News. May 2008.

Iveco's new Eurocargo makes its official debut today. The middleweight rigid's cab has been completely revised both inside and out where there is now a new hinged front panel with room for signwriting and a revised plastic front bumper with integral head lights. Bumpers and wheelarches are also now available in the same cab colour.

There's a new line-up of lighter five, six and nine-speed manual gearboxes with servoshift, although the big news for UK operators is that all right-hand-drive Eurocargo chassis will come with the ZF Eurotronic two-pedal auto as standard, complete with a software control package developed to optimise fuel economy. An alternative Allison torque convertor-type auto is also available on models from 7.5 to 12 tonnes.

The current range of Iveco's own four- and six-cylinder Tector engines is carried over to the new Eurocargo. All meet the Euro-5 emission levels, due from October 2009, thanks to Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR).

Inside the revised Eurocargo cabin there's a revamped instrument panel, while the most frequently used controls - including the park brake - have been relocated closer to the driver. A larger steering wheel further reduces steering effort. There is increased storage space too and an uprated seat to further improve the Iveco's driver appeal.

On-road safety options include ASR, ESP and a Hill Hold function. A seat-belt warning system encourages the wearing of seat-belts and a warning alarm sounds if the driver's door is opened without first applying the park brake. Revisions to the braking system include larger-diameter, and thicker, brake discs and larger brake pads giving increased brake performance and reduced servicing costs. Brian Weatherley, Commercial Motor

Works on one of the largest and most modern DB Schenker complexes have started at Bergheim, close to Salzburg in Austria. This complex represents an investment of 21 million Euros and will in particular serve as a transport hub for Europe. The surface area will extend to 80,000 m² with a 10,000 m² transhipment hall and 115 loading doors. A conveyor system will be able to handle 400 tonnes per hour, some 680 pallets. The new site will also benefit from excellent connections to road and rail. www.truckeurope.net

Launched in 2007, the European Transport Barometer is an annual survey conducted by Truck

Europe and Analytiqa, in 16 European countries simultaneously, with the support of leading national transport magazines. It provides a true pan-European perspective of trends and developments in Road Transport. Highlights of the results of this pan-European state-of-

the-market survey are going to be unveiled during the Truck Europe Forum in Berlin on June 3rd. For the first time, Truck Europe and Analytiqa will be able not only to present the highlights of this year’s barometer, but also to pinpoint evolutions year-on-year evolutions, on a country-by-country basis. The audience will be provided with quality economical data and analysis of transport activities, resulting from more than 2,500 web surveys and telephone interviews collected through standard procedures.

The presentations, case studies and panel discussions will provide one with a clear analysis of the latest evolutions in road transport activities. Conferences will focus on:

• Business Development in European Road Transport - focus on Russia

• The labour market crisis : solutions for the truck drivers shortage

• Future trends in Truck Fleet Management www.truckeurope.net

The European project ‘Intelligent MegaSwapBoxes for Advanced Intermodal Freight Transport’ (TelliBox) was officially launched in April. This involves a polyvalent transport unit which responds to European norms in terms of intermodal integration and operational optimisation. It will be able to be used just as easily by road, rail, waterway and maritime transport. A European consortium is to produce 3 optimised and certified prototypes which will be tested in a European intermodal corridor. www.truckeurope.net