award, during the live on-line ceremony. When the I-T20 ‘beamed’ the trophies to the winners, pre-recorded messages of gratitude were presented by the winners from their home bases.

“Special times require special solutions, and transformation theme was is the key to its success. This year’s award ceremony set a visible sign for the power of transformation. It was dedicated to the best innovations in intralogistics, and moreover to the people who make logistics happen,” said Anita Würmser, Executive Chairperson of the Jury, at the award ceremony. Listed below are this year’s winners together with feedback from the jury. www.handling-network.com

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AUTUMN 2020 IFOY awards

Decisive factor in the jury’s decision was the easy commissioning in combination with the high market relevance and the high quality. “The innovation lies in the design of the Locator, which is specifically geared to current market requirements. The Locator is an interesting innovation both for the automation of standard industrial trucks and for manufacturers of special solutions, as it decouples them from the development of expertise in the field of environment-based localization. It thus enables new manufacturers of automated guided vehicles to easily enter the market,” the jury stated.

Category: Intralogistics Software of the Year 2020 Winner: Locator – Laser Localization Software, Bosch Rexroth AG

The IFOY AWARD 2020 in the ‘Intralogistics Software’ category goes to Bosch Rexroth for the Locator – Laser Localization Software. The international jury selected the localization software based on laser distance measurement as the best new release among intralogistics software solutions.

IFOY 2020 Winner, Intralogistics Software category (from left): Christopher Parlitz, Head of Development Intralogistics, Jörg Heckel, Project Director Intralogistics Robotics.

which was presented in February last year, as the best new release among the Lowlifter warehouse trucks.

Decisive factors for the jury’s decision were the high customer benefit and the professional implementation. “The Combi-CS offers significant added value in terms of operation and safety in confined spaces and thus solves a widespread problem. Implemented in solid Combilift quality, the vehicle is a very user-oriented solution with a high market relevance”, the jury wrote.

Category: Warehouse Truck Lowlifter Winner: Combi-CS, Combilift Ltd. 38

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The ‘Warehouse Truck - Lowlifter’ category winner is the Combi-CS from Monaghan based manufacturer Combilift.

The international jury selected the pallet truck with a load capacity of one tonne and a lifting height of 2500 millimetres,

IFOY 2020 Winner, Warehouse Truck Lowlifter - Martin McVicar, Managing Director, Combilift.

AUTUMN 2020 IFOY awards

Winner: ESR 1000, Crown Gabelstapler GmbH & Co. KG

Category: Warehouse Truck Highlifter

The winner of the ‘Warehouse Truck Highlifter’ is the Crown ESR 1000. The adjudication panel selected the 2.5 tonne capacity reach truck, presented in 2019, as the best newcomer among warehouse trucks in the Highlifter segment.

The decisive factors for the jury’s decision were the innovations in the areas of sustainability, ergonomics and safety, which are consistently geared towards high customer benefit, as well as the performance data of the truck. “Outstanding is the Xpress Lower Technology, which doubles the lowering speed, and the energy recovery during lowering, which reduces energy consumption by up to eleven percent.

The productivity gain for the user can be up to 21 percent.”

IFOY 2020 Winner, AGV & Intralogistics Robot category: EasyMile team with the TractEasy.

Category: AGV & Intralogistics Robot Winner: TractEasy, EasyMile SAS

Category: Special Vehicle

Victorious in the AGV & Intralogistics Robot classification was the TractEasy of the French manufacturer EasyMile.

The international jury selected the autonomous electric tow tugger for

Winner: SRSC45H9 Hybrid Reach Stacker, Sany Europe GmbH

IFOY 2020 Winner, Warehouse Truck Highlifter category: Christian Baerwolff,Senior Director European Engineering & Product Development, with ESR 1000. indoor and outdoor operation as the best new release among AGVs. Decisive factors were the universal applicability and the quality of the implementation. “Autonomous vehicles are not new, but until now their use has mostly been limited to warehouse or production environments. In addition, the vehicles often place high demands on floor quality. The outdoor area is a particular challenge for autonomous vehicles. Especially for transports between company buildings, considerable savings could be realized through automation due to the greater distances involved. The TractEasy closes this gap. It is very well thought out, extremely professionally implemented and enables flexible automation of logistics processes in both indoor and outdoor areas.”

