Commercial Motor articles from January 2005

Commercial Motor archives from January 2005

EVENTS.
January 13, 2005... FTA seminars Working Time Directive 18 January Wadhurst 25 January Wadhurst 26 January Leamington Spa 27 January Cardiff 28 January Exeter 3 February Wadhurst 23 February Wadhurst 3 March Wadhurst 10 March Wadhurst 15 March Leamington Spa 16...

the right.(Welch Group Holdings)
January 13, 2005... chemistry You need cash to buy transport companies but, as Tim Maughan reports, the right chemistry is equally important. When we visited Huntingdon-based MJA Movements in 1999, the firm was an independent concern. Five years on, MJA...

... while Tories promise to listen.(George Osbourne)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Thank you for your letter of 15 December and for sending me a copy of Life without Lorries. It certainly makes a powerful case for the importance of the road haulage industry and it will help inform the Shadow Treasury team of the Conservative...

4x inflation for 44t.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... The cost of running a 44-tonne artic increased by nearly four times the level of inflation last year, according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA). The FTA's yearly assessment of costs says that the main reason for the increase was the...

IN THE NEWS.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Stuart Thomas gives us his regular round-up of the way the newspapers have covered the transport industry this week. If Digby Jones makes New Years' resolutions he might take the rest of 2005 off after accomplishing two huge aims even...

Advert leads honest operator astray.
January 13, 2005... A vehicle is returned to an operator who bought an O-licence from a magazine ad. A company which bought an international O-licence through an advertisement has won the return of its impounded vehicle after its owner was able to convince...

An inspector calls.(Board of Inland Revenue inquiry)
January 13, 2005... Every operator needs to know how to respond to scrutiny from the taxman - Phil Berwick sets out the dos and don'ts. Most operators hate receiving a brown envelope bearing the legend "Inland Revenue", especially if the enclosed letter says...

Avia's new owners ring the changes.(Daewoo Avia)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... The Czech Daewoo Avia organisation has been re-structured. New owners have acquired a majority holding in the Prague-based truck manufacturer, while a new company will import the products to the UK. Avia Trucks UK, owned directly by the...

Boxing ; clever.(Land Rover Defender)
January 13, 2005... While still not quite a luxury item, the Land Rover Defender's XS at least takes the rougher edges off the old bruiser. And when it comes to real off-road conditions Julian Milnes reports Boxing has changed over recent years. It used to be...

Criminals shift away from police focus.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Police in the West Midlands say that a major new initiative designed to tackle truck crime appears to be changing the areas being targeted by criminals. Operation Indicate was launched last summer following widespread criticism of the force's...

DEEP FRIED DIESEL.(biodiesel)
January 13, 2005... Biodiesel - is recycled chip-shop oil really a viable alternative to diesel? Sharon Clancy reports. Despite its success on the Continent, biodiesel has never really taken off in the UK. The government gets much of the blame for this,...

Dirty tank bugging you? Let us help.(Expresslube cleans the bugs)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Have you got bugs in your bunker? Is there a thick sticky black mass in your storage tank you just can't shift? Sounds like a bad case of Cladisporium Resinae or Hormoconis Resinae in your diesel. Commercial Motor is looking for a fleet...

EVOLution theory.(R-Series)
January 13, 2005... As the R-Series begins its year of glory as International Truck of the Year, Colin Barnett has been to Sweden to take a look behind the scenes at Scania's headquarters. He also got to drive some trucks... When Scania launched the R-Series...

Exel faces tribunal over dismissal.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Transport giant Exel is facing a compensation claim for constructive dismissal from a former driver and union rep who said he was threatened with disciplinary action after refusing to drive what he said was an unreliable vehicle. Graham...

Factory fitted bodies find favour at Toyota.(Toyota Corp)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Toyota is to rationalise its Dyna line-up in favour of factory supplied bodies. This year only 10% of products arriving from Portugal will be chassis-cabs for third-party body-building; the vast majority will come with aluminium dropside or...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO... US!(Commercial Motor's 100th birthday celebrations)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Welcome to the start of Commercial Motor's 100th birthday celebrations. It's a momentous year for the magazine, and indeed for the UK's road transport industry. Few magazines have been in existence for so long - and no other industry has proved...

High-tech load and money taken in Lancs.(truck hijacking in Lancashire)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Police are hunting a gang who hijacked a truck at gunpoint and made off with a load of cash. The attack happened last Thursday afternoon (6 January) on the M65 near Bamber Bridge in Lancashire. Two men in a red Ford Escort ordered the driver...

Hijacking; after collision.(Renault stolen)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... A truck driver saw his vehicle driven off in the West Midlands when he stopped following a collision with another truck. The incident happened at 2pm on the A45 Kenpas Highway in Coventry outside Beechwood Motors. When the driver left the cab...

Is there light at the end of the Tunnel?
January 13, 2005... Eurotunnel has a new money making approach to combat its mounting debt. But operators say they won't play along - or pay more. Dominic Perry reports. It's been a turbulent year for Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel. Back in April its...

It's hard to find fault with this 7.5-tonner.(Daf LF45.150)
January 13, 2005... Commercial Motor tests more vehicles than any other magazine so here's your a chance to get the lowdown on some of the contenders in the used market. This time round we turn to the Daf LF45.150. Daf launched the LF range at the Brussels...

JANUARY 2005.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... This month we see higher figures for goods moved and journey length reflect-ing increasing complexity in the supply chain. Goods moved In 2003, road haulage accounted for 64% of all goods moved compared with 53% in 1980. Goods moved by...

JIC rate on course for [pounds sterling]10/hr in 2008.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Pay negotiators for the hire-and-reward sector in the West Midlands have agreed a ground-breaking [pounds sterling]10-an-hour deal - but artic drivers won't get it until 2008. The increase is worth nearly 30% over four years, boosting pay by...

Ken Thomas runs into financial crisis.
January 13, 2005... Months after it was taken over, a high-profile haulier has called in money experts to sort out its debts. Chris Tindall reports. One of East Anglia's best known haulage firms has hit financial difficulties barely eight months after its...

Licence decision is put on hold until the operator proves he was running legally.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... A WeSt Midlands operator who claimed not to have used his vehicles since his licence lapsed last July has been asked to produce invoices to explain various payments into his bank account during October and November. Coleshill-based Lawrence...

Little hope for creditors of Hull-based forwarder.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Creditors for Hull-based freight forwarder Distribution Management (UK) are not expected to receive any money after administrators were called in last October. It is anticipated the deficit for creditors will eventually be as high as [pounds...

Loaned disc costs two operators [pounds sterling]3,700 in fines and costs.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... The loan of an O-licence identity disc has led to two Luton-based operators being ordered to pay [pounds sterling]3,700 in fines and costs. When George Sayers appeared before the Marylebone magistrates he pleaded guilty to lending an...

MISSIONARY POSITION.
January 13, 2005... Welcome to Commercial Motor's centenary year - starting with a look at how it all began, courtesy of editor in chief Brian Weatherley. On 16 March 1905 Temple Press expanded its stable of transport magazines into the world of road...

Miller's crossing.(shortage of truck drivers)(Nick Leslie-Miller)
January 13, 2005... Few East European drivers have come here for work. Nick Leslie-Miller is doing his best to change that. Dominic Perry reports. In May 2004, when 10 new countries were poised to join the European Union, there were predictions that the UK...

Minister rejects 50mph limit...
January 13, 2005... Thank you for your letter about the single carriageway speed limit for HGVs. In response to your recent campaign and statement that "it's about time our outdated speed limits were brought into the 21st Century" I would like to clarify the...

Network's Xmas collapse leaves members in the cold.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... The Christmas collapse of parcel network NCN has left its members owed thousands, but its rivals are reaping the benefits. David Harris reports. The NCN parcels network collapsed over Christmas leaving 100 courier firms out in the cold....

Overloaded, no tacho, wrong licence... and a big fine.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... An axle overload, failing to use a tachograph, and driving without the correct driving licence have cost Northampton-based Perco Engineering Services and one of its drivers [pounds sterling]605 in fines and costs. When the company appeared...

Police raids hit 28 sites at once.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Police have carried out 28 simultaneous raids across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, England and Scotland as part of an investigation into a gang involved in smuggling waste from the Republic to Northern Ireland and Scotland. As...

Reasons to be cheerful - 1, 2, 3.
January 13, 2005... Ray Dickson reflects ruefully on motorway madness, terminated tests and comatose cops. It's official; the lunatics have finally taken over the asylum. Any lingering doubts were dispelled by the news that trucks are to be barred from the...

Revocation order replaced with formal warning.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... A waste disposal operator whose licence was revoked when he failed to attend a disciplinary inquiry has won it back at a fresh hearing. North West Deputy Traffic Commissioner Patrick Mulvenna replaced the revocation order against...

Seeking curtains in the sale.
January 13, 2005... Prices slashed, old stock cleared... it's the January Sales! We've been searching for bargain priced 18-tonne curtainsiders... We're in search of a truck with side access, acting as a haulier with new work collecting and delivering pallets...

Smoking gun...
January 13, 2005... Smoking will be banned in all UK workplaces in 2008 with fines up to [pounds sterling]2,500. But will it include truck cabs? David Craik reports. Infused with yuletide spirit, the Scottish Executive published its bill on Smoking, Health...

South Yorks gang knock driver out and take truck.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... South Yorkshire police are hunting a gang who viciously attacked a truck driver and knocked him unconscious before making off with his truck and its load in Sheffield. The attack happened at 7.45am last Wednesday (5 January) on Shepcote Way as...

Strange bedfellows.
January 13, 2005... Iveco has quietly been racking up successes in South America, the Middle East and Africa - Oliver Dixon looks at its plans for China. Iveco's 'framework agreement' with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) to develop a long-term...

That was the year...
January 13, 2005... CM was launched in 1905; throughout our centenary year we'll be bringing you stories from years gone by, starting with 1905 and 1955. 1905 Exports Three years after the bloody conclusion of the Boer War a correspondent suggested: "...there...

The pain; in Spain.
January 13, 2005... The case of a UK haulier fined more than [pounds sterling]6,000 in Spain for a minor infringement of the hours regs highlights how careful operators must be when confronted with foreign enforcement agencies. Pat Hagan reports. If being in...

Things won't get better unless we all do something.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... There's a great saying that I firmly believe in. It goes something like: "If you do nothing, you will achieve nothing." In the current climate as truckers we have a very difficult job to do (without taking the boss into account) particularly...

Through a Glass darkly.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Following record new sales last year, unrealistic 2005 sales targets by manufacturers could unbalance the used vehicle market. Consolidation is the key for the new year for new sales targets to help maintain a buoyant used sector. George...

Tonne by tonne, mile by mile.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... The road transport industry has grown consistently since 1980 says the DfT's Transport Trends 2004 report.The amount of freight moved by road transport has soared 71% since 1980, from 93 to 159bn tonne-kilometres.

Truck ban on Bidston bridge.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Operators face extra congestion next week when an HGV ban is slapped on the Bidston Moss Viaduct. Jennifer Ball reports. Business leaders and operators say plans to ban trucks from using the M53 Bidston Moss Viaduct could have a drastic...

Unions see rosy horizons for tanker drivers.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Union leaders believe they are closer to achieving better pay and conditions for tanker drivers following an initial meeting with key players in the oil distribution industry. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for 31 January to thrash out ways...

Volvo's top trotter.
January 13, 2005... When Volvo launched the FH12 Globetrotter in 1993 it set new standards in cab aerodynamics and living room. Twelve years on it remains hugely popular with drivers. Geoff Ashcroft reports. The cab space race has been at full tilt ever since...

Watch out for fuel card fraudster.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Operators have been warned to keep an eye out for a fraudster who approaches companies posing as a truck driver, before making off with thousands of pounds worth of fuel cards. The man, who police believe has been pulling the same scam for the...

Playing your.(fuel card)
January 13, 2005... cards right As if the price of fuel wasn't enough to drive you mad it seems that some people want to get their hands on your fuel - for free. Julian Milnes looks at the fuel card security systems that prevent unauthorised spending. ...

Quality pays dividends.(Barry Proctor of Barry Proctor Services purchased 20 new trucks)
January 20, 2005... Barry Proctor, who owns Barry Proctor Services of Stoke-on-Trent, has just bought himself a fleet of Corgis... and it's all part of his determination to reap the benefits of employing happy drivers. I've just put an order in for a fleet of...

EVENTS.(conferences and seminars)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... FTA seminars Working Time Directive 25 January Wadhurst 26 January Leamington Spa 27 January Cardiff 28 January Exeter 3 February Wadhurst 23 February Wadhurst 3 March Wadhurst 10 March Wadhurst 15 March Leamington Spa 16 March Cardiff 17...

Ageing beauty.(Keltruck has bought East Midlands Commercials)
January 20, 2005... Commercial Motor tests more vehicles than any other magazine so here's a chance to get the lowdown on the favourites in the used market. This month it's the Volvo FLE 220 18-tonner. The FL family can trace its roots back to the late 1980s,...

BRS scoops [pounds sterling]45m deal with Spicers.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... BRS has started the new year on a positive note with a [pounds sterling]45m, five-year deal to manage a UK distribution operation for office furniture specialist Spicers. The deal, which involves 100 trucks and drivers operating from Spicers'...

Bah, humbug!(a picture of office chair as new year greeting)
January 20, 2005... Take a stroll with us through the little side roads of haulage, the diversions and detours, the quirky, the quixotic and the downright strange... As On the Margin has long known, thanks to the odd after hours wrestling match outside the...

Beware of buying stolen diesel warn Northamptonshire police.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Northamptonshire police have urged operators to be on their guard against buying stolen diesel following a large number of diesel thefts in the Braybrook Road area. Kettering police say that almost 20 thefts have been reported in the past six...

Bosses share the guilt.(Melvyn Spree of Keymark Services jailed for manslaughter)
January 20, 2005... Plenty of operators encourage, or at least allow, their drivers to work long hours. Sometimes tired drivers are involved in fatal accidents. And sometimes the operator goes to jail too. Jennifer Ball investigates. Last month Kent haulage...

Bright forecasts for 2005 in the used truck market.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Dealers are hopeful as the New Year gets off to a vibrant start. But Glass's Guide warns, enjoy it while you can. Steve Banner reports. The used truck market is getting off to a flying start this year. "During the first six working days of...

Cab torched at night.(arsonist torched a truck)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Cambridge police are seeking an arsonist who torched a truck while the driver was asleep in the cab at 10.50pm on 12 January. The incident occurred on an industrial estate off of Stirling Way, Bretton in Peterborough. The driver was awoken by...

Checking the cost of road user charging.
January 20, 2005... The FTA is having the LRUC scrutinised - but says it is unlikely to withdraw its support. Dominic Perry and Jennifer Ball report. The government's plans for Lorry Road User Charging in 2008 will come under fresh scrutiny this week. The...

Consulting on Welsh speed.(speed limits for commercial vehicles under review)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Thank you for your letter referring to the "Pushing 50" campaign and calling for lifting of the speed limits for commercial vehicles on suitable de-restricted A roads. The Road Safety Division of the Department for Transport (DfT) has...

Control drivers' hours or face jail.(Keymark Services' director Melvyn Spree jailed)(police officer Andy Tennet's warning to operators)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Drivers are not solely to blame for fatal accidents and operators should face up to the "realistic" possibility of jail if they've encouraged their staff to work illegally. That's the warning from Northamptonshire police officer DI Andy Tennet,...

Driver blown off Foyle Bridge.(Truck driver killed)
January 20, 2005... Storms claim another driver as his truck plunges off the side of the Foyle Bridge -his family are asking how it can be made safer. Anton McCabe reports. Truck driver Peter McGuinness was killed in the storms of Tuesday 11 January when a...

Driver tied up, thieves clean up.(truck trailer containing Panasonic vacuum cleaners robbed)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Police are appealing for witnesses following a high-value robbery at Cherwell Valley Services, Oxfordshire on 12 January. At around 8.30pm a truck driver was on his way back from the service station when he was approached by a man who forced...

Essex driver charged [pounds sterling]700 had ; too little sleep and a blank tacho.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Failing to use a tachograph, knowingly making a false record and taking insufficient rest has cost Clacton-on-Sea driver Andrew Nightingale [pounds sterling]700 in fines and costs. Nightingale pleaded guilty to the offences before the Harlow...

FROM MINOR TO MAJOR.
January 20, 2005... In a macho industry like road transport it's tempting to make light of problems like backaches and fatigue. But that would be a big mistake because they can have devastating consequences. David Harris reports. Not all truck drivers'...

Flytippers banned.(truck drivers disqualified and fined for damping waste)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... A truck driver and his mate have been disqualified from driving for three months after being caught on CCTV fly tipping in Ruislip. David O'Gorman of Lady Margaret Road, Southall, and Peter O'Sullivan of Milton Road, Hanwell, were also fined...

IF IT AIN'T; BROKE...(British truck )
January 20, 2005... It's often said, and fairly, that the British truck industry isn't what it was - but in one small corner it still is. We check out the Foden Alpha. It doesn't seem long since the traditional British truck was still a significant force on...

If the price is right.(selling a business)
January 20, 2005... Selling a business requires careful planning, including choosing the right time to avoid paying tax early. Gary Morley outlines the options. Every operator must eventually stop work and if there is no reliable heir in the family, selling...

In safer hands?(Road Safety Bill)
January 20, 2005... As Jennifer Ball reports, the government's latest Road Safety Bill has been met with mixed reactions... For the first time in 40 years, the government is to overhaul its Road Safety Bill with measures designed to crack down on illegal...

