Commercial Motor articles from November 2005

Commercial Motor archives from November 2005

Time to make them pay!
November 3, 2005... Barry Proctor realises that VOSA is over-stretched but reckons we have to find a way to crack down on foreign operators who laugh at the current level of fines. Without wishing to bang on about it, the subject of this month's missive is...

EVENTS.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
November 3, 2005... RHA courses Digital tachograph 8 November Norwich Health & Safety 9 November Aylesbury Drivers' hours and tachographs 10 November Fareham Operator compliance 15 November Bradford Contact: 01733 261131 Commercial Motor Compulsory Training...

A site more successful.
November 3, 2005... Interactive websites are for teenagers keen to access consumer products and find out about the latest Big Brother inductees, not for selling trucks, right? Wrong, according to Hanbury Riverside... The people with the purse strings in road...

Action on dray safety.
November 3, 2005... Three of the UK's biggest beer distribution companies have begun talks with union officials about reducing accident rates among draymen. Beer delivery is regarded as one of the most hazardous types of distribution because loading and unloading...

An unholy row.
November 3, 2005... The law rules out religious discrimination in the workplace and you'd better take it seriously - a tribunal has ordered one employer to pay [pounds sterling]10,000 in compensation Clive Day reports. Discrimination of any sort is no...

Barbara's law.(Barbara Castle )(transport industry )
November 3, 2005... Barbara Castle is remembered for the introduction of the breathalyser and seat belts, but was also responsible for other transport changes. Patric Cunnane reports. As Barbara Castle set out to implement her massive Transport Bill, which...

Boughey has profit margin of under 1%.(Boughey Distribution)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Cheshire-based Boughey Distribution's profits were just [pounds sterling]227,000 for the year ending 31 May 2005 - down from [pounds sterling]890,000 the previous year - despite turn-over rocketing from [pounds sterling]16m to [pounds...

Canute turnover rises by [pounds sterling]3m to [pounds sterling]59.6m.(Canute Haulage )(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Essex-based Canute Haulage boosted turnover by more than [pounds sterling]3m in the last financial year, leading to a slight increase in pre-tax profits. The company's latest accounts, for the year ending 31 July 2005, show that its pre-tax...

Change of gear.
November 3, 2005... Becoming an owner-driver in the construction sector takes determination and a little luck, as Geoff Ashcroft found out. Whether it's a career change or a career start that you're looking for, there are plenty of useful business...

Cleaning up.(vehicle auctions )
November 3, 2005... The Fleet Auction Group aims to make the used truck sector 'socially responsible'. Louise Cole meets founder members Andrew Walker and Martin Betts. The vehicle auctions business, not only in the UK but worldwide, is controlled by BCA and...

DfT's end of year report.(Department for Transport)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... The latest DfT figures offer a fascinating overview of road transport in 2004. Every year the Department for Transport (DfT) publishes a range of transport statistics. The figures provide a useful snapshot of subjects such as how many...

Driver falsified tacho charts to get home.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Berkshire lorry driver Andrew Storey has been jailed for three months for the falsification of tachograph charts. Storey, of Stoke Poges Lane, Slough, pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court to eight offences of falsification and asked for 75...

Driver logged tacho miles as kilometres.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Wiltshire policE have dropped tacho falsification charges against a driver who confused miles and kilometres. Dennis Yeatman had noted his distances off the dashboard odometer in miles and filled them in on the tacho chart, which recorded its...

Edwards sheds contracts to make a profit.(Edwards Logistics )(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Hull-based Edwards Logistics converted a [pounds sterling]1.8m loss in 2003 into a [pounds sterling]133,000 profit last year after it dropped its third-party businesses in the UK and Belgium. Consequently, its latest accounts show that the...

Eglinton calls in receivers.(Eglinton Fast Freight )(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Eglinton Fast Freight (EFF), one of Northern Ireland's largest hauliers, has called in the receivers following a cash crisis. The Derry-based firm has ceased trading, and its premises at Derry Port are locked. It ran approximately 40 trucks and...

Established local operator loses job to logistics giant.(Gypsum gives contract to DHL Freight & Contract Logistics)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Logistics specialist DHL has won a British Gypsum plasterboard contract from a local operator. Sally Nash reports. British Gypsum has snubbed one of its long-standing hauliers in favour of global freight giant DHL Freight & Contract...

Ford subcontractors promised cash 'soon'.
November 3, 2005... Angry FORD subcontractors owed up to [pounds sterling]40,000 apiece for work carried out before the end of August have been promised that they will be paid soon. A group of eight hauliers are waiting for money after being taken on by an...

