Category: Fleet News

Countries around the globe have been hit by heatwaves throughout the last few summers, and the UK is no exception. Contrary to the typically grey, overcast weather that we brits love to complain about, temperatures reached around 40 degrees during heated spells last year for the first time ever.

Did you know, though, that driving in a heatwave can be incredibly dangerous? That’s why we’ve compiled our top tips to help raise awareness around the dangers of driving in a hot car, while also aiming to teach drivers how to cool their vehicles down.

Driving in extreme heat

Just before we jump into our tips, though, why is driving in extreme heat an issue? Well, research conducted by the car manufacturer SEAT found that driving in 35 degree heat could reduce a driver’s reaction time by 20% when compared to driving in 25 degree heat. That’s a pretty significant amount, and we all know that slower reaction times lead to more accidents, and potentially even fatalities, on UK roads.

So, let’s look at how to keep your car at a comfortable and safe temperature, without wasting too much time messing about!

Our hot weather driving safety tips

We’re sure you have your own tips and tricks that have been passed on to you, but here are our hot takes.

1. Don’t set off straight away

During spells of hot weather, your car’s internal temperature is likely to raise quickly while it’s stationary. So, hopping straight into the vehicle and setting off in a hurry could leave you feeling disoriented or light-headed.

Consequently, we’d recommend leaving your doors or windows open for around 30 seconds to a minute before turning your aircon on. It’ll also mean your aircon has to do less work to cool the car down initially, which is a smart approach both in terms of economy and eco-friendliness.

It might also be worth wafting your car doors if you’re trying to cool the car down quickly. This actually works, and can drop the temperature by a few degrees with less than a minute’s wafting.

2. Use the optimal aircon settings

We estimate that the ideal car, van, or lorry temperature you should be aiming for when driving is around 21 degrees, so try and hover around that number while using your aircon.

It could also be wise to use the ‘auto’ setting on your aircon. When activated, your car will maintain the temperature you’ve set it to, by sending the vehicle’s compressor (which cools and heats the air), and the fan, into a repeating cycle.

3. Know how to keep cool in a car without aircon

Not all cars are privileged enough to have access to an effective aircon system. What, then, should you do if you’re driving without aircon on a hot summer’s day?

Firstly, wear breathable clothes. Loose fitting clothing is essential to your driving wardrobe. If needed, you can always bring a change of clothes for when you reach your destination.

One key note though is to avoid wearing dangerous footwear that you think will help combat the heat, but could actually imperil other road users. Flip flops are a no-go.

It’s also wise to stay hydrated on your travels – which will help you maintain homeostasis and keep your concentration, even in tough conditions. This is, in fact, a good general driving tip regardless of the heat – but it becomes particularly poignant when you consider that you could become drowsy while driving along during a hot, long summer day.

4. Buy a car that’s equipped to handle hot weather

Price, style, and fuel-efficiency shouldn’t be the only factors influencing your purchasing decision when buying a new car. Think of safety, too. If you’re going to be frequently facing hot weather, you could look for:

• Interior materials that are heat-resistant (for example, leather can crack more quickly if over-exposed to heat).
• An interior that’s adequately spacious.
• Lighter coloured paints, which typically absorb less heat.

5. Learn how to keep a parked car cool

It’s also worth thinking about what happens to your car while you leave it unattended. Whether you’re working and have to leave your car parked to attend meetings, or perhaps you’re out enjoying the sun, the car you left behind in the carpark is subject to the elements.

To avoid having it overheat, you could think about parking under a tree or in a shaded area; minimising its exposure to the sun as much as possible. This may seem silly, but remember that the sun does move throughout the day – so plan ahead by a few hours where possible.

7. Consider tyre pressure

Tyre blowouts are a real threat in extreme heat. When tyre pressures are too low, hot external temperatures can cause the air within your tyre to expand as it heats, which may result in the tyre literally popping while you’re driving along.

We can’t understate how dangerous this is to road users. And, to push the tyre pressure cause even further, there are advantages you could get access to by paying proper attention to your tyre pressure. For example, by adequately pumping up your tyres to a healthy level, you could actually save money on fuel by reducing the amount of power required to move your (now smoothly rolling) tyres along the road.

We hope you found our tips for driving in a heatwave useful, and we wish you safe and comfortable journeys even in the hottest weather the UK can muster.

