Fleet Transport June2012

IRELAND'S LEADING COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MAGAZINE

LAUNCH PAD: Mercedes-Benz Predictive Powertrain Control • FUSO Canter 4x4

SHOW REVIEWS: Multimodal 2012 • Tip-ex 12 POWERTRAIN: Iveco @ Euro 6

SPECIAL FEATURES: Lubricants in Transport • Volvo Ocean Race • Motorsport

Inside!

JUNE 12

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contents JUNE 12 www.fl eet.ie

FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 3

4 News• Nightline reaches landmark • DAF XT by a nose! • Award for Daimler FleetBoard • Optical care for Specsavers • Top CILT tutors honoured • DKV Euro Service ties-up with Ecomouv (France) • Vantra LT from Hankook • All-new Mercedes-Benz Antos • Peugeot Boxer goes the distance!

8 InterviewNigel Butler on Renault Trucks’ sales in Ireland

10 ConstructionXtrem from Renault Trucks

12 New FleetStobart & Scania • Alltrans & Ford • Prompto & DAF • AES & Mercedes-Benz • McDevitt & Renault Trucks

14 TestDay & Night in the new Mercedes-Benz Actros

16 Fleeting ShotsDAF Parts Division expands • IMS taken on Alex Rims • CILT Cork event

17 Report ISafe & Sober Seminar, Dublin

18 Launch Pad • Mercedes-Benz Predictive Powertrain Control • Fuso Canter 4x4

22 MotorsportOpening Rounds of the EU Truck Racing Championship

24 EnginesFPT’s new Euro 6

26 Review IMultimodal 2012 & Infrarail 2012, NEC, Birmingham

29 LubricantsExploring the advances of drivetrain lubricants

33 Fuel Prices / Safety MattersLatest fuel costs and Forklift Safety Tips

34 Review IITip-ex 12, Harrogate, Yorkshire

36 Trailer & RefrigerationNews from Faymonville, Thermoking and BOC

38 Report IIGalway gets ready to host fi nish of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011/12

40 Fleet MaritimeNewsletter from the Shipping & Freight Industries sponsored by Derry Bros

44 CommentFrom Where I’m Sitting by Howard Knott

46 LegalAdvice from Jonathan Lawton

48 FinanceTyre Management by Donal Dempsey

50 OpinionView from the Operator’s Desk by Sean Murtagh

52 Warehousing• UKWA Conference • Barloworld buy Hyster Trucks

54 Reading MattersTwo books from Old Pond Publishing

56 TechnicalDiesel engines explained

57 PreviewESB ecars Fully Charged

58 SoapboxFooling some of the people

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Editor: Jarlath Sweeney

Contributors: Sean Murtagh, Cathal Doyle, Paul White,

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Kiersey, Rob Van Dieten, Brian Weatherley, Ailbe Burke

Photography: Jarlath Sweeney, Cathal Doyle, Paul

White, Rob Van Dieten, Howard Knott, Tom Cunningham,

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Disclaimer: Fleet Transport Magazine management can accept no responsibility for the accuracy of contributed articles or statements appearing in this magazine and any views or opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Fleet Transport management, save where otherwise indicated. No responsibility for loss or distress occasioned to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the authors, contributors, Editors or publishers.The Editor reserves the right to make publishing decisions on any advertisements or editorial article submitted to the magazine and to refuse publication or to edit any editorial material as seems appropriate to him. Professional legal advice should always be sought in relation to any specific matter.

Fleet TransportOffi cial Irish Jury

Member of the International Truck

of the Year Award

Fleet Transport represents Ireland on the Trailer Innovation 2013 and the European Transport Company of the Year 2012 adjudication panels.

Fleet Transport is an offi cial Patron of the Lets Do It Galway Volvo Ocean Race Campaign.

Transport barometer

Data from 2012-04-15 to 2012-05-14

Freight in % Vehicle in %

4654

EU EU

93 7IE GB

38 62

5 95

6 94IE EU EU IE

GB IE

Competitions!Win Renault Truck Racing & Volvo Ocean Race merchandise - see inside

Daimler’s FleetBoard has won Frost & Sullivan’s “2012 Growth Leadership Award” in the category

of medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicle telematics. Th e coveted award was presented to FleetBoard Managing Director Markus Lipinsky at the GIL 2012: European Conference for Growth, Innovation & Leadership, in London. Th e provider of smart telematics solutions was honoured for its innovations and for recording the industry’s highest annual growth rates during the past three years.

Th e International business consultancy fi rm, Frost & Sullivan, had evaluated and compared leading suppliers of telematics services in Europe on the basis of four diff erent criteria. In doing so it used a proprietary, certifi ed research method and analyzed the range of standard equipment in the truck, the increase in modular product

components, the expansion in new regions, and the establishment of growing partnerships. FleetBoard was the undisputed winner in this study, which guaranteed it the “2012 Growth Leadership Award”.One of the reasons why Frost & Sullivan

chose FleetBoard for the award is because the company is pursuing a new strategy of introducing telematics as standard equipment for trucks across Europe in order to strike out in new directions in a consolidating market. FleetBoard also offers expanded back offi ce integration and vehicle-related logistics management solutions that greatly help boost the effi ciency of commercial fl eets. “Th e Frost & Sullivan Award is a convincing argument to win over European transportation companies looking for a user-friendly and future-proof telematics solution,” said Markus Lipinsky, Managing Director of Daimler FleetBoard GmbH. “Th e trust expressed by

more than 2,500 customers worldwide and the fact that 100,000 units were installed this year alone demonstrate that FleetBoard’s growth is unparalleled”.• FleetBoard is available in Ireland on Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

Nightline, Ireland ’s leading independent parcel delivery company recently celebrated its

twentieth year in business, which coincided with a visit from An Tánaiste, Eamon Gilmore T.D., to its headquarters in North Dublin. Formed in 1992 with two delivery vans, Nightline has grown to be the largest Irish domestic parcel delivery company with an estimated 40 percent market share and delivers 40,000 parcels per day. Today Nightline operates not only in Ireland but also in the UK market with a fl eet of over 300 vehicles. Nightline has enjoyed ten percent year on year growth since its foundation and currently engages over 600 employees nationwide. Nightline CEO, John Tuohy commented on the company milestone, “From modest beginnings we

have enjoyed sustained and consistent growth. We understand the challenges facing Irish companies in the current economic climate but our model has allowed us to grow and develop the business. While investment in new technology and infrastructure is very important, we wouldn’t be where we are today without an amazing staff and we are looking

forward to adding to our numbers over the next twelve months with a number of new opportunities on the horizon.” An Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore T.D., stated, “Nightline is an excellent example of an innovative Irish company that is enjoying success despite the current downturn. Twenty years in business is a signifi cant milestone and it is clear that the company has been built upon a solid foundation of innovation, commitment and hard work. Indigenous Irish businesses like Nightline are important to not only the national economy but also local communities through employment and local

expenditure.” Nightline is set to further expand in 2012 with a series of signifi cant announcements over the next twelve months.

Dutch transport company Jansen has celebrated its 40th anniversary in a special way – by creating a bonneted

DAF heavy haulage truck called the XT.

Technically it is based on DAF’s fl agship, the XF105. Th is means the same drive line is used, with the same engine, gearbox and axles in the same position on the chassis as on a XF. Th e front bumper with the under run protection is also there. However, the cab is moved to the rear, behind the engine. Th e main design challenge was with the nose and the grill, which was solved as the lower part of the grill from the XF, works in harmony with the newly created upper part.

While the new design is not complying with standard European length regulations, for some types of heavy-haul transport it will conform.

Th e Netherlands has a strategic situation for transport, and national regulations are open to special transport solutions. For instance, special truck manufacturer Terberg is well known for its vehicle constructions. Also, Iveco’s European bonneted truck, the Strator, (based on the

PowerStar from Australia) is produced in the Netherlands. DAF XT is constructed by Eindhoven DAF Dealer De Burgh. Th e company is a part of the LenGo Automotive Group, which also operates in Belgium, Germany, Poland and Russia and has more than 900 employees. In Eindhoven, its main focus is on DAF, but also sells commercial vehicles from Fiat Professional and Iveco.

At one time DAF produced bonneted trucks in Europe. Jansen bought one, a DAF NTT , back in 1990. Th is truck has since clocked up more than 2.5 million kilometres. NTT was primerly constructed to transport heavy loads and to provide easy access to the engine and

has been an important element to build up the image in this specialist arena for Jansen in the last 20 years.

Rob Van Dieten

NEWS 1

4 FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12

Nightline celebrates 20 years in business

XT - a bonneted DAF

Daimler FleetBoard receives 2012 Growth Leadership Award

NEWS II


To assist employers with ‘Duty of Care’ compliance, Specsavers has introduced a voucher scheme to ensure that

professional drivers' eyesight meet the required standards for driving. Called ‘Optical Care for Drivers’ the vouchers can be purchased as required and simply handed out to any employees who drive for their course of their work.

“Eyesight can deteriorate rapidly without the individual noticing, so regular eye examinations are essential, especially for those who drive during the course of their work. A thorough eye examination includes the checking of peripheral vision, which is of utmost importance for drivers,” stated Dona

McLafferty, Corporate Account Manager for Specsavers Corporate Eyecare in the Republic of Ireland.

Th e Health & Safety Authority recommends assessing current health and safety procedures covering driving for work and drawing up a programme of management. Th e Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act allows company directors to be prosecuted following a collision if it is proven that they have not managed safety properly. It is also calculated that work-related collisions cost companies up to €36 for every €1 claimed on insurance.

Specsavers Optical Care for Drivers voucher entitles recipients to a full eye examination and glasses if required, or non-prescription sunglasses if eyesight is found to be inadequate.

At the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport Irish Logistics & Transport Awards held in the Burlington Hotel,

Dublin, Lisa Th omas from Frosses, County Donegal was honoured with ‘outstanding acheivement’ in the Certifi cate of Professional Competence (CPC) in Road Transport

Operations Management. Lisa achieved the highest results from all the exam sittings conducted in Ireland during 2011.

Lisa att ended a full time intensive two-week course with Th e Swilly Group in Lett erkenny and is now acting as Transport Manager for her husband Rory in their haulage business, Rory Th omas Haulage, which specialises in nationwide distribution of freshly baked products. Lisa Th omas is pictured receiving her award from CILT President Aidan Murphy for First Place in the National CPC in Road Transport Operations Management, with Damian Keirns (far right), Lisa’s Course provider from the Swilly Group.

Also on the night, Chris Callaghan (CILT Education & Training Chairperson) presented Margaret Gallagher (First Place in the National CPC in Road Passenger Operations Management Exam) with her award. Also in the picture is Chris Burke (far right) from Galway, Margaret’s course tutor.

From 2013, an environmental levy will be payable on French ‘routes nationales’ and dual carriageways for trucks over 3.5 tonnes. On 20 April – well ahead of the launch, DKV signed

an agreement with the French operator Ecomouv’ paving the way for automatic collection and billing via an on-board unit.

DKV will be off ering customers a new on-board unit for the collection and billing of all road tolls in France. Th e new DKV Box will be compatible with the French toll scheme TIS PL and will facilitate automatic collection of amounts due on roads in France on which tolls and other levies are payable.

With the new DKV Box, DKV customers will benefi t not just from easy payment facilities but also att ractive discounts of up to 13 per cent on TIS PL and up to 10 per cent on the Eco Taxe levy under the Post-Pay scheme. DKV also off ers customers a complete package: a comprehensive toll service from just one service provider – from ordering terminals to billing and VAT refunds.

Further information at www.dkv-euroservice.com/tolls-france

‘Specsavers Optical Care for Drivers’

CILT National Winners in Road Transport Management

DKV Euro Service to ease burden of French Eco Taxe system

Hankook’s all new Light Commercial Tyre: Vantra LT:

Vantra LT is the all new light truck summer tyre from Hankook, developed to meet the high demands that are

placed on passenger and goods transport vehicles in regional traffi c. Durability, fuel effi ciency and mileage played a key role during development, as well as safety-related driving characteristics such as short breaking distances and superior wet performance. With its innovative design features the new Vantra LT (available in 34 dimensions) improves fuel effi ciency by up to 13 % while reducing wear by 12 % for extended mileage.

“Quality and technological leadership in all product categories are key focal points for Hankook. With the Vantra LT we are targeting the specifi c needs of our customers that are interested in a tyre that delivers constant performance and safety over a long service life and helps saving money and protecting the environment at the same time.” explains Jin-Wook Choi, President Hankook Tire and CEO for Europe.

mmer to

re t

y or

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NEWS 111


In a surprise move, Mercedes-Benz has developed a new truck series specifi cally for short radius

distribution applications. Called the Antos, it will feature short and medium sized cabs with a broad range of Euro 6 engines with 13 horsepower options. Th e new vehicle family which shares many of the design components of the award winning Mercedes-Benz Actros is currently undergoing fi eld tests with operators (under camoufl age) before their premiere at the Commercial Vehicles Show at the IAA in Hanover this September.

Heavy duty short range distribution covers a broad range of applications from food transportation to the retail sector, fuel deliveries, open platform and box body type delivers together with refuse collection, street-cleaning and other municipal applications. With the Antos, Mercedes-Benz has created a stand-alone truck series with its own characteristics to cater for this broad and growing customer base. Th e 2.30 metre wide cabs, taken from the Actros are designed primarily for urban or national distribution. Both the short ‘S’ or medium-size ‘M’ versions off er easy access, well thought-out ergonomics, good all-round visibility and easy to use/durable controls.

Apart from the basic range of models within Antos, two specialist models are to be introduced – the Loader, with an unladen weight of about 6 tonnes is designed for the petro-chemical industry where payload is king. Th e Volume, on the other hand has a low coupling point and a low

frame height, together with an interior height of 3 metres, maximizes the vehicle’s load capacity. Beverage companies will have an interest in this variant particularly. Th ese options are available to order on the new Actros too.

Th e new Euro 6 range of medium duty engines launched recently by Mercedes-Benz with

‘BlueEffi ciency Power’ and produced in Mannheim, Germany will provide the beating heart of the new Antos. With a total of 13 power options from the OM470 (7.7 L)/OM471 (10.7L) /OM936 (12.8L) will cover from 238 hp (175 kW) to 510 hp 375 kW) fi tt ed to the latest generation of the Mercedes-Benz fully automated PowerShift (3) transmission. Both rigid and tractor units of various confi gurations will be available with up 67 diff erent wheelbase lengths and axle spacing ranging from a minimum of 2650 mm up to a maximum of 6700 mm.

Optional safety systems include the newest Active Brake Assist (3), which reacts to stationary objects by automatically engaging the brakes (forcefully) when required.

At the special presentation to the International Truck of the Year Jury, Mr. Hubertus Troska, Mercedes-Benz Trucks Chief (Europe & Latin America) said, “With the introduction of the Mercedes-Benz Antos, Mercedes-Benz becomes the fi rst manufacturer to have a truck series that has been specially developed for the very varied requirements of the short-radius distribution transport industry. It promises

both transport operators and drivers the benefi ts of easy and well thought-out handling as well as outstanding effi ciency.”

More details in the July edition of Fleet Transport.

Mercedes-Benz to introduce new Distribution Truck family

430,000 kilometres of Peugeot Boxer Deliveries!

Tommy Kenny, from Listowel, is currently celebrating 430,000kms of motoring in his 4-year old Peugeot

Boxer van. Delivering food to restaurants all over Ireland for Prestige Food Services Limited, his hard-working, load lugging Boxer van is regularly serviced at Adams of Glin, Main Peugeot Dealers in County Limerick

On being presented with a specially branded Peugeot gift by Dealer Principal, Shane Adams, Tommy said, “I need a van I can trust to deliver refrigerated food on time and I have found the perfect business partner in my Peugeot Boxer. High praise to Adams of Glin who look aft er me at a moment’s notice, for the excellent service, att ention and courtesy extended to me at all

times by all their staff .”

Tommy and Prestige Food Services Limited are so pleased with the performance of the Peugeot Boxer van that they have now taken delivery of a new Boxer van to work alongside the current van.

Peugeot in Ireland wish to hear from their customers if they have a story to tell like Tommy’s. Just contact them by logging onto www.peugeot.ie or posting your story on Peugeot Ireland’s facebook page.

Pictured fr om left to right are: Henry Moran, Adams of Glin Service Manager, Tommy Kenny, proud Boxer van driver and Michael Adams, Sales Manager, Adams of Glin.




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Electrics lead the charge

8 FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 Text: Brian Weatherley

INTERVIEW

T he relationship between a truck manufacturer and its dealer network isn’t always a smooth one, especially during tough times. But there’s no

doubt how much respect Renault Trucks has for its Irish partner Setanta Vehicle Importers (SVI). Setanta took on the job of selling the French ‘Diamond’ light to heavy commercial vehicle brand in Ireland in 2007, and Nigel Butler, Renault Trucks UK’s Commercial Director (pictured right), is positively glowing in his praise for its Irish importer. “We’re absolutely thrilled with the performance of Setanta,” he said. “Setanta has done an absolutely fantastic job, together with their dealers that they’ve appointed, in growing our market share. Th e Republic of Ireland was a 2-3% market for us back when it was a 4,000 unit market. What they’re now taking is a 12% share of a market that will currently only be 1,000 to 1,100 units above 3.5 tonnes - so they’ll do something in the region of 110 to 130 units this year, ” he added.

Th e market share uplift achieved by SVI Directors Harry Nash and Sean Loft us, and their dealers, has certainly been impressive. “Th ey market 3.5-tonnes upwards, the full range of vehicles,” stated Nigel, “It includes Master - although to be fair it’s not a big part of what they do, so it’s Midlum, Premium, Magnum, Kerax and Lander too.”

But what’s behind the jump from 2% to 12% in just fi ve years? Along with SVI’s strong commitment to the brand, Nigel Butler reckons the introduction last year of Renault Trucks Financial Services (RTFS) into Ireland has been “a step-change”, allowing buyers access to fi nance at a time when the banks aren’t falling over themselves to lend money for capital equipment purchase. “So what we provide now is really a purchase market rather than a rental market or a buy-back market,” explains Butler. “We’re funding well over 90% of the Renault trucks that go into Ireland.”

You would imagine Magnum would be Renault’s

biggest seller on this side of the Irish Sea. Not so according to Nigel; “It’s actually Premium Long Distance (Route) model. Yes, proportionally, SVI sells more Magnums than we would sell in the UK - it’s a good Magnum market for us. Th ey have a lot of transport there that goes over the water where the drivers want the larger, fl at-fl oor style cab. But the largest seller when we look at the numbers

is the Premium LD.”

Meanwhile, what does the future hold for Renault in Ireland especially with a new heavy range on the horizon? “We’ve got Ireland to a market share where we’re really, really happy. What we need now is for the Irish market to come back in terms of volume because we should be able to maintain that 12%,” he emphasized. “However”, he insists. “It’s never going to get back to 4,000-4,500 units a year, Realistically it will be a long term average of say 2,500-3,000. We can take 10-12% of that market and the volumes will be signifi cantly higher. We’d be thrilled at that - 300 units a year in Southern Ireland would be ideal for us.”

Does Butler see any sign of the economic tide turning? “It’s still ‘watch this’ space,” he claimed. “I grumble about the UK at the moment but the reality is that it’s tougher in Ireland. When I talk to the guys in Ireland they’ve got the same issue of trying to engender confi dence in customers to get them moving. And they’ve got the issue, and it’s a much bigger issue, of the availability of fi nance. But RTFS has given us a step-change. It’s helping out customers where we can fund the vehicle.” If the good times do come back, would that require more dealers in Ireland? Nigel answered: “I think we’ve got a core network now that can cope, that can cater for that size of truck parc and that

market share of 10-12% and 300 trucks a year. I think we’ve got the critical mass now to support it and support it well. What we need now is the volume.”

Nigel is also looking to boost Renault’s used trucks operation in Ireland. “It’s part of the Setanta business,” he stated. “Th ey’re actively trading but I think there’s more that we can do there with our Truckplus brand. In fact we’re just exploring that at the moment with Harry and Sean, how can we take it to the next stage. Because used trucks is a good way of generating workshop revenues and also to get new customers to experience the brand and especially Premium’s good fuel consumption.”

RENAULT TRUCKS' FIRST 26 TONNE HYBRID ENTERS SERVICE

Renault Trucks UK recently handed over the fi rst right-hand-drive Premium 26-tonne hybrid truck to Norbert Dentressangle which will trial the 6x2 on drinks distribution work in England. Mike Bridges, Norbert Dentressangle’s UK MD (left ) accepted the keys of the Premium fr om Renault VP UK & Ireland Region Marc Martinez.

Norbert Dentressangle – one of Europe’s leading logistics and transport companies – has established a new subsidiary company in order to grow its business in Ireland. With existing operations in Dublin, Belfast and in Kildare, Norbert Dentressangle Logistics Ireland Ltd, will provide innovative, high added-value warehousing and distribution solutions across the Island of Ireland. Currently employing 120 people, it is anticipated that the new company will create up to 20 additional jobs over the next 12 months. Norbert Dentressangle already manages operations in Ireland on behalf of major companies including ADM Londis, La Palett e Rouge, Mitsubishi and Tesco and has well-established Irish fr eight forwarding and transport services operations.

Setanta battles strong for Renault Trucks in IrelandFleet Transport’s UK correspondent Brian Weatherley learns how Setanta Vehicle Importers has been growing Renault Trucks’ share in Ireland and winning plaudits across the water too.

Aaron McAleenan runs Elsatrans, a 24/7 frozen, chilled and groupage service across the whole of

Ireland. He runs a fleet of 11 litre Volvo FMs making on time deliveries and a huge range of work from

containers to fridge tractors. For Aaron maintenance is critical; timing, costs, parts availability are all

crucial elements in keeping the fleet running in the most cost-efficient way and simply, “never letting a

customer down.” His words say it all, “we opted for Volvo’s Gold Contract with maintenance by Irish

Commercials. It fixes our costs, reduces the risk of unplanned downtime and in our experience saves us

40% over non-contract trucks.”

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“40% LESS ON MAINTENANCE”

R enault Truck’s range of construction vehicles has achieved a reputation for durability in the most demanding areas of work for transport vehicles.

