Commercial Motor articles from October 2008

Commercial Motor archives from October 2008

This Week.(Conference notes)
October 2, 2008... Once again, CM is linking up with ATS Euromaster to bring you a roadshow of legal seminars up and down the country, which will keep you informed about all the latest legal developments affecting your operation. The tour kicks off...

How green are you?(Operations)
October 2, 2008... A failure to plan is planning to fail, so they say. We talk you through measuring your environmental impact and devising a policy to rectify it. Words: Louise Cole If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. The first thing any...

This Week.(IAA Truck Show )
October 2, 2008... All-singing, all-dancing new entrants make their debut All the sights, smells and sounds from the IAA Truck Show held in Hannover recently. Here's what caught CM's eye The First Automobile Works of Changchun in north-eastern China is...

This Week.
October 2, 2008... Bin there, ett NOPIC NIBS done that If you're in the market for 50,000 wheelie bins or one top-of-the range bin lorry, last week's Recycling and Waste Exhibition at the NEC was the place to be. Here are some of the...

Granning Lynx stand-alone EBS axle cuts fitting time.(This Week)
October 2, 2008... By Brian Weatherley Warrington, Cheshire-based axle supplier Granning Lynx has developed a self-contained, modular lift-up EBS add-on axle that it claims significantly cuts the fitting and engineering approval time for chassis converters....

This Week.(trucking traffic control measures)
October 2, 2008... Police trial A20 Stack to stop city gridlock By Roanna Avison Trucks will be stacked on the A20 outside Dover in a trial to prevent the town centre becoming gridlocked with freight traffic waiting to get into the port. Kent Police...

This Week.
October 2, 2008... The end of the world is, apparently, nigh. Not only are we all supposed to be jobless and destitute by the end of the year, but if we survive beyond that we'll have no oil left and most of East Anglia will have returned to the North Sea. We're...

Schmitz Cargobull promises five-day trailer lead times.(This Week)(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Following the launch of the Fruehauf two-hour turnaround on a rigid tipping body, Schmitz Cargobull is offering to build and deliver a range of standard curtainsider and refrigerated trailers in just five days from receipt of order. The...

Training sessionDrivers and operators gathered at Villa Park in Birmingham last month to attend CM's Driver CPC Conference to get the latest on how to comply.(This Week)
October 2, 2008... From September next year, HGV drivers will have five years to complete 35 hours of periodic training to continue doing their jobs within the law. It may not sound like much, but leave it to the last minute and you could end up paying...

Legal.(United Kingdom. Crown Prosecution Service)(Road Safety Act 2006)
October 2, 2008... For years, there was a gulf between the various offences that can be applied by the Crown Prosecution Services where a death has resulted from a road traffic accident. Until recently, the division was highlighted by the fact that the...

Legal.(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... An operator who admitted that "silly mistakes" led to a previous two-year disqualification for drivers' hours offences has been granted a fresh licence. Stoke-on-Trent-based Daniel Poole, trading as Danny W Poole, applied for a new...

Legal.(amount of lies spoken by the employees to fetch a job)
October 2, 2008... Make-up artists With the explosion of interest in the television programme The Apprentice, there was surely an audible intake of breath from viewers when one of the candidates was discovered to have lied on his CV in a recent series. ...

Legal.
October 2, 2008... CM-2 0CT08-PANEL QUOTES-PC OFF THE ROAD - A fleet is grounded for safety reasons JAIL TIME - More drivers will get jailed under sentencing guidelines DODGY CVs - What can you do if a job applicant is economical with the truth? ...

We asked for it.(This Week)(compensations for foreign truck drivers)(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... The British National Party (BNP) campaign to defend British hauliers and drivers against foreign competition is clearly serious. What it's not, however, is credible. Its argument that 'enough is enough' when it comes to foreign operators doing...

A rude awakening.(This Week)
October 2, 2008... In a new series of investigations, CM crosses the Channel to find out what life is like for truckers across Europe. We begin by discovering that Polish drivers are returning home to face tough conditions. It's common knowledge that the...

Legal.(David Henry Hunter and Partners's license revoked)(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... A haulier that had its licence revoked after failing to provide financial information to a public inquiry has lost its appeal to the Transport Tribunal. Pickering-based David Henry Hunter & Partners held a licence for three vehicles and...

