Commercial Motor articles

Recent articles from Commercial Motor

Beware new cameras.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Barry Proctor warns that speed cameras have evolved to pick off hapless HGV drivers. What's to be done? Our correspondent suggests a spot of direct action... I received a nasty shock last week. Two more speeding tickets floated through...

Beware of the; 'pseudo police'.(TruckWatch)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... A critic of anti-truck crime policies has warned against channelling resources into TruckWatch instead of the police. Chris Kelly, a member of the government-backed Joint Action Group on Lorry Theft (JAGOLT), says there are already far...

Better late ; than never.
July 29, 2004... At long last, VOSA has launched its operator self-service system. Emma Penny looks at how the [pounds sterling]1.5m project will work in reality. DON'T PANIC... What if... I've made a mistake? Don't worry. Just go back into...

ADR regs ramp up training costs for van operators.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Van drivers carrying hazardous cargo will need ADR training and certification by early 2007. "A lot will depend on the size of the load they're carrying," says Chris MacRae, the Freight Transport Association's dangerous goods training and...

Air regulator cuts cost of air.(Thorite Group)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Using air tools could lead to wastage over the long-term due to a difference in working pressure requirements. The Saveair In-Line Preset Regulator from the Thorite Group is designed to reduce the pressure feed to power tools to the optimum...

Backbone of the sector.
July 29, 2004... Introduced in 2001 to meet Euro-3, Daf's LF45 plays a pivotal role in the UK's 7.5-tonne scene. Geoff Ashcroft explains why. Daf's 7.5-tonne LF45 replaced the FA45 in 2001 to meet Euro-3. Designed and built in Leyland, some 20,000 LF45s...

Best of the rest.(truck stops)
July 29, 2004... Karl Rout has helped provide operators travelling through Suffolk with a much needed rest. Chris Tindall takes a break on the A14. Delays and port closures at Felixstowe have been bad news for the operators unfortunate enough to be caught...

Brief hiatus in fuel tax rises.
July 29, 2004... The fuel duty increase is on hold - until November, at least. Jennifer Ball and David Craig report. The Chancellor has postponed his controversial 1 September fuel duty increase following pressure from the trade associations and fuel...

Combo takes new heart.
July 29, 2004... The UK is the biggest Vauxhall Combo customer, so the launch of three new engines will be of major importance if the rise of its flagship CDV is to continue. Kevin Swallow finds out more. Much to Vauxhall's relief, the biggest...

Creditor signals debt defeat ; despite winning court case.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... A Whitefriar International creditor has finally given up its campaign to get the money it's owed. David Harris reports. One of the subcontractors owed money by Canterbury-based Whitefriar International has given up its battle for payment...

DIESEL RULES OK.
July 29, 2004... Bunkering can cut your fuel bill. But Steve Banner warns that you can't afford to overlook the latest fuel storage regulations. Cash-strapped small operators may be tempted to ignore tough new rules on the bulk storage of diesel that come...

Euro wars.
July 29, 2004... The debate is hotting up over which technology offers the best solution to the forthcoming Euro-4 limit. Andy Salter reviews the options... Two technologies promise to meet the Euro-4 emissions legislation that's set to hit the statute...

Dangerously overloaded truck furnished with a fine.(Ever Ready Services)(Vehicle and Operator Services Agency)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... A dangerously overloaded furniture vehicle has cost a Southall-based operator [pounds sterling]1,500 in fines and costs; its driver was fined [pounds sterling]100. When 1st Ever Ready Services appeared before the Hillingdon magistrates the...

Dealer loses its right to give credit.(Commercial World)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Bristol-based commercial vehicle dealer Commercial World has had its consumer credit licence revoked by the Office of Fair Trading. The OFT explains that a principal director of the dealer had a number of convictions recorded against him...

Driver survives brick attack on M57.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... A truck driver had a narrow escape when youths hurled a brick at his windscreen on the M57 in Merseyside. The incident happened at 7pm on 14 July. The missile caused a Nissan Micra to take avoiding action - it hit the central reservation....

EC allows green subsidies.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... THE EUROPEAN Commission will allow governments across the European Union to subsidise pollution reductions in older trucks that are not covered by new EU emission rules. Brussels has authorised the Danish government to meet up to 30% of...

