Lorry Dangles Precariously from the Rear of a Ferry

A tanker carrying a non-hazardous ferrous sulphate powder somehow managed to crash through the rear doors of a Stena Line ferry shortly after leaving port at Stranraer. The ship was due to sail to Belfast. Although the lorry was said to have been fastened securely it managed to slip back, crash through the doors and was left hanging off the back of the ship.

Not much fun for those stranded onboard though. The good thing was that no one was reported being hurt and there was no evidence of leakage from the tanker. As the contents were non-hazardous there would have been no risk to the public if the material had escaped. The 155 passengers and 33 crew were unable to disembark once the ferry had returned to Stranaer as they dangling lorry prevented the ship from docking. They had to remain onboard overnight and sit it out – food and blankets were provided throughout their ordeal. A 400 tonne crane was brought in from the North of England to lift the lorry to safety and allow the ship to dock.

The images shown on TV looked quite dramatic, with the lorry dangling from the back of the ship. It appeared to be hanging from its rear wheels with the cab dipping into the chilly waters. Local people watched the ship sailed back to port to await the arrival of the crane.

It will now be up to the investigators to find out how this could have happened. The lorry insurance and the ship’s insurance companies will have great fun trying to sort this one out!

Help Lower Your Van Insurance

The UK is now officially in recession. The credit crunch is biting hard which means that an increase in theft of people’s home contents and vehicle contents is likely to increase. Opportunist thieves will be looking to grab Sat Navs, mobiles, tools, CD players-basically anything they can lay their hands which sell fast on the black market to make easy cash.

Perceptions that it’s only drug users looking for cash to get a quick fix is still true, however, there are many people who are struggling to make ends meet who may be joining in on the smash and grab brigade-especially if people continue to make their theft easy by leaving their vehicles unlocked and their possessions in full view.

Simple steps can mean the difference between you and your van being targeted. Stickers telling would be thieves that ‘no tools or equipment left onboard overnight’ may just deter them-or at least make them think twice. Having said that there’s absolutely point having a sticker like that and then leaving your tools or equipment onboard! Being a statistic in vehicle crime is a ’label’ you can definitely do without.

Are you aware that having such a sticker-and taking your gear out of your van each night-can actually help to lower your van insurance premiums? Insurance companies welcome customers who take a positive and active approach in trying to reduce vehicle crime.

It’s certainly worth checking your policy or phoning your insurance company to see whether they do reward-by lowering the cost-those who are fed up with being targeted by opportunist thieves.

The Use of ‘Capture Cars’ is on the Increase

The use of  ‘Capture cars’ was recently given a report on the BBC’s The One Show.

The report informed viewers that many police constabularies are using ‘capture cars’ to reduce the number of cars being broken into while parked.

The police believe that ‘capture cars’ can and are reducing the number of car burglaries quite substantially. Interestingly the reporter and a ‘re-formed’ car burglar walked only a short way down a street lined with parked cars looking inside to see that Sat Navs, mobile phones and other valuable goods were left in full vision. Far too easy for burglars to smash the window and help themselves in a matter of a few minutes.

The ‘capture cars‘ are fitted with video cameras and also ‘Smart water’ which covers the burglar with a fine spray of fluid which can then be detected on clothing and skin under ultra violet style lights. The ‘Smart water’ remains in place for many weeks despite how many times it’s tried to be washed away.

The report also raised the subject of entrapment and whether capture cars were being deliberately ‘baited’ with valuables to entice people/car thieves to break into the car.

There are many different views and opinions as to the pros and cons of such tactics.
Law abiding citizens should have nothing to worry about is a view held by many people.

Whatever your opinion it is important to remember not to leave valuables on display inside a car or van when it is parked. Valuables should be taken with you or locked out of sight in a boot. It is also worth checking your car insurance or van insurance to see whether you will be able to make a claim should you become a victim of car crime.

Are You at Risk from Trucker’s Leg?

‘Truckers leg’ is what the lorry drivers in the States refer to as peripheral arterial disease, PAD, a medical condition which can affect folk who sit for extended amounts of time.

