Commercial Motor articles from December 2004

Commercial Motor archives from December 2004

EVENTS.(Freight Transport Association)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... RHA national training Drivers' Hours and Tachographs 7 December, York Working Time Directive 9 December, Guildford 14 December, Norwich O-licence compliance 8 December Telford Contact: training@rha.net 01733 261131 FTA legal seminars...

Birth pains of a new contract.(regulations for fuels distribution contract )
December 2, 2004... They say that death and divorce are the two most stressful experiences in life. In transport - certainly in my sector - the equivalent is the implementation of a new contract. Success or failure in the tender process for a fuels distribution...

Business survives by making two ; drivers directors to gain new licence.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... An operator whose own licence was revoked for a string of offences has been allowed to continue trading by appointing two of his drivers as directors of the business. Cardiff-based Barrie Davies, was said to have "jogged along in a world of...

The case.(truck drivers, driver fines)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Dangerous trailer coupling costs over [pounds sterling]1,000 in court A coupling so dangerous that a trailer was likely to become detached with "dire consequences" has cost the vehicle's owner and its driver [pounds sterling]1,000 in fines...

Dangerous work.(transport industry fatalities)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... FATALITIES in the transport industry jumped 22% last year from 28 to 34, with almost half occurring in the freight transport industry, according to government figures. The latest statistics are revealed in the Health and Safety Executive's...

Defect reports can save your licence.(drivers license)
December 2, 2004... Transport lawyer Tim Ridyard explains how defect reporting sheets can make the difference between a conviction and the dismissal of a case. A Cambridgeshire driver recently escaped any penalty after he pleaded guilty to pulling a trailer...

Draymen bitter as Scots pubs go dry.(Scottish Courage Ltd. workers threaten strike over a proposed pay deal )(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Scottish draymen have threatened a series of one-day strikes over a proposed pay deal because it would leave new recruits up to [pounds sterling]3,500-a-year worse off. The action by nearly 100 drivers at Scottish Courage will disrupt brewery...

FTA urges TfL to scrap operator's charge.(Freight Transport Association)(Transport for London)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... The Freight Transport Association has repeated its calls for Transport for London to scrap the congestion charge for goods vehicles amid speculation that the charge is being ramped up to [pounds sterling]6. In a letter to TfL, FTA's London...

Fewer trucks go abroad.(Department for Transport reports)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... The number of UK-registered trucks heading to mainland Europe is still falling. The Department for Transport report Road Goods Vehicles Travelling to Mainland Europe Q3 shows that between July and September 687,900 HGVs travelled to the...

Four drivers fined a total of [pounds sterling]1,800 for hours breaches.(drivers' hours offences, penalties)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... DRIVERS' hours offences have led to four drivers employed by Basildon-based Balin Distribution being ordered to pay [pounds sterling]1,800 in fines and costs by Harlow Magistrates. Alan Levy, of Basildon, pleaded guilty to two offences of...

French reluctant to protest.(fuel prices)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... A national day of protest by French hauliers attracted only limited support following the French government's decision to provide financial help to offset fuel price increases. Fewer than 150 trucks are said to have joined the protest organised...

Fuelling speculation.(fuel costs)
December 2, 2004... So what do operators want from Gordon Brown? OK, so there are no prizes for guessing... The CM newsdesk reports. Fuel represents a third of the average operator's costs, so ask what they want most from this week's pre-Budget statement and...

GET OUT THERE AND RECRUIT!(transportation industry)
December 2, 2004... This week Skills for Logistics is launching its initiative to create an established career ladder to demonstrate to everyone in road transport how they can further their skills and progress their jobs. And a Skills Forum will take place at the...

Impromptu stops.(transportation industry)
December 2, 2004... Take a stroll with us through the little side roads of haulage, the diversions and detours, the quirky, the quixotic and the downright strange... Like many young men who enjoy the odd bottle or two of sweet sherry or Buckfast tonic wine...

It all comes tumbling down for EA scaffolding firm.(EA Scaffolding and EA Contract Services)
December 2, 2004... The front company for a scaffolding operation loses its licence for good. A COMPANY providing labour and transport for an operator without a licence at the same operating centre has paid the price for its illegal activity. Both the company...

Kilsyth cash precipice revealed to creditors.(Kilsyth Transport Services)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... The full extent of the fallout from the collapse of Kilsyth Transport Services (KTS) was laid bare last week, after a liquidator's report revealed creditors are owed more than [pounds sterling]1.3m. Operators now fear the sheer number of...

