Commercial Motor articles from February 2004

Commercial Motor archives from February 2004

ONE LICENCE FOR ALL OPERATORS!
February 5, 2004... You're given a truck to run but you don't know much about the rules and regulations so you just get on with it. You don't even need a CPC. It sounds crazy, but that's the reality of restricted licensing. These licencees don't need a transport...

Red light for green grants?(Energy Saving Trust)
February 5, 2004... Grants to help operators go green are set to be slashed and capped. Emma Penny reports. The Energy Saving Trust (EST) is considering cuts of up to 40% in its PowerShift and Clean-Up grant programmes for 2004/05, as well as capping the...

Tilting, not toppling.
February 5, 2004... Emotions are running high over the safest way to discharge a load from an artic tipper. The IRTE is updatng its Guide to Tipping Stability, but is that enough? Brian Weatherley and David Wilcox report. On the face of it, higher gross...

Definitely the wrong people to overtake... as haulier finds.
February 5, 2004... Operator loses half his licence authority after a little injudicious overtaking at high speed. Mike Jewell reports. When a truck doing more than 70mph overtook a van containing a traffic examiner and a vehicle examiner it led to an...

Partnership trio lose one licence and see trucks cut.(M&R Services, Kings Transport)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... A trio who "bit off more than they could chew" when they acquired a haulage firm from a friend have been allowed to continue, but with a reduced licence authorisation and with one of two licences revoked. Blackburn-based M&R (Ewood), trading...

Revocation lifted pending appeal.(Pallas Transport, Montana Freight Services)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... Two operators sharing a base in County Durham who had their licences revoked after paraffin was found in their trucks' fuel tanks can operate normally pending the hearing of appeals to the Transport Tribunal (CM 1 January). Birtley-based John...

Licence deceit costs operator [pounds sterling]1,350.(Wakefield Fabrications)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... A string of licence offences and the use of an unqualified driver have cost Romford-based Wakefield Fabrications [pounds sterling]1,350 in fines and costs. The company admitted the offences before the Harlow magistrates. It was fined [pounds...

Phoenix rights.
February 5, 2004... What do you do if your customer goes bust owing you money, then re-emerges days later minus its liabilities? Juliet Morrison looks at the law governing phoenix companies. There can be few things more frustrating for a hard-working haulier...

Not-so-smart cards.(European Union. European Commission)
February 5, 2004... So when will digital tachos finally be fitted in UK trucks? Good question; Pat Hagan asks it. Under EU regulations, it was envisaged that from 5 August this year every new CV entering service would be fitted with a high-tech tacho that...

on the edge.
February 5, 2004... An average of 250 people are killed or injured on hard shoulders every year. Is enough being done to tackle this deadly problem? Julian Milnes reports The motorway hard shoulder is seen as a place of refuge for those who are unable to...

MAN OF WAR?
February 5, 2004... While the other three contenders in the contest to provide the British Army's next generation of trucks have been keen to show off their wares, MAN has been rather reticent - until now. Colin Barnett reports. German trucks for the British...

VITAL; STATISTICS.
February 5, 2004... The seventh edition of The World's Truck Manufacturers provides some serious food for thought for industry observers says Brian Weatherley. Information is power - and anyone planning to do business with the world's 37 truck...

Pensioner's park death was an accident.(Welch's Transport, Anthony Brewer, cases)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... A verdict of accidental death has been returned by a coroner's inquest into the death of an 84-year-old man who was run over by a reversing truck while walking in a London park. St Pancras Coroner's Court heard that Ben Glass was strolling in...

Arsonist guilty of Bailey's death.(Darren Wringe)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... A serial arsonist has been found guilty of starting a fire that killed a Devon truck driver. Darren Wringe faces a long jail sentence after a jury at Hull Crown Court found him guilty of the manslaughter of CH Brannan driver Derek Bailey....

EC clock stops for smart-card tachos.(European Union. European Commission)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... The EC has delayed the launch of digital tachographs. Chris Tindall reports. After months of uncertainty the European Commission (EC) has caved in to mounting pressure from member states by agreeing to delay the introduction of digital...

Dirty trucks get cash help.(Energy Saving Trust)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... Operators running older trucks which are at the Euro-2 emissions standard or below could soon be able to take advantage of retrofitting grants taking them to Euro-3 or above. The plan is included in proposals put forward by the Energy Saving...

