Commercial Motor articles from August 2005

Commercial Motor archives from August 2005

EVENTS.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
August 18, 2005... RHA courses Digital tachograph 22 August Bristol Drivers' hours 23 August York Health & Safety 23 August Cardiff 25 August Norwich Fire awareness 24 August Cambridge Working Time Directive 24 August Cardiff Contact: 01733 261131 Fleet...

...as fuel protesters are warned off refineries.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Police have asked hauliers protesting at rising fuel prices not to blockade oil refineries while national security remains such a high priority. Andrew Spence, of The Fuel Lobby, says that in meetings with senior police officers he has been...

ARRIVING AT A CANTER.(Mitsubishi Fuso Canter)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 18, 2005... The Mitsubishi Fuso Canter is a big global seller - the latest generation aims to end its minority status in the UK. Colin Barnett has been at the wheel. It may not be obvious to those of us in this neck of the woods, but the latest...

Agri merchant saves licence by getting its act together.(David Cox licence management)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... An agricultural merchant narrowly avoided revocation by demonstrating it had taken several steps to correct systems failures that led to a five-year initial failure at annual test of nearly 80%. However, two of the firm's vehicles which had...

Ansa strike called off pending talks.(Ansa Logistics)(Transport & General Workers' Union pay strikes)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... strike ACTION at Ansa Logistics has been suspended for four days pending talks with the Transport & General Workers' Union. About 75% of the 370 workers were expected to walk out again last Monday (CM 15 August) following a fortnight of action,...

As diesel disappears...(diesel fuels demand management by oil refineries)
August 18, 2005... The outlook for diesel supplies in Europe is pretty dire, says a new study. Dominic Perry reports. Europe could become seriously short of diesel within 10 years unless large-scale investments are made to boost refinery capacity, a new...

Cyclists injured by hit-and-run truck.(traffic accidents)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Police are hunting a hit-and-run truck driver who collided with two cyclists in Sussex, leaving them seriously injured. The incident happened at 4.10am on 13 August on the northbound carriageway of the A23, just north of the B2117 slip road to...

DHL faces strike ballot.(General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union pay strikes)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... The GMB union warns that there will be no let-up in plans to ballot more than 4,000 DHL workers, including drivers, on strike action, despite continuing talks with the company (CM 11 August). Mick Rix, GMB national executive officer, says:...

DaimlerChrysler picketed.(Transport and General Workers Union stirke for pay)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Pickets at DaimlerChrysler's European logistics centre at Milton Keynes were attempting to disrupt deliveries of components from Germany in a dispute over pay as CM went to press. More than 200 warehouse and distribution workers took strike...

Does anyone have a Plan B?(Lorry Road User Charge)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... With the collapse of the Lorry Road User Charge Brian Weatherley detects more than a faint whiff of grapeshot in the air. Like lambs to the slaughter the industry's two trade associations followed the government through the front door of...

Driver loses jail appeal.(cocaine smuggling cases prison sentence for Vincent Holyoake )(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... A truck driver who was caught as he tried to smuggle [pounds sterling]1.2m worth of cocaine into the UK has lost an appeal against his 17-year prison sentence. Vincent Holyoake of St Leonards, East Sussex was jailed by Canterbury Crown Court...

EC demands 2005 digitach deadline.(digital tachographs to trucks )
August 18, 2005... An EC move to impose a year-end deadline on digital tachographs has caused consternation. Alan Osborn and Keith Nuthall report. THE EUROPEAN Commission has sparked chaos and confusion in the road haulage industry by attempting to impose a...

FTA slams rail union survey on 60-tonners.(Freight Transport Association )(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... A poll commissioned by the train drivers' union ASLEF reveals more than two-thirds of the public opposes trucks over 25m long running on UK roads. However, the question put to 1,000 people by pollsters NOP has been criticised by the Freight...

FTA welcomes Belgian price cut.(Freight Transport Association)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... The Freight Transport Association has applauded the Belgian government's move to cut excise duty on diesel, saying it is a "common-sense decision". A recent study of 10 countries revealed that Belgium has the most expensive diesel prices in...

False charts land Bulgarian driver with [pounds sterling]340 fine.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... A Bulgarian truck driver, caught falsifying a tachograph record while working for Irish operator McIlvanna International Transport, of Moy, Co Tyrone, was ordered to pay [pounds sterling]340 in fines and costs when he appeared before the...

Fears unfounded.(Working Time Regulations for road transportation industry)
August 18, 2005... The CM operators' panel breathes a sigh of relief over the Working Time Regulations. Its members tell Pat Hagan how they have negotiated the obstacles so far. Working Time Regulations The verdict After all the anticipation and worry,...