Winner of the ‘Special Vehicle’ class was the Sany SRSC45H9. The Chinese manufacturer of the hybrid reach stacker for full box containers, launched in February last year, was deemed as the best new release in the market segment.

The jury was impressed with its energy efficiency and the intelligent use of known technologies for greater customer benefit. “The SRSC45H9 from Sany Europe more than meets the high demands on reach stackers. Various professionally implemented innovations offer the user great advantages in terms of productivity, fuel consumption, ergonomics and safety”.

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AUTUMN 2020 IFOY awards

Category: Counter Balanced Truck Winner: RX 60, Still GmbH

Category: Start-up of the Year Winner: etaLINK 3000, Wiferion GmbH 40

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The best ‘Counter Balanced Truck’ was deemed to be the new Still RX 60. The Hamburg headquartered company’s electric forklift truck with a lifting capacity of 2.5 tonnes, introduced last October, secured most points among the counter balanced trucks in the final analysis.

Wiferion, formerly Blue Inductive, won the ‘Start-up of the Year’ award with its etaLINK 3000. As the first market-ready and 100 percent contactless wireless charging system for industrial electric

Its innovative overall package and the outstanding handling performance was confirmed in all test series. “With the RX 60-25 in the high-performance version, Still breaks all records and sets the bar for electric trucks in this segment much higher. The counter balanced truck is quiet, easy to operate and manoeuvrable.

It also scores points for its lower power consumption costs compared to diesel or gas, as well as its low maintenance requirements. Never before has an electric forklift truck been so productive and such a serious alternative to combustion engines”.

“The result is an exemplary solution with improved features in terms of ergonomics, performance and safety.”

That is also the verdict of the scientific Innovation Check. It certifies that the powerful vehicle has been implemented at a professional level.

vehicles, it faired strongest in a strong line-up of start-up companies in the competition.

The jury’s marks went to the etaLINK 3000’s outstanding customer benefits and high market relevance in combination with equally high product quality. “The etaLINK 3000’s inductive charging system is a fully operational innovation that can revolutionise everyday life in the warehouse enormously and significantly reduce costs for companies,” the jury wrote.

The system for the automatic CAN-controlled charging of modern battery systems enables fast and flexible installation by means of base plates, which no longer requires any infrastructure measures. The charging process starts in less than a second.

Once this is complete, the driverless transport system or the forklift truck can continue and the system switches off automatically.

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

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AUTUMN 2020 case study 2

Safer Handling with Combilift

Combilift’s Combi-CS Since Combilift was established, a cornerstone of the Monaghan-based company’s design philosophy has been to supply innovative handling solutions that reduce risk and prevent accidents.

As well as enabling space saving and productive handling of loads of various sizes and dimensions, more secure and safer handling is cited by many customers as the reason why they opted for a Combilift product over other types of forklifts.

“Our commitment to this has also been recognised by industry associations such as the Forklift Truck Association (FLTA) and British Industrial Truck Association (BITA), from whom we have received safety awards for our models or features that we have developed and incorporated into our products,” commented Martin McVicar, Managing Director, Combilft/Aisle-Master.

“Let’s take a closer look at some of our individual models and how they contribute to enhanced safety procedures in the warehouse, production facilities and for loading and offloading materials.

And you can also hear from some of our satisfied customers too,” he added.

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Safer pedestrian truck operation with Combilift’s multi-position tiller arm (Combi-CS) Combilift’s reputation for designing innovative products and features which enhance materials handling safety was recognised once again last year when it won the Industrial Vehicles Category of the BITA (British Industrial Truck Association) Design4Safety Awards.

This was for its unique, patented multiposition tiller arm - a feature common to all its pedestrian models. It was designed to ensure maximum safety for the operator and other personnel who may be in the area where the trucks are operating, whilst enabling productive picking and placing of products in narrow aisles. The tiller arm can be turned to the left or right of the truck and enables push button rotation of the rear wheel parallel to the chassis and back again. It allows the operator to remain in the safest possible position when working in narrow aisles - at the side of the truck rather than at the rear as is the case with other pedestrian trucks.

