Truck & Driver articles from September 2005

Truck & Driver archives from September 2005

TO THE POINT.(Rob Masters' triple truck theft )
September 1, 2005... The story of Rob Masters' triple truck theft (News, page 6) and the subsequent non-existent police response paints a sorry but frequently heard tale these days. The Chief Constable of North Wales is happy to put truckers in the firing line...

A ferry in time saves 9.(GLD Lines has introduced a new freight ferry route )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... GLD Lines has introduced a new freight ferry route between Toulon in France and Civitavecchia in Italy. This is claimed to save drivers up to nine hours, thereby maximising duty time and avoiding road congestion. The France-Italy crossing...

A14 'just a big car park'.(Safety measures to control road accidents)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The Freight Transport Association has slammed the A14 as the 'largest car park in East Anglia' and demanded that the busy dual-carriageway be upgraded to a motorway. The FTA has highlighted heavy congestion and poor safety on the road, which...

ALL ABOARD THE SUMMER SPECIAL!(Competitions of trucking industry)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Relax, forget the hassle of the hosepipe ban and stop counting the days until the kids go back to school. Settle down with the T&D 16-page bumper Summer Special and your mind-enhancer of choice. Inside, in our quizzes, you'll find some gentle...

Avon calling.
September 1, 2005... It might be a trifle tricky to find but Dick Flute reckons this clean, good-value and multifaceted truckstop off the new M49 is one of the best in the country AVON LODGE TRUCKSTOP Familiar with Avon Lodge? Then, you might well ask, why...

BASQUE BAN ; PERHAPS.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... In 1997, writes Paul Le Grys, the Basque regional government implemented a blanket ban on the circulation of goods vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes within the Basque region during bank holidays and Sundays. This was to avoid the...

BEAUTY.(Evaluation of automobiles)
September 1, 2005... BLACK Tall, dark and very exclusive - Dave Young (no, not him, silly) gets his hands on the Mercedes Actros 'Black Edition' Fancy a 'Blacktros' - sorry, Actros 'Black Edition' 1861? Chances are you're out of luck; a limited edition...

Bosses need more 'disability confidence'.(Disabled drivers break the law)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Pan-disability charity RADAR has urged transport firms to join the Employers' Forum on Disability to become more confident about taking on drivers with disabilities. The charity's chief executive, Kate Nash, told T&D: 'Given the massive...

Brummie v Big Boys.(Product Enhancement)
September 1, 2005... The fact that LDV's homespun Maxus panel van, built in Birmingham, has been a long time coming means it now faces stiff competition. Dave Young asks, was it worth the wait? Long awaited, after abortive joint development deals with Renault...

regardless?
September 1, 2005... CARRY ON The Working Time Directive doesn't impress URTU general secretary and former lorry driver Bob Monks. He tells Sally Nash why he thinks it's a waste of time Bob Monks, general secretary of the United Road Transport Union, is...

Crackdown on mobile phones.(Cases of mobile phone usage by Truck drivers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The North Western Traffic Commissioner is cracking down on lorry drivers who use mobile phones at the wheel after a case involving three drivers who were all seen using phones at the same time. North Western TC Beverley Bell wants all...

Cranleigh Freight chocofrolics.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The mid-morning team at BBC Southern Counties Radio had a tasty idea to celebrate the launch of the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film starring Johnny Depp. Much to the irritation of many drivers, clearly an association with Yorkie...

WEEKEND.(trade show management in the trucking industry)
September 1, 2005... DIRTY No, not that sort of weekend - at July's Truckfest South West, down at the Royal Bath and West Showground in Somerset, poor toilet and shower facilities inconvenienced the otherwise enthusiastic crowds Despite the attraction of...

DVLA seminars herald the introduction of smart-card tachos.
September 1, 2005... Vehicles equipped with digital tachographs are expected to roll off production lines very soon. As part of the DVLA's responsibility to issue the smart cards used with the recording device, the agency will host a nationwide series of free...

days out!(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... SAFARI PARKS & ZOOS Newquay Zoo Trenance Gardens, Newquay, Cornwall TR7 2TW Contact: 01637 873342, email info@newquayzoo.org.uk or go to www.newquayzoo.co.uk Open: Daily except Dec 25, 9.30am-6pm (last admission 5pm) Admission: Adult...

