Professional Recovery Magazine – Issue 388 – 22 December 2023

Summary

AVRO and PROF joined forces on 5 December 2023 at the Leonardo Hinckley Island Hotel to deliver the recovery industry's first dedicated EV seminar — the headline event in Professional Recovery Magazine Issue 388 (22 December 2023), a trade monthly serving vehicle-recovery and roadside-assistance operators across the UK.

The EV Seminar filled the room with operators wrestling with the practical questions of EV recovery and storage: battery fires, weight limits, and driver training. Derek Firminger's editorial covers the day's key takeaways. Beyond the summit, the issue delivers heavy-recovery vehicle profiles including a J&J slidebed delivered to Bakers Recovery (page 20) and an Apex Networks feature on recovery and beyond (page 22). The "Heavy Recovery" department (page 30) profiles operational rigs in service.

The Roger Dyson Group advertisement runs as a product catalogue in itself — multiple Dyson Hydraloader and Tevor units listed with exact stock references. KS International advertises 30,000+ truck parts in stock for Isuzu and Mitsubishi. The TIP.LIFT contact details appear for operators looking to expand their equipment range.

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Content Guide

▸ Event / Seminar

p.10 · AVRO and PROF EV Seminar
The first dedicated EV-recovery industry event, held at the Leonardo Hinckley Island Hotel on 5 December 2023. Derek Firminger's editorial covers the questions that dominated the room: battery-fire suppression, weight distribution on slidebeds, and the training gap between combustion and EV call-outs. If you run a recovery operation, the seminar's consensus on minimum equipment spec for EV call-outs is the most actionable takeaway — compare your current fleet against the list.

▸ Equipment / Vehicle Profiles

p.20 · J&J Slidebed for Bakers Recovery
A new J&J slidebed fitted to a Bakers Recovery vehicle. The photos show the mounting configuration and the control layout. If you are spec'ing a slidebed, study the approach-angle clearance shown in the installation shots — it determines which yard entrances the rig can negotiate.

p.22 · Apex Networks — Recovery and Beyond
Apex Networks positions itself as more than a dispatch service. The feature covers their technology platform and how it connects operators to work they might otherwise miss. If you are evaluating network membership, compare Apex's response-time metrics against your current dispatcher's average before you renew any contract.

p.30 · Heavy Recovery
The regular heavy-recovery department profiles operational units currently working UK roads. Each vehicle entry includes the carrier type, crane capacity, and the operator's service area. Use the spec tables here as a benchmark when you compare quotes for your next heavy-recovery addition.

▸ Industry / Suppliers

p.· Roger Dyson Group — Vehicle List
The Dyson ad doubles as a market-intelligence page: prices and stock-reference numbers for Mercedes Sprinters, MAN TGLs, DAF LFs, Volvo FHs, and Tevor-equipped units. The TEVOR distributor announcement confirms Dyson as the sole UK distributor. If you are selling a used recovery unit, the stock levels shown here signal which specifications are oversupplied and which are scarce.

p.· KS International — Truck Parts
The "largest independent stockist of genuine and aftermarket truck parts for Isuzu and Mitsubishi" holds more than 30,000 parts in stock at their Ruislip facility. Contact details and part-number lookup process are provided. Before you order a replacement component from Japan, check their stock first — the shipping time from Middlesex beats any overseas supplier.

▸ Regulars

p.· TIP.LIFT Equipment
Contact and product-range information for TIP.LIFT's recovery equipment line. The range covers slidebeds, cranes, and towing accessories. If you are expanding your equipment inventory, request pricing on their newest hitch system before you commit to a competitor's lead time.

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Editor's Take

The EV Seminar is the right topic at the right time, and the issue positions itself as the industry's go-to for that conversation. The problem: editorial coverage outside the seminar piece is thin — most of the "articles" are essentially advertorials or equipment listings with minimal reported content. The Roger Dyson vehicle list is useful as a market snapshot but it sits inside an advertisement. Best for UK recovery operators who need to know what the competition is buying and where the EV conversation stands; irrelevant for anyone outside the roadside-assistance trade.

Strengths
• EV Seminar coverage with specific operational questions: battery fires, weight limits, training gaps
• J&J slidebed and Apex Networks operational profiles with real fleet photos
• Roger Dyson stock list as a used-equipment market barometer

Weaknesses
• Most feature pages are advertorial rather than reported editorial
• No reader Q&A or operator-contributed content in the heavy-recovery section

Verdict: Selective read — EV Seminar coverage is valuable for UK operators; everything else is trade advertising with editorial framing.