Legal.
October 2, 2008... The Transport Tribunal has ruled that a new Traffic Commissioner reconsider the action taken against Katharine Oliver, the wife of disgraced haulier Stuart Oliver, and her mother Elsie Swan, partners in Hexham-based JW Swan & Partners. It...

This Week.(Innovate into forensic investigation)
October 2, 2008... Administrator examines Innovate's [pounds sterling]54m deficit By Chris Tindall The Administrator hand-ling the fallout from Innovate's collapse is digging deeper to establish whether action should be taken against the company's former...

This Week.(Royal Mail Group PLC)(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Red letter day for MAN Royal Mail has added 40 MAN TGS tractor units to its fleet - the first time an MAN tractor has appeared in the distinctive red livery. The TGS 18.400 4x2 BLS units are running out of Birmingham mail centre. Head...

This Week.
October 2, 2008... BNP campaign targets UK drivers By Joanna Bourke A campaign by the British National Party (BNP) to recruit lorry drivers as members has been dismissed by the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and the Labour Party. However, the BNP...

This Week.(Bullet Express Logistics warns goverment for fuel price hike)(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Call for industry to lobby for fuel cuts Bullet Express Logistics managing director David McCutcheon has warned the government that unless it starts listening to the haulage industry about the burden of fuel costs, the only option available...

This Week.(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... A Tilbury, Essex haulier has gone into administration after its major customer went under owing it nearly [pounds sterling]100,000. Home Counties Transport boss David Tucker says the firm was unable to continue business last week after...

This Week.(Road Haulage Association introduces rescue services)(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... RHA rides to the rescue The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has launched a rescue and recovery service for members, managed by Lantern Recovery Specialists. RHA Rescue and Recovery Group chairman Richard Goddard says: "I am delighted...

This Week.
October 2, 2008... Iveco has asked us to point out that the warranty on the Iveco Daily is for three years/100,000 miles and not unlimited as stated in the Daily dual test (CM 4 September). Derby Crown Court has fined NYK Logistics [pounds sterling]20,000...

This Week.(S and S Distribution teams up with Tonbridge, Norbert Dentressangle)(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... S&S seeks regional delivery partners S&S Distribution plans to set up partnerships with other hauliers to support its regional delivery approach. The Tonbridge, Kent-based operator is trying to reduce the number of long-distance journeys...

This Week.
October 2, 2008... Hauliers fear the worst after incineration firm collapse By Chris Tindall Livestock hauliers left high and dry following a Somerset incineration plant's move into administration are not pinning their hopes on receiving money owed to...

This Week.
October 2, 2008... Planning reform is a boon for truckstops By Chris Tindall The Department for Transport (DfT) is trying to introduce lorry parking provisions into its national policy framework to speed up the development of new truck parks across the...

This Week.(trukers makes theselves comfortable with their job)
October 2, 2008... TruckNet's UK community manager, Rikki Chequer, finds that comfort really does matter to drivers. While most trucks today are built to a standard of comfort that a few years ago was the realm of luxury cars, some models still have their...

This Week.(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... n The Transport Tribunal has upheld an appeal by Katherine Oliver, wife of disgraced haulier Stuart Oliver. In doing so it has quashed an indefinite O-licence disqualification by North-Eastern Deputy Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell. The DTC...

Operations.
October 2, 2008... CM market sector report - Agriculture Down on the farm We turn our focus to the agricultural sector, and how hauliers in this arena have been coping in today's testing economic climate Agricultural sector haulage covers a wide...

Operations.
October 2, 2008... The second-generation Freelander Commercial was launched earlier this year, and comes in S and XS specs. Both are powered by a 2.2-litre TD4 16-valve turbo-diesel with common-rail engine, which is also used (ironically) in Ford's Transit....

Legal.(Edward Charlesworth under safety inspections)(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... An operator of 26 years claimed to be unaware of the requirement for daily vehicle checks when the O-licences of his two associated companies were revoked. In doing so, North Western Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell ruled that a bid for...

Legal.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... The revocation of the one-vehicle licence held by Guildford Timber Frame by the South Eastern & Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner Philip Brown for failing to supply financial information has been upheld by the Transport Tribunal on appeal. ...

Legal.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... The Transport Tribunal has upheld the indefinite disqualification of a haulier who stepped in to help rescue a business he sold to another operator. Barrington Ross has been disqualified from holding an O-licence following the revocation...

