Commercial Vehicle Show, update, Workshop 2012, almost sold out

Bradbury, Blitz Rotary, Gemco, Liftmaster, Stertil and Somers Totalkare will be among exhibitors showing their latest equipment in Hall 2 of the NEC, Birmingham, where visitors will find Workshop 2012 as part of the Commercial Vehicle Show.

Aimed directly at the fleet engineer and passenger car garage operator, Workshop will be home to more than 100 suppliers of products from handheld diagnostics to pillar lifts capable of raising a 44 tonne artic off the deck.

With attention firmly fixed on fuel efficiency, companies like Eclipse Diagnostics, Launch, Texa and SPX can ensure that engines operate at peak efficiency 24/7 and they will be at the Show to demonstrate their capabilities.

Recognising the broad spectrum of visitors to this essential meeting place for workshop operators, Maha has separate stands for car and commercial equipment, while Unipart Automotive’s Garage Equipment Services showcases products from international and domestic suppliers.

The tyre business is well represented by manufacturers, stockists and tyre management companies such as ATS Euromaster, Bridgestone, R H Claydon, Direct Tyre Management, Hankook and Kirby Tyres. Westlake, a new exhibitor for 2012, will make a splash with a 100m2 stand in Hall 2 where Mercedes-Benz launches its new Actros, International Truck of the Year 2012, to the UK’s operators.

TAUBENREUTHER RETURNS TO CV SHOW

Taubenreuther’s unique snow plough systems have been developed as lightweight but tough solutions for European-sized trucks. Their sales have exceeded the company’s expectations for the 2011 winter season and visitors to the CV Show will be able to see the systems it has developed in Germany since the 1980s, all of which have full Vehicle Type Approval.

The company had a successful 2011 CV Show and plans to return in 2012 with a new range of products that allow companies to reduce waste and move into greener pastures.

Its affiliated company EnvVeh offers products like recyclable/reusable spillage systems, biological parts washers, mini but powerful green steam cleaners and revolutionary screen wash products. It also offers a variety of products suitable for a wide range of smaller commercial vehicles including specialist roof racks for vans, winch mounting solutions, storage and other utility products.

TRACK DOWN OBS LOGISTICS AT THE SHOW

OBS Logistics will showcase its extended Transport Management Solutions, including ePOD and Track and Trace (TTM) at the 2012 CV Show.

CALIDUS ePOD is a proof of delivery solution which tracks delivery/collection journeys using mobile devices for electronic signature capture, including bar-code and photo capture. The company claims it reduces customer delivery disputes and improves tracking and cash flow.

CALIDUS TTM is a web-enabled tracking system which uses information from ERP and logistics systems to allow customers, suppliers and staff to track inventory levels, orders and delivery progress. This can be combined with ePOD to create an end-to-end web-based order management, inventory management and tracking solution.

ISUZU TRUCK (UK) IS BACK!

One of the features of the Commercial Vehicle Show will be the return of some high-profile exhibitors that opted not to attend when the effects of the recession were at their worst. These include some of the big truck manufacturers such as Isuzu, which has booked a 400m2 stand at the 2012 Show.

Isuzu Trucks’ Marketing Director Keith Child says that the firm had "a couple of years off in the recession" but feels the time is now right to return, especially as it has some new products to show off, including a nine tonne truck that will have a prominent position on its stand.

Keith adds that the Show remains important for meeting old customers and finding new ones, even if the process of winning customers from another manufacturer is not necessarily a rapid one. He explains, "It can take years to court someone that has bought another brand, but our experience is that showing our products at the important shows is a vital part of a long term sales strategy."

CLEAN SWEEP UK DEBUTS AT THE SHOW

Clean Sweep UK will make its first visit to the Commercial Vehicle Show in 2012. The four-year-old company supplies sweepers and scrubber dryers to transport and warehouse companies throughout the UK.

It has more than 300 scrubber dryers and sweepers to suit all types of premises and available to hire for one week to three years. All servicing, parts and breakdown cover are included in the hire rate.

TEVO RETURNS

Buckinghamshire-based Tevo, the van-racking specialist which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, is returning to the Show in 2012.

