Archive for category Fleet Information

The white van man – the game

Posted by sarah in Courier Blog, Courier Shop Admin, Driving, Fleet Information on December 16, 2009

New  game from Y8, they have come up with a game playing the stereotypical white van man driver.
The object of this simple game is to ram the other cars off of the road and complete the course… of course :-)

Y8 New games

What do you think? Will it catch on?

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White van man allegedly tamed…

Posted by sarah in Courier Blog, Courier Shop Admin, Courier World, Driving, Fleet Information, Legal/Accident Advice on December 2, 2009

Well it seems like there really is nothing new under the sun, as vehicle satellite tracking has been rebranded as the tool to tame white van man. The ‘new’ product is called “Driver DNA” and tracks the driving of a vehicle and shows harsh braking patterns and agressive driving patterns, again all things that are shown in real time with satellite tracking.  A system we use goes as far as ‘geo-fencing’ postcodes and emailing alerts when vehicles reach a certain area or postcode or breaks the speed limit. It can tell you when the vehicle is turned on, whether it’s idling – just about anything you could want to know and quite a few things you wouldn’t want to know as well.

Couriers have long used Tom Tom fleet systems and products such as Journeeze to manage their fuel consumption and where their vehicles are. Fuel is the biggest expenditure where white van man are concerned and monitoring closely is something they do. As any good fleet manager would tell you, monitoring fuel consumption is an early highlighter of vehicle faults and all vehicles are checked on a daily or weekly basis as per transport regulations, with records that prove the action has taken place.

Driver DNA hardly seems original, any good tracking system will do the same as it does and has several years heritage as well. It’s disappointing that once again white van man is blamed for co2 emissions and bad driving. Obviously the makers have never seen or drove near school run mum, who drives erratically without thought for anyone else on the road just delivering her kids to the school, reversing without using her mirrors, signaling one way then going the other. Now you know why most accidents happen close to schools. Instead of inventing the double seatbelt to combat School Run Mum, the creators of Driver DNA have just decided to reinvent the wheel with no thought to what products already do the job, that already solving the problem they proclaim exists.

2/10 for effort, must try harder is this white van womans report, you are three years behind the times.

Sarah

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Guest Blog: Upcoming transport and driving legislation

Posted by sarah in Courier Blog, Courier Shop Admin, Courier World, Driving, Fleet Information on November 18, 2009

This post is a guest blog from Lloyd of Novadata Ltd. Novadata provide support and training for driver cpc, contact details at the end of the post.

Forthcoming Legislation for drivers and the transport industry.

2009

1 October – PSV impounding – Enabling legislation is in place to introduce impounding for public service vehicle operators that use vehicles without holding an operator’s licence – broadly mirroring the system already in place for goods vehicle operators.

1 October – Euro 5 emission standard – New goods vehicles will be required to meet this standard which further reduces permitted vehicle emissions.

2010

6 April 2010 – C1 & D1 supervisor changes – The DSA intends to change the rules for supervisors of learner drivers in categories C1, C1+E, D1 & D1+E, Where the supervisors hold vocational entitlements gained on a pre-1997 car

Full-voltage vs.
Image via Wikipedia

licence (known as implied rights). Those who currently rely on implied rights entitlements and want to continue to supervise drivers in C1, D1 and vehicle plus trailer combinations will need to pass the relevant driving test(s) and meet the higher medical standards required by drivers of larger vehicles before 6 April 2010. The will also have to wait until they have held their new entitlement for three years before they can act as the supervising driver.

Spring – Road Safety Compliance – A DFT consultation includes proposals to:

Introduce six penalty points for exceeding the speed limit by 20mph (spring 2010)
Remove blood and urine drink – driving tests and introduce medical examinations for high risk offenders (2011/2012)
Lower the maximum permissible blood alcohol limit.
Enable drug-driving samples to be taken more easily and to develop a new drug driving offence (2011/2012)
Make careless driving a fixed penalty offence – £60 with three penalty points (early 2010)
Specify retraining courses for vocational drivers where a licence has been revoked by Traffic Commissioners and where they believe completion of such a course would be an appropriate condition of restoration

A Home Office consultation is also proposing to increase the fixed penalty for failing to wear a seat belt to £60.

