Stuart O'Brien, Author at Fleet Summit - Page 9 of 53
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Stuart O'Brien

SAVE THE DATE: Fleet Summit Winter 2023

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Did you miss last week’s Fleet Summit? Not a problem! The next event will take place in November 15th & 16th 2023 at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre Heathrow – Join us!

Make sure you register today as demand is already high following the most recent event.

Your delegate pass will give you access to industry presentations, as well as your itinerary of 1-2-1 relaxed meetings with budget-saving suppliers.

There is no hard sell at this event, just a great opportunity to gain industry insight and build business relationships to prepare for every eventuality.

Confirm attendance here.

Do you specialise in fleet Contract Hire & Leasing? We want to hear from you!

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Each month on Fleet Management Briefing we’re shining the spotlight on a different part of the fleet market – and in July we’ll be focussing on fleet Contract Hire & Leasing solutions.

It’s all part of our ‘Recommended’ editorial feature, designed to help fleet buyers find the best products and services available today.

So, if you’re a supplier of Contract Hire & Leasing solutions and would like to be included as part of this exciting new shop window, we’d love to hear from you – for more info, contact Chris Cannon on 01992 374096 / c.cannon@forumevents.co.uk.

Here’s our features list in full:

Jul – Contract Hire & Leasing
Aug – LPG/Alternative Fuel & Fuel Management
Sept – EV Infrastructure
Oct – Duty of Care
Nov – Grey Fleet
Dec – Service, Maintenance & Repair
Jan 24 – Electric & Hybrid Vehicles
Feb 24 – Dash Cams
Mar 24 – Driver Training
Apr 24 – Accident & Risk Management
May 24 – Fleet Management Software
Jun 24 – Telematics/Tracking

SMMT data indicates 10th consecutive month of UK new car sales growth

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The UK new car market has posted its longest uninterrupted period of expansion for eight years, as registrations grew 16.7% in May to reach 145,204 units according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The performance marks 10 consecutive months of growth, although registrations remain -21.0% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

Large fleet registrations continued to drive the growth, up by 36.9% to 76,207 units, reflecting a regularisation of supply following challenging supply issues in 2022. Registrations to private buyers fell slightly by -0.5% to 65,932 cars, while smaller business fleets registered 3,065 units, a year on year rise of 22.5%.

Petrol-powered cars remain Britain’s best sellers, accounting for 57.1% of all registrations.3 Alternatively powered vehicles, however, continue to make up an ever-larger share of the market, with plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) rising 23.0% to reach a 6.2% market share and hybrids (HEVs) growing 22.2% to comprise 12.3% of all registrations. Reflecting the dramatic transformation of the market over the last three years, May saw battery electric vehicles consolidate their position as the UK’s second most popular power train. A further 24,513 joined the road during the month, up 58.7% on May last year to secure a 16.9% market share.

Of the new cars registered in May, lower mediums, superminis and dual purpose were the most popular, comprising 86.3% of the market. There are now zero emission options available in every single segment of the market, with more than 80 models – around a quarter of all new car models available – from which to choose. Furthermore, these new BEVs have an average battery range of 236 miles, well in excess of UK drivers’ average weekly mileage of around 100 miles.4

While billions of industry investment is delivering choice and growth, however, the speed of the shift needs to accelerate. From January we expect to see the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate in force, which will set a minimum quota for new battery electric vehicle registrations for every brand. While the models and volumes will be available, ensuring the market demand is there will require action from every stakeholder. A supportive fiscal framework, simplified planning processes, faster grid connections and the provision of a nationwide network of reliable, affordable and sustainable charge points will give drivers considering the switch the confidence to purchase. Investments are coming but regulated public charger targets commensurate with those for new vehicle registrations would give drivers greater confidence and help accelerate the UK’s zero emission transition.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: After the difficult, Covid-constrained supply issues of the last few years, it’s good to see the new car market maintain its upward trend and the fact that growth is, increasingly, green growth is hugely encouraging. Transforming the market nationwide, however, and at an even greater pace means we must increase demand and help any reticent driver overcome any concerns about electric vehicles. This will require every stakeholder – industry, government, chargepoint operators and energy companies – to play their part, accelerating investment to drive decarbonisation.”

