Commercial GreenFleet: April 2018

MEASURES TO GREEN LOGISTICS

The Freight Transport Association discusses changes to the HGV Road User Levy rates and category B licensing rules. PLUS: The DVSA’s Earned Recognition Scheme; Commercial Vehicle Show review; and GreenFleet’s CV Roundtable

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AIR QUALITY

DVSA launches Earned Recognition Scheme

Industry bodies raise concerns over HGV use in Clean Air Zones

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)’s Earned Recognition Scheme has been launched which will allow commercial vehicle operators to prove they meet driver and vehicle standards.

It will allow them to regularly share performance information with DVSA, such as their MOT initial pass rates and if their drivers have broken drivers’ hours rules.

In return, their vehicles are less likely to be stopped for roadside inspections.

The launch follows a successful year-long pilot involving more than 60 commercial vehicle operators from various sectors of the industry.

Members of the scheme can use the DVSA earned recognition marque to use on their websites and other publicity materials, as well as be recognised as a DVSA approved

operator through a published list on GOV.UK. They will be able to prove they are exemplary operators when bidding for contracts and DVSA enforcement staff are much less likely to stop their vehicles at the roadside or visit organisation’s premises.

To support operators who want to join the scheme, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has launched a new service aimed at supporting operators who want to join Scheme. The Earned Recognition Data Hub will bring together both vehicle maintenance and driver data from multiple sources and has been designed to be a low-cost, not-for-profit solution to help the industry.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y8u3lh9b

TRAINING

Highways England and FTA to offer smart motorway training for hauliers Bespoke safety training for drivers who travel on smart motorways is being offered by the Highways Agency and the Freight Transport Association (FTA).

Aimed at commercial and haulage drivers, the course has been designed to provide practical, relevant training.

The eight hour, single day course covers the past, present and future of smart motorways, the different signals on the network, driver behaviour and the role of traffic officers.

A key aspect of the course is that it now integrates into the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC), the standard qualification for which all

professional bus, coach and lorry drivers must complete 35 hours of training every five years.

Senior Partnership Manager at Highways England, Wayne Carey said: “Smart motorways reduce congestion, improve journey time reliability and add much needed capacity to some of the most congested sections of motorway and we are delighted with the take up to date of this course. We urge any haulier who wants to sharpen up their skills to sign up.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y7jsdlhq

VANS & TIPPERS

Fiat Professional offers Ducato conversions straight from the factory Fiat Professional has launched a new converted business programme which will allow customers to order fully converted vehicles directly from the factory.

The ‘Ready For Professionals’ programme is designed to meet growing customer demand for officially converted Fiat Ducato-based vans and tippers.

A range of conversions are available, in three different wheel-base options (3450mm, 3800mm and 4035mm), chassis cab and double cab, and

with hundreds of customisations.

A range of MultiJet II 2.3-litre engines – 130, 150 and 180bhp – are fitted to a choice of either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed Comfort-Matic manual robotised gearbox which, with two operating modes (sequential or automatic), can adapt to all driving styles.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y7rcn86g

Commercial Vehicle News

COMPLIANCE

Four associations have written a joint letter to transport secretary Chris Grayling calling for support to ensure that the introduction of Clean Air Zones (CAZ) will not unfairly hit businesses that rely on HGVs. The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), joined with the Road Haulage Association (RHA), Freight Transport Association (FTA), and the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) in order to raise these concerns.

The proposed HGV charges for all trucks other than the latest Euro VI models is typically £100 per day, which could equate to an additional 25 per cent on the daily running cost of a non-compliant vehicle.

The joint letter asks the Minister to meet and discuss various solutions that could lessen the impact on businesses.

These include providing CAZ charge exemptions on certain routes or during night time, a reduced charge for Euro V trucks, and ensuring that CAZ standards and administration are consistent across the country and communicated properly.

It also calls for more guidance and resources for local authorities to identify local congestion and pollution hotspots and improve traffic management.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ycxkauah

AIR QUALITY

FTA launches Logistics Emissions Reduction Scheme The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has changed its Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme to become the Logistics Emissions Reduction Scheme (LERS), to incorporate air quality performance as well as carbon.

The new scheme continues the previous commitment of a five per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 on 2015 levels, and will shortly establish a further target for 2025.

“The changes to air quality policy from government will continue to challenge us, but I am confident that our members will continue to outperform industry as a whole and lead the way into a cleaner, greener future,” says Rebecca Kite, Environment Policy Manager for FTA. LERS is provided for the industry

by FTA free of charge and is open to all companies with at least one commercial vehicle (HGV or van).

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ycvj3v5u

Volume 113 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Commercial Vehicle News

LoCITY

HYDROGEN

ULEMCo showcases hydrogen-fuelled combustion engine truck ULEMCo has developed a truck with a combustion engine powered by hydrogen fuel, which is due to be rolled out later this year.

