Iveco Daily FC fp ad.indd - Export & Freight

16newsA ‘First’ for Topaz in LarneTopaz has just opened its first company owned site in NorthernIreland and it couldn’t be in a more convenient location.Situated right in the heartof the Port of Larne at RedlandsRoad, it is ideally placed to servethe needs of the haulage industryand, indeed, the private motorist.Commented Topaz Fuel CardManager John Watson: “Becauseof its unique geography, thesite is perfectly situated toserve customers who are eitherbeginning or ending their journeyacross the Irish Sea; it is perfectlyplaced for the haulage sector.”The new site, which opened inthe first week of March, joinsTopaz’s extensive network ofover 330 service stations acrossthe island of Ireland, all of whichaccept the Topaz Fuel Card,making it the largest brandedfuel card network in Ireland.The Larne site is open 24 hoursfor business, offering diesel,unleaded fuel, Adblue, oil andgas. Facilities include a HotDeli, Tea & Coffee, a full rangeof foods and fresh food – andthere’s also an ATM on the site,as well as customer toilets.In addition, there are threeJet Washes and Vacuums tochoose from – and, of course,there is ample parking spacefor car and truck customers.The site is situated at Unit1A in the Larne Business Parkand Topaz believes that thelocation can become a valuableaddition to the haulage industryand local motorists alike.It certainly has plenty goingfor it this time around, quiteapart from the ferry services,with the recent re-generationof the port area that nowincludes an Asda supermarketand a cinema complex, all ofwhich will help drive even morecustomers to the location.Volvo Trucks’ Driver Challenge 2012 getsunderway with All-FM FleetThe Volvo Trucks Driver Challenge 2012 is now underway; the event, held over a five-monthperiod, measures and assesses individual driver’s techniques which form the basis for aprofessional driver to achieve optimum fuel economy and uptime from their vehicle.A major difference forthis year’s event is the useof fm instead of FH tractorunits. Fleet size has also beenincreased from five to six.Moving to FM tractor unitsmeans that it has been possibleto specify the high torque,driver-friendly and fuel-efficientD11C-litre engine, in thiscase, at its top power ratingof 450hp. Around 120 driversare expected to take part inthe competition this year andoperator interest is already high.Each Driver taking part will bescored against fifteen drivingtechniques recorded by thevehicles’ Dynafleet telematicssystems. These included coasting,engine load, time spent intop gear and engine idling.However, because the conditionson the day can be rigorouslycontrolled, the Final of theVolvo Trucks Driver Challenge2012 will, as in 2011, be a fueleconomy competition with upto ten finalists competing towin the magnificent trophy.Volvo Trucks’ Driver Challenge 2012started on February 6th with thefinals due to be held in Galway inJuly in conjunction with the VolvoOcean Race finals.News pgs.indd 16 19/03/2012 16:30