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NOVEMBER 2016 PRO INSTALLER

www . proinstaller . co . uk

The construction industry is under pressure from rising costs and road safety issues , and vehicle management is becoming more important as a means to cut costs and improve safety . This article from Steve Whitmarsh , managing director , Run Your Fleet , discusses how vehicle management successfully addresses these issues .

UK car exports passed the million mark in 2016 following steady growth for car manufacturing in September . Production rose by 0.9 per cent , according to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders . Exports rose 5.0 per cent to reach 123,119 units , offsetting a 10.6 per cent decline in production for the home market . Overall year-to-date output increased 10.5 per cent to 1,292,453 units , as production for global markets grew for a 14th consecutive month . Export demand rose by 12.2 per cent to take volumes past one million in the first three quarters for the first time on record . Mike Hawes , SMMT chief executive , said : “ British-built cars are in demand across the world as demonstrated by the double digit growth in exports this year , resulting in more than a million cars produced for international markets . The vast majority of cars manufactured here in the UK are destined for abroad and future growth will depend on securing our international competitiveness and the barrier-free access to major global markets that has enabled UK Automotive to thrive .”

At first sight this looks like a lot to take care of for every vehicle and driver , and can appear complicated and time consuming . If you are not sure what needs to be done and how , then a good fleet management company can help with these areas , and will happily explain the processes that need to be gone through and why . For instance , they will explain why you do need to do a risk assessment on every driver even if they don ’ t drive for work on a daily basis . You will need to hold a copy of their driving licence and do a DVLA check to see if there are points or convictions . When needed you may consider monitoring driver behaviour to see if any training might be needed to rectify certain driving habits such as sharp braking or harsh accelerating which could put the driver and others at risk . This area of risk assessment is a duty of care and an area that is increasingly being legislated for to improve road safety . The recently

‘ training might be needed ’

formed Fleet Safety Benchmarking program is a direct response to this . This is a collaboration with Occupational Road Safety Alliance which recognises that organisations have a duty of care to their employees , contractors and sub-contractors who drive for work and to ensure they are not endangering themselves or other road users . There are a few very simple steps that can be taken that will improve vehicle efficiency and reduce costs , and you don ’ t have to be a dedicated fleet manager to do this . Among them is having a robust company vehicle policy in place - and ensuring that every driver has a copy and has signed it – and making sure your tyres are legal , so avoiding the potential £ 2,500 fine per tyre .

For more , www . runyourfleet . com

The advanced all-new Ford EcoBlue diesel engine took centre stage at the 2016 IAA Hannover Commercial Vehicle Show , delivering improved cost of ownership and performance in Ford ’ s latest Transit and Transit Custom models . The Ford EcoBlue engine powers every vehicle displayed on Ford ’ s Hannover stand , and provides commercial vehicle operators with fuel efficiency improved by up to 13 per cent

compared with the outgoing 2.2-litre TDCi engine , with CO2 emissions from 157 g / km , and delivers significant improvements in low-rpm torque for enhanced driveability . Hannover also marked the show debut for the new sixspeed automatic transmission variant of the Transit and Transit Custom , and Ford revealed the introduction of an enhanced allwheel drive ( AWD ) system and the new SYNC 3 communications system on Transit .