The converted Volvo FH16 is designed to show how hydrogen fuel can be deployed to decarbonise heavy goods vehicles efficiently and cost-effectively.

The Mega Low Emission (MLE) truck uses hydrogen to power the vehicle using a combustion engine rather than via fuel cells and an electric motor.

Amanda Lyne, CEO ULEMCo, said: “We are hugely excited about the potential for hydrogen fuel as a route to faster achievement of zero carbon emission in commercial vehicles.

“With this MLE demonstrator, co-funded by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, we are showing that 100 per cent hydrogen fuel in combustion engines is a practical and cost-effective option. It sits well alongside the hydrogen dual-fuel conversions that we have already implemented commercially.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yd3gjeao

MOBILITY

Mercedes-Benz Vans teams with Via to offer ride sharing

Mercedes-Benz Vans has partnered up with US startup company Via to provide a ride-sharing service. Via’s system matches up passengers heading in the same direction. Passengers request rides through a mobile app, and Via’s algorithm finds a vehicle that best matches the passenger’s route, allowing for quick and efficient shared trips without detours.

The models mainly used will be the Vito Tourer (up to nine seats) and the V-Class (up to eight seats).

By enabling vans to be

routed between thousands of ‘virtual’ bus stops, Mercedes say this approach to public transit will help reduce traffic volume in cities without requiring the construction of costly new infrastructure.

Mercedes-Benz Vans and Via aim to introduce on-demand shared rides in Europe, with London as the first city to launch the service. Other European cities will soon follow.

The latest from LoCITY, TfL’s low-emission commercial vehicle programme LoCITY aims to reduce emissions from vans and HGVs by giving fleets the information they need to confidently switch from diesel to alternatively fuelled vehicles

James Smith, programme manager, LoCITY

Its been a hectic first few months putting together the team and meeting so many new faces at our lively working groups. I’ve also been pleased to see the scale of independent research we are completing to make sure our advice is accurate and impartial. TfL is strongly committed to LoCITY and this column, plus our monthly newsletters, are the easiest way to keep track of progress.

LoCITY has been active in London for two years, and in that time over 1,300 people from 819 companies have already signed up. Our work is shaped by four industry-led working groups, which provide us with direct feedback and ideas. The LoCITY website (www.LoCITY.org.uk) has more details about the programme. There, you can access a tool to help you find the right vehicle for your organisation, as well as a map with all the places to refuel and recharge across the country.

I will be using this monthly column to discuss industry news, the latest research and LoCITY events like our recent Fuels in Action roadshow, which was attended by 250 delegates and saw universal agreement that the market is rapidly moving towards alternative fuels.

Over the next few months, we will be launching some new online tools to help give you the independent advice needed to make sound decisions for your business. We’re very proud of a new toolkit that addresses common myths around new technology and an online calculator that will estimate the whole-life cost of a new vehicle against your current fleet.

I will also share how some of our Champion operators have been overcoming operational challenges and showcasing where our European neighbours have transitioned to new fuels without losing money. I think we can learn from their collaborative approach to infrastructure delivery, as we cannot let that continue to be a barrier that stops us from moving forward.

Next month, I will be writing about TfL’s Ultra Low Emission Zone and what this might mean for your business.

FURTHER INFORMATION

READ MORE

www.locity.org.uk

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With an increasing focus in the media and among the general public on the issue of air quality and safety, two major government announcements at the end of March, aimed at improving the status quo, could have a significant impact on fleet operations in this country.

On 28 March, the government announced that rates for the HGV Road User Levy (RUL) will change next year to start reflecting the Euro engine emissions class of HGVs. From 1 February 2019, there will be a 10 per cent decrease in RUL charges for Euro VI vehicles and a 20 per cent increase for all pre-Euro VI vehicles. The government’s intention is to help promote air quality improvements by encouraging take-up of Euro VI vehicles.

The reduction of 10 per cent in the RUL for Euro VI vehicles is good news as it shows recognition of the success of the HGV Euro VI vehicles, which have 80 per cent lower real world local emissions than previous vehicles.

However, the introduction of the increased levy on pre-Euro VI trucks will actually hurt those small and medium sized business that already face increased costs as they need to upgrade to Euro VI vehicles early in their vehicles’ life cycles, in order to be compliant with the planned Clean Air Zones. This forced resale will have a direct impact on SMEs, since the re-sale value of their slightly older lorries, the Euro IV and Vs, has fallen

livelihoods at risk for only a temporary gain on so much. This, in turn, will make the jump to air quality in the short term. The reform of the affording a new Euro VI so much greater and Levy was an opportunity to help, and for the does not account for ongoing depreciation and most part the government has failed to take it. succession planning for older vehicles, which is such a key part of business management.