Fun of the fair and more at Carters.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Carters Steam Fair runs many classic British trucks and is to hold a Scammell Showtrac weekend, September 17/18 Carters Steam Fair - the only travelling fair in the world to have both steam-powered gallopers and yachts - is to hold a very...

Fury over police inaction.(Vehicle theft)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... A trend appears to be developing - the police are failing to follow up reported crime Wellingborough haulier Rob Masters has hit out at Northamptonshire Police's failure to follow up on the theft of three of his vehicles, forcing him to...

Going potty over Harry.(Lorry drivers were told not to stop or change route)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Lorry drivers in the US were told not to stop or change route when delivering the long-awaited Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to retailers, as part of a massive security operation. US publisher Scholastic went to massive lengths to...

Shrinker.
September 1, 2005... Hook, Line and A contender for the heavyweight hook championship, Morecambe Metals' seven-axle Scania bin-carrier is a real head-turner. So, aided and abetted by driver Tony Gould, Bob Tuck travelled to north Lancashire to witness the...

How did Wild run into the red so fast?(Wild Logistics LLP)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... More information has emerged following the collapse of Redditch-based Wild Logistics LLP, including the fact that the company owed more than half-a-million pounds when it went into liquidation (T&D August). T&D revealed the confusion and...

Kent parking problem could get worse.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The parking problems in Kent are set to get worse over the next four years with a doubling in the number of vehicles parked illegally and on unsuitable sites. That is the conclusion of transport consultants Faber Maunsell, who suggest that...

MATTERS.
September 1, 2005... LEGAL Welcome to our new 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 Every driver in our company has...

Local understanding.(Cambridgeshire County Council is planning to mail-drop householders with a new leaflet )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Cambridgeshire County Council is planning to mail-drop householders with a new leaflet called Lorries and your Community. The leaflet outlines the case for freight while giving local residents information about what happens when a request to...

TAKES STOCK.
September 1, 2005... MATLOCK Almost 60 years after its foundation, Matlock is a family firm now in its third generation and showing no signs of slowing down. Simon Everett visits the picturesque Peaks Recent years have seen many longstanding hauliers -...

Memories of gay Paris.
September 1, 2005... For retired driver Ray (known as Ron) Chapman, a T&D feature on the fresh-produce market of Rungis in Paris brought back many fond memories of La Belle France in the '60s and '70s Your feature on Rungis Market (Nov '04 T&D) brought back...

Moving targets.(Truck thieves are still successfully targeting drivers )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Detective sergeant Mark Hooper at the Metropolitan Police TruckPol unit says truck thieves are still successfully targeting drivers out on the road. 'They'll steal the temporary number plate from a parked artic trailer and then use it to try...

Parking at Heston? That'll be [pounds sterling]300 sir.
September 1, 2005... An owner-driver who was told there were no 'parking only' tickets or VAT receipts available at Heston Services woke up to find his truck had been clamped. The driver parked up overnight at the Moto-run site, west of London, and went in to...

Payback time.(Many transport cafes been closed)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... As I travel in northern England and Scotland in my Asda lorry, it has come to my notice that it seems to be payback time. In the late 1970s and '80s Little Chefs/Happy Eaters appeared pleased to take over all the transport cafes, at the same...

Phil Llewellin, 1940-2005.(Obituary)(Obituary)
September 1, 2005... T&D is sad to report the untimely death of motoring journalist and travel writer Philip Anthony Llewellin. For a generation of older truck drivers (including myself), Phil's name still evokes fond and happy memories of the famous...

Record BP profits 'obscene'.(British Petroleum workers cannot have a decent pension)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The Transport & General Workers Union has hit out at oil giant BP for making record profits while depriving drivers of an adequate pension. 'Our tanker drivers are being told by BP that they cannot have a decent pension but now we're told the...

Ruby Wax.(Commercial Vehicle & Road Transport Club Celebrating its 40th birthday this year)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Celebrating its 40th birthday this year, the Commercial Vehicle & Road Transport Club put on the biggest and best Classic Commercial Motor Show ever seen within the grounds of the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire. All ages admired...

