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68% of tractors are unroadworthy
Stories from CM's 'On the Web' feature
Ray Smith Group collapses, 150 jobs lost
Over 150 jobs have been lost with the slide of demount system and tail-lift specialist Ray Smith Group (RSG) into administration just before Christmas.
Body and trailer builder Boalloy collapses
In the past couple of weeks, Brian Weatherley has been looking at:
A complete church being moved on a trailer
The Sao Paulo truck show in Brazil
ERFs in Malta and Fodens in New Zealand
How to take great truck pictures
All of our blogs are at www.roadtransport.com/blogs
Fuel protests fail to capture the imagination
One of the chief organisers of last weekend's fuel protests has vowed to continue campaigning in 2008, even though he accepts support for the latest protests was disappointing.
One of the UK's leading transport academics last week called for the Government to invest at least £10billion in cutting carbon emissions by 2035 or risk missing its own environmental targets.
TDG trading in line with expectations
Haulage giant TDG gave its shareholders a modest amount of pre-Christmas cheer this week when it announced its performance in 2007 had seen good progress, and was in line with expectations.
Parcelforce employee jailed for stealing parcels
A Birmingham Parcelforce delivery driver with a gambling addiction who stole £12,500 worth of items from a depot and then sold them on online auction site eBay has been jailed for a year.
Fuel protests will go ahead on saturday
Pressure group Transaction 2007 has confirmed that fuel protests will take place on Saturday 15 December at 10am at undisclosed locations.
Just a month after the Nemo's public unveiling at the RAI Show in Amsterdam, Citroën invited us down to Bordeaux for a chance to drive its new baby.
Devon rejects dual language roadsigns
Devon has rejected a plan for multi-lingual road signs to stop foreign hauliers driving down unsuitable roads.
London deliveries: good news - and bad news
A relaxation of delivery rules in London might prove to be a double edged sword for operators, according to the Freight Transport Association.
UK hauliers overpay on road and environmental costs
Road hauliers pay more than their fair share to cover the cost of the infrastructural and environmental damage they cause.
Truckers call for protest - but RHA says no
Pressure group Transaction 2007 has vowed to hold talks tonight at a central location in the country to discuss a nationwide protest of thousands of truckers over fuel prices.
Stowaway violence driven by hunger, says RHA
Attacks on UK truck drivers in France by would-be illegal immigrants are more likely to be about theft than an effort to force truckers to take them on board, says the Road Haulage Association (RHA).
Malcolm restructure: company cautiously optimistic
Despite rising costs caused by fuel costs and road congestion, haulier WH Malcolm has boosted its turnover to £183.9m.
A third of hauliers may not survive 2008
A third of all haulage operators in the UK will struggle to survive 2008 as trading conditions continue to be tough.
Long lead times for upgraded Volvo FH and FH16
Operators wanting to buy Volvo's new FH and FH16 should place their orders now to receive them by autumn 2008.
TLS Vehicle Rental is back in the black and has launched a co-location strategy for its vehicle hire and sister company's plant hire business with the opening of a depot in Stoke-on-Trent.
A proposal to build a secure truck park in Flintshire is being supported by haulage associations and unions, despite some local opposition.
SCOOP! New Mercedes Actros breaks cover
This week’s Commercial Motor, out on Thursday, has all the details on the new Mercedes-Benz heavy truck range expected to be launched in 2010.
Foreign Crashes: Government unaware of scale
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has teamed up with road safety charities and organisations to tackle the number of collisions caused by LGVs driving in foreign countries.
Thousands not yet compliant with London LEZ
Transport for London (TfL) believes operators will comply with the London Low Emission Zone which comes into force in February, despite a recent survey that found 80,000 vehicles are still non-compliant.
RHA asks government to go ahead with LHV trials
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has called on the government to seriously consider a trial of longer, heavier vehicles (LHVs) because they could ease congestion, improve read safety and help the environment.
Board of TCs plan dropped from local transport bill
The government has dropped plans to create a board of Traffic Commissioners (TCs) to oversee O-licensing, but has given the go-ahead to local road pricing schemes.
EU ministers agree rules on sharing data
The European Union (EU) Council of Ministers has in principle agreed technical and administrative rules governing how national vehicle registration information should be shared among law enforcement authorities in all 27 member states.
Thieves use jammers to disable tracking systems
Truck thieves in Warwickshire have started using jamming devices to disable GPS tracking systems, say police.
Deutsche Bahn gets green light for takeover of EWS
Rail freight operator EWS is in the final stages of being acquired by state-owned German railway company Deutsche Bahn (DB), and it claims this will boost the amount of freight moved on rail in Britain.
