Commercial Motor articles from August 2006

Commercial Motor archives from August 2006

Who's responsible?
August 3, 2006... A driver agency faces allegations that it exploited foreign workers contracted to Wincanton, but who is responsible for the rights of such workers? Sally Nash reports. Picture the scene: an agency worker is supplied by a recruitment firm...

GMB wants loyalty payments for 3663 workers.
August 3, 2006... The GMB union is to demand loyalty payments for its members at food distribution firm 3663 to offset the effects of a lost contract. The Oxfordshire-based firm recently lost a legal battle to retain a [pounds sterling]300m contract with the...

EVENTS.(Brief article)(Calendar)
August 3, 2006... Novadata Digital tachographs - train the trainer 7-10 August Braintree Contact: 01376 552999 www.novadata.co.uk Freight Transport Association Fuel tankers for transport managers 5 September Warrington Dangerous goods for transport managers...

Keeping pace with demand.(Keltruck)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... It isn't just the weather that is hot at the moment - used sales have been impressive across the board at independent dealer Keltruck. It has been a strong year so far for the used department at Scania independent dealership Keltruck,...

Boxed in.
August 3, 2006... This month Mystery Shopper scours the ads looking for an 18-tonne boxvan. They have hard lives, but we are confident we can track down one in decent condition and still have change from [pounds sterling]10,000. As a rule 18-tonners get a...

WEBSITE WATCH.
August 3, 2006... Tracking down used bargains CM's web expert Chris Snook takes a look around the biggest independent used truck website: Chris Hodge Commercial. Company: Chris Hodge Commercial Address: www.chrishodgetrucks.co.uk Overview: The...

CM will put Euro-4 to the test over 1,000 miles.
August 3, 2006... In September Commercial Motor will run the largest comparative group test the road transport industry has seen in 20 years. Run in association with Shell Lubricants, the Euro-4 1,000-mile test will put 12 of the industry's greenest trucks...

New Fortec member aims to maintain growth.(Matthew Kibble Transport)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Lancashire operator Matthew Kibble Transport has seen its business grow by 30% during the past six months on the back of an acquisition and membership of the Fortec pallet network . The Nelson-based firm took over local rival Prestons Fuel...

MPs' report slams Vosa and the HA.
August 3, 2006... Vosa has been criticised by Transport Select Committee MPs following their investigation into the DfT's agencies. Chris Tindall reports. MPs have expressed mounting concern that the points system used by Vosa to measure staff performance...

Fuel laundry defrauded the public of [pounds sterling]9m a year.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... A massive fuel-laundering plant in Northern Ireland has been shut down. The plant, in the Killeavey area of South Armagh, was estimated to be costing the government almost [pounds sterling]9m per year in lost tax revenue from an output of...

The great debate.
August 3, 2006... Should operators have incentives for moving to Euro-5 before the deadline? CM allows both sides to put forward their arguments. The manufacturers have been at loggerheads over the benefits of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Exhaust...

Union seminars aim to end East/West drivers' pay gap.
August 3, 2006... Trade union leaders have won [pounds sterling]170,000 of European Union funding to educate officials about the need to harmonise pay and conditions among truck drivers throughout Europe. Some of the cash will be spent on a series of...

Hedging your bets with diesel prices.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... A banker in the south-west of England is urging hauliers to consider buying fuel on a fixed-price agreement to help them manage their budgets. Helen Jenkin, regional treasury partner for the Clydesdale Bank, reports that "hedging" deals...

Now LDV's cooking with GAZ.
August 3, 2006... Leading Russian CV manufacturer GAZ has snapped up LDV from its US owners and the Russians have big plans. Julian Milnes reports. Birmingham-based van manufacturer LDV has been snapped up by Russian CV manufacturing giant GAZ for [pounds...

Reasons to be grateful.
August 3, 2006... It is often said that you could get a better return on your money putting it in the building society than running a road transport business, but Mr X thinks that's missing the point... Road transport operators are fond of moaning about...

Accountant fails to make sums add up.
August 3, 2006... THE TRANSPORT Tribunal has rejected an appeal by an accountant who was refused a two-vehicle international licence by the Scottish Traffic Area Office on financial grounds. When he made his application in May 2005, Iain Scott Fairbairn,...

Benton expands fleet to handle business growth.
August 3, 2006... A Lincolnshire-BASED haulage company is bucking the trend expanding its truck and trailer fleet to take advantage of an increasing workload. Boston and Immingham firm Benton Bros has ordered five new Daf 95XF 480 tractors with Super Space...

CM cards are in demand.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... The CM/Pall-Ex driver health cards have had an outstanding response from the road transport industry, with requests for thousands of cards from operators, public utilities - and even the police . Since the cards were launched last week (CM...