Leaving the shop floor.(Lawrence Christensen to step down at J Sainsbury PLC)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Lawrence Christensen is to step down as Sainsbury's supply chain director after 16 months at the troubled supermarket company. The former Safeway director was brought in last year in a bid to sort out the supermarket chain's stock availability...

Licence checks go electronic.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Operators are now able to check would-be drivers' licence records electronically. Sally Nash reports. The first electronic licence checking system is now available in the UK - it's designed to allow operators to check prospective drivers'...

Man dies after arson attack.(RC Tuxford Exports )(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... An employee of a Nottinghamshire used truck dealer has died in an arson attack. Andrew Hodgkinson was burned while attempting to put out the fire at RC Tuxford Exports in Hollinwood Lane, Calverton; he died in hospital. The blaze was started...

Missile near miss on A322.(cases of prison sentence for truck accidents)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... A truck driver had a lucky escape after a missile was thrown through his windscreen - just a few miles from where another driver was killed in a similar attack. The incident happened at 2.15pm on 25 July as the truck passed under a flyover on...

No claim on Pall-Ex.(Stoford Transport )(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Six drivers from collapsed haulier Stoford Transport have failed to win redundancy and back pay from the company that took over much of its business. An Employment Tribunal heard the drivers were laid off in November even though Stoford's...

Nostalgia isn't all it used to be.(trucking industry loyalty and commitment)
August 18, 2005... Sandy Bruce looks back on his year as a CM contributor and wonders about customer loyalty. You may be delighted to know that this will be my last entry to Logistically Speaking, but I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing my...

Owner-driver without O-licence fails to get truck returned.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... An owner-driver who claimed he was using his vehicle without licence authority to obtain sufficient money to apply for an O-licence has lost his bid to have it returned after it was impounded by VOSA. In seeking its return, Damien McNiffe, of...

P&O demands Calais pay-out.(compensation claims)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... P&O is running in the red - but the ferry company is demanding [pounds sterling]10m compensation for the Calais berthing crisis. Sally Nash reports. P&O is demanding [pounds sterling]10m from the Calais Chamber of Commerce as compensation...

Pair fined for dumping.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... A Brackley operator and one of his subcontractors have been fined more than [pounds sterling]5,000 for dumping 50 truckloads of waste on a railway line in Northamptonshire. Richard Haynes pleaded guilty to dumping 20 loads of waste and allowing...

Putting the big boys through their paces.(evaluation of TG410A LX, TG460A XXL and TG510A XXL)
August 18, 2005... In 2003 we tested three options for running at 44 tonnes to see which would be the most effective. The choice for horsepower is threefold: sub-420, 440-plus and over-the-top 500hp. How do those figures stand up today? With the move to 44...

Remploy offers to fill gap.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Remploy says its disabled clients could play a significant role in helping operators overcome the skills shortage. Sally Nash reports. Remploy, the UK's largest provider of jobs for disabled people, is stepping up its drive to work with...

SILENT BUT DEadly.(maintaining automobile service stations)
August 18, 2005... Thankfully, the days of having to repair vehicles inside an old, cold fume-filled garage have long gone. Regulations demand proper ventilation, and there is a host of extraction equipment available, so there's no excuse for poor air quality on...

STORM IN ; A TEACUP.(an evaluation of Working Time Directive)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... So what was all that about? The Working Time Directive (WTD) has now been with us for 17 weeks, which takes it past the first reference period. This legislation had been billed as possibly the most devastating new law ever to hit the business,...

Second fall for M6 toll traffic.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Traffic using the M6 toll may have peaked - year-on-year figures are down for the second month running. Guy Sheppard reports. The M6 Toll has suffered its second consecutive drop in monthly traffic following a price increase in June....

Shift to overseas buyers.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Foreign dealers have taken control of the export trade out of the UK, says Glass's chief commercial vehicle editor George Alexander. Export business is continuing to set much of the agenda in the used market, although the people who are...

Steel yourself for danger...(truck driver's safety)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... THE PICTURE (CM 4 August) showing a one-tonne girder penetrating a truck cab window reminds me that such events are not new, but did it come as a shock to the driver concerned? The picture shows the load secured by a chain and tightners. Many...

Take part in the survey and put your case to the public.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... I APPLAUD Robert Durward for his letter (CM 4 August). The major trade associations may not agree with his sentiments, but I do agree with Robert's thinking. I have also read the Yardstick article "Don't let them run free" and found it very...

