Transport News Brief - SMMT



Transport News Brief

Week 24, Monday 11 June 2007

Van and truck registrations stable

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers at Traders show van and truck registrations stable for the rolling year to date. Van registrations are up 1.8% and truck registrations made only the second month of growth over the past 13 months. Truck registrations are still 12% down on the average for the month of May from 1999 it took 2005. “Despite slowing slightly in May, growth in total light commercial vehicle registrations is very healthy, up 1.8% for the rolling year,” said Christopher Macgowan SMMT chief executive. “Truck figures still suffer from the market distortion of caused by last year's digital tachograph and Euro 4 introductions. Truck makers report good enquiries and orders, but it will be some time before they show as registrations. We’re confident that we'll get back to an annual volume of 54,000, the average for the sector over the past decade.”

More from Robin Dickeson on +44(0)2 073 449 or rdickeson@smmt.co.uk

City Link’s safety award

Courier firm City Link just won a medal for ‘outstanding dedication to health and safety’ at the recent Royal Society for Prevention of accidents awards event.

More from Daisy Halliday on +44 (0)1 214 563 199 or e-mail daisy.halliday@

Weak orders slow bus and coach business

Figures from the SMMT show total bus and coach registrations down 20% for the year to date. Small minibus registrations continue their long-term slide, down at 33%, with big buses down 32% and coaches and down 27%. Big mini-buses, by contrast are up 15%. “Last year's registration figures were deeply distorted by the introduction of digital tachographs and Euro 4 emissions,” That still makes meaningful comparisons virtually impossible," said Christopher Macgowan, SMMT chief executive. “Registration figures will continue poor for some months and in a sector of this size, the delivery or delay of an individual fleet order may often skew comparisons.”

More from Robin Dickeson on +44(0)2 073 449 or rdickeson@smmt.co.uk

Five millionth auto box

Allison Transmission says it has built its five millionth fully automatic gearbox at its plant in Hungary. The 3000 series gearbox is will be fitted to a Renault Premium truck run by chilled distribution operator Stef-TFE. Alison it says it pioneered a commercial vehicle automatic transmissions in 1947, with its first fitted to a GM bus. The firm claims 80% of the world's commercial vehicle automatic transmissions, supplied to over 250 vehicle makers around the world.

More from Nick Bailey on +44 (0)1 295 277 050 or nick.bailey@m-

Eaton wins 500 truck deal

The Eaton Corporation says Averitt Express of Cookville, Tennesee has just taken delivery of 500 new trucks, all fitted with new Fuller UltraShift LST heavy duty automated transmissions. The firm says it hopes that a two-pedal or transmissions will help it overcome the shortage of qualified drivers; it says that this and rising fuel costs are the two most critical issues facing the US trucking industry.

More from Mike O'Neill on + 1 (0) 215 752 1429 or oneill@

Iveco lights the way for McCann

Nottingham-based McCann’s just took six Iveco 35 C 15 light trucks with dropside bodies, two with van bodies and two with crew cabs. They are the first Ivecos into an 80 strong fleet and will be used for street lighting installation work. Sherwood Commercial Vehicles of Alfriston did the deal.

More from Helen Waterfall on a plus 44 (0)1 773 863 311 or h.waterfall@sherwood-commercials.co.uk

Mercedes sign-off for VB Airsuspension

VB Airsuspension says Mercedes just said it has no objection to VB’s air suspension on the Sprinter with electronic stability control. The kit is also available on Volkswagen, Ford and Renault vans. “On vehicles fitted with ESP, the manufacturers are quite rightly nervous about this critical safety feature being compromised by after-market conversions to the vehicle,” said Oliver Drinkwater, managing director. “So this is significant. We’ve spent 18 months testing with the factories and we’re the only firm in Europe to gain this status on all these models. We felt this was necessary to give customers the absolute confidence that our installation works in harmony with the base vehicle to improve ride comfort, stability and low-floor entry.”

More from Oliver Drinkwater on +44 (0)7738 562832 or drinkwater@vbairsuspension.co.uk

Truckers join hunt for Madeleine

The BBC reports that British haulage firm Expats Express is to carry giant posters of the missing four-year-old girl, Madeleine McCann, on the sides of its trucks. The first left for Spain from the firm's Bicester depot last week. Danny Coughlan, owner of the five vehicle family firm is based in Spain, two miles from where Madeleine was taken. “We've got four kids and two grandchildren,” said Coughlan. “As one parent to another it was something we had to do.”

