Commercial fleet briefs: Latest industry news from Krone, FORS, Targa Telematics, Faun Zoeller, Acklea and Alltruck

Cranleigh Freight Services expands fleet with Krone trailers

Cranleigh Freight Services (CFS) has added three Krone Profi Liner curtainsiders to its fleet in order to meet growing demand for its UK and European general haulage operations.

Will Porter, fleet manager at Cranleigh Freight, said: "Krone trailers have a very good name for being robust and reliable, their reputation precedes them. On top of that, Krone UK was able to offer us competitive pricing and good lead times.

"Their after-sales service has also been excellent. If we need anything our workshop manager just pings an email to Krone UK, and we get the parts within a couple of days. They haven't missed a beat."

The Profi Liners feature pre-galvanised components including the outer frame and corner posts, plus side and underrun protection.

Offset curtain rollers in the external beam ensure smooth running of the sliding curtain, while the external beam is 30% stronger than the previous generation, significantly reducing risk of bending.

This investment follows CFS purchasing two Krone Dry Liners last year, which it uses in its events division.

CFS's Dry Liners are based on the Krone universal modular chassis, featuring an optimised welded assembly and robust bulkhead connection. 

For increased stability in the event of collision damage, the chassis is equipped with a raised front rail as standard, and protected lights are mounted on the diagonally reinforced, ramp-compatible rear.

The trailers are made in Germany but sold and supported by Krone Trailer UK.

Sheffield transport office receives FORS Silver accreditation

The transport office at Jeld-Wen’s Sheffield site has received Silver accreditation from the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS).

Designed to improve standards across the road transport industry, FORS is a voluntary accreditation programme that assess and recognises fleet operators that are committed to managing road risk, reducing environmental impact and improving operational efficiency.

To achieve a Bronze accreditation, operators must demonstrate good practice and compliance with the requirements laid out by the FORS Standard, including a dedication to driver and vehicle safety, and effective monitoring of fuel and tyre usage.

Silver accreditation requires an additional focus on physical vehicle safety, and this award confirms that Jeld-Wen’s transport office fleet is compliant with the CLOCS Standard for Construction Logistics and with TfL’s Work Related Road Risk (WRRR).

Jeld-Wen’s transport office team has worked since 2021 to achieve Bronze, and more recently Silver status, in partnership with its dedicated haulier, Bothams, which it has worked with for more than 50 years.

Lee Clarke, transport manager at Jeld-Wen, said: “I am extremely proud of the team in Sheffield, who have pulled together and worked hard with our haulier to accomplish Silver status.

“Achieving accreditation takes dedication, with an investment in training and auditing, which the team have strived throughout 2023 to do. This recognition aligns with our values of ‘improving every day’, which we are able to pass on to the benefit of our customers.”

Targa Telematics buys Earnix telematics business

Targa Telematics has acquired the telematics business of Earnix, including Drive-it, the Israeli-based business unit headquartered in Haifa, active in the analysis of driver behavior using machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI).

As a result, Targa Telematics has created Targa Drive, a UBI app-based telematics solution used on smartphones which is capable of collecting a large set of data related to specific driving situations, such as braking, acceleration, driving distractions, speed or cornering.

The solution also allows the user to distinguish car travel from other modes of transportation, as well as the driver from the passenger.

“We are continuing to invest in the integration of innovative companies that allow us to constantly raise the level of effectiveness of our solutions for designing the mobility of the future,” said Nicola De Mattia, CEO of Targa Telematics.

“By virtue of the synergies resulting from the integration of Drive-it’s know-how and state-of-the-art technologies, Targa Telematics will further strengthen its leadership in the insurance market, offering its clients an increasingly wide range of services, supporting them with personalisation, and making their products profitable.”

Southampton City Council deploys fleet of ‘versatile’ waste vehicles

Southampton City Council has sourced a fleet of new micro refuse vehicles using a specialist public sector vehicle framework from TPPL (The Procurement Partnership Ltd).