Tankers in the front line...(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Tanker operators have been advised to increase their security amid warnings of further UK terror attacks. Jennifer Ball reports. Tanker operators are being urged to step up security amid fears that al-Qaeda is plotting to use a fuel tanker...

That was the year...
August 18, 2005... CM was launched in 1905; for our centenary year we're bringing you stories from years gone by. This week we're back in 1936 and 1986. 1936 Going for gold Sport was big in 1936, centred on the controversial Berlin Olympics. British rower...

The Burns that binds.(carpet industry)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Take a stroll with us through the little sideroads of haulage, the diversions and detours, the quirky, the quixotic and the downright strange Like On the Margin's face after a heavy night on the gin and a piece of living room carpet, those...

Tread boldly at ATS.(ATS Euromaster)(customer service)
August 18, 2005... You don't get to be the UK's leading tyre distributor without majoring on customer service. Andy Salter talks to ATS Euromaster MD Nick Gregg. Customer service is, in principle, a simple concept. I, as the customer, pay you, as the...

Trouble on a plate.(Vehicle and Operator Services Agency)
August 18, 2005... An apparent U-turn by VOSA over the rules governing trade plates has the motor industry up in arms - now one dealer is prepared to challenge VOSA's position in court. Chris Tindall reports. A truck dealer is ready to see the Vehicle and...

Truck theft gang is jailed.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... A gang of truck thieves who stole more than [pounds sterling]500,000 worth of vehicles have been jailed following a year-long investigation by Surrey Police. Leonard Coates from Streatham, South London was jailed for two years and Gary Green of...

Univar is first with AdBlue pumps.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Dutch chemical firm Univar has become the first company to install retail AdBlue pumps at several UK filling stations. AdBlue, a type of urea, is needed to run Euro-4 and 5 trucks with Selective Catalytic Reduction. Dureal, a division of...

WEEE could boost operators' profits.(waste electrical and electronic equipment )(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Operators stand to gain more work when new rules over the collection and recycling of scrap electronic and electrical equipment are finally introduced in June next year. That's the opinion of a leading waste management company which predicts...

Warning after truck hijacking.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Police have warned drivers to be on the look-out for a grey Fiat Punto (reg W358 OEN) believed to have been used in a truck hijacking last week in Shropshire (CM 11 August). The attackers kidnapped the Italian driver at gunpoint before...

Waste not, want not.(Hazardous waste management regulations)
August 18, 2005... From last month all operators producing hazardous waste on site must register with the Environment Agency. Christine Lancaster and Douglas Taylor report. New regulations require any premises where hazardous waste is produced,...

Daily flier.
August 18, 2005... Iveco's big weight van now has power to match. Colin Barnett heads west to see if there really is a welcome for it in the hillsides. Once upon a time, Iveco's Zeta van provided a genuine competitor to the Mercedes Vario in the 7.5-tonne...

We provide a vital service.(Letter to the Editor)
August 18, 2005... THE GOVERNMENT has promised to look after the interests of the haulage industry ever since the fuel protests of 2000. But now, five years later, we find that it has been lying to us. OK, so perhaps this isn't the surprise that it might have...

Workmen crushed by tools.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... Inquest shows workmen were killed by equipment and tools flying forward following a van collision. Colin Barnett reports. An inquest has revealed that two workmen were crushed to death in a Volkswagen Transporter van which braked hard,...

Yearsley launches its golden jubilee livery.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... The Yearsley Group is phasing in a "contemporary" new livery over the next 12 months to coincide with its 50th anniversary. And to celebrate a half-century in the cold storage and distribution business Yearsley has also commissioned a special...

Speaking statistically.(TransportEnergy BestPractice Small Fleet Performance Management Tool (SFPMT))(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 18, 2005... statistically It's not often that Commercial Motor feels like thanking the government for the way it's helping the haulage industry. But even we have to concede that free software designed to help small fleet operators analyse and improve...

'Friendly' firm's five drivers committed 42 hours offences.(TH Bird & Sons Haulage )
August 18, 2005... Company's licence cut after routine investigation reveals lack of a system to prevent the repetition of driver offences. Five drivers working for a 10-vehicle operation routinely breached the drivers' hours regulations, notching up 42...

"Stupid oversight" led to truck being impounded.(licensing)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2005... An operator who claimed his lack of an O-licence was just a "stupid oversight" has been challenged to attend a public inquiry and produce evidence to back up his claim that his impounded vehicle should be returned. Steven Pearce, of Hornchurch,...

paying?
August 25, 2005... A price worth Congestion? Bad thing. Congestion charge? Not a good thing either... David Harris looks at the conflicting arguments on paying for road use. More or less everybody seems to have a double-edged attitude to congestion...