Licence changes As an example, the new annual rates Another announcement which came from the for the largest HGVs will be £900 for Euro VI government at the end of March, following a rate from February 2019 and £1,200 for positive response to a consultation last year, is Euro 0-V rate from February 2019. that it will seek agreement from the EU The current rate is £1,000. for a temporary derogation from The Freight Transport The the requirements of the third Association (FTA), which govern driving licensing directive. represents more than m announ ent When in force, this will mean 17,000 logistics that category B (car) licence businesses of all rates fo ced that r holders will be able to sizes, believes the t h e Road U HGV drive alternatively-fuelled government should s e r L evy (RU will cha vans up to a maximum have loaded the L) nge to authorised mass increase on to the r e t fl h ect e Euro (mam) of 4,250kg. older, most polluting emissio engine Currently, drivers with lorries (Euro III and ns category B licences are below) to create a of HGVclass permitted to drive vans which short-term market for s weigh up to 3.5 tonnes mam. the Euro IV and V vehicles However, electric and hybrid vans that those delivering to city of a comparable size must carry a large centres will be seeking to sell on. battery pack, making them slightly heavier.

As an industry, freight and logistics has FTA, whose members operate 245,000 been working hard to improve air quality, and HGVs – around half of the UK’s total lorry new technology has ensured that trucks have fleet, consulted its membership on the been getting cleaner for decades. Clearly, we proposal and found that, in the main, they are not dealing with an intractable problem were largely in favour of the change. It follows but merely a question of how soon the latest news that operators of alternatively-fuelled round of beneficial changes now needs to be vehicles up to 4.25 tonnes will also be made. The government’s “do it now” approach exempt from HGV Operator Licensing, as to cleaner air risks putting some long as they only operate domestically. smaller hauliers’ FTA is delighted the government has listened to the logistics industry and taken this positive step to make it easier for transport !

Volume 113 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Written by Christopher Snelling, FTA’s Head of UK Policy

The FTA’s Christopher Snelling discusses recent government announcements to help lower the emissions of commercial vehicles, including changes to the HGV Road User Levy rates and changes to driver licensing rules, which will allow drivers to operate heavier but cleaner vans

Logistics

Government measures to green logistics

31

Logistics

" and freight companies to operate electric vehicles. It will make it cheaper and easier for firms to include alternatively-powered vehicles in their fleets. It is an excellent example of how the government can use regulatory adjustments to help our industry implement more energy-efficient working practices.

The announcement on the derogation of the third driving licensing directive came after a wide ranging two-month consultation process. The government says it supports a commitment to ensure that almost every car and van is a zero-emission vehicle by 2050.

The change means companies will no longer be penalised for using alternatively-fuelled vehicles. The heavier weights of these vehicles mean they have often been inaccessible for van operators who do not have an operator licence or the appropriately trained drivers. For firms with the appropriate operator licence, the additional regulation still meant extra cost in implementing appropriate compliance policies and recruiting additional drivers.

Now they will be able to absorb these vehicles easily into their current working practices.

Dual priorities Freight and logistics, as an industry, is committed to ensuring that its impact on the environment continues to reduce, while ensuring that goods and services still move freely across the country to service the nation’s manufacturing and business bases. FTA’s close relationships and regular dialogue with government and its appropriate departments has ensured that the needs

of all those involved in the UK’s supply chain have been heard in the ongoing debate around the environment, and it is crucial that these conversations continue.

As a nation, we are increasingly reliant on a “just in time” supply chain, and the logistics operators involved in this must continue to be heard when decisions are made about how and where they are to be allowed to move goods and services. In such an economically volatile climate, FTA will continue to work closely with government and its advisers in the coming months to

ensure that Britain keeps on trading, while limiting the impact of the logistics sector on the environment – something which its member organisations are all too keen to do. One sector cannot make all the necessary improvements in isolation, however, so it is crucial that logistics is not unfairly penalised when its role is so critical in ensuring the nation’s continued trading success. # FURTHER INFORMATION www.fta.co.uk

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quodi blaborum nos eumque laboribus For UK fleet owners, 2019ut willmolorem bring with it aut ationse North American API CK-4/FA-4 standards the new emissions-based tax and Euro VInitibusdae and ACEA, we introduced et introduction quoditiatofdolo qui de volecab orerisqui nullacianti breaks. According to the UK government, the DURON™ next generation product rest, sitiatis ut idem quodi consequat facimagnime pernatemquae heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) only account line to the European market. nimus teminipsaest et needs for better fuel for five perearibus, cent of mileage the UK butmoluptatium To meetes ournet customers’ produce approximately 20 per cent of total economy, reduced emissions and extended xoxoxoxooxide emissions. To support fleets that nitrogen drain intervals, the engine oils were put produce less emissions, vehicles that comply through rigorous and comprehensive testing with Euro VI INFORMATION will qualify for a 10 per cent to demonstrate just how effective they are.

