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Epic journey by driverless vans hailed a great success

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

As the controversy over the Google driverless vans rumbles on in the USA, the four vehicles that set off on a 8,000 mile test drive across continents have concluded their journey.

The journey, from Italy to Shanghai was completed on schedule as the vehicles arrived in time for the EXPO 2010 celebrations and was declared an unreserved success.

Albert Broggio and his Vislab team at the University in Parma, Italy, were the instigators of the experiment. They loaded the vans with state of the art technology including video cameras and solar powered packs which produced the energy to power the steering system of the vehicles. They used laser scanners and GPS systems to aid mapping, and the Generic Obstacle and Lane Detector (GOLD) apparently worked a treat as it digested the information from the sensors to navigate its way across two continents.

Amazingly, if the vehicles had commercial vehicle insurance cover, then they did not have to claim on it as the journey was completed without mishap. The idea of the test run was to demonstrate how far modern technology had come. The four vans were driverless and although they carried passengers that could intervene in emergencies, they were very rarely used. Apparently toll booth’s caused problems several times and the passengers had to assist at those. A traffic jam in Moscow also created trouble but apart from isolated incidents they were very much passengers in the ordinary sense.

Broggio explained the reasoning behind taking the vans on such an epic journey was to create as many different circumstances and situations for the vans in one journey as possible. He said “The idea here was to travel on a long route, on two different continents, in different states, different weather, different traffic conditions, and different infrastructure. Then we can have some huge number of situations to test the system on.”

In the end the journey which started on July 10^th in Italy was completed on October 28^th in Shanghai, a total of 13.000 kilometres covered in the space of 110 days. The event was followed by millions of people across the globe, who regularly tuned in to the experiments special website.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance
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Ply-lining a van

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

For many tradesmen no van is a custom fit for their business. Although many makes and models of vans will do the job required to a certain extent, to get the best possible use out of the vehicle it may have to ply-lined. Once ply-lined, a tradesman can then set about kitting out the van to his ideal specifications.

There are plenty of businesses that will do a complete ply-lining job for any individual, and if this is the preferred choice then as always be sure to get several quotes for the job before having it done. Also, remember to inform the company providing commercial vehicle insurance of the alterations to the vehicle.

It is also possible to buy ply-lining kits and for most tradesmen who by their job description have some semblance of DIY skills this is a better and cheaper option. The kit will provide you with the ply, the screws to do the job and possibly templates to aid fitting round awkward areas such as wheel arches. Screwdrivers or better still a cordless power screw will be required, but that is more or less it. It is possible to buy kits for specific vans which make the job so much easier because the ply is already cut to size.

If doing the job without a model kit the first thing to do is measure the wheel arches and pre assemble the ply to make a ‘box’. Then cut and fit the panels to the van floor. It is best to just leave them in position without screwing them. The next job is to cut and fix the side panels in position, remembering to leave the wheel arches out of the cut. With small vans the side panels can be often cut from one piece of ply which makes the job much easier. If two pieces are necessary then place little packing pieces to the edge where the join will be. This will ensure a neater finish when the joints are sealed.

When securing the side panels use the longest possible screws, usually 1 inch or 25mm, and once the side panels are screwed in place then they can be fixed to the floor panels and this time use the smallest screws available, usually ½ inch or 13mm. Next job is to fix the pre assembled ply to the wheel arches. Attach a timber baton slightly above the wheel arch and then screw the already assembled boxes to them.

Once the inside is fully plied go round every edge and join with silicon sealant. A more robust finish to door openings could be achieved by using an aluminium strip.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance
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A faulty air conditioning system can get right up your nose

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Having air conditioning in a vehicle has been a great bonus for thousands of drivers. However, the system does need servicing at regular intervals. Bad smells in an air conditioner can be really unpleasant. Many drivers and passengers will have experienced this problem when turning on the air conditioning hoping to get cool fresh air and instead having the vehicle invaded by what smells like body odour or sometimes much worse.

Delivery drivers in a van covered by commercial vehicle insurance do not want to be driving for eight hours a day in a vehicle with a smell coming from the air conditioner. The mildew smell coming from the air conditioning system may be caused by a fungus growth inside the vehicles air conditioning system. As this smell goes through the inside of the vehicle it can be absorbed into both the seats and the carpets of the car.

Knowing what has caused the smell can help prevent the smell from coming back. The bad smell will often start by using a drive-through car wash with the air conditioner on the setting which allows the intake of air from outside. This will allow the water to be splashed in through the air vents around the windscreen wiper area. To eradicate the chances of this happening turn the air off completely or put it on the re-circulate setting, this will prevent any dirty water from outside getting into the air conditioning system.

