For starters, you can help bring down the costs of your van insurance by making sure your van is kept secure overnight.  By keeping your van on secure premises overnight, you are reducing the chance of it being stolen or damaged and therefore reducing the costs of insuring it.

Also if you install an alarm or tracking device, this provides protection to the van thus reducing the chances of anything happening to it and this has the added bonus of reducing the costs of your van insurance.

As well as saving money on costs such as the van insurance, you can also save a substantial sum on your fuel costs.  This can be done by changing the way in which you drive.

Driving at high speeds and braking heavily can really affect the amount of petrol that your van uses. However, if you drive smoothly, using the highest gears possible, not driving too fast and not braking heavily, you can really reduce the amount you spend on petrol.

If you run a delivery business or courier business, then it’s more than likely you’ll have a fleet of vans that will be travelling around the country or your local area delivering goods to customers’ homes. Those customers rely on you to get their valuable items to them in good time and in one piece. Many customers are willing to pay extra to insure their goods arrive on time.

So it’s bad news if you turn up 4 hours after your scheduled delivery time, or worse than that, if you don’t turn up at all! The damage to your reputation can be immense and bad reputations can spread like wildfire and ruin your business and you need to insure against this.

This is why it is vital that any company that relies on a fleet of vans must make use of SatNav (Satellite Navigation) systems.

These wonderful gadgets are worth their weight in gold no matter where you are travelling, business or pleasure. When your business relies on you delivering the specified goods at the scheduled times they are the best insurance you can have to provide great customer service.

With the help of a good inexpensive SatNav system, you are able to determine the best route to take and on some systems you can even see if there are any problems on the roads, allowing you to choose an alternative route if necessary.

By taking more efficient routes, you could also save yourself a lot of petrol money.  So if you run a fleet of vans, make use of SatNav systems to ensure that you can run efficiently and for the best price.

Not everyone is going to need the same navigation and doing these things will help you find the one that is best for you and not for someone else. Here are the most essential things you need to consider or do before you buy a GPS navigation.

1. Determine your usage – There are many different uses for GPS and many different categories of navigators. That is why it is so important to know what you will need to use the GPS unit for. Many people use navigation when they are out on a boat.

Others like to use it when they are driving in a vehicle. There are also people that use it for hiking or bicycling. Knowing your use will help you find the unit that will best fit your particular needs.

This will prevent you from wasting your money on a GPS that can’t do what you need it to.

2. Learn about the core features – It is important to learn about the core features each GPS offers. Most GPS units are already preprogrammed with different maps of cities and states in the United States.

If you will need extra maps then you want to make sure that the navigation unit you choose has the option for you to add more maps. Also make sure that the brand you purchase has more maps on CD you can buy for easy use.

3. Compare prices – With so many different GPS units available these days you have to take time to compare prices. The prices will be similar but they are definitely not going to be exactly the same.

Don’t ever purchase any unit without first comparing prices because comparing will allow you to find the one that you can easily afford. It can also help you find discounts or coupons that will help you save more money on your GPS unit.

Now that you know the important things to consider and do to help you find the best portable GPS navigation for you; all that remains is to start your search for the right one. Just remember to take your time and compare everything including the price because this is the only way you will be able to choose the best one for your needs.

