Driving & Logistics
Get all the latest Driving & Logistics news and opinions in one place. From asking questions about truck drivers to the latest rules and regulations on logistics. We ask them all here.
What are smart motorways and where can we find them?
The UK government has promised not to build any all-lane running motorways across the UK until the current motorways are comprehensively assessed for safety. The lanes use a rigid shoulder as an extra lane in the traffic but have been criticised as a cause of many unfortunate deaths. Part of the smart motorway masterplan is vehicles use the hard shoulder during busy periods. Great idea. But what happens if you break down? ERA, that’s what. Let us elaborate. What are smart motorways? A smart motorway is a road spread equipped with modern technology to regulate traffic flow and possibly reduce congestion. Here are the three main types of smart motorways: Controlled Motorway: A road spread with a permanent hard shoulder with optimised traffic tech such as variable speed limits for adjusting t...[Read More]
Check Your Tyre Tread Depth and Avoid Getting Charged £2,500
You can check your tyre tread depth to avoid getting charged £2,500 if not complied with the legal requirements. A few parts of your vehicle are as essential as your tyres to maintain an effective contact between the road and the machine, which is crucial for acceleration, control, and self-breaking. To improve the overall ride quality of your vehicle, it’s suggested to check if your tyre tread depths are fulfilling all the legal requirements. Here’s everything you need to know about your vehicle’s tyre tread depth. What is Tyre Tread? Your vehicle’s tyre tread is constructed to maintain the contact between the road and your vehicle. As your tyres wear off, the ability to maintain the grip on the road reduces, making it susceptible to longer stopping distances and a...[Read More]
Towing Laws 2022: What can you drive legally?
No matter if you are planning to tow a caravan on your summer holidays or going to tow a trailer filled with goods for work, it’s crucial to remember what vehicles your driving licence entitles you to drive. The towing laws in the UK are supposed to change soon. In September 2021, the UK government already gave the notice to scrap the extra test for towing trailers up to 3,500kg, an initiative that the safety Institute convicted Advanced Motorists (IAM) RoadSmart. If you plan to attach any type of small trailer, caravan, horsebox or be it a boat behind your vehicle, we will cover everything you need to know before setting off for the day. READ MORE: How to Consult a Driving Theory Test Practice for Your Vehicle Towing Laws – what can you drive legally? Drivers who have pa...[Read More]
M E Saunders & Sons sign up for three Volvo FM trucks
Bulk transport operator M E Saunders & Sons has taken delivery of a new Volvo FM 500 Globetrotter 6×2 tractor unit, with two more set to follow. The three new FMs replace trucks from a rival manufacturer in the business’ 18-strong fleet. Working out of various quarries in Cumbria and delivering a range of aggregates to the firm’s customer base across the north of England, the trucks have been chosen due to Volvo’s proven reliability and the excellent working environment provided by the latest version of the FM. ‘Long tradition of running Volvos’ Rowland Saunders, Co-owner of the family-run firm, says: “We’ve had a long tradition of running Volvos and chose them again this time because we have always found the Volvos to be more reliab...[Read More]
How weather affects your fleet performance and how you should avoid it
While typical weather, such as an average rain or wind, won’t significantly affect fleet performance, heavy storms, snow, winds, rain, and fog like extreme weather can cause a problem. Whether you are operating in a cold Northern or hot Southern hemisphere, being prepared is highly recommended. FROM JANUARY TO APRIL, the UK and European winters can create hazards like snow, black ice, fog, and even flood, making it dangerous to operate a fleet. Decreased Visibility and Vision Bad weather like hail, fog, snow, and heavy rain can significantly decrease a driver’s road sight, making it challenging to operate a fleet. On top of that, bad weather can also reduce drivers’ ability to see nearby vehicles and pedestrians. While the weather cannot be controlled by any chance, here&...[Read More]
Should I buy Winter Tyres? Cost and Benefits
What are the pros and cons of fitting winter tyres on your vehicle, and are they cost-effective? Considering many hazards like rain, snow, black ice, wet roads, which sometimes can become fetal. Fitting winter tyres to your vehicle can be a significant safety asset. But after all, it depends on your cause and figuring out if they are suitable for you. What are winter tyres? Winter tyres are created to serve maximum grip and resistance in cold weather. They are carved with deeper grooves, softer compound and narrow cuts with sipes built into the tread. These specifications are designed to disperse water or snow and allow the material to move with increased contact with the road. To identify a winter tyre, look for the snowflake symbol on the sidewall. If not found any, you’ll likely s...[Read More]
Ring Road Sign Meanings – Most Popular Questions Answered
RING ROAD SIGN MEANINGS Many of us passed our driving tests by remembering the highway codes list, but few have picked up a copy of the highway codes since. Whether you are in your learning phase & aiming to pass the test, or you are just looking for a refresher, FleetSpeak shares the most frequently requested questions & answers about road signs. WHAT ARE BLUE ROAD SIGNS? A blue road sign grants the information to the driver & performs multiple functions depending on its shape. Blue ‘circle’ road signs give the driver mandatory instructions: Turn right or roundabout ahead. The blue ‘rectangle’ road sign is merely informational but, can be used as directions on the motorways. WHAT ARE GREEN ROAD SIGNS? Green road signs are primarily on a green bac...[Read More]
What are 4D Number Plates and are they Legal?
