TEK Seating supports driver comfort at Euro Bus Expo 2022
TEK SEATING is exhibiting its quality range of bus and coach seats on stand D90 at this years’ Euro Bus Expo 2022.
Established over 50 years, TEK is at the forefront of helping to protect drivers’ backs from the rigours of driving long hours. We offer a wide range of top quality, ergonomic, driver seats for most applications and budgets from leading manufacturers including Grammer, KAB Seating, Pilot and Isringhausen,
One of our most popular seats is the Grammer pneumatic suspension MSG 90.3 driver seat, which enables drivers to sit optimally. It comes with an anti-sinking mechanism, so regardless of the driver’s weight, the seat automatically returns to its original height setting.
With its air suspension system and automatic weight adjustment as standard, the Grammer ROADTIGER Standard seat (pictured) provides entry to the world of pneumatic suspension seats with maximum comfort. It features a fore/aft isolator, lumbar support, a finely adjustable backrest plus a seat tilt adjustment and adjustable seat cushion depth to ensure fatigue-free sitting. The ROADTIGER benefits from a high-performance air suspension with a high weight range of up to 190kg - ideal for drivers of different weights and heights.
Also from Grammer is the stylish Kingman - a quality comfort seat ideal for long distance driving and touring. The Kingman is an innovative, friction-optimized suspension system based on cutting-edge shock absorption and control technology.
The P1098/M80 seat from Pilot is a robust mechanical suspension seat activated by an integrated spring system. The seat incorporates numerous comfort features such as backrest recline and an adjustable lumbar support. The seat model can be supplied with or without 3-point seat belt. The front mounted controls are ideal for vehicles with limited access to either side of the seat position.
Where comfort and style are a must, there is the high spec NTS 2 seat from ISRI - an updated version of the original NTS seat. Key features include variable height adjustment with memory, backrest horizontal and shoulder adjustment, tilt and seat fore/aft adjustment, an integrated 3-point safety belt system and an integrated pneumatic system to ensure that the backrest fits the body’s contours.
Other popular choices include the KAB 414 and the KAB 714 driver seats which provide excellent support and comfort and are also available with an integral 3-point seat belt. Both seats offer a range of options so please ask a member of staff for advice.
The KAB T1 is an ideal medium back seat for a number of applications including buses. This seat comes with a 60mm height riser and slide rails as standard and can be supplied with several options.
Paul Fleming, TEK Group CEO, commented: ‘Euro Bus always gives us the chance to showcase our range of quality driver seats, as well as giving us the opportunity to network with our suppliers and customers.
‘Operators are understanding more about what they spend their money on. We’re seeing worn out seats replaced with higher quality versions as they realise the long-term health and safety benefits for their employees, and themselves.’
Meet the team from TEK Seating Ltd on stand D90
Nationwide staff shortages for garages and workshops
The recruitment and retention of mechanics is set to remain as a key challenge for garages and workshops in the following years, according to the Motor Ombudsman.
More than two thirds of garages and workshops, accredited by the Ombudsman for the automotive sector, said their biggest challenge was recruiting a sufficient number of mechanics.
To help tackle the perennial issue of HGV and PCV mechanics some companies have begun recruiting competent technical staff from outside the truck and bus world, and then training them up to standards.
The current shortage of skilled technicians in the heavy vehicle market is nothing new and increasing living costs are doing little to help the situation, with some businesses loath to take on additional apprentices in such an uncertain climate. Yet an ageing workforce continues to retire, leaving workshops with increasing demand for skilled staff.
The media is covering the shortage of vehicle technicians, HGV technicians, bus drivers but there is very little said about the shortage of bus technicians.
Liam Poyner, Director - Excel Resourcing said: "We work with the majority of bus operators across the UK. There's only a handful that don't require extra labour in the workshop. Most of them are reliant on temp labour whilst struggling to recruit due to the nationwide shortage. We're looking at a major shift in labour market: more and more experienced technicians are choosing to freelance taking full advantage of the increasing demand. It's a candidate driven market but there are huge concerns as the existing workforce is aging and there's not enough new blood coming into the industry to replace it. We have just over 250 technicians working with us and 80% of them are over the age of 45."
Craig Power, Sales Director, Excel Resourcing said: "The industry is changing. The demand for PSV technicians is at an all-time high as commercial vehicle workshops are chasing to keep up with the ever-growing number of PSVs, bus technology and passengers on the roads. Each technician has a preference over what type of vehicles they want to work on. The skills learnt as an HGV mechanic are easily transferable to buses. Working on PSVs comes with greater responsibility. Unlike HGVs, you are responsible for a larger group of people, with passengers ranging from young children to elderly and vulnerable individuals."
Many companies have seen a massive increase in temp labour usage (or contractors). Finding and training talent takes much longer than in previous years but the demand doesn't sit around and wait for that to happen. The buses need to get back on the road and this is why a lot of operators are partnering up with agencies to try and bridge the gap.
For more information on how this works and what are the benefits of using a temp labour provider, visit Excel Resourcing at Euro Bus Expo or click here.
Go-Digital Bus to Showcase Predictive Maintenance Tech at Euro Bus Expo
Euro Bus Expo sees the arrival of the Go-Digital Bus; a live-connected double-decker supplied by bus operator Go-Ahead Ireland. The bus will be the centrepiece of live demonstrations by exhibitors showing how bus fleet maintenance is benefiting from the latest digital technology.
Located on stand T92, the bus is fitted with smart systems that monitor onboard sensors to demonstrate the concept of wireless on-the-road connectivity, as provided by different exhibitors on the show floor such as Freeway, Stratio and Wheely-Safe. Visitors can also undertake vehicle safety inspections and complete electronic job cards on smartphones and tablets.
The Go-Digital bus is hosted by Freeway and the technology on show is already in use at GoAhead’s Dublin bus operations. It’s part of Freeway’s Connected Workshop that sees data pooled from apps used by drivers for their walk-around checks and from onboard systems via Stratio’s AI platform. Software processes the data to provide a complete oversight of the status of each vehicle, with critical defects and compliance issues highlighted on colour-coded screens.
Through integration with other systems such as ticketing, operations, fuel, parts supply and finance, Freeway provides a central repository for business information with a handy ‘fleet in your pocket’ app allowing managers to work and maintain control, 24/7, from anywhere.
Stratio is a Predictive Fleet Maintenance Platform that combines large-scale processing with the latest machine learning techniques to prevent breakdowns. Wheely-Safe meanwhile is an in-motion TPS and wheel loss detection system to protect against the risks of wheel loss, brake and hub overheating, tyre underinflation and high tyre temperatures.
Freeway Fleet Systems is a global provider of digital solutions for managing vehicles and assets and works seamlessly across different locations and on different platforms – server, cloud, desktop and mobile. Freeway’s software provides an all-in-one solution to manage workshops, defects, stores, purchasing and compliance. Enabling the transition to paperless digital working, Freeway interchanges freely with other systems to provide enterprise-wide visibility of the status of the fleet.
Freeway has become popular with bus operators in the UK, with growth globally in Ireland, Southern Africa, Singapore and Bahrain. Users include Transdev, Lothian Buses, Stagecoach, RATP, trentbarton, Reading Bus, Nottingham City Transport, Abellio and Go Ahead.
Find Freeway Fleet Systems on stand T62.