Tevo’s speciality, says Marketing Manager Gill Alexander, is "turning an empty panel van into a mobile workshop" and its customers include utility companies and local authorities.

Like many firms, Tevo does not measure the success of the CV Show purely in terms of sales achieved at the event itself, but regards it as a shop-window for its products, a place to meet potential customers and renew relationships with old ones. It aims to expand its customer base in 2012 to include smaller companies which need van racking.

TACHODISC LEADS THE REMOTE REVOLUTION

At the 2012 CV Show, Tachodisc will showcase its innovative new DigiDL remote downloading system after becoming the first company successfully to implement the technology in a live commercial vehicle environment.

The DigiDL sets a new standard for remote tachograph download technology, enabling operators to transfer data from a vehicle remotely so reducing time and money spent on periodic data downloads. The GPRS device also avoids logistical problems caused by the need to capture data manually at several geographical locations.

Karen Crispe, Tachodisc’s Managing Director, explains, "Customers simply set a download schedule online for each vehicle, and the DigiDL will automatically download drivers’ cards and the VU as programmed. The data is then wirelessly transmitted to Tachodisc’s secure server where operators can access and analyse the data via Tachodisc’s analysis software programme."

Many companies – freight as well as bus and coach operators – have been talking to Tachodisc about this unique technology.

STAND SPACE BOOKINGS UP

Space booked for the CV Show 2012 is 50% higher than at the same time last year, giving the whole industry a boost for the start of 2012.

The show includes not just major vehicle manufacturers such as Ford, Isuzu, MAN, Mercedes-Benz and Vauxhall but a whole range of support services. These include companies like Ashwoods Automotive and Webasto among component manufacturers, while van racking specialist Tevo, Strongs Plastic Products and light commercial body-builder Ingimex will be among the body-builder section of the Show.

One of the latest first-time visitors to sign up for the CV Show is County Pumps, the Oxfordshire-based fuel-pump and fuel management specialist. The firm is planning both to meet existing customers and find new ones. It says that the Show "is the elected meeting place for many thousands of visitors with real buying power and is the obvious event choice to win orders in a market on the rise."

CV SHOW 2012 TO PLAY ITS PART IN SUPERTRUCKS’ GROWING BUSINESS

Supertrucks, the UK’s largest manufacturer of racks and bodywork for the glass industry and other specialist bodywork, has committed to exhibit at the 2012 CV Show, taking its largest ever stand at this event. Peter Wright, Supertrucks’ Chairman, said, "We are pleased to commit to exhibit at the CV Show in April. At a stage when our company is expanding its output, the CV Show fits well with our marketing strategy and if our previous CV Show experience is any guide, we will gain several new orders at this event."

In recent months, Supertrucks has appointed additional skilled bodybuilders and is recruiting more. The company is experiencing a high level of demand for its glass carrying racks, specialist coachbuilt glass carrying bodywork and its innovative high cube, low loading Space Van.

On the company’s stand, the latest version of the innovative, high cube, low loading Supertrucks Space Van will be making its debut. This 2012 model Space Van incorporates a revised aerodynamic package and a wider range of options, including a greater choice of side load doors. It will be built on the new Euro 5 Citroën Relay back-to-back cab with its HDi 130 engine and upgraded cab interior. The Space Van’s 20.4 m3 load capacity, up to 1260kg payload, a walk-in loading deck height of just 190mm (with optional air suspension) – and the new, Euro 5 fuel efficient Citroën Relay makes highly productive combination for operators transporting low density, high bulk products.

WEBASTO FEELING THE HEAT WITH NEW LAUNCH

A big advantage for exhibitors and visitors to the CV Show this year will be a wide range of operators and suppliers on one site.

That is certainly part of the reason that Webasto, the vehicle heating and air-conditioning specialist, has become a regular at the Show and returning this year. Hauliers will be able to see the latest Webasto equipment, including the launch of a new parking heater, and Webasto will be close by manufacturers for which it already supplies cab heating systems.

Steve Powell, Webasto’s Sales and Marketing Director, says, "Each time we visit the CV Show one of our products in particular seems to catch the imagination". In addition, he says, the company will be able to talk to the many conversion companies to which it also supplies equipment, including firms such as Alphatec, the van conversion specialist that is also exhibiting.