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Posts Tagged ‘transport’

It was only last year that many companies in the US and UK were forced to take drastic action when petrol prices took a sharp rise. Transport-based companies were hit hardest for obvious reasons and lots had no choice but to cut pay and cut vehicle numbers.

Fleets may need to be reduced even further now and companies pushed even closer towards breaking point as the government announces predicted further cost increases in the coming months. The worst part of it, according to many transport companies is that they are increasingly unable to formulate accurate profit projections. “We get a set of forcasts drawn up and then they mean nothing when petrol goes up so much” argues Jerry Henley, Managing Director of JHG Foods. Over 20% of all American transport-based businesses were forced to cease trading in 2008, and the figure is thought to be something similar in 2009 also.

Many people and businesses are on their last legs right now and the last thing they need is an increase in their overheads. “We cannot survive much longer” claims Judith Grey, MD of UK-based company Grey Kitchens. Our customers expect their furniture to be delivered to them, which is something that is becoming financially unviable for us now. Lots of businesses like this found some salvation in cheap van leasing to try an reduce their outgoings. Because they are not buying the vehicles outright, they can afford to spend more on petrol whilst maintaining their margins. Interestingly, Citroen van leasing has been the most popular choice as on average these vans offer the best MPG. LDV van leasing has also been a strong choice as their reliability is thought to save companies large amounts of money in reduced maintenance costs.

Being forced to heavily reevaluate their business models is something that UK and American companies are accustomed to, after the price of petrol shot up last year. Those companies that had transport operations felt the pressure more than most and it was common to see vehicle fleets reduced by more than half.

It was avouched this month that many businesses could be in for a second pounding as petrol prices are set to take another upward spike. The worst part of it, according to many transport companies is that they are increasingly unable to formulate accurate profit projections. “We get a set of forcasts drawn up and then they mean nothing when petrol goes up so much” argues Jerry Henley, Managing Director of JHG Foods. Around 25% of all companies in the US that were heavily reliant on transport, went into administration last year, which is a figure many predict will be replicated this year as well.

Many people and businesses are on their last legs right now and the last thing they need is an increase in their overheads. “We cannot survive much longer” claims Judith Grey, MD of UK-based company Grey Kitchens. Our customers expect their furniture to be delivered to them, which is something that is becoming financially unviable for us now. Some companies such as the one mentioned above have taken up cheap van leasing in an attempt to cut their costs. Because they are not buying the vehicles outright, they can afford to spend more on petrol whilst maintaining their margins. An interesting point to note is that Citroen van leasing has been the most popular choice as on average these vans offer the best MPG. LDV van leasing has also been a strong choice as their reliability is thought to save companies large amounts of money in reduced maintenance costs.

It was only last year that many companies in the US and UK were forced to take drastic action when petrol prices took a sharp rise. Those companies that had transport operations felt the pressure more than most and it was common to see vehicle fleets reduced by more than half.

Fleets may need to be reduced even further now and companies pushed even closer towards breaking point as the government announces predicted further cost increases in the coming months. What is frustrating many business owners about this situation is the lack of information it gives them to predict profit margins. “We get a set of forcasts drawn up and then they mean nothing when petrol goes up so much” argues Jerry Henley, Managing Director of JHG Foods. Around 25% of all companies in the US that were heavily reliant on transport, went into administration last year, which is a figure many predict will be replicated this year as well.

For companies that rely so heavy on petrol prices to turn over a profit, the news of another rise has not been well received. “We cannot survive much longer” claims Judith Grey, MD of UK-based company Grey Kitchens. Our customers expect their furniture to be delivered to them, which is something that is becoming financially unviable for us now. A number of similar companies are turning to cheap van leasing in an attempt to cut their costs. This is because van leasing enables businesses to not buy their vans outright and so this is a useful option if cash-flow is poor. An interesting point to note is that Citroen van leasing has been the most popular choice as on average these vans offer the best MPG. LDV van leasing has also been a strong choice as their reliability is thought to save companies large amounts of money in reduced maintenance costs.