This reduces the risk of the operator being crushed or trapped between the truck and the racking. The operator’s sight line is not impeded by having to look through the mast, guaranteeing

full visibility of the load, the forks and the surroundings, for greater awareness and therefore safety, not only for the operator but also for any other personnel or members of the public nearby. The tiller arm also incorporates a monitor which clearly displays the rear wheel position on Combilift’s growing range of pedestrian models such as the multidirectional Combi-WR4, the Combi-CS counterbalance stacker and the Combi-PPT powered pallet truck.

Safer Long Load Handling with Combilift working Indoor and Outdoor Handling long loads can be a headache – and a potentially dangerous one.

For example, manoeuvring long packs of steel, timber or aluminium in busy manufacturing facilities, through access doors and around obstacles can pose all sorts of risks. Trying to solve this by using a couple of counterbalance forklifts at either end of a load is a definite no-no from a health and safety point of view, and travelling with elevated loads to avoid obstacles in the yard or warehouse is deemed to be hazardous practice too.

So instead of relying on trucks with limited manoeuvrability, specialist solutions in the form of Combilift’s

AUTUMN 2020 case study 2

can transport goods from the galvanizing bays to the storage yard.”

Stefan Tenwinkel, MD of Tenwinkel GmbH & Co. KG: “The combination of a counterbalance forklift and an indoor crane wasn’t up to the job of handling our concrete ballasts and counterweights which weigh from 10kg to around 30t.

The Combi-MG mobile gantry is a flexible and mobile solution and thanks to its design, manoeuvrability and its multidirectional steering we can move our loads in a safer manner as well as ensuring space saving storage in the yard.”

Combilift’s Combi CBE4 multidirectional models are the solution.

Designed specifically for the challenges of long and bulky loads, they combine the advantages of a counterbalance forklift, sideloader and narrow aisle truck in one machine to ensure safe as well as space saving and efficient handling.

The very low centre of gravity and integrated platform provide a stable, low level base for resting loads on during transportation and with the cab mounted to the side of the mast, the operator has a clear view of the load. 4-way ability enables quick change of the wheel direction to enable sideways travel in confined spaces or though doorways.

Thousands of companies have ditched their conventional counterbalance fleets and replaced these with multidirectional C-Series trucks, and Combi-CB compact 4-way counterbalance design models.

Whatever you need to lift and move, you can reduce the risks with a Combilift

Combilift’s Combi WR4

truck – designed first and foremost with safety in mind.

“But don’t just take our word for it, let’s hear from our customers,” emphasised Martin.

Ben O’Hanlon, MD of Todds Leap in Northern Ireland is impressed with the advantages of his Combilift: “Before we had the multidirectional Combi-CB we had to juggle with reach trucks and pallet trucks and deploy a number of personnel to safely guide loads of up to 10m long racking through the door into the warehouse. What used to take up to 45 minutes for one load is now done in three or four minutes – with just one driver. As fewer people and fewer forklift movements are involved, this is a much safer process all round.”

Alan Boyden, Joint MD of AJN Steel: “We switched from counterbalance trucks to Combilifts to ensure the safer handling of our long and heavy products - moving 18m beams with a counterbalance truck is not ideal from a number of points of view. Our C-Series models move around 300t of steel every day and have made a valuable contribution to our aim to establish and maintain the highest standards of health and safety performance within our industry.”

Malcolm Wright, Director of Edward Howell Galvanizers Ltd: “ Efficient handling which also conforms to the highest levels of health and safety is a key part of our operations. Inch by inch manoeuvring of long and heavy loads through a narrow side door with counterbalance trucks is now a thing of the past with our Combilift. Resting the loads on the trucks is much more secure and increases the speed with which we

Combilift Pedestrian Forklift, the Combi – WR4 delivers Safe Long Load Handling Safety was the impetus for the development of Combilift’s first pedestrian model, the Combi-WR reach stacker. This was quickly followed by the launch of its 4-way counterpart, the Combi-WR4; the first purpose built 4-way pedestrian reach stacker which combines multi-directional travel with features such as a pantograph reach, side shift and tilting fork carriage for handling long loads and pallets.

