Commercial Motor articles from September 2007

Commercial Motor archives from September 2007

This Week.
September 13, 2007... Pay an on-the-spot fine or face immobilisation With the consultation period over and the DfT evaluating the industry's input, Dylan Gray assesses what the proposed Graduated Fixed Penalty and Deposit Schemes will mean to you. The...

Renault and VW cars are a clue to their van plans.(This Week)
September 13, 2007... This week's Frankfurt Motor Show will feature the unveiling of passenger cars from Renault and Volkswagen, giving strong clues as to the van derivatives the two manufacturers are expected to launch in Amsterdam next month. The all-new...

Tractor unit and trailers are destroyed in fire.(This Week)
September 13, 2007... A tractor unit and three trailers were destroyed in a fire at an industrial estate in Maldon, Essex during the early hours of Saturday morning. Three fire engines were called to the Quayside industrial estate at 4am on 8 September -...

Tax break for Euro-5 with diagnostics.(This Week)
September 13, 2007... The Department for Transport (DfT) has revealed that Euro-5 trucks with on-board diagnostics (OBD) will be eligible for a tax rebate of up to [pounds sterling]500 a year until 1 October 2009. The Reduced Pollution Certificate (RPC) entitles...

RHA tells Treasuryto cut LGV fuel tax.(This Week)
September 13, 2007... The association is asking that the government "decouple haulage from the green tax being placed on cars". Roanna Avison reports. The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has called on the Treasury to deal with fuel duty for road hauliers...

BRC warns that road charging must not be hijacked as a general taxe_SSRq.(This Week)(British Retail Consortium)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... The British Retail Consortium (BRC) fears that local authorities will begin to introduce road charging schemes simply to raise revenue unless the Transport Secretary retains a power of veto over such projects. The BRC made its comments as...

DfT refuses to relax drivers' hours following FMD crisis.(This Week)
September 13, 2007... Livestock hauliers will not be allowed to work extended hours to clear the backlog after the foot-and-mouth outbreak. David Harris reports. The Department for Transport (DfT) has turned down requests from livestock hauliers for a...

This Week.(Obituary)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Franz KA[paragraph]gel The founder of KA[paragraph]gel Fahrzeugwerke, Franz Xaver KA[paragraph]gel, has died at the age of 97. KA[paragraph]gel trained as a master coach builder before taking over his employer's Ulm-based coach...

This Week.(Road Haulage Association)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Hauliers want more from rail freight A report into rail freight by the Scottish Executive and the Road Haulage Association (RHA) has shown that rail operators need to sharpen their act. To encourage road hauliers to consider rail, a...

Win [pounds sterling]1,000 in rugby competition.(This Week)
September 13, 2007... There's still time to sign up for the Commercial Motor Rugby World Cup competition and get yourself in with a chance of winning [pounds sterling]1,000. Sponsored by Renault Trucks, the competition is a simple score predictor - just state...

This Week.
September 13, 2007... Abbey Roadtanks, which operates from Liverpool and Hull, and sites in the South-East, has ordered 30 FTP XF105.410s and five FTP CF85.460s from Imperial Commercials all with lightweight second axle wheels. Abbey runs more than 100 Dafs 17...

This Week.
September 13, 2007... Asda's bosses say early morning and late night deliveries could be organised to avoid creating extra noise. Chris Tindall reports. Asda faces opposition over plan for extended deliveries Supermarket GIANT Asda says plans to increase...

EC aims to simplify dangerous regs.(European Union. European Commission)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... The European Commission plans to simplify the rules governing the transport of dangerous goods because it believes the current "patchwork" of regulations are compromising safety. A report by the European Parliament's lead MEP on the...

Legal.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... The THREE-WEEK suspension of the three-vehicle licence held by Glasgow-based Recycled Packaging (Scotland) by Scottish Deputy Traffic Commissioner Richard McFarlane has been upheld by the Transport Tribunal on appeal. The company, of...

Legal.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... A new international licence has been granted to an operator whose other haulage company went into liquidation in April. Doncaster-based McGregor Logistics had sought a new international licence authorising the operation of two vehicles and...

Legal.
September 13, 2007... A former traveller whose vehicle was impounded in February has been granted an O-licence after it was established that he had permission to use his operating centre and that there was enough money in his bank account. St Helens-based scrap...

Legal.
September 13, 2007... CM-13SEPT-PULL QUOTES-PC 'Can the needs of free trade and critics who believe cabotage undermines domestic operations be reconciled?' 'EC Cabotage proposal, see page ??? 'Employment law is at the forefront of EU debate with the UK...