The Fleet Summit is 2 weeks away – Have you registered yet?

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Will you be joining the UK’s leading fleet professionals and suppliers in Manchester this month? Don’t miss out on two days of 1-2-1 meetings and networking!

12th & 13th June 2023

Radisson Blu Hotel Manchester Airport

It is entirely free for you to attend. There are just a handful of delegate places left so please confirm yours here.

Once submitted, I can start the process of creating your bespoke itinerary that includes short 1-2-1 meetings with suppliers, along with free to attend seminar sessions. Full hospitality is also included.

If you have any questions, then please contact us today.

ITF: Tackling transport CO2 emissions ‘reduces investment needs for core infrastructure’

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An ambitious transition to sustainable transport could be cheaper in terms of investment into core transport infrastructure than continuing as is – if action is taken now.

This is the main message of the ITF Transport Outlook 2023 report of the International Transport Forum at the OECD, presented on 24 May at the global Summit of transport ministers in Leipzig, Germany.

All transport decarbonisation measures currently in place and already committed to will reduce global transport-related CO2 emissions by only 3% by 2050. The transport sector would miss by a wide margin the reduction needed to keep climate change in check.

If action to decarbonise transport is ratcheted up and accelerated, the transport sector can still reduce its CO2 emissions by about 80% over the next 25 years (compared to 2019).

This drop would put transport on the right path for limiting the global temperature increase to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the goal of the Paris Climate Agreement.

ITF-Transport-Outlook-2023-Current-and-High-Ambition-scenarios-ENGLISH.PNG

“Reaching this high-ambition scenario requires a combination of complementary policies that successfully avoid unnecessary transport activity, shift more trips from fuel-burning to no-carbon transport and improve the efficiency of transport generally”, said ITF Secretary-General Young Tae Kim in presenting the report.

“It will be absolutely essential to quickly scale up cost-competitive technologies and fuels to move people and goods with far, far fewer emissions. We can do all this if we take more decisive action now.”

Such an accelerated transition to low- and no-carbon transport requires significant investment. Providing the core infrastructure for the High Ambition scenario in the report, however, would require about 5% less investment than under current policies, according to the ITF’s projections.

“Freight transport will roughly double in the next 25 years if we stay on the current path, and passenger transport will grow by 79%. So we will also have to invest heavily under this scenario to accommodate this additional demand – and, from what we know,  probably more so than if we invested in a low-carbon future”, said Orla McCarthy, project lead for the ITF Transport Outlook 2023.

These projections consider investment needs for the core transport infrastructure – including rail lines, roads or ports – required to cater for future demand. Estimates for the extra investment needs for electric charging networks are also included in the report. This is the first edition of the ITF Transport Outlook to include estimates for infrastructure investment needs under both scenarios, to support policy decisions.

The report makes five recommendations for policy makers:

  1. Develop comprehensive strategies for future mobility and infrastructure
    Instead of providing infrastructure as a reaction to predicted demand, governments should take a “decide and provide” approach to investment, with a view to achieving certain public policy objectives.
  2. Accelerate the transition to clean vehicle fleets
    Accelerating the transition towards clean vehicles and fuels requires targeted policy support with ambitious objectives and support measures. Enabling infrastructure requires additional investment.
  3. Implement mode shift and demand-management policies where they are most effective
    Measures to reduce trips and travel distances, and encourage the use of more sustainable modes, work well in cities. For longer-distance travel, a transition to cleaner vehicles and fuels is the priority.
  4. Consider the additional benefits for urban areas when evaluating policies
    Many policies to decarbonise urban transport can make mobility more affordable, improve access, reduce congestion, free up space, reduce crash risks and limit air pollutants.
  5. Reform vehicle taxation to capture external costs of new vehicle fleets
    Falling fuel-tax revenues will hit revenues and make fuel taxes less effective as a policy lever as vehicles become emission-free. Road pricing and congestion charging can mitigate both.

