Commercial Motor articles from September 2006

Commercial Motor archives from September 2006

Charging ahead in Germany.
September 7, 2006... With suggestions this week that the German Maut LGV road toll should be adopted across Europe, Dylan Gray looks into what the scheme currently involves. The government's commitment to introducing distance-based road-user charging is well...

Food for thought.
September 7, 2006... David Frankish and Charles Stephens are settling in, having bought NFT Distribution from Northern Foods. Many challenges lie ahead - and, as they told Bridget Carter, that's just the way they like it. Despite beginning their working lives...

Colliding with conmen.
September 7, 2006... Every driver dreads being involved in an accident - but it seems many crashes are not accidents at all. Bridget Carter reports on a scam costing a lot of operators a lot of money. In 15 years as a professional driver David Lloyd had not...

'Stupid and foolish' tachograph fiddler is disqualified for a year.(Graeme Smith Transport)
September 7, 2006... An operator has lost his licence after claiming that a mystery man fitted an illegal chart switch free of charge on Holywood Docks. Mike Jewell reports. An operator whose dashboard was fitted with a device to fiddle tachograph readings has...

THE PANEL (continued).
September 7, 2006... Kevin Brooke Managing director FleetMaster Operational Support Services Leeds As head of a business that is involved in driver training and agency drivers, Brooke has a slightly different perspective: "I think it's an...

Clause for thought.
September 7, 2006... Are you thinking of renting a new site? Or are you setting up a business? Make sure you understand the rules governing property leasing. Stuart Darlington reports. Commercial leases contain a number of potentially costly pitfalls, which...

Export and expand.(Britcom International)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Truck and plant exporter Britcom International has invested [pounds sterling]4m in new premises in East Yorkshire. Kevin Swallow reports. Britcom International is looking to develop its UK operation after spending [pounds sterling]4m on...

The Wright stuff.
September 7, 2006... Manheim Auctions seems to have avoided the traditional summer slowdown by offering an irresistible line-up of vehicles. Light CV sales director Alex Wright explains. The key phrase this month is 'the right stock'. Tatty, high-mileage...

Tracking down used bargains.(FW Harrison's website www.fwharrison.co.uk)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... With more than 50 years' experience in the truck trade, how is FW Harrison coping with modern technology? Dylan Gray takes a look at the company's website. Company: FW Harrison (Commercials) Address: www.fwharrison.co.uk ...

Second appeal for CV's return rejected because firm could not prove ownership.(commercial vehicle)(Secure Transport & Trading)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... THE TRANSPORT Tribunal has rejected an operator's second appeal for the return of an impounded vehicle. In January the Tribunal had directed Western Traffic Commissioner Philip Brown to reconsider his refusal to release a vehicle to Secure...

TC warns firm not to make it third time unlucky with maintenance problems.(traffic commissioner, Rex Stevens Transport)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... A HAULIER APPEARING at its second public inquiry on maintenance issues has been warned that it can not afford a third one. West Midland TC David Dixon was considering taking action against Rex Stevens Transport of Telford. The firm was...

Absent operator is declared unfit to hold a licence.
September 7, 2006... An operator who was absent from his business throughout the summer has had his 10-month-old licence for four vehicles revoked and been declared unfit to hold an O-licence. During that time four prohibitions had been issued, and these and links...

60-second interview.(David Furnell managing director of Furnell Transport)(Interview)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... David Furnell MD, Furnell Transport What got you started in transport? It was a job (and 39 years on, here I still am). What do you love/hate about it? The people. What's your poison? Red wine. How do you relax?...

Rebating essential users would give us a level playing field.(Letter to the editor)
September 7, 2006... I read with interest that the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) is calling for an essential-user fuel rebate in Ireland (CM 17 August). The pressure on hauliers and other essential fuel users continues to grow and we all wait with bated...

Suspension for operator with 13 prohibitions in five years.(J Morphet & Sons)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... AN ABATTOIR operator with 13 prohibitions in five years has had the use of one of its vehicles suspended for two weeks. Vehicle examiner Colin Haselden told North-Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Patrick Mulvenna that four immediate...

john dodwell, md, rolandon water & sea freight advisory services.
September 7, 2006... Transferring freight from road to water or rail can be a pricey affair - the operator concerned has to invest in a railhead or a wharf. But help is at hand. John Dodwell, MD of Rolandon Water and Sea Freight Advisory Services, advises road...

