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Issue 2 2021 - Freight Business Journal Insurance


Wheels on Fire? Take proper precautions


TT Club’s Mike Yarwood examines what the specialist insurer’s claims data reveals about the extent and causes of road going freight vehicle fires and how to protect against them.


While devastating fires on trucks and trailers can start in several ways, 65% are caused by issues related to the wheel and brake assembly, according to TT Club’s claims analysis data for 2019. There are numerous


moving components to a truck or trailer, particularly around the wheel and brake assembly.


From a practical


perspective ignition will be initiated through a build-up of heat and the presence of oxygen and a fuel source. The primary areas of


concern are around the wheel and brake assembly and the way vehicles are driven, especially when loaded with heavy cargo. Heat build-up


under heavy braking can result


in excessive brake


temperatures. This can lead to bearing grease igniting and fires spreading to involve the tyres. Heavy braking or dragging brakes can be of particular concern on brake drum systems as the heat is more


easily transferred


through the drum to the tyre. Brakes can also remain


partially applied, even with no pressure on the brake pedal. This condition is typically referred to as ‘dragging brakes’, as a consequence of low air pressure which may be slow to replenish and often associated with the previous trailer. This condition also results in excessive brake


Maritime celebrates a decade in distribution


Maritime Transport celebrated its distribution division’s tenth anniversary on 1 February. Initially providing container transport solutions


from its 136-truck inception, Maritime diversified


into domestic distribution sector in 2011 with the purchase of 100 curtainsiders. It now operates a fleet of 400 vehicles making an average of 6,000 customer deliveries per week.


temperatures. Maintenance of the brake


assembly is also crucial in mitigating the risk of fire. An incorrectly positioned or locked component of the mechanism can lead to increased friction and


heat build-up. It has


also been reported that poor balance can cause disc brakes to overheat with subsequent ignition of bearing grease and or detritus. Hydraulic components that, through poor maintenance, develop even the smallest of leaks can be particularly problematic. Hydraulic oil being expelled under pressure from even a pin-sized hole will create a mist – which can be particularly easy to ignite where a sufficient heat source is present. Wheel bearings are an part


essential of the wheel


assembly, being the point where the wheel and the axle are connected. These lubricated steel ball bearings allow the wheel to rotate smoothly with minimal friction. Wheel bearing failure can also result in dragging brakes and be a source of heat if not properly maintained. This failure can be


exacerbated or instigated due to over-tightening of poorly lubricated wheel bearings. An overheated bearing, for example due to excessive wear, can create heat which may ignite bearing grease or other combustible material. Wheel hubs low on oil


can reach an elevated operating temperature. This temperature can be sufficiently high to ignite adjacent combustible material, for example the hub oil and tyres. A hub or wheel bearing failure combined with braking can induce additional load on a brake component. The surface temperature around the braking system and wheel hub can increase significantly transferring heat to the tyre which can then ignite. Tyres can be hard to ignite


but once burning are difficult to extinguish. Tyre fires can occur due to under inflated or flat tyres (dual or single) causing the surface area of the tyre to deform and come into contact with nearby surfaces of the vehicle, such


Letter to the Editor: Is it time to standardise commercial invoices?


I would like to suggest to all UK shippers to look at using a standard template for their commercial invoices. I don’t think this document


exists at the moment but if all the exporters completed this standardised item it would be a lot quicker for carriers to check that they have all the information necessary on the document and indeed easier for the UK exporters to fill in all the mandatory blank boxes with EORI numbers, tariff numbers etc.


A lot of time is wasted asking


for amendments or further information on commercial invoices.


This would prompt UK


exporters to confirm the details correctly and quicker for carriers to check. Dave Brown General Manager (Leeds). Simpex- Express Tel:


01133 970 461 | Mob:


07901001551 david.brown@simpex-express. com


German holiday airline Condor is to fly four of its Boeing 767s in cargo configuration between its Leipzig hub to Shannon, Ireland, Milan-Malpensa in Italy and Cologne, Germany. The flights would also be available to transport Covid-19 vaccines. The partnership will initially extend until the end of May. Since April last year, Condor has devoted an increasing


number of flights to cargo, transporting primarily PPE and e-commerce goods, converting a portion of its 767 fleet to pure cargo aircraft. Condor


has also trained


and deployed a team of cargo supervisors. It is still operating passenger


flights to the Canary Islands, Egypt,


Cuba, the and the Dominican Republic. Maldives


as the chassis. Friction can then cause the tyre to get hot enough for ignition to occur. The deformation of a flat or


poorly inflated tyre in contact with the road surface can also increase the temperature of the tyre as it brings the deflated tyre into contact with an adjacent tyre which in turn heats as the tyres rotate. While melting of the tyre may occur before ignition, a fire may initiate when the vehicle comes to a stop.


Prevention


Fire incidents involving trucks are a frequent occurrence globally. If identified early and fire-fighting equipment and trained personnel are present, it can be possible to contain such fires causing minimal damage. But if not, fire can quickly take hold, devastating equipment, cargo and property and, of course, endangering life. There is no certainty as to how effectively a fire can be fought; factors such as weather, combustible materials, training,


///NEWS


equipment and how long the fire has been burning will all affect the ability to fight the fire. With so many unknowns, clearly, prevention is better than cure. Pre-trip inspections are part of


an important such


preventative measures. While undertaking first use checks at the start of each shift, it is prudent to visually check the condition of mud guards/ spray flaps as well as the inflation of the tyres and fluid leaks, so far as is reasonably practicable. Identifying potential issues and having a defect procedure to ensure that the issue is rectified will assist in mitigating truck fire risks. Such inspections


should also serve to identify deficient repair or maintenance undertaken by a repair facility. A component not installed or replaced correctly, an incorrect or incompatible part or a critical protection device not re- installed could each give rise to a fire incident that could be avoided if identified early.


DHL Global Forwarding’s Industrial Projects arm is moving 676 rail passenger coaches from Hungary to Egypt over the next 32 months. The 48-tonne, 24.5 metre long coaches, made by Dunakeszi


Járműjavító, are


transported by rail to the port of Koper, Slovenia for the sea voyage by chartered vessel onto the railway network in Egypt at the port of Alexandria. The first batch arrived safely in Alexandria on 23 February.


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