Author: Simon Pavey

Red lorry on country road

DVSA Roadside Vehicle Checks For Commercial Vehicles

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

You may be stopped for a roadside vehicle check when driving a commercial vehicle. The police could do this or an officer of the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

You can be stopped if you are driving a commercial van, lorry, bus or coach.

What is a DVSA check?

The following checks are likely to be made:

  • Is your vehicle carrying an authorised load weight?
  • Are there any mechanical faults on your vehicle, such as extreme corrosion or worn out brakes?
  • Do you have a valid driving license?
  • Is your vehicle meeting emissions standards?
  • Are your tachograph records up to date?

DVSA officers will carry out these checks by the side of the road or, in some circumstances, at dedicated testing sites.

Why are these roadside checks carried out?

These checks are carried out to determine whether the vehicle is breaking any rules or regulations. This is done to keep unsafe vehicles off the road.

While most accidents are in fact caused by driver error, ensuring that all vehicles on the road are meeting a certain standard is safer. Otherwise, the overall rate of accidents in the UK may rise further.

What happens if you fail a DVSA roadside check?

If these checks are failed, your vehicle might be immobilised, and your business could be fined and even prosecuted for operating a dangerous vehicle.

What are some myths surrounding roadside checks?

According to the DVSA, some drivers may have misconceptions about these roadside checks. Drivers may even be made to fear them unnecessarily.

Will cars also be checked?

Car drivers might be nervous to hear officers check vehicles in their area. However, they need not be.

Why do roadside checks only target commercial vehicles?

These roadside checks only target commercial vehicles. They are typically larger, and, therefore, pose a greater risk to other road users.

Commercial vehicles also tend to be on the road longer than cars. These checks also ensure that drivers take breaks and do not drive for longer than the law allows.

With a shortage of HGV drivers, businesses may encourage their drivers to stay on the road for longer to compensate for this, so these checks are now more critical than ever.

Will all commercial vehicles be pulled over?

These checks are aimed at businesses that are known to be non-compliant. Businesses that have passed checks before, or are part of the DVSA earned recognition scheme, are much less likely to be pulled over for a check.

Officers can check how compliant an operator is on their devices.

This is a great incentive to keep your vehicles in good condition, as passing these checks now will prevent you from going through them again.

Learn about the DVSA recognition scheme here. 

Where does the money go from roadside fines?

If you are fined for failing these tests, you might be concerned about where that money goes.

According to the DVSA, all fines go straight to the government and are used to fund vital public services. The fines are also used to fund the DVSA’s operations.

An exception to this rule is the £80 fee that the DVSA charges to free up an immobilised vehicle once a serious defect has been amended.

What happens if you don’t stop for a roadside check?

When signalled by a DVSA officer, you must safely stop your vehicle. To ignore the signal and continue driving is, in fact, a criminal offence. If you do not stop, your vehicle details will be recorded so that you can be chased up later. You might face court action or have your operator’s licence suspended or revoked.

Who are DVSA officers?

The DVSA officers wear a recognisable hi-vis jacket, and their vehicles are marked with a black and yellow print. Officers will also carry a warrant card so you know the check is legitimate and legal.

White van on road with lens flare

Why bother with these checks if most accidents are down to human error?

Only 2% of accidents on UK roads result from vehicle defects, so drivers might question whether roadside checks are necessary.

However, the DVSA argues that faulty vehicles do not cause accidents because of these checks. Annual MOTs and tests for larger vehicles, in conjunction with these roadside checks, are helping to keep our roads safer.

These checks also ensure drivers are not on the road for excessive time. This keeps drivers feeling tired and unable to concentrate correctly off the road.

Will your business be massively fined for any vehicle defect?

The fine that your business might receive for running an unsafe vehicle will be proportionate to the severity of the defect.

For example, heavily eroded brakes are a reasonably hefty fine. On the other hand, if the fault is minor, you might not be fined, but an advisory notice will be issued that encourages you to get the fault fixed.

Drivers walk-around checks

Businesses might argue that they were unaware of the fault, but this is uncommon. 85% of defects can be spotted during the driver’s walk-around check, which they should carry out before each journey.

What are driver walk-around checks?

Driver walk-around checks for commercial vehicles are essential pre-trip inspections to ensure the vehicle is safe and in proper working order.

These checks cover critical areas, including tyres, lights, mirrors, brakes, and fluid levels such as oil, coolant, and brake fluid. Drivers inspect the suspension and steering systems, verify the battery and electrical components, and ensure the cargo is loaded correctly and secured. They also check for leaks or damage to the vehicle’s exhaust system, body, and frame. Additionally, drivers ensure emergency equipment like fire extinguishers and first aid kits are onboard and verify that the windshield wipers and washer system are functioning.

