KURBADS WINS THE PLATINUM AWARD “SAFEST COMPANY VEHICLE FLEET 2023”

On 30 November, the annual competition “Safest Company Fleet 2023” organised by the insurance company BALTA (PZU Group) and the Ministry of Transport awarded for the first time three platinum and seven gold awards to companies that are best able to balance all components of road safety – Car, Business, People – in their daily operations.

The companies were judged in four categories – passenger carriers; local (Baltic) freight carriers and special-purpose fleets; international freight carriers; lower-risk, national and municipal fleets.

For the first time in the competition, Platinum category awards were presented – we received them as well.

Ivars Čiblis, Kurbads service manager, comments, “It is very nice to be appreciated, but striving for perfection is the daily routine of our Kurbads team – we are constantly looking for ways to develop and improve our company!”

Many thanks to the insurance company BALTA and the Ministry of Transport! Kurbads will continue to make improvements to promote a greener and safer future and will continue to encourage others to follow this example.

The 116th car carrier is adorned with a portrait of Haralds Sīmanis

Continuing the tradition of decorating the Kurbads car carrier fleet with exceptional personalities, characters of myth and legend or signs signalling Latvian might, the 116th car carrier’s cab will feature a portrait of the singular Latvian songwriter Haralds Sīmanis.

As usual, we wanted to adorn the latest addition to our fleet with an image that is special and meaningful to us – the energy and spirit of which are in step with our values. One such image is that of the late, well-known Latvian songwriter Haralds Sīmanis. He stamped a very personal imprint on each of our hearts, so we wanted to honour the artist by ornamenting our newest car with his portrait.

Alfreds Paulausks, Kurbads artist, reveals that it took a very long time to develop the portrait because it is extremely detailed. However, he admits that if the job would have been twice as long, he would do it without a second thought. “Once I saw the photograph, I knew immediately that it was just what I needed – the perfect light, the look and the movement that’s so characteristic of Haralds. It was a tremendous responsibility for me to be portraying him, because only recently we were standing by the stage singing along to his gorgeous songs. I see Haralds as an extraordinary phenomenon in Latvian music and – without getting bogged down in terminology – as a rock star. And that’s how I portrayed him,” says A. Paulausks.

In the beginning, the work of decorating the car carrier was no plain sailing, because the author of the photo deemed most suitable, which was come upon online, needed to be found. A big thank you to our friends who helped us do it! It turns out that Haralds’ striking portrait, which will adorn one of the car carriers, was painted in Cēsis, his hometown. After a long search, thanks to Ilze Grunte, we managed to learn that the photographer is Mārtiņš Otto and the photo session took place in Fonoklubs, where Haralds was a frequent and special guest.

Jānis Sildniks, owner of Fonoklubs in Cēsis, says of his relationship with Haralds: “Fonoklubs in Cēsis established a relationship with Haralds Sīmanis as early as 2012, when the singer-songwriter stopped by for the opening concert of his album I am the Morning (Es esmu rīts). Unfortunately, in autumn 2022, the presentation of his album In circles (Pa apli) at Fonoklubs turned out to be his last concert, which came to close in a cosy and soulful atmosphere with the audience singing along to the song “Lake” (“Ezers”). It is vital to honour our heroes, and Haralds Sīmanis is nothing less than a hero of the Latvian stage, so we are happy about Kurbads initiative to keep Sīmanis alive both musically and, in this case, visually.”

This is only further proof that the great man and his wonderful heart is cherished all over and honoured in the hearts of countless people. We hope that this serves as yet another way to immortalise Haralds’ spirit and pay respects to his character for a long time to come, so that everyone can feel his kind presence whenever they see our car carrier.

We trust that Haralds’ fortitude will protect us and his wisdom will accompany our drivers on their long journeys across the highways of Europe. Perhaps one day his image will be the stuff of legends, and passers-by will ask “Who is this big man possessing the energy of a mighty spirit?” It is no coincidence that Haralds used to say of himself that he is known by many, but truly understood only by a few.