TPPL was able to advise the local authority on the Faun Zoeller Micro HG refuse vehicles. The Micro HG has been operating in Europe for several years, however these are the first to have been supplied in the UK.

Stewart Gregory, commercial director at Faun Zoeller UK, said: “Versatility really is the best word to describe the Zoeller Micro HG.

“Our clients need vehicles that are able to perform a number of tasks. These are great for collecting in public spaces such as parks, they can collect missed bins whatever the waste type due to the compaction system.”

The steel constructed bodies are available in volumes from 2.5-6m3. It has a hydraulic compaction and ejection plate maximising the payload on the vehicle.

The Zoeller Micro HG vehicles for Southampton City Council have a body volume of 4m3 and are mounted on Mercedes Sprinter Chassis with a Gross Vehicle Weight of 3,500kg. The overall vehicle length is 5,430mm.

Waste is loaded into the body from the sides. It has a near side bin lifter capable of lifting EN840-1 compliant containers up to 360 litres, which when operated, actuates a roof hatch to tip the material in, when the lifter is in its stowed position the roof panel automatically closed securing the waste inside.

Further versatility is provided by two additional side loading hatches. One on each side. Southampton also chose the Toolbox Option, which gives another versatile compartment for crew storage.

Councillor Eammon Keogh, cabinet member for environment and transport at Southampton City Council, said: “The flexibility of the vehicles will help us deliver valued street cleansing services with increased efficiency, particularly our street litter bin collections.

“We will be able to reduce fuel usage and emissions with lighter vehicles running new Euro 6 engines with start stop technology.”

Acklea adds plastic light board and tail lift options to traffic management range

Acklea has introduced two new lightweight options to its 7.2t traffic management vehicle range: a 500kg tail lift and a plastic LP13 light arrow board with a swing-out frame.

The new options will be available through Acklea and through Enterprise Flex-E-Rent, which will be offering these new features on both short- and long-term rental in the UK.

These latest features were designed by Acklea to support operators wanting to use just one vehicle to carry all the equipment needed for many more types of roadway maintenance on both low- and high-speed roads.

Clive Brocklehurst, product manager at Acklea, said: “The consistent demand for our plastic-bodied traffic management vehicles has led us to develop new options to meet more specific customer needs.

“We’re also very excited to be making this new version more widely available through Enterprise Flex-E-Rent as it provides operators with many more rental options for using the vehicles.”

Acklea has already delivered more than 100 plastic 7.2t traffic management vehicles since they launched.

The modular design and use of durable, recyclable copolymer plastic enable the bodies to be reused with a new chassis and cab.

Operators can increase the chassis and cab lifespan by ‘second-lifing’ the reusable plastic body and components.

Alltruck accepted as a corporate member of The Furniture Makers’ Company

Alltruck is the only business in the transport sector to be admitted as a corporate member of The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry.

Founded in 1990 and employing a 140-strong team, Alltruck is headquartered in Leicester and also has offices, workshops and bodyshops in Nottingham, Loughborough and Ilkeston.

It is a specialist in HGV and van contract hire, truck rental, fleet management and maintenance.

Alltruck boasts a number of leading furniture businesses within its customer base including Derbyshire-headquartered furniture designer and maker Celtheath, three of whose directors are liverymen of The Furniture Makers Company.

Josh Robinson, managing director of Alltruck, said: “We were drawn to The Furniture Makers’ Company as its values align seamlessly with our own, particularly in terms of community engagement and passion for making a difference.

“Our membership will enhance our CSR initiatives, creating a mutually beneficial relationship that positively impacts both our company and the community.

“Joining The Furniture Makers’ Company reflects our dedication to ethical practices, community enrichment and the sustained growth of our industry.”

Alltruck was formally welcomed as a corporate member at an admission ceremony in December 2023 at Furniture Makers’ Hall, London.