Amtrak Express buys Nightspeed.(Nightspeed Services)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... Nightspeed Services has been taken over by Amtrak, saving 900 jobs. Sally Nash reports on the latest acquisition in the parcels sector PALL-EX IS downplaying the financial problems of its business partner Nightspeed Services, which went...

Breaking the bank.(Truck Theft investigations)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... WEST MIDLANDS police are hunting robbers who stole a truck before driving it through the wall of a casino in Birmingham. The incident took place at around 10.15pm on 15 August in Norfolk Road, Edgbaston. The offenders threatened casino staff...

IN THE NEWS.(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... Stuart Thomas gives us his regular round-up of the way the newspapers have covered the transport industry this week. As the summer strolls gently through August, editors struggle with an annual problem: global geopolitics aside, how do you...

DELAY DIGITACHS UNTIL EURO-4.(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... Why is it that every piece of legislation emanating from Brussels is clouded in confusion? Whether it's new drivers' hours rules, the Working Time Directive, emissions legislation or, most recently, digital tachographs, the whole process is...

DHL denies dispute with GMB.(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... DHL EXPRESS continues to play down suggestions of possible strike action by GMB members, citing a meeting between the two parties last week when it was not even mentioned. The union has been holding talks with the delivery company in pursuit of...

DOUBLE-BARRELLED SAFETY.(trucking safety)
August 25, 2005... The world's best-handling truck and trailer combination is said to have arisen from Performance Based Standards. Peter Armstrong puts the spotlight on PBS. While the Department for Transport continues to dither over 60-tonne B-Doubles,...

Dairy action warning.(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... ROBERT WISEMAN Dairies is warning Scottish dairy farmers that it will not tolerate "direct action". Last week eight milk distribution depots throughout Scotland were blockaded in a protest about milk prices A spokesman for the company said two...

Digital tacho start date 'doesn't really matter'.(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... TACHOGRAPH MANUFACTURERS say it doesn't really matter if the deadline for fitting digital tachographs is 31 December this year or August next year. The industry was thrown into confusion last week following revelations that the EC was...

Driver racially abused.(Cases)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... A VAN DRIVER was subjected to a torrent of racial abuse during a road rage attack, which took place in Northamptonshire. At about 2pm on 12 August there was a minor road rage incident in Homestead Way between the drivers of a white Vauxhall...

Dublin tunnel OK for Hazchem.(Hazardous chemicals will not be banned from travelling)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... HGVs carrying hazardous goods will be welcome to use the Dublin Port Tunnel when it opens next year. Robert Izzard reports. CONTRARY TO initial fears HGVs carrying dangerous goods or hazardous chemicals will not be banned from travelling...

EVENTS.
August 25, 2005... RHA courses Drivers' hours 6 September Aylesbury Operator compliance 7 September Felixstowe Digital tachograph 7 September Fareham Contact: 01733 261131 Fleet Safety Forum Driver incentive programmes for crash avoidance 15 September...

FEE FI FO FUM.(Allum Plant Hire., truck.)
August 25, 2005... Deep in the countryside between Bedford and Cambridge lives a giant... Colin Barnett dropped in to investigate. Despite its name, Allum Plant Hire really specialises in the hire of lorry mounted cranes with drivers and associated equipment....

Fined [pounds sterling]548 for using unspecified vehicle.(Clockwork Transportation)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... Edinburgh-based Clockwork Transportation was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling [pounds sterling]548 for using a vehicle that was not specified on its O-licence. The company admitted using more vehicles than the maximum authorised on its...

Half-time score.
August 25, 2005... Our regular survey of van sales shows signs of definite nudging and shoving, as some models drop a gear to zoom into the lead. This is our second detailed look at the UK's light commercial vehicle market; we plan to publish these sales...

Hazchem firm waits to hear TC's decision.(Hazchem Haulier Alan Lodge.)
August 25, 2005... A haulier has appeared at a public inquiry for the second time in two years. Mike Jewell reports. HAZCHEM HAULIER Alan Lodge must wait to see what action is taken against its O-licence following its second appearance in two years at a...

High and; mighty.(Watkinson Lifting and Transportation Ltd.)
August 25, 2005... Watkinson Lifting and Transportation's mighty Cormach 8800-E ASC crane is the first of its type to appear in the UK. Bryan Jarvis reports. To cope with growth in its business of delivering and installing escalators and travelators at...