Less vehicle - more profit.
December 2, 2004... "Next season, I will mostly be selling vans." Our Fast Show-inspired contact suggests that vans are the future of the used market place. There is one reason why independent truck dealers ought to be selling vans next season: they are the...

LIGHTENING THE LOAD.
December 2, 2004... Sales of lifts and loaders on 3.5-tonners are booming. Sharon Clancy checks out the market. It's taken nearly a decade but predictions that 3.5-tonners will be the next big market for tail-lifts may finally be becoming a reality. In 2004,...

Little big van.
December 2, 2004... We're using the extensive CM database to guide your used buying decisions. This week we focus on two top-weight Mercedes-Benz vans. Vehicle: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 616 CDI Tested: CM16 January 2003 Specifications Engine: MB OM612...

Manage fuel use on the web.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Rental giant BRS has added free fuel monitoring to its suite of web-based operator management information. The system, known as Dieselogic, can be accessed at no charge by BRS customers via an internet connection, allowing them to monitor fuel...

More on RAC; recovery prices.(Letter to the Editor)
December 2, 2004... Your article 'In recovery' (18 November 2004) incorrectly states the prices for RAC Commercial Vehicle Assistance. The costs are clearly laid out on our website (www.rac.business.co.uk/commercial_fleets): roadside assistance starts from...

NEC show is not a big draw for trailer manufacturers.
December 2, 2004... Some leading trailer manufacturers have decided to give next year's CV Show a miss. Brian Weatherley finds out why. Two of the UK's leading trailer manufacturers will be missing from next year's Commercial Vehicle Show at Birmingham. James...

No other way says firm.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Yet another high-profile operator has called in the receiver after losing a contract. Dominic Perry reports. The loss of one contract and the late start of another are being blamed for the financial difficulties at a long-established West...

Operator of the year faces tacho charges.(Whitkirk Produce Co. prosecuted for falsifying tacograph records)
December 2, 2004... A Garforth-based firm is to face prosecution for tacho offences - two months after it was crowned Operator of the Year. CM's news team reports. Live Promotions, the organisers of Truckfest, and fuel firm Shell are facing further...

Power to the people.(Working Time Directive)
December 2, 2004... Can the unions change the WTD by joining forces? Chris Tindall reports. When Tony Woodley stood up and addressed a room full of delegates at the latest Transport and General Workers' Union conference, there was the distinct impression that...

Reward for finding farm killers.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... A group of plant hire firms have teamed up with the police to offer a [pounds sterling]25,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the killers of operator Cherita Gates. Gates was crushed against a wall as she tried to stop...

Running free.(Interview)
December 2, 2004... So much brake power you could stop the world... Andy Salter snatches an interview with Knorr-Bremse's chief executive. According to the official marketing info, every day over one billion people around the globe put their lives in the hands...

Sacked driver slams union.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... A former Gist truck driver who won [pounds sterling]3,000 in compensation for unfair dismissal has blasted the Transport & General Workers' Union for withdrawing its support before his employment tribunal appeal (CM 25 November). Ralph Hedley...

SfL drives career path.(Skills for Logistics )(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Skills for Logistics (SfL) says it is addressing the haulage industry's driver shortage by developing and implementing a "coherent career path" for drivers and operators which will make the industry more attractive. The Sector Skills Council...

SIMULATING.
December 2, 2004... EXPERIENCE Want to know how a jack-knife feels? Or a roll-over? A truck simulator is just the place to learn - so Emma Penny did. It's almost a year since Transport Minister Alistair Darling got behind the wheel of a 44-tonner. Sadly,...

Smuggling drivers' bans are cut.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Four truck drivers banned from driving after smuggling over [pounds sterling]500,000 worth of contraband cigarettes into the UK have had their bans reduced so they can start new jobs. John Wright of Dudley and James Perkins of Worcester were...

Spandlers cuts back by half.(Spandler Brothers has halved its 40-strong fleet in response to rising fuel costs)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... A Norfolk firm is halving its fleet on the back of rising prices and fears of the Working Time Directive - Jennifer Ball reports. Norfolk haulier Spandler Brothers has halved its 40-strong fleet in response to rising fuel costs and the...

The boom continues at CVA.(Commercial Vehicle Auctions)( Commercial Vehicle Auctions )
December 2, 2004... Volumes are going through the roof at Commercial Vehicle Auctions and the export industry is still the 'used market sector of 2004'. Back in the summer CVA was regularly offering more than 400 vehicles at its Doncaster sales. Things were...

