Category: Vehicle Tracking

UK van drivers are being encouraged to look after themselves, after new research revealed fewer than four in ten van operators have had a doctor’s check-up in the last 12 months.

What’s more, 61 per cent do not eat fruit and vegetables every day and admit to having “unhealthy diets”.

Self-care is important for everyone

Research from Mercedes-Benz Vans UK engaged with 2,000 UK van drivers and owners to compile its findings.

The results highlight a growing need for many van operators to place a far higher priority on looking after their health.

Steve Bridge, managing director at Mercedes-Benz Vans UK, said: “As an industry, the van sector is spent focusing on others – from parcel and delivery couriers, e-grocery, service engineers and facility management companies are all spent focused on benefiting others, but we think it’s time that more self-care is taken.”

He went on to argue there is a growing need for van operators to be more health-conscious.

Partnering with Mercedes-Benz Vans and responding to the research, former professional footballer Alan Stubbs added it is essential people do not bury their heads in the sand if they think there is something wrong with their health.

“My message to men across the country is that if you think something isn’t quite right, go and get it checked,” he stated.

Ellie Baker, brand manager at Fuel Card Services, comments: “Self-care is important for everyone, especially those who include heavy lifting or long periods of sitting down and driving in their workday. It’s important for people to recognise their health can be greatly affected by their choices at work.”

Fleet manager’s today are dealing with such an overload of work when overseeing vehicles – from monitoring and maintaining to leasing and compliance – that it’s easy to overlook the people who drive them.

But poor driver behaviour impacts fuel bills more than vehicle inefficiencies. And the larger your fleet, the more costly this oversight becomes.

So how do you keep an eye on all your drivers?

With fleet telematics solutions. While tracking vehicles and providing insightful data overview is hardly new, one of these telematic solutions has been shown to improve MPG by up to 20% – and increase productivity by up to 10%.

Better still, it has no hidden start-up fees and requires no long-term commitment. Its name?

Tele-Gence

This is part of a comprehensive suite of fleet management solutions called My Fleet Hub.

Suitable for all vehicles, Tele-Gence offers smart, affordable telematics made simple. Intelligent, intuitive and event-driven, it combines fuel card use with tracking data to ensure valuable savings, offers in-depth reporting on pump pricing, driver behaviour, fuel fraud, and vehicle tracking, while reducing the risk of accidents.

Its user-friendly services are customisable with bespoke options scalable to specific needs, with frictionless access from the Cloud, and support from a UK-based team.

See what you could save at

www.tele-gence.com

New research has revealed more than half of all UK van drivers are failing to use Bluetooth hands-free devices when making calls from their vehicle.

Figures produced by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VCV) show 23 per cent do not have a hands-free device installed in their vehicle. Meanwhile, 33 per cent said they do have hands-free devices installed, but do not use them.

Avoid distraction and save lives

On average, UK van drivers spend 35 minutes each day on the phone in their vehicle, making or receiving an average of seven calls.

However, one in ten respondents to the VCV research stated they spend more than two hours on the phone while driving each day.

Sarah Cox, head of marketing at VCV, commented: “Our figures show that many van drivers don’t have or aren’t using a Bluetooth hands-free kit behind the wheel – risking not only a fine and potential ban, which would damage business, but, more seriously, a potentially fatal accident.”

Government figures show nearly half a million drivers continue to fall foul of mobile phone driving laws each year.

Motorists caught by police using a handheld mobile phone while driving will receive a fine of £200 and a six penalty point endorsement on their licence.

Jenny Smith, general manager for Tele-Gence, commented: “It takes only a small distraction from a call or a text to a mobile phone when driving to cause a serious accident. There is no excuse not to use hands-free devices by all drivers.”

Your business can benefit from affordable telematics with no hidden start-up fees or long-term commitments. Find out how at www.tele-gence.com

Small to medium-sized businesses across the UK will need to incorporate smarter technologies into their fleets. This is the view of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.

According to a new survey carried out by the group, almost one-fifth (18 per cent) of small business leaders believe rising demand for deliveries will be their greatest challenge in the coming years.

Efficiency in deliveries is essential

In order to achieve greater efficiency in deliveries, 70 per cent of respondents stated they need enhanced connectivity in vehicles to boost their performance and improve their business.

What’s more, 35 per cent of small businesses already see the use of smarter technologies within their fleets as their leading motivation for upgrading vehicles. This was followed by cost saving (21 per cent) and sustainability (14 per cent).

Ashwani Gupta, senior vice president of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi LCV business, said: “We’ve heard from business leaders themselves that prioritising smarter technology for fleets will help to reach their customers with increased speed and scale – factors that are becoming ever more crucial for survival in this space.”

Mr Gupta added that the rise in on-demand consumerism means now “is a crucial moment” to ensure small businesses feel empowered to succeed in e-commerce.

Ellie Baker, brand manager at Fuel Card Services, comments: “Facing up to the logistical challenges of today’s hyper-connected world means organisations that wish to excel must now invest in new fleet technologies.”

The UK’s policymakers have been warned of the dangerous consequences of a failure to properly support the fleet sector in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions through a fair tax regime.

Ongoing support for fleets is needed

According to the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Agency (BVRLA), the introduction of the incoming Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) means it is essential to have a supportive tax regime that reflects the efforts of the fleet sector to minimise its level of emissions.

In order to achieve this, the BVRLA is calling for:

• Adjustment in future vehicle excise duty (VED) and company car tax bands for 2020 and beyond to account for the increase in WLTP-based CO2 figures
• Guarantees that all CO2-related taxes and charges are treated consistently under WLTP
• A four/five-year view of future company car tax and VED bands, enabling fleets and drivers to plan their vehicle choices
• Freezing the rates for all pre-April 2020 legacy vehicles at the 2018/19 level

Transparency is key

BVRLA chief executive Gerry Keaney stated: “Most policymakers recognise the vital part that these fleets will play in delivering the government’s flagship Road to Zero and Industrial Strategy.

“We need HM Treasury to acknowledge and support the fleet sector’s role by providing a fair, consistent and well-signposted tax regime.”

He added that what is most needed now is an element of transparency from the government, with WLTP not used as an excuse to “boost Treasury coffers”.

Jenny Smith, general manager for Tele-Gence, commented: “Policymakers need to ensure a fair level of support for fleet providers or run the risk of undermining their own efforts to tackle the carbon crisis. Helping to give clarity on future rates and duties will be a benefit for all.”

Your business can benefit from affordable telematics with no hidden start-up fees or long-term commitments. Find out how at www.tele-gence.com