Commercial Motor articles from September 2005

Commercial Motor archives from September 2005

Another one bites the dust.(Peter Cook Transport's collapse)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The problems that caused Peter Cook Transport's collapse are sadly familiar... Sally Nash reports. Durham-based Peter Cook Transport, which went into administration earlier this month, has blamed high diesel prices and competition from...

Back to school... please!(Impact of school summer holidays for transportation industry)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Our contact on the inside says that when the kids go back to school the real work in the used market can get under way again. The school summer holidays are a frustrating time for the used truck industry because deals get put on ice as the...

Book your place.(Tips for Risk management)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Have you booked your place on the third Commercial Motor/Contract Journal safety conference yet? This year's theme "Realising the Risks" is about risk management and not ending up in court. Speakers will include leading transport lawyer...

Brake fault driver wins absolute discharge.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... CHELMSFORD MAGISTRATES ordered that 75% of the defence costs of Essex truck driver Patrick Woolerton be paid out of public funds after they gave him an absolute discharge for using a vehicle with defective brakes. At the start of the hearing...

Girl power.(Female workers in road transport)
September 1, 2005... A stream of of legislation has outlawed discrimination in the workplace, but is it enough to protect female workers in road transport? Charmaine Hibbert reports. Women make up 42% of the workforce in the UK, but despite a raft of equal...

Capital; crackdown.(Transportation Policy )
September 1, 2005... Multi-agency CV checks are not restricted to motorways and trunk roads. Tim Maughan joined the Met traffic police and VOSA personnel as they ran the rule over CVs in London's congested streets. Just four days after terrorist bombs stopped...

Cash crisis as employees set up a rival operation.(Stansfield Transport)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Managers are said to have set up a rival operation which forced their employer into administration. Robert Izzard reports. A West Yorkshire haulage firm has gone into administration - and its operations manager blames staff for setting up a...

Casino raiders - ; reward offered.(Informers been rewarded )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... A [pounds sterling]10,000 reward is now being offered for information leading to the conviction of robbers who stole a truck before ramming it through the wall of a casino in Birmingham (CM 25 August). The incident took place at around 10.15pm...

Consultant to challenge Senior TC over advisers.(transport Commissioner)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Senior Transport Commissioner Philip Brown confirmed this week that he has received a solicitor's letter challenging a new rule on how Traffic Area Offices deal with correspondence. This follows Brown's "practice direction" issued in October...

Dormant company's licence was apparently leased out.
September 1, 2005... Firm is granted a licence in the North-East despite problems with its Scottish operation including some unknown trucks on its licence A Scottish company awaiting consideration of disciplinary action against its Scottish O-licence has...

Driven by quality.(The Pallet Network)
September 1, 2005... The Pallet Network is poised on the edge of Premier League pallet distribution, and it's pushing hard for promotion. Jennifer Ball talks to TPN managing director Adam Leonard. Adam Leonard is sporting a healthy tan. It's just a few weeks...

Drivers lacked licences for 7.5-tonners.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... TWO DRIVERS who were caught driving 7.5-tonne vehicles without the appropriate licence have each been ordered to pay [pounds sterling]265 in fines and costs by the Hillingdon magistrates. Shehreyar Khan, of Amber Avenue, Walthamstow, and...

EDAM WELL DID IT.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Take a stroll with us through the little sideroads of haulage, the diversions and detours, the quirky, the quixotic and the downright strange... Well, he did it. After a boozy pub conversation turned into a masochistic charity stunt, Dave...

EVENTS.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... RHA courses Drivers' hours 6 September Aylesbury Operator compliance 7 September Felixstowe Digital tachograph 7 September Fareham Contact: 01733 261131 Fleet Safety Forum Driver incentive programmes for crash avoidance 15 September...

Eastern promise.(Hauliers are losing their shares)
September 1, 2005... UK hauliers are losing their share of Continental journeys to competitors from the EU's latest members. Jennifer Ball reports. The number of foreign trucks coming into the UK continues to rise as the UK's share of international traffic...

Finance department to decide Irish duty cut.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The Irish Department of Transport is passing the buck on reports of a fuel duty cut... David Harris reports. The Department of Transport in Ireland is back-peddling on reports that the Republic might cut its fuel tax in the next Budget....

TACHOS...(legislation has still to be finally agreed)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... DIGITAL GET READY FOR While the date of introduction for the new digital tachograph legislation has still to be finally agreed, the legislation itself has been finalised. To unravel some of the mysteries and to ensure you and your...

