Industry News

A foundation degree and top-up BSc Hons in Transport and Supply Chain are now being offered at South West College in Northern Ireland, in a programme described as “the first of its kind”. Delivered as a full-time or part-time course, the college said the programme had established strong links with industry and provided students with a core knowledge, as well as higher technical skills. Upon successful completion of the foundation degree in transport and supply chain management programme, graduates can [...]

The post New transport and supply chain degree “the first of its kind” appeared first on Motor Transport.

Goods entering the European Union from January will be subject to full border customs checks, regardless of whether or not a trade deal is reached, according to the EU’s chief negotiator. Michel Barnier confirmed that from 1 January 2021, every UK product imported into the EU will face checks. He also said Europe had already hired and trained hundreds of additional customs agents to handle the additional paperwork generated by the move. The RHA said the government urgently needed to [...]

The post Goods entering EU will need customs checks even if trade deal agreed appeared first on Motor Transport.

Vision Techniques is now offering commercial vehicle fleet operators a camera which it claimed offers “unprecedented night vision capabilities". The company said its VT Night-Sight 24 Ultra high-performance camera made use of a number of natural light sources to give drivers and operators a clear view further into the distance than one that relied on infra-red technology. James Newhill, Vision Techniques sales director, said: “This is an exciting technological advancement in the industry. “The system provides drivers and operators with [...]

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A lack of testing slots for HGVs and trailers due to Covid-19 is already causing significant problems for hauliers and the situation is set to deteriorate as Christmas approaches, according to businesses in Yorkshire. RCA Transport International Services in Dewsbury said it needed around half of its trailers tested next month or they’ll be stood up in the yard – but it was struggling to find a site that could do it. RCA director Richard McGee said: “It’s going to [...]

The post Testing backlog “turning into complete nightmare”, haulier claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

Cardiff Container Link entered into administration after “key personnel” at the company became ill and were absent from the business. The background to the Roath Docks-based container haulier’s financial woes is contained in a report to creditors, which explained that it had expanded and traded well up until January 2020. At this point, after five years of trading, the company began to experience cash flow constraints, which administrators at RSM Restructuring said was “due to a variety of factors, including [...]

The post Cardiff haulier folded after key personnel became ill appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics business groups have welcomed the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s series of measures to get the economy back on its feet, but warned that further initiatives are needed to prevent a slew of job losses. Rishi Sunak announced a £160bn support package, which includes supporting over a million businesses through grants, loans and rate cuts. He said that as the UK entered the second phase in its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, he would support jobs by focussing on skills [...]

The post Sector gives mixed reaction to government’s £160bn support package appeared first on Motor Transport.

Innovate UK have commissioned the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) to support dissemination of the findings from the Low Emission Freight and Logistics Trial (LEFT) programme. The objectives are to engage with the LEFT project teams and develop a collaborative public dissemination process highlighting the key findings, successes, and learnings from the LEFT programme. LowCVP is running two public webinars to share the results of both the independent emissions tests and of the projects’ own in-service trials. The first webinar [...]

The post Low emissions freight trial results to be released in webinars appeared first on Motor Transport.

Conservative peer Lord Attlee has weighed in on the side of the logistics industry by tabling an amendment which could end the DVSA’s monopoly on HGV testing. Lord Attlee’s amendment to the government’s Business and Planning Bill calls for the government to allow Authorised Testing Facility (ATF) operators to carry out road worthiness HGV and trailer tests. If approved by the House of Lords, the amendment could open up HGV testing to ATF operators. The peer’s amendment comes as the [...]

The post Lord Attlee tables amendment to break DVSA monopoly on HGV testing appeared first on Motor Transport.

A new £1m project will see Loughborough University team up with Highways England to assess the challenges that connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) will face on the UK’s motorways. Researchers will assess how roadwork operation, lanes, junctions and lane markings could impact on the performance of CAVs. The project, named CAVIAR (Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: Infrastructure Appraisal Readiness), is being carried out in partnership with Highways England and construction company Galliford Try. Mohammed Quddus, Loughborough University professor of intelligent transport [...]

The post £1m motorways study launched to assess performance of autonomous vehicles on motorways appeared first on Motor Transport.

Moto’s offer of free meals for HGV drivers parking overnight at their facilities, launched at the start of the pandemic lockdown, comes to an end this week. In its place the motorway services operator has relaunched an upgraded, cut-price food voucher scheme. Moto launched the free meal scheme at the start of lockdown in recognition of the crucial work HGV drivers were doing to keep the UK’s supply chains flowing during the crisis. The scheme, which saw nearly 30,000 meals [...]

The post Moto ends offer of free meals to HGV drivers as operations return to normal appeared first on Motor Transport.

Government changes to the Driver CPC rules have left too many questions unanswered and do not take into consideration the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the industry, according to a CPC training provider Fleet Source. It argues that while the changes are welcome they are based on a consultation which took place before the Covid-19 pandemic and which is therefore outdated. The changes, announced last week, follow a consultation launched on 18 March - just days before the lockdown. [...]

The post Driver CPC changes leave too many unanswered questions and could be outdated, says fleet specialist appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA is calling for the government to switch the logistics industry’s Apprenticeship Levy payments to a Skills Levy so firms can retrain staff in new roles rather than make them redundant. The call comes as the logistics industry braces itself for redundancies as the government winds down the furlough scheme. Elizabeth de Jong, FTA policy director said the funding could be switched to a training grant so that employees could be retrained to meet the requirements of Brexit. “With [...]

The post FTA calls for Apprenticeship Levy to be used to retrain staff threatened by redundancy appeared first on Motor Transport.

An IT system that allows freight on HGVs to be “pre-declared” before being exported when the country splits from Europe has yet to be built, raising concerns of snarl-ups at the border. With less than six months before the current transition period ends, HM Revenue & Customs is racing to set up a Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS), which will provide hauliers with the clearance to move loads into the EU. The FTA said last week it had only just [...]

The post IT system handling post-Brexit HGV freight still not built appeared first on Motor Transport.

Christian Coolsaet has been appointed MD of Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland. He succeeds Robert Grozdanovski who will move to Gothenburg to take up an appointment as Volvo Trucks’ senior vice president for sales area Europe Central East & East. Coolsaet brings more than 20 years of Volvo experience to the role, most recently from the German market and has been MD of Volvo Trucks Germany since 2015. He will take up his new position in the UK on September [...]

The post Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland names new MD appeared first on Motor Transport.

Extra and Westmorland have been voted England’s best motorway service operators by almost 10,000 visitors. Extra, which operates six sites in the survey conducted by independent watchdog Transport Focus, and Westmorland, which operates four, achieved the joint highest overall satisfaction score of 97%. Transport Focus said that across the country as a whole, motorway service operators performed well, with 93% of visitors satisfied with their experience. Customers were least satisfied with the value for money of the food or drink [...]

The post England’s best motorway services revealed in new survey appeared first on Motor Transport.

Driver First Assist has moved one step closer to achieving its pledge to provide an automated external defibrillator (AED) at a fraction of the cost of existing products. With development and certification completed, the not-for-profit community interest company, which has so far delivered over 7,000 training courses on basic roadside first aid and accident scene management, has launched a crowd-funding appeal to finance the initial manufacturing costs so that deliveries can begin in September. With the life-saving potential of having [...]

The post Driver First Assist launches plan to provide low-cost defibrillators for road transport industry appeared first on Motor Transport.

There is growing support for the view that green hydrogen made with renewable electricity could play a key role in decarbonising heavy road transport, but it should not be seen as a “silver bullet” that will address all the industry’s carbon concerns. In a webinar looking at the potential for the UK to move to a hydrogen-based economy on the road to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Energy UK’s head of European affairs Marta Krajewska said the energy producers’ association [...]

The post Hydrogen a key technology for decarbonising road transport but no ‘silver bullet’ appeared first on Motor Transport.

Less than a fifth of UK fleet and mobility managers want the government to focus on reducing pollution caused by transport, according to research by Arval. The finding, from research arm Arval Mobility Observatory (AMO), has surprised the vehicle funding and fleet management company, which said it “doesn’t ring true” in its experience of talking to customers. When asked ‘What areas would you like the government to concentrate on with regards to transport?’ just 18% of the 5,600 businesses in [...]

The post Crumbling roads a bigger issue than pollution, fleet managers claim appeared first on Motor Transport.

A consortium of companies, including Yodel, Menzies Distribution and UPS Healthcare, are managing the collection and delivery of Covid-19 home testing kits into laboratories. Created by The Delivery Group in Warrington, The Carrier Consortium, which also includes DX and Diamond Transport, said it had “achieved the impossible” and was working to provide access to more than 10,000 vehicles, 200 facilities and a combined workforce in excess of 16,000 employees. Operating seven days a week, the consortium provides a controlled cool [...]

The post Firms delivering Covid-19 testing kits have “achieved the impossible” appeared first on Motor Transport.

Gary Bellamy (pictured) from Forterra Building Products has been named the Lifetime Achievement winner in this year's Microlise Driver of The Year Awards. The nomination-based awards received more entries than ever before and telematics-based categories contained an initial eligible pool of over 225,000 drivers. The 2020 winners triumphed after a process of rigorous data analysis, corroboration by employers and assessment by an independent judging panel. Bellamy was just 15 when he joined the Transport Department of London Brick Company (now [...]

The post Lifetime Achievement winner named in Microlise Driver of the Year Awards 2020 appeared first on Motor Transport.

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) is offering free online customs procedures training for members of its Young Forwarder Network (YFN). The training session, on Wednesday 8 July, will be focused around customs procedure codes and will be available exclusively to members of the YFN. BIFA launched the YFN last year to create regional networking groups and help develop the talent and skills of younger members. So far six regional groups have been launched and over 20 networking events held, [...]

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For the first time in 20 year’s MAN Truck & Bus introduces a completely newly developed truck generation, which is consistently oriented towards the changing requirements of the transportation industry and sets new standards for – among other things – assistance systems, driver orientation and digital networking. The new truck generation thus represents the development of MAN Truck & Bus from vehicle manufacturer to a provider of intelligent and sustainable transport solutions bringing new levels of comfort, safety, efficiency, reliability, [...]

The post Free webinar: MAN introduce their new truck generation and TopUsed used vehicle programme appeared first on Motor Transport.

The earliest months of the Covid-19 lockdown saw a marked increase in the number of commercial vehicle fleets adopting the DVSA’s Earned Recognition scheme, FleetCheck has revealed. From March to June, 64% of new corporate customers coming to the fleet management software company cited Earned Recognition as a primary factor, compared to just 22% over the whole of 2019. FleetCheck is an authorised audit provider for Earned Recognition and joining the scheme means those fleets will now be able to [...]

The post Boost for Earned Recognition during lockdown, FleetCheck reports appeared first on Motor Transport.

Transport firms facing collapse in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic have been thrown a lifeline in the form of a new law. The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act, passed last week, marks the most significant change to the UK’s corporate insolvency regime in more than 20 years. Announcing the new law, the government’s Insolvency Service said it introduces “temporary easements to give distressed businesses the breathing space they need to get advice and seek a rescue". It added: “It [...]

The post New law gives “breathing space” to operators pushed to brink of insolvency appeared first on Motor Transport.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged £100m of investment aimed at improving local roads as part of a bid to reignite the economy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The twenty-nine projects range from fixing deteriorating roads to flood mitigation measures and repairs to key bridges. They also include improvements to a number of A roads from the A58 by Bolton to the A38 running through Somerset. Key projects include £4.9m of repair works to two bridges in Sandwell [...]

The post Government launches £100m road improvement scheme as part of pandemic recovery plans appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Treasury has suspended the HGV Road User Levy for a year to help hauliers recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The 12-month suspension, which was passed without consultation to speed up its implementation, kicks in on 1 August this year. It applies to UK registered keepers of HGVs and drivers and HGV owners/operators from outside the UK accessing the UK road network. Introduced in 2014, the levy applies to heavy goods vehicles of 12 tonnes or more. [...]

The post HGV Road User Levy suspended to help hauliers during pandemic appeared first on Motor Transport.

Many transport companies are receiving very large payments from HMRC under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. But the rules are vague, and as law firm Osborne Clare explains, it has been hard for many companies to know for sure if they are using the scheme correctly. From the start, it has been made clear that incorrect use of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will lead to clawback by HMRC. On 29 May, the government announced a consultation on a retrospective [...]

The post Lawyers issue urgent warning over Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) is calling for fleet managers to join a range of committees it is setting up to tackle key industry topics. The recently formed association has announced the formation of its first committee which will advise fleet operators on how to make the transition to electric and alternative fuel vehicles. The electric vehicle, low carbon and alternative fuels committee will be led by AFP deputy chair Stewart Lightbody. The committee will investigate the availability of [...]

The post Operators urged to join new range of committees tackling key industry topics appeared first on Motor Transport.

UK commercial vehicle (CV) production fell by 61.6% in May, with just 810 vehicles built as many plants remained shuttered amid the Covid-19 lockdown. According to the latest figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), year-to-date commercial vehicle output fell by 29.8% compared with the first five months of 2019. As some production resumed, 43.3% of commercial vehicles built were for export in May, with more than two thirds (68.7%) exported to the EU, following [...]

The post Covid-19 continues to crush UK commercial vehicle production, SMMT reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

For the first time in 20 year’s MAN Truck & Bus introduces a completely newly developed truck generation, which is consistently oriented towards the changing requirements of the transportation industry and sets new standards for – among other things – assistance systems, driver orientation and digital networking. The new truck generation thus represents the development of MAN Truck & Bus from vehicle manufacturer to a provider of intelligent and sustainable transport solutions bringing new levels of comfort, safety, efficiency, reliability, [...]

The post Free webinar: MAN introduce their new truck generation & TopUsed used vehicle programme appeared first on Motor Transport.

Microlise, organisers of what has become Europe's largest transport conference, is to take over the third day of the virtual conference at the new Commercial Motor Show, bringing the usual mix of presentations by senior industry figures in the fields of compliance, new technology and data. The Commercial Motor Show will be a free, three-day virtual exhibition and conference starting on 29 September and has already attracted the support of leading truck makers including DAF, Isuzu, MAN and Mercedes-Benz. More [...]

The post Microlise joins forces with Commercial Motor Show appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA is reopening its training classrooms with social distancing measures in place on Monday 6 July. The association has been given the go-ahead to offer classroom-based training after the recent change in government coronavirus guidance. Special measures are in place at RHA training sites to keep delegates safe, where staff will enforce strict and clear social distancing, issue sanitiser and offer face masks on request. RHA head of learning and development – Scotland & NI, Brian Kenny said: “The [...]

The post RHA classrooms to reopen for training on 6 July appeared first on Motor Transport.

In its 2020 progress report to the UK government on cutting carbon emissions, ‘Reducing UK emissions - progress report to Parliament’, the Committee on Climate Change has called on ministers to “seize the opportunity” to turn Covid-19 into a “defining moment in the fight against climate change”. The report recommends urgent measures to be taken by next year to help the road freight industry achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, including setting out and implementing “a strategy to transition to zero-carbon [...]

The post Climate Change Committee urges government to “seize the moment” to decarbonise transport appeared first on Motor Transport.

Four of the UK’s biggest trade unions have added their support to a campaign backed by 41 businesses calling on the government to lay the foundations for a hydrogen strategy to create and sustain thousands of jobs. Unite, the GMB, Prospect and Unison, who collectively represent 200,000 workers in the energy sector, said in a joint letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak that they believe hydrogen is the key to the UK becoming decarbonised. They said a hydrogen strategy would significantly [...]

The post Unions and businesses unite behind push for hydrogen economy appeared first on Motor Transport.

Electric HGV manufacturer Electra Commercial Vehicles has signed up to a battery monitoring service that provides vehicle owners with recommendations for extending the lifespan of their batteries. The Battery Passport enables operators to better understand their batteries, as well as providing a pathway for those being sold in the second-life market. The passport service continually assesses and grades the future potential of the battery so that when it nears the end of its vehicle life, the owner can share the [...]

The post Passport to a second life for Electra EV batteries appeared first on Motor Transport.

Fuel card provider AS24 has announced its customers now have access to 1,000 refuelling stations in 28 countries. It said the stations all utilise its chip and pin technology and all sites offer wide lanes and high-volume pump nozzles. Roland Saunion, AS24 UK and Ireland MD, said: “We are very proud to be able to facilitate the mobility of our customers throughout Europe. “It’s very important for us to be able to offer AS24 stations to our customers, because I [...]

The post AS24 passes 1,000 filling stations mark appeared first on Motor Transport.

A slew of changes to business travel in the last few months means fleet managers need to review their vehicle lease contracts to make them suitable for the “new normal”, according to software specialists FleetCheck. It said that the coronavirus pandemic had caused “a wide range of potentially quite dramatic changes” to key variables. Peter Golding, FleetCheck MD said: “Current car and van lease arrangements used by most fleets were essentially created for a world of business travel that no [...]