OECD warns of safety risks from counterfeit parts
Hauliers that use independent garages for repairs are increasingly risking their vehicles being fitted with substandard counterfeit parts, according to the world's largest think tank.
UK ports await decision on Norwegian freight service
One of three UK ports will be chosen this month to run a freight ferry service to Norway, opening up new trade movements to mainland Europe.
New SMMT Chief Exec to take charge in new year
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has announced a new chief executive to replace Christopher Macgowan in the new year.
DfT Integrated approach is too slow, RHA/FTA fear
Last week the government set out its stall on transport planning, although its ideas will not come into force before 2014 because the budgets until then have already been set.
MAN TG wins International Truck of the Year 2008
The International Truck of the Year 2008 was unveiled at last week's Amsterdam truck show - Jury chairman Andy Salter explains the decision.
Eurotunnel cuts freight-train tolls in half
Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel has taken drastic measures to turn around its ailing rail-freight business by slashing tolls for trains by 50%.
Mitsubishi showcases HDEP engine
Mitsubishi-Fuso has showcased a 12.8-litre variant of Daimler's Heavy Duty Engine Platform (HDEP).
Offering flexible working hours and the ability to work from home is not going to work in all aspects of transport.
Drivers complain about Liverpool Docks again
Liverpool docks has come under renewed fire from drivers and operators who say the problems there are worse than ever.
Unite gets involved in Boalloy adminstration
Trailer and bodybuilder Boalloy was "cynically stripped" of its assets in the months leading up to its administration, according to the union Unite, which is now threatening action if Boalloy's parent fails to support its workforce.
Chinese Trailers coming to the UK
After nearly two years of planning, Chinese giant China International Marine Containers (CIMC) is about to begin selling its products directly to UK hauliers.
All parties in the Sevel partnership, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroën, recognise that their current light van simply isn't light enough for many applications so they've come up with a new minivan that is set to be one of the stars of The European Road Transport Show in Amsterdam this month.
Government favours EC truck database
The Government appears to favour EC proposals for sharing national freight data across the Continent, after ruling out a vignette to charge foreign lorries to use the UK's roads.
Pentalver shows boost in pre-tax profit
Pentalver's contract to supply refrigerated containers to the MoD boosted its profits in 2005 - and accounted for a slight dip in 2006.
EWS drops plans for road freight arm
Rail freight operator EWS has told CM it has investigated the possibility of launching its own haulage arm and says it is now "inevitable" that it will start working closely with road haulage operators instead.
Heritage listing could be template for truckstops
The man behind the novel request to have Alconbury truckstop marked as a listed heritage site says he wants to create a process for protecting similar sites across the country.
Industry defends proposed LHV trial
The road haulage industry has reacted angrily to the suggestion by Freight on Rail that longer, heavier vehicles (LHVs) should not be trialled in the UK.
Tax man focuses on Haulage industry
Haulage operators are being warned that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is intensifying its scrutiny of drivers' employment status, tachographs and allowances, potentially resulting in higher tax bills.
"Jaw dropping" Salvesen sale polarises industry
Norbert Dentressangle's (ND) announcement that it wants to buy Christian Salvesen for £254m has astonished analysts, who say the French logistics company is paying well over the odds for the firm.
Drivers' hours relaxed to beat F&M backlog
The Department for Transport (DfT) last week relaxed the restrictions on drivers' hours rules that were brought in to combat the foot and mouth outbreak.
VED for LGVs frozen to offset fuel duty increase
The government is to freeze vehicle excise duty (VED) for LGVs in 2008-9 to counteract the affect of the 2p/lit fuel duty increase that came in on Monday.
Commercial Motor-links up with tip ex08
Commercial Motor has linked up with the organisers of Tip-Ex08, the newly formed tipper show to be held annually in Harrogate, to become the "official partner" of the event.
Warning over abolishing bridge tolls
Removing tolls on the Tay and Forth Bridges in Scotland could adversely affect operators because even marginal increases in traffic will disrupt delivery schedules, MPs have been told.
Torotrak agrees IVT transmission deal with Tata
Leyland-based transmission manufacturer Torotrak has signed a licensing deal to provide Tata Motors with its innovative Infinitely Variable Transmission (IVT).
Diesel prices just 0.04p off highest ever
Road Haulage Association figures show that the price of bulk diesel is just 0.04p/lit below its highest ever level in the UK.
New Gossington truckstop set to open on the A38
A new Gossington truckstop will open next Monday on the A38 between Gloucester and Bristol - on the site of the old Gossington truckstop, which closed some years ago.
Essex Police ignore rock attack by 'feral' children
A Devon-based operator has complained to the Chief Constable in Essex following an attack on his driver which the police ignored.