Being forced to heavily reevaluate their business models is something that UK and American companies are accustomed to, after the price of petrol shot up last year. Many who relied on large fleets of vans to transport goods all over the country were forced to slash employee pay and take a number of their vehicles off the roads.

It was avouched this month that many businesses could be in for a second pounding as petrol prices are set to take another upward spike. This flux in prices is causing many companies a large amount of grief as they cannot accurately plan their profits and losses. “Each time we plan out our business for that quarter, petrol prices are put up and our costings go out of the window” says Barry Hemstone, MD of RDA Foods. Many business experts have predicted that 2009 will see similar levels of transport-based companies shut down as witnessed last year, which was around 15%.

For companies that rely so heavy on petrol prices to turn over a profit, the news of another rise has not been well received. “We cannot survive much longer” claims Judith Grey, MD of UK-based company Grey Kitchens. Our customers expect their furniture to be delivered to them, which is something that is becoming financially unviable for us now. A number of similar companies are turning to cheap van leasing to try an reduce their outgoings. This is because van leasing enables businesses to not buy their vans outright and so this is a useful option if cash-flow is poor. Believe it or not Citroen van leasing has come out on top this year in terms of popularity, largely due to the high miles per gallon figures they offer. Ford van leasing is also up their with the most popular choices as their reliability is well respected in many industries.

It was only last year that many companies in the US and UK were forced to take drastic action when petrol prices took a sharp rise. Many who relied on large fleets of vans to transport goods all over the country were forced to slash employee pay and take a number of their vehicles off the roads.

Fleets may need to be reduced even further now and companies pushed even closer towards breaking point as the government announces predicted further cost increases in the coming months. What is frustrating many business owners about this situation is the lack of information it gives them to predict profit margins. “We get a set of forcasts drawn up and then they mean nothing when petrol goes up so much” argues Jerry Henley, Managing Director of JHG Foods. Around 25% of all companies in the US that were heavily reliant on transport, went into administration last year, which is a figure many predict will be replicated this year as well.

For companies that rely so heavy on petrol prices to turn over a profit, the news of another rise has not been well received. “We cannot survive much longer” claims Judith Grey, MD of UK-based company Grey Kitchens. Our customers expect their furniture to be delivered to them, which is something that is becoming financially unviable for us now. Lots of businesses like this found some salvation in van leasing in an attempt to cut their costs. Because they are not buying the vehicles outright, they can afford to spend more on petrol whilst maintaining their margins. Interestingly, Citroen van leasing has been the most popular choice as on average these vans offer the best MPG. Ford van leasing is also up their with the most popular choices as their reliability is well respected in many industries.

It wasnt that long ago that business in the UK and US found themselves under a large amount of pressure when their margins were slashed due to a increase in petrol prices. Those companies that had transport operations felt the pressure more than most and it was common to see vehicle fleets reduced by more than half.

Now, after it was announced that petrol prices are set to rise again in the coming months, some businesses are on the edge and a large percentage of them are having to cut their fleet even further. The worst part of it, according to many transport companies is that they are increasingly unable to formulate accurate profit projections. “Each time we plan out our business for that quarter, petrol prices are put up and our costings go out of the window” says Barry Hemstone, MD of RDA Foods. Many business experts have predicted that 2009 will see similar levels of transport-based companies shut down as witnessed last year, which was around 15%.

Many people and businesses are on their last legs right now and the last thing they need is an increase in their overheads. “We are being crippled” argues Fiona Potter, who runs a small furniture chain in the UK. Our customers expect their furniture to be delivered to them, which is something that is becoming financially unviable for us now. Lots of businesses like this found some salvation in van leasing to try an reduce their outgoings. This is because van leasing enables businesses to not buy their vans outright and so this is a useful option if cash-flow is poor. An interesting point to note is that Citroen van leasing has come out on top this year in terms of popularity, largely due to the high miles per gallon figures they offer. Ford van leasing is also up their with the most popular choices as their reliability is well respected in many industries.