environment-car

There are several ways we can help save the environment. Whatever their size, all our collective efforts add up to a certain reduction of pollution and global warming. But what if you had a way of reducing pollution really huge, collectively so great that it would probably save the planet thbe? Well, if you own a motor vehicle that you and your fellow drivers can do. Here’s how: 1.Convert your existing vehicle to an electric motor. If you can afford the high price of automotive new hybrid electric go ahead, but for most drivers DIY is cheaper and safer. 2.Tell your friends and associates Kits DIY electric car. Spread the word. Perhaps form clubs electric car to save the planet. 3.Invest all the money you save does not use gasoline or diesel fuel and less maintenance. On an annual basis it will be a significant amount – probably sufficient to holiday abroad or cruise. 4 .. When you are driving your own electric vehicle air remember that you can also get get booked for speeding. Just because you’re an environmentalist and electrical Goody Goody does not mean that you will not get a ticket. 5.Always remember to plug in your car, van or truck in the night. (No more waiting for travel to the gas station) If you need a justification for going electric Here are some important facts: 1. Cars are one of the biggest polluters of the planet because of the toxic carbon dioxide they pump. 2. In 2030, his estimate, there will be 1.2 billion vehicles in the world – if there is still a world. 3. DIY electric car conversions of approximately $ 300. Conversions are quick to make and require no special knowledge of mechanics. You only need a manual craft. They can be on any type of vehicle in any country. 4.It costs about $ 1 to charge your car from your wall outlet at home. You can travel up to 100 miles (160.9 km) on a charge. You get up to 55 mph (88.5 km / h). 5. In addition to being completely safe for the global environment, electric cars help reduce noise. There are various DIY manuals on the market that I like is an ecologist who created the conversion kit and the whole family are electrical conductors. To help improve the environment, it currently offers its easy to read the manual of 40 pages for a very low price. It also comes with many bonuses and a money back guarantee.

]]> http://www.ffasa.org/how-motorists-can-save-the-environment.html/feed 0 http://www.ffasa.org/quick-tips-for-buying-used-fire-trucks-from-a-dealer.html http://www.ffasa.org/quick-tips-for-buying-used-fire-trucks-from-a-dealer.html#comments Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:53:45 +0000 http://www.ffasa.org/?p=16

buying-a-car

The world of used fire truck sales is not all that different from used car sales. There are many hard working, honest companies out there trying to provide quality apparatus for fire departments nationwide, but the bad business practices of a few unethical dealers can greatly damage the reputation of every dealer in the industry.

When fire departments are in the market for an updated fleet of fire trucks, the two most common choices departments have is choosing whether to buy from a broker or a dealer. Both types of apparatus sellers can provide different levels of service. This article will examine the pros and cons of both types of seller, and provide a quick list of things to consider when choosing between working with a broker or dealer.

Both types of sellers are interested in finding a unit for their buyer. Listing services often have the appearance of having hundreds of units in their inventory. However, in most cases, listers don’t actually “have” a single truck in inventory. As opposed to dealers, listing providers list the apparatus other used fire truck dealers (http://www.commandfireapparatus.com) own and charge a commission to the dealer for providing access to a sale. While brokers are interested in selling units, they don’t care which unit you buy.

Another option to working with a listing service is shop for your used fire truck directly from a dealer.

Dealers buy their units directly from fire departments, cutting out the middleman and avoiding an increase in costs. Most used fire truck dealers try to find late model vehicles in their best condition and focus less on having the most units. Instead, they are more focused on having the best units for the right customers.

When you work with a dealer, ask them what they go over when they do a full service inspection of your vehicle. Do they change the filters and fluids? Check lighting systems and warning devices? Verify pump, aerial certification, and other vehicle safety systems? Even simple checks like brakes, tires, steering and more?

While listing services do appear to have the most variety in their inventory, all listing services do is take your information, pass it along to a dealer, and then collect a check for passing along your information. In order to save costs for yourself – take out the middleman cost and work with a dealer.

Below are a few questions you should answer for yourself about any type of company you are considering purchasing a used fire truck from:

1. Does your dealer personally search for and buy its entire inventory? Dealers don’t simply list a truck or engine for another department – they sell the units they own themselves.

2. Do they offer any competitive warranties on the engine and transmission of their apparatus?

3. Who takes care of the lettering on the vehicle? Do you have to take the vehicle to another location to have this complete, or can the dealer do it?

4. Who takes care of delivery of the unit? Is there an additional cost?

5. If the dealer takes care of unit deliver, do they insure the until you receive it?