Why block the motorway?
September 7, 2006... I'm writing regarding the authorities' response to the tragic accident involving a vehicle travelling back from the V Festival on the clockwise M25 at Junction 28 in the early hours of 21 August. While I'm sure we all have every sympathy...

take it easy.
September 7, 2006... MAN has done more than most to harmonise the driving characteristics of its disparate products. Kevin Swallow has been driving a TGM 18-tonner that is heavily influenced by its big brothers. When Renault relaunched its distribution range,...

rubber soul.
September 7, 2006... Michelin operates the last truck tyre factory in the UK; Tim Maughan went to Northern Ireland to find out how it's done. As you would expect, Michelin's vital statistics are impressive. On a visit to the firm's Ballymena plant in Country...

THIS FUSO'S SUPER SMASHING GREAT!
September 7, 2006... Is that what Jim Bowen would think of the Fuso Super Great eight-wheeler and its smaller Fighter stablemate? Who cares? Ollie Dixon reports. Fact file Should European operators, and manufacturers, take Japanese trucks seriously? The...

FREIGHT BEST PRACTICE.
September 7, 2006... It's not every day the government gives some of your taxes back, but the Freight Best Practice initiative was set up to give free advice to operators to help improve their efficiency. This is the first of eight weekly case studies that...

ADAPT & SURVIVE IS THE KEY.
September 14, 2006... The latest livestock regulations to come our way from the European Union will set the wolf among the sheep. Shifting cattle is already a punishing business and the raft of compulsory new equipment will make the whole enterprise more expensive...

End of a drought - start of a flood?
September 14, 2006... Eastern European workers are taking thousands of jobs in road transport, but are they here to stay? Bridget Carter asks the people who know. Skills for Logistics (SfL) is about to survey operators about the driver shortage. Time was when...

Euro-4 distorts registrations.
September 14, 2006... The move to the Euro-4 standard in October is causing ripples in a market still recovering from the effects of earlier legislation. August CV registrations were good and the year to date figure is stable, says Christopher Macgowan, SMMT...

Alive and kicking.
September 14, 2006... Jim McLay from Glenhire Express has managed to keep his business profitable while battling leukaemia. Bridget Carter reports. Jim McLay is as Scottish as his name suggests. His conversation is peppered with colloquialisms delivered in an...

Volvo shares deal may be a catalyst for change.
September 14, 2006... A Swedish investor has just picked up 5% of Volvo. No big deal... until you look beneath the surface. Ollie Dixon indulges in a little informed speculation on who's in the market for whom. The news that Swedish investment...

Success story.
September 14, 2006... The revised Vauxhall Vivaro impressed us; can Renault maintain the momentum with its updated Trafic? Colin Barnett reports. The manufacturers of the Renault Trafic, and its Vauxhall Vivaro and Nissan Primastar stablemates, have a...

Disqualification for sons who had run operation as a front.(VIT)
September 14, 2006... TC found that this "extremely foolish" pair had made the same mistakes that cost their "cowboy" father his licence. Mike Jewell reports. Two brothers have been disqualified from holding or obtaining an O-licence in any Traffic Area for...

All work and no pay!
September 14, 2006... Do community punishment orders unfairly penalise drivers by affecting their rest periods and putting their jobs at risk? Guy Sheppard reports. The Home Office claims that both society and offenders benefit when sentences include...

EVENTS.
September 14, 2006... Road Haulage Association O-licence compliance 19 September Worcester Digital tachographs 19 September Nottingham 20 September Swansea Contact: 01733 261456 www.rha.net Freight Transport Association Transport manager seminar 21 September...

Going for growth.
September 14, 2006... Expansion through acquisition is the oldest game in haulage - but tread warily before clinching the deal. Robin Stevens offers some tips. 1. Setting objectives What is the target firm expected to provide? It could be new markets, increased...

On the hoof.
September 14, 2006... The forthcoming EU livestock regs include a requirement for satellite tracking to be fitted to every truck. For some livestock hauliers enough is enough... Patric Cunnane reports. For one livestock haulier of 23 years' standing, the...

Covering the field.(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Dealers must be careful when choosing a third-party warranty provider. Steve Banner reports. Major components are far more reliable than they used to be, but the warranty a truck carries has a big influence on used buying decisions, says...

Demand surges for late-plate Euro-3.
September 14, 2006... Concerns over digitachs are increasing interest in low-mileage Euro-3 tractors. Steve Banner reports. With Euro-4 imminent, demand for late-registered low-mileage Euro-3 tractor units is soaring at West Thurrock, Essex-based independent...

Hargreaves is public, profitable and planning.
September 14, 2006... Hargreaves Services, which floated on the Alternative Investment Market last November, has reported a 134% rise in annual profits in its first annual accounts as a public company. The acquisitive Co Durham group, which has its HQ at Esh...