Run the vehicles air conditioner on a regular setting as much as possible instead of using it on maximum. Having it on maximum often creates moisture inside the system. If the max setting has to be used, it is always best to turn it down shortly before the vehicle will be turned off. Doing this will give the system time to dry out, and will prevent the mildew from forming. Buy a spray that helps to eliminates smells and purifies the air; these are available at numerous stores. These are made especially for cleaning the air conditioning in the vehicle. Spray into the outside and the inside air conditioner vents to get rid of the smell. By doing this just once a year it could prevent nasty smells from returning.

As with other systems of the car that are serviced on a regular basis, the same should be done with the air conditioning system. Having a yearly servicing of the vehicles air conditioning system will guard against any problems in the compressor and other vital parts of the system. Having regular maintenance will save hard earned money which can be spent on something else.

Tags: air conditioning, commercial vehicle insurance, Van Insurance, vehicle technology
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Lollicam out to lick rogue drivers

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Many van drivers have found their commercial vehicle insurance payments go up because of minor traffic offences recorded by fixed speed cameras. However, the collective sigh of relief from van drivers across the country at the demise of fixed position speed cameras may have been a little premature.

There is no doubt that drivers who earn a living traversing the roads of the UK were, in the main, delighted with the news that many local authorities were planning to turn off a great number of the speed deterrent cameras under their control. The planned turn off was in response to the cost cutting measures forced on them by the government and their cuts in the public purse.

The proposed turn off has prompted many protests from road safety groups who are concerned that deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s highways will once more start rising. Motoring organisations on the other hand have been in favour of the reduction in speed cameras and are keen to put forward the argument that the great majority of drivers in the UK are responsible motorists.

Although the demise of fixed position speed cameras seems assured, most police forces will still be operating mobile speed cameras which they believe are more successful in catching rogue van drivers and other motorists who are flouting many traffic laws and regulations.

It now appears that mobile cameras will have another partner in the fight against speeding drivers. A council in Wales worried about losing the fixed cameras in sensitive areas such as areas around schools are trialling a ‘lollicam’. The trial will take place in Flintshire and will work by installing a camera on the road patrol officers ‘lollipop’ which will be activated whenever the pole is grounded, which means that children are crossing and traffic should be stationary. The camera will record the registration number of any cars or vans not stopping and action will then be taken. At the moment the Road Patrol Officer can only take the registration number of law breaking motorists on paper, which is difficult as they are busy supervising children at the time.

The ‘lollicams’ could well catch on and the great number of motorists would probably see greater value in cameras recording traffic transgressions in areas around schools rather than on the ring roads surrounding our towns and cities.

Tags: Advice, speed cameras, Van Insurance, Van Safety
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Vauxhall Astravan, a tradesman’s choice

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

For many tradesmen in the UK, getting the correct mode of transport is one of the most important factors in determining the success of their business.

The Vauxhall Astravan is the vehicle of choice for many professional tradesmen and it is easy to see why. Window cleaners, plumbers, personal delivery services and computer servicing businesses are typically the types of professionals attracted to the Astravan.

The Astravan is available in three models starting with the Club, which is priced at a few pounds over £12,500. The Club comes with a remote control central deadlocking security system which is highly beneficial for tradesmen, and a central cup holder which is more important when running a business than people may think. Both the steering wheel and seat are easily adjustable and the van is equipped with all round disc brakes and anti-lock braking.

The Sportive model is around another £2600 more than the Club but does have several extra features that will appeal to certain trades. The Sportive has dark tinted back windows which are a definite security boon, air conditioning and electric mirrors and windows. As its name suggests the Sportive does carry several sporty additions as well; sports seats, a low profile roof rail and body coloured mirror housing and body mouldings. The sports look is completed with a leather covered steering wheel.

Top of the range and coming in at almost £17,500 is the Sportive SE. The extra money brings even more sportier looks such as; lowered suspension, 17 inch Alloy wheels, body coloured front and rear spoilers and to finish the look a lower skirt and sills.

The engine range of the models is quite good; there is a choice of a 1.3 CDTi, 1.7 CDTi, and a 1.9 CDTi. The manual gear box has six gears and there is a choice of an automatic transmission on the 1.9 CDTi (120PS). There are plenty of colours to choose from too. The basic paint job is offered in Power Red and Olympic White. Metallic options are; Metro Blue, Sovereign Silver and Technical Grey. Three colours are offered in Pearlescent finish, they are; Panacotta, Black Sapphire and Iceberg.

