Less Pollution, Less Pay – Cleaner lorries will pay to use UK roads

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news April 13, 2018Pollution

There have been many reported methods that has helped reduce the amount of pollution in the air, but it still doesn’t seem to be enough. From February 2019, the hauliers that meet the most recent Euro VI emissions standards (i.e. less polluting) will benefit from a 10% cost reduction of the Heavy Goods Vehicle levy (HGV).

HGV Levy was created in 2014 as the first step made to make lorry drivers pay a charge to cover the damage they cause to the road surfaces they drive on (tears and wears etc.). This new method allows a chance for the quality of air to be improved, because every little helps, right? Furthermore, if we don’t act fast, we will continue to affect things like the economy, environment and public health.

HGV

What does this mean?

This means, from February next year, there will be a 10% in cost reduction for lorries that are eligible and less polluting then others. Therefore, those that use dirtier vehicles will have to pay 20% more cost because of their actions. Apparently, it has been proved that cleaner lorries emit 80% less nitrogen oxide than dirtier ones, so the results can be incredible if a lot of businesses get involved.

Ministers hope the changing rates of the levy will encourage the rest of the industry to replace their polluting lorries with less. They are hoping that when change comes into effect, the UK will be paying half less and emissions will begin to reduce.

Jesse Norman, the Roads Minister has said; “This government is committed to improving the air we breathe and delivering a green evolution to transport. Heavy good vehicle account for around a fifth of harmful nitrogen oxide emissions from road transport, but they only travel 5% of the total miles. That’s why we’re changing the HGV levy to encourage firms to phase out the most polluting lorries and bring in the cleanest ones.”

Also, our Environment Minister, Thérèse Coffey, has reported; “Air pollution has improved significantly since 2010, but we recognized there is more to do which is why we have put in place a £3.5 billion plan to improve air quality and reduce harmful emissions.”

Changes to the levy

Current rate: £900

Euro VI rate (February 2019): £1000

Euro O-V rate (February 2019): £1,200

Staying Safe On The Road In Hazardous Driving Conditions

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news February 23, 2018

With adverse weather conditions set to sweep the UK again this weekend, its even more important to take care and be extra cautious whilst you are out and about on the roads. Here are a few tips to keep you safe out there.

Check Your Car Is In Good Working Order

Making sure that your tyres and brakes are in good working order is so important in the winter, it gives you that extra grip on the road. Its also a good idea to check your windscreen wipers are working efficiently, not split or worn and make sure you keep your headlights clean.

Avoid Braking Hard

The worst thing you can do in icy weather is brake hard, this of course, will send you into a spin, especially when turning into corners. The best advice is to turn gradually and gently squeeze on the brakes. If you do spin, gradually turn your wheel in the opposite direction, don’t brake hard and gently steer the car straight. Of course you can always reduce your speed by using your gears.

Be Aware Of The Weather Conditions Before You Travel

Black Ice is the one to be cautious of as its not easily seen on the road, so reduce your speed and just be aware that you should slow down well before you need to stop at junctions or traffic lights.

Don’t Tailgate

Try to leave at least 100 yards (a football pitch length) in between you and the car in front, just in case they have to brake suddenly.

Reduce Your Speed

When conditions are really bad you must reduce your speed by at least 10 mph under the speed limit.

Adjust Your Lighting

If your driving, particularly in foggy conditions, to make your visibility better keep your lights on low beam, high beam just reflects glare back at you and makes driving more difficult, also other cars can see you better.

Take A Break

If your tired, pull over and take a break…open a window, grab a coffee or energy drink and turn on some music.

Keep Informed

Keep your radio on for traffic updates, road conditions and it may also give you alternative routes.

Tesla’s Electric Lorry – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news January 2, 2018haulage companies in huntingdon

Tesla has unveiled its first articulate electric lorry, with production due to start in the US at some point in 2019.

CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk said the Semi truck is capable of travelling 500 miles on an electric charge and went on to say that it will cost less than a diesel alternative after you take into consideration fuel savings, maintenance costs and other factors.