The perils of protest.
December 2, 2004... Could operators who protest fall foul of the law? Juliet Morrison reports on the risky strategy of taking to the streets. Say what you like about the French - they know how to protest. From students tearing up cobblestones in 1968, to...

Thinking outside the box.(Chive Fuels)(sale of second-hand gas-powered trucks )(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Chive Fuels is taking a novel approach to selling gas by flogging used gas powered trucks as well. An alternative fuel company is selling second-hand gas-powered trucks at its refuelling stations to help boost business and market...

Thomas wins IRU drivers' honour.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... A driver for Welsh firm TDS Morgan Freight (Deeside) has been awarded a Diploma of Honour by the International Road Transport Union for his outstanding services as an international driver. Jon Owen Thomas, who has been employed by the...

Tough terrain Terrano.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 2, 2004... Most 'lifestyle' vehicles have as much genuine off-road ability as a pogo stick - but the Nissan Terrano is different. If you need to move a tradesman and his tools to the back of beyond it's well worth a look. Since we've decided to tear...

Truck Week takes haulage to the people.
December 2, 2004... Commercial Motor's National Truck Week is on the road. As CM went to press on Tuesday the team was in Newcastle, at the International Centre for Life, following a busy day in Edinburgh's Festival Square. The main reason for National Truck Week...

Union repeat call for [pounds sterling]10/hr... but in vain.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Union leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to a [pounds sterling]10-an-hour minimum for truck drivers after research showed the average is still hovering below [pounds sterling]7. The Transport & General Workers Union launched its [pounds...

Use your common sense!
December 2, 2004... Barry Proctor wishes festive things to all men except for the thieves - who'll nick anything you leave unattended. So don't... Tinsel, fairy lights, carol singers, chestnuts on an open fire - all these things mean that despite the fact...

Where does the funding go?(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... I read with interest Mr Ian Hetherington's letter regarding the skills shortage of HGV drivers and his valiant efforts to attract young people into the industry (CM 11 Nov). My main concern is what happens to all this funding. I believe that...

december 2004.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... This month shows more fatalities than ever in the transport industry... Injuries The number of major injuries to workers soared 9% to 30,666. In the transport sector the number of major injuries has risen 33% over the past six years to...

'HA must be more proactive'.(Highways Agency)
December 2, 2004... The Highways Agency is not doing enough to tackle increasing congestion on the roads says a government report. Guy Sheppard reports. The Highways Agency is too timid in its efforts to reduce congestion on England's motorways and trunk...

'I had a rest two weeks ago' says driver.
December 2, 2004... A driver who went 14 days without a weekly rest and committed other offences including falsifying tachograph charts has been ordered to pay [pounds sterling]1,950 in fines and costs. When Steven Gavin, of Mullingar, Co Westmeath, Ireland,...

BETTER LATE THAN JAILED.
December 9, 2004... This week Mr X has penned an open letter to all users of hire-and- reward road transport... Last week, a haulier from Kent was jailed for seven years. While that in itself is not too unusual, the reason for the prosecution was. This fellow...

A Rygor-ous approach ; to your business.(Rygor Commercials)
December 9, 2004... Best known by some for its logistics business, Rygor Commercials has just taken over a new site near Heathrow. The area round Heathrow airport bristles with firms offering almost any service, and most of them use vans. That's why Rygor...

A good idea... and a wonderful life.(Timothy Sedge)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... As a large goods vehicle driver I wish you all the success in the world with your new National Truck Week venture. However, I feel that some Commercial Motor National Truck Week stickers for us drivers to promote this week would be an absolute...

Absent transport manager loses appeal on repute.
December 9, 2004... AN ABSENTEE CPC holder who was transport manager in name only for a Yorkshire operator has lost his appeal against a finding that he had lost his repute. Gerald Boyd had been the nominated transport manager on the licence held by Mary Gilmore,...

Agincourt revisited.(transportation costs)
December 9, 2004... Is our assumption that the French pay less for their transport operations than us merely prejudice? Dominic Perry does the sums. The dislike between the English and the French has lasted a thousand years, nourished by battles, wars,...

All's fair.(raod transportation)
December 9, 2004... Failure to abide by new rules on warnings, dismissals and grievances can cost you dearly. The RHA's Ruth Pott reports. 10 things you need to know about... WARNINGS, DISMISSALS AND GRIEVANCES 1 Changes to the law October 2004...

British Hauliers 'is for people on their knees'.(road transportation)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... British Hauliers has a small membership but its leadership says it still has a role. Guy Sheppard reports. A recruitment campaign has failed to significantly boost membership of British Hauliers but it may still prove an influential force...

