Commercial Motor articles from May 2004

Commercial Motor archives from May 2004

Living dangerously.
May 6, 2004... New dangerous goods regulations come into force this week. But what are the changes and what do they mean for operators? Jennifer Ball investigates. N ew regulations on the carriage of dangerous goods by road and rail will cost UK...

We're slowly going faster.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... It seems THAT we may be on course to improve the nightmare of traffic congestion. The Department for Transport's Survey of Traffic Speeds on English Trunk Roads 2003 shows that average traffic speeds decreased between 1995 and 1998 in all time...

Codes of honour.(Office of fair trading.)
May 6, 2004... The Office of Fair Trading is backing industry codes of practice with a new scheme, but what's in it for transport companies? Steve Banner reports. Trade associations have codes of practice that their members are expected to abide by....

Get it in ; writing!
May 6, 2004... There is no magic to contract law - it's based on a mixture of sensible business practice and common sense. However, hauliers tempted to follow the handshake route should read on because there are 10 things you definitely need to know... ...

TALKING BUSINESS.(Irish Road Haulage Association)
May 6, 2004... The IRHA conference debated serious issues hindering the industry. Patric Cunnane reports from the floor. The unfairness of toll roads; the co-ordination of permits for abnormal loads; the effects of new 3.5-tonne restrictions; controls...

Meditating in the zone.
May 6, 2004... The truckzone at SED 2004 is set to be the biggest tipper show of the year. We continue our build-up to the big event with a look at what the truck manufacturers have on display. The truckzone, hosted by Commercial Motor, is a dedicated...

They call this enforcement?
May 6, 2004... Jason Hamer asks how much time and money can be wasted by incompetent enforcement. Erm... quite a lot it would seem. And some of it his. I am sure there are many people out there who operate the same kind of mail in-tray that I do. Mine...

Round-the-world warranty.
May 6, 2004... Predicting whole-life cost is an essential part of running CVs efficiently, so Renault's new Driveline scheme could be the business. Thirty times around the globe and still covered - that's the range of Renault Trucks' new Driveline...

Predator stalks the docks up in the North-East.
May 6, 2004... The winner of the Mercedes-Benz/CM competition to win a limited edition Actros Predator picked up the keys and put it straight into action... The prize was a limited edition Mercedes-Benz Actros Predator 2543LD, with just about every bell...

Ex-demo FH12 is fresh as a daisy.
May 6, 2004... Not quite new but a whole lot cheaper. This year-old ex-demo Volvo FH12 6x2 Globetrotter seems to be a good deal... It's not often you get the chance to snap up a tractive unit that's barely pulled a trailer but has 105,000km on the clock....

Fresh brick attack.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... A truck driver had a lucky escape when youths hurled a brick through his open window in Leicestershire. The incident happened at around 8.30pm on 13 April on the A511, Stephensons Road in Coalville. Steve Curley from Perry Barr, Birmingham, was...

Exel delivers the goods.(reducing trucks travelling through Bristol)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Exel has teamed up with Bristol City Council to pilot a freight consolidation centre aimed at halving the number of trucks entering the city centre. Under the scheme trucks which normally deliver to the Broadmead shopping centre will stop at a...

Don't wait until it's too late...(Working Time Directive )
May 6, 2004... At last we know most of the details we've been desperately waiting for - and now our industry can start planning for one of the biggest changes ever to hit us. The Working Time Directive has been a long time in its gestation, and should have...

Prosecution ruled says driver.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... A truck driver who killed a man after he fell asleep at the wheel has launched an appeal against his four-year prison sentence. Victor Coates, 58, from Felixstowe was convicted at Basildon Crown Court last year of causing Lee Fitt's death by...

WTD - we finally have the answers.(Working time directive.)
May 6, 2004... After all the waiting and debate we finally know most of what the WTD will mean to you. Chris Tindall reports. The government has finally announced the details of how the Working Time Directive (WTD) for the road transport industry will be...

Driver held at gunpoint while his load is nicked.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Staffordshire police are hunting a gang who kidnapped a truck driver at gunpoint and stole his [pounds sterling]15,000 load of electrical goods in Stoke-on-Trent. The Powerhouse driver had pulled into a lay-by on the eastbound carriageway of...

