A taste of what’s in store for temperature-controlled transport and logistics providers at the Commercial Vehicle Show 2013 on 9-11 April at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

As well as over 400 exhibitors of products and services to transport and logistics businesses, this year sees the return of the Cool Pavilion with an impressive line-up of exhibitors that includes Commercial Body Fittings, Cool Running Rental, Gray & Adams, Lawrence David, Marshall Fleet Solutions, Masternaut, Maxon, Next Rental, Paneltex, United Rental, Transdek, Reflex & Allen, and Quinn Refrigerated Vehicles.

Gray & Adams show first
Gray & Adams is showing a 44-pallet, lifting-deck trailer built for Reed Boardall and an 18-tonne Mercedes-Benz Axor rigid with radically-styled Dolphin body for Chiltern Cold Storage in the Cool Pavilion at the CV Show.The 44-pallet trailer from Gray & Adams, which pioneered refrigerated double-deck trailers, building the first one some 24 years ago, has 10% more carrying capacity compared to a standard 13.6m double-decker.

The Dolphin body for Chiltern has all-new leading-edge body cappings that follow the 3D curvature of the roof and a vortex generator to smooth the airflow around the back of the vehicle. This improves fuel-efficiency and cuts CO2 emissions. Reed Boardall runs the country’s largest primary haulage double-deck fleet and was the first customer for the new 44-pallet version.

Frigoblock hybrid refrigeration
Frigoblock hybrid refrigeration system with inverter control, suitable for Euro 6 vehicles, offers an “unbelievably high and continuous cooling rate” says the company.  Frigoblock’s FK/FD 35 refrigeration unit for rigids raises the refrigeration capacity over the previous FK series by up to 30% and lowers specific energy consumption by a further 30%.

The condenser and evaporator sections of the machine are arranged one in front of the other across the entire body width. This doubles the surface area of the heat exchangers and flow of all the fans. The FK/FD 35 guarantees air circulation in the loading space of up to 9,000 m3/h, depending on the speed of the evaporator fans.

A world first is the new FK/FD 35 defrost concept says the company. “There is no interruption to cooling during defrosting. The use of two evaporators for cooling a compartment and the hot gas system ensures that both evaporators are defrosted one after the other very quickly. While one evaporator is defrosting, the other maintains cooling at a practically unchanged overall output.”

“As cooling is not interrupted by any defrosting cycles, the new concept enables cooling rates, unknown up to now, to be achieved… for the first time the new Frigoblock FK/FD 35 makes it possible to cool insufficiently pre-cooled fresh meat or fruit/vegetables which are loaded warm from the fields both continually and in the time required.”

Van rental team
Temperature-controlled rental company Cool Running Rental is exhibiting in alliance with Next Rental from Birmingham.   They will have a medium wheelbase Mercedes Sprinter on the stand. GRP in Leeds converted the vehicle which has a GAH temperature control unit. The van is capable of freezing to -25 degrees, or heating to + 25 degrees, thus satisfying both the food and the pharmaceutical industries. The Sprinter is also capable of attaining two different temperatures at the same time using a moveable bulk-head which Cool Running Rental can supply on request.

Bulkheads for reefers from CBF
Commercial Body Fittings will have a selection of 3600 products for vehicle bodybuilding, trailer manufacturing and associated industries on its stand. On display is the CBF Cool-Guard refrigerated bulkhead unit, demonstrating the very latest bulkhead technology, including the easy-lift mechanism which allows the bulkhead to be stowed against the roof when required.

CBF is promoting type-approved products that meet current and future mandatory requirements. On display will be the ASGK990 Lateral Protection System (Side-Guards), fully ‘e’ marked to meet the requirements of regulation 73. The kit includes galvanized hinge legs (500h salt spray tested) and anodized aluminium rail,available in various lengths, market leading Clear Pass spray suppression flaps, Reflexite VCT104 reflective tapes, rear marker boards and various external marker and internal LED lights – all carrying ‘e’ and EMC approval.