Even super-charged wardens get cautious welcome from the trade.(Traffic Management Bill)(Road Haulage Association)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... The Traffic Management Bill, which became law last week (22 July), has received a qualified welcome from various road transport organisations. The new act gives local authorities and the Highways Agency greater ability to tackle traffic...

FUELLING PROFITS.(Denholm Industrial Services)
July 29, 2004... Emma Penny reports on a firm that's tackled fuel economy head-on and saved [pounds sterling]100,000 in two years. The figures are astounding: a saving of [pounds sterling]100,000 since 2002, fewer vehicles on the road, fuel consumption...

Faulty brakes cause accident; but company takes it in hand.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... A Cumbrian operator has escaped a warning for defective brakes on a trailer involved in an accident after an inquiry accepted it did everything it could to put matters right. Sam Ostle & Sons appeared before North Western Traffic Commissioner...

For whom the road tolls?(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Only 25% of West Midlands operators use the M6 Toll Road, according to a survey of 200 local firms by Scania dealer, Keltruck. Keltruck chairman Chris Kelly says it is clear from this that the [pounds sterling]10 charge for trucks is too...

JULY 2004.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Operators say they would use the M6 Toll if it was cheaper - and now it is. But is it cheap enough? Toll prices The survey reveals that 43% of truck operators would use the M6 Toll road if the price was halved to [pounds sterling]5;...

IT'S TIME FOR TEE.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Take a stroll with us through the little sideroads of haulage, the diversions and detours, the quirky, the quixotic and the downright strange... Golf, as Mark Twain once said, is a good walk ruined. Except last week the peculiar Scottish...

Know how much you're losing.(vehicle depreciation)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... There are three ways to work out your vehicle depreciation costs. Let's assume your truck has a five-year service life. For the straight-line method simply take the purchase price (less initial tyre equipment) and divide by five. For the...

Limited protection.(benefits of being a limited company)
July 29, 2004... Becoming a limited company can help protect your O-licence - Tim Ridyard of solicitors Barker Gotelee explains. One of the best arguments for moving from sole trader or partnership status to incorporation is that a limited company...

Log on to sort out O-licence amendments.(The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... VOSA has launched its operator self-service scheme, which is designed to ease the paperwork burden for transport companies. Last week's launch of the [pounds sterling]1.5m system followed a protracted development phase which took far longer...

Lots of demand.(British Car Auction Group PLC)
July 29, 2004... Duncan Ward, British Car Auctions' UK development manager for CVs, reviews the auction scene, where business is booming. Past the half-year point and volume business remains steady and conversions are good. Buyer attendance has been...

Lynx ambitious after pallet deal.(Pallet Network)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Lynx Express has become the latest company to join pallet network Pallet-Track, which started operating in January following a protracted setting-up period and now has 55 members. According to Lynx chief executive David Burtenshaw, the...

Nut tightener.(The Wheelsure locking device)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Factors such as road vibration and overheated wheels can cause wheel nuts to become loose, potentially leading to wheel loss. The Wheelsure locking device is designed to counteract this by tightening in the opposite direction if this...

Operators say money they're owed doesn't grow on Trees.(Tree Freight)(Operators)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Jeff Lewis is out of prison and back in business as freight forwarder Tree Freight. But angry operators say he owes them money. Guy Sheppard reports. A former conman who was jailed for cheating operators out of hundreds of thousands of...

PIECE WORK.(Jigsaw Solutions)(Company Profile)
July 29, 2004... Jigsaw Solutions consists of eight operators and a single no-frills "provider". Tim Maughan sees how the firm fits together. Jigsaw Solutions launched into the logistics marketplace 20 months ago, welding together the regional strengths...

POWER AT A PRICE.
July 29, 2004... This week's roadtest subject is definitely a niche product. Not only is the Sprinter 316 one of the fastest vans on the road, it is also unique in the gearbox department. In van terms, the transmission in this Sprinter is a rarity these...

Portable plasma cutter looks user-friendly.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... ESAB portable plasma cutter should be ideal for smaller workshops. The ESAB CaddyCut offers small workshops a portable, easy-to-use plasma cutter. The plasma arc is driven by compressed air; it can cut mild steel or aluminium up to 12mm...

