Operators are going to be alarmed by the latest analysis of the new EU drivers’ hours rules – according to a report from Motor Transport, they could mean that some firms have to employ 10% more drivers.
A couple of the more interesting US-based companies have posted results, and they are mighty impressive. First there’s UPS, whose fourth-quarter results show a stunning 11% increase in revenues – the parcels operator is now handling 20 million items on some days.
Then there’s PACCAR, the parent group of DAF. Its 2006 results are even more startling, with sales up by 17% and profits up by 32%. But in his World Trucks blog, Oliver Dixon warns that with its reliance on the fragile US market, PACCAR could be heading for a fall.
Meanwhile, Tesco has bought a fleet of 15 Modec electric vans for home deliveries. Is this a serious move, or just paying lip service to the environment? We’ll see.
And finally… Will Shiers has begun a regular series of blog postings on old vehicles and operators, Will’s Memory Lane, with a piece going by the marvellous title of Old Trannies Never Die.