Trucks for sale at Trucklocator

Trials for first compressed biomethane Stralis

admin — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:22:47 +0000

Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd (CCE) has begun trials with an Iveco Stralis Active Day 21 tonne distribution vehicle running on compressed biomethane (CBM). It marks the first CBM-powered commercial vehicle to be operated anywhere in the world by CCE, and the first such Stralis to be delivered in the UK.
The trial will be used to determine the long-term sustainable transport strategy of CCE in Great Britain, and has been supported with the installation of a roadgas LCBM refuelling station at the company’s distribution facility in Enfield, Middlesex.

Darren O’Donnell, Logistics Asset Manager at CCE, explains: “Our primary reason for selecting CBM is that it has the lowest carbon intensity of all commercially available alternative fuels, allowing us to benefit from the best possible well-to-wheel saving.
“The gas used to make the CBM comes from a landfill site in Surrey, which means it is not depleting any fossil resources. This effectively allows us to power the Stralis using the latent energy recovered from rubbish thrown away by society.”
The Stralis AD260S30Y/FS-D CNG is purpose-built on the factory-line for natural gas powered applications and is recommended for operation in the UK with CBM supplied by Gasrec. It features a six cylinder 7.8 litre Cursor 8 engine which produces up to 300 hp at 2,000 rev/min and up to 1,100 Nm of torque between 1,100 and 1,650 rev/min, driven through an Allison 3500 six-speed automated gearbox.
“There are very few gas-powered heavy trucks on the market, but the availability of a Stralis proved the perfect fit with our business as we already run 50 diesel-powered models, and have been a prominent Stralis customer since 2004,” says O’Donnell.

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Mercedes-Benz Vario still going 15 years on

admin — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:17:53 +0000

The Mercedes-Benz Vario is undergoing a facelift and is set to receive a new drivetrain. To meet the requirements of future emissions standards, the Vario will be converted to include a new engine featuring new exhaust technology that will supplement the tried-and-trusted SCR technology and meet the Euro 6 standard. The Vario will also continue to be produced in the Ludwigsfelde plant beyond 2013.
Thanks to its front engine, the Vario – unlike its ‘light truck’ counterparts – does not need a tilting cab, making it ideally suited to the van concept. The driver enjoys the benefit of convenient access from the cab to the rear section of the vehicle. As a result, the Vario can be used for applications such as parcel-delivery, emergency ambulance, mobile support unit, specialist shop or camper van.
The long wheelbase panel van can offer internal load space volumes of up to 17.4m², making it the largest panel van on the market.

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MAN PARTS – WITH ADDED VALUE

admin — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:13:15 +0000

MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd. has launched its new ‘Valueline’ Parts programme – a move aimed at repositioning MAN’s parts proposition in the UK aftermarket.
The programme will add greater value on a wide range of MAN’s fastest moving parts lines. MAN inform us that feedback from the its network and customers is positive, with parts sales showing steady improvement in just the first few months since its launch.
Initially, the valueline range is a selection of over 60 of MAN’s most popular, fast-moving parts which are now being offered at a significantly reduced price. This range will expand and prices will be revised as MAN analyses the market and adjusts prices in line with, and even ahead of, market trends.
The parts that make up the ‘valueline’ range are the exact same original parts that are fitted on MAN production lines.
“This is a genuine commitment to our customers,” said Andrew Taylor, Head of UK Parts, “and not a stop-gap measure. We’re serious about our Parts business; our precision run warehouse, 17,000 parts lines, and on average 6,900 parts delivered daily across the network is testament to that. But it’s more,” he said.

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New “Active Brake Assist 2″ for the Mercedes-Benz Actros

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:17:23 +0000

The world’s safest truck is now even safer: Mercedes-Benz is introducing second-generation Active Brake Assist for the heavy-duty Actros truck. This unique and multi-award-winning safety system now has even greater capability: whereas the first-generation system applied the brakes automatically if it detected a risk of a head-to-tail collision with a slow-moving obstacle in front of the vehicle, Active Brake Assist 2 is also activated if a stationary obstacle is detected. Active Brake Assist has already proven its worth in more than 14,000 trucks and over a total of more than three billion kilometres on Europe’s roads.