FTA's plan for London.(Freight Transport Association)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... FTA's London 'manifesto' calls for delivery discs and more sensitive enforcement. Dominic Perry reports. The Freight Transport Association has launched an initiative to tackle the growing delivery crisis in London that is costing transport...

New man for MAN.(Volvo and Renault Trucks)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Following key changes at Volvo and Renault Trucks, MAN-ERF is the latest manufacturer to see a change at the top of its UK operation. Chief executive Jrgen Knorpp has handed over to Des Evans, who was formerly UK operations director. Evans...

T&G demands legal minimum.(Transport And General Workers Union)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The Transport & General Workers Union has asked Transport Minister Tony McNulty for support in its battle to make sure all non-UK drivers are paid at least the minimum wage. Rachael Webb, who is helping to spearhead the campaign at the union,...

Back in harness.
May 6, 2004... When you have a 40-year market leader it might be tempting to sit back. But that's not Gary Whittam's style. Andy Salter reports. OK, we admit it. Back in November we made a cock-up on the Ford Transit roadtest, getting some of the facts...

Don't fence me in.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... You have to stop and wonder sometimes whether the powers that be credit us drivers with even an ounce of sense. First we get the likes of cruise control and automatic gear boxes that seem to be saying "we don't trust you at all". Then it's...

Going for gold.
May 6, 2004... Bobadopoulos the Builder may struggle to get Athens ready for the Olympic Games, but at least one new Olympic venue is up and running. The ERF brand is currently on a roll, making a significant contribution to the fortunes of the MAN/ERF...

IN TRANSIT-ION.
May 6, 2004... The Transit has more power and even more torque. But is all that oomph justified? With deadlines threatened by ever-worsening congestion, delivery timetables can depend on a vehicle's performance. So Ford's decision to introduce a 134hp...

It's time for a better deal.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Haulage contractors must wonder what direction the next blow is coming from. Having suffered for years with high fuel costs, restrictive drivers' hours, low speed limits, high insurance premiums and predatory traffic cops, things are about to...

I'll huff and I'll puff...
May 6, 2004... For operators who rent or lease their depot it is vital to know if and when the landlord can reclaim the property or enter the premises. All landlords want to secure the highest return on their investment. Accordingly, most landlords are...

OPERATIONS; Mid America Trucking Show.
May 6, 2004... Having established what the thing actually looks like, what lies beneath? The LCF and CF will be assembled at a plant in Escobedo, Mexico. Power comes via the International-designed 4.5-litre V6 developing 200hp at 3,000 rpm, and punting out...

Last-chance saloon for skip-hire firm with maintenance problems.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... A skip-hire firm which operated without a transport manager for six months has had its licence revoked for a string of maintenance offences. However, implementation has been delayed to allow the company to put its house in order. Welsh Deputy...

Livestock regs have long journey ahead.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Attempts to change livestock rules have failed as EC members can't agree. David Harris reports. Proposed new European regulations on transporting live animals were ditched last week after farm ministers failed to reach an agreement at the...

On the right track?
May 6, 2004... Rail freight is often cited as the green answer to the UK's transport woes - shift freight to rail and free the roads. So why isn't it happening? Miles Brignall reports. The past few months have been rather disappointing for the...

Operator's 'lost' application story fails to win back truck.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... An operator who claimed his O-licence application was lost by an office girl failed to regain his impounded truck when he appealed to the Transport Tribunal. North-West Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell had refused to return an impounded...

RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
May 6, 2004... Barry Proctor has been to Brussels to lobby MEPs on the Working Time Directive - and he's now more worried than ever about the industry's future. Last week I joined a 40-strong contingent of UK hauliers and we took our concerns and...

Tipperman fined [pounds sterling]1,000 and truck impounded for running illegally.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... A tally of 11 offences, including using a vehicle without an O-licence or tachograph, has cost a Derbyshire tipperman [pounds sterling]1,043 in fines and costs. Ashley Bates of Whaley Bridge pleaded guilty to the offences when he appeared...

Warning for operator whose ; VED cheque bounced twice.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... A Shropshire operator whose vehicle excise duty cheques bounced twice has escaped with a warning despite the company's failure to turn up to a disciplinary inquiry. West Midlands Traffic Commissioner David Dixon initially proposed to revoke...