The fate of the human soul is to depart, but the light and warmth it leaves behind remain and live on forever. May the light of Haralds show the way in the darkest nights, and may the vigour of his spirit accompany us on our journey and protect all drivers, watching on from above.

The reins of the 116th truck driver are entrusted to our driver Viesturs Latkovskis.

Recording driving data and the role of tachographs in carrying out transportation duties

To feel safe on the road, it is important that the vehicles which you and others on the road drive are in good condition and meet relevant safety standards. But there is another important nuance to commercial transport. When transporting goods and passengers, European Union (EU) legislation requires vehicles to be equipped with a tachograph.

 

What is a tachograph and who is it for?

 

A tachograph is a device designed to record drivers’ activities and driving data. This data is important for both companies and public authorities carrying out monitoring and inspections to ensure compliance with legislation and safety standards.

 

It is a vital tool to ensure that drivers do their job with integrity, as it can provide accurate and verifiable information on driving times, rest periods and other factors crucial for road safety. This is true especially for drivers making long journeys, as the tachograph warns about driving times and the effects of fatigue, which can lead to dangerous situations on the road.

 

The origins of tachographs and the development of data recording

 

Recording driving data has been of great importance in the transportation sector for centuries. Tachographs date back to the mid-19th century, when they were introduced on trains to record speeding and other offences. In the relatively recent past, in 1952, Germany made the use of tachographs compulsory for vehicles weighing 7.5 tonnes or more, but since 1986 it has been mandatory throughout the EU.

 

There are different generations of tachographs, from the original analogue disc recorders to the modern digital and smart tachographs. The analogue tachographs used a disc and this was the first phase of tachographs introduced by the EU. Until 2006, they were used as the only way to record drivers’ activities. Then the digital tachographs were introduced, which by sending signals in encrypted form made it much more difficult to interfere with. The introduction of digital tachographs has led to even greater levels of accuracy and safety.

 

Smart tachographs and current requirements

 

The Road Transport Directorate (RTD) informs that the new regulation governing the use of tachographs requires new vehicles first registered after 20 August 2023 to be equipped with the second generation of the second version of the smart tachograph (G2V2) and EU Member States are to provide G2V2 digital tachograph cards after that date.

 

Viktors Zaķis, head of Public Relations at RTD, states: “The roll-out of the new version of the smart tachograph and the issuance of G2V2 cards has already begun. Though, RTD also points out that digital tachograph cards received in previous versions are valid until their expiry date and do not have to be replaced.”

 

He notes that in international transport the replacement of outdated tachographs by the new G2V2 is a compulsory requirement and calls for the replacement of tachographs to be carried out in good time and not postponed to the last minute.

 

“Vehicles equipped with analogue and digital tachographs (first registration of the vehicle or first activation of the tachograph before 14 June 2019) and used for international road transport must have their tachographs replaced by a G2V2 smart tachograph by 31 December 2024. However, vehicles equipped with a smart tachograph (first registration from 15 June 2019 to 20 August 2023) and used for international road transport must have their tachographs replaced with a G2V2 smart tachograph by 19 August 2025”, explains Viktors Zaķis.

 

Changes to laws and regulations

 

Currently, legislation in Latvia and other EU countries requires tachographs to be used in vehicles carrying goods with a maximum permissible laden weight, including trailer or semi-trailer, of more than 3.5 tonnes. However, from 1 July 2026, all drivers carrying out international or cabotage transport operations in vehicles with a maximum permissible weight, including trailer or semi-trailer, exceeding 2.5 tonnes must record their active and rest periods using a tachograph.

 

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Yet another addition to the Kurbads fleet is the Mercedes-Benz Actros L car carrier

Yet another addition to the Kurbads fleet is the Mercedes-Benz Actros L car carrier, whose sides are decorated with the Latvian Ethnographic Symbol – Cross of Mara.

The Cross of Mara is a symbol of fire and its borderline situations. Mara’s Cross is a sign of Lima and love. Protects from evil spirits. As mentioned in Latvian folk mythology, any thing on which this sign is depicted symbolically is donated to Mara, receiving her blessing, love and protection in return. The author of design on the car carrier is our artist Alfreds Paulausks.