FURTHER reduction in road tax, while those that don’t For example, when testing DURON Next xxx have to pay an extra 20 per cent. will Generation at the renowned Millbrook Proving With 80 per cent lower real-world local Ground in Bedford, the fuel economy benefits emissions than previous lorries, the Freight were clear. Assessed within a controlled Transport Association has said that the environment designed to reflect real world tax reduction shows recognition for the use, the upcoming new DURON UHP E6 success of the HGV Euro VI vehicles.

5W-30 was found to offer up to 2.34 per cent Affecting the combustion process, it stands improvement in fuel efficiency and emissions. to reason that a reduction in emissions To further showcase the benefits of DURON also means a reduction in the level of fuel next generation to the industry, we have required. High on the agenda for Original introduced the DURON Challenge program.

Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), fuel This offers fleet owners a free trial of DURON economy and emission reductions are the for use in one or more of their vehicles, key drivers for engine and truck design. providing them with the opportunity to But what role do engine oil lubricants play discover its performance and value, supported in supporting these improvements? with oil analysis and technical expertise, to demonstrate the real-world benefits it delivers.

The role of lubricants A crucial part of a maintenance schedule, The use of lower viscosity lubricants can offer oil analysis ensures that engines run with additional fuel economy benefits as well as maximum efficiency to reduce running costs. maintenance enhancements. By minimising DLM Trucking, a family-owned business with frictional losses between moving components more than 50 trucks based in the state of while reducing pumping and spinning losses, Washington, United States, took the DURON engine oils can prevent viscous drag and Challenge. DLM saw the results from the improve fuel economy. Low viscosity oils DURON Challenge almost immediately and enhance this as they require less work to were able to directly compare the performance move through the engine and can flow faster. of DURON against the competitor oil they Other operating conditions, for example had previously used for over 30 years; Drain in the bus and waste industries where stop/ intervals doubled* from 20,000 miles to start technology is used, also means that 40,000 miles; Essentially no oil consumption a more durable lubricant is required to in the first 20,000 miles using DURON. With protect the engine against a substantially DLM’s previous supplier, one gallon of oil increased number of on/off cycles. was consumed within the first 12,000-14,000 Also, conventional lubricants can be miles; The engine oil’s Base Number (BN) stressed by newer engines that run at at 20,000 miles was 2.5 times better with higher temperatures which can accelerate DURON than it had been with DLM’s previous the rate of oxidisation and degradation. oil. Resistance to oxidation and nitration, To address this, newer oils offer greater and viscosity retention also improved. resistance to oxidation, along with improved These results clearly demonstrate the aeration control and shear stability. significant cost savings and potential Collectively, these improvements allow extension to oil drain intervals that can the engine to run more efficiently, with be obtained by transitioning to DURON improved levels of protection, while using heavy duty engine oil. For fleet owners less fuel and producing fewer emissions. and operators ready to make a change, the DURON Challenge offers a free and Real world results no risk opportunity, supported by expert At Petro-Canada Lubricants, to meet the analysis, to discover the performance strictest global regulations for heavy improvements that can be achieved. duty engine oil regulations, including The key for fleet operators is to adopt a

Karl Rudman

Written by Advertisement Feature

The use of lower viscosity lubricants can offer additional fuel economy benefits as well as maintenance enhancements. Karl Rudman, business development manager at Petro-Canada Lubricants, explains how

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Petro-Canada Lubricants develops and produces 350+ world-class lubricants, specialty fluids and greases. Karl’s role focuses on the growth and development of finished lubricants sales for Petro-Canada Lubricants Europe, using the full breadth of his expertise to evolve both the product line and approach to the market to further accelerate strategic growth in the EMEA region.

Karl holds a degree in Chemistry from the University of Nottingham. holistic view to improving fuel economy and reducing emissions, while navigating changes and incentives surrounding new industry specifications. Selecting a lubricant based on clear evidence of performance will provide peace of mind for fleet owners and tangible fuel and overall cost savings.

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Volume 113 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

33

EARNED

DVSA RECOGNITION Safer drivers, safer vehicles, safer journeys for all

Just some of the benefits of using SilkThread® Earned Recognition Module

Clear guidance on what you need to do to achieve compliance

An up to date environment with bulletins and updates for changes to legislation, guidance and best practice

Remote visibility of compliance status and evidence for senior managers, across multiple depots

Diary reminders & action lists to maintain compliance

Labyrinth is an approved audit provider for companies looking to obtain DVSA Earned Recognition. We can also provide assistance with preparation for audits. Labyrinth has also developed an online compliance tool to help companies achieve ER status, SilkThread® ER Module. SilkThread® is an award winning cloud based application that gives you all you need to manage compliance. Audit your operation, input responses and upload evidence, then have complete online visibility of compliance status; with dashboard, audit trail and action lists, accessible anywhere.