TUC wants safety first.(TUC)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The TUC says operators are not doing enough to cut the number of drivers killed on UK roads - it is publishing guidance to encourage employers to take their responsibilities more seriously. It is also urging the government to give extra...

Another truck goes in West Mids blackspot.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Wolverhampton haulier David Kay has added his name to the lengthening list of those who have had trucks stolen in an epidemic of thefts in the West Midlands. Kay, who runs K Transport Services, lost a six-wheel rigid, together with its [pounds...

Runes show solstice chaos ahead.(traffic near Stonehenge to be curtailed during solstice)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Wiltshire police are warning operators to avoid the Stonehenge and Avebury areas following the chaos on the roads during last year's summer solstice. The force hopes this early warning will ease the levels of traffic on the A303 and the A360...

Two become one...(branding the newly merged DHL and Securicor Express/Logistics important)
May 6, 2004... Take a stroll with us through the little side roads of haulage - the diversions and detours, the quirky, the quioxotic, and the downright strange... Branding is important - just ask a cow. The sizzle of hot metal on bovine flesh is enough...

Scots tanker drivers to go on strike.(Gleaner oils and Shell direct.)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Scottish tanker drivers are to take industrial action from 7 May following rejection of a 5.4% pay deal. The 35 Transport & General Workers Union drivers work for Gleaner Oils and Shell Direct. They will strike on 7, 10, 21 and 24 May; an...

Hauliers log off minor roads.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... As forestry booms in Scotland, timber hauliers have signed a deal to minimise the impact on rural communities. Guy Sheppard reports. Timber trucks are being banned from some roads in the Tayside region of Scotland to minimise their impact...

John Vasey - expected home soon.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... As CM went to press news was coming through that John Vasey, the British haulier jailed in France for allegedly smuggling [pounds sterling]2.5m worth of cannabis, was about to be released. His father Ken says: "It's fantastic. I spoke to my...

Q: Could abnormal loads go swimmingly?(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Transport consultants are investigating whether some of the biggest loads carried by Special Types trucks could be moved more efficiently by water. The study by TRL has been commissioned by the Highways Agency as part of a government drive to...

the french connection.
May 6, 2004... Automotive giant PSA's haulage division, Gefco, has expanded to provide logistics for other businesses. Miles Brignall reports. If you gathered a group of hauliers together and played the word-association game, the most likely two answers...

A nay for the eyes.(Correction Notice)
May 13, 2004... On 15 April Commercial Motor featured an article entitled "The Eyes Have It". I would like to draw your attention to an inaccuracy in paragraph four under sub-heading "Minimum Standards". It incorrectly states that the "no glasses" rule...

Argos bids to build major RDC in the North-East.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Argos says it will create 700 new jobs including a number of driving posts, if it gets the green light for a new regional distribution centre in the North-East. The retailer has applied for permission to build a 68,000m2 depot at Faverdale Easy...

At last! Vasey is freed from French prison.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Owner-driver John Vasey is coming home after 15 months in a French jail. Jennifer Ball reports. John Vasey, the British owner-driver jailed in France for allegedly smuggling [pounds sterling]2.5m has finally been released (CM 6 May) after...

Blue is the colour.
May 13, 2004... Brian Weatherley has asked the Shadow Transport Secretary for some election pledges on transport... just in case the Tories ever win. It's been said, somewhat cruelly, that the Department for Transport is the proverbial "departure lounge"...

End of the line for Rowland Transport.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Newark-based Malc Rowland Transport has gone into voluntary liquidation, leading to the loss of 30 jobs. Edwin Kirkwood from Leeds-based liquidator EJK Associates, which has taken control of the firm's finances, says: "The firm closed its doors...

Examiner could turn wheelnuts by hand.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... The owner and driver of a truck with wheelnuts so loose they could be rotated by hand have paid [pounds sterling]455 in fines and costs. Widnes-based Rock Chemicals, trading as Rock Oil Co, and the vehicle's driver, Ian Anderson, pleaded guilty...

FUEL'S PARADISE.
May 13, 2004... It might just be paranoia on our part, but the issues surrounding rocketing fuel prices appear to be being downplayed by British industry and economic pundits in the media. On the radio the other morning one even said: "Rising fuel prices...

