British oils firm Morris Lubricants has launched a commercial engine oil that, it says, gives huge potential for rationalisation across mixed truck fleets involving several engine technologies.
Consumables
Morganite Electrical Carbon has been fined £120,000 plus £16,021 costs, after a truck driver was crushed and killed at its site when unloading heavy graphite parts in a dangerous manner.
Health & Safety Legislation
A revolutionary zero-emission engine that could also save temperature-controlled truck operators thousands of pounds in fuel is on track to undertake on-vehicle testing this summer.
Alternative Fuels
A vehicle recovery firm in Hull has been fined £5,000 with £3,760 costs after a technician suffered serious back injuries when a seven-tonne truck fell from a jack and trapped him underneath.
Lifting & Handling
Volvo is bucking the trend among the big seven truck manufacturers and forecasting only a slight decline in demand for Euro 6 vehicles in the early part of the year.
Sales Figures
Scania has launched a one-day Streamline Euro 6 familiarisation course, aimed at fleet engineers and transport managers, to provide product knowledge and hands-on experience of its new truck.
Driver / People Management
With its CF and XF Euro 6 tractors (4x2 and 6x2 with second steered axle – FTG) already well into production, DAF is now expanding its offerings, with a range of CF and XF 6x2 rigids.
Rigids
Ray Ashworth, managing director of DAF Trucks, has added a revealing subscript to the SMMT's (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) upbeat 2013 year-end figures, stating that the dealer network sold five times as many trucks last month (December 2013) as it did in December 2012.
Sales FiguresThe first all-electric buses in the UK to harness range-extending induction plates, buried in the road, are to be trialled on a 15-mile route in Milton Keynes at the end of this month (January 2014).
Electric Vehicles
DVSA (the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) announced today (9 January 2014) that it is to put all its VOSA vehicle inspectors through a new training and assessment programme, leading to irtec qualification.
Continuing Professional Development
The 400th ATF (Authorised Test Facility) was opened today (8 January 2014) at the new HTC Hemel Hempstead all-makes TRP and DAF depot by local MP Mike Penning, former Under Secretary of State for Transport responsible for the 10-year LSTs (longer semi-trailers) pilot.
VOSA Testing
Bus and coach operators are being invited to step up to the plate and enter their technicians for this year's IRTE Skills Challenge.
Continuing Professional Development