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Compliance Written by Gordon Macdonald, DVSA’s head of enforcement policy

Earning recognition for safety and compliance The DVSA’s Earned Recognition Scheme, which was launched on 24 April, allows commercial vehicle operators to prove they meet driver and vehicle standards. Gordon Macdonald, the DVSA’s head of enforcement policy, explains how it works DVSA has been exploring the earned recognition concept since 2014, in response to a very real, very powerful dilemma: how do we focus our resources on tackling operators who put their drivers and other road users at risk?

In 2016/17, for example, our examiners found a significant volume of drivers’ hours offences, meaning that drivers were tired, sleepy and potentially dangerous in one in 20 of the vehicles we stopped. We found mechanical problems – often of a serious nature – in nearly a third and nearly half of all loads were unstable or overweight. Of course DVSA has the power to fine, prosecute and refer to the Traffic Commissioner those offenders.

But how do we change that dynamic? How do we offer not just a stick but a carrot?

Importantly, how do we reward operators who strive for the best possible safety standards, not just because they’re required to but because they believe in its importance?

So, in developing the scheme we’ve worked with trade associations and exemplar operators.

Benefits for operators It’s not always been easy – we have tested and refined over a long period to get

for the Department for Transport’s national the standards right – often in the face of fleet compliance survey, which needs a small cynicism. After all, there are a few similar sample of randomly checked vehicles. schemes with similar stated aims. What We successfully launched pilot in April 2017 makes earned recognition different?

– and more than 60 operators, operating more Well, earned recognition is a single, national than 43,000 vehicles, are now taking part. standard and is free to join. But the Participating operators range from most obvious difference is those, like John Lewis and BT with the direct benefits for The thousands of vehicles, to an operators. Those benefits scheme operator with just one. include less frequent reward DVSA roadside operato s How it works checks or site visits, The way earned saving operators strive fo rs who recognition works is time and money. r the be possible st relatively simple.

Operators can safety standar You’ll need to pass also prove they’re ds, bec an earned recognition an exemplary a t hey bel compliance audit and operator when they ieve in use its you’ll need to have bid for contracts; importa nce IT systems for vehicle they can use the DVSA maintenance and drivers’ earned recognition hours. These will monitor if you’re marque on their meeting a set of key performance website and other publicity indicators (KPIs) on drivers hours and materials and will be recognised as a maintenance. And we’re looking at ways DVSA-accredited operator on GOV.UK. we can make emissions compliance part DVSA will still stop vehicles if they’re in of the scheme for earned recognition an obviously dangerous condition. And an in the future. ! operator’s vehicles could also be stopped Volume 113 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

35

Matt Goodstadt discusses how fleet management systems can support the journey to compliance Ensuring compliance is an essential challenge that all transport operators face. It is also one of the key criteria of a fleet management system. These systems provide transport operators with a holistic view of their entire fleet as well as access to real-time, purposeful data to make business critical decisions, enabling organisations to spot inefficiencies, reduce administration, remove the burden of paper records and, crucially, ensure fleet compliance.

Fleet management systems, such as Civica Tranman, record, monitor and store all legal documentation required to meet DVLA and DVSA directives, to ensure that organisations meet the conditions of their Operator’s Licence and Earned Recognition respectively.

By providing a single view of inspections and services due, along with the legal documents associated with fleet, businesses can ensure that all vehicles are roadworthy and have 24/7 access to a full audit trail of maintenance documentation.

The benefits of the data provided by fleet management systems are huge. From ensuring compliance and reducing fuel consumption to gaining information on road conditions and vehicle health checks, companies which exploit this access to

real-time information provided by mobile, touchscreen technology will not only be more productive in managing current operations, but will also be able to use this data to predict future trends, alongside reducing the number of potential roadside checks.

Using a modern, cloud-enabled fleet solution also gives operators greater control.

The self-service function allows drivers to report a vehicle defect online, book a pool or hire vehicle, and report accidents, reducing administration and vehicle downtime. It also sends businesscritical information automatically, alerting any compliance issues so that businesses can act to avoid problems.

Proactive management of drivers, recording all their training, accidents, endorsements, average miles per gallon, and even driving style from telematics, allows the software to create risk profiles to enable tailored

intervention with drivers. This reduces the possibilities of accidents, which will, in turn, reduce driver insurance premiums.

What’s more, fleet management software can also help businesses reduce the size of their fleets, where possible. Through smart deployment and identifying under-used vehicles, it provides insight that informs businesses of the optimum number of vehicles required at any given time, helping reduce capital and running costs.

The road to compliance may indeed pose challenges to today’s transport operators; but those organisations which embrace new technologies will no doubt be best placed to tackle these issues and, ultimately, reap the benefits.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.civica.com

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Use of the DVSA earned recognition marque to use on operator websites and other publicity materials.

Compliance

Benefits of the scheme

Being recognised as a DVSA approved operator through a published list on GOV.UK. Being able to prove they are exemplary operators when bidding for contracts.

DVSA enforcement staff being much less likely to stop operator vehicles at the roadside.

