Emily Smith, Marketing Manager of Irish Commercials commented: “Being able to interact directly with our customers, drivers of other makes of trucks and the legions of truck fans through Facebook is fantastic. The feedback has been super, not to mention the regular banter. We are using Facebook as a method of communication to keep our Facebook friends up to date with the company’s developments, truck related developments and naturally we are throwing in some fun and games too! ”

Irish Commercials is currently calling on all truck spotters to photograph the Irish Commercials demo truck, which is currently on the road with prizes of free CPC Courses for the first five successful “spotters” and Irish Commercials Branded Jackets for the next five.

For more details, visit the Irish Commercials Facebook Page http://facebook.com/irishcommercials

Alcoa wheels are forged from one solid block of aluminium to withstand the most severe tests and come with a five year unlimited mileage warranty.

These vary greatly from country to country in western Europe and drivers may suffer financial penalties or even be prevented from travelling through certain areas if they don’t adhere to the regulations.

To help simplify the issue, Continental Tyres has produced an update to its Winter Tyre Guide, which highlights the different tyre requirements truck operators from the UK and Ireland will encounter when operating in Europe this winter.

The guide also advises operators on best practise for fitting winter tyres to ensure vehicles stay safe in wintry conditions.

For example, during the winter months Continental would advise that truck tyres across all axle positions should have a minimum tread depth of at least 4mm. Further, to ensure maximum safety and vehicle performance, if winter tyres are not fitted all round then priority should be given first to the drive axle, then the steer axle and then to all other remaining axle positions.

Tracey Hyem, Commercial Marketing Manager at Continental said: “Our recently updated range of winter tyres fulfill a number of important criteria for operators. Certainly they will ensure that vehicles can operate legally within each country as well as safely, with up to 20% more traction than standard tyres, but an additional benefit is that the improved traction delivers far better fuel consumption too.”

Further information on the correct use of winter tyres as well as a country by country guide to tyre legislation this winter, is available free to all as a download from the Continental website at www.conti-online.co.uk/truck

Prospective visitors can complete an online registration form by clicking on the ‘free tickets’ panel on the home page and they will immediately receive their barcode by e-mail. The process is entirely online this year, so visitors will simply print their ticket and bring it to the Show.

By adopting this ‘green ticket’ process, the CV Show will considerably reduce its carbon footprint, in line with the road transport industry’s objectives. For the very few visitors without online access, a hotline telephone number is available.

The websites also list more than 120 product categories where visitors can check exhibitors’ products.

Pallet volumes have been growing steadily across Scotland for over two years, supported both by Palletline’s commitment to quality and reliability and by a targeted drive to grow the network’s membership north of the border.

Over the same period, no fewer than five new Member Companies have joined the Palletline network, including Aberdeen-based ARR Craib Transport Ltd and R T McEwan Ltd in Arbroath. Many of the new Scottish Member Companies have clearly demonstrated real commitment to the Palletline concept, more than doubling their volumes in less than 12 months.

Introducing a fourth hub based in Cumbernauld to complement the network’s existing hubs in Birmingham, London and Manchester is expected to yield a range of benefits, from operational through to environmental. Advantages will include reduced road miles and efficiencies for Scottish Member Companies on freight bound for Scottish destinations, combined with the introduction of additional services including a next day service into Ireland from Scotland and return to meet growing customer demand.

“Recent growth in demand has seen volumes reach a critical mass where it simply makes sense to consolidate freight in Scotland rather than transport across additional miles to our other hubs,” stated Palletline’s Managing Director Kevin Buchanan. “The move is expected to be particularly valuable for Member Companies serving the more distant Highlands and Islands locations, improving competitiveness, as well as enhancing the Palletline service for all Scottish customers.”

South Africa has more people with HIV/AIDS than anywhere else in the world and the township of Umlazi, southwest of Durban, has one of the highest rates of infection within South Africa. The disease has, and continues, to decimate the community.

“The teachers are losing a lot of their learners because they were born with HIV. At high school some of them say they are losing children at grade 11 and 12. We are losing them at grade 8 and grade 9,” says Ms D.N. Fulela, Head Mistress at the Vukhuzake High School in Umlazi. “This year we got 1273 learners and, when we counted at the beginning of the year, we had 441 learners who are without parents.”

The sheer scale of the tragedy has prompted Volvo Southern Africa to sponsor ‘Star for Life’ programmes in sixteen high schools. ‘Star for Life’ is a non-profit organisation that aims to reduce infection rates by giving high school students a better understanding of the disease and how it’s contracted. The key message is to encourage youth to pursue their dreams for a better future, in the hope that it will inspire them to make better life-affirming decisions.

