Direct Line for Business (DL4B) has officially launched DrivePlus Van, its new telematics App for van drivers that is free to download. Immediately available on both iPhone, iOS 6 and above, and Android 2.2 Froyo or later, the App enables van drivers to monitor driving behaviours, with the potential to save money on their insurance.
A leading UK fleet management company has signed agreements to make ATS Euromaster its tyre service provider, and Michelin its first choice tyre brand. Chippenham-based ARI Fleet UK’s agreements cover its fleet of cars, vans and trucks, which are supplied to customers such as the RSPCA and Autoglass, on a mixture of leasing, contract hire […]
The latest light commercial vehicle figures released show 2013 total registrations to 327,291 units, up 14.7 per cent. Vans rose 13.1 per cent over the year registering 271,073 units, boosted by 32.5 per cent growth in December. Truck registrations totalled 56,218 units in the year, up 23 per cent with the move to Euro 6 fuelling growth as predicted.
The latest batch of UK vehicle production statistics covering the month of November 2013 was released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) just before Christmas.
UK car production rose 4.5 per cent in first 11 months of year to 1,424,023 units, the SMMT reports. This means that output looks set to pass 1.5 million units in 2013, the first time this has occurred in six years.
ATS Euromaster has introduced a £1 mobile tyre fitting service on the back of increased demand. The tyre specialist says that longer working hours during the week are a contributing factor to drivers putting off fitting new tyres, making the option of booking a tyre change at the office an attractive proposition. ATS-E said that its market research suggests growth in this service is sustainable, as customers often move permanently to the convenience of such a service.
Michelin North America will soon begin recalling around 1.3 million light commercial vehicle tyres. The tyre maker says the recall of certain Michelin LTX M/S fitments was decided upon as due to the increasing number of tread loss and/or rapid air loss incidents reports it has received. The recall is expected to begin on 6 January 2014.
Total commercial vehicle registrations were up strongly in November, rising by 22.7 per cent to 28,057 units in the month says the SMMT. The year-to-date CV market is up 10.9 per cent at 294,991 units and on track to top 300,000 units for first time in five years.
With rises in the number of registrations of buses, coaches and cars in September, the commercial vehicle sector continued the good news, with total CV registrations performing strongly in the month, up 12.4 per cent to 49,197 units. This means the overall commercial vehicle market is up 8.1 per cent for the year-to-date, at 239,356 units.
New light commercial vehicle figures released today show overall sales were up 12.4 per cent in September and up 8.1 per cent year-to-date. Van sales increased by 10.3 per cent last month, whilst truck demand rose by 29.7 per cent.
New research published by Direct Line for Business reveals that Britain’s builders, plumbers, electricians and other tradespeople are living out of their vans – using them as mobile offices, bedrooms and entertainment centres. While not wanting to be accused of being asleep on the job, Britain’s tradespeople are using their vans as mobile homes with 11 per cent sleeping in their vehicle. Almost a third (31 per cent) of tradespeople use their van as a mobile office to manage their business. Vans are also used as mobile dining rooms, with just under a half (45 per cent) of tradespeople eating their meals in their vehicle.
The National Association of Motor Auctions (NAMA) has published its Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) market report for August. The report shows that during July the average values of used LCV’'s at auction across the board rose by just 1 per cent from £4,188 to £4,224 between July and August. Total sales volumes increased 18 per cent from 6,007 to 7,101 units.
ATS Euromaster has opened what it calls a flagship centre in on the Gatwick International Industrial Estate in Crawley, West Sussex following more than £450,000 of investment. The new facility occupies a 7,574 square foot site and is set up to accommodate all vehicle types under one roof, including cars, vans, trucks, buses/coaches and industrial vehicles. Its opening follows the merger of two former centres in the local area; one of which serviced cars and vans, and the other commercial vehicles.
On 11 September Tyres On The Drive announced it had received £1.5 million of investment in a follow-on round of funding led by venture capital firm MMC Ventures. Launched in 2011 by former Michelin manager Dominic Clark, Tyres On The Drive offers its customers a mobile tyre-fitting service. Since the company’s launch it has grown to more than 40 staff with a fleet of 21 vans across the North West and West Midlands regions and is reportedly on course to double its workforce by the end of the year.
Milton Keynes-based Bridgestone truck tyre specialist, Robbs Tyre Services is to use Cam Systems’ UniServ and Cameo platforms from August as it supports its network of 10 vans. The addition of UniSerV’s Integrated Casing Management module is designed to streamline Robbs Tyres’ job sheet processing while managing its truck casings from cradle to grave.
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