The post Pandemic triggers “slew of potentially dramatic changes” to vehicle lease contracts appeared first on Motor Transport.

Fleet Source has reduced the cost of Earned Recognition (ER) audits to help operators achieve the DVSA accreditation. The company is offering the audits from £495 + VAT. Nick Caesari (pictured), Fleet Source chief executive, said ER “demonstrates that you are an exemplary fleet operator, less likely to have your vehicles stopped for roadside inspections and Earned Recognition is fast becoming a key factor in bidding for contracts. “But for many operators, the price of the audit itself has been [...]

The post Fleet Source cuts cost of Earned Recognition audits appeared first on Motor Transport.

A two-step guide to vehicle safety in light of Covid-19 has been produced by Arval UK for fleet managers. The vehicle funding and fleet management company has distilled down official government guidance to three pages to help fleets return to work safely. Advice and guidance includes scheduling times for the collection of goods; encouraging drivers to remain in vehicles; ensuring vehicles are well-ventilated and the frequent cleaning of work areas and equipment. Shaun Sadlier, Arval UK head of consultancy, said: [...]

The post Arval simplifies government’s return to work advice with short guide for fleet managers appeared first on Motor Transport.

A new freight service has been launched from the Port of Liverpool which opens a direct link between the North West of England and Northern Spain and Portugal. Shipping company Containerships will offer a weekly loop service connecting Spain and Portugal to the UK and Ireland, largely for fresh foods, which the port says will help operators avoid long road trips during the Covid-19 pandemic and any delays at Channel ports that Brexit may bring. David Huck, MD at Port [...]

The post New freight service launched from Port of Liverpool to Spain and Portugal appeared first on Motor Transport.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on manufacturing is expected to cut annual light commercial vehicle production volumes by a third to just 920,000 units this year, according to a report by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The SMMT second Annual Trade Report for 2020, launched today (23 June), reveals that the UK new light commercial vehicle (LCV) market declined by 86.2% in April with just 3,387 LCVs joining UK roads - 21,217 fewer than in the [...]

The post UK automotive manufacturing sector needs further government intervention to ensure post-pandemic recovery, SMMT warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA is calling for dangerous goods and international transport operators to be given priority when the DVSA restarts HGV testing on 4 July. The DVSA stood down its assessors on 23 March at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown and suspended all HGV and trailer tests for three months. Last week it announced it would restart testing on Saturday 4 July. RHA said it welcomed the DVSA’s announcement but raised concerns at the lack of clear guidance as [...]

The post Give international and ADR operators priority on HGV testing, urges RHA appeared first on Motor Transport.

Road haulage and logistics is an essential but “forgotten” industry that government must do more to support if it is to address its skills shortages and help drive the post-Covid-19 economic recovery, according to Sir Mike Penning MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on road freight and logistics. But a separate survey of training providers carried out in May by Skills for Logistics has found that the training industry’s ability to resume HGV driver training after the lockdown [...]

The post Long list of actions needed to solve driver shortage but training companies face uncertain future appeared first on Motor Transport.

An overwhelming majority of grocery and home appliance firms intend to re-evaluate their supply chain strategies in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, including adopting automation, robotics and AI technologies, according to a survey. Logistics consultancy SCALA’s survey found 95% of businesses are looking for ways to future-proof their operations in order to respond to the “new normal”, which includes expectations of increased e-commerce sales. The survey found supply chain resilience and agility were the highest priority, with firms aware of [...]

The post Automation and robotics vital to future of e-commerce, survey reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

A partnership between the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) and online booking portal Bosch has helped contribute towards a 43% growth in its database of secure parking places across Europe. TAPA’s parking security requirement (PSR) launched last year and provides members with a list of secure parking places which meet their security needs. TAPA said product losses from vehicles left in unsecure locations accounted for 53.8% of the 8,548 cargo thefts it recorded last year. As well as its digital [...]

The post New deal helps grow database of safe parking places across Europe appeared first on Motor Transport.

Almost one in 10 transport companies have already made staff redundant, according to the results of a poll by solicitors Backhouse Jones. Despite the furlough scheme being set up to avoid making large numbers of UK workers redundant, the snap poll revealed that 9% of respondents had already begun to reduce staff numbers due to Covid-19. Jonathon Backhouse, director at Backhouse Jones, suggested that the figures showed that the furlough scheme was still preventing most companies from going down the [...]

The post Transport firms cut jobs but longer-term outlook “quite promising” appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) online annual conference will focus on how the UK can seize the opportunity for an investment-led green recovery in road transport as we emerge from the pandemic. The event will also provide a forum for policy ideas and proposals to help inform the government's 2020 Transport Decarbonisation Plan. The LowCVP's annual conference has been a leading event in the environmental transport calendar for over 15 years, regularly attracting government ministers, key civil servants and [...]

The post LowCVP Conference to focus on ‘seizing the moment’ for greener road transport – BOOK NOW! appeared first on Motor Transport.

A campaign to highlight the dangers recovery operators face at the roadside is stepping up a gear after receiving “an underwhelming level of response” from MPs. ‘Slow Down Move Over’ (SDMO) was set up four years ago by recovery operator Paul Anstee in an effort to educate the public about what action is required in the event of their vehicle breaking down in order to keep themselves safe. SDMO is also aimed at educating road users to be aware of [...]

The post Campaigners highlight dangers of roadside recovery appeared first on Motor Transport.

The DVSA will restart heavy vehicle testing from 4 July. The agency said it has issued three-month exemptions for vehicles due to be tested this month and will issue further exemptions for July tests. “This will help us manage demand as we resume testing,” it added. In a statement, the DVSA said: “In August, vehicles which have already received an exemption will need a test. “All other vehicles due for a test in August will receive a three-month exemption. When [...]

The post DVSA to restart HGV testing from 4 July appeared first on Motor Transport.

Pressure is growing on London mayor Sadiq Khan to reverse his decision to increase the congestion charge after the lawyer taking legal action against him told motortransport.co.uk he had received wide-ranging support. Black Antelope Law director Shaheen Mamun said that since he put the mayor on notice of a legal challenge, he had been contacted by people from many different businesses who felt left out of the scope of Transport for London’s (TfL) exemptions to the charge. Mamun said: “The [...]

The post Legal action against London mayor moves closer amid growing anger over congestion charge hike appeared first on Motor Transport.

A free webinar to be held on 22 July by Aquarius IT in association with Commercial Motor will explore the benefits of electronic versus paper when it comes to managing and reporting on road worthiness and compliance. The keynote speaker will be former senior traffic commissioner Beverley Bell CBE, now director of Beverley Bell Consulting, who will be offering her expert insight on governance and the importance of creating a level playing field in the commercial vehicle industry when it [...]

The post Free webinar – check your assets, protect your O-licence appeared first on Motor Transport.

Transport and warehouse managers are feeling relatively optimistic about the year ahead, according to a survey carried out by Meachers Global Logistics. When asked on a scale of one to 100 how upbeat they felt about the next 12 months, the average result from industry professionals was 54. Gary Whittle, commercial director at Meachers, admitted that the result was “perhaps surprising” given that the survey was carried out at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. He said: “It may be [...]

The post New industry survey reveals “surprising” level of optimism for year ahead appeared first on Motor Transport.

Plans to raise the London congestion charge by 30% and extend it to evenings and weekends, has been slammed by the logistics industry. London Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed today (16 June) that the congestion charge will rise to £15 from 22 June to tackle rising levels of traffic in central London. The changes will rise from £11.50 to £15 and be extended from 7am-6pm on weekdays to 7am-10pm, seven days a week. TfL said the move is in response to [...]

The post Further hike in London congestion charge “a disgrace”, industry claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

A government move to inject another £50m into training and recruiting customs agents in the wake of its decision not to extend the Brexit transition period has been given a muted welcome by the freight industry. The additional funding was announced by HMRC last week to help businesses prepare for the significant rise in customs declarations that they will need to process under a no-deal Brexit. The British International Freight Association (BIFA) said this week that it has been warning [...]

The post Fingers crossed that additional funding for customs staff is enough, says BIFA appeared first on Motor Transport.

Delivery drivers could be taking increased risks as pressure mounts on them during the lockdown pandemic, fleet video telematics provider Lytx warned this week. Whilst risky driving behaviours dropped dramatically in the first three weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown, the data shows that in the second three weeks drivers began to take more risks with the incidence of drivers not wearing seatbelts rising by 49%, a 43% increase in drivers using a hand held device and a 36% increase in [...]

The post Lockdown pressures could be pushing delivery drivers to take greater risks, data provider Lytx warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

The DVSA has not yet confirmed when it will resume LGV driving tests, leading to fears that the transport industry will soon see a worsening of the driver shortage as no new drivers have entered the industry since the DVSA suspended testing at the start of the Covid-19 lockdown in March. Paul Spink, development director of Skills for Logistics, is in regular contact with the DVSA and around 150 training providers, none of which have been able to train LGV [...]

The post Industry losing thousands of would-be drivers as LGV testing remains suspended appeared first on Motor Transport.

FORS is lifting its suspension of all Bronze site audits this week following government moves to ease Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. FORS members in England will be able to book Bronze on-site audits from today (Monday 15 June). However, all FORS operators requesting a Bronze on-site audit will be required to complete a Covid-19 risk assessment first as part of “stringent” coronavirus measures introduced by FORS to ensure the safety of its auditors and members. FORS director, John Hix, added: “We [...]

The post FORS resumes Bronze site audits as Covid-19 lockdown restrictions ease appeared first on Motor Transport.

Foreign drivers working for UK operators who returned to their home countries during lockdown are not exempt from the 14-day self-isolation rules, it has emerged. On 8 June, the government introduced new rules that all international arrivals into the UK are required to self-isolate for a fortnight. Home Secretary Priti Patel said the measures were being introduced in order that the transmission rate of Covid-19 was kept low and prevented a second wave. Drivers of goods vehicles are exempt; however [...]

The post Foreign drivers entering UK not exempt from 14-day self-isolation rule appeared first on Motor Transport.

Transport for London (TfL) has given Fleet Source the go-ahead to deliver FORS-funded training on road safety and environmental responsibility during lockdown. Fleet Source, which provides FORS professional driver training, will deliver the theory element of its Safe Urban Driving, Van Smart and LoCity training courses. It will schedule on-cycle practical training post-lockdown once social distancing measures are eased. Fleet Source chief executive, Nick Caesari said: “Fleet professionals have been contacting us to establish how they can use available time [...]

The post Fleet Source gets green light to deliver FORS training in lockdown appeared first on Motor Transport.

The transport industry has breathed a sigh of relief after the government confirmed it would introduce new border controls in stages for EU goods imported into the UK, due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. However, the RHA said it was vital that our continental neighbours take a similar approach, or else plans for Operation Brock will have to be revisited. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove formally notified the EU that the UK would not accept nor seek any [...]

The post Road ahead clear for imports as UK agrees to relax border controls appeared first on Motor Transport.

SmartWitness is offering a finance deal for fleet customers designed to alleviate further financial burdens created by the Coronavirus pandemic. The deal, which includes hardware, software and installation, is also inclusive of the latest 4G enabled CP2-LTE forward-facing camera and starts at £29.99. A free webinar hosted by SmartWitness to discuss the finance package will be held on Tuesday 16 June at 1pm. Paul Singh, SmartWitness MD, said: “Prior to this pandemic situation, a single accident claim against a business [...]

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Bridgestone has launched its first ever all-season tyre for the light truck segment, the DURAVIS All Season. Available from August, Bridgestone said the tyre had been designed with both small and large fleets in mind, enabling them to keep going in adverse weather conditions thanks to its high volume slots in its shoulder for improved water evacuation. It also offers optimised pressure distribution, which the company said will improve its snow and wear performance. Bridgestone said the rise of ecommerce [...]

The post Bridgestone launches tyre for all seasons appeared first on Motor Transport.

Tip-ex/Tank-ex, the UK’s only dedicated event for the tipper, bulk transport and tanker sectors, will make a welcome return to Harrogate on 3-5 June 2021. The free-to-attend event, which was postponed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will once again take place in and around the Harrogate Convention Centre. Attendees will be able to visit hundreds of trade stands, where exhibitors will preview the very latest vehicles, bodies and components. The 2021 event will also feature a knowledge zone, [...]

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Haulage and logistics can forget a return to pre-pandemic sales unless it embraces the “low touch economy”, with investment in autonomous vehicles, localised supply chains and contactless delivery processes, according to a new report. Strategy firm Board of Innovation (BoI) warned that the automotive industry must “adapt and pivot” and not assume a return to conventional consumer behaviour will rescue the sector. It said a low touch economy, characterised by low touch interactions, new human behaviours and permanent industry shifts, [...]

The post Embrace “low touch economy” to survive, operators urged appeared first on Motor Transport.

A senior figure at one of the UK's biggest logistics groups has claimed the Covid-19 pandemic will lead to more multi-user transport operations as companies look to cut costs. “You’re going to see more shared user delivery networks,” the source, who did not wish to be named, told motortransport.co.uk. “Does House of Fraser need to go on a separate truck to Debenhams? Does Debenhams have to be on a separate truck to John Lewis? If they’re all going to the same [...]

The post Pandemic will trigger growth in shared user delivery networks, major operator claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

Government plans to make the furlough scheme more flexible will make keeping records more complex leaving operators in danger of being accused of fraud, a transport lawyer warned this week. The move to allow employers to bring furloughed workers back part time from 1 July 2020 is part of government plans to wind down the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in stages as lockdown eases and more businesses re-open. Under the change, employers will be able to decide the hours and [...]

The post Keep clear records of flexible furlough hours or face HMRC investigation, lawyer warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

DHL Supply Chain has partnered with Coventry University to host a series of webinars sharing insight and best practice as businesses restart operations. The webinars draw on learnings from the manufacturing sector and experience gained during the Covid-19 crisis, featuring expert guests including supply chain lecturers from Coventry University, heads of logistics and senior leaders from DHL Supply Chain. The series will cover a range of topics and sector-specific issues including managing performance in light of Covid-19 and creating a [...]

The post DHL teams up with Coventry University to launch post-Covid webinars appeared first on Motor Transport.

Driver licence checking service Licence Bureau is calling for businesses to empower their drivers to make more safety conscious decisions rather than heap more work-related stresses on them. It is urging businesses to entrust their drivers make the right commercial decisions based on health and safety and avoid the temptation to constantly check-up on them. The move underpins Licence Bureau's recent "road health" message which advised fleet managers to continue to enact on the new norms of social distancing and [...]

The post “Stop stressing out your drivers,” Licence Bureau urges businesses appeared first on Motor Transport.

Driver training provider Fleet Source has welcomed the DVSA's decision to update its HGV driver training programme, adding questions in the theory test to cover the correct use of Class VI mirrors and recommending that Safe Urban Driving and Vulnerable Road User Awareness courses be undertaken by all drivers as part of their CPC training. The decision was in response to a call for action from the Senior Coroner for Norfolk, Jacqueline Lake, following an inquest into the death of [...]

The post Fleet Source hails “vital step forward” from DVSA on Vulnerable Road User training appeared first on Motor Transport.

The vast majority of workers across the transport and logistics industry believe that it is their employer’s responsibility to ensure they have the right protective equipment in the workplace - with a significant number stating they would refuse to go to work without the right PPE, according to a survey by Populus Data Solutions. The survey, carried out for industrial workwear and protective clothing specialists Ballyclare, also found that a large proportion of the sector's workers are still seeking clarity [...]

The post “Provide PPE or we’ll refuse to work,” sector staff tell employers appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government is closing the furlough scheme down to new entrants from 30 June but the final deadline is tomorrow (10 June), a transport solicitor is warning. Any applications after tomorrow will miss the 30 June deadline, as the minimum time a worker can be furloughed is three weeks. The deadline has been introduced as part of government plans to wind down the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in stages as lockdown eases and increasing numbers of businesses re-open. The scheme [...]

The post Do not miss tomorrow’s furlough deadline, warns leading transport lawyer appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA is calling for HGV drivers to report companies banning them from using their toilets to the HSE as evidence mounts that the problem is on the increase as the Covid-19 lockdown eases. Despite heroic efforts by HGV drivers to keep vital supply chains open during the pandemic, hundreds of drivers are reporting that increasing numbers of companies are banning them from using toilet and handwashing facilities at delivery points, with the majority of culprits being smaller businesses. The [...]

The post Report companies with driver toilet bans to HSE, says RHA appeared first on Motor Transport.

Goodyear has launched its Fleet Tracker app to help operators monitor the condition of their truck and trailer tyres. The app allows fleet managers to pinpoint the right time to plan tyre maintenance and to replace tyres to reduce downtime. André Weisz, MD of Goodyear Proactive Solutions EMEA, pictured, said: “Goodyear Fleet Tracker will provide detailed mileage follow-up data with up to 95% accuracy to fleet managers and service providers. This way, the lifetime of tyres and total cost of [...]