How can Fuel Card Services help?

Well, we can’t control the weather. But we can ensure that drivers operating a commercial fleet, whether that’s a taxi business or a fleet of delivery lorries, have the safety of their vehicles properly cared for.

Our range of fleet services can help you and your drivers with everything from advanced telematics to accurately reporting mileage claims, while our MyService.Expert service can support you with cost-effective vehicle maintenance and repair.

The government recently announced a package of support for the road haulage industry to combat the growing driver shortage. Unfortunately, the pandemic has only exacerbated an already urgent crisis.

Why is there a driver shortage?

The driver shortage is a result of a number of factors. Primarily, however, the reason for the shortage is simply a lack of new drivers.

The current pool of drivers edges closer to retirement age, but a very small number of new, younger drivers are entering the industry. To even get a HGV license can cost thousands of pounds, making it very unachievable for young people straight out of school or higher education.

Even if that barrier to entry weren’t a huge problem, young people aren’t being easily persuaded to join the haulage industry. There’s an impression that the job would involve long work days, time away from home and low compensation.

How has the pandemic worsened things?

With lockdowns and other travel restrictions looming, many European drivers left the country. Haulage companies have said that few of these drivers have returned.

In addition, HGV driver tests were postponed. There is now a huge backlog of drivers waiting to be tested that would already have passed, had the pandemic not halted things. In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Road Haulage Association pointed out that 30,00 test slots were lost, resulting in a drop of 25,000 passes.

What is the effect of the driver shortage?

The most noticeable result of the shortage is lack of supply. You’ll likely see more and more empty shelves in supermarkets in the coming months. There simply aren’t enough drivers to get stock to where it needs to be. This could see the return of mass panic buying, though stores such as Iceland have advised against it, saying the problem does not warrant this level of panic.

An unfortunate side effect is food wastage. Produce is reaching stores later than it should, meaning its shelf life is drastically reduced if it isn’t already spoiled. In fact, 50,000kg of fresh food went to waste in a single week in June according to The Grocer.

Of course, with low levels of supply comes a demand that cannot be met. With this comes rising prices. Expect and prepare to be paying a little more for your food in the coming months, as stores will need to make up the cost.

This doesn’t just impact the food industry. BP have had to close a handful of UK sites due to shortages in petrol and diesel. However, the company stated that the supply issues were being resolved in a day.

What are the government doing to help the haulage industry?

The government recently wrote an open letter addressed to the UK Logistics Sector. It outlines measures that the government will take to help tackle the HGV driver shortage.

Firstly, the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) are increasing the amount of testing through overtime and allocating additional staff. Successful passes have increased from 1,150 per week (pre-COVID) to 1,500. The DfT (Department for Transport) aims to increase this number to 2,000 by consulting about the “delegation of the off-road manoeuvres as part of the HGV driving test”.

Changes to provisional licenses could allow candidates to progress straight to the articulated lorry test without first having to pass the rigid lorry test.

Relaxed requirements are also being considered in relation to newer car license holders taking extra tests to drive car/van and trailer combinations. The hope is that this would free up more testing capacity for HGVs.

The government is also increasing funding to the Large Goods Vehicle Driver apprenticeship. This aims to tackle the huge issue of the barrier to entry for younger people. With an apprenticeship such as this, they will be more financially supported, making becoming a licensed driver a more realistic prospect.

This letter outlines further steps such as increasing support towards hiring, relaxation of driver’s hours rules and maximising retention.

The full letter can be read here.

Will this solve the issue?

These measures should see a huge uptake in recruitment, which is of course the main issue. Without an increase in recruitment, retired drivers will not be replaced and the crisis will worsen in the coming years.

However, the haulage industry has expressed concerns that these measures are not severe enough.

Richard Burnett of the RHA has stated that these measures are a great step into solving the problem. However, they are long term solutions. Burnett states that overseas help is needed immediately, and short-term visas must be allocated to foreign drivers.

With supply issues only set to worsen with the driver shortage, along with many workers being forced to isolate during the pandemic, it remains to be seen whether these government measures will have any immediate effect on the crisis.

Is your fleet struggling with its operations during this turbulent time? Now more than ever, every driver and every vehicle matters. Get in touch with Fuel Card Services today to see how we can assist you. Whether that be with keeping fuel costs down, optimising your vehicle usage or improving vehicle maintenance, or team is happy to help!