Volvo Southern Africa’s commitment to ‘Star for Life’ began in 2008 with the sponsorship of eight local high schools in Durban.

“In every country where Volvo is operating, we are trying to take up some kind of social responsibility, and in South Africa we have a major challenge – HIV and AIDS,” claims Anders Lindblad, President of Volvo Southern Africa. “It is a major problem. It’s affecting everyone. It is affecting our employees as well as the employees of our customers.”

The Vukhuzake High School was one of the eight high schools chosen and the programme has proven to be a huge success. Apart from sponsoring counselling and treatment programmes, Volvo Trucks Southern Africa has also donated computers and a new library.

“It has helped our school a lot because in our environment there is a lot of crime. There is a lot of drug abuse,” says Numbuso Msomi, a grade 12 student. “They give us tips on how to prevent teenage pregnancy because it can block our future and destroy what we have aspired too. The goals that we have, the fantasies etc.”

In 2011, Volvo decided to not only renew their commitment to the eight high schools in Durban, but to also extend it to another eight high schools in Johannesburg, near their head office. In the near future, they also hope to sponsor schools in Cape Town too.

Addressing the myths and stigmas

However such is the scale of the epidemic in South Africa, fighting HIV/AIDS is less about charity than necessity, and while ‘Star for Life’ forms the backbone of Volvo’s fight against the disease, their commitment extends all the way to the factory floor.

On the outskirts of Durban, only a short distance from the Vukhuzake High School, lies Volvo Southern Africa’s production plant. As with all of Volvo’s sites, most of their employees live in communities like Umlazi that have been overrun by HIV/AIDS. Consequently, it effects their daily operations, and Volvo Trucks Southern Africa has seen the devastating impact of the disease first hand.

“We quickly realised that people in the company were dying from AIDS,” says Ronelle van Eeden, Human Resources General Manager for Volvo Southern Africa. “Knowledge of the disease was very bad, so we decided to do something to increase levels of education.”

In 2004, a prevention and awareness programme was initiated, which offered testing, counselling, treatment and support to all Volvo employees in South Africa. Due to the myths and stigmas surrounding the disease, even trying to convince people to undergo a test is a huge challenge, resulting in people unknowingly spreading the disease. But thanks to the programme, 97 per cent of Volvo Southern Africa’s employees have now been tested and know their status.

“In the time that we have introduced the programme, we’ve had only five additional infections in the organisation,” says Ronelle. “To have only five employees become positive in six years is very good and shows that our programme is working !”

Volvo’s relationship with the ‘Star for Life’ schools has also proved to be mutually beneficial. The Volvo Truck Centre in Pinetown, west of Durban, currently employs nine apprentices who were recruited through the ‘Star for Life’ schools, in a related programme known as ‘Skills for Life’.

“At first we thought it was a bit of a risk and they would be disadvantaged by their lack of experience, but the results have been amazing,” says Tasleem Shaik, Finance and administration manager at Pinetown, and by her own admission, a surrogate mother for the apprentices. “But all nine apprentices are excellent workers. They have been highly motivated and have a great attitude.”

The apprentices are already invaluable members of the Pinetown workshop and on track to become fully qualified personnel. Given the successful outcome it is already decided that 20 students from Pinetown and the new ‘Star for Life’ schools in Johannesburg will be admitted as apprentices during 2012. The success is tangible proof of ‘Star for Life’s main message – that it is possible to realise your dreams for a better future. However it also has the potential to help Volvo Southern Africa with competence development and dealing with skills shortages.

Throughout the whole organisation, from their head office in Johannesburg to the factory floor in Durban, Volvo Southern Africa needs to address HIV/AIDS, as the problem is too big to ignore. ‘Star for Life’ plays a vital role in the fight as it allows them to connect with local communities and reach out to those that matter most.

“You can’t go in to solve the sickness,” claims Anders Lindblad. “You need to work with the new generation. That is the reason we went into ‘Star for Life’, because then we are working with young kids in the normal school system to help them to build a future.”

Cyber Fleet sees Pirelli extend to the haulage sector the Cyber Tyre technology designed for car tyre safety. The tyre was unveiled at Truck Safety Day, a heavy goods vehicle road safety event held in Livigno, Italy where a snow-covered track was used to test the new Pirelli 01 Series winter tyre.

