44
JANUARY 2016 PRO INSTALLER
PRO MOTORING
www.proinstaller.co.uk
Getting the
Best from
Your Fleet
FTA welcomes
drivers’ hours
relaxation but says
bridge must reopen
The Freight Transport Association
(FTA) says the European Commission’s
extension to the drivers’ hours relaxation
in Scotland will help transport operators,
but it is vital that the Forth Road Bridge
reopens to HGVs as soon as possible.
The Department for Transport (DfT) last night announced that the EC had
approved a further relaxation until 15 February to
help logistics operators
cope with the 50-mile detour
caused by closure of the
bridge to vehicles over 7.5
tonnes.
The bridge has been undergoing
repairs to a crack in the steelwork
since 3 December 2015 and was
due to re-open to all vehicles on 4
January 2016. Transport Scotland
announced on 22 December that
cars, buses and coaches could
cross but HGVs and vehicles
weighing more than 7.5 tonnes
would have to use an alternative
route until permanent strengthening work was completed in
mid-February.
FTA’s Director of Policy Karen
Dee said: “The First Minister offered reassurance that the bridge
would re-open to all vehicles
on 4 January so the delay has
been a devastating blow for FTA
members. The additional costs
incurred by the 50-mile diversion
are significant, especially when
contracts have already been
signed and there is no opportunity to recoup the money.
“The extension of the drivers’
hours’ relaxation will help operators to manage their fleets while
the diversion is in place, but the
priority must be to get the bridge
open to HGVs as soon as possible.”
‘in rough terms
it is costing us
between two and
four thousand
pounds per day’
FTA members have reported
extra costs of thousands of pounds
a day for the additional mileage
and staff needed. One said: “If
you consider that in recent days
we have run between 20 and 40
vehicles a day, in rough terms it is
costing us between two and four
thousand pounds per day.”
A temporary steel splint has
been installed on one truss and
the bridge will be closed to heavy
vehicles and abnormal loads until
long-term repairs are completed,
which Transport Scotland says
should be mid-February provided
weather conditions are favourable.
Van Excellence is a scheme
initiated by the Freight
Transport Association and
aimed at getting the very
best from a fleet of vans
by using the best specified
vehicles, driven by the most
qualified drivers in the most
economical way while being
maintained by a network
of dealers who understand
vans. All this regardless of
what manufacturer name is
on the van or outside the
dealer’s door.
The initiative has over the last
two years brought together the
widest ever section of the van
industry – operators, m akers,
providers, dealers and many
others – to set out the best ways
to operate a modern fleet of
vans. The objective is to recognise those in the industry who
are doing a good job, encourage
those who want to get better
and provide a forum for everyone involved to benefit from the
savings in running costs when
things are done well.
From a management perspective the major challenges come
when processes are not followed,
vehicles are badly treated and,
as a result, costs soar. The Van
Excellence Best Practice Guide
provides a solid benchmark to
measure how effective one’s
own operation is and to see how
some of the best operators in the
industry tackle certain problems
and maybe teach the pro-active director new ways to save
money.
Even the best businesses can
find ways to improve; from
the way the fleet is run to the
amount of fuel put into the tanks
each week. To provide a simple example of how this works,
everyone is searching for lower
fuel costs and makers constantly
need to reduce emissions. The
driver of a van is often untrained,
unloved and pushed to deliver
more and more. The net effect
is lots of time with the engine
running at full throttle, brakes
that wear quickly and tyres
not lasting as long as everyone
thought. Most businesses would
happily pay more for a qualified
driver who treats the vehicle
with more respect and therefore
reduces maintenance costs. Van
Excellence seeks to share how
the best operators train and look
after their drivers and show how
this affects their vehicle damage
expenses, fuel costs and wholelife vehicle costs.
So why decision-makers should
get involved in Van Excellence
and adopt it as a process in their
businesses? Simply put, we can
all learn from each other – the
sum is often greater than the
individual parts. We have a structure now that will allow the van
industry to raise its game, cut
costs and present a much better
face to the outside world.
Facts:
“The Van Excellence Report
2015/16 revealed that van use
is expected to almost double by
2040 compared to 2010.”
“Van Excellence is a voluntary
operator scheme which now has
more than 100 members. It was
launched in 2010, with the aim of
professionalising the industry and
shaking off the ‘white van man’
image.”
“In specialised construction
trades, the index (calculated as
the number of vans per £1 million
gross value added) is 15.9 while in
postal and courier it is 28.73.”
“Van Excellence has been embraced by the industry as a valuable initiative to enhance standards
for van operator compliance and
to celebrate those who demonstrate excellence.”
To find out more about
Van Excellence contact
[email protected] or visit
www.vanexcellence.co.uk