Solomon Slipstream for light commercials
Solomon’s latest aerodynamic technology, “an innovation the company will continue to role out across the UK and Europe after another progressive and successful year,” will be on display. Solomon’s Slipstream aerodynamic bodywork combines dynamic aesthetics with proven fuel efficiency. The latest developments are on Castell Howell’s rigid bodywork. This vehicle has an under-mount dual-temperature fridge that allows a full-width Slipstream roof with Slipstream nose-mount.

Solomon has developed its Slipstream product to suit smaller vehicles, saving fuel wherever possible through the aerodynamic advantages of the lower front profile, while combining the vital ingredients in terms of payload and usability. This is shown in a Ginsters distribution vehicle that will be on the stand. “Solomon has brought its expertise to the urban distribution market, where strength, durability and manoeuvrability are key factors in the ever increasing convenience store sector,” Solomon says.

Multidrop bodies from Paneltex
Paneltex has a new 9.2m urban reefer trailer on display as supplied to Musgrave Retail Partners GB for Londis and Budgens distribution. This single axle, rear steer trailer has a multi-compartment, multi-temperature refrigerated body with a Carrier fridge. Paneltex designed a flexible sliding interior bulkhead for urban distribution needs.

Also on display is a 3.5tonne chassis-cab featuring a Paneltex multi-drop refrigerated box body designed for the home delivery market. Representing  Paneltex Somers is a Mercedes refrigerated panel van with single compartment body converted by Somers to ATP Class C standards and featuring a GAH refrigeration system, Somers’ direct air system sliding freezer side door.

Part of the four-vehicle line-up from Paneltex will be a 7.5 tonne ambient curtain-sided body with aerodynamic roof system designed and manufactured by Paneltex TransLoad to save fuel.

Maxon tail lifts for UK operations
On show from Maxon are four models for the UK. The Max15T 1500kg capacity Tuk-A-Way is the new premier tail lift in its Tuk-A-Way range. It features half steel, half aluminium as well as all aluminium platform configurations, up to 1525mm deep with dual trolley stops as standard. It has twin cylinder operation, grease fittings at all critical rotation points, and works for vehicle floor heights from 1016mm (laden) up to 1370mm (unladen).

The Max10T one tonne lightweight Tuk-a-way tail lift, with half steel, half aluminium alloy, or optional all-aluminium alloy platform, provides a working area with anti-slip surface and dual trolley stops. The lift suits 7.5t to 12t  trucks with dry-freight box or curtain-sided bodies. This one tonne tail lift is suitable for multipurpose use and will accept standard roll cages and palletised loads.

The Max15C 1500kg capacity conventional aluminium alloy platform cantilever lift suits 13 to 26t trucks and trailers with refrigerated bodies.

Cartwright shows expanded service
Cartwright, runner up in the Mail on Sunday’s Made in Britain Awards, which show additional services including finance, rentals and fleet services. Cartwright has 5,000 rental trailers from urban to double deck trailers on long or short-term hire.

Tail lift platform warning
Parts-4-Tail Lifts will display its solar-powered platform flashing light, an alternative to traditional flags.  David Conman, managing director, says: “The new light is a much brighter, modern and more cost-effective alternative [to flags] because it has a life expectancy of between three to four years and remains highly visible for its entire life.”

Euromaster cost saving
ATS Euromaster will show how it works with customers – including some of the largest temperature-controlled operators in the UK – to reduce vehicle running costs and improve tyre life, safety, uptime and fuel economy.  Van service, maintenance and repair will also take prime billing on its stand, to reflect the £14m investment over three years to expand its non-tyre offering and to highlight its ability to accommodate the largest vans in 95% of its centres.

Ford van line-up
Ford will have 15 vehicles on display, including the new Transit Custom, Transit Connect, and Transit. It will also reveal details of the new Ford Transit Courier at the show. Other attractions on the Ford stand include three digital artists who will customise Ford Transit van images for visitors to take away.

Digital tacho technology
A hot topic at the show will be remote downloading of data and Tachosys will demonstrate the concept. Tachosys’ DigiDL is installed in several thousand vehicles in the UK and supported by all of the major UK analysis bureau.  Also on display is Digipostpro which provides a depot-based solution for centralised collection of all tachograph data.