Spring – Graduated Fixed Penalties in Northern Ireland – The department of the Environment has issued a consultation proposing to introduce a scheme similar to that in GB to allow examiners of the DVA to issue fixed penalty notices. The proposed legislation would also introduce deposit and immobilisation schemes. The consultation runs until 30 September 2009 and, if confirmed, implementation is expected around the spring of 2010

Spring – OCRS changes – three key changes are expected:

Publication of the points system for the traffic enforcement score, graded according to the graduated fixed penalty bands
An increase to 3-% in the green band linked to non-mechanical (traffic enforcement) score for operators with the lowest index scores
Extension of the red band for roadworthiness and non-mechanical offences from the 81st percentile to the 71st percentile – this means a larger proportion (the worst 30% rather than 20%) of operators will be actively targeted for enforcement.

April – Cabotage Regulation – An EU regulation tightens the rules on cabotage – the national carriage of goods by road undertaken on a temporary basis by a non-resident hauler. It limits haulers to a maximum of three cabotage operations can be carried out in any member state, but where entry into the member state is unladen, the haulier is limited to one cabotage operation per member state within three days of entry. Hauliers must produce evidence of international carriage and cabotage operations.
4 October – Low Emission Zone (LEZ) – The London LEZ covers all London boroughs and applies a Euro 3 standard to buses, coaches and goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. Vehicles that do not meet the standard have to pay a daily charge. The scheme will be tightened to Euro 4 from January 2012. A consultation is expected soon to scrap the intended extension to light goods vehicles and minibuses in October 2010
Autumn – Continuous Enforcement of Motor Insurance – The DFT has published a consultation on plans to use the DVLA’s vehicles register and the Motor Insurance Database (MID) held by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau to warn and then penalise (fixed penalty of £100, immobilisation and eventually disposal) vehicle keepers who fail to hold valid insurance. Enabling legislation is already in place in the 2006 Road Safety Act and implementation is expected from autumn 2010.

2011

1 January – ADR Changes – The 2009 text for ADR has been adopted into new GB regulations. From 1 January 2011 there are also changes to the carriage of dangerous goods packed in limited quantities, including new placarding requirements for transport units over 12 tonnes tare weight that are carrying limited quantities goods in excess of 8 tonnes.

7 February – Daytime Running Lamps – Proposals for the introduction of mandatory dedicated daytime running lamps (DRLs) have been adopted for all vehicle categories excluding trailers. DRLs must be switched on when the vehicle ignition switch enables starting/running of the engine. The lamps will be built into new cars and vans from February 2011 and all other vehicle categories, including trucks, from August 2012. There are no plans to retrofit or for older vehicles to use other lights when driving in daylight.

April – Northern Ireland Operator Licensing Reform – The DOE intends to amend the operator licensing system to mirror that of GB, including a system for restricted operating licensing, but with the exception of a Traffic Commissioner. Primary legislation is expected this year but implementation may take several years.

10 July – Conspicuity Marking – the UK Government has agreed to the introduction of additional outline reflective markings on goods vehicles. The change was planned to affect vehicles first registered on or after 10 October 2009 but has now been delayed to 10 July 2011. The UN technical Committee (UNECE) has published the requirements in an amendment to R48, which will apply additional side and rear markings to new goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes and new trailers over 3.5 tonnes.

5 December – Temporary Agency Workers Directive – A European directive requires domestic legislation to provide for the equal treatment of temporary agency workers in relation to basic working and employment conditions, access to permanent employment and amenities (such as child care facilities) to improve access to training.

Hope you find this useful and Novadata can be contacted on 01376 552999

Sarah

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Port deliveries – couriers – how not to incur fines

Posted by sarah in Courier World, Driving, Fleet Information, Get More Customers on November 1, 2009

Port couriers for delivery
Image by Francisco Sánchez via Flickr

Delivering into ports is something that we enjoy doing here at same day couriers -Arrow Light Haulage, when starting out delivering or collecting from a port is something thats easy when you know how. If you don’t do it correctly then you will hold up the collection or the delivery and in some cases you may fail to deliver or collect. This is when the fines start to come in.

What to remember for port collections or deliveries

  • no children
  • no animals
  • 2 forms of ID thats photograhic
  • high viz jacket
  • safety boots
  • clear manifest of what is being delivered / collected

Failing to collect or deliver from a port is a serious issue for a courier, it is something that incurs port fines. This is something that needs to be taken into account when pricing for this type of work. Often a courier or courier company will think that they can do a deal and co load something with the port delivery and price it at a lower rate to win the business.

The courier wins the job but now has the port items on with other items. This means it takes longer if the vehicle is searched at port security or longer to complete the delivery itself, as its going to another destination first. When this happens the courier could miss their booking in slot and incur a fine. A courier I know racked up 30k in fines in one month, not very good for their business.