It was only last year that many companies in the US and UK were forced to take drastic action when petrol prices took a sharp rise. Those companies that had transport operations felt the pressure more than most and it was common to see vehicle fleets reduced by more than half.

It was avouched this month that many businesses could be in for a second pounding as petrol prices are set to take another upward spike. The worst part of it, according to many transport companies is that they are increasingly unable to formulate accurate profit projections. “We get a set of forcasts drawn up and then they mean nothing when petrol goes up so much” argues Jerry Henley, Managing Director of JHG Foods. Around 25% of all companies in the US that were heavily reliant on transport, went into administration last year, which is a figure many predict will be replicated this year as well.

For companies that rely so heavy on petrol prices to turn over a profit, the news of another rise has not been well received. “We cannot survive much longer” claims Judith Grey, MD of UK-based company Grey Kitchens. Our customers expect their furniture to be delivered to them, which is something that is becoming financially unviable for us now. Some companies such as the one mentioned above have taken up van leasing to try an reduce their outgoings. Because they are not buying the vehicles outright, they can afford to spend more on petrol whilst maintaining their margins. An interesting point to note is that Citroen van leasing has come out on top this year in terms of popularity, largely due to the high miles per gallon figures they offer. Ford van leasing has also been a strong choice as their reliability is thought to save companies large amounts of money in reduced maintenance costs.

Motorcycles have a higher rate of accidents. The rate of fatality with motorcycle is also higher. A majority of these accidents involve a motorcycle with a passenger vehicle. In many of these types of accidents, the motorcycle right of way has been found to be violated by the other vehicle. The remaining are single vehicle accidents where it does not involve another vehicles. These single vehicle accidents are usually due to rider error. This include fall due to over-breaking, slide-out, under-cornering or running wide on a curve due to over speeding. There is also small number of instances where vehicle failure such as a puncture flat also causes accidents. Involvement of alcohol is seen in about half of the fatal accidents.

Speed, involvement of alcohol and size of the motorcycle determines the severity of the injury. Quite often the cause of the injuries after the accident is found to be caused by the protective barriers that are on the road including fences, signs and lamps. Additional injuries are likely to happen with the motorcyclists crashing on to the protective barriers. The low visibility of the motorcycle is a major cause of motorcycle accidents.

Motorcycles are categorized into the dual purpose, street and off-road motorcycles. The dual-purpose motorcycles are designed to be used both for transportation as well as motor racing. Street bikes include cruisers, mopeds and scooters. Street bikes are what are usually driven on the streets. The off road motorcycles are not designed for street riding and are not permitted for transport. They are for motor racing. There are different kinds of scooters such as electric scooters, gas scooters, motorized scooters, mobility scooters and kick scooters.

Gas scooter is the most common on the roads. Some of the scooters include Honda, Peugeot, Piaggio, Puch, Suzuki, Vespa, Yamaha, Bajaj, TVS, and ZNEN. There are companies such as X-Treme who manufacture electric scooters such as X-Treme XB-420M, X-Treme X-500, X-Treme X-250, and X-Treme X-140; Gas motorcycle Moped as X-Treme XM-155; Gas Moped as X-Treme XM-160; gas motorcycle moped as X-Treme XM-50, gas scooters moped as X-Treme XM-150, electric moped motorcycle as X-Treme XM-4000Li and gas scooters as X-Treme XG 470 scooter . The most common scooter found on the roads is the gas scooter. They come in different models and brands such as Peugeot, Honda, Puch, Piaggio, Vespa, Yamaha, Suzuki, TVS, Bajaj and ZNEN. Companies such as X-Treme manufacture electric scooters as X-Treme X-500, X-Treme XB-420M, X-Treme X-140 and X-Treme X-250; Gas Moped as X-Treme XM-160; Gas motorcycle Moped as X-Treme XM-155; gas scooters moped as X-Treme XM-150; gas motorcycle moped as X-Treme™ XM-50; gas scooters as X-Treme XG 470 gas scooter and electric moped motorcycle as X-Treme XM-4000Li.