This Week.(Freight Transport Association, Road Haulage Association )
September 13, 2007... There are clear benefits to be had from joining a trade association, including professional advice, training, a voice for lobbying parliament and much more. But there is one obvious question: which one? The two major trade associations in...

Legal.
September 13, 2007... A French truck driver with a bogus Irish LGV driving licence was jailed for three months after Mold Crown Court heard he had spent eight months driving an artic between Ireland and France when he was not licensed to do so. Former French...

This Week.
September 13, 2007... What got you started in transport? I trained as a solutions-based salesman working in the car contract-hire market. At the time contract-hire was just a concept for cars, and it led me down the route of road transport, where there was a...

Operations.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Some interesting interpretations of the meaning of a new sign on the A48 in the Vale of Glamorgan. In the 30 August issue of CM we ran a news story about the Freight Transport Association (FTA) wanting truck-specific satellite navigation...

Operations.
September 13, 2007... The end-of-life vehicle regulations (ELV) may not be your first choice for holiday reading, but they have far-reaching implications for the CV industry. "Aha," the better informed among you are already saying, "but they don't apply to trucks."...

Operations.
September 13, 2007... Visitors to the SED Show in May this year might have spotted a new Eurocargo tipper on the Iveco stand complete with one of the company's CargoLiner range of bodies. CargoLiner is a new initiative from Iveco, which aims to get you a fully...

Operations.(new range of trucks launched)
September 13, 2007... Think comfort NOT SPEED All eyes have been on MAN since the launch of a 680hp V8 in its latest TGX and TGS range revisions. But Brian Weatherley steadfastly refuses to be drawn in by all the hype much. Commercial Motor has already...

dump the duty increase now.(This Week)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... We fear we're beginning to sound like a scratched record. Every year the government holds its sword aloft in the spring and proclaims fuel duty rises are scheduled for the autumn. In response the industry quivers and shakes as it prepares to...

This Week.(DAF Trucks N.V.)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... In response to Tony Hughes' letter saying that a new Daf will take 15 months to arrive (CM 30 August), had he and other British hauliers bought British when they were still being manufactured in the United Kingdom, the British truck industry...

This Week.
September 13, 2007... No after-treatment with new Scania Euro-5 13-litre six-pot Looking to buy a Euro-5 truck but don't want SCR? Scania may have just what you are looking for. Brian Weatherley reports from Sweden. Scania's claim to be "the first heavy...

Operations.
September 13, 2007... Welcome to the third appearance of the annual Commercial Motor workshop survey. Each year we investigate and compare truck and van workshop labour rates and opening hours, covering representatives from all the leading marques in four areas...

Bickford depot hit by thieves.(This Week)
September 13, 2007... Wolverhampton-based Bickford Truck Rental had [pounds sterling]150,000 worth of equipment stolen when its depot was broken into during the early hours of Thursday 6 September. Three new cranes - a PM 45tm, Atlas 6tm and Hiab 10tm - were...

Norfolkline moves to allay vessel safety fears.(This Week)
September 13, 2007... Cross-channel freight operator Norfolkline has moved swiftly to reassure hauliers that there are no problems over vessel safety after it locked the bow doors on one of its ferries. The 35,000-tonne Dunkirk-Dover ferry Maersk Delft is only...

Lorry park owner offerssite for Operation Stack.(Felixstowe)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Using the truckstop to park up trucks could ease the congestion caused by Felixstowe Port closures, says its owner. Chris Tindall reports. The owner of Orwell Crossing Lorry Park is willing to assist Suffolk Police by offering his land...

This Week.(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... Drawbar combinations - A-frame drivers swear by them (once they have learnt the art of reversing), while straight-bar drivers describe them as easy as caravans and a lot less hassle to pilot. One user of TruckNet UK forums has posted a...

Turnover up 71% at Hargreaves Services.(This Week)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... The fast-growing haulage and mining group Hargreaves Services increased its turnover by 71% in the year to 31 May, following a 134% jump last year. The Co Durham group, which floated on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in November...

This Week.
September 13, 2007... Pentalver opens new [pounds sterling]13m site Pentalver Cannock's new 28-acre site has capacity for 15,000 containers. Tim Maughan finds out the details. Container haulier Pentalver Cannock begins operations from its new 28-acre base...

This Week.
September 13, 2007... [use enclosed leaflet and/or any unused pic from News Extra, p12] Impregnable offer Diesel spills are a clear and present danger, especially to motorcyclists. Department for Transport statistics show that diesel spills caused 16 deaths...

