Commercial Motor articles from October 2004

Commercial Motor archives from October 2004

SPEED LIMITS.(Motor vehicle driving)
October 7, 2004... You ain't seen nothing yet! When it comes to speeding, Brian Weatherley reckons if you can't do the time, don't do the crime. But that doesn't mean he approves of the 40mph single-carriageway HGV limit - and if you really want something to...

EVENTS.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 7, 2004... Fleet Safety Forum Seminars 29 October Driver Assessment and Monitoring Green Lane Bus Depot, Liverpool 11 November Reporting and Recording Crash Data Morley, Leeds Contact: Adam Casper, 01484 559909, acasper@brake.org.uk RHA National...

AA group calls time on paper licences.(Licensing)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... Scrapping the paper counterpart of photocard driving licences would be bad news for truckers, according to the Professional Drivers Association. PDA trustee Pat Nicholson says the counterpart provides a useful form of identification for drivers...

Bank was deliberately misled.(Licensing)
October 7, 2004... Impounded vehicle was being operated without a valid O-licence. A finance company has won the return of a vehicle after a public inquiry accepted it had been misled into believing the purchaser held a valid O-licence - a user with a...

Breaches mean interim licences will not be extended to full ones.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... last year two operators were granted interim authority to operate from an industrial estate at Wormley, subject to a number of environmental conditions. Now the South Eastern and Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner Christopher Heaps has refused...

Court rejects gang's appeal.(Appeal Court)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... A gang who kidnapped a truck driver at gunpoint and stole his [pounds sterling]170,000 load of computer equipment have had appeals against their prison sentences rejected by the Appeal Court. In June 2003, nine men were jailed for a total of 99...

Death crash verdict 'imminent'.(Transportation accidents)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... The boss of a car transporter firm who faces charges of manslaughter is expected to hear his fate this week. Paul Duckmanton, who owns Rotherham-based CarTrans, has already admitted to falsifying documents following the death of pensioner Joyce...

Deferred decision on 'borrowed' licence.(Tire industry)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... A West Midlands tyre company which mistakenly thought it could use someone else's O-licence has to wait to see if its own licence bid will succeed. The West Midland Deputy Commissioner, Alan Bourlet, was considering taking action against the...

Delays lead to poor harvest.(Automobile chassis)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... Late arriving parts from chassis-makers and early forward planning for Christmas have contributed to a slower-than-usual September market. The usual growth at the auctions experienced through September as operators replace their stock has...

Delphi picked for Euro-4.(Automobile engines)(Delphi Automotive Systems Corp)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... All Euro-4 Volvo, Renault and Mack engines of nine litres and above will have British-made electronic unit injectors (EUIs), supplied by Delphi from its Stonehouse, Gloucestershire plant. The EUIs for Euro-3 Volvo D9, D12 and D16 diesels are...

Driver at risk.(transportation industry)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... re THE letter about rail bridges (CM 16 September), Goss Moor rail bridge on the A30 trunk road near Bodmin, Cornwall is notorious: two years ago, one of our vehicles, which has a crane mounted on it, hit this bridge by a mere four inches. The...

ERF wind and fire.(Edwin Richard Foden)
October 7, 2004... CM tests more CVs than anyone else. Now we are using our extensive database to help you search for the right vehicle. Product Focus this week looks at the development of ERF under MAN's ownership. ERF has been through the mill a bit since...

EU employment rules unfair.(European Union)
October 7, 2004... Peter Larner, MD of Suckling Transport, thinks the balance of rights and responsibilities has tipped too far in favour of the employee. Two of our company's key performance indicators measure the stability and sustainability of our...

Ferry cuts favour freight.
October 7, 2004... This week's announcement of service cuts and job losses at P&O will not hit the freight industry too hard. Chris Tindall reports. P&O has decided to focus on the expanding European freight market, announcing 1,200 job cuts and cancelling...

Figures support security calls.
October 7, 2004... A new report reveals high levels of attacks on drivers and their vehicles; most of them at truckstops and service stations. Jennifer Ball reports. More than 16% of truck drivers have had their cabs broken into or suffered a personal...

Go-slow demo hits French port.(Transportation industry)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... It's not only UK container ports that have trouble meeting the needs of hauliers: French magazine L'Officiel des Transporteurs carries a report this week on the troubles at Havre in Normandy. The second of two protests by container hauliers hit...