Specific charging scheme ditched.(specific Lorry Road User Charging )
September 1, 2005... Trade associations were left reeling in July after the government abandoned its plans for a specific Lorry Road User Charging (LRUC) scheme. The surprise announcement instead argued the case for a national road pricing system for both cars...

Steering clear of pies.(Stena Line Freight changes menus for truckers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... A trucking diet revolution has been taking place at Stena Line Health-conscious truckers are steering clear of fatty foods and ditching pies for pasta in a bid to offload the pounds, claims Stena Line Freight sources. They say a diet...

Strikes threat in Scotland.(GMB union was holding a strike ballot)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... As T&D went to press, two separate lorry drivers' disputes were raging in Scotland over pay and conditions. The GMB union was holding a strike ballot after over 180 out of 200 drivers at a Bellshill, Lanarkshire distribution centre voted...

T&D's (second) GUIDE TO TRUCKING TERMS.
September 1, 2005... Artic: For the posh, lorry with 'trailer attached by semi-superimposition' - or, more simply and if you're normal, a truck that bends a third of the way down Bank: You're probably better off keeping the pittance you earn under the pillow...

SMART.
September 1, 2005... TIME to get Even though the final introduction of smart-card tachos has now been postponed for at least six months, there's no time like the present to understand how they work - and how to use them. Brian Weatherley reports First...

Take a break and be safe.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The Safer Roads for Cumbria Partnership recently organised a pampering day for lorry drivers, which included haircuts and head massages. The event, which aimed to persuade lorry drivers to take regular breaks, took place at Penrith Truckstop...

Tesco 'homeless' protest.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Drivers are questioning the policy at Tesco RDCs of forcing drivers out of their cabs Drivers have expressed disgust at Tesco's new policy of forcing drivers to hand in their keys and wait outside their vehicles while being unloaded at...

The white stuff.(transportation employee's benefits)(Hi Way Express)
September 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 Things are moving fast at Wakefield-based Hi...

Time to get serious about your back.(back injuries in the trucking industry)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... More than half the staff working in the road transport and freight sector do not take the risks of back injury seriously, despite the sector having one of the highest rates of injury around. That is the verdict of the Health & Safety...

Tony has the last laugh.(problems for disabled drivers)
September 1, 2005... Ten months passed before an employer took one-legged Tony Norwood's request for work seriously. Sally Nash looks at the hurdles involved for disabled drivers Tony Norwood has been looking for work for 10 long months but found that...

Unequal opportunities at Folkestone Docks.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Folkestone Docks is becoming more popular as a place to park owing to the lack of facilities in Kent - but management has adopted a 'women aren't welcome' attitude with no toilets and showers and no plans to develop any. Ashley Wright, who...

WHEELED OUT AGAIN.
September 1, 2005... With the continuing driver shortage in the UK, can the temptation of shorter hours, high earnings and top-spec trucks entice ex-drivers back to the roads? Mark Roberts gives it a try A lmost a decade has passed since I hung up the last of...

toast.(truck industry meeting)
September 1, 2005... Worth a A chance meeting in an Arizona truckstop got Craig Macho into an interesting conversation about US trucking - and an introduction to a regional delicacy Iwas introduced to an interesting delicacy peculiar to the western...

diary dates 2005.(Calendar)
September 1, 2005... Truckfest series, 2005: Truckfest Scotland, Royal Highland Showground, Edinburgh, August 6-7; Truckfest North West, Haydock Park, Merseyside, Sep 17-18. Contact Live Promotions, tel 01775 768661, visit www.truckfest.co.uk or email...

trucking good days out!
September 1, 2005... Have the swings down the rec lost their allure? Then it's time to stick your hand in your pocket and spend some hard cash. Below are examples of family days out that won't bust the budget and will appeal to children of all ages. Look out for...

'Respect our intelligence'.(opinion of truck drivers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... 'Why is there this automatic assumption that HGV drivers are brain dead?' asks Brian Lee of Allan Morris Transport. Writing for T&D's sister publication Commercial Motor, Lee says that both fitters and customers show little respect for lorry...