A key reason for this reputation has been the performance of Kerax which has proven its ability to endure arduous’ off -road work and perform to satisfy the needs of operators and drivers alike. Now Renault Trucks has improved on its toughest construction off ering with the ‘Kerax Xtrem.’

Xtrem was originally developed for the exceptionally demanding work of heavy duty mining, logging and oilfi eld operations in some of the more remote countries of the world. Based on this success and with increasing demand from customers who want a litt le extra it has been decided to off er Xtrem to the European market. Although there has been a slow down in construction projects, the level of enquiries is on the increase. Nigel Butler (Commercial Director Renault Trucks, UK) att ributes this increase to operators concerned about the impending Euro 6 regulations and the associated price hike alluded to by all manufacturers.

Renault Trucks made Xtrem available for a series of test drives along with other off erings from its extensive construction range, which includes a new version of Kerax, an all wheel drive 8x8. To test vehicles such as Xtrem requires an extreme proving ground, so Renault Trucks selected the ‘Promsa’ quarry just south of Barcelona as the venue, as it off ered everything necessary in one location, and being off road allowed the vehicles to be loaded to the road legal max - and then some more.

Renault Trucks was quietly confi dent that the ‘extreme’ vehicles would perform as they already operate at weights grossing 85 - 90 tonnes in markets such as Indonesia. In these exotic locations companies run Kerax Xtrem as a cheaper and more economical version of the large dumper trucks. For the engineers the invaluable experience gained in these conditions has guided the further development of Xtrem, and this experience is now available in Europe.

In principle the 8x4 Xtrem is the same vehicle as Kerax, the main diff erences are a reinforced chassis with double side members from the engine through to the rear overhang. Other changes include reinforced parabolic leaf springs and a strengthened drive axle with drum brakes catering for up to 36 tonnes (optional). With a standard twin disc clutch inside a cast iron bell housing and a gearbox cooler Xtrem is a seriously tough truck. Available engine choices meet the Euro 5 regulations with power outputs from 430 to 520 hp (316 to 382 kW).

Xtrem will endure the most arduous work and appears to enjoy the challenge with one of the best approach angles on the market (37º) and with a ground clearance of 385 and 370 mm under the front and rear axles respectively. We att empted the steepest ascents and descents the quarry had to off er, tipping the scales at 42 tonnes, and nothing we found seemed to trouble the Xtrem.

With 520 hp driving through a 16 speed manual transmission the eight-wheeler moved casually up and over any gradient, and when descending the steep drop to the quarry fl oor the hydraulic Intarder kept control without having to resort to the footbrake.

For off -road operations where moving volume as quickly as possible and especially where road-legal

weights are not a major concern, Xtrem makes for an appealing option.

A few eyebrows were raised when Fabrice Piombo (Renault Trucks) announced that the Kerax 8x8 comes with the DXi 11 at either 430 or 460 hp, it being presumed that an 8x8 would avail of the 13 litre 520 hp considering there is one available. However having done their homework, Fabrice and Renault Trucks believe that 460hp is plenty and that those who require an 8x8 need low speed torque rather than high rated horsepower. In reality 8x8 chassis’ are special purpose units with a particular line of work in mind such as logging or the defence forces.

Our drive in the 8x8 over the most difficult sections of the quarry was similar to the Xtrem in that we could not fi nd a situation where the truck faltered, the low speed torque allowed the eight-wheeler to calmly move through the wet and dry sections equally as well. In addition engaging and disengaging drive to the axles is as simple as pressing the appropriate switch when the terrain demanded, and unlike some AWD vehicles the Kerax gives a smooth and highly manoeuvrable drive without the wrestling oft en found in AWD mode. Having driven the Xtrem 520 over the same course, we must agree with Fabrice that the 460 hp 8x8 is well capable and well suited to the task.


CONSTRUCTION

Renault Trucks Construction Vehicleson trial in Spain

• ‘When the going gets tough – the tough get Xtrem’

Th e Renault Truck Construction range off ers vehicles with numerous cab options and confi gurations, from Midlum through to Xtrem including the Premium Lander in rigid or tractor format. One interesting Premium Lander in tractor format was available for test with what might be described as a ‘sting in the tail’ in that the 4x2 Lander Optitrack hitched to a Benalu tipping trailer, was deliberately loaded with about 15 tonnes sitt ing on the trailer axles only. Th e idea was to challenge the Hydraulic ‘Optitrack’ all wheel drive system to maintain traction over the diff erent surfaces on route.

Optitrack is a hydrostatic all wheel drive system (AWD) available on 4x2 and 6x4 tractors and 4x2, 6x2, and 6x4 rigids, and off ers many benefi ts over mechanical formats. Once engaged Optitrack delivers the traction without the need for a transfer case or ancillary equipment saving nearly 500 Kgs, with Renault claiming a 10% reduction in fuel consumption over standard AWD.

Its many uses would include vehicles which may occasionally require AWD while moving unloaded around sites, farms, or any situation where traction can become an issue. Once engaged Optitrack remains active up to 27 km/h aft er which it automatically disengages. In addition to Optitrack, trucks fi tt ed with the Optidriver+ automated manual transmission, alters the gear shifting patt ern for On and Off -road modes. On-road allows a maximum of up to three ratios to be shift ed, whereas Off -road mode will only allow one, also Off -road selects 1st as the starting gear and On-road will select depending on load and

gradient. Engine speed bands are altered from 1,000/1,500 rpm to 1,500/2,000 rpm for On and Off -road respectively.

For the lighter weight category vehicles which still require AWD, such as service and supply vehicles, Midlum steps into the ring with all the characteristics of the heavier models, and drives just like a scaled down version of its bigger brothers. It is a robust addition to the line-up with a competent DXi7 300 Hp and practical 6 speed transmission, and is unfussy and functional throughout. Exactly what is demanded by its target market. Oft en this class of vehicle is used for all manner of tasks and driven by anyone who happens to be around, so must be durable enough to take the rough with the smooth, and remain trouble free.

Renault Trucks construction range appears to have every possible off -road requirement covered from 4x2 lightweights to 8x8 heavies, and available in between the selection of cab sizes and chassis

confi gurations leave litt le to be desired. Th eir durability has already been proven and the vehicles are powered by some of the most fuel effi cient engines on the market. Having proven its worth operating in the high altitude mines of Chile, European construction should not prove too diffi cult.

CONSTRUCTION

Text & Photos: Paul White - paul@fl eet.ie FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 11

Defi nition of Off -Road According to Directive - 2000/40/EEC50% of its axles must be driven

Th e vehicle must be fi tt ed with a diff erential lock

Th e vehicle must have the ability to climb a 30% gradient

Th e vehicle must also comply with four of the following six conditions Minimum Approach Angle 25° Minimum Departure Angle 25°Ground Clearance front axle 250 mm Ground clearance drive axle 250 mmMinimum Belly Angle 25° Minimum ground clearance between axles 300 mm

*Source Renault Trucks

NEW FLEET

Beauty in the Econic eye! New Renault Magnum for Donegal

12 FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fl eet.ie

Three new sky-blue Mercedes-Benz Econic’s recently put into operation by local waste collection service provider AES Limited will catch the eye of householders across Leinster and

North Munster. Supplied by Motor Distributors through Walker Vehicle Rentals, the three Mercedes-Benz Econics have 330hp engines and Allison automatic transmission. Th eir low entry refuse collection chassis were fi tt ed with a Faun Vario Press II body, complete with auto lift and AMCS on-board weighting system. As part of Bord na Móna, A ES s e r v i c e s o v e r 95,000 homes and these new vehicles compliments the other Mercedes-Benz units in the AES fl eet.

McDevitt International (Donegal) recently took delivery of a new Renault Magnum Excellence from local truck dealer McMenamin Commercials. Specifi cation on the new 520hp

Euro5 DXi tractor unit includes Renault Truck’s OptiDriver automated transmission.

Kevin McDevitt , Director of McDevitt International, stated that he is pleasantly surprised with the performance of the Renault Premium Long Distance purchased previously on all spectrums, from reliability to comfort and most surprising the great fuel economy. “Hence the reason the Renault Magnum has earned its place in our fl eet,” he said. Kevin McDevitt is pictured receiving his keys from Shay McMenamin, McMenamin Commercials.

Prompto Despatch, located in Watergrasshill, County Cork is investing heavily in

its vehicle fl eet with the purchase of a new DAF XF105.480 tractor unit and Decker 13.6 metre double-deck curtainsider trailer built by Fitzgeralds, Cork, with ecodeck fuel saver technology. Two new rigid trucks are to follow soon supplied by Volvo and DAF.

Commenting on the developments

within the company, James Delea, Managing Director, spoke of “Prompto’s commitment to continuously re-investing in its fl eet as a number one priority; for ensuring Prompto continues to exceed the industry standard when delivering a high level of service to its valued customers.”

Th e new DAF truck and Decker trailer combination will be used on the nightly Cork – Dublin route on behalf of the Once Distribution Group.

Prompto Despatch expands fl eet

Stobart spikes Scania’s sales

To meet demand for increasing business in its pharmaceutical distribution contracts, Alltrans, the Dublin based ‘next-day-delivery’ provider has acquired a 16 strong fl eet of new Ford

Transit T300 panel van supplied by National Truck Rental (Dublin). Th e fi rst batch of eight vans have gone into operation. Pictured at the handover were L/R John Murphy, Sales Director, National Truck Rental; Lochlann O’Doherty, Operations Director, Alltrans and Jim Byrne Managing Director, National Truck Rental.

Alltrans in Transit!

The month of May saw a big spike in new registrations for Scania trucks in Ireland as 75 new G400LA 4x2 tractor units have been put on the road by Stobart Ireland. While the deal was concluded by Scania’s International Division in Sweden, local Importer Westward Scania was involved with the sale. Th e new units

went under Pre-Delivery Inspection by dealer McElvaney’s Monaghan with the service and repair / maintenance contract carried out by McElvaneys Dublin depot.

Motor Distributors Ltd., Naas Road, Dublin 12. Tel. (01) 4094 444

Outstandingly capable in every bend –thanks to maximum precision.The new Actros. The new dimension of driving dynamics.Climb in, drive off, enjoy – the new Actros ensures you a driving experience that exceeds all those you’ve ever had. Experience the new engines characterised by their sheer power and superb refinement. The precise steering with which you master difficult situations safely. And the new suspension which smoothes out every uneven section of road with outstanding capability. Now at your authorised Mercedes-Benz dealer and at www.mercedes-benz.com/the-new-actros

A D

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2 0 1 2


TEST

Mercedes-Benz Actros 1845 LS StreamSpace

N ow more than ever investment in telematics systems are paying off . With the increasing cost of fuel allied to the ongoing expense

in relation to repair and maintenance, not to mention labour costs, gett ing the most of the machine in hands is paramount. Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles Ireland presented Fleet Transport with the opportunity to try out the full package available to purchasers of the all-new award winning Mercedes-Benz Actros, which has just gone on sale here. To date much has been writt en about our impression and various test-drives abroad of this reigning International Truck of the Year. But as oft en stated, it is not until one brings a vehicle home and puts it under Irish conditions that it can be truly appreciated. No more so in the case of the new Actros …. and we went a step further by sleeping in it overnight!

Apart from all else, the Mercedes-Benz CV team were anxious to see what’s the best miles per gallon that could be achieved over our 400-kilometre motorway test run, almost fully loaded. So a lot to cover in this report. As now the norm with this exercise, the journey began at Johnstown on the M4 and we headed due East into Dublin’s M50 before taking the N7 and M7, driving to the M8 towards Cashel and made our way back to Enfi eld along the same route. Accompanied by Gerry McDonnell, Area Manager for Mercedes-Benz CV, who has vast knowledge of all things technical when it comes to the Daimler Commercial brands, the plan was set in motion to achieve that goal under the silent but watchful eye of FleetBoard, the company’s highly rated telematics system.

When specifying this truck, Gerry had the Irish National and Cross-Channel haulier in mind. Th e 2.5m wide StreamSpace cab off ers the most

aerodynamic eff ect and provides 1.97m standing room on the fl at fl oor inside. He spoke about the reduced drag eff ect on this size cab compared to the narrower 2.3m version available which can return up to 2% bett er fuel economy as the 2.5m cab width fl ows in-line bett er with the trailer behind. Mentioning the trailer, the Dennison curtainsider with its 4.25m height, while is popular with the Irish operators, did create extra drag on the said run and the impressive fuel return could be even bett ered if a standard 4.0m high trailer was used. Still, it’s horses for courses and this pedigree stallion did not let us down. Gerry was happy with the 9.6 miles per gallon recorded. We set the cruise just below 85kp/h, which is what a good number of drivers are sett ing the speed limit at these days. At 84kp/h the 12.8 litre 450hp block hummed along in top gear through the latest and third generation PowerShift automated transmission @ 1150rpm. Eco-Roll cut in on the descents, which helps fuel economy by reducing the revs to idle speed of 500rpm while maintaining full control of the drivetrain.

Among the many things improved and changed over the prev ious Actros, the chassis A-frame at the front has been completely redesigned on the 3” wider chassis to off er better stabi l ity on the road. Th ere is less ‘ f lexing’ on the cab mountings and the actual cab itself is fi xed higher than here-to-fore to allow for more cooling for the Euro 6 engines due soon. Four

airbags on the rear suspension (replacing just the two used last time) not only off ers bett er ride but hooking up to the trailer is faster as the bags fi ll quicker. Steering response is eff ective and the overall experience is quiet and smooth. It was easy to converse while on the move.

Another benefi cial aspect of the redesigned cab is the superior visibility off ered as the A-Pillar does not intrude into the mirror mountings (like some others) reducing the blind spot element. Storage space is generous and within easy reach of the driver’s seat. Th e same can be said about the switchgear, which is becoming more and more like what’s available from Mercedes-Benz' top-end cars. Another lasting impression was given by the hot-water based auxiliary air conditioning, which was used (remotely) while on the overnight stop. Having experienced nights out in our campervan, the thoughts of turning the tractor unit into a bedroom brought litt le fear. Okay, there is less elbow room but for the solo occupier, it was perfect. Th e bunk is 2200mm

Test Drive

Report

long and 750mm wide, the dimensions speaking for themselves. As does the comfort matt ress which has an adjustable back section for adapting to diff erent positions. Curtains that run all-round provide the necessary privacy in a jiff y while the reading lamp plus controls for the radio, light, pop-up roof and heater system enhances the driver’s comfort. While the driver’s seat can lean forward by pushing a butt on on the backrest, the same fi tt ing is not on the passenger seat, which makes the same exercise rather awkward as one has to adjust same from the side of the seat

near the door. Another thing worth noting is that there is no litt le pocket or net to store your mobile phone when in bed as the shelves in the side panels are just too deep for this purpose. Appreciated the fl at-levelled fl oor though for gett ing changed.

Woke up the next morning at 5.30am feeling the cold from the night air (the eff ects of the auto timer on the night heater had well diminished at this stage) but a quick fl ick of the same butt on provided instant warmth for another hour and it

was then time to tune into the radio for a litt le while.

Aft er Gerry returned to the overnight halt spot, it was then time to analyse the data. As you will see from the report, Gerry drove for a portion, without due care and att ention

of the fuel economy, just to see the variants in the reporting system of FleetBoard. Th is telematics hardware provides driver and vehicle management in detail which if operated eff ectively can reduce fuel consumption by up to 10%. Driver and vehicle behaviour or performance (the term preferred) can be provided in-depth via the Internet. What it does in a nutshell is improve driving style, which reduces wear and consumption – saving you money – simple!

Service data is recorded too and evaluated without the vehicle even having to come into the workshop. Th is allows a bett er breakdown of ongoing running and operating costs.

Gerry and the powers-that-be at Mercedes-Benz CV were pleased with the overall return aft er the day’s outing. So too was this driver. Life on board a truck was never bett er. Th e next challenge? Beating Gerry’s 9.1mpg / 31.4L/100km achieved over the same route as this in the Actros range topper – the GigaSpace. Th is story is to be continued!

Text & Photos: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fl eet.ie FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 15

TEST

SPEC CHECKMake/Model: Mercedes-Benz Actros 1845 LS 4x2 TractorCab: L-Cab StreamSpace (Flat Floor)Engine: 12.8 litre OM471 (Euro 5)Power: 449hp/330kW @ 1800 rpmTorque: 2200 Nm @ 1100 rpmTransmission: PowerShift 3, 12 speed automatedSuspension: Front (Springs) + Rear (Air)Brakes: Discs front and rear, EPB with ABS/ASRAxle Ratio: 2.611Wheelbase: 3850 mmTanks: 630 litres (fuel) 75 litres (AdBlue)Tyres: 315/70 R 22.5 / Highway & TractionFuel Economy: 9.6 mpg (@ 36 tonnes GVW) 29.5 l/100 kmsEquipment: Central locking, CD Radio, FleetBoard, Aerodynamic kit, air-con, tilting sunroof, Cruise control.Measurements: Width 2500 mm Length 2300 mm

Jarlath Sweeney Gerry McDonnellTotal Distance Covered 346 kms 49 kmsAverage Drive Consumption 29.5 l/100 km (9.6 mpg) 31.5 l/100 km (9.0 mpg)Average Speed 78 km/h 67 km/hCruise Control Distance 70% 66%Driving Style 0/10 9.8 9.5Preventive Driving Style 10.0 10.0Driving Style (brakes) 9.6 9.6Uniform Speed (Grade) 9.9 9.2

FLEETBOARD RESULTS


FLEETING SHOTS

DAF has announced a €30 million investment in construction of a new PACCAR Parts Distribution

Centre (PDC) in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. “Th e new distribution centre replaces the existing Eindhoven facility and provides additional capacity and operating effi ciency to support DAF’s growth,” said Harrie Schippers, DAF Trucks President. “In 2011 DAF achieved a record 15.5% EU market share in the above 16 ton class and captured market leadership in tractor sales. DAF’s success is due to our excellent dealer network and effi cient product range supported by industry leading services, such as PACCAR Financial and PACCAR Parts.”

“PACCAR Parts distributes aftermarket truck parts throughout Europe, utilizing 5 strategically located distribution centres in Madrid, Budapest, Moscow, Leyland and Eindhoven, supporting over 1,000 DAF dealer locations,” added Dick Leek, PACCAR Parts Europe General Manager. “Construction of the 26,000-square-meter facility is estimated to start by July this year and be completed in the fi rst half of 2013. Th e new Distribution Centre will utilise world-class technology such as advanced logistics systems, radio-frequency identifi cation, smart tags and computer-generated voice picking.”

IMS, the UK & Ireland exclusive partner for SAF-HOLLAND automotive equipment is to distribute ALEX RIMS, a forged

aluminium wheel claimed to be the best in the world.

ALEX RIMS forged aluminium wheels are produced using only high quality alloy materials developed over many years, a combination of the best alloy available and all manufactured from purpose built facilities at Alex Global Aerospace Technology, a professional producer

of aluminium products for over 20 years.

Arran Leatherland, Sales Manager at IMS Limited explained, “The in house facilities at A lex Global boast of a complete vertical integration system from material to production in house, to produce the lightest and strongest wheels in the

world. Th ey have also invested in their own furnaces, extrusion and forging equipment, spinning machine, precision CNC and polish equipment to give complete control and ensure each wheel performs to the highest standard possible”.

ALEX RIMS are available in sizes from 16” to 24.5” in a machined, polished or A-shine fi nish.

IMS to market ALEX RIMS

The National Maritime College of Ireland, Ringaskiddy, Country Cork was the venue for the annual Road

Safety Day hosted by the Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics. Att ended by CILT members which included road transport and coach operators, the event included presentations from Deirdre Sinnott from the Health & Safety Authority, Judge Michael Patwell (retired) and Garda Inspector Finbarr

O’Sullivan.

Ms. Sinnott outlined the Authorities ‘Driving for Work’ programme and Duty of Care issues while Judge Patwell, who holds a HGV drivers licence gave his view on driving standards and what is required to change the culture of road carnage. Garda Inspector Finbarr O’Sullivan, the Regional Traffi c Inspector for the Southern Region explained in graphic detail the trauma of

fatal road incidents have on the families of victims. He also mentioned that new categories of dangers have evolved in that pedestrians and cyclists are now more vulnerable than ever before.

CILT Road Safety Event, Cork

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DAF Trucks to construction new Parts Distribution Centre

Judge Michael Patwell and Kevin Whelan, Chairman, Southern Section, CILT

Text & Photos: Paul White - paul@fl eet.ie FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 17

REPORT 1

T he Canadian Embassy in Dublin may appear an unusual venue for a presentation on road safety. Th e event jointly hosted by the European

Transport Safety Council, (ETSC), Road Safety Authority (RSA), Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and An Garda Siochana, was organised to present information on the subject of vehicle Alcolock devices. One of the keynote speakers, Mr Bill Burger was representing the Canadian company Alcohol Countermeasures System - hence the venue.

Th e subject of fi tt ing Alcolock devices to vehicles is an emotive one. While everyone accepts the potential benefi ts, there is a slight underlying discomfort felt by many drivers, though to voice this feeling may immediately raise a cloud of suspicion over one’s head.

Antonio Avenoso, (Executive Director ETSC), presented fi ndings from the many surveys the Council has carried out Europe-wide. One in particular showed that while the majority of people 94%, believe that driving under the infl uence was a major safety problem. Only 27% knew what the legal BAC (blood alcohol content) limit was in their country, 36% gave an incorrect answer, and 37% did not know.

As a respected authority in the fi eld of road safety and medicine, Professor Denis Cusack provided detailed information regarding the history of ‘drink driving’ in Ireland which seemingly dates back to 1872. Professor Cusack questioned some of our att itudes to, and the methods by which we quantify the problem, believing it a ‘crude measure that if we are killing less people then we must be doing something right.” Interestingly while the Professor supports the introduction of Alcolocks, he feels “it must not be driven by commercial interests.”

Th e audience also heard details of two case studies, one from Mr Bjarke Roost who was responsible for the installation of an Alcolock system in Carlsberg’s fl eet of 319 trucks and 381 cars/vans in Denmark, and Sweden at a cost of €1,400 per vehicle. Bjarke’s project, while expensive, has heightened the profi le of Carlsberg as a responsible company. Th ere was some diffi culties with the Unions initially. However, these diffi culties were worked through, and combined with an extensive fl eet replacement programme, which has reduced fuel consumption, all drivers are now in-line for a signifi cant bonus. Whether Carlsberg had a problem with drivers drinking before, Bjarke could not say, though he added, “I don’t know how many were drinking, but I know now, that none are.”