Government hopes for ‘longer lorries’ economy boost

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Longer lorries will be introduced to UK roads to support the government’s priority to grow the economy, boost productivity, slash road emissions and support supply chains.

Legislation has been laid out to safely roll out the vehicles on roads from May 31st. The longer lorries will be able to transport fast-moving consumer goods and retail products, as well as waste packaging, parcels and pallets.

These new lorries will move the same volume of goods, but will use 8% fewer journeys than current trailers. This will generate an expected £1.4 billion in economic benefits and take one standard-size trailer off the road for every 12 trips.

As part of efforts to grow the economy and cut emissions, government is changing regulations to allow longer trailers on GB roads, which it estimates will save 70,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.

These longer trailers, known as longer semi-trailers (LST) measure up to 2.05 metres longer than a standard semi-trailer and can be towed by a lorry.

The move follows an 11-year trial to ensure LSTs are used safely on roads, and operators will be encouraged to put extra safety checks and training in place. The trial demonstrated that LSTs were involved in around 61% fewer personal injury collisions than conventional lorries.

Vehicles which use LSTs will be subject to the same 44 tonne weight limit as those using standard trailers. These new vehicles are also expected to cause less wear on the roads than conventional lorries due to the type of steering axle used.

Operators will be legally required to ensure appropriate route plans and risk assessments are made to take the unique specifications of LSTs into account.

In addition to these new legal requirements, operators will also be expected to put in place extra safety checks including driver training and scheduling, record keeping, training for transport managers and key staff, and loading of LSTs.

It is expected that LSTs will create almost £1.4 billion in net economic benefits by ensuring more goods are carried on fewer vehicles, supporting productivity and boosting the economy.

The net economic benefits figure has been calculated as part of the LSTconsultation impact assessment.

With over 300 companies in the UK having already taken part in the trial, and almost 3,000 on the road, some of the biggest brands will be rolling out the extended use of these longer semi-trailers including:

  • Greggs
  • Morrisons
  • Stobart
  • Royal Mail
  • Argos

Gavin Kirk, Supply Chain Director at Greggs, said: “We welcome the introduction of LSTs into general use. Since 2013, Greggs has been operating LSTs from our National Distribution Centre in Newcastle. We were early adopters of the trial as we saw significant efficiency benefits from the additional 15% capacity that they afforded us.

“We have converted 20% of our trailer fleet to LSTs, which was the maximum allowable under the trial, and these complement our fleet of double-deck trailers. Our drivers undertook additional training to use these trailers and we have monitored accidents, finding that they are as safe as our standard fleet.

“Due to the increased capacity, we have reduced our annual kilometer (km) travel by 540,000 km, and saved 410 tonnes of carbon per year from LSTs. This supports our wider ESG agenda, the Greggs Pledge.”

The trial revealed the important environmental benefits associated with the introduction of LSTs, including a considerable reduction of 70,000 tonnes of CO2 and 97 tonnes of NOx over the trial.

The average CO2 reduction across the lifetime of the trial is similar to the amount of CO2 captured by roughly 11,600 acres of forest per year.

The savings in NOx emissions averages to the entire annual NOx emissions of around 2,000 diesel cars per year.

Introducing LSTs is an important, easy and affordable measure to continue to reduce CO2 emissions from the haulage industry without significant technological and infrastructure development, as the government continues to work closely with the sector to ensure all new heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) are net-zero by 2040.

The move is part of the government’s comprehensive 33 actions to address the shortage of HGV drivers and boost recruitment and retention.

