Van Sales

Driving Down light Commercial
vehicle running CosTs anD
keePing
Driving DoWn lighT Commercial
vehicle running Costs and
keeping Drivers safe

Managing vehicle-related costs efficiently is a top
priority for all businesses in this tough economic
environment. But, it’s not just a case of buying the
cheapest vehicles on offer in the market to keep costs
down; it’s all about looking at the broader picture of
vehicle management as well as some of the softer sides of

running vehicles.

Measuring the true whole life running
costs of vehicles is vital, including
how much vehicles cost to buy, how
much fuel the fleet uses and overall
running costs over a two, three or four
year period.

An additional consideration for all light
commercial users is the fitment of a
speed limiter. By reducing a vehicle’s
maximum speed, particularly on longer
journeys, a vehicle automatically
becomes more fuel efficient and if you
have an active campaign to reduce
your carbon footprint, it can reduce
emissions too.

An independent test
into fuel consumption and a leading van
magazine achieved a 37% reduction in fuel
use, a figure which will dramatically bring
down running costs over a typical three or
four year period.

The softer side of fleet management
is becoming just as important as the
cost and fiscal side in the form of a
company’s commitment to Duty of
Care. Protecting a driver when they are
using a vehicle on company business
is paramount to any modern day
company’s Health and Safety strategy,
and a speed limiter goes some way to
helping reduce a driver’s speed and
thus their chances of being involved in
an accident.

Reducing fuel use
and costs

The largest monthly bill for operators
beyond employing the driver is fuel, and
costs are continuing rise, even though
the barrel price of crude oil is beginning
to fall.

Based on these depressing statistics,
a recent independent test carried out
by the UK’s leading light commercial
magazine, Fleet Van, should warm the
hearts of transport operators around
the UK.

With the limiter programmed to 56mph,
editor Trevor Gehlcken returned 43.91*
miles per gallon over a 260 mile trip on
semi-urban parkways, city roads and
motorways at the wheel of a Volkswagen
Transporter Sportline van. With the
limiter removed and driving at usual
motorway speeds, the fuel economy
figure dropped to 32.01mpg.

* Calculation based on February 2012 average diesel
prices of 142.8 pence per litre (according to the AA).
An independent

“
speed limiter test
achieved a 37%
reduction in fuel
use, a figure which
will dramatically
bring down running
costs over a typical
three or four year
period”

Miles per gallon achieved over a 260 mile trip on

semi-urban parkways, city roads and motorways

in a VW Transporter Sportline van

50

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

This meant a fuel cost saving of £16.86
with the limiter fitted on this trip alone
which could equate to an annual saving
of £1,686 on a Transporter van covering
26,000 miles each year. Whether you
have one or 100 vans, this type of fuel
cost saving cannot be ignored.

Reducing overall
running costs

Restricting a light commercial vehicle
to a maximum speed, helps reduce the
stress and strain on a vehicle’s engine.
Given that many light commercials are
run on a double shift or seven days a
week, any measure that can improve
a vehicle’s longevity and prevent extra
wear and tear on its components will
ultimately protect the operator from
expensive maintenance work, beyond
the standard servicing intervals.

Meeting a company’s Duty
of Care obligations

All companies have a duty to ensure
their employees are safe in their
workplace whether they are a fork lift
truck driver, an office employee or a
company car or van driver as part of the
Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate
Homicide Act 2007.

A key part of this legislation says
companies should have an active
Health and Safety policy which includes
covering employees who drive on
company business. Encouraging drivers
to stay safe whilst driving is vital to
protect an employer should a driver be
involved in or cause an accident in a
work vehicle.

with a speed limiter without a speed limiter

Miles per gallon

Around a quarter of road deaths in the
UK are caused by excessive speed,
so fitting a speed limiter immediately
helps you lessen the risk of your drivers
breaking the law and keeps their speed
in check. Encouraging drivers to take
regular breaks, ensuring they wear their
seat belt at all times and fitting vehicles
with reversing sensors to reduce the
chance of having a reversing accident
are other key recommendations.

For more detailed information about all
aspects of Duty of Care visit the Health
and Safety Executive website at
www.hse.gov.uk/corpmanslaughter

Helping drivers protect
their driving licence and
their livelihood

Your best drivers are those who are
reliable and who represent your
company in the correct way whilst out
on the road. That doesn’t mean that
they will necessarily always adhere
to the speed limits, which is where a
speed limiter comes in. It helps regulate
a driver’s speed and therefore reduces
the chances of them being caught for
speeding, particularly on motorway
journeys. The last thing you want is one
of your best drivers losing their licence
through speeding – a speed limiter
protects your driver’s licence and helps
retain your workforce.

Reducing accident rates and
insurance premiums

As larger companies are self insured,
so the costs of any accidents caused
by their own drivers are met directly
by the transport budget. There are
many hidden costs associated with
a driver causing an accident, from
daily replacement vehicle hire costs
and vehicle repair costs, to finding a
replacement driver if they are injured
and off work for any period of time.
Any measure that restricts speed when
a driver is on company business has to
be viewed positively from an accident
prevention, insurance risk management
and employee safety perspective.

