Truck & Driver articles from December 2005

Truck & Driver archives from December 2005

TO THE POINT.(Editorial)
December 1, 2005... One of my first tasks when staggering, bleary-eyed, T&D tea mug in hand, into our decidedly unluxurious office each morning is to deal with the post. Specifically press releases, the preparation of which occupies a vast national army of...

Accidentally overpaid at 3663.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Chilled distribution firm 3663 has admitted that it has accidentally been overpaying drivers for months. Since February, 3663 has been paying drivers for working 51 hours a week even if they have been working fewer. The company has...

Asda sparks GMB anger.
December 1, 2005... Asda, another big supermarket chain, has quashed suggestions that it is considering derecognising the GMB union at its Lutterworth regional distribution centre. The row was sparked following the leaking of an internal memo which suggests...

Bad time in Belgium.
December 1, 2005... Beware - a route new to Dick Flute through our European neighbour turned out to be plagued by roadworks and heavy traffic Ihave been driving across our close neighbour, Belgium, for more years than I care to remember but this time took a...

Borderline bounty.
December 1, 2005... Food in Spain plain? Think again; just across the French frontier at La Jonquera, Dick Flute finds an excellent truckstop featuring plenty of facilities and a superb, well-priced Spanish menu SOL MEDRANO We can think of no reasonable...

Break the ICE in an emergency.('In Case of Emergency')
December 1, 2005... If the worst happened and you were seriously injured in a road accident you'd want your loved ones to be notified as soon as possible. Now there's a simple but effective way for police or paramedics to contact your next of kin or a designated...

TEUTONS CLASH OF THE.
December 1, 2005... Two German arch-rivals of the 7.5-tonne market - MAN and Mercedes-Benz - are pitted against each other to see which one is the king of the distribution cabs There's no question that Mercedes-Benz has always built a solid 7.5-tonner....

Can you help Glossop driver Geoff?(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Friends of Glossop driver Geoff Fennell who survived Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in his truck but was left brain-damaged by a motorbike accident are battling to get him home. As he was delivering a load in Louisiana the hurricane...

Careless Torque Costs Lives Part II.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Department for Transport has asked the Transport Research Laboratory to carry out a new investigation into the current rate of HGV wheel loss in the UK. The government's last study into wheel loss - Careless Torque Costs Lives - was...

Chaos forecast on one-lane M42.
December 1, 2005... A plan to ban HGVs from the outside lane of the M42 hits flak from the FTA & RHA The Freight Transport Association has hit out at plans to ban HGVs from the outside lane on three miles of the M42 in Warwickshire. 'Corralling lorries...

Day of action over long-hours culture.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Professional drivers were out in force at the port of Dover in October to highlight their campaign to end the long-hours culture and to improve working conditions. Part of an international day of action by transport workers, the...

Doing the drugs.
December 1, 2005... Each month our Fleet Focus insider guide sets out to discover what transport firms are really like to work for by asking bosses and (confidentially) the drivers about pay, terms and conditions Now here's a different Fleet Focus to the...

Dyson cleans up at TNT DoY day.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Truck driver Paul Dyson has been awarded the prestigious title of TNT Logistics Driver of the Year after a day-long competition against 40 other finalists. TNT Logistics employs more than 2600 drivers in the UK. Along with the title,...

EXECUTIVE-STYLE STRALIS.
December 1, 2005... To our editor's eyes at least, the latest (upmarket) model in the Iveco Stralis heavy-truck range really looks the business. Dave Young assesses the bells-and-whistles ES Doesn't it scrub up well? I know beauty is in the eye of the...

Extra care at roadworks.
December 1, 2005... Truck drivers approaching roadworks are being urged to slow down and take extra care, as the latest figures from the Highways Agency show a sharp increase in roadworker deaths in the first half of 2005. The number of construction workers...

attraction Fatal.
December 1, 2005... Potteries haulier Derrick Rhead has a fondness for the doomed Foden brand - and he persists with Paccar thanks to a liking for Daf. Dave Young acquaints himself with the 11-wagon fleet Despite the best efforts of bungling...

Guerrillas in the mist.
December 1, 2005... Caught between Maoist guerrillas and government repression, Nepal's lorry drivers work extremely hard behind the wheels of ramshackle Tatas amid stunning landscapes. Claude Barutel visits the Hindu kingdom at the foothills of the Himalayas...

ANGELS HILL'S.
December 1, 2005... 'Picture it: a long 6% gradient in the Ardennes, a new Scania V8 with (be still my beating heart) 620hp... and I'm changing up from 10th to 11th in a 12-speed 'box!' Dave Young tests Scania's new drivelines That experience...

Job security is a gas, man.
December 1, 2005... Job security is the most important factor (apart from money!) for a driver seeking work, according to recruitment firm Manpower Driving. Manpower carried out some research into what drivers demand from employers to help the company ensure...

