The TruckCare Challenge
We are inviting our customers to put our commercial vehicle workshops to the test by taking The TruckCare Challenge.
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The TruckCare Challenge
Employee of the Month January 2012
Winner: Hannah Jones Donation made to: Arthritis Research UK Nominations: Ben Fullylove, Neil Wootton Congratulations goes to Hannah, our first Employee of the Month for 2012. Hannah has won this month’s award for her continued hard work in the rental department, combined with the additional responsibilities she has taken on to help ensure the successful operation of Alltruck’s new ATF lanes which opened in January. To mark Alltruck’s 22nd year, all our Employee of the Month winners in 2012 will receive £220 to donate to a charity of their choice, and Hannah has chosen to make her donation to Arthritis Research UK.
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Employee of the Month January 2012
New Learner Driver Laws: Our View
The Government has announced plans to make it legal for learner drivers to be allowed on motorways. The plans, which Roads Minister Mike Penning has said should come into place by the summer, have sparked a mixed reaction in the transport sector and beyond so we thought we would give our thoughts on the issue. Firstly, and one thing that appears to be unanimously agreed upon is that additional motorway training for learner/new drivers is a good thing. Under current laws, the first time a new driver will experience the motorway is after they have passed their test – which can cause problems for both the new driver and regular motorway users alike. You could argue that the law has always been this way and “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” – but with UK roads getting ever busier (around 200,000 vehicles recorded per day on the M25 alone), additional learning on motorway driving should prove highly beneficial. (Direct Line also has some further interesting statistics related to this here ). One of the biggest objections to the plans however is that inexperienced learner drivers on busy motorways at peak times could prove a danger, but Mike Penning insists there is no evidence to support this claim. To us the most sensible compromise would be to set restrictions on what times learner drivers can go on the motorway i.e. not during the rush hour period – but the Government has said there are no plans for conditions such as this to exist within the law change. Looking at discussion on Twitter it seems that the general feeling might be that more training is needed full stop. Such as @thebigman69 who suggested a situation such as Finland’s would be more beneficial – whereby a new driver must pass a test to acquire their permit licence and then complete a further 6 months of driver training by law before they receive their full licence. The debate on whether the new Government plans is the right type or right amount of training for learner drivers on the motorway will continue for some time. However, it is true to say the new Government plans will give learner drivers the chance to experience motorway driving alongside their tutor or driving instructor, before going it alone once they pass their test. It seems the Government has already decided on the law change and we sincerely hope it increases driver safety for everyone on the roads. We want to hear your opinion on this subject too. Please post in the comments your thoughts on learner drivers being allowed on the motorway. — Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/17093564
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New Learner Driver Laws: Our View
Employee of the Month December 2011
Winner: Chris Stevens Donation made to: Heart Link Congratulations goes to Chris Stevens who is our final Employee of the Month for 2011, winning the award for December. It was tough to choose a winner in December with many examples throughout the company of employees going the extra mile to support both customers and colleagues. Chris was one such example and was awarded Employee of the Month as a result of his commitment and dedication across all the Alltruck depots, supporting both colleagues and customers when they needed it most. Well done Chris, who has fully demonstrated what the Alltruck values are all about. As winner of Employee of the Month, Chris receives £210 to donate to a good cause of his choice and Chris has made his donation to Heart Link, a Leicester-based charity raising money to support children affected by congenital heart disorders.
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Employee of the Month December 2011
Alltruck rugby sponsorship join forces
We have previously blogged about our sponsorship of both Nottingham Rugby and junior rugby side Sherwood Barbarians U17s . So we were delighted that we could help to bring the two parties together last weekend as Nottingham Rugby held a training session for the Sherwood Barbarians at Nottingham Rugby’s Lady Bay training ground. The training session was held by NRFC Community Manager Steve Smith, along with two Nottingham players Rhys Crane and Jonny Baird. Steve, Rhys and Jonny held a 1.5 hour session, which featured a number of drills and exercises to put the Barbarians through their paces with a focus on technique and mastering the basics. There were tired, but smiling faces after the 90 minute session as the Sherwood Barbarians came to the end of a challenging but memorable morning. Throughout the morning, the Sherwood Barbarians coaches also took the opportunity to share tips with Steve Smith and his team, to take back into their future training sessions. The day didn’t end there and following the training session, the Barbarians made there way over to Meadow Lane – the home of Nottingham Rugby – where they had something to eat and got the chance to hear from and ask questions of some more of the Nottingham Rugby first team. A big part of our decision to sponsor both Nottingham Rugby and the Sherwood Barbarians U17s is because we are passionate about getting involved with our local communities, so it is great to know that our sponsorship of both clubs could help make the day happen. Sherwood Barbarians’ Manager Ian Moore summed up the day by saying “All the lads thoroughly enjoyed it – it was an excellent day”.
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Alltruck rugby sponsorship join forces
Team of the Month October 2011
Such was the level of achievement within Alltruck during the month of October that the Directors made two awards, one for Employee of the Month and one for Team of the Month. So congratulations go to Jerry and the technicians at Sleaford for winning Team of the Month for their hardwork and dedication! Not to be outdone by the refurbishment at our Nottingham and Leicester depots, Jerry and the team took the initiative and invested their own time and effort in repainting the Sleaford workshop floor to keep it at the highest standards. The commitment of Jerry and the team is a great example of our “ 3Ps and 3Cs “ in action. Jerry and his team receive £210 to donate to charity which they have chosen to add to the money Alltruck raised for Wear it Pink which brings our total donation made to Breast Cancer Campaign up to £307.
