Monday 27 June 2016

More legislation or more enforcement? Van operators in their sights.

Whilst the country appears to have voted to leave the EU, for the moment at least we are still a member and likely to remain so for a number of years. 


So we will be subject to their rules and regulations for a little while yet whether we like them or not.

And with news of new European Commission consultations launched relating to ‘O’ licensing changes, operators in the UK and it seems especially van operators, there could be even more need to ensure your vehicles are not flouting the rules on overloading.

The FTA point out that no new laws are needed and that there are already regulations covering van operators. Members of their own Van Excellence scheme have a strict code of practice to adhere to which pushes up standards and gives confidence to customers about the professionalism of van drivers. They argue that better, more frequent enforcement of existing laws is needed.

New legislation or better enforcement, either way ensuring your vans are not overloaded will become even more important in future.

After all, an overloaded van is dangerous. Many of the major components such as steering, brakes, clutch, suspension, tyres are all adversely affected by overloading. Even if they don’t fail, possibly causing an accident, the increased wear just adds to your costs.
Axtec Static Single Axle Weighbridge- is it right for your fleet?

But which is the right system for your needs? Recognising that not every van operator is doing the same thing, we have designed a range of systems to suit all applications.

Checking that your vans aren’t overloaded before they leave for a job? The Axtec Static Axle Weighbridge could be the answer. Fitted in the roadway unaffected by traffic it can weigh any 2-axle rigid vehicle before it leaves the yard.

Vans on multidrop work with diminishing loads? Axtec OnBoardAxle Load Indicator could offer a solution by monitoring axle and gross loads automatically all the time the vehicle is on the road. And by connecting to a quality tracking system, live reporting can be done.

Or maybe your need is to do spot checks or driver training? Then a set of weighpads to keep in the car or ship from depot to depot might be the answer.


Regardless of any new legislation or toughening up of the current enforcement regime, Axtec have a system that will keep the axle and gross weights on your fleet compliant.

Tuesday 14 June 2016

Are you maximising the load on YOUR vans?

According to the SMMT, May was a record breaker in terms of registering LCV’s. 


More and more vans are hitting the road, over 28,000 for the month, and that means more and more axle load indicators being fitted.

Axle overloading affects many of the major components on the vehicle; clutch, steering, brakes, tyres etc which makes it highly dangerous. It’s conceivable that an overloaded vehicle involved in an accident might have its insurance invalidated. We’ve been asked more than once to help with accident investigations where overloading has been suspected as a contributory factor.

So overloading is best avoided and many operators err on the side of caution and underload their vehicles just to remain the right side of the law. But not using the capacity to the full is inefficient.
As well as the obvious benefits of preventing overloading, Axtec OnBoard can do much more to help improve efficiency.

One of the standard features of Axtec OnBoard is the ability to connect to a tracking device. Not only does that output get recorded to indicate an overloading event by the tracker but by sending information continuously, a tracking device in communication with head office can gather other important information.

If the vehicle is overloaded, that’s obviously worth reporting back to head office but what if the vehicle is underloaded? What if it has spare capacity?

Operators need to run their vans efficiently and increasingly they are using weight information to plan vehicle routes.
Axtec OnBoard - preventing overloads and maximising payload

Does the vehicle have spare capacity? Maybe it can do that extra pick up after all. Is it close to maximum weight? Then the tracking system can identify the next nearest vehicle with spare capacity and route it to do the job instead.

Using vans to their maximum capacity is vital at any time. Whilst van registrations are expected to continue rising steadily, barring any unforeseen economic shocks, no operator buys a van for fun and most want to run the minimum number they need.

A van is an expensive asset when fuel and driver is factored in so the fewer you have the better.
Maybe Axtec OnBoard is the answer? It’s less costly than a new van but, when connected to a good tracking device, it will certainly prevent overloading and by maximising the load on every vehicle, it will be paid for in a very short period.


And after that it’s adding to the bottom line.