Football boss nets [pounds sterling]19.2m for Hargreaves.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Newcastle United FC's honorary president Bob Young has sold his haulage company for [pounds sterling]19.2m. Young, who founded the bulk haulier Hargreaves in 1994 and was its sole owner, sold out to a management team led by chief executive...

Fuel price threatens resurgent protests.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Fuel protesters are vowing to take to the streets again after the price of fuel broke the 80p/lit mark - the level that triggered nationwide protests in 2000. The rise is caused by the soaring price of crude oil which hit a 13-year-high last...

Future palls for indebted network.(Pallnet)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... The finanCial director of troubled pallet network Pallnet, which is believed to have gone in the red in the four months since its launch, has told CM the firm is "in limbo". Pallnet had 45 members and operated from a Birmingham hub with a base...

Gordian knots.
May 13, 2004... Lengthy delays cost operators billions of pounds, but the government's attempts to cut congestion continue to fail. Jennifer Ball reports. The government aims to cut congestion by 6% by 2010 in its 10-Year Transport Plan. But the latest...

Have you seen these suspects?(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Police have released e-fits of two men they want to interview in connection with a truck hijacking in Staffordshire last month (CM 6 May). A Powerhouse driver had pulled into a layby on the A5 near the Muckley Corner Hotel in Lichfield at...

IN THE NEWS.
May 13, 2004... Stuart Thomas gives us his regular round-up of the way the newspapers have covered the world of transport this week. A common reply from truck drivers, particularly owner-drivers, when asked about the Working Time Directive is that they...

Jail sentence suspended.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... A truck driver, who caused a crash which led to a man's death 12 days later has had his 18-month sentence suspended for two years on appeal. The Appeal Court heard how David Brooks was jailed for death by dangerous driving at Bolton Crown Court...

Ken plans to ban Euro-2 from London.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Ken Livingstone is to make the creation of a low-emission zone (LEZ) a key pledge in his fight to be re-elected as Mayor of London next month. Details are not due to be announced until next week but he is expected to propose banning trucks with...

Licence lost for using HGV as a weapon.
May 13, 2004... TC revokes O-licence and HGV driving licences after operator threatened woman with a truck. An operator jailed for using a truck and a forklift as weapons in a row at his yard has been stripped of his O-licence and banned from driving HGVs...

Midlands heads truck crime league - official.
May 13, 2004... Truckpol figures show the Midlands is the worst place in the country to leave your truck. Guy Sheppard reports. A row has erupted over a new league table which shows that London and the West Midlands are suffering by far the highest levels...

Mitsubishi faces death charge.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Mitsubishi Motors is to face criminal charges following a series of accidents connected with a design defect on its trucks. Japanese police have arrested seven former company executives on suspicion of falsifying reports into a fault that...

LOOK AFTER YOURSELF...
May 13, 2004... Safety issues make Brian Weatherley confront the hard fact that nannying employees can only take safety so far. To eliminate accidents completely you really have to let people use their common sense. I've been thinking a lot about personal...

No holding them back.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Shares in the majority of leading logistics companies have continued to rise during the past month, buoyed by continued consumer spending and economic growth. Concerns that the Bank of England would raise interest rates by a quarter point to...

may 2004.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Company shares in the sector are staying strong despite interest rate threats and the expectation of a slowdown. Exel Shares fell to a low of [pounds sterling]5.04 in March 2003 but have since climbed to over [pounds sterling]7 after it...

Nothing short term for us...
May 13, 2004... A new pressure group has accused highway engineers of imposing road safety measures without properly considering the needs of business users. The West Midlands Business Transport Group was set up so organisations such as the RHA and the CBI can...

Operators who put things right 'have little to fear'.
May 13, 2004... A Blackburn operator's application for six extra vehicles has been granted, with a warning that the company must never again let the O-licensing regulations "fall towards the bottom of the agenda - even off the scale altogether". The company's...

Restrictions extended to weekdays.(R Plevin & Son)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... An operator banned from weekend operations because of residents' complaints about noise applied to have the restriction lifted but instead had an additional weekday restriction imposed. Mossley-based R Plevin & Son holds a licence for 25...