With the speed

“
limiter fitted
at 56mph, the
van returned
43.91mpg over a
260 mile trip
on semi-urban
parkways,
city roads and
motorways”

Protecting your company’s
public image

When a company’s name and logo are
emblazoned across the sides and rear of
your vans so the behaviour of the driver
must be a consideration.

Your van sitting in the third lane of the
motorway doing 80mph is not a good
representation of your company’s
image. A speed limiter helps protect that
image when on the road as it ensures
the driver and vehicle keep their speed
within the legal limit.

QuesTions and ansWers

At what speed can a limiter
be programmed?

Any speed, but the most frequent
requests are for 56mph, 60mph
and 70mph.

How long does a speed limiter take
to fit?

Around two hours from start to finish
including a short road test.

What vans can I fit a speed limiter to?
We can fit speed limiters to the
majority of light commercials up to
and including 3.5 tonnes.

Does a speed limiter limit the
engine speed?

No, the engine speed is not limited.
Only the road speed is limited, so a
driver’s ability to accelerate through
the gears or overtake when necessary
is not restricted.

How much does a speed limiter cost?
Swiss speed limiters can be bought
and fitted through one of many
approved dealers, and would cost
in the region of £299 + VAT

What type of driving will generate the
most significant benefits?

Any vehicle that spends the majority
of its time on dual carriageways
and motorways will see the largest
benefit of having a speed limiter fitted,
although it will also make an impact if
a vehicle is travelling on A and B roads
as it can be restricted to the national
speed limit of 60mph.

Does Swiss provide a warranty on each
speed limiter?

Yes, Swiss offers a two year parts
warranty on this product.

What engines is the speed limiter
compatible with?

Swiss speed limiter is Euro 5 and
Euro 4 engine compatible for both
petrol and diesel vehicles.

Does Swiss provide a national fitting
and service network to support its
speed limiters?

Swissvantek has a nationwide network
of approved installers.

Can a speed limiter be retro-fitted to an
existing vehicle as well as a new one?

Yes, this is not a problem, but to
maximise the payback time for the
initial investment in equipment we
would recommend fitting no less than
24 months before the vehicle is due to
be de-fleeted.

Annual fuel

“savings could

equate to £1,686

on a single

Transporter van

covering 26,000

miles each year.

Whether you

have one or 100

vans this type

of fuel cost

saving cannot

be ignored”

Driving DoWn lighT CommerCial vehiCle running CosTs
anD keePing Drivers safe

sPeeD limiTer
Case sTuDy

An independent test by leading business
magazine Fleet Van has proved the
value of fitting a Cobra speed limiter.
Journalists at the magazine had a
56mph Cobra speed limiter fitted to
a Volkswagen Transporter Sportline
van and then undertook a 260 mile trip
which included semi-urban parkways,
city roads and motorways.

After topping the tank up again and
having the limiter removed, the
testers did the same trip again – and
found a staggering 37% difference in
fuel economy!

The speed limiter was fitted at the Fleet
Van offices in Peterborough, after which
editor Trevor Gehlcken and his co-pilot
did two circuits of the parkway system
which surrounds the city and a run
through the city centre, before setting
off for Southend in Essex, a journey
which incorporates the A1M, A14, M11,
M25 and A127.

With the limiter fitted, the van returned

43.91 miles per gallon, an amazing
figure when considering the van’s
official fuel economy figure is 36.2 mpg.
With the limiter removed and driving
at usual motorway speeds, the fuel
economy figure dropped to 32.01mpg.
This meant a fuel cost saving of £16.86
with the limiter fitted on this trip alone.

After completing the test, Gehlcken said:
“To be honest I wasn’t looking forward
to driving a van for more than 250 miles
at 56mph but in fact the experience was
quite pleasant. We tucked in behind
a truck on the A14, put on a couple of
CDs, had a chat and actually enjoyed the
experience of driving for a change.
There was also a surprise time-wise.
Gehlcken said: “I was expecting the
trip to Southend with the limiter to take
a lot longer than without it but in fact
there was only 20 minutes difference.
The old adage that you don’t get there
any quicker by driving fast seems to
be true.”

Fleet Van believes that fleet managers
shouldn’t be afraid that drivers will
object. “In my view there really isn’t
any excuse for speeding. In fact our
experience talking to drivers who
use governed-down vans shows that
after a couple of days grumbling, they
actually see the benefits and appreciate
having them.

“I have a Ford Transit on long-term
test that has a 70mph limiter fitted and
I really like it. It’s all too easy for your
speed to creep up on long motorway
trips and a limiter prevents this.”

The verDiCT

With the cost savings demonstrated
here on offer – and with the inevitable
increase in safety by driving at lower
speeds – EVERY van fleet operator
in the UK should investigate whether
or not to get speed limiters fitted to
their vehicles.

Our van was limited at 56mph but
we wanted to see just how much we
could save and we were all staggered
at the result. Limiters can be set at a
number of different speeds, all the fleet
operator has to decide is which speed is
appropriate for the type of driving their
employees do.

www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2008/6/16/
vans-speed-limters/28117

A speed limiter

“

protects your
driver’s licence
and helps retain
your workforce”