Cyber Fleet is the latest in a line of innovative sustainable mobility solutions developed by Pirelli researchers. The new system is designed to provide continuous tyre monitoring, detecting irregularities and ensuring proper maintenance.

Tyre quality, maintenance and correct use are essential to road safety: having the correct tyre pressure at all times ensures steering precision and confident braking and cornering, whilst guaranteeing lower running costs by cutting fuel consumption and extending the tyre lifespan.

How Cyber Fleet works

Pirelli Research & Development has developed – in partnership with Schrader Electronics, world leader in on-board tyre pressure monitoring technology – an electronic sensor capable of ascertaining the condition of the tyre whilst on the move.

The sensor, called TMS (Tyre Mounted Sensor), is fitted to the internal surface of the tyre in order to collect all data regarding the tyre pressure, temperature and identification. The system transmits the data gathered by the sensor simultaneously to the truck driver and fleet manager. The fleet is therefore able to carry out diagnostic and repair procedures, thus guaranteeing maximum safety for each heavy vehicle.

The process of interpreting the data is not left solely in the hands of the truck driver, but also the fleet manager who handles the safety of the entire fleet from a remote position. Cyber Fleet will enable the manager to check that the tyres are kept at optimum pressure, such condition being essential for optimising fuel consumption and extending tyre lifespan to the maximum, whilst being aware of the mileage of each tyre, he can also schedule tread wear inspections with tangible benefits as far as safety is concerned.

Testing of Cyber Fleet by European and South American fleets will begin in February 2012 ready for marketing this coming September.

Volvo Trucks has long been the industry leader in the field of passive safety. For example in 1959, Volvo introduced the three-point safety belt – Volvo’s gift to the world. Today it’s a standard throughout the automotive industry and has made the world a better place by saving more lives in traffic than any other technical feature.

“The injury-reducing effect of the seatbelt is hard to beat when compared to other safety devices, but work still remains to be done: to get all truck drivers to use it,” says Lennart Svenson, former Head of Volvo Truck Accident Research Team at Volvo Truck Corporation.

Another good example of passive safety is a cab structure that gives enough survival space after an accident. Volvo Truck Corporation introduced pendulum-tested cabs in the 1960s and the crash-tested Volvo cab introduced a new level of safety to trucks, together with good ergonomics for its time.

Early traffic-safety development had a focus on passive safety, reducing injuries. For heavy-duty vehicles, the “golden age” of passive safety was from the 1970s to the 1990s.

Other milestones that stand out in the development of passive safety systems are the energy-absorbing steering wheel and under-run protections, which prevent the passenger car to end up under the truck in a frontal collision.

Truck safety was intensified in 1969 when Volvo started an accident research team manned by Kjell Högström and Lennart Svensson. During the 1970s Volvo Truck Corporation released the first external reports based on accident investigation and, as a result of this research, reinforcements in the doors and energy absorbing instrument panel were added.

Active safety, preventing accidents, was for many years synonymous with braking efficiency. Focus on steering and behaviours on the road were added. At the end of the 1990s, a system with the aim to assist the driver was introduced. Lately there has been more focus on detecting and acting on hazards that the driver might miss. The interface between man and machine becomes more and more important.

“It is a waste constructing a technically perfect vehicle if it is not adapted to humans and the traffic environment,” concludes Svenson.

The symposium was built on a newly introduced report called “Driving fleet fuel efficiency: The Road to 2020“. The report predicts how fleets will cope with cutting CO2 and increasing fuel efficiency in an era of rising fuel costs and environmental legislation.

The symposium was opened by Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Transport, who welcomed Goodyear Dunlop Europe’s ‘Driving Fleet Fuel Efficiency’ initiative. He emphasised that road freight is a key element of the economic system and its sustainable development is essential for the long term competitiveness of Europe. He also underlined that increased energy efficiency should be a bridge to alternative fuels. “To meet the policy objectives of the EU’s ‘Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area’, the EU needs a clear and coherent vision helping to accelerate the use of alternative transport fuels”, he said.

A strong transportation industry is vital to the European economy, but at the same time, the EU has set a target for the industry to cut carbon emissions by 60% by 2050.

Michel Rzonzef, Vice President of Goodyear Dunlop’s commercial tyre business across Europe, Middle East and Africa was pleased with the symposium’s outcome, which saw over 170 key stakeholders debate and discuss key issues affecting the sector in an open and transparent manner. In different panel discussions, some of Europe’s largest fleets came together with industry players, experts in the latest fuel-efficient technologies, and policy-makers, to debate on the practical and political steps to take to reduce fuel use and move toward a more sustainable future.

