It’s a tale of two cities – two Scottish cities – with the latest bus and coach order announcements, with Glasgow-based Mearns Exclusive Travel taking delivery of two Volvo B11Rs, while E&M Horsburgh has put two Optare Solos into operation on its Edinburgh Airport contract.
Bus & Coach
The Highland Council has awarded a contract to telematics provider Masternaut to implement a tracking and fleet management solution covering its 238-strong fleet of council vehicles.
Telematics
The Freight Transport Association has published the 20th edition of its European Road Transport Guide, which contains information and guidance for UK-based road transport operators moving goods to Europe and beyond.
Standards & Practices
Countrywide Farmers has re-optimised its fleet in terms of its overall payload capacity by replacing a total of nine vehicles with a mix of DAF LF rigids and Iveco Daily vans to its fleet on a Ryder contract hire deal.
Rigids
Network Rail, which owns and operates most of Britain’s rail network, has taken delivery of a fleet of 20 specially adapted all-wheel drive Fuso Canter trucks that are already delivering significant efficiency savings by doing jobs that previously required separate road and rail vehicles.
Municipal Vehicles
Rapidly expanding plant hire and haulage specialist L Lynch has recently acquired a fleet of 80 new tippers and 50 grab lorries, all with re-specified Edbro tipping cylinders to counter the weight increases forced by Euro 6 engines – and hence get payloads back up.
Municipal Vehicles
Pukka Pies, the food manufacturer, has taken delivery of two 5.2 tonne New Daily LCVs and an 18 tonne Eurocargo rigid – the first Iveco vehicles to join its fleet.
Rigids
M&N Transport has taken delivery of five new Actros tractor units from dealer Rygor, completing its transformation to an all-Mercedes-Benz fleet, now 30-strong.
Tractor Units
Event transport provider ACME Production Services has added two high-security Dry Liner box trailers to its fleet, to safeguard against potential theft and damage to production and lighting equipment during transit.
Trailers
Abbey Logistics has taken delivery of the first DAF CF Silent tractor unit to go into UK operation.
Tractor Units
Welsh operator Castell Howell Foods has taken delivery of a Volvo FH13 6x2 to meet growing demand for its products, including the Celtic Pride beef brand.
Tractor Units
Manufacturers should lead road haulage ‘servitisation’ (enhanced logistics services) with add-on technology pricing that goes beyond the usual fixed- or usage-based models, instead offering risk-reward contracts that incentivise performance improvements.
Driver / People Management