Back on Track? Transport Industry Has Cause For - Cautious - Optimism.

Don’t speak too soon, but there are signs of a small recovery in the global transport industry, well, for some companies, at least.

According to the latest statistics, global transport and logistics revenues increased by 15% last year to $197.8bn (£121.20bn). 

That's the good news. The bad news is that, in real terms, this means that industry revenues have barely shifted from where they were in 2007.

And it appears there are certain areas of the industry that are faring better than others.

The figures, published in Transport Intelligence’s Global Transport & Logistics Sector Leaders 2011 report, reflect the performance of 19 major companies including DHL, Wincanton and Kuehne + Nagel.

It found that industry profit margins remain wafer thin at less than 5% and suggests that while these profits might be enough to keep “low asset” operations going, they spell danger for big logistics firms with their own fleets.

"The industry needs to increase its margins in 2011 and beyond," says TI analyst David Bagshaw. "2010 has seen a good recovery for most of the industry, but it still has some way to go.”

The report suggested that the worst hit part of the industry is haulage, which hasn’t pulled out of recession yet and is suffering continued profitability problems.

All this, of course, underlines the crucial role telematics and vehicle tracking can play in business. At iBox technology, we are seeing that our range of mates is delivering significant savings in all sorts of areas - from increased fuel efficiency to staff rota savings. Why not give us a call to discuss how we can save you money in these challenging economic times.

Judge's Prison Sentence For Tacho Fiddlers Is A Boost For Telematics and Tracking Industry

The huge importance of telematics and vehicle tracking was underlined this week by an unlikely but powerful source - a Crown Court judge.

The judge, at Norwich Crown Court, sent three container drivers to prison for falsifying tachograph records. The drivers, who all worked for a sole trader in the Norfolk town of Downham Market and transported containers in and out of the port of Felixstowe, had been using a variety of tricks to produce inaccurate records of their driving behaviour.

These had included driving without a tachograph chart, pulling the fuse out of the tachograph to stop it working properly and carrying out widespread ‘wind backs’ to give a false impression of the amount of time drivers spent at the wheel.

The three drivers were given various length sentences between four and eight months. Two other drivers, who had committed lesser offences, were given 150 hours community service.

The trial was the result of a two-year investigation by VOSA, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency. After the verdict VOSA’s operations director Alex Fiddes said: "Although this is a tremendous result for VOSA, it is sad to see that a small minority of unscrupulous operators are prepared to break the rules and disregard road safety in this way. The severity of the sentences reflects the importance of drivers' hours rules. HGV drivers must stick to the rules and take proper rest, otherwise they risk causing serious accidents.”

That final statement is the one that really rings true.

Vehicle tracking and telematics devices aren’t installed just to measure meaningless statistics and allow fleet managers to ‘spy‘ on their staff for no good reason. They are there to ensure the safety and welfare of not just drivers but other road users. In the bad old days, lorry drivers would be forced to work every hour of the day and regularly fell asleep at the wheel - with tragic consequences. Awful accidents involving overworked drivers are now - thankfully - a rarity and telematics have played a huge part in improving the situation.

The judge at Norwich Crown Court gave the whole industry a boost by sending out such a clear message.

Tanks For Nothing: Soaring Fuel Thefts Making Life Even Tougher For UK Transport Firms

As if the UK's transport and haulage industries haven't got enough to cope with, they now face a serious and costly new threat - fuel theft. 

Siphoning diesel from lorries is rife at the moment, with the number of reported crimes soaring. 

A survey by the RHA, Road Haulage Association, found that almost 60 per cent of those polled had been victims of fuel theft in the past 12 months. 

Chrys Rampley, RHA security and infrastructure manager, told roadtransport.com "Fuel thefts in the road haulage industry have always been a big issue, but the spike in diesel costs will make operators' margins suffer even more than usual."

Rampley said that while some thieves were stealing diesel for personal use, an increasing number were selling large amounts of fuel on the black market. The RHA survey backed this up, revealing a hike in the number of thefts in the region of 1,000-1,500litres, compared to the average 100-600litres that had been stolen in the past. 

More than half of victims in the poll said diesel had been siphoned directly from lorry tanks, while the rest had been taken from storage tanks in yards and compounds. 

Perhaps not suprisingly the most vulnerable locations and times are lay-bys at night and in the late afternoon. 

One leading haulier, David McMurray, MD of Accrington, Lancashire company McMurrays Haulage told roadtransport.com. "We have been targeted a handful of times so far in 2011. It has been a problem for the industry for a long time, but fuel is becoming like liquid gold-dust, so I'm not surprised to hear the number of incidents has risen again."

McMurrays has fitted its fleet with anti-siphoning products, but there are doubts over whether this is effective. The RHA said that some anti-siphoning security was proving counterproductive because thieves went well-equipped and tore the fuel cap off the tank, which left the whole tank in need of replacing at even greater expense. 

This is where telematics can play its part. Of course, you can never stop a determined criminal, especially when they operate in well organised - and potentially dangerous - gangs. But devices like iBox's 'Check-Mate' and 'Eco-Mate' can help fleet managers keep abreast of what's happening remotely by helping them monitor variables, from fuel levels to the security of vehicles in lay-bys. If drivers are targeted by gangs, the 'Tele-mate' also allows two way communication between driver and fleet office and, if necessary, the police. 

On the subject of which, we would expect the police to help combat this alarming rise. And, to be fair, the specialist lorry crime unit TruckPol has re-introduced the reporting of fuel thefts under 1,000 litres after stopping the service back in July 2009. 

But as we reported in a previous blog, TruckPol now faces severe funding cutbacks. It all means that hard-pressed hauliers are going to feel more embattled - and abandoned - than ever. 

Euro-Trash - Why The UK Transport Industry Needs To Wake Up To Europe's Future, And Why Telematics Will Be Crucial

Europe's roads will change dramatically between now and 2050. 

Transport groups and UK politicians have been trashing the European Commission's newest plans to rid cities of petrol-fueled vehicles by the year 2050. 

The plans were revealed in a white paper published yesterday in which the EC called for  €1.5 billion in infrastructure investments to create a 'Single European Transport Area' over the next two decades. The white paper also calls for a swathe of  pro-green measures to ensure the EU cuts its transport emissions by 60 percent by 2050.

Suggested moves include laws requiring road freight transport travelling in excess of 300km to be shifted to rail or waterborne transport.

UK politicians dismissed the document - basically telling Brussels to keep its nose out of British roads and town centres. "We will not be banning cars from city centres any more than we will be having rectangular bananas," said UK transport minister Norman Baker.

And Ivan Hodac, secretary general of the automobile industry's trade association (ACEA), called the proposal to shift long distance haulage from the roads to rail and water "a mistake". 

But there's no question that the EC is serious about introducing measures to slash emissions and rid its cities of heavy vehicles. And quite frankly, companies have got to face up to the fact that they are going to have to be more careful about planning long distance travel - and not just because of ever-spiralling fuel costs. 

All of which is going to mean that telematics and vehicle tracking devices are going to play an increasingly important part in fleet management. And technology like iBox's popular 'Eco-Mate', 'Trac-Mate' and 'Tele-Mate' will be crucial in this new, more heavily regulated environment, allowing managers to locate their drivers and vehicles, monitor their emissions and fuel efficiency and communicate with them as they travel around Europe's more tightly-controlled road networks. 

For details about how we can help you navigate your way around the Europe of the future, contact iBox or visit our website www.iboxtechnology.co.uk 

Crimestoppers - How Telematics Can Plug The Gap Left By The Scrapping Of TruckPol

There was widespread disappointment in the UK transport industry this week when the Home Office announced its plans to cut funding for TruckPol, the specialist police unit set up to fight crime in the haulage industry.

The Government has decided that it can no longer provide the mere £50,000 a year it takes to run the service - despite that fact that recent statistics revealed a massive 59 per cent rise in lorry thefts.

The unit will now have to rely on private donations. TruckPol head, DC Sue Coutts, told roadtransport.com the unit has enough private capital to survive for at least 12 months, but that more money will be needed if it wants to continue fighting freight crime from April 2012. "Revenue raised from our private sector sponsors and EU project money continues to provide enough funding for TruckPol to continue. We are not losing any staff in the unit and, if anything, the unit is working well. Obviously though, now, more than ever we need more sponsors."

The cut seems pretty small-minded and couldn't be more badly timed. But it does present an opportunity for the telematics industry to step in and help combat the rise in lorry crime by producing tracking equipment that protects hauliers and their cargo.

At iBox technology our 'Check-mate' device has proven a popular and effective tool in helping fleet managers and drivers. system. Our system uses barcode or RFID technology to monitor stock movements on or off the vehicle at the POD. It can also be used to check on board inventories, such as plant and equipment, and allows drivers to conduct vehicle checks which generate exception reports that are sent directly via email to the fleet manager.

With private industry left to police the growing problem of lorry crime for itself, devices like the 'Check mate' seem certain to play a vital role. To find out more about the 'Check mate' and our other devices, contact iBox.

Introducing the iBox vehicle tracking 'Mates' Part 2 - the fuel-saving 'Eco-mate'

It's an interesting reflection on the current economic conditions, that one of our most popular tracking devices is now the innovative 'Eco-mate'.

With fuel prices rising seemingly every day- and the threat of an oil crisis brewing in the Middle East - many transport and logistics companies are finding that this device is an invaluable asset when it comes to managing fuel and vehicle efficiency.

The Eco-mate combines a live, web-based Canbus interface with our Trac-mate technology and features an impressive range of functions which allow managers to monitor variables from fuel consumption to driving and braking habits, harsh acceleration and excessive idling.

In a cost-conscious business environment, it's little wonder it is attracting so much attention. Contact us if you would like more information.

Features include:
Live Canbus which includes :
MPG
Harsh acceleration
Harsh Braking
Use of cruise control
Idling
Fuel used idling
Total fuel used
Engine hours
Distance to next service
PLUS:
Live web based .
Tracking
Snail trail
Full auto reports in csv , pdf and excel
Mapping
Compatible with standard Garmin Sat nav.
Able to monitor vehicle ancillary equipment ( cranes, lifts etc)
Geo-fencing including polygon
Auto alerts in sms or e mail format
Find nearest vehicle function

Running On Empty: Spiralling Fuel Costs Are Killing UK Transport Firms

Barely a week goes by now without news of yet another transport company being brought to its knees by rising fuel prices. The latest casualty is one of Britain's oldest haulage firms, Joseph Rice & Sons, who have ceased trading after 161 years. 

As roadtransport.com reports the Gloucester-based hauliers said  the "soaring cost of fuel" was the biggest reason for the collapse of the firm, which employed 33 staff.

The story highlights a couple of things. Firstly, it underlines the need for Government action to protect the transport industry from spiralling prices, which are likely to get even higher because of the political instability in the Middle East. 

Last week the FairFuelUK campaign handed in a petition with more than 120,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street. 

But the story is also a reminder of the important role telematics can play in helping companies control their fuel costs. 

iBox technology's popular eco-mate tracking device is an invaluable asset for fleet managers looking to manage fuel and vehicle efficiency. The device combines a live, web-based Canbus interface with our Trac-mate technology and features an impressive range of functions which allow managers to monitor variables from fuel consumption to driving and braking habits, harsh acceleration and excessive idling. 

"With so many companies struggling to cope with rising prices, fleet managers need every bit of help they can get in monitoring how much fuel their drivers are consuming. The eco-mate has been successful in helping some of our customers make significant savings in their fuel bills," said iBox director Steve Green. 

"In a world where every penny counts, it can make the difference between survival and becoming yet another name in the list of failed transport companies." 

Vehicle Telematics Key To Keeping Track of Fleet Staff Safety

The first conviction in the UK under new corporate manslaughter legislation has given fleet managers a sharp reminder of the importance of keeping their staff, vehicles and equipment safe.


As Fleet News this week reported, a company called Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings was found guilty of the death of a 27-year-old geologist named Alex Wright, who died in September 2008 when a trench in which he was working collapsed. The firm was fined  £385,000 - 116% of its annual turnover - for the crime. 


The conviction is being viewed as a real warning shot to companies who are lax in meeting their health and safety obligations.  

“This conviction and the penalty handed down by the court should make less safety conscious firms – both large and small – sit up and think,” said Roger Bibbings, RoSPA’s occupational safety adviser in the wake of the ruling. "Those who can reassure themselves that their health and safety management systems are effective have nothing to fear.”

David Faithful, lawyer for Essential Risk Consultancy, told Fleet News: “Despite years of warnings, many companies are still woefully under-protected when it comes to managing driver risk.


All this goes to underline the important duty of care all transport and logistics company's face. And it reinforces the role that telematics can play in helping them achieve this. 


At ibox technology, our range of 'mates' can help fleet managers track key pieces of data, from drivers' working patterns to break times while also monitoring their driving behaviour via analytics such as harsh braking patterns. It all adds to the fleet manager's toolbox of controls when it comes to exercising a duty of care over his or her drivers.  


"Every transport company, no matter how big or small, has a legal responsibility to its staff and this new legislation makes that duty an even greater one," said ibox technology's director, Steve Green. 


"So the more information our tracking devices can provide them in terms of where their staff are located, how long they have been at work, whether they are taking proper breaks and driving responsibly, the more chance fleet managers have to fulfil that responsibility properly." 

Contact iBox for more details about how our 'mates' can help you improve and monitor health and safety in your company.  

Hole Lot Of Trouble Going On - How Potholes Are Hitting The UK's Transport Fleets Hard

Potholes on a road in Banbury, UK.

It will come as no surprise to anyone who is out on the road on a day-to-day basis - but councils in England have today admitted that they don't have enough money to fix the potholes that are blighting the country's highways. 


Last Winter's bad weather once more created millions of dangerous craters on our roads. Councils say they have increased spending to deal with it and the Department of Transport has pledged £3 billion to fill in the mess.


But even this isn't enough. 

The Local Government Association (LGA) told the BBC that they would face a "huge struggle" to repair holes after the coldest December in 100 years.

Potholes form when water seeps into road cracks and freezes, breaking up the tarmac. The association estimated councils had filled in more than two million potholes following the winter of 2009-10 and faced a similar task this year. 


The problem has huge implications for the transport industry, not least because councils are increasingly facing compensation claims from road users who are affected by badly damaged roads. 


One council, Hampshire County Council, admitted to the BBC that payouts for damage to vehicles caused by potholes almost doubled in a year. The authority paid out about £111,000 in 2009/10 - compared to about £60,000 the year before.

If you are a fleet manager worried about the damage bad roads are causing your vehicles, telematics can play a vital role in monitoring the problem - and making claims. 


Detailed 'snail trails' of vehicle's routes and timings along with readings on harsh-breaking patterns and speeds can be used to build up a comprehensive picture of how a vehicle's progress has been disrupted by potholes. 


Contact us to find out more about how iBox technology's mates can help you chart the damage potholes cause your vehicles.

How To Stop Forklifts Being Lifted! The Genius Of Geo-Fencing

Fleet managers and vehicle owners are always facing new challenges. And we, as suppliers of tracking equipment, have to move with them.

An important recent development has been the addition of 'geo-fencing' to our vehicle tracking equipment.

Geo-fencing very simply allows users to set the geographical parameters within which a vehicle or piece of equipment should be operating. On the one hand it can show that vehicles have reached designated delivery locations. On the other hand, it can reveal that a vehicle or piece of equipment has strayed out of a designated zone, ensuring the fleet manager knows about it immediately.

At iBox technology we've seen this technology applied in a variety of ways. In the haulage and logistics business, for instance, it allows transport companies to detect - and if necessary, prove - that a delivery has arrived at the correct destination.

One example of the usefulness of this came when a delivery firm was charged a heavy penalty by a major supermarket chain for not having delivered a consignment on time. After talking to its driver, the delivery firm challenged this. They argued that he had been on the supermarket's premises, but had been held back from emptying his load by the warehouse manager's decision to give another, later delivery priority because of its perishable load. They were able to prove the driver was on the premises by showing them the geo-fencing data which showed that the lorry had arrived ahead of rather than behind schedule. The penalty was refunded.

Another example came when we fitted geo-fencing to a fleet of forklifts being operated by a warehouse company on a large, industrial estate. They had suffered a series of disappearances of their forklifts. One or two had been stolen and subsequently recovered. But others had simply gone astray. Within a week of having our geo-fencing equipment fitted, the company had discovered the cause of these mysterious disappearances.

They found that workers were using the forklifts to travel around the estate, far from where they should have been working. The new geo-fencing kept showing them leaving the designated operation zones, often to do 'private work' or even make social calls. Workers were often simply abandoning the forklift trucks at the end of the working day.

When they discovered this practice they launched a search of the industrial estate and quickly found the remaining 'lost' forklifts. Needless to say they didn't go missing in that way again - and staff didn't go wandering from their workplace as much either.

Inspector Gadget! - How Telematics Can Help Track Down The Truth

Modern telematics and tracking devices offer much more than simple messages about a vehicle’s location, speed and travel routes. They can also act as digital detectives, as Steve Green explains:

“A while back we fitted some of our Eco-mate devices to a fleet of 7.5 ton trucks available for rental with one of the country’s biggest fleet operators. Some of the trucks were rented out to a well known transport company that distributes fruit and vegetables to pubs and restaurants all over the UK. The owners signed the contract, sent out the lorries and left the delivery company to get on with their business. As far as they were concerned, they were doing just that.

“As part of our service, we routinely monitor the data that is streaming from all our clients’ vehicles. One day, whilst monitoring this particular fleet of trucks, we noticed something odd.

“One of the trucks had stopped and remained parked at a location in East Sussex. It remained there with its ignition off for several hours. Using the map function that we have built in, we were able to zoom into the location and saw that the lorry was parked up in a lay by. We assumed it was some kind of problem, perhaps with the driver.

“When we looked again the following day, the data stream showed that the vehicle had changed location and was now in Leighton Buzzard. From the fuel readings we could see that it had done this without using any fuel. Quite obviously, it had for some reason been towed or transported there. It remained in Leighton Buzzard for three days.

“Now it just so happened that we knew that the company which had hired these trucks had a service garage in Leighton Buzzard. So it was then that we started to put two and two together. There had clearly been some kind of accident and the lorry had been towed or transported to the company’s garage to fix it.

“In a routine conversation with the client who owned the trucks, we mentioned that we thought one of their trucks had been in an accident or broken down.

“As far as they were concerned the truck was travelling around the country making deliveries as normal.”

“No, we’ve not heard anything about that,” they replied. “If there was  an accident, the client has to inform us automatically. It’s in the contract. You must be mistaken.”

“In the end, however, we were proven right. It turned out that the truck had been involved in an accident in East Sussex and had been transported back to Leighton Buzzard where it was fixed up.

“It highlighted an aspect of telematics that we hadn’t until then considered. By interpreting and analysing data properly, we can highlight areas that wouldn’t ordinarily be identified. In this case, the company that had hired the trucks from our client had been keeping them in the dark, in breach of their contractual obligations to inform them of any problems or accidents.

“In a way, tracking devices are digital detectives. I’m sure that won’t be the last time we use them to solve a mystery.”

Lorry Drivers To Be Charged £9 A Day To Drive Britain's Roads

As if spiralling fuel costs, rampant insurance hikes and other factors aren't making it hard enough for transport companies, the Government is now planning to force drivers to pay £9 a day to travel on the UK's road system. 


According to the Daily Telegraph the plan will be rolled out in the Summer with a view to being introduced - via new legislation - by April 2014. 


Now Ministers are promising that lorry drivers won't be worse off because of the scheme. They claim other taxes will be reduced to compensate for the £9 charge. For instance, annual road tax could be trimmed to reflect the difference. 


The aim of the exercise, apparently, is to make foreign drivers pay for the use of UK roads for the first time. They would be charged via a 'vignette' system. According to the Telegraph the haulage industry is behind the idea: 

"We are for it," said a spokesman for the Freight Transport Association. "It's a charge which will apply to foreign hauliers, who should pay for their road use. "But we wouldn't want to be hit over the head twice with road user charging and existing taxes."

The only detail that's unclear is what system would be used to calculate when a lorry was on or off the road. The Government has ruled out a "spy in the sky" system involving compulsory black boxes. 

Sounds like an opportunity for telematics and vehicle tracking specialists.