Brown delays diesel duty hike - but that's all he has to offer.(British truck operators, Freight Transport Association)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... Gordon Brown offered a crumb of comfort for UK truck operators in last week's pre-Budget report... but only a crumb. Jennifer Ball finds out what's on offer. Chancellor Gordon Brown has given operators a slight reprieve by freezing his...

CANCEL THIS ; CRAZY PLAN NOW!(road transportation rules)
December 9, 2004... Ludicrous, ridiculous, idiotic, ill-conceived, poorly thought out - are we making ourselves clear? There's plenty more words we could use, but most are unprintable. Our venom this week is reserved for the Highways Agency's crackpot scheme to...

Caddy hits paydirt at auction.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... The latest incarnation of the Volkswagen Caddy makes an impressive debut at Manheim Auctions. The Caddy TDI was launched last year and the first used example appeared at the Coventry site where it sold for [pounds sterling]10,000 - that's...

Caxton drivers drop dispute.(Caxton Transport )(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... Drivers at Somerset-based Caxton Transport have abandoned industrial action over pay after allegedly being threatened with a lock-out. The United Road Transport Union accuses the company of adopting "Victorian methods" to crush the dispute...

Check is no defence.(transfer of illegal immigrants)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... A Cambridgeshire operator is facing a [pounds sterling]6,800 fine for carrying illegal immigrants - after his driver was given the all-clear by French customs. Richard Watson, who runs Wisbech-based Cambs International Transport, says his...

Chunnel strategy sparks outrage.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... Beleaguered Anglo-French firm Eurotunnel has run into fresh controversy with the launch of its new truck freight strategy. A handful of UK-based operators have threatened to boycott the service in response to "unacceptable" service conditions....

Crime fighters abroad.(truck crimes)
December 9, 2004... Operators might think that rising truck crime is a UK problem but Mark Schwarz, Eurowatch's commercial director, says it's at least as bad on the far side of the Channel. Jennifer Ball reports. Somewhere in Europe a truck crime is committed...

Curtailment for lending discs.(drivers licenses)
December 9, 2004... The TC tells a haulier that his licence was only saved by human rights legislation after he lent his licence disc to another operator. A London plant hire firm has had its O-licence curtailed by two vehicles out of six for a month after an...

Deal was not a scam...(drivers licenses, revocation of licence)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... A Norfolk haulier said by the Eastern Traffic Commissioner to be running a "scam" has won his appeal against the revocation of his licence and his indefinite disqualification from holding or obtaining an O-licence in any traffic area. The...

Disputes stop ferries to France and Ireland.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... Problems with striking fishermen and ferry workers have hit operators on two fronts this week. David Harris reports. A strike by Irish Ferries' staff has confined the company's ships to port this week, leaving operators high and dry in the...

Driver killed by truck thief.(theft of vehicles, cases of truck drivers)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... A TRUCK THIEF who ran over a driver with his own vehicle has been jailed for nine years. John Clarke of East Ham had pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Ian Jones and to aggravated vehicle taking and theft of a load. Alan Clarke of East Ham,...

Driver with two jobs fined [pounds sterling]300 for hours offences.(cases of truck drivers)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... A PART-TIME driver has been fined [pounds sterling]300 for daily and weekly rest offences because he failed to include as duty time the hours he spent working full-time for another employer. Gareth Evans, of Anglesey, employed part-time by...

Driver, 65, says workload was 'excessive'.(truck drivers)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... A Northern Irish operator is facing a compensation claim for constructive dismissal from a former driver who says "excessive work hours" forced him to leave. Ivan Bate, 65, made his claim at a Birmingham Employment Tribunal against County...

Flatbed semis take a curtain call as buyers say 'encore!'.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... A GROWING number of 13.6m curtainsider triaxle trailers are being converted into flat trailers because demand for them is so high, says Rod Pybus, MD of Scotch Corner trailer dealership SDC Northern. "Hauliers with flats are finding that they...

GLOVES OFF; AT VAUXHALL.(van manufacturing industry)
December 9, 2004... Vaxuxhall's plans to come back with a bang in 2005 include transferring the production of Astravans to Poland. Colin Barnett reports. Following a year in which Vauxhall's performance has been held back by various product shortages, it has...

Green light for trucks depends on money.(Bridgetine transport, drivers licenses)
December 9, 2004... A WELSH firm must wait to find out whether its application to add vehicles belonging to another operator to its licence is successful. The decision is subject to satisfactory financial checks. Bridgetime Transport, of Pontypool, had...

