Commercial Motor articles from July 2008

Commercial Motor archives from July 2008

This Week.(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... n Two associated operators and 18 of their drivers were ordered to pay nearly [pounds sterling]27,000 in fines and costs for a series of drivers' hours offences. The penalties were handed down to Ruthin, Denbighshire-based LE Jones and LE Jones...

This Week.(Longmore Auto Repairs started supplying LEZ filters after A & I Peco stopped its production)(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... Supply fears grow for LEZ filters as maker closes its door A supplier of filters that enable trucks to comply with London's low-emission zone (LEZ) has gone into administration, fuelling fears of supply problems for operators wishing to...

This Week.(Macfarlane Transport Ltd has gone into administration with the loss of about 300 jobs. )(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... 'Large-scale redundancies inevitable' at Macfarlane Macfarlane Transport called in the administrators last week, blaming rising fuel costs and an increasingly competitive market. The Leeds-based haulier's 300 staff are likely to be made...

This Week.(Vosa increased annual test fees and O-licence costs its badly affeting for Truck drivers)(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... More pain for hauliers as Vosa ups test fees By Joanna Bourke Hauliers struggling to cope with soaring fuel costs face another financial kick in the teeth after Vosa increased annual test fees and O-licence costs. From 13 July,...

This Week.(Government finance to upgrade testing sites of The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency)(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... Vosa stays in public hands -and testing sites get [pounds sterling]28m By David Harris The threat of privatisation of some of the key functions of Vosa was lifted this week, as the Government revealed plans to invest [pounds...

This Week.(government subsidies to hauliers for improve the environmental performance of their vehicles)(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... EU States no longer need permission for green subsidies The European Commission has authorised the payment of national government subsidies to hauliers wanting to improve the environmental performance of their vehicles beyond standards...

This Week.(Road Haulage Association plan Lorry Road User Charge)(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... RHA slams Lib-Dems' plan for Lorry Road User Charge By Chris Tindall The Liberal Democrats have waded into the debate about resurrecting plans for a Lorry Road User Charge (LRUC), claiming its version would reduce vehicle emissions as...

This Week.
July 10, 2008... Truck driving is 'second-most sleep-deprived profession' By Joanna Bourke Lorry drivers are among the most sleep-deprived workers in the UK, because they are worried about the credit crunch. A poll of 4,000 British workers has...

This Week.(Tories propose fuel duty changes)(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... Industry is hostile towards Tories' proposed 'fair fuel stabiliser' Less than a week after MPs voted against the Scottish National Party (SNP) amendment to the Finance Bill, which would have allowed the Government to introduce a fuel duty...

This Week.(Citroen, has revised its C2 Enterprise 1.4Hdi van)(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... CitroA'n C2 Enterprise HDI gets a facelift - for no extra cash CitroA'n's relentless product replacement cycle continues with a facelift for the smallest van in its portfolio, the C2 Enterprise HDI. The front-end styling gets a makeover,...

This Week.(Decision of the Traffic Commisoner on M8 Scotland Ltd )(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... By David Harris A haulage company which had been dissolved by Companies House in 2005 continued to operate because the director did not realise it had been dissolved, a public inquiry heard last week (25 June). Scottish Traffic...

This Week.(Ferry group LD new passenger service between the Port of Dover and the Port of Boulogne)(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... Ferry group LD Lines will run a new freight and passenger service between the Port of Dover and the Port of Boulogne. It starts on 1 July 2009 and is expected to carry 120,000 lorries in the first year. There will be four daily return journeys....

This Week.
July 10, 2008... Turner buys into manufacturer Diesel engineering company Turner & Co (Glasgow) has entered the UK road tanker manufacturing and leasing sectors, having bought Leeds-based TCL Transport Engineers plus its leasing and rental offshoot,...

This Week.
July 10, 2008... Let battle commence Hauliers are subbing out work to foreign drivers in a frantic attempt to compete and make money. But is it a solution to an unlevel playing field? Words: Chris Tindall UK operators are increasingly relying on...

This Week.(websites publishing figures of CO2 emission affecting van industry's market)
July 10, 2008... Facts and figures The van industry is in uproar regarding the publishing of emissions data from the makers, but a solution may be on the horizon Words: Julian Milnes In the past few weeks, the van fleet world has made known its...

This Week.(Road Haulage Association and National Farmers Union to get together and solve the parking problem)(Development Studies Association Conference approved for periodic training)
July 10, 2008... Farmers and hauliers can solve the parking problem The problemS of finding somewhere to park up at night is getting worse and worse. There are far too few sites around, and often when they are available, they're too costly. Using...

Operations.(Eric Carnaby and Son in South Killingholme, North Lincolnshire by Eric Carnaby)(Company overview)
July 10, 2008... While plant transport has become more of a mainstream activity following the increase in permissible gross weights up to 44 tonnes within the Construction & Use Regulations, heavy haulage has, to a large extent, remained the preserve of...

Operations.(Spraydown design Vehicle Spray Suppression)
July 10, 2008... In a flap Savvy operators are looking at all areas to improve fuel economy, and that includes mudflaps. The Spraydown mudflap design could be what companies are looking for. With the current fuel situation, switched-on operators need...

Keeping upthe pressure.(Operations)(Tyresure and Pressure Pro offered Tyre Pressure Monitoring System)
July 10, 2008... Making sure your tyres are at optimum pressure can reduce fuel consumption and increase tyre life. We look at the technology available to keep your rubber rolling. Words: Julian Milnes Ever wondered what pouring money down the drain...

Legal.(cases of Nigel Sargeant V Saint-Gobain Building Distribution)
July 10, 2008... Accidents can happen An average of five UK transport workers a day are hurt through falls from vehicles. Drivers need to be careful. Here are the facts. Words: Guy Sheppard How dangerous is working at height in road transport? The...

Legal.(Court of the transport tribunal ruled in favour of a Trucking)(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... The Transport Tribunal has ruled in favour of a firm that claimed its truck was operating without an O-licence because it was a recovery vehicle. It overturned a decision by West Midland Traffic Commissioner Nick Jones to refuse to return...

Legal.(Flex Direct Ltd.'s liquidation )(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... An operator driven into liquidation by bad debts and rising fuel prices surrendered its licence to North Western Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell. In accepting the surrender, Bell said it was a sad day for the company, Manchester-based...

Legal.(licence revoked)
July 10, 2008... Firm unfit to operate a vehicle has its licence revoked and partners disqualified A Derbyshire skip operator that ran its single vehicle "very badly and perhaps unsafely" has had its licence revoked. The three partners in the company...

Legal.(top 10 tips for make sure your cash is flowing in the right direction)
July 10, 2008... Collector's corner Don't leave debt collecting to chance. Our top 10 tips set out the best way to make sure your cash is flowing in the right direction. Words: Cheryl O'Brien Cashflow is vital to a business, regardless of its size,...

Legal.
July 10, 2008... CM-10JULY08-PANEL QUOTES-PC CREDIT TIPS - How to get the cash in and tackle slow payers see page??? BANNED DRIVERS - Ireland and UK agree there's no hiding place for banned drivers see page??? RISK ASSESSMENT - How...

Operations.
July 10, 2008... For a commercial vehicle to truly work, it needs to have a selling point. Some are lucky enough to hit all the bases, others hit only the one - targeting buyers with a specific requirement or reason for purchasing. For instance, a CV may...

This Week.(GTE Transport Ltd pay fined for overloading vehicle)(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... GTE Transport fined for overloading offences A haulage company based in Telford, Shropshire, has been fined a total of [pounds sterling]4,700 after pleading guilty to overloading a vehicle on two occasions. GTE Transport of Horsehay...

This Week.(Influence of financial crises on contract logistics business )(Report)(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... Economic slump fails to slow logistics growth By Joanna Bourke The UK logistics industry has defied the credit crunch by growing 10.5% - but darker days are anticipated. A report by Transport Intelligence (Ti), Global Contract...

This Week.
July 10, 2008... Congratulations are offered to the winner of our Autodata competition, which was run in CM 5 June. The Autodata TruckInfo1 CD, complete with a year's subscription to the service, will soon be on its way to lucky Gordon Hay of Sandiacre,...

This Week.(G&T Events )(Exibition of tanker industry )(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... Tanker makers get their own dedicated show G&T Events, the company behind the recent Tip-Ex tipper show, is turning its attention to the tanker sector with the launch of a new exhibition later this year. Tank-Ex will take place at Donington...

This Week.(Truck Net UK's driver website)(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... Truck Net UK community manager Rikki Chequer rounds up the latest happenings on the busy driver website. Names such as Eddie Stobart, Phillips of Seahouses, TNT, Duncan Adams, Curries and Europa are well known and regularly seen on our...

This Week.(Siemens VDO has improvement in the digital tachograph DTCO 1381)
July 10, 2008... VDO digitach upgrade helps resolve mode switch errors By Bert Roozendaal VDO has quietly implemented some significant improvements to its DTCO 1381 digital tachograph. These include a major update to the firmware the ability to...

This Week.
July 10, 2008... MPs reject fuel regulator despite hauliers' protests Chris Flynn (left), MD at Rochdale-based CFT Services, said the industry needed some sort of essential user rebate to keep operating and give a level playing field with the rest of...

This Week.(Freight Transport Association's issued penalty charge notices )(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... London PCNs soar to an all-time high By Chris Tindall DESPITE THE FACT that Westminster City Council has issued some 50% fewer parking tickets to HGVs in the first half of the year, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) still says...

This Week.
July 10, 2008... HGV driver Lucy Radley explains that drivers do like to socialise - but only when it's on their own terms It's understandable that those on the outside wonder why, as ours is a solitary job which attracts loners, drivers spend so much time...

This Week.(Tanfield Group's share price fall)(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... Share price slump at Smith Electric's parent company The Tanfield Group, parent company of Smith Electric Vehicles, has seen its share price fall dramatically in the wake of a major profit warning. In a statement, the company cites a...

This Week.(fuel card industry marketing its fuel card)
July 10, 2008... Most hauliers will use fuel cards these days, but here at CM, we often get calls from operators complaining about the prices they are paying per litre if they are using this method. So we caught up with Jakes de Kock, marketing director at...

Used Trucks.(Iveco's UK customer services director, Bob Lowden)
July 10, 2008... Lining up the ducks Responsibility for making sure Iveco's aftermarket infrastructure can cope with firm's extra push falls to Bob Lowden, director of customer service. Words: Kevin Swallow/ Images: Tom Cunningham The...

This Week.(Biodiesel will come into effect in 2013/14)(Teleroute has launched 'Payment Insurance')(Brief article)
July 10, 2008... The Government is considering slowing down the rate of increase in the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation so that the requirement to supply 5% of road vehicle fuel from biodiesel will come into effect in 2013/14 rather than 2010/11, after a...

This Week.(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... n Triangle Trading of Birmingham has been awarded a licence for two vehicles and three trailers after an investigation proved it was not a phoenix company. West Midland Traffic Commisioner Nick Jones was satsified that the company was a...

This Week.(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... Go-slow lorry plan for Leicestershire village Trucks MIGHT have to drive through a Leicestershire village at 20mph if the Department for Transport (DfT) allows the county council to test the scheme. The B4114 runs through the village...

This Week.(Maut toll system)(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... Maut toll hike gets German hauliers out on the streets Germany has had its first protest against rising fuel costs and the planned increase in the Maut toll system. Around 100 people took part in the demonstration on Monday (14 July)...

This Week.
July 17, 2008... Schmitz: more trailers, better money By David Harris Trailer-MAKER Schmitz Cargobull cut its losses and nearly doubled its UK turnover in the latest financial year, after changing its pricing stratgey and charging more per trailer. ...

This Week.
July 17, 2008... EC gunning for noisy, dirty truck operators By Patric Cunnane The European Commission has proposed charging truck operators for noise, congestion and air pollution caused by their lorries. The rule, due to come into force in 2011,...

This Week.(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... Foreign HGV numbers increase by a third Confirming what drivers on the road already know, research has shown one in seven trucks in the country is foreign. Figures from the insurance provider LV= reveal that the number of Continental...

This Week.(congestion charge zone )
July 17, 2008... By Roanna Avison The proposal to charge HGVs the same as cars to enter the Manchester congestion charge zone has been met with derision in the industry. Local hauliers say the levy is just another tax on what is an already struggling...

This Week.
July 17, 2008... Drivers who cause death by careless driving could face five years in prison under a new driving offence announced by the Government. The change has been tabled as an amendment to the Road Safety Bill. Four months after the close of court...

This Week.(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... EC pledges border truckstop funding THE EUROPEAN Commission is to spend g3.5m on setting up secure truckstops for hauliers having to wait at the frontier between the European Union (EU) and Russia. Due to lengthy delays in cargo...

This Week.
July 17, 2008... Stobart Air's wings clipped after Government inquiry call By Chris Tindall Bosses at Stobart Air say they are mystified as to why the Government has 'called in' its planning application to Cumbria County Council to develop Carlisle...

This Week.
July 17, 2008... FedEx tests Iveco hybrids Iveco has delivered 10 diesel-electric hybrid daily vans to FedEx Express for trial routes between Milan and Turin. Iveco anticipates that the hybrid daily's features, such as launching in electric mode and...

This Week.
July 17, 2008... Few hauliers convinced by benefits of daytime lights By Joanna Bourke Bemused hauliers remain unconvinced that dedicated daytime lights have the potential to reduce the number of road deaths. If the European Commission succeeds in...

This Week.(testing of truck engines by Volvo AB)(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... A prototype Volvo truck with a 13-litre engine that runs on the alternative fuel dimethylether (DME) is to be tested by a number of companies on public roads in Sweden next year. Volvo wants to put 14 of the new truck engines through their...

This Week.(Elddis Transport's drops and pre-tax profits for 2007)(Financial report)
July 17, 2008... Durham haulier Elddis Transport saw drops in turnover and pre-tax profits for 2007, according to the latest figures from Companies House. The Consett-based business, which operates more than 350 vehicles and trailers, reported a drop in...

This Week.(Wincanton Logistics Ltd. hosted Driver of the Year award ceremony )(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... Wincanton hosted its third Driver of the Year award ceremony at Rockingham Speedway, Northants. Brian Bayes won the title for large goods vehicle driver, and the forklift driver award went to Vladimir Dzubina. In our story 'RPC not...

This Week.(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... Going green and business efficiency will go together By Roger Brown The BOSS OF a leading transport company has told the industry that environmental awareness and business efficiency can go "hand in hand". The managing director of...

This Week.
July 17, 2008... EUROPE Opportunity for sheep hauliers By Louse Cole Livestock hauliers might find a lucrative business opportunity on the back of an EU directive to record all sheep movements in the UK, says the National Farmers Union (NFU). ...

This Week.(Smiths Pallets)(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... Vandals caused [pounds sterling]116,000 of damage in a "mindless attack" on a haulier's premises, only eight months after the site had been subjected to an arson assault. On 3 July, Somercotes-based Smiths Pallets was targeted by vandals,...

This Week.(Business Post Group PLC predicts further growth)(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... Business Post Group predicts more growth The Business Post Group has seen its revenues rise 16% in the three months to 30 June - and predicts further growth. In a statement to the City, chairman Peter Kane notes that parcel turnover...

This Week.
July 17, 2008... Timber hauliers to lobby Government for red diesel By Chris Tindall The Road Haulage Association (RHA) intends to lobby the Government to allow timber hauliers to use red diesel while they're loading wood in forests - or the sector...

This Week.(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... Rikki Chequer TruckNet UK's community manager ponders some inexplicable jobs and the ECTC's role Over the years, drivers have been given jobs that might have made sense to someone, but certainly not the drivers themselves. They're coming...

This Week.(protests from hauliers)(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... Wyn Jones takes up fuel cause Following protests from hauliers in the region, Welsh Transport Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones has written to the Treasury pointing out the pressures faced by the road transport industry because of rising fuel...

This Week.(ZF Friedrichshafen AG unveils hybrid products at IAA Hannover Truck Show)(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... ZF to go creative at IAA Innovations is the theme of ZF's stand at the giant IAA Hannover Truck Show in September. By the beginning of next year, ZF will be the transmission of choice across the Iveco Eurocargo line-up, and it will...

This Week.
July 17, 2008... 20 Analysis xcxcxcxxcxcxcx 21 Letters 22 Interview Using biofuels was one solution put forward to safeguard the environment. But it isn't just a case of switching what you put in at the pumps. We look at the implications of...

Operations.
July 17, 2008... Introduced 12 years ago, taxation on landfill-dumped waste was meant to signal a change in direction for UK plc and the waste it generates. Even Joe Public agreed that dumping waste en masse was not the way forward. The price of waste was...

This Week.
July 17, 2008... "Wincanton is further along with demonstrating multimodal capabilites, Stobart Group is going along the same lines, but perhaps not in terms of European expansion" Taking stock Wincanton and Stobart Group have grown a great deal in the...

This Week.
July 17, 2008... Knight of the road The Transport Research Laboratory undertakes crucial safety and efficiency investigations for government and industry alike. We talk to Iain Knight, one of its leading lights on vehicle safety. If you've ever...

This Week.
July 17, 2008... Cyclists need to adopt a duty-of-care, not just truck drivers I read with interest the article with regards the Norwich Union interest in blindspot mirrors. Your article on blindspot mirrors and cyclists (CM, May 8) is valid as far as...

Keeping pace with demand at GRP.(Used Trucks)(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... In the space of just six months, GRP Group has turned its brand new used refrigerated vehicle business into a major operation. Used vehicle sales at refrigerated bodybuilder GRP Group have grown so much that it is having to locate and...

Operations.
July 17, 2008... In the current climate of spiralling fuel costs, every operator is looking to maximise savings. So, encouraged by a mixture of fact and typically sensational tabloid press coverage, many have considered biofuels to be the answer to their...

Operations.
July 17, 2008... Rather than the centrally based driving event that normally accompanies the launch of a new truck, Mercedes-Benz arranged a rather more linear outing for its latest Actros. The drive comprised a convoy travelling in 11 stages from Tallin in...

Legal.(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... Lancashire international haulier John Cowie faces action against his O-licence after allegations he misled Beverley Bell, the North Western Traffic Commissioner. Cowie holds a licence for five vehicles and two trailers trading as Cowie...

Legal.(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... A failure by Dutch haulier Jan de Rijk Transport to have proper procedures for disciplining staff has led to the company having to pay former operations manager Charlie Sandhu [pounds sterling]26,000. Sandhu had been employed as the...

Legal.(Mills Contractors Ltd.)(Brief article)
July 17, 2008... A Scottish operator, granted authority for an additional six vehicles has, at the same time, been warned about its poor maintenance standards. Perth-based Mills Contractors had applied to Scottish Traffic Commissioner Joan Aitken to...

Legal.
July 17, 2008... A FURNITURE company operated for more than six years without an O-licence because it believed it was running a showman's vehicle. Its bid for an O-licence has been adjourned to allow evidence from the traffic examiner, who took statements...

Legal.
July 17, 2008... "The haulier cannot take waste and dump it and blame the person who gave it to him. The person who owns it is the holder of the waste" A spell in jail or a [euro]1m fine will concentrate the mind of any waste contractor contemplating...

Legal.
July 17, 2008... CM-17JULY08-LEG CONTENTS-PC 28 CASE OF THE WEEK: 29 CASE STUDIES: 34 DUMPING ON FLY TIPPERS: 32 THE PAIN GOES ON: A 36 LAWPLUS: 28 Case of the week Not a 'phoenix': A company is awarded a full licence after...

Legal.
July 17, 2008... A Birmingham-based firm that was under investigation into its connection with a failed operation and its associate has been granted a full licence after proving that it was not a phoenix company. At an earlier public inquiry, Triangle...

Legal.
July 17, 2008... Tried of Owner-driver Alex Stewart was injured in an accident three years ago yet his claim has still not been settled. Why has it taken so long and is this typical of such claims? Words: Mike Sherrington Alex Stewart, 67, is an...

Operations.(Aixam Mega's Modec truck )
July 17, 2008... MODEC AIXAM STEVENS ELECTRIC au[sup.2] Once the Mega is charged it has a range of 60 miles and compares well with an equivalent diesel vehicle in terms of running costs Cost per mile in terms of energy compared to equivalent...

Operations.
July 17, 2008... Smith Electric Vehicles Newton Edison [BOX] Ampere At first, you may wonder why this van is included in a feature on electric vans. It looks like a standard Transit, it sounds like a standard Transit - and, to all...

This Week.(Brief article)
July 24, 2008... n A recovery operator has had its licence cut from 25 vehicles to 10 after one of its trailers was prohibited at the scene of a fatal accident. The Derbyshire-based firm, Glossop Motors had also been operating a skip-hire business without an...

This Week.(Brief article)
July 24, 2008... RHA meets Treasury to discuss widening fuel prices and 'levelling the playing field' Just hours after the Government unveiled its decision to postpone the 2p/lit fuel duty rise, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) met with the Treasury...

This Week.(Brief article)
July 24, 2008... Assess foreign firms before using them Hauliers tempted to contract work out to foreign companies under cabotage rules are being warned to carry out risk assessments first, in order to avoid enormous insurance costs following an accident....

This Week.(Brief article)
July 24, 2008... Fuel duty freeze doesn't go far enough By Joanna Bourke In light of the economic climate and the credit crunch starting to bite, the Government has postponed the planned 2p/lit increase in fuel duty - but the industry insists that is...