These checks help prevent safety hazards, ensure compliance with regulations, reduce the risk of breakdowns, and maintain overall vehicle reliability. Properly logging the inspection findings is essential for documentation and regulatory purposes.

Find out more about HGV daily walkaround checks.

 

How can Fuel Card Services help?

As you, ensure your commercial vehicles and drivers are prepared to pass a roadside vehicle check. Ensure that your vehicles are in prime condition and that your drivers do their best to maintain their health.

With MyService.Expert, we make vehicle maintenance quick, easy, and painless. We offer pre-negotiated rates at thousands of dealers and garages with consolidated HMRC-compliant invoices.

Get in touch today and see how we can help your businesses save time and money.

UK national speed limit sign in countryside

Vehicle speed limiters: prepare your drivers for 2022

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

While there’s currently no global standard speed limit that all countries and organisations can agree on, it’s clear that speed limits exist to minimise the potential danger to life posed by high-speed driving.

What, though, is the best way to go about ensuring speed limits are enforced? Should we trust each individual to abide by the laws of their own accord, or should we be aiming to force people to comply with speed limits through our design of vehicle technology?

This question remains unanswered, however one potential solution has surfaced which, if introduced, is likely to have a serious impact for all drivers in the UK and Europe.

What is a vehicle speed limiter?

That proposed solution is vehicle speed limiters, which utilise ‘Intelligent Speed Assistance’ (or ISA) to slow drivers down. This technology comes in two main strands:

  • Nagging limiters – which literally slow your vehicle down and reduce your ability to accelerate once sensors have detected that you’re driving over the legal limit.
  • Warning systems – which set of a series of warning sounds and visual alerts once a driver has exceeded the speed limit.

The EU is the driving force behind introducing ISA legislation which will legally require that all new cars manufactured from 2022 include some level of vehicle speed limiter technology built in, the European Transport Safety Council announcement suggests. While the UK has departed from the EU via Brexit, there’s a strong indication that we’re likely to mirror any legislation that’s introduced very closely.

Are vehicle speed limiters definitely coming into place?

With that in mind, there can’t be any guarantees as to whether the legislation will come into place, or exactly what it will entail, just yet. We do know that there’s a demand for this legislation, as many speculate that it could assist with the introduction of self-driving cars to UK roads by giving reassurance to road users while improving safety standards.

However, agreeing on the exact terms of the legislation is proving to be problematic. Perhaps the main reason for this is that vehicle speed limiters aren’t 100% effective. With warning systems, for example, drivers will undoubtedly become annoyed by repeated audio and visual alerts – but this simply might just not translate into them actually slowing down.

What’s more, even in the case of nagging limiters, the proposed legislation indicates only that new vehicles must be manufactured with this technology in place, not that it must actively be used on the roads. Drivers would therefore be able to legally disable a nagging or warning limiter system and face no persecution, which means many drivers may still end up speeding and potentially putting lives at risk.

A decision yet to be made

It’s worth noting that the vast majority of UK car manufacturing and driving legislation is an imitation of EU legislation, which is desirable for companies trading in both economic areas given it reduces complexity in the manufacturing and distribution process. Therefore, it’s likely that we’ll abide by this new law.

However, as the legislation requires the visual warning to be placed in the direct field of vision of the driver, some electric vehicle manufacturers such as Tesla are not happy with this, as they would have to change their vehicles’ display.

ISA has many benefits, such as the improvement of fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions, detecting pedestrians, cyclists, and vulnerable users – ultimately making all road users safer.

However, there are still some limitations to the system, such as detecting speed. Temporary road works and out of date GPS mapping can show inaccurate speed signs, increasing chances of surpassing the legal speed limit.

Additionally, the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has said that even after the introduction of the system, drivers will still be held responsible. So, if the system detects lower/higher speed limit than allowed and drivers override it – they will be issued speeding tickets.

Long exposure cars and 70 speed limit

What does this news mean for commercial fleets?

If the legislation is introduced in the UK, it could have a real-world impact for fleet operators. One potentially negative impact is that the requirements for new vehicles may change, meaning operators around the country would have to ensure that any new lorries or cars purchased come with speed limiter software built in.

This would mean higher expenses, which could be a challenge at a time when fleet operators are already facing a lot of costs such as rising fuel costs due to shortages.

