A DVSA crackdown has found that one in 10 vehicles had the most dangerous mechanical issues.

The news comes following a day of action by DVSA, National Highways and also local police forces. 

The defects covered a range of components on trucks that were subjected to roadside checks.

For example, problems with steering, suspension and wheels were reported.

In addition, tyres and brakes were also found to be not roadworthy in some cases.

All are parts that affect driver’s control, therefore could have resulted in a serious injury, argues DVSA.

The DVSA crackdown, which happened on 29th September, targeted vehicles from Edinburgh to Dover and Glasgow to Plymouth.

Meanwhile, there were 83 deliberate or negligent traffic offences recorded. 

These included falsification of documents, licence issues and no operator licences.

Drivers’ hours offences and carrying excess weight were also recorded.

In total, 410 HGVs and 109 LCVs were checked.

From those vehicles, 150 prohibitions were handed out.

DVSA’s director of enforcement, Marian Kitson, underlined the importance of the initiative.

“The results of this operation serve as a reminder of the risks associated with cutting corners on road safety,” she said.

“DVSA is here to support those who operate safely and legal. 

“Therefore, we want to ensure they are not disadvantaged by dangerous and reckless road users.”

Meanwhile, Commander Kyle Gordon of National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) Roads Policing Operations said some drivers were endangering people’s lives.

“We welcome the opportunity to identify those drivers who would put themselves and others at that risk, which is totally unacceptable.”

Finally, Mark Cartwright, from National Highways, urged everyone to play their part in raising standards.

“The majority of drivers and operators abide by the law, but a small minority do not.

“Those who put themselves and others at risk can expect to be caught.”

A bespoke Iveco X-Way has joined the FCH Construction Services fleet as the business looked to add muscle.

The new model will be required to carry and load heavy cargo, therefore a special kind of truck was required.

As a result, the operator worked with Iveco dealer AM Phillip Trucktech and The Thompson Group on the spec.

The X-Way 8×4 Tridem with rear-wheel-steer features a rear mount bucket crane and two-way tipper body. 

Furthermore, it is powered by the Cursor 11 460hp diesel, mated to a 12-speed gearbox. 

Aside from the conventional elements, FCS Construction Services selected a number of specialist options for the X-Way. 

For example, it features rugged tyres, an increased ride height and underbody protection.

The truck will be loading and unloading pipework in some challenging conditions. 

Therefore, Thomspon Group were tasked with coming up with a bespoke bodywork solution.

The 12-cubic metre box is capable of tipping on either side of the truck via a set of hydraulic doors. 

This layout enables the driver to remotely activate the whole tipping operation to ensure total operator safety. 

A manual redundancy tipper door feature, meanwhile, has also been integrated to ensure the X-Way is always operational.

Continuing the spec, an Epsilon M135L HPLS rear crane, features on the FCH Construction Services vehicle. 

It comes complete with stabilisers and a reach of over 9m, helping it lift 750kg at full extension. 

Fraser Hart, MD, FCH Construction Services MD reflected on the five-month process of designing and building the truck. 

“Our vehicles have a tough life and work in a challenging environment,” he explained. 

“We’re confident this new Iveco addition to the fleet will further add to the level of service we provide to customers.”

FCH Construction Services currently runs a fleet of over 30 commercial vehicles.

Two companies in Sweden are working towards their circular economy goals thanks to an electric truck from Scania. 

The heavy electric vehicle is capable of handling loads of up to 64 tonnes and forms part of a pilot series.

In other words, its operations are designed to test how electric trucks can handle heavy and extreme situations.

Specifically, Scania is working with recycling and environmental specialists Ragn-Sells and machinery service company Foria on the project.

The collaboration is part of Sweden’s REEL (Regional Electrified Logistics) initiative.

Here, organisations accelerate the transition to electrified emission-free transports.

Test miles will predominantly take place on the roads in Mälardalen, northwest of Stockholm. 

Fredrik Allard, head of power solutions, Scania, said the truck would help enable a circular economy for operators. 

“Foria is able to transport fly ashes from the thermal power station in Mälardalen to Ragn-Sells’ new facilities,” he explained. 

“From there, valuable salts can be recycled and reused, without any emissions being generated by the truck.”

The battery electric truck is already in operation, with Scania collecting valuable information about how it operates. 

For example, it is moving waste product from the thermal power station in Mälardalen to Högbytorp for storage. 

Tove Winiger, sustainability manager at Foria, welcomed the news.

“This electric truck is a big step and vital if we are to change to electricity as well as our dependency on fossil fuels.

“The collaboration with Scania and Ragn-Sells enables us to learn and also evaluate future investments in fossil-free technologies.”

Evenetually, the electric truck will work two shifts to decrease the number of internal combustion vehicles operating at the facility.

Furthermore, the truck will be fast charged when loading and un-loading via two 160kW chargers. 

In the future, the same set-up will be installed at the thermal power station.

by john c

A Unimog has joined the Cornwall Fire & Rescue service fleet, in response to changes in the region’s weather conditions. 