Like most medical conditions there are specific factors which can contribute to the risk of developing PAD. Those who are or have any one or more of the following are most susceptible:

• Over 50 years old
• Smokers
• Diabetics
• Overweight
• Have a family history of heart disease
• Have high blood pressure
• Have high cholesterol
• Women lorry drivers who use an oral contraceptive

Any one or more of the above will most likely apply to nearly all HGV drivers! Consensus of opinion indicates that any form of travel which is over 4 hours at anyone time can increase the potential of suffering from ‘trucker’s leg’ higher. HGV insurance may also be affected if PAD is diagnosed as the driver may be considered to be a greater risk.
There are some simple things that can be done to reduce the risks from PAD such as:

• Wearing compression socks, the sort recommended for long haul flights.
• Driving to tacho rules.
• Walking about at every comfort stop.
• Having the driving seat adjusted correctly. Particularly if you share driving, make sure the seat is properly adjusted to suit you.
• When stuck in traffic jams- move the feet by flexing the ankles up and down and making small circular movements with the feet to help improve circulation.
• Stop smoking- enough said!
• Loose weight- Try eating a more healthy diet and taking regular exercise.
• Get blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked regularly by a GP
• Women HGV drivers- Discuss alternative forms of contraception with a GP

Following these few simple suggestions may help improve overall health of truck drivers as well as helping to keep the cost of HGV insurance down by having healthy drivers!

Taking Positive Steps i the Credit Crunch

Finding cheap van insurance has never been easier, simply go on-line and let the search engines work their magic. A whole host of different insurance companies and brokers are currently offering some very competitive deals and with the credit crunch hitting many businesses now is the time to take a look at what is being offered at the most competitive rates.

There are a number of things that you can do to help reduce your insurance costs further still. Many insurance companies will offer discounts if you add a company logo to the side of your vehicle, there is no need for expensive art work and flashy designs, it is a matter of showing the insurance folk that you use your van as part of your business. A logo may also help to distinguish your van from the ‘white van man’ syndrome which is still being bandied about by many people.

Fitting immobilisers and alarms may also help cut the cost of your insurance, removing expensive tools and equipment from your van each night may become tedious, however, you can bet your bottom dollar that the night you don’t remove them the thieves will strike and you will be left high and dry with no gear to work with. Many van insurance policies will cover tools and equipment and although you may think it unnecessary to include them consider how much it would cost to replace just a few tools, let alone the time it will take trudging round the shops trying to find replacements.

The Continuing Problem of Fuel Theft for Hauliers

The gradual decrease in fuel is undoubtedly being welcomed by all drivers. However, despite the falling pump prices some hauliers are still trying their best to prevent fuel being stolen from their vehicles.

It is estimated that organised gangs of fuel thieves routinely steal in excess of £500s worth of fuel and resell it easily on the black market.

The biggest problems facing hauliers is that small amounts of stolen fuel is hard to detect. With variations in the way lorries are driven and the diversity of routes taken can make a genuine difference of up to 25% fuel consumption between lorry drivers delivering to the same locations. As such a loss of fifteen to twenty litres of siphoned fuel will go unnoticed. If siphoning is being carried out on a regular basis the costs over a year can be colossal for the hauliers.

Even if they had HGV insurance from which they could make a claim being able to prove small, yet continuous, loss of fuel is very unlikely. The organised fuel thieves are very aware that taking entire tanks of fuel is far easier to detect than a regular siphoning of small, yet lucrative amounts.

Having lorries parked in secure compounds overnight may help reduce the risks of targeted theft of goods, vehicle and fuel. However, hauliers should not become too complacent as many thieves, including fuel thieves, have ‘inside’ sources and access to the compounds!

Installing CCTV cameras may help to deter opportunist thieves. This type of proactive approach to reducing risks and therefore the amount of claims made on HGV insurance is welcomed and encouraged by insurance companies.

Advances in Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras

Almost everyone is aware of Automatic Number Plate Recognition, but are you aware that the police are using advances in ANPR and have cameras sitting neatly in the back windows of their patrol cars?

These are used to not only check number plates to see whether cars are stolen, they can also check if the car has valid tax.

The data collected by the cameras is then sent back to data bases where it is stored for 5 years. There are hundreds of ANPR cameras on roads throughout the UK and each time you pass one all of the data relating to your van is captured.

Running without tax also means you won’t have valid insurance or MOT if applicable. Driving a vehicle without tax, appropriate and valid van insurance is an offence.

