Commercial Motor articles from March 2005

Commercial Motor archives from March 2005

Clear ideas for clearer air.
March 3, 2005... Brian Weatherley challenges us all, government and operators alike, to come up with practical, efficient and, above all, green ways of protecting the world we live in. What sort of world do we want our children to inherit? I've been...

EVENTS.(seminars)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
March 3, 2005... FTA seminars Working Time Directive 10 March Wadhurst 15 March Leamington Spa 16 March Cardiff 17 March Exeter Contact: 01892 552222 RHA courses Working Time Directive 10 March Swansea 10 March Gatwick O-licence compliance 16 March...

Aggregates tax has 'distorted market' and hurt environment.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Far from increasing recycling, industry specialists say the aggregates tax is damaging the environment. Guy Sheppard reports. The quarry industry is launching a pre-Budget attack on the aggregates levy, saying it damages the environment and...

Babywipes swiped.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Police are hunting a gang who kidnapped a German truck driver at gunpoint and stole his load of baby wipes. The attack happened at 2am on 23 February in a lay-by on the A14 between Thrapston and Kettering in Northamptonshire. The driver was...

Ban diesel or suffer...(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Diesel trucks that pump out harmful pollutants are posing a serious threat to public health and should be banned from city centres, says the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). It says the World Health Organisation believes there is no...

Behind every good tip...(Letter to the Editor)
March 3, 2005... After reading the article on light tippers (CM 17 February), I felt compelled to respond. We are the largest suppliers of small underfloor tipping gears to independent bodybuilders in the UK. Since 1993, we have pioneered the use of multistage...

COBO TANKs ATTACK UK.(Cisternas Cobo (UK).)
March 3, 2005... Ever since Crane Fruehauf dropped the ball in the UK petroleum tanker market Cobo has been steadily parking its tanks on more and more British operators' lawns. Brian Weatherley reports. It's funny how the world turns. Once upon a time if...

Chips with everything.
March 3, 2005... New EU driving licence regulations could require a microchip and increased HGV medical checks. Adam Hill reports. This autumn the European Parliament will debate plans for a new pan-European driving licence. The Freight Transport...

Curtailment for hours abuses.
March 3, 2005... TC curtails O-licence and suspends HGV licence for hours offences, but decides revocation would be too harsh. A year-long abuse of the drivers' hours regs, including allegedly tampering with a tachograph clock, has led to an international...

Don't panic, says NI agency.(Northern Ireland)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Northern Ireland's Roads Service is trying to alleviate operators' fears that they face three years of disruption when improvements to the Belfast Westlink begin later this year. At a recent seminar for over 100 operators, the government body...

Driver's lucky escape from brick attack.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... A Lynx driver had a lucky escape when youths hurled a brick through his vehicle's windscreen in Northampton. The missile was thrown from a footbridge above Great Billing Way at around 5.30pm on 24 February. It smashed the windscreen but the...

EC asks for coupling rule.(European Commission)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed that a United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) standard on the type approval of "mechanical coupling components of combinations of vehicles" should be adopted as a European Union regulation....

EC tacho regs slide back into chaos.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Digital tacho regulations are delayed until November. As the industry reels at the news, operators fume. Andy Salter reports. Operators have criticised EU bureaucrats for continued delays and confusion surrounding the digital tachograph...

East European trucks coming to the UK increase by 75%.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... We're still awaiting the influx of East European drivers following EU expansion, but there are more trucks than ever. David Harris reports. Eastern European countries which joined the European Union last May have recorded a 75% increase...

FTA wants stable fuel in the Budget.(Freight Transport Association )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The Freight Transport Association is calling on the government to freeze fuel duty and maintain diesel price stability while there is a fluctuation in oil prices. In its submission prior to the Budget on 16 March the FTA says that while the...

First-class delivery.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... When the Royal Mail offloads vehicles from its fleet you are guaranteed plenty of variety. Royal Mail has used British Car Auctions' Belle Vue site to dispose of more than 130 vans, rigids and tractor units. Duncan Ward, BCA UK business...

Fleet goes under the CVA hammer.
March 3, 2005... When the European Union opened its doors to even more countries from Eastern Europe so began the end for one of transport's major international players. The final act was to auction off its fleet. In an industry renowned for low rates, UK...

Free legal advice at the CV Show.(Commercial Vehicle Show)
March 3, 2005... After its success last year CM is repeating its free legal clinic at the CV Show. Patric Cunnane explains how to book your consultation with a top transport lawyer. Have you got a question about road transport law that you would like to...