“We are expecting a huge buzz around the replacement for the successful Digifob,” the company says. “The original Digifob found a home with well in excess of 50,000 drivers across Europe.  The whole point of the unique Digifob is to help drivers stay on top of their drivers’ hours and as a consequence to be safe and also avoid fines.  For other users, which include transport managers and the authorities, Digifob provides a perfect litmus test for driver cards and helps with driver training,” it says.

The new Digifob screen uses the latest technology to deliver a crisp view of summarised information with high contrast, designed for low light conditions. It has a lithium battery which can be charged by any PC , laptop or standard USB charger.  “The same PC connection allows you to read a driver card directly from the Digifob to your PC for the purposes of archiving or further analysis.  The introduction of two buttons on the front side allows users to scroll through summarised data more readily,” Tachosys says. The new Digifob will be available from June 2013 but will be on show at the CV Show.

Temperature control from Lawrence David
Lawrence David is showing its latest lightweight home delivery vehicle and aerodynamic fridge trailer. “It’s an opportunity for us to welcome our customers onto our stand and thank them for their business,”

Laurence Marshall says. ” At the same time we are able to show our new concepts and designs to the widest, high quality audience.

“Trailer technology has and is changing rapidly and the introduction of the longer trailer licence trial is a positive development but complicates choice. “Our job, and one we believe we can do through the CV Show, is to demonstrate and explain the challenges of these new developments for the transport industry and its operators”.

Insulated doors for logistics
SMI has launched a range of thermal-efficient vehicle rear doors for temperature-controlled chilled and frozen logistics that the company claims can cut operating costs and reduce carbon footprint. SMI’s Tempro lightweight and flexible thermal curtain material has the ability to reduce the loss of chilled air and protect from incoming ambient air on rear and side-entry delivery vehicles during loading and unloading, says the company.

SMI says that this thermal-efficiency, together with chilled air retention and ease of driver operation means operators can see a return on investment in as little as 4.7 months. Additionally, operators could see an annual reduction in carbon footprint of 4,705kg,  the equivalent of 20,862 vehicle miles. The three variants, Back-Stop, Truck-Stop and Carrier-Barrier, provide an inner lightweight, high-efficiency curtain door. With SMI’s Back-Stop the Tempro thermal qualities provide a 100% energy saving when the rear doors are open and 75% energy saving on driver entry.  Truck-Stop replaces the traditional inefficient plastic curtains with a number of Tempro thermally efficient strip curtains which are easy to pass through but provide a constant barrier to chilled air otherwise lost.

Carrier-Barrier is specifically designed for the smaller delivery van sector favoured by supermarket home deliveries with a unique Tempro barrier curtain suited to either rear or side door configurations.  Brian Seymour, chairman, SMI, says, “The doors when open allow a flood of high ambient to enter but these new products are designed to save energy, reduce costs and are driver friendly. Tempro insulation reduces evaporator down time and maintenance costs.”

Marshalls shows Thermo King
Marshall Fleet Solutions is showing two of the latest vehicle refrigeration units from Themo King on its stand in the Cool Pavilion – the new SLXe Spectrum and the T-500R, part of the new T-Series line. The low-noise, low-emission SLXe-Spectrum is ideally suited to operating in an urban environment. Two- and three-blower remote evaporators can be combined to provide the optimum solution in a large number of different trailer configurations. With the SLXe-Spectrum, it is possible to drive up to nine remote evaporator blowers, giving more flexibility to meet more demanding applications. Advanced control logic (SmartSet) protects sensitive cargo by providing tighter temperature control and minimising dehydration.

The new T-500R is proven to perform up to 55°C. Most refrigeration systems struggle as the temperature rises above 45°C and cut out as it reaches 50°C.  Marshall Fleet Solutions’ sales and marketing manager Jonathan Vaines says that the company will also feature several accessories that can be fitted to the units. Marshall’s second stand in Hall 4 will show a light commercial refrigeration unit: the V200 MAX Spectrum 50. Marshall Fleet Solutions provides sales and after sales support for vehicle-mounted temperature controlled units, tail lifts, vehicles and trailers.
 
