Truck Sales Drives Going to Waste Dft Talks Sense at Last on Old Tyres
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NOVEMBER|2018 IN THIS ISSUE > Ups and downs in UK truck sales figures > EU gets tough on truck CO2 emissions TRUCK SALES DRIVES GOING TO WASTE DFT TALKS SENSE AT LAST ON OLD TYRES egular readers of Commercial Vehicle Engineer will know that we have not R hesitated to highlight much of the nonsense that has come from the government’s Department for Transport (DfT) in recent times. They may also EDITORIAL & DESIGN recall that eight months ago we were especially sceptical about the news that transport Immediate Network Ltd 6 Wey Court, Mary Road, Guildford, minister Jesse Norman had commissioned a Surrey GU1 4QU twelve-month, £250,000 study by TRL (still better known by its original name, t: 01483 546500 Transport Research Laboratory) into the precise effects of ageing on the safety of w: inl.co.uk e: cvengineer.com tyres. Nobody was being fooled, we maintained, by what looked like yet another government delaying tactic in the aftermath of an horrific 2012 fatal coach crash EDITOR caused by the catastrophic failure of a steer-axle tyre that was nearly 20 years old. Tim Blakemore Humble pie time. Judging by a House of Commons written statement from t: 01428 605605 Jesse Norman this month, just as this edition was being finalised, our judgment e: [email protected] of him back in March was unfair and too harsh. The statement points to an ADVERTISING updated Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness published this month by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) including guidance that tyres over Denise Blakemore ten years old should never be used on any heavy vehicle (truck, bus or coach) Subcriptions Manager t: 01428 605605 except in specific, limited circumstances. The TRL study is “proceeding well” e: [email protected] according to the transport minister and he says that he has made “additional funds available to extend the number of tyre samples being analysed.” The Tony Greville Business Development Director TRL report based on this research is promised next spring. Jesse Norman t: 01483 546500 deserves credit for having proven our scepticism ill-founded. We look forward to e: [email protected] publication of the TRL report but meanwhile would urge all commercial vehicle SUBSCRIPTIONS operators in the UK to ensure they have the latest edition of the DVSA’s Guide to MANAGEMENT Maintaining Roadworthiness and follow its guidance. Next month’s edition of Commercial Vehicle Engineer will include a full report Denise Blakemore t: 01428 605605 on the background to the tyre-age controversy and where it might go next. e: [email protected] Annual subscription (12 editions) £20 + vat (£24) Tim Blakemore Editor PUBLISHED BY Immediate Network Ltd THE TRUCK EXPERT THE VAN EXPERT THE CAR EXPERT COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ENGINEER > NOVEMBER 2018 3 CONTENTS 16>> NEWS Road safety in the UK is “bumping along the floor,” CONTENTS according to IAM RoadSmart. Yet truck manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz and Volvo Group are doing all they can to minimise road casualty figures. 6>> POINTS OF VIEW 18>> DIESEL ENGINES IN FleetCheck boss Peter Golding wonders how long it will be THEIR DEATH THROES? before vehicles working in the gig economy are brought Far from it, judging by what into line with mainstream fleet standards on vehicle and exhaust emissions experts driver safety. from around the globe had to say at a high-power symposium in Sweden last 8>> NEWS month. David Wilcox reports. Trucks going boldly in different directions on an urban planet. The latest gas-fuelled and electrically-powered trucks, 24>> TRUCKSCOT SCENE together with London’s imminent “direct vision” standard, were among the talking points this month at the latest Trucks in the Transport News Freight in the City show. spotlight this month include an 8x4 Scania tractor run by McFadyens Transport of 11>> NEWS Campbeltown; and a Daf XF510 from McAdie and Wastes management strong in a weakening UK truck market. Reeve of Orkney. Demand for new trucks has fallen for the fifth quarter in a row, but some manufacturers have plenty to smile about, especially in the wastes management sector. NEW TRUCKS GOING TO WASTE 27>> THE TRUCK ADVOCATE 11 Our learned friend from Transport News offers expert guidance on questions related to fifth-wheel couplings and category C PEOPLE AND JOBS driving licence limitations. 28>> PEOPLE AND JOBS Michael Bolger is the new 28 engineering director at Cheshire-based Cartwright Group. Richard Else has left McLaren Automotive to become manufacturing director at Tiger Trailers. Robert Grozdanovski has been appointed Volvo Trucks UK managing director. 18 Nigel Butler has resigned WHAT NEXT as Renault Trucks UK commercial director and FOR DIESEL ENGINES? been succeeded by James Charnock. 