Body Magazine - Body Builder

Here you can find the latest Commercial Vehicle bodybuilding news from BODY Magazine.

Vebabox Initiates UK Network

Mark Smith, Sales and Marketing Director at Vebabox Limited (newly established office, UK and Ireland) says, 'We believe that the Vebabox unit is going to revolutionise the transport market. It is not very often that a genuinely fresh and innovative solution is developed and brought into an existing market. Vebabox is one of these rare occasions'. He added: 'Vebabox can and will offer our customers a greater flexibility in their day to day cold chain logistics, whilst helping to drive down the associated costs'.

Developed in the Netherlands originally for the medical market, Vebabox is well established across Europe. It is a compact, self-contained, transferable refrigeration and/or freezer unit, which is available not only for all makes/models of light vans but can also be customised to meet the individual requirements of each client.

Vebabox can be installed in any new or used LGV and can also run off 24V supply suiting all heavy goods vehicles. It complies with all relevant legislation. An attractive benefit is that no structural modification of the van is required, which ensures the van retains a high residual value. The Vebabox unit has a 12 -15 year lifespan, weighs around 90 - 100 kgs so can be lifted by 2 people. The company is looking for dealers.

VBRA Plays Crucial Role

Far reaching discussions continue to take place in Brussels with the VBRA's Ron Cocker attending to ensure that the views of the UK’s vehicle body builders, converters and trailer manufacturers are raised, recognized and reflected in legislation. Commenting Ron was able to provide some interesting background on how the EU functioned in respect of such issues and how the UK’s ‘voice’ was being made clear.

’The very large majority of European residents do not understand how the legislators work within the EU and how rules and regulations come into being. This is a great pity but entirely understandable. Our industry is no exception but the fact of the matter is that a great deal of work goes into the decision making process on all the issues that effect many facets of the day-to-day lives of all EU residents involved in manufacturing commercial and special motor vehicles’.

Remarking on the overall purpose of the meetings Ron stated, ‘First, it is important to remember that these are high level meetings with governmental representatives from 27 countries invited to attend, together with delegates from the motor vehicle industry represented by pan-European organizations in Europe . This sub-group is not empowered to review the overall EU directive, (framework), but we debate those annexes or sub-sections that directly relate to some cars and all buses, vans, lorries and trailers that use our roads.

What we will be endeavouring to accomplish is general agreement across the entire EU on how such vehicles should be built or modified to ensure the highest standards. As the representative of one of the UK’s leading trade association involved in such issues I will always ensure that the views of our members are pro-actively presented and the realities of the work they routinely undertake recognized. Working in concert with delegates and representatives from other EU organizations our aim will be to ensure that rules are set that can be interpreted effectively to benefit both the work the VBRA membership accomplishes and the public we ultimately serve.

This will not, of course, happen overnight, but it is a fact that we are at the heart of the decision making process within Europe. We are therefore extremely well placed to ensure that our views are heard, understood, and incorporated into meaningful and workable rules and regulations of value to our industry and drivers in general’.

Fitting Sideguards

VBRA has clarified to bodybuilder members the VOSA position on sideguard fitment (side under-run protection). Confusion has arisen because there are differences between the rules for construction & Use regulations and the newer Whole Vehicle Type Approval regulations. VOSA has said that from May 2010, any vehicles submitted for annual plating inspection tests can be to either standard but not a mixture of both. Any bodybuilder requiring further information can contact VBRA area managers.