Legal.(Richard Gyles, truck driver into accident cases)(Mallet Transport's licence cut)(John Williams fined for using defective tractor)
October 9, 2008... Overloaded axle costs [pounds sterling]978 An axle overload has cost Southsea owner-driver Richard Gyles [pounds sterling]978 in fines and costs. Wrexham Magistrates were told that a 3.5-tonne vehicle, driven by Gyles, and loaded with...

This Week.
October 9, 2008... Temperature-controlled sector pressure group Transfrigoroute is lobbying the European parliament to allow longer, higher refrigerated trailers. The owner of Lines Industries, and committee member of Transfrigoroute, Alan Lines, wants...

This Week.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... What a difference a year makes. Just 12 months ago, drivers using the forums were reporting that they could leave a job and find new employment by the morning. Now, drivers are saying there's little or no work out there, and the sector is...

High expectations for transport secretary.(This Week )(Geoff Hoon )(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... The UK haulage industry has called on new transport secretary Geoff Hoon to get to grips with the issues the sector is facing and be committed to the role. Hoon - previously Chief Whip - replaces Ruth Kelly, who resigned last week. ...

Lawyer to draft Isle of Man O-licence regs.(This Week)(Murray Oliver )(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... The Isle of Man has taken its first step towards introducing an operator licensing system by hiring a consultant to draft the legislation. Transport lawyer Murray Oliver will oversee the formation of new laws on the licensing of HGV...

'Value-added' truck park to open near Port of Dover.(This Week)
October 9, 2008... A new truck park opening near the Port of Dover which has space for 100 lorries is also offering customers trans-shipment and storage facilities for freight that is coming in and out of the country. The managing director of Priority...

Sell-out Tank-Ex gets going.(This Week)
October 9, 2008... The Tank-Ex exhibition at Donington Park opens its doors to visitors this week, marking the return of this once-popular show. Encouragingly, despite the current economic turmoil, late bookings from a European tanker manufacturer and a major...

This Week.(United Trailers in short term debts )(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... As CM was going to press, it was understood that United Trailers (UK) in Wisbech had gone into administration. The Cambridgeshire trailer manufacturer had told its staff last Thursday evening of the news, and employees found the gates locked on...

Operations.
October 9, 2008... Standfirst: Digital tachographs have been with us since 2005, and the number of trucks with digitachs fitted to them is steadily increasing. For existing digitach users, and for drivers who've yet to use them, here are Vosa's 10 top tips based...

Operations.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... MITSUBISHI L200 The star co-operative offering from Outreach of Falkirk and Forestry Transport Maintenance of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, was this Volvo-powered rig for Ayr-based JST Services. The 6x4 T-ride tractor was matched to a Dennison...

This Week.
October 9, 2008... Hauliers encouraged to get tight on tachos Any operator wanting to maximise fleet efficiency is advised to make full use of the tachograph as a management tool as well as a compliance tool. By Christopher Walton Operators that use...

Legal.
October 9, 2008... Business rates go up in 2010, but operators have six months to appeal any increase, starting from the announcement of the new rates next September. Words: Philippa Aldrich and Claire Macdonald Get yourretaliationin first Property...

Moving toward aEuropean lorry tax.(Legal)
October 9, 2008... The Eurovignette Directive proposes that lorries should be charged on all European roads. But will the money raised tackle congestion or just fill Government coffers? Defenders of Ken Livingstone's London congestion charge point to the...

Legal.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... CM-9 OCT 08-LEG CONTENTS-PC CASE OF THE WEEK: Unreadable tacho charts: an operator whose tacho charts were difficult to analyse has had his O-licence revoked. CASE STUDIES: INSIDE EUROPE - LORRY TOLLS AND MORE: TRAINING: ...

Legal.
October 9, 2008... CM-9 OCT 08-PANEL QUOTES-PC DOUBLE TR0UBLE - Two directors have been disqualified from the same firm. see page ??? TRAINING - More training courses to keep your firm on course in the months ahead see page??? BUSINESS...

Ringing insuccess.(This Week)(Bell Trailers )(Company overview)
October 9, 2008... Trailer rental is not the easiest business to be in at the moment, but Bell Trailers is enjoying growth by focusing on customer service and support. From small acorns, big oak trees grow. And this saying could very well be used to describe...

This Week.(Letter to the editor)
October 9, 2008... Letter 1 I am writing to you in connection with the Operator Compliance Risk Score (OCRS) ("Customers demand to see OCRS figures" CM 18 September). I am a committee member of the Northern Region of the Confederation of Passenger Transport,...