More from Danny Coughlan on +34 958 631 840 or dantruck@

Don-Bur spends £2 million

Trailer maker and truck body-builder says it has invested invest £2 million in new chassis and component making facilities, including plasma cutting and beam welding gear.

More from Richard Owens on +44 (0)1 782 599 666 or richard.owens@donbur.co.uk

Gray & Adams wins 140 double deck trailer deal

Trailer maker and truck bodybuilder Gray & Adams says it has won an order for 140 double-deck fixed sided trailers from City Link. The firm already runs a fleet of over 200 similar trailers and this order will mean that over 75 per cent of the fleet is supplied by Gray & Adams. The new trailers replace 140 double-deck curtainsiders and will work out of City Link’s Coventry hub.

More from Stephanie Rees on +44 (0)1 326 560 405 or steph@m1marketing.co.uk

Central Connect has biggest Primo fleet

Plaxtons says Central Connect now has 18 Plaxton Primo 28 seat buses in its 58 strong fleet. This gives the West Midlands Bus operator the biggest Primo fleet in the UK.

More from Andrew Warrender on +44 (0)1 909 551 166 or andrew.warrender@plaxtonlimited.co.uk

Fleet future

GE Commercial Finance has produced a 16 page guide designed to help fleet operators understand and tackle some f the issues they will face in the next few months. It covers Euro 5 and emissions taxes, the Stern Report, greener fuels, corporate social responsibility, ‘intelligent’ vehicles and many other points. The firm says it will give copies to all its customers and it is free to anyone else. E-mail Christian Southall at christian.southall@ and he will do the rest.

More from Simon Wells on +44(0)1 283 711 311 or simon@paperchasepr.co.uk

Slide Sledge wins

Slide Sledge, the sledge hammer replacement just won the SED Award for Excellence. The makers say the unique tool does all that you’d expect of a sledge hammer with none of the risks of damage or injury. Managing director Brian Martin reports massive interest from the construction, engineering, plant and agricultural industries. “The Slide Sledge transforms many dangerous two-man operations that were usually done with a traditional sledge hammer, like the removal of bolts and pins on construction plant, into a safer and more efficient one-man process.

More from Adrian Maguire on +44 (0)1 617 619 022 or adrianm@ainsmag.co.uk

Canter gets sleeper and air kits option

Hatcher Components says it extended its DeepSleeper range to include the new Mitsubushi Fuso Canter light truck. “By extending the cab 700 mm and adding a touch more width has created a spacious sleeping compartment with a generous 1930 x 650 mm bunk,” said Brian Getley, managing director. The conversion has lots of stowage space, an optional overhead locker and compartments under the bunk and space for a night heater. The firm says it has also developed a series of aerodynamic aid for both the standard cab and its DeepSleeper variant.

More from Richard Lawrence on +44 (0)1 728 638 543 or rl@splash.

Traka on the move

Asset and access management firm Traka says it is moving to new premises to help it meet increasing demand for its management solutions. “Controlling who has access to a vehicle and restricting access only to approved licence holders is crucial to meet health and safety obligations,” said the firm’s Martyn Baker. “More and more haulage and distribution firms are realising that they need to take action in this area, so demand has gone through the roof, with many big names taking the leading the lead.”

More from Martyn Baker on +44(0)1234 712345 or mb@

Euro 5 Premiums for SBS

Aberdeen-based oil and gas logistics firm SBS Logistics is taking 19 Euro 5 Renault Premium three axle tractor units. The new trucks replace some older vehicles and join a 60-strong fleet, working across the UK for big oil and gas firms. Renault Trucks dealer Alex Aiken & Son did the deal.

More from Penny Randall on +44 (0)1 582 479 619 or penny.randall@renault-

Transport News Brief

Transport News Brief goes to over 46,000 named subscribers each week. An average of two or more 'pass on' readers for each subscriber suggests there are over 100,000 readers. Edited by Robin Dickeson at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Halkin Street, London, SW1X 7DS, England, tel +44 (0)2 073 449 222, it is free to the commercial vehicle and road transport industry, SMMT members and journalists worldwide. Please e-mail Robin Dickeson on rdickeson@smmt.co.uk if you have news you would like us to see. If you would like copies sent to colleagues, please e-mail Natasha James on njames@smmt.co.uk.

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