Freezer crowd.
March 3, 2005... A lawyer, a property developer and a former dry goods operator have created a temperature controlled business they claim rivals all others. Chris Tindall finds out how they get on. The Dakota hotel stands on the Sherwood Business Park,...

From cradle to grave.(MAN-ERF )
March 3, 2005... MAN-ERF is serious about used trucks - and it intends to prove it. Emma Penny reports. The trend for manufacturers to take control of used truck sales is gathering momentum. The days of a glut of used vehicles coming onto the market and...

Furious operator calls Iveco's breakdown service a 'rip-off'.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Iveco's Continental breakdown service is slammed after a French garage tries to charge [pounds sterling]900 to repair an injector pipe. Guy Sheppard reports. THE BOSS OF a UK removals company has condemned Iveco's Continental breakdown...

Gotta a new motor?(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Commercial vehicle registrations made a strong start to the year, with 26,233 new vehicles registered in January - up 4.6% on January 2004, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. SMMT chief executive Christopher Macgowan...

MARCH 2005.(sales figures of vans and trucks.)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... This month we look at the encouraging strength of sales figures Van sales Total monthly van sales rose 6.1% in January to 21,970 units.In the rolling year-to-date sales hit 330, 856, up 8.9% over January 2004.The medium and heavy van...

Hate the sinner, love the sin.
March 3, 2005... Time to fasten your seat-belts and regret your lunch. We're back on the EU legislation rollercoaster. Even as we struggle to kiss off the last details of the Working Time Directive, news from the FTA Summit is that the regulations governing...

Hitting the wall.
March 3, 2005... Goodness gracious! Apparently truck drivers are as individual as the next...erm... individual. On the margin challenges you to break the mould. If one of those intolerably dull surveys were carried out into the behaviour and preferences...

Lightweight NEC launch.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... MAN-ERF will unveil its new lightweight truck range, the TGL, at this year's CV show on 5 April, giving the Birmingham exhibition its first world launch. The TGL 7.5-tonner replaces the L2000 range. It features a brand new cab, updated engines...

M6 Toll firm must be kidding.
March 3, 2005... I have sent the following to the M6 toll road company after reading your interview with the MD Tom Fanning (CM 17 February): "I refer to your interview with Commercial Motor and the following paragraph, 'Our aim was to provide a solution to the...

MAN-ERF acts on residuals.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... MAN-ERF has spent [pounds sterling]20m on supporting its liabilities on secondhand truck values after ERF profits rose by 68%. Andy Salter reports. MAN-ERF UK has taken a e30m ([pounds sterling]20m) hit to balance its liabilities on...

Make your move...(Road Haulage Associations )
March 3, 2005... The Freight Transport and Road Haulage Associations have more than 20,000 members between them; which group could do more for you? Jennifer Ball looks at the pros and cons. The Freight Transport and Road Haulage Associations seem to be as...

New licence granted after 12 months on wrong licence.(Gap Scaffolding (North West) Ltd)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... A limited company that had been wrongly operating under a sole trader licence for the past 12 months has been granted an O-licence of its own. John Ross, trading as Gap Scaffolding, of Barrow-in-Furness, with a three-vehicle licence had been...

No votes for Christmas.
March 3, 2005... The people of Edinburgh have voted - and provided the council with a congestion conundrum. Chris Tindall asks what happens next. Listen to the comments made by councillors in Edinburgh following the crushing defeat of its congestion charge...

Operator fined for lending disc promises not to do it again.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The loan of an O-licence to an unlicensed operator has cost the licensee [pounds sterling]500 in fines and costs. Baden Powell Wright, of Staines Road, Ilford, admitted the offence when he appeared before the Harlow magistrates. He was fined a...

Overtaking ban threatened on M42.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... CONTROVERSIAL PLANS to stop trucks from overtaking on a two-lane stretch of the M42 could be in force as early as next month, according to the Freight Transport Association. The experimental ban between Junctions 10 and 11 near Tamworth is...

P&O sues Calais for berth defects.(port of Calais)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... P&O is urging operators to follow its lead and claim compensation from the port of Calais for the weeks of disruption caused by berth closures. The ferry firm is suing for millions of pounds after the port closed three of its four large ferry...