DEFRA relents on livestock restrictions
Pressure on the Government to relax restrictions on livestock hauliers during the continuing foot and mouth crisis appeared to be bearing fruit this week, as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it wanted to allow movement wherever it was safe.
TPN trials reduced time frame for RDC deliveries
The Pallet Network (TPN) and its members are trialling a system to cut the amount of time trucks are sat waiting to make deliveries into RDCs.
MAN lead times in Eastern Europe worse than UK
UK OPERATORS complaining that lead times for new vehicles are extending over the horizon are doing better than their counterparts in Eastern Europe, according to MAN.
A Romanian truck driver was left standing at the edge of the road in his underpants last week after thieves lured him from his cab and drove off with his load of wine.
TfL reckons rail is greener than road
Transport for London (TfL) has set out its plans to shift more freight onto rail it estimates that up to 176 million truck miles can be removed from the roads each year.
RHA calls on treasury to cut fuel tax for hauliers
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has called on the Treasury to decouple fuel duty for hauliers from the tax rises due in October and next April.
Renault and VW unveil van-based passenger cars
This week's Frankfurt Motor Show sees the unveiling of passenger cars from Renault and Volkswagen, giving strong clues as to the van products the two manufacturers are expected to launch at Amsterdam next month.
RHA reveails inhibitors to rail-freight growth
A report into rail freight by the Scottish Executive and the Road Haulage Association (RHA) has showed that rail operators need to sharpen their act.
Asda plans to increase delivery times
Supermarket Asda says its plan to increase delivery times at one of its stores will ease congestion at peak times and not lead to an increase in noise levels as locals fear.
Foreign drivers face on-the-spot fines in UK
Foreign truck drivers who break UK traffic laws could be forced to pay on-the-spot roadside fines of up to £200 under the latest government proposals.
Leyland Trucks boosts Daf production
As lead times for new LGVs in the UK and on the Continent reach record levels, Paccar-owned Leyland Trucks is increasing production at its Lancashire plant by 17.5%.
Wolverhampton Nightowl confirmed for redevelopment
The owner of the land occupied by the Nightowl truckstop at Junction 1 of the M54 near Wolverhampton confirmed last week that it intends to redevelop the site as warehousing.
Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel enjoyed a rare piece of good news last week, when it announced a large drop in half-year losses.
EC toughens up on transport managers
Transport managers will need extensive training and operators will have to meet higher standards if plans from Brussels come into force.
Truck-related fatal accidents over the bank holiday
There were several fatal accidents involving trucks over the August bank holiday weekend, with one truck driver killed in a collision with two other LGVs on the M25.
London unloading times to be reviewed
The launch of a pilot scheme to double loading and unloading times in the London borough of Westminster has been delayed until October.
Falling bread sales cost delivery drivers jobs
The shrinking British apettite for bread is being blamed for the loss of mroe than 400 jobs at British Bakeries - the redundancies include 32 truck drivers.
Eddie Stobart sale takes company public
Property group Westbury has bought Stobart for £138m - but what does the future hold for the new company?
RHA complains about TfL LEZ adverts
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has called on Transport for London (TfL) to change the wording of its advertisment promoting the London low-emission zone (LEZ), claiming the wording is misleading for hauliers.
Conservatives plan to charge trucks per mile
In what appears to be a replica of the failed Lorry Road User Charging (LRUC) scheme, the Conservative Party has outlined plans to charge foreign trucks to use UK roads.
Congestion charge plans for Cambridge
Congestion charging is planned to ease traffic problems in Cambridge as the county council bids for government cash.
RHA vows to fight to keep Alconbury truckstop open
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has called for concerted action to ensure that the Alconbury truckstop remains open.
Tax help for hauliers hit by foot & mouth outbreak
Hauliers affected by the foot and mouth (FMD) outbreak are all eligible for tax help, no matter how much they have been affected.
Eddie Stobart says up to 150 driving jobs will be created when it starts delivering into Tesco's distribution centre in Goole, East Yorks.
Moto introduces patrols at Lymm truckstop
Moto is to increase security at its Poplar 2000 truckstop off the M6 at Lymm, Cheshire, following a spate of incidents at the site.
Alconbury nightowl truckstop to close
The Nightowl truckstop in Cambridgeshire will close its doors for the last time on 31 August so the site owners can develop the land.
44 Redundancies at Ipswich Port after Ferryways ro-ro cut
Jobs will be lost following the closure of the Ferryways ro-ro service to Ostend, but ABP has refused arbitration.
Border police should control cargo too, says BIFA
Any new border police for the UK should have responsibility for cargo as well as people, say the British International Freight Association (BIFA).