DVSA enforcement staff being much less likely to visit operator premises.

Having direct access to a dedicated earned-recognition team in DVSA.

" DVSA won’t have direct access to any of your data or systems. But every four weeks, these systems will tell DVSA if you’ve missed any of the KPIs by a set amount. If this happens, DVSA will work with you to fix the issue.

Those taking part might have had different reasons for joining but they also share a common commitment to the highest standards of compliance.

Staples Vegetables was the first haulier to join the pilot, before it even had a name.

They told us that earned recognition was an “eye opener” and that it’s made lots of their processes and protocols sharper.

Lucketts was the first bus and coach operator to join the pilot. They found joining the pilot to be easy, as they already measured lots of the standards used for the scheme.

For them joining earned recognition was a natural extension of their approach to vehicle safety, which they view as being “paramount” and a “key priority”.

New Image Stone supply, manufacture and install custom-made natural stone products for high-end residential and commercial developments. They’re also the smallest operator on the earned recognition scheme with just one vehicle.

Once they found out about earned recognition, joining the scheme was quick and easy. “From the support from the DVSA specialist, to the audit and

Earned recognition is a single, national standard and is free to join. But the most obvious difference is the direct benefits for operators. Those benefits include less frequent DVSA roadside checks or site visits, saving operators time and money upgrades to our tachograph system and IT Maintenance process has been a quick and easy process,” said Monica Coe, transport manager at New Image Stone.

They’ve found that being transparent with us about their compliance is mutually beneficial.

We get to better target our resources and they cut down on stops during the working day.

The location and nature of their work also makes earned recognition particularly useful for them.

Monica continued: “Due to the nature of our work, we are constantly going into central London on commercial sites, so we believe that it will only be a matter of time before our clients decide this scheme is a requirement to win work.”

“It demonstrates to our clients, suppliers and competitors that we’re fully committed to improving our vehicle and driver standards by working closely with DVSA on this scheme.

Being recognised as an approved operator and founder member is something we’re proud of.”

Taking compliance seriously Even at this early stage many of the pilot operators are already seeing the benefits. We’ve heard reports of improved relationships with drivers, better processes and recognition from customers.

The full list of all the vehicle operators taking part in the pilot has been published on GOV.UK, and includes private and public sector organisations.

If you’re an operator and you take compliance and safety seriously, joining the earned recognition scheme is a logical choice. If you want to know more check out our guidance. # FURTHER INFORMATION www.gov.uk

Volume 113 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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CV Roundtable Written by Angela Pisanu

With support from

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ROUNDTABLE Telematics, connectivity and autonomous vehicles were debated in the afternoon session of GreenFleet’s Commercial Vehicle Roundtable, which took place on 23 March at London’s Tower Bridge Telematics has had a major positive impact on the operation of commercial vehicles. With information available on vehicle performance, driver behaviour, routes, diagnostics, and so on, telematics gives an inside look into fleet operations that was not possible before. It allows managers to identify where improvements can be made for a more efficient, cost effective and safe fleet.

But with all the data technology generates, it can be overwhelming for fleet managers who do not have the know-how, time or resource to deal with it. “There are a number of operators that have the technology and information but they are not doing anything with it because they haven’t got the resource or the people to deal with it,” commented Mark Lovett from Leaseplan.

To make things easier, Mark says that

David Thackray David leads the process of bringing the ground-breaking, range-extended electric trucks to market, moving to full production and managing Tevva Motor’s fast-growing order book.

David has an innate understanding of and commitment to the freight industry, coming from five generations of transport contractors. That background is invaluable as he works with clients to ensure they achieve their sustainable freight goals.

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Sales & Marketing Director, Tevva Motors

Event Sponsor

telematics should be tailored to each company as there is no point in technology generating data that is irrelevant to what the company is trying to achieve. He said: “It is crucial to have technology and data that is appropriate to each individual operator and to the nature of their business. There will be organisations where route optimisation is important and another where fuel spend is, for example.

Telematics isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.”

Camera footage The topic of dash cams came up and the consensus around the table was that they are very helpful.

Chris Dixon from Eurovia explained how dash cam footage has helped his business on numerous occasions, either by proving a driver was not at fault in an accident, or for insurance purposes.

He said: “There was one occasion when one of my drivers hit someone and was arrested. But the dash cam footage showed that the driver did everything in his power to prevent the collision, and so he was released straight away.”

Dash cams and telematics can often be seen as ‘big brother’, with drivers feeling like they are being monitored. It does not take them long to see the benefits though, according to Chris. He says: “Buy-in from our drivers was very hard until I explained to them the instances where dash cam footage has backed a driver up in collision events. Then they realised we weren’t doing it to try catch them out but to save their licence and reputation.”

Norman Harding from the London Borough of Hackney said that in his case, dash cams are proving more beneficial than telematics.