Foreign trucks will cost [pounds sterling]3bn by 2020.(foreign-registered trucks are costing the UK millions of pounds every year)
November 3, 2005... Foreign trucks are costing the UK millions of pounds every year, according to a new report. Chris Tindall and David Harris report. Foreign trucks are damaging UK roads to the tune of [pounds sterling]200m a year - and they will rob the UK...

French venture for EWS.(EWS International to run freight trains on the French rail network on behalf of Euro Cargo Rail)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Rail-freight operator EWS International is to run freight trains on the French rail network. The UK's main rail-freight operator received the go-ahead to operate in France after it was granted its safety certificate. Starting this winter EWS...

Hands free phones are a problem too.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... SO NOW THERE is talk of upping the fine for using hand held mobile phones from [pounds sterling]30 to [pounds sterling]60, plus three points, because last year 20,000 fines were issued. Well, we are happy for people to gabble away losing...

Highlands skills boost.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Small and medium sized haulage companies in the Scottish Highlands could be helped by a scheme aimed at developing management skills. The Scottish Executive Highlands and Islands Skills Fund has granted Skills for Logistics (SfL) funding to...

Hoyer makes more.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Hoyer UK, part of the giant German-owned Hoyer Group, boosted its pre-tax profit by almost [pounds sterling]1m in its latest financial year. Figures for the year ending 31 December 2004 show the domestic and international bulk liquid transport...

It's a man's world.(salaries for male workers)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... The average male manager earns [pounds sterling]30,948 a year, compared with just [pounds sterling]23,977 for women, according to the Chartered Management Institute and Remuneration Economics' 2005 National Management Salary Survey. It...

Jigsaw goes to the bathroom for [pounds sterling]2.5m.(Jigsaw Solutions won contract with Twyford Bathrooms)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Operator consortium Jigsaw Solutions has won a [pounds sterling]2.5m contract with Twyford Bathrooms. The deal involves the nationwide distribution of bathroom fittings from Twyford's factory in Alsager, Staffs. Jigsaw is tendering for several...

Killer thief to do less time.(casr for manslaughter)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... A thief who ran over and killed a truck driver as he was making off with a truck-load of electrical goods has had his nine-year jail term cut. John Clarke, of East Ham, was jailed at Croydon Crown Court last year after he pleaded guilty to the...

Lodge loses licence.(Alan Lodge Partnership )(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... South Yorkshire Hazchem haulier Alan Lodge Partnership has had its O-licence revoked after Northeastern Traffic Commissioner Tom Macartney described it as "irresponsible and inadequate". Alan, Christine and Gary Lodge, trading as...

M-B reveals a lighter 8x4 for aggregates.
November 3, 2005... Aggregates hauliers in the market for new tippers can now add Mercedes-Benz to their shopping lists. Colin Barnett reports. Mercedes-Benz has launched a lightweight 8x4 tipper, narrowly beating the deadline for Euro-4 emissions legislation....

MAN beats Freightliner in High Court.
November 3, 2005... A High Court judgment has gone in MAN's favour: it now hopes for a [pounds sterling]300m pay-out from Freightliner. Sally Nash reports. Freightliner, parT of DaimlerChrysler, could be forced to pay more than [pounds sterling]300m to the...

MANUFACTURER: CITROEN.
November 3, 2005... Model: Relay Tipmaster Ready-to-Run Tester's impression: Citron's marketing department is not coy about the main attraction of its Ready-to-Run Relay Tipmaster - the [pounds sterling]11,995 price tag. The bargain Relay comes with the...

MANUFACTURER: Ford.
November 3, 2005... Model: Transit 135 T350 single & double cab Tester's impression: Ford sent two examples of what is still Britain's biggest selling van, although they only differed in having single and double cabs. The double cab Transit tipper can...

MANUFACTURER: Ford.
November 3, 2005... Model: Ranger 4x4 Tester's impression: Pickups are a common sight on the UK's roads and building sites - even 4x4 pickups are not unusual, but a 4x4 pickup with a tipping body is uncommon and, barring Tata's short-lived effort, probably...

MANUFACTURER: iveco.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Model: Daily 35C13 Tester's impression: The Iveco Daily has previously fallen into the "also-ran" category in CM testing - a case of the total being less than the sum of the parts if you will. Though there were several things it did well,...