Paddy Matt hews of Matt hews Coaches in County Louth is also convinced that the investment has more than paid off . Like the Carlsberg experience, the venture has brought great publicity and created a perception of a well run and professional transport service with all customers. Paddy is also keen to

highlight the improvement in his sleeping patt erns since the units were installed in the vehicles. He found his drivers very accepting of the system and now it is just part of the daily shift .

Aft er the presentations we discussed the issue of driver acceptance with Lars Holmkvist of Boras Public Transport (Sweden). Unlike the drivers at Matt hews whose device is installed in each vehicle, at Boras the Alcolock chosen was a ‘base station’ unit located where the drivers clock in for the day.

Th is type was chosen as the drivers did not want to be observed by passengers while self-testing, and was thought to be more manageable with constant changing of drivers and vehicles.

Speaking with ‘Fleet Transport’ Lars explained at fi rst there was some unease, though this has since ceased to be an issue. Drivers are tested once a day at the beginning of the shift before they leave the depot. If a positive result is detected the driver is informed and a text message is sent to the supervisor in charge at the time. In the near eighteen months the system is operational, there has only been one instance of a driver being detected over the legal limit of 0.20 BAC. Th is occurred at 04.00 hrs on a Sunday morning and the breath sample recorded a BAC reading of 0.27.

It would generally be accepted that while the driver was over the limit, a reading such as this would not indicate any deliberate intention on the driver’s part to ‘drive drunk.’ In fact, 0.27 is slightly over half the permissible limit in Ireland for car drivers. However if the Bus driver was stopped while on the road and recorded the same reading, in Sweden he would be immediately disqualifi ed.

Th e general public should welcome Alcolock devices as another step towards improving safety for all on our roads, and Commercial drivers should welcome the introduction of the devices as it helps to ensure that they keep their licence, and livelihood.

European Transport Safety Council’s 22nd ‘Safe and Sober’ Seminar, Dublin

‘Safe and Sober Transport’SpeakersMr Antonio Avenoso Executive Director, European Transport Safety CouncilProf. Denis Cusack Director, Medical Bureau of Road Safety, IrelandMr Kieran Sudds Senior Inspector, Health and Safety Authority, IrelandMr Carl Johan Almqvist Traffi c and Product Safety Director, Volvo Trucks, SwedenMr Bill Burger Business Manager, Alcohol Countermeasures SystemsDr WIll Murray Research Director, Interactive Driving Systems, UKMr Paddy Matt hews Matt hews Coaches, IrelandMr Bjarke Roost Vice President for Logistics Carlsberg Breweries, DenmarkMr Lars Holmkvist Chief Executive Offi cer, Boras Public Transport, Sweden ModeratorMr Brian Farrell

Communications Manager Road Safety Authority, Ireland

Mr Bill Burger (Business Manager, Alcohol Countermeasures Systems) Con O'Donohue (Garda National Traffi c Bureau) Noel

Brett (CEO Road Safety Authority) Deirdre Sinnott (Health & Safety Authority) Antonio Avenoso (Executive Director, European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) and Neill Flemming


LAUNCH PAD 1

Mercedes-Benz paths the road ahead Mercedes-Benz paths the road ahead with Predictive Powertrain Controlwith Predictive Powertrain Control

W ould you believe it is over 50 years since Mercedes-Benz introduced Cruise Control into the European automotive

industry. Th en in the mid-nineties, Adaptive Cruise Control was developed to provide much-needed relief to motorway drivers and made available as an optional extra in the Mercedes-Benz fl agship model the S-Class. While both of these innovations are now commonplace in cars and trucks, this August will see the market launch of the next phase and the most signifi cant development – Predictive Powertrain Control.

Th e new system which comes as an optional extra for under €2,000 uses predictive functionality based on integrated route and GPS – positioning data in speed control. Fitt ed to the Euro 6 BlueTec Effi ciency Mercedes-Benz Actros long haul truck, the system generates a virtual horizon two to three kilometres ahead and times the acceleration or braking required automatically and even engages the correct gear based on the road profi le negotiated – all without the intervention of the driver. “PPC or Predictive Powertrain Control is like an eagle f lying over the road,” said Hubertus Troska, Mercedes-Benz Truck's Chief EU & Latin America, who installed a picture in our minds (at the presentation in Mercedes-Benz Trucks HQ in Worth, Germany) of the big bird gliding along with ease and conserving energy along the route. While this top level technology is to be admired and appreciated, the role of the driver is still paramount. PPC does off er greater cost effi ciency and environmental benefi ts to the operator where the driver still has to steer, observe and brake when necessary.

While those of us present were impressed with the

new technology to enhance effi ciency and driver comfort, we discovered that Mercedes-Benz’ sister brand Freightliner has been using a similar system called Predictive Cruise Control since 2006. Th e ‘Predictive’ cruise control system has stored topographical data on the route ahead – and in the case for Europe almost 300,000 kilometres of motorway routes have been logged in and thereby overrides the ‘achilles heel’ of conventional speed control regulators.

As found with conventional systems, using automated transmission with or without cruise control, the drivetrain cannot see the road ahead, and is oft en the case the climbing gear selected over a crest is either retained too long or not long enough which leads to additional fuel consumption – not with Predictive Powertrain Control. For this reason alone, many drivers choose to manually operate the transmission for this type of terrain. Scania has introduced a similar system in recent weeks.

‘Effi cient and economical truck transportation,’ is how Vincent Angellier, Product & Marketing Management, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, described the Predictive Powertrain Control’ system on the Actros. “Via GPS data, it knows just about every incline and decline along the way. Th e degree of coverage of route data is virtually 100% in central European countries,” he added.

As mentioned previously, PPC dictates the Powershift 3 automated gear shift s based on the knowledge of the route by calculating the mass versus the challenge be it a hill or descent. Th e engine brake (and retarder if fi tt ed) play an important role in the success of the system also. “Th e steeper the hill the bett er the system operates,” emphasised Vincent. In addition, the fuel-effi cient Eco-Roll technology, which lowers the revs automatically

while on a decent is enhanced further by coming in quicker and for longer periods. Basically all the driver has to do is enter the cruising speed via the control butt ons on the steering wheel.

“Th e Predictive Cruise Control system utilises this data to assume control of the accelerator, continuous brake and transmission unit. Th e driver, of course, maintains the ultimate control. And naturally, the optional package of adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency brake function, Active Brake Assist continues to be deployed with respect to vehicle and traffi c safety with higher priority than Predictive Powertrain Control,” stated Vincent. “Drawing on the pre-programmed expert knowledge with regard to correct handling of the vehicle mass the speed controller responds appropriately to hill climbs and decents.”

“Th e driver’s job in all of this is to set the target cruise control speed, and what is known as the ‘upper hysteresis’. Th is determines the customised maximum speed on descent, which is no diff erent from standard cruise control PPC includes a minimum speed limit below the cruising speed (up to 10kp/h) as a third variable. Th e driver uses this value to set a lower speed range that the system can use in suitable operational circumstances to induce a fuel saving drop in speed. On descents the confi gurated cruising speed (best set between 4 and 6 kp/h) is kept absolute by controlling the truck and trailers momentum be it through the engine brake or retarder. It is worth noting that PPC does not operate at speeds lower than 60kp/h.

Even since 1996, Mercedes-Benz has invested heavily in the development of automated transmissions. Many will recall the EPS – Electro Pneumatic Synchromesh 16 speed gearshift (semi-auto) to be followed by the Telligent automatic

• Saves up to 3% in fuel consumption

transmission. Th en came Powershift the constant mesh 12/16 speed that is fully automatic. Today’s Powershift 3 is 50% more effi cient than the EPS from year to year and also comes with reducing function and crawler mode.

Mercedes-Benz engineers have defined five scenarios to which the Predictive Powertrain Control works at its best to achieve the targeted 3% reduction in fuel consumption. 1. Steep hill 2. Rolling downhill 3. Dip 4. Hilltop 5. Anticipatory Eco-Roll.

1. Steep HillDownshifts ahead of uphill stretches and/or increases speed automatically in order to avoid gearshift s on the uphill section.

2. Rolling DownhillTh e truck and trailer’s kinetic energy is continuously determined and PPC recognises whether it can quickly att ain the set speed by rolling (through Eco-Roll being deployed to reduce drag losses.)

3. DipUpper hysteresis is exceeded by a maximum of 1kp/h for up to 20 seconds to gain yet more momentum (but not about the 90kp/h speed limiter sett ing)

4. Hill TopTh e combinations vehicle energy is continuously determined and recognises in good time whether it will be able to roll over the hilltop at an adequate speed. Eco-Roll can also be engaged.

5. Anticipatory EcoRollMore precise activation – less for shorter cruises and longer if necessary according to the road profi le.

At the end of the information session, it was time to turn the virtual into reality. Already proven in comparison test runs over long distance test runs such as the Stutt gart-Hamburg return journey, up to 3% greater fuel effi ciency was achieved with the new Actros 1845 BlueTec 6 over its conventional cousins with traditional cruise control. In the presence of Jen Hoff mann, a member of the development team, we set off in the Actros 1845 GigaSpace for an hour duration on an extremely hilly motorway route from our base at Maxi-Autohof Kirchleim.

With cruise control set and plus and minus parameters on the speed registered while on the

move, the PPC system ‘took-over’. Over hill and vale the drivetrain responded to its electronic master’s request. Even while on the descent with engine brake/retarder working in tandem a quick touch of the foot brake to avoid gett ing too near the truck in front, the cruise control did not disengage. As discovered the system only works at its peak on a clear road. Too oft en we found ourselves reducing the set speed from 84kp/h to 80kp/h in order not to get too near the ‘slower traffi c in front’. Th is is where driver control is needed, or the addition of Adaptive Cruise Control to the truck's specifi cation. Admitt edly it would take a driver a day to educate themselves to the technology on board and to appreciate what it can do, especially how it deals with the 5 diff erent elements as described earlier.

While there is much talk about fully automised driverless cars, it will take

a litt le more time for the driverless truck, in the meantime, PPC is here and now as are the benefi ts to the drivetrain and ultimately the reduction in fuel economy.

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fl eet.ie FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 19

LAUNCH PAD 1

Just like the experienced driver, foot off the pedal before the crest of a hill. Profi cient drivers build up speed early enough on the approach to an incline. Th is saves on gear changes and fuel on the approach to the crest of a major uphill section, the best drivers know how to keep the accelerator fully depressed only until the vehicles mass and kinetic energy are suffi cient to propel the truck and trailer combination into the following descent.

Th anks to engine electronics, cruise control has become a standard feature on cars, vans, trucks and buses, the development of adaptive cruise control technology has gone as far as to include automotive braking systems. Predictive Powertrain Control is the pinnacle in cruise control evolution.

PPC covers 95% of the 295,482km of EU motorways.

20 FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 Text & Photos: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fl eet.ie

LAUNCH PAD 11

A s featured in the February edition of Fleet Transport, Mitsubishi Fuso is about to introduce the (selectable) all-wheel-drive version

of the Canter light duty truck. Canter 4x4 is off ered as a 6.5 tonne model with a choice of day or crew cabs. Its off -road capabilities and comfortable drive on-road make it a good choice for operators in the municipal and utility sectors. While measuring only two metres wide, high payload capacity and good manoeuvrability bring further benefi ts to the decision making process.

Designated 6C18, the new Fuso Canter 4x4 is powered by FPT’s (Fiat Powertrain Technologies) four-cylinder 3.0 litre turbo diesel engine that meets both Euro 5 and EEV Certifi cation through SCR (AdBlue) technology developed by Fuso in Japan. Producing 175hp (129kW) @ 3500rpm the BlueTec 5 boasts a maximum full-load torque of 430Nm which is available consistently from 1600 to 2900 rpm. Mated to this powerplant is Fuso’s own 5 speed manual gearbox, replacing the ZF 6 speed transmission from the previous model. Duonic, Fuso’s acclaimed transmission is fi tt ed to the standard Canter and is not available as yet for the 4x4 version. Customers can choose from the Single (3 seat) or 7 seat (Crew Cab) with wheelbase options stretching from 3415mm to 3865mm. Payload capacity ranges from 3500kg to 3735kg.

With the cab mounted higher (up to 320mm from 219mm) the Canter’s approach and departure angles are 35 degrees and 25 degrees respectively (as opposed to 18 degrees and 11 degrees from the Canter 4x2). Th e all-wheel drive system can be selected and deselected when required during a journey and a diff erential lock for the rear axle is fi tt ed as standard. All one has to do is twist a switch on both hubs of the front axle and press a butt on on the dash for 4WD traction.

New for the Canter 4x4 over the standard variant is the fi tt ing of additional wide-angle mirrors, which are very eff ective and we were informed that all versions will have this visibility enhancement shortly. According to Pius Dett ling, who heads up the Fuso European Sales & Marketing team, he said that the increased payload and a 25% reduction in maintenance costs have both helped to improve the cost-eff ectiveness of the new Canter family in general. “Th e 40,000km maintenance interval has also resulted in a marked reduction in maintenance costs and further underlines the excellent cost-eff ectiveness of the Fuso Canter 4x4,” he said. “To reduce diesel consumption even further, the new Canter 4x4 is also available on request with a stop/start function,” he added.

Canter 4x4 uses a step frame ladder chassis, which means that the body is mounted high on the rails (if a Crew Cab or auxiliary equipment such as a crane is not fi tt ed). Two diff erent 31kW power take-off att achments can be fi tt ed ex-factory, with or without a fl ange.

Around the challenging Otigheim Proving Ground (used by Mercedes-Benz to test the Unimog and Zetros utility vehicles) the Canter 4x4 met each demanding hill and decline without too much trouble or fuss. With 4WD engaged and fi rst gear selected, it climbed the 30o degree gradients with honours, aided by the 50kW of braking power generated by the exhaust brake operated by a stalk to the right of the steering column. Th e SWB/LWB versions were loaded to 5.0 tonnes GVW.

New Canter’s strengths of good visibility, comfortable driving position and excellent manoverability came to the fore again with the Canter 4x4. It is seen by parent company Daimler as the suitable replacement for the Mercedes-Benz Vario 4x4 when it goes out of production in

2014. Th e Canter 4x4 chassis can also be supplied to body builders (without the cab).

Fuso launches Canter 4x4 into EuropeTh e new Canter 4x4 is equipped with the most powerful version of the BlueTec 5 3.0 litre engine available in the Canter range delivering 175hp. It uses SCR Technology, with AdBlue injection for the required exhaust aft ertreatment technology in addition to a combination of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and fully automatic particulate fi lter regeneration.

If the vehicle is being used mainly for very short trips, manual regeneration of the particulate filter may be necessary owing to the low engine temperatures. A status indicator in the multifunction display tells the driver whether manual regeneration is required. Manual regeneration can be activated by a switch.

FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT:

Setanta Vehicle SalesDublin 12T: 01 403 4555

Transport ServicesCorkT 021 430 0200

Surehaul CommercialsCo. TipperaryT: 051 640194

Joe Curran CommercialsCo. MeathT: 049 854 1114

Croompark Truck & TrailerCo. LimerickT: 061 602866

Shaw CommercialsCo. MayoT: 094 902 7250

Surehaul CommercialsCo. KilkennyT: 056 883 8696

Kelly TrucksCo. RoscommonT: 071 963 7070

LRENAULTTRUCKS

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OPTIFUEL SOLUTIONS

www.renault-trucks.ie

Make your fuel work harderRenault Trucks vehicles deliver outstanding fuel

efficiency across the range. When it comes to driving

operating costs down, we’re in it together.

Fuel eco counts.


MOTORSPORT

2012 European Truck Racing Championship gets green light with Renault Trucks

I stanbul Park, the home of the Turkish Grand Prix, played host to the FIA European Truck Racing Championship for the fi rst time. It just happened to be

the opening rounds of a 40 race series that is sponsored once again by Renault Trucks. Entry into Turkey is part of a bigger plan for truck racing (which already att racts over 550,000 spectators each year and tens of millions of TV viewers) to expand. “We are opening the Championship to more countries and especially to countries with good market opportunities for the truck

world and truck manufacturers,” said Manuel Vidal, FIA ETRC Commission President at the opening Press Conference of the 2012 season at Istanbul Park on 11 May.

Passion for trucks is a common aspect of the close relationship between Renault Trucks and its customers and drivers, according to Bernard Modat, Senior Vice President, Renault Trucks Global Markets. “Renault Trucks has participated in the FIA European Truck Race since 2007. Th is commitment has given Renault Trucks the

opportunity to combine passion, competitive spirit and high technology together,” he said. “As a result of this Renault Trucks racing team completed the 2010 season as champions and 2011 season as runners-up,” he added. In addition to being the main sponsor of the EU Truck Racing Series, Renault Trucks has a Works team in association with MKR Technology with three specially designed and prepared race trucks participating in the Championship that visits 10 countries across Europe together with Russia from May to October.

Th e French based manufacturer (owned by AB Volvo) has been sharing its passion and enthusiasm with the general public also via the Truck Racing by Renault Trucks’ video game, which can be downloaded free of charge on the www.renault-truck.com/truckracing site (PC version). A free to download App of this game was developed for smartphones and iPad last year, and is now available for Android versions. Fans with a Twitt er account can also follow @ RT.Racing. Renault Trucks designed truck racing simulators are set up at trackside for all to enjoy. Renault Trucks Racing strong branding sits proudly alongside the new Renault Trucks Delivers corporate identity. At the truck race events both elements come together. Last year Renault Trucks invited around 16,000 customers to experience the excitement of the races at trackside and provided the opportunity for them to become more aware of their products and services. Renault Trucks UK was very pleased with the business conducted at the British Truck Racing ‘Grand Prix’ held at Donington Park over Easter weekend last year. For the 2012 season, the cavalcade returns to the legendary Midlands circuit over the weekend of 30 June/ 1 July.

Renault Trucks involvement as an engine manufacturer in the European Truck Racing Championship goes back to 2007. At each race, a dedicated assistance semi-trailer is pulled on site by a Renault Magnum. It is divided into two areas - a storage zone for engines and parts, while the other section is kitt ed out as an offi ce and laboratory for the Renault Trucks engineers. In addition to the race engines supplied to MKR Technology’s three trucks over each season, it supplies its DXi ‘customer’ engine to Team 14, an amateur team made up of current or former staff members of the Renault Trucks Blainville Production plant (Calvados, France), as well as to the Belgium BJP Racing team. Renault Trucks also provides MKR’s logistic vehicles – two Magnums fl agships serve as a motor-home / workshop with a Premium Long Distance Truck Racing Special Edition used to carry the three race trucks. Th ese Premium Racing trucks were developed by the Halle du Design, a specialised unit within the Renault Group. Fitt ed with the Volvo Group’s 13-litre diesel engine

With over 20,000 horsepower and hundreds of tonnes of sophisticated machinery European Truck racing att racts people all over the world. Last year the total number of broadcasted reports on television exceeded 3300 over the season.

Th e FIA ETAC off ers more horsepower than F1 yet its more hospitable. Th ere are no barriers restricting spectators access to the race trucks or teams. Visitors can watch the mechanics at work or get an autograph fr om their favourite driver.

MOTORSPORT


developed by Renault Trucks for racing, they produce 1,160hp with a torque of 5,600Nm and have a maximum engine speed of 2,600rpm. Th ese pedigree tractor-units can go from 60kp/h to 160k/ph in under 7 seconds.

With MKR Technology, Renault Trucks won the European Team Championship in 2010 and fi nished runner-up last season. Team Manager, Mario Kress, a well-known specialist in this discipline (with 8 EU titles to his credit in the last 10 years) puts his faith on the same driver line up as per last year. German Markus Oestreich, Swiss Markus Bösiger and Czech Adam Lacko. Th eir mission to regain the title will be met by two leading teams supported by MAN Truck & Bus. Truck Sport Lutz Bernau Racing under the fl ag “Equipo de Competition Cespa” is the 2011 manufacturers championship winner and has former three-time Driver Champion Antonio Albacete wearing number 1 on this MAN TGS race truck.

He is joined this year by former WRC Group N runner-up Uwe Nitt el in the second Bernau-MAN. During close season, MAN’s factory technicians worked hard on the 12.5 litre 6-cylinder common-rail diesel engines electronic power management system. Th ey succeeded in improving it so the maximum torque is now a bit higher over a broader range of revs. Th e 1250hp unit now boasts 5600 Newton metres.

Castrol Team Hahn Racing is the new brand name for 2012 for the reigning Championship winning driver Jochen Hahn. Sporting vibrant new livery on the MAN TGS to highlight the title sponsorship, and technology support from lubricant specialist Castrol, it certainly will stand out in the paddock

and race tracks. Based in Altensteig, German, Jochen first entered the truck racing scene having taken over from his father Konrad who raced in the 90’s with his brother Jörg in a Mercedes-Benz. Another eye-catching entry is the bull-nosed Freightliner truck entered by Buggyra International Racing System and driven by ex MKR’s David Vrseky. Other MAN Truck racers include the Frankie OXXO Truck Racing

Team (Alexander Lvov / Norbert Kiss) and Mika Mäkinen in the MAD-CROC coloured version. Gerd Korber has entered an Iveco with former DTM Challenger Ellen Lohr driving the MB Motorsport Mercedes-Benz.

COMPETITION . . . COMPETITION . . . COMPETITION . . .

WIN RENAULT TRUCKS RA CING MERCHANDISE!

Renault Trucks, the main sponsor of this year’s FIA European Truck Racing rounds at Donington Park on Saturday 30 June & Sunday 1 July, is delighted to off er three lucky Fleet Transport Magazine readers the opportunity to win a goodie bag full of Renault Trucks Racing merchandise each consisting of a Renault Truck Racing Cap/T-shirt/Trucky Toy/Keyring and Renault Truck Racing Game(PC).

To fi nd out more about the event, visit the website at www.uktruckracing.co.uk or follow the latest chat & news on the season by liking the facebook page at www.facebook.com/uktruckrace. To be in with a chance of winning one of these prizes just email enquiries@fl eet.ie, stating ‘Fleet Transport Magazine/Renault Trucks Racing competition in the subject heading and give your name, postal address and mobile number (plus T-shirt size). Entries close on 20 June. Winners will be notifi ed by return email. No further correspondence will be entered into.