It is the only truck of its kind able to work in aisle-widths of 2.1m pallet to pallet. Its excellent ergonomics, which enhance occupational health and safety for the operator, earned it an FLTA Award a few years ago.

Replacing ride-on forklifts with pedestrian models when possible is an acknowledged way to reduce risks to other employees or the general public who may be in the vicinity, so it comes as no surprise that major DIY chains were amongst the first to welcome the Combi-WR4 to their handling fleet.

Pedestrian trucks naturally operate at slower speeds compared to motorised ride-on forklifts, and operators have a heightened awareness of their immediate environment as well as good all-round visibility of the load and the forks.

But customers also want to combine safety with a high level of performance, and this was not lost on Combilift’s R&D department. They developed and patented the unique multi-position tiller arm which enables push-button rotation of the rear wheel, allowing the operator to remain in the safest possible position when placing and picking in narrow aisles, which is at the side of the unit. Electronic power steering, fingertip controls on the tiller arm and dual side by side front wheels offer superb manoeuvrability and effortless operation for handling even the longest and bulkiest loads around narrow confines and corners.

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AUTUMN 2020 case study 2

Combilift’s Combi SC IMSC Combilift Straddle Carrier Handles Heavy Loads Safely & Efficiently Any company that handles large loads of concrete or structural steel for example is familiar with the risks that are posed when loading trailers with product ready to be sent out to customers. This can often involve the need for working at height as personnel stand on the trailer to guide forklift drivers, or to sling hooks onto loads when using cranes.

To eliminate these hazards, many are turning to Combilift’s Combi-SC range of straddle carriers, which allow full loads to be prepared at ground level.

Once completed, the Straddle Carrier drives over the top of the load, picks it up in one lift and places it directly on the truck bed ready to be secured for transportation. Lifting and manoeuvring even the heaviest and very cumbersome loads is no problem for the Combi-SC. Its optimum centre of gravity, broad wheelbase and exceptional 3-wheel manoeuvrability ensure maximum load stability. The centrally located, ground accessible cab offers 360° visibility, the user interface is intuitive and all functions can be carried out from within the cab without the need for operatives to work at height.

And there are many other benefits, as Mike Nesbitt, Equipment Manager at Schulte Building Systems in the US explains: “Doing something the safer way has ended up being the more profitable way too. Our Combi-SCs have not only improved safety in the shop floors and yards but have halved the time it takes to build a load, reduced labour costs and boosted profits.”

Combilift’s Fast Freight CSS vehicles and stock, but at worst can cause serious or fatal injuries to personnel. There are several factors that can influence a forklift truck to become overloaded and the load centre - the distance from the face of fork to the centre of gravity of the load plays a crucial part.

Forklift operators who are insufficiently aware of their forklift’s load capacity and the risks that come with exceeding this not only compromise their own safety, but also place everyone working around them at serious risk. But as we cannot expect forklift operators to have to constantly do the maths, we need to make life easier – and safer – for them.

The Combilift Safe-Lift is an antioverload device which enables drivers to avoid the pitfalls of potential overloading. It incorporates a strain sensor on the mast and a lift cut-out valve positioned on the mast hydraulic lift hose. There is an audible alarm which warns the operator of an overload situation and an indicator unit is fitted to the dashboard in the cab. The operator can instantly see from the green, amber and red “traffic light” signalling when there is a risk of overloading or when the forks are not fully engaged for example and take appropriate action. Fitting this simple and cost effective system to counterbalance trucks is an effective way to cut risks for the operators and other personnel, and also to avoid product damage as well as costly repairs.

Combilift Slip Sheet Loads Containers Safely and Efficiently Loading a container is labour intensive, it takes a long time and carries with it the risk of injury to operators as well as damaged goods. Using a mechanised method reduces the need for manual handling and therefore increases safety.