Guilty until proved innocent?( smuggling drugs)
October 7, 2004... How should an innocent driver respond if Customs officers discover drugs have been smuggled on to his vehicle? David Craik reports. A weary driver arrives at the Port of Felixstowe. It has been a long journey over on the ferry from the...

Hunt is on for kidnap gang and missing clothes trailer.(Crimes against,truck driver .)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... Police are HUNTING a gang who kidnapped a truck driver and stole his load of designer clothing. They struck in the early hours of 22 September at the Poplars 2000 truckstop near J20 of the M6 in Warrington. The gang dragged the driver from his...

IT's a mini adventure.(Automobile industry)
October 7, 2004... Mini artics tend to be tailor made, with their trailers, to order but do they measure up? CM puts Mitsubishi's baby belle through its paces. The mini-artic has been a familiar sight on the roads of mainland Europe for years, but the UK...

It's OK to use two charts.(Tachometers)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... Chelmsford Crown Court has ruled that using two tachograph charts in two vehicles on the same day is lawful. Driver Nigel Rudkin has won his appeal against conviction at Chelmsford Crown Court; he had been previously been convicted on five...

It's the limit.(Truck driving,Speed limits.)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... I would like to express my support for a rise in the speed limit for trucks on single carriageway A-roads to 50mph, on the grounds of improved driveability and efficiency. Often due to the overall gearing of modern trucks, you have to travel a...

Jail time for hours offences?(Automobile industry)
October 7, 2004... Harsh example for RF Fielding drivers facing crown court for tacho offences Four drivers from well-known Cheshire haulier RF Fielding are facing possible jail sentences after admitting tacho offences when they appeared before District...

Minister shuffles off.(Jim McDaid)(Ireland's Department of Transport)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... Ireland's haulage minister was sacked in a Government re-shuffle last week - and his departure was warmly welcomed by the country's road haulage industry. Dr Jim McDaid was not loved by truck operators, says Irish Road Haulage Association...

Mystery fuel duty demo plan.(new form of protest)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... British Hauliers leader John Bridge is busy planning an "innovative" fuel duty protest - Guy Sheppard reports Maverick haulage leader John Bridge is planning a new form of protest to highlight the level of frustration felt about high fuel...

Need for speed on A9.(truck speed limit)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... Pressure's building for a 50mph A9. Guy Sheppard reports. Haulage leaders want the truck speed limit on the A9 in Scotland to increase from 40mph to 50mph to cut tailbacks. This follows the completion of a [pounds sterling]5m improvement...

Not a Buckley's!
October 7, 2004... FURTHER TO my letter published back in the summer (CM 10 June) - I can now unequivocally state that Southampton Container Port users haven't got a Buckley's! John Ward Chairman, PMP Logistics Fareham, Hants

Operators 'are satisfied with VOSA'.(Vehicle and Operator Services Agency )
October 7, 2004... I read with interest the article written by Chris Tindall headed "Going Private" (CM 19 August). VOSA's Annual Report and Effectiveness Report 2003/4 addresses some of the issues raised and I am writing to explain these issues further. Although...

Parts on display.(Automotive parts industry)
October 7, 2004... Take a stroll with us through the little side roads of haulage, the diversions and detours, the quirky, the quixotic and the downright strange... If there was one thing that was drummed into On the Margin's sweet little head as a youngster...

Police seek clues to crack egg case.(Transportation industry)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... Police are hunting a gang of thieves who kidnapped two security guards before stealing seven trailers containing [pounds sterling]500,000 worth of Cadburys chocolate from a Great Bear Distribution depot in Lancashire. At around 1.30am on...

Rail-freight boost for Malcolm Group.(Construction industry)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... Rail freight is boosting the fortunes of Scottish-based Malcolm Group, which reports that its pre-tax profits have jumped by more than 30% to [pounds sterling]4.7m. Andrew Malcolm, chief executive of the logistics and construction services...

SAMAT offers a bigger pay rise.(Automobile industry)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... The Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) has negotiated a settlement on behalf of drivers at bulk chemical haulier Groupe SAMAT after they carried out their threat of strikes around the country. The T&G and SAMAT management were locked...

STEEL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.(Steel industry)
October 7, 2004... British steel operators are riding on the crest of a wave. But, as Tim Maughan discovers, you'll need shunters, coil carriers and other specialist equipment if you want to be taken seriously in this market. Steel can be a touchy subject....