Gregory goes to waste.(waste transport sector, Greendale Haulage)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... West Country haulage giant Gregory Distribution is entering the booming waste transport sector by taking over a neighbouring operator in Devon. Greendale Haulage specialises in transporting waste paper, cans and plastic. All its existing staff,...

Here's to the new year.(used truck sector, used truck dealers)
December 9, 2004... The used truck sector has been busy all year and most dealers expect more of the same in 2005. Steve Banner reports. USED TRUCK dealers are generally optimistic about the prospects for 2005 after what has been a good year for most of them....

Hyva rams 3.5t market.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... Dutch tipping gear manufacturer Hyva will launch a new under-floor ram for 3.5-tonners next year, specifically for light CV tipper bodybuilders, along with an improved tipping trailer ram. Hyva says its latest FE169 trailer ram, which debuts...

IN THE NEWS.(world of transport)
December 9, 2004... Stuart Thomas gives us his regular round-up of the way the newspapers have covered the world of transport this week. Look around you. Our country is being infiltrated by immigrants. They're everywhere and are constantly testing the borders...

Jailed haulier led fatal hours offence.(cases of truck drivers, traffic accidents)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... A Kent haulage boss has been jailed for manslaughter after encouraging drivers to flout the hours' rules, leading to a fatal smash. Jennifer Ball reports. A haulier has been jailed for seven years after he encouraged drivers to break the...

Licence offences cost London firm [pounds sterling]610.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... A LONDON operator, described as nave, was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling [pounds sterling]610 for using a vehicle without an O-licence, using an O-licence identity disc with intent to deceive, and using a vehicle with a faulty tyre....

London charge hike will be final nail in brewers' coffins.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... Ken Livingstone's plans to increase the congestion charge to [pounds sterling]8 and expand the zone will cost beer delivery firms working in London an extra [pounds sterling]250,000 a year, according to the Brewery Logistics Group. The group,...

MAN forms strategic union with Navistar.(MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG)(Navistar International Corp)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... Exclusive One of Europe's few remaining "unattached" truck manufacturers - MAN Nutzfahrzeuge - has formed a "strategic alliance" with US truck, bus and engine maker Navistar International. They will collaborate on the design, development,...

Moving floors are the future.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... ANYONE who buys a moving-floor trailer to transport waste, and looks after it, should enjoy strong residual values because that type of trailer represents the future, according to Andrew Smith, MD of Harlington, Bedfordshire trailer dealership...

Nightmares on landfill sites.
December 9, 2004... Our industry is constantly told that we must move with the times and improve our safety record. More and more legislation is rightly put in front of us in order to protect both the public and the people who work within the industry. For too...

Overtaking ban on M42.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... The Highways Agency is to ban trucks from overtaking along a two-lane stretch of the M42 motorway in an experiment to reduce congestion. If successful a similar restriction could be introduced on other heavily used sections of motorway. But the...

Size or power: which do you want?(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... WHAT'S more important to used tractor unit customers - a big engine or a big cab? On balance it's probably the cab, but a lot depends on the choice the buyer is being offered according to Simon Hall of Weston-on-the-Green, Oxfordshire-based...

Spreading the gospel.(road transportation, road shows)
December 9, 2004... A week of frantic activity and it's all over for this year - Commercial Motor's first National Truck Week was the success we'd all hoped for. Emma Penny reviews the action. It's been a busier-than-usual week for everyone at Commercial...

Stairway to Heaven.
December 9, 2004... Will a published guide to career progression help you attract and retain employees? Skills for Logistics thinks so. Chris Tindall reports. Between now and next summer, Dr Mick Jackson and Skills for Logistics (SfL) are going to be extremely...

THE NOOSE TIGHTENS.(Ministry of Transport computerises tests for cars and light commercials)
December 9, 2004... Next year, the MoT process will be computerised to deter fraud and give operators more information. Steve Banner investigates. In late summer 2005 the computerisation of MoT tests for cars and light commercials should be complete. It aims a...

These vans are expected to cell fast.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... ANYONE looking for an unusual Christmas present to give to a friend or relative could do worse than contact Dave Higgs, of Hartlebury, Kidderminster-based independent dealership DH Commercials. He is taking no less than 65 prison vans into...

DECEMBER 2004.(stock market)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... This month we check the summits and valleys of the stock market Exel Exel's share price surged after it reported trading in line with market expectations. The integration of Tibbett & Britten is going well with a predicted profit of...