Matt 's Happy Out!

Th e only UK representation on the grid is Matt hew Summerfi eld with a RHD MAN TGS. Serious problems with gearbox and diff erential hindered his progress. He fi nished 11th out of 12 runners in both races on the Saturday. On the Sunday he made Super Pole with 9th position in qualifying and ended up one place bett er in the fi rst race that day (not without some damage to both his fr ont wings!) Race 2 saw him record his best return with 7th and 7 points on the board.

Ever cheerful Matt hew who headed the British Truck Racing Series leading into this Turkish event, had the help of his good fr iend David Jenkins (last year’s BTRC winner) and Garry George who not only acted as mechanics over the weekend but Garry provided his beautifully livered ‘Out of the Blue’ DAF XF105 to transport Matt hews rig over to Istanbul. Th e IH-Group Services / Access Technology backed rail engine technician will next race at the FIA British Truck Grand Prix at Donington Park at the end of June and then continue his eff orts to win the British Series.

Matt hew was grateful of the support of the MAN engine technician on site over the weekend while in Turkey.

Jochen Hahn continued fr om to where he left off last season, on the winners podium! Th e blonde haired 2011 Champion totally dominated the Istanbul rounds winning all four races even the added challenge of the reverse grid did not stop him overtaking the other top 5 place fi nishers fr om the fi rst race to take the chequered fl ag at ease. Alberto Albete put up the strongest challenge with the Renault trio a bit off the pace, much to their disappointment. It seems the technical advances by the MAN engineers at Augsburg, Germany did their magic over the close season. Back to the drawing board then for Renault Trucks, one has to note that MAN has years of experience in this fi eld having had a full factory representation at one time and engine supply development since then. It looks like another interesting season ahead for the 2012 European Truck Racing Championship.

W e have progressed through the European emissions standards from Euro I to 5 without too much diffi culty. However for

Euro 6 things will become somewhat more complex. Th is fact was brought home at an event hosted by Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT) in the Fiat Industrial Village, Turin to present the FPT range of Euro 6 compliant engines - ‘without EGR.’

FPT is one of the companies in the Fiat Industrial portfolio, which include Case, New Holland, Kobelco, and Steyr, it also includes the Iveco brands of Irisbus, Astra, Maguris, and Iveco Defence Vehicles & Commercial Vehicles. If one adds the power generation, marine and agreements with other manufacturers to the list - it places Fiat Industrial, with a turnover of €3.2 billion (2011), third in global automotive manufacturing.

Th e stringent regulations set out in Euro 6 not only demand a lowering of emission values, but also create a new regime for measuring those values. Using Portable Emissions Measurement System, engines are to be tested within eighteen months of registration with the tests repeated every two years over the life of the vehicle - until seven years old or 700,000 kms, which ever comes fi rst. Tests are conducted over an In-Use Conformity route comprising of 20% urban, 25% rural, and 55% motorway. Measurements will also be included for Off -Cycle Emissions (OCE) to account for varying operational modes.

In addition to scheduled testing, vehicles will require OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) to constantly monitor performance to detect any increase in tailpipe emissions. Th e OBD will warn the driver if the AdBlue level falls below

10%, and if the tank is not replenished engine torque will then be reduced by 25%, with vehicle speed being limited to 20 km/h if the tank runs dry. Th ese particular restrictions kick in aft er 20 operating hours if no action is taken, or if the quality of AdBlue does not conform to appropriate standards. So ensuring a supply of high quality conforming AdBlue will be another issue for operators to consider.

A number of manufacturers contend that to achieve Euro 6 a combination of SCR (Selective Catalytic Regeneration) and EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) would be required, nevertheless FPT has managed to achieve the standards using SCR only. Meinrad Signer, (General Manager of FPT’s Research and Development Centre at Arbon (CH)), (pictured above), explained FPT’s patented system called ‘HI-eSCR.’ “Hi-eSCR employs a of series sensors to precisely control the dosing of AdBlue, and improved turbulence allows bett er hydrolysis of the urea solution in the exhaust gasses. FPT’s Euro 6 engines now use common rail injection at a max pressure of 2,200 bar, with the rail located under the rocker cover.”

Maintaining correct engine temperature is critical for Euro 6, and has been a problem for manufacturers. However as Hi-eSCR has no EGR, no additional cooling is necessary. Also while EGR reduces NOx emissions it increases PM (Particulate Matt er), which may require occasional forced regeneration of the DPF. Not having EGR has allowed FPT to install a passive DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter). Th e whole package is neatly contained in one unit fi tt ed to the side of the vehicle and without EGR will be lighter. FPT states that vehicle performance and fuel consumption will be the same as the current Euro 5 version’s, though

FPT accepts that there will be an increase in AdBlue consumption of approximately 7% to 8% depending on operational mode.

Meinrad said, “meeting the regulation conformity was the most challenging to achieve across the range of truck and bus considering the diff erent operational cycles with long distance transport and local services.” Interestingly he continued, “while this is the state of the art in heavy duty engines, we are not yet at 100% and can improve further on the effi ciencies from the system.” FPT’s answer to the problems posed by the imminent implementation of Euro VI appears very att ractive, and it will be interesting to gauge reaction when the engines are launched in the latest version of the Iveco Stralis. While no offi cial date has been set indications are that it will be before the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover this September.

24 FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 Text & Photos: Paul White - paul@fl eet.ie

ENGINES

Fiat Powertrain Technologies introduce EURO 6 without EGR

Engine Capacity Euro 5 Euro 6

Cursor 8 8 Litre 9 Litre

Cursor 10 10 Litre 11 Litre

Cursor13 13 Litre 13 Litre

Reductions in EmissionsSince Euro I - 1990

Euro 6

Carbon Monoxide CO -66%

Hydrocarbons HC -88%

Particulate Matt er PM -98%

Oxides of Nitrogen NOx -98%

Another interesting announcement from FPT was that by 2014 it will produce a high-power 20 litre engine to rival some of their competitors, although the exact kW/horsepower has yet to be fi nalised. It appears the engineers at FPT are meeting every challenge be it from the market, customers, or the Regulating Authorities.

• Th ey said it couldn’t be done!

Driving forward

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TRANSPORT

Multimodal 2012 – NEC, Birmingham


REVIEW 1

Now in its fi ft h year, Multimodal is the UK and Ireland’s Supply Chain Management and Logistics event for

cargo owners. From 1-3 May, Hall 4 was well covered with over 250 exhibitors some of them having an Irish link. Boasting 20% growth in exhibitor stand numbers from last year’s event, what was unique about Multimodal 2012 is that it off ered a broad representation of all modes of the supply chain – rail, sea/water, road and air as well as warehousing and IT.

Together with on-site seminars and networking opportunities at the Birmingham venue, Multimodal also arranged a tour of DIRFT, the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal.

Mentioning rail, Infrarail 2012, the defi nite rail infrastructure exhibition was held in the adjacent Hall 3 which was also worth a visit.

Jarlath Sweeney and Howard Knott were at

both events for Fleet Transport and Fleet Maritime.

AnalytiqaResearch partners to the European Transport Company of the Year, Analytiqa provides high quality commercial relevant business intelligence to companies across the global supply chain. Pictured are Conor Anderson, Director, Analytiqa Ireland and Mark O’Bornick, Director, Research and Analysis who mentioned its new Predictive Analytics programme ' for today’s supply chain, tomorrow'.

DachserGerman headquartered Dachser is one of Europe’s biggest logistics providers. It established a base in the UK in 1975 with three branch locations. Johnston Logistics is its Irish partners and feature strongly in its expansion plans. Pictured are Niall Hickey, Sales Manager, Johnston Logistics; Mark Gilbert, Dachser; Deirdre McGuirk, Business Development, Johnston Logistics and Nick Low, M.D. Dachser.

Liverpool City RegionLiverpool’s central UK Port based location, close to large centres of population, can deliver signifi cant cost and carbon savings to importers of goods, especially deep sea cargo. Currently 90% of deep sea cargo enters the UK via the South, 50% of the UK container market is closer to Liverpool.

Britt any Ferries – FreightJon Clarke and Steve Aldred represented Britt any Ferries’ Freight division that’s based in Poole, Dorset. Britt any off ers the quickest and most direct routes to Western France, Spain and Portugal. For example, UK and Spain services operate from Portsmouth, Plymount and Poole with Portsmouth to Bilbao running twice weekly.

Dennison TrailersPremiered at Multimodal 12 was Dennison’s new fuel saving, multi-function gooseneck skeletal trailer. According to James Dennison (pictured) “It is designed to work at 1299mm to 1250mm fi ft h wheel height, this versatile trailer will carry a 45ft , high cube container while keeping under 4.1m overall height. Tare weight is low at 7.5 tonnes.

MAN Truck & BusDCM4 – Driver Communications Module in its latest form is available now as an option with MAN EcoStyle, its web based driver performance monitoring tool that is designed to further improve operational effi ciencies. David Lester along with Sarah Pugh were present to explain the advantages of the new system which comes with a 7” colour touch screen.

CargotecBased in Shropshire, at Ellesmere in fact, Cargotec UK supplies handling equipment to the Ports, Terminals and Intermodal distribution. Th e company caters for customers in the UK and Ireland from this location. Ismo Leppanen, Peter McLance, Dave Alexander and Paul Giles were on hand to deal with enquiries. Cargotec is the parent company of Moff ett in Dundalk.

Flexi/Narrow AisleWhen it comes to warehousing equipment, Narrow Aisle is a specialist in designing and manufacturing articulated forklift trucks under the brand name Flexi. Senior Executive, John Maguire, who is also the Chairman of the UKWA, was pleased with the success of the recent AIWA Networking Luncheon held in Dublin. Masterlift is Narrow Aisle’s Irish distributor.

Hall 4


REVIEW 1

Proteus Soft wareProteus Soft ware has been developing Inventory and Warehousing Management Solutions for over 25 years. To address the need of some smaller stock keepers and warehouse operations, Proteus has developed a solution approach that is fi t for purpose at an aff ordable cost. Linda Rodway and Amanda Burke reported good interest at the Show.

TerbergTerberg DTS demonstrated its latest RT RORO tractor range that have been designed for seaport operations. With tonnages ranging from 100 tonnes to 300 tonnes, it is available in 2WD and 4WD with both left and right hand drive options. Also featured was its innovative container loading system, called Actin LoadPlate for quick loading and unloading.

INFRA RA IL 2012 – Hall 3 – NECAround 6 0 0 0 r a i l professionals, hundreds of suppliers and thousands of products were in attendance and abundance at t he 9 t h International Railway Infrastructure Exhibition held in Hall 3 next to Multimodal 2012. A quick run through reiterated the fact that no matt er where you go in this world, the Irish are about. Two big names in pre-cast concrete manufacturing in Ireland – Banagher

Concrete (represented by Frank Kenny) and Shay Murtagh (with William McGovern at the helm) exhibited to promote their company’s speciality to those that are currently investing billions in rail upgrades. An interesting display was the

two lengths of track placed on the exhibition fl oor, one from TATA Steel which featured steel ‘sleepers’ that replace the concrete crossmembers or timber used in the past.

P&O FerrymastersWith a team of 530 experienced professionals operating 26 strategic locations across 13 European countries, P&O is the number 1 choice for supply chain and freight management needs, that’s what both Colin Greaves and Martin Lochlam proclaimed at Stand T11. P&O Ferrymaster’s Head Offi ce is situated at Wherstead, Ipswich, Suff ock.

SDC TrailersAlthough there was no trailer parked at its stand, there was a fi ne example placed at the end of Hall 4. It was one from a range of High Volume Trailers now available for the UK 15.65m 10 year trials. Th e big diff erence between the standard 13.6m and the 15.65m is the four extra pallet or 45 to 54 cage capacity. Matt Kerrison and Paul Bratt on manned the stand.

TransaidInternational development charity Transaid works closely with the European transport and logistics industry to transfer best practice skills and experience to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods across Africa. Aggie Krasnolucka- Hickman, Jacqueline Hector and Chantelle Cummings were there to explain about Transaid Week in July.

SeabridgeAnother Irish company, which has offi ces and warehouses in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, St. Helens (Birmingham) and Heathrow, off ers high quality warehousing and logistics solutions. Seabridge operates a scheduled overnight delivery service throughout the UK and Ireland with up to 20 departments to and from each depot every night. Dean Ferris and Vera Murphy were on duty.

UKWAPictured at the UKWA Pavillion which took up a section of the Multimodal arena are Roger Williams, C.E.O. UKWA and Michael Davison, Membership Services Manager. At the press briefi ng, Warehousing Futures 2012, its Annual Conference was announced for 10/11 October in Sutt on Coldfi eld and its annual lunch and Awards penciled in for 4 July in London. AIWA members are welcome to join in too!


LUBRICANTS

‘Oiling the Wheels of Transport’ ‘Oiling the Wheels of Transport’

“A“A lthough the modern engine seldom gives trouble with its oiling arrangements, when such trouble does occur it is

oft en unnoticed until its eff ects upon the engine’s performance are more or less suddenly apparent.” (Judge, AW: The Modern Motor Engineer, Volume I. - fi ft h edition 1952)

Th e above text is taken from a series of fi ve volumes titled ‘Th e Modern Motor Engineer’ published in 1952, and despite all our technical advances it remains accurate to this day. Th e same volume also recommends that for commercial vehicles the oil should be changed every 2,000 miles, and for the sump to be removed and thoroughly cleaned out every 6,000 miles.

Sixty years later, service intervals have been extended out to 150,000 kms for some vehicles, and while there is no need to clean out the sump, the fi rst paragraph still holds true. Oils and lubricants for the automotive industry have played a pivotal, if slightly hidden role in the evolution of the motor vehicle. Volume 1 of ‘Th e Modern Motor Engineer’ also notes ‘‘with care it is possible to drive for 40,000 miles, before the need to re-build the engine.” Reasons for regular 40,000 mile rebuilds were as much to do with the qualities of lubricants at the time - as much as the mechanical engineering of the day.

While the science of metallurgy and materials technology has advanced in keeping with vehicle developments, and has oft en been the driver for change in many instances, a number of these improvements could not have taken hold without a corresponding improvement in oils and lubricants.

Further challenges are on the horizon for the oil technicians, with regulations to reduce some of the inherent problems with the chemical make up of the oils.

Lubricant producers have progressed from promoting the long-life and reduced service intervals of their products, to now claiming that their products can shave signifi cant amounts off an operator’s annual fuel bill. While everyone welcomes any chance to reduce running costs, can changing from one brand to another really help the hard pressed operator, or is this simply a clever marketing strategy by some of the world’s largest and most profi table companies?

Th ere are a number of readily available alternatives, which some describe as ‘budget brands’. Many of these products are cheaper to buy and meet the specifi cations set out by industry representative bodies like ‘The European Automobile Manufacturers Association’ (ACEA), so what could be wrong with these products?

While ACEA does not test or certify oils and lubricants itself, the Association provides a set of minimum standards which the manufacturer’s product must meet. While the testing and certification is conducted by the product manufacturers, it is comforting to know that a respected organisation such as ACEA is monitoring

Oil Residue Magnifi cation

LUBRICANTS


the claims manufacturers make. In the ‘ACEA European Oil Sequences for Service-fi ll Oils,’ minimum quality standards are categorised by the lett ers A,B,C and E for the various engine types such as petrol or diesel. Th e designations also stipulate the oil’s suitability to particular engine characteristics, for example aft er-treatment systems now commonly fi tt ed like Exhaust Gas Recirculation, (EGR) and Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).

It is obvious that as engines become ever more intricate and fi nely tuned in the drive to meet future emission regulations, the lubricants that the engines use must keep pace. Certain chemicals are inherent in the lubricants used or are given off during combustion. Oils with high concentrations of chemicals like ash cause premature blocking of Particulate Filtration devices, and DeNOx systems are highly sensitive to Sulphur, so the use of low SAPS (Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus and Sulphur)

oils is now common place and will be the standard for future engine development. Th e systems needed to conform to the Euro regulations on vehicle emissions, and now common on ‘Heavy Duty Diesel’ (HDD) vehicles, namely EGR and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) are very sensitive and will become increasingly so, as we move beyond Euro 6 to whatever the next stage may be.

There is one possible loophole in the ACEA European Oil Sequences. Th e sequences allow manufacturers to register the conformance of lubricants of a certain quality, which is all very good. However as time passes and engines develop, that specifi c minimum standard may be superceded and therefore may not be suitable for a more modern engine. It then becomes possible for some lubricant producers to create products which they claim conforms to the vehicle manufacturer’s standard - which is true. Th e product may even display the manufacturer’s mark or initial. Although the standard that they are conforming to is valid, it may not be the most current, and may not be the most appropriate one for a specifi c use. Th is can certainly cause diffi culties for operators who shop around to seek out the best deals, and on fi nding a lubricant which is approved with a manufacturer’s mark, buy in good faith.

We spoke to Aidan Daly of TOTAL Finol about current trends in lubricant technologies. Aidan says “lubricants have become very complicated over a number of years, and using the right oil ensures compliance with the OEM recommendations, and saves fuel over the whole driveline.” While Aidan is highly aware of, and fully understands the fi nancial pressures operators are under, he believes “it does not make economical sense long term to invest in high cost vehicles, and not use high-end lubricants.”

Aidan’s argument makes perfect sense, and he believes that operators should place the same importance on using the correct transmission and rear axle oils. Again using the correct specifi cation can also save fuel and reduce service costs.

If an operator decides to use a quality brand, but lower specifi cation oil, it may not achieve the service intervals promised by the vehicle OEM before losing its benefi cial properties, and so needs to be changed earlier. In this case the fi nancial benefi t of using a lower spec product is outweighed by the need to change oils more frequently, increased labour costs, and loss of productivity with increased downtime. Aidan also points to the potential environmental aff ect this can have concerning the more frequent disposal of waste products. In addition more frequent disposing of waste products incurs increased costs.

One area companies may need to address is where the driver carries out the daily checks. It may sound




an Aon company

LUBRICANTS


obvious that either under or overfi lling can cause damage; however there are a large number of drivers appear to not fully understand the potential pitfalls. Many believe when topping up the engine oil level that the dipstick must always register at the ‘Max’ mark. Whereas the preferred level is a point no lower than the ‘Min’, and no higher than the ‘Max’ indicators. Problems can arise when drivers unintentionally top up engines, where the levels are fi ne. Other problems arise if the vehicle has not been at rest for a long enough period, or if the driver does not allow suffi cient time for the top up amount to correctly register on the dipstick.

Many trucks and buses use on board electronics to check fl uid levels by means of a sensor in the crankcase. Th ese systems have been proven to be extremely accurate, though it could be worthwhile ensuring that a company’s drivers understand the recommended procedure for the vehicles in any given fl eet. It is also important for drivers to understand that if topping up they use the correct oil of the same type already in the engine. Th is may occur with casual or relief drivers, who collecting a vehicle in a location remote from the main base, fi nd the level low and top up with an unsuitable product, diminishing the benefi cial qualities of both oils.

If vehicles are serviced in-house, then it is simple for drivers to carry the same oil with them. If vehicles are serviced off the premises it would be worthwhile contacting the garage and fi nding out what specifi cation they use and supply some in the vehicles to prevent any mixing of specifi cations.

What is true for engine oils similarly applies to all vehicle lubricants. Gear oils and transmission fl uids have also advanced to a level inconceivable when Th e Modern Motor Engineer was penned back in the fi ft ies. Today we take for granted that once the products are not misused and we follow the OEM’s recommendations that there is litt le chance of irreparable damage to the main driveline components. Today we are looking for improvements in vehicle performance and to the cost / benefi t of any, and every product we use. Suppliers, conscious of this, are marketing their

wares based on our need to reduce costs and gain a competitive advantage.

Th ere is some comfort in being diligent about lubricant changes. Replacing the oils at the recommended time or even before, and using the exact specifi cation gives a sense of satisfaction. Th ough here it is possible to extend the periods beyond manufacturers recommendations. By taking a sample of a vehicle’s oils and having them tested will determine the exact condition, and possibly prolong the service life. Vehicle OEMs provide recommended service intervals which must cater for their vehicles engaged in a variety of operating conditions. Different operating conditions create diff erent stresses on the driveline and the lubricants. It is therefore possible, dependant on work load, that oil intervals could be extended across the fl eet. A simple oil analysis will provide a detailed report of the exact condition of the oils and recommend to either change or possibly defer for a period. If the oils will last another say 5,000 kms and the extension can be applied across a fl eet of vehicles signifi cant savings can accrue by year end.

Independent Laboratories based at Docklands Innovation Park, East Wall, Dublin is one company who specialise in the testing of fuel and lubricants. All

that is required is a small ‘uncontaminated’ sample of product and within fi ve working days you receive a full report about the condition of the liquid. Th is report will provide what might be described as a history of the oil’s working life, and establish if the product is fi t for purpose. It will also highlight problems which may not be that easy to identify, such as traces of fuel or coolant in the engine oil, and be able to determine the source of the problem. Th is is more important now than ever because with long drain oils, where a simple problem like a leaking injector or a high level of condensation can go undetected for a prolonged period.

Another specialist in the fi eld of analysis, is JHG Analytical Services Ltd, of Airport Business Park, Waterford. JHG’s John Gough explained that the company began in the area of environmental testing in 1985. Twenty-seven years later the analysis business has shift ed to particular concerns of fuel and oil qualities. Over that time John has provided a variety of services including ‘conditional monitoring’ for all types of lubricants used in all types of equipment. His impressive client list includes goods and passenger transport, heavy industry and aviation companies. Conditional monitoring provides what might be described as a ‘blood test’ of a machine, which can then enable immediate remedial maintenance, rather than a more costly breakdown repair. In the absence of conditional monitoring, it is possible when problems are noticed, permanent or irreparable damage has already occurred

32 FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 Text: Paul White - paul@fl eet.ie

LUBRICANTS

Th e cost of a regular analysis service with a reputable fi rm could be a practice worth investigating, Th ere is substantial anecdotal evidence of problems with some diesel fuels, and bio-diesels. It is becoming standard procedure to analyse lubricants for contamination or condensation before sett ling any claims for faulty components. Investing in a procedure for assessing driveline oils might help protect a company’s interests - if there are any lingering doubts.

