Features

Welcome back

After 27 months away, the UK’s biggest commercial show returns with a vengence

CV Show
Features

Legal Update August 2021

This page is brought to you by specialist transport law firm Backhouse Jones. Its COVID-19 hub is available via www.is.gd/ifogih

Driver / People Management
Features

New player

Don-Bur has entered the lifting-deck refrigerated semi-trailer market for the first time with a 44-pallet 13.6m tri-axle promoted under the Polar-Bur banner, reports Steve Banner

Temperature Controlled Vehicles
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Hands-free help

Drivers of IVECO’s revised Daily van and S-Way HGV will be able to call on Alexa for help and advice thanks to a tie-up between the van and truck manufacturer and Amazon Web Services, reports Steve Banner

Light Commercial Vehicles
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Being a manager

My career began as an apprentice HGV technician with a general haulage company; I remained a technician in road transport engineering for 16 years. My first supervisory role came not long after I had served out my apprenticeship, and from there, I gained promotions through to becoming head of fleet.

Driver / People Management
Features

No slack in drum brake safety

Automatic slack adjusters (also known as automatic brake adjusters, ASAs or ABAs) are an essential part of a drum brake assembly, compensating drum brake wear over time. But they can’t work if they are not installed correctly, reports Toby Clark

Brakes & Braking Systems
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Brake down

According to accident research conducted in 2018, by Bosch, up to 34% of all accidents caused by heavy commercial vehicles could be avoided with advanced emergency braking systems (AEBS). Peter Shakespeare provides an update about the current state of the art

Road Safety
Features

Enforced lane discipline

Lane departure warning systems (LDWS) have been mandatory in trucks of 7.5t gvw and over since 2015. But in April this year automated lane keeping systems were legalised for UK passenger cars. And they are coming to heavier vehicles too, as Lucy Radley experienced first-hand

Steering Systems
DSVA recalls

Mercedes-Benz trucks ACTROS 963 ANTOS 963 AROCS 964 ATEGO 967 (2011-2017 builds)

Driver airbags equipped with non-desiccated ammonium-nitrate airbag inflators in certain climatic circumstances could over time develop a chemical alteration of the propellant. Remedy: replace the driver’s airbag in potentially affected vehicles. Number affected: 2,907 and 90, respectively. Manufacturer reference: SRL2104 TAKA-SDI and SRL2105 TAKA-DIODE, respectively. Vehicle IDs: not given.

Recalls
DSVA recalls

Mercedes-Benz eSprinter (2020 builds)

On certain front-wheel-drive vehicles equipped with an additional traction battery, the attachment bolts on the frame of this high voltage battery could be loose. Remedy:
tighten the screwing of the high voltage battery module on the affected vehicles according to the respective specification. Number affected: 507. Manufacturer reference: SRV2111. Vehicle IDs: W1V9106332P001881 to W1V9106332P282762

Recalls
DSVA recalls

Volvo FLE FEE (2020 build)

Possible thermal escalation in cab heater due to relay failure. Remedy: replacement of the power relays for cooling heater. Number affected: 1. Manufacturer reference: C0178. Vehicle ID: YV2TB40AXLZ131076

Recalls
Features

Point and squirt

Novel, and mostly unproven, drivelines are making headlines, but development of diesel engines continues to meet a variety of environmental, legislative, and economic considerations. Fuel injection is key here, as Richard Simpson reports

Engine/Transmission Management