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The super van that makes you want to go camping

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From the outside, this £350,000 vehicle might look like a prison van but inside interior really shows why it’s called the Rolls-Royce of motor homes.

The super van from the outside
Globecruiser is made by Austrian firm Action Mobil with “the best components and materials that have been tried and tested”, said spokesman Stephen Wirths.

From the inside, Globecruiser is totally a luxury vehicle, with hot water onboard, latest chic fittings, a proper porcelain toilet and five star dining room.

Globecruiser’s 5 start dining room

This luxury van is obviously not for everyone but if you are a camping fan, it might well be in your shopping list for this summer, if you’ve got £350k lying about that is!

Bike couriers help monitor air pollution

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Bike couriers by their very nature are already very environmentally friendly. However, in Cambridge, they are contributing even more! This time by monitoring pollution levels.

The system, developed by Eiman Kanjo, a computer scientist at Cambridge University hooks together wireless pollution sensors and sends the data from mobile phones to her research lab.
A bike courier monitoring air pollution

Air-pollution sensors and GPS units are carried inside storage bins on the couriers‘ bikes and with help from custom software, the phones continuously report the air quality and location back to servers in Eiman’s lab.
This study is part of MESSAGE, a U.K project which aims at developing new ways to collect air pollution data using sensors on vehicles and people.

UK Couriers – The unsung heroes

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UK couriers have been praised as the “unsung heroes” by the Road Haulage Association (RHA) for their efforts in maintaining deliveries to different parts of the UK.

With the extreme weather conditions in the past few days, many flights, train services have been delayed and cancelled. This leads to slow deliveries to many parts of the country.
However, despite the cold weather, heavy snow and icy roads, UK courier companies still battle through to make sure supermarkets have food to sell, factories stay busy and businesses keep clogging along.

Heavy snow can’t stop couriers from delivering goods

To ensure deliveries are on time, many haulage companies have had to use additional drivers and vehicles.

RHA spokesperson Kate Gibbs said: “This is an industry that works tremendously hard come rain, shine or snow. We have just been through a year that for many members has been financially clipping. Yet UK haulage companies are still delivering the UK economy.”

We know that many couriers on Shiply have had to battle through the snow to deliver shipments so thank you all for your great efforts through these extreme weather conditions!

UK haulage companies face increased cash reserves requirements

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The Department of Transport has recently declared that any haulage companies operating for hire and reward under normal licenses must now have 30% more cash reserves compared to former requirement. This is to comply with EU requirements.

From 1/1/2010, a freight haulier is required to show cash reserves of £8,100 for the first vehicle in the fleet and £4,500 for each subsequent vehicle, compared to £6,200 and £3,400 previously. This is due to the devaluation of the pound against the Euro over the last year.
The Pound has devalued strongly against the Euro in the last year
Road Haulage Association Chief Executive Geoff Dunning commented: “This increase represents one of the biggest bombshells ever to hit UK transport operators. In the current economic climate, an increase of any kind will have a detrimental effect; this substantial hike could have a catastrophic effect on our industry.”
We believe this increase in cash reserve requirement will be a challenge to many hauliers on Shiply we are really interested in your opinions about this.

Cold weather shows no sign of stopping

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The cold weather is showing no sign of letting up throughout the UK with the Met Office projecting plummeting temperatures to be the theme of next week.

The cold weather is expected to continue over the coming week
Daytime temperatures are expected to drop to around 3 degrees on average and there will be heavy snow and black ice in some parts of the country.
The big freeze has continued to cause problems to motorists including courier companies throughout the UK as the weather conditions make it much harder to travel. Many trucks and lorries have been stranded due to motorways being shut down by accidents.
So if you are on the road today, please drive very carefully and keep up-to-date with the latest weather forecast. Don’t forget to check out our Top driving tips in harsh winter conditions blog post also!

Shiply 100,000th shipment listed!

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On New Year’s Day of 2010, Shiply achieved a new milestone: 100,000 shipments listed on our site since launch in just June 2008.

We want to extend our gratitude to our members, both transport providers and users for helping us reach this milestone. A Very Happy New Year To You All!

How did you spend your Christmas?

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Christmas is normally the time of year when family members gather together.

Christmas is traditionally a family occasion

However, we believe many very dedicated couriers and delivery drivers on Shiply worked through Christmas Day, delivering those last minute Christmas items – making lots of people very happy (just like Santa Claus).

We are really interested to know how you spent your Christmas. So please share your stories with us below!

M20 turned to a giant lorry park due to heavy snow

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The heavy snow over the last few days has created huge delays for lorry drivers trying to leave the UK.

Lorries, trucks and HGVs wanting to cross the English Channel from the Port of Dover were asked to park on the coast bound carriageway due to the bad weather. This has turned the M20 into a giant lorry park.

Heavy snow has caused substantial delays on the M20

Andy Pearson shared his thoughts: “What a way to start the Christmas week – I have to go all the way to Hungary and I thought I would be back to my family in Rochdale for Christmas. Now it doesn’t look as though I’ll leave England by then.”

In early hours of Monday the M20 was re-opened after the backlog of traffic was cleared. Ferry services from Dover also resumed but were still subject to delays.

We hope that not so many couriers & haulage companies on Shiply were affected by this but if you were, please share your stories, we believe everybody is interested to know.

Top driving tips in harsh winter conditions

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As the weather throughout the UK is becoming more and more extreme, we believe the following tips will be helpful for couriers and haulage firms using Shiply.

Drivers have to be very careful whilst driving in harsh winter conditions

Make sure your vehicle is in good condition before getting on the road

  • Clean all snow and ice from your vehicle
  • Do a visual check of tyres, wiper blades, fluids and lights
  • Keep at least half tank of fuel at all times

Drive, brake and accelerate slower

As the roads become very slippery with snow and ice, driving slowly will mean a safer trip. The same rule applies to braking and accelerating.

Give yourself extra space in front and behind

You may need those extra few seconds when needing to brake.

Be extra careful while driving in mountains

In winter, high altitude weather can change very suddenly, so be extra cautious in such terrain. Watch for melting or hard-packed snow and strong side winds as these can cause a loss of control.

Keep your lights on

So other vehicles can see you.

Prepare an emergency kit

Make sure you are prepared in case you get stuck in the snow. The kit might include:

  • Proper clothing, and lots of it for layers
  • A flashlight and batteries
  • First aid kit
  • Tool kit
  • Blanket or sleeping bag
  • A fully charged mobile phone and charger
  • Other items that you may consider necessary