When speaking to Tesla fans in California, he said: “We’re confident that this is a product that’s better in every way from a feature standpoint,”

Tesla did not reveal the price of the vehicle but have said customers can put down a $5,000 (£3,778) deposit on a truck.

The Key Features

The truck will have an autopilot system, which is able to maintain a set speed or slow down accordingly when in traffic.

It will also have a system that automatically keeps the vehicle in its lane/

Tesla lorries will be able to travel in a convoy, autonomously following each other.

Tesla also revealed plans to create a global network of solar-powered “megachargers” that could get the trucks back up to 400 miles of range after only charging for half an hour.

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Other Announcements

Tesla also made a surprise announcement with an updated version of its first sports car, the Roadster. Teslas said the new edition will have 620 miles of range and a top speed of around 250 mph.

However, this won’t come cheaply, the Roadster will have a base price of $200,000 (£150,000) and won’t be available to buy until 2020.

Tesla has been manufacturing cars for more than a decade, and it has more recently starting making solar panels.

It is now looking to break into the haulage industry to helps its goal of shifting to sustainable transport.

CEO Elon Musk is involved in a number of other projects and announced plans he says could allow his SpaceX company to colonise Mars in September. He has also just launched a new company that is digging tunnels beneath Los Angeles to alleviate traffic congestion.

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Transport Budget Boost – Swannells – Distribution & Warehousing Huntingdon

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news November 23, 2017Distribution & Warehousing Huntingdon

Theresa May has visited the West Midlands this week to promote a £1.7bn investment as part of the Government’s industrial strategy.

Theresa May will be joined by Business Secretary Greg Clark and Chancellor Phillip Hammond as they look to promote their plans to improve transport links to connect prosperous city centres with struggling suburbs.

The Transforming Cities fund aims to improve reduce congestion, improve connectivity and bring in new technology to create high-quality jobs and spread the wealth around the country.

Upcoming Budget

Mr Hammond is expected to reveal more about how the fund will be spent in this week’s upcoming budget. The ministers also used their visit to promote their decision to boost research and development spending within the transport industry.

The Government’s industrial strategy aims to improve productivity and jobs in post-Brexit Britain.

Writing in the Times, Theresa May said it would create a number of “high-quality, well-paid jobs across the country” helping to shape “a stronger and fairer economy”

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Chris Grayling, Transport Secretary said the fund would make it “quicker and easier for people to get around”.

The Federation of Small Businesses said the transport improvements must also include upgrading local roads. Chairman, Mike Cherry, had this to say: “Many small firms rely on accessible and well-maintained transport networks to move the goods and services their businesses are built on,”.

The decision to increase research and development spending as been called landmark moment by Business Secretary Greg Clark.

Mr Clark had this to say:”The only way we can pay for the good public services that we want to have now and in the future is to make sure we are earning our living in the world and if we look ahead and look at how the world is changing, like it or not, in every country in the world there is a huge change – for example in cars and van; every country is going to have a change from vehicles powered by petrol and diesel to electric, many of them driven autonomously.”

An extra £2.3bn will be spent by the Government on R&D in 2021/22, bringing the annual total to £12.5bn.

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Zero-emissions Zone in Oxford – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Cambridgeshire

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news October 19, 2017haulage companies in cambridgeshire

The city of Oxford has announced they will ban petrol and diesel cars from its city centre from 2020 onwards in the latest round of air quality plans.

It’ll be the first city in the UK to introduce such a ban, going way beyond London’s Congestion Charge and upcoming T-Charge for high-polluting diesel cars.

The ban has been put in place to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels in the city’s worst pollution blackspot, George Street. The band will reduce the nitrogen dioxide by 74%, returning it to natural levels of pollution.

The plan hasn’t yet been given the all clear and will face a six-week public consultation. Traditionally, Oxford is an environmentally aware city, so the proposal is expected to face much less competition than London’s T-Charge.

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The plan is for the zero-emission to evolve every five years. After the initial launch in 2020, the city will extend the area in 2025 and 2030 and by 2035 non-zero-emission HGVs will also be banned from the area.

Oxford city councillor, John Tanner has said: “Everyone who uses Oxford centre has the right to breathe clean air. I would urge everyone who uses Oxford city centre to take part in the consultation. We need to know, in detail, what people’s needs are so that we can plan a zero-emission zone that minimises the impact on business and residents while maximising impact on the city’s health.”