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Team of the Month October 2011
Fair Fuel Debate: Our View
The Fair Fuel UK Campaign saw the fruits of its labour come to life on November 15th as the Parliamentary debate on the issue of fuel prices and fuel duty they have campaigned for finally took place. Endorsed by Robert Halfon MP, the Fair Fuel UK campaign has had some high profile and vocal support, and over the last few months the campaign has worked tirelessly to secure the 100,000 online signatures of their e-peition needed to get this issue debated in Parliament. The e-petition is a simple initiative from the Government but with potentially big results and it aims to put power in the people’s hands. According to the Government e-petition website: “e-petitions is an easy way for you to influence government policy in the UK. You can create an e-petition about anything that the government is responsible for and if it gets at least 100,000 signatures, it will be eligible for debate in the House of Commons.” However, the keyword here is ‘eligible’. And when Fair Fuel received the 100,000 signatures needed, the celebrations started and the topic was soon given approval for a Government debate. However, there almost seemed to be a back-track and the campaign struggled to secure a date for the debate. However, through continued public support and pressure on MPs the debate was eventually confirmed for November 15 th . Why the delay in securing the debate then? Were the Government trying to avoid taking action they knew the couldn’t avoid on such a ‘hot topic’? True, the Government had already taken steps (which included suspending a planned rise on fuel duty until January 2012) but the Fair Fuel petition and continued public support for this issue highlights that the public want more. So why are people and industries calling for action on fuel prices? These figures go some way to explaining why: Petrol prices have tripled in the last 20 years Average price for litre of diesel: 138.4p Average price for litre of unleaded: 134.1p In the midst of economic recovery, the price of fuel has an impact on us all as businesses and individuals. The price of petrol is felt at the pumps but we also feel it as the price for products and groceries increases, with higher transportation fuel costs a large contributing factor. Fair Fuel UK certainly believe that that the cost of fuel is choking the speed of economic recovery for individuals and businesses as seen in their online prospectus . So what was the eventual outcome of the debate? MPs have now backed a motion to consider a fuel price stabilisation mechanism. And there are already (albeit unconfirmed) rumours the Government is considering scrapping the planned increase in fuel duty for January. While these are not yet the full scale measures the Fair Fuel UK Campaign were calling for; we think it’s a start, and a good start too. And perhaps more significant is that it means the issue will continue to be firmly in the public and political eye and reaffirms how important and at times emotive this issue is to a large portion of the British public. Through the Fair Fuel UK campaign, the people have spoken. And at Alltruck we have a feeling that their voices won’t quieten down until some changes are made. We’d like to hear your thoughts on this issue too – please post in the comments below. Sources http://news.sky.com/home/politics/article/16110418 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15730087
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Fair Fuel Debate: Our View
A greener shade of pink
We might be known for our pink trucks at Alltruck, but we’ve taken big steps towards going greener this week as we added fifteen Mercedes Benz trucks with Bevan21 bodies to our rental fleet. Now ready to rent at 12t, 18t and 26t; the Bevan21 bodies are specifically designed and manufactured to lower carbon emissions and can deliver the following benefits to our customers: Independently proven fuel savings of up to 15% Increased payload Reduced CO2 emissions How do they do it? The Bevan21 bodies are all manufactured from lightweight Carbofont recyclable panels and are produced to give a streamlined body for reduced wind resistance while still retaining full cubic load volumes. We pride ourselves on being a progressive organisation and with the environmental spotlight continuing to point at the transport industry, Alltruck are proud to be leading the way for the rest of the rental sector by offering our customers a greener and more efficient alternative.
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A greener shade of pink
10 steps to get ready for winter
It’s been an unsually warm autumn but it now looks like the winter weather has officially arrived. So we thought we’d get ready for winter by looking at 10 steps which can help keep commercial vehicles and drivers safe and working their best throughout the winter months: Ensure screenwash fluid is present and topped up as this contains an additive to prevent water freezing, this is especially important with the salt and grit that the roads throw up during the winter months. As the temperature starts to regularly drop below zero, you should ensure antifreeze is kept at the correct level. Check the battery terminals are secure and clean as this will help to prevent residue build up which can affect the battery voltage. This is important because the winter months are more demanding on a vehicle’s battery with more power required to start a vehicle in cold weather as well as more additional electronics being used (heaters etc). Ensure the air system – primarily the air tank – is drained regularly to remove condensation from the air system. This can help to prevent freezing and the resulting complications this can cause in the air system. It is important that the vehicle windscreens are free of cracks. Cold outside temperatures combined with heating from within the cab can cause cracks to worsen to the point where they can become potentially unsafe. Ensure an even load spread across the vehicle. This is important at all times of year and can help to avoid skids and slides on the winter roads. Drivers should think about any ‘emergency kit’ they can keep in the cab in preparation for any stoppages or long delays in the winter weather. For example sleeping equipment, winter clothing, food and water. Drivers should include checking the night heater is working properly as part of their daily checks before starting a journey. Check tyres for correct tyre pressures and tread depths. Again, this is an important consideration throughout the year and can help to prevent slips and slides on the winter roads. Ensure your vehicles are working their best with regular service inspections, which are available at our workshop depots throughout the East Midlands. What’s more, we are now offering a FREE winter check at our Leicester , Nottingham and Sleaford depots (available as part of a paid service inspection) when you subscribe to our newsletter . Please post in the comments if you have any other suggestions or tips to get vehicles and drivers ready for winter, it would be great to hear from you…
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10 steps to get ready for winter
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