It is fair to say that most tradesmen will be happy enough to settle for the Club which after all is £5,000 cheaper than the Sportive SE, and will attract cheaper commercial vehicle insurance in most cases.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance, Van Insurance, van tradesman, vauxhall astravan
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Speed cameras; the big switch off

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Van drivers along with other motorists must be preparing for life without static speed cameras, and many will be rubbing their hands with glee. As the debate over their use has been in the political arena for many years, it seems fitting that a political decision albeit one about finances should precipitate their disappearance.

With road safety groups absolutely adamant on their valuable contribution to cutting loss of life in motoring accidents, motoring groups accusing the government of using them as no more than a cash cow and the government itself announcing they are a more than useful tool in identifying illegal drivers, the static speed camera has never been without controversy.

The arguments by both sides seemed set to continue for eternity. Although one town council, Swindon, in Wiltshire, had turned their static cameras off in 2009. It was seen as little more than a protest against the old Labour Government’s method of using local councils to collect taxes for Westminster. The removal of Labour from power brought a new coalition government and a set of austerity measures that sent shudders down the local council offices of the UK.

Cost cutting on a massive scale has suddenly brought the usage of static speed cameras into the spotlight. Councils across the UK are now saying they cannot afford the man power needed to run the cameras efficiently and they are being switched off.

Devon and Cornwall will lose 10 cameras at the start of next month and van drivers will be really put to the test, as well the motoring organisations that have campaigned against them. It really is an acid test. In Devon and Cornwall, road safety groups point out that at their inception speed cameras caught 49,000 speeding motorists, last year the figure was 20,000. This they say was because motorists were aware of the penalties and aware of the cameras.

What will next month bring, van drivers know the complications speeding fines bring, a hike in their commercial vehicle insurance, penalty points on their licence and the threat of a ban much nearer. Will motorists prove they have learned the lesson that speed kills or will the disappearance of cameras bring a disappearance of good motoring sense. The nation awaits.

Tags: Advice, commercial vehicle insurance, Information, Van Insurance
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Ensure windscreen wipers pass the test

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Windscreen wiper blades are not something van drivers think about all that much. They are, however, a valuable aid and safety device in any van and faulty windscreen wipers can mean a vehicle fails an MOT.

How many miles you drive each year should be an easy way to work out when to change your wiper blades. It is recommended that a vehicle which is doing 18,000 miles a year should change the windscreen wipers every 6 months. Apart from failing its MOT, a vehicle with defective wipers also has an increased risk of being involved in an accident because of poor vision. It is a really easy and quick task to change your wiper blades.

All you need is a small screwdriver and a new set of wiper blades. Firstly buy the correct replacement windscreen-wiper blades for your car at an auto parts store. The big stores will definitely have them but so should a local auto spares shop. Make sure you buy the entire blade, and not just the rubber blade insert. If you are unsure which ones to buy, check your car manual.

After purchasing the blades take time to open and read through the directions which will tell you in a few different languages how you should connect the attachment to the blade. Pull the windscreen wiper arm up so it is no longer resting on the windscreen. Remove the old wiper blade from the wiper arm; this more often than not will involve pushing on a tab and pulling the windscreen wiper blade off, or using the small screwdriver you have to lift the tab. Put your new attachment onto the new blade or onto the windscreen wiper arm. Depending on what type of van is involved, one will either have to put the attachment on the wiper blade first; or put the attachment onto the wiper arm. Whichever way it is done, listen for a click, which will indicate success. Give the wiper blade a tug to make sure that it is secure and will not fly off next time it rains. Finally lower the wiper arm on to the windscreen gently.

They may only look cheap and are not really that expensive, but they are an important part of your vehicle. It would indeed be sad for a small expense such as a pair of windscreen wipers could lead to a claim on ones commercial vehicle insurance, due to not checking them.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance, windscreen wipers
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Plate change surprise

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Van drivers who have decided to splash out on a new van and the commercial vehicle insurance to go with it, may well get a surprise when they see the number plate allocated to their new LCV.

Because the Department of Vehicle Licensing (DVLA) issue two new registrations every year, the ones issued from September 1^st will have the number 60 on them. This may seem strange but is brought about by the present system whereby the first registration of the year takes the last two numerals of the year as its id, the second issue taking the number 5 (which has now run out) plus the last numeral of the year.

Why the Transport Ministry chose this system no-one knows but it has created a little confusion this year, what happens when we get to 2060 remains to be seen? It isn’t the first time registration plates have altered though, from the inception of ‘The Motor Car Act 1903′ which required all motor cars to display registration marks in a prominent position, vans and cars have gone through many periods of registration plate changes.

By the end of the First World War it was obvious that the significant increase in the numbers of vehicles on the roads had to be addressed and the ‘Roads Act 1920′ introduced by the newly formed Ministry of Transport, required local councils to oversee the licensing of motor cars and allocate a different, identifying number to each vehicle. The number had to be placed prominently on the vehicle and so the number plate was born.