On the positive side though, abiding to the legal speed limits would result in a decrease in speeding tickets, less risk to drivers and less likelihood of incidents if the technology proves effective. All of this could result in less downtime for your fleet, meaning you could maximise your vehicle usage and focus on generating revenue.

We hope this blog has been useful in informing you about speed limiters, what they mean for fleet vehicles and how they’ll help fleet managers and drivers stay safe.

How can Fuel Card Services help?

At Fuel Card Services, we know how important it is to track the performance of your fleet, both to improve driver safety and vehicle security. That’s why we have developed Tele-Gence, our advanced telematics system which enables you to install a range of cameras and trackers on your vehicles before remotely feeding data through to your team; enabling you to get a fuller picture of your operation and spot cost-saving opportunities.

The automated reported system included in our Tele-Gence service can help you flag when your fleet vehicles are being used for fraudulent purposes, monitor dangerous speeding, and gain insights into how improved driver behaviour generates sales. Every good fleet operation could benefit from an advanced telematics system, so why not not get in touch with our experts to find out how we can support you?

UK government publishes decarbonisation roadmap to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Government publishes roadmap to decarbonising transport by 2050

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

Decarbonisation is a truly global trend with which many governments are engaged. Only through limiting the amount of carbon produced by industry can we look to slow down the rate of global warming and protect our planet, and the concrete actions that must be taken by UK organisations in particular are now starting to be outlined.

The UK government has recently released their roadmap for decarbonisation; a 216-page report which seeks to promote the idea of ‘a better, greener Britain’.

In this article, we’re going to summarise what this report entails, while also touching on our area of expertise; fuelling commercial fleets, and also explore how this industry in particular is likely to be affected.

Why are we decarbonising transport in the UK?

There’s a strong consensus within the scientific community that greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to global warming, and there’s consequently a clear need for an initiative to reduce carbon emissions. Did you know, though, the transport sector in the UK is actually the worst offender?

In 2019, 27% of all greenhouse gas emissions produced by the UK came from transport, and so it’s no surprise that exploring more sustainable transport solutions is a priority in the proposed decarbonisation plans.

While there are various sub-sectors of transport, such as aviation and residential vehicles, the commercial fleet sector is proving to be a potentially huge opportunity area where progress can be made. Imagine if, for example, the thousands of petrol-powered lorries travelling hundreds of miles to deliver commercial goods were to switch over to the cleaner electric power offered by electric roads.

So, what is the plan?

The government’s proposal contains a lot of detail around how society as a whole can minimise its carbon footprint; from promoting walking and cycling regionally to reducing maritime carbon emissions. The key aims of the report, though, are to:

  • Outline the principles by which the UK will operate; determining which core values and goals will underpin the UK’s approach for the foreseeable future.
  • Explain the wider benefits of net zero carbon emissions.
  • Map out the UK’s pathway to achieving net zero transport.

Some key takeaways include:

The decarbonisation of the freight sector

The latest data (2019) indicates that HGVs alone are responsible for 16% of the UK’s domestic greenhouse gas emissions. To combat this, up to £700m has been pledged to support the manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles, such as electric HGV fleets, which could revolutionise the transport sector.

Beyond vehicles, though, the government are also prioritising roads; promising £20m of investment into trialling zero emission road freight solutions. What exactly this will look like is yet to be determined, however we could plausibly see heavy goods vehicles powered by overhead electrified wiring on UK motorways, or potentially even charging infrastructure embedded into road surfaces that remotely charges vehicles.

There are also plans to prohibit the sale of non-zero emission HGVs entirely by 2040, which is also expected to yield benefits around noise pollution and air quality.

Improved infrastructure around electric vehicle charging

Beyond making the fantastic electric vehicle charging technology the UK currently has access to more widely available, it’s key that the UK remains at the forefront of research in this area. That’s why the government’s roadmap also commits up to £2.8 billion in support of R&D, the implementation of charging infrastructure, and financial incentives to help businesses and residential drivers make the switch to emission-free transport.

It’s expected that zero-emission vehicle manufacture could see around 60,000 new jobs created by 2030, particularly in Midlands and North East England manufacturing heartlands.

Electric vans parked in a row

How will fleet operators be affected?

As a person responsible for the operation of a commercial fleet, whether that’s a consumer-facing taxi service or a freight operation, you’re likely to feel the real-world impact of new government legislation and policy over the coming years, which may include:

  • The electrification of fleets.
  • New electric battery technology.
  • Bans or taxes on carbon-emitting vehicles.