Strategic Road Network plans mapped out by National Highways

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New proposals for the future of England’s motorways and major A-roads have been published as part of plans to connect the country and grow the economy in an environmentally sustainable way.

The Strategic Road Network Initial Report for 2025-2030 sets out National Highways’ advice to government on priorities for one of the country’s most important assets over the next five-year period and beyond.

The 4,500-mile network carries around four million vehicles a day – providing links to all major ports and airports – and the report says continuing funding is needed to support the safe, efficient movement of people and goods.

Today’s report says that National Highways’ work is likely to increasingly focus on making the most of its existing network through proactive maintenance and improvement works – boosting safety and journey reliability and in turn driving economic prosperity. This includes through greater use of digital technologies, getting the network ready for connected and autonomous vehicles and encouraging active travel.

The report also outlines the challenges facing these increasingly busy roads and how investment can help tackle congestion and smooth traffic flow. Most motorways were built in the 1960s and 70s and now require extensive renewal while National Highways also needs to ensure performance and safety levels are maintained in the face of increased exposure to severe weather.

The Initial Report will be subject to an eight-week consultation by the Department for Transport. It is published alongside National Highways’ long-term strategic plan, Connecting the Country. This sets out the company’s priorities for the network up to 2050, with demand for roads from zero-emission vehicles expected to remain strong as part of a seamlessly integrated transport system.

Separately, 20 separate Route Strategies are also released today which help develop and maintain a detailed evidence base on the performance of the network – identifying current issues and understanding potential future challenges.

Alongside this, National Highways publishes its new Environmental Sustainability Strategy which sets out the company’s long-term vision to manage roads in a more sustainable way, ensuring the network can be used as a force for good.

Proposals outlined in the Initial Report, which would be subject to future decisions on funding from government, include:

  • A continued focus on safety, targeting a reduction in fatalities and serious injuries through interventions such as targeted upgrades to single carriageway A-roads, initially focusing on 17 routes covering 147 miles;
  • Increasing investment in small local schemes – those valued £2m to £25m – to spread opportunity and tackle known safety and congestion issues, often via improved slip roads and junctions connecting to local roads;
  • Providing road users with more real-time and personalised information covering congestion, on-going incidents, planned roadworks, events and the availability of electric vehicle charging points, giving them alternative routes if necessary;
  • A greater focus on improving journey experiences, including considering lorry parking facilities as part of the design and planning of projects where a need is identified;
  • Enabling the transition to zero carbon motoring by supporting the installation of around 2,500 open-access rapid charge points for electric vehicles on the network by 2030;
  • Continuing to invest in infrastructure for non-motorised users such as walkers, cyclists and horse risers, including possibly acquiring more land to create physically segregated “link” paths and cycle lanes alongside and away from the highway;
  • Increasing proactive maintenance – fixing problems before they emerge – with the aim of reducing large repairs and disruption on the network, while also driving efficiency and roadworker safety through the increased use of autonomous plant on work sites;
  • Maximising opportunities to support biodiversity through initiatives such as the planting of an additional 3 million trees up to 2030.

Crucially, National Highways will propose continuing to take sustained action to cut carbon emissions at every opportunity.

By 2030, maintenance and construction emissions will be cut by up to 50% by minimising new works, using lean construction practices and carbon management approaches. The company’s own corporate emissions will also be cut to net zero by 2030 – without the use of purchased offsetting – through the transition to renewable energy, converting most road lighting to low-energy LEDs and other initiatives such as transitioning all traffic officer vehicles to electric power.

Facilitating the shift to electric vehicles through the installation of additional charge points will help deliver the UK’s climate change commitments while improving air quality for communities close to the network.

The DfT will consult widely on the initial plan to inform the development of its draft Road Investment Strategy (RIS) for the third road period, from 2025 to 2030.  Any decisions on National Highways’ proposals will also be subject to decisions on levels of funding for the five-year period, which are yet to be finalised.

