What Does 2020 Have In-Store For The HGV Industry?

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news February 3, 20202020, cambridgeshire, HGV, industry, technology, warehousing company in cambridge

As we enter a new decade, it’s a good time to reflect on the impacts and developments made in the 2010s. With over 80% of all basic, personal items being distributed and delivered by Heavy Goods Vehicles, it’s understandable that the industry is continuously growing.

So what’s in store for specialists in the HGV and forklift industry? In this article, Swannells Transport is exploring a few theories about the future of HGV driving in 2020 and beyond…

1. Stricter Laws and Qualifications

With safety becoming a bigger priority than ever, we predict that stricter laws and qualifications will come into play, to improve professional capacity, publicity and most importantly, safety on the roads. It’s highly likely we will suddenly see the introduction of more difficult qualifications in becoming an HGV driver or specialist.

After all, the use of HGVs for businesses are increasing exponentially. So, increased regulation will improve working conditions and safety.

2. A Gender Neutral Industry

Since the beginning, HGV driving has historically been a male-dominated industry. However, as we enter 2020 more and more females are stepping into the role in an increasing demand for skilled drivers.

Additionally, with stricter laws and qualifications also potentially coming into play, the better working conditions and salary is making the career more appealing for men and women. In fact, we have already begun the decade with more women working as HGV drivers than at any other point in history.

We can imagine a future where the ratio of drivers has a more equal ratio – we are excited to see how this decade will change those statistics.

3. Tesla Semi Electric Lorry Launch

In 2019, Elon Musk announced the launch of the brand’s new electric lorry was delayed until this year. The Semi is the new addition to Tesla’s well-known and popular electric vehicle range and will be capable of driving for up to 600 miles on a single charge, even when fully loaded.

Furthermore, this range of vehicle will be capable of accelerating from 0-60mph in 5 seconds, so a powerful truck it shall be. However, according to the UK HGV drivers, the production of HGV vehicles shouldn’t be about power, it should be about efficiency and safety.

It’s claimed that the Semi’s energy recovery systems are capable of recovering 98% of kinetic energy to the battery – which is a lot more than other electric vehicles already on the road. With a low wind resistance, surround cameras and even a new Enhanced Autopilot system with emergency braking, automatic lane keeping and lane departure warning, this vehicle sounds like a very exciting addition to the range, with some environmental benefits too!

Tesla Launch 2020 – Warehousing Company in Cambridgeshire

4. Expected Increase in ADAS

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is a type of truck safety technology that ensures a safer driving experience. 90% of road accidents are caused by a mistake made by a driver, so ideally, this system is aiming to create an accident-free future for the roads.

ADASs are electronic systems designed to assist a driver while in use of the vehicle using a wide range of powerful technologies that can either alert the driver of potential hazards or take temporary control of the vehicle if reaction times aren’t up to standards.

As safety and efficiency is a huge, huge factor of concern in the HGV industry, it is highly expected that ADAS will be seen as a mandatory feature, rather than an optional one.

As a haulage company in Cambridgeshire, Swannells Transport like to keep up to date with the industry and the worldwide news. This allows us to improve the quality of our services, our equipment and our team.

For more information, contact Swannells Transport today or alternatively, follow us on social!

How New Haulage Safety Technology Has Saved Lives…

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news September 24, 2018awareness, haulage, safe, technology

In 2015, HGV’s were involved in more than 400,000 accidents, that resulted in 4,000 deaths and 116,000 injuries. As devastating as that sounds, Lorries and large transportation vehicles are highly significant to companies and the distribution industry, and as the numbers continued to rise as the years have gone by, the safety standards have risen as well.

Well, companies and organisations, over the past few years have been developed, or have developed, amazing new technology that has been proven to make driving HGV’s easier and even save thousands of lives. I mean, these numbers above were unacceptable, and whilst these new devices aren’t going to completely stop fatalities or serious injuries caused by large vehicles, decreasing the numbers is a good start.

Some of these new advanced technologies include:

Lane Departure Warning Systems – a Mechanism designed to keep the vehicle in the lane, and preventing it from drifting out in harsh weather conditions or by mistake. There are lots of different levels of this technology; ranging from a noise as an alert to get you back in the lane to steering the car back into position automatically, it’s incredibly clever. Analytics has shown that installing these systems on all large vehicles can prevent 6,372 crashes, 1,342 injuries and 115 deaths each year.
Video-based Safety Monitoring Systems – cameras and sensors that help monitor the driver’s performance, and can give feedback to the driver to suggest actions for a safer, easier drive. Analytics has shown that installing these systems on all large vehicles can prevent 63,000 crashes, 17,733 injuries and 293 deaths each year.
Volvo Trucks New System – Volvo Trucks have developed a new system that does a 360-degree scan around the vehicle to monitor anything happening around it. It will then suggest actions or alert the driver to avoid any incidents and make the journey safer for everyone. This was mostly created to protect pedestrians and cyclists, so hopefully, it’s enough to save more lives.
Self-Driving Lorries – This is the latest breakthrough in haulage technology, out of the 4. Furthermore, up to 3 lorries will travel in formation, as a test, where acceleration and braking will be controlled by the leading vehicle, whilst steering is controlled by the human driver.