It could be advantageous to keep a keen eye on any news relevant to your operation, and consider whether there are changes you can make to your business now, that could see you reducing costs, maximising profits, and improving on the sustainability front to ensure that your business model is fit for the future as much as the present.

How can Fuel Card Services help?

At Fuel Card Services, we completely understand the motivation of fleet operators to make efficiencies and reduce costs as much as possible. That’s why we’ve partnered with the UK’s leading fuel providers to offer a quality range of fuel cards that can save your drivers money on every litre.

Our fuel cards offer a range of unique benefits, with some including nationwide coverage while others offer flexible payment terms. Read our article on how to compare fuel cards if you aren’t quite sure which product is right for you, or contact our experts for further advice or a consultation that takes into account your business’ specific needs (and routes).

If you’re serious about making efficiencies, you may also enjoy our range of professional fleet services that are designed to make it easier for you, as an operator, to manage and overcome everyday challenges on the roads. Our services include:

  • MyService.Expert – simplifying your vehicle maintenance and servicing. With our service, you can select from a range of garages near you and book in to gain access to our pre-negotiated servicing and maintenance rates.
  • MyDriveSafe.Expert – Our app which enables the quick and hassle-free reporting of vehicle defects, and allowing your drivers to run through a series of easy-to-follow checks.

View our fleet services to sense-check your operation and see how we could help save you money.

Van with branding

Could your van’s branding void your insurance?

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

Branding your vans with some appealing signage is a great way to advertise your business, but does it have a negative impact on your insurance?

Many businesses might not think about the consequences of adding signwriting to their vans, since the change is only cosmetic. However, it is still a modification. Different insurance companies take different stances on whether additional branding should increase or decrease your premiums, so it is important to check with your insurer.

Why you should let your insurer know if you add branding

Whatever your insurer’s stance is on van branding, you still need to let them know – even if this means additional costs.

Van signage is still classed as a modification. If your insurer were to find out you’d added a new spoiler without letting them know, they would be within their right to void the insurance. Well, it’s the same for van signage.

If your vehicle was damaged in an accident and your branding needed repairing, but your insurer didn’t know about it, they could refuse to pay for any of your repairs.

So, regardless of your insurer’s stance on van branding, it is in your best interest to let them know about it.

Will you need to pay more for insurance with van branding?

To complicate things, this depends entirely on which insurance company you are with.

Traditionally, any modification will increase your premiums. This is because, regardless of the mod itself, they generally mean increased costs during repairs.

Since it is just cosmetic, branding may not have too much on impact on repair costs, but since they fall under the same category as other modifications, it’s safe to assume you will have to pay more to have them.

However, there are additional considerations.

Certain insurers take the stance that your branding makes your van more of a target for thieves. By advertising your business, it leads thieves to believe that there must be valuable goods inside, such as tools and equipment.

Since certain insurers think that your van is more likely to be broken into, they will raise your insurance premiums.

On the other hand, some insurers take a completely different stance. They view branding as a deterrent for theft. Perhaps a potential thief will see the signwriting and believe that any crime committed against that business would be taken more seriously by the police, so it isn’t worth their time.

On top of this, there is an argument that business owners driving a vehicle with their business advertised on it will drive more carefully. If a van with their branding was involved in an accident, that could damage the business’ public image.

For those two reasons, it’s possible that an insurance company would look favourably upon van signwriting.

White van with blue and purple decor

Do your research

If you are already insured with a particular company, get in touch with them. It’s important to understand the implications of adding signage to your vehicle. You don’t want to spend £500 on well-designed signwriting, only to find you’ve completely voided your insurance!

On the other hand, if your vehicle has signwriting on it and you are looking for insurance, you’re in the best position. You can find a company that will look favourably on the branding, rather than charge you more.

Is it even worth getting van signwriting?

Given that it can be confusing to discern how van branding can impact our insurance, you may decide to just leave your vehicle blank.

However, there is an argument that signwriting is some of the best, cost-effective advertising you can get.

Put it this way – imagine you’ve spent £365 on some simple signage. You’re driving this vehicle most days, and when you’re not driving it may still be visible to those driving past it.

That’s £1 per day to get your business seen by hundreds, if not thousands of people every single week. Perhaps paying a little extra for van insurance is worth this incredible advertising boost.

How can Fuel Card Services help?

Putting signage on your van is a great way to boost business and revenue. However, if you haven’t been making the effort to save on fuel costs, this revenue could be being wasted!

With a fuel card from Fuel Card Services, you could save up to 10p per litre on fuel. You’ll also save time with consolidated HMRC approved invoices.

Get in touch today and see how we could help your business.