MANUFACTURER: mercedes-benz.
November 3, 2005... Model: Sprinter 411 3.5 & 413 4x4 Tester's impression: Although the cut-off point for this section of the test is 3,500kg, the pair of Sprinters carried 4x4 badges. The first example is actually a single cab 4.6-tonner down-plated to...

MANUFACTURER: MITSUBISHI.
November 3, 2005... Model: Canter 3C13 Tester's impression: The Canter from Mitsubishi, with only a few months behind it, is in its seventh generation (and now badged Fuso). It has increased cabin space, always an issue with the cab-forward design, thanks to...

MANUFACTURER: nissan.
November 3, 2005... Model: Cabstar single cab & double cab Tester's impression: Another single/double cab double act, Nissan's Cabstar has undergone substantial changes in the driveline department. Gone are the dogleg first gearbox and the old 2.7-litre/90hp...

MANUFACTURER: PEUGEOT.
November 3, 2005... Model: Boxer 350mwb 2.8 Tester's impression: Differentiated from the Citron by not much more than a badge, the Peugeot Boxer even has an identical Tipmaster body. The two main differences are the Peugeot's 2.8 litre/125hp engine and a...

MANUFACTURER: vauxhall.
November 3, 2005... Model: Movano single & double cab Tester's impression: With light commercial sales of 54,000 in 2004 and doubled output over the past three years Vauxhall is on a roll. Not just in retail sales, but also making serious inroads into fleets....

MANUFACTURER: volkswagen.
November 3, 2005... Model: LT35 Tester's impression: Far from being in its first flush of youth (and due for replacement over the winter) the shared VW LT/Mercedes Sprinter cab is a decent, if slightly Spartan workplace. Although lacking the all-important...

MANUFACTURER: Santana.
November 3, 2005... Model: ps10 4x4 Tipper Tester's impression: The 4x4 Santana tipper we tested on and off road was a LHD pre-production prototype, without even a chassis number. Models offered for UK sales will be RHD, with different rear springs and a...

Manheim trailers.(automotive parts auctions)
November 3, 2005... The first act of the day at Manheim Auctions is to put the trailers under the hammer. But get there early because most will have gone within the hour. You probably rolled up to the auction at about 10am, made your way to the canteen for a...

Obey the speed law to change it.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... FOR MANY YEARS, lorry drivers and police have trotted out a common-sense view of the 40mph single-carriageway speed limit. All-seeing, unthinking cameras that can't spot an HGV in a line of cars have changed all that. To set the limit to...

On-board weigher wasn't used.(methods to use automotive equipment by truck drivers)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Exceeding the permitted gross weight of a 32-tonne tipper has cost Southall, Middlesex-based Hennellys and one of its drivers a total of [pounds sterling]950 in fines and costs. The company, of Park Avenue, Southall, and its driver, Keith...

Operator tops Welsh growth league.
November 3, 2005... A Cardiff-based haulier and freight forwarder was last week named as the fastest growing business in Wales. Freight Systems Express Wales (FSEW) increased its turnover from [pounds sterling]800,000 in 2002/2003 to [pounds sterling]4.3m in its...

Pall-Ex pays up after tribunals - with more claims to come.
November 3, 2005... As Pall-Ex gears up for two tribunal claims brought by former employees, it's paid the price of previous unfair dismissal claims. Chris Tindall reports. Pallet network Pall-Ex has paid out [pounds sterling]30,000 after two former employees...

Peace talks stall BP strike.
November 3, 2005... A threatened five-day strike by BP tanker drivers over a pensions dispute with Exel has been postponed following last-minute peace talks. A group of 74 tanker drivers had voted for strike action after they were transferred from Exel to BP...

Pressure group is on the route to success.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... After meeting the Transport Minister the Route One pressure group is cautiously optimistic that progress might have been made. Lucia Cockcroft reports. Stan Robinson, the high- profile haulier behind the Route One pressure group, is...

Questions...
November 3, 2005... Ever wondered what temperature diesel burns at? What happened to the old fleets of yesterday? Why the wheels don't fall off cars? Or why parking bays at MSAs aren't wide enough or long enough for your drivers' trucks? If anything curious has...

Steel success.
November 3, 2005... Hertfordshire-based Chestminster has won a five-year haulage contract with steel company Kierbeck. Chestminster, which is owned and run by brothers Roger and Robert Beadle, has invested [pounds sterling]1.1m in eight new Volvos and 36 flatbed...

TC told to reconsider operating centre.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... The Transport Tribunal has directed South Eastern & Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner Christopher Heaps to reconsider his decision to remove a Chertsey, Surrey operating centre from a licence held by British Benzol at its five-year review . The...

