Friday, May 18 2012
Charities have responded strongly to government plans to raise motorway speed limits to 80mph and have launched a coalition against this potential ruling, highlighting the issues it could cause. From an insurance perspective, there’s the possibility of increased accident and incident levels which could lead to higher premiums for all van drivers- never a positive! [...]
Whiplash claims cost fleets billions each year
Posted: 15/05/12
Figures recently released from the Association of British Insurers show that whiplash claims are steadily on the increase among fleet workers and are costing companies billions of pounds each year in compensation. In fact, claims are getting so out of hand, that they came in at a massive £2 billion last year. Geoff Wright, Head [...]
Van registrations fall for the first three months of 2012
Posted: 10/05/12
Just when you thought van sales were looking promising, figures have come in which show the market has gone into a serious decline, with registration figures falling by almost 20% in the April, the fourth negative sales month in a row. According to the statistics from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), registrations [...]
Five leading manufacturers join Van Excellence
Posted: 02/05/12
Five of the best known van manufacturers have joined with Van Excellence, the organisation which encourages van makers to conduct their businesses with consistently high standards of driving and operations. The new members which include Volkswagen, Nissan, Fiat, Isuzu and Mercedes have said that they are determined to ensure their drivers and operators are working [...]
Autoglass strikes a deal with Ford
Posted: 02/05/12
Autoglass has struck a three-year deal with Ford which will see the vehicle manufacturer supply vehicles for the company’s mobile technicians across 34 countries. Ged Raymond, head of the Autoglass fleet coordinated the deal on behalf of Belron, its parent company and extends the European arrangement to the supply of 8000 Ford vans. The Sales [...]
Ford Transit Van Club celebrates 1000th member!
Posted: 24/04/12
The Ford Transit Van Club has recently welcomed its 1000th member into the fold, seven years after its creation. Darren Kempton, who is the proud owner of two classic examples of Ford’s market-leading van, was presented with a commemorative certificate to signify his inauguration as the 1000th Transit Van Club member by Founder, Peter Lee. [...]
Posted: 20/04/12
Another day, another van fleet deal, this time for Peugeot. Gas distribution business Wales and West Utilities has appointed Peugeot as its brand new LCV supplier. The deal, which is good news for Peugeot, will see the manufacturer supply more than three hundred LCVs over three years and consists of Bippers, Expert and Boxer vans. [...]
Transit brings swans to Somerset
Posted: 18/04/12
If you happen to be in Somerset over the summer, don’t be surprised if you regularly catch sight of a Ford Transit van with an unusual freight – a flock of giant swan sculptures created as part of a quirky art installation. The ‘Swans of Wells 2012′ public art initiative will see the five foot [...]
Tom-Tom infected with ‘leap-year’ bug
Posted: 12/04/12
For all van drivers out there who have experienced malfunctioning sat-navs of late, the answer may well lie in a leap-year bug. According to Tom-Tom, the bug has recently caused its devices to fail, and they have released downloadable software in an effort to remedy the problem. The error lies within the device’s GPS firmware, [...]
Vauxhall secures top spot in the retail market
Posted: 12/04/12
Vauxhall has managed to take poll position in the retail market for March and for the year to date after selling 2,494 vans to small businesses last month, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Trades (SMMT). Vauxhall’s National Commercial Vehicles Sales Manager said; ‘Coming number one in the market for March and the [...]
Citroen’s Virgin Atlantic deal
Posted: 12/04/12
Virgin Atlantic has signed a deal with Citroen for 45 of its Euro 5 LCVs, including 22 Berlingo 5-seat crew vans, Dispatch vans, Relay Specialist Dropsides and Relay Specialist Luton vans; all in all, the company hopes to acquire as many as 100 Citroen Vehicles. The vans are set to be used for many different [...]
New European rules bad news for manufacturers
Posted: 10/04/12
New European Whole Vehicle Type Approval rules set to be implemented this year could force hundreds of commercial bodybuilders out of a job, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The Society’s boss Paul Everitt has been urging small and medium-sized businesses to get in line with the legislation, in order to [...]
Toyota Hilux complete Antarctic journey
Posted: 10/04/12
Three modified Toyota Hilux pick-up trucks have managed to complete a 6000-mile Antarctic journey; a feat that saw them travel further than a vehicle of this type ever has. The expedition, the longest in polar history, was organised by Extreme World Races and the pick-ups were powered by standard 3.0 litre D-4D diesel engines. They [...]