Black boxes for trucks
Smart Witness is showcasing its market leading black-box recorder for vehicles that provides vital, accurate information in the event of an accident, cutting insurance claim costs by as much as 50% and protecting operators against malicious and false claims.“

No other on-board recording system delivers benefits that include lower insurance costs, enhanced safety, driver appraisals and cloud upload to insurance brokers and companies allowing fast resolution of claims,” says Nick Plowman at Smart Witness.

Smart Witness will demonstrate how its on-board camera-based system provides fleet managers and haulage firms complete protection against the threat posed by fraudulent insurance claims.
It works by continuously and accurately recording braking and acceleration speeds and collision G-forces.
But Smart Witness is far more than just an on-board camera recording video: it includes critical data about vehicle location, speed and deceleration.  And it comes with the software to allow users to upload data via the internet directly to insurance brokers and companies.

Smart Witness is linked to Google Earth and Google Maps so not only does the system provide positional data it also shows exact locations and road conditions, signage, and even road markings.  “Within two hours of an accident operators can submit a report to the insurer that shows exact location, vehicle speed, deceleration, road conditions, as well as video footage of the accident,” Plowman says.

“Speed is of the essence when it comes to dealing with insurance claims,” says Plowman.  “You cannot wait a day or two to post information: insurance companies need data immediately to stop escalation of claims in the event of an accident where it’s your fault. That instantly eliminates spurious car hire, injury and repair claims. With Smart Witness technology protecting you there should no longer be any 50/50 or ‘knock for knock’ claims,” Plowman says.

The camera digitally records the driver’s view onto SD cards providing operators with court-admissible evidence that protects against fraudulent claims and falsely accused driving offences.

Getting the light right in reefers
Invertec has launched a new lighting range for reefers. The Halo is an innovative light that offers operators more light and reduced running costs. The Halo light, designed and made in the UK, is a surface-mounted LED light with polycarbonate housing and an optional PIR sensor that switches on with the detection of body temperature.

Ian King, sales director, Invertec, says: “Following extensive research into the commercial and refrigerated vehicle market, many drivers remarked that they found switched lighting inconvenient.
“The Halo’s PIR sensor offers a solution for this in that it allows for convenient loading and unloading without the need for an on/off switch.”

The LED technology inside the Halo light provides a crisp bright light that runs very efficiently in cold environments, the company says. As part of the development programme, Invertec conducted photometric light simulations for a standard trailer.  The results showed an average of 65 lux on the floor with two Halos per trailer, 96 lux with three Halos per trailer and 128 lux with four Halos per trailer.

A recessed version of the Halo is being developed and will be available soon. Invertec, which has made and supplied lighting solutions for commercial vehicles since 1980, is committed to developing innovative, quality products that are designed to meet ISO9000 standards and all European Directives, that maintain the safety and productivity of vehicles.

Anteo double-deck tail lifts
Anteo’s new double-deck 2-tier tail lift has a full depth, all-aluminium platform that forms the rear closure. It incorporates Anteo’s folding safety gate system to sides and front designed around customer requirements to load six 800 litre clinical waste containers in one operation. The power pack is within the rear beam hidden away from road dirt and protected from adverse weather to prolong life cost.

Anteo also has a new Level Ride retractable tail lift with 1.8m deep aluminium platform built to bespoke customer requirements.  A completely re-designed rack and pinion heavy duty sliding system meets the retail customer’s 7-year lifespan.

Citroën Berlingo Electrique
Citroën’s all-electric van will be on display. It builds experience in the UK gained with the first generation Berlingo Electrique launched in 1998. Citroën will continue its ‘Citroën Vans – Business Class’ theme, with Citroën Contract Motoring personnel providing instant contract hire and other business-friendly finance quotations to CV Show visitors.

Isotrak mobile data
Isotrak will demonstrate its latest Active Transport Management System that integrates mobile data communications and electronic proof of delivery. It uses any suitable wireless handheld computer to provide paperless data capture and direct communication to the office eliminating the need for the driver to carry traditional paper delivery notes and other documents.