Active Brake Assist: tried and tested over a total of more than three billion kilometres
Anti-lock braking system, acceleration skid control, disc brakes all round, electronically controlled braking system, high-pressure braking system, Brake Assist, Lane Assistant, roll control, proximity control – the list of safety technologies and systems that have celebrated their world premiere in Mercedes‑Benz trucks is a long one. One development highlight is the revolutionary Active Brake Assist system, which was introduced for the Mercedes-Benz Actros heavy-duty truck in 2006 and has since proven itself time and time again out on the road.

Many truck drivers have reported situations in which the safety system has prevented accidents. The experts are agreed: Active Brake Assist has saved lives – not only those of Actros drivers and occupants but also those of the people in the vehicles in front. Many insurance companies are also convinced that this system is good for their customers and, therefore, ultimately for themselves, prompting them to offer discounts on premiums for commercial vehicles equipped with this technology.

The new Active Brake Assist 2 system sets yet another milestone. Whereas the first-generation safety system only initiated emergency braking if there was a risk of a head-to-tail collision with a vehicle in front, Active Brake Assist 2 also applies the brakes if stationary obstacles are detected, for instance a suddenly encountered traffic tailback on the motorway. Daimler Trucks has therefore taken a further step towards realising its vision of accident-free driving, as part of its “Shaping Future Transportation” global initiative.

Radar-controlled system detects stationary obstacles
The radar used by the Active Brake Assist 2 system scans an area of 1-200 m in the lane ahead of the truck whilst continuously determining the distance to a vehicle in front or a stationary obstacle as well as the difference in speed between the two vehicles. If, based on the current driving style, an accident is unavoidable, the driver initially receives visual warnings in the form of a red triangle which lights up and an audible alarm. If the situation gets any worse, the system responds by applying the brakes.

The warning concept is designed to allow drivers to diffuse critical situations themselves; that’s because braking initiated by Active Brake Assist 2 with 50% of the maximum braking power gives drivers the time that is needed to avoid an accident themselves.
Decisive advantage: effective from 0-89 km/h and robust under all weather and light conditions

Active Brake Assist 2 offers decisive advantages over other systems currently under development. The tried-and-tested radar technology operates robustly under all weather and light conditions, for instance. What’s more, Active Brake Assist is effective across a truck’s entire speed range – from 0 km/h or slow driving at brisk walking pace to motorway speeds of up to 89 km/h (when the speed limiter is activated).

Although Active Brake Assist 2 cannot always prevent accidents, the automatic application of the brakes does reduce the collision speed and, therefore, mitigates the consequences of accidents substantially.

Active Brake Assist 2 will replace the previous system at the turn of the year. As in the past, Mercedes-Benz will be doing all it can to ensure that Active Brake Assist 2 is installed in as many trucks as possible by offering packages incorporating this and other safety systems at attractive prices.

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DAF eight-wheeler delivers 20 tonnes plus

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:51:39 +0000

With its new DAF CF85 eight-wheeler tipping the scales at just under 12 tonnes, East Midlands operator Sanders & Woods Transport Limited is achieving a payload of over 20 tonnes.

In a sector where the key to profit lies in optimising productivity, this kind of payload is essential. But the Stamford based company’s new DAF has a number of other features aimed at improving loading and tipping times and ensuring that a maximum payload is always carried whilst staying within the truck’s legal weight limit.

It’s the combination of DAF’s FAD four-axle chassis with an aluminium fuel tank, Wilcox Wilcolite body and Durabrite alloy wheels that forms the basis of the truck’s good payload. Optimising that payload is achieved by the use of a PM1300 on-board weighing system linked to a camera inside the body and to a reversing camera, with both images and weight information being provided through a single in-cab screen.

At the start of loading the driver switches on the camera that looks into the body and without leaving his cab he can watch that the load is being correctly spread. At the same time he can keep an eye on the gross weight figure in the top corner of the screen and inform the shovel operator when a full load position has been reached, with an audible signal also alerting the operator.