The Symposium built on recently conducted opinion research which confirmed that the overwhelming majority of fleets already have robust fuel efficiency measures in place and that many are increasingly struggling to see what else they can do to improve efficiency and lower carbon emissions to achieve even tougher targets. Rzonzef also described how low rolling resistance tyres are one option to improve a fleet’s fuel efficiency, amongst many others, such as eco-driving training for truck drivers, improved logistics, route planning and aerodynamics on vehicles.

Goodyear’s research also indicated that many fleets don’t know the factors influencing fuel efficiency and find it difficult to know whether the cost of investing in fuel saving equipment will pay off in fuel savings. According to the company’s survey, over a quarter of fleet managers believe a tool that could predict the lifetime costs and fuel savings of equipment would incentivise them to take measures to improve the fuel efficiency of their vehicles. In order to answer this need and help enable fleet managers to make the right investment decisions and cut their fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, Goodyear Dunlop also announced it would launch a free-of-charge fuel efficiency calculator. Fleets will be trialing the free web-based tool before it is launched to the public on the 21st February.

“It was a landmark event for us”, said Rzonzef. “Every participant learned a great deal and our commitment to the sector is clear. The Road to 2020 report was very well received and our calculator is eagerly anticipated by the fleets.”

Louise, 28, joins Continental with strong sales and marketing experience from her previous role as sales and marketing manager for Ardmore Language Schools.

Louise said; “I am delighted to join Continental in this exciting role. My initial activities will be focussed on getting to know the network partners and gaining a broader understanding of how the Conti360° network can be developed moving forward.”

Having studied business management at the University of Bath, Louise will be responsible for implementing the overall strategic direction for the Conti360° network.

This will include implementing growth plans to develop new business opportunities with both existing and new customers as well as managing the performance of the network to maintain highest service levels to end users.

Tracey Hyem, Commercial Marketing Manager said; “I am delighted to have Louise on board the commercial team. Her enthusiasm and experience will really add value and help develop and improve the Conti360° network going forward.”

Louise, who lives in Windsor, enjoys travelling having recently visited Turkey and Vietnam. She is also a keen runner, competing in several half marathons per year.

For more information and to contact the Continental Commercial team, visit www.continental-tyres.co.uk/truck

Aimed directly at the fleet engineer and passenger car garage operator, Workshop will be home to more than 100 suppliers of products from handheld diagnostics to pillar lifts capable of raising a 44 tonne artic off the deck.

With attention firmly fixed on fuel efficiency, companies like Eclipse Diagnostics, Launch, Texa and SPX can ensure that engines operate at peak efficiency 24/7 and they will be at the Show to demonstrate their capabilities.

Recognising the broad spectrum of visitors to this essential meeting place for workshop operators, Maha has separate stands for car and commercial equipment, while Unipart Automotive’s Garage Equipment Services showcases products from international and domestic suppliers.

The tyre business is well represented by manufacturers, stockists and tyre management companies such as ATS Euromaster, Bridgestone, R H Claydon, Direct Tyre Management, Hankook and Kirby Tyres. Westlake, a new exhibitor for 2012, will make a splash with a 100m2 stand in Hall 2 where Mercedes-Benz launches its new Actros, International Truck of the Year 2012, to the UK’s operators.

The aim of restructuring the business into three coherent sales and marketing regions – Americas (North and South America), EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and APAC (Asia Pacific) – is to create an organisation which can meet its customers’ needs more effectively and better exploit the commercial potential of the Group’s different truck brands.

At the start of the year, Claes Nilsson became President Volvo Trucks EMEA Sales & Global Brand, with operational sales and marketing responsibility for the EMEA region. The position also involves responsibility for managing the global product strategy and developing the Volvo Trucks brand.

“I think that our new structure offers us significant opportunities. The strategy for Volvo Trucks has been in place for some time and is very much still valid. We will continue to develop Volvo Trucks’ unique qualities and supply trucks which meet our customers’ high standards and expectations,” says Claes Nilsson.

The organisational changes came into effect at the start of the year. The new management team will continue to take a highly customer focused approach and will also be investing in expanding the service and aftermarket network.

“We already have more than 2,300 dealers and workshops all over the world and this figure will grow. Our relationship with our customers plays a central role and our business goes much further than just selling trucks. This is only the beginning of what we do. For us it is all about offering our customers effective transport solutions with guaranteed quality, safety and the greatest possible care for the environment,” he adds.

