Texa will demonstrate its range of service and diagnostic products for the HGV, LCV, bus, coach and trailer sectors at the CV Show 2015. Experts from the company will be on hand to discuss products with fleet managers and engineers responsible for vehicle repair workshops.
Of particular interest will be developments for vehicle and system coverage in Texa's IDC4 operating software, which extends its coverage across a wide range of vehicle applications. Another focus will be the TEXAEdu technical training programme, and new courses for technicians. These will include: selective catalytic reduction and AdBlue); commercial vehicle common rail systems; and trailer EBS.
One of many new names at the NEC this year will be Tiger Trailers. Visitors will see a 13.6m-long, 4.9mm-high, moving second deck trailer, designed for retail specialist Deeset. The trailer features a fully galvanised and bolted stepframe chassis design, GRP bodywork, aerodynamic front roof design, a translucent GRP roof and rear Tuflite aluminium shutter door.
Of particular interest will be Tiger's hydraulic moving deck, which feature its latest four-ram design with heavy-duty steel side panels and aluminium interlocking plank floor plus treadplate overlay. The trailer has been designed for a carrying capacity of 42 pallets, with optional roll cage use.
After an absence of more than 10 years, tyre manufacturer Pirelli is returning to the CV Show to highlight its range of truck tyres. Pirelli's full complement of products from its latest tyre family, the 01 Series, will be the main attraction, as fleet operators look to select the right rubber for them and their vehicles.
Tyres in the 01 Series range include the FR:01 II and TR:01 II, which are claimed to offer improved wear rates, and better performance in wet and dry conditions and at low temperatures. Pirelli says operators can expect higher mileage and better road holding. Also on the stand will be: the ST:01 Base – designed to cut costs on trailers and semi-trailers; the ST:01 Neverending, said to offer the "best possible efficiency and safety"; and the ST:01 M&S – a mud and snow variant that, says the manufacturer, provides better grip.
There is plenty to find out about on the Continental Automotive stand – such as Conti Pressure Check, a tyre pressure system that monitors the pressure and temperature of individual tyres. Continental says its investigations prove that 90% of punctures are caused by gradual pressure loss that drivers fail to spot, so this latest product will help boost fleet efficiency.
Tyre data is fed back to the VDO TIS-Web analysis and archiving service, so there is always an accurate record for fleet managers to guide manual pressure checking or replacement decisions.
Elsewhere on the stand will be news of a new downloading device for tachographs, from VDO. The company has previously developed a remote downloading system, and has now added the DLD Short Range II. The new unit can now collect and record GPS coordinates with the addition of one piece of hardware – a GPS antenna.
According to the manufacturer, operators can save time while also gaining complete control over the download process direct from the office. They can also record additional vehicle data aimed at improving fleet optimisation.
his year's CV Show will host the UK launch of the Hunter commercial vehicle wheel alignment system from Pro-Align. Having developed a reputation in the car sector for innovative alignment systems, Pro-Align recently announced its intention to move into the CV sector, and hence the choice of launch pad.
Pro-Align says its Hunter unit will help truck, bus and heavy vehicle fleet operators check their wheel alignment regularly and more easily than ever before. And the result, it says, will be lower fuel bills and emissions, extended tyre life and improved vehicle safety.
More new drawbar equipment will be displayed by VBG, which this year marks a decade since opening in Warrington. Best known as a market leader in drawbar products and services, VBG has now (since the extension of Whole Vehicle Type Approval regulations) built similar equipment and services around rear underrun protection (RUP).
One of the new items on display will be the latest version of VBG's 57mm coupling. Designated 795V-2, the coupling has a quick-change guide funnel, which can be specified with standard or extended guide lips – the latter designed to assist with coupling height differences.
Check out the Bowmonk stand its wide range of regulatory and onboard vehicle systems testing products. Bowmonk offers: BrakeCheck – a DVSA-approved decelerometer for recording and printing brake test results; SensorCheck – one of the quickest methods of diagnosing ABS sensor, sensor lead, and exciter ring related faults without removing road wheels; and TrailerCheck – a remote means of powering up a commercial trailer for testing all electrical circuits including lights, the ABS system and CAN activity.
Bowmonk will also be highlighting its coverage of onboard weighing systems, landing legs, fifth wheel liners and 4G Wi-Fi routers.
