The trade associations have spoken: in today's news, the FTA criticises EU plans to relax cabotage restrictions, and both the RHA and FTA hit out at the burden the spiralling cost of diesel imposes on hauliers. Also in today’s trade association developments, Roger King announces that he is to step down as the RHA’s chief executive in May 2009.

The authorities also figure prominently in current stories: VOSA is given tougher targets for 2008-09, to be achieved through “better targeting”, and Warwickshire Police comes under fire from a Leicestershire haulier for the manner in which it handled a collision.

In the blogs today, Will Shiers asks if anyone has heard of a ‘Coleman’ truck and BigLorryBlog checks out a fleet equipped with solar panels to charge the lifting deck batteries. Talking about innovation, WheelRight has unveiled an electronic drive-over system to measure tyre pressures – among other things.

Also today: workers at Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland are poised to strike, potentially crippling supplies; we have more on the background to Ramage Distribution’s demise; and it appears the London Construction Consolidation Centre (LCCC) has the capacity to take on more business.