While watching ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, Lucian was inspired to decorate his Volvo FH12-460 with images and themes from the film. Now when he drives, he feels like a captain of his own personal ship.

”My goal is to deliver the cargo,” he jokes, while pointing to the treasure map printed on the truck’s upholstery. ”I think that the ideas that were born in my crazy head, reflect what has been gathered here.”

Initially residents in Lucian’s home town didn’t know how to react to his creation, but when the ‘Black Pearl’ started attracted publicity from far and wide, there was soon growing pride in the town’s new icon. Now that the ‘Black Pearl’ has been chosen to feature in the latest episode of ‘Welcome to my cab’, Lucian is delighted.

“I’m really glad that I’ve been chosen, and I’m happy to be presented among other drivers who drive Volvo.”

The video about Lucian Igras is available on YouTube and soon it will also be available on Volvo Trucks’ online magazine and on the company’s tablet magazine.

Most EU states charge lorries for using their roads, which means that British vehicles have to pay to drive in Europe, while foreign lorries can drive for free in the UK.

Minister Penning said: “We want to ensure that UK hauliers get a fairer deal and help maintain the competitiveness of our logistics industry.

“Each year there are around 1.5 million trips to the UK by foreign registered lorries – but none of them pays to use our roads, leaving UK businesses and taxpayers to foot the bill.

“The proposals I have set out today will ensure that all hauliers who use our roads are contributing to their cost, regardless of where they are from.

“I want UK hauliers to get involved and respond to this consultation to make sure that the final scheme works for them – helping level the playing field with foreign hauliers, boosting their market share and increasing employment and promoting growth in the UK.”

The proposed scheme will levy a time-based charge of up to £10 a day for lorries of 12 tonnes or over using any road in the UK. The precise level of charges will depend on exchange rate and inflation at the time of implementation – likely to be 2015, subject to the legislative programme.

By law, the scheme cannot discriminate between UK-registered vehicles and vehicles from elsewhere in the EU so this charge will apply to all lorries but, for the vast majority of UK hauliers, this will not mean an increase in costs because the Government proposes to compensate them for the charge.

The most likely compensation measure will be a reduction in Vehicle Excise Duty for UK-registered vehicles.

For 94% of UK-registered HGVs over 12 tonnes, hauliers would not pay any more than now. Four per cent would pay no more than £50 a year more and a further 2% would pay slightly over £50, but the maximum extra cost would be £79. Even these small increases could be avoided by most vehicles if they were replated to carry a slightly reduced weight.

Under the plans, UK hauliers would pay an annual (or six month) charge for each HGV at the same time and in the same transaction as they pay its Vehicle Excise Duty. Foreign hauliers could pay daily, weekly, monthly or annual charges.

The consultation will run until 18 April 2012 and can be found here: www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-03

The SARTRE project is being driven by seven European partners and is the only one of its kind to focus on the development of technology that can be implemented on conventional highways in which platooned traffic operates in a mixed environment with other road users.

“Our participation in the SARTRE project enables more efficient and safer transports with the potential of also saving fuel. It gives us the opportunity to explore future transport solutions and take advantage of the extensive research carried out at Volvo Trucks and Volvo Technology,” says Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic & Product Safety Director, Volvo Trucks.

Stakeholder dialogue

Recognizing that the challenge of implementing road train technology on Europe’s highways is not solely a technical matter, SARTRE also includes a major study to identify what social infrastructure changes will be needed for vehicle platooning to become a reality. A number of stakeholder discussions will therefore be held. The participants in the first discussion included technical experts, politicians, legislators and traffic safety researchers. At the workshop a number of non-technical challenges for road trains were discussed, such as legal regulations, product liability and driver acceptance of automated vehicles.

Key future requirements identified were the need to agree a common terminology for platooning, such as criteria for defining when a vehicle becomes fully, as opposed to partially or even highly automated, and the need to address multiple and varied national regulatory law or to harmonize regulatory law.

Many benefits

Road trains promote safer transport since the vehicle platoons are led by a professional driver in e.g. a truck and inter-vehicle reaction response times are much quicker. Environmental impact is reduced since the cars follow close behind each other and reap the benefit of lower air drag. The energy saving is expected to be in the region of up to 20 percent. Road capacity will also be able to be utilised more efficiently.

According to a survey of more than 400 fleet managers, almost a third (28%) say a lack of information is preventing them from making greater fuel efficiency savings.

The web portal and related Twitter feed (@efficientfleet) feature the latest industry information; Goodyear Dunlop’s top tips for helping fleets improve fuel efficiency, and best practice case studies in green fleet management.