Jailed haulage boss ordered to pay £45,000
A haulage boss serving eight years for drug dealing has been ordered to pay £45,000 from his illegal profits.
VOSA to cut down on vehicle checks at Portsmouth
Portsmouth Port has persuaded VOSA to check fewer trucks going through the port in an effort to minimise delays and prevent operators switching to other ports.
Dixons owner-drivers claim increased work rate with no extra pay
Dixons and Currys drivers say the retailers are pushing them to install white goods without training or additional pay.
Two LGV drivers attacked and loads hijacked
Two LGVs were hijacked in seperate incidents in the West Midlands last week.
Innovate Logistics Wins Institute's Supply Chain Award
Innovate Logistics has won a Best Temperature Controlled Supply Chain Company award after proving it has a "total quality management approach" and strong relationships with its customers.
65 Jobs go as Ramage buys UFD out of administration
After collapsing into administration, one United Freight Distribution depot shuts with the loss of 65 jobs; the rest of the company is bought by Ramage Distribution.
Driver's viewing behaviour is cause of accidents
A German study looking into the main causes of accidents between LGVs and bicycles has found that driver behaviour and not mirrors are the main cause.
Clearstone bought out of administration by RCapital
Clearstone, an LGV training and recruitment agency involved in a high-profile government scheme to tackle the lack of women in transport, has been acquired by a private equity firm after going into administration.
Derailed freight wagons difficult to recover
Clean up operation creates a challenge after freight train derailment in Cambridgeshire.
Interview: Frank Heinrich-Jones of FHJ Services
An interview with Frank Heinrich-Jones, speaking about truck crime.
Eastern demand causing trailer shortage
Growth in the trailer market in Eastern Europe has resulted in a shortage of axles in the West, according to UK consulting group CLEAR.
Clearstone bought out of administration by RCapital
Clearstone, an LGV training and recruitment agency involved in a high-profile government scheme to tackle the lack of women in transport, has been acquired by a private equity firm after going into administration.
Driver awarded £28k for unfair dismissal
Driver awarded £28,000 in compensation for unfair dismissal after an operator asked him to ignore driver's hours legislation.
BP tanker driver's terrorist claim rejected
A BP tanker driver lost his job after claiming to have unearthed a terrorist plot to blow up an oil terminal.
Driver wins third claim against his employer
A truck driver has been awarded nearly £10,000 after breaking his back - including money for injured feelings.
TNT promises there will be no UK redundancies
TNT has moved quickly to reassure employees that it has no plans for redundancies in the
A55 truckstop planned in wake of attack on driver
A haulier plans to build a truckstop on the A55, saying an attack on one of his drivers shows the need for secure sites.
Sneezing LGV driver cleared of death charge
A truck driver who said a sneeze distracted him just before a crash that killed three members of the same family has been fined £2,000 but escaped a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.
Christian Salvesen finds Spain a tough environment
The logistics provider's restructuring programme will have 'particular focus' on the firm's
DfT says Drivers' hours bill pulled due to 'typo'
The Department for Transport has confirmed that it has pulled the domestic version of the drivers' hours legislation from the parliamentary rosters.
Carlsberg drivers get substantial pay deal
Carlsberg
Taymix base raided following fatal accident
More than 30 officers from Wiltshire and
A1(M)-A19 road link in Durham gets go-ahead
The government has given the go-ahead to the construction of a £10.5m link between the A1(M) and the A19 in
Cash is found for Scottish timber routes
The Scottish Executive is spending £3.7m to reduce the impact of timber transport on its roads.
Budget 2007 - news and reactions
Is road pricing the best way to beat congestion? Road charging is a controversial topic which leads to many different opinions - have your say at our road pricing discussion on TruckNet UK. And elsewhere on this site, CM's Louise Cole looks at the social cost of road pricing.
The Road Haulage Association hits out at the new digital tachograph legislation.
If you know of a story which should be in Commercial Motor (and on Roadtransport.com) call 020 8652 3689. If you have to leave a message, we’ll get back to you.
Editor-in-Chief: Brian Weatherley
Email: brian.weatherley@rbi.co.uk
Telephone: 0208 652 3303 / 07979 5030105
Managing Editor: Steve Hobson
Email: steve.hobson@rbi.co.uk
Telephone: 0208 652 3718
Associate Editor: Colin Barnett
Email: colin.barnet@rbi.co.uk
Telephone: 020 8652 3251
Commercial Manager: Andy Salter
Email: andy.salter@rbi.co.uk
Telephone: 020 8652 3718
Editorial Administrator: Sandra Greaves
Email: sandra.greaves@rbi.co.uk
Telephone: 020 8652 3251
Reed Business Information Limited.©2008
