• Home
• Used vehicles
• Product news
• Dealer news
• Compliance
• Buying advice
• Archive

That's Show business...

With record demand for tickets and exhibitor space sold out, the 2008 CV Show will be the best yet. CM gives you the highlights

Words: Julian Milnes This year's CV Show on 15-17 April at the NEC in Birmingham looks set to be a cracker. with more than 600 exhibitors and an estimated 30,000 visitors passing through.

Tony Young, CV Show manager, says: "More than 13,000 people have registered online at www.cvshow.com. That's well up on the comparative figure for last year, and we're confident that by the time the doors close on Thursday 17 April, we'll have seen that number more than double."

HCVs

Renault (hall 20 stand 340) is set to make waves with the international launch of its Magnum 500.26 6x2 tractor, which will be accompanied by a Premium Lander 370.32 8x4 rigid, which is making its UK debut.

Also being displayed on the stand are the company's Master, Maxity, Mascott and Midlum vehicles.

There's plenty going on at Isuzu (hall 6 stand 050) with a new 4x2 rigid heavy truck range, which moves up a size into the ultra-competitive medium sector. The F-series comes in 11, 12, 15 and 18 tonnes, along with a mix of fourand six-cylinder engines.

There is also a mixture of day and sleeper cabs, along with a choice of manual or Easyshift automatic.

DAF (hall 20 stand 510) will be showing off its green credentials with all five exhibits boasting Euro-5 technology and AS-tronic auto transmission, with two sporting EEV engine enhancement.

The line-up includes an LF 45.160 4x2 rigid, an FTR CF 85.460 6x2 tractor with Space Cab and a FAD CF 85.410 8x4 rigid.

Making its CV Show debut on the Mercedes-Benz stand (hall 8 stand 411) is the new Actros, displayed in 2546 Megaspace Euro-5 BlueTec guise with full air kit, and finished in Pearl Silver.

Also on show are four Axors with a 2543LS tractor complete with Powershift2 gearbox heading the charge, along with an Atego 816 chassis-cab.

LCV

Scheduled to make its UK debut at the CV Show is Citron's (hall 10 stand 200) new baby van, the Nemo, which is available in both 1.4 petrol and diesel guise. The rest of the LCV range, including the current International Van of the Year the Dispatch, will also be in attendance.

Peugeot (hall 12 stand 302) will be giving two new LCVs their debut on its stand. The Peugeot Bipper small-cubed van opens up a new category, while the new Partner replaces the current proven model.

The company will also be promoting the range's ability to run on 30% biodiesel.

Heading the line-up on the Renault (hall 11 stand 310) stand is the new Kangoo Van, which will be available in two wheelbases and three outputs from its 1.5dCi engine. Accompanying the Kangoo will be the new Trafic Sport Van, as well as Trafic and Master Navigation special editions.

Taking pride of place at Toyota (hall 12 stand 410) is the Polar Hilux. as featured in the BBC's Top Gear Drive to the Magnetic North Pole. The 3.0-litre D-4D sits next to the 2.5-litre version, as well as Hiace and Dyna, which has received an update for 2008.

Now rebranded Fiat Professional (hall 11 stand 210), the CV arm of the Italian company will be showing off its new light van, the Fiorino, as well as launching its one-stop-shop conversion service that can deliver the finished product to the customer instead of buying the chassis first. There'll also be the new Grande Punto van, along with a selection of Scudos, Ducatos and Doblo Cargos.

One van that is bound to attract attention is the Mercedes-Benz (hall 8 stand 411) Vito 120CDI Sport-X Dualiner with a whopping 204hp from its V6 engine. There's also a 115CDI Sport van, with a credible 150hp, while several Sprinters will also be on display, iincluding a fuel-saving Eco-start variant that's claimed to save 10-30% in fuel consumption. Connaught Engineering Ltd (hall 12 stand 458) has a hybrid Ford Transit on display with claims of a 25% reduction in CO„ emissions along with a 25% improvement in fuel economy, depending on the driving cycle. The Hybrid+ system uses a 15hp electric motor coupled to the engine via a CVT to add and recoup energy when required.