He said: “We are a local authority and so all our routes are more or less the same each week, so the benefits of telematics aren’t so prevalent for us. When we first had telematics installed eight years ago, we identified things that could be changed that had an immediate positive effect.

But after that, it’s not been as much of a benefit. But dash cam footage has been.”

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Truck platoons The UK’s first HGV platooning trial has been given the green light and is expected to begin at the end of 2018. It will see three heavy goods vehicles travelling in convoy, with acceleration and braking controlled by the lead vehicle. All lorries in the platoon will have a driver ready to take control at any time.

There were mixed feelings around the tables about how truck platoons and autonomous vehicles could benefit commercial fleet operations.

Mark Waby from Kuehne+Nagel said: “Truck platoons could be fantastic if they take away some of the stress from the driver. For those on the road however, it could pose a problem.

It is already difficult enough trying to join and exit a motorway without having to navigate past a truck platoon. But any technology that can take pressure off the driver, such as lane control or automatic braking, is a good thing.”

Amanda Lyne from Ulemco raised the

GreenFleet Commercial Vehicle Roundtable event delegates

CV Roundtable

Commercial Industry Professional, Leaseplan UK

Event Sponsor question of liability when it comes to incidents involving self-driving vehicles. She said: “Ultimately, I have duty of care not to collide with anyone and if I do, as a human being, I suffer consequences. But if you put an autonomous vehicle on the road, who is actually liable? Is it the technology provider?

Is it the vehicle owner? Is it the pedestrian?”

“The logic is that a computer is supposed to do something better than I can, but a computer can’t stop someone from walking in front of a vehicle, and while it will do its best to avoid it, it might still collide,” Amanda adds.

It was agreed that self-driving vehicles are well suited to controlled environments. Iqbal Mark Lovett Gill from Heathrow Airport explained how Mark Lovett is the head of the airport uses T5 pods, which are a fleet commercial vehicles at LeasePlan of automatic driverless electronic vehicles UK. He has 20 years’ experience which transport customers between Heathrow working in the UK LCV market Airport’s Terminal 5 and the Thistle Hotel. with manufacturers and leasing David Thackray from Tevva Motors said companies. Mark created and that the infrastructure to get fully self-driving deployed LeasePlan UK’s long term vehicles on the road would be immense LCV strategy, adding over 100,000 because the amount of sensors that would vans to the LP UK funded fleet, need to be put in place. It was also agreed doubling its LCV fleet size. that the infrastructure for driverless vehicles is currently not equipped to deal with hazardous Motors is doing with Leeds City Council, weather and environmental conditions, such Earth Sense and Transport Systems Catapult as black ice, or mud covering a sensor. to improve air quality in urban areas.

In the meantime, David said that there will Real-time air quality readings are captured be increasingly more systems in vehicles that and trigger hybrid electric engines to switch are autonomous. He said: “There’s more to automatically to zero-emission running. But it autonomous vehicles that just self driving goes further than that, as David explains: “If vehicles. Our range-extended truck has an sensors pick up on too much NOx, the system autonomous system where it knows where dynamically defines a clean air zone based its going, how many miles it is doing, what on current levels of pollution, wind traffic it will be going into, what load it direction, and so on. A message has, and how that load varies drop is then sent to the vehicle to by drop. It also works out if The say that it is approaching it will be entering any low roundta a clean air zone and emission zones and takes ble hosted gives you options, such it all in and calculates its represe as to divert around it, energy requirement.” ntatives pay a fee or switch to Another example of an f r om var zero emission mode.” autonomous system is i o u comme the one used in project rcial vehs The drivers ACCRA that Tevva ic operato rs and le To finish the industr discussion, delegates y agreed that there experts is a real shortage of HGV drivers coming into the industry, and the current population of drivers is ageing.

Andy Wilson from TNT explains: “It stems from changes to driving licence regulations in 1997, after which you had to qualify to drive a 7.5 tonne vehicle. Now you’ve got to go through a load of tests, have driver CPC, a digital tachograph card, and so on. There are so many different barriers to actually sitting on the seat and doing the job.”

The group also cited lack of services and facilities as reasons the profession is suffering a recruitment crisis, as well as the dangers drivers face when crossing to and from Calais.

This situation could be aided by autonomous vehicles however, as companies may need to hire fewer drivers in the future.