The post Goodyear Fleet Tracker aims to help operators cut downtime appeared first on Motor Transport.

Daimler Truck has launched Daimler Truck Fuel Cell, marking a major milestone in its joint venture plans with Volvo Group to develop hydrogen fuel cells for commercial vehicles. The creation of the fuel cell company follows the announcement in April of Daimler and Volvo’s joint venture to develop, produce and commercialise hydrogen fuel cell systems for HGVs and buses. This latest move by the joint venture ramps up the race to develop a hydrogen fuel cell-powered truck. In September Iveco [...]

The post Daimler/Volvo joint venture reaches major milestone with launch of Daimler Truck Fuel Cell subsidiary appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers in Northern Ireland said they had become “deeply concerned” by the lack of government engagement about how trade will continue between their country and mainland UK after Brexit. With less than seven months until the current Brexit transition period ends, the FTA and other business groups told the House of Lords Select Committee this week that the government must engage with the industry so that it can prepare for the UK’s departure from the EU. The Northern Ireland Business [...]

The post Northern Ireland hauliers demand more clarity over government’s Brexit plan appeared first on Motor Transport.

The DVSA has confirmed it will add questions to the HGV driver theory test about class VI mirrors, after a coroner raised concerns about the risk of deaths being caused on the roads. In a letter from DVSA chief executive Gareth Llewellyn, he said he would also be recommending that drivers take safe urban driving (SUD) and vulnerable road user (VRU) CPC courses. The move came after Norfolk coroner Jacqueline Lake filed a report warning of a risk of future [...]

The post DVSA to update HGV driver training programme in response to fatal accident appeared first on Motor Transport.

Operators struggling to meet financial standing can now be offered a period of grace of up to a year to get themselves on a firmer footing, according to transport lawyers. Laura Hadzik, solicitor at Backhouse Jones, said the maximum period had been extended by six months to 12 months “for assessments of inadequate finance made between 1 March and 30 September 2020". She added: “We don’t have any further details yet, it only came through last night [4 June] but [...]

The post Operators offered one-year “period of grace” to meet financial standing appeared first on Motor Transport.

Legal action could be taken against London mayor Sadiq Khan after a lawyer issued a pre-action protocol letter on him following the increase of the congestion charge. The letter from Black Antelope law director Shaheen Mamun said the mayor had not engaged in a formal consultation that is adequate and fair as established in case law. It added that the timescale from announcing the proposals to the 22 June implementation date was woefully inadequate and that “it would be difficult [...]

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The DVLA has confirmed that as of today (4 June), the expiry date of photocard driving licences has been extended by seven months, following a change of EU regulations. It applies to 10-year photocard licences expiring between 1 February and 31 August 2020, as well as five-year Group 2 vocational licences of holders under 45 years old. It does not apply where entitlement to drive expires, where a renewal must be made in the usual way. If a driver has [...]

The post Expiry date of photocard driving licences extended by seven months appeared first on Motor Transport.

Fleet service, maintenance and repair (SMR) has rebounded and is now back up to 60% of pre-coronavirus levels, according to e-commerce provider epyx. The company said it was basing this assessment on usage levels of its vehicle maintenance management tool, 1link Service Network, used by fleets to manage their SMR processes. Tim Meadows, epyx vice president and commercial director said: “In April, soon after lockdown, the number of jobsheets raised through the platform, which essentially represents the number of separate [...]

The post Fleet service, maintenance and repair levels recovering, claims epyx appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has hailed a new government pledge of £10bn to support thousands of businesses by protecting against customer defaults and payment delays. The Trade Credit Reinsurance scheme, agreed following extensive discussions with the insurance sector, will see the vast majority of trade credit insurance coverage maintained across the UK. Commenting, RHA chief executive Richard Burnett (pictured) said: “The announcement follows months of intensive lobbying by the association on behalf of the industry.” Read more Sixteen percent of operators could [...]

The post RHA welcomes £10bn government support pledge appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Centre for Sustainable Road Freight is inviting academics and practitioners to take part in an online debate on the implementation of policy measures to decarbonise freight transport in developing countries. The conference will take place on 28 - 30 October 2020. It aims to create an international network of interested parties working on all aspects of sustainable road freight transport, and to facilitate collaborative research amongst the specialists in the field. The online workshop will be presented from 0800 [...]

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The Association of Pallet Networks (APN) has claimed it is best placed to help UK manufacturers whose order books have been hit by unpredictable and fluctuating volumes during the Covid-19 pandemic. Explained APN chairman Paul Sanders: “The pallet networks offer many advantages for businesses which are rebuilding their order books and operations, not least that network operations can cope easily with fluctuating volumes with no penalty to efficiency or service.” The eight UK pallet networks APN represents comprise 750 regional [...]

The post Pallet networks offer best lifeline to manufacturers, APN boss claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

Continental, technology company and manufacturer of premium tyres, has launched a new microsite highlighting useful information about the latest CO₂ emissions regulation for heavy goods vehicles and the simulation tool for trucks VECTO (Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool). In line with the Paris Agreement to combat climate change, the first carbon dioxide emissions regulations for new heavy-duty vehicles (HDV) were introduced by the European Commission in 2019 (EU Regulation 2019/1242). These new regulations will mean cutting average CO₂ emissions from new HDVs [...]

The post Sponsored: Continental explains VECTO and the latest CO₂ emissions regulations for fleet operators with new microsite appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has repeated its plea for more government help for hauliers, after a new survey revealed 16% of operators are in danger of becoming insolvent within four weeks. The RHA survey of 600 companies also revealed frustration at the government’s furlough system, which operators say is still too inflexible. More than half of those surveyed called for the introduction of weekly furloughs to help them meet fluctuating customer demands. Another 30% fear that with MOT testing suspended during lockdown [...]

The post Sixteen percent of operators could cease trading by July, RHA survey reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

Over a third of HGVs operating or entering Greater London are not ready for the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) and HGV Permit Scheme which comes into force in October this year, according to a survey by fleet technology specialists CameraMatics. The survey asked 700 fleet managers how prepared their fleets were for the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) and HGV Permit Scheme. The new scheme will require all HGVs over 12 tonnes GVW to hold a valid permit to enter or [...]

The post More than a third of HGVs not ready for Direct Vision Standard, survey reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

For hauliers who have been obliged to suspend or severely cut back on their operations because of the Covid-19 epidemic, a return to work probably cannot come soon enough. But as Jonathon Backhouse of Backhouse Jones solicitors told motortransport.co.uk, operators need to be aware of possible pitfalls in resuming their operations. All employers, regardless of business are obliged by law to carry out a Covid-19 risk assessment to establish the level of risk to their workforce and visitors to their [...]

The post Are you breaking the law after Covid-19? appeared first on Motor Transport.

Clean air zones must be expanded in towns and cities as part of measures to cut pollution levels as evidence mounts that high Covid-19 infection rates are linked to poor air quality. The call for the government to take greater action to tackle air pollution is made in a report from the All Party Parliamentary Committee on Air Pollution in a report published today. Introducing the report Air Quality Strategy to Reduce Coronavirus Infection, Geraint Davies MP, said: “Various studies [...]

The post Expand clean air zones to cut Covid-19 infection rates, MPs demand appeared first on Motor Transport.

Goodyear has introduced a new KMAX T GEN-2 trailer tyre, offering greater mileage, longer life and radio frequency identification (RFID) connectivity. The product range replaces the KMAX T trailer range and complements its premium KMAX GEN-2 steer and drive truck range. Maciej Szymanski, Goodyear marketing director, said: “The KMAX T GEN-2 range offers important benefits to inter-regional and regional fleets, in particular those operating under changing load levels or traveling to regions with varying weather conditions. “Since the launch of [...]

The post New Goodyear trailer tyre boasts range of benefits for regional hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics firms need to learn from the Covid-19 pandemic and guard against “knee-jerk reactions”, according to KPMG supply chain expert Maureen O’Shea. Speaking as part of a webinar discussing the future of the sector, she also advised businesses on key recovery strategies and warned them that by fixating on the crisis they risked losing focus on their preparations for Brexit. “We need to avoid knee-jerk reactions,” she said. “It’s not just a case of surviving through Covid, it’s taking the [...]

The post “Avoid knee-jerk reactions” – what logistics can learn from Covid-19 appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has confirmed that the suspension of annual testing of heavy vehicles has been extended to include vehicles due for test shortly. Vehicles due for their regular annual test in June, together with those which were due in March and subsequently extended to June, will receive a further three-month extension. Read more MOT testing backlog will likely mean job cuts, warns ATF operator Industry slams DVSA decision to reject delegated testing to help tackle HGV [...]

The post DVSA extends vehicle testing suspension appeared first on Motor Transport.

Unsurprising and yet stark figures from the SMMT show that just 15 commercial vehicles rolled off GB production lines in April. CV output dropped by 99.3% as plants were forced to close their doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving just a handful of vehicles to leave the factory gates in order to complete existing UK orders. There were zero exports during the month. Year-to-date CV production fell by 27.6% on what was described by the SMMT as already an [...]

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A survey of UK companies has found more than half are now considering expanding into new global markets as a result of Covid-19. The findings, commissioned by logistics and e-commerce provider One World Express, also showed that 45% of firms said the pandemic had made them realise they were overly reliant on one market. Of the 924 managers, founders and owners surveyed, 57% said they were thinking about seeking out new markets abroad and 44% said they were considering looking [...]

The post UK firms target new global markets in wake of Covid-19 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Commercial Motor is launching an exciting new virtual exhibition for the road transport industry. Held over three days in the autumn, the Commercial Motor Show 2020 will put hundreds of exhibitors in front of a 10,000-plus audience, all without the need for social distancing. Visitors to this free-to-attend event will see the latest vehicles, products and services, and have the chance to download information, listen to webinars and view videos. Those who wish to get interactive will also be able [...]

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A free trade agreement acceptable to both the UK and EU must be top of the agenda when Brexit talks resume next week, the FTA has urged. On the eve of further negotiations over the future of the relationship between the UK and other European countries, concerns are growing that consensus will not be reached before the 31 December deadline. Sarah Laouadi, FTA European policy manager said: “The UK has outlined its proposed free trade agreement, which the EU has [...]

The post New Brexit talks must focus on free trade deal, insists FTA appeared first on Motor Transport.

Free 15-minute consultations for companies emerging from the Covid-19 crisis are being offered on a first come, first served basis. The pre-bookable ‘Flying 15’ sessions will be held online on 5 June and are intended to offer insights into how best to restart trading after lockdown. The consultations have been designed by the FTA’s supply chain consultancy service, which said it would help those working within supply chains understand the best way to adapt their operations. Martin Palmer, FTA supply [...]

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A fully integrated vehicle telematics and camera system is providing one fleet operator with a training programme that it claimed had reduced accidents by almost a quarter. Industrial gas provider Air Products said the introduction of app-based technology had enabled a room full of drivers to review incidents captured on forward-facing HGV cameras in its fleet. Its telematics captures information from the vehicles relating to driving efficiency and safety and, combined with data from the cameras, it has rolled out [...]

The post New vehicle camera technology helps reduce road accidents and settle insurance claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

Northern Ireland is to extend HGV driving licences and reinstate specialist vehicle testing. The Driver and Vehicle Agency will reinstate individual vehicle approval (IVA) inspections and will introduce a statutory authorisation process that will permit the continued use of ADR vehicles on the road from 1 June. Seamus Leheny, FTA policy manager for Northern Ireland, said: “The absence of IVA inspections meant that many FTA members in NI – from operators, vehicle manufacturers and vehicle dealerships – were unable to [...]

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Forth Ports has launched an unaccompanied freight ferry terminal at Tilbury2 following a successful trial earlier this month. The 500,000-unit freight-only facility terminal uses a truck driver-free operation into the UK which port authorities say will help reduce the spread of Covid-19. The service will operate in partnership with P&O Ferries. The first ship to use the fully operational terminal was P&O’s chartered freight ferry the Norstream. The terminal will import and export containers to and from continental Europe on [...]

The post Tilbury2 offers new unaccompanied freight terminal service appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA’s attempt to liaise with 32 council leaders in Scotland to ensure plans for increased urban pedestrian and cycling routes do not hamper city centre deliveries has fallen on deaf ears. Scottish councils are preparing to re-allocate road space to encourage more cycling and walking in urban areas and cut down reliance on public transport in a bid to reduce the spread of Covid-19, under new travel plans funded by the Scottish government. However the FTA has raised concerns [...]

The post FTA plea to Scottish councils to protect urban deliveries falls on deaf ears appeared first on Motor Transport.

FTA policy director Elizabeth de Jong has told motortransport.co.uk that the government needs more proof that some hauliers are close to collapse before it can offer sector-specific support. Her comments come in the wake of an RHA survey showing 73% of hauliers have significantly reduced or worse cashflow following the Covid-19 pandemic and 83% have significantly reduced or worse volumes. Earlier this month, the FTA admitted a fifth of its own members are facing closure after delays to the government’s [...]

The post Prove there’s a need for sector-specific support, FTA tells hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

Reintroducing the London Lorry Control Scheme and raising the London Congestion Charge is a “sucker punch” to the logistics sector, FTA said today. The association is calling for freight to be exempt from schemes such as the Congestion Charge as the sector strives to recover from the impact of the pandemic. Natalie Chapman, FTA head of urban policy, accused local and national politicians of abandoning the sector. “It appears that politicians at a national and local level have all forgotten [...]

The post Logistics “abandoned” by London politicians – FTA appeared first on Motor Transport.

D4Drivers is offering D4 medicals for HGV drivers from this week at 30 centres across the UK. The company’s sister organisation Summerfield Healthcare is also offering antibody blood tests to transport operators, with results supplied within three days. The company said the antibody tests are already being used by a major supermarket and logistics firms to establish the presence or absence of Covid-19 antibodies in their drivers. D4Drivers, which plans to open another 45 centres through the summer, said PPE [...]

The post HGV driver medicals on offer as D4Drivers re-opens clinics appeared first on Motor Transport.

Almost three quarters of freight forwarders are calling for the Brexit transition period to be extended if no trade deal is agreed with the EU. Another 50% are warning that they will not have enough staff to cope with the additional Customs-related work that a no-deal Brexit will bring. A survey of over 400 members of the British International Freight Association (BIFA) revealed widespread concern in the sector at the government’s insistence that there will be no extension of the [...]

The post Freight forwarders warn of customs chaos if government adheres to Brexit deadline appeared first on Motor Transport.

London Councils has confirmed that its Lorry Control Scheme is to start again on the 1 June. Despite calls from the industry for its current suspension to be extended - and even for it to be abolished - a spokeswoman for the council said it will recommence from next month. She said: “There’s going to be a two-week period where warning notices will be issued rather than enforcement action to try and get drivers used to the fact the scheme [...]

The post London Councils slammed over “nonsensical” restart of Lorry Control Scheme appeared first on Motor Transport.

A West Yorkshire ATF operator said staff were on the verge of losing their jobs after the DVSA refused to allow its testers to conduct MOTs amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Joanne Martin, MD at Birstall-based Leeds Fleet Services, said it had lost between 30% and 40% of its work following the decision to suspend HGV and trailer tests on 23 March. And despite growing calls for the agency to delegate the work to qualified engineers, so far the DVSA has [...]

The post MOT testing backlog will likely mean job cuts, warns ATF operator appeared first on Motor Transport.

The number of job adverts for HGV drivers fell by 7.4% last week, a reduction only surpassed by dental nurses, according to figures from the recruitment and employment confederation (REC). Its new jobs recovery tracker, designed to spot signs of labour market growth through the use of jobs posting data, found all areas of the UK saw a continued decline in advertised jobs between 4-10 May and 11-17 May, with the exception of the North East, where postings increased by [...]

The post Job adverts for HGV drivers fall 7.4% in a week appeared first on Motor Transport.

A partnership between tech firm REE Automotive and hydraulics manufacturer KYB promises to revolutionise electric vehicle designs of vehicles up to 8-tonnnes GVW. REE co-founder Daniel Barel said KYB, a producer of shock absorbers, would play a “crucial role” in the development of its next generation electric vehicle, which is based on a completely flat, scalable and modular platform. The KYB-REE partnership marks the first time KYB has formally collaborated on EV platforms with a technology company. Kazunori Masumoto, KYB [...]

The post New partnership will “revolutionise” designs of lightweight electric trucks appeared first on Motor Transport.

The 55-strong Rivus garage network has now been made available to users of the ServicePoint fleet service, maintenance and repair (SMR) platform. The move is designed to open up the nationwide network to a wider range of business customers including HGV operators, said Paul Holland, MD of UK Fuel, at Allstar Business Solutions, which operates ServicePoint with technology from epyx. “Last year, ServicePoint was used by fleets totalling more than 300,000 vehicles to process SMR work valued at £15m, so [...]

The post Rivus garage network added to ServicePoint appeared first on Motor Transport.

