Royal Mail unveils its vision for safer trucking

[TrueBlueTerrier]

29/04/2009


Royal Mail today revealed its vision for improved HGV driver safety by unveiling a specially-designed truck packed with a range of innovative new safety features.

The business aims to run the safest truck in the UK and today laid down a challenge to manufacturers to improve the range of safety features available as standard to the freight transport industry.

Royal Mail has been working with DAF and trailer manufacturer Cartwright for the past 10 months to develop the prototype ‘Safety Concept Vehicle’ - which has 30 additional safety features compared to its standard trucks.

These new features range from Lane Change Departure Warning to proximity sensors and Ground Level Coupling device.

Royal Mail will be trialling the vehicle across the UK over the coming 12 months to evaluate the benefits of the additional safety features before demanding that the most beneficial are added to any new vehicles they order in the future.

Phil Murphy, Royal Mail’s Network Operations Director, said: "The safety of our people and other road users is our number one priority. We’ve been working with DAF and Cartwright to develop a truck packed with a range of safety features, some which we believe should be standard and some which have been developed specifically for this project.

"Our goal is to improve safety by making the best use of existing technology as well as to initiate the design and development of innovative features to address particular safety issues faced in the industry."

He added: "The current NCAP ratings for the car industry which allows direct comparisons of crash test performance across various manufacturers is not replicated in the truck industry. We believe that similar comparison data would drive safety improvements ahead of legislation."

Ends

Issued by Royal Mail:
148 Old Street
London
EC1V 9HQ
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Notes to editors:

Royal Mail handles 79 million items a day, collected from more than 210,000 access points - from post boxes to business customer’s warehouses - for delivery to the UK’s 26 million addresses.

We have the largest logistics operation in the UK, with more than 6,000 vehicle movements, 56 flights and five train services each day linking 11 regional distribution centres, 68 mail centres and more than 1,400 delivery offices.

Royal Mail’s road fleet of 33,000 vehicles are involved in the collection, distribution and delivery of mail. More than 2,300 professional drivers work in the Network road fleet, which consists of 350 17/26 tonne rigids, 1,300 motive units, 2,000 straight frame trailers and 320 double-deck trailers.

The 30 additional features on the Safety Concept Vehicle are:
Truck features:
• Safe drive package, including vehicle stability control
• Warning axle load monitor
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Truck based satellite navigation system
• Nearside camera activated by ‘left’ indicator a low speed
• 5th wheel coupling sensors
• Sun visor
• ASR traction control
• Hill start assist
• Spraydown mudflaps
• Seat belt warning system + pre-tensioners
• Air bag
• Cheetah SRS self raising spoiler - designed to adjust to trailer height and indicate via digital display (in cab) overall combination height
• Pedestrian proximity sensors
• Bulb out warning system

Double-deck trailer features:
• Ground level coupling system
• Reversing aid warning (white noise)
• Reverse camera (wireless)
• Remote tyre pressure monitoring system
• Powered hydraulic landing legs
• On board weighing device
• LED lighting all round, including dual side marker/indicator
• Park distance sensors
• Powered rear shutter with auto stop safety features
• Timed lighting for rear step
• Roll stability package
• Spraydown mudflaps
• Ramp approach braking system
• Slide out trailer steps with platform
• Reflective livery to side and additional reflective outline markings to side and rear


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[DGP1]

With the falling mail volumes why do we even need any lorries to transport the non-existant mail.

[k979aaa]

With the falling mail volumes why do we even need any lorries to transport the non-existant mail.

Yes you are quite right i hear royalmail have took on a fleet of twelve budgies too more than cater for the entire uk mail market for the next year or two!. :cfo

[k979aaa]

With the falling mail volumes why do we even need any lorries to transport the non-existant mail.

Yes you are quite right i hear royalmail have took on a fleet of twelve budgies too more than cater for the entire uk mail market for the next year or two!. :cfo

And before you all ask they did get them on the CHEAP as well!. :cfo

[DGP1]

With the falling mail volumes why do we even need any lorries to transport the non-existant mail.

Yes you are quite right i hear royalmail have took on a fleet of twelve budgies too more than cater for the entire uk mail market for the next year or two!. :cfo

And before you all ask they did get them on the CHEAP as well!. :cfo

The worst joke this week

[k979aaa]

With the falling mail volumes why do we even need any lorries to transport the non-existant mail.

Yes you are quite right i hear royalmail have took on a fleet of twelve budgies too more than cater for the entire uk mail market for the next year or two!. :cfo

And before you all ask they did get them on the CHEAP as well!. :cfo

The worst joke this week

And some poor sod bought LDV my joke cannot be as bad as that.

[DGP1]

The worst joke this week

And some poor sod bought LDV my joke cannot be as bad as that.

They didn't buy it, they got it for £0.00 plus whatever the Government gave them to sweeten the deal. [/quote]

Problem is with the sweetener the Government want loads of strings, conditions and worst of all they want some decision making power and the other company say they are asking too much for the money they are offering.

[k979aaa]

With the falling mail volumes why do we even need any lorries to transport the non-existant mail.

Yes you are quite right i hear royalmail have took on a fleet of twelve budgies too more than cater for the entire uk mail market for the next year or two!. :cfo

And before you all ask they did get them on the CHEAP as well!. :cfo

The worst joke this week

And some poor sod bought LDV my joke cannot be as bad as that.

They didn't buy it, they got it for £0.00 plus whatever the Government gave them to sweeten the deal.

I stand corrected by my learned brother.

[DB1100]

Lets hope they aren't of the same calibre as the Maxxus vans,give it 6 months to a year when all the road salt has got into the fancy electric gizmo,s,then it will be trailers with jammed shutters,tractors that wont couple and the poor driver will be driven insane by the noise of all those warning buzzers going off in the cab