Cash boosts hunt for depot arsonists.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... Northumbria Police have welcomed a [pounds sterling]1m cash boost to help them tackle the growing problem of arson in the North-East. The funds will help strengthen the force's Operation Chariot - a unit set up to hunt down the arsonists who...

Guilty plea after M4 shoulder death.(James Kelly)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... A truck driver last week admitted ploughing into the back of a stationary ambulance, killing a man being treated in the vehicle on the hard shoulder of the M4. James Kelly, who originally pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous...

Subbie holds goods after HOL collapse.(Hellmann Overnight Logistics)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... A subCONTRACTOR says he is owed more than [pounds sterling]140,000 following the collapse of parcels firm Hellmann Overnight Logistics last December (CM 15 January). Bob Dowle, from Herne Bay, Kent-based JR Light Haulage, says his drivers and...

Trailer troubles.(Holland Europe)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... Holland Europe, the British arm of the US manufacturer of couplings, landing legs and trailer suspension, went into administration last Friday. Half of the staff at the Hartlebury-based company have lost their jobs. MD Richard Bond blames the...

London lorry ban fines cut.(Association of London Government)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... The cost to hauliers of breaking the London Lorry Ban is to fall by nearly a third, provided they pay new fixed penalties within a fortnight. The Association of London Government is decriminalising breaches of the ban from April to save the...

Cash will modernise haulage in Scotland.(Scottish Executive )(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... The Scottish Executive is poised to announce its latest scheme under the [pounds sterling]5m Scottish Road Haulage Modernisation Fund. The Executive reports an encouraging response from hauliers to the first year of the modernisation fund,...

Bouncing back!
February 5, 2004... Why is legendary trailer maker Crane Fruehauf, founded in 1865, only now getting over the mistakes of the past decade? Brian Weatherley reports. Listening to Crane Fruehauf's sales and marketing director Dave Tallent reminds us of...

FeBRUARY 2004.(Experian Ltd., business failures)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... This month we look at the number of business failures and take slight hope from the momentary dip in insolvencies in the industry. Changing rules Experian reports that in marked contrast to 2002, the downward trend in corporate failures...

Financial failures stutter and fall.(Experian Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... Latest figures from management consultancy Experian show that the number of business failures fell from 19,347 in 2002 to 17,522 in 2003 - a decline of 9.4%. The number of transport firms going to the wall fell 1.6% to 559 compared to 568 in...

Let's protect our drivers!(Jack Crossfield Drivers)
February 5, 2004... Last year HGV driver Derek Bailey was killed in his cab by an arson attack while he was asleep waiting outside a customer's premises to deliver his load (CM 29 January). Over the years criminals have manhandled HGV drivers, sometimes brutally,...

Nips, tucks & nose jobs.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 5, 2004... Nowadays you don't really find 'bad' vans. They're all pretty reliable and they can all earn their keep. But after 10 years in harness can the Citron Relay still run with the pack? There's a saying: "You can't stop progress," and when it...

Support for ; Paul Watson.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... Paul Watson, the innocent driver from Morley (Leeds) is still languishing in the French prison Maison d'Arret de Justice at Arras in the Pas de Calais without any charges laid against him, after having illegal substances found in a sealed...

TWINS HAVE a face-lift.(Fiat S.p.A.)
February 5, 2004... With a new range due in 2006, Fiat has given its Scudo a makeover to tide it through the next couple of years - it's twin, the Citron Dispatch, has a new look too. Andy Salter reviews the changes. There are signs of renewed life at Fiat. In...

Test stations - they're hard to reach...(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... I write, with increasing desperation, on the subject of truck testing stations. I've spent what feels like a lifetime this morning trying to get through to the test centre at Purfleet in Essex with no success. The phone just rings and rings...

Bitter at diabetic ban.(Thomas McWeeney)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... RETIRED TRUCK DRIVER Thomas McWeeney will appeal suspension of his driving licence following a court ruling that he must not drive because of susceptibility to hypoglycaemia, a condition related to diabetes. In May 2003, McWeeney was arrested...

HGVs left in the cold despite HA full alert.(heavy goods vehicle, Highways Agency)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... Last week's cold snap led to chaos throughout the UK as snow and ice conspired to make roads almost impassable, despite the Highways Agency's promise that it was on "full alert". Even with 700 gritters and snowploughs working round the clock...

TCs slam restricted O-licences.(traffic commissioners, Philip Brown)
February 5, 2004... The TCs want to do away with restricted O-licences. Dominic Perry reports. Senior Traffic Commissioner Philip Brown has called for the abolition of the restricted operator's licence in a bid to boost road safety. With the restricted...

Stop your tipper tilting.(Transport Support)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... Bolton-based Transport Support's TS Inclinometer could help a tipper driver trying to work out whether it is safe to tip on uneven ground. A sensor measures the angle of the vehicle prior to discharging the load and data is displayed in the...

Reprieve for Toll Collect.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... The German government has backed down on its threat to cancel the contract with Toll Collect after the truck toll operator promised to have the controversial system up and running by the end of the year. Last December, German transport minister...

Huge savings in liability.(Wincanton Logistics Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... LOGISTICS GIANT Wincanton has made 'huge' savings in personal injury claim payouts in the UK after adopting a more robust approach to handling claims says Sean Cusack, group health & safety manager. Speaking at Tranfrigoroute (UK)'s H&S...

PLANE SAILING.
February 5, 2004... The French have spent more than [pounds sterling]120m on upgrading 240km of road- for just a few abnormal loads a year. Miles Brignall explains. Sometimes you just have to admire the French. Sure, they have their own way of doing things...

Free legal advice from CM.(Commercial Motor)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... READERS WHO visit this year's Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC in March will be have opportunity to have their legal questions answered at CM's stand by a team of top transport lawyers. A free legal clinic will operate from 11am to 4pm each...

Gay sex threatens diner.(Bob's Mobile Diner)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... A CAMPAIGN has been launched to save a popular roadside snack-bar which faces closure because nearby public toilets are a meeting place for gay men. Bob's Mobile Diner has operated from a lay-by next to the A69, near Warwick Bridge, Cumbria,...

Nightowl over [pounds sterling]2m in hock.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... Jennifer Ball reports on the ongoing saga of Nightowl's collapse. THE TRUE SCALE of truckstop operator Nightowl's financial problems was revealed this week with the firm's administrators indicating that it owes more than [pounds...

Heroism and hearsay.(Freight Transport Association, Motor vehicle drivers)
February 5, 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. It's surprising what an organisation's employees will put themselves through in the name of...

...knives are out for Tarmac.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... QUARRY GIANT TARMAC has been accused of breaking an agreement to employ local hauliers in Northumberland after awarding a contract to a national bulk transport operator. Eddie Simpson, who has worked out of Harden Quarry near Morpeth for more...

CPRE sets sights on new quarry...(Campaign to Protect Rural England)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... David Harris reports on a row between tippermen and environmentalists. TIPPER OPERATORS have hit back at environmentalists who claim the vehicles are 'choking country lanes with noise and dust'. The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)...

DfT: White van man's a builder.(Department for Transport, surveys)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... RESEARCH BY the Department for Transport shows that 41% of all mileage in the van sector is linked to construction work, with personal use only accounting for 13%. The DfT's freight transport statistics division says the survey was carried out...

Cold response to fridge shipment.(Carr Brothers, Sundorne Products)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... A NORTHAMPTON haulage contractor has been fined [pounds sterling]8,000 by Welsh Magistrates for delivering fridges on behalf of a refuse disposal firm to a company without a suitable waste management licence. Carr Brothers (Farmers) also...

take your legal advice from us.
February 12, 2004... Before we relaunched Commercial Motor we sent teams of people around the country to talk to thousands of operators. And what everyone asked for was legal support. Information, advice, updates, verdicts. Why? Because we operate in one of the...

At your services.
February 12, 2004... Overpriced, overcrowded and no fun? Mike McLeavy, director of Roadchef's Strensham site, tells Jennifer Ball MSAs are changing. Mike McLeavy believes that people who criticise motorway service areas (MSAs) can't have visited one for years:...

Shot in the foot... twice.(Midlands Recycling lost its Western Area O-licence)
February 12, 2004... Illegal running from an illegal centre loses one operator his O-licence. Mike Jewell reports. An operator shot itself in the foot twice by running more trucks than its licence permitted then compounding the offence by running them from an...

Rubbishing Britain.
February 12, 2004... With fly-tipping on the increase, why are so few offenders ever prosecuted? Pat Hagan reports on the 10 things you need to know about the battle against illegal dumping. This may come as a bit of a shock to the cynics among you but...

No smoke without fine.(smoking will be banned in all Irish workplaces from april onwards)
February 12, 2004... From April smoking will be banned in all Irish workplaces, including trucks. But can the new regs be enforced? Ann Marie Foley reports. The proposed smoking ban in Ireland will, theoretically, prohibit truck drivers from smoking in their...

Free legal advice at CV show.
February 12, 2004... CM is launching a free legal clinic at the forthcoming CV Show in Birmingham. Patric Cunnane explains how operators can claim a free consultation with an expert road transport lawyer. The legal section was launched in new-look CM last...

damage limitation.
February 12, 2004... Now the seasonal rush for deliveries is over, trailer repairers' parking lots resemble a physio's waiting room. Broken legs, whack-backs, shunts... But what's it going to cost? CM searches for the answer. Throughout any year, there is...

the iv league.
February 12, 2004... Following our look at the technology in play for the Euro-4 emissions legislation, due in 2006, Scania has revealed how it intends to meet the tougher standard. Ivan Stjernqvist reviews the technology. Unlike most other European engine...

Ready for a smooth move.(Westone Express )
February 12, 2004... As with any property move, location, budget and keeping everybody happy are vital for successful progress, says Jason Hamer. Westone Express has grown considerably over the past 12 months and is now bursting at the seams. Our current site...

Demand up for panel vans.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... Why Mercedes-Benz Sprinter CDi is leading an exodus from dealers. If you are on the look out for a bargain panel van then Glass's Information Services can point you towards a money-spinner. Chief editor of commercial vehicles George...

Taking control.(MAN Diesel)
February 12, 2004... MAN/ERF is getting to grips with its used truck arm - and up to 90% of returning F2000s are destined for export. Emma Penny reports. Dealing with buy-backs has been a long learning process for truck manufacturers, but one which they are...

Today Preston - ; tomorrow the world!(MM Acquisitions' rising truck sales)
February 12, 2004... Exports are booming at MM Acquisitions - but then so is everything else. Emma Penny visits a dealer whose annual sales figures must leave the competition green with envy. Selling up to 1,000 trucks a year would be a dream for most truck...

Police hunt attacker after acid assault.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... Lincolnshire police are hunting a man who left a truck driver needing hospital care for burns after hurling acid in his face. The incident happened between 6pm and 7pm last Tuesday (3 February) on the A15. Driver Sam Bingham was travelling...

Court rules Alpine tolls are 'excessive'.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... PUNITIVE TOLLS levied on Austria's trans-Alpine Brenner motorway have been undermined by a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling, which will allow hauliers to claim compensation. The decision sets a precedent across the EU: it could be used...

Subbie still owed [pounds sterling]15k.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... A STAFFORDSHIRE subcontractor claims he is owed [pounds sterling]15,000 by a Kent logistics firm for work dating back to October, despite repeated calls to the firm and appearing in CM to highlight his plight (11 December 2003). Nick Blurton...

DVLA must rethink insulin-dependent ban.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... THE DVLA WILL have to reconsider its treatment of insulin-dependent HGV drivers when Britain adopts new EU employment legislation this autumn. The news follows a campaign by Northampton-based driver Malcolm Upson, who lost his licence after...

Foreign; bodies.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... I WRITE WITH some concern to the apparent 'blind eye' attitude of the authorities to the number of foreign operators who operate illegally on a permanent basis in this country. I was in conversation with an English driver the other day who...

Nightowl truck stop finds buyer.(AW Jenkinson acquired a )(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... A CUMBRIAN haulage firm has injected new life into Penrith truck services by buying the site from beleaguered operator Nightowl and vowing to continue offering parking to drivers. Clifton-based AW Jenkinson finalised the deal last Friday and...

Midlands drivers need [pounds sterling]20 more.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... HUNDREDS OF East Midlands hauliers are being advised to boost the pay of their artic drivers by more than [pounds sterling]20 a week to help ease the industry's chronic shortages of recruits. The regional joint industrial council (JIC), which...

Hazchem drivers told to check up on cops.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... Drivers delivering goods which could cause mass civilian casualties if stolen by terrorists can now refuse to open up their vehicles to police in case the officers are bogus. A new code of practice issued by the government last week entitles...

Knifeman ; hijacks white van man.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... Avon and Somerset police are appealing for information after a delivery driver was forced to drive 250 miles at knifepoint. The 20-year-old driver was delivering a parcel in Brislington, Bristol just before 10am on 28 January when the offender...

IN THE NEWS.(Association of British Drivers's membership analysis)(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... Stuart Thomas gives us his regular round-up of the way the newspapers have covered the transport industry this week. How many members of the Association of British Drivers (ABD) does it take to change a light bulb? If you're chairman of the...

a meeting of minds.
February 12, 2004... Barry Proctor joins colleagues from across the industry to go to Westminster and explain the impact of the WTD to a range of politicians... I've just returned from a meeting with MPs of a variety of political hues and I have to say, they...