Shell tanker drivers win [pounds sterling]9 an hour.(Shell Direct, Gleaner Oils )(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... A revised pay offer has averted a strike by 30 tanker drivers at Shell Direct but union leaders say they have still failed to negotiate a settlement at Gleaner Oils. The two Scottish oil distribution companies were both threatened with a series...

Six charged following fatal crash.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... A Stoke-on-Trent truck driver has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving following the death of a cyclist last August. The 35-year-old has also been charged with perverting the course of justice. Off-duty policeman John Needham...

Skye's the limit for toll campaigners.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Campaigners are to challenge the continuance of Skye Bridge tolls in the courts. Chris Tindall reports. Highland councillors are set to launch a legal challenge against the tolling regime on the Skye Bridge following complaints that its...

Sorting the wheat from the chaff.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Nearly a quarter of UK truck operators are showing the early signs of going bust, according to a new financial report. But the same report on 2,000 companies also rates nearly 700 companies as "strong", with little or no debt and healthy profit...

The long and the short-age of a fruitless job search.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Shortage? What shortage? I read in your magazine and others that there is meant to be a shortage [of qualified drivers] but it appears that this isn't the case on the ground. I have recently decided to do some driving work for some extra money...

Thieves beat depot security men in heist.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Police are hunting a gang of thieves who attacked three security guards at a haulage yard in Birmingham before stealing a load of Nike sportswear. At around 11.45pm last Saturday (1 May) six men broke into Leggett Freightways' depot in...

Top cops will be vetting truck parks for security.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... A new award scheme to be launched later in the year will identify truck parks that comply with security recommendations. ParkMark-designated parks will have to meet criteria approved by the Association of Chief Police Officers. The British...

Tories won't give you bigger trucks, says MP.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... A Conservative government would be unlikely to back an increase in truck weights and dimensions, judging by comments from Shadow Transport Secretary Damian Green. Speaking to Commercial Motor last week, Green confirmed that despite recent...

What price fuel?(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... I would like to notify yourself and the readers of Commercial Motor, that a meeting of hauliers from the south-east of England was convened on Thursday 29 April 2004 to discuss the ever increasing cost of road fuel. During the meeting, those...

Where are the weighbridges?(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... I note with interest that a new vehicle check point is being built on J14 of the M4, presumably by VOSA and Wiltshire Police. It has all the latest technology to enforce the ever increasing rules and regulations we are subject to. However,...

Wincanton staff lose out over Kwik Save.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Wincanton jobs in East Kilbride are under threat as Kwik Save leaves Scotland. David Harris reports. More than 150 driving and warehouse jobs at Wincanton in East Kilbride are under threat after the decision last week to pull Kwik Save...

'No excuse' for importing drugs.
May 13, 2004... A Lancashire-based haulage contractor has been jailed for 11 years after being convicted of involvement in a major plot to supply drugs. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court of...

And the bidding starts now for LRUC technology hopefuls.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2004... THE GOVERNMENT last week formally began the selection process for the private companies that will provide the technology to run the Lorry Road User Charge (LRUC), due in 2008. The scheme is likely to involve on-board equipment using satellite...

AT YOUR SERVICE.
May 20, 2004... Is it really cheaper to look after trucks in the North? Do van workshops really charge more than their HGV counterparts? We've been finding out. It's a well known "fact" that everything costs less "up north". The latest in our series of...

stand alone.
May 20, 2004... Despite the huge numbers of new trucks sold with R&M packages some operators still insist that in-house servicing offers better value. Guy Sheppard reports. There's a common belief that in-house workshops are costly to run, difficult to...

Buyers galore.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2004... The boom in used sales continues apace at Manheim Auctions. Manheim Auctions reports that its January-March sales were up by nearly a third on last year's figure. National HGV and plant manager Jeremy Martell puts the 32% rise down to a...

Call of the ; Foreign Legion.
May 20, 2004... The enlarged EU offers a new pool of qualified workers. But beware - there are strict rules about employing workers from the 10 accession states. Matthew Davies reports. Britain and Ireland have granted immediate free movement and access...

Dafs bloom on Solway's forecourt.
May 20, 2004... With more than 25 years under its belt, Carlisle-based independent dealership Solway Daf's story is one growth and expansion. Daf Trucks' dealer network is unusual in that it consists of "independent" dealerships covering different parts of...