As firms begin to restart their operations, the FTA and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) have launched a guide with advice on doing it safely, quickly and effectively. The Good Practice Guide for Covid-19 shares practice advice and examples from member organisations and is designed to be used in conjunction with the official UK government guidance on safer workplaces. It covers key considerations including risk assessments; social distancing in the workplace; cleaning of the workplace and PPE [...]

The post FTA and CILT launch guide to restarting your business appeared first on Motor Transport.

The furlough scheme must allow for part-time working and flexibility this month if UK logistics is to stave off a tidal wave of redundancies, according to the FTA. The chancellor has confirmed that from August staff can be furloughed on a part-time basis in order to aid a gradual recovery when the economy is in the doldrums. But the FTA said with many haulage and transport firms having endured limited work for the past three months, most will face a [...]

The post “Give furlough scheme immediate flexibility to avoid tidal wave of redundancies,” FTA urges government appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers are still parking in unsafe locations with inadequate welfare, hygiene and sanitation facilities - two years after the government promised to provide more secure parking sites. The complaint from the FTA comes at a time when the vital role of the lorry driver has been brought home to the public, as they continue to provide goods the country needs to get through the lockdown. But hauliers said parking provision has not improved since the Department for Transport published a [...]

The post Government has broken its promise on more parking and better facilities, hauliers claim appeared first on Motor Transport.

London Councils has confirmed that its Lorry Control Scheme is to start again on the 1 June. Despite calls from the industry for its current suspension to be extended - and even for it to be abolished - a spokeswoman for the council said it will recommence from next month. She said: “There’s going to be a two-week period where warning notices will be issued rather than enforcement action to try and get drivers used to the fact the scheme [...]

The post RHA slams London Councils over “nonsensical” restart of Lorry Control Scheme appeared first on Motor Transport.

Goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain will not be subject to export declarations and there will be no tariffs on freight remaining within the UK customs territory, cabinet minister Michael Gove has confirmed. He said safeguarding the free flow of goods within the United Kingdom’s internal market is of critical importance to Northern Ireland’s economy and people as the UK withdraws from the European Union. In a statement to the House of Commons announcing how its protocol will work, [...]

The post No export declarations needed on goods into Britain from Northern Ireland, government announces appeared first on Motor Transport.

The current suspension of the London Lorry Control Scheme should be extended with a view to either reforming it or abolishing it altogether, the RHA said this week. London Councils has suspended the scheme until 31 May to help speed up deliveries of food and medical supplies into London during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is currently reviewing the extension, brought in in March, to determine whether to extend it past 31 May or resume the scheme. RHA argues that the [...]

The post RHA calls for further suspension of the London lorry ban appeared first on Motor Transport.

Suttons Tankers has won new business with Grace Overseas, transporting chemicals needed for hygiene products, which will contribute to the battle against Covid-19. The nationwide logistics operator has strategically placed depots and out-bases across the UK and was able to redeploy resources and materials within 48 hours of the request for transportation. Suttons’ urgency and ability to react to the dramatic increase in demand for hygiene products to support the NHS in combatting Covid-19 has also been recognised through its [...]

The post Suttons Tankers signs chemicals deal with Grace Overseas appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has accused ferry operators of reneging on their agreement with the haulage industry to pass on fuel price savings to hauliers using routes between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Despite oil prices plummeting during the pandemic and £35m of funding being made available to help ferry operators, they have not adjusted fuel surcharges imposed on trucks crossing the Irish Sea. The RHA has challenged them to pass the fuel price savings to hauliers using the routes, pointing out [...]

The post RHA slams ferry operators for refusing to cut fuel charges to reflect oil price crash appeared first on Motor Transport.

Government plans to impose a 10% tariff on new trucks in the event of a no-deal Brexit will put £10,000 on the price and stall economic recovery, the RHA has warned. It follows the announcement this week of the new UK Global Tariff (UKGT) which will impose levies on some imports from 1 January 2021. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the 10% tariff on new trucks is aimed at “supporting businesses in the UK”. However, if the [...]

The post No-deal tariff on new trucks would add “crippling” £10,000 to price, warns RHA appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers have seen a 37% reduction in unsafe driving behaviours and a 6% increase in miles per gallon (MPG) during the Covid-19 lockdown, according to telematics specialist Microlise. The results come from telematics data analysed by the Microlise Data Science and Operational Research team. The analysis revealed that average MPG improved by 6% with the increase starting on 16 March, peaking in the week of 6 April and then remaining relatively stable in the following weeks. The data also revealed [...]

The post New data reveals sharp drop in dangerous driving during lockdown appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Covid-19 pandemic will speed the evolution of the transport and logistics sector and transform how some businesses operate, according to new research. The crisis has already seen a number of changes that have affected warehousing and distribution operations, including changes in the way that many people have bought goods, with raised demand for online shopping. As this includes supermarket shopping, it has led to greater pressure on controlled temperature home delivery operations and a degree of uncertainty for supermarkets [...]

The post “Covid will evolve your business in ways you wouldn’t otherwise have seen for years,” analyst claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

Technology specialist Samsara has launched a Fleet Electrification Report and an electric vehicle (EV) consulting service to help fleet managers get the information and the management support they need to electrify their fleets. The launch follows a survey by Samsara which found that 46% of fleet managers are searching for data to help them decide which of their fleet vehicles are most suited to electrification. The survey also revealed that 40% of fleet managers are seeking data to help them [...]

The post Samsara launches service to help fleet managers switch to electric vehicles appeared first on Motor Transport.

The need for reduced handling during the Covid-19 crisis at a time when fewer people have been in their places of work has also given some operations an opportunity to experiment with limited autonomous delivery projects, although not in the UK. This has been the case at Jacksonville in Florida US, where the Jacksonville Transit Authority has formed a partnership with autonomous transport services provider Beep, French autonomous driving systems producer Navya and the Mayo Clinic. The project has been [...]

The post Could this be the last mile solution of the future? appeared first on Motor Transport.

As work begins this week to close off major routes in London to lorries, cars, vans, hauliers are calling for lorries to be exempt from the ban. The new measures, announced by Mayor Sadiq Khan last week, aim to ensure social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic by giving more road space to pedestrian and cyclists. Under the initiative, main streets between London Bridge and Shoreditch, Euston and Waterloo, and Old Street and Holborn, will be limited to buses, pedestrians and [...]

The post Give lorries access to major London routes to ensure essential deliveries, say hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

The UK’s market for new HGVs plummeted by more than a fifth in the first quarter of 2020 with 9,193 units registered, according to figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Demand for new HGVs fell by 22.5%, down by 2,666 units, which SMMT attributed to fluctuations in the sector’s long fleet renewal cycle, together with Covid-19 lockdown measures introduced partway through March. Registrations of rigid trucks fell by 12% to 5580 in the period, [...]

The post New HGV registrations tumble as Covid-19 lockdown bites appeared first on Motor Transport.

Lorry drivers bringing freight to the UK will be exempt from the need to quarantine for 14 days, according to business secretary Alok Sharma. As the government prepares to launch a 14-day quarantine at all ports and airports, Sharma said lorry drivers would be exempt from the scheme. Speaking at a Downing Street press conference he said: “I recognise that the quarantining measures will put restrictions on businesspeople being able to travel. "We will be setting out shortly the exemptions. [...]

The post Lorry drivers arriving in UK exempt from 14-day quarantine appeared first on Motor Transport.

Coventry-based engineering specialist Penso is to launch a range of new ultra-lightweight 3.5-tonne delivery vans for the booming home delivery market, writes George Barrow. Based on the front-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with a medium-wheelbase, the Penso Blue Ocean Home Delivery Pod offers multi-temperature delivery with the prospect of increased payload and volume. The Blue Ocean Pods – which are almost 100% recyclable and made from re-processed plastic bottles – are said to be capable of moving 50% more than a benchmarked [...]

The post Ultra-light van bodies will be ideal for home delivery market appeared first on Motor Transport.

Transport for London has been accused of opportunism after mayor Sadiq Khan announced that it would reintroduce all road charging schemes from Monday (18 May). The FTA said the decision threatened the green shoots of recovery across the Capital’s economy and jeopardized many logistics firms as they attempted to claw their way out of the crisis. Khan said he wanted to transform London into “one of the largest car-free zones” in the world and some of its streets would be [...]

The post Surprise plan to restart London road charging schemes branded “shockingly nonsensical” appeared first on Motor Transport.

The HSE has had a “massive” injection of funds to investigate firms whose business practices fail to adhere to social distancing practices in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, a transport solicitor has warned. As increasing numbers of UK employees begin to return to work, Backhouse Jones solicitor Mark Davies said every firm needed to carry out a risk assessment – or else expect sanctions. And he warned that no matter how straightforward your transport business was, not to become complacent [...]

The post HSE given “massive” injection of funds to investigate social distancing breaches appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government is to spend £1.7bn on improving the roads, repair bridges and fill in millions of potholes as the country starts a tentative return to work. The Transport Investment Fund cash is intended to make journeys on roads and motorways smoother and safer over the coming weeks and months. In addition, the government said it would accelerate more than £175m worth of work during quieter periods as people follow guidance to avoid unnecessary travel. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: [...]

The post Government in £1.7bn pledge to improve roads and fix potholes appeared first on Motor Transport.

Tyre firm Continental has launched a “microsite” for HGV operators, explaining new CO₂ emissions regulations and how tyres can reduce fuel consumption. The European Commission (EC) introduced regulations last year, which are intended to cut CO2 emissions in trucks by 15% by 2025 and 30% by 2030. In order to ensure the reduction targets are met, the EC also launched a simulation tool called VECTO, which calculates a heavy vehicle’s fuel consumption and its emissions. Continental’s microsite contains videos and [...]

The post Continental launches website to explain new CO₂ emissions regulations and how tyres can reduce fuel consumption appeared first on Motor Transport.

Burger King restaurants across the country’s motorway network are reopening for takeaway service – but only for HGV drivers initially. Operator Moto said it was reopening eight sites on 14 May, but in order to ensure safe working practices were established for restaurant teams and customers, just truckers will be allowed to order the food. On 21 May, a further 19 Burger King sites will reopen. Ken McMeikan, Moto’s chief executive, said: “We are delighted to support motorway users with [...]

The post Motorway Burger Kings begin reopening for HGV drivers appeared first on Motor Transport.

A UK cybersecurity centre needs to be established to prevent “potentially catastrophic” hacking of autonomous vehicles by criminals, according to a groundbreaking project. A consortium of academic, security and digital experts explored the feasibility of creating a ‘Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence’ in order to detect, understand and respond to emerging threats to connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs). Its findings highlighted the “absolute and urgent need” for the creation of an industry-led, government-backed cybersecurity programme to ensure autonomous vehicles are protected. [...]

The post Industry warned it faces “potentially catastrophic” hacking threat amid cyber attacks on NHS deliveries appeared first on Motor Transport.

Employers in vehicle rental and leasing must take steps to ensure they are operating safely during the Covid-19 pandemic as businesses attempt to return to normality following lockdown, according to the BVRLA. Vehicle rental operators have been exempt from business closure as many have played a role in providing vehicles to key workers during the crisis. But the BVRLA said those operating in leasing, fleet management and many of the trade body’s associate member organisation would be taking their first [...]

The post Rental and leasing firms urged to ensure safe practices to avoid legal claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

A provider of fresh produce to London eateries has successfully launched its home delivery operation, thanks to new transport planning software. Based in New Covent Garden Market, Classic Fresh Foods specialises in supplying fresh produce to discerning chefs in hotels, restaurants and gastropubs across London. However, with most of its customers closing their premises during lockdown, the company switched to offering home delivery. The business has rapidly grown and now delivers to around 200 addresses per day, which it has [...]

The post My Transport Planner enables London home delivery appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers now have instant access to the availability of service stations across England after two tech firms worked together to provide a colour-coded online hub. Uploaded to the Traffic England website, the information shows current availability of the 118 motorway services, as well as the provision of fuel, drinks, takeaway food, toilets and parking. Thales and WSP worked with Highways England to provide an update to their joint venture, Network Information Services and it is updated daily so that hauliers [...]

The post New online hub gives hauliers latest service station information appeared first on Motor Transport.

Just over half of UK HGV drivers feel underappreciated by the public, according to a survey conducted at the height of the lockdown – a significantly larger proportion than in Ireland or the US. The poll, carried out on almost 1,000 drivers by fleet tech firm CameraMatics on 3 April, found 50.4% of UK truckers believe the public do not appreciate their efforts. In Ireland, the figure was 40.6% and in the USA only 36.5% of drivers answered that they [...]

The post “Public still don’t appreciate us,” claim over half of UK’s HGV drivers appeared first on Motor Transport.

New research from the Gas Vehicle Network (GVN) has shown that in 2019 almost 80% of the total dispensed volume of gas for transport fuel was biomethane - a renewable and sustainable low carbon option. GVN chief executive Mike Foster said: “Clean, low carbon, gas-powered vehicles are an obvious, sustainable ‘no brainer’ for the freight and transport industry. These latest statistics - a 22% increase from 2018 - clearly show the direction of travel for the HGV sector. “This is [...]

The post Renewable gas accelerates HGVs to carbon-free destination appeared first on Motor Transport.

Software specialist FleetCheck has urged operators to add coronavirus measures to their fleet risk management policies. The call comes after the government issued a new document - 'Working Safely During Covid-19 in or from a Vehicle' - which FleetCheck said "forms a relatively sensible framework to manage the possibility of infection around the use of company vehicles". “The fact is that coronavirus is going to be very much part of everyday fleet management for the foreseeable future and that businesses [...]

The post Add Covid-19 to your risk management policies, fleet managers told appeared first on Motor Transport.

Fourloughed workers should be encouraged to take up training opportunities, according to the British International Freight Association (BIFA). The association has put together an online training programme, set to launch next month, in place of its face-to-face training sessions which were suspended due to the Covid-19 lockdown. Director general, Robert Keen said the modules aim to replicate the interactive nature of its traditional courses by using live trainers with over 25 years freight and customs experience. Keen added: “In order [...]

The post BIFA: “Here’s how to get the most from your furloughed staff…” appeared first on Motor Transport.

The driver shortage crisis could be exacerbated in the wake of Covid-19 as drivers struggle to make up their CPC driver training hours, fleet managers are warning. According to an independent survey, commissioned by Fleet Source, fleet managers fear there will be a supply crisis on Driver CPC training in the wake of Covid-19 which could hamper the logistics industry’s recovery. Fleet Source chief executive Nick Caesari said: “More than half the fleet managers we spoke to were worried that [...]

The post CPC training bottleneck in wake of Covid-19 could hit driver supply and slow recovery, fleet managers warn appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government’s coronavirus job retention scheme has been extended until October on current pay rates but employers will be expected to contribute towards the scheme’s costs after July, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced today (12 May). The RHA welcomed the extension but said it was "baffled" by the move, claiming its request last month for the scheme to have more flexibility had been rejected as too complicated. It warned that any move to make employers pay towards the scheme when they [...]

The post RHA “baffled” as government tells employers to help with costs of extended furlough scheme appeared first on Motor Transport.

Haulage firms have welcomed plummeting diesel prices in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic but said the cost saving is nowhere near enough to underpin their struggling businesses. A stand-off between Russia and OPEC, combined with a global oil surplus as lockdowns drastically cut fuel demand has meant prices are lower than they have been for years. Last month West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil closed trading at a price of $US-37.63 having recovered from a record low of $US-40.32. [...]

The post Fuel price slump a bonus but not lifesaving, says CILT appeared first on Motor Transport.

As the government eases lockdown restrictions and businesses return to work, there must be no move to ban drivers from using toilet facilities under the pretext of safe working practices, the RHA has warned. It follows the government’s announcement that some businesses, such as construction sites and manufacturers, may resume operations so long as they take appropriate measures to protect their workers from contracting the coronavirus. The RHA said this week that companies must not return to the situation that [...]

The post Don’t bring back HGV driver toilet ban as lockdown eases, RHA warns businesses appeared first on Motor Transport.

DVSA is refusing to allow authorised testing facility operators (ATFs) to help clear a mounting backlog of thousands of annual HGV and trailer tests created by the Covid-19 lockdown - a move strongly condemned by both RHA and the ATF Operators Association (ATFOA) this week. The HGV annual tests are the domain of DVSA vehicle standard assessors. However DVSA stood down its assessors on 23 March at the beginning of the lockdown and suspended all HGV and trailer tests for [...]

The post Industry slams DVSA decision to reject delegated testing to help tackle HGV testing backlog appeared first on Motor Transport.

A temporary halt to the roll out of low emission zones in four Scottish cities, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, should be used to review the impact the zones will have on local hauliers already struggling with the impact of the pandemic on their businesses, according to the RHA. The schemes, which were due to be implemented in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee later this year alongside the existing scheme in Glasgow, have been temporarily shelved,  Scotland’s transport secretary Michael Matheson [...]