Operations.(Fagan and Whalley )
October 9, 2008... Carving out a niche With roots in the once thriving, yet sadly declining UK textiles industry, Fagan & Whalley has learned the importance of adapting to market conditions and seeking new opportunites. Words: Roanna Avison / Images: Tom...

Operations.
October 9, 2008... It may come as a shock to some, but Peugeot makes vans as well as cars, and not just small ones. The recently launched - and TV advertised - Bipper has helped raise the French manufacturer's profile, as well as let the public know it...

First Volvo FHs in 14 years for Fowler Welch.(This Week)
October 16, 2008... Fowler Welch Coolchain has taken 10 new Volvo FH-480 artics and has 30 more on order fordelivery in December. The logistics firm says the new trucks - which were supplied by Crossroads Truck and Bus - will all pull fridge and ambient...

Pentons Haulage fined after driver crushed to death.(This Week)(Pentons Haulage and Cold Storage)(Health and Safety at Work Act)(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... Chilled foods distributor Pentons Haulage and Cold Storage has been fined [pounds sterling]250,000 after one of its lorry drivers was crushed between two vehicles at a Night Owl truckstop. Jonathan Tiernan had met with a colleague to...

Piano keys up for business expansion.(This Week)
October 16, 2008... Piano LogisticS has adopted a leading role in the specialist piano-moving market as it acquires its biggest rival and opens a distribution centre to cope with the growth in business. Following Huntingdon-based Butler Piano Movers' (BPM)...

Stobart gets back on the road with Boalloy purchase.(This Week)(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... By Roger Brown Edward Stobart, the former boss of haulage firm Eddie Stobart, has re-entered the transport industry with the purchase of part of the collapsed body-builder Boalloy. Stobart has acquired the Boalloy Fastruck express...

This Week.(Survey)(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... Pallet networks helping cost control Hauliers increasingly see their membership of a pallet network as a way of improving their fuel costs, according to a survey by Pall-Ex. The poll of the hub and spoke freight network's 98 members...

This Week.(Ford Motor Co. designs transit vehicles)(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... AWD Transit among host of new van updates from Ford By Julian Milnes Ford has announced a host of updates to its Transit van, including the UK launch of the long-awaited all-wheel-drive (AWD) version. This is joined by a new 114hp...

Legal.(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... CM-16OCT-LEG CONTENTS-PC CASE OF THE WEEK: EVIDENCE DEMANDED: An operator has been given two weeks to produce financial evidence or face revocation. CASE STUDIES: Trailer ban lifted: The Transport Tribunal overturned a ban on trailers...

Tribunal lifts Deputy TC's restrictions.(Legal)
October 16, 2008... An operator has won its appeal against restrictions on the movement and weight of vehicles from its operating centre after the Transport Tribunal ruled that those restrictions would increase truck movements. Greaves Surveying & Engineering...

Operation branded 'danger to the public'.(Legal)(LC Mistry Haulage of Leicester )(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... The Transport Tribunal has rejected an appeal against revocation by LC Mistry Haulage of Leicester and upheld the finding that director and transport manager Lallubhai Mistry had lost his repute. However, the Tribunal has directed that an...

Legal.
October 16, 2008... CM-16 OCT 08-CASE3-MJ (HEAD) Rubbish driving by bin men lands fines of [pounds sterling]576 The drivers of two refuse lorries were ordered to pay fines and costs totalling [pounds sterling]576 after they pleaded guilty at Mold Crown...

Legal.
October 16, 2008... Final details of the new regulations establishing common rules for access to the road transport industry in the European Union are unlikely to be confirmed before next spring, and it will be another two years after that before they are...

Two weeks to show financial standing.(Legal)
October 16, 2008... The Traffic Commissioner is sceptical of a car transporter's claim that its records were destroyed in a flood. A Birmingham car transporter has been given 14 days to produce evidence of sufficient financial standing or face revocation of...

Legal.
October 16, 2008... CM-16 NOV 08-NIBS-MJ AGRICULTURAL TRACTOR OPERATOR FINED FOR DEFECTIVE BRAKES An Isle of Anglesey operator of an agricultural tractor has been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling [pounds sterling]454 for brake defects. John...