If you are looking at gaining work from portside warehouses or delivering into them on a regular basis, make sure you follow their guidelines and make sure you have plenty of time to make your booking in slot.

Kevin Arrow

Become a courier

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Driving that bit greener to save fuel, part one

Posted by sarah in Courier Blog, Driving, Fleet Information, Twitter on October 10, 2009

Driving greener has the much welcomed benefit of saving you money. If you have to drive, following our tips and tricks will allow you to maximize the usage of your vehicle and your fuel.

On your marks…. preparation

* Avoid overfilling the tank when refuelling. Spilled fuel evaporates and releases harmful emissions into the atmosphere and just plain wastes money.

fuel saving for couriers
Image by freefotouk via Flickr

* Make sure that your tires are inflated to the correct pressure. Under inflation by 7psi will waste half a gallon of fuel in every tank. Inflating to the vehicle manufacturer’s guidelines -which are based on cold tires, so use the petrol station nearest your start point to avoid your tyres warming up and being inflated to the incorrect psi.

* Service your car at least every year. Get the engine tuned, the wheels aligned and catalytic converter checked, and the air con re gassed if you insist on using it.

* Reduce weight, and fuel consumption, by removing unnecessary items from your vehicle that do not need to be there for a particular journey. This can include buggies, golf clubs, tools, footwear and all those things you keep ‘just in case’

* Check your windows, screen wash and lights – ensuring that your windows are clean and your lights are working will make your journey safer. Nothing more environmentally unfriendlier than an accident.

Think of it as pre-flight checks but for your car :-)

Sarah

Parts two and three to follow

Driving more fuel efficiently, delivering greener

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New tool to manage ‘grey’ fleet use

Posted by sarah in Courier World, Driving, Fleet Information on July 15, 2009

An interesting article from which below is an extract regarding ‘Grey mileage’ and tracking it. The Kit mentioned below has been launched by Enterprise Rent a Car, and the kit is free.

The company says that its new Driving the Right Behaviour pack includes a tool which promises to measure the ‘grey’ fleet, something that has been notoriously difficult to quantify. As a result, its impact can be greatly reduced through a solid decision making process.

The ‘grey’ fleet is a widely used transport option for many organisations, especially in the public sector. It’s estimated that 57% of all public sector miles are ‘grey’ fleet journeys, equating to around 1.4 billion miles every year.

The pack includes best practice advice, a transport policy template and a ‘grey’ fleet toolkit, equipping fleet decision makers with all the tools necessary to measure and better manage the ‘grey’ fleet.

At the centre of the pack is a tool which brings in information from a variety of sources in a way that can help measure the impact of the ‘grey’ fleet, including quantifying its impact on costs and emission profiles

via Enterprise launches new tool to manage ‘grey’ fleet use.

If you would like a free Driving the Right Behaviour pack contact Oz Choudhari on Oz.Choudhri@erac.com.

Sarah

Couriers on twitter? add yourself here!

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Hydrocharger – Have you heard of it?

Posted by sarah in Courier Shop Admin, Driving, Fleet Information, Get More Customers on March 11, 2009

For several years now, the UK has been moving the issues of Global Warming and the depletion of the earth™s fossil fuels further and further up the political agenda. Today, petrol and diesel prices have reached a record high, causing economic difficulties for businesses and private individuals alike.  At the same time, Government is pressing ahead with its policy of taxing vehicles on the basis of their emissions “ the more polluting the vehicle, the higher the tax.  Although it insists that this incentivises motorists to drive more environmentally-friendly vehicles, the reality is that motorists are faced with two choices, both of which cost money they can ill afford

Sell their current car and buy a new low-emission example. Due to ever-increasing fuel prices and a draconian Road Fund Tax policy, second hand values of high-emission cars are falling dramatically, making the cost of this changing your car higher than ever. It follows that the greater the Government incentive, the smaller the number of people who can afford to buy less-polluting cars.

  • Accept that there is nothing they can do about rising fuel prices and Road Fund Tax and simply find a way of paying it

    • Motorists are therefore between a rock and a hard place.  They would like to do the right thing and make the change, but cannot afford to do so.  If they do not change, they cannot afford to run their vehicles (on which they rely) without diverting funds from somewhere else (e.g. food, clothing, education, etc). This is undoubtedly having a detrimental knock-on effect on personal lifestyles and the economy generally.

    A solution

    The team behind Hydrocharger Limited has been researching and developing Hydrogen on Demand systems for internal combustion engines for around five years with a view to reducing fuel consumption and reducing harmful emissions.  Today the company offers an aftermarket product called Hydrocharger that customers can be confident will increase MPG for existing cars and light vans by around 25%, and at the same time will reduce emissions by around 40%.  Hydrochargers are also producing very significant improvements for Heavy Goods Vehicles.