The move to five-year funding cycles in 2015, and the increased long-term financial security this has supported, has already paid dividends for the strategic road network. Over the second road period from 2020 to 2025 the company expects to have sustained up to 64,000 jobs in the construction industry and added £27 billion to the economy, mainly via a £10.5 billion programme to improve the strategic road network.

National Highways will also continue to work on delivering a number of schemes included within RIS2 during the third road period from 2025 to 2030. This includes projects such as improving the A303 near Stonehenge, the Lower Thames Crossing and the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine dualling scheme, all of which are designed to improve traffic flow, boost connectivity and reduce congestion.

Lightfoot harnesses AI for Vision safety camera system

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Lightfoot has launched a suite of in-cab camera solutions that deliver an all-in-one driver safety package, enhancing the positive impact of driver engagement through its market-leading telematics technology.

Designed to build on Lightfoot’s driver-first approach, which encourages fleet vehicle users to adopt smoother, safer, and less polluting styles of driving through in-cab coaching and rewards, Lightfoot Vision helps protect drivers in the moment by actively detecting distracted driving.

Utilising AI and machine vision, the intelligent video telematics system alerts drivers to behaviours that could lead to an accident – such as failure to wear a seatbelt, use of a mobile phone, eating and drinking while driving, or smoking/vaping on the go – allowing them to self-correct to prevent possible incidents. This not only keeps drivers safe, but also helps fleets avoid the unexpected expenses of vehicle repairs and the associated downtime.

Ranging from basic road-facing cameras to advanced driver-facing dash cams, Lightfoot Vision can also be used to capture instances of harsh driving and cornering, speeding, idling, and events where drivers receive a Lightfoot penalty, with footage available to view through the Lightfoot portal.

Lightfoot says Vision will not only help fleets save lives and money, but time too. The system uses AI to review footage and alert fleet managers to events that require further investigation. Scanning through thousands of hours of footage in seconds, this advanced technology removes the need for fleet managers to take a look at every driving event recorded by the cameras – many of which are often false positives – leaving them free to focus on the real issues and ensure that genuine incidents are dealt with swiftly.

In situations where an incident has occurred, Lightfoot Vision provides undeniable video evidence, building a picture of events leading up to and during a collision. This helps to not only support and protect drivers out on the road, but also to resolve legitimate disputes quickly, reducing the number of disputed claims experienced by fleets and preventing insurance fraud, while minimising expensive third-party liability investigations which can lead to hikes in premiums.

Paul Hollick, Managing Director of Lightfoot, said: “This is something that we’ve been working on for a while, as our customers have been calling for dashcams to become a central part of the Lightfoot fleet management system. The introduction of Lightfoot Vision’s in-cab camera suite takes our ability to positively influence driver behaviour for the better to an entirely new level. It enables fleets to operate in a safe, efficient, and socially responsible way, where driver self-management, aided by nudge technology through our in-cab telematics devices, instantly and sustainably improves driving behaviour – removing the need for costly training and time-consuming data analysis at the same time as improving customer service.

“By incentivising drivers and utilising cutting-edge technology that supports and protects them, we are creating a package of prevention that minimises the potential for at-fault accidents, while giving undisputable evidence to fleet managers to counter insurance fraud. That’s vital as today’s near miss could be tomorrow’s serious and costly incident. By understanding where fleet risk exists, and giving drivers the tools to reduce that, we can minimise the impact of poor, distracted, or inefficient driving, saving time, money, and lives. In addition, fleets using the Lightfoot system should also see a further improvement in MPG – or an extension of range in EVs – so we’re ensuring all bases are covered for optimum performance.”

Join the UK’s leading fleet managers and suppliers at the Fleet Summit next month!

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We’ll soon be starting to create meeting itineraries for next month’s Fleet Summit – can you join us on either June 12th & 13th in Manchester?

