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I run the UK supply chain and logistics for a large multi national retailer and operate a large fleet of LGV's. I'm a CPC holder and have held a few Operators Licenses over the years. The DVSA have done 2 things this week, relaxing both the driver hours rules and this latest change to the MOT testing. Both of which are almost unheard of. LGV's are maintained to an incredibly high standard. Each operator is scored on the OCRS system (operators compliance risk score) and then treated accordingly by the DVSA. Any MOT failure (even if it passes on retest), any drivers hour infringement or a fault on a vehicle at a roadside check will impact your score and flag your vehicles to be stopped more often. Every operator will therefore be paying for a pre-MOT inspection to ensure the highest pass rate possible. If more issues are found you will lose the your Operators License, suicide to any business! The companies doing the servicing are also rated by the DVSA on the MOT pass rate of the vehicles they service. If the pass rate is poor they can lose their license too. Servicing is heavily regulated and has to be done every 42 days. If you have a good OCRS score, this can normally be extended to 56 days but this privilege can be removed at any time. This can have a huge impact on costs so every operator wants a good OCRS score. Every driver has to do a pre-operation check that has to be documented and kept on file for over 12 months. Each transport operator (for each operating site) has to nominate at least one responsible person and name it's directors to hold an Operators License. They must be of good repute and hold a Certificate of Professional Competency, the test for which is higher than A level standard. It's a tough exam, only 35% of people pass. The O License application has to be published in the local press and online (including the names of the CPC holder and company directors) before the license is granted. The O License can be revoked or restricted at any time. In short, running LGV's is very complex, very expensive and highly regulated but means they are generally the safest vehicles on the road!

Social distancing today, went for a solo run spoilt by snapping the clutch cable 15 miles from home. Luckily I had a spare with me.

Clutch cable snapped. Had a spare with me.

I feel like sue. Only done one day

True. Fill up before you go or on the way back. Plus, I have just checked and the app shows you Shell stations on a map. If you do need to pay in store, keep it under £30 so you can use contactless. Or, better still, remove your front number plate and do a fill and go 😁

This is mine 1 mm ally wrapped in vinyl it's maybe set a little to far back looks better when your sat down. Tony

Well, at 25fps I guess its really 4775 snaps of my Westfield!

Practised some social isolation this afternoon. Roads really quiet but a few people were out playing too - saw AMG Merc, Ferrari, Lamborghini and AC Cobra plus plenty of bikes.

The pre rebuild console; 3M multilayer carbon wrap, heater controls and 12 Volt point for chargers etc. As part of the rebuild, the analogue dials have gone, so I’ve moved the heater controls up to the dash panel, and the centre console now has all the ecu controls for traction etc. The 3M Carbon wrap has gone, and I’ve replaced it with genuine carbon, engraved with the control functions, on the centre console. (I got the same guy that did the build plates etc to do it.). Not fitted back to the car yet, but you get the idea...

Please note as well that it is not necessary for you to have to go uncovered during this time... if you plan to hold off renewal and go through the process of SORNing your vehicle because you don't plan on using it then please consider Laid-Up cover! Laid-Up cover means you will still be covered for Accidental Damage, Fire and Theft (no road risk) and it is a low-cost insurance option that we have access to with a few of our insurers.

I have downloaded the Shell Go+ app which allows you to pay for fuel from the car (pull up, open app, tell it the pump number, pay, fill up, drive off). If you use a disposable glove then it seems like a very safe way to fill up. I haven't used that feature yet but will try it out next time I fill up.

That truly is a thing of beauty. Can’t wait to hopefully see it in the flesh soon @Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Secretary

Can't find a good photo of the finished product but I 3d printed a panel and vinyl wrapped it. The only photos I have are before IVA where it only has the heated seat switchpack. I left the two removable sections in there which have since been knocked through and filled with a 12v socket and a double USB socket.

Mine is matched with the Westfield dash and allowed me the space for the heater control, USB port and the Ctec traffic light battery conditioner unit.