Have now, pay later.
September 1, 2005... Late payments adversely affect operators' businesses, yet most are loathe to take court action against their creditors. However, those that do take the legal route claim a high success rate. Jennifer Ball reports. Operators' businesses are...

Honorable; discharge.(load transportation industries modify their trailers to reduce their time )
September 1, 2005... With turnaround speeds now a top priority, sales of automatic loading systems are on the increase. Sharon Clancy reports. Sales of moving floors and other automatic load-discharge systems are on the increase as operators strive to minimise...

Impounded truck had no licence disc.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... THE OWNER of an impounded tractor unit, who claimed it was being used as a recovery vehicle, must wait to see if he has succeeded in winning its return. Steven Ellis, trading as RRFS Truck Hire, of Kirkby in Ashfield, had sought the vehicle's...

Indifference to security training.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... I NOTED WITH interest your article regarding security procedures within the road transport industry (CM 18 August). Our company recently sent out a mail shot to more than 500 of our major clients involved in the transport of dangerous goods,...

Load stolen after hijacking.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Robbers hijacked a DHL truck driver before stealing his load of computer equipment in Erskine, Scotland at around 10.30am on 23 August 2005. The truck was driving past Erskine Hospital when a male exited a white van, forced the truck to stop...

Motorway fast aid.
September 1, 2005... Trials are being carried out of the latest equipment designed to cut the time motorways are closed following crashes. David Harris reports. Motorway crashes kill people and ruin lives. But they are also expensive to those not directly...

October date for Eurotunnel deal.(remains under threat of bankruptcy)(Jean-Pierre Trotignon Appointed)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... It is likely to be October before debt-laden Eurotunnel's negotiations with its bankers are concluded, the company admitted this week. It declined to reveal more details because it has signed a confidentiality agreement while the negotiations...

Police search for missile throwers.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Surrey Police are offering a four-figure reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individuals responsible for incidents where missiles have been thrown at passing vehicles. There have been around 18 attacks over the...

the top.(Mercedes-Benz Vito )
September 1, 2005... ROOM at The Mercedes-Benz Vito is finally available with a high roof. So does the new version overcome some previous shortcomings? It's fair to say that our first few drives of the current Vito have not left us totally convinced. The...

Rounding up the rivals.(tractors)
September 1, 2005... To get the best deal on a truck you need to shop around. In the first of a new series CM considers the market's leading fleet tractor and its rivals. For our first Shop Around feature we're reviewing fleet spec tractors: three axles,...

Secured loads will prevent accidents.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... LEARNING FROM experience is good, but learning from the experience of others can be infinitely better, safer and far less painful. Some 50 years ago a local bus company was chartered to take national servicemen home at weekends from their...

Strong multi-axle demand makes it a sellers' market.(Truck bodies design )
September 1, 2005... The multi-axle market always performs well at Manheim Auctions. Jeremy Martell gives CM the nod on a money spinning sector. The news that the Olympics will be held in the UK in 2012 will force the price of used tippers to go through the...

TC imposes a ceiling on an operator who lost interest.(Traffic Commissioner)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... AN OPERATOR WHO "just did not want to know" after he encountered a series of personal and business problems has had his licence cut from seven vehicles and one trailer to four vehicles and one trailer. Oldbury-based Royston Henderson, trading...

THE JAM BUSTERS.
September 1, 2005... Teams of Highways Agency Traffic Officers have started operations in the south-east of England - Colin Barnett reports for decongestant duty We met supervisor Dominic Haydon at the Godstone Regional Control Centre at 7.30am on a misty...

Tailored timetables boost Stena Line freight.
September 1, 2005... Tailoring timetables to logistics customers helped boost Stena Line's freight volumes by over a third on one of its Irish Sea routes during the first half of 2005. Stena Line Freight's business on the Irish Sea routes grew 28% in the first six...

That was the year...(Commercial Motor)
September 1, 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 1938 and 1988. 1938 Piece of paper Hitler invaded Austria and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned from...

The life-and-death lottery.(Terroist activities)
September 1, 2005... We may have no control over terrorist attacks, but our refusal to obey the law kills thousands each year. Peter Larner asks, why can't we drive properly? Someone in the audience of the BBC's Question Time recently received a gasp of...

Thieves net load of fish.(Refrigerated Nissan Primastar van containing load of fish got theft )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Police are looking for two thieves who stole a [pounds sterling]20,000 refrigerated Nissan Primastar van containing a [pounds sterling]2,500 load of fish in Harborough. The incident happened at around midday on 18 August in Manor Road,...