Commercial taxi fleet

The benefits of a fuel card for taxi drivers

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

It’s no secret that saving costs on fuel is a core goal for virtually all commercial fleets, but did you know that taxi fleets in particular could be missing out on huge savings?

That’s the idea we’ll explain to you in this article, as we look at how taxi drivers operate, and which specific benefits of a fuel card can enhance taxi businesses.

Taxi fleets and fuel consumption

When compared to your typical fleet of HGVs making long-distance deliveries, a taxi fleet is likely to consume a considerable amount of fuel while the vehicles are actually stationary. With every minute a taxi driver spends waiting for customers to enter and exit the vehicle safely, precious fuel is burnt to keep the engine running, and this is commonplace for the majority of taxis operating on UK roads today.

While stop-start technology could diminish this issue slightly, digital apps such as Uber are effective at letting customers know that drivers have arrived – and so drivers similarly know that they aren’t likely to be kept waiting for long before customers hop into their vehicles. Consequently, there may not seem to be much of a point in turning off the engine at all.

The greatest concentration of taxis is found in densely populated city areas, and with taxi fleets typically looking to make frequent, short journeys and keep occupancy high- there’s a constant demand to fill up. So, broadly speaking, taxis consume an enormous amount of fuel when compared to your average commercial fleet – and so operators must ask themselves ‘how can the cost of fuel be properly offset or reduced?’

How to tackle fuel costs

When fuel costs are high, one instinct many business owners have is to increase the price of each journey. By having the customers pay a slightly higher fare, profits can be protected – and this philosophy works for many businesses. Particularly in cities or areas whereby many quality taxi ranks are operating, however, the competitive landscape needs to be taken into account.

If your competition is offering a reliable service while undercutting your price, they may be making slightly smaller profits on each individual taxi ride, while generating substantially more sales overall. When both yourself and your competitors acknowledge this, the commercial taxi market will often reach an equilibrium whereby different providers are coming in at fairly similar price points.

Finding a competitive edge

In these established markets, it’s vital that any opportunity to improve profitability is seized, and one of the best ways of achieving this is actually tackling your costs head on with a fuel card. Fuel cards essentially provide you with a discount on each litre of fuel you purchase, which often racks up incredibly quickly for taxi fleets.

They’re also particularly useful given that taxi fleets often repeat the same routes, and operate within a fixed area. Naturally, if you’re aware of which fuel providers operate at your local garages, which our handy Pump Locator service can help you with, then you may find yourself in a position where you can purchase a fuel card that specifically benefits you based on that nearby petrol stations data.

Smiling taxi driver talking to passenger

Tips on applying for a fuel card

If the picture we’re painting around taxi drivers’ challenges, operations, and the opportunity to save money on fuel, rings true to you- then you may be ready to start exploring the world of fuel cards and finding the card that best suits your drivers.

We have built a fuel card selector tool to help guide you through this very process, however it’s worth considering:

  • What coverage you’ll need. Some fuel cards offer nationwide coverage, whereas others are locked to specific regions. You may find that the perk of national coverage isn’t actually beneficial to your local taxi business, and consequently consider putting more weight into considering other benefits when choosing between cards.
  • Payment terms and credit options. Some fuel card providers offer an attractive range of payment perks, such as terms around advance payments, or even their own downloadable apps that can help you authorise fuel payments quickly.
  • Transaction fees. Certain fuel stations will require that you pay a transaction fee upon making a purchase, which can add up if you’re making regular visits. That isn’t the case with all fuel cards, though, such as Texaco Fastfuel, and so taking the time to review your options carefully could result in great savings across the board.

Ultimately, understanding the total amount of distance your drivers are covering on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, then reconciling that data with the types of savings you could be making with a fuel card, is a great place to start for commercial taxi fleets. It could result in you edging out over your competitors with a more financially viable, long-term fuel strategy – and there are a million things you could do with your savings to drive your business forward; from marketing to investing in new equipment and people.

How can Fuel Card Services help?

At Fuel Card Services, we help UK businesses save money on their fuel costs every day. We’re the UK’s largest fuel card provider, so whether you’re running a commercial taxi fleet or operate around delivering goods, we’re confident that our experts can help you find a fuel card solution that works for your business. Why not get in touch to find out how we can support you?

Of course, implementing a thorough strategy to minimise costs and maximise the efficiency of your fleet goes way beyond using a fuel card. While it’s an excellent starting point, we’d also recommend browsing our range of professional fleet services which are designed to make it easier for you, as an operator, to manage and overcome the day-to-day challenges you’re likely to face.