CONCERNS OVER THE HIGHWAYS AGENCY.
August 3, 2006... The Highways Agency (HA) fared even worse than Vosa in the Transport Select Committee report, which says: "The agency has no grip on the costs of its major road projects; is managing a property portfolio it should not possess from expensive...

Driver is fined after spot check showed he took 23 minutes' rest in eight hours.(HSF Logistics BV)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... A SPOT CHECK revealed that a British driver driving to Ireland from Holland had little more than 20 minutes of rest in nearly eight hours of driving. Mark Connor, of Manchester, who is employed by Dutch operator HSF Logistics BV, was...

Firm illegally parked vehicle to avoid vandals and thieves.
August 3, 2006... WHEN VANDALS prevented a firm from using its authorised operating centre, it illegally parked its one vehicle in a lay-by close to the operator's home. Western Traffic Commissioner Philip Brown cut the three-vehicle licence held by...

Home is where the heart is.
August 3, 2006... The internet has revolutionised the way people shop and massively increased the number of home deliveries. Tim Maughan reports on a booming sector. A s Amazon, eBay, and even super-markets have leapt through our PC screens in...

Illegal Welsh operation costs English licence.(Richard Francis Transport)
August 3, 2006... The director was "talked into" running 13 unauthorised vehicles. A West Midlands firm that allowed its Welsh associate to operate without an O-licence for up to 18 months has had its licence revoked. The firm, Richard Francis Transport of...

Laser bosses predict bright future after a 'difficult period'.
August 3, 2006... A big shake-up within Laser Transport International failed to prevent an pre-tax losses increasing to [pounds sterling]329,000 last year. The firm suffered a [pounds sterling]230,000 loss in 2004; in their annual review of the business its...

MBO at NFT Distribution.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Chilled transport specialist NFT Distribution has been acquired from its parent Northern Foods in a [pounds sterling]51.2m management buyout. NFT Distribution MD David Frankish will take the reins, along with business services director...

Mid-East violence agitates market.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Although the cost of diesel in Europe has remained stable this month, the Israel/Lebanon conflict is causing oil prices to surge to a record high. THE ANALYST Considering the situation in the Middle East there was surprisingly little...

O-licence granted despite director's unlucky career.(Mancunian Foods)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... A COMPANY WAS granted a restricted licence for three vehicles after one of its directors admitted involvement with at least three liquidated companies. Mancunian Foods had sought a new restricted licence for three vehicles before the...

Only in AMERICA.
August 3, 2006... Speeding across the Texas plains is quite legal - provided your cabin bed is made up. Oliver Dickson travels down some of the US's stranger legal byways. The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is rarely featured in the...

RIGHTS OF AGENCY (TEMPORY) WORKERS UNDER THE LAW.
August 3, 2006... * An employment agency cannot charge the individual a fee simply for finding someone work or putting them on their books. * An agency cannot withhold pay simply because they have not received their payment from the company or organisation where...

ROAD AGENCIES GET A KICKING.(VOSA)
August 3, 2006... All hail the Transport Select Committee! First things first: whether or not criticisms are valid, it's good that they are made. Public accountability is a key contributor to success. Did Vosa merit all the points made during its vigorous...

Scottish report has got a lot right.
August 3, 2006... IT'S GOOD TO hear that we Scottish hauliers, for so long feeling like the fall guys in our country, have received support from the Scottish Executive's Transport Committee (CM 6 July). With its recommendations we can rest a little...

Stand up and be counted.
August 3, 2006... A year on from the cancellation of the Lorry Road User Charge and there's a feeling of frustration at the trade associations. Richard Turner, FTA chief executive, is an angry man. Louise Cole reports. Richard Turner, chief executive of the...

States of play.(Company overview)
August 3, 2006... There's more to DaimlerChrysler than the faces of Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi Fuso that we see in Europe. A significant part of the operation now takes place in the United States - Colin Barnett visited two of its outposts. ...

The right kit for ADR compliance.
August 3, 2006... YOUR COMPETITION to win an "ADR kit" (CM 29 June) is somewhat misleading regarding the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2004 (ADR). Regulation 24(1) explains the equipment required to be...

UK Pallets loses another member.
August 3, 2006... Business Post's UK Pallets division has denied that it is in crisis following the loss of its fourth network member this year. Telford-based UK Tran-Stor closed on 31 July when directors John and Diane Soltys placed the firm into voluntary...

Why is Vosa so confused over the conditions for using trade plates?
August 3, 2006... THE RECENT CASE of alleged misuse of trade plates, successfully defended by ace transport lawyer Stephen Kirkbright (CM 20 July), brings to mind a line from a Charles Dickens novel: "The law is an ass." In this case, however, it seems...