Too few easterners to end driver shortage.(Drivers from Eastern Europe have applied to work in the UK)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... More than 3,000 van and truck drivers from Eastern Europe have applied to work in the UK following expansion of the European Union last year. A total of 232,000 people registered between May 2004 and June 2005, mainly in search of unskilled...

Training boost for aggregates.(Department for Transport has awarded Simon Management a contract to provide training for drivers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The aggregates industry has received a much-needed boost with a programme to provide driver training in safety and fuel-efficiency until March 2007. The Department for Transport has awarded Simon Management a contract to provide training for...

Trent set to boost production of 7.5-tonne Scavenger body.
September 1, 2005... Following a successful debut at the Institute of Waste Management show earlier this summer, West Midlands bodybuilder Trent Industries is boosting production of its new Scavenger collection body for 7.5-tonners. In recently held trials the...

Truck crime round-up.(Theft of goods from trucks)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... * A white ERF (reg P479 JKE) stolen from Hackett Street, Tipton, on 24 August, was used to steal a trailer of metals from a transport yard in Wednesbury. Contact: Operation Indicate on 0121 626 9121 * Three men have been arrested after a...

VOSA plans will have an adverse effect.
September 1, 2005... I READ WITH interest VOSA's plans to close down all its regional Traffic Area Offices (CM 25 August). It cannot be right that a government organisation such as this can make a decision that would have such far-reaching effects in the haulage...

Witness protection.(law for misconduct in the workplace)
September 1, 2005... Operators who spot criminal activity in the workplace might need to offer anonymity to witnesses. But can any resultant dismissals be fair? Clive Day reports. In extreme cases of misconduct in the workplace, such as theft of fuel or...

heil & hearty.(Heil Europe)
September 1, 2005... Heil Europe is a force to be reckoned with in the manufacture of bodies for refuse collection vehicles. Andy Moore reviews the manufacturer's six products. It's refreshing to hear of a home-grown manufacturer thriving in the UK. Heil...

[pounds sterling]500 to break Gate pickets.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Bosses at Gate Gourmet are paying drivers a [pounds sterling]500 bonus to brave the picket and take meals from its kitchens to planes at Heathrow as the dispute rumbles on. A spokesman says: "Despite the testing times we are running near to...

'Tacho defence' case dropped.(cases of Driver)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... A speeding case has been dropped against a driver whose tacho chart proved his innocence. Guy Sheppard reports A magistrate is calling for tachograph discs to become a legitimate defence against evidence of speeding from roadside cameras....

EVENTS.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
September 8, 2005... RHA courses Drivers' hours 13 September Grimsby 20 September Wolverhampton Working Time Directive 20 September Nottingham Digital tachograph 21 September Bradford Contact: 01733 261131 Fleet Safety Forum Driver incentive programmes for...

BUSINESS.(Institute of Road Transport Engineers)
September 8, 2005... BACK IN Five years on from a disastrous merger, the IRTE has taken a new direction. Colin Barnett, MIRTE, reports. When the time comes to write the history of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers, there will probably be a chapter...

Be proud of our passion.(Influence)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... Mr X relishes the passion that makes our industry unique and suggests it should be harnessed in the interests of us all. Passion! It's what makes the world go round: passion in love, sport, art, and yes, even business. Take the act of...

Bigger really is better.(heavyweight van market)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... The heavyweight van market is getting tough. Only clean examples with massive load volume and powerful drivelines are guaranteed to sell, says George Alexander of Glass's Guide. They say size matters and it looks like the top end of the van...

Black Country truck crime falls after Indicate launch.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... According to the latest figures the police really can make a difference to truck crime when they put their minds to it. Jennifer Ball reports. Truck crime in the Black Country has fallen 41% since last year's launch of the West Midlands...

Bridge plunge haulier guilty.(fatal accident a haulier has been convicted of tacho offences)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... Following a fatal accident a haulier has been convicted of tacho offences. Robert Izzard reports. A West Yorkshire haulier has been convicted of falsifying tacho records following a crash in which one of his drivers died after plunging...

CM ads include loads of; distribution 18-tonners.(Commercial Motors)
September 8, 2005... This month CM is after an 18-tonner for multi-drop work and we're on the look-out for something functional. Here's how we got on. When you scan through the classifieds for 18-tonners it's worth knowing who specialises in them and who...