Paragon software
Paragon Software Systems is exhibiting new routing and scheduling innovations including an automatic low-bridge avoidance option for Britis and an interface to Google’s UK live traffic information. Paragon users can access Google’s live traffic information with one click from the system Workbench. This feature provides regularly updated, colour-coded views of traffic events on UK roads and motorways.

Truckfile partnerships
Magic Internet Technologies will partner with tracking specialist Ctrack to enhance the Truckfile fleet and workshop management systems with users able to access additional fleet data from the web-based Ctrack Online system through the application. This allows better automation of areas such as maintenance scheduling.

Toyota at the CV Show
Toyota Material Handling will show its handling trucks including the Tonero engine-powered forklift, Traigo48 electric-powered forklift, BT Levio powered pallet truck with fork pockets plus an option for on-board charging, BT Lifter hand pallet trucks and a Toyota 50-50 half refurbished forklift. The BT Levio entry level powered pallet truck suits use on the back of lorries.

Hankook’s new retread range
Hankook will show its environmentally conscious bead-to-bead retread truck tyre range, the Alphatread.  The range provides a ‘cradle to grave’ tyre solution. The range includes  two drive-axle tyre: 295/80 R22.5 and 315/80 R22.5 and a trailer axle tyre 385/65 R22.5.  A tear-resistant tread design maximising durability while the wide flat profile improves stability and reduces uneven wear, Hankook says.

Press-button coupling
Fontaine Europe will demonstrate its new, air-assisted, push button sliding fifth wheel coupler. The mechanism relies on a low pressure air feed to reduce the manual force normally required to operate the handle.  Once in place, a sensor automatically registers ‘green’ for a correct coupling – with ‘dog clip’ inserted – or ‘red’ if incorrect and the dog clip is not in place.  Fowler Welch specifies the new coupling as standard.

Quinn Refrigerated Vehicles makes bespoke vehicles at its factory in Galway, Ireland. Out constant commitment to investment and testing has led to one of the most modern manufacturing and development facilities in the UK and Ireland. “As all vehicles are designed and developed in house this allows Quinn RV to produce one off bespoke or production run vehicles to our clients requirements and exacting standards,” trhe companys ays.

HaulTech TrakMan
HaulTech has a new web-based TrakMan system which it is demonstrating at the show. On show are products offering emperature monitoring, trailer tracking, web-based vehicle tracking, and remote digital tachograph downloads

Cycle Alert launches at CV Show 
A new innovation designed to keep cyclists safe on the roads is being launched at the CV Show.  Cycle Alert encourages HGV drivers and cyclists to work together to take responsibility for making the road a safer place. The system has three elements: a unit that is fitted to the bike (or worn by a cyclist on their person or helmet), a sensor which is fitted to an HGV and a cab-mounted driver-alert device. These three units work together to form a communications network between all parties, with the driver being given maximum advance notice of the proximity of a cyclist. 

Descartes goes for the cloud

Descartes, which acquired Exentra Transport Solutions last year, will be exhibit its routeing, tracking and compliance management solutions. “Descartes offers a simple and effective integrated solution to plan and track vehicles whilst meeting regulatory requirements,” it says.

“Transport operators do not need to struggle with multiple products from multiple vendors to get what they need to run their fleet.  Descartes’ solutions are cloud-based, so road transport operators of all sizes can immediately benefit from optimised route plans, better real-time management of routes in progress and compliance with drivers’ hours and tachograph regulations.”

Specialist insurance from Burley
Specialist insurance broker, the Burley Group, will advise operators on insurance needs and explain how its claims management programmes can help to reduce claims costs and company premiums.

Tyre pressure and temperature monitoring
Monitoring tyre pressure and temperature can save thousands of litres of fuel, increase tyre life and reduce breakdowns. TyrePal has products that continuously measures temperature and pressure of tyres, giving clear and distinct alerts for low pressure, high pressure, air leaking or an overheating tyre.

The system continues monitoring when the vehicle is parked, so always gives advanced warning of tyre problems. The TC215 system is a straightforward retro-fit for rigid vehicles, artics, trailers and fleets with a choice of sensor types. A display in the cab gives alerts directly to the driver and systems can also be linked to telematics for monitoring at the fleet office.