Here’s everything you need to know about 4D number plates, including whether they are legal or not? Let’s find out. Having a good pair of number plates is a mandatory requirement to drive your vehicle legally on the road. Many fleet enthusiasts bid on a personalized registration number to acquire their taste, & many of them are following the trend of fitting ‘4D’ number plates. What are 4D number plates? This rapidly increasing trend features a standard plate with raised numbers & lettering that stand slightly higher from the background of the plate. Even though addressing the popularity of 4D number plates, we can see certain instances on social media where authorities have reported stopping such fleets with 4d number plates. Such incidents have led drivers...[Read More]
Locking wheel nut key – what to do if you lose it
Losing a locking wheel nut key, breaking it, worn out, or no longer working is a common situation we hear from fleet operators. Here’s a complete strategy to use if you’ve encountered such a situation. What is a locking wheel nut key? The locking wheel nut key is designed to offer protection over theft of your vehicle’s alloy wheels. The alloy wheels have been quite desirable since their first production and became a fashion trend that brought a common problem. ‘The wheel theft.’ These days, most vehicles are ordered to fit alloy wheels as a standard requirement, so theft isn’t much of a concern. Nevertheless, manufacturers still offer protection by supplying a pair of locking wheel nuts & a locking wheel nut key. Vehicles with alloy wheels mostly have one nut for each wheel (a total o...[Read More]
2022 will be a year of EVs?
Conforming the last year’s rapid progress in fleet tech, Fleet Speak investigates the UK’s fleet sector to foresight 2022 & predict the sector’s inclining direction towards tech. Addressing the top five trends in the trucking industry for a few years, it’s clear that we are increasingly heading towards an Electric revolution. After a year-long roller coaster ride during a pandemic, we saw the world go towards climactic chaos at COP26. At the same time, the fleets and transports accelerated towards EV adoption and continued holding the industry during the calamity. Let’s look at what this year can bring to the EV world. Expansion of Fleet EVs As the affordability factor of trucks and vans increases rapidly over time, all-electric fleets are becoming more of...[Read More]
HGV penalty charge notice enforcement process simplified
Penalty charge notice (PCN) issued by the police Parking charge tickets enforced by the UK police are known as the Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) and are allotted under the criminal justice act. If you happen to find yourself in this situation, the police forces are not in power to make the offenders pay the charge in the act. Instead, a local adjudicator’s court justifies the penalty charge notices. Paying the penalty charge notice (PNC) ticket With a request to the type of vehicle, the penalty charge notice (PNC) ticket is payable by the operator of the fleet & the person controlling the fleet under the act of infringement of the lorry control order. Usually, the offender can acquire the penalty charge notice through a post. All the details such as paying the penalty charges can ...[Read More]
UK Driving licence codes and categories
What are driving licence codes? The driving licence codes demonstrate the conditions you must abide by before earning a green flag to drive your vehicle. There is an estimate of over 50 driving licence codes, which we will explore in this article, including a plethora of categories consisting of your eyesight and other biological aids to vehicle modifications. These codes are generally found on the back of your licence and can be different in Northern Ireland. Read here to know all the UK’s driving licence categories. Driving licence penalty codes If by any chance you’ve committed a driving offence and needed a speed awareness course, you could be served by penalty points on your licence. Since such points are going to be stuck on your driving licence until its expiry date, whi...[Read More]