He can then sheet the load using the air-operated Wilcover sheeting system and on arrival at the delivery point he can automatically un-sheet. Also from the cab he can open the air-operated tailgate either fully or to a level for controlled discharge into a tarmac laying machine. The result is much reduced loading and unloading times and more loads in a day.

With the ravages of a severe winter leading to increased road surfacing work, Sanders & Wood were keen to get their new tipper on the road quickly. This was helped by the ‘Earn Now, Pay Later’ scheme introduced by DAF, which provides a three month holiday before payments begin.

Steve Tilley, a director of the family run firm, said that this was a very helpful scheme. “It’s been tough in the tipping industry recently and this has impacted on cashflow for all tipper firms. This scheme means that we can start earning revenue immediately and it assists us to manage our cashflow better, which for a small 12-vehicle business like ours is very helpful.”

The 5.7 metre FAD CF85 is powered by the DAF MX265 engine delivering 360 bhp (265 kW) at 1900 rpm and which is Euro 5 compliant. At this power rating it has an ample 11.25 bhp per tonne power to weight ratio, which along with a torque output of 1775 Nm between 1000 and 1410 rpm and a mechanical diff lock, enables the DAF to move off easily in any load or surface conditions. The engine is matched to a 12-speed AS-tronic automated gearbox.

On hot days the specification of air conditioning helps to keep driver Craig Wood cool. But to keep him warm when queuing to discharge on night work, and to conserve fuel by avoiding running the engine, the day cab has an Eberspacher night heater fitted.

Externally the truck is a real head turner. The predominantly white colour scheme is unusual for a tipper and Sanders & Wood have had their logo re-designed to create a fresh new look. The appearance is further enhanced by side collars to the cab, a full-width sun visor, a lighting bar and air horns. The truck has a total of 16 front lights, but as Steve Tilley says: “If you’ve ever done site work at night, you’ll know that you can never have enough lights!”

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England Stands Still - the World Cup cuts commercial road usage in half

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:39:10 +0000

Data released by Cybit, the UK’s leading online Telematics provider, shows vehicle usage fell by 49 percent in the hour leading up to kick-off of the England v Slovenia match. Traffic volumes remained at half of normal levels for the remainder of the afternoon.

“There was a noticeable increase in activity this morning from 6:30am as employees started their working day earlier to allow for an earlier than normal finish, which shows how flexible most employers are being,” says Steve Towe, Cybit’s Head of Sales.

“This kind of information helps us and businesses to identify the trends that run throughout UK fleets. The ability to assess information over a length of time makes these trends visible, and once they’re identified, appropriate action can be taken. In this instance, we can clearly see the impact of the World Cup on the national fleet, while individual organisations may recognise utilisation drop-offs, excessive vehicle use or regional disparities using the same reporting.”

More than 50,000 vehicles at anyone time are monitored on the UK’s roads and Fleetstar-Online, Cybit’s internet-based fleet tracking suite, records in excess of 10 million live vehicle positions throughout the day.

“Our technology is configured as standard to collect positional and vehicle tracking data every 20 seconds, which means we have access to a very large amount of high-quality information on road usage and road conditions,” continued Steve Towe.

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DAF Lf45 - more than 80 for sale at trucklocator.co.uk

admin — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:22:59 +0000

There are now more than 80 DAF LF45 trucks for sale on the trucklocator website. These trucks are made up of tippers, dropsides, box vans and many more. It is easy to search by body type or weight range of the truck you are looking for, as trucklocator has a sophisticated search engine with excellent information entered on each vehicle, including up to four photographs.

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Commercial Motor Dealer Chooses Trucklocator.co.uk

admin — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:18:11 +0000

A large dealer in heavy Commercial Motors based in South East London has recently opened an account with trucklocator.co.uk. Chris Hodge Commercial Limited, with more than 300 trucks in stock at their Greenwich base is delighted with the response that he receives, “Now the account has been up and running, I am receiving hundreds of contacts via phone and email every month”. With advertising rates for truckocator.co.uk typically lower than advertising in trade magazines this is a win-win situation.