I put this in

I'm liking the angles of this one... Looks like it's the same as the dash and wider at the top inline with the tunnel lines.

I didn't see any Corona virus on a quick single car peaky blat this afternoon, but I didn't find this and I'm blaming @Julie Hall - Peak District AOI didn't see any Corona virus on a quick single car peaky blat this afternoon, but I didn't find this and I'm blaming @Julie Hall - Peak District AO I didn't talk with anyone or touch anything. Didn't even need to touch a petrol pump as I'd filled on the way home from my MOT!

As many people that are part of this fantastic club are not able to get out and about, due to being in the at risk category or are in key rolls to self isolate why not share some videos of times you have been out on a blat to keep you all sane. a national virtual Blat if you like I will start with a short video from a snowy day out with @Julie Hall - Peak District AO excuse the potty mouth son sat next to me half way through.

Let's lighten the mood with some egg jokes. I'll start. I've had an eggcellent day, eggstremely rewarding with some eggcentric friends. Just watch the spell checker, it can be eggcessivly annoying.

we are now

I know's that nose 😉 But not all know's where that nose now goes!

Don't send it when Ian's when he's having packages collected.. Tangoman was kidnapped and sent to Omex for Poly bag torture

Javelin website says they are stopping all track days until 30th April. Surprisingly MSV still showing events.

I have the app but didn't know you could do that! Technology is great ... assuming it works of course 🙂 Thanks for the heads up.

It's very straightforward, just ring my team 01635 874646 and we can swap it over the same day. If you're premium is very low (for example under £150) then it's not always worth doing mid-term but more something to consider around renewal. Carlie

My car has been SORN since January. I wasn't aware of laid up cover and am currently paying my insurance road cover premium. Can you please tell me if it is straight forward to swap between laid up cover and full road cover (and vice versa) or is it a case of cancelling one cover and then starting another?

Firstly, make sure there is plenty of fresh fuel in it. Make sure you have performed the throttle pot calibration routine too. If it was popping and banging it was probably rich, not lean TBH This might relate to it warming up and becoming increasingly over-rich as it warmed. The base map for something like that should be pretty good, assuming it's the Emerald one. One thing that you MUST do though, is to calibrate the map to injector flow relationship. Basically, I'm saying that the map is probably the right 'shape', but the wrong size, you need to adjust the size to match your exact setup as you may have different injectors or different fuel pressure to that used to create the map you are using. Using your base map, start and warm the engine to normal temperature. You may need to nurse it to achieve this. One bit is warmed up, go into the live adjustments page on the Emerald management software and start adjusting fuel until the engine tidies up. Don't save any changes, just apply an overall adjustment. Once you have the engine basically idling OK-ish, ideally being able to monitor the Lambda as well, make a note of how big a correction has been made to the fuel. For example, map site says 20, you are operating at say -5 correction. This equates to a -25% adjustment. Go to the injector scaling page and note down the MSPB number. Calculate a new value based on this starting value plus or minus your correction value then put in the new MPSB. This re-scales the entire map by that amount in one go. eg MSPB is 200, you applied a -25% correction to make it run better, new MSPB will be 150 Go back to the live page, zero out your adjustment then try it. This method will quickly get you to a reasonable situation but absolutely, you really need to get it properly mapped. I've used the above method a number of times now with no problems. In fact, I ran a base map on the Zetec for quite a while before getting it mapped. Even with a wideband lambda, there are limits to how effective it will be in the short term to sort out a fundamental error. It's not designed as a fully self-mapping system. Ultimately though, best advice? Contact Emerald. ETA I should say, and this is not intended to sound bad...if you don't understand what all the above means, respectfully, you shouldn't be messing with it until you do or can find someone that does. It's way too easy to mess with these things and get incredibly frustrated as well as causing damage to the engine while doing it.

You can probably use BP Me at Calver.

Exactly.