This was the impetus behind the recent development of the Combilift Container Slip-Sheet (Combi-CSS), which speeds up container loading whilst protecting the workforce.

The 30,000 kg capacity Combi-CSS is a low, free-standing platform with a dual-directional hydraulic pulling mechanism, on which a steel sheet rests.

A full load of product can be prepared on the sheet which is then guided into the container. A 20’ container can be loaded in just three minutes and a 40ft in just six minutes. When fully loaded, a hydraulic rear barrier gate swings across the container opening and is locked in place. This holds the material within the container while the metal sheet is slipped out from underneath it.

One of the first Combi-CSS models was delivered to Fast Freight Srl. Romania, a freight forwarding company that wanted to improve its container loading procedures. “Safety and the reduction of risk across all operations is a major priority for us,” said Ioana Nedu, Export Sales Representative, “and we use various Combilift products to handle the very diverse loads we ship around the world. The Combi-CSS has enabled us to enhance safety whilst also increasing capacity and margin per load.”

Avoid overloading and keep safe with the Combilift Safe-Lift Overloaded vehicles can tip and fall, resulting not only in damage to 44

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Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie

AUTUMN 2020 testimonial

Nutkao - An Expanding Network How Nutkao sustained rapid growth with flexible shipping solutions from Coyote Logistics Nutkao – a producer of cocoa spreads, hazelnut spreads, and other semi-finished chocolate products - is an Italian confectionary company. It was founded in 1982 by Giuseppe Braida and is an international leader in private labelled spreads for more than 35 years. Nutkao’s main production factory is located in Canove di Govone, in the Province of Cuneo (Piedmont).

Customized Solutions to Sustain Growth Over the past few years, Nutkao has grown significantly. To sustain that growth, the company needed the ability to quickly secure transport capacity across multiple lanes for urgent shipments - all while maintaining rigorous food safety protocols.

Coyote Logistics has stepped in to help equip them with the logistics solutions necessary to source capacity, expedite shipping for urgent loads, and maintain rigorous food safety protocols throughout the transportation process. Coyote’s quick response time on quote requests allowed Nutkao to quickly secure transportation for urgent shipments at a reasonable rate.

“Coyote has really helped us in sourcing capacity — even before the Coronavirus situation. When we ask for a quote or request a transport, they always quickly confirm. This is very crucial to us because we need a fast answer since our customers very often have an urgent request. Coyote’s pricing is very competitive and they stay flexible,” explained Irene Giargia, Exports Coordinator from Nutkao.

Timing is everything Because Nutkao operates a fully automatic warehouse, timing is paramount. Load times must be precise, or the entire operation suffers: a delayed pick up leads to issues with pallet storage and warehouse inventory management. Nutkao trusts Coyote to coordinate timely shipments for the success of the entire operation. “Coyote has consistently been on time for pick up and offloading. This is very important to us – delays are simply not an option,” emphasized Irene. To protect the integrity of their spreads, Nutkao also needs transport to be refrigerated. Coyote helps source reliable, temperature-controlled carriers that can maintain their product quality.

In recent times, as the Coronavirus has impacted supply chains across the globe, it comes as no surprise that Nutkao’s operation was also affected. It had to shut down production to properly disinfect its facility, which led to delays and postponed pickups and deliveries. Despite disruption in the production and a volatile pricing market, Coyote Logistics has sourced reliable, time-sensitive transport at reasonable costs, helping Nutkao deliver to its customers while protecting its budget. “We have been incredibly impressed with Coyote’s ability to meet our short lead times. For our company this is very important. Normally, we only know a day or two in advance when our food will be ready, and Coyote always has an option for us,” she added.

The right partner Last year, Nutkao focused on building up the relationship between transport and transporters to tighten up its supply chain.

“More customers means more production, and that means more transport. If we don’t have the right partners for the transportation of our products, it won’t be possible to do a good job,” emphasised Irene. With the help of its relationship with Coyote Logistics, Nutkao was able to access flexible solutions, sustain consistent Text: Rob Van Dieten - rob@fleet.ie

growth and continually develop innovative strategies to better meet the needs of its customers and suppliers.