In the initiation ritual, as usual all the men engaged in a “Bear Dance”, charging a powerful wave of energy that was transferred to the vehicle, while women twisted knots on the cross of Mara, wishing the car a flowing course…

The reins of the new car carrier have been handed over to our driver Armands Verbickis.

See you on the road!

#theartofvehiclelogistics

Kurbads are dedicated to personal growth and development of our employees. ECG Academy.

We as a company are dedicated to personal growth and development of our employees. We take great pride in helping our employees advance in their careers. Our logistics specialist, Brencis Pēteris Eglītis, is the fifth colleague from our team to attend the ECG Academy.

The ECG Academy is a comprehensive course spanning approximately 24 days, divided into 5 modules held at different locations across Europe. This setup allows for site visits to manufacturing plants, ports, and logistics facilities in addition to classroom instruction.

The first module emphasizes a ‘green’ initiative and sustainable development, with guest speakers from various sectors of the industry, including representatives from the automobile industry, shipping lines, ports, railway logistics and the road transport. There’s also a detailed analysis of the current state of the road transport industry.

“The initial meeting of this year’s ECG Academy course in Copenhagen was highly informative. The primary focus of the program is innovation within the field of Finished Vehicle Logistics (FVL). Given the broad scope of the industry, encompassing road, railway, and maritime transport, the pace of development and adaptation processes tends to be gradual. Consequently, the first three days of lectures focused on an in-depth exploration of various sub-sectors of FVL transport, highlighting their respective advantages and disadvantages, as well as their application within the FVL field. The course also introduces innovation management, designed to develop skills that facilitate the creation and implementation of innovative ideas, ultimately making FVL processes more efficient, faster, transparent, and environmentally friendly.

As part of the training, participants visited the car terminal in the Copenhagen/Malmö port (on the Malmö side), which stands as the largest car transport terminal in Scandinavia. The terminal is jointly managed by Toyota’s Scandinavian/Baltic branch and Axess Logistics, covering a total area of 800,000 square meters and capable of accommodating up to 40,000 car units. The sheer scale of operations in such an expansive area was truly impressive and provided a unique experience.

The next meeting is scheduled to take place in Bremen, Germany, at the beginning of December,” says Brencis Pēteris Eglītis.

For more information about the ECG Academy, please visit: https://www.ecgassociation.eu/activities/education/ecg-academy/

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Kurbads team-building in Austria on Film

In the early morning of October 5th, we all gathered at Riga Airport to embark on new adventures. The purpose of this team-building event was to exchange experiences, acquire new knowledge and spend quality time with colleagues outside of our daily routines.

Our journey began with a flight to Germany, from where we continued our trip to Austria to visit our cooperative partner’s factory in Salzburg. Kässbohrer is a company specializing in the production of truck trailers. During our visit, we had the opportunity to witness the entire trailer production process. The warm welcome by Victor, the head of the sales and service team, made our visit to the Kässbohrer factory memorable. He graciously guided us through the factory and the trailer production process along with the colleagues. Following with a delightful lunch, we later on explored the city center of Salzburg.

After a brief respite, we strolled through the streets of Salzburg, which is renowned as the capital of classicism. Salzburg, often considered one of the most beautiful cities in not only Austria, but all of Europe, boasts a rich cultural heritage, being the birthplace of Mozart. Art and culture permeate every corner of this enchanting city. We also had the opportunity to visit the ‘Hohensalzburg’ fortress, one of the oldest medieval fortresses in Europe, offering a panoramic view of the city. With a satisfying sense of fatigue, we dined on the traditional Austrian dishes, with a special mention of the famous Austrian schnitzel!

On the second day, we returned to Germany, Munich – renowned as the capital of the automotive industry. There, we visited the BMW museum, which showcases many historical cars and vision models of the future. A particular highlight was Elvis Presley’s BMW 507, which had languished in a dusty American barn for years before being meticulously restored and displayed in the museum.