Cars banned from lorry park.
September 8, 2005... The owner of a truck park in Suffolk says his business will be ruined if the local council forces him to restrict the site to truck drivers. Karl Rout claims the Orwell Crossing Lorry Park is a hit with all motorists and he would be...

Confusion over cheese spreads.
September 8, 2005... WhilE I can accept the cheesy tenuous link between the headline "EDAM WELL DID IT" and the fact that Dave Binning's charity fundraiser was done in Cheddar Gorge (CM 1 September), I don't understand the significance of the photograph...

Council objection to two-vehicle licence rejected by TC.(Newport Borough Council's licence Rejected by Traffic Commissioner)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... Newport Borough Council has failed to block a licence application by Craig and Dean Simons, trading as Simons Bros Transport. Its objection on safety grounds was rejected by Welsh Traffic Commissioner David Dixon because there had been no...

Culina plans for RDC.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... Chilled transport specialist Culina Logistics, which handles deliveries of Muller yoghurts in the UK, plans to create 300 new jobs with the opening of a new distribution centre. The firm has applied to Stafford Borough Council for permission...

Debutantes going Dutch.(Amsterdam car show)
September 8, 2005... There's barely a month to go until the RAI Show in Amsterdam on 14-22 October, and new vehicles are being unveiled thick and fast... Daf In a surprise move Daf has revealed details of its new big-cab flagship tractor more than a month...

Deutsche Post makes [pounds sterling]3.8bn offer for Exel.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... THE GERMAN Postal group Deutsche Post has made a [pounds sterling]3.8bn bid for UK logistics firm Exel in a move that would create the world's largest logistics organisation. Exel's share price has been climbing for months on the back of...

Divided over the next port of call.
September 8, 2005... There's no question the UK needs extra port capacity, but should it be situated in the North or the South? Dominic Perry investigates. With a review of UK ports policy in the pipeline, port authorities are divided as to whether extra...

Driver run over by stolen van.
September 8, 2005... A driver was injured as he tried to stop his Mercedes Sprinter being stolen. The incident happened in Norwich, just after 2pm on 25 August. The driver was making a delivery in Metcalf Close when he noticed two men in a Ford Transit nearby....

Egg firm lost its repute for running without a licence.
September 8, 2005... Claiming ignorance of the O-licence regs after a VOSA warning failed to preserve an operator's repute - or his licence... An operator that repeatedly claimed ignorance of the regulations has had its O-licence application refused. Euro...

Fuel card costs more than pumps.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... A Cambridgeshire operator has hit out at fuel card company Fuelserv after the price of his diesel soared to 105p/lit - almost 10p/lit more than his local forecourt. David Pitt, from Benson David, says he almost fell over when he got his...

Guard tied up by depot raid gang.(Automobile theft)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... Warwickshire police are hunting a gang who tied up a member of staff at a UPS depot in Nuneaton on 27 August before stealing a truck. Five men wearing balaclavas entered the depot on the Bermuda Industrial Estate at 11pm. They assaulted the...

Hanbury Davies boosts profits.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... CONTAINER HAULAGE specialist Hanbury Davies has boosted its pre-tax profits by over [pounds sterling]400,000. The Felixstowe-based operator made [pounds sterling]1.2m before tax in the year ending 2 April 2005, compared with [pounds...

Holiday handicap for haulier with maintenance problems.
September 8, 2005... Maintenance problems, including a first-time test failure rate of 100%, led to an operator losing its licence over a holiday weekend with a fleet cut until it improves standards. The firm was warned that its repute was "hanging by a thread"....

IN THE NEWS.(Stuart Thomas gives his way the newspapers)
September 8, 2005... Stuart Thomas gives us his regular round-up of the way the newspapers have covered the transport industry this week. Scratchwood Services. Perhaps not the first place you would think of when asked to pick the site an invading army might use...

Ignorance of the law fails to prevent [pounds sterling]700 fine for operator and driver.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... Fines and costs of [pounds sterling]700 have been levied on an operator and one of its drivers who claimed they did not know a 6,200kg vehicle was subject to the O-licence regs. Floralux, of Romford, Essex and its driver, John Kenneth Webb, of...

Insurers offer reward.
September 8, 2005... A reward is being offered for the recovery of any laptop computers taken during a [pounds sterling]300,000 raid at an off-airport freight facility in Buckinghamshire (CM 1 September). The insurers are offering 10% of the value of any laptops...