The post Delay to four of Scotland’s low emission zones must be used to review impact on hauliers, says RHA appeared first on Motor Transport.

The British government wants to develop ports on the east coast of Britain so that the Port of Calais can be bypassed in the event of serious delays arising from the impact of Brexit. As firms warn that they will not be ready for the additional border checks that a Canada-style Brexit could bring at the end of this year, the British government has tasked officials with looking at how ports such as Harwich and Felixstowe could take on more [...]

The post Ministers look to bypass Port of Calais to avoid post-Brexit queues appeared first on Motor Transport.

Only around one in 10 people believe HGV drivers’ behaviour on the roads has improved since the Coronavirus pandemic began, according to a poll carried out by the AA. The results from 19,732 respondents showed that 12% thought lorry drivers were better behaved now than before the lockdown. A quarter (25%) thought car drivers and cyclists were worse on the roads now, although 21% thought car drivers’ behaviour had improved. Only 10% thought there had been any improvement in cyclists. [...]

The post AA reveals results of HGV driver behaviour poll appeared first on Motor Transport.

The long-awaited driver apprenticeship standard for Cat C+E licences is due to be published this summer, according to the FTA. It said its approval and rollout couldn’t come quickly enough in an industry plagued with skills shortages in recent years. The new standard should give operators the opportunity to draw down from the Levy fund and help them meet their employment and training demands. It follows widespread criticism that the current HGV driver apprenticeship standard was not fit for purpose [...]

The post Driver apprenticeship standard for Cat C+E licences due this summer appeared first on Motor Transport.

The shortlist for the 2020 Motor Transport Fleet Truck of the Year has been revealed. The line up is: DAF XF Mercedes-Benz Actros Scania R-series Volvo FH The shortlist was chosen by a panel of fleet operators based on online presentations by all the major manufacturers of 6x2 tractor units. Although the XF has won the trophy more than any other truck, in the last five years winners have also included the R-series, the FH and the MAN TGX so [...]

The post Shortlist announced for MT Fleet Truck of the Year 2020 appeared first on Motor Transport.

More than two-thirds of transport business owners now think they will have to make people redundant once the furloughing scheme has come to an end, according to a new poll. Asked: ‘Do you envisage having to make redundancies once the furlough scheme is lifted,’ 68% of respondents answered yes. This is a rise of 12% from when the same question was asked two weeks ago during a webinar hosted by law firm Backhouse Jones. The results came as the Chartered [...]

The post More than two thirds of transport firms will be forced to cut jobs, poll reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

An independent strategic business review has been launched by the FTA, aiming to get logistics companies back up and running in a post-lockdown world. With the government’s ‘back to work’ plans about to be revealed, the trade association said successful re-starting and scaling-up of operations will rely on a number of dependencies across the supply chain. It said health and safety advice for the workplace is liable to change, but firms need to consider what this ‘new normal’ will look [...]

The post FTA launches business review to support logistics companies post-lockdown appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government has been urged to extend the Renewable Fuel Transport Obligation (RFTO) beyond 2020 in order to boost biofuel production and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil diesel. In a consultation response, the Gas Vehicle Network (GVN), which represents companies involved in gas-derived fuel production and gas-powered HGVs, said the current plans would see subsidies awarded to CNG and LNG end on 31 December. The GVN told the Department for Transport (DfT): “The feedback received from our member [...]

The post Government urged to boost biofuel production appeared first on Motor Transport.

The commercial vehicle finance sector reported a fall in new business of 32% in March, reflecting the measures taken by the government to deal with the coronavirus crisis. New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) also showed that the plant and machinery finance sector saw a reduction in new business of just under a quarter (23%), compared with the same month in 2019. IT equipment finance was the only asset sector to report growth in March, with [...]

The post Commerical vehicle finance sector reports 23% fall in new business during March appeared first on Motor Transport.

Manchester based Avail Technologies is revolutionising the logistics industry and largely reducing their client’s driver agency costs. This has come at a much-needed time as the logistics industry has been hit by 40% since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Avail’s CEO Erin Short stated: “The temporary employment industry is currently dominated by the outdated traditional agency model where hauliers are still employing agencies to contract HGV drivers and paying over the odds, and that’s not right we offer everything [...]

The post SPONSORED: How Avail is saving UK haulage companies up to £4,000 per driver appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA’s claims of a “breakthrough” in its talks with ministers for extra support for the industry may come too late for many, as its own survey reveals thousands are now at risk of going bust. Responses to its surveys from companies running from one up to more than 50 HGVs show that 73% have significantly reduced or worse cashflow and 83% report significantly reduced or worse volumes. In addition, 15% said they had applied for a CBIL loan, but [...]

The post RHA survey a “staggering snapshot” of struggling sector appeared first on Motor Transport.

The DVSA has been urged to introduce delegated private sector testing to tackle the mounting backlog of annual HGV tests which have been suspended during the COVID-19 lockdown. The call comes from the Authorised Testing Facility Operators Association (ATFOA) which is warning that a backlog of thousands of annual HGV tests, suspended since 23 March, must be tackled immediately to ensure road safety and to prevent further financial hardship to authorised testing facility (ATF) operators, who derive a major part [...]

The post Call for DVSA to delegate HGV testing to tackle backlog created by pandemic lockdown appeared first on Motor Transport.

Figures for new van registrations in April reveal the “shocking” state of the sector after they plummeted by 86.2%. Just 3,387 light CVs joined UK roads during the month, 21,217 fewer than in April 2019, after the coronavirus effectively shut down the market. The SMMT said registrations of mid-sized vans weighing between two and 2.5-tonnes fell by 90.4% and demand for larger vans in the 2.5-3.5-tonne category dropped by 83.1%. Many of the vehicles registered were delivered to operators working [...]

The post Van registrations plummeted by a “shocking” 86% during April, SMMT reports appeared first on Motor Transport.

The upgraded A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon scheme has opened eight months ahead of schedule, speeding up journey times and improving access to and from the UK’s largest container port. Highways England said work on the upgrade continued throughout the coronavirus outbreak, with measures introduced to ensure work was completed safely and in line with Public Health England’s advice. Beginning four years ago, the £1.5bn scheme is expected to strengthen links between the Midlands and the East of England and to [...]

The post A14 upgrade open eight months ahead of schedule appeared first on Motor Transport.

Employment levels in transport and storage will be down by 15% by the end of the year and won’t fully recover until mid-2026, according to projections by Driver Require. The recruitment firm’s analysis into the impact of COVID-19 suggests that employment growth rates in the sector face a bleaker than average outcome, with a 35% reduction, compared to an assumed 25% drop in all sectors during the lockdown. The same period is likely to see HGV driver employment plummet by [...]

The post HGV driver employment to slump by 50% by January appeared first on Motor Transport.

Continuing delays in the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) means operators are now on a cliff edge of financial ruin, the FTA has warned. It accused the Chancellor Rishi Sunak of not doing enough to help logistics firms, five weeks after he promised to take “all action necessary” to make sure government backed loans were benefitting businesses. David Wells, FTA chief executive said holes in companies’ cash flow were now emerging, caused by a lack of billable work from [...]

The post “Loan scheme failure means fifth of our members are close to collapse,” FTA tells government appeared first on Motor Transport.

Events hauliers are backing a call for the government to provide greater support to the events industry as it struggles to survive the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA) has written to prime minister Boris Johnson calling for more action to protect the industry and has also launched a twitter campaign today (5 May) in a bid to increase pressure on the government to accede to its demands. The letter, written jointly with the [...]

The post Hauliers back events industry call for greater government support during pandemic appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA is partnering with freight exchange platform Haulage Exchange to help operators whose supply chains have been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic find additional workloads or carrier partners. Dubbed the Logistics Efficiency Network Solution (LENS) the service connects operators to loads needing transportation. Under the partnership FTA members can search Haulage Exchange’s Smart System for loads based on their location and HGV specifications. The system can also match suitable loads to carriers and gives FTA members the ability to [...]

The post LENS partnership gives FTA members clearer view of supply chain opportunities appeared first on Motor Transport.

The logistics sector must be given access to PPE to ensure a successful return to work once the COVID-19 lockdown is ended, the FTA has warned. The association is calling on the government and Public Health England to give all supply chain workers clear direction on what PPE they need and how it should be used. Elizabeth de Jong, FTA’s policy director, said: “It is absolutely right and proper that the NHS is prioritised in the use of PPE, but [...]

The post Give logistics sector access to PPE to ensure economic recovery, says FTA appeared first on Motor Transport.

Former BMW financial services head of strategy, Shashi Maharaj has joined the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) as the legal and membership director. Maharaj who will be responsible for the association’s governance, compliance and membership functions, spent over 20 years with BMW in a variety of senior legal, strategy and compliance roles. More recently he was responsible for governance and compliance in the UK and Ireland at BMW. He said: “I am looking forward to working with members [...]

The post Shashi Maharaj joins BVRLA director team appeared first on Motor Transport.

The UK is in danger of failing to recruit the 50,000 customs agents needed to prevent major queues at its borders if it crashes out of Europe without a deal at the end of the year. The British International Freight Association (BIFA) is warning that the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the recruitment and training of staff needed to process an additional 200 million customs declarations that will be required if the UK leaves Europe without securing a trade deal. BIFA [...]

The post Shortage of customs agents threatens border chaos, logistics industry warns government appeared first on Motor Transport.

More than four in 10 companies surveyed in the transport industry said it would take longer than a year to return to pre-COVID-19 levels of work. The poll of more than 200 companies found that 43% believe it will take longer than 12 months to return to normality, while a further 31% reckoned it would take between nine months and a year. The survey, by transport solicitors Backhouse Jones, followed an announcement by the government that it would release a [...]

The post Nearly half of transport firms admit it will take longer than a year to recover from pandemic appeared first on Motor Transport.

An apparent loophole in the DVLA’s relaxation of the D4 medical requirement has left one group of drivers excluded from the temporary licence scheme – those with so-called ‘grandfather rights’. Drivers who obtained their car licence prior to 1997 are also entitled to drive goods vehicles from 3,501kg to 7,500kg GVW, as well as towing trailers with a GCW over 3.5-tonnes. However, the DVLA has confirmed it has no plans to ensure these drivers are also temporarily exempt from driver [...]

The post DVLA loophole leaves drivers with ‘grandfather rights’ still needing D4 medical appeared first on Motor Transport.

The relaxation of rules governing road transport means it is now more important than ever that drivers undertake thorough daily walk around checks and take corrective action where necessary, according to tyre firm Prometeon. The company has produced a five-point checklist to help drivers and operators inspect vehicle tyres and the action needed to ensure HGVs are safe for operation. The issues are uneven wear on the outside of the shoulder; tread damage and cut to cord over 25cm long; [...]

The post Tyre specialist offers five-point checklist to maintain safety standards during pandemic appeared first on Motor Transport.

A Felixstowe-based company that planned to build an 85-space lorry park to ease pressure on the A14 has now withdrawn its application. Prologic wanted to construct the site on land off the old A45 adjacent to the A14, as well as build a covered maintenance bay, offices, drivers’ mess, security fencing, CCTV and site lighting. It said the lorry park for its fleet of HGVs would relieve pressure on the A14 if Operation Stack was rolled out in Suffolk. Read [...]

The post Prologic scraps plans for lorry park near Felixstowe appeared first on Motor Transport.

Driver behaviour topped the list for operators when it came to improvements found from fitting camera systems to their HGV fleets. In a recent report compiled by MT and sister title Commercial Motor, more than half (56%) picked this as the biggest benefit to their business, followed closely by 47% citing a reduction in incident reporting since installing the technology. A decline in personal injury claims was next on the list, as was improved fuel economy, reduced incident investigation time [...]

The post Improved driver behaviour a top benefit from fitting camera systems to fleets, reveals new MT operator survey appeared first on Motor Transport.

“The whole nation will owe haulage and logistics workers a huge debt of gratitude,” according to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Roads and Transport Security, Baroness Vere of Norbiton. In a statement sent to our sister title Commercial Motor to address operators, Baroness Vere said that this time of national crisis “represents an unprecedented challenge for hauliers and logistics firms” but that the industry has risen to it “with outstanding dedication and professionalism”. “It has been an incredible effort, [...]

The post Roads minister: “Nation will owe haulage and logistics workers a huge debt of gratitude” appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA is growing more optimistic that the government will provide extra support for the road transport industry after weeks of “frustrating” discussions with roads minister Baroness Vere. RHA chief executive Richard Burnett told motortransport.co.uk that initial approaches to the DfT seeking extra help for hauliers over and above the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough) and Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) had been rebuffed. But following a letter sent to PM Boris Johnson signed by six industry bodies seeking [...]

The post RHA announces “breakthrough” in talks with government over grants for struggling hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

Moto’s free food for HGV drivers offer is being extended to an additional 14 sites, with free hot drinks for them too. The motorway service operator said it had already had “a fantastic response” from truck drivers to its free hot food scheme and that “thank you” didn’t even begin to cover the debt of gratitude everyone owed them. It means that from next week 24 Moto sites – half of its network – will offer them free food and, [...]

The post Moto extends free food offer to more sites and adds hot drinks deal appeared first on Motor Transport.

Flexible, frictionless trade between Northern Ireland (NI) and GB is vitally important to the continued success of its economy, according to the FTA, which has published key measures needed before Brexit concludes on 31 December. Its Northern Ireland Protocol Policy Report outlines what needs to be done before the transition period ends, including early engagement with logistics and cutting red tape. Seamus Leheny, FTA NI policy manager, said the protocol would put NI in the unique position of being able [...]

The post Post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland must be free of red tape, FTA demands appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government has issued new guidelines to freight operators entering France. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, drivers had formerly been asked to complete an International Attestation form to confirm that their journey met the criteria for essential travel. This was designed to curb non-essential travel. However, French authorities have now confirmed that, for drivers of vehicles performing international transport of goods by road, a completed Certificate for International Transport Workers will be accepted and that they no longer need [...]

The post Hauliers entering France now need Certificate for International Transport Workers appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government is pumping £17m of funding into protecting five key freight routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic. Another £10.5m will support links with The Isle of Wight and The Scilly Isles. The freight support package also covers 26 routes between Britain, France, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Sweden, including Eurotunnel. The package of measures also includes the creation of a Transport Support Unit (TSU) to assist frontline responders during the COVID-19 [...]

The post Government launches £27.5m freight route funding package appeared first on Motor Transport.

The shortlist for the Microlise Driver of the Year Awards has been announced. It contains drivers from brands including DHL, Culina, Hovis, Royal Mail, Waitrose and Yodel, across telematics based distance categories, as well as Young Driver of the Year, Most Improved Driver of the Year, Extra Mile, HGV Hero and Lifetime Achievement Award. With telematics based categories containing an initial eligible pool of over 210,000 drivers, and nomination-based categories receiving more entries than ever before, the shortlist has been [...]

The post Microlise Driver of the Year shortlist published appeared first on Motor Transport.

Small and medium sized hauliers hit by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic can apply for a government-guaranteed loan of up to £50,000 from next week. Dubbed the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), it will enable SMEs to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000 over a six-year period, with no fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months. This new scheme, which has a 100% government-backed guarantee for lenders, is seen as a faster way to access money than [...]

The post Government launches fast track loan scheme to help firms hit by impact of COVID-19 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Fleet managers have revealed that vehicle cameras and CCTV technology are cutting incident reports by almost a third and personal injury claims by almost a half. A survey of Motor Transport and Commercial Motor readers has shown that more than half of all respondents (56%) reported that the vehicle cameras improved driver behaviour, while 47% said incident reports decreased after installation. The survey, commissioned by vehicle safety manufacturer Brigade Electronics and aimed at fleet managers and HGV drivers, found that [...]

The post Vehicle cameras slash personal injury claims and incident reports, survey shows appeared first on Motor Transport.

Motorway service area operator Moto has announced it will provide free food for lorry drivers who park overnight and extend its free parking period to help when truckers take a break during the coronavirus lockdown. A free hot food scheme has been launched at 10 of Moto’s sites that are most popular with truck drivers and will be followed by 14 more sites opening next week, revealed Moto chief executive Ken McMeikan. "The free food is available to all HGV [...]

The post Moto offers free food and longer free parking appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA has seen enquiries to its member advice centre more than double since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. Common questions from haulage and logistics operators relate to the furloughing of drivers, medical certificates due to expire, relaxation of drivers’ hours rules and calibration of tachographs. On average, it normally answers 28,000 questions from FTA members each year, but enquiries to the advice centre have spiralled as the unprecedented nature of the outbreak puts a huge strain on the [...]

The post Main concerns over COVID-19 revealed as calls to FTA advice line more than double appeared first on Motor Transport.

During this unprecedented coronavirus crisis Motor Transport and motortransport.co.uk have been working flat out to keep the road transport industry informed and updated with the very latest news and views. Our highly experienced team of journalists has been right on top of developments as they have happened, with exclusive reports and interviews to make sure our essential logistics industry has all the information it needs to survive. As well as increasing the volume of daily news carried on motortransport.co.uk we [...]