The first plates issued consisted of one letter and four numbers and each council had their own identifying letter and number. The number plate A1 was issued in London to Earl Russell in 1920 and became the forerunner of millions. Soon the plate changed to two letters and four numbers but by the mid 1930′s the combinations available were exhausted.

The next combination consisted of three letters with up to three numbers following; so for example BBB1 through to BBB999. This system lasted twenty years and was followed by a simple reversal i.e. numbers came before letters which brought the number plate into the 1960′s.

The post war population explosion and the mass manufacture of motor cars required a new system by 1963. A quite simple seventh digit addition; a letter A at the end identified the plate by its year of registration and this system was applied through the alphabet (with a couple of exceptions) to bring us to the 1980′s. Once more the reversal of the old system was used. Instead of the year identifying digit being on the end of the plate it was moved to the front.

The turn of the century brought about a change in the plate system once more, 2 prefix letters two numbers and three letters, the prefix letters identifying the region where the car was registered. This is the system in place now and the reason why new vehicle owners will see a number 6 on their plate next month.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance, van insurance advice
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Clampers on the way out

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

In what must be one of the best pieces of news for urban van drivers in some time, it appears that at long last, wheel clamping on private land is to be outlawed.

For many years delivery drivers, tradesman and removal van drivers to name but a few, have been plagued by the actions of unofficial clamping firms blatantly abusing their powers to harass motorists. Fines of up to £400 have been commonly administered on hapless motorists unaware that they were contravening parking restrictions, as signs informing the public that clamping was carried out in the area were not easily seen.

In one high profile case a couple of months ago, a lady in Kent was actually blocked in her car by clampers eager to tow her vehicle away and impose a penalty. She had in fact only been turning her car round on a piece of what she thought was spare land and had never left the vehicle.

Vans and cars have also been damaged by clampers towing vehicles away. This had led to court cases and frustrated van drivers having to make claims on their commercial vehicle insurance.

Case studies like this should now be a thing of the past as Lynn Featherstone, a Home Office minister, is understood to be preparing a statement in which she will announce that the laws in England in Wales on wheel clamping on private land will be rewritten to mirror those in Scotland. Wheel clamping on private land was banned in Scotland a short time ago.

Landowners will now have to rethink their policy on how to protect their private property, but fencing the land off is always an alternative and few would object if landowners turned spare land into official car parks that were charged and administered fairly.

The aptly named ‘cowboy’ clamping firms who will now be outlawed, are going to be out of pocket to the tune of £1 billion according to some experts. It is doubtful they will be missed by anyone.

Tags: Advice, commercial vehicle insurance, Fines, Law, Van Insurance, Wheel Clamping
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Bipper designed for the city

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

For many self employed tradesman, picking the right vehicle to carry out their work is of paramount importance. Many workers in the traditional trades that often attract individuals wanting to work for themselves, such as electricians, plumbers, painters and chimney sweeps, have turned to a Peugeot van that was designed with the tradesman in mind, especially one who works in one of the UK’s busy towns and cities.

The Peugeot Bipper is a relative newcomer on to the scene, but has already won many accolades from users and people in the trade alike, culminating in winning “Best new van of the year” in 2009. Indeed Peugeot claim it is the first van actually designed for urban use.

It is certainly compact, the overall length of the van is about 12 feet 8 inches and the Bipper is actually less than 6 feet wide, absolutely ideal for squeezing through the convoluted streets of busy conurbations. It is only 68 inches high as well which allows tradesman to comfortably load tools of their trade or raw materials on top of the van. Of course the slim line dimensions of the Bipper will facilitate parking.

Once inside the Bipper one can see why the van has proved so popular. The load length in the back of the vehicle is 5 feet, with the interior height coming in a little below 4 feet, giving a load volume of around 20 square feet. There is also a multiflex seat available in some models.

The van benefits from raised seats which gives the driver a better driving panorama and also makes entry into the vehicle easier. The dashboard is nothing over dramatic but functional with every dial and button within easy reach of the drivers eyes and hands.

Although the Bipper does not compare with some of the newer Euro5 compliant vehicles on fuel consumption it is still quite impressive. Around town you can expect 32 mpg but once on the open road this jumps to over 47 mpg. Not bad at all and with services required only every 20,000 miles you are not going to be on first name terms with the mechanics at the local garage.

Price wise the Bipper starts at £9095 plus VAT, which makes it competitive with vans in the same sector and should return a decent commercial vehicle insurance quote for anyone interested in investing in the new van on the block.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance, Peugeot, self employed advice, Van Insurance
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