Cancer charity cash.(This Week)
September 13, 2007... CM operations editor Colin Barnett this week handed over a cheque for [pounds sterling]400 to chief executive Angus Somerville and administrator Natalie Lamb from the charity Orchid. Orchid, based at London's St Bartholomew's hospital,...

MEPs want to limit LHVs.(This Week)(European Union. European Parliament)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... A European Parliament vote on trials of larger freight vehicles has revealed strong feelings on the subject. Chris Tindall reports. MEPs want to see strict rules for countries planning to trial the use of 60-tonne trucks. The strength...

Montracon carriers for RBM.(This Week)(RBM Agricultural)(Brief article)
September 13, 2007... East Yorkshire-based RBM Agricultural has taken delivery of the first vehicles from Montracon's latest range of machinery carriers. Plated for operation at up to 48 tonnes GCW, the trailer features hydraulically powered run-up ramps at the...

Operations.(DAF Trucks N.V.)
September 13, 2007... Few would argue that Daf's press test operation is among the best when it comes to presenting trucks in optimum condition for our rigorous evaluation process. We rarely get our hands on examples with less than 40,000km behind them and they are...

EC backs cash for intermodal projects.(This Week)
September 20, 2007... THE EUROPEAN Commission has signalled that it is prepared to allow national governments to funnel large sums of money direct to haulage companies to finance intermodal transport. Brussels has said that under European Union (EU) state aid...

Owen asks EC to back plan for A55 truckstop.(This Week)
September 20, 2007... The owner of Mold, Clwyd-based haulier JD Owen is talking to transport officials in Brussels in a bid to gain European backing for his proposed truckstop at A55/J31. Dai Owen submitted plans for the truckstop and office complex to Flintshire...

Operators at CM seminar are warned not to text drivers.(This Week)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... TEXTING YOUR drivers could jeopardise your O-licence says Scottish Deputy Traffic Commissioner Richard McFarlane. At the first CM legal seminar he gave the 50 operators in attendance a stark warning: "Such devices pose a significant threat...

Nightowl closure warning.(This Week)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... The West Midlands Business Council fears truck crime will increase if South Staffordshire District Council approves a plan to close the Nightowl truckstop at M54/J1. The owners of the land want to erect 23,000m2 of warehousing on the site...

Revised Navara range.(This Week)
September 20, 2007... Nissan has unveiled revised specifications for the Navara pickup range. The line-up begins with the workmanlike Trek, with a tubular rear bumper and rear window guard grille. Then, with ascending levels of luxury, come the Sport, Outlaw...

TPN limits delivery times in bid to cut RDC queues.(This Week)(The Pallet Network)(restrict delivery times)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... The Pallet Network members restrict delivery times into RDCs to cut the time wasted waiting to make deliveries. Roanna Avison reports. The Pallet Network (TPN) and its members are trialling a system to cut the amount of time their trucks...

Survey on new ECWVTA regs.(This Week)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... The Department for Transport (DfT) is asking companies involved in the manufacture, build, import or sale of vehicles to take part in a survey about the EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) regulations. The new rules, due to come into...

This Week.
September 20, 2007... It now appears that the only option, apart from charging our customers a [pounds sterling]200 surcharge per job (I rarely work for more than one customer a day) is to fit a particulate trap specifically suited to my vehicle and the way it is...

DfT refuses new plea to relax livestock hours.(This Week)
September 20, 2007... SCOTTISH LIVESTOCK hauliers are angry that the Department for Transport has again refused to relax drivers' hours regulations to help tackle the backlog of animals that need to be moved. The latest request, from the Scottish government, was...

UK buyers face shortest lead times in Europe says MAN.(This Week)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... MAN lead times may still be long, but they are lower in the UK than in Eastern Europe. Andy Salter reports. UK OPERATORS complaining that lead times for new vehicles are extending over the horizon are doing better than their counterparts in...

Downton opts for Renault Premiums.(This Week)
September 20, 2007... FOLLOWING fuel trials involving trucks from Renault, Daf and Volvo, Downton has opted to buy three Euro-4 Renault Premium 450 6x2s with the Opti-driver+ gearbox to run on its Pets at Home contract. Downton also has another three Euro-5...

This Week.
September 20, 2007... A driver was left in state of undress at the side of the road after thieves made off with his wagon and its load. David Harris reports. Romanian driver tricked out of his truck - and his cargo A Romanian truck driver was left standing...