The post Motor Transport stands shoulder to shoulder with road transport appeared first on Motor Transport.

Roadchef has rolled out a package of measures for HGV drivers to ensure they are supported during the COVID-19 crisis, including doubling the free parking period at all its locations. The motorway service area (MSA) operator said professional drivers were relying on its services more than ever, particularly now that the government had relaxed drivers’ hours regulations. It said its locations were “working around the clock” to offer key workers a place to rest and that its showers, toilets and [...]

The post Roadchef launches driver support package including parking discount appeared first on Motor Transport.

Employers with furloughed staff who start working for another company should ensure they are able to come back at a moment’s notice when the sector recovers, according to solicitors. The warning comes as 185,000 firms employing around 1.3m workers applied to the government’s job furlough scheme on the first day of its operation. Furloughed workers are allowed to take on another job for a separate company, but firms should ensure their staff can return to work the moment they are [...]

The post Lawyers issue warning over furloughed staff who take other jobs appeared first on Motor Transport.

More than half of employers in the transport industry think they will have to make redundancies once the Coronavirus pandemic is over, according to a poll. The snap survey showed that 56% of companies envisage making redundancies when the lockdown rules end and the economy begins to crank up again. The grim figure emerged during a webinar hosted by solicitors Backhouse Jones for companies in the haulage and passenger transport sectors. Director Jonathan Backhouse described the poll as “sobering” but [...]

The post Over half of industry’s employers will cut jobs in wake of pandemic, poll reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers are strongly advised to request a public inquiry if they receive ‘minded to revoke’ letters from the traffic commissioners during the current pandemic, according to a solicitor. Tim Culpin, transport partner at Aaron & Partners, said the TCs were taking a proactive approach to COVID-19 and were coming up with different ways to ensure non-compliance was addressed. One of these methods is to send out a minded to revoke letter to operators who have demonstrated shortcomings. But Culpin said [...]

The post Request a public inquiry if you receive a ‘minded to revoke’ letter, hauliers told appeared first on Motor Transport.

GDP may not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2025, according to analysis by recruiters Driver Require. Its forecast data, interpreting the likely consequences for the UK economy and specifically the impact on the haulage and logistics sector, showed that the GDP drop for March was already more than the 2008 crisis and indications are it will continue to worsen until we are out of the lockdown phase. Kieran Smith, Driver Require chief executive said average GDP forecast figures are -14% for [...]

The post GDP may not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2025, analysts predict appeared first on Motor Transport.

Companies working in the transport sector have been celebrating their prestigious Queen’s Awards for innovation and business performance. Leyland Trucks was awarded the accolade for Enterprise for International Trade after demonstrating year-on-year export growth. Manufacturing the full range of DAF products, Leyland trucks are exported all over the world and over the three-year judging period, international sales grew by almost 50%. Brennan Gourdie, Leyland Trucks MD, said: “Winning a Queen’s Award is a tremendous honour and the ultimate testament to [...]

The post Transport sector companies recognised in Queen’s Awards for innovation and business performance appeared first on Motor Transport.

Demand for warehousing and distribution space increased by 10% during the first quarter of the year, but was 20% below the five-year average due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Latest research from Colliers International showed that in Q1 there was 7.5 sq ft of take-up for letting more than 100,000 sq ft of space, an increase of 10% on the same quarter in 2019. However, it was still significantly down on the five-year Q1 average. Colliers said its figures showed activity [...]

The post Demand for warehousing and distribution space up 10% in Q1 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Temperature-controlled trailer manufacturer Gray & Adams has been recognised with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation for its double deck design. The Fraserburgh-based company pioneered temperature-controlled lifting deck trailer technology in the nineties and aims to provide practical commercial solutions while reducing the impact of its activities on the environment. It claims the lifting deck semi-trailer is the most important single step forward in trailer design in the last 20 years, enabling customers to move large volumes of goods [...]

The post Gray & Adams given Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation appeared first on Motor Transport.

MAN Truck and Bus is to restart its bus and truck plants at reduced capacity from next week, six weeks after halting production in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The manufacturer stopped production in mid-March to protect its employees and in response to broken supply chains and a sharp drop in demand for commercial vehicles. The plants will open from 27 April with a safety plan to protect employees which will ensure distancing between employees, changes in the routing, [...]

The post MAN to restart bus and truck production appeared first on Motor Transport.

The COVID-19 lockdown has led to a rapid expansion in the digitisation of fleet services, according to the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP). Co-chair Paul Hollick revealed the trend now spanned the entire transport and logistics industry, from service providers to how employers communicated with drivers. “Much of this trend has been prompted by the sudden and widespread switch to home working that has been caused by lockdown," he explained. "Processes that were perhaps paper or telephone powered because people [...]

The post COVID-19 lockdown forcing fleets to digitise services appeared first on Motor Transport.

Motor Transport is excited to be hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 5 May at 2pm to help operators explore a unique, on-demand transport planning tool. You can sign up by clicking here. My Transport Planner will enable fleet operators of all sizes to increase vehicle utilisation, cut costs and reduce emissions from road transport. Using the Software as a Service (SaaS) model, My Transport Planner is a pay-as-you-go solution, and costs less to use than the savings it generates. It is [...]

The post SPONSORED: Free webinar exploring the My Transport Planner tool appeared first on Motor Transport.

Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic could begin as early as next year, with the logistics industry benefitting from new behaviours that could launch an e-commerce boom and more collaborative ways of working forged during the crisis, according to XPO chief executive Bradley Jacobs. In a letter to shareholders published this week, Jacobs predicts: “Things are difficult right now and they’ll get worse in the short-term. Then they’ll get much, much better.” Jacobs argued that while 2020 will be “a lost [...]

The post Logistics sector will survive the pandemic and thrive, XPO chief tells shareholders appeared first on Motor Transport.

Daimler Truck and Volvo Group are launching a joint venture to develop, produce and commercialize hydrogen fuel cell systems for HGVs and buses. The first two trucks are planned to be on the road by 2024/25, ahead of mass production by the mid-2030s. The deal will see Daimler consolidate its entire hydrogen fuel cell division in the joint venture whilst Volvo Group will acquire 50% of the JV for around E600m. The partnership is subject to regulatory approval by the [...]

The post Daimler and Volvo in new joint venture to launch first hydrogen powered trucks by 2024 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Motor Transport has teamed up with Brigade Electronics to bring operators running into London a webinar on TfL's Direct Vision Standard to be held on 19 May 2020. From February 2021 it is expected an estimated 250,000 trucks over 12 tonnes GVW running into Greater London must have a Direct Vision Standard (DVS) permit. DVS will rate trucks from zero to five stars on the amount of visibility drivers have from their cab of other road users around their vehicle, [...]

The post SPONSORED: Sign up for our free webinar on the Direct Vision Standard appeared first on Motor Transport.

The road transport industry has sent a joint letter to prime minister Boris Johnson pleading for extra help during the coronavirus pandemic to prevent “widescale business collapse that could reduce capacity by as much as 50%”. The letter, written by the RHA and co-signed by five other bodies representing road transport, said: “The impact on the UK’s road haulage industry has been colossal. Whilst some hauliers, primarily those in food and medicine distribution are continuing to operate, other hauliers are [...]

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The DfT has launched a website of motorway services to help ease hauliers’ journeys as they deliver vital supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The website provides a list of those services on the national road network which are still operating and open to lorry drivers during the lockdown, and the facilities on offer at each one. Announcing the newly launched site, Transport Secretary Grant Schapps said: “Every day our hauliers deliver lifesaving medicines and keep our shelves stocked across the [...]

The post Government launches website of motorway facilities open to lorry drivers during lockdown appeared first on Motor Transport.

Tyre manufacturer Bridgestone is re-opening its European plants from today (20 April 2020). The move comes as Italy and Spain take measures to ease their COVID-19 lockdowns. The firm’s manufacturing plants in Bari in Italy and Lanklaar in Belgium opened today, whilst the Béthune plant in France will reopen tomorrow. The re-opening of the plants follows the relaunch of production at all Bridgestone’s Spanish plants in Burgos, Bilbao and Puente San Miguel, and at its Russian plant in Ulyanovsk on [...]

The post Bridgestone revives production at its European plants as Italy and Spain ease pandemic lockdowns appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers are struggling to access loans via the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) which could leave hundreds of operators facing financial ruin, the RHA has warned. The news comes on the same day as the road transport industry sent a joint letter to prime minister Boris Johnson pleading for extra help during the coronavirus pandemic to prevent “widescale business collapse that could reduce capacity by as much as 50%”. The CBILS launched on 23 March and aims to support the [...]

The post Guarantee 100% of COVID-19 business loans or face economic meltdown, RHA warns government appeared first on Motor Transport.

The 2020 Motor Transport Awards have been rescheduled to 17 November to minimise the risk of disruption due to the coronavirus. The biggest event in the road transport calendar was originally planned for 1 July and later postponed to 27 August but, with uncertainty remaining over when the government lockdown will end, Motor Transport is delighted to have secured a November date at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Park Lane. “As no one yet knows for sure when government [...]

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Sales of compressed and liquefied natural gas (CNG/LNG) have hit record highs, with volumes more than doubling between Q4 2019 and the first quarter of this year, according to Gasrec. The fuel provider said the growth follows an influx of new trucks into the market running on the alternative fuels, with registrations of gas-powered 44-tonners playing a large part in boosting figures. Gasrec said demand in March exceeded the previous peak in September 2014 when Euro-5 dual fuel technology was [...]

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The FTA has accused the government of "heel dragging" over its continued failure to confirm the suspension of D4 medicals for HGV drivers despite allegedly agreeing a workaround with the DVLA over a week ago. The news comes as truck drivers fear they will lose their licences because GPs and private providers are no longer carrying out D4 medicals during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We know that a workaround for the issue of driver medicals has been devised by the Department [...]

The post “Workaround over driver medicals agreed but government dragging its heels,” claims FTA appeared first on Motor Transport.

The current limited drivers’ hours relaxation has been extended until 31 May “in response to unprecedented pressures on local and national supply chains". The Department for Transport (DfT) announced last month that the blanket relaxation of the regulations would last until 21 April, but it has now extended this for another six weeks. In a statement, the DfT said: “A specific review of the continuation of the relaxations past 21 April has been conducted and, on the basis of the [...]

The post Easing of drivers’ hours rules extended to 31 May appeared first on Motor Transport.

Traffic commissioner public inquiries held via conferencing software could become a regular feature if the coronavirus lockdown continues for much longer, according to a road transport lawyer. Jonathan Backhouse, director at Backhouse Jones solicitors, said many of its hearings had been adjourned following a decision by the TCs to postpone them in the wake of the pandemic. He said it was now likely there would be a backlog in cases by the end of the year and if the current [...]

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Professional drivers renewing their licences will not have to worry about the D4 medical after the government finally agreed to relax the requirement following mounting criticism it was failing to act. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the temporary removal of D4 medicals would ensure that HGV drivers can continue their “vital work and keep the country moving”. The development came after many drivers feared they would lose their licence because GPs and private providers were no longer carrying out the [...]

The post Government confirms suspension of driver medicals amid mounting industry criticism appeared first on Motor Transport.

The use of hydrogen as a fuel for trucks is being trialled in the Netherlands, with a 27-tonne rigid being operated in retail logistics. The project is intended to deliver proof of readiness of hydrogen technology for heavy-duty applications in real-life conditions and provide a basis for the development of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle industry. Built by VDL and operated by zero-emission transport provider Breytner, the three-month trial of the truck will involve it helping replenish stores and feeder lines for [...]

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Truck drivers in danger of losing their licences because GPs and private providers are no longer carrying out D4 medicals during the COVID-19 pandemic have accused the DVLA of throwing them to the wolves. Despite assurances from two Conservative MPs to their constituents two weeks ago that DVLA was about to announce the delay of D4 medicals – possibly for a year – it has yet to take any action. It is estimated that around 10,000 HGV drivers a month [...]

The post DVLA delay on D4 medical decision condemned by HGV drivers appeared first on Motor Transport.

All traffic commissioner public inquiries have been postponed until further notice in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. A spokesman for the Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OTC) said face-to-face hearings were all now postponed, with new hearing dates to be notified in due course: “Traffic commissioners have to ensure that hearings are fair and that parties have time to take advice,” he said. “The present circumstances would make it difficult for operators to prepare for public inquiries by gathering physical [...]

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The government will start paying employers 80% of furloughed workers wages from next Monday (20 April), according to HMRC chief executive Jim Harra. Under the government’s furlough scheme, which is aimed at preventing redundancies during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, firms can furlough employees and apply for a grant that covers 80% of their monthly wage costs, up to £2,500 a month, plus National Insurance and pension contributions. The scheme was launched at the beginning of March but employers have [...]

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The government has given its formal approval for construction to begin on HS2, bringing much needed good news to the construction industry. HS2 Ltd, the public body tasked with overseeing the project, issued a ‘notice to proceed’ to the companies that will undertake construction of the railway. Notice to proceed marks the formal approval for the project to begin the construction phase and HS2 Ltd is now entering Stage 2 of the main works civils contracts, with each held by [...]

The post Government gives HS2 companies formal go-ahead to begin construction phase appeared first on Motor Transport.

Best practice advice for operators involved in the collection and delivery of vehicles has been produced to keep the supply chain moving during the lockdown. After the Department for Transport (DfT) wrote to the industry’s trade associations making it clear that the work of the logistics sector “should continue to the greatest extent possible through the COVID-19 crisis”, the BVRLA is urging dealerships and agents to start moving vehicles again. It said the move was necessary “in order to unclog [...]

The post Whole supply chain must keep moving during lockdown, insists BVRLA appeared first on Motor Transport.

Major supermarket home delivery fleets are still struggling to meet demand despite the government's desire for most of the population to order groceries online. Stores have been matching government databases of the vulnerable against their postcode regions and contacting customers directly But many customers are still finding that it is not possible to book an online delivery from any of the major supermarkets. Both Tesco and Sainsbury have suspended their subscription delivery service for new customers, and are asking anyone [...]

The post Supermarkets admit delivery fleets still struggling with demand appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA has appointed Becky Martin as senior transport advisor within its Member Advice Centre (MAC) to assist the team in supporting logistics businesses through the COVID-19 outbreak. Martin joins the FTA from John Lewis Partnership where she held the post of transport and administration manager She will be working as part of the MAC team which provides members with advice on legal, technical and operational matters across a range of topics including Brexit, COVID-19, drivers' hours, and vehicle maintenance standards. [...]

The post Becky Martin joins FTA as senior transport advisor  appeared first on Motor Transport.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a “huge wake-up call” for the transport and logistics sector and will provide the catalyst for automation, putting many jobs at risk. That’s the view of technology expert Paul Cuatracasas who said the outbreak was a new form of disruption that will speed the development of “fully autonomous end-to end logistics operations starting with robots working in completely automated factories”. The outbreak will also hasten the transition towards 3D printing, drones delivering directly to site and [...]

The post COVID-19 “a huge industry wake-up call that puts many jobs at risk”, claims tech expert appeared first on Motor Transport.

The traffic commissioners are scrutinising requests by operators to furlough transport managers and companies should seek legal advice first, according to Backhouse Jones solicitors. Director Jonathan Backhouse said guidance from the senior traffic commissioner outlined three scenarios in which a company may consider to furlough a transport manager – and firms shouldn’t assume the move isn’t in breach of licensing regulations. The first is where a company wishes to furlough its one transport manager while continuing some form of operation. [...]

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The shortlist for the Motor Transport Awards 2020 has now been announced and DPD will be hoping to add to its tally of 29 awards, being shortlisted in no fewer than seven categories this year. Although the Awards presentation has had to be postponed until August 27, and the judging day where our 50 senior independent judges get together to pick the winners and shortlist had to be cancelled, thanks to our online entry and judging process we have our [...]

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The FTA can now offer mobile inspections for companies whose workshop facilities are not available during the COVID-19 lockdown. It said its vehicle inspection service remains operational for both members and non-members and that it was vital operators put measures in place now to start returning mothballed fleets to roadworthy condition. Experts currently predict a partial lift of the government’s lockdown restrictions in four to six weeks’ time. The FTA said “a timely approach” to vehicle inspections will help operators [...]

The post FTA offers vehicle inspection service for mothballed fleets appeared first on Motor Transport.

Maintaining social distance for truck drivers may be relatively easy to manage, but it’s more of a challenge for warehouse workers, as recent cases have proved... As panic buying eases, so too is the intense pressure being put on the warehouse operations of food retailers and distributors. But managing hygiene and social distancing requirements still poses challenges: “Safety of staff remains the highest priority and the operations at warehouses and online delivery hubs must strictly adhere to government guidelines on [...]

The post Transport and warehousing firms share crisis management and social distancing strategies appeared first on Motor Transport.