Woodward purchase creates catering supergroup.
September 14, 2006... One of the biggest food suppliers to the catering industry is nearly doubling in size after taking over a rival. Woodward Foodservice, based near Chester, says the acquisition of DBC will create a group worth more than [pounds sterling]400m...

Is bigger better?(Transportation policy)
September 14, 2006... Brian Weatherley compares and contrasts German and Dutch curiosity about bigger LGVs with typical British funk... It may be a result of old age, which tends to ferment a certain kind of cynicism, but I couldn't help but wonder why the...

Fine for driver with unsecured cocks-au-van.(Derek Gibson)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... A truck driver has been fined [pounds sterling]75 after he failed to secure his load and scattered a trail of dead chickens on a Scottish road. Derek Gibson, of Balbeggie, Perthshire, was hauling more than 4,000 birds along the A93 between...

Police aim to teach legal compliance.(London, England. Transport for London)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Police in London have teamed up with Transport for London (TfL) to educate operators in compliance with the law. Chief Inspector Ian Brooks, who heads the new Metropolitan Police Commercial Vehicle Education Unit says the idea is to...

Jailed red diesel fraudsters lose high court appeals.(Gary Owens, Mark Owens)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Two brothers jailed for multi-million-pound diesel fraud have had their sentences upheld by the high court. Gary and Mark Owens were jailed for six and four years respectively last year at Leeds Crown Court, having been convicted of money...

Dutch trial results welcomed.
September 14, 2006... A Dutch service trial of 25.25m trucks running at 60 tonnes has revealed several benefits, including increased safety. Chris Tindall reports. Backers of plans to introduce longer and heavier trucks to the UK have received a boost with the...

... But he's all wrong about cabbotage.(Letter to the editor)
September 14, 2006... Mr X's comments last week are less than helpful. No one complains about market forces, for indeed as Mr X says, that is futile. But unfair competition - well, our members would expect us to stand up against that. And cabotage is one...

Backloading is a key to running your operation at a profit.(Letter to the editor)
September 14, 2006... We at the Freight Best Practice programme team were very pleased to see your interview last week with Lyall Cresswell (CM 31 August 2006), and commend the opportunities that online freight exchanges can offer to help freight operators make the...

The Harris fleet.(Harris Transport)
September 14, 2006... Harris Transport was set up with two Volvo FL6 rigids and an FL7 tractor unit. It currently operates 46 trucks (including those under the Commodore Haulage banner), of which 37 are at Southampton and the rest at Rotherham. Volvo has lost...

Council auctions mail-delivery contract over the internet.
September 14, 2006... TNT Post has won a contract to deliver mail for Norfolk County Council (NCC) following a pioneering 'reverse e-auction' with another firm. The council says the new contract will save it [pounds sterling]200,000 a year; its previous...

Firm 'puts house in order' and sacks two.
September 14, 2006... A crane hire company that admitted its record keeping was "shameful" has escaped with a warning after a Traffic Commissioner accepted it had "put its house in order". MSD Darlington had been called before North-Eastern TC Tom Macartney at...

High-spec secure truck parks are opening up in France.(Egis)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... We may not like to admit it, but there are some things the French are better at than us - not least facilities for drivers. Guy Sheppard reports. The first in a new wave of high-spec truckstops is due to open in France next month (October)...

Joda reports a 'satisfactory' rise in profits.(Joda Freight)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... West Yorkshire-based general haulier Joda Freight boosted its turnover from [pounds sterling]7.5m to [pounds sterling]8m in 2005; pre-tax profits rose by nearly [pounds sterling]150,000 to [pounds sterling]382,374. The Keighley operator...

Mr X is on the button about market forces....(Letter to the editor)
September 14, 2006... I totally agree with Mr X's comments last week (CM 31 August 2006). There are far too many hauliers chasing too little work and hauliers are under-cutting each other just to get the work. I previously worked for a distribution company...

RHA accuses the Scots of passing the buck.(Scotland)(Road Haulage Association)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... The Scottish Executive's "disappointing" response to an inquiry into road haulage has come under attack from the RHA. Guy Sheppard reports. A haulage leader is accusing the Scottish Executive of using a 'get-out clause' to avoid issues...

Residents' objections to excessive noise at site are overruled.(Baylis Baylis Logistics)
September 14, 2006... Campaigning RESIDENTS who claimed their human rights were being breached have failed to have any restrictions placed on a haulier's 30-vehicle O-licence. Their allegations of excessive noise at its site were refuted by evidence from the local...