These were just a few examples, as there is so much more technology that has been developed/is in development that has similar aims – to make the roads much safer for drivers.

It is awfully scary driving next to an HGV, especially because the vehicle is more than triple the size of yours. However, driving the vehicle is just as scary as driving next to one, as it is the driver’s responsibility to be aware of his surroundings, and to distribute the delivery safely and on time.

What we are trying to say is, as dangerous as these vehicles are, you yourself should stay alert at all times and be aware that:

They have larger/more blind spots.
If you can’t see them, they can’t see you.
You should leave a safe distance.
You should watch out for indications.
Just because they have this safety technology, doesn’t mean you still shouldn’t be alert of these heavy vehicles.

Thank you for reading.

Volvo Trucks take safety to the next level with new driver support technology

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news June 19, 2018driver, Safety, technology, Volvo Trucks

Volvo Trucks are a global truck manufacturer based in Sweden, and lately, they have been using their expertise in electrified transport vehicles to develop awesome new technologies that not only blow minds but can potentially improve safety on the road for everyone. For instance, they introduced the first all-electric truck in April 2018, and it gained a lot of attention.

Volvo Trucks goals are to create better traffic safety and enhanced working environment for drivers, and their most recent technology has been designed to reach those goals and to save lives; two accident prevention systems have been developed to support drivers and keep them confident and comfortable during their journeys in HGVs. Furthermore, using their new Stability Assist and Lane Keeping Assist systems, Volvo Trucks HGV’s will reduce the risk of accidents dramatically. They have also introduced a new function that will allow drivers to adjust to wheel resistance.

These intelligent new devices are based on Volvo Dynamic Steering – an award-winning innovation that was developed for the purpose to eliminate vibration and steering difficulty on uneven road surfaces. Furthermore, if you were driving an HGV at a low speed, as soon as the driver’s grip tightens on the steering wheel, the Dynamic Steering system will automatically self-centre. This is because when you are going slow, the steering wheel’s resistance decreases by around 75%. On the other hand, if you were driving at a high speed, the vehicle will maintain it’s direction confidently even in difficult situations, such as rough surfaces or weather etc. The Traffic and Product Safety Director at Volvo Trucks, also known as Carl Johan Almqvist, said; “Volvo Dynamic Steering has truly revolutionised the driver’s job behind the wheel. Better directional stability, easier manoeuvring and higher comfort have reduced the risk of road accidents and strain-related injuries. Now we are building further on our success with new functions that help make the traffic environment even safer.”

Volvo Dynamic Steering with Stability Assist

Stability Assist is a clever new support system because it stabilises and prepares the vehicle before you, as the driver, have even noticed a situation that is occurring; “Imagine you’re driving on a wet, slippery road and you suddenly notice that the rear of the truck is starting to lose its grip on the asphalt. Before this develops into a skid, you steer gently in the opposite direction until the danger is over. That’s exactly the way Volvo Dynamic Steering with Stability Assist works. The big difference is that the system can discover the risk and help stabilise the vehicle before you’ve even noticed that something is about to happen,” explains Carl. This meaning that this new kind of technology not only prevents accidents but also detects hazards more or less immediately, so the driver can be more comfortable when driving a large transport vehicle.

Volvo Dynamic Steering with Lane Keeping Assist

The purpose of Lane Keeping Assist is to reduce the risk of unintentional lane departure. This system will do this by detecting when the HGV begins edging towards the lane marking. The system will then guide the vehicle back into the centre of their lane and will notify the driver, using a vibration on the steering wheel, if it needs more assistance. Overall, Lane Keeping Assist will help prevent accidents by keeping large heavy Volvo trucks in a correct, safe position.

Wheel Resistance

As well as these new systems, Volvo Trucks have also introduced a new function, also based on Volvo Dynamic Steering, that makes steering wheel adjustments possible and easier for drivers struggling with resistance; “Each driver has a different perception of how light or heavy the steering system should be. Now every driver can adjust the steering wheel resistance exactly as he or she wants for comfortable, relaxed and safe driving.” explains Carl. Therefore, this new feature is an additional personal setting that will hopefully achieve convenient driving for individuals.

Thank you for reading. I hope you found this article informative.