Coyote Logistics, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States is a leading global third-party logistics provider that matches more than 10,000 shipments every day. Founded in 2006, Coyote was created with one goal in mind: create a better service experience in the transportation industry.

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AUTUMN 2020 supply chain

IEA Supply Chain events go digital Following the COVID-19 Lockdown in March, the Irish Exporters Association’s moved its various events along with its training operations onto an online platform. Planning ahead for the remainder of 2020, the Association will be abiding by the Department of Health guidelines and is unlikely to hold any physical meetings. Therefore, the Association’s Awards Dinner event will also become virtual but will recognise the considerable achievements of many exporters through the crisis as well as the preparations made trading in a postBrexit world.

Looking ahead, the IEA advises: “In September the IEA Export Series of Webinars sponsored by Rhenus Logistics Ireland, Iarnród Éireann/Rosslare Europort and media partner, Fleet Transport, will resume. The programme will focus on best practice across trade compliance, the green supply chain, Brexit, market diversification and COVID-19. This IEA initiative supports exporters with innovative thinking to understand and overcome barriers in the Supply Chain and win more international business opportunities.”

The series opener is planned as a national event introducing the major Market and Supply Chain issues to be faced during the Autumn/Winter period. The IEA is an active participant in European Union, Government and Industry Consultative Groups and will bring the current state of play on the major production and trading issues to the table for discussion by the participants. Such activity also informs the Association about issues on the ground for exporters and these can be brought forward to the policy makers and administrators concerned.

Linked to the Export series are monthly on-line meetings of the Association’s Western Regional Group chaired by John Carr and the Southern Regional Group chaired by Tim Daly. The agendas for these meetings are similar to those noted above, but are focussed on how these issues impact within the region concerned. The Western Regional meetings take place on the third Thursday of each month and the Southern group meet on the second Tuesday.

Through holding these meetings at a relatively high frequency, the members of the regional groups have been able to interact on current issues of concern and, through discussion find solutions to, in the main, supply chain problems.

At the Western Group meeting in July, Stephen Carolan, the Atlantic Economic 46

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L/R: Simon McKeever, Irish Exporters Association; Jarlath Sweeney,Fleet Transport; Kasia Steyn, Irish Rail and Declan Sinnott, Rhenus Logistics Ireland pictured at the launch of the Irish Exporters Association Export Webinar Series 2020, sponsored by Rhenus Logistics Ireland, Iarnród Éireann/ Rosslare Europort and media partner, Fleet Transport

Corridor Enterprise Hubs Programme Manager at the Western Development Commission, spoke about this project, which has received a considerable boost through the announcement in June by Community Development Minister Sean Canney T.D., of €300,000 Government funding. This will enable the development of a network of enterprise hubs throughout the Atlantic Arc stretching from Limerick to Donegal.

These hubs will provide workspace within a short distance of people’s homes that will have all the facilities necessary to enable staff members of companies located some distance away to work remotely. This presentation opened a lively discussion as the establishment of a chain of such hubs would appear to meet both the climate action agenda for firms and workers as well as enhancing work/life balance.

Simon McKeever, the IEA CEO brought the meeting up to date with the state of the EU/UK negotiations as he had done at the earlier Southern Region event, and spelt out the likely implications of those discussions for companies active in the export business.

A hot topic at these meetings, as it is likely to be at the forthcoming ones, was the significant bending of supply chains arising from the global COVID19 pandemic. Manufacturers in the pharma and medical devices sectors have faced significant issues in meeting delivery deadlines due to the disruption of airfreight services. Exporters of food and other products requiring the use

of reefer containers have also been finding it increasingly difficult to source such equipment due, mainly, to the high volumes of such units being tied up in China awaiting health clearance.

Adding to this problem and affecting all exporters to deep-sea markets has been the “Blanking” of sailings by many of the carriers leaving containers stranded at hub ports for a week or more.

These discussions, together with the issues that members have brought to the IEA advisors, have informed the Association’s Autumn programme of training courses. Many of these are supported by Government funding and full details are available on the Association’s website. www. irishexporters.ie

Text: Howard Knott - howard@fleet.ie

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