The web portal also hosts information on Goodyear Dunlop’s upcoming fleet symposium ‘Driving fuel efficiency in Europe’s road freight transport’. The event will take place in Brussels, Belgium on January 25th.

European policy makers, industry experts, and transportation academics will share the latest innovations, legislative trends, and research to help fleets from all sectors and regions improve their overall fuel efficiency and reduce their CO2 emissions. The keynote speech will be delivered by Mr. Siim Kallas, the Vice-president of European Commission and Commissioner responsible for transport.

“We see the website as a forum for fleets across Europe to come for advice, support, and information for improving their fuel efficiency,” said Boris Stevanovic, EMEA Marketing Director Truck Tyres, Goodyear Dunlop Europe.

Joaquim Lopes Mello aged 33 years was sentenced to six months on each charge (to run concurrent) and was disqualified from driving in the UK for 12 months. He has been on remand since the end of October 2011 and will serve the rest of his sentence prior to release.

Lopes Mello was initially stopped by VOSA at the Todhills check site on the M6 near to Carlisle. This is the second vehicle and driver from this company to be investigated by VOSA and Cumbria Police. The vehicle was seized and examined along with tachograph records and other documentation prior to the driver being arrested. Following interview in which the driver denied the offences he was charged and remanded in custody due to the likelihood of his failing to answer bail.

The case was committed to be heard at Carlisle Crown Court and on the 23 January 2012 Lopes Mello pleaded guilty to the charges.

A previous case heard at Carlisle Crown Court in October 2011 saw a colleague of Lopes Mello, Mohammed Issiali jailed for 6 months on 6 counts of Making a False Instruments, namely tachograph charts.

Sergeant Graeme Hodgson from the Road Policing Unit led the investigation for Cumbria Constabulary. “PCs Ivison and McKeown have continued to target this company together with our colleagues from VOSA following the stopping of the first vehicle as the intelligence was very good. The Courts have given us 100% backing with the sentencing of drivers who are shown to systematically falsify their tachograph charts and drive excessive hours, creating a very real danger for all road users.”

“A confiscation order has been applied for in relation to the vehicle driven by Lopes Mello at the time of his being stopped and HH Judge Baty has ordered that the company represent themselves in a months’ time in relation to this.”

Cumbria Constabulary and VOSA continue to target hauliers who deliberately flout the law and have a number of other investigations currently under way with other individuals awaiting court.

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Volunteer's from 2010's Cycle Tanzania on the road.

Transaid is working in Madagascar to reduce child and maternal mortality rates through providing transport solutions in remote parts of the island. Some communities can be completely cut off for up to 10 months of the year with little or no access to transport.

So far, two dozen participants have already confirmed their participation in the June expedition, which has attracted a mixture of avid and relatively inexperienced cyclists.

Transaid Events Executive Aggie Hickman says: “All our volunteers have a passion for raising money for our projects with some of Africa’s poorest communities, but in addition some are looking forward to experiencing Madagascar’s lush tropical paradise, while others are looking to shed some Christmas pounds!”

Volunteer Mike Wilson, Michelin’s Commercial Director of Earthmover and Industrial Operations, adds: “This is the second time I’m joining a Transaid fundraising expedition after cycling across Tanzania with the charity in 2010. There’s a real mixture of abilities so you don’t need to be an expert, all you need is a keen sense of adventure!”

Teams and individuals already committed to the event include representatives from CILT, Consult, DHL, GKN Freight Services, Hankook Tyres, John Mitchell, Lafarge Cement, Logistex, Michelin, Simms Recycling Solutions, Transport for London, United Biscuits, Volvo Truck, Wincanton, Woodland Global and Yodel Transport.

Responding to operator needs and increasingly stringent European safety regulations, Krone designed the Multi-Lock rave-securing system to provide maximum load securing options (over 3,000 using a complete system) faster loading, increased flexibility for different load types and most importantly, safe handling.

According to Richard Grimes, International Business Development Manager for Maru, safety is paramount but speed and efficiency are pre requisites when providing the level of professional service for which Maru is renowned.

“Krone Trailers offer the simplest and easiest stripping and re boarding of any of the manufacturers” Comments Richard, “and this assists us greatly when turning vehicles round for loading and unloading to meet our deadlines at the hub. The Multi Lock Side Rave securing facility forms a key part of the process.”

Maru supply international transport services to most towns and cities in Eastern and Western European countries and with the mileage involved, reliability is as important as back up service.