Include tacho evidence.(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... An issue has arisen that causes our group great concern and that is, should tachograph evidence be considered in proving an HGV driver guilty or innocent of a speeding offence? Just recently an HGV driver was driving along the A420 from Oxford...

Irish agency aims to cut road toll.(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... THE IRISH Republic is setting up a Road Safety Authority whose role will include improving safety in road haulage. The Irish Department of Transport said last week that the new organisation would oversee vehicle standards, driver education,...

LPG firm offers R&D discount.
August 25, 2005... VAN AAKEN, the Bracknell-based electronic tuning specialist, has developed an LPG diesel substitution system for truck engines and is looking for operators to help expand its applications base. CM looked at van Aaken's dual-fuel system for...

Lawyers say the Senior TC's guidelines are a step too far.
August 25, 2005... A Direction from the Senior TC that was designed to streamline O-licence paperwork has stirred up a hornets' nest. Chris Tindall reports. TRANSPORT LAWYERS and consultants in the haulage industry are lining up to condemn guidance provided...

Let the members decide.(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... Despite the predictable bluster from Roger King (pictured, below), of the Road Haulage Association in his letter to Commercial Motor (CM 11 August), he again fails to answer any of the questions I have raised. First off, given that few...

Look out for a missing MAN.(blue MAN tipper Teft)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... POLICE ARE looking for two thieves who stole a blue MAN tipper (reg BF52 GYE) from a haulage yard in Navigation Way, Loughborough at 9.35pm on 15 August. The vehicle was signwritten "P&R Building Supplies". Sgt Margaret McLoughlin says: "We...

Looking for an Ansa.(Ansa Logistics have suspended strike action)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... Workers at Ansa Logistics have suspended strike action while they study a new pay deal. Sally Nash reports. A NEW DEAL has been thrashed out between car delivery firm Ansa Logistics and the Transport & General Workers Union with all strike...

Looking for adventure.
August 25, 2005... When the vertical playing field has hit your Continental trade, what do you do for excitement? Dominic Perry meets the new owners of Astravan, whose eyes are turning to the Middle East. Haulage, logistics or road transport -depending what...

Morrisons strike ballot.(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... THE T&G/GMB strike ballot of 8,000 Morrisons distribution workers will end on 14 September. GMB national officer Jude Brimble says: "It is going on a little longer than intended. Morrisons is proving to be a rather difficult and precarious...

No peace in Bardon row.(Bardon Aggregates)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... THE LATEST meeting between the RMT union and Bardon Aggregates has failed to resolve a furious dispute at the company's West Drayton depot (CM 14 July). Bardon now maintains it is not in dispute with its own employees, but with external...

POST-LESS ; PROTECTION.
August 25, 2005... Damaged sideposts in trailers are a hazard to drivers. To make curtainsiders safer many firms are choosing unsupported roofs. Bryan Jarvis investigates. Moveable side pillars on curtained semi-trailers are a real boon; they allow the...

Picking up in value.(Nissan Navara.)
August 25, 2005... Is depreciation costing you dear? Want to save money? Then buy a Navara - it's at the top of the future residual chart. The bar has been raised in the pickup market with the new Navara from Nissan claiming top spot in the future residual...

Preparing for the worst.
August 25, 2005... In the wake of last month's suicide attacks on London, what responsibilities do employers have to ensure their employees are kept out of harm's way as much as possible? Guy Sheppard reports. A terrorist attack on London was predicted long...

Prospects look up for TDG.(company sales.)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... The UK Temperature Controlled division provided a hot performance for the contract logistics group in its latest interim results. THE ANALYST Chris Morgan, Automotive & Logistics Datamonitor TDG, the European contract logistics...

RHA warns time for a rebate is running out.(Road Haulage Association.)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2005... THE ROAD HAULAGE Association has warned that time is "running out" for the haulage industry unless the Treasury introduces a fuel duty rebate. RHA chief executive Roger King urged the government to take urgent action as new Office of National...

Red; lorries.(a brief history of transportation industry)
August 25, 2005... After its famous post-war election victory Labour didn't just set up the welfare state - it nationalised the transport industry. Despite industry protests some operators did rather well out of socialism. Patric Cunnane reports. Thus began...

Relationship at breaking point.
August 25, 2005... Guidance notes from the Senior TC are designed to make life easier for all concerned but it doesn't always work out that way. Chris Tindall investigates. The Traffic Commissioners could face legal action after transport lawyers agreed...