Visitors interested in the latest developments in smartphone-based fleet management systems should head to the Truckcom stand as its technology is now available on Windows phones.
This development, which further increases the flexibility of the company's smartphone-based fleet management offering, is the culmination of a long development phase. It also means compatibility with all three major platforms – Android, iPhone, and Windows – which represent about 96% of all smartphones.
After getting visitors 'pumped up' about nitrogen with the Nexus generation and inflation solution at the 2014 CV Show, PCL says this year it will drive home the benefits.
Nexus is becoming an established name, gaining a reputation for providing cost-effective nitrogen delivery and digital inflation technology, which offers inflation accuracy of ±0.5%. This performance enables operators' depots and workshops to benefit from superfast nitrogen tyre inflation from their existing air supply without needing to buy, store or handle nitrogen bottles.
Claimed advantages of nitrogen over air are that it offers extended tyre casing and rim life along with improved fuel efficiency. Just as important, due to its inert properties, it provides increased safety in high temperature environments.
Hankook promises to present "many new developments" for various tyre ranges at the CV Show. These will include an increased load index for the SmartFlex AH31 – a family of medium- to long-haul all-season truck tyres – for size 295/80 R22.5.
Designed for Euro 5 and Euro 6 trucks, the tyres boast a load index of 154M – suitable for vehicles plated with a front axle weight capacity of 7,500kg – and will be available from the middle of the year.
Use in the car transporter world has also led to developments of Hankook's TL02 trailer tyre (295/60 R22.5), which now has a load index of 152J (7,100kg).
Another name returning to the CV Show this year is Morris Lubricants, as this leading oil blender looks to reaffirm its market position. The company will be offering visitors to the NEC a first glimpse at its new Versimax high-quality, heavy-duty diesel engine oil products.
Fleet owners will also be given the chance to take the Versimax Challenge, to find out if they could save money and consolidate inventory by switching to Morris. Anyone who takes on the challenge will receive a pair of free tickets to a British Truck Racing Association meeting of their choice during the 2015 season, which starts next month.
As it increases its presence in the vehicle servicing and MoT market, Kwik Fit will arrive in Birmingham looking to win new LCV fleet business. The company will be sharing its stand with sister Itochu Corporation-owned Central Tyre, which has been supplying the commercial and agriculture industries for more than 50 years.
In recent years Kwik Fit has invested to cater for the requirements of LCV operators and that has led to an expansion of its range of premium-, mid- and budget-priced LCV tyres – as well as the introduction of some specialist LCV equipment – at its more than 600 UK centres.
Two new Transdek UK models will be unveiled at the CV Show, expanding the company's DUET trailer range. The first, the DUET Wedge double-deck box van, is capable of transporting up to 52 pallets – that's 100% more load volume than a standard 13.6m single deck trailer. This extra capacity allows vehicle operators to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by as much as 50%, offering cost savings and a lower environmental footprint.
The firm's patented chassis and body design feature an ultra slimline fixed second deck construction and chassis neck depth to maximise internal load height on both decks. This enables a full deck run-through of pallets or rollcages up to 1,790mm in height.
Also on display will be Transdek's Mark II DUET Urban double deck trailer, which enables high volume deliveries to city centres. The concept was developed to meet a growing demand from retailers for greater transport efficiencies on last-mile deliveries as consumers shift to convenience store shopping. The Mark II features a specially adapted tail lift for unloading at the high street, as well as other safety features, including reversing cameras.
Workshop '15
Now a very familiar part of the CV Show, the Workshop area will once again be offering solutions and ideas to help workshop managers and vehicle technicians. The organisers make the point that compliance remains one of the biggest issues for operators, so high maintenance standards, as well as efficiency, are critical to the success or failure of any road transport business.
From original equipment components and replacement parts to the latest in maintenance management systems, garage and bodyshop equipment, Workshop 2015 will cover the whole spectrum. Leading garage equipment suppliers already signed up include Blitz Rotary, Bradbury, CTEK, Eclipse, Gemco, Maha, SomersTotalkare, Sykes-Pickavant, Tecalemit and Thermobile.
New names for 2015 include vehicle lift manufacturer Maxima, and specialist spray booths supplier Junair. Major parts suppliers Delphi, Hella and Valeo will display their latest equipment and Stertil UK will show its workshop vehicle lifts.
The Workshop sector at the CV Show is supported by both the Garage Equipment Association (GEA) and the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF).