commercial van insurance « Van Insurance News

Posts Tagged ‘commercial van insurance’

Hewer Add New Citroen Berlingo Vans to their Fleet

Monday, May 14th, 2012

As part of their on-going drive to reduce its fleet carbon footprint as well as delivering financial savings, Hewer Facilities Management Ltd has just taken delivery of thirty-six high specification Berlingo HDi 90 manual L1 Enterprise vans which will be added to their commercial van insurance policy.

Hewer acquired the latest Berlingo vans on a mix of outright purchase and three-year, 60,000 mile contract hire with maintenance agreements. In addition to the excellent standard equipment which includes air conditioning, reverse parking sensors and Bluetooth, the vans have been fitted with a full steel bulkhead, non-slip composite flooring and roof bars. Hewer also asked for specifically designed racking to meet the strenuous requirements of their engineers.

Hewer are involved in heating and electrical projects for businesses, local authorities and health services, and also have a large number of domestic customers within a hundred mile radius of their base. The company are also continuing to grow its Failsafe domestic heating care plan, which has gained over 1,000 new customers since it was launched. The standard fit Trafficmaster Smartnav satellite navigation system and Trackstar stolen vehicle tracking means mean that Hewer are able to achieve substantial cost savings and lower van insurance premiums.

Robert Willmott Hewer’s Contract Manager, said: ‘We have had a long and successful operating experience with Berlingo vans, which now form the majority of our 65-strong fleet. As an environmentally conscious company, every fleet renewal time we carry out a comprehensive review to see whether there is a van that can beat the Berlingo. To date we have continued to acquire Berlingos because of their unbeatable combination of environmental, operational, financial and driver benefits. These latest Euro 5 Berlingos are nearly 10% more fuel efficient than the Euro 4 versions they replace and their CO2 emissions are 13g/km lower.”

Tags: carbon emissions, Citroen Berlingo Van, Commercial fleet drivers, commercial van insurance, Hewer Facilities Management Ltd
Posted in Money saving, van insurance | No Comments »

Volkswagen Launch Research Programme to Capture Commercial Market

Tuesday, May 8th, 2012

Volkswagen Fleet Services has instigated an on-going research programme to find out exactly what contract hire and leasing customers want and need. The results will allow VW to make changes in order to help them attract new customers and they will compare their own performance with that of their main six competitors by quizzing thirty-four major leasing providers on nine core areas.

With the first round of results completed, VW have already started working on their ‘leasing improvement plans’ after reviewing the results and agreeing specific areas of enhancement that were identified in the results of the survey. All of Volkswagen’s Fleet specialist retailers will soon be using electronic delivery technology making the life of a fleet manager much easier and more effective than ever. Research will continue throughout 2012 to keep the results up to date and relevant to customers’ evolving expectations. VW want to sharpen their focus on what matters most to their customers and want to ensure they are fulfilling not just their own requirement but also the requirements of every fleet driver behind the wheel of a Volkswagen. The company realise that picking the right van to protect with commercial van insurance is a big decision for any fleet manager and they want to get across to fleet industry decision makers that VW should be their preferred choice.

Iker Lazzari, Volkswagen Fleet’s National Contract Hire and Leasing Manager, explained: “Part of the reason for commissioning the survey was a realisation that we didn’t know exactly what our partners in the contract hire and leasing sectors thought of the services we provided, and so it was going to be difficult to enhance our service offering. We recognise that our leasing partners are our customers, and if we want to be the best in the industry, we need to know how we are doing and where we can improve.”

Tags: commercial van insurance, vehicle fleets, Volkswagen, VW
Posted in van insurance | No Comments »

Council Believe New Cameras Will Help Beat Insurance Fraud

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

Scottish Borders Council has announced that all the vehicles in their extensive commercial fleet will now be fitted with black box video recorders. The devices, which contain a 1.3 mega pixel HD camera along with an internal microphone for audio recording, will be fitted to the entire fleet which are all covered by commercial van insurance over the next two months.

The council have assured everyone that the data picked up by the Roadhawk DC-1 vehicle drive recorder will only be used to provide evidence if and when the council vehicles are involved in an accident and the driver faces hostility from another motorist. The data will also be used as evidence in all insurance claims. The council deny that the camera is there to spy on council staff and members of the public and they also deny that there are any sinister implications. They believe the cameras will save money in the long term and lessen the chance of public funds being used to pay for bogus insurance claims.

John Martin, SBC’s fleet manager, said: “I can confirm SBC is installing Roadhawk camera systems in all vehicles, but it is actually for accident recording and insurance purposes. We currently have 15 fitted to vehicles after six months of trials. The installation of these units, which cost around £166 each, has the full support of our insurance company. We have been impressed with the performance of the Roadhawk and its contribution to our accident reduction scheme, providing visual support to back up our driver accident reports. The Roadhawk DC-1 system can also record audio, but this is limited to inside the vehicle cabin and we have opted to remove this option.”

The camera on the DC-1 is fitted with a 3D sensor which measures G-force and detects accident impact. In the event of a collision, harsh braking or acceleration, the DC-1 will save a video clip and the SD data storage card can store over two-hundred such events.

Tags: commercial van insurance, Insurance Fraud, Scottish Borders Council, van insurance
Posted in commercial vehicle insurance, van insurance | No Comments »

Peugeot chosen as commercial van supplier to utilities firm

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

Peugeot has won the contract to become the primary LCV supplier to gas distribution business, Wales & West Utilities. The contract will see the manufacturer supply over three-hundred commercial vans over the next three years.

The fleet of Peugeot vehicles selected by Wales & West Utilities consist of the Expert, Boxer and Bipper vans which will all be protected with commercial van insurance for the duration of the contract. Peugeot won the contract after an extensive tender selection process headed up by Andrew Hopkins, director of operations at Wales & West Utilities, who are making a substantial investment in their services fleet. The company are aware that their customers throughout Wales and the South West of England rely on them to respond quickly, so it was vital that the new vans were specified to a high level, giving their engineers the best van for the job. Peugeot spent a huge amount of time understanding what was needed and it was this attention to detail and the level of product support on offer that won them the contract. Both companies are looking forward to developing a long standing relationship with each other over the next three years.

Peugeot national key account manager, Nick George, said: “Wales & West Utilities relies heavily on the performance of its vehicles to provide a fast and reliable service to consumers across the country, so we have developed a bespoke fleet proposition, which takes into account the day-to-day demands of the business. One of the main LCV vehicles within the new fleet is the Peugeot Expert, which offers a perfect solution with lower emissions and greater economy than Wales & West Utilities’ existing fleet. The new 1.6HDi Euro V version is an ideal size for the company’s emergency fleet requirements, with excellent volume and payload.”

Tags: commercial van insurance, Peugeot, vehicle fleets, Wales & West Utilities
Posted in commercial vehicle insurance, van insurance | No Comments »

Bridgestone Working on a Longer Lasting Tyre for Vans

Monday, March 26th, 2012

Bridgestone tyres are reminding fleet managers that the small patch of tyre that separates a commercial van from the road can have a huge impact on an organisation’s monthly fuel bill. Throughout the rest of this year, Bridgestone UK will test their next generation low rolling resistance tyres throughout the United Kingdom ahead of the launch in early 2013.

Based on the successful Ecopia range this latest offering is the next step in the company’s commitment to developing tyres that offer more economical motoring without losing any of the performance. Economising of fuel consumption is just as important as securing affordable van insurance and the Ecopia range will significantly lower rolling resistance which will help fleet managers maximize fuel consumption on each and every one of the vans that they have protected with commercial van insurance.

Andy Mathias, the product and marketing manager at the tyre manufacturer, said: “A low rolling resistance tyre can reduce fuel expenditure considerably. A reduction in rolling resistance of 20% can reduce fuel expenditure by 5% per year. Keeping the correct air pressure in the tyres is as important as giving the engine a tune up. With the right amount of air pressure, the tyres wear longer, save fuel, enhance handling and prevent accidents. The effects of not maintaining correct air pressure are poor fuel mileage, loss of tyre life, bad handling and potential vehicle overloading.”

Bridgestone tyres are proud of the fact that their NanoPro-Tech Compound is helping to create better wet grip while at the same time helping fleet managers to save money. The Waved Belt technology also makes sure of a stable footprint throughout the life of the tyre. The Turn-in-Ply and Stone Ejectors increase the tyres durability and will stop stones from sticking in the tread and damaging the tyre as the van goes about its daily routine on the busy roads of the United Kingdom.