Park will turn into a garden.
March 3, 2005... A council says the FTA and RHA didn't object to a truckstop closure. Jennifer Ball reports. The trade associations have denied letting down their members after a local council defended its decision to close a truck park because it...

Penalty hot spots.(for driving offences)
March 3, 2005... Fixed penalties for driving offences are set to bring overseas truckers to book, much to the relief of UK operators. But will they also spell the end of discretion for VOSA? Emma Page reports. Proposals allowing VOSA and other enforcement...

Pirates snatch Tinkerbell.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Police are appealing for witnesses following the theft of a truckload of Disney beach towels worth [pounds sterling]170,000. The thieves struck during the night of 4-5 February on the A14 close to Swavesey, Cambridgeshire. The 14,000 towels...

Police warn of A20 hotspot.(increased criminal activity )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Kent police are warning of increased criminal activity along the A20 between Ashford and Swanley, particularly near Hothfield in the South and West Kingsdown in the North. A number of trucks parked in lay-bys have had curtains slashed and...

Richard Lawson starts to stretch its wings.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The new owners of the former Richard Lawson Auto Logistics business have begun expanding its 200-strong fleet just a month after rescuing it from closure. David Horton, chairman of the renamed Autocare Group, has agreed to buy 15 new trucks...

SAFETY FIRST.(Isotank)
March 3, 2005... The petrochemical market is the most tightly regulated road transport sector. Tim Maughan enters a world of subterranean pipelines and periodic tables... As Colin Garnett, Isotank managing director, begins to talk about his firm, we detect...

TATA SOURCE.
March 3, 2005... You might have seen the Tata Safari or Commercial on the road, but what's behind this newcomer to the UK market? Emma Penny went to India to find out. Trying to break into a growing market in the UK is a tricky task, especially when your...

TDG looks to the future after a tough year.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... After a difficult year in which it faced tough trading conditions and engaged in abortive merger negotiations with Christian Salvesen, TDG has recorded pre-tax profits of [pounds sterling]17m - down from [pounds sterling]17.9 in 2003. The...

TGA V8 will offer 670hp.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... MAN will launch an updated version of its TGA range, complete with all-new V8 engine, in 2007. The new engine, developed jointly with specialist German crane and mixer manufacturer Leibherr, will be just one element of a hefty revision of the...

TWO-PEDAL; PRECISION.
March 3, 2005... Renault has launched a semi-auto gearbox which will be good news for hard pressed delivery drivers. Emma Penny reports. Who'd work as a courier or delivering parcels? Chaotic stop-start traffic crawling through city centres and plenty of...

Tacho chart's no defence, say police.(speeding case)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... A truck driver threatened with a prosecution for speeding is to fight the case because his tacho chart suggests the police equipment was inaccurate. Simon Sayers of Newbury was sent a notice of intended prosecution by Thames Valley police after...

That was the year...
March 3, 2005... CM was launched in 1905; for our centenary year we're bringing you stories from years gone by. This week we're back in 1912 and 1962. 1912 A large ship called the Titanic hit some ice and sank in April, unfortunately helping Leonardo...

Vandals go ; on a rampage.(appealing for witnesses)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Police are appealing for witnesses after a number of vehicles were damaged in Fleckney, Leicestershire. The incident took place between 6.30pm on 18 February and 1.30pm the next day. The windows, windscreens and doors of two Renault vans on the...

Volvo faces death charge.(Mont Blanc tunnel fire)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... French prosecutors say a Volvo design fault killed 39 people in the Mont Blanc tunnel fire - Volvo disagrees. David Harris reports Volvo is appearing before a French court to answer manslaughter charges following the Mont Blanc tunnel fire...

Welsh farmer's licence is curtailed for second time.
March 3, 2005... A Welsh farmer had his licence curtailed for the second time for maintenance problems, including loose wheel nuts and a poor test history. David Bebb of Welshpool has received a final warning and faces revocation unless he can produce...

Where are the goal posts again?(Editorial)
March 3, 2005... Even for the best operators the law sometimes changes too fast to handle. Sandy Bruce wonders when it will stop. I thought that this month I would share with you a small problem that presented itself with regard to drivers' ADR training....