Ports clamping down with high-tech cards.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Futuristic ID is on the cards for port-bound drivers in the aftermath of '9/11'. Guy Sheppard reports. UK ports could soon be issuing truck drivers with the most sophisticated identity cards currently available even though it would cost...

Reading the road ahead.
July 29, 2004... So just what is the future of transport according to Alistair Darling? CM's news team has been trying to find out. Alistair Darling claims the government's white paper, The Future of Transport, "will do much to address the backlog of...

Six grand for dumping 110 litres of oil.(Environment Agency)(Bruce Bishop & Sons )(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Slough-based Bruce Bishop & Sons has been ordered to pay [pounds sterling]6,312 in fines and costs for illegally dumping waste oil. Swindon magistrates heard that on 7 February 2003 Donald Woodbridge collected a skip filled with waste metal...

Smooth delivery.(Column)
July 29, 2004... Jason Hamer is feeling smug... until he realises quite what he's let himself in for. I have always thought that my office runs fairly smoothly and that, if I was not on site, everything would still tick over like a well-oiled machine....

Software, hard data.(Winology Software's Revalu package)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... A software company is working out revaluation figures for those who control the purse strings. Winology Software's Revalu package is designed to provide accurate revaluation prices for vans and trucks using information supplied by CAP...

TC told pass rate plummeted.(Traffic Commissioner penalizes M&J Transport)
July 29, 2004... A poor failure rate means an operator's licence is trimmed even though the dealership admits responsibility. A Scania dealership has accepted blame for a two-thirds reduction in the initial test pass rate of one of its customers. As a...

Tata's Korea move.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Tata Motors' latest product, the Novus heavy range truck, is entering production in Korea. For a company that few in Europe had heard of a decade ago, the Indian company is rapidly becoming a significant global force. Its presence was...

The best of the bargains.(Hartshorne Motor Group)(Renault Trucks )(MAN Diesel)(Volvo)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... CM checks out the best special deals on the dealership forecourts. We've been trawling the classified ads and making a few enquiries to find out what's currently available under the 'Special Offer' banner. Renault Trucks Choice has a...

Time runs out for foreign offenders.(U.K. Department for Transport)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Transport minister David Jamieson says legislation allowing police to take action against foreign operators breaking rules in the UK will be laid before parliament in the autumn. Speaking exclusively to CM last week, Jamieson confirmed that...

Traveller's truck must pass its test.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... A traveller whose vehicle was involved in a fatal accident has had his licence suspended until the unit passes its annual test first time. However, a Leeds disciplinary inquiry before North Eastern Traffic Commissioner Tom Macartney heard...

VOSA appoints a new boss.(Vehicle and Operator Services Agency)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency has appointed a new chief executive to replace Maurice Newey, who is retiring. The name of VOSA's new boss will be released within a fortnight. Progress is also being made on filling the vacant...

What's in a name?(company name)
July 29, 2004... Financial standing, good repute and professional competence are the holy trinity of operator licensing. In the first of a series on O-licence health, Patric Cunnane examines the meaning of repute. The Freight Transport Association...

gordon, are ; you serious?(Lorry Road User Charging Project.)(Vehicle and Operators Services Agency.)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... We always knew it was a sham, but the announcement regarding road charging in the government's transport plan just confirmed it. Remember all that nonsense Gordon Brown spouted about creating a level playing field within Europe when the Lorry...

'About face, about time'.(M6 Toll)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Midland Expressway's (MEL) decision to slash the charge for trucks using the M6 Toll to [pounds sterling]6 has been welcomed by operators and trade associations. The cut follows criticism that the toll operator had priced trucks off the...

'Amoral' DSA wants Friday dearer.(Driving Standards Agency)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... The Driving Standards Agency has been accused of being "amoral" and "unethical" after a consultative document included plans to increase the fees for HGV tests taken on a Friday from [pounds sterling]76 to [pounds sterling]98. "They are...

'Tell us in advance'.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2004... Richard Turner, chief executive of the Freight Transport Association, has written to the government blasting the lack of warning given to the supply chain after it issued a booklet advising the public how to prepare for a terrorist attack....