Components/tyres

Goodyear Dunlop's new Max Technology tyres (hall 6 stand 70) offer improved fuel consumption, shorter wet braking, greater load capacity and longer tyre life.

It's all down to new high silica content tread compounds, innovative tread designs, a new carcass construction and new sizes, too all of which give the new Regional RHS II, RI-ID II and the long-haul Marathon LHS II and LHD II tyres, excellent performance characteristics. Other new Goodyear products include FuelMax long haul, KMax regional haul use and the AirMax concept, which increases tyre air volume without increasing its diameter. Benefits here include increased load capacity, lower operating costs and less road damage.

The entire range has already been tested by selected UK fleets, and testimonials will be displayed on the stand, alongside details of its TruckForc,e truck tyre supporting infrastructure.

There's a new trailer tyre from Continental (hall 7 Stand 131), which is designed for regional applications as well as new steer and drive tyres designed for construction and off-road applications, along with further additions to the ContiRe retread range, including a new drive tyre for regional applications.

Also on the stand will be a tyre pressure monitoring system, in-depth tyre management packages from ContiEuroService and information on the revised ContiNetwork dealer network The CV Show will play host to the official UK launch of Michelin's (hall 8 stand 340) new Agilis utility tyre, designed for medium and heavy vans. Using more abrasion-resistant rubber compounds, Michelin's Agilis has long-life characteristics, too. Currently available in 13 sizes, by next year there will be another seven, making 20 in all by 2009, which is sufficient to cover almost 95% of the European cargo van segment.

The Agilis tyre owes its robustness to its reinforced, dual-casing architecture, which allows for higher tyre pressure and protected sidewalls; each one has eight protective shields that increases curb impact resistance.

It has a square on-road footprint to minimise tyre shoulder and tread block distortion. This means less heating, better fuel consumption and, of course, less CO, emissions.

There's also the UK launch of its MaxiTrailer tyre in both 255/60 R19.5. which allows manufacturers to fit disc brakes to low platform trailers, while the 205/65 R17.5 frees up to 400kg of axle load along with a 20% increase in casing endurance.

To cope with the increasing use of 3.5-6.5-tonne vehicles, Pallinger (hall 18 stand 030) has upgraded its 500kg capacity RQ517 tail lift with lightweight aluminium platform and galvanised steel frame. The RQ527 comes with a choice of platform depths and options, and will be among several products on the stand.

Designed for civil engineering, utility and tyre companies, the Winton (hall 10 stand 111) display includes further developments of its front-wheel-drive on-board-power installations for LCVs, which avoid the need for a towable compressor.

Telematics

Aimed at stopping fraudulent insurance claims, the rather clever MDR-304 mobile video recording system from Brigade (hal118 stand 121) features a removable hard disc that can store images from the internal and external cameras. The device can help avoid false claims being made against the driver and the vehicle when involved in a collision, by acting as a 'witness', enabling companies to save both time and money.

The MDR can also record GPS information to show the exact location of a vehicle at any given time.

Also on display is a range of blind-spot mirrors and cameras that already meet the yet-to-be-finalised EC legislation.

Another accident-based camera solution on display is the TruScene (hall 2 stand 150) Fleet Accident Camera. It is mounted on the inside of the windscreen and incorporates a drop-down LCD screen, which acts as a viewfinder and allows playback of clips.

Footage is recorded on to a memory loop, and when a predetermined level of g-force is reached, for example, at the point of impact, a sensor is activated and the device saves the latest video of the incident to memory.

Carrier Transcold (hall 6 stand 330) will he showing its award-winning Vector XLN low-noise refrigeration systems, and in particular, the 1850 model, which complies with the Dutch Pick noise levels thanks to its 59.5dB output.

Also on the stand is the latest generation of its Carrier Foretrack GPRS-based fleet management package, which allows customers to communicate with their temperature controlled fleets in real time.

Making its debut at the CV Show is cfc Solutions' (hall 18 stand 140) new facilities management software product. It allows the management of all resources including full operational, reporting, budgetary, and maintenance planning. Applications include managing a call-out service including driver allocation, parts needed and customer satisfaction reporting.

