New Dunlop SP346 and SP446 on-road winter truck tyres
Meeting legal requirements is only half the battle in winter conditions. Mobility, even after sudden snow falls or other winter weather, is essential for any transport company. That’s why both the new Dunlop SP346 steer and SP446 drive tyres carry the 3-Peak-Mountain-Snowflake (3PMSF) symbol as well as the M+S marking, meaning these on-road truck tyres are accredited winter products. As a result they meet the highest European requirements for truck winter tyres.
Continue ReadingSpeedline Truck exhibiting at IAA Commercial Vehicles 2016
Speedline Truck will be at IAA Commercial Vehicles in Hannover, Germany, from 22 to 29 September 2016 for the third time in a row. Speedline’s newest model is the SLT 3774, wheel size 22.5x11.75 (ET 45). With the SLT 3598 wheel (19.5x14.00, ET 120) for megatrailer applications, Speedline Truck reports that it “provides a unique solution in the market”.
Continue ReadingIAAF appoints insurance provider to members
The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) has appointed Boswell Aftermarket as its official insurance provider offering member exclusive rates on a number of products. Specialising in providing the independent aftermarket – including motor factors and established part suppliers – with insurance, IAAF members can now access a range of cost-effective insurance schemes which can be […]
Continue Reading“Too early to gauge true Brexit impact on car market” – Close Brothers
Chris Bosworth, director of strategy at Close Brothers Motor Finance, comments on the SMMT UK Registration figures for July: “These figures indicate that the automotive sector remains resilient in the months after the UK’s decision to leave the EU, with the small growth in registrations helping the sector recover from a flat performance in July. […]
Continue ReadingDouble Workshop Power Awards for ECP
Euro Car Parts has been presented with two accolades at the inaugural Workshop Power Awards, including Large Motor Factor of the Year trophy. Held at the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth on 1 September, ECP head of communications & PR, Paul Baylis, and brand & communications manager, Áine McCarthy, also collected the trophy for Suspension Product Supplier of the Year, as well as framed certificates for being Highly Commended in the Filter Supplier, Garage Cleaning Product and Extra Mile Award categories.
Continue ReadingNFDA sees light commercial registrations rise, powered by mid-large vans
Light commercial vehicles’ sales rose 6.3 per cent compared to last year with 15,385 vans and light trucks registered, the latest SMMT commercial vehicle registration figures show. The most significant increase came from mid to large size vans, which grew by over 14 per cent. ‘Pick-ups’ and 4x4 trucks showed a minor growth, while sub 2.0t car-derived vans, often used by self-employed tradespeople, declined -5.2 per cent.
Continue ReadingBridgestone in a rush to make road safety plea as school bell sounds
With children going back to the classroom and rush-hour traffic resuming, Bridgestone has urged motorists to take extra care on the school-run. The tyre manufacturer said that the latest TyreSafe research suggests that 10 million vehicles could be driven with at least one tyre under the minimum legal limit of 1.6mm. Coupling this with the new school term and an expected spike in traffic and Bridgestone believes that the time has never been more critical to carry out some simple tyre checks – or even drive to a selected garage to get a professional technician to take a look.
Continue ReadingFleets drive August growth in car registrations
The UK new car market achieved modest growth in August, as registrations rose 3.3 per cent against the same month last year, according to figures released by SMMT. 81,640 new cars were registered in the month, with year-to-date performance remaining positive, up 2.8 per cent to 1.68 million units.
Continue ReadingNFDA Dealer Attitude Survey results
This year’s National Franchised Dealers Association Summer 2016 survey, published today, had 1,746 respondents from a total participating dealer network of 4,090, which equates to a response rate of 43 per cent. This is the highest return ever, surpassing last winter’s high of 39 per cent. There were 28 franchise networks in the survey which represent a range of dealer sizes and ownership type from across the UK.
Continue ReadingRMI calls for apprenticeship funding review
RMI Bodyshops (NAB & VBRA) is urging the government to review its recently released funding levels for the new trailblazer apprenticeships. Jason Moseley, RMI Bodyshops Director commented: “the new funding rates proposed fall concerningly short of those needed to deliver a robust and quality apprenticeship programme. The proposed rates do not cover the funding required for equipment, tools, products and teaching resource to deliver these programmes.
Continue ReadingUK drivers lose 37 million finding garages to fix their cars
New research by online car repair marketplace, ClickMechanic, has revealed that every year British motorists lose 893,461,500 hours – that’s more than 37 million days – trying to find a garage or mechanic to fix their car. With more vehicles on Britain’s roads than ever before it stands to reason that there are more drivers to experience breakdowns and other problems. By the end of March 2016 there were 36.7 million vehicles licensed for use on GB roads – more than 900,000 had registered in that single first quarter of the year alone.
Continue ReadingTyreClick reaches £10 million of revenue
TyreClick, the website developed by Micheldever Tyre Services to help its independent customers compete for online sales, reports that the system has generated £10 million of revenue since its launch. The milestone figure was reached when a motorist placed an order for four 255/40R18 Kumho KU39 tyres with Hucknall Tyre & Exhaust Centre in Nottinghamshire.
Continue ReadingTrelleborg buys International Tyre and Wheel Solutions
Trelleborg’s Trelleborg Wheel Systems business unit has agreed to acquire International Tyre and Wheel Solutions Ltd. (ITWS), the UK-based privately owned distributor of large solid off-the-road (OTR) tyres for the waste, recycling and demolition industries. The acquisition follows and, in Trelleborg’s words, complements the recent acquisition of Mitas and gives the firm access to both the pneumatic and solid tyre markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Continue ReadingMy Car Check reveals 10 cars most likely to have been written-off
Analysis of My Car Check data for the first half of 2016 has revealed the UK used cars most likely to have been written-off. Nearly a quarter (23.67 per cent) of all searches returned a write-off warning, with the riskiest models being the Peugeot 208 Active and the Ford Fiesta Edge 60.
Continue ReadingKumho UK truck tyre sales up 160%
Volumes up, expanded team and new products in place It is now 18 months since Kumho returned to the UK truck tyre market so with truck tyre volumes up, an expanded team in place plus new products in the warehouse, the future looks bright. Indeed, according to the company, the dealers appointed so far are […]
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