Trialling 20 petrol-fuelled vehicles to improve fleet

[POSTMAN]

Logistics is trialling 20 petrol-fuelled vehicles to improve fleet flexibility

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The trial was introduced after drivers reported that a high number of diesel particulate filter (DPF) vehicles weren’t operating at the required temperature to run smoothly.

During the trial it was discovered that the DPF vehicle breakdowns were mainly at inner city locations and each one was costing the business around £80.

Docklands delivery office, Bridgend delivery office and Oldham delivery office took part in the trial. They were given petrol-fuelled Peugeot vans to test out on selected delivery routes.

Driver feedback praised the quietness of the vehicles and the smooth delivery of power.

Albert Enriquez, a driver at Docklands delivery office, says: ‘The time I have saved not having to regenerate the petrol vehicle is unbelievable compared to the diesel van I was driving before.’

Fleet business partner Annessa Lehane says: ‘Petrol vehicles give us flexibility in areas where the DPF filters affect the operational performance, due to lack of mileage and the substantial stop-start nature of deliveries in urban areas.’

[GT750rider]

If they had researched the problem vehicles before purchasing them, this "shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted" approach would not have been necessary .

[rubberbond]

If they had researched the problem vehicles before purchasing them, this "shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted" approach would not have been necessary .

Anyone with a bit of knowledge ,could have foreseen the problem ,it is not exactly a secret that diesels are no good for stop/start trips, they don't get hot enough to burn off the particulates and this then clogs up the filter. Only a couple of weeks ago there was a letter in The Propaganda,sorry, Courier, about not giving out plastic bags to customers ,because of climate change, yawn. Then the next week we get the charity bags D2D and they use polluting, diesel powered vans, to replace, er, non polluting bicycles. Joined up thinking anyone?

[arnold cheshire]

anybody would think a petrol vehicle had never been used before

[dave72]

Every 80 miles and the DPF light comes on

Fiat Doblo, apart from the DPF thing I like the van

[bustedflush]

I hate the French crap. The PUGGOT vans are the worst in the fleet.

1. Rear door locks keep jamming, so slam back door and it doesn't engage.
2. Side doors tend to fall off, had it on 2 vans.
3 Irritating 'please apply the handbrake' messages AFTER you've applied it FFS!!
4. DPF issues (as already mentioned)
5. Gutless acceleration.
6. Noisy - people look round at us when we accelerate.
7. Plastic trim rattles.
8. Stupid gearknob situated so high up you'd think it controls the radio.

[Spedley]

"Regenerate the [diesel] vehicle" What is that all about?

Is that the reason for all the new Fiats and old Combo vans with the engine warning lights on - clogged valves from not getting to temperature?

[paranoid-android]

I hate the French crap. The PUGGOT vans are the worst in the fleet.

1. Rear door locks keep jamming, so slam back door and it doesn't engage.
2. Side doors tend to fall off, had it on 2 vans.
3 Irritating 'please apply the handbrake' messages AFTER you've applied it FFS!!
4. DPF issues (as already mentioned)
5. Gutless acceleration.
6. Noisy - people look round at us when we accelerate.
7. Plastic trim rattles.
8. Stupid gearknob situated so high up you'd think it controls the radio.

To be fair to the pug, item 3 is an after sales, Royal Mail addition.

[rubberbond]

"Regenerate the [diesel] vehicle" What is that all about?

Is that the reason for all the new Fiats and old Combo vans with the engine warning lights on - clogged valves from not getting to temperature?

You have to open the bonnet , press the accelarator and brake pedals for a certain length of time, like a muppet and then the engine revs its nuts off ,whilst burning off the soot and other cancer causing pollutants associated with diesel. Meanwhile all the bikes have gone off to Agrica, would they not like a van instead? Probably not as fast but hey ho.

[meercat]

It's been well known for decades that you need to get a diesel up to temperature before you get the fuel economy. Total BALLS UP ordering a fleet of diesels which do 5-10 miles a day stop start journeys. These particulate filters are a new tech to meet emissions standards but the fuel economy issue shows RM has no strategic governance or leadership at the top.

[Tman]

It's all a trade-off. They're hardly going to go back to the 1980s and run mixed fleets of petrol and diesel vehicles, especially as diesels are now much more common and efficient to run.

[fishtank]

The Bippers aren't French crap, they're Turkish crap.

[heapsy]

A friend of mine, a retired diesel fitter told me that the diesels engines days are numbered. Apparently, due to stricter emissions controls they will not be able to keep improving the performance of them and eventually they WILL be phased out.

[bustedflush]

Has anybody ever seen or heard of a RM Diesel van get the 'run-on' phenomenon, whereby the engine runs even with the key out due to hot plugs? and self-destructs by running faster and faster?

[heapsy]

Has anybody ever seen or heard of a RM Diesel van get the 'run-on' phenomenon, whereby the engine runs even with the key out due to hot plugs? and self-destructs by running faster and faster?

Not me