Welcome to the Association of Vehicle Recovery Operators (AVRO)

Who we are

AVRO is the oldest-established and leading trade association for recovery operators. Its primary aim has always been to raise standards in the recovery industry.

Today AVRO continues to be the leading voice of the industry and operates throughout the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland through 14 regions and is the only representative body with a recognised set of standards.

What we do
AVRO specialises in providing direct support, training, advice and services to our members as well as offering key member benefits such as cost effective insurance.

Our members
AVRO members operate more than 5,000 recovery vehicles nationwide so represent the largest fleet cover of any recovery organisation. Each member is independently audited to ensure AVRO's minimum requirements are maintained. By using an AVRO member for your recovery requirements you know your fleet is in a safe pair of hands.

Read the latest AVRO Newsletters please click here:

TOWERGATE INSURANCE – working with AVRO

Recovery operator insurance for AVRO members

Towergate Specialist Motor

Insurance can play a vital part in keeping the wheels of your business turning. Having the right motor trade cover can make all the difference between a business thriving after a loss, or going to the wall.

Towergate’s Specialist Motor Division deals exclusively with businesses whose activities revolve around vehicles of almost every shape and size - including of course recovery trucks.

Wherever in the UK your business is based, no matter how many recovery vehicles you operate, Towergate Insurance can offer you the advice you need.

Why Choose Towergate - read more here - or call 0344 346 0917

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM HIGHWAYS ENGLAND REGARDING SMART MOTORWAYS:

Dear Vehicle Recovery Industry partner,

Earlier in September 2017, at the Tow Show, we were able to present our updated guidance for recovering vehicles from a smart motorway at our Highways England stand and in an address to representatives of your industry.

After receiving your feedback at the event I am now happy to share all the material with you through our new web-page which can be found here:

http://roads.highways.gov.uk/advice-for-recovery-operators-on-highways-englands-smart-motorway-network/

The film and material we have produced intended to guide you in safer recovery practices, is a direct result of our learning from over twenty years of operating controlled and smart motorways, together with collaborative work we have done together, such as a recent joint exercise at the Fire Service training college in Gloucestershire.

Perhaps the most important piece of this advice that we gave at the Tow Show and one which we emphasise in every encounter with you and your colleagues is the message that vehicle recovery operators are never expected to work in a live lane on the motorway.

We think it is vital to communicate as widely as possible with your colleagues to ensure that recovery from our network can be made as safe as possible. Highways England will support you by setting signs and signals to improve your safety and allocating traffic officers or calling on police resource if required to ensure that you should never have to attempt to recover a vehicle which has broken down or had an accident in a live lane.

Further the film and guidance outlines ways to maximise safety during recovery when a vehicle is in an Emergency or SOS Area adjacent to the motorway, particularly when re-entering the carriageway from an emergency area, by encouraging you to get in touch with our Regional Control Centre via the emergency phones in situ or by calling 0300 123 5000.

The guidance has been reviewed by leading industry representatives and we are confident that the advice it contains does not place any extra burden on yourselves as recovery professionals and instead provides you with better information to carry out your duties more safely on our network.

Once shared with your colleagues, I would welcome your feedback on both the film and printed guidance.

If you have any further requirements then I would advise you to get in touch either with myself of our Contact Centre on 0300 123 5000 or TOSprocedures@highwaysengland.co.uk

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Eade

Team Leader, Incident Management Requirements Team

Safety, Engineering and Standards,

Highways England

Web: http://www.highways.gov.uk

PRESS RELEASE NEW MEMBER BENEFIT

AVRO – APEX

AVRO in collaboration with APEX Networks are offering a new member benefit for anyone interested in their RMS recovery management software product. Any AVRO member that purchases an Apex RMS software licence will have the benefit of the system for an initial period of 3-months before having to pay the system licence fee.

How to claim the incentive:

To claim the incentive you, the member contact AVRO Head Office quoting “AVRO-APEX Incentive Scheme”. The enquiry will then be forwarded directly to Apex Networks who will follow it up without delay. *

Practical assistance and training will be provided to set up your new system. On site handholding to help with the transfer of data from your existing software system, or help with setting up a new company is also available.

* please note that the offer does not apply to orders already received directly by Apex

Make savings on your fuel bill - Avro are working in partnership with The Fuelcard People to offer their members competitive fuel card packages.
AVRO members Fuel Card Savings
To get up to 10p per litre savings on diesel and petrol, just go to https://www.discountfuelcards.co.uk/association/avro-members/

TOWERGATE INSURANCE PREFERRED INSURANCE PROVIDER FOR AVRO MEMBERS
please see more details here>>>

THE AVRO SCRAPHEAP CHALLENGE - 26^th JUNE - 1^st JULY 2017

It was a great challenge and much fun for a good cause!

This is a tale of 12 cars, 35 people, 9 countries, 3 support vehicles and 2,500km. The Scrap Heap Challenge 2017 has just finished and was yet again another tremendous success. The brain child of Eamon & Eilis Kelly of Kelly Towing (Region 15) in Ireland, organised a return visit to Budapest where our intrepid drivers would endeavour to bring a number of old Eastern European cars all the way to Hinckley in the UK arriving for the 40th Anniversary of AVRO. Like last year the event was held in aid of the AVRO Benevolent Fund and did not fail to provide all with the trip of a lifetime.
Many of the drivers were returning participants from last year. You would have thought having gone through the trials and tribulations of keeping cars in convoy with all the mechanical challenges they provided previously, people would think twice about signing up again. Not a chance, everyone new and old arrived enthusiastic for the challenge that lay ahead. Read the full report in our July newsletter here click >>>>

AVRO is the oldest trade association in the recovery sector, having been established since 1977, and provides a range of direct member services as well as lobbying on behalf of the industry. It has fourteen regions covering all of the UK and Ireland, and the AVRO Benevolent Fund assists members and their families in times of need.

Professional Recovery Tow Show

Show report to follow soon, thanks to all who attended and look out for latest announcement on the Truck Firms Cartel Fine http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36832521

New member profile—Stars Garage, Rohgh, Cardiff

Stars Garage is a family run business that has been established for a number of generations, with years of varying experiences and skills. All staff are fully trained and qualified in various fields of motor mechanics, engineering, computer diagnostics and vehicle logistics.
Our History
In 1970 Smiths Garage was born. Mr Smith opened a garage in Cardiff Central Bus Station in the Hertz Complex.
Not happy with the area, Mr Smith asked his mum if he could use her shop lock-up in Harriet Street, Cathays, Cardiff as a garage. He had to get planning permission to use the site for commercial use - it was granted.
The company grew and expanded into breakdown and recovery, whereby Mr Smith realised he needed a bigger property and thus he rented a garage complex off Newport Road, Cardiff. The two properties were run side by side which opened up opportunities to work for recovery operator companies such as the AA and RAC.
In the 1980’s a property in Fanny Street, Cardiff became available and was purchased with the intention of the site becoming an MOT station and bodyshop. Mr Smith gave up the Newport Road site for Fanny Street. In 1995 Mr Smith sold the Harriet Street garage, so as to develop the Fanny Street site. In 2000, Mr Smith sold up the Fanny Street garage and moved premises to a site in Tremorfa, Cardiff.
Over the last 10 years the business has grown and we have now moved to a more modern complex in Dominions Way Trading Estate, Cardiff CF24 1RF.
Our years of experience within this industry helps us take care of all vehicle needs.