Dutch haulier removed speed limiter fuse.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... Interfering with a speed limiter and hours offences have cost a Dutch haulier [pounds sterling]720 in fines and costs. Coskub Arif Yukselener, of Eindhoven, pleaded guilty to exceeding the daily driving limit, taking insufficient daily rest...

This week we look at the DfT's statistics on private van use... who has them and what they are using them for.(Department for Transport of United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... Activity patterns DfT statistics show that about 77% of all trips made by privately owned vans were business/work related and 81% took place on weekdays - not surprising as the most common uses for vans are travelling to and from work. This...

Firm awaits TC's decision on restrictions.(Traffic commission)(BMR Carriers awaiting licenses for its five vehicles)(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... A Bristol haulage company which has been operating under interim authority for 14 months is waiting to see whether hours restrictions will be imposed on its substantive O-licence. Bishopsworth-based BMR Carriers appeared before Western Traffic...

Firm warned over using ; workshop to house livestock.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... An Isle of Anglesey firm of farmers and livestock hauliers which used its workshop to house livestock in the winter escaped with a warning after the Welsh Traffic Commissioner accepted it had taken steps to sort out its maintenance problems....

HOME COMFORTS.
February 12, 2004... What makes a good cab? You need space to move, space to store, an efficient working environment, minimal noise - and a comfy mattress. To get a European perspective on the latest cab designs CM went to the Netherlands to join Truckstar magazine...

MOTOWN BLUES.
February 12, 2004... Oliver Dixon struggles to find a reason for Detroit and, lo and behold, discovers the agenda-defining motor show of all time, albeit via social disintegration, the failing US economy and briefly, inexplicably, Canada. Why go to Detroit?...

Make every drop count! counts.
February 12, 2004... Do you want to cut your fuel bills? It could be worth taking advantage of the Fuel Efficiency Advisors Scheme while it's still there. Emma Penny reports. Becoming more fuel efficient takes effort. It's as simple as that. And it's a...

Operator fails to win back truck.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... A Stockport man has lost his bid to reclaim a truck that was impounded last October in Birkenhead. He claimed he had been told it was covered by the O-licence of a firm he was working for. Stephen Doherty, of Lime Street, Stockport, appeared...

Rubbing Salter into the wound.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... AM I THE ONLY ONE who inwardly cringes at the trials and tribulations of "Stobart wannabe" Rob Salter? In the 1 January 2004 instalment, I was horrified to read the comment "I'm about to finally have a meeting with an accountant". I would...

Jailed for road rage at school.(Brian Southgate had been cleared of attempted murder case)(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... A LANCASHIRE truck driver who mowed down a parent in a road rage incident outside a school has been jailed for 12 months by Manchester Crown Court. Brian Southgate, of Daffodil Close, Haslingden, had been cleared of attempted murder and...

We can still change things.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... Dominic Perry reports on SfL's belated aims for the driver shortage. The boss of new training body Skills for Logistics insists it can make a difference to the driver shortage, despite being launched barely a year before the Working Time...

Total breaks pay ceiling.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... Nearly 200 Total oil tanker drivers are poised to break through the [pounds sterling]30,000-a-year salary barrier as union leaders continue their campaign to improve the lot of drivers. The Total drivers have already seen their salaries jump...

Confiscation order stands.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... A HAULIER JAILED for swind-ling creditors out of [pounds sterling]2m has failed to overturn a confiscation order that required him to hand over [pounds sterling]181,000 of his ill-gotten gains. Christopher Trietline was jailed for five years at...

Jailed for toxic fly-tipping.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... A Hatfield man has been jailed for two months for dumping drums full of lethal chemicals in a Hertfordshire field, causing a major incident which cost emergency services [pounds sterling]30,000 to clean up. John Hibbert, of Stockbreach Close,...

CASH; BANG; WALLOP!
February 12, 2004... Getting drivers to grasp the likely cost of even a minor shunt could help operators with risk management. Brian Weatherley reports. Getting the most out of your fleet's accident statistics is as much a matter of content as it is of...

night lights.
February 12, 2004... It's a nightmare scenario: a pitch-black night and those small lights just ahead are on an artic crossing your path. Steve Banner reviews the reflective materials and lighting that can make your trailer shiny and safe. Even something the...