That was the year...
November 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 1947 and 1997. 1947 The first protractile transistor was produced by Bell Labs, and aliens landed at Roswell, New...

The Equalisers.
November 3, 2005... Union-backed equal-pay reps could be introduced to the workplace to ensure women get a fair deal. Emma Page reports. Unions could be given new powers to elect workplace equality representatives to ensure women are paid the same as men for...

Three-year ban for false charts.(Heath Jukes punshied for falsifying tachograph records )
November 3, 2005... A haulier who falsified tachograph records has had his operator's and HGV driving licences revoked - his wife has lost her repute too. Stoke-on-Trent haulier Heath Jukes, who was given a 180-hour community punishment order for falsifying...

Tribunal not satisfied about owner of impounded tipper.
November 3, 2005... Anyone seeking the return of an impounded vehicle must satisfy the Traffic Commissioner that, on the balance of probabilities, they own it. This was made plain by the Transport Tribunal when it dismissed an appeal by Robert Evans against the...

Turnover rises - profits don't.(Great Bear Distribution )(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Turnover at Chester distribution and warehousing company Great Bear Distribution jumped to [pounds sterling]56.6m for the year ending 31 December 2004, up from [pounds sterling]49.1m the previous year. However pre-tax profits for the year...

VOSA wins tacho appeal.
November 3, 2005... An appeal from VOSA after a driver was acquitted of tampering with his tacho chart has been upheld by the High Court. Mike Jewell reports. The High Court has granted an appeal by VOSA after a truck driver was acquitted of tampering with...

WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS.
November 3, 2005... Training is an essential part of modern road transport, and it doesn't stop at HGV, CPC or ADR tuition - logistics courses are designed to boost your profits. Tim Maughan reports. Successful road transport companies rely on the collective...

When will chiefs listen to Indians?(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... A RECENT ISSUE contained a flyer for a CPC Conference in Birmingham and a feature previewing the forthcoming Directive (CM 27 October). I am now a freelance driver, having spent many years in management in the industry. I also get involved in...

Work made easy with a good client and Radio 1.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Driver Hire agency driver Dave Wells looks back on a week of truck-mounted cranes, trucks and pop music. To coin a phrase from the Fast Shwow, this week I've been doing mainly HIAB work. The client is a builders' merchants called EH Smith,...

can we really ; afford [pounds sterling]3bn?(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... Last week we bemoaned the sorry state of our enforcement procedures when it comes to the flagrant disregard for our laws displayed by many foreign drivers. But this is only half the story. New figures from a joint RHA-FTA report suggest that...

weight; watchers.
November 3, 2005... We put a selection of 3.5-tonne tippers through their paces and take a look at some of the alternatives to this popular traditional workhorse In May Commercial Motor took an in depth look at the heavy tippers on the market. Now it's the...

'Make trucks pay [pounds sterling]11.40 in London'.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2005... The Freight Transport Association has attacked a report which suggests that the London congestion charge should be raised to [pounds sterling]11.40 for trucks but cut to [pounds sterling]3.60 for cars. According to the Financial Times, the...

Engage brain first, please.
November 10, 2005... Mr X stands up for the M42 truck overtaking ban and calls for a little understanding between road users. Once again the RHA and FTA have opened their mouths before engaging their brains. In their eagerness to appease their noisier members,...

EVENTS.(Calendar)
November 10, 2005... RHA courses Operator compliance 15 November Bradford 30 November Preston Drivers' hours 16 November Burton 29 November Slough 30 November Ipswich 6 December York Working Time Directive 22 November Peterborough 23 November Newcastle 30...

Dad's home.(business law)
November 10, 2005... New workplace rights include up to six months' paid paternity leave. Most drivers are male, so operators must ensure they are prepared for change. John Davies reports. Small firms are not exempt from new workplace rights in the recently...

AL Jones sells fleet after half a century in the industry citing rising fuel costs.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... North Wales general haulier AL Jones has ceased trading after around 50 years in the road transport business. Owner Aneurin Owen has sold most of the company's vehicles, including six trucks, to Haydock Commercials, although he is retaining one...

Aspray set for period of 'prolonged growth'.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Aspray Transport says its [pounds sterling]6.5m revamp of its head office and main depot will allow it to double in size within five years. The West Midlands-based specialist express-transport company has poured [pounds sterling]8m into...