London’s Direct Vision Standard (DVS) and stricter enforcement of the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) have been postponed until February next year. Mayor Sadiq Khan said the four-month delay would allow the freight industry to focus on its core operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Transport for London (TfL) has already suspended the current LEZ, the congestion charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone until further notice and this latest development comes after it became apparent that disrupted supply chains would have made [...]

The post London Direct Vision Standard and stricter enforcement of Low Emission Zone postponed until next February appeared first on Motor Transport.

The tyres of HGVs that are being parked up due to COVID-19 should be inspected to prepare them for extended parking, according to Michelin. After a survey from the RHA revealed that around 240,000 vehicles are now laid up for the immediate future, Michelin engineers warned that tyres are not designed to carry the weight of a parked truck or trailer indefinitely. Rob Blurton, senior technical field engineer, advised operators to inspect all tyres for visible damage and abnormal wear [...]

The post Tyres on mothballed HGV fleets need inspection, warns Michelin appeared first on Motor Transport.

The traffic commissioners are scrutinising requests by operators to furlough transport managers and companies should seek legal advice first, according to Backhouse Jones solicitors. Director Jonathan Backhouse said guidance from the senior traffic commissioner outlined three scenarios in which a company may consider to furlough a transport manager – and firms shouldn’t assume the move isn’t in breach of licensing regulations. The first is where a company wishes to furlough its one transport manager while continuing some form of operation. [...]

The post Seek legal advice before furloughing transport managers, warns solictor appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA is calling for the government to review its Clean Air Zones (CAZ) policy in the light of emerging evidence that a significant drop in car journeys during the COVID-19 lockdown has resulted in major improvements in air quality. Data collected by the National Centre for Atmospheric Science shows marked reductions in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and in particulate matter (PM2.5) since the government ordered a lock down to help slow the spread of the virus. Car journeys are estimated [...]

The post RHA calls for Clean Air Zone review in light of economic and environmental impact of COVID-19 appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA has launched an online ‘member-to-member’ portal, providing companies with an opportunity to share and discuss the availability of their fleet or staff during the COVID-19 crisis. The web-based logistics swap-shop follows on from the success of the association’s #LogisticsHelpsLogistics campaign, which used the hashtag to link businesses in need of personnel or fleet resources with available workers or vehicle capacity. It said the member portal has two forums, one for companies to share and discuss the availability of [...]

The post FTA launches portal for members to discuss fleet and staff availability appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government’s suspension of all Clean Air Zone schemes to January 2021 is not long enough, the RHA has insisted. The association is calling for the suspension to be extended for another year to January 2022 to allow hauliers to recover from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to suspend Clean Air Zone schemes was confirmed by Defra minister Rebecca Pow this week. The move follows calls from Leeds and Birmingham City Councils for permission to delay [...]

The post RHA calls for further suspension of all CAZ schemes to January 2022 appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA is calling for “urgent clarity” on how quickly furlough payments will be made once the government scheme launches at the end of this month, warning that firms furloughing workers are “fast running out of cash” as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Under the scheme, companies adversely affected by the pandemic can reclaim up to 80% of an employee’s usual monthly wage, up to £2,500 per month, plus employer national insurance contributions and minimum employer pension contributions. The FTA estimates [...]

The post Furlough funding needed now to protect businesses and workers during COVID-19 crisis, says FTA appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government is looking at alternative means of funding smaller hauliers struggling to access the Treasury’s COVID-19 funding packages. It also wants to “reverse” extended payment terms that some clients have put in place since the arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic. The strategies were revealed today (7 April) during a House of Commons Transport Committee hearing into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the transport sector. Lincoln MP Karl McCartney raised concerns about the plight of hauliers who are [...]

The post Government mulls ways to help smaller hauliers struggling to access COVID-19 funding packages appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA is calling on the government to support the haulage industry after 6,500 responses within 36 hours to a survey of hauliers showed that 46% of the UK truck fleet - around 240,000 vehicles - is now parked up with no work. Chief executive Richard Burnett said that the government needs to take “urgent action” to prevent large numbers of operators going out of business as the existing package of bank loans and furlough payments is not addressing hauliers’ [...]

The post Hauliers need urgent government help as almost half of trucks parked up with no work appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA is calling for an extension to the government’s furlough scheme, “sympathetic” repayment terms on government loans taken out during the pandemic and post-pandemic funding for the logistics industry to ensure the rapid recovery of the UK’s supply chain. Under the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, businesses hit by the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible for a grant covering 80% of all furloughed employees monthly wages, up to £2,500 a month. Currently the scheme only runs until 31 May, which [...]

The post FTA calls for raft of measures to protect logistics industry both during and after COVID-19 pandemic appeared first on Motor Transport.

Plummeting sales during the COVID-19 lockdown could force petrol stations to close leaving some hauliers facing fuel shortages, fuel retailers are warning. The closures could particularly impact on smaller hauliers that do not have the facilities to bunker fuel, particularly those located in rural areas, according to the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA). PRA chairman Brian Madderson, said: “To help freight move and help key workers travel safely and independently through this period of crisis, petrol filling stations must remain open, [...]

The post Petrol retailers warn of fuel shortages during COVID-19 lockdown appeared first on Motor Transport.

Pall-Ex has launched a campaign celebrating the logistics industry’s contribution to keeping supply chains moving during the UK’s coronavirus lockdown. Dubbed #LoveLogistics, the campaign calls for the public to show their support for key workers in the logistics sector by displaying colourful pictures of lorries in their windows and by sharing on social media. The pallet network is asking people to download and print their lorry illustrations, colour them in, share via their social channels and display them in their [...]

The post Pall-Ex launches campaign to support hauliers during COVID-19 crisis appeared first on Motor Transport.

The need for drivers to undergo HGV driver medicals is to be suspended – possibly for a year - as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, according to a letter sent by MP Robert Buckland to a constituent. News of the suspension of D4 medicals will be met with relief by thousands of HGV drivers who are legally required to undergo a driver medical in order to renew their licences but have been unable to do so during the Covid-19 [...]

The post D4 medicals to be suspended for up to a year, MP confirms appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government is to suspend all Clean Air Zones until at least January 2021, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The move was confirmed today (6 April) in a letter from Defra minister Rebecca Pow MP to FTA chief executive David Wells. The letter was sent in response to the FTA’s calls for CAZ schemes to be delayed to ameliorate the pressure on logistics firms during and in the wake of the pandemic. In her response, Pow said [...]

The post Government suspends Clean Air Zones in face of COVID-19 pandemic appeared first on Motor Transport.

MV Commercial has urged hauliers to keep up regular truck maintenance checks following the DVSA’s decision to suspend commercial vehicle MOTs for three months. The CV sales and leasing company said its technician support network is doing all it can to support operators in their regular roadworthiness checks - maximising uptime and safeguarding road users. Steven Cairns, MD at MV Commercial, said: “Suspending MOTs gives operators vital breathing room at the time when they need it most. However, it’s essential [...]

The post MV Commercial urges hauliers to keep up maintenance checks during MOT suspension appeared first on Motor Transport.

Industry associations remain divided over the support the logistics sector requires during the COVID-19 crisis, with the Association of Pallet Networks (APN) demanding a fuel duty derogation and the FTA preferring the Treasury concentrate on alleviating fixed costs. Last week the APN, which represents the UK’s eight pallet networks, issued a call for an exemption from fuel duty, by way of red diesel use, or an exemption certificate issued against operator licences. APN chairman Paul Sanders said: “The majority of [...]

The post Industry bodies lock horns over fuel derogation appeared first on Motor Transport.

Furlough rules are needlessly preventing thousands of HGV drivers from delivering personal protective equipment (PPE) to millions of nurses and doctors, according to the RHA. The association was responding to claims made by health secretary Matt Hancock that a “mammoth logistical exercise” was to blame for delays in getting PPE to frontline staff. Speaking on BBC 1’s Question Time, Hancock said: “We do have the supplies, we have a massive supply in an enormous warehouse in the north west. “The [...]

The post “Ease furlough rules so drivers can deliver PPE,” RHA urges government appeared first on Motor Transport.

With all HGV MOTs suspended for three months from 21 March, there looks like being a serious backlog to sort out later in the year. John Kendall reveals what the situation was like before the closure, and what we can expect once things get back to normal... Under normal conditions, the DAF Trucks dealer network prepares and tests around 3,200 vehicles on average per month and achieves a 97.8% first-time pass rate, reveals DAF Trucks UK dealer development director John [...]

The post Can chaos be avoided when MOTs resume? appeared first on Motor Transport.

Rules surrounding Driver CPC training have been relaxed during the COVID-19 pandemic for drivers struggling to complete the training. The DfT said it had put in place temporary changes in professional driver qualification requirements, meaning drivers whose Driver CPC card expires in the period from 1 March 2020 to 30 September 2020 can continue driving. In addition, the DfT said military drivers will also be allowed to drive in civilian situations during that period. Drivers will not be subject to [...]

The post DfT extends validity of Driver CPC qualification cards appeared first on Motor Transport.

As operators race to adopt new working patterns created by the delivery demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, efficient route planning has never been more important. A new on-demand tool could be just the answer for fleet managers looking for a simple, no-commitment way to ensure busy fleets are optimised to the max with fluctuating daily volumes. My Transport Planner is an online transport planning system that will enable organisations of all sizes to increase vehicle utilisation, cut costs and reduce [...]

The post SPONSORED: New on-demand transport planner offers fleet optimisation support during COVID-19 challenge appeared first on Motor Transport.

The DVSA has suspended dangerous goods vehicle (ADR) inspections in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A vehicle is eligible for a waiver if it was registered in GB and either has a current ADR1C dangerous goods certificate which expires on or after 21 March 2020 or is a new vehicle that entered service within the last year under authorisation 476. The DVSA said you cannot get a waiver for new non-type approved dangerous goods vehicles being put into service for [...]

The post DVSA suspends dangerous goods vehicle (ADR) inspections appeared first on Motor Transport.

Clipper Logistics has been sub-contracted by NHS Supply Chain principal partner Unipart to run an entirely separate supply channel for the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) to NHS Trusts and community healthcare partners. Clipper Group will make a formal announcement to the City tomorrow morning (3 April) and motortransport.co.uk will share more details as they become available. it is understood the Clipper Logistics operation will be run out of DIRFT. Unipart was granted a five-year contract to provide logistics [...]

The post Clipper Logistics seals deal with Unipart to deliver personal protective equipment (PPE) to NHS trusts appeared first on Motor Transport.

Major waste management group, CSG, has committed to a further two years with Bandvulc, the specialist retread subsidiary of Continental, as it seeks to reduce both capital expenditure and management time on its vehicle fleet operations, while maintaining high safety and environmental standards. The decision takes the tyre management contract between the two companies into its seventh year, at a time when fleet numbers across CSG and sister company J&G have risen to close to 150 vehicles. CSG, based near [...]

The post Sponsored: CSG keeps rolling with Bandvulc appeared first on Motor Transport.

An exodus of East European drivers and major disruption to warehouse shift patterns are putting increasing pressure on the transport and logistics sector, a new report has warned. The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak has seen migrant drivers attempt to return to their countries of origin, analysts at real estate firm Colliers International said. Many warehouse operations have also been forced to introduce new cleaning processes, disrupting normal operations and slowing the distribution of vital supplies. “To add to the [...]

The post COVID-19 outbreak triggers exodus of migrant drivers and major disruption to warehouse shift patterns appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics training specialist SP Training has claimed its first online CPC course generated "unprecedented multinational demand". The course was developed after the DVSA announced the suspension of classroom training due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but as a temporary alternative would allow approved trainers authorisation to deliver accepted courses remotely via digital platforms. The online course attracted drivers from four different nations, the company said, including one participant from Germany, as drivers scrambled to get urgent qualifications to secure employment. The [...]

The post SP Training: “Our first online CPC course attracted unprecedented multinational demand” appeared first on Motor Transport.

A senior figure at one of the UK's biggest logistics operations has admitted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could see businesses face "an armageddon of liquidations" and a future based on "the survival of the fittest". The source predicted many transport and warehousing companies with the right strategy would survive the crisis but that it would be "the last nail in the coffin for high street retail". "We fully expect that some of our fashion customers will never open [...]

The post “We could be facing an armageddon of liquidations,” claims major logistics operator appeared first on Motor Transport.

All travel relating to the operation of logistics business has been designated as essential travel by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic. The confirmation comes after both RHA and FTA complained to government officials that logistics workers were being challenged by police and other officials while trying to get to work or carrying out related services such as vehicle washing and delivering spare parts. In a letter sent to the RHA and FTA this week, Ben Rimmington, DfT co-director of [...]

The post Travel relating to logistics businesses is essential and should not be challenged, government tells police appeared first on Motor Transport.

Have you heard about the temporary relaxation of drivers hours and want to know more? Motor Transport's sister title, Commercial Motor is hosting a free webinar in association with Aquarius about this dramatic change in tachograph legislation. The additional measures being put in place by the Government and the relaxation of the working day allowances will have a dramatic affect on the haulage industry, but what exactly does it mean. This hour-long discussion will look at how it will affect [...]

The post Free webinar on relaxing driver hours during the Coronavirus outbreak – register now appeared first on Motor Transport.

Fashion brand Boohoo’s Burnley distribution centre (DC) was raided by police this morning (31 March) after alleged claims the company had breached social distancing measures introduced by the government during the COVID-19 crisis. However, Boohoo confirmed the police left “without needing to take any action or make any recommendations” and hit out at claims that it had failed to protect workers at the two million sq ft hub, which employs around 500 people across two sites. A Boohoo spokeswoman told [...]

The post Police raid on Burnley DC finds no evidence of social distancing breach appeared first on Motor Transport.

In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Motor Transport looks at the ways operators can build new business and benefit from government support schemes The government recently announced a range of measures for businesses, providing loans, tax deferrals, sick pay and other support for COVID-19 affected workers. Like so much else in this crisis, the information is being updated as things progress. The position regarding the self-employed was clarified with measures announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak on [...]

The post COVID-19: What now for hauliers? appeared first on Motor Transport.

Extra MSA Group has opened the first phase of its new £64m Leeds Skelton Lake Services. The new motorway service area, which is located at Junction 45 of the M1, two miles east of Leeds, opened its doors this week but has been forced to limit its offering to essential services only during the COVID-19 lockdown. Facilities that are open at the MSA during the COVID-19 lockdown include the fuel filling station, toilets and shower facilities, IONITY electric vehicle charging [...]

The post New £64m Leeds Skelton Lake Services opens at junction 45 of the M1 appeared first on Motor Transport.

HGV drivers working longer hours under new COVID-19 rules should be supplied with government-subsidised fatigue monitors to avert a rise in road accidents. The warning comes from road safety firm SmartWitness in the wake of the government’s emergency order which has eased drivers’ hours rules to allow round-the-clock deliveries of food and medical goods during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new rules increase the weekly maximum daily driving time of nine hours to 11 hours, and raise the weekly limit from [...]

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The FTA is calling for a major increase in roadside checks on vans to raise standards in the sector. The call follows a court case this week which found welding contractor Renown Consultants guilty of failing to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, following a deadly accident caused by a fatigued van driver. Nottingham Crown Court heard that Zac Payne, 20, and Michael Morris, 48, died in a crash at around 5.30am on 19 June 2013 [...]

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Transport for London (TfL) has told motortransport.co.uk a postponement to the Direct Vision Standard is being kept under consideration as concerns grow that manufacturers will struggle to fulfil vehicle orders. Following its decision to suspend all London road charging schemes, a TfL spokeswoman said a decision on the planned introduction of the DVS had yet to be made and added: “The matter is of course under consideration, and any changes would form part of the TfL-wide operational response to the [...]

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UK commercial vehicle production for the domestic market returned to growth in February this year, following five months of decline, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Output rose by 14.6% in the period, with 3,279 vans, trucks and buses built for UK operators. In contrast, production for export fell by 26.2% in the month with 1,670 fewer units shipped overseas, which SMMT said was due to slower demand in key European markets. [...]

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The RHA is actively exploring options to help hauliers through the COVID-19 crisis with government ministers. These include immediate cashflow injections, enforced payment holidays with leasing companies, banks and fuel suppliers and further measures to protect employees’ wages to safeguard our critical driver workforce both now and for when volume increases. "To enable this, the government will need to provide far more radical financial support to ensure transport operators survive. It is therefore imperative that we can accurately relay information [...]

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Expiration dates for the Safe Loading Pass Scheme (SLPS) have been extended until 25 July in order to help hauliers continue to run smoothly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Administered by the FTA, the SLPS identifies the vehicles and trailers that meet the safety standards required for admittance to fuel and gas loading terminals. In January, it was extended to cover liquefied petroleum gases. The FTA said all vehicle safe loading passes, which expire between 25 March and 25 June 2020, [...]