Th e issue of cost is something we addressed with Andrew Clarke of CC Lubricants, Portarlington. As an authorised supplier of Texaco Lubricants, CC deals with a wide range of operators engaged in a wide variety of work. Andrew fi nds anyone running newer vehicles will always stick within the warranty recommendations, and use the best products possible, though some operating older vehicles will oft en pick a lower spec, hoping to keep costs down. However, Andrew believes times are changing, and new engine and emission regulations demand that we move towards drive train only using fully synthetic lubes. Andrew puts it in a simple and straightforward manner, “cheap oil won’t save you money.”

Th ere are a wide range of lubricant suppliers; some are relatively new, while others date back to the early days of oil discovery and extraction. Th e demands placed on them to conform and develop products to meet the exacting standards of modern vehicles and emissions has been as great as it has for the OEMs to develop the vehicles. Th e advances have increased service intervals to previously unimaginable distances, and dependant on operational mode it is possible that we are nearing the point of ‘sealed for life’ components, especially in the passenger car and light commercial sector.

With this in mind lubricant producers are now directing their att ention towards the development of products to reduce engine and driveline friction, with a number achieving some signifi cant results. Increased use of synthetic oils throughout the drivetrain has for many already paid dividends in reducing vehicle downtime and reducing fuel consumption. At the recent CV Show in Birmingham, Cormac Burke of Burke Oil found the main topic of discussion, and the biggest concern on operators minds was fuel consumption. Th is created the opportunity to present data from Mobil Delvac’s fi eld trials with the Palmer & Harvey Group, which realised an impressive 4.9% fuel saving for the distribution company’s fl eet of trucks. With over thirty years experience supplying lubricant products to operators, Cormac is aware that people fi nd it diffi cult to change from what has always worked for them. However he argues “Why buy a cheaper alternative which must be changed at 40,000 kms, when a higher spec product will last to 90,000 kms or more depending of the type of work.” Th e fi gures Cormac presents are diffi cult to

argue away, and worth seeing what saving it could bring to any fl eet.

Martin Delaney of Sean Delaney and Sons of Glanmire, County Cork, are another authorised agent for the complete range of Mobil Delvac products for commercial vehicles and many other applications. is confi dent of the value of using the right product, and is prepared to back this up. Currently he is conducting in-service tests with three of the most high profi le vehicle operators in the country. Between the three companies their vehicles will represent all types of work transport operators carry out in Ireland. Th e tests are drawing to a close and when completed the data will be compiled and then will be independently verifi ed. Martin is confi dent that the results will conclusively show that there are savings to be made by investing

in the higher specifi cation product.

Sixty years on, A.W.Judges’ text remains as accurate as it did in 1952. It is arguably more important to ensure that all staff concerned, operators, service personal, and drivers are ‘singing from the same specifi cation sheet’ so to speak. Th e systems and tolerances of what is now the Modern Motor Vehicle are so fi ne that as Mr AW Judge would say, “it is oft en unnoticed until its eff ects upon the engine’s performance are more or less suddenly apparent.”

*Judge, AW (1952) ‘Th e Modern Motor Engineer, Volume I’ Fift h Edition. Th e Caxton Publishing Company Ltd. (London)




an Aon company

In the EU, about 5,500 people are killed in workplaces every year, a third of which are related to transport activities.

Currently, almost half of the deaths at work in Ireland involve a vehicle. 203 people lost their lives in vehicle related incidents at work between 2003 and 2010.Th ousands of workers are injured each year in incidents involving vehicles that result in days lost from work and impact on business continuity. Th e incident trends tell us that more incidents happen in small businesses [those with fewer than 50 workers] than in large organisations.

Th ese incidents usually involve people being struck or run over by vehicles [e.g. during reversing], falling from vehicles, being struck by objects falling from vehicles, or vehicles overturning.

Fork Lift Trucks [FLTs] are oft en at the heart of these tragic incidents at work.

Th e simple fact is that these deaths and serious injuries could have been avoided if the risks had been eff ectively managed and simple prevention measures were in place.

If you are an employer, and have FLTs operating in the workplace, then you have responsibilities

to your workforce, visiting workers or members of the public to manage their use so that no one is injured.

Employees have duties to co-operate actively with employers and to follow instructions in accordance with training given.

It is important that employers consult with the workforce, using their knowledge and experience to make sure that hazards are correctly spott ed and workable solutions agreed and implemented.

Factors that increase the likelihood of incidents include; inadequate training, inadequate warning signs, poor truck maintenance, insuffi cient lighting and lack of space.

Business Benefi tsWell maintained FLTs are more reliable and cheaper to run. A well maintained FLT minimizes downtime, is more fuel effi cient, extends the lifespan of the FLT, improves resale value and on balance saves you money by minimizing costs. Poorly maintained FLT’s can cause accident and injury to the driver, passengers, other workers and even members of the public.

Failure to maintain FLT is false economy and can result in reduction in business productivity and damage your company’s reputation. In addition if an FLT is found to be faulty by enforcement personnel, your work may be delayed until you rectify the problem or in serious cases, the FLT may be prohibited from use, resulting in loss of income, fi nes, prosecution and associated legal costs.

Managing FLTs in the workplace has benefi ts for businesses of all sizes, for example:

fewer days lost due to injuries associated • with vehicles. fewer vehicles off the road for repair• reduced maintenance costs• fewer missed orders• fewer insurance claims• less need for investigation and follow-up• less pollution and more fuel-effi ciency • from vehiclesLess risk of damage to company image • or brand.

Daily vehicle checks by driversCopies of the posters and checklists can be downloaded for FREE from htt p://www.hsa.ie/eng/Vehicles_at_Work/

• Read article in full on www.fl eet.ie

Safety Matters . . . . Safety Matters . . . . Make Forklift Safety a Priority www.hsa.ie


FUEL PRICE UPDATE (Week 22)

Country Currency 95 Lead Free 98 Lead Free Diesel Country Currency 95 Lead Free 98 Lead Free Diesel

Albania ALL 184.00 195.00 183.00 Lithuania LTL 4.86 4.91 4.59

Andorra EUR 1.286 1.339 1.176 Luxemburg EUR 1.374 1.416 1.240

Austria EUR 1.439 1.618 1.392 Macedonia MKD 82.00 84.00 72.00

Belarus EUR 0.654 - 0.668 Moldova MDL 17.02 17.42 16.27

Belgium EUR 1.693 1.733 1.503 Montenegro EUR 1.390 1.430 1.300

Bosnia-Herzegovina BAM 2.45 2.55 2.45 Netherlands EUR 1.799 1.864 1.476

Bulgaria BGN 2.52 2.68 2.59 Norway NOK 14.93 15.28 13.68

Croatia HRK 10.62 10.99 9.89 Poland PLN 5.84 5.99 5.72

Czech Republic CZK 35.90 38.90 35.50 Portugal EUR 1.667 1.786 1.472

Denmark DKK 13.02 13.42 11.61 Romania RON 5.81 6.42 5.89

Estonia EUR 1.299 1.339 1.284 Russia RUB 29.66 32.20 29.50

Finland EUR 1.655 1.705 1.513 Serbia RSD 142.00 163.90 146.90

France EUR 1.599 1.652 1.415 Slovakia EUR 1.572 - 1.441

Georgia GEL 2.35 2.40 2.40 Slovenia EUR 1.435 1.462 1.320

Germany EUR 1.588 1.704 1.453 Spain EUR 1.410 1.520 1.350

Greece EUR 1.704 1.848 1.511 Sweden SEK 15.13 15.63 14.99

Hungary HUF 448.00 - 446.00 Switzerland CHF 1.834 1.885 1.890

Ireland EUR 1.639 - 1.549 Turkey TRY 4.33 4.41 3.78

Italy EUR 1.795 1.913 1.686 Ukraine UAH 11.25 12.25 10.00

Kosovo EUR 1.36 - 1.33 UK GBP 1.364 1.441 1.423

Latvia LVL 0.967 0.997 0.947 USA USD - - 1.045

Get the Wright Cover. Call 053 915 5600We know you’re looking for an insurance provider who can offer more than ever before. As Ireland’s Leading Haulage insurance specialist, let us save you time & money, do the ground work for you & provide you with peace of mind.

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REVIEW 11

Tip-ex 12 Showcases the Tipper and Bulk Transport Sectors

Quality of product and quality of visitor were the two main factors in the success of the now annual Tip-

ex Show. On this fi ft h occasion, the Harrogate International Centre att racted leading trailer manufacturers and body builders exhibiting the widest possible range of tipper trailers and bodies together with bulk-transport products. Th e all-important service industry providers were there too.

And the future of the three-day specialised ex hibition is secure follow ing the announcement at the show that Commercial Motor magazine owners Road Transport Media Ltd has purchased the Tip-ex event and plan to run it here in Harrogate once again next year from 31 May / 2 June 2013. “Th is is a very important time for Tip-ex.

Harrogate has been the traditional home of a tipper and bulk transport show and we are looking forward to working with exhibitors and visitors to develop the show,” said Andy Salter, Managing Director of Road Transport Media.

AlcoaMet with Chris Edwards, the newly appointed Sales Manager UK & Ireland for Aloca Wheel Products Europe. Alcoa wheels save up to 47% of weight per wheel thus increasing payload capacity. Forged from one solid aluminium block, they come with a 5 year unlimited mileage warranty.

Continental VDOA new range of professional alcohol-testing products were on display at the Conti VDO stand together with more familiar products from the German brand such as Digital Tachographs, Driver Card downloading systems plus its ‘Pro’ data management tools. Derek Harvey and Kevin Green were on duty.

Avery Weigh-TronixDave Middleton, Onboard Weighing Sales for Avery Weigh Tronix is demonstrating the company’s latest Onboard Weighing Solutions. Using the proven digital two-wire technology, factory calibration eliminates the need for on-site calibration for greater reliability and faster set-up.

DFSKJack Arkley (Sales & Network Development Manager) & Peter Seaward (Marketing Communications Manager) represented DFSK at Tip-ex pictured alongside the DFSK Loadhopper truck with side-tipping body. Plans are afoot to visit Ireland shortly to test the marketplace on both sides of the Border led by Jack with this Chinese sourced utility.

BMIThe BMI Group based in Dungannon has exhibited here since the Show’s establishment. Th is year its lightweight bulk materials Biomess spec walking fl oor trailer, which comes with a Keith Pressure Floor System and a total tare weight of 7980kg was premiered. Peter McGuckin from Meath is BMI’s UK Sales Director.

EDBROHappy with the interest from last year, Edbro returned to Tip-ex in a bigger way. On the outdoor arena across the road from the venue, Edbro Hog Roast att racted customers to its vast array of products from construction industry bodybuilders. Edbro has factories in Carlow and Bolton to serve the EU markets.

FeldbinderFeldbinder (UK & IRL) exhibited 3 new tankers: 1. Grain 60m3 silo tipping tank. 2. General purpose 60m3 silo tipper. 3. New FFB lightweight silo tanker for cement transport. Measuring 36m3, it features many new safety features including an unbeatable unladen weight of 4400kg and emergency stop system.

REVIEW 11


Harris GroupBoth Carl Murphy and Liam O’Neill from the Harris Group spend most of their time in the UK promoting the Hino brand to customers in association with dealers such as Pelican Engineering from Normanton (West Yorkshire). As per the CV Show, the new Hino 300 took the limelight. A 500 Series 18t skip-loader and 700 Series 32t tipper were there too

KeithMaking the trip all the way from Portland, Oregan were Mark Foster, President, Keith Walking Floor Corp and Jim Drage (Product Designer) to assist Mark Allan, Sales Manager for UK & Ireland in explaining about the world’s leading manufacturer and designer of the patented Keith Walking Floor Conveying system.

Muldoon Transport Systems LtdJackie Muldoon pictured with brother Th omas was busy throughout the three-day show promoting the companies range of award-winning trailers. Th ese include bulk blowing trailers, tippers, curtainsiders, drawbars and solutions for the waste and recycling industries. Muldoons are based in Dungannon.

SDC TrailersBrilliant sunshine ensured that visitors to the Tip-ex outdoor exhibition area stayed longer. As a result companies like SDC Trailers were pleased with the interest shown. Th eir smooth-sided plank tipper and a steel scrap-carrying trailer fi tt ed with auto-doors and sheet were on display.

IMSAlex Rims, a forged aluminium wheel from Alex Global Aerospace are now distributed by IMS Ltd in the UK and Ireland. Th e Leicestershire company is also a partner for SAF Holland axles and air suspension systems, landing legs, king-pens and 5th wheels. Ben McEvoy is the Fleet Sales Manager.

MartransAs part of the Paneltex Group, Martrans exhibited its latest trailers featuring Keith Walking Floor Systems. Interest in Ireland is growing for this product and Somers Refrigeration trailers. Pictured are David Evenett (Somers) & Morris Abbott and Geoff Howard from Martrans.

PM OnboardPart of the Vishay Precision Group PM Onboard deisgns, manufacturers and supplies accurate, durable and reliable on-board weighing and overload. Monitoring systems built and tested in Bradford. TipWatch, AxleWatch and VanWeigh are its main products with the latt er off ering a tracking system if required.

Stoneridge ElectronicsAt Tip-ex 12 Stoneridge showcased its updated ‘one minute rule’ SE5000 Exakt Digital tachograph which also features the soon to be required ‘second source of motion’ ready installation, wheels will stop the use of illegal methods of disterting the drivers hours requirements. John Calder and Bob Greig were on hand to explain.

JostWhen it comes to 5th wheels, Jost is the leader. On show with its popular JKS36D available in either fi xed or slider versions. It comes with the extended Fleetmaster Handle design to aid safe coupling. Also on display was its modul landing gear and Rockinger drawbar coupling unit. Pictured Ian Herbert, Regional Sales Manager.

Mercedes-Benz Trailer Axle SystemsDaimler brand Mercedes-Benz Trailer Axle Systems have been around for over 15 years. Among its off erings for trailers and semi-trailers include DCA weightmaster, Megamaster, Airmaster, Steermaster with the C28 among the most commonly ordered. From its Wrexham base, it serves Irish customers from there.

SafetytrimTo help eliminate the average 10 fatalities per year from unatt ached wheels, Safetytrim Worldwide has come up with a wheel-nut management system which both visually indicates there is a loose nut and locks that nut in place until it can be re-torqued. As demonstrated by Pascale Bonivardi.

WilcoxFrom Peterborough, Wilcox Commercial Vehicles which has gained a strong reputation in the construction sector over the years had a selection from its product line including a bulk tipping trailer. An operational aggregate/asphalt walking fl oor trailer and two rigid bodies was on display (with front tipping arms).

TRAILER & REFRIGERATION


With operators counting every cent, negotiating new equipment sales can be tough. However, when you

have a quality product that speaks for itself, and which you can stand over, it certainly helps to seal the deal. Th is is what Sarah Mooney, Sales Manager, Ashbourne Truck Centre fi nds when selling the Faymonville Trailer brand. “It is always possible to buy cheaper equipment, but when you are investing for the future, quality and back-up service is what counts, and is the best value in the long term.”

Ashbourne Truck Centre’s long running partnership with the Faymonville brand continues to prove successful, with Sarah winning the order for two new trailers for delivery to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Northern Ireland (DARNI).

Th e two 13.6 metre tri-axle rear steer trailers come complete with out-riggers and a six tonne hydraulic winch, and will replace two older trailers. DARNI will use the trailers to transport machinery to clean and maintain waterways for the Rivers Agency.

Following a lengthy process of product evaluation and negotiation Faymonville won out. One main reason the DARNI chose Faymonville was that they found the trailers to be very driver friendly. Th e order speaks volumes as agencies such as DARNI, are known to research all available options and only sign when they are sure they have made the right choice.

Pictured at the fi nal handover in Craigavon are Sarah Mooney, Ashbourne Truck Centre, and Tom O’Nell representing DARDNI.

Thermo King is set to introduce an additional version of the model SLX 300 refrigeration unit to provide

increased refrigeration capacity, optimum cargo load protection and better shock protection for the growing mid-and long-haul ferry market. Termed SLX Ferry, this solution also minimizes fuel consumption for a lower operating cost, and increases food safety and precision temperature control.

Th e increase in diesel fuel prices and European Union investment in ferry route development and expansion are both contributing to the rapid growth of this market.

Th e SLX Ferry off ers bett er protection against shocks which may occur when trailers are transferred from the Port docks onto the ferry (and vice versa) via Ro-Ro ramps. Th e specifi cally reinforced panel cabinet features

thicker doors and fl exible latches, and an easy-to-install protection bar kit provides optimum shock protection volume In order to guarantee that cargo temperature is maintained throughout various operating

conditions, the SLX Ferry is fi tt ed with an oversized electric motor (with 58 percent higher output of 50Hz). Designed to reduce mechanical stress at start up, the oversized electric motor provides increased refrigeration capacity while operating in electric power mode. Th e SLX Ferry also features an absorbed glass material Eon batt ery which off ers up to fi ve times the batt ery life of a standard batt ery. Th e batt ery also has a longer shelf life; it can be stored up to two years without requiring a recharge. Th e extended batt ery life and longer shelf life help ensure restart when needed, considerably reducing the risk of emergency repair and associated cargo load loss. TracKing, Th ermo King’s remote temperature and vehicle management tool system can be specifi ed to ensure monitoring especially when the trailer is unaccompanied.

BOC, the specialist industrial gases and engineering business, has begun trials of Frostcruise, a highly innovative

in-transit refrigeration system. Th e system provides a more environmentally friendly, effi cient and reliable cryogenic alternative to diesel-powered mechanical refrigeration. Frostcruise off ers a powerful cooling technology, developed by BOC’s parent Th e Linde Group, that uses the cryogenic eff ect of liquid nitrogen (LIN) at a temperature of -196°C to produce rapid and evenly-distributed temperature drops. It also has the ability to maintain accurate product temperature throughout the truck compartment

during multiple delivery stops, reducing the risk of food spoilage and improving food safety.

In addition, Frostcruise provides signifi cant environmental benefi ts including substantial noise reduction during deliveries and a much lower carbon footprint than traditional mechanical transportation systems. Frostcruise refrigeration technology does not rely on vehicle engines to perform the cooling process, and so is substantially quieter than diesel systems, which need to remain running in order to maintain a low compartment temperature. Th e lack of reliance on a vehicle engine also means that the refrigeration system can run independently in the event of a mechanical breakdown, protecting the compartment contents.

Sweet Success for Sarah @ Ashbourne Truck & Trailer

Thermo King launches SLX Ferry

BOC launches cryogenic refrigeration for food distribution

www.trailer-innovation.comEstablished 2002 · In co-operation with VDA

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON

This year‘s IAA Nutzfahrzeuge show in Hannover, Germany in September will be the sixth to include

Trailer Innovation Awards, for outstanding innovations in the fi eld of trailers and bodies. Ten leading

European magazines are involved in the awards scheme, under the chairmanship of KFZ-Anzeiger.

Categories Body · Chassis · Concept · Components · Safety · Smart Trailer · Green Trailer

Jury Editors from ten leading European transport magazines

Entry deadline 30th June 2012, www.trailer-innovation.com

Event Awards presentation at 2pm on 21th September at IAA Nutzfahrzeuge 2012, Hannover

anzeiger InternationaleAutomobil-Ausstellung

Verband derAutomobilindustrie


Volvo Ocean Race records br REPORT

T he Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 has delivered big increases in audience across television, online, radio and print, fi gures from external research

released in the Mid Race Report show. Ireland, which hosts the Grand Finish of the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway (from 30th June - 8th July 2012) is among the Top 8 in this global listing.

Headlines include:

Cumulative TV coverage up by 90 percent • from the 2008-09 raceA 45 percent increase in cumulative • readership in print articles Number of online articles already greater • than for entire 2008-09 race 35 million visits, 110 million page views • to the Race and Game websites

111,000 Facebook fans as of March 18 • Cumulative radio audience of almost 800 • million from top eight countries

Th e cumulative TV audience as of 19 February was 880 million based on 1,200 hours of coverage, in both dedicated programming and news items largely based on the compelling content being sent via the Media Crew Member programme. Th ose fi gures compare with a cumulative audience of 459 million at the corresponding stage of the last race, representing a 90 percent increase.

Th e biggest total audience came from China. During Leg 3 alone, there were 81 TV broadcasts in China, watched by an average of 2.5 million. Th e most watched was on CCTV1 and was seen by an estimated 12.5 million. Spain, which has been a particular cross-platform success story in

this race, had the highest number of broadcasts, followed by the United States and China.

In the top eight measured countries, the cumulative radio audience was almost 800 million to March 10. France was at the top of the list, delivering an audience of over 285 million, followed by China, Spain and the UAE, with New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland and the United Kingdom rounding out the top eight.

Th ere were more than 35 million visits, providing 110 million page views, to the Volvo Ocean Race offi cial website and the Volvo Ocean Race Game website. In terms of cumulative page views at the offi cial race website, by the start of Leg 5 the number was 16 percent higher than the total for the entire last Race.

Miami triumph for PUMA in leg 6 of Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12Miami, Florida, USA - American skipper

Ken Read led his PUMA Ocean Racing team to a second consecutive leg win

on Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.

He arrived on home soil in Miami triumphant following an epic 18-day match race with closest rivals CAMPER to confirm they are back in contention for overall victory.

Since the heartbreak of the fi rst leg, in which they were robbed of a result when their yacht’s mast broke, PUMA have been on the rise – and aft er scoring their fi rst off shore success in Leg 5 from Auckland to Itajaí, Brazil, they made it two in a row in Leg 6.

Aft er winning an intense batt le for fi rst place with CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, which at one point closed the gap to less than a mile, Read was excited about his team’s performance as they are now back in the hunt for the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 trophy.

“That was about as stressful as it can get, believe me,” Ken Read said. “It was touch and go, and the guys on CAMPER sailed very well, but I couldn’t be more proud of our team -- they did an unbelievably great job.”

PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG crossed the fi nish line at 18:14:00 UTC (2:14pm local), 18 days aft er leaving from Itajaí, Brazil, with CAMPER with

Emirates Team New Zealand around an hour behind PUMA and on course to take second.