You'll do well to find any/many Shell garage's in the peaks! 🤣

As a Transport Manager, which you are required by law to have, you have a personal responsibility to ensure the vehicles under your charge are safe and roadworthy. Any offences, however minor, get recorded on that persons records and this is looked at very stringently by the local transport authority. The authority has the ability to enter premises without permission (only the Custom and Excise people has this power) and stop any operation they consider unworthy, even if it breaks them. When you apply to run each and every vehicle you have to state when they are to be serviced (can be as little as 6 weeks for high risk vehicles) and have to show this together with the tacho readings which since my ceasing of being a TM have got incredibly more stringent. Also on a driver shift basis the TM or assistant must see a comprehensive report on the vehicle about to be driven. There are many more controls but be assured, even without MOT certificates, apart from illegal operators all will be running safe vehicles far in excess of all but a few private vehicle operators. MOT is just confirmation that the regulations are being adhered. I suffered a black mark against my name for having a van not HGV operate with illegal tyres just because my driver had falsified his daily reports, this stayed on my record, some 12 years until I finished with TM classification. This affected insurance premiums for my own private vehicle which shows how important HGV rules are. Most if not all of the accidents are caused by the driver, high on the list being overtired through falsifying the tacho, or my own pet hate using a mobile device either hand held or dash mounted. Sorry to be over stating but I have immense respect for our delivery drivers and the responsibility they carry. .

Shopping for supplies, and finally found fresh vegetables, after no luck on Wednesday. Oh and was low on beer and coffee beans, so a bit of an urgent trip. Must admit, other than just getting some fresh air, picked the Westfield to use, as I thought the car park would be rammed, and finding space for 5m of Ford pickup can be tricky. Car park surprisingly quiet though. I suppose I should expect it in Waitrose, but how terribly middle class, when facing Armageddon, it’s customers stock pile dishwasher tabs! (Amongst everything else).

My 1st version using a piece of cut off (fake) carbon dashboard. My latest (3D printed) version:

Most of you know I have two kids who are extremely complex and I also have a hereditary heart condition ... so we as a family decided to isolate for the full government recommended 12 weeks and have our fingers crossed it's slightly better (or the NHS has more equipment, medicine, etc.) by the middle of June! I'm going to miss the Peak and Yorkshire runs out but I believe what the club & @Julie Hall - Peak District AO has done is completely correct. And I also think what GBS are doing (assuming it's still on as I write this) is completely wrong on so many levels! You can have this virus without knowing and pass it to someone a lot more susceptible and vulnerable ... so why risk killing people for a few hours enjoying a hobby? Yes GBS may have conditions in place to limit interaction but what about all the people travelling that need fuel, visit the toilets on route, etc, etc! While I fully understand the impact on businesses (I'm self employed and my work has dried up which is bl**** scary!) it's a stupid & selfish decision ... just like all those idiots who went for "one last pint" last night! Let's face it we all have plenty of jobs to be doing on our cars and that's a fun way to spend some of your isolation! Anyway that's my rant over and like @RobH72 I will also be sneaking in the odd lonely blat at strange times of the day ... although it won't be far as I don't want to go near a Petrol station 😞

Just to clarify a little, no one, until advice changes, at least, wants to see members completely unable to go out in their cars. BUT, I would strongly, strongly suggest keeping the car numbers way down, twos and threes, maybe fours absolute maximum. Even three or four, in the eyes of Joe public looks like a bigger gathering than it really is. People are stressed, angry and confused, with the closure of pubs, clubs, gyms etc, this will probably get worse, and a backlash against those perceived to be flouting social distancing principals is starting to appear. Be discrete out there, be sensible, and consider how you appear to others!

As the news of the temporary but unknown duration, closure of pubs, restaurants etc from tomorrow sinks in, it’s sad, but I think for our members and families health, we need to halt meets until circumstances improve. I hope to get the occasional blowing away of cob webs in, still, in the Westfield, and hopefully a few of you will, I hope we manage to share the odd bit of highway for a while! stay well!

Very sad and emotional times for all of us. We are all having to face new ways of day to day life. Let’s hope a vaccine is found to counter this incessant rise of infections. Keep safe guys and girls!