Commercial Motor articles from May 2005

Commercial Motor archives from May 2005

The notion of good value.(usage of trade associations)(Brief Article)(Column)
May 5, 2005... Brian Lee of Allan Morris Transpoprt ponders demurrage and operators' reluctance to use the trade associations to best purpose... In a moment of desperation recently I tidied up enough to unearth a copy of Business and Law for the...

A FRIENDLY ; WARNING.(transportation policy)
May 5, 2005... An open letter to your new MP: There will be no honeymoon period for whoever wins this election. We surveyed the transport policies of the main parties in last week's issue with some difficulty - either they were unwilling to talk to us or...

A meeting of minds.(analysis of employment contracts)
May 5, 2005... Employment contracts contain more than job descriptions. Patric Cunnane sets out the 10 things you need to know about this complex area of employment law. Gone are the days when taking on a new driver simply meant ensuring he delivered the...

A tale of feasts ; and famines.(market research of used vehicles)
May 5, 2005... While the trucks at Manheim Auctions carry the prestige, the LCVs also pack one hell of a punch. Commercial vehicle sales director Alex Wright looks at what sells. Some models will always sell well. In the car-derived van market, Astravans...

CZECH MATES.(management of Avia Praha)(Company Profile)
May 5, 2005... The fall of the Soviet Union left many vehicle manufacturers floundering in the Brave New World of global capitalism. But American money and South Korean know-how is propelling Avia onto the world stage. Colin Barnett reports. Consider...

Campaigners fail in bid to win night-time restrictions.(regulation of Woodall Transport)
May 5, 2005... The TC finds residents' needs are totally incompatible with those of business - and finds in favour of the company. Campaigning residents have failed to get hours restrictions imposed on vehicles operating from Station Road, Coleshill, the...

Canter chased at a gallop.(investigation of a traffic accident)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Police are appealing for witnesses to a road-rage incident between two van drivers in Surrey. The incident took place at 11.30am on 8 April on the Sunbury Cross roundabout when the drivers of two vehicles, a Toyota van and a Mitsubishi...

Cash fuels Dennis's Fire.(Alexander Dennis invests in Dennis Fire)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Following the demise last month of rival fire appliance builder Saxon, Dennis Fire is receiving more investment from parent Alexander Dennis, now freed from the failed TransBus group. This investment has paid for the full-size Sabre and the...

Casualty of MG Rover.(reorganization and restructuring of Rudolph & Hellman Logistics)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Rudolph & Hellman Logistics has been forced into administration with the loss of 120 jobs following the collapse of car giant MG Rover. The joint venture between Lichfield-based Hellman Worldwide Logistics and Rudolph Logistics of Germany had...

Chemical helter-skelter.(suit against Christophe Herpoel)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... A Belgian truck driver who zigzagged across two lanes of traffic with a 22-tonne load of chemicals has been jailed for two months for dangerous driving. Christophe Herpoel pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving, five counts of taking...

Cold reception for stowaways.(cases)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Six stowaways needed medical treatment after being freed from the back of a refrigerated truck. The men - two Afghans, two Iranians and two Iraqis - were found after passers-by heard shouting and banging coming from the vehicle while it was...

Cory is bought out by its management.(Cory Environmental)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... One of the UK's best-known waste management and transport companies has been bought out by its managers for [pounds sterling]200m. Parent group Exel says Cory Environmental does not fit in with its core supply chain management business. Cory...

DfT surveys foreign RTAs.(United Kingdom. Department for Transport to gather road traffic accident statistics)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The DfT wants to know if left-hand-drive trucks are a danger. David Harris reports... Police forces have been asked to record the number of accidents involving foreign trucks because of fears that left-hand-drive vehicles are causing too...

Diabetics are not a road risk say researchers.(transportation policy)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... driving restrictions on insulin-treated diabetics must be reviewed because they have similar levels of road traffic collisions to non-diabetics, say researchers. Drivers who use insulin are excluded from driving some classes of vehicle, based...

Diesel siphoned.(crimes against truck drivers)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Thieves stole [pounds sterling]300 worth of fuel from trucks in a compound in Bentham, Glos at 6am on 27 April. A police spokeswoman says: "The drivers found the fuel caps on the floor and when they checked their fuel gauges they knew that...

Driver fined for 'sophisticated' tachograph falsifications.(Bleddyn Wyn Dorkins of Portway Trailers)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... A North Wales truck driver must pay fines and costs totalling [pounds sterling]3,200 for falsifying tachograph records while working for Dundalk-based Portway Trailers. Bleddyn Wyn Dorkins, of Sibrwd-Y-Mor, 24 Llwnngwalch, Lon Penrhos, Morfa...