PUMA dominated the 4,800 nautical mile leg from the start, only surrendering the lead on two occasions to CAMPER and for no more than 48 hours.

A fast start to the leg in fresh conditions saw PUMA lead out of Itajaí and into several days of fast sailing up the Brazilian coast.

As winds eased the f leet split into three groups, with CAMPER and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing closest to the shore enjoying two days at the head of the pack, while Team Telefónica and Groupama sailing team opted to head east in search of bett er breeze. PUMA split the diff erence and it paid as they got a jump on their rivals that would lay the foundations for their eventual win.

It’s the fourth time in six legs that PUMA have finished on the podium, and they pick up an invaluable 30 points for the leg win to take their overall tally to 147.

CAMPER were awarded 25 points for second place, their best result in the off shore series since Leg 2 from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi when they fi nished second behind Team Telefónica.

“It’s been a long leg and PUMA have sailed very nicely, they have defended very well, but I think we have att acked well too,” CAMPER skipper Chris Nicholson said as his team closed in on the fi nish line. “I’m prett y happy with how it’s gone. We’re in bett er shape now for the next leg.”

WIN VOLVO OCEAN RACE MERCHANDISE!Volvo Trucks in association with Fleet Transport magazine is offering four readers the opportunity to win a

goodie bag of Volvo Ocean Race merchandise. The prize pack consists of a Volvo Ocean Race Pin badge, Coffee mug, Baseball Caps and T-shirt.

To be in with a chance of winning one of these prizes just email enquiries@fl eet.ie, stating ‘Volvo Ocean Race /Fleet Transport Magazine competition in the subject heading and give your name, postal address and mobile

number together with T-shirt size. Entries close on 20 June. Winners will be notifi ed by return email. No further correspondence will be entered into.

r oad audience growthREPORT

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fl eet.ie FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 39

First headline acts announced for Galway Volvo Ocean Race StopoverFor the Grand

Finale of the Volvo Ocean

Race in Galway details have been announced of the fi rst wave of the entertainment line up that is part of the Volvo Ocean Race Festival running from June 30 to July 8. Th e event is expected to attract a whopping 700,000 people to the city and its environs and will feature all art forms from live music performances, street theatre, spectacle, dance, exhibitions, installations, ta l k s a nd more.

Maverick Sabre, one of Ireland’s hottest tickets and described by BBC1 as the “the male Amy Winehouse” w i l l head l i ne t he o p e n i n g f e s t i v a l on the Main Stage on Saturday June 30.Some of Galway’s own finest will also be performing. Sharon Shannon, together with a 42-piece orchestra will continue her long association with the race having wowed audiences at the Auckland Stopover earlier this year. And Th e Stunning, who are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year will also perform in what will be their only Galway gig in 2012. Th e Galway band was one of the highlights of the last event when the Volvo Ocean Race selected Galway as a stopover city in 2011.

Also performing as part of the festival will be the enigmatic Ryan Sheridan, the fantastic Hot 8 Brass Band, Th e Kanyu Tree, Túcan, Th e Deans, Stephen James & Band, Th e Amazing Apples - and many more yet to be announced.

John Killeen, President of Let’s Do it Global, the Galway based management company, said: Th is programme of events is a result of a unique collaboration between Let’s Do it Global and Galway City Council in a bid to build upon Galway’s reputation as one of the best cities in the world to host

one of the biggest sporting events in the world. I think the line up currently revealed certainly achieves that goal and I would say watch this space as many more are yet to be revealed.”

Events w i l l be t a k i n g p l a c e throughout the city including Eyre Square, Salthil l, Southpark - and in the Town Hall Th eatre pirouett ing parrots, dancing ducks, f louncing fl owers and a very Mad Hatter will be performing in a

marvelous new dance production from Youth Ballet West, Alice Underground premiering for the Volvo Ocean Race.

Th e Main Stage will be situated in the Volvo Ocean Race Village on the Galway Docks.

Th e number of articles published across the Internet was also above the total for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09, with 30,651 registered from October 10, 2011 to March 18, 2012 compared to 30,468 for the whole of the last race.

The number of print articles monitored in publications in 15 markets was also up to 4,249, while showing a 45 percent increase in cumulative print readership reach over the pre-Race period and Legs 1-3 compared to 2008-09.

“A major part of our strategy has been to increase the level of news coverage of the 2011-12 race across the media,” said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad.

“I have been especially pleased with the breadth and scale of online news coverage about the race

and it is great to see that we have already passed the total number of online news articles published during our last edition.”

Th e Race has also reported big growth on Facebook, with the 111,299 likes recorded as of March 18 this year making the Volvo Ocean Race comfortably the biggest sailing event on the platform.

Another focus for Race organisers has been to raise the quality and level of entertainment at the stopovers along the route.

Th e popularity of the Race Villages saw 1.3 million visits to the fi rst four host ports -- Alicante, Cape Town, Abu Dhabi and Sanya in China.

“Together with our great host city partners we have been pleased to see visitors spending more

time in the Race Villages and coming back for more,” said Frostad. “Th ere’s still a long way to go to the fi nish and we are determined to continue to improve our numbers and to reach an all-time high on all platforms.”

Th e report’s release comes as the teams prepare for the PORTMIAMI In-Port Race in Miami on Saturday, May 19 and the start of Leg 7 to Lisbon the following day. Th e Race will fi nish in Galway on July 7.

Team Sanya skipper Mike Sanderson said the Chinese team (with backing fr om Discover Ireland) were delighted to be back in the race aft er 50 days away fr om the action while their boat was shipped fr om New Zealand to Savannah to repair serious damage sustained while they were leading the fl eet in the Southern Ocean on Leg 5. Sanderson said that the team had new found confi dence in their second generation Volvo Open 70 aft er repairing a damaged rudder and a 1.5-metre crack in the hull that forced the team to retire fr om Leg 5. Skipper Mike Sanderson’s boat topped 30 knots boat speed on their “shakedown” sail to Florida, returning the Volvo Ocean Race to full strength.

FLEETTRANSPORT | DEC 10/JAN 11 63

Volume 7, No. 2 Summer 2012

Compiled by Howard Knott Edited by Jarlath Sweeneyemail: maritime@fl eet.ie

MARITIME 1 fl eetMaritime: IRISH SHIPPING & FREIGHT

FREIGHT FERRY SERVICES

E [email protected] 0044 28 87784949

www.derrybros.com

Winner of Women in Transport Fleet Award 2012

L iebherr Container Cranes Ltd. recently booked an order for t wo double-sided

container cranes, each capable of working two Post-Panamax containerships, and both wide enough to carry eighteen rows of containers on deck berthed on either side of a fi nger pier. Th is order came from the TCEEGE Container Terminal at the Port of Aliaga, near Izmir in Turkey.

Each crane has two booms with an equal waterside reach of 50 metres and lift height is 38 metres. Th e cranes will be delivered from the Liebherr plant in Killarney, County Kerry in quarter three, 2012. During this year the Company plans to deliver at least twenty two cranes of similar size to Ports all around the World.

Th e Killarney plant, hidden behind a lane of trees is located on the road out of the town towards the famous lakes and the two hotels owned and operated by the same Company. Almost six hundred people carry out a full design, build and aft ersales service on those massive ship to shore gantry cranes but also on Terminal handling equipment to move the containers from truck and stacks to and from the quayside. Th ese include Rubber Tyred Gantry units and Rail Mounted stacking units. Th e company’s range of straddle carriers, though designed in Killarney, is currently being built by another Liebherr owned facility: Liebherr has manufacturing units in every Continent making products ranging from avionics refrigerators and quarry equipment, though to the Tower Cranes that, until recent years, dominated many city skylines.

Th e story of Liebherr cranes at Killarney goes back to 1958 when Hans Liebherr arrived there to set up what was the fi rst Liebherr facility outside Germany and one that would focus on the production of Tower Cranes. By 1967 the focus there shift ed to the emerging container gantry

crane business and in 1972 Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd. was established to specialise in the development and manufacture of rail mounted cranes. Over the ensuing forty years well over 300 such cranes have been built in Killarney with a current production rate of ever larger cranes running at over 22 units a year.

On a recent visit to the Killarney plant we spoke with Garvin Cronin who explained that Liebherr has about 3 percent of the world production of such cranes in a marketplace that is dominated by Chinese manufacturers, though Liebherr product is gaining market share. He said that there are three main reasons for this. First, the Liebherr Cranes are custom built to meet the exact specifi cations of the buyer and his Port. He instanced a recent delivery to Southampton in which the crane legs were painted up in the colours of the local Football Club. More important is the fl exibility that the custom built option allows the manufacturer to adjust the specifi cation to the varying needs of the quays on which they will be located. Th e Chinese cranes are all of standard designs.

Th e second Liebherr strength is in the level of customer service in which the manufacturer gives on-line lifetime operations service to the customer. Garvin exampled a situation

in which the Killarney based monitor would call the Port operator in Vladivostok to tell him that one of the cranes there was showing up with a lubricating oil shortage and, thus, being able to cure problems and the risk of downtime before anything went wrong. As ship sizes escalate, current crane designs have to be able to serve vessels with a capacity of up to 18,000 TEU, the Ports can ill aff ord to have any crane breakdowns.

Unlike their competitors’ products Liebherr container cranes are delivered to customer quayside unassembled. This greatly facilitates the on-site construction and requires less

heavy lift ing equipment there. Th e company also believes that assembly on-site ensures that the unit is completely to the customer’s requirements and that there are no surprises when the machine is activated. Operating in that way is, of course, essential given the inland location of the Killarney Plant. Th e pieces can be up to 51 metres long, up to 4.45 metres wide, 7 metres high and up to 100 tonnes weight. Christy Lucey Transport haul the pieces to the Port of Fenit on specialist vehicles, generally overnight and this activity can involve the taking down and reinstatement of road furniture and signs en route. Burke Shipping Group charter the vessels used on behalf of Liebherr and also undertake the Stevedoring function at Fenit. Th e Rail Mounted stacking units which are of a similar size to the container cranes, and the slightly smaller Rubber tyred Gantry units are also shipped this manner.

The Liebherr business remains in family ownership, operating under the control of founder, Hans Liebherr’s daughters. The Company is completely confi dent of its future prospects in the container crane business and the Killarney plant is, in fact, actively engaged in an expansion plan to facilitate the building of more and even larger cranes.

Liebherr Container Crane- a Killarney based World Leader

40 FLEETMARITIME | SUMMER 12

Liebherr plant entrance

MARITIME 11

FLEETMARITIME | SUMMER 12 41

On 23 March Lynn McBurney, wife of McBurney Transport’s

founder, Norman McBurney formally launched the ‘Seatruck Precision’, the last of four sister ships built for the Irish Sea carrier at the FSG Flensburg Yard. Th is yard has earlier completed a series of similar but larger vessels for CLdN, the Cobelfret Company.

‘Seatruck Precision’ will join her three sisters on Seatruck’s unaccompanied freight routes on the Irish Sea in June, the fi rst two of these 151 trailer capacity vessels now operate the lines. Dublin to Liverpool route while the third sister has taken over operations on the Dublin to Heysham route. Th e owners claim that the new vessels give fuel effi ciency benefi ts of 30% compared to previous designs. Speaking at the ‘Seatruck Precision’ launch, Alistair Eagles, Managing Director for Seatruck’s Irish Sea division said, “Our new FSG vessels are the key to Seatruck’s continued progress on the Irish Sea. Our unaccompanied trailer model continues to gain ground. With some months of operational experience with the new vessels now in hand I can say that we are extremely pleased with them.”

Seatruck is the ferry division of the Copenhagen based, Clipper Group which is a major global operator in bulk and tanker trades. It recently sold out its 10% shareholding in the DFDS Group. DFDS recently announced its plans for active involvement in English Channel routes – see story below?

Th e arrival of the new quartet of vessels enables Seatruck to move its four to fi ve year old, Spanish built quartet to its routes from Northern Ireland and, in turn, displace their original series of vessels which have half the capacity of the current new buildings. Th ese vessels have been chartered to, amongst others, the Scott ish Northlink operating services from the mainland to Shetland.

Th e Line’s recently established Larne – Heysham route has proven to be very successful and, thus, the decision was taken to displace the smaller ‘Arrow’ and ‘Ranger’ with two of the larger vessels. Th is has led the line to switch its Northern Ireland Port from Larne to Belfast as the P&O Line owned Port could not handle the larger vessels without having to make considerable investment in linkspan facilities. Th e switch to the Belfast Albert Quay terminal close to the City centre was made on 7 May but the new vessels will not be deployed for some months.

Seatruck intends then to switch the English destination to Liverpool, operating from the

Seatruck terminal on the City side of the Mersey. Th is will consolidate Seatruck’s position in Liverpool operating two daily services each to Dublin and Belfast. It will also place Seatruck into head to head competition with the revamped Sealink service linking Belfast and Birkenhead, though that service does focus strongly on driver accompanied traffi c and

passenger business.

Speaking to ‘Fleet Maritime’ at the recent Multimodal 2012 exhibition in Birmingham, Raymond Bell, Operations Manager at Woodside Distribution said that the switch of the Seatruck service from Larne to Belfast will greatly improve the att ractiveness of the service.

Elsewhere, concerns have been expressed that new regulations proposed by the Port of Heysham Authority on restrictions on under-keel clearance of vessels using the approach channel under certain tidal and wind conditions could lead to the use of tug assistance or, possibly, denial of entry to the Port. Th e publication ‘Ferry and Cruise Review’ reports that this has become a major issue for the Port’s other main ferry customer the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. It has now advised the Port that it may have to switch to Liverpool also as sourcing vessels that meet the new requirements at Heysham will be too diffi cult. Both Heysham and Liverpool are owned by Peel Ports Plc.

Ca p t a i n M i c h a e l McCarthy, Commercial Manager

at the Port of Cork Company has been elected to the chair of the ‘Cruise Europe’. Th e organisation’s vision is ”To deliver to the cruise companies a world class cruise destination on behalf of our members.” Between 2005 and 2010 there has been an increase of 84% in the economic impact of the European Cruise Industry, bringing the total contribution to €35 billion. The Group estimates that there are, on average, over 200 cruise calls to Ireland each year with about half a million passengers and crew

aboard, generating about €60 million to the island of Ireland.

Speaking at the Group’s 2012 Conference Michael McCarthy said: “One of Ireland’s advantages is the strategic and geographic spread of its numerous Ports, many of which are in close proximity to world class tourism destinations”. He continued, “Th e cruise industry as a whole faces major challenges and it is

vital that Cruise Europe members support the cruise lines through eff ective communications and develop an outstanding service while

keeping costs tightly under control, particularly as the lines adapt to the ECA (Emissions Control Area) regulations in force from 2015.”

It is estimated that these regulations will result in fuel cost increases for lines operating in the English Channel and the North Sea by over 50% and above the likely escalation of oil costs. Speaking with ‘Fleet Maritime’ Captain McCarthy said that he saw some opportunities for Cork, Dublin and other Irish Ports to operate in a new business model in which vessels would be based at those Ports for the season and passengers would join and leave the vessels there fl ying in to Irish Airports from Europe and North America. Th e Port of Cork’s Cruise facilities at Cobh and at Ringaskiddy enable it to handle the largest Cruise vessels afl oat whereas other Irish Ports are limited.

Seatruck – much done, more to do

Capt. Michael McCarthy takes chair at Cruise Europe

IRISH SEA ROUTES


www.derrybros.com


Volume 5, No. 4 Winter 2010

42 FLEETMARITIME | SUMMER 12

In July Galway will host the fi nish of the Volvo Round the World Ocean Race while six weeks

later Dublin will welcome the fi nish of the Tall Ships Race 2012. Th is race, which is presented by the Port of Szczecin and organised by Sail Training International, kicks off at St. Malo in Britt any on Sunday, 8 July with the fl eet sailing from there to Lisbon, from there to Cadiz in Spain and on to La Coruna. Aft er a three day stop, the fl eet sets sail on 13 August for Dublin for the fi nal leg, expecting to reach the Port by 23 August following a ten day adventure crossing the Bay of Biscay.

Speaking at the launch event for the Dublin Festival Event, Lord Mayor, Andrew Montague commented, “I am delighted to be a part of the launch of the Tall Ships 2012 Dublin, the city’s most anticipated event of the year, where Dublin can expect to see up to one million visitors with a majestic fl eet of ships and 3,000 crew att ending the event.” Eamonn O’Reilly, CEO of Dublin Port Company, also at the launch event in the CHQ Building, a building that will have a central role in the festivities said, “We are delighted to welcome the Tall Ships Races to Dublin Port. Dublin Port is Ireland’s premier Port and handles 50% of all Ireland’s imports and exports, making it a signifi cant facilitator of Ireland’s economy. Th e Port also welcomes

1.7 million tourists through the ferry companies operating at the Port as well as an additional 130,000 tourists and crew from the 85 Cruise ships that call here.”

Speaking to ‘Fleet Maritime’ Dublin Port Head of Operations, Seamus McLoughlin confi rmed that, despite the coming and going of more than sixty Tall Ships which will be moored alongside the Quays all the way from the Point Village (O2) to the Customs House, on both sides of the river as well as in the Grand Canal Basin, there will be no disruption to the Port’s everyday business activity. Th e fact that the Dublin Port Tunnel is now operational means that traffi c problems experienced during the previous Tall Ships event will not be repeated. Tom Conway of Leinster Shipping Agencies, who is contracted to look aft er all the needs of the vessel and crew on one of the largest vessels in the fl eet said that he had fulfi lled a similar role at last year’s call to Waterford and

was looking forward hugely to the fl eet coming to his native Dublin.

Also at the launch was Peter Cardy, the CEO of Sail Training International. In conversation he chose to emphasise the huge benefi t that the crew members, mainly teenagers with no maritime experience, derive from participation in such an event and, particularly, how it can build self-confi dence. He said that the whole business of sail training had suff ered a dip when the economic

Tsunami struck and many countries sought to reduce their fi nancial exposure. However, there has, over the last couple of years, been a re-alignment of the management of the ships and programmes that enable the sail training activity to move forward again, but in a more cost-eff ective manner.

Aft er the Dublin Race fi nale a number of the vessels will participate in the inaugural Irish Sea Tall Ships Regatt a. Th ey will race from Dublin to Liverpool, but the course will include a number of waypoints that will have them crisscrossing one another as they go adding to the challenge and excitement. A number of the smaller vessels may also extend their Irish stay, moving across the bay to Dun Laoghaire.

For full information on the Dublin Tall Ships event log on to: www.dublintallships.ie

Since 27 April, the DFDS Seaways, LD Lines joint venture service operating between Dover and Calais, off ers ten

sailings a day in each direction, following the introduction of the ferry ‘Barfl eur’ chartered from Britt any Ferries. P&O Ferries has reduced its vessels on the route from seven to fi ve, following the introduction of ‘Spirit of France’ in February. Th e two services combined with the DFDS Seaways, Dover to Dunkirk service off er about eighty million lane metres annual capacity.

In spite of the new ferry competition, but in the absence of competition from SeaFrance, Eurotunnel reports a 21% increase in shutt le traffic over the first three months of 2012 reaching 365,000 units, while estimating that the overall market grew by three per cent in the period. Over the same period rail freight volumes through the tunnel grew by 2% to 313,000 tonnes.

At the time of writing, tenders are being considered by the liquidator for three of the former SeaFrance ferries and there is industry uncertainty about their future deployment. Th is has been heightened by the announcement on 27 March by DFDS Seaways and LD Lines of the extension of their co-operation through sett ing up a new company combining DFDS Channel operations and LD Lines’ ferry operations. Th e new company will be 82% DFDS owned and will take over the operations from 1st July 2012. Th e routes aff ected are: - Dover – Dunkirk, Dover

– Calais, Portsmouth- Le Havre, Newhaven – Dieppe, and Marseille – Tunis. Th e only LD Line route not aff ected is the EU backed Nantes – Gijon route.

DFDS Group comments that the new company expands DFDS’ route network in line with the DFDS strategy of creating European shipping and logistics network. In order to boost Irish originating and destined traffi c levels on this network, DFDS Seaways has recruited Declan Cleary who joins as Sales Manager Ireland. Declan has held similar posts previously with Norfolk Lines and previously P&O.

MARITIME 111

Tall Ships to return to Dublin after 14 years

Competition heats up on and under the English Channel

EUROPEAN ROUTES


www.derrybros.com


Simon Moore, CEO of the London Gateway Port project has announced that the company plans to open

the new facility which includes a 9 million sq. ft . Logistics Park in the fi nal quarter of 2013. Th e deepwater port will have an initial capacity of 1.6 million TEU’s. It is located some 25 miles east of London. Th e new quay wall will extend about 400 metres further out into the Th ames estuary than did the previous terminal on the site.

Th e London Gateway Logistics Park

promoters estimate that 65 million road miles a year will be saved through the use of this facility

by companies’ serving the English South-East.

MARITIME 1V

FLEETMARITIME | SUMMER 12 43


www.derrybros.com

AN ESSENTIAL PART OF YOUR TEAM


Commenting aft er the event held in Dublin’s Mansion House on 24 May, Glenn Murphy, CEO

of the Irish Maritime Development Offi ce, (IMDO) said that the feedback from delegates in att endance was very positive, that there was plenty of food for thought and that certainly some new and potentially fruitful new relationships were formed. Th e IMDO had organised the event in conjunction with the Coastlink Organisation and its Chairman, David Cheslin was also very positive, not just from an Irish perspective but for taking the discussion on many topics into new areas. Th e majority of delegates came from the Shipping and Ports sectors, though Insurance, Forwarding and organisations such as the Commissioners of Irish Lights.

The Opening Keynote address was delivered by Leo Varadkar, T.D. Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. Prior to the event there had been rumours that the Minister would use this event to formally launch the new Government policy on Ports in Ireland but he did not do so. What the Minister said in this context was:”I am committ ed to the publication of a new Ports policy this year. It is crucial that Ireland’s commercial Ports continue to provide the best possible service to the economy at large, as it returns to growth”.