Tags: Bridgestone tyres, Bridgestone UK, commercial van insurance, More fuel efficient
Posted in van insurance | No Comments »

New Guide Looks to Reduce Minor Accidents

Monday, March 5th, 2012

Interactive Fleet Management (IFM) has released a new Driver-Link guide that all fleet managers should be interested in. The guide offers advice to drivers on how they can reduce the number of minor accidents that happen to company vehicles everyday on the roads in the UK.

Minor accident damage is a blight on many freight companies; the accidents add up to a sizeable yearly bill plus a huge amount of administration time spent dealing with commercial van insurance companies and mechanics. The new guide is aimed specifically at company drivers and focuses on the reasons why needless accidents happen. IFM research suggests that many small accidents are largely to do with complacency and not paying attention. The guide offers helpful tips such as reversing into parking spaces so that you drive out forwards and leaving plenty of space between your van and other vehicles so that a simple operation such as opening a vehicle door does not result in damage. Being patient is also important as is not trying to squeeze through tight gaps.

IFM also points out that the drivers needs to think of the van as their own and they should never do anything they would not do in their own vehicle. The guide also advises never to make assumptions about what other motorists are going to do and always look for clues to potential hazards ahead.

Jayne Pett from Interactive Fleet Management said: “Most information in the fleet sector is aimed at the company or fleet manager. There is very little support for the driver, who nowadays has to cope with a growing number of issues such as vehicle checks, controlling their fuel usage, efficient journey planning, minimising vehicle damage, safe loading etc. We therefore decided to produce the Driver-Link guides to offer them support, and the first one on winter driving was hugely popular with many drivers approaching us directly for a copy and fleet managers asking if they could distribute it to their company and grey fleet drivers.”

Tags: commercial van insurance, Driver's guide, IFM, Interactive Fleet Management
Posted in commercial vehicle insurance | No Comments »

New Mercedes Van to be Unveiled Later This Year

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

It appears that commercial enterprises in the small business sector may soon be organising commercial van insurance on a new Mercedes Benz, as the famous German manufacturer prepares to launch a new super mini van.

Already the luxury car manufacturer is well established in the commercial van sector with the Vito and the Sprinter, but the birth of a little brother who will be called Citan will open up a new market for Mercedes. The new mini van, whose name is taken from a mixture of the words City and Titan, is designed to be the ultimate urban run around and will suit a whole range of small businesses and delivery companies.

A company spokesman said: “We can now offer commercial drivers the chance to benefit from Mercedes Benz technology and engineering no matter what their business is. The three vans cover the main needs of commercial businesses across Europe.”

Mercedes plan to offer the van in a multitude of options saying not only will it offer generous load dimensions but will be compact in size to suit city needs. It also promises economy driving because of its low fuel consumption. The van will meet the latest CO2 emission directives from the EU via a range of petrol and diesel engines and there will also be a Blue Efficiency package and of course, a battery-powered version will be available shortly after the launch.

Mercedes say the small van is based on the engineering that has made their bigger vans so successful and it will have safety features such as ESP stability control fitted as standard. As with the larger Vito and Sprinter vans, the Citan will be available in a wide range of body styles, lengths and payload capacities when it goes on sale in Europe towards the end of the summer this year.

Tags: Citan, commercial van insurance, Mercedes, Mercedes-Benz
Posted in van insurance | No Comments »

Peugeot Looking for a New Partner for Commercial Vehicles

Friday, January 27th, 2012

Vehicle manufacturer, PSA Peugeot Citroen is seeking a new partner for light commercial vehicles to replace Italian peer Fiat, as they are withdrawing from the companies’ existing venture in 2017.

Chief executive of PSA, Philippe Varin said that PSA wants to share the cost of developing and manufacturing replacements for its Citroen Jumpy and Peugeot Expert vans assembled at a plant shared with Fiat.

He said, “We are looking for solutions for our future utility vehicles,

“In our industry it is hard to develop them alone, so we need to find the right partner.”

In northern France, Fiat is pulling out of the Sevelnord venture when the current partnership agreement ends in 2017. Varin refused to comment on potential replacements for the Italian car maker.

Varin was speaking at the group’s Poissy plant near Paris, about the margins of an event marking the production launch of Peugeot’s new 208 small car.