Driver stops drunk minister's swaying car with his artic.(Jim McDaid arrested)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... How do you stop a drunk former Transport Minister? You block a dual carriageway with your artic... Ann Marie Foley reports. A truck driver blocked a major road to avoid an accident when a former Irish Transport Minister drove erratically...

Dutch treat.(truck industry exports used trucks)
May 5, 2005... Although the Netherlands is a small country, its share of the Continental road transport market has always been significant and Dutch truck traders are keen to export... Dutch hauliers much prefer to buy new vehicles. And with most of...

EVENTS.(Calendar)
May 5, 2005... RHA courses Working Time Directive 12 May Lincoln 19 May Bradford 25 May Birmingham 7 June Norwich Contact: 01733 261131 Novadata Working Time Directive and Drivers' Hours 11 May Braintree Contact: sales@novadata.co.uk Brake Drink and...

Eurotunnel's debt plea.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The increase in freight moving through the Channel Tunnel will not solve Eurotunnel's biggest problem - its [pounds sterling]6bn debt. The troubled tunnel operator received a much needed boost to its freight business in the first quarter of...

FTA boss says he's there for everyone.(John Russell of Freight Transport Association )(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... New FTA president John Russell is keen to prove that the association is not fixated on road transport but also promotes all types of transport, including rail and multi-modal. "There is occasional disquiet from the rail industry that the FTA is...

Horse's mouth.(beliefs of Gordon Carlton of Patersons)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Gordon Carlton, who drives for quarry operator Patersons in Strathclyde, was on last week's Grangemouth protest against the WTD and fuel prices. He says: "I got to the protest area at 8.15am. There were only about 20 people there at first with...

IN THE NEWS.(mass media coverage of transportation industry)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Stuart Thomas gives us his regular round-up of the way the newspapers have covered the world of transport this week. "Bloody swine" squealed the Daily Star last week. Not a newspaper to let gravitas get in the way of grabbing attention,...

Irish buy-up continues with Connolly.(Montgomery acquires Connolly Transport)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The consolidation of Northern Irish haulage continues with the province's biggest player, Montgomery, snapping up Ballymoney-based Connolly Transport. Reefer specialist Connolly will become a part of the Montgomery Refrigerated division in the...

Iveco says more Cursors to come.(product launch)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Iveco says its Cursor range of diesels, which power the Stralis family, will be extended next year as part of the group's reinvigorated attack on the tractor market, targeting fleet buyers in particular. The current line-up of 7.8, 10 and...

Just 3% recruit from new EU.(survey of transportation industry)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Despite THE widespread driver shortages only 3% of UK transport companies are recruiting drivers from the 10 new members of the European Union. Research that was commissioned by recruitment specialist Manpower shows that this figure is less...

LDV flies into Heathrow.(franchising agreement with MTHL Fleet Services)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The LDV empire continues to grow: its latest outpost, near Heathrow, is run by MTHL Fleet Services - we review what's on offer. LDV is continuing to expand its used vehicle network with the opening of a new site near Heathrow. The new...

Leaner timber haulage by IT?(usage of supply chain management software by trucking industry)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Can a Finnish computer program really help Scottish timber operators? Sally Nash reports. South Scottish timber operator A&F Grant believes a computer program designed to make transport more efficient will only benefit smaller operators....

MISSING YOU ALREADY. . .(usage of business insurance)
May 5, 2005... The death of a key person would be a tragedy for your business, but the right insurance can help the firm survive. Colin Barnett investigates. Stop! Whatever you had planned to do after reading this, put it off. Instead, take a few...

Match made; in Devon.(management of Gregory Distribution)
May 5, 2005... Gregory Distribution's Andy Walker tells Dominic Perry why his corner of the world will always be chocolate brown. If you were trying to sum up Gregory Distribution in a single word, it would be... 'brown' I suppose. It's not every company...

Melting pot.(United Kingdom. Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000)
May 5, 2005... In an increasingly multicultural society employment policies must be even handed to workers of all ethnic backgrounds. Jonathan Exten-Wright reports. Racial discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably on grounds of...

On the run with Italian footwear.
May 5, 2005... Police are hunting two men who kidnapped an Italian truck driver at gunpoint and made off with his load of footwear. The attack happened at lunchtime on 20 April on the Brimsdown Business Park in Enfield, North London. As the truck arrived in...