BP drivers win pensions row.
November 10, 2005... BP and its tanker drivers may have settled, but there's trouble brewing at Texaco. Chris Tindall reports. A Group of 74 BP tanker drivers have been offered final-salary pensions after the T&G union threatened strike action over the oil...

Currie European turned over [pounds sterling]35.5m - but lost [pounds sterling]321,000.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... One of Scotland's biggest hauliers has seen a massive annual turnover translated into a considerable loss. David Harris reports. Scottish-based Currie European Transport saw a [pounds sterling]44,600 pre-tax profit in 2003 turn into a...

Deal won following recommendation.(Transervice Express )(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... West Bromwich-based Transervice Express has won a contract to deliver supplies to 15 Tile Giant shops nationwide. The contract, which is worth [pounds sterling]60,000 a year, covers deliveries of grouting and adhesives from one of Tile Giant's...

Stressing the positive.
November 10, 2005... Stress when driving compromises safety and damages productivity and driver health. Louise Cole assesses the extent of the problem. A recent survey by Ryder involving 200 drivers at its truck rental depots found that the main attraction of...

Driver agency makes a spectacle of itself.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Driver agency Driver Hire has chosen Road Safety Week to highlight the danger of poor eyesight to drivers. The sight of as many as one in 10 drivers fails to meet the legal minimum standard, according to research by the Eyecare Information...

Driver dies after binge.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Cheshire haulage firm James Irlam has been offered advice after a driver was found dead next to his vehicle following a drinking session the previous night. West Yorkshire coroner David Hinchliff plans to write to the firm highlighting the...

Driving schools snap up units.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Salesmen at Volvo dealership Thomas Hardie's used truck centre have a particularly demanding task in hand. They're busy disposing of a selection of '01-registered FM7 4x2 tractor units formerly operated by TK Maxx, and producing an extremely...

FTA and RHA prepare fuel tax challenge.
November 10, 2005... The inquiry by the trade associations into the government's fuel tax policy following the collapse of the Lorry Road User Charge is looking at legal challenges. The Freight Transport and Road Haulage Associations have briefed lawyers to...

FTA demands parking review.(Freight Transport Association )(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... The Freight Transport Association wants a review of parking enforcement in London; it claims collection and delivery vehicles are seen as a soft target for fines. Louisa Perry, FTA London regional policy manager, says the code of practice takes...

FTA says overtaking ban is victimisation.(Freight Transport Association )(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... The FTA says the M42 overtaking ban amounts to victimisation of operators. David Harris reports. A ban on trucks overtaking on a Midlands motorway has been condemned by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) as victimisation of hauliers....

Fast recovery for Primark.
November 10, 2005... TNT's distribution service for fashion retailer Primark is back to normal following a fire which destroyed tens of millions of pounds worth of stock. The blaze at Magna Park industrial estate in Lutterworth, Leicestershire destroyed a 41,000m2...

Forcing down the cost of food is crippling farmers - and hauliers.
November 10, 2005... Many haulage firms depend upon and co-exist with the agricultural community. It saddens me that the 'supermarket mentality' in this country has driven farm prices so low that farmers cannot make money, and it bothers me even more that because...

Forget LRUC - rely on fuel duty.(Lorry Road User Charging )(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... I've reached the point where I feel compelled to air my views on the failed Lorry Road User Charging project. Having read many articles in the trade press and followed this topic closely over the years, I have to admit to being relieved at the...

French win right to cut fuel duty.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... French regional governments have been given the power to cut local excise duties on diesel and unleaded petrol. Following intense pressure on the French government from truck operators and drivers, farmers and fishermen, Paris won permission...

Good news for criminals.
November 10, 2005... West Midlands Police are scaling down Operation Indicate, its truck crime division. Steve Tolley, industrial liaison officer at Operation Indicate, has been moved off the project, leaving a hole in the division's team. Andy Round, intelligence...

Greenfield site for BCA Bedford.
November 10, 2005... To strengthen its position in the marketplace, British Car Auctions pulled down its old auction site in Bedford and moved across town. CM took a tour around the [pounds sterling]12.5m purpose-built auction centre. The Bedford skyline isn't...

Hauliers avoid farm row.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Agricultural hauliers have given a lukewarm response to last week's three-day strike organised by campaign group Farmers For Action. Up to 3,500 farmers withheld goods including milk, meat and vegetables in protest at the low prices paid by...

IN THE NEWS.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2005... Stuart Thomas brings you his regular round-up of the way our local and national newspapers have covered the wonderful world of road transport this week. Port Talbot compares favourably with Chile, if local websites are to be believed, but...