Ten winners of a draw to be made at the CV Show will also get the chance to film a personalised commercial vehicle risk management DVD, in conjunction with cfc and Drive Smarter VDO Dayton (hall 6 stand 80), formerly known as Siemens VDO, will be launching its Truck Navigation system, which allows trucks and vans to take a route that is suitable to their specifications, avoiding low bridges, narrow roads and weight restrictions.

Also on display will be several digital tachographbased products, including an online analysis system and updated information download keys. Aimed at the rescue and recovery market, DBS Software's (hall 20 stand 110) new software solution integrates vehicle tracking with third-party back-office solutions, allowing roadside technicians and operational staff to stay informed of job status in real time.

There'll also be demonstrations of its routing and scheduling software, as well as its data management systems and mobile communication solutions.

Sat-nay company TomTom (hall 12 stand 319) will be promoting its Work division, which includes an updated version of its Active solution, and which incorporates the Link 300 box. The box can be easily installed and allows the office to communicate with the driver as well as track and trace the vehicle via the company's WEBFLEET application.

With new CPC legislation to be introduced later this year, Novadata (hall 7 stand 270) will be promoting its 'one stop' training programmes that fully meet the EU directive and allow operational staff to get CPC Licensed.

Digital map data specialists Navteq (hall 17 stand 219) is highlighting its latest Navteq Transport system, for routing heavy, high or long vehicles, supported by several fleet users. The system issues warnings of steep hills, sharp bends etc; hazardous materials_ restrictions; and lorry-specific 'points of interest'.

Navteq will also show its Traffic Patterns, a database giving geo-referenced traffic flow information. In Germany for example, it includes five daily traffic modules with updated speed values in hourly increments.

Trafficmaster will be airing its Fleet Director package. currently seen on Citroen vans, to the wider market. BP (hall 12 stand 440) has an interactive on-screen demonstration of its latest BP PLUS Online Service, where its benefits are compared to that of the football program ProZone. BP's Kathleen Callender says "It gives managers an insight into a fleet's fuel consumption and spending, enabling them to control costs, reduce carbon emissions and protect both their bottom lines and the environment."

The package also has new downloadable 'On the Road' tools and a novel 'Alerts' fuel card service that enables fleet managers to monitor all aspects of individual or collective fuel card use. Using an SMS or email it can alert the manager to any breach of set limits, and thus deal with fraud.

Tachosys (hall 19 stand 201) is demonstrating the very latest in digital tachograph data solutions. Its handheld Digifob allows drivers to visualise their driver card data and helps them avoid infringements while allowing their managers to quickly check driver cards.

A range of Digital Postboxes allows companies with multiple sites to centralise their driver and vehicle data files using the mobile phone network (GPRS).

Tachosys is also revealing a new all-in-one hand-held device with all the Dig,ifob features, which allows vehicle data downloads too. A detailed graphical display and simple four button interface assists the user and provides detailed on-screen reporting.

With PC connectivity and the optional GPRS unit, it's the ideal tool for handling Digital Tachograph data.

Workshop

Shell Lubricants (hall 8 stand 050) will be showing a completely new line-up of Rimula products. including its top-of-the-range 5W-30 synthetic-based oil with lowSAPS technology that's designed for enhanced catalysts and exhaust filters found on Euro-4 and Euro-5 trucks.

Joining it is the 15W-40 ACE A E-9. which is claimed to offer 'Energised Protection' by extending both the life of the engine oil and the oil drain periods, while increasing protection against wear and engine deposits.

International garage equipment specialist Actia Muller (hall 9 stand 010) has established a network for sales, distribution and service support for customers in the UK and Ireland. The company produces vehicle diagnostics, gas analysers, smoke meters, air conditioning servicing equipment, vehicle lifts, MoT equipment, wheel alignment centres, suspension testers and wheel balancers.

New products include the Multi-Diag HGV diagnostics tool, which offers a robust electronics display unit, intuitive software and interface units enabling access to vehicle ECU's.