PROTEST WATCH.(transportation industry)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... As CM went to press hundreds of operators were gathering at the Stanlow oil refinery in Ellesmere Port in a last-ditch attempt to make the cost of fuel an election issue. But they arrived on foot rather than with their trucks amid fears that...

Pickfords closes eight depots.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Falling property prices are having on knock-on effect on removals firms, including some household names. Guy Sheppard reports Removals gianT Pickfords is closing down some of its depots, citing falling demand in the UK housing market. Eight...

Quarry firm pays for repairs.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... A narrow village street in Leicestershire is being pounded by 3,000 trucks a week; now the villagers are revolting. Roger Bushby reports A quarry company has promised to finance road improvements after villagers claimed that over 3,000...

Scania bosses go green at environmental fine.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The UK arm of Swedish truck maker Scania has embarrassed its environmentally conscious bosses in Sweden by landing a [pounds sterling]15,000 fine for breaking recycling rules. Scania GB was prosecuted before the Milton Keynes magistrates for...

Stobart must apply for new O-licence.(Eddie Stobart Ltd.)
May 5, 2005... Eddie Stobart has lost its Eastern Area O-licence, but it has been given time to apply for a new one. Mike Jewell reports. High-profile haulage firm Eddie Stobart has lost its 290- vehicle O-licence in the Eastern Traffic Area for...

Stop persecuting drivers for cash!(interpretation and construction of speed limits)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Increasingly we deal with the demands for driver detail in relation to motoring offences captured on camera. As a commercial vehicle operator I understand the need for speed restrictions and, in fact, any restriction that helps create a safe...

TC refuses to let haulier surrender ; licence before it can be revoked.(Beverley Bell's suit against Simon Silcock International Haulage)(traffic commissioner)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... A Wigan international haulier whose drivers committed drivers' hours and tachograph offences on the Continent failed in a bid to surrender his licence before it could be revoked. Simon Silcock, trading as Simon Silcock International Haulage,...

Thank goodness for justice.(interpretation and construction of speed limits)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Following recent events in Northumberland we must all be relieved that a public menace has been dealt with in the form of the local HGV driver reported recently. I understand he was forced to plead for his licence and livelihood in court for...

That was the year...
May 5, 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 1920 and 1970. 1920 A year after its foundation the League of Nations held its first meeting and ratifies the Treaty of...

The future's ; in question.
May 5, 2005... Fiat's future seems to hang on Iveco's profits and GM's ability to pay its debts on time. Oliver Dixon reports. Less than a week after administrators were forced to admit defeat and to allow MG Rover to slide into oblivion, Fiat SpA is...

the show.(management of RE Fielding Trucking)
May 5, 2005... must go on Conferences, pop concerts and exhibitions make a fortune - but not without HGV traction. Tim Maughan met two operators who make them happen. London truck drops are notoriously difficult. The volume of traffic, the...

Time for operators to do their duty on duty.(protests against transportation policy)
May 5, 2005... Who will you be voting for? Ray Dickson reckons whoever gets into power, the industry should be preparing to flex its muscles over fuel duty. Today will almost certainly determine what kind of future our industry faces over the next five...

Time to pass the baton?
May 5, 2005... A decade on from its launch the Citron Relay can hardly be accused of any lack of development - but how long can it remain competitive? Modern vans come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, but there are still those who believe bigger is...

Transport manager who stormed out has lost repute.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The North Eastern Traffic Commissioner Tom Macartney has ruled that transport manager Patrick McCann, who was nominated on three licences and who stormed out of a public inquiry mouthing obscenities at the TC, (CM 17 March) has lost his repute....

Use the system.(analysis of employment tribunals)
May 5, 2005... New laws have made it tougher for disputes to reach employment tribunals. Patric Cunnane explains how the system works. The introduction of mandatory disciplinary and grievance procedures in October 2004 was designed to cut down on the...

What are we fighting for?(plans of executives of business associations)
May 5, 2005... WTD... fuel duty... LRUC... Chris Tindall talks to some industry insiders about plans for protest. What has been overlooked by much of the press recently in reports of the protests dotted up and down the country is that operators'...

'You can still overwork' is poor compensation.(Letter to the Editor)
May 5, 2005... After reading the report headed "Time on your side" (CM 21 April), I would like to comment from a driver's point of view. I find it very touching that Mr Hardwick can put my mind at rest knowing I can still be on duty for a 75-hour week. What...