“Krone’s European service network is crucial to our operation” Continues Richard Grimes. “In the unlikely event we have any need, we can contact Krone. Their after sales service is incredibly helpful and critically, in what are time-sensitive markets, gives us fast and efficient response times.”

All Krone trailers are accredited with European body structure codification, EN 12462 XL. This guarantees a tough and robust standard of build which not only provides for additional security and safety but also ensures a long working trailer life.

“We have always found”, concludes Richard, “that all Krone Trailers have excellent build quality. Our investment with Krone means that during their lifespan for Maru their tractor/trailer combinations travelling over a million miles are robust enough to remain in service for many years.”

The FG:01 for steer axles and TG:01 for drive axles have a unique tread made using two different compounds to offer both cost efficiency and safety in compliance with European regulations concerning noise emissions and rolling resistance.

The external layer compound provides enhanced abrasion resistance, high mileage, even wear and high wet and dry grip. In contrast, the internal layer compound is formulated to minimise rolling resistance and impart structural integrity and longevity. Both compounds (but most notably the under tread one with high silica contents) are formulated with the aim of preventing significant heat generation, thus imparting greater robustness to the tyre.

This Dual Layer Tread Compound (DLTC) along with many other features, enable the G:01 range to achieve 30 per cent higher mileage, a 25 per cent increase in optimal tear resistance and a ten per cent higher retread rate.

The G:01 tread also features increased width for better mileage and side reinforcing belts for enhanced side impact and abrasion resistance. The tread patterns are designed to guarantee the maximum traction on unsurfaced roads and high acoustic comfort, mileage, and grip on surfaced roads.

The IRU and ECR have teamed up to host, on their respective websites, the Euro Control Route Disproportionate Fines & Sanctions online complaint desk, as a key part of the industry’s and EU Enforcement Community’s commitment to work together to further improve road safety, working conditions and fair competition through better enforcement at EU level.

The ECR complaint desk will allow transport operators and drivers to report controls or penalties that they consider unfair with regards to compliance with the EU Driving and Rest Times and Tachograph Regulations. It is widely acknowledged by control bodies and industry alike that these rules, their application and sanctioning can differ dramatically from country to country.

Acting ECR General Delegate, Gerard Schipper, said, ‘We are genuinely concerned when we hear about unfair or damagingly inconsistent enforcement practices in Europe. Our goal is to understand what is really happening in road side enforcement and remedy control practices that might need to be corrected. It’s only through international cooperation both within ECR and with partners like IRU that we can achieve this’.

While reporting this information to the complaints desk is not the same as making an appeal, the collection of such data will enable the IRU, together with ECR control bodies across the EU, to better understand the state of enforcement, what is going wrong and where and how improvements can be made, with a view to use this information to effectively improve the consistency of Regulatory controls and eliminate unfair practices where possible.

IRU General Delegate, Michael Nielsen, concluded, “Our transport operators today are working right across the European Union. Harmonised enforcement to complement the common EU regulatory framework is instrumental in enabling transport operators to do their job properly, efficiently and with certainty. Fines should be fair, proportionate, yet dissuasive to effectively improve regulatory compliance.

We are therefore very pleased with this joint effort and commitment from our enforcement partners to meet our common goals of improving road safety, working conditions and fair competition through better enforcement.”

The IRU-ECR online complaint desk is currently available in English, French, German and Romanian, with Polish, Hungarian, Lithuanian and other languages to be added in early 2012.

Mark and Lynda Lonergan and family

The 6×2 tractor units are replacing vehicles that are being taken out of service and increase the number of Volvo trucks in Mark’s fleet to 50 per centof the total.

The company focuses on refrigerated container haulage and distribution, with his customers based in Ireland and on the Continent. Mark told HGV Ireland.com: “The new trucks are vital to our business to ensure that we operate a fleet of vehicles that we know and trust and are efficient to run especially in times of rising fuel and operational costs for hauliers like us.”

Mark Lonergan Transport is a member of the Irish Road Haulage Association and strongly supports the ethics of the association in terms of promoting excellence, professionalism and safety in the operation of road transport businesses.

Mark had considerable experience in the haulage industry prior to going it alone in 2003 with just one truck. The growth and success experienced by the company in the last eight years is down to the dedication of this husband and wife team in the smooth running of the business.

As they say themselves, “small enough to care, big enough to cope”

Following industry pressure, the scope for the new ‘O-licensing’ regime was passed in January 2010, but since then the leading trade body has been frustrated by a lack of progress.