Kaiser Drill.
December 1, 2005... Boring is the business of Geoff Blair, who taps into the American lifestyle with a 1952 6x6 Kaiser Jeep mobile water-drilling rig. David Bowers reports At weekends you often come across slow-moving convoys of old military vehicles....

MATTERS LEGAL.
December 1, 2005... Welcome to T&D's legal advice page, sponsored and written by transport and employment law experts Ford & Warren. Each month David Chant will address reader queries and the law as it affects you I regularly carry high-value goods and have...

BY GOSH OSHKOSH.
December 1, 2005... One-time Royal Mail driver Dan Adams could start the week delivering to the supermarket then, a week later, find himself in Iraq in full military kit running at 108 tonnes hauling main battle tanks. Craig Macho meets a man looking for...

On the spot.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... I do lorry spotting and I am hoping you can help with advice. Do you know of any other periodicals that are aimed at the haulage industry? Where can I obtain them from? Could you send me a list of haulage companies from either Britain or...

On yer bike for Africa.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Charity Transaid is looking for a group of fit and adventurous individuals from the road-transport industry to use pedal power to help raise more than [pounds sterling]30,000 for the people of Malawi and other African countries. Team...

PDA to go on the road in 2006.
December 1, 2005... A series of PDA Road Shows is to run over spring and summer 2006. The Professional Drivers Association's primary aim is to promote a professional attitude among truckers and to encourage new drivers to the industry. Road safety will be...

Pocket a DfT guide to safe driving.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Department for Transport has published a free Safe Driving Tips guide for van and truck drivers in a bid to reduce the number of road accidents and congestion. The guide includes information on drivers' hours, fatigue, safety checks...

Pole support.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Training firm Studyxpress, which specialises in construction and LGV training, is the latest firm to offer Polish drivers a training package and to help in finding jobs and accommodation. Studyxpress has now set up a dedicated company...

Roadtrain training needed.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The road-transport industry needs to recognise that driving large roadtrains needs special skills and a higher level of training than normal. That is the opinion of Robert Roweth, county HGV route manager for Huntingdon, who points out...

Runaway Stralis embarrasses Iveco.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A French lorry driver thought he was going to die when his truck travelled for 140 miles on the motorways in northern France with his speed locked at 60mph. According to the Daily Telegraph, the driver spent two hours trying to regain...

SHORTS.(truckstops in England)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Highways Agency, with transport consultant Faber Maunsell, is developing a national guide to truckstops in England. Released in early 2006, the guide will be available to drivers and transport operators free of charge at truckstops, on...

Scania 'back pain' trial date is set.
December 1, 2005... A trial date has finally been set for the Scania group litigation order relating to back and other injuries allegedly brought about as a result of driving right-hand drive P-cab 4-series vehicles. The trial begins on November 7 at the...

Singing.(truck industry)
December 1, 2005... The Alpha was an oasis of freshness in a desert of mediocrity. The early morning rush-hour traffic past the Newcastle Metro Centre was as sluggish and as boring as you'd imagine, with yours truly in auto mode worrying about missing a holiday...

Surf your way to an efficient operation.
December 1, 2005... Information available on the new-look Freight Best Practice website could help save you money and increase your profits The Freight Best Practice programme, sponsored by the Department for Transport, has been relaunched with a new-look...

TOP TOUGH AT THE.
December 1, 2005... Due to their style and power, Scania V8s have always been a drivers' favourite. Kevin Swallow checks out a 500hp R-series Highline cab tractor unit to see if it maintains the traditional appeal Love them or hate them, Scanias provoke...

Tall tale.
December 1, 2005... 'Here's some nonsense from my youth,' writes Norman Tarling, recalling the crane novice's rush job with a suitably equipped Thornycroft Amazon at Heathrow Turning up for work behind the bar, I was naturally dressed a bit decent; the...

Tesco listens to driver complaints.
December 1, 2005... Progress is made on issue of 'locking out' drivers at Tesco RDCs in a meeting with Barrie Tozer of Truckersworld Tesco has agreed to ask all regional distribution centre managers to open their canteen facilities to drivers and to review...

The Shipping News.
December 1, 2005... The Working Time Directive and rising fuel prices have encouraged Continental hauliers to concentrate on more sea miles, so how have the ferry operators responded to the demand? With the introduction of the Working Time Directive, plus...

Thirty Grand Voyager.
December 1, 2005... Looking for the ultimate MPV to transport your howling horde? Chrysler's diesel Grand Voyager doesn't come cheap but, as Brian Weatherley discovers, that gets you a helluva people-mover There comes a time in every man's life when he turns...

Will you pass the test?
December 1, 2005... From September 2009 truckers will require a special Driver Certificate of Professional Competence to continue their chosen career. T&D outlines the basics Before the detail, first the good news: if you are already a truck driver with an...

premium par excellence.
December 1, 2005... Renault's revamp of its Premium might look all too familiar but a French mediocrity has now been transformed into a truck capable of rivalling anything in its class, reports a more-than-contented Craig Sheer D on't know about you but one...