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Hauliers have demanded the government explains how its system for paying employees 80% of their salaries is going to work following concerns that it isn’t flexible enough to deal with their industry. Ian Barclay, operations director at Roger Warnes Transport in Kings Lynn, said the idea of furloughing its workforce – granting them a leave of absence during the Covid-19 pandemic – doesn’t work if parts of a business are seasonal or are experiencing a surge in growth while other [...]

The post Giving staff leave on 80% of salary won’t work for haulage sector, critics claim appeared first on Motor Transport.

Operators allowing or pressuring vulnerable employees to work during the COVID-19 pandemic could face HSE prosecution, a leading law firm warned this week. The warning was made during a webinar on the impact of new government emergency measures to tackle the pandemic on operators’ businesses. The webinar, organised by law firm Backhouse Jones, which specialises in transport law, tackled questions from operators on how to navigate the new rules around the temporary relaxation of drivers hours, furloughing employees, applying for [...]

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Transport industry business groups have demanded that adequate hygiene facilities, including hot and cold running water, are available to all drivers and warehouse operatives delivering to, or collecting from business premises. In a joint statement, FTA chief executive David Wells, RHA chief executive Richard Burnett and Unite national officer Adrian Jones stressed the legal obligations of businesses to employees and visitors, urging them to ensure that the facilities on offer comply with the legal requirements. “Government advice during this crisis [...]

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The FTA has requested an extension to the current transition period for leaving the EU in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic. It has also asked ministers to consider suspending the implementation of other legislation which will affect logistics operators in the short term. This includes the expansion of the London-wide Low Emission Zone for HGVs and the London Direct Vision Standard, due to take effect from October this year, as well as the start of other clean air zones [...]

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Reuse services union GMB London has called for immediate social distancing measures to be put in place to ensure the safety of refuse service staff. Despite new government lock-down measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, crews have reportedly been instructed to carry on work as normal, which the union said "cannot be right". It has written to the Local Government Association asking it to follow the latest government directives and give clear guidelines to all councils and contractors on how to [...]

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Renewable fuels are "one of the most rapid and economically viable" ways to decarbonise HGVs, according to the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP). Its new 'Renewable fuels guide' says these green fuels can immediately cut greenhouse gas emissions from commercial vehicles for which few other solutions are currently available to help meet the UK’s net zero emissions target. With electrification of long distance, heavy road freight still some way off the LowCVP argues that the quickest way to cut emissions [...]

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A specialist transport lawyer has urged hauliers to switch strategy if their work isn’t essential to the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak. He advised operators with spare capacity to offer their services to the sectors that needed it most, including supermarkets and pharmaceuticals. Transport workers are among those on a government list of people deemed critical to the COVID-19 response. However, Tim Culpin, transport partner at  law firm Aaron and Partners, said haulage clients working in multiple sectors had contacted [...]

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A shortage of doctors combined with moves by landlords to close premises during the coronavirus outbreak is preventing HGV drivers from getting their D4 medicals renewed. D4Drivers, which carries out more than 5,000 D4 medicals a month at sites across the UK, has been forced to put out a national appeal to firms that have spare warehouse or office capacity after some of its clinics were forced to close down during the pandemic. Medical director Dr Grant Charlesworth-Jones said: “In [...]

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The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) is calling for transport operators with spare capacity to get in touch so they can be matched with suppliers to ensure the security of the supply chain during the COVID-19 outbreak. The call is part of a move by CILT to match organisations together so that those who have capacity can help those in need, by making available staff, vehicles and expertise to support the supply chain. Kevin Richardson, chief executive of [...]

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Logistics training specialist SP Training is launching a series of online Driver CPC courses after welcoming the DVSA’s announcement that it will allow options for remote training. The DVSA confirmed that classroom delivery of Driver CPC periodic training was suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak and, as a temporary alternative, would allow approved trainers authorisation to deliver accepted courses remotely via digital platforms. SP Training courses suitable for remote delivery will be split into 3.5-hour sessions to encourage driver engagement [...]

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HGV driver medicals are being suspended by two of the largest providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fit to Drive suspended its D4 medicals yesterday (23 March) whilst D4Drivers suspended its medicals today. Fit2Drive Medicals carries out between 1,000 to 3,000 D4 medicals a month, whilst D4Drivers processes up to 5,000 drivers a month. Speaking to motortransport.co.uk, Fit to Drive director Paul Andrews, who also runs Clitheroe-based Paul Andrews Haulage said: “We have taken the view it is safer not to [...]

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Plans to introduce a Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) in Oxford have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new scheme was due to begin in December 2020 but Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council said local businesses and residents needed to concentrate on managing the impact of the coronavirus. They also admitted they would be unable to devote enough time to the scheme at the present time. The ZEZ covers a section of Oxford city centre and will [...]

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The Department for Transport has announced that the current limited drivers’ hours relaxation will be extended until 23.59hrs on Tuesday 21 April 2020 and apply to all road haulage operations. The move follows discussions between RHA chief executive Richard Burnett (pictured) and secretary of state for transport, Grant Shapps. “This is a blanket relaxation covering all sectors," Burnett said, "and recognises how integrated and inter-dependent supply chains are across the whole economy. The sector is working as efficiently and as [...]

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The Association of Pallet Networks (APN) is calling on government to suspend fuel duty for the logistics industry to protect hauliers from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and secure the supply chain. The APN, which represents the UK’s eight pallet networks, is also calling on the RHA and FTA to join forces with it to lobby the Treasury for the derogation. Explained APN chairman Paul Sanders: “The majority of UK haulage operations are small or SME businesses. “Their business [...]

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The DVSA has announced that all MOT testing of trucks and trailers will be suspended for three months in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Any trucks and trailers due for test in the suspension period will be issued with exemptions automatically. Some vehicles, such as those due for their first MOT test and vehicles returning to service with a test certificate that expired before March, will require an application for exemption certificates. However, the RHA has admitted it has concerns [...]

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With mounting pressure on a number of distribution operations, the government has taken steps to ease the pressure on drivers and transport operations to make sure that the supplies that we all need continue to get through. The relaxation gives some stretch to daily, weekly and fortnightly drivers’ hours and lengthens the time available for driving between rest periods. “It is absolutely vital to get flexibility into the system so that the goods that we all need are delivered," says [...]

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All London road charging schemes will be temporarily suspended from today (23 March) to help ensure supply chains are kept moving and critical workers and emergency vehicles can move around the capital during the coronavirus outbreak. Transport for London (TfL) said the Congestion Charge, Ultra Low Emission Zone and Low Emission Zone would stop operating until further notice. However, Mayor Sadiq Khan warned that the closure was not an invitation for people to take to their cars around the capital [...]

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As rising numbers of customers refuse to sign Proof of Delivery (POD) tablets due to coronavirus concerns, operators could be left exposed to future non-delivery claims, the RHA has warned. The warning comes as increasing numbers of operators report that drivers are being met at point of delivery by customers concerned about the dangers of signing for parcels on PODs that may have been handled by dozens of other customers during the driver’s rounds. In an advice note the RHA [...]

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Wimbledon-based ELB Partners has marked 50 years of business with two new Mercedes Actros, wrapped in a distinctive anniversary white and silver livery. The 20-plate HGVs, which come with camera-enabled technology to replace conventional mirrors, join two new DAFs as part of a £500,000 investment. “This year - 2020 - is a year of reflection and looking forward,” said ELB Partners MD Peter Eason, whose father George started the business in 1970. Read more ELB Partners creates driver representative role [...]

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"This has been a week of unprecedented measures for all of us," writes Road Transport Media divisional director Vic Bunby. "The continued spread of the COVID-19 virus, daily changes in government advice and guidelines around travel restrictions and social gatherings have been challenging, and unlike anything we’ve seen before. Like you, we have been working hard behind the scenes, planning the coming weeks and months as new information becomes available. I would like to update you on the status of [...]

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Transport workers are among those on a new government list of people deemed "critical to the COVID-19 response" and whose children will therefore be prioritised for educational provision in schools. Schools are currently being asked to continue to provide care for a limited number of children who are either vulnerable or who can't be safely cared for at home and whose parents are central to coping with the impact of the pandemic. The government said the list included "those who [...]

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FORS – the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme – has announced that, following the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, all FORS Bronze site audit activity will be suspended from Monday 23 March 2020 until further notice. An official communication to the scheme’s primary and secondary contacts yesterday (19 March), stated: "Organisations with audits booked to take place up to and including Monday 23 March 2020 can cancel them if they wish and receive a full audit refund. Cancellation charges will not [...]

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The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic will have grave consequences for the transport and logistics sector without urgent action at national and EU level. Most ACEA members have already announced temporary closures of plants due to collapsing demand, supply shortages and government measures and are facing cases of corona infections and quarantines among their employees. “It is clear that this is the worst crisis ever to impact the automotive industry,” admitted ACEA director general [...]

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The government’s promise to provide a £330bn package of financial measures to keep the UK industry afloat has been welcomed by hauliers, although questions remain over how quickly they can access help. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the government was prepared to do whatever it takes to shore up the economy and protect jobs and incomes with an unprecedented rescue package in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures include grants, loans and a business rates holiday, but companies and [...]

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The DVSA has suspended vehicle tests for two days to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The move comes as hauliers reported that they were struggling to book vehicle inspections and MOTs due to shortfalls of staff. A DVSA spokesman said: “We are working to put contingency plans in place to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, including suspending driver and vehicle tests for an initial period of two days from 19/3/2020. “A testing service will still be available to those [...]

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Wimbledon-based ELB Partners has marked 50 years of business with two new Mercedes Actros, wrapped in a distinctive anniversary white and silver livery. The 20-plate HGVs, which come with camera-enabled technology to replace conventional mirrors, join two new DAFs as part of a £500,000 investment. “This year - 2020 - is a year of reflection and looking forward,” said ELB Partners MD Peter Eason, whose father George started the business in 1970. Read more ELB Partners creates driver representative role [...]

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The FTA has reassured UK businesses that the supply chain is capable of handling the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic but said it would take the support of government and a flexible approach to keep goods flowing. “Logistics is one of the UK’s most flexible and adaptable industries,” explained policy director Elizabeth de Jong, “and is used to reacting to extreme disruption caused by environmental factors, fuel shortages and employment strikes. "Our members are working closely with customers to [...]

The post “Supply chain will cope if public don’t panic,” FTA insists appeared first on Motor Transport.

The IR35 tax reforms will be delayed for a year to help firms weather the coronavirus pandemic, the treasury has revealed. The move, announced by Chief Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Barclay, comes less than a week after the measures were confirmed in the Budget and a day after the House of Lords Finance Bill sub-committee called for a six- to 12-month delay to IR35 in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking during the Budget debate in [...]

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RHA chief executive Richard Burnett has paid tribute to the “positive response” from transport secretary Grant Schapps MP to a set of measures requested to support the haulage industry through the coronavirus epidemic. In a letter to Schapps seen by MT, Burnett warned that his members were “reporting catastrophic effects on their businesses” and the government needs to make “immediate financial intervention” to prevent mass bankruptcies. “I have been in regular contact with Grant Schapps and am confident he understands [...]

The post RHA chief executive confident that government is listening to plea for action over coronavirus appeared first on Motor Transport.

The London Lorry Control Scheme has been suspended in order to ease the passage of goods into shops and supermarkets. London Councils said the decision to cease enforcement of the scheme, which controls the movement of lorries at night and at weekends, was made in response to concerns by the industry, as well as government calls to lift restrictions. It said the suspension is in place until 30 April, but that it would keep it under review. In a statement, [...]

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The DVSA has had to postpone its campaign to remind HGV drivers and operators of the regulations around driving time and rests and to encourage them to stick to the rules as a result of the coronavirus. The relaxation of the drivers' hours for some drivers has made the DVSA push back its planned campaign, including answering questions from drivers and operators on the rules. Thank you to everyone who has submitted some excellent questions for clarification by the DVSA [...]

The post POSTPONED – All your questions about drivers’ hours but were afraid to ask – answered anonymously by DVSA appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government has relaxed EU drivers’ hours rules in England, Scotland and Wales for hauliers involved in the delivery of food and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. The relaxation also affects deliveries of personal care, household paper and cleaning products. The Department for Transport (DfT) said this “temporary, limited and urgent relaxation” affected drivers when undertaking journeys from distribution to stores or fulfilment centres; from manufacturers or suppliers to distribution centres (including backhauls) and stores; between distribution centres and transport hub trunking, as [...]

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The International Road Transport Union (IRU) is calling on governments and banks to help ease the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on operators so they can continue to keep supplies moving. It estimates that global road transport activity could fall by up to 20% in 2020, depending on how long the situation continues, leading to a global loss in operator revenues of around $2 trillion (£1.63 trillion). The IRU is calling for a number of measures to be taken to [...]

The post IRU calls for financial help for operators to keep supply chains moving during COVID-19 pandemic appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has added to industry calls for the government to pledge immediate financial support for hauliers who face going out of business because of the coronavirus crisis. RHA chief executive Richard Burnett (pictured) has told transport secretary Grant Shapps to undertake a series of measures to ease the burden on operators. These include immediate cash flow injections, deferment of tax payments and a delay to the launch of clean air zones by at least six months. “We need to [...]

The post Hauliers risk closure unless government gives extra financial support, warns RHA appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics companies are paying thousands of pounds to private clinics to test their drivers and warehouse staff for the coronavirus in the absence of widespread testing for the disease by the NHS. In a bid to secure their supply chains and fulfil contractual obligations during the pandemic, some companies are paying upwards of £250 per test to ensure their fleets of drivers are free of the virus. Private clinics are preparing for a rapid rise in requests for the testing [...]

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Employment agency Redwigwam is scrapping fees until further notice to help logistics firms ensure they have enough drivers and warehouse workers to keep the supply chain moving. The company specialises in helping firms find flexible workers to carry out short-term and ad hoc jobs. Lorna Davidson (pictured), founder and chief executive of Liverpool-based Redwigwam, said: “Coronavirus is already having a massive impact on businesses across the UK and the government has made clear that the situation will get worse over [...]

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The delayed Birmingham Clean Air Zone (CAZ) could face further setbacks due to the coronavirus pandemic, the council has warned. Birmingham City Council was forced to delay the launch of its CAZ in January this year following issues with the government’s online vehicle checking tool. The launch date was pushed back to June and while the council is still aiming for that date it warned this week the COVID-19 outbreak could create further delays. A spokesperson said: “We aim to [...]

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ITT Hub 2020 has been postponed until 12 and 13 May 2021 in response to the current coronavirus outbreak. Organised by Binswood Media with FTA support, the new show is designed to showcase innovation and technology in road freight transport. However, the company said it had now taken the decision to postpone the launch event planned to take place at Farnborough International Conference & Exhibition Centre on the 13 and 14 May 2020. "This decision has not been taken lightly [...]

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Home delivery drivers should be regularly tested for Coronavirus and customers should not sign for delivery on fingertip screens, the head of fleet software firm FleetCheck is warning. MD Peter Golding (pictured) has called for clear government or industry guidance on the way shopping is delivered to customers to prevent home delivery spreading the virus to both drivers and customers. He said: “This is an area where we need to establish some sensible ground rules very quickly, we believe. Home [...]

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International haulage is crucial for many UK fleets, with thousands of operators completing European contracts and many European hauliers doing likewise across the UK. UK government statistics highlight that, from July 2018 to June 2019, international road freight activity completed by UK-registered HGVs saw an increase of 5% in the amount of goods moved compared to the previous 12 months, with a total of 5.5bn tonne-kms. In many cases, such routes mean that a driver can cross through several countries [...]

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‘Dynamic’ hard shoulder running on smart motorways is to be brought to an end after analysis found it caused confusion and increased the risk of accidents. In addition, the deployment of radar-based ‘stopped vehicle detection’ will be ramped up across the entire smart motorway network, after government research showed the risk of collisions between moving and stationary vehicles had increased. Near misses on smart motorways have risen twenty-fold in the past five years to 1,485, compared to 72 near misses [...]

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SME operators will go out of business unless the government reforms its clean air zone (CAZ) policy and introduces ‘intelligent phasing’, the RHA has warned. Responding to the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for road haulage’s inquiry into CAZ, the trade association said the current approach was expensive, inflexible and ineffective. Chief executive Richard Burnett said CAZs had wiped as much as £1.2bn off the value of the Euro-5 fleet and that it was “a grievous body blow for hauliers”. [...]

The post “Reform clean air zone policy or watch operators go out of business,” RHA urges government appeared first on Motor Transport.

The BVRLA has welcomed the range of electric vehicle grants and tax incentives announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in today's (11 March) Budget. The trade body for the vehicle rental, leasing and fleet industry said the measures would provide a major boost for those looking to speed-up the transition to zero-emission transport. Key announcements that will support fleets and help drive the uptake of electric vehicles include a £532m pledge to maintain the Plug-In Car and Van Grants until March [...]

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Kinaxia Logistics chief executive Simon Hobbs (pictured) has welcomed today's (March 11) Budget in which the Chancellor promised that the NHