Commercial Motor articles from March 2004

Commercial Motor archives from March 2004

More power for Foden/ERF.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... Exclusive! Foden and ERF buyers are to be offered uprated versions of Caterpillar and Cummins engines. The American engine rivals are expected to replace their unit-injector and HEUI fuel systems with European-style common-rail injection in...

We're only a quarter...(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... THE UK'S international hauliers are continuing to be squeezed out of the market by foreign competitors according to the latest government figures - only one in four trucks crossing to the Continent is UK-registered. The total number of trucks...

FTA threatens EC over digital tacho date.(Freight Transport Association)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... THE FREIGHT Transport Association has threatened to sue the European Commission for the costs incurred by the delayed launch of digital tachographs if it fails to outline a new timetable for their introduction. The FTA's lawyer, Mark Clough QC,...

Subbies ditch Hanson over cut.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... HANSON is facing a mountain of uncompleted work after 50 subcontractors at its Aberdare site in South Wales walked out over rate cuts. Six have already had their contracts terminated after refusing to work following the aggregates company's...

HARD SHOULDER.(Freight Transport Association)
March 4, 2004... BLESSED BE THE POOR Our man in black visits the FTA Freight Summit and watches and listens, carefully, astutely, but mostly with a sinking heart... The desire to see at first hand what was being proposed by the boffins at the FTA and...

Row over unspent cash in modernisation fund.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... THE GOVERNMENT is threatening to sour its hard-won relationship with the industry by refusing to say if it will roll-over some [pounds sterling]50m in unspent funding. With just over three weeks of the Road Haulage Modernisation Fund left,...

Police aim to boost truck crime team.
March 4, 2004... The detective who runs TruckPol plans to expand his specialist team of trucking crimefighters. Guy Sheppard reports. THE UK'S ONLY TEAM of police officers dedicated to fighting truck crime could double in size as part of a new...

Volvo sheds the pounds in niches.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2004... JOINING THE current craze for dieting, Volvo is developing a range of weight-saving trucks for niche applications. Lightweight 6x2 tractors for liquid and powder tanker operations are on the way - with full-sized wheels on all axles, the...

Trucks! just Keep moving along.
March 18, 2004... If you want to deliver to Tottenham Court Road you have to break the law. Deliveries are banned between 8.30am and 10pm, and there's no-one in shops out of hours, so the companies who keep these firms stocked with goods do so despite a daily...

Inventors' corner.
March 18, 2004... CM has been checking out two new products which have the potential to save life, limb - and money. A new invention from South Africa promises to remove the risks associated with clambering between cab and trailer to connect air lines....

Enigma variations.
March 18, 2004... Iveco's new CEO, Jose Maria Alapont, joined the Italian truck builder with a formidable reputation - Andy Salter assesses his prospects. As a global player in the truck business Iveco is, to put it mildly, something of an enigma. Here is a...

Free legal advice at CV show.
March 18, 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...

Danger man.
March 18, 2004... Operators who handle hazardous goods are legally required to appoint Dangerous Goods Safety Advisers. But do they do? Pat Hagan tells you the 10 things you need to know. There's a lot of red tape surrounding the transport of dangerous...

All's fair in Wear and Tear.(British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association )(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... When a contract deal comes to an end there's the risk of a dispute over the vehicle's condition - unless you use the new BVRLA guide. The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association will be launching two Fair Wear and Tear guides at the...

The precious, the rare and the lesser spotted.
March 18, 2004... Our Glass's Guide editor talks us through the vehicles which are holding their own - and some which are doing far better than that. Used CV sales are being boosted by the demand for new housing with panel and chassis-cab vans at the top of...

Trainers voice anger over cancelled tests.(BEDFORDSHIRE HGV training school)(Driving Standards Agency)(Public and Commercial Services union)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... Driving examiners' work to rule causes havoc for HGV driver training centres. Jennifer Ball reports. A BEDFORDSHIRE HGV training school has slammed the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) for failing to cope with industrial action, which has...

BAA welcomes tax talk.(British Aggregates Association)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... The British Aggregates Association (BAA) has welcomed a government report which questions how well the aggregates levy is working in Northern Ireland. The association believes the government will now try to change the tax in Northern Ireland...

Armed gang to appeal.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... A gang of men who kidnapped a truck driver at gunpoint and stole his load of computer equipment worth more than [pounds sterling]170,000 have been granted leave to appeal against their convictions. Last June, nine men were jailed for a total of...

Dealers call for brake testing investigation.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... Ministry brake testing is unreliable, says the Retail Motor Industry Federation. Guy Sheppard reports. Truck dealers are calling for a thorough investigation of government brake testing equipment following a spate of MoT test failures when...

One fatality is one too many.
March 18, 2004... Brian Weatherley welcomes the falling number of fatalities each year on Britain's roads. But how can we reduce the numbers even further? When you look at road accident statistics what do you see? It's a sad but inescapable fact that...

Tragedy as driver is crushed by HGVs.( )(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... A truck driver has been crushed to death between two vehicles at a haulage yard in Lancashire. Jeffery Davies, 56, from Preston is believed to have been coupling his tractor to a trailer when the incident occurred at around 7pm on 5 March at...

Deadline looms for Motor Transport awards.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... Are you a top truck dealer? Then prove it by entering the Dealer of the Year category of the Motor Transport Awards - but you'll have to hurry as entries close on 31 March. This year, Commercial Motor is sponsoring the Dealer of the Year...

Trucks lose out on green funds.(Environmental Industries Commission)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... Capping green grants is a mistake, says the EIC. Jennifer Ball reports. The Environmental Industries Commission (EIC) has slammed the government's cap on green truck grants, claiming it will jeopardise the UK's obligations to meet EU air...

Zero defence for drivers, says court.
March 18, 2004... European justice says drivers are responsible for any contraband found in their trucks. Keith Nuthall and Jennifer Ball report. Truck drivers caught with illegal goods in their trucks will be held responsible, even if they are demonstrably...

Subbie applies for bankruptcy order.( Howards International Transport)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... A Yorkshire subbie is trying to get a bankruptcy order against a local haulier which she claims owes her [pounds sterling]4,000 for work dating back to last March, despite repeated promises of payment. Jayne Howard, from Lissett-based Howards...

Linq consortium wins first contract.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... Haulier consortium Linq Alliance looks likely to unveil its first contract within the next few weeks, according to chief executive Chris Sturman. Although declining to give full details, Sturman indicated that the contract would initially...

MEL denies plans to cut M6 lorry toll.(Midland Expressway)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... M6 Toll operator Midland Expressway (MEL) has denied recent press reports that it plans to slash the [pounds sterling]10 toll for trucks to encourage more hauliers to use the road. Its rebuttal comes amid speculation that commercial vehicles...

MAN looks to take on van sales.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... MAN is on the verge of agreeing a deal which could see its European dealer network selling and servicing vans alongside trucks. MAN sales and marketing boss Fred van Putten confirmed to Commercial Motor that the truck builder was in...

IN THE NEWS.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... Stuart Thomas gives us his regular round-up of the way the newspapers have covered the world of transport this week. This is the road to hell, crooned gravel-voiced Chris Rea - England's answer to Nostradamus - back in 1989. And thanks to...

Hanson subbies return to work.(Hanson)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... Up to 50 Hanson subcontractors in south Wales have returned to work after the aggregates company agreed to review the reduced pay rates it imposed earlier this month. Drivers staged a mass walkout after the company slashed rates on load and...

Before they pass away...
March 18, 2004... MAN's F2000 tractor has been a faithful servant but its time is almost over. It's being exported en masse and the incumbent TGA is in full flow on the used market. We look at one of the last F2000s off the line. Earlier in the year MAN ERF...

Bell rings licence changes for firms hit by 9/11 attack.
March 18, 2004... A new haulier has been granted an interim licence to carry on the work of two companies that have closed down. Mike Jewell reports. North-Western Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell revoked the licence of Gallagher Transport Services and...

Disgracefully lenient.(Letter to the Editor)
March 18, 2004... I'm writing in response to the disgracefully lenient penalty levied on an Italian truck driver following a crash on the M11. The driver had failed to take both weekly and daily rests and yet was fined only [pounds sterling]200. It would appear...

MARCH 2004.(Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders)( sales of light vans in an upward trend)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... We bring you the figures that matter, and this month we look at sales figures as an indicator of economic growth... February Sales The SMMT says sales of light vans (up to 1.8 tonnes GVW) were up 6.9% in February, continuing an upward trend...

From profit ; to problems.
March 18, 2004... Brian Lee's haulage firm was doing really well - then his three biggest customers' problems suddenly became his problems On 23 March 1963 Ruby and the Romantics reached number 38 in the hit parade with the song Our Day Will Come. Not a lot...

Golden ; opportunity.
March 18, 2004... Christopher Macgowan, boss of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, claims to have his dream job. Jennifer Ball reports. Christopher Macgowan thrives under pressure, he says. Which is a probably just as well because he never knows...

It pays to specialise.(RD Anderson Haulage )
March 18, 2004... We last visited Edinburgh-based RD Anderson Haulage exactly five years ago. At that time the firm ran 48 trucks, and it still does. "Everyone of them is a rigid," reports transport manager Bob Geddes. "They consist of flats, tippers, and Brimec...

Magistrates grant conditional discharge for overloading.(Gates & Co )(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... Buckingham-based Gates & Co escaped with a conditional discharge for 12 months and an order to pay [pounds sterling]50 costs after it pleaded guilty to a 17.7% overload before the Oxford magistrates. Prosecuting for Oxfordshire Trading...

No tax and unlicensed driver cost [pounds sterling]700.(Chequers Lane Site Services)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... Using a vehicle without an excise licence and allowing it to be driven by an unqualified driver cost a London company [pounds sterling]700 in fines, costs and back duty. Chequers Lane Site Services, of Eton House, Chequers Lane, Dagenham, Essex...

Social law, not safety law.(Letter to the Editor)
March 18, 2004... In last week's Commercial Motor (11 March), Barry Proctor challenged the road safety credentials of the Freight Transport Association because it does not support the universal application of the Working Time Directive to multi-client self-...

TC adjourns case pending depot checks.(Traffic Commissioner)
March 18, 2004... Consideration of disciplinary action against the North-Western Area O-licence held by Pilkington UK has been adjourned because Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell requires maintenance investigations to be carried out at all the company's depots...

We can't pick and choose.(Letter to the Editor)
March 18, 2004... WHILE DRIVERS CONTINUE to flout laws we don't agree with we are effectively hiding the absurdities of those laws by ignoring them. For example, we are well within our rights to complain about the absurdities of speed limits that were set years...

Wheel-loss operator loses O-licence for three weeks.(Cardiff company )(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... A Cardiff company has had its licence suspended for three weeks after one of its vehicles was involved in a wheel-loss incident. Its vehicles also have to pass fresh annual tests before going back on the road. Fisher Containers & Pallet had...

Residential detour.(Bedfordshire Haulier)(Mill Transport)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... A Bedfordshire haulier at the centre of a row over night-time deliveries claims he is being victimised by more than 100 protesting villagers. Mill Transport is accused of keeping residents awake at night because its trucks use a notoriously...

Animal route under threat.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... A battle is on to close the Rosslare-Cherbourg route to live animals for slaughter. But where will that leave Irish farmers? David Harris reports. P&O ferry firm Pandoro is considering whether to stop carrying livestock for slaughter on...

Toome bypass cuts journey times.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... Northern Ireland Office Regional Development Minister John Spellar officially opens the [pounds sterling]18m Toome bypass, from the 99m Toome Bridge in County Antrim. The new 3.5km dual carriageway and bridge will help motorists bypass the...

Fifty jobs lost after takeover.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... Nearly 50 drivers are losing their jobs in a shake-up of catalogue shopping group Shop Direct. The company, whose brands include Kays and Great Universal, is closing its Leeds distribution centre just weeks after the government approved its...

M4 to trial use of hard shoulder.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... A busy stretch of the M4 is to open up the hard shoulder to traffic in an effort to ease congestion in Wales. The 12-month pilot scheme will see all four lanes of a 1.5-mile stretch of motorway on the eastbound carriageway between junctions 33...

Uncertainty over Dutch operator.(Stok Continental Services)(Whitefriar International)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... There was uncertainty this week over the fate of Dutch operator Stok Continental Services - with some reports suggesting it had ceased trading. CM tried to contact the firm unsuccessfully about its alleged lack of payment to Canterbury-based...

BRUM BRUM!
March 18, 2004... With nigh on 500 exhibitors packed into Birmingham's NEC for this year's CV Show you'll be hard-pressed to check out more than a fraction of the goodies on display. No problem: use our guide to work out your route round the halls and make...

EU can't make a smart move.
March 18, 2004... The EU refuses to revise the starting date for smart-card tachos, leaving us with just a "gentlemen's agreement". Dominic Perry reports. The European Commission has been accused of yet more bungling over the already farcical non-appearance...

German government extends toll deadline.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... Toll Collect will continue building the LKW-Maut truck toll scheme on Germany's motorways, having agreed to have the controversial system up and running by next year. Following talks with the German government Toll Collect has promised to have...

Irish drivers boycott M1 toll.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... Irish truck drivers say they will continue to boycott a toll station on the northbound M1 motorway at Drogheda despite pressure from the local council. The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) says hauliers are using the N2 route through the...

TNT calls for delivery ban.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... TNT Express has called on operators to join its fight against a daytime delivery ban on London's Tottenham Court Road. It says that waiting and loading restrictions, which ban deliveries between 8.30 am and 10pm Monday to Saturday, are...

EU influx sees penalty void.(Brief Article)
March 18, 2004... The DfT has no plans to deal with drivers from the 10 new EU states. Chris Tindall reports. The Department for Transport admits it has no plans to introduce fixed penalties and deposits for offending foreign drivers before 10 new member...

Does the public want what the public gets?
March 25, 2004... CM's views on the new products on show are all well and good - but it's the buyers who decide success. We've been asking their views. Seddon Atkinson The big 'A' has got a new breath of fresh air with the introduction of the R5 Strato...

visitors should pay their way.(Lorry Road User Charging)
March 25, 2004... Free for all - but a lot better for some than others. That's really the sum total of Gordon Brown's decision to delay introducing Lorry Road User Charging (LRUC) until 2008. Yes, it needs a realistic timetable. Yes, the technology needs to...

Speed camera under suspicion.(United Road Transport Union)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... Guy Sheppard reports on a truck clocked travelling at an impossible speed. A union leader is questioning the reliability of speed cameras after a member claimed he was recorded driving a truck at a physically impossible speed. Malcolm...

In celebration of short queues...(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... Oliver Dixon reflects on the space and elbow room at a show which seems more successful than ever, yet has fewer visitors... S'odd, you know. It's possible to park a car at the Metropole Hotel next door to the NEC and the attendant beanfest...

Young blood.
March 25, 2004... An imaginative scheme may give operators a route to find the transport managers or engineers of the future. Patric Cunnane reports. It may be one of the best-kept secrets in the training world: a scheme called Year in Industry has 500...

The noose tightens.(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... As manufacturers take greater control over their returning models, independent dealers are finding it harder to get fresh stock. As manufacturers take more control of their used vehicle fleets, it is having a significant effect on what...

Buyers need more light...(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... Vans are running hard in the used sales figures, with almost three to every one new LCV sold. Trade in the van sector continued its steady growth, according to figures published for transactions in 2003 released by the Society of Motor...

Manheim sells a grand 80% of stock.
March 25, 2004... A host of vehicles from ex-rental and leasing deals went through the Manheim showroom last week with 78% of them finding new homes. Manheim Auctions in Leeds last week saw most of the stock on offer sourced direct from its regular...

Landmark 36% pay rise for Biffa drivers.(Working Time Directive)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... More than 900 waste collection drivers are being offered a 36% increase in hourly pay to protect earnings when the 48-hour working week is introduced next year. Maurice Britton, the union leader who negotiated the rise with Biffa Waste...

Councillor calls for bridge boycott.(Hicks Logistics)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... Hauliers are being asked to boycott the Severn Bridges later this year as part of a campaign to scrap tolls. The idea is the brainchild of Neath councillor John Warman who says the [pounds sterling]13.90 charge for trucks is a strong...

Road charging slips right back to 2008.(Lorry Road User Charge, Freight Transport Association)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... Chancellor Gordon Brown has been praised and condemned in equal measure for delaying the introduction of the Lorry Road User Charge, after announcing in his Budget speech it will now start in 2008. The Freight Transport Associa-tion's chief...

Boss lied after fatal accident.(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... A firm falsified inspection sheets to protect itself after a collision in which a woman died. Chris Tindall reports The owner of a car transporter firm admitted falsifying inspection sheets following a fatal collision with a 78-year-old...

Oops, chocs away!(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... Police are hunting two conmen who tricked a driver into stopping before stealing his truck and [pounds sterling]80,000 load of Cadbury's Roses chocolates. The incident happened at around 6am last Thursday (18 March). The driver from...

Man killed in toxic chemical crash.(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... Emergency services battled to deal with toxic chemicals scattered across the A1 near Catterick, North Yorkshire, after an artic crossed the central reservation on Friday 19 March and ploughed into a truck travelling in the opposite direction....

Citro'n one-stop-shop is ready to run.(Citron)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... A KEENLY priced one-stop-shop for operators is the basis of the 'Ready To Run' programme kicked off in Birmingham by Citron. The manufacturer believes it will increase market share in the chassis cab market by offering standard body...

Jack-knife verdict; of unlawful killing.(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... A CORONER has recorded a verdict of unlawful killing after hearing how a truck with defective brakes jack-knifed across a dual carriageway and killed a motorist. North Derbyshire coroner Tom Kelly said the operators of the truck, A&J Transport,...

New Cummins power.(engines)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... Cummins has taken the wraps off two 'new' engines at the CV Show, an updated version of its ISL engine and a gas version of the same, but is still awaiting orders. Although, the new ISLe Plus gets a host of improvements compared to the...

Boffin blasts truck charging.(Lorry Road User Charge, Frieght Transport Association)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... LRUC is too complicated and too costly to run, says researcher. By Andy Salter. Leading transport and logistics academic Professor Alan McKinnon has launched a blistering attack on the government's proposed Lorry Road User Charge (LRUC),...

Charity anger over sentence.(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... A road safety charity has attacked a judge's decision not to jail a truck driver who caused the death of a retired church minister's wife. Richard Bachelor admitted dangerous driving at Southampton Crown Court in November 2003. The court heard...

Irish drivers choked as HSA bans sparking up in the cab.(Health and Safety Authority)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... Truck drivers in Ireland will be banned from having a fag in the cab when a new Irish law comes into force on 29 March. A workplace smoking ban will come into effect for all workplaces from that date, and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA)...

Green warriors form Alpine block.(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... A series of road blockades by environmental campaigners are set to seriously disrupt freight traffic through Austria between 5 and 7 April. The protests by Transitforum Austria are over increases in HGVs travelling through the Alps. But the...

LDV van's debut - and a new engine.(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... LDV previews its new van range - and CM can exclusively reveal its planned new engine. Andy Salter wades through the dry ice. LDV has given visitors to the CV Show a sneak preview of its new van range. And Commercial Motor can exclusively...

Free legal clinic is a winner...(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... Top legal experts have been kept busy answering questions and offering advice on a wide range of topics at CM's free legal clinic this week. The clinic has proved a resounding success, with specialist road transport lawyers from Backhouse...

A mixed; bag from Brown.(Freight Transport Association)
March 25, 2004... This year's Budget may not have contained any nasty surprises, but, as the saying goes, the devil's in the detail. Together with the Freight Transport Association, we bring you a breakdown of what it means for you and your operation. ...

Agriemach unclogs the grease.(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... Agriemach has introduced a tool to unclog stuck grease fittings, allowing neglected steering, suspension and driveline joints to benefit from a fresh coating of grease. It works by injecting a light viscosity oil into the grease nipple or...

Airflex cuts charging time.(Deta Batteries)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... The Airflex battery charger from Deta Batteries is designed to reduce charging times from eight hours to less than six hours and it reduces energy costs by around 15%. Unlike traditional two-stage battery chargers, the Airflex incorporates a...

COLD; COMFORT.(British Carriage of Dangerous Goods)
March 25, 2004... Tanker and hazchem drivers are required to pass a mandatory examination before carrying dangerous loads. But would we all be safer if drivers working in the controlled temperature sector also received specialist training? Jennifer Ball...

Euro-3 intervals may halve, warns Shell.(Euro-3)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... Shell says it's all change for oil changes as Euro-3 intervals come under scrutiny. Brian Weatherley reports. Last year's predictions on oil change intervals for Euro-3 engines running with "Euro-2" spec lubricants look like being way off...

For Pete's sake, give us a break.(Working Time Directive)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2004... A great deal has been written lately about the Working Time Directive, and rightly so. However, I am somewhat bemused and alarmed at the reaction of certain businessmen (CM 12 February), who seem to be able to hold forth on a regular basis...