Local bus operators within the city have expressed their support for the scheme, with Stagecoach and the Oxford Bus company both investing heavily in electrified buses recently.

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Uber to Fight London Ban – Swannells Transport – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news October 4, 2017haulage companies in huntingdon

The new CEO of Uber Technologies Dara Khosrowshahi, who is less than a month into his job will meet with the head of London’s transport system this week to try and regain the license for its taxi service.

Transport for London (TfL), which regulates and operates the transport network of the capital, stunned Uber last week when it decided it would not renew its licence after the end of September.

TfL said that Uber was unfit to operate in London and cited its approach to reporting serious criminal offences and background checks on drivers, since the ruling, other major countries around the world have put Uber under the microscope, including Australia.

A Huge Petition – Swannells Transport – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

Uber have until October 13th to appeal the ruling, which they have already confirmed they will be doing in an attempt to keep their 40,000 drivers in London on the road. But the appeal process could take a number of months.

Since the decision was announced to strip Uber of its license, over 800,000 people have signed a petition for the decision to be reversed.

“Our new CEO is looking forward to meeting with the commissioner next week,” an Uber spokesman said. “We want to work with London to make things right.”

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London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has previously criticised the firm, backed the ruling and said it would be wrong to license Uber if its conduct threatened the safety and security of Londoners. While Prime Minister Theresa May said a blanket ban was disproportionate but safety concerns must be resolved.

Premium car service Addison Lee announced their plans to increase competition in the capital by increasing the number of drivers they have in London by a quarter.

This isn’t the first time Uber has face regulatory and legal setback. They have been forced to quit several countries including Denmark and Hungary, amid opposition from traditional taxi services and concern among some regulators.

Uber CEO Khosrowshahi has already apologised to Londoners for Uber’s mistakes, marking a break with the firm’s usual combative tone.

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Electric Lorry Unveiled in October – Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news September 21, 2017warehousing cambridgeshire 0 Comment

Tesla is expected to launch its first electric in late October, as it attempts to break into the commercial market.

Elon Musk, chief executive of Tesla stated that the “Tesla Semi truck” is “tentatively scheduled” for the unveiling and the first tests, one month behind schedule on 26th October. The test will be conducted in Tesla’s hometown of Hawthorne, California.

As well as being an electric lorry, the truck is expected to be able to drive by itself, something that the commercial trucking industry is obviously interested in. Tesla’s proposed battery-powered heavy-duty vehicle, which can apparently travel up to 1,000 miles on a single tank of fuel, allowing it to compete with conventional diesel vehicles.

Having said that, analysts remain sceptical that battery technology, which takes up significantly more volume and is heavier than conventional fuels, is capable matching diesel as a power source without reducing the truck’s maximum payload.

Autonomous Driving

Tesla first announced their plans for an electric commercial truck last year, and in April, Elon Musk said the release of the semi-truck was set for September. Tesla is hoping that electrification and autonomous driving systems could eventually remove the need for a driver, but in the short term could increase efficiency and safety.

Tesla is under fierce competition as a number of companies race to try and break into the commercial market. Both Uber and Alphabet’s former Google self-driving systems, Waymo are aiming to produce similar vehicles and services.

The Department of Transport announced in August that platoons of self-driving lorries will be tested on England’s motorways. The government said new vehicles driven by diesel and petrol engines will be banned from 2040, in the hope of tackling air pollution, forcing automotive manufacturers to consider electrification as well as alternative fuel sources such as hydrogen.

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Self Driving Lorries to Be Tested in UK – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Cambridgeshire

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news September 6, 2017haulage companies in cambridgeshire

The government have announced that small convoys of partially self-driving lorries will be tested on major British roads by the end of 2018.

A contract has been handed out to the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to carry out the tests of vehicle ‘platoons’.

As many as three lorries will travel in formation, with the lead vehicle controlling the speed, acceleration and braking. In the platoons, the lead vehicle will be controlled by a human driver, with the rest of the convoy being connected wirelessly. The following vehicles will be instructed to accelerate and brake by the lead vehicle, which will allow the lorries to drive closer together than they could if the platoon was controlled by human drivers.