Following our museum visit, we gathered for lunch, sharing our vivid impressions of the experiences we had gained. Soon, it was time to return to the airport and catch our flight back to our beloved homeland Latvia.

The Summit of the Association of European Vehicle Logistics was organised in Riga

14 September 2023 was a very important day for us and another milestone in the history of Kurbads. It was a special day as this year, for the first time, we were invited to organise the ECG (Association of European Vehicle Logistics) Eastern Europe Regional Summit, one of the most influential industry events across Europe.

The ECG summits are very important events for the vehicle logistics industry, bringing together industry leaders from all over Europe to share their experiences. The aim of these summits is to bring together industry professionals to exchange views and learn about the latest developments in the vehicle logistics sector in the European Union (EU).

Until now, ECG meetings have been organised in one of the large and influential EU Member States. But this year was a unique opportunity here in Latvia to learn from the association’s representatives and the chairman of the Board about the current market trends in the industry, to get acquainted with the ECG’s future strategic development plans and to get an insight into the overall picture of the European vehicle logistics industry.

It was a great honour and an even greater responsibility for us to organise such an important event. We are very honoured that the baton of organising the summit has been passed to us this year, so that we can fly our flag and mark Latvia as an important logistics hub on the vast European highway map.

Many thanks to everyone who helped organise the meeting. Thank you to the participants and all visitors for your kind words. It was you who helped to make it such a special and important event in our company’s history.

See you on the road and at other summits!

Kurbads “Colonel Oskars Kalpaks” car carrier arrived at the Colonel Oskars Kalpaks High School

Our #111 “Colonel Oskars Kalpaks” car carrier arrived today in Kandava at the Colonel Oskars Kalpaks High School to congratulate the students with the beginning of the new school year.

We had the honor to participate in the solemn ceremony and share the joy!

 

How the Ford Mustang became a real muscle car

A seven-litre engine in a small convertible made an already successful Ford product even more desirable.

A cursory glance at the accompanying images would lead a non-expert to believe they are looking at the first or ‘original’ Ford Mustang, so prevalent in posters, cinema and on souvenir mugs. In fact however, we are dealing with the first serious facelift in the history of Ford’s legendary muscle car. When comparing the 1965 and 1967 Mustangs, the main thing that catches the eye are the different fog lights, which became a must-have feature on the GT version. But even the most keen observer might miss the fact that the 1967 model is larger than its predecessor, and not just for reasons of comfort. It was this year’s Ford Mustang that became the first to feature the so-called big-block V8 engine with a displacement unrivalled to this day – 7 litres. Large-displacement engines were of course also found in later Mustang models, but in 1967 it was a giant leap from the small-block 4.7-litre engines introduced in the first generation. So it was only in 1967 that the Ford Mustang really became a true muscle car.

Chasing the origins of the engine

The largest standard Mustang engine was a 6.4-litre, or 390 cubic-inch, V8 with 320 horsepower, but the top-of-the-range unit is easily recognisable by the Cobra lettering on the air filter housing. The seven-litre engine no doubt found its way into the engine bays of Carroll Shelby’s masterpieces, both street and race cars, including the legendary Ford GT40 that took the top three places in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. The engine displacement was not chosen by coincidence. 7 litres, or 427 cubic inches, was the maximum volume allowed by the technical regulations for several road races, including Nascar. Since the epic powertrain was reserved for the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, whose bonnet was adorned with various air vents for improved cooling of the engine compartment, it is likely that the sleek convertible met its current engine at some later point. Combining and swapping engines is not uncommon among Mustang enthusiasts, as evidenced by the touching attempt to return the V8’s cast-iron block to its original blue colour. Another nuance is that almost all Shelby GT500s at the time were released with a fastback body. The Ford Mustang model register says that only one GT500 convertible was produced in 1967, and it’s unlikely to be this one. The letter S in the VIN number clearly indicates that the convertible had a 6.4-litre engine in its original form.