Tom Wilson, FTA’s Head of Policy for Northern Ireland, met with Mr Attwood at Stormont. He said: “In all our meetings with Mr Attwood – and, indeed, with previous Assembly ministers – we have put the need for an O-licensing regime for all truck operators right at the top of our agenda. We believe that through this we can significantly improve the safety standards of HGVs on Northern Ireland’s roads.

“The economic argument for O-licensing is also strong. If commercial vehicle owners were legally bound to make regular, preventative maintenance checks and drivers were properly trained to detect vehicle faults then this would reduce congestion resulting from vehicle breakdowns, improve air quality and reduce those indirect costs associated with unreliable deliveries and vehicle downtime.”

Licensing of transport operators has had a positive impact on road safety in Great Britain, where it has existed for over forty years requiring commercial vehicle operators to hold an ‘O-licence’ to carry goods connected with any trade or business on a vehicle over 3.5 tonnes, whether for ‘own account trade’ or ‘hire and reward’. However, this new legislation will mean that every goods vehicle operator in Northern Ireland, including ‘own account’, will now be legally required to hold an O-licence

Wilson concluded: “The Minister absolutely gets the importance of O-licensing to Northern Ireland, and we are encouraged by the confidence he has that it will be introduced by the April deadline.”

The Petronas De Rooy Iveco team won the rally with the Dutchman Gerard De Rooy, driving an Iveco Powerstar, a vehicle produced and sold by Iveco in Australia. The Iveco Powerstar was equipped with an FPT Industrial C13 engine, with more than 900 horsepower, and Magneti Marelli parts. Behind De Rooy, the other pilots of the team, Stacey and Biasion drove two Iveco Trakker Evolution 2s, also equipped with the same engine. The three vehicles, while adapted to the extreme conditions of the rally, were standard trucks optimised for best-in-class energy efficiency.

Iveco CEO, Alfredo Altavilla, commented: “The Iveco participation in the Dakar 2012 aimed to confirm once more the excellent reliability of the Iveco trucks and of the FPT Industrial engines. Winning the rally and ranking 3 trucks in the first 6 positions is an outstanding success which shows the efficiency, strength and safety of the Iveco Trakker and Powerstar, already considered by customers as the ideal solution for everyday use and for tougher challenges. My special thanks to the drivers and all the other team members for their commitment and dedication.”

For Iveco, the Dakar 2012 was a great opportunity to confirm the reliability of its products on the ground: each vehicle was put on trial in extreme conditions crossing three countries of South America. The race, which started on January 1, 2012 in Mar del Plata, crossed Argentina, Chile and Peru, covering 14 stages, for a total of 8,500 kilometres, around 4,200 of which were against the clock.

The only British manufacturer specialising exclusively in axle weighing, Axtec have built a reputation for innovative and effective solutions to overloading problems.

Established in 1991 and based at Runcorn in Cheshire, Axtec offers a full range of systems to maximise legal utilisation of vehicles, including dynamic, on-board, portable and static axle weighing systems.

The Axtec 4000 Dynamic Weighbridge has been awarded two test certificates; the first for accuracy to within 0.5% and then another to within 0.25%, making it the most accurate dynamic weighbridge in the world,

Since 1996 Axtec has been the principal contractor to VOSA for the supply, calibration, testing and maintenance of the national enforcement network of 67 roadside weighbridges, the overwhelming majority being Axtec Dynamic Weighbridges. This demanding contract was recently renewed for three more years. It requires uptime in excess of 97%, a target the company has never failed to meet.

Axtec On-Board can be retro-fitted in about three hours, and is suitable for any four-wheeler from 3.5 to 18 tonnes GVW and larger vehicles with air suspension. Sensors fitted to the axles determine accurate axle and gross weights, displayed to the driver in a simple graphic and numeric format on the clear colour dash-mounted screen.

Innovations such as connection to a vehicle tracker and reversing camera have now become standard options.

Portable weighpads provide individual wheel, axle, bogie or gross/train weights for practically any vehicle. These versatile and robust units are available from Axtec both for sale and for hire, and are useful where, for example, a Transport Manager may need to do spot checks or driver training at a number of locations.

Axtec’s credentials as a leader in axle weighing technology are confirmed by a long list of “firsts”:

* first and only dynamic weighbridge certified for public use

* first and only dynamic weighbridge approved to 0.25%

* first and only weighbridge test vehicle designed specifically for axle weighbridges

* first and only dynamic weighbridge with hardened stainless load cell mountings and many more!