Specifically, an increasing number of wildfires and flash floods has seen the service need more robust vehicles. 

A Mercedes-Benz Unimog, therefore, fits the bill perfectly to tackle such situations. 

The first service says the new addition will carry transport mission-specific ‘pods’. 

Each of them will be packed with specialist equipment, specifically depending on the emergency being faced.

In total, four pods are included, one each for ‘Wildfire Response’, ‘Flood Response’, ‘Line Rescue’ and ‘Disaster Response’. 

In addition, it boasts additional power and communications systems, allowing it to double as a mobile command unit.

The Unimog is powered by a 5.1-litre engine with 230hp and 900Nm of torque. 

In addition, the specification also covers a working and crawler gear range, which provides another eight forward and reverse ratios.

Standard models include eight forward and six reverse gears.

Meanwhile, the truck’s 4×4 chassis, was supplied by South Cave Tractors. 

It has the maximum permissible gross weight (14.5 tonnes) and features a sub-frame and Palfinger crane. 

The new Unimog is based at Tolvaddon Community Fire Station, Camborne and is the authority’s second such vehicle.

Mark Salter, from Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service, said it will make a real difference. 

“It was the obvious chassis on which to base this new and specialised appliance,” he said. 

“Given some of the rough terrain here in Cornwall, exceptional off-road performance was an absolute must.” 

Continuing, he stated that no other vehicle with a similar carrying capacity could match the Unimog’s aptitude.

For example, he cited the role it could play fighting fires. 

“The Wildfire Response pod carries a 1,000-litre water tank and nebular misting system.

“Therefore, it’ll be an invaluable aid to firefighters in tackling such incidents.”

Together with DB Schenker, Volta Trucks has finished the first test phase of its Zero electric truck.

The truck manufacturer worked with the operator on evaluations in Paris.

Specifically, the duo used a prototype Zero in real distribution environments in the French city.

The partnership between Volta Trucks and DB Schenker is built on a 1,500-strong order for vehicles. 

In fact, it’s the largest order for medium-duty electrified trucks in Europe to date.

Voltas will be used by DB Schenker’s European terminals to transport goods from distribution hubs to city centres. 

However, the two companies will explore further potential uses of the technology.

When in production, the rollout of the vehicles will begin at 10 locations in five countries.

DB Schenker’s Cyrille Bonjean explained why the first test phase was an important moment.

“We have been in close contact and continued to drive the development of the vehicle forward together,” said Bonjean.

“It was great to see the result live on the streets of Paris.”

Continuing, Bonjean said the first pilot vehicles would be added to the fleet at the beginning of 2023.

Meanwhile, Essa Al-Saleh, CEO of Volta Trucks, reinforced the partnership between it and the truck operator.

“When we announced [the order], we also entered into a partnership to work together to decarbonise urban logistics. 

“The first use of a full-electric Volta Zero in a real-world testing environment is a significant proof point of the depth of the collaboration.”

He said the arrival of Volta Zero trucks on the streets of Paris was “extremely exciting”. 

Furthermore, Al-Saleh commented that is was “a great forerunner to us delivering significant volumes of customer trucks at scale in the near future”.

Volta Trucks is one of a number of disruptive commercial vehicle manufacturers entering the market.

In 1987, owner-driver Jim O’Doherty bought his first ever truck – a Volvo FL10 fitted with a Thompsons body. 

Now, 35 years later, another 18 Thompsons-bodied Volvos have just joined his business, J.O’D Group. 

A dozen of the trucks will join the company’s core haulage business working out of Edmonton in North London.

The remaining six, therefore, will run with subsidiary company Widdington Recycling Ltd based in Essex.

The new additions might appear similar to their predecessors, but a closer look at the Thompsons body highlights the advances.

For example, the original Loadmasters included double–skinned steel side panels and front cornerposts. 

However, these features are now largely unnecessary in Thompsons’ latest product updates. 

Meanwhile, advanced materials technology makes the steel used in today’s Loadmasters harder and stronger. 

As a result, body specifications can be improved and unladen weight reduced.

For J.O’D, all these benefits have come together in their own examples of the top-selling Loadmaster Lite.

Thompsons joint managing director, Scott Burton, said the steels really make a difference. 

“Only for exceptionally arduous work is the double skinned Loadmaster now really necessary,” he explained. 

“J.O’D’s tipper bodies are a perfect spec to handle the whole range of everyday tipper work. 

“Not having the full length, inner side panels saves at least 250kg.” 

Continuing, Burton said there was a further reduction of around 120kg by omitting front corner posts.

All 18 of J.O’D’s Loadmaster Lite bodies are of identical specification.

Therefore, they all boast the Thompsons AutoLoc tailgate and heavy-duty cabshield.

Not only that, but there’s electric sheeting, PM Onboard 4-point weighing and Edbro front end tipping gear. 

