AA Tyres grows 40%, firm expands into West Country
AA Tyres, the AA’s mobile tyre fitting service, has grown its fleet of vans by 40 per cent in response to escalating demand. The ten new Volkswagen Crafter vans will allow AA Tyres to push into the West Country, where the demand for mobile tyre fitting in Bristol, Bath and the surrounding areas is said to have surged. The AA’s mobile tyre fitting service is currently available between London, Birmingham and Manchester and the surrounding regions.
Continue Reading‘How to survive & Thrive – post Brexit’ theme for IAAF 2016 conference
The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) has revealed its theme, ‘How to survive and thrive – post Brexit’, for its annual conference, aiming to address arising issues following the aftermath of the recent European Union (EU) referendum and produce a lively debate for conference guests. The conference, held at the ICC in Birmingham on 15 December, will be facilitated by John Sergeant, the well-known BBC television and radio journalist, and BBC’s chief political correspondent from 1992 to 2000.
Continue ReadingGraham Howes appointed Commercial Director of CD Auction Group
CD Auction Group has announced the appointment of Graham Howes, who joined the company over the summer, as Commercial Director. He will be responsible for further building on the success of the group over the past two years and developing relationships with existing vendors and buyers to ensure they continue to receive high quality, personal service as the group grows.
Continue ReadingMIRA manager appointed VCA chief
Pia Wilkes has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA). Mrs Wilkes joins the VCA from Horiba MIRA, where she is the senior manager for the Test Engineering, Homologation & Certification Product Groups.
Continue ReadingMahle Aftermarket signs distribution agreement with FPS
To ensure even greater access to its range of original equipment components for the UK aftermarket, Mahle Aftermarket UK has signed its first distribution agreement with FPS Distribution. This partnership takes effect immediately and includes Mahle Original engine components and Victor Reinz sealing products; both of these brands will be available on a same-day delivery basis.
Continue ReadingTructyre takes on Jempson’s contract
Steve Shingleton, general manager of Strategic Sales for Tructyre, has announced that the company became sole provider to Rye based John Jempson & Son in July 2016. Jempson’s are one of the largest transport enterprises in the South East with a combined fleet of over 85 commercial vehicles and 160 trailers. Currently celebrating their 150th anniversary, they remain an independent family run business.
Continue Reading£450,000 investment, new jobs at Kingsway Tyres’ Retford autocentre
Kingsway Tyres has invested £450,000 in a new autocentre in Retford for car and van drivers, creating two new jobs and further positions in the future. The network has 16 depots across the east of England, and its new centre will include full MOT testing facilities, four-wheel Bluetooth geometry alignment, air-conditioning offering along with the very best in tyre repairs. Based in Trinity Park Industrial Estate, Sloswick Drive, the facility will also offer 24/7 support for commercial trucks, buses and lorries. The new site replaces Kingsway’s depot in Victoria Road, at which the company had been based for more than 40 years.
Continue ReadingFred Sherwood Group reports reduced downtime since Vacu-Lug tyre management deal
The Fred Sherwood Group reports significant improvements in vehicle downtime since selecting Vacu-Lug to manage its fleet tyre requirements. Starting from June 2016 the contract covers tyre supply and tyre management for all the transport companies within The Fred Sherwood Group, including Bulk Freight (Midlands), F. Sherwood & Sons (Shepshed), George Varney (Bulk Services) and KJ Transport.
Continue ReadingKnorr-Bremse partners with Microlise in telematics deal
The world’s leading manufacturer of braking systems for commercial vehicles, Knorr-Bremse, has partnered UK -ased telematics provider Microlise in a move that will see a range of transport management products launched across Europe.
Continue ReadingHouse of Lords invites driverless car contributions
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has begun to investigate future uses of driverless vehicles in the UK. The inquiry will collect evidence on the potential uses and benefits of autonomous vehicles in contexts such as road transport, farming and space exploration.
Continue ReadingMy Car Check supports Project Edward
My Car Check is supporting Project EDWARD, ‘European Day Without A Road Death’, on Wednesday 21 September 2016. The initiative has been devised by TISPOL, the European Traffic Police Network, with the aim of improving road safety, not just on 21 September but every day.
Continue ReadingCitroen Berlingo – Glass’s latest ‘Used Van Hero’
Citroens popular Berlingo, a mainstay of many fleets that has been around since 1996, is Glasss Used Van Hero for September. Each month, Glasss commercial vehicle editors hold a meeting to name the current Used Van Hero in the UK market - the model they believe offers outstanding value, quality and ability.
Continue ReadingEx cabinet minister to speak at RMI Annual Dinner
The Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP will be the guest speaker at this year’s Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) Annual Dinner, on Thursday 20 October at the Landmark Hotel, London.
Continue ReadingGeneral Tire launches new Grabber AT3 and Grabber X3 tyres
General Tire, which is part of the Continental group of brands has launched two new 4x4 tyres. The Grabber AT3 and Grabber X3 tyres are aimed at the on/off road all-terrain segment and out-and-out off-road segments respectively and both offer significant improvements in performance compared with their predecessor products.
Continue ReadingCar dealers express dissatisfaction with profit return in NFDA survey
The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) has revealed the results of its Winter 2016 Dealer Attitude Survey, with a high level of dissatisfaction with profit returns one of the most notable results. “It is concerning that dealers seem very dissatisfied with their current profit return, although they are more optimistic about their future profit potential,” said Sue Robinson, NFDA director. Despite the averages showing that dissatisfaction is increasing, Mercedes, Land Rover, and Kia franchises returned strong results, while others improved their scores considerably since the summer survey.
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