46
AUGUST 2014 PRO INSTALLER
PRO VEHICLES
www.proinstaller.co.uk
ATS Invests
£1M in
Van MOT
Facilities
ATS Euromaster is investing nearly
£1 million in its van MoT facilities
to ensure more light commercial
vehicle (LCV) customers can benefit from its services.
An additional 15 centres will offer Class
VII MoTs - the service is already available
at 49 centres nationwide. ATS Euromaster
also offers Class IV MoTs for car-derived
vans at 147 of its locations.
The latest development, which follows a
similar initiative by rival Kwik Fit, is part
of ATS Euromaster’s ongoing commitment
to enhancing its services for LCV customers.
Already 95% of the company’s locations can accommodate long-wheelbase
high-roof vans, whilst 186 centres offer
menu-driven servicing for vans.
Peter Fairlie, ATS Euromaster’s group
sales director, said: “At ATS Euromaster
we pride ourselves on being easy to do
business with - so it’s essential that we
continue to invest heavily in the organisation to ensure we have the best services
and equipment possible.
“During the past three years we’ve spent
a significant amount on improving and enhancing our facilities. As our LCV customer
base grows it is important that we carry
on with this level of investment so we can
continue to meet the high standards our
customers expect of us.”ATS Euromaster is
investing nearly £1 million in its van MoT
facilities to ensure more light commercial
vehicle (LCV) customers can benefit from
its services.
Ban After two
Offences: points
For Using HandHeld Mobile
Could Double
Government Considers Tough New Penalty
The Government is considering increasing the penalty for
using a hand-held mobile behind the wheel so a perpetrator is banned if caught twice in three years. As things
stand, a motorist receives a
£100 fine and three penalty points (unless the case is taken to
court where the penalty can be higher). The proposal is to increase
the points to six. This – as a driver is typically banned after receiving 12 points – would ensure that a two strikes and you are ourt
rule applies. A newly qualified driver could be banned immediately
as he/she only has to have six points.
The proposal has the backing of Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe , Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, following the first increase in
deaths/injuries from dangerous driving in the Capital for more than
a decade. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin explained that he
is considering a change as the: “amounts of casualties there have
been are absolutely appalling”.
He told journalists that a: “person using their phone doesn’t realise the danger they can be in”. Using a hand-held mobile: “ends up
ruining different people’s lives”, Mr McLoughlin added. The Transport Secretary concluded that despite a national fall in the number
of road deaths and injuries in recent years: “one death is one to
many”.
It has been illegal to use a hand-held mobile behind the wheel
since 2003. This includes while the vehicle is stationary in traffic (if
the engine is switched on). Since this time more than one million
people have been convicted. The consequences of being caught can
be serious – even if nobody is hurt - as penalty points can increase
the cost of motor insurance, make it harder to find employment and
rent a vehicle, etc. But despite the consequences, a large proportion
of drivers claim ignorance of the law as shown by a recent RAC
survey.
Supertrucks launches specialist rental operation
Help is now at hand for companies needing a glass-carrying vehicle at short notice,
following the launch of a
new rental operation by Britain’s leading manufacturer of
purpose-designed bodies and
racking systems.
The latest initiative from Merseyside-based Supertrucks is
aimed at those needing an extra
truck or van to help them cope
with increased customer demand,
or to replace a vehicle which is
off the road as a result of accident
damage or mechanical failure.
As Supertrucks Manager, Dave
Hill explains: “Anyone whose
business entails transporting big
pieces of glass know well that
when an urgent requirement for
additional transport arises, the local van hire outlet is not an option
because their vehicles are not fit
for purpose.
“Glass is a fragile product so
what’s needed is a specialised
vehicle, built to do the job. And
that’s where we come in.”
Initially, Supertrucks Rental
is offering converted 3.5-tonne
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans for
short- or long-term hire. Fitted
with anodised external racks capable of carrying sheets of glass up
to 3215mm x 2540mm in size, they
also have roof racks with dropdown ladders at the rear. Inside,
meanwhile, are two more racks,
one running the full length of the
body, the other shorter to allow
for the side door.
“There’s definitely a demand for
this new service,” continues Dave.
“It’s been welcomed by several
customers and we’ve already taken
bookings for rental vehicles. Looking ahead, if Supertrucks Rental
takes off as we’re confident it will,
we also intend to offer rigid trucks
for hire.”
The UK’s number one manufacturer of specialised glass carrying
commercial vehicles, Supertrucks
was acquired earlier this year by
the fast-growing Bevan Group.
Since then the business has
gone from strength-to-strength.
The factory at St Helens has been
working flat out, with new staff recruited and overtime and weekend
shifts introduced.
“Our products always led the
market in terms of their quality,”
says Dave Hill, who has worked
for Supertrucks since leaving
school 33 years ago. “But we
needed a fresh approach and we
needed investment to move the
business forward.
“That’s what Bevan has brought.
Their sales and marketing expertise – we also have a smart new
website – has made a big difference and, as a result, staff morale
has been transformed.”
Bevan Group MD Anthony Bevan
adds: “The Supertrucks team has
practically doubled in size since
our acquisition and the business is
now firing on all cylinders. We see
the launch of Supertrucks Rental
as another opportunity to improve
our level of service t