Of particular interest, a bespoke ‘nice and tidy’ closing plate to the rear end of the chassis. 

It has been fitted with strobe warning lights, twin rear facing work lights and a reversing camera.

As well as new vehicles, MAN Trucks launched SimplePay in Hannover – a digital platform to make life easier for drivers on the move.

Essentially, the truck becomes a ‘digital wallet’, therefore being able to complete everyday banking transactions. 

MAN says it is the first of the truck manufacturers to develop such a system, however it appears similar to a Mercedes-Benz announcement from last year.

The biggest benefits, it says, of SimplePay are complete transparency and simplification of payments.

It is the first step towards ‘a complete transaction ecosystem’ for different services, says the truck maker.

For example, MAN has partnered with BP for automated and contactless payments when refuelling.

In other words, the driver stays with the truck, saving time queueing in the filling station shop.

As well as the drivers, fleet managers are also set to benefit from SimplePay.

They have a real-time overview of the vehicles, thereby allowing them to control all costs and processes. 

As a result, administrative workloads are reduced, leading to improved efficiency within the business.

Meanwhile, from a technical point of view, the payment process takes place directly from the truck via its RIO Box. 

Digital payment processing is carried out by another partner, the payment processor Stripe. 

Finally, the cloud infrastructure is provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). 

It will be possible to book MAN SimplePay via the MAN Marketplace – and the service is installed over-the-air on the selected trucks.

MAN says the the planned market launch for SimplePay will take place ‘as quickly as possible’. 

Further in the future, other services will be possible, for example, payment guarantees to workshops in the event of a breakdown.

Interestingly, the UK will be first to trial the technology by the end of the year.

After that, it will be introduced into the German market.

by john c

Volvo Trucks has released details of its latest electric rear axle that will help the company’s go further on battery power. 

The company already has a wide range of EVs, therefore this innovation will be welcomed by many.

Specifically, the new electric rear axle will enable Volvo trucks to travel up to 440km, depending on model.

In addition, it allows even more batteries on board a truck by integrating the electric motors and transmission in the rear axle.

More batteries mean longer range, thereby creating opportunities to provide electric solutions for even long-distance transport. 

For example, the technology will be relevant for forthcoming fuel cell electric trucks.

Here, the additional space will be welcomed for installing other components. 

Jessica Sandström, SVP global product management at Volvo Trucks, hailed the company’s innovation. 

“This is a breakthrough for electric trucks,” she said. 

“It’s a clear signal that there will be a huge demand for public fast-chargers for heavy trucks in the near future.”

Volvo Trucks will start serial production of cab over engine trucks with the new e-axle in the coming years.

Meanwhile, the Swedish manufacturer has confirmed the new models will complement the current line-up of battery electric trucks. 

“We will continue with our versatile battery electric trucks that are already in production,” continued Sandström. 

“They can currently cover a wide range of transport assignments. 

“In a few years, we will add this rear e-axle for all customers covering longer routes than today.” 

Volvo Trucks has a three-path strategy to reach zero emissions. 

Firsrtly, by using battery electric technology before fuel cell electric models. 

Finally, it will develop combustion engines that run on renewable fuels such as biogas. 

Concluding, Sandström said: “Different technical solutions are needed to tackle climate change. 

“The availability of energy and fuel infrastructure differs between transport assignments.”

Willmotts has demonstrated its commitment to safety through it’s latest investment in trucks through City West Commercials.

The West Country haulier has taken delivery of five Mercedes-Benz trucks with the latest MirrorCam technology.

In fact, the company is one of the first UK operators to have vehicles boasting the latest tech.

Specifically, Willmotts chose five Actros L BigSpace tractor units.

The business currently runs more than 100 trucks, therefore needs to ensure safety throughout the fleet.

Each of the vehicles is powered by a 12.8 litre engine with 476hp.

Not all of the trucks on the company’s fleet are from Mercedes-Benz.

However, with MirrorCam being such a prominent addition, it was a chance for Willmotts to show that commitment to safety.

The second-generation version of the technology was announced in May by Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

Therefore, it is now starting to appear on UK-registered vehicles.

In the latest version, the camera arms are 10cm shorter on both sides.

As a result they are less vulnerable to damage.

In addition, the housing design reduces the possibility of debris sticking to the lenses.

Technical developments, meanwhile, have further improved image quality and clarity.

Andy Tuck, Willmotts’ transport and compliance director, was clear about the company’s approach.

“We’ll never put all of our eggs in one basket when it comes to vehicle suppliers,” he said.

“However, City West Commercials was persistent in extolling the virtues of the Actros.”

Tuck added that drivers who drove Mercedes-Benz trucks were asking when they’d see the new Actros.

“The latest Actros is so very different,” observed Tuck.

“And that’s not only down to MirrorCam; the Multimedia Cockpit is also a radical departure.”

Concluding, Tuck revealed there was apprehension, but that didn’t last long.

“They were soon enthusing about how much more they can see with MirrorCam,” he said.