STRATEGIC LIFT.(Lillywhite's Transport)
September 14, 2006... Heavy lifting equipment doesn't come cheap and eats into payload, but also opens up new business opportunities. Tim Maughan meets three operators who are putting this kit to good use. Adding lifting capabilities to a fleet gives operators a...

TC gives warning to 'very lucky man'.(Traffic Commissioner)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... A food supplier faces serious action if it appears at another public inquiry. North-Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Mark Hinchliffe told Gregory Shaw, a director of Greggs Discount Foods, that he was "a very lucky man" as he had drawn...

Veolia signs a national deal on recognition with the T&G.(Transport and General Workers )(Veolia Environmental Services )(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Drivers working for major refuse contractor will benefit from "enhanced industrial relations" after years of discussion. Chris Tindall reports. ABOUT 100 refuse and recycling drivers working for Veolia Environmental Services will benefit...

Where are the bypasses we were promised?(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... The Road Users' Alliance (RUA) says the government has quietly abandoned its promise to build 70 bypasses by the end of the decade. Several hundred bypasses have been proposed but the RUA reports that only 20 have been built in the past six...

Wincanton jobs at risk at two depots.(Wincanton Logistics Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Hundreds of distribution jobs at Wincanton are under threat after the logistics firm began a 90-day consultation on redundancies at two distribution centres. Wincanton spokesman Charles Carr says changes made by its customer, the...

Two of.(Volkswagen Caddy, Vauxhall Movano)(Product/service evaluation)
September 14, 2006... So far, so good. The Caddy has proved effortless to drive and has enough about it to make you eager for another trip to the shops, even after 20,000 miles. The second service cost twice as much as the first - but oil changes, filters and...

'Trustworthy' double wheel-loss firm escapes with warning.(Incomestyle)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... A Merseyside operator has escaped with a warning after one of its trucks lost two wheels on a motorway. Newton-le-Willows-based Incomestyle, which holds a four-vehicle licence, had been called before North-Western Deputy Traffic...

Eight years' jail for fraud.
September 14, 2006... Businessman Gerald Smith, whose portfolio of companies included Worksop-based transport operation Seafield, has been jailed for eight years for his part in a [pounds sterling]34m fraud. At a sentencing hearing at Cambridge Crown Court on 11...

Experts warn over red tape.
September 14, 2006... Electronic tolling is meant to reduce paperwork, but one software firm believes that it will have the opposite effect. David Harris reports. A national road pricing scheme would increase bureaucracy for hauliers as well as their costs, say...

Dublin Port Tunnel - the row continues.(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... The long-running saga of the Dublin Port Tunnel may be coming to an end - the tunnel is due to open in November. The project has been dogged with controversy in recent years, not least because it is too small for some trailers. Cars...

Rail freight is on track for continued growth.
September 14, 2006... Network Rail expects to boost rail freight by 30% over the next 10 years. It has published a consultation document, Freight Utilisation Strategy, which includes proposals to boost freight capacity by revising timetables, switching from...

'Competitive' package lures Simpson Bros to join Iveco.(Iveco (U.K.) Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Newcastle haulage firm Simpson Bros has added five new Iveco Stralis tractor units to its 90-truck fleet. The 480hp-engined Stralises mark a move away from the firm's traditional vehicle suppliers -Volvo and Scania. Managing director...

One arrested after stolen trailers were used in theft.
September 14, 2006... A man has been arrested after a stolen truck and its load were driven the wrong way down the A180 in Lincolnshire. Two trucks were stolen on the night of 7 September from Express Light Haulage of Grimsby; they were used to remove two...

New central London freight partnership seeks members.(Freight Quality Partnership)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Hauliers are being urged to help solve central London's freight delivery problems by joining a new Freight Quality Partnership (FQP) with an initial budget of more than [pounds sterling]200,000. The central London FQP will be launched next...

Conservatives promise to create a level playing field.(Conservative Party, United Kingdom)
September 14, 2006... The Tories continue to woo UK road transport - the shadow Transport Secretary has been talking to operators... Chris Tindall reports. Shadow Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has promised that the Conservatives will level the playing field...

FREIGHT BEST PRACTICE.(Kidds Transport, CRL Distribution)
September 14, 2006... WEEK TWO It's not every day the government gives some of your taxes back, but the Freight Best Practice initiative was set up to give free advice to operators to help improve their efficiency. In the second of eight case studies we look...

MASSIVE HANOVER.(Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung truck show)
September 14, 2006... From 21 to 28 September, the focus of the truck industry shifts to Hanover for the giant IAA truck show. We've been looking forward to some of the highlights The scale of the Hanover Show is mind-boggling. According to its organisers, the...