With the economic slow down and increased cost of gasoline, there is an increased demand for motorcycles. The traffic congestion and the ability of motorcycles to get through he traffic easily, more people are opting for thee motorcycles. The manufacturers are responding to this demand with newer designs and models with a variety of features.

Scooters are classified as a category under motorcycles. They usually have smaller wheels, a footboard, protective shield and step-through frame. Electric scooters are two or three wheeled scooters that use electric motors as a replacement for petrol or gasoline based motors. Their engines are energized by battery motors. Compared to gas scooters, electric scooters are low pollution motorcycles. The cost of recharging is lower when compared refueling with gas. The drawback of electric scooters is that these are slower and run shorter distance after which it has to be recharged. Recharging is done when it is plugged in. There are a number of models in the market. Some of these models are indeed cheaper than gas scooters.

As early as the later half of the 19^th century, electric motorcycles were being conceived as a possibility.  However, it was not until 1911 that an electric motorcycle was designed. But the commercial production of electric motorcycle and scooters were actually made only in recent years. Batteries are the source of energy to the electric motor. Research is going on in the application of fuel cell technology.

The higher gasoline price and the prospects of further increase in its price make electric scooters attractive. In fact, it costs just a quarter of what it cost to buy a gas scooter. Battery charge lasts for a shorter duration and requires more frequent recharging. The recharging time is also longer. However, there has been a gradual improvement in battery technology. The battery can be recharged at home or at charging station. There are a number of electric scooters available in the market such as Vectrix VX-1, Eped Sport/City, E-Solex,Yo Speed, ZAP Zapino, EVT-4000e, Razor E125, Io-scooter,Ezip Electric Scooters and Peugeot Scoot’Elec.

Electric scooter is almost silent. This means lesser noise pollution. But it also poses a higher risk of accidents as the usual noise of the scooter announcing its presence is not there. They do not exhaust gases. They are eco-friendly. There are usually neither road taxes nor parking charges for electric scooters. There is no oil to change too. However the speed of electric scooters is lesser. The capacity of the battery reduces in winter.  However, it is expected that electric scooters will rise in popularity.

Motorcycles are of three types: street, off-road and dual purpose. Street bikes include scooters, mopeds and cruisers besides others. Off road motorcycles are meant for racing and not for riding on streets. The dual purpose motorcycles have features which make them permissible to be used on the streets at the same time are fit for motor racing.

Pollution in cities from automobiles has reached unbearable limits. Traffic congestion has become endemic. For both these reasons, motorcycles are becoming the favored mode of transport. Its fuel efficiency is more than any other vehicle. Its contribution to green house gas emission is lesser with its low carbon emission. Its smaller mass makes it have a better fuel economy. However, motorcycles are more polluting. It is as much as ten times to twenty times as compared to the pollution from car. Nitrogen oxide is the major pollutant from motorcycle. This is caused by the poorer efficiency of catalytic converter of motorcycle. Nitrogen oxide is a major constituent of smog.

In recent times, the motorcycle market has shown an upward swing. The global market grew by 6.5 percent despite the global economic downturn. Or perhaps the growth has been fuelled by the economic downturn and the increase in fuel cost. The market for electric scooter is also on the rise. Electric scooters run on battery instead of gasoline. These silent scooters, though with lower speed, have better fuel economy. With gasoline price steadily increasing, electric scooter becomes an option. It is very less polluting in terms of air and noise pollution. Better battery technologies are expected to make it more popular. There are many electric scooters on the road such as Eped Sport/City, Vectrix VX-1, ZAP Zapino, E-Solex, Yo Speed, Razor E200S electric scooter, EVT-4000e, Peugeot Scoot’Elec and Io-scooter, Ezip Electric Scooters.

Motorcycle sales are highest in the Asian countries of China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam. Motorcycle owners are more than the other vehicle owners. Motorcycle owners are double the number of automobile owners in Taiwan. Registration of motorcycle increased by 50 percent in the United States. It is a common means of transport in the frontier towns of Latin America.