Europe’s second largest vehicle market, PSA, said it expected to produce 550,000 of the 208 small car in 2013, the model’s first full year.

Manufacturing chief, Denis Martin said that it will account for 40% of Peugeot’s brand deliveries in Europe. Production will be split amount two French plants and a third in Trnava, Slovakia.

The vehicle maker lost market share in Europe last year and released a series of slumping sales and profit warnings of the outgoing 207 and Citroen’s equivalent C3.

The company is relying on the 208 to help close an increasing gap with European market leader Volkswagen.

It’s not just manufacturers in the motor vehicle industry that are struggling to keep their head above the water. Other companies in the industry are also struggling, like commercial van insurance providers, breakdown services, windscreen repair companies, commercial vehicle dealerships and service and repair centres.

Tags: commercial van insurance, light commercial vehicles, PSA Peugeot Citroen
Posted in commercial vehicle insurance, van insurance | No Comments »

Van Drivers Top the Charts with Manoeuvring Vehicles

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Van drivers pull off the best vehicle manoeuvres, according to a recent survey by Swinton.

When 1000 drivers in the UK were asked to rate their ability to perform difficult vehicle manoeuvres, over 68% of the drivers scored themselves a five out of five.

48% said they could perform any vehicle manoeuvre flawlessly, which suggests that young male drivers may show signs of being over confident when they are behind the wheel.

Only 12% of van drivers scored themselves low for their ability to reverse round a corner, with the majority rating four out of five.

Many drivers cannot use their rear view mirror, as many vans are fitted with bulkheads made of either wood, mesh or metal which can sometimes hinder visibility, leaving drivers to rely on wing mirrors when driving.

Confidence is important for all drivers, although being able to judge the size of your vehicle is also important, especially on main roads. The result of underestimating the amount of space needed to park a vehicle could be damaging another vehicle, which can lead to increased premiums on commercial van insurance.

Commercial Vehicle Manager at Swinton, Phil Moss, said, “Van drivers spend a lot of time in their vehicles driving to jobs across the whole of the country, so this in itself would give the driver more practice at doing manoeuvres such as parallel parking, reversing round a corner and even turning a vehicle round in a tight space. The fact that vans are considerably larger vehicles than the average car also works in a van driver’s favour – it’s more difficult so if you can master manoeuvres in a large vehicle, then doing the same in a smaller vehicle should be much easier.”

Tags: commercial van insurance, van drivers, vehicle manoeuvres
Posted in commercial vehicle insurance, van insurance | No Comments »

Harsh winters proving a boost for Yorkshire company

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

A family run business in Ripon that makes the body of many commercial vehicles is focusing on the development of new products as it looks forward to a very healthy 2012. Econ Engineering has almost doubled their turnover in the past ten years and they expect turnover to hit £21m for the year ending March 2012.

The company are a manufacturer of salt spreaders and road maintenance vehicles with their main customers being councils in Scotland and Wales as well as some in England. But with the much harsher winters of recent years, Econ Engineering has found new customers in businesses who supply gritting services to supermarkets. Around 75% of the vehicles Econ build are constructed for sale, with the remaining 25% built for the rental fleet. The company specialises in supplying to the highway and winter maintenance market but they are now getting more enquiries from councils who are willing to modify their vehicles and their commercial van insurance policies to enable the conventional vehicles to become salt spreaders.

The company now has a hire fleet of 375 purpose built gritters, worth an estimated £30m, on fixed-term rental contracts throughout the United Kingdom. They are currently working on building new units where the rental fleet can be repaired. Meanwhile they are receiving many calls from Scotland where they wish to spread salt faster and the company are looking into this via their product development department.

Andrew Lupton, joint managing director, said “We have had many new developments at Econ Engineering over the last year, with apprentices being taken on and the competition of a new paint facility, which came about thanks to a £120,000 investment. I think that perhaps the last two or three years have probably made people realise it might be of some benefit to not rely solely on the service industry. In the current day, if you’re not specialised in manufacturing, you won’t succeed in this country. That’s because of labour costs.”

Tags: commercial van insurance, Econ Engineering, hire fleet, Van Quote Direct, Yorkshire
Posted in commercial vehicle insurance, van insurance | No Comments »