Okay, many people will think that it is all getting too much. Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras on roads, CCTV cameras on the vast majority of street corners in towns and cities. Everywhere you go there are cameras watching and recording what you do and where you’re going. Many believe that these cameras are an invasion of personal privacy.

However, those who are running legitimately with valid insurance have a point that they are in affect paying for those who chose to flout the law! Insurance companies are having little choice but increase insurance premiums to cover the costs of the millions of uninsured drivers who use the UK roads on a daily basis because they ‘think’ they are above the law.

Fleet Insurance Isn’t just for Businesses

For those of you who own several vehicles and are not very good at remembering dates or are bogged down with endless paperwork then fleet insurance is an extremely effective way to manage your vehicle insurance. Of course, the key factor here is that fleet insurance will also save you money.

Typically fleet insurance can be used for three or more vehicles, but there are variations and criteria from different insurance companies so its well worth checking them out even if you only have a couple of cars at the moment and are looking to expand in the future.

Like all vehicle insurances the number of drivers, their age and previous driving convictions will be taken into consideration, generally older drivers are cheaper to insure as they are deemed to be less of a risk, women drivers can benefit from cheaper insurance as they are thought to be safer drivers by many insurers, furthermore drivers who have no previous driving convictions are also cheaper to insure.

Fleet insurance is not just for businesses and company cars; vans, taxis, minibuses and some HGVs can also reap the benefits and huge savings. Likewise, fleet insurance can also be obtained for privately owned vehicle collections, so if you have the luxury of owning a few vehicles make enquiries with your current insurers to see what they are offering and shop around on-line to see if their price and policy can be beaten elsewhere.

Most on-line fleet insurance companies offer phone options, so for those who are not totally comfortable with using the Internet can speak to consultants, what’s more, many offer a ring-back service so that you don’t have to foot the phone charges!

Is Your Fleet Ready for Winter?

Frosty mornings and snow fall in many parts of the country means that your fleet needs to be in tip top condition to keep all of the vehicles on the road and earning money.

Simple tasks such as using anti-freeze is quite often overlooked by many people. Whether you have your own garage which services the vehicles prior to winter or each driver has responsibility for the vehicle they drive, it is imperative to make sure that anti-freeze is put in the radiator and that tyres are in good condition to help reduce the risk of breakdowns or accidents.

Making tyres are in good condition is an essential part of winter driving. Tyres which are on the verge of reaching the minimum permitted tread depth will not grip the road well. This may cause vehicles to slip and slid and potentially cause accidents.

Overlooking these simple tasks can potentially increase your fleet insurance premiums as you may have the need to make more claims. Not only may the premiums increase your no claims bonus may also be lost. Having a generous no claims discount can have a dramatic impact in reducing the insurance premiums. Make a claim and your bonus goes out of the window!

Some insurance companies will offer protected no claims which enables you to make a certain number of claims before losing the discount. Although this is ideal, you may also need to read the small print of the policy as many insurances will not payout on claims which the insurance company believe to be caused by negligence. Failing to put anti-freeze in the vehicle may be classed as negligence. An expensive mistake to make for such a simple task!

Fleet Insurance Documents

You will receive three different documents from the insurance company. Once received all three will need to be read through to ensure all of the details and information is correct. If there are any errors the insurance company should be advised as soon as possible to ensure all of the fleet is covered.

The certificate: The certificate is the document which contains the details of the fleet vehicles. It also includes the dates for which the policy is valid and will include the drivers named to use the vehicles.

The insurance certificate is the legal document which is required to be produced when an accident occurs, when the vehicle/s need to be taxed or if a driver is asked to produce it by the police. It is an offence in the UK not have appropriate vehicle insurance.

The Policy: This sets out and informs the full terms and conditions of the insurance cover.

The Schedule: The schedule provides details of the policy. This will include the amount of excess, no claims discounts and the level of insurance cover e.g. Third party Only, Third Party Fire and Theft or Comprehensive.
Each vehicle will be given a certificate insurance, along with a copy of the policy and or schedule depending on the insurance and company requirements.

All fleet drivers should be informed of where the full set of fleet insurance documents can be located within their workplace base.

Fleet drivers are advised to check through the fleet insurance certificate and inform management of any discrepancies or inaccuracies to enable them to have them amended by the insurance company.