Also on show is a new generation of diesel emissions and exhaust analysis test station and a patented method of testing shock absorbers.

All-time-high fuel prices should have visitors flocking to TISS Security Systems (hall 6 stand 121) to check its 'Impregnable' anti-siphon device.

Launched last year, more than 15,000 anti-siphons have been sold, and fleets such as DHL-Exel, Wincanton, Maritime Transport, Imperial Tankers and S W Wreford & Sons are showing interest.

TISS is challenging visitors to beat the device and siphon from its tank display.

Stand visitors can enter its prize draw and maybe win one of 10 free Impregnables' being given away each day.

This year, Hella (hall 9 stand 341) is showing new DDS 100 and DDS 200 data and diagnostic equipment.

The former covers 80% of the UK car pare. is updated three times a year and can include engine and ABS control data together with servicing details plus technical information covering airbags, thermal management (including A/C), lighting and circuit diagrams.

DDS 200 is a mobile, wireless and user-friendly diagnostic tool used in conjunction with a laptop or PC and relates to OBD, OBDII, as well as European OnBoard Diagnostics (E0BD), fault code deletion and service resetting. Supplied complete with seven vehiclespecific adapter cables — for occasions when readouts cannot be taken with the 16-pole plug — DDS 200 also includes an interactive training module for EOBD The two packages can be used independently, but together, they form a fully integrated complete data and diagnostic system.

This year. MIS Fuel Monitoring (hall 20 stand 440) is demonstrating its Merridale diesel storage and fuel management systems in the form of a replica storage tank-cum-show room, which shows the back-office reporting software. Around it are dispensers, monitoring units and electronic tank gauging solutions.

Key products include its Auditor FT tank stock management, which covers automatic delivery detection and verification as well as input and output reconciliation.

Merridale FuelEX software can analyse usage, stock balance and variance over set time periods.

ZF Trading UK (hall 19 stand 110) is showing its Hengst commercial vehicle filters, and explaining the benefits of remanufacturing.

Hengst's air, oil and fuel filters suit all current engine variants, and its cabin air filters are all-makes, too.

Its novel Energetic oil filtration system consists of a permanently installed die-cast aluminium filter housing and renewable filter insert with integral drain valve.

It cuts waste by 90% compared with a conventional spin-on filter, eliminates oil loss during filter changes, and reduces service times and cost.

Stand visitors will also be advised on the differences between remanufacturing and reconditioning.

Organisations

Freight Transport Association (103) The Freight Transport Association (hall 8 stand 240) is presenting free management briefing events, offering advice and information on the Driver CPC; managing risk, including corporate manslaughter, and OCRS — Operator Compliance Risk Score.

FTA is also showing management support services, such as Carbonfta (designed to measure, record, report and reduce carbon footprint and associated costs); Manager's Guide to Distribution Costs; OLCIS (Operator Licence Compliance Information Service; and the FTA International Service. Digital tachograph services will also feature and visitors will be shown how to download data from their driver card, or vehicle unit, and how it is uploaded to FTA for analysis.

Manheim Auctions Manheim Auctions (hall 8, stand 68) is showing 'live' CV auctions, market intelligence reports and holding consultative RV seminars.

On Tuesday 15 April its 'Vans' sale at Haydock is being beamed `live' to the show, Wednesday 16 April comes direct from Colchester, Glasgow and Washington and on Thursday, it's truck sale comes 'live' from Leeds.

Manheim's LCV market analysis report and monthly market bulletin will also be available on the stand, as will the opportunity for visitors to discuss the marketplace, trends and RV issues with Manheim's CV auction centre managers and auctioneers.

Transfrigeroute Transfrigoroute UK (hall 6 stand 301), represents the commercial and legal interests of the temperature-controlled transport industry and offers members expertise and advice regarding the safe transportation of perishable goods.

To this end, it is affiliated to the Food Standards Agency and is in regular contact with the Departments of Health and Transport. This enables it to influence and lobby national and international proposals that affect the temperature-controlled transport industry. Operators visiting its stand will be offered a special free trial membership. •