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28th January 2021
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Overloading only increases costs further, warns Swinton Commercial
More van and light goods vehicle operators may be unwittingly increasing their fuel and running costs and reducing their safety by overloading their vehicles, according to Swinton Commercial Insurance.
The warning comes as a survey of 1200 customers online, conducted by Swinton Van Insurance, discovered that 67% of van drivers are overloading their vehicles, with only 13% of van drivers regularly cleaning out their vans to help maximise fuel efficiency.
Overloading is not only a serious safety hazard, with the excessive strain causing tyres to blow out, but also lowers fuel efficiency - a pricey mistake when one considers that the cost of fuel rose to above £6 per gallon last week!
To combat this issue, Swinton Commercial is advising 'vanners' to check their tyre pressure and ensure that it is at the recommended amount, as if it is 20% out, motorists could be using around 3% more fuel.
"With the costs of running vans rising all of the time, operators can ill afford to needlessly increase their bills further," warns Phil Moss, Commercial Vehicle Manager at Swintons." By making sure that tyres are inflated to the correct level for the load being carried, drivers can minimise any additional expense whilst improving vehicle safety."
18th March 2011