He continued, “Th e existing structure treats our nine Port companies as though they were the same size, scale and have the same role to play, which is clearly not the case. Th e circumstances in each Port are quite diff erent and need to be dealt with on a case by case basis. Ports serving diff erent markets have diff erent potential and diff erent futures”. Speaking with senior fi gures from a number of Irish Ports att ending the event, this view was echoed and a number of Port Companies are actively engaged through the development of master plans and other more specifi c development proposals to secure their future within the parameters set out by the Minister and in close liaison with Regional and other Authorities.

Minister Varadkar also confirmed that the Department was committ ed to the retention of the advantageous Tonnage Tax scheme in Ireland. He said: “Since the introduction of the Tonnage tax scheme in 2002, we have seen a tenfold increase in the number of ships owned, managed and operated in Ireland, directly creating new jobs and investment”.

Opening the fi rst working session of the Convention, Glenn Murphy spoke about the fi rst quarter 2012 shipping fi gures which showed a decline in traffi c through Irish Ports in all sectors except liquid bulk cargoes such as oil products. He highlighted the drop of 2% in containerised imports during the quarter, the 17th consecutive quarter of reducing volumes. Th is has led to shipping and logistics fi rms strategically importing more empty containers to address the reduction of laden imports and to meet the needs of the growing export sector.

This theme of a shortage of suitable export equipment was taken up by Paddy Cummins, Operations Manager at the C & C Group. Th e Group’s main volume focus is on the Magner’s Cider brand which is now exported to global markets with shipments to North America alone of over 500 containers a year and delivering over 4500 trailers annually to Great Britain and a another 260 to Northern Ireland. Th e volumes in the

domestic market are similar to those in Britain. While all markets are very sensitive to weather this is particularly the case for the more local ones and Paddy went on to say that, depending on demand, anything between 40 and 150 trucks could leave the Clonmel plant on a single day. Th is puts hauliers under considerable stress not just to source suffi cient equipment, trucks, trailers and containers, secure bookings on ferries etc. but also to be able to operate in a profi table way as the backload business continues to dry up. Th e major seasonal volumes also cause problems for other exporting companies seeking to use the same pool of transport for their exports.

The Irish equipment shortage was addressed by a number of other speakers and the fi nal speaker of the day, Stephen Carr, Head of Business Development at Mersey Ports wondered if there would be merit in looking into making some plan that would allow Irish exporters access to some of the 75,000 empty containers shipped out of Liverpool each year. Th ese are sent back to Rott erdam, in the main before being shipped back to Ireland or Scotland while others are put onto Deep Sea vessels. Th e IMDO and the Irish Exporters Association (IEA) have undertaken to work along with the shipping lines concerned and the Ports to examine how this equipment resource could be used to further drive Irish exports, particularly to overseas markets where there is a strong demand for product and

for container equipment for use for their exports to Europe.

Among the other speakers was Trevor Crowe of Clarkson Research who expressed concern that the demise of certain tax based banking arrangements in Germany would lead to a serious further decline in the building of smaller, 1000 TEU type container ships, which are the mainstay of the Irish container business. Mark Boulton, Business Development Manager at Norbert Dentressangle, following that company’s takeover of TDG, spoke about the Company’s “green” mission and his hope that they would introduce their fi rst hybrid truck to Ireland shortly (as per the UK).

Many of the delegates stayed over in Dublin that night and went on a tour by boat of Dublin port the following morning. Th e Port Company was the main corporate sponsor of the Convention.

Shortsea ’12 European Convention - a Great Success

Leo Varadkar, T.D. Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

Glenn Murphy, CEO of the Irish Maritime Development Offi ce, (IMDO)

44 FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 Text: Howard Knott - howard@fl eet.ie

Changes down the line?

T he conversation around the table was all about matters ‘European’, the fi scal Treaty, EU Research projects and the like. Aft er a while it switched to talking about Ireland’s forthcoming term in the Presidency of the EU which will be in the fi rst half

of 2013 - only a matt er of months away. Let’s hope that by the time that you are reading this the Treaty Referendum has been passed, and that there is a collective sigh of relief that the Presidency can go ‘full-tilt’ ahead in a spirit of demonstrated commitment.

Anyway, back to the chat; one person asked about what, if any, EU Policies Ireland was not implementing, either because we had ‘Derogation’ from doing so, or because we were just not doing it? In the later case the country faces either the risk or the actuality of substantial fi nes, but, worse, the prospect of the EU Presidency speaking to the world about EU policy and its implementation, while down the road its own citizens were wilfully ignoring those policies. On the derogation side, clearly again it would be bett er to cease these before the Presidency begins and enable the Minister and the Department concerned to lead the European discussions from a position of compliance and strength.

Th is brings us to the picture at the head of this piece. It is of the Mullingar to Athlone railway line. Th is has been out of use for a number of years, I think that its last serious use was in the fi lming of the “Great Train Robbery” movie maybe twenty years ago. I was surprised when I came across it the other day that it did not appear to be in bad shape all things considered. Th e point here is you could argue that this, and many other lines north and south of the Border were closed over the years as Iarnród Éireann (IE) or Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) ran out of enthusiasm for running services over them. In most cases aft er a short period of rather passive maintenance the lines were left to quietly rot away and there was actually litt le criticism, perhaps making the point for the cynics that there was no development because there was nobody living there and, thus, nobody to use any services.

Th is situation arose because the island of Ireland operates on the basis that the company that operates the trains also operates the infrastructure. European Competition policy has, for many years, been focussed on separating the infrastructure provision and management from the service provision based on that infrastructure. Here the best example of this new way of doing things has perhaps been in the electricity industry, where Eirgrid now controls the grid that delivers the power on behalf of the numerous competing electricity service providers. Th roughout Europe but most particularly in Great Britain a similar split applies with the railways. Th ere, the rail infrastructure is owned by Network Rail and this infrastructure is used by a substantial number of competing rail service companies, both passenger and freight. Th e train service operators use the rail infrastructure on a basis of a published tariff and agreed schedules. Th e Offi ce for Rail Regulation oversees the workings of the system and the costs of Network Rail.

In March, Minister Varadkar T.D. announced that Ireland would not seek further derogation from the EU Railway Package provisions. From March 2013 the Iarnród Éireann rail system would be split into infrastructure and operating companies, and railway service companies other than IE would be allowed to run freight or international services on the Irish network. Th e same timetable is being applied in Northern Ireland for NIR. Between now and next March a lot of work will have to be done to get the appropriate companies up and running, and perhaps, more importantly to install Regulators that have suffi cient independence and power but do not cost a fortune.

As I see it there are two major potential outcomes. Th e fi rst would be that the new Infrastructure Company might look at a picture such as the one at the head of this piece and see that Mullingar to Athlone line as a potential asset and seek to fi nd some way to get revenue from it. Part of an alternative freight route from Dublin to the West of Ireland could be one option. Th e line could have revenue value rather than just nuisance value.

Th e second outcome is more complex. We already have a National Roads Authority (NRA ) which develops and manages the National Highway infrastructure, and the National Transport Authority (NTA) that has a major role in planning to meet both passenger and freight transport needs. When

IE planned to cease passenger rail services between Rosslare and Waterford the NTA had to give the Company the O.K. before it did so. Soon we will have Rail Network Companies, North and South of the Border and a Rail Regulator will be needed. Th e simple thing to do would be to give the NTA this function here but, it may be more useful, in a situation in which the island is oversupplied with roads and with railway lines in certain areas, to establish a Regulator that would have the ability and power to vary charges for use of both the road and rail networks? He/she could direct business between the transport modes to facilitate the provision of the most economical services for users and to provide adequate funds for the upgrade and maintenance of the infrastructures.

Th is needs a lot of careful thought but could be very worthwhile.

COMMENT

From where I'm sitting - Howard Knott

Celtic Linen Group. Joe Baker McCarthy Commercials hands Brian Eustace of Celtic Linen Group 3 New Volvo Trucks on Contract Hire Deal.

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46 FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 Text: Jonathan Lawton - jonathan@fl eet.ie

LEGAL

S ection 10 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 sets out specifi c requirements in relation to the provision of training by an employer. Given that many employers will not have seen the detail of Section 10 it is worth sett ing out the

actual wording of the duty imposed by the Act.

10.—(1) …………every employer shall, when providing instruction, training and supervision to his or her employees in relation to their safety, health and welfare at work, ensure that—

(• a) instruction, training and supervision is provided in a form, manner and, as appropriate, language that is reasonably likely to be understood by the employee concerned,(• b) employees receive, during time off from their work, where appropriate, and without loss of remuneration, adequate safety, health and welfare training, including, in particular, information and instructions relating to the specifi c task to be performed by the employee and the measures to be taken in an emergency,(• c) in relation to any specifi c task assigned to an employee, that his or her capabilities in relation to safety, health and welfare are taken into account,(• d) in the case of—(i) a class or classes of particularly sensitive employees to whom any • of the relevant statutory provisions apply, or(ii) any employee or group of employees exposed to risks expressly • provided for under the relevant statutory provisions,the employees concerned are protected against the dangers that • specifi cally aff ect them.

(2) Training under this section shall be adapted to take account of new or changed risks to safety, health and welfare at work and shall, as appropriate, be repeated periodically.

(3) Training under this section shall be provided to employees—(• a) on recruitment,(• b) in the event of the transfer of an employee or change of task assigned to an employee,(• c) on the introduction of new work equipment, systems of work or changes in existing work equipment or systems of work, and(• d) on the introduction of new technology.

Th e signifi cant points are fi rstly that training should be provided outside working hours without any loss of pay (Section 10 1(b)) and secondly that training is necessary in anyone of the four circumstances set out in the legislation. (Section 10(3)). It follows from the wording of that section that the duty to provide training is a continuing duty.

It is also important to remember that a failure to provided adequate training, in a manner which complies with the Act, is a criminal off ence and, in the event of an investigation following an accident, an employer may well have to prove that adequate training was provided.

As an employer has duty to provide training for any activity involving risk the task, at fi rst sight, may seem to be beyond achievement, however the obligation to provide training cannot be avoided. Clearly the fi rst step is to identify those risks that require training to be provided, and that identifi cation will be achieved by carrying out eff ective ‘Risk Assessments’. Once the assessments are completed it should be possible to prioritise the required training depending upon the nature and degree of the risk.

Th e Act requires that the training should be adequate (Section 10(1)(b)) . In the event of an accident, of course, the presumption will be that the training was less than adequate, and, to avoid that presumption it is particularly important that the employer can show that the trainer was competent.

In this context the test of ‘competence’ is practical. Would an outside observer, looking at the experience of the nominated trainer, believe that that individual had suffi cient experience to train others? Formal

qualifi cations are not necessary provided that the individual has the relevant experience.

Th e training sessions must be formal, whether they are short or long. Th ere must be a writt en record of the session with the date and time, the name of the trainer, the training program, and the names of the att endees. Th e employees must be encouraged to take the training seriously, particularly if it is a topic that they believe they can learn nothing about, such as the daily walk-round check.

It is good practice to issue company certifi cates to those who successfully att end a training session. A certifi cate the size of a Post Card might be suffi cient, with the name of the company, the date and title of the training session, with the employee’s name, confi rming that the employee had att ended the course. Not only will the issue of a certifi cate give the process of training some status within the company but also, and more importantly, it may be persuasive evidence of am employer's concern for health and safety in the event of an accident. It will also avoid the possibility that an employee may try to maintain that training has never been given.

It is clear that some employers think that, having regard to the size of their company and the experience of their employees, formal training with all its trappings is unnecessary. Th e balance is between the inconvenience of arranging training, and the inconvenience of a detailed investigation following an accident. It is easy to be cynical about some aspects of Health and Safety, but many activities in the transport industry are ‘high risk’, and competent training reduces those risks.

The Employer’s duty to Train Employees

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48 FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 Text: Donal Dempsey - donal@fl eet.ie

I n the analysis of annual accounts for transport operators and the specifi c review of costings on tendered work, a common fault in transport management

is the lack of control over both maintenance and tyre costs. Looking at historic data to compare year on year may not give us accurate information, as with the increase in tyre cost and an ageing fl eet of trucks and trailers, this has to be factored into our cost analysis.

As a rule most transport companies carry out some element of the maintenance and tyre replacement in-house. From review of internal costs versus the cost of contract maintenance (either full contract h i re or cont rac t maintenance alone), the actual cost of external contract maintenance is oft en lower than in-house maintenance when you consider the full cost per hour of internal work, including an overhead for the cost of internal workshop tools and consumables. Main dealers that o f f e r c o n t r a c t ma i ntena nce have the added advantage of ma x imising the utilisation of workshop time and personnel, technicians trained in one make should be more effi cient and their support from warranty and recall items al lows more effi cient utilisation of the vehicle and less downtime.

Biggest factors in tyre wear is vehicle/trailer maintenance, weight carried, types of road surface, driver behaviur and tyre suitability. Checking tyre pressure, rotation of tyres and monitoring of driving style all contribute to wear. Th e specifi cation of tyre to application means a unit and trailer that runs on motorways with a light load can benefi t from premium brand, extended life and reduced unit downtime. Light commercial tyre costs can vary by as much as 30%. So shop around. Heavy commercial premium brands can be purchased at discounted cost when tyre manufacturers run volume discounts or change patt erns. Premium brands may not always give the kilometres we expect

due to product suitability with application and a system that monitors actual usage per tyre on units and trailers will highlight this fact. Usage of low cost tyres on trailer applications that are prone to tyre damage or low kilometre usage may be cost advantageous but consideration has to be given to safety and fuel economy. A review of annual tyre costs versus a full tyre usage deal with a set rate per kilometre may highlight cost savings, whereby the tyre distributor gains with volume sales over the life of the contract, and your hidden additional costs such as tyre monitoring, stock costs, and downtime are eliminated.

Internal maintenance of units and trailers brings both fi nancial and compliance issues to bear. For internal maintenance to be cost eff ective it has to be run with the same standards, expertise and control as a commercial workshop. Hidden costs in a commercial workshop involve the fl ow of work and productivity of technicians. While manufacturers and distributors aim to capture the aft er-sales market through specialisation of diagnostics units, the actual dealers still remaining in the Irish commercial market realise that sales of units are a factor of whole of life vehicle costs. Th e biggest factor in unit cost is fuel but a signifi cant element in the purchase decision of a unit or trailer is the service backup and downtime likely with a brand of vehicle or trailer. As the cost per hour of commercial

workshop rates drops, and the fl exibility of maintenance times and locations increases, the case for a fully contracted maintenance plan should be fully assessed.

With the volume of commercial vehicle sales decreasing, and a likely decrease in the number of operators with under 10 vehicles going forward, it creates a situation where distributors now can sell directly to large fl eet purchasers and appoint service and parts agents as opposed to full dealers, so increasing specialisation in sales and increasing the service levels to its customers. Many transport fi rms that have in-

house workshops must assess the cost benefi t of own maintenance v e r s u s e x t e r n a l ma intenance, and also look at a second option of creating a commercial workshop as a profi t centre for the business. Bott om line is assess full costs associated with an internal workshop, assess as specialisation a n d c o m p l e x i t y increases do you create a workshop with the same standards as a commercial workshop, and what external work is available?

I n r e v i e w o f maintenance costs, one must take cognisance of the type of work undertaken, is it full weight loads on poor periphery roads, over a

certain kilometre life of the vehicle? Is it no longer economically viable to retain the unit regardless of how productive or effi cient your workshop is? New units purchased commit a business to a fi ve to seven year asset repayment schedule, and clearly if the most economic unit for a business is a a new unit, then a contract hire arrangement may be fi nancially the best option.

In summary, review current costs of maintenance, assess fully the increasing complexity of in-house maintenance, and review with your fi nancial expert the most appropriate and compliant maintenance procedures both internal and external for your business.

Reducing Maintenance and Tyre Costs




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50 FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 Text: Sean Murtagh - sean@fl eet.ie

I n December 2008, Primetime Investigates broadcast a programme that portrayed our industry in a very poor light. Th ose of us involved knew that there are some shady operations around but not on the scale that this programme suggested. At the time the Irish Road

Haulage Association (IRHA) made a formal complaint to the Broadcast Complaints Commission (BCC) and to RTE. My memory of the response from both Organisations was of shock. I found it hard not to believe that both RTE and the BCC had more of a brother/sister relationship than that of an Enforcement Authority, Regulatory type relationship. Like many others it seemed to me that all that could be done was take it on the chin and move on. Over the last few years I have watched Primetime Investigates cover similar actions on other sectors but I could never take any of the allegations seriously.

In light of recent contraversy with Primetime Investigates over the now infamous Fr. Reynolds case, it is perhaps pertinent to look back at some of the correspondence that the IRHA sent to RTE and the BCC aft er the Primetime Investigates programme on the Irish haulage industry, which featured on Morning Ireland on RTE Radio 1 the following day.

On the morning of the Broadcast during an interview with Cathal • Mac Coile, Primetime reporter Paul Maguire inferred to listeners that eff ectively every truck on the M50 was being driven by a driver who had been behind the wheel for 100 hours. Th is comment is a terrible slur on the industry and it is not true. Figures from the Gardai and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) will confi rm this. We feel it was purposely made to att ract audience to the programme later that night. During the same interview, reference were made to confi dential data • made available from an Enforcement Agency in the UK – VOSA – in relation to infringements. From our meetings with the RSA we know that the number of infringements reported against Irish trucks is smaller in comparison to UK and other European trucks. In fact, in an operation in October this year VOSA stopped 3628 trucks and issued 2000 prohibition notices. Interestingly, of the trucks stopped 1300 were UK registered and almost 700 of them had prohibitions issued. A prohibition notice is issued for a serious matt er such as dangerous, ineff ective brakes, or for something as insignifi cant as a dash light not working, so it is diffi cult to deduct the seriousness of these fi gures. One thing is clear, Irish trucks are no bett er or worse than their European colleagues. All of this information is available from the RSA or the VOSA website. Th e Enforcement operation in October was referred to as Operation Boston. At the end of the interview it was suggested that one third of all • Irish trailers were unroadworthy. Again these fi gures were distorted here. Faults found on trailers on roadside checks do not make them unroadworthy. Once again the fi gures will show that in comparison to our UK and European neighbours, Irish registered trailers scored bett er.No att empt was made by the programme maker to identify the IRHA • as a trade Association, and therefore it is not in a position to act as an Enforcement Agency. Irish trucks abroad were portrayed as constantly breaking the law. • Selective use of information from VOSA (Vehicle & Operator Services Agency) who act an enforcement authority in the UK gave the impression that Irish trucks were serial lawbreakers. Central to the programme was a journey to Hungary by an Irish truck. • We are not making any comment about the company involved but we are pointing out that the journey can be done within law. We are also aware that one of the tachograph experts said this to the programme maker in his interview – this piece was obviously edited out. Under the circumstances we are concerned that the driver involved (placed by RTE for the purpose of the programme) may have been working to the programme’s agenda rather than the vehicle operator’s requirements, may not have been fully familiar with the tachograph, or may purposely have misled the fi lm crew and programme editor.

When the IRHA received a response from RTE it was in my opinion obnoxious to say the least. Some of the opinions expressed by RTE personnel were way

in excess of their competence to do so. What was more interesting was the response from the BCC. To paraphrase they said they assumed we (IRHA) were happy with the response from RTE. A bit toothless and another example of the light touch regulation we have in this country. Some have suggested that the IRHA should ask the BCC to re-investigate this complaint. I don’t think it would be of much use other than to bring further embarrassment and stress to those fi ngered by the programme makers. In the aft ermath of the programme some members of the IRHA felt the RSA (Road Safety Authority) should have been more defensive of the industry possibly, but the RSA generally conduct their business with operators in a more discreet fashion than VOSA. Rather than opting for headlines they usually try the carrot before the stick approach.

I could not fi nish without making reference to Jimmy Quinn who was featured in the programme and at that time was the President of the IRHA. It is no secret that Jimmy has been a good friend of mine for years. At the time I described what had happened as a massive intrusion in our relationship. I also said that with the passage of time I hoped that even Jimmy’s greatest critics would balance the good he had done for the industry over any failings. While what happened between Jimmy and his employees may not be regarded as ideal for the President of a trade Association, no one could deny that when a relationship between employee and employer goes sour an emotional reaction will not supersede the shekels of the law. Jimmy has no case to answer to me and there is no irritation in our relationship. I would like to fi nish on a light note. I got a text at the break in the programme from a friend and good operator who shall remain nameless, it read – “Jeese Sean this is awful, I hope I am not in part 2!” I think that it how every haulier watching the programme felt.

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WAREHOUSING

Warehousing Futures Conference 2012 29-30 October 2012 - St John’s Hotel, Solihull, UK Theme: Success in challenging times

The fi ft h Warehousing Futures series of Networking Conferences & Exhibitions

will take place at the St John’s Hotel, Solihull, on 29-30 October 2012.

Th e theme chosen for Warehousing Futures 2012 is 'Success in Challenging Times' and the Conference speaker programme will include leading supply chain practitioners as well as senior personnel from the 3PL industry and suppliers to the sector.

“Warehousing Futures 2012 will showcase winning warehousing strategies, best practice and innovation. Th e event is an opportunity to relay positive news against a background of diffi cult UK, Continental European and Global marketplaces,” said Roger Williams, Chief Executive Offi cer of UKWA on behalf of the organisers.

“Despite the economic situation, there are a large number of successes to report on and Warehousing Futures will give a platform for the MD’s and CEO’s of major logistics service specialists, retailers and manufacturers to present their successes to an audience of logistics professionals,” he added.

Th e event will follow a similar format to previous years with a Networking Gala Dinner on the evening of 29 October, followed by a One-Day Conference. A small exhibition featuring some of the leading suppliers of products and services to the warehousing sector will run alongside the conference to ensure that delegates are able to derive maximum benefi t from their time at the event. Th e cost of att ending Warehousing Futures 2012 as a full delegate – which includes a place at the networking dinner, overnight accommodation at the St John’s Swallow Hotel and att endance to the full conference including lunch, coff ees and

delegate information pack - is £240.00 plus VAT. However, a day delegate package priced at £140.00 plus VAT is available to those wishing to visit the conference and exhibition only.

Special rates are available to UKWA/AIWA members and these are available on request. Warehousing Futures 2012 is aimed at warehouse owners and their managers, as well as logistics and operations directors of companies that operate their own warehouse or distribution centre facilities.

For further information regarding speaker opportunities or to reserve a delegate place at Warehousing Futures 2012, please contact conference organiser, Peter Acton, on 00441737 457002 or by email at: [email protected].