Sack for fight was justified.(Automobile industry)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... An employment tribunal has been told that a public fight between two truck drivers blocked a roundabout on an Aberdeen seafront when they leapt down from their vehicles to attack one another. One witness said: "Two drivers were rolling about on...

Scot sells up citing red tape.(JMS Transport)(Vehicle and Operator Services Agency )
October 7, 2004... A successful Scottish haulier is quitting after 17 years, blaming excessive legislation, too much health and safety red tape and pressure from VOSA. Jim Mulligan, boss of Turiff-based JMS Transport in Aberdeenshire, says: "It stops you doing...

Second vehicle remains impounded.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... Hurstpierpoint-based Kevin Varney has lost his bid for the return of a second impounded vehicle. The South Eastern and Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner, Christopher Heaps, also refused to return the vehicle to Shane Saunders, of East...

Snowie Group makes less from more.(Snowie Group)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... Snowie Group has suffered its second successive drop in annual profits, despite a continued rise in turnover. Three years ago, the Scottish-based logistics to waste management company was booming after being paid [pounds sterling]38m by the...

Steel demand set to ramp up truck prices.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... Rocketing steel prices fuelled by increased Chinese demand are forcing manufacturers of trucks, vans and bodies to raise their prices. At the recent IAA commercial vehicle show in Hanover, Volvo and MAN both warned that prices would have to...

TC investigates possible 'front' company.(Traffic Commissioner)
October 7, 2004... A married couple must wait to see whether a bid for an O-licence has succeeded because of concerns that they might be a front for their son's operation, Baines Bros, whose licence for four vehicles and four trailers was revoked at the beginning...

The Right Man for the Job.
October 7, 2004... Simon Cordall and Amy Stockton examine the current state of the recruitment market and look at some solutions to the perennial problem of driver shortages. On 1 January 1997 the government changed the rules so that anyone wanting to drive...

Taking the long view.(biography)(Biography)
October 7, 2004... Ian Hetherington must rise to the challenge posed by the driver shortage. Chris Tindall finds out what he's got planned. You need to have boundless enthusiasm and the patience of a saint to do Ian Hetherington's job. On the face of it, the...

The big get bigger in a week of buy-outs.(economic aspects of mergers in the transportation industry)
October 7, 2004... It's been a week of consolidation in road haulage with mergers and acquisitions in the air. Dominic Perry and Jennifer Ball report. The haulage industry showed signs of increasing consolidation this week with the news of two major buy-outs...

The need for speed.
October 7, 2004... We've all grown up with the slogan "Speed Kills". But forcing trucks to crawl along also causes a risk to life and limb. Dominic Perry reports. If you ask virtually any transport company in this country they will be able to name at least...

Two fake hijackers face long prison sentences.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... Two truck drivers are starting jail sentences this week after faking hijackings. Andrew Carvell of Daventry admitted charges of theft and attempting to pervert the course of justice after [pounds sterling]18,000 worth of alcohol went missing...

Vauxhall driver is cleared of assaulting his boss.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... A driver for Vauxhall Motors who was accused of attacking his boss and threatening to burn down his home has been cleared of all charges. A jury at Liverpool Crown Court took less than two hours to find Paul Kirkham not guilty of assault....

Who said size doesn't count?
October 7, 2004... Big cab, big engine, low mileage. Is this the embodiment of the perfect used vehicle? Read on to find out. Scania leads the way in residuals. Well certainly at the top end of its range. the Swedish truck builder enjoys an industry-wide...

Who's afraid of the big bad VAT man?(Value Added Tax )
October 7, 2004... Getting a handle on the facts about VAT makes it much less intimidating. Steve James explains how to keep on top of it. Value Added Tax is a tax on the supply of goods or services. The responsibility for its administration and collection...

box of delights.(Stephen Titchmarsh Transport )(Biography)
October 7, 2004... Stephen Titchmarsh likes working with skeletal trailers and containers, despite being hindered by frequent delays in UK ports. Tim Maughan reports. The nucleus of the Stephen Titchmarsh Transport business is different from that of your...

on the road to prosperity.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... We're always surprised by news of mergers and acquisitions; sometimes our view is even tinged with nostalgia - but we're never disappointed. When investors are prepared to stump up serious amounts of money to take over companies we reckon it's...

september 2004.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2004... Some manufacturers' moves to the Continent have not affected the UK's CV ouptput Manufacturing Commercial vehicle production in the UK has changed markedly in the past decade, but it also varies from quarter to quarter and month to month,...