Who is counting the cost to us... and how, exactly?
March 3, 2005... LRUC: my guess is that the arguments and discussions will go on to the last minute, as usual with New Labour. This will all culminate in a system that will have only one winner, Mr Gordon Brown - unless we all come to our senses and put a cross...

orange; appeal.(Volvo FM12)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 3, 2005... What do Tango adverts, a mobile phone network, fruit, the Dutch national football team and David 'cheap as chips' Dickinson have in common with Volvo's 2002 demo fleet? The answer, of course, is orange - not the most fashionable colour...

same-day suspension.(Trailer Systems )
March 3, 2005... If you build trailers, Trailer Systems will be happy to supply running gear to your specs that can be fitted and ready to roll in just two hours. Colin Barnett reports. "Concentrating on core values" is an oft-heard phrase in many...

'Irresponsible' operator banned all over.(Paul Duckmanton)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... An operator who was jailed for falsifying maintenance records after a fatal accident in Southampton, has lost his O-licence and been banned indefinitely from holding a licence in any Traffic Area. Paul Duckmanton, trading as Rotherham-based...

EVENTS.
March 10, 2005... FTA seminars Working Time Directive 15 March Leamington Spa 16 March Cardiff 17 March Exeter 18 March Reading Contact: 01892 552222 RHA courses Working Time Directive 16 March Gatwick 17 March Gatwick 22 March Stoke Contact: 01733 261131...

Express route ; to success.(Target Express)
March 10, 2005... Petar Cvetkovic thinks a positive attitude and determination can overcome most things. He explains his vision for Target Express to Jennifer Ball. Two months ago Petar Cvetkovic stepped up to the role of CEO at parcels firm Target Express...

A barrier to cost and chaos.(border highways)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Just before Christmas the road on the England/Scotland border was closed for 27 hours due to a truck crossing the central barrier. More recently a vehicle crossed over at Stoke on the M6. It was closed for a long time, I think for something...

BATTLE OF THE.(transportation equipment)
March 10, 2005... BINMEN If you want to sell a chassis in today's refuse collection market it had better have a low-entry cab. CM has taken the top two refuse trucks and put them through their paces. We suppose you can blame it all on Dennis. The UK...

Bring on the ; righteous fury.(drivers' behaviour)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Look out! The accusation from the Association of Chief Police Officers that truck operators are putting lives at risk by being complacent about maintenance and their drivers' behaviour is a shot across the bows which should not be ignored,...

Cash bonus for security.(truck insurance)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Better truck security could really lead to lower insurance terms. Guy Sheppard reports. Insurers are promising reduced premiums on trucks with enhanced security features following the launch of a star rating system on anti-theft equipment....

Czech driver; rams old man.(Pavel Haltmar jailed for illegal parking)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... A Czech truck driver has been jailed for assaulting a pensioner who complained about his truck being parked on the pavement. Pavel Haltmar will remain in jail for 21 days unless his bosses in the Czech Republic decide to pay fines, costs and...

DTC brands lost tacho charts excuse as 'a convenient story' but grants licence.(deputy traffic commissioner Mark Hinchliffe)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... An operator's claim that more than a year's worth of tachograph charts had been lost in the post was branded "a convenient story" by North Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Mark Hinchliffe at a Leeds public inquiry. The DTC allowed...

Driver recovers after massive theft ordeal.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... A truck driver is recovering after an attack in Lancashire in which [pounds sterling]200,000 worth of computer equipment was stolen. On 3 March three men wearing balaclavas attacked the driver on Altham Business Park near Accrington. The...

Drivers aren't the enemy.(regulations for working hours)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... I read with interest the recent press publications regarding the road transport directive on working time. The normal hostile relations between FTA and RHA seem to have been put on hold while they jointly beat up the drivers of the UK haulage...

Economy still packs a punch for 380hp.(trucks)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Not all tractor unit buyers are mesmerised by 420 and 440hp engines; there's still plenty of demand for units with no more than 380hp on tap says independent dealer Peter Hassan of Eurowise Truck and Van. "We've just sold a 1999 T-registered...

Exel profits zoom.(Exel, Tibbett and Britten, earnings)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Logistics company Exel reported a 15% rise in pre-tax profits last year, rising to [pounds sterling]170.2m from [pounds sterling]148.4m in 2003. Turnover rose from [pounds sterling]5.1bn to more than [pounds sterling]5.5bn - although these...

FOR RICHER ; FOR POORER.(road transport industry)
March 10, 2005... India's road transport industry is about to change dramatically. Emma Penny reports. Imagine India and depending on where you have been or what you know you're likely to conjure up images of manic traffic, subsistence agriculture or inner...