Operators in paraffin case launch a court challenge.(Pallas Transport)(Montana Freight Services )
August 3, 2006... A long-running O-licensing wrangle is likely to run on a little longer following a Leeds public inquiry. Mike Jewell reports. One of the industry's bitterest licensing sagas is likely to continue at least until September, the North...

Vosa cutbacks will cost many operators time and money.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Operators offering annual tests are being hit by Vosa cutbacks - and their customers aren't happy either. David Craik reports. A Scunthorpe-based operator says it has been forced to cut the number of tests it provides at its site because of...

Seafield expands its fleet.(Seafield Logistics)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Seafield Logistics, based in Worksop, has invested more than [pounds sterling]1m in new equipment for its bulk powder operation. It has taken on 13 new Mercedes Axor 2546LS 6x2 tractor units in a contract-hire deal. They feature...

Formal warning for Stobart over drivers' hours offences.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... A senior Eddie Stobart manager who was responsible for implementing procedures to tighten up drivers' hours abuses was breaching regulations himself by also driving for Whitkirk Produce, a company with "one of the worst drivers' hours offences...

T&G fears over TNT sale.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... A row has erupted between transport giant TNT and international transport unions over the sale of its logistics division. TNT says the sale will be completed this summer and a coalition of transport unions - represented in the UK by the T&G...

TruckWatch wins cash boost for expansion into Yorkshire.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... The pioneering anti-freight-crime initiative has received enough funding to take on a full-time manager. Guy Sheppard reports. The TruckWatch truck-crime scheme is to be extended throughout Yorkshire and Humberside after receiving funding...

Successor found for Jakobi at Fair Trials Abroad.
August 3, 2006... Fair Trials Abroad (FTA), the organisation that campaigns on behalf of UK truck drivers wrongfully jailed overseas, has appointed a new director. Catherine Wolthuizen, an Australian-trained lawyer, takes over from FTA founder, Stephen...

Green light for Iceland redundancies.
August 3, 2006... The dispute between the Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) and supermarket chain Iceland has been resolved after members at Iceland's Deeside distribution depot accepted an enhanced redundancy deal. "There was an overwhelming...

DHL bid to take over NHS delivery operation leads to strike threat.
August 3, 2006... Logistics giant DHL is poised to take over the delivery of products to NHS hospitals, prompting a strike threat among hundreds of NHS staff. NHS Logistics employs more than 1,300 people and operates more than 200 vehicles which are leased...

Eurotunnel is optimistic as first-half freight figures fall.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... As talks continue about restructuring Eurotunnel's debts, a dip in freight volumes couldn't have come at a worse time. Guy Sheppard reports. Troubled ChanneL Tunnel operator Eurotunnel suffered sharp falls in freight activity during the...

Keeping an eye on the.
August 3, 2006... Your employees can land you with an expensive compensation claim if they abuse their fellow workers. Anna West reports. Unknown to you, one of your drivers has been harassing a colleague because of his religion. The first you...

PROOF POSITIVE.
August 3, 2006... An abundance of fleet-specced tractors in the used sector has created a buyers' market. With the Axor, Mercedes-Benz has realised that the functional, few-frills approach is paying dividends with operators. The three-year-old used tractor...

Potter Group boss backs Denby-style megatrucks.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Road and rail distribution group The Potter Group has endorsed the use of longer trucks on UK roads, warning that if the freight industry fails to become more efficient it will lose out to foreign competition. MD Derek Potter says he has...

Firm's new owners face cash demands.(CRS 24:7)(Fastserv)
August 10, 2006... Desperate subcontractors are asking questions of the new owners of a company that has left them out of pocket. Chris Tindall reports. SubCONTRACTORS WHO claim a Scottish haulage firm owes them thousands of pounds in unpaid invoices have...

THE COST OF LIFE IN THE FAST LANE.
August 10, 2006... We all know the expression 'more haste, less speed', but perhaps it is time we meditated on it. With the advent of speed limiters in light CVs (and the associated fears of tailbacks and longer journey times), it seems pertinent to explore some...

DfT considers nationwide road pricing.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... OPERATORS may have black boxes fitted to their vehicles and be sent itemised bills as part of a road-pricing scheme being considered by the government. A leaked letter obtained by The Sunday Times outlines options for tolling and suggests...

Royal Mail trials will pick between SCR and EGR.
August 10, 2006... Royal Mail is expected to choose trucks equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to meet Euro-4 emissions regulations during its next fleet-replacement cycle. The group has been trialling the two rival technologies, SCR and EGR...