4 NOVEMBER 2018 > COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ENGINEER COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ENGINEER > NOVEMBER 2018 5 POINTS OF VIEW ADVERTISING FEATURE THE RISE OF ® REMANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE TOO MANY SHADES OF GREY The industry has come to realise that Grey fleet management needs to cover vehicle and driver safety cross the automotive examined, cleaned, tested and restored to one-way processes that take products from sector, transport meet OE specifications using state of the manufacturers to landfills are no longer operators and commercial art facilities in a factory setting.” sustainable. The negative environmental A vehicle engineers It’s this attention to detail and and economic impacts of simply discarding demand the reassurance precise specifications that deliver proven manufactured products have become too of a genuine brand turbocharger that reliability and durability. Critical wear great to ignore. ehicles driven by judging by vehicle condition. My view is guarantees a standard of quality and parts such as seals, thrust plates and The advancement of technology has owner-operators and that, over time, in the same way that recent warranty for performance and durability. bearings are automatically replaced, while allowed for remanufacturing to reuse parts working in the gig rulings have made it clear that major gig However, when the original product comes bore and shaft straightness are measured without compromising the quality of the V economy need to be economy platforms are employers rather to the end of its lifespan and it is time to with tolerances as small as one micron. remanufactured product. Cummins is brought into line with than technology companies, their fleet replace, operators and repair workshops A strand of hair is 75 microns. leading the way in sustainability and energy mainstream fleet standards. operations will become more professional. are driven by cost and availability, often efficient processes. To date, Cummins’ These cars and vans and their drivers The question is: how long will this resulting in the use of non-genuine QUICK REPLACEMENT SOLUTION remanufacturing business has avoided up are really just another element of grey fleet process take? While it is going on, there are parts. This can impact engine efficiency, Time is of the essence in commercial to 90,700 tonnes annually of greenhouse management and should be treated in likely to be a lot of vehicles on the road that reliability and even safety. vehicle repair and maintenance. gases, reclaiming up to 27,000 tonnes of exactly the same way. are potentially poorly maintained, badly Peter Golding Downtime costs money. Non-genuine material annually. We have all had a parcel or hot food driven, grossly polluting and perhaps even GENUINE BENEFITS WITH UP TO parts frequently present buyers with what Genuine Holset Reman Turbochargers delivered to our home or office, I daresay, outright dangerous. This is clearly wrong. 30 PER CENT LESS COST looks like a cost-effective solution. apply innovative thinking so that new looked at the vehicle being used and Do we, as an industry, have a duty to do CVE WELCOMES Genuine Holset® Reman™ offers customers “Unfortunately, though, this is usually processes, stringent quality checks and strongly suspected that it would not meet something about this? In answer to that LETTERS, COMMENTS a superior quality replacement option only a quick fix,” Hammon adds. “In the rigorous testing can return products to an even the most basic fleet standards. And tough question it could be argued that AND TWEETS. that meets Original Equipment (OE) long run, what we actually see is that non- ‘as new’ state with the same warranty, at an more often than not you discover that the there needs to be some kind of mechanism specifications with the same warranty as genuine parts ultimately cost businesses affordable price. driver started early and will be driving late for reporting gig economy vehicles and new Holset turbochargers but with up to and operators more money.” into the evening. drivers apparently failing to meet the most Follow us on Twitter 30 per cent lower cost. A Genuine Holset Reman Visit www.cummins.com/holset-reman Yet legally these are grey-fleet vehicles basic standards. @CVEngineer1. “Holset turbochargers have set the Turbocharger not only provides initial for more information. to which normal grey-fleet safety principles One possibility is that the Health and standard for turbocharger technology cost savings at 30 per cent less than should apply, on everything from Safety Executive’s existing anonymous Write to the editor at: for over 60 years,” said Greg Hammon, new Holset turbochargers, it also maintenance to driver competence, as well whistleblower system could be used. But Hilltop House, Beech Hill, Assistant Chief Engineer for Turbo guarantees reliability with improved as non-legislative corporate principles such perhaps the first step should be to publicise Headley Down, Aftermarket. “Engineered and fuel efficiency. Non-genuine as environmental considerations and more. the idea among gig economy workers Hampshire GU35 8BD manufactured by Cummins, Genuine turbos are often poorly machined The standards applied by companies to make them fully aware that their Holset Reman Turbochargers are and can expose the engine and operating in the gig economy appear to employers need to be looking after e: [email protected] remanufactured using patented its performance systems to vary widely.