Formal warning issued for maintenance lapses.(regulations)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... With an 80% failure rate at annual test, missing inspection records and mislaid defect reports, a Denbighshire firm was lucky to escape a public inquiry with just a formal warning. Welsh Traffic Commissioner David Dixon took account of the...

Free legal advice at the CV Show.
March 10, 2005... After its success last year CM is repeating its free legal clinic at the CV Show. Patric Cunnane explains how to book your time with a top transport lawyer. Have you got a question about road transport law that you would like to sit down...

Hot demand buried ; by the icy-cold snow.(truck sales)
March 10, 2005... Billowing sleet has deterred many prospective buyers says Steve Banner. But dealers say the demand will come with the crocuses. Heavy snow has hit used truck sales in parts of the country as customers think twice about battling through...

If you can't buy a 6x2 - make one...(tractor)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Demand for 6x2 rigids is rising, says Fred Puttick, used vehicle sales manager at Faversham, Kent-based Renault dealership KTS Trucks: "Customers want them for drawbar work, and quite a few want to equip them with 38-50tm cranes to handle...

Is this really what our law makers meant?(regulations for transportation industry)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Having just read your report on the guilty verdict on the partners of William Martin Oliver & Partners, I feel that VOSA has once again stepped way out of line with its discrimination and harassment of both the haulier and, of course, the...

Iveco defends its breakdown service.(Iveco Ford Truck Ltd.'s new nonstop breakdown services)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Iveco has launched a robust defence of its Assistance Non-Stop breakdown service following claims by a Wigan operator, that its service was "a rip-off". Edward Preyzner, MD of New Concept International, says he was told it would cost [pounds...

Just the ticket...(fine for speed)
March 10, 2005... Everybody hates being done for speeding, but a team of enforcers in the South-West aim to change drivers' behaviour without penalty points. A CM reader shares his experience of this radical scheme. It was just before Christmas when I...

Knife-wielding man takes van.(hunt for hijacker)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Police are hunting a man who hijacked a van at knifepoint in Northamptonshire and made off with its load of mobile phones. The attack happened at 4.15pm on Friday 25 February as the driver was approaching his drop-off point on the Riverside...

Lift the blinds on all crime.(ttruck heft prevention)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Derbyshire police are calling for more help to identify crime hot spots in the county. DS Steve Cotterill, director of intelligence, says operators should report all cases of curtain slashing, even when nothing is stolen: "We need to get a true...

Light Axor tipper heads for UK.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Tipper operators keen to add a Mercedes to their fleets are to get another option with the launch of a 32-tonne Axor eight-legger. Exclusive Mercedes is adding a 32-tonne eight-legger to its Axor line-up of in-line-engined heavies. Its...

Low mileage tractors are a thing of the past.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Customers are having to come to terms with the fact that used tractor units are being offered with far higher mileages than would have been seen on a vehicle of equivalent age a few years ago. Mike Smith of Widnes independent dealership Smith...

Managh buys Towmac.(Managh International Transport, Towmac Transport)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Irish haulier Managh International Transport has bought the business and vehicles of Northern Irish firm Towmac Transport. Managh is based in Cashel, Co Tipperary, and concentrates on international work, as does Bangor, Co Down firm Towmac....

More EC tacho confusion.(European Commission)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... A European Commission transport bureaucrat, who last week said digital smart-card tachos would be delayed, now acknowledges his comments were "unguarded" and not necessarily correct. However, John Berry says he still has concerns over parts of...

No MBO for CF.(Crane Fruehauf, management buy out)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... A bid to save UK trailer maker Crane Fruehauf with a management buy-out has been derailed following the administrators' decision to sell the company's tipping trailer business separately. The buyer is Tipper Trailer UK, part of Wordsworth...

No-show hours offender wins on fine but loses on costs.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... An owner-driver who failed to appear in court to answer charges of taking insufficient daily rest has persuaded the Harlow magistrates to reduce the fine they imposed in his absence. The magistrates refused to reopen the case in which David...

O-licence launch will bring Northern Ireland into line.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... O-licences will be introduced in Northern Ireland by 1 August 2007 to bring the province in line with the rest of the UK, according to the Northern Irish Department of the Environment. A working group of civil servants is now preparing the...

Operation Mermaid shows half of UK trucks are illegal.(automobile theft)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Police chief brands operators complacent and dangerous - and promises to crack down on HGV offences. Jennifer Ball reports. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is promising a crackdown on rogue operators after half the 1,800...