Phone ban is not the answer.
September 21, 2006... Sorry, hold on a minute, we're just... erm... texting... All done - you now have our full attention. There is no question that using mobile phones distracts people and compromises the safety of driving. But it is important to put this kind...

GMB to hold talks with Cleanaway bosses.(General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union, Cleanaway Holdings Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 21, 2006... THE GMB UNION will meet Cleanaway bosses next month in a final attempt to resolve industrial unrest at the waste company's Kings Lynn, Norfolk depot. Drivers on Cleanaway's domestic refuse contract were threatening to strike in protest at...

Fraikin council contract extended.
September 21, 2006... CONTRACT HIRE FIRM Fraikin has won a contract extension with Dumfries and Galloway Council to take its current agreement through to March 2012. Fraikin will replace 23 of the council's refuse collection vehicles 30 months early, with new...

Ford offers 4WD option for latest RWD Transit.
September 21, 2006... FORD HAS launched a 4x4 version of its latest Transit at the Hanover show. It's based on the rear-wheel drive 2.4-litre TDCI 139hp model; Ford claims the 4WD adds only 50kg in weight. The system is 'temporary', engaging only the...

W&S signs [pounds sterling]1m deal.
September 21, 2006... HEATHROW AIR FREIGHT haulier Watkins & Sole (W&S) has won a [pounds sterling]1m-a-year rolling contract with Japanese transport giant Yusen Air Cargo. Under the contract, which starts on 1 November, W&S will handle all of Yusen's UK...

Container firms were unable to pay off their creditors.
September 21, 2006... Mounting debts have led to the closure of a pair of Felixstowe container specialists; now their assets will be sold. Chris Tindall reports. TROUBLED FELIXSTOWE container company Searle Distribution and its related firm AM Searle Dock...

Imperial opens two additional Hino outlets.(Imperial Commercials)(Brief article)
September 21, 2006... IMPERIAL COMMERCIALS, the new name for Lex Commercials following its acquisition by Imperial Holdings in April, has set up two new Hino dealerships. The sites, at Peterborough and Derby, could soon be followed by another - negotiations on...

GMB and 3663 fall out over job losses.(General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union, 3663 First for Foodservice, Purple Food Service)(Brief article)
September 21, 2006... The GMB union says almost 100 drivers will be looking for new work as the result of a contract switch. Chris Tindall reports. MORE THAN 92 drivers at food service company 3663 will lose their jobs because 3663 has lost a contract to supply...

Poles want to go Dutch.(Brief article)
September 21, 2006... A GROUP OF Polish truck drivers are taking a Dutch haulier to court because it paid them less than the Dutch minimum wage. The drivers say they were hired by the Polish subsidiary of Gebroeders Huybregdst late last year to work in the...

Third operator loses licence over false statements.(Edward Lavelle)(Brief article)
September 21, 2006... Using false statements to back up a licence application strikes at the core of the system, TC warns. Mike Jewell reports. An ealing operator has become the third haulage company to lose its licence recently after attempting to pass off...

Swede and sour.(mergers and acquisitions)
September 21, 2006... German truck manufacturer MAN has finally confirmed the long-standing rumours and announced a bid for its Swedish rival Scania. Dylan Gray reports. On Wednesday 13 September, MAN confirmed weeks of speculation when it confirmed that it was...

Counting the cost.(fatalities at work place)
September 21, 2006... The good news is that fewer people are being killed at work - but there is no room for complacency. Latest statistics released by the Health and Safety Commission for 2005/06 show there were 212 fatal injuries in British workplaces, 5%...

In transport for the long haul.
September 21, 2006... He may be relatively new to the industry, but Neil Cunningham, boss of Ramage Distribution, already has a keen eye for what makes the difference in business. Dominic Perry reports. Neil Cunningham, managing director of Scottish transport...

MAGNUM: A SPENT FORCE?
September 21, 2006... At this year's Hanover IAA Show, Renault will unveil the limited-edition Magnum Vega. Is this the last word for the Magnum - or the start of a new chapter? Dave Young reports. In the beginning was the Virage. This 1980s design concept from...

UK transport volunteers take on Malawi.(Transaid)
September 21, 2006... For Transaid's inaugural overseas challenge a dozen volunteers signed up for a 460km bicycle ride along Lake Malawi, raising [pounds sterling]22,000 for Transaid's work in Africa. One of them was MAN-ERF's Steve Jones, who kept a diary......

EVENTS.(calendar)(Calendar)
September 21, 2006... Road Haulage Association O-licence compliance 26 September Ashford Digital tachographs 5 October Darlington Security Seminar 7 November Towcester Contact: 01733 261456 www.rha.net Freight Transport Association Tachodisc 27 September...