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Iveco Eurocargo 7.5 tonners news at www.Trucklocator.co.uk

admin — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:08:38 +0000

Express delivery company City Link has selected the Iveco Eurocargo as its vehicle of choice for 7.5 tonne operations, after evaluating a range of different products on the market.
City Link’s 200-strong 7.5 tonne fleet of box body and curtainside vehicles are used primarily for urban distribution and are operated by a network of owner-drivers and contractors throughout the UK, with every vehicle liveried in its distinctive green and yellow corporate livery.

Mark Johnson, UK National Fleet Manager for Rentokil Initial, City Link’s parent company, explains: “Our 7.5 tonne fleet comprises a mixture of different vehicle marques and we felt there was an opportunity to further enhance our productivity by standardising on the vehicle we believe is best suited to the role.

“We chose the Eurocargo for its healthy payload capacity and strong reputation in the industry for excellent reliability. A number of the other models we looked at were either uncompetitive on payload or not robust enough for the demands of multi-drop work in congested city centre environments,” he adds.

Also key to the Eurocargo’s selection was its automated EuroTronic transmission, which is standard on all 4×2 models. This gearbox eliminates the requirement for a clutch pedal and helps to enhance driver comfort, particularly for stop-start urban driving. It also serves to remove any risk of over-revving the engine by ensuring the truck is always in the right gear, which in turn prolongs clutch life.

The Eurocargo’s neatly designed 2.2m wide cab and impressive 52 degree steering angle ensures a tight turning circle and maximum manoeuvrability. This is matched with an unobtrusive centre console and engine tunnel inside the cab, enabling drivers to move about effortlessly without having to climb over or around obstacles – essential for multi-drop distribution.

Amongst the first fleets to operate a new Eurocargo in City Link colours is Southampton-based Abacus Logistics, which has taken delivery of three Eurocargo 75E16s from local Iveco dealer Hendy Van & Truck. The new fleet comprises one box bodied rigid and two curtainsiders, with each vehicle powered by the proven 3.92 litre tector engine which is capable of producing 160 hp at 2,700 rev/min and up to 530 Nm of torque between 1,200 and 2,100 rev/min.

Like all new Eurocargo engines, these are certified to meet the stringent Enhanced Environmentally friendly Vehicle (EEV) standards, originally developed as the appropriate level for a CNG-powered vehicle. This now serves as a stepping stone between Euro 5 and Euro 6, reducing pollutant levels and helping to ‘future proof’ vehicles even further from expected changes in Low Emission Zone requirements.

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MAN Trucks at www.Trucklocator.co.uk

admin — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:11:13 +0000

MAN Trucks is currently supplying 14 new TGX 26.440 full-air 6×2 rigids to temporary access system supplier, Eve, previously known as Eve Trakway – the first MANs for the Chesterfield based company.

One of the first jobs for two of the new six-wheelers was to supply temporary aluminium roadway at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset, the site of Glastonbury Festival at the end of June. The roadway will thus provide easy and speedy access for the many hundreds of road-going vehicles, caravans and trailers requiring access in and around the Festival site.

The 6×2 rear-lifting tag-axle configuration also signals an industry first for suppliers and distributors of temporary aluminium roadway. With a draw-bar trailer, the combination can operate at 44 tonnes, while at the same time providing greater accessibility and higher manoeuvrability when on site.

With the use of the prime-mover’s rear-mounted and radio-controlled Palfinger Epsilon crane, 3m x 2.5m aluminium roadway panels are laid on the ground and bolted together before the truck backs onto the roadway to repeat the process.
“We scoured the market for the right truck,” said Eve’s Fleet Operations Manager, Andrew Rushforth. “and MAN came up with the exacting specification. The XLX cab allows us to double-man, and that’s good news for productivity and our carbon footprint.

“These are our first MANs, and the initial reaction from the guys on site has been extremely positive. We are expecting the final delivery of eight trucks over the forthcoming months. When they arrive, our fleet will be two-thirds MAN.”

Eve specialises in ‘trakway’ systems, barriers & fencing, traffic management and security. With its head office in Chesterfield, the company also has locations throughout the UK.

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