With many drivers now reaping the benefits of a dash cam, it appears that their popularity is only set to increase. There are a number of advantages of this technology, but how can you ensure that you are making the most out of a dashboard camera?

What is a dash cam?

A dash cam is a camera that is mounted onto the dashboard of your vehicle (as the name suggests). They can be installed to draw power from your vehicle. However, some also have a battery or capacitor to ensure the files save properly when the power is disconnected.

The idea behind these cameras is that any incidents will be recorded. This footage can be used as evidence for any legal disputes, or more commonly can be used to bolster an insurance claim.

In fact, insurers offer reduced premiums when you state that you have a dash cam installed. It’s argued that the presence of the camera also encourages safer driving.

How to optimise your camera usage

Find the best placement

Position your camera as close to the middle of the dashboard as possible. This way, the camera will record an accurate view of the road ahead. If it’s badly positioned, the footage may be missing some crucial information.

If the camera was on the left hand side of the dashboard for example, and another driver hit you from the right, there’d be no footage of the incident.

To further optimise your camera’s view, it’s recommended that you place it as high as possible.

Be conscious of glare

On a similar note, pointing the camera too far upwards can create some problems too. The brightness from the sun can cause the camera to overcompensate and bring the overall light levels of the footage down. This means the sky will look normal whilst everything else will be too dark. In this case, the events in the footage may not be visible and rendered useless.

Make sure your camera is pointed directly forwards so the road ahead is in view – do not point it upwards at all.

Keep your windscreen clean!

It might seem obvious, but clean your windscreen often! You’d surely kick yourself if your camera would have captured the incident if it weren’t for a dirty smudge you’d neglected to clean for weeks!

Dirt on the window in front of the lens could also cause your camera to focus on the wrong thing. If this were to happen, your footage might consist of one very clear speck of dirt and a blurry accident in the background that you can’t quite make out.

On a similar note, during unpleasant weather, ensure your wipers are working well. They’ll need to be wiping the water off the windscreen quickly. Otherwise, you’ll have the same issues as you would if the window was dirty.

Get a memory card with plenty of storage

To get the best evidence of any incidents, it’s obviously best to set your dash cam to record at the highest quality. However, higher quality recordings will take up more storage in your memory card. Therefore, it makes sense to find a memory card with a decent amount of storage.

Luckily, the average card size as been increasing over time. A 16GB or 32GB card will be more reasonably priced than it would have been a few years ago.

There are plenty of SD cards that will integrate perfectly with your system. Whilst the cards with higher storage will be more expensive, they could definitely save you money further down the line.

Are dash cams worth it?

Having footage of an accident is becoming more valuable every year. AA claim that having a camera installed “could be the answer to settling insurance disputes and claims”.

Consider that the price of a dashboard camera could be as little as £25 depending on the model. For such a small price, you could be making huge savings.

For example, if you were involved in an incident where another driver drove into your vehicle, you’d be pretty concerned about the insurance implications. But, since you’ve got a recording of the incident, you may not need to worry!

Since dash cam footage is becoming accepted by a growing number of insurers, they are definitely worth having one installed. In the above example, you could submit the footage of the incident and there would be no doubt that it was the other driver who was at fault. Their insurer would have to pay for the damages, whilst you could keep your no claims discount.

With that in mind, we would argue getting a camera installed is definitely worth the investment.

Could installing a dash cam help your fleet?

We know that being able to record incidents can be great for your finances. Having a camera installed on each of your fleet’s vehicles seems like a no-brainer!

Take a look at the Tele-Gence team’s wide range of hardware, including cameras and other useful equipment that is designed to increase the efficiency and safety of your fleet’s day to day operations. Get in touch with our expert team today, and we’ll have you saving in no time.

A worrying new statistic shows that catalytic converter theft has risen by over 100% since 2019. This is a growing problem UK, as well as several reports of similar crimes in other countries such as the US.

If your catalytic converter were to be stolen, it would be an expensive problem to solve. What can you do to stop this from happening and avoid the hefty repair fees?

Why do people steal catalytic converters?

Catalytic converters are targeted for the precious metals that are used to make them. The price of these metals has been soaring since 2019, making them an ideal target for thieves.