Light commercials.
September 8, 2005... Following the US example, reflective tape may be made compulsory to reduce night time and twilight accidents. Adam Hill reports. Few operators will quibble with the idea behind the Department for Transport's latest consultation paper: "To...

Look after your own licence.(Letter to the Editor)
September 8, 2005... Your editorial headed "Relationship at breaking point" (CM 25 August) was interesting, to say the least; in some ways, I found it amusing. The issue is really about some solicitors and consultants keeping control of what they see as a...

Loss making French giant is snapped up.
September 8, 2005... A major French fleet has been snapped up by an investor which sees Norbert Dentressangle as a role model. Dominic Perry reports. ONE OF FRANCE'S top three haulage firms, which had faced financial problems, has been taken over by a private...

Malcolm profits down.(Pre-tax profits at road and rail transport group WH Malcolm)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... Pre-tax profits at road and rail transport group WH Malcolm fell by more than 25% last year to just over [pounds sterling]6m. Chief executive Andrew Malcolm describes the drop as "disappointing" but adds: "In our industry today it is still a...

Mercedes' new baby must lose weight for UK debut.
September 8, 2005... Mercedes-Benz wants to add another truck to its UK line-up, but it needs to diet first if it's to attract many UK tippermen. Andy Salter reports. Mercedes must shave at least 300kg off the latest "lightweight" Axor eight-legger chassis...

MoT delayed.(Motor Vehicle Testing)(THE VEHICLE and Operator Services Agency)(United Kingdom. Department for Transport)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... THE VEHICLE and Operator Services Agency has been forced to postpone a shift to online MoT bookings because of problems with the computer system. The online system is on trial before it goes live later this year. But a VOSA spokeswoman admits:...

Morrisons' dispute - drivers in action vote.(work burdens )(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... Morrisons staff in Scotland are to vote on industrial action over hours. Guy Sheppard reports. Drivers at Morrisons' giant retail distribution centre in Bellshill, Scotland, will be balloted on industrial action from Monday (12 September)...

Overtime deal is agreed.
September 8, 2005... The first pay deal for more than four years for hire-and-reward drivers in Scotland will see their overtime earnings boosted by 10%. The basic hourly rate of [pounds sterling]7 will jump 3.5% under the Scottish joint industrial council (JIC)...

Questions...(Automobile doubts)(Brief Article)
September 8, 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...

RDCs - WE HAVE TO FIND A SOLUTION.
September 8, 2005... Inefficiency is not in anyone's interest. While Tesco prepares to meet drivers' representatives over its new RDC policy, the unions, other supermarkets and many hauliers are waiting to see if the retail giant will listen to the drivers'...

Research continues into the BRS fleet.(British Road Services fleet )(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... How fascinating to recall the events outlined in your 'Milestones' article regarding the formation of the British Transport Commission in 1948, and subsequently, the British Road Services fleet (CM 25 August). To someone like myself, who...

STICK NOT TWIST.
September 8, 2005... The Euro-4 compliant Daf XF95 is just round the corner, complete with a revamped cab. But we've found some compelling reasons to stick with the old faithful... With little more than a month to go before Daf unveils its all-new XF95 (called...

Scottish operators hit; by weight restrictions.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... Operators on the Scottish island of Mull have been hit by stricter weight restrictions on many of their roads. The new restrictions are designed to prevent damage. Until now 15 of the island's minor single-track roads have had weight...

Scottish safety blitz.(Constabulary are to crack down on truck drivers using mobile phones )(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... Police in Dumfries & Galloway Constabulary are to crack down on truck drivers using mobile phones while driving as part of a campaign to cut HGV accidents in the region. Operation Juggernaut is being launched in response to the number of...

Stansfield - no bids as yet.(Stansfield Transport confirmed no offers for the West Yorkshire business )(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... THE JOINT administrator for Stansfield Transport confirmed that no offers had been received for the West Yorkshire business as Commercial Motor went to press. The Brighouse haulage business went into administration on 19 August, along with its...

Strikers' rights.
September 8, 2005... Hasty action by employers during industrial disputes can make matters worse. It is vital to know what rights your workers have - even if they have just walked out the door. Martin Warren reports. Imagine that your drivers have gone on...

T&G benefit in doubt as it goes into the red.(Transport & General Workers Union DriverCare scheme )(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... The future of a union benefit scheme has been thrown into doubt after it lost [pounds sterling]354,000 in a year. In the short-term the cost of belonging to the Transport & General Workers Union DriverCare scheme will increase by a third; the...