This Week.
September 20, 2007... First come first served Residents who bought plots and built homes next to a rural haulage yard have lost their fight to stop the operator expanding. Keith Parks, proprietor of Parks Haulage, has been given the go-ahead to keep up to...

This Week.(trucks in Scotland to make use of improved engines to control air pollution)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... Scotland the green The Scottish Parliament was told last week that the country's operators are running cleaner trucks with each passing year. Andrew Haines, president of the Freight Transport Association (FTA), addressed the MSPs...

More efficiency, less tax please.(This Week)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... Road transport organisations have welcomed a report on carbon emissions by the Commission for Integrated Transport (CfIT). This suggests that the best way to cut carbon emissions is by increasing driving efficiency and reducing empty...

TfL believes rail is greener than road.(This Week)(London,England. Transport for London)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... TfL wants to shift more freight on to the tracks in the belief that rail freight makes less of an impact on the environment. Chris Tindall reports. Transport for London (TfL) has set out its plans to shift more freight on to the rail...

LEZ compliance guide published.(This Week)(Low Emission Zone)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... Vosa has published guidelines for operators that want to book their vehicles in for low-emissions tests to obtain a Low Emissions Certificate (LEC) or a Reduced Pollution Certificate (RPC). It is urging vehicle operators to check whether...

More cash coming for SAFED initative.(This Week)(Safe and Efficient Driving Scheme )(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... The Department for Transport (DfT) has put [pounds sterling]1.2m more into its fund to train van drivers in more economical and safer driving techniques. The Safe and Efficient Driving Scheme (SAFED), which was launched last year, aims to...

Operator pays for customer overload.(This Week)(Christian Salvesen Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... One of the country's biggest operators has been fined for the third time in recent years for overloading a truck, despite blaming its customer for the offence. Christian Salvesen Logistics was fined [pounds sterling]400 with [pounds...

Theree_SSRqs [pounds sterling]89k waiting for an Eastern TC... any takers?(This Week)(Traffic Commissioner)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... After six months, the DfT still hasn't found a Traffic Commissioner for the Eastern region. Chris Tindall reports. The Department for Transport has been forced to readvertise the position of Traffic Commissioner for the Eastern region after...

This Week.
September 20, 2007... Rikki Chequer, community manager of TruckNet UK, reports on current hot topics at the driver forum. The latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) affects livestock hauliers nearly as much as farmers. Hauliers on TruckNet UK have been...

'Hardship' plea averts driving ban for haulier.(This Week)
September 20, 2007... Haulier escapes ban, despite picking up 12 penalty points because he was facing 'undue hardship' if he could not work. Peter Swingler reports. A 66-year-old haulier from Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, with 12 penalty points on his driving...

Concern is mounting over a Cambridge congestion charge.(This Week)
September 20, 2007... Operators and firms have met the local authority to air their views about plans for a congestion charge in Cambridge. Chris Tindall reports. Confusion over plans for a congestion charge in Cambridge has brought councillors, businesses and...

This Week.(Fuel prices may rise )(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... Fuel costs to keep rising Fuel prices are likely to rise for the rest of 2007 and into 2008, according to a specialist in fuel-management software. Andy Leech, business leader of Birmingham-based CFC Solutions, says hauliers need to...

This Week.(Steele booked for overloading offence)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... Twisted tongue blamed Communication problems with a Spanish dealer have been blamed for an overloading offence that cost a company based in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, [pounds sterling]300 - with [pounds sterling]448 costs. Steele's...

No-show skip firm loses O-licence.(Alan Greathurst looses O-licence for poor vehicle maintenance)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... A skip operator who failed to turn up at a public inquiry has had his five-vehicle licence revoked because of concern over poor vehicle maintenance and evidence that he may not be using his authorised operating centre. The O-licence, held...

Timber hauliere_SSRqs expansion put on hold.(Legal)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... A timber haulier who racked up two prohibitions in the first two months of his O-licence has been refused authorisation for a further three vehicles and three trailers. Instead, Carlisle-based Michael Johnston, trading as M Johnston &...

Milk firm warned as tanker is suspended for six weeks.(Legal)
September 20, 2007... A milk wholesaler's sloppy maintenance regime has cost it the suspension of one vehicle for six weeks. It was the firm's second public inquiry within three years. Birmingham-based Dairy Fresh Dairies, which had been called before West...

'Moment of madness' leads to O-licence suspension.(O-licence of Carr Mill Pallets revoked for poor maintenance records)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... A Lancashire pallet manufacturer whose sole vehicle was given an S-marked prohibition at annual test has had his O-licence suspended for two days after being unable to produce any maintenance records. Andrew Weir, based in St Helens,...