Is our way of life dying?(reports of distrubution companies' departure was false)
January 20, 2005... At the beginning of last December it was announced that one of the highest profile haulage and distribution companies in this area was going to shut it's doors at the end of March. It's a very long standing company in it's own right and is also...

It's all about resourcefulness.
January 20, 2005... Peter Larner MD of Suckling Transport, heaps praise upon his biggest asset - his tanker drivers. This is the time of year for reflecting on the past and making resolutions for the future. In keeping with tradition, the management team at...

Law plus; Up and coming law with the FTA.(Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's upcoming laws)(Freight Transport Association of United Kingdom)
January 20, 2005... Future legislation Digital tachograph smart card fees: The DVLA is consulting on fees for the issue of digital tachograph smart cards to allow the DVLA and DVLNI full cost recovery (estimated at around [pounds sterling]72m for the years up to...

Licence lost for fly-tipping.(Muck It)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Ignorance is no excuse when it comes to good repute - and a plea of directors' ignorance certainly didn't impress the Transport Tribunal... The Transport Tribunal has upheld the revocation of the four-vehicle licence held by Harlow-based...

Magistrates order driver to pay [pounds sterling]400 in fines and costs for two tacho offences.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... A driver CLAIMED his falsified tachograph chart was due to pressure from his employer to meet delivery deadlines. But he was fined [pounds sterling]400 for two offences. Dudley Harris, of Penwortham, pleaded guilty to two offences of failing...

NR Evans suspended.(two-week licence suspension )(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Welsh operator NR Evans has escaped with a two-week licence suspension after some 845 offences were discovered. The Cross Hands-based firm has a licence for 83 vehicles and 86 trailers. Welsh Traffic Commissioner David Dixon acted after 60...

Now I'm a believer...
January 20, 2005... It wasn't until he took the keys of the 4x4 Tata Safari EX that Andrew Bell believed he had won the competition run by Tata and Commercial Motor. Workington, Cumbria-based Bell collected the top-of-the-range Tata, worth [pounds sterling]15,000...

Operator of 'unroadworthy' fleet ; hangs on to his licence... just.(Scottish Traffic )(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... A string of prohibitions has led to the temporary curtailment of a Scottish operator's licence, despite the company's decision to reduce its fleet and cease international work. However, the TC made it clear that the company's remedial actions...

Owner-driver fined for using hire vehicle.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... An owner-driver who failed to use a tachograph and drove an unauthorised vehicle has been ordered to pay [pounds sterling]450 in fines and costs. Ramsgate-based Nathan Fuller, trading as Fuller Freight, pleaded guilty to the offences before the...

Paperwork's safe and sound.(Automobile industry)(Lease and rental services)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Do you regularly lose vehicle documents? BCA may have the answer... British Car Auctions has moved into document storage to help leasing companies and major fleet operators save cash when the time comes to re-market their vehicles. The...

Police warning: Don't park where thieves are active.
January 20, 2005... AN operator wants to know why police sent him a warning letter about parking outside a truck stop in Northamptonshire. Own-account operator Dave Smart says one of his drivers has been parking in or just outside the Red Lion Truck Stop near...

Polish drivers earn their keep.(Surveys of drivers)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Drivers from the new EU member states who have taken jobs with UK hauliers are hard working, well trained and reliable, according to a survey by the Freight Transport Association. But despite positive reports from companies that have taken on...

Put the effort in to convince buyers, says dealer.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Proper preparation of late-year, low-mileage used trucks is essential if dealers want to attract and retain customers, says Lee Smith of Essex independent dealership Hanbury Riverside. And that includes thorough external and internal valeting...

Rumbling concern greets the New Year.(truck operators' survey)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Although our ground breaking survey shows healthy Christmas business, most operators are gearing up to tackle problems in 2005. Many operators had a good Christmas period with 30% reporting more business than last year, according to the...

Sofa thieves on the run.(trailer containing sofas stolen)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... A 40ft trailer filled with sofas worth thousands of pounds has been stolen from Hillington Industrial Estate in Glasgow. The vehicle, painted white with red trim, was taken between 7.30pm and 9.30pm on Wednesday following a break-in at the...

Subbies hit as another forwarder goes under.(Freight Speed UK stopped trading)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Freight Speed UK has hit difficulties and is struggling to assess how much it owes. David Harris reports. Derbyshire-based freight forwarder Freight Speed UK has ceased trading after hitting financial difficulties. Bill Cort, who runs the...