    What is Hydrocharger?

    In very simple terms, a Hydrocharger system consists of one or more interconnected cells filled with distilled water and a small quantity of electrolyte. When the engine is running a current is passed through electrodes in each cell to produce HHO (hydrogen and oxygen), which in turn is fed into the air intake of the engine. The Hydrogen acts as a secondary fuel source, which reduces the volume of the primary fuel (petrol or diesel) that is required.  At the same time the oxygen causes the primary fuel to be burned more completely. The result is a reduction in petrol/diesel consumption and a dramatic reduction in harmful emissions.

    Hydrocharger cells are unique in appearance, being made of heat-resistant ABS with a full-height transparent water-level viewing window. All the components have been carefully designed to maximise the volume of hydrogen produced for a given current, whilst at the same time minimising electrode deterioration and preventing overheating. Registered Installers can either install Hydrochargers in the engine bay (if room permits) or remotely in the boot of the vehicle.

    Why buy Hydrocharger?

    With around 4,500 satisfied customers to date, Hydrocharger Limited is almost certainly the UK leader in this exciting new market. Hydrocharger offers the average motorist significant net savings in fuel costs.  If the Government could be persuaded to set a vehicles Road Fund Tax band by its actual emissions (i.e. post Hydrocharger installation) rather than by the manufacturers quoted figures, the argument for fitting a Hydrocharger to every vehicle on the road would be even more compelling.

    We are not aware of any other product of a similar price that can offer today’s motorist the chance to

    1. Reduce running costs so significantly
    2. Reduce their carbon footprint so dramatically

    A sobering thought

    If every vehicle on the UKs roads were fitted with a Hydrocharger, it would have the same effect environmentally as taking TWELVE MILLION vehicles off the road

    Goal

    The Directors of Hydrocharger Limited are committed to making it possible for as many vehicles as possible to be fitted with a Hydrocharger within the next five years, both in the UK and overseas.  Their primary motivation is the environmental and social benefits that Hydrocharger offers, rather than their own personal financial gain.  The Directors believe strongly that it is our collective duty to ensure that our children have a future to which they can look forward.

    Innovation

    Hydrocharger Limited is the first company in the UK (and one of the first in the world) to harness the established technology of hydrogen production from the electrolysis of water and apply it to the automotive aftermarket.  Utilising what is (to all intents and purposes) “free” energy brings welcome solutions to two of the major challenges facing motorists and society as a whole – how to combat  ever-rising fuel costs and reduce pollution levels.  Every conceivable economic indicator points to the fact that Hydrocharger is the right product in the right place at the right time.

    Motor manufacturers are all introducing new technology that will make the cars of the future cleaner and more efficient  but thats tomorrow.  The problem is NOW.  Buying a new, cleaner and more economical car does not cure the problem“ it simply shifts your problem onto somebody else (whoever you sell your existing car to).  Fitting a Hydrocharger does fix the problem because it increases your current cars MPG by 25% and reduces its harmful emissions by around 40% – and its a fraction of the cost of replacing your existing car with a new one!

    Hydrocharger can transform the cars we have today and make them as clean as or cleaner than the cars we can expect to be buying tomorrow.

    New Product Release

    We have now released our new truck system email for more information.

    Pricing

    Car/Van upto 3000cc                        £220

    Car/Van 3000cc +                                 £440

    HGV/24 volt system                          £1500

    Email for more information to get the right kit for your vehicle.

    sam@hydrochargeme.com

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    Uninsured motoring losses…

    Posted by sarah in Fleet Information on February 1, 2009

    I have a fleet client with about a hundred vehicles but they are always getting into bumps, usually quite minor but every time they have to stump up for a £500.00 excess and some hire“ seemingly about twice a month and thats just not the non-fault claims.

    Now with the benefit of no cost fleet management, frequently the other drivers insurers will pay the excess and a credit hire company will provide a car or van just like yours at no cost -where their driver is not to blame “ which can leave about £1000.00 of cashflow where it should be in your bank account!

    If your driver or any employee/passenger is injured, first you want to ensure that they are fit to go back to work as soon as possible. Early treatment such as physiotherapy is usually the best option and in non-fault cases, this can often be provided at no cost to the person injured.