...and brandy and wine taken in Fife.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... Thieves have also escaped with two trucks containing [pounds sterling]400,000 worth of alcohol from the Dalgety Bay area of Fife. They struck at 9pm on 17 April when three or four offenders entered the secure compound and stole two tractor...

A beauty in the eye of the beholder.
May 12, 2005... To coincide with Tipper 2005 we've checked out a prime example of a breed we tested back in 2003. Back then it was all lightweight and Swedish - so no change there, then... By 2003 Daf, Volvo and Scania had sewn up the lightweight tipper...

ADR scanner fails exams.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... Hazchem drivers could fail the ADR exam because of bungled marking. Guy Sheppard reports. Hundreds of drivers who need the ADR certificate to carry dangerous goods could be failing the exam because their papers have been marked...

Animal trucks not clean enough.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... A third of livestock trucks stopped in checks were found to be breaking new laws brought in following the foot and mouth crisis. Oxfordshire County Council's trading standards officers stopped 28 vehicles to check compliance with the law which...

Another Evans driver faces suspension of his licence.(NR Evans)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... A North Wales truck driver who committed 28 offences of falsifying tachograph records has been warned to expect suspension of his HGV licence. David Jones, of Rhiw, Pwllheli, appeared before Welsh Traffic Commissioner David Dixon at a Mold...

Armstrong takes over from Oliver.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... Cumbrian haulier William Armstrong has taken over troubled operator William Oliver, which has been struggling to stay afloat since two of its bosses were jailed. The deal gives Armstrong an enlarged fleet of 150 vehicles and 300 trailers with...

BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST!
May 12, 2005... Brambles Industrial Services is running what are probably the biggest road-registered trucks ever built. Steve Brooks reports from down under. Western Australia is a place of extremes. It has searing temperatures, bone-dry deserts - and...

BULLDOG; PANTING.(commercial truck use in South Africa)
May 12, 2005... Bob Tuck returns from South Africa with a cautionary tale of tipper speccing. Teething problems with the first quartet of Mack Value Liner eight-wheeler tippers into Capetown are creating a headache for their South African owners Ross...

Barcelona's pickup pace.(new pickups of Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... Rival Japanese giants Toyota and Nissan have both unveiled new pickups at the Barcelona Motor Show. Toyota launched its new Hilux; Nissan showed off the King Cab version of the recently unveiled Navara replacement. Toyota's evergreen Hilux,...

Buyers demand a full service history.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... If a used truck is to have the best possible chance of finding a buyer, it needs to have been looked after by a franchised dealer. So says Stuart Wolstenholme, used truck sales manager at Scania dealership West Pennine's Middleton, Manchester...

Chartatruc sold.(Blueways Commercial)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... Newbury-based general haulier Chartatruc (Transport) was sold last week after administrators were called in by one of the firm's financiers. Boston Commercial Finance factored debts and financed equipment for Chartatruc; it called in...

Clampdown on clamping.
May 12, 2005... Vehicle clampers have a lousy reputation for dodgy dealings, but a new law is designed to end drivers' misery. Chris Tindall reports. Twenty-two years after the first vehicle was clamped in Britain, a law has finally been passed that is...

DTS takes over Woolworths' Irish work.(DTS Logistics)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... DTS Logistics has taken over the contract for Woolworths' Irish distribution following the failure of Road & Sea Express which previously handled it. The Cheshire-based haulier ceased trading last month following the issue of a winding up order...

Data overload...(Employment Practices Data Protection Code )
May 12, 2005... Every employer must follow the Data Protection Code when recruiting and employing staff; here's a legal eagle's guide to the rules. The Employment Practices Data Protection Code comes in four parts, and part one offers guidance to...

Don't miss CM's Truckzone!(Commercial Motor)
May 12, 2005... Commercial Motor will be putting a range of trucks, off-roaders and vans through their paces during next week's giant SED construction show. We'll be hosting the Truckzone, one of the key areas at SED, which will run alongside other areas...

Drivers caught out by fast food flop.(Wincanton Logistics Ltd. bids for contract from McDonald's Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... Nearly 400 drivers are hurting after giving up work for a promised contract only to find themselves high and dry. Dominic Perry reports. Exclusive Wincanton's failed bid to win work from the restaurant chain McDonalds has left hundreds...

EVENTS.
May 12, 2005... RHA courses Working Time Directive 19 May Bradford 25 May Birmingham 7 June Norwich Fire awareness 17 May Bristol Operator compliance 18 May Northampton Drivers' hours 24 May Leicester Contact: 01733 261131 Novadata Working Time Directive...