150 delegates are expected this year. Special Early bird rates run until end of July: Day Delegate at £100 plus VAT and full delegate including accommodation at £200 plus VAT. Members fr om AIWA and Ireland are welcome to att end as they have done in other years.


Barloworld wins forklift contract Warrenpoint Harbour

Warrenpoint Harbour in Northern Ireland has awarded Barloworld Handling a contract for the supply

of a new fl eet of Hyster forklift trucks with 7,000kg lift capacity.

Up to 1,000 ships a year pass through Warrenpoint Harbour and the busy Port has partnered once again with Barloworld Handling to supply and support four new Hyster H7.0FT Fortens forklift trucks. Barloworld Handling has provided a range of equipment and service support to Warrenpoint Harbour over the past 15 years, and has built up a strong working relationship with the Harbour Authority.

Th e Hyster forklift s are required to operate around the clock, over 12 hour shift s, transporting bales of timber and steel, as well as other materials. Th ey play a key role at the Port, as Ciaran Cunningham, Harbour Engineer at Warrenpoint Harbour, explained. “We mainly handle timber and steel loads and with a 700

metre long quay, we simply wouldn’t be able to discharge eff ectively without highly productive forklift s to transport the goods.”

Several other truck suppliers were involved in the tender process until Barloworld was awarded the contract, which is the fi rst phase of a £1million investment for Warrenpoint Harbour.

“We have signifi cant experience supporting tough Port operations and have supplied Warrenpoint Harbour with dependable Hyster trucks, service and operator training for many years,” said Colin McNeely, Regional Sales Manager for Barloworld Handling. “Hyster Fortens forklift trucks are reputable for delivering reliability and a low cost of operation even in demanding applications, such as exposed Port operations.”

In such an intense operation, the design of the Hyster Fortens helps to combat fatigue and discomfort, enhancing operator satisfaction, which in turn can help to boost productivity.

To help maintain productivity and safety Barloworld Handling has also provided operator training to Warrenpoint Harbour, which is strategically located at the head of Carlingford Lough on the economic corridor half way between Dublin and Belfast on Ireland’s East coast.

Peter Conway, CEO of Warrenpoint Harbour Authority with Colin McNeely of Barloworld Handling.




an Aon company

P atrick Dyers fifth book – Ford Transcontinental At Work is dedicated to those involved in the concept, design and manufacture

of the Transconti – ‘one of the true icons of twentieth century road haulage’. What led to the ultimate demise of Ford of Europe’s foray into producing a heavy haul truck was the arrival of the Sierra, the replacement for the much-loved Cortina in 1982. Main components from major manufacturers such as Cummins / Fuller /Rockwell, along with a cab supplied by French company Berliet were preferred to a Mercedes engine, ZF transmission and DAF Cab from the early day of the project. What was created was an imposing structure off ering drivers a high seating position, roomy cab and a pleasant drive. Although the high mounted cab did wave a bit, its overall unladen weight proved to be an Achilles heel. Th is matt er was addressed later, shaving almost 500kg from the 7.4 tonne tractor unit.

Before the Transconti, Ford Trucks had made its name with the popular D-Series from which the

Essex based engineering team developed heavier prototypes in the shape of 6x4 tractors to help create the new f lagship model that went on to compete with the likes of the Scania 111 and Volvo F88. Despite never making money for the ‘Blue Oval’ company, production of the heavily revised MKII continued until 1983. It was likely to be killed off within a few years anyway when Iveco came in to takeover the UK based Ford Truck in 1986. Between times Ford had beefed up the Cargo to 40 tonnes but it did not have the same driver appeal or following.

Among the highlights from the 200 photographs featured in the 144 page hardback keepsake is Toleman’s beautiful racing car Transporter fi nished off with aerodynamic kit att ached to the roof, sides and lower bumper. Th e Brabham F1 team had a similar version. Transconti also

received broad acclaim through its appearance in the hit TV Series “Th e Professionals”. Over its 9-year production life, almost 9000 units were sold, much less than company projections. Which was a pity, for as the author describes, Transcontinental was a superb truck, being both well - designed and well made from quality components. It was also technically advanced in some areas, particularly the sophisticated 4-point cab suspension, which truly set it apart at the time and set the standard for future cabs. Th erefore, the Transconti comfortably slots into the annals of truck model history.

I n contrast to the Ford Transcontinental, which failed to reach market sales projections, the Volvo F88/F89 was a great success over its 12-year lifespan.

Over 40,000 F88 trucks were sold between 1965 and 1977. It is fair to say that this revolutionary truck made Volvo’s name in the business across Europe. What was unique about this vehicle is that Volvo produced practically all of the necessary components from the driveline to frames, cabs etc. Quality control was guaranteed resulting in a reliable truck. For long haul work the F88 was much sought aft er, as was its successor the more powerful and refi ned F89.

Patrick Dyer's account of both notable trucks is inspiring, no more so than the superb selection of photographs – 203 in all from the 144 pages. Th is second edition sees 53 new pictures added and additional text from the original manuscript. Th is book more than adequately describes and honours one of trucking’s true icons. My ever-lasting memory of the F89 was with a local based International Haulier Paddy Kelly who still adores this vehicle to this day. He took great pride in its hill climbing prowess and superb handling. Th at was of course in the days before driver hours and speed limiters. Volvo F88/F89 At Work, due for publication this month is more than just a photographic record of the truck, it rekindles the memories of a legendary vehicle for those privileged enough to be around to witness it in the fl esh, and for those that had the pleasure

to drive it.

George Bennett , the founder of the International Truck of the Year Award, writes the foreward (as per the Ford Transcontinental book by the same author) and refl ects on his fi rst sighting of the F88

and subsequent time behind the wheel in various situations. As 2012 marks the 25th Anniversary of the FH16, let us not forget when Volvo made its mark in the European scene and much further afi eld with the much loved F88.

READING MATTERS

Ford Transcontinental At Work

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Volvo F88 and F89 (Second Edition) by Patrick DyerISBN 978 – 1 – 908397 – 15 – 7 www.oldpond.com £19.95


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TECHNICAL

56 FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 Text: Ailbe Burke

I n this month’s issue Ailbe Burke takes a look at the Diesel engine- or the technical name being the CI (compression ignition) engine.

Research, development and improvements of the CI engine over the recent past has been relentless because of emission controls legislation and the need to improve economy. Since effi ciency comparisons with the SI (spark ignition) engine commonly known as the petrol engine have proven the CI to be more economical, especially for the heavy vehicle industry, this has led to the virtual disappearance of the petrol engine from that sector in this part of the world. From my recollection as a young apprentice technican the only petrol trucks on the road were those of the Army and Fire Service.

Th e CI diesel engine had been associated with been noisy, smoky, sluggish and needing frequent maintenance. But improvements in engine design have made these associations a thing of the past. Even the most luxurious of cars use CI engines again, something not heard of until recent years.

Some people have their favourite engine manufacturer, you would have the Scania, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, CAT, Cummins, MAN and DAF purists singing the praises and expressing their qualities. And it’s hard to blame them, but the truth is that most engine manufacturers have become so precise in their engine construction partly due to the forces of legislation and competiveness that it’s hard to fi nd an engine that isn’t reliable.

When I was 'serving my time' there were an abundance of Leyland, Bedford, Cummins engines around but my favourite was the Detroit Diesel 2 stroke. Th e Detroit Diesel was instantly recognisable by its beautiful sound. Anyone with a few years’ service in Dublin Bus or Bus Eireann will know it. It was fi tt ed in the MC and KC Buses and also the Bedford TM truck series. Th is was also a popular engine with train manufacturers. Th e unfortunate thing about the 2 stroke was that anecdotal evidence from those who used the engine suggested it to be less economical than the 4 stroke diesel, so as diesel prices increased, vehicle manufacturers, and more importantly vehicle users were not requesting them as part of the driveline. Hopefully with improvements in technology we might see its return to the roads.

Detroit DieselOther versions of the diesel engine were the Rotary Diesel with a blower, this would be the same type of engine design as the Mazda Rotar y but with a supercharger to increase the air pressure in the rotor chambers so compression ignition can take place.

Rotary Wankel engineYou wil l also hear things like straight 4 or 6 cylinder or V6, V8, V10 and V12 these all relate to the position of the piston cylinders on the engine. For example a straight 4 or 6 would mean the pistons are in a straight line, these can be either vertical or horizontal. Th e V means that you would have two banks of piston cylinders opposed to each other at a 30, 40 or 45 degree angle. In other words a V6 would have two banks of 3 cylinders. Pictured here is an example of a V engine, the Scania V8.

Scania V8Another va r iat ion is using a straight 6 c y l i nd e r engine is instead of the cylinders pointing vertically the engine is laid on its side and called a horizontal or fl at engine. Th is was a popular arrangement for Volvo and Leyland where they used Cummins, Leyland and Volvo fl at engines in the middle or rear of the bus. Volvo B10M

For my own driving preferences I preferred the mid mounted fl at engine as it tended to give bett er road holding especially on wet road surfaces. Th e rear mounted engine seemed to push the bus in a straight line as you approached a bend, as all the weight was at the rear and this left for poor traction of the steering axle. Improvements in vehicle design have done away with a lot of these behaviour characteristics of the rear mounted design and you don’t hear the same complaints as much now. Rear mounting of bus and coach engines is a popular method for the modular designs of vehicles that are developed today i.e. low fl oor access and improved aerodynamics and passenger comfort.

So you have been reading about 2 Stroke and 4 Stroke and engine layout, some of you will know what this means. To start off with I’m going to

look at the 4 Stroke CI Diesel as this is the most common type used in heavy vehicles at present. Th e four strokes represent the movement of the pistons in the engine in an upward and downward direction, with each one of these movements having a specifi c function. Th e four strokes of a CI engine represent the following; also see (Fig 5)

Stroke 11. . Induction, this is a downward stroke of the piston where air is drawn into the piston cylinder through an inlet valve in the cylinder head.Stroke 22. . Compression, this is the upward stroke of the piston compressing the air into the combustion chamber of the cylinder, the combustion chamber can be either a recess in the piston or the cylinder head where the air is forced under pressure. Th is pressure causes the air to heat up rapidly over 200 degrees CStroke 33. . Power, as the piston approaches the end of its compression stroke diesel is injected in to the combustion chamber as a fi ne mist via an injector. By the time the piston has started on the downward stroke again this mixture of hot compressed air and the diesel fuel self-ignites which causes a rapid heat expansion that forces the piston downwards. Th is is known as the power stroke.Stroke 44. . Exhaust, as the piston reaches the end of its downward power stroke the burnt gasses of the air fuel mixture need to be exhausted to make way for the next intake of fresh air. Th is is done on the next upward stroke and the exhaust gasses are forced out through an exhaust valve.

4 stroke cycle

In the next issue Ailbe will look at the internal mechanism that allows this combustion process to take place.

Information supplied by

Department of Mechanical &

Automobile Engineering,

Limerick Institute of Technology,

Moylish, Limerick.

Diesel Engines - Part I

PREVIEW

Text: Cathal Doyle - cathal@fl eet.ie FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 57

F ully Charged 2012, an International Electric Vehicle Summit takes place at the Convention Centre in Dublin on July 11th. Fleet Transport caught

up with Paul Mulvaney, Managing Director of ESB ecars, who are hosting the event on behalf of the Green eMotion EU Project.

Can you explain what is Fully Charged 2012?

It’s a conference that has been organized by ESB ecars on behalf of the Green eMotion project. Green eMotion is an EU funded project and is the largest one relating to electric vehicles to support the mass market adoption in Europe. Th is is the fi rst conference – we’ve been asked to organize it and we are very happy with that. Th e planning is progressing very well – we have delegates from all over the world with speakers from China, the US, and a lot of European countries as well. We are looking at gett ing a perspective from all across the world really. Th e focus will be on policy sett ing for example, and how it is handled diff erently in diff erent regions. Th ere will also be a focus on the technology and on the end-user – we’ll have cars on display including the new electric Volkswagen Golf which has just recently been released and will premier at the Fully Charged event. Electric cars are really becoming mainstream, versions of standard cars that we are familiar with are beginning to emerge like the Renault Fluence – there are petrol and diesel versions available for the last number of years, now there is an electric version. Th e Nissan Leaf will be there, Opel will have the Ampera, which is a plug-in hybrid, and is on the same platform as the GM Volt, and Toyota will have its Prius Plug-in Hybrid. We’re excited about having those cars on display, and there will also be an opportunity for the general public to test drive some electric cars – they can log on to the website www.fullycharged2012.com and can register for the draw to test-drive on the day of the conference as well.

Th e fact that the inaugural event is being held in Dublin, how signifi cant is that for Ireland, and why, in your opinion, was this country chosen?

ESB ecars has been very active in the electric vehicle space right across Europe, and from the start of the project we have had an ambition to make Ireland an exemplar of how to introduce electric vehicles. Ireland has a number of advantages - the physical size of the country, the fact that we have just one electrical distribution system – in lots of countries the distribution system is owned by various diff erent bodies and coordination is much more diffi cult, It’s an advantage that the ESB owns the distribution system both here and in the North and we’re working very closely with the Northern Ireland project as well to ensure inter-operability north

and south. So we had an ambition to put Ireland on the map and this is an opportunity to do it. It’s also recognition from other countries that they see that what we are doing is cutt ing-edge so it’s a great opportunity, Dublin is a great venue and the Convention Centre is a fantastic venue for something like this. We’re running this as a satellite of Dublin’s European City of Science 2012, and there’s a big City of Science Convention starting the following day in the Conference Centre as well, so there is a good overlap with the whole science and innovation theme.

Who is the conference aimed at, and who are you hoping will att end?

Th e conference is really aimed at people from the business sector. It includes government bodies both central and local from the policy sett ing side, but also automotive manufacturers, energy utilities and equipment manufacturers such as the people who are making the charge points, or are involved in the IT and communications aspect of electric cars. Th ere is a special student rate as well and a number of Phd and Masters students have already signed up.

What are the key topics that are going to be covered at the conference?

Th ere are a number of themes. One is around policy perspective right across the world. Another theme is interoperability. It is key that standards are put in place so that people can move from country to country, region to region and have a simple,

seamless access to charging infrastructures and related services in place. Th is is one of the big drives behind the whole Green eMotion project in the fi rst place. Th ere are lots of things that need to be standardized - processes, IT, connectors, lots of diff erent elements.

Is this conference a one-off , or are there plans to hold on a regular basis?

Th is is the fi rst conference. Th ere will be a number more of them, probably in diff erent countries as there are so many member countries involved in this project.

From ESB ecars’ perspective are you happy with how the electric vehicle roll-out is going so far, and what do you see are the key areas that need to be looked at to enhance the project?

Th ere are challenges because it is a new technology, it’s a whole new mindset to get people to think about electric transportation, but we have an advantage in that we are in there right at the start, we are involved in developing the standards and the technology. What we are installing in Ireland is an advanced

‘Smart’ charging infrastructure which means that there’s communication between the IT systems, the electricity grid, and the car and end-user. Having a smart system that allows all of these elements to interact means you get a much bett er result overall. For example you can control the charging of the cars in order that there is least impact on the electricity system, or in order that cars charge using the greenest or cheapest electricity possible. We’ve been working with Intel and IBM on developing context aware charging that will learn about people’s preferences. It will look at, for example, their iPhone diaries, and see journeys they have planned, or meetings or social outings, and ensure that the charge is optimized to suit their needs. So lots of exciting things

like that happening in the area at the moment, and we are very involved in developing those.

To register please visit www.fullycharged2012.com.

Dublin to host inaugural International Electric Vehicle Summit

Dervla O'Flaherty, ESB ecars and Reg Plunkett owner of the 1899 Sperry Cleveland pictured at the launch of the Fully Charged 2012 alongside the Opel Ampera.

SOAPBOX

58 FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE 12 Text: Jerry Kiersey - jerry@fl eet.ie

I n October 2009, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny stated that it was his intention that a Fine Gael led Government would abolish the Seanad, along with reducing

the number of TDs by 20. “It would save an estimated €150m over the term of a Dáil,” he said.In the 2011 Election campaign, Labour and Sinn Féin also promised to abolish the Seanad,while Fianna Fáil supported a Referendum on the issue. Th e programme of the Fine Gael Labour Coalition, which came to power at the Election, promises to abolish the Seanad as part of a broader programme of constitutional reform.”

Today, Sunday 13 May 2012, not only is the Seanad still alive and well, we also learn from Fianna Fail that the Senior Civil Servants, as a result of the Croke Park deal (which Fianna Fail and the Public Service Unions created) took redundancy of tax free lump sums of eight and a half times salary, and are now being rehired left right and centre. You could not make this stuff up!

All this comes from borrowings and taxes from small businesses that are on a knife-edge in Ireland, none more so than the small indigenous exporters and the hauliers that serve them. Th e hauliers who served Irish indigenous industry for the last forty years relied entirely on return loads from Europe in order to give them a competitive rate, these loads are signifi cantly reduced and so is the rate for them. So eff ectively the Irish consumer was subsidizing the cost of Irish exports, consumers that have now stopped buying. Th e consequences of that and the swinging increases in fuel tax (that’s what Carbon Tax is) and road tax has created a situation beyond ‘Th e Pale’ that delays of three to four weeks to get an empty container are commonplace. Th e Irish Exporters Association has expressed its concern loudly and clearly and I repeat, the major cause of this situation is Government-imposed taxes on fuel. For years whilst the State spent its resources att racting in multinationals, a core of Irish hauliers served our native exporters. Meat to the American Forces in Germany, fi sh to the markets of Paris and much, much more. I remember in the seventies bringing raw materials to a company on the outskirts of Ballyhaunis manufacturing kitchens for the UK market. Returned emigrants set it up, they had spott ed the market opportunity whilst working in the UK. I marveled at the courage and foresight of these entrepreneurs. Today our Government only seems to marvel at new jobs from PayPal or the Pharma giants (and they are welcome) but our indigenous manufacturing industry which employs 300,000 people is slowly and surely eroding away and without doubt the biggest cause is Energy taxes imposed by Government.

IRHA members in response to the situation have lobbied Ministers and TD’s of every hue and not one in our Parliament can claim not to know of what is going on. On all sides of the House, Speakers have highlighted our plight but the bott om line is, this Government is not about change for our industry.

It is clear to me at this stage that the Government in the shape of Minister Noonan, Minister Varadkar or any other Minister is not for changing the status quo regarding the cost of fuel to the haulage industry. We are not going to get an Essential User Rebate (EUR). We are going to continue with Marked Gas Oil (MGO) and they collectively will continue to give “lip service” to preventing the washing of diesel. Th is is a quote from Minister Noonan in response to the Fianna Fail “Motorist Energy Relief” Bill;

“We cannot consistently spend more than we collect in revenue each year. It is not sustainable. It was suggested by some Opposition Speakers that the Bill would provide a modest reduction in the price of fuel. Th e impact of this reduction would be far from modest in terms of the cost to the Exchequer as it is estimated at €178 million in a full year when VAT is taken into account. Th e loss of revenue would have a negative impact on the performance of our public fi nances”

Despite the foregoing from Minister Noonan, he is quite content to let the unelected quango that is the Seanad continue and let gold plated Senior Civil Servants be rehired whilst he continues to treat trucks as a source of revenue taxing both our customers and us out of existence.

Recently, I talked to a major oil distributor about the impact of washed diesel and he said that situated alongside their largest retail outlet was a Service Station selling at prices fi ve cent below theirs. Th e said Station then known to be illegal, was shut down but has since reopened. He had no view as to the eff ectiveness of the measures Minister Noonan had outlined in the Finance Bill to stop this but added that in his opinion the only and simplest solution was “one colour diesel”. Th at is also the IRHA’s view. Th e IRHA has made it clear to Government that if Irish trucks currently fuelling abroad instead get an Essential User Rebate and if washed diesel is stamped out, the country will benefi t to the tune of €150 million a year. On top of that UK hauliers will engage in “Fuel Tourism” bringing additional revenues to the country.

Th e man who should be leading the charge on our behalf, Minister Varadkar gave the following responses to questions put down in the Dail by

Matt ie McGrath, T.D.; Deputy Leo Varadkar: “I acknowledge the cost of fuel aff ects everyone and not only hauliers. It aff ects anyone in the general public who drives a car. Th e only increase the Government has added to the cost of fuel from the point of view of the haulier is a 1.6 cent increase through the carbon tax. Th e issue of fuel tourism is being studied by the Department of Finance. If it is proven we are losing revenue overseas because of people fi lling up in Belgium instead of Ireland the Department of Finance will consider a change in this regard. It is also important to point out that while transport companies and hauliers lose money and many are in severe debt, nobody in business is losing €15 billion a year and has debts of €160 billion. Th e Government does, so any action it takes must be revenue neutral at the very least. Th e road haulage industry is extremely important and we will always have one of some size or another because it is how we get our goods to market and moved around the country. We will always have a haulage industry even if it is contracting and may contract more. Th e issue of laundered diesel is a matt er for the Minister for Finance and I know he is taking an interest in it. Th e Working Group is making progress in this regard. Any solution we come up with must be revenue neutral and must bear in mind no matt er what we do the trend in fossil fuel prices will be upward. We will change the way we run our country because of this”.

Th e country is broke, Minister Varadkar says we are borrowing €15 billion a year to keep going and that is why we hauliers cannot get a EUR to save exports and jobs. Yet the Seanad, which the majority of us are never allowed to vote for and which achieves nothing other than allow failed or wannabe politicians to preen themselves in front of each other survives, Why? Th e answer is the Irish taxpayer pays for them, which includes the Irish exporter and Irish haulier.

Th e Transport Minister expresses sympathy for Irish car drivers in the same breath as he talks about Irish hauliers and that to me sums up both his and Minister Noonan’s stance. Both see us in the same company as the person who has a choice of modes, therefore tax us in the same way. At least the car owner benefi ts from cheap road tax for environmentally friendly cars, truckers on the other hand are paying road tax 400% higher than our brethren in Northern Ireland.

It seems to me that whatever happens to the small business employer, the hegemony that has governed Ireland for the last twenty years is alive and well and looking aft er itself, and the IMF seems happy to see them screw the rest of us.

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Fleet Transport June2012

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