Legal.
October 16, 2008... CM-16 OCT 08-PANEL QUOTES-PC RUBBISH DRIVING - Two bin men are fined nearly [pounds sterling]600 after colliding with each other see page??? LATE PAYMENTS - Despite laws allowing operators to claim interest on debts many are...

Legal.
October 16, 2008... Collectors' corner A decade ago, the UK introduced laws to enable companies to claim interest on late payments. But do hauliers prefer to deal with debts in ways that won't offend their customers? TAKING AN INTEREST The following...

This Week.(truck driver designs brake lights)(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... Driver invents remote brake light testing device By Roger Brown AN HGV driver has designed a device that enables truck brake lights to be checked before the vehicle goes on the road. The Brakeaware electrical safety system allows...

This Week.(Frederick R Miller celebrates its anniversary)(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... Frederick R Miller celebrates 40 years with fresh investment Palletways member Frederick R Miller is celebrating its 40th anniversary with new vehicles and major investment in the future. The Shackleford-based distribution group has...

This Week.(Norfolk Line Ltd. to make use of trailers)(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... Multimodal- only policy for Norfolk Line Norfolk Linehas introduced a policy of buying only trailers that can be used for both road and rail. The firm, which offers a regular multimodal service between the UK and Italy, says its...

Match of the day.(Operations)
October 16, 2008... A freight exchange can help you ensure your trucks are full and making you as much money as possible, but it's still a battle smashing through the industry's 'traditional' practices. Words: Christopher Walton "Our account managers work...

Net benefits.(Operations)
October 16, 2008... You've made the decision that your business needs some form of a web presence - but who can you turn to for help, and what should you expect of them? If your company doesn't have a website, it's easy to feel left out or left behind. It's...

This Week.(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... MP backs CV mechanics campaign A Labour MP has backed a campaign to boost the number of HGV mechanics. Joan Ryan, Labour MP forEnfield North, tells CM: "Demand for HGV mechanics is not going to go away. You can't move freight to...

This Week.(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... Rising CPC costs alarming Companies providing training for the new Driver CPC warn that rising costs for centre approval and course auditing will be passed on to new drivers, which could deter them from entering the industry. A CM...

This Week.
October 16, 2008... When your truck is empty, it's not making you money. Teleroute's Adrian Samuel explains what his company is doing to stamp this out. Words: Christopher Walton / Images: Graham Richardson THE average hire or reward haulier runs empty...

Driver death is just tip of the icebergCrying foul over Teardrop trailer comparision test.(This Week)
October 16, 2008... The sad story last week about the German driver who crashed and killed himself because he was so tired is just the tip of the iceberg ('German truck driver's death probably due to tiredness', CM 9 October). Most of us would not consider...

This Week.(missiing truck driver investigation)(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... Concern for missing driver Police have made an appeal for information about an agency driver who vanished from his Redditch, Worcestershire home more than a month ago. Officers say they are worried for the safety of 39-year-old...

Operations.
October 16, 2008... Ain't no mounting high enough Anyone who's tried to climb up on to a truck-mounted forklift will know that it can be difficult. Tom Cunningham visits Sheffield Insulation for a demonstration of Moffett's new remote-controlled Ground Mount...

This Week.(Krone AG designs truck trailers)(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... Krone's aerodynamic EcoLiner saves on both fuel costs and loading times By Dylan Gray German trailer-maker Krone has started production of a new aerodynamic curtainsider, which, it claims, can save up to 7% in fuel as well as cut down...

This Week.(Leggett's Transport's profit reports)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... Leggett's confident of future Leggett's Transport has reported a fall in profit and turnover, but remains confident about future growth prospects. Operating losses for the year to June 2007 at the Bury St Edmunds-based company...

This Week.(Knorr-Bremse AG and M.A.N. Truck and Bus Corp. teams up)(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... Braking system manufacturer Knorr-Bremse has teamed up with truck-maker MAN to create a Blind SpotAssistant, which extends a driver's vision when making a turn at urban inter-sections and reduces the risk of accidents. The device activates...

This Week.(United Trailers )
October 16, 2008... Mystery around future of United Trailers (UK) By Chris Tindall The exact financial status of United Trailers (UK) remained a mystery as CM closed for press after Rifsons, the recovery firm given the task of handling its affairs, was...

This Week.(Brief article)
October 16, 2008... Ireland imposes new limit on load height restrictions The Road Safety Authority in Ireland has drafted new legislation, which provides for a national maximum vehicle and load height limit of 4.65m. As a result of the new rules, high...