Depending on the metal used in the converter, thieves could sell a stolen catalytic converter on for over £200. Since they are not difficult to steal, it’s easy to see why they are being targeted. However, to replace a stolen converter could cost as much as £1,000.

Owners of hybrid vehicles need to be extra vigilant. Figures from Which? show that among the most commonly targeted cars for catalyst converter theft are Toyota Prius, Toyota Auris, and Honda Jazz; all hybrid cars.

Since the converters on hybrid vehicles are used less, the metal corrodes slower. This, and the fact that hybrid vehicles tend to be newer to the market, means that thieves are keen to get their hands on these clean, undamaged converters. They’ll get a better price for the undamaged scrap metal.

How to prevent your catalytic converter from being stolen

1. Park in a safe and well-lit area

Firstly, consider whether you could be parking in a safer place. For many, roadside parking is the only option. In this event, it is advisable to park in a well-lit area that thieves would avoid out of fear of being seen.

If possible, avoid mounting the curb when you park. The raised angle actually makes your vehicle an ideal target for catalytic converter theft. Thieves will have easier access to the underside of your vehicle.

On a similar note, parking close to a wall, fence, or right up against the curb is another way to make the underside of your vehicle difficult to access.

Of course, the safest parking option is a locked garage. However, this is a luxury that many don’t have. Therefore, it saves to apply the above cautions when parking your vehicles.

2. Prevent access to the underside of your vehicle

If possible, avoid mounting the curb when you park. The raised angle actually makes your vehicle an ideal target for catalytic converter theft, providing thieves with even easier access to the underside of your vehicle.

On a similar note, parking close to a wall, fence, or right up against the curb is another way to ensure thieves can’t access underneath your vehicle.

3. Install a car alarm

A great way to deter thieves is to install a car alarm. If a thief begins tampering with your car and sets off an alarm, the chances they will stick around to finish the job are very low.

If you have no choice but to park on the road, this is a great option. In residential areas, your neighbours will also be made aware of the tampering – thieves will not likely return in a hurry.

In fact, installing a car alarm can grant you a discount on insurance premiums. They reduce the chances of having your car broken into or tampered with, which helps to keep your insurance record clean.

4. Use forensic tracking

Whilst not commonly advertised compared to a car alarm, there are tools available to mark your property forensically. Smart Water, for example, is a liquid that marks your property with a forensic code. At first glance, this may not sound like a preventative measure for catalytic converter theft.

However, police can use this code to trace the property back to you – and criminals know this. Research has suggested that 74% of thieves will be deterred from attempting to steal from a property that bares a Smart Water logo. You can place the logo in the windows of your vehicle. Thieves will see it and realise that your catalytic converter might be forensically marked and not want to take the risk.

5. Weld your converter to the frame

Most catalytic converters are attached to the vehicle with bolts, making theft fairly easy with the right tools.

To combat this, it is possible to have a mechanic weld the converter onto the frame. This doesn’t make it impossible to remove, but very difficult without specific tools.

However, it is suggested that welding the converter directly onto your vehicle can cause issues. The device won’t be able to freely vibrate as the vehicle moves, which could cause strain on other parts of the chassis.

6. Add a protective shield

Shields or cages are available that can be fitted to the underside of your vehicle that encase the converter, making it very difficult to steal.

The CatClamp, for example, surrounds the converter in thick wires. In addition, it locks the converter to the chassis in up to 7 places, making it very frustrating for a thief to remove. It is available in different models, and can be fitted to different sized and shaped converters.

Catloc, on the other hand, encases the catalytic converter in a metal casing to prevent theft. It is recommended by UK police forces, and also approved by 6 international vehicle manufacturers.

Enhance your vehicle security with Tele-Gence telematics

With a telematics services such as Tele-Gence, you’ll get an added layer of security and peace of mind.

The technology fitted to your vehicles (which links seamlessly with your fuel card account) will notify you of any out-of-hours activity or signs of tampering.

If your vehicle is stolen, the on board tracking would notify you of its position. This makes catching the thief a much easier job for the police. It should also speed up the process of getting your vehicles back, reducing down time and maintaining a steady income.

Get in touch with the Tele-Gence team today, and find out how you could keep your vehicles safe and secure, as well as plenty of other benefits.