Legal.
September 20, 2007... Fair deals for all People are much more 'rights conscious' these days and claims have steadily gone up. There are genuine claims but there will also always be people who will try it one_SDRq A new bill proposes that all equality...

Legal.(Certificate of Professional Competence for UK operators)
September 20, 2007... Back to school Europe has proposed a more rigorous CPC for transport managers - but are the proposals fair to UK operators? Patric Cunnane reports. The changing nature of the Certificate of Professional Competence, or CPC, is a hot...

Operations.(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... What got you started in transport? Leyland Daf needed people to help develop and implement its dealer-management IT system. What do you love/hate about it? I don't hate anything. What I love is the number of people I meet who are...

Operations.(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... Overtaking bans for trucks, like most things, have their pros and cons. But with MAN now producing the most powerful standard production truck in Europe (and other manufacturers following hot on its heels), these bans could be...

NORTHERN INNOVATION.(Operations)
September 20, 2007... Colin Barnett visited Leyland to see Daf's latest offerings - from 'one-stop bodies' to online fleet service record systems. On-line bodies With new truck lead times extending to a year and more, the last thing an operator wants is for...

Operations.(LDV introduces Gaz Valdai van)(Chery Chinese Great Wall Motor introduces Wingle trucks)(Moscow Motor Show)
September 20, 2007... This is the Gaz Valdai, which could be joining LDV's line-up in the not-too-distant future. The 6.5-tonne van will be shown at this year's RAI Show in Amsterdam. "If it proves popular it could go on sale in Western Europe," says LDV marketing...

Operations.
September 20, 2007... The building CM enters is within spitting distance of Coventry Airport, and it looks as though it could accommodate several large aeroplanes itself. But this is no hangar. It is Parcelforce's national hub, announces Gary Simpson, director of...

Operations.(Ford Motor Co. introduces 3.0-litre Ranger)
September 20, 2007... For the traditionalists out there, the latest version of Ford's Ranger, with its flamboyant add-ons, is just another example of the demise of serious work-based CVs. But to dismiss it as an exercise in style over substance is to ignore the...

MARSHALLING.(Operations)
September 20, 2007... Simon Marsh has taken SMS from a one-man van operation to a 65-vehicle, three-division operation. Colin Barnett finds out how he did it. The story of the SMS group can be summed up in a nutshell: white van man quits job to buy his own van,...

This Week.(Road Haulage Association)
September 20, 2007... The call of duty The UK road transport industry runs on the most expensive fuel in Europe and foreign competitors are quick to take advantage. Roanna Avison assesses the chances of help from the Chancellor. Fuel duty is an emotive...

This Week.(debate over satellite navigation safety systems )
September 20, 2007... The road to ruin Stories are mounting up of trucks ending up on inappropriate roads after relying on sat-nav guidance - but is using this driver aid also a deadly distraction? Chris Tindall investigates. T he growing number of news...

This Week.(Letter to the editor)
September 20, 2007... Spilled diesel is lethal so please take it seriously Have a shorter wait for your trailer with Schmitz Cargobull Well done Commercial Motor for your story about diesel spills (CM 13 September, 'Protect your diesel - and save lives')....

Operations.(gross vehicle weight limit)(Bott partners with Mercedes-Benz to provide automotive repair services to transport workers)
September 20, 2007... BUYING TIPS Understand the role of the operative How will the system be used in a specific job role? For example if a certain spanner will be in constant use it shouldn't be stored at the front of the van Understand the load Be aware...

KA[paragraph]gel trailers on the rise.(This Week)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 20, 2007... German trailer and body manufacturer KA[paragraph]gel has boosted its turnover by more than 50% in the first half of 2007 compared with the same period last year. Turnover is expected to exceed g400m ([pounds sterling]278m) by the end of...

Volvo drawbar goes to waste a third time.(This Week)
September 20, 2007... Cheshire-based demolition, recycling and waste disposal specialist Nick Brookes has taken delivery of a 13-litre Volvo FM 8x4 hook-loader drawbar rig. Its triaxle close-coupled trailer has a Boughton hook-loader and Kwikcova system. The...

Dispute over road-to-water consultation.(This Week)
September 20, 2007... The government stands accused of watering down proposals to shift bulk freight by water rather than road. Chris Tindall reports. Water-freight operators have condemned what they claim is a watering down of the government's policy to move...