But there have been some safety concerns from the AA.

How do they work?

Lorries driving closer together should reduce the amount of air resistance for the following vehicles, providing that the front lorry pushes air out of the way. This could then lead to fuel efficiency savings for haulage companies, which Transport Minister Paul Maynard hopes will be passed on to consumers.

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With the following vehicles being connected wirelessly, it would allow the vehicles to react more quickly if the lead lorry was to quickly brake, quicker than human drivers would be able to, not only does this allow the lorries to drive closer together but it will also hopefully reduce the chances of potential accidents.

Whilst the lorries in convoy will react to acceleration and braking on their own, a human driver is needed to steer the lorries in the platoon.

The TRL will begin trials of the technology on test tracks, but these trials are expected to move to major roads by the end of next year.

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Ford Scrappage Scheme – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news August 23, 2017haulage companies in huntingdon

Ford is the latest car company to launch an incentive for UK consumers to trade in cars over 7 years old, by offering £2,000 off some new models.

Unlike the schemes launched by Mercedes and BMW, which are only for diesel vehicles, Ford will also accept petrol vehicles.

Ford has stated that any cars handed in as part of the scheme will be scrapped, having an immediate effect on air quality.

Campaigners have said although this is a step in the right direction, the government still have a lot more to do.

A Journey to Improve Air Quality – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

Chairman and Managing Director of Ford of Britain, said its scrapple scheme is ‘part of a journey’ to improve air quality.

“We have some pretty large incentives here, up to £7,000 if you have a commercial transit vehicle,” he said.

“We’re the only scheme open to commercials. It is part of a journey.

“Air quality is a much bigger debate and getting older vehicles off the road is part of that.

“New technology, such as plug-in hybrids etc, are all part of that longer journey we need to work together.”

He denied accusations of the scheme being a clever marketing ploy to look good while selling more cars.

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The Scheme

Consumers will be given £2,000 off new Ford models that range in price from £10,000 to more than £20,000. Ford have said that by combining the scheme with other standard offers, customers could receive up to £4,000 off a car or £7,000 off a van.

Under the scheme, any old car from any manufacturer can be exchanged until the end of December.

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Urban Charges & Lorry Bans Across UK – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news August 10, 2017haulage companies in huntingdon

A number of cities across the UK will start levying prohibitively high charges on older HGVs and vans, for air quality reasons during 2019. At the same time, London has plans the could see a number of HGVs banned from the capital for having insufficient direct vision. Operators need to plan procurement or other coping strategies now to ensure the business impact is minimised.

The Freight Transport Association’s Transport Manager Conferences will be covering the topic, ensuring that attendees have the latest information about what will happen where, as well as what vehicles will be affected and how they should plan to avoid the least disruption possible.

The Government has named 32 local authorities across England that have to take further action on air quality, but it is a complicated picture as to which of these will result in a charging zone affecting commercial vehicles. The conference will also give the FTA an opportunity to give its insight. The FTA will also brief on the effects of the London Direct Vision Standard, which could potentially see more than half of the +12 tonne HGVs that currently visit London banned completely by 2020.

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Christopher Snelling, FTA’s Head of Nation & Regional Policy, had this to say: “Over the next three years a series of blanket restrictions will come into force in UK cities for HGVs and vans. With retrofitting of existing vehicles unlikely to be an option for most operators, transport managers need to be prepared for what is ahead, so the procurement of future fleets can be planned.”

A Manufacturers Perspective – Swannells Transport – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

This year, the conference will be sponsored by Iveco, who is also expected to give a vehicle manufacturer’s perspective on the proposed changes. Iveco’s Alternative Fuel Director, Martin Flach said: We applaud local authorities’ efforts to improve inner city air quality. The impact on truck operators is likely to be great, with many having to replace significant parts of their fleets to avoid incurring heavy penalties. This may be a fact they are not fully aware of. Iveco welcomes the opportunity to inform the audience at these important conferences.”

Last year, there were record numbers at the conference, something that the FTA is hoping to repeat this year.

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