Expansion thwarted by failure to listen to examiners' advice.
May 12, 2005... An abnormal loads carrier in "dire" need of new vehicles has had its expansion plans curbed because it failed to act on advice from vehicle examiners over the past nine years. West Midlands Traffic Commissioner David Dixon took no action...

Faster action on stolen trucks.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... Roadside cameras will soon be capable of alerting police and truck drivers about the location of stolen trucks within 10 minutes of thefts being reported. At present it takes at least 12 hours before ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) is...

First-half sales break records.(used truck sales)
May 12, 2005... Business is booming for most, but not all, used truck dealers. Steve Banner reports. Used truck sales remain buoyant throughout most of the country. "We're doing 20% more business than we were doing this time last year, prices are holding...

Full Throttle ahead.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... Take a stroll with us through the little sideroads of haulage, the diversions and detours, the quirky, the quixotic and the downright strange... "If you were introducing a drink offering 'sixteen ounces of raw energy' how would you promote...

Hardcore hauliers on demos.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... I was dismayed to read the comments made by FTA chief executive Richard Turner regarding demonstrators (CM 28 April). His comments did not take into account that the people demonstrating are, in the main, small family hauliers of long standing...

Keedwell boosts fleet with 10 Scania 420s.(RT Keedwell)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... Somerset general haulage firm RT Keedwell is expanding its fleet with the purchase of 10 new Scania tractor units. This follows its acquisition late last year of South Wales steel haulier Ken Jones, which has bases in Newport and Port Talbot....

Knifepoint whisky theft...(investigations of theft of a truck)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... Police are hunting two men who hijacked a truck at knifepoint and made off with its [pounds sterling]100,000 load of whisky. The attack happened at 7.35am on 4 May in Glasgow. The driver was threatened and bundled into a van while his load was...

LIGHT FANTASTIC.
May 12, 2005... After unveiling an astonishingly lightweight all-carbon-fibre tipper at last year's Hanover Show, The Team Technology is already planning to expand its product line-up. Brian Weatherley reports. The Team Technology, the German consultancy...

London zone set to grow.(Transport for London)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... Transport for London (TfL) is contacting 65,000 businesses in the capital about plans to extend the congestion charge zone west into Kensington & Chelsea. But the Freight Transport Association is strongly opposed to a scheme that charges...

Lorries in quarries.
May 12, 2005... The only meaningful way to compare tippers is to put them to work in their natural environment. Welcome to Tipper 2005... The tipper market is arguably the most competitive sector in the road transport industry with weight, flexibility and...

MBO rescue for All Ways.(management buy-out for All Ways Forward Ltd.)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... A racing car transporter has been saved by a management buy-out. Jennifer Ball reports. Specialist freight forwarding and racing car transport firm All Ways Forward, which went into administration in April, has been sold to its senior...

Make them listen!(powers and duties of legislators)
May 12, 2005... Tony Blair's back in business - so now the industry needs to get its message across in the corridors of power. It really can make a difference, once you know how. Chris Tindall reports. After the dust had settled the result in the General...

Mix and; match.
May 12, 2005... "Workforce agreements"... "opt-outs"... "periods of availability" - what do they all mean? Patric Cunnane attends an RHA training course to find out. The Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations were introduced last month. They extended...

Never, ever tell a lie to a TC.(tachograph checks )
May 12, 2005... A married couple have been found unfit by the TC after tacho fiddling and a connection with some "family friends" leads to revocation. A Northumbrian couple have been declared unfit to hold an O-licence and have had their licence revoked...

New check on landfill.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency has launched another investigation into the running of a landfill site at Lendlefoot on the Ayrshire coast. The tip was named last month in Strabane Court in Northern Ireland as having allegedly...

No-show scaffolder fined [pounds sterling]1,450.(Highgate Scaffolding Limited)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... The use of an unqualified driver, having no O-licence and the absence of fuel tank filler cap cost a London company [pounds sterling]1,450 in fines and costs after it failed to appear before the Hillingdon magistrates. Highgate Scaffolding, of...

Now you can assess drivers by computer.
May 12, 2005... Switch on and boot up. Peter Larner looks at how IT can revolutionise the way we train our drivers. My wife is employed in administration at a College of Further Education. The introduction of online testing has revolutionised the...

Oil drivers in pension talks.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... The T&G's pay campaign in the oil distribution sector has finally begun to bite. Guy Sheppard reports. The five biggest employers in oil distribution have agreed to negotiate with union leaders about the creation of a radical new...