Posted on 12th Mar 2019
It’s getting busy out there. It seems like the UK is shrinking. Our roads are becoming increasingly clogged. Vehicles abound. Cars, buses, vans, trams, lorries and bikes are all squeezing into our towns and cities taking up the diminishing room on our finite urban highways. That’s until the inevitable crunch happens and everything stops.
Soon we’ll all be subject to a perma-jam, choking on fumes and going nowhere. Traffic congestion will become the norm. In the absence of extensive road building, there’s only one place this is going, and that’s more congestion legislation.
We can take the example of London and the development of the ultra-low emissions zone due for implementation in April 2019. It’s inevitable this will spread like a money-spinning contagion to many other UK conurbations. Within five or so years, we’ll all be paying to drive into the city. And that is terrible news for the UK transport industry.
It’s clear we need a solution. Something that allows the UK transport industry to do its job while avoiding the additional costs ULEZ-type schemes will bring.
One potential solution could be out of town commercial hubs. These would be an extensive distribution infrastructure close to the motorway network. Logistics companies could use these as a central distribution point for their larger vehicles. From there, a fleet of smaller, city-friendly 3.5-tonne vehicles can go into town and city centres to carry out the deliveries.
Looking at the way the ULEZ and similar schemes will operate gives some vital clues to the UK transport industry. A critical part of this process will be an understanding of the best delivery vehicles to use in urban centres. Ones that will minimise or avoid congestion-related costs while still getting the job done efficiently.
Whether we develop out of town commercial hubs, or not, Truckcraft Bodies’ new generation of 3.5-tonne delivery vehicles with TRAILAR technology makes good sense. They are designed for use in busy environments. The low entry design aids loading and unloading allowing for swift, efficient deliveries.
The aerodynamic body reduces wind resistance. This combined with the award-winning TRAILAR solar system reduces emissions and cuts fuel consumption by up to 5%. In all, that’s an attractive package for the UK transport industry at a time when costs are inevitably on the rise.
It’s clear there are challenges ahead for the UK transport industry. The only way to offset the financial burdens these changes will bring is by increased innovation. In the future that may well include a new transport infrastructure like out of town commercial hubs.
But today, innovative companies like Truckcraft Bodies are leading the way with their range of technologically advanced, fuel-efficient delivery vehicles.
For more information about our new generation of delivery vehicles, please contact the Truckcraft Bodies sales team on 0161 304 9404. Alternatively, email glen.pinder@truckcraftbodies.co.uk or emma.jane@truckcraftbodies.co.uk.