    You probably imagine that any wages paid whilst they are off work can be reclaimed from the at-fault drivers insurers. Not necessarily correct! To achieve this, you may need a change in the contract of employment to provide for it. Otherwise, at the time of the accident, seek legal advice as to how to recoup this cost.

    If liability for the accident is disputed, you need a legal team who are expert in road traffic accidents and who may be able to negotiate a sensible settlement without the need for court proceedings.

    You may have the benefit of legal expenses insurance but it is wise to find out who actually deals with your claim and whether they will hamper your choice of solicitor if it is necessary for one to be involved.

    Accidents will always happen so make sure you are minimising the costs.

    If you need advice about your fleet, please e-mail me from my website below.

    Chris Lodge
    Kaslers Solicitors
    If you need After Accident Assistance following a Road Accident in the UK, we can help – <a href=”mailto:cml@kaslers.co.uk?subject=”Ref: Kevin Arrow”>Email direct with as much info as you can by clicking here</a>

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    Corporate Manslaughter Appeal Denied.

    Posted by sarah in Fleet Information on January 17, 2009

    Nearly 6 years ago Martin Graves was trading as M J Graves International in Felixstowe. That year he was prosecuted and found to be guilty of gross negligent manslaughter. He  was sentenced to four years imprisonment for the  gross negligent manslaughter part and to  a further 12 months concurrent imprisonment for offences realting to the  falsifying of tachograph records.

    One of  M JGraves Internationals’ drivers – Victor Coates was also sentenced to four years in prison for manslaughter.

    A haulier who was jailed for manslaughter after one of his drivers killed a motorist has lost his appeal against an indefinite disqualification. The Transport Tribunal concluded that his prison sentence was “richly deserved”. The Tribunal dismissed an appeal by Martin Graves against the decision of Eastern Deputy Traffic Commissioner Philip Brown refusing to vary or cancel an order for his indefinite disqualification from holding an O-licence in any Traffic Area.

    Source:  road transport

    Graves has a appealed against the revoking of his O licence (the indefinate disqualification part) and has asked that it is returned so that he can expand his freight forwarding business.

    During the first trial it became a apparent that drivers he employed regularly broke hours and were offered bonuses for working longer hours. Now Graves is back in business, who is to say he wouldn’t do this again?

    Perhaps Graves should consider a new area in which to trade, where breaking the rules doesn’t have such a high price. Has he thought about banking?

    Sarah

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    Corporate Manslaughter – what it means to a courier

    Posted by admin in Fleet Information on January 8, 2009

    There have been many discussions about the Corporate Manslaughter Legislation and the effect it will have on the way courier businesses operate.  Most of those discussions are based on a best guess scenario and assumptions.

    I will not be making guesses at an eventual outcome, but I can give you guidance on the processes involved should a collision occur and then I will give you some guidance on what steps you can take to prevent your courier business falling foul of the Corporate Manslaughter Legislation.  The investigation is a defined process and will follow structured path of evidence gathering with witness and suspect interviews.  As a business you are in the suspect category from the outset.

    Take the following example of a road collision.  It is a typical collision that happens on the roads in the UK on a daily basis.  Vehicle One is owned by the company concerned.

    Circumstances of the crash:

    • Vehicle One: SUV – 6 months old – 32,000 miles – Never Been Serviced
    • Vehicle Two: Supermini – 3 years old – 36,00 miles – Full Service History
    • Time of Collision: 0840 hrs
    • Weather Conditions: Wet

    Injuries:

    • Occupant Vehicle One: Driver: Male 47 yrs: Bruising, Minor Lacerations and Whiplash
    • Occupant Vehicle Two: Driver: Female 28 yrs: Declared Dead at the Scene
    • Occupant Vehicle Two: Passenger: Male 3 yrs: Severe Head Injuries

    Vehicles:

    • Vehicle One: Found to Have Two Defective Tyres
    • Vehicle Two: No Defects Found

    There is also some additional information that you need to consider.

    • The driver of the SUV was previously driving a 5 door executive car.
    • The drivers licence was checked upon joining the organisation 18 months previously.
    • The driver did not have the vehicle handed to him in a documented manner, nor were the driving characteristics of the SUV explained to him.
    • The vehicle is owned by the company.
    • Maintenance is organised by the individual drivers
    • The driver had 9 points on his licence for speeding.
    • The driver did send in mileage reports every month, detailing business and private miles

    The next step in the process will be covered in the blog www.yourroadrisk.co.uk and will describe the way the Police and Health & Safety Executive will deal with your business.

    If you are worried in the meantime, please get in contact with us.

    Nigel Grainger

    Senior Consultant

    Fleet Risk Consultants

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