Innovation such as this may also help to recruit a new generation of drivers, who see it as a chance to be part of a technological revolution in transport. #

Sponsors David Thackray Sales & Marketing Director, Tevva Motors Mark Lovett Commercial Vehicle Industry Professional, Leaseplan UK

Event Chair John Curtis, Motor Journalist

Delegates Chris Dixon Transport & Plant Operations Manager, Eurovia (UK) Ltd Rob Ellis Divisional Fleet & Plant Manager, Ringway Andy Wilson City Logistics Manager, TNT Express UK Iqbal (Ickie) Gill Procurement Manager, Heathrow Airports Limited Michael Cook Senior Fleet Engineer, Babcock International Group Georgina Smith Fleet Manager, Healthcare at Home Ltd Rob Wood (Gas) CEO, Gas Rec Norman Harding Corporate Fleet Manager, London Borough of Hackney Mark Waby Procurement Category Manager – Fleet & MHE, Kuehne+ Nagel Ltd Graham Tilllett Head of Fleet, British Transport Police Paul Wilkes Business Services Manager, FORS Amanda Lyne (Hydrogen) Managing Director, ULEMCo Ltd

Volume 113 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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CV Show Review

Find your next commercial vehicle

The 2018 Commercial Vehicle Show took place from 24-26 April and showcased many new debuts from manufacturers, as well as the official launch of the DVSA’s Earned Recognition Scheme The doors opened to the 2018 Commercial Vehicle Show with the launch of SMMT research, which showed the extent of the UK’s reliance on commercial vehicles.

Almost nine in 10 people (88 per cent) said they believed their life would be negatively impacted if their use of at least one CV-driven service, such as rubbish collection, bus services and online deliveries, was restricted.

The survey shows that 46 per cent of respondents directly benefitted from a commercial vehicle in the last 24 hours.

Receiving post and online deliveries were the most popular daily uses, while 79 per cent said they benefit from CVs at least once a week, with rubbish collection the most commonly recognised weekly use. Regularly travelling by bus or minibus and taking a taxi were other popular ways to use commercial vehicles.

The DVSA launched its widely anticipated Earned Recognition Scheme at the CV Show, which allows commercial vehicle operators to prove they meet driver and vehicle standards. It will allow them to regularly share performance information with DVSA and in return, their vehicles are less likely to be stopped for roadside inspections.

Dave Wood, DVSA’s enforcement policy manager, said: “Earned recognition marks a shift in approach from DVSA. It’s about rewarding operators who are serious about road safety and having a relationship where we work with them. By doing that, we can free up time and resources to focus on the dangerous drivers and vehicles that put other road users at risk.”

To aid those looking to join the scheme, the The Freight Transport Association (FTA) used the CV Show to launch the Earned Recognition Data Hub. It will bring together both vehicle maintenance and driver data from multiple sources and

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has been designed to be a low-cost, not-for-profit solution to help the industry.

The vehicles Ford’s new Transit Custom was on display at the 2018 Commercial Vehicle Show. Powered

by Ford’s EcoBlue 2.0-litre diesel engine, the new Transit Custom has been re-engineered to offer new features and capabilities including a new ECOnetic van variant, delivering improved fuel efficiency and 148g/km CO2 emissions.

It has a newly designed front-end with three-bar Transit grille. Ford’s one-tonne van has a completely new cabin that offers best-in-class stowage, improved comfort and ergonomics, and easy connectivity with SYNC 3 or MyFord Dock options. It also includes Intelligent Speed Assist for the first time.

Electric mobility Renault Pro+ Commercial Vehicles headlined its stand with the soon-to-be-launched Renault Master Z.E. With a real-world range of 74 miles, the Master Z.E. is suited to urban last mile deliveries, offering a balance between range, payload and charging time. Orders are due to open later in 2018 with deliveries following in the winter.

Renault Pro+ Commercial Vehicles had 13 vehicles on display in total, including the Tech Parcel delivery conversion for the Master which was developed with delivery firm UPS. It features an innovative walk-through bulkhead, which means the operator can access cargo without getting out of the van.

Business focused Mitsubishi debuted its new Shogun Sport Commercial and the limited edition Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian SVP II, which are exclusive to the UK market.

The Shogun Sport Commercial is a business-focused conversion which includes

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a six-inch bulkhead and a completely flat floor. Security is enhanced with opaque rear side windows, with steel versions available as an option. It has a load area of around 1,500 litres and the ability to tow up to 3,100kgs (braked).

It is powered by an all-aluminium 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine, which is matched to an all-new, eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive system.

The Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian SVP II is the second limited edition model to be produced by Mitsubishi Motors in the UK’s Special Vehicle Projects (SVP) division. It is powered by an all-aluminium 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine and the 4WD system can be combined with a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission.

What’s more, Mitsubishi had its Outlander PHEV Commercial on show with CO2 emissions of only 41g/km, average weighted fuel consumption of 166mpg and an all-electric range of 33 miles – and a rear load area that can accommodate a maximum payload of 495kg.

New pick-ups Nissan launched its Navara Off-Roader AT32 pickup for the European market.

Billed as the ‘most capable Navara ever’, it includes bespoke suspension that increases ride height by 20mm, full protection of key underbody components and larger off-road tyres. For more performance, optional extras include a snorkel to improve wading depth and a front differential locker. The vehicle is engineered by Icelandic company Arctic Trucks, which specialises in building 4WD vehicles to take on the world’s harshest terrains. # FURTHER INFORMATION www.cvshow.com