Northgate Vehicle Hire launches Cannock workshop
Posted: 10/04/12
After the launch of the flagship Van Monster site last October, Northgate Vehicles has opened new facilities in Cannock. In its aim to support local businesses with quality van fleets, Northgate will be providing state of the art facilities for servicing and maintenance. The Cannock site sees Northgate sharing Van Monster’s 5.75 acre site as [...]
Vauxhall Combo scores first fleet deal
Posted: 04/04/12
The brand new Vauxhall Combo has managed to bag its first fleet deal courtesy of Anglican Water. With a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 55.4mpg, the 53 Combos are all powered by a 90hp engine with a long-wheelbase as standard. The load area has been kitted out according to Anglian Water’s specifications by Bott, [...]
DVLA confirms tacho card issues
Posted: 03/04/12
If you are a commercial lorry driver you may want to read on because the DVLA has confirmed that a number of its digital tacograph cards issued between the 24th March 2007 and 31st August 2008 are prone to malfunction. The cards are a legal requirement for drivers of commercial vehicles weighing over 3.5 tonnes [...]
Posted: 02/04/12
In a couple of months that have been filled with unwelcome news for van drivers, it has now been announced that a tax is to be introduced for drivers who need to use their work-place car park. Nottingham is the first city in the county to announce this stealth tax, which is to be enforced [...]
Future bright for Electric Vehicles
Posted: 02/04/12
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders,the demise of Azure Dynamic, manufacturer of the Ford Transit Connect Electric, does not spell the end for electric vehicle production. In fact, according to SMMT, the outlook for the electric market is brighter than ever. Incentives such as the plug-in van grant, the growing selection of [...]
Mercedes-Benz retains HSS Hire contract
Posted: 29/03/12
In this time of uncertainty for the van leasing market, Mercedes-Benz has managed to retain its contract with HSS Hire, the national supplier of tools and equipment services. Mercedes-Benz acquired the contract with HSS in 2009, the terms of which meant the manufacturer would be the sole provider of vans, both replacement and new for [...]
Vauxhall Vivaro deal for Fleet Financial
Posted: 26/03/12
Fleet-Financial, based in Belfast, has delivered seventy Vauxhall Vivaro vans to Sierra Support Services as a part of Sky TV’s installation team. Customised with Simpsons and Sky HD liveries, the fleet, which cost £2 million in total, will cover the whole of Northern Ireland. Each of the Vivaros are powered by the common rail 2.0 [...]
Accident and injury claims on the rise
Posted: 26/03/12
The start of this year saw Ford launching an accident management programme, after their costs for accident and injury among their fleets rose dramatically. The problem has turned into such an issue for the motoring company, that they have been forced to lobby insurance and industry companies, MPs and legal firms with a blueprint for [...]
Posted: 26/03/12
It has been reported that tens of thousands of pounds are being lost from businesses every year as a result of the illegal clocking of vans and cars. It is suspected that there are currently around fifty mileage correction companies altering the meters on contract hire vehicles, something causing major problems once the van is [...]
Fleets urged to increase safety measures
Posted: 23/03/12
Fleet managers are being urged to pay extra attention to their employees road safety, especially after a report has shown that more and more drivers are being involved in dangerous driving and even road accidents. The study,commissioned by the RSA, the UK’s largest commercial insurer, showed that as many as one in four business drivers [...]
Calls for an overhaul of Highways Agency
Posted: 22/03/12
Just a couple of days after the government’s controversial announcement that road maintenance should be handed over to private agencies, Chief Executive of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, John Lewis has called for a complete overhaul of the Highways Agency. Lewis has suggested that the Agency should have a controlling board which concentrates [...]
Budget spells more bad news for van fleets
Posted: 22/03/12
Yesterday’s budget has done nothing to allay the ongoing arguments regarding driving costs, with the Chancellor delivering more bad news regarding fuel and tax fees. Despite many calls for the suggested 3.02p increase on fuel duty to be scrapped, the Chancellor yesterday indicated that the rise would be going ahead; spelling terrible news for fleet [...]
Van leasing grows in popularity
Posted: 19/03/12
Van leasing is becoming an increasingly popular option for small businesses after research shows companies are finding it more and more difficult to borrow money from banks. The survey, conducted by the Federation of Small Businesses, came to the conclusion that 35% of respondents took advantage of an overdraft facility last year, while secured loans [...]