Did you know you can meet suppliers for a series of 1-2-1 meetings? Request supplier list >>

Did you also know with live attendance you can attend industry seminars? Speaker details here >>

In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to network and share current issues and ideas with other fleet professionals. See below those you’ll meet next month:

Company Job Title
Adler and Allan
Altrad Services
Aspire Housing Ltd.
Auditel UK
Auto Windscreens
Babcock International
Bi Frost Transport
Calor Autogas
Cheshire Constabulary
Cheshire Constabulary
City Sprint
Clarke Transport
Cummins
Currys
Denbighshire County Council
DS Smith
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Eclipse Energy
For Farmers UK Ltd
ForFarmers B.V.
G4S
GBA Services
Getinge Lancer UK
Grosvenor Facilities Management
Imperial Tobacco Ltd
JR Dixon Ltd
Lancashire Constabulary
LocalTaxisGroup
LocalTaxisGroup
Manchester Airports Group (MAG)
Mawdsleys Logistics
Mawdsleys Logistics
Metworks
MI Transport Ltd
MI Transport Ltd
MI Transport Ltd
Monster Energy
Pret A Manger
Quatra UK LTD
Rexel UK
Rexel UK Ltd
SHV Energy
Stannah Management Services
Tesco Maintenance
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Vantec Europe Ltd
Vantec Europe Ltd
Wigan Council
Wigan Council		 Senior Buyer
Fleet Manager
Fleet & Plant Manager
Fleet Consultant
Fleet Manager
Fleet and mobility manager
Managing Director
National Vehicle Engineering Manager
Fleet Manager
Head of fleet
Head of Procurement
Fleet Manager
Senior Fleet Analyst
Senior Operations manager
Fleet Manager
Senior Logistics & Fleet Manager
Fleet Manager
Fleet Services Manager
Fleet/Procurement Coordinator
Transport Manager
Driver Trainer
Global Head of Fleet and CAPEX (Procurement)
Head of Fleet and Compliance
Fleet and Benefits Manager
Fleet Consultant
Fleet Controller UK & Ireland
Transport & Compliance Manager
Head of Fleet
Fleet Manager
CEO
Head of Motor Transport
Head of Transport
National Transformation Manager
Fleet Manager
Commercial Director
Operations Director
Managing Director
Fleet Manager
UK Logistics Manager
UK Fleet Manager
Fleet Administrator Manager
Head of Fleet
Global Category manager Logistics
Fleet Manager
Fleet Co Ordinator
Fleet Supervisor
General Manager
Snr Transport Manager
Fleet Operational Manager
Fleet Procurement Officer

Attendance is free for fleet professionals, which includes overnight accommodation, all meals, refreshments throughout, an evening drinks reception and three-course meal to enjoy along with entertainment.

Places are extremely limited so if you are interested, please book a place or click here for more information.

Do you specialise in fleet Telematics & Tracking? We want to hear from you!

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

Each month on Fleet Management Briefing we’re shining the spotlight on a different part of the fleet market – and in June we’ll be focussing on fleet Telematics & Tracking solutions.

It’s all part of our ‘Recommended’ editorial feature, designed to help fleet buyers find the best products and services available today.

So, if you’re a supplier of Telematics & Tracking solutions and would like to be included as part of this exciting new shop window, we’d love to hear from you – for more info, contact Chris Cannon on 01992 374096 / c.cannon@forumevents.co.uk.

Here’s our features list in full:

Jun – Telematics/Tracking
Jul – Contract Hire & Leasing
Aug – LPG/Alternative Fuel & Fuel Management
Sept – EV Infrastructure
Oct – Duty of Care
Nov – Grey Fleet
Dec – Service, Maintenance & Repair
Jan 24 – Electric & Hybrid Vehicles
Feb 24 – Dash Cams
Mar 24 – Driver Training
Apr 24 – Accident & Risk Management
May 24 – Fleet Management Software