Four gears and no automatics

Looking into the interior of the convertible, we see the first steering wheel in Mustang history with a cushioned ‘safety’ centre section. Three-point seat belts only became mandatory in 1968, before then they were an option on the model. Along with the facelift, the Mustang’s interior started to feature the brushed aluminium dashboard trim shown here and a dashboard gauge cluster with tachometer and additional gauges previously included in the so-called Rally Package. The De Luxe interior, seen here, is a relatively rare option, with light leather upholstery that harmonises perfectly with the off-white vinyl roof and the delightful Dark Moss body colour. Despite the huge engine capacity and the popularity of automatics in America, the driver of this convertible had to handle more than 300 horsepower using the classic three pedals and a four-speed manual gearbox. If this number of gears seems modest for such a task, it is worth knowing that the Mustang’s standard gearbox at the time had only three speeds. The Mustang GTA, or GT/A, where the letter A stood for automatic or rather the automated Select Shift Cruise-o-Matic transmission, was produced for only one year in this generation, 1967, and there were no automatics at all for the seven-litre engines.

Year of Bullitt

Interestingly, Ford Mustang godfather Lee Iacocca initially disliked the facelifted model, although he himself oversaw the completion of its design from the side air vents to the square mirrors (the original Mustang Mk I had round mirrors). The wider and deeper radiator grille made the car look visually stronger, while the increased wheel track improved stance and handling. New, curved taillights gave the sports car a more premium look. The car could be ordered in 28 different colours, the standard convertible was priced at $2898, and despite external and internal competition from the Chevrolet Camaro, Mercury Cougar, Pontiac Firebird and Plymouth Barracuda, Ford’s three plants produced 472,121 Mustangs during that year, of which 44,808 were convertibles. Within a year, the elegant, if totally non-functional, grille would disappear from the side of the Mustang, and minimal cosmetic changes would, as usual, be made to Ford’s best-seller annually. In the same year, this ‘in-between generation’ Mustang would take cinema screens by storm, with Steve McQueen’s Frank Bullitt chasing the bad guys through the streets of San Francisco in a moss green Ford Mustang GT Fastback. The Mustang would grow in size and power through the late 1960s, with the legendary Mach 1 and Boss 302 modifications, before the fourth and final iteration of the first-generation Ford Mustang would arrive in 1970.

Ferrari Tour Latvia 2023

Ferrari Tour Latvia 2023, the first ever tour of exclusive Ferrari cars organised by the members of the Scuderia Ferrari Club Riga – Latvia, was a highlight among car enthusiasts last month. The aim was to promote local tourism opportunities at the international level, as well as to offer people in different Latvian cities the opportunity to see and learn more about this legendary brand of cars.

Kurbads, a vehicle transportation and logistics company, also had the exclusive opportunity to be part of this special event by sponsoring the tour and transporting 12 luxury Ferrari cars from Luxembourg to Italy, from Italy to Latvia and back.

Toms Hartmanis, Kurbads representative, points out that transporting such elite cars is a task that carries much responsibility and must be carried out with the utmost care: ‘Everyone knows that Ferrari cars are exclusive. Carrying such an important load as 12 cars of this brand required attention to every detail to ensure that it arrived at its destination without a hitch. I am delighted that the Kurbads team has once again performed excellently to ensure that the Ferrari Tour Latvia participants were successfully reunited with their cars in Latvia and got them home on time.’

Ferrari Tour Latvia 2023 started in Riga and the participants drove their powerful cars a total of 1000 kilometres to experience and get to know Latvia’s wonderful nature, stopping in the most beautiful cities of Latvia: Sigulda, Cēsis, Rēzekne, Bauska, Liepāja, Kuldīga, Ventspils, Jurmala and finishing the tour in Riga. In each of these cities, locals had the opportunity to take photos with the world-famous Ferrari cars, learn about the history of the brand and have a fun time among car enthusiasts.

Ferrari Tour Latvia was organised by Scuderia Ferrari Club Riga in partnership with Scuderia Ferrari Club Luxembourg and we are proud to have been among the participants of this elite event.