Fitness First take on Citroen Berlingo
Posted: 19/03/12
Fitness First, the world’s largest health and fitness group is now running 36 Citroen Berlingo vans in the UK after taking on an extra 23 of Citroen’s 90hp 1.6HDi Euro 5 Berlingo vehicles. This means that Fitness First now exclusively uses Citroen for its fleet, including a number of the manufacturer’s Dispatch vans. Fitness First [...]
Volkswagen aims to meet eco targets
Posted: 19/03/12
Volkswagen has pledged to hit targets on all fronts of its business including the development of its private and commercial vehicles sector, by using less energy demanding powertrains through further development of its technologies. The manufacturer promised to extend this pledge to all its plants throughout the world. Professor Martin Winterkom, Chairman of the Volkswagen [...]
Tips to reduce your van’s fuel consumption
Posted: 19/03/12
As the price of fuel is now so expensive, here are a few tips to help you reduce the amount that your van consumes. Consider down-sizing your engine. A lower engine size means less fuel will be consumed and so there’s less need to fill up and less money out of your pocket! If you [...]
GPS jammers outsmarting police
Posted: 19/03/12
Unfortunately for van drivers, GPS jammers are proving to be an effective way to prevent police from tracking stolen commercial vehicles. A recent study by The Sentinel Consortium has shown that the number of devices on the streets is on the up, with the number of recorded cases of jammers in one location reaching 60 [...]
Posted: 13/03/12
The Citroen Berlingo is to undergo an updated revamp for 2012. Although it’s not dramatically different, the people carrier ‘Multispace’ version now comes with a revamped front end, a new grille and headlamps and a larger Citroen badge. It also includes LED running lights and several small tweaks to its shape which, according to Citroen, [...]
Van fleets increase drug testing
Posted: 13/03/12
Van fleets across the country have taken the decision to begin increasing the number of random drugs tests they carry out on their drivers. The move comes after a government report by minister Peter North highlighted the dangers of driving while under the influence of drugs; the extra measures are to come into place because [...]
Fleet drivers ignorant to hazards
Posted: 13/03/12
A recent survey has shown that a large proportion of fleet drivers are ignorant of potential hazards on the roads. The survey, conducted by E-Training World, showed that as many as 35% of fleet drivers are completely ignorant of road dangers and as such are leaving themselves wide open to accidents. Street signs such as [...]
Citroen leads the way for 2012 van sales
Posted: 12/03/12
While for most van companies’ sales haven’t been too good this year, Citroen has been bucking the trend by seeing an impressive rise in its sales figures. Compared to January 2011, Citroen saw an increase this year of 4% on last year’s numbers, making it the only van maker to record a sales hike. The [...]
Nissan van sales go from strength to strength
Posted: 09/03/12
Nissan has reported a dramatic rise of 74% in the sale of its light commercial vehicles between 2011 and the beginning of this year, in a move the company believes is a result of the demand for its Primastar, NV200 and Navara ranges. The hike in sales means Nissan now has a 4.2% share in [...]
Ford Transit helps deliver medicines safely
Posted: 05/03/12
Ford has teamed up with AAH Pharmaceuticals, the UK’s leading distributor of pharmaceutical products, to create the ‘Pharmavan’, a modified version of Ford’s ever –popular Transit. The purpose of the ‘Pharmavan’ is to keep the pharmaceuticals at am ambient temperature whilst they are being transported for delivery. Ford has developed a special air-conditioned wheelbase in [...]
Toyota Hiace withdrawn from UK market
Posted: 08/02/12
Toyota has cut the Hiace (the manufacturer’s only panel van) from its 2012 UK light commercial vehicle range because it is not Euro 5-compliant. It seems that there are no plans to re-introduce the Hiace with improvements in the future. However, it has been said that Toyota is looking to launch an entirely new small [...]
Renault receives loan for electric vehicle development
Posted: 19/01/12
The Renault Group has been granted a loan of €180m (£149m) by the European Investment Bank (EIB) in order to develop vehicle lithium-ion battery and electric motor technology. The aim is to make the electric vehicle market more competitive and thus make more electric vehicle customers. In 2009, Renault received a €400m loan from the [...]
TomTom Presents Safety Award at 2010 MPG Marathon
Posted: 29/11/11
John Kerswill and Ian McKeanas were awarded the Van Safety award by the TomTom Business solutions division. The two won the award for their stellar performance at the 2010 MPG Marathon. John and Ian won the award as a team as they gave an almost perfect driving performance during the two-day, 400- mile driving marathon [...]