44-tonners save money and miles.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The introduction of 44-tonne trucks has saved the road haulage industry [pounds sterling]110m and millions of journeys each year, according to academics at Heriot-Watt University's Logistics Research Centre. They say the higher weight trucks...

Boss and driver in jail threat for false charts.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... A Welsh haulier falsely put his name to one of his driver's charts to hide an illegal journey involving up to 20 hours working time. Now the operator and driver, who both admitted falsifying tachograph records, are facing possible prison...

CCTV delivers more bus lane fines.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The number of parking and bus lane fines issued in London has soared by 18% over the past year to almost six million. A report from the Association of London Government (ALG) reveals that 5,936,391 penalty charge notices (PCNs) were issued in...

Cash boost for forest roads.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Scottish timber hauliers are to benefit from a major investment in forest access roads. Guy Sheppard reports. The Scottish timber industry has won [pounds sterling]13m of Government funding to improve access to isolated plantations and...

Charge was brought under wrong regs.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... A case against a driver accused of ignoring a motorway sign was dismissed on a technicality after Coventry magistrates accepted that he had been charged under out-of-date regulations. John Edward Thomas from Oswestry had been accused of failing...

Cold shoulder for experts' warning.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... THE HIGHWAYS Agency is to explore ways of removing broken-down trucks during a controversial traffic management experiment on the M42 in the West Midlands. The experiment, which will operate between junctions 3A and 7, involves channelling...

Creditors' misery over chasing haulage debt.
October 14, 2004... A sole trader ran up debts and started a company that's going bust - now he is bankrupt and his creditors despair. Chris Tindall reports The director of a failed freight forwarding operation has left a trail of angry creditors and debtors...

DC profits take a hit.(Daimler Chrysler)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Daimler Chrysler CV has had a good year, but its takeover of Mistubishi Fuso has affected profits. Colin Barnett reports. DaimlerChrysler's Commercial Vehicle Division, which includes Mercedes Benz, is set to take a huge dent in its profits...

Death driver will appeal.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... A TRUCK driver who caused a fatal crash when he fell asleep at the wheel has launched a second appeal against his four-year prison sentence after the first judge considering his case died. Last year Victor Coates was convicted at Basildon Crown...

EXPRESS MARKS THE SPOT.
October 14, 2004... The Great British Public might well rise up against the threat of more on-the-spot fines for traffic offences. Mr X sees their point, but believes that law abiding operators have little to fear and much to gain... What would we do without...

Firm loses milk deal.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... A family haulage firm which has collected milk from dairy farmers in Cumbria and South-West Scotland for more than 75 years has lost its contract to a logistics giant from Liverpool. Longtown operator Wm Armstrong dates back to 1927; milk...

IN THE NEWS.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Stuart Thomas gives us his regular round-up of how the newspapers have covered the world of transport this week. Car hits deer and gives it an unwanted 20-mile lift in the vehicle's air intake slot near the bumper. Deer survives,...

Licence refused -- but still operating.(William Martin Oliver & Partners)
October 14, 2004... TC refuses O-licence application but the Transport Tribunal grants a stay of execution. The CM news team reports. IT's BEEN A MIXED week for a Northumbrian haulage dynasty after decisions by the Transport Tribunal and the North Western...

Limits cause other drivers to take risks.(Letter to the Editor)
October 14, 2004... Regarding your editorial in the 23 September edition about speed limits, all I can say is "YES! At last!" Let's start by badgering the RHA & FTA to back a campaign to look at speed limits, not only on single carriageway roads but also on dual...

MAN wins MoD truck race.(MAN ERF UK Ltd.)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... MAN-ERF HAS won "preferred bidder" status for the [pounds sterling]1.1bn contract to build and support a fleet of military trucks and recovery vehicles for the Ministry of Defence. This will disappoint the other contenders for the giant...

MOTs pass brake tests.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... An investigation into the reliability of official brake testing equipment has ruled out the possibility that some trucks fail their MoT tests for non-existent defects. The research follows numerous complaints from dealers that vehicles would...

More misery at Southampton.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Southampton docks delays are getting out of hand again - and the port lays some of the blame on the hauliers themselves. Jennifer Ball reports. ANGRY TRUCK drivers at Southampton Container Terminal (SCT) continue to face lengthy delays,...

More use M6 Toll.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Midland Expressway (MEL) has once again refused to say how many trucks are using the M6 Toll, despite claims that numbers have "increased substantially" since the price was cut from [pounds sterling]11 to [pounds sterling]6 in July. The toll...

Neighbours are asked to be patient as site purchase plan falls through.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... A Merseyside car transporter ordered to find new premises because of neighbours' complaints has appealed to the North Western Traffic Commissioner, Beverley Bell, for an extension to the six-month time limit it was given in February. For the...

New depot, jobs.(CS Ellis)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... A Rutland-based transport company is opening a new depot and creating up to 20 new jobs. CS Ellis runs a 50-vehicle fleet delivering 1,500 pallets week; it also provides 18,500m2 of warehousing space at its South Luffenham depot. The new...

O-licence price hike will hurt.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The DfT is ramping up the financial resources required of all O-licence holders - the RHA has responded with a plea for flexibility. Guy Sheppard reports. Operators will need much larger financial reserves when applying to renew or change...

OCTOBER 2004.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Speeding death toll In 2002, excessive speed was a contributory factor in 12% of slight accidents, 19% of serious accidents and 30% of fatal accidents. This equates to over 1,000 people killed and more than 38,000 injured in road accidents...

Pallas halts inquiry with refusal to give evidence.(Pallas Transport Ltd.)
October 14, 2004... Pallas Transport halted a recent public inquiry, claiming it would not get a fair trial. CM newsdesk investigates the on-going saga. The saga of Pallas Transport and Montana Freight Services descended further into farce this week at a...

Police warn of redirection scam.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Police have repeated warnings that criminals are using new tactics to get insider information about haulage firms and target valuable loads. The move comes after a Sussex operator was the victim of an 'infiltration deception' when a caller...

Price of pulling pints to go up.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... To put it mildly, the big London brewers are unimpressed by plans to extend the congestion charging zone. Jennifer Ball reports. Plans to extend London congestion charging west to incorporate the boroughs of Kensington, Chelsea and...

RHA calls for a 50mph speed limit.(road haulage association )(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... ROAD HAULAGE Association chairman Val Smith is calling for the Department for Transport to review HGV speed limits, adding weight to CM's campaign. Speaking at the RHA's annual lunch, Smith told Transport Secretary Alistair Darling that the...

Renault UK 'could do better'.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Renault's new UK boss, Thierry Lepercq, has admitted that the company is underperforming on customer service and sales in the light CV sector. Lepercq, who joined Renault Truck in June, was speaking at a press event where he outlined his...

Rumour boosts shares.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Analysts have dismissed rumours that Swiss logistics firm Kuehne & Nagel (K&N) is poised to launch a takeover bid for Exel. The rumour developed after K&H boss Klaus-Michael Kuehne told German newspaper Handelsblatt that he was looking for a...

Serial drink-driver must take test to get back on the road.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... A driver with a series of drink-driving convictions has lost his appeal against South Eastern & Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner Christopher Heaps' decision not to return his HGV driving licence until he retakes the test. Stewart Taylor of...

Sloppy trailer controls could aid terrorists.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... TRAILER THEFT is massively under-reported, despite the threat of terrorists using a simple tipper for a dirty bomb attack, says Robin Dickeson of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Speaking at a vehicle crime conference last week,...

Speed kills - but trucks are safest.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... The Department for Transport's report Excessive Speed as a Contributory Factor to Personal Injury in Road Accidents reveals that speed was a contributing factor in 12% of road accidents and 28% of fatal accidents between 1999 and 2002. However,...

Steady as she goes, Christian.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... Christian Salvesen - currently in preliminary talks with rival TDG over a possible merger - says its first-half profits are in line with expectations. The firm, seen by many as rudderless since the departure of chief executive Edward Roderick,...

TNT joins forces team.(TNT Logistics)(Defence Logistics Solutions)(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... TNT Logistics has taken a 20% stake in a consortium bidding to take over equipment transportation for the British armed forces. TNT had been advising Defence Logistics Solutions (DLS) for some time; now the other consortium members, BAE Systems...

The only way is up.
October 14, 2004... Professor Alan McKinnon, head of Heriot-Watt University's Logistics Research Centre, is best known to operators for blasting the government's plans for Lorry Road User Charging. But what is his alternative? Jennifer Ball finds out. ...

Three jailed after brake fault kills OAP.(Brief Article)
October 14, 2004... A HAULAGE boss, one of his drivers and a foreman have all been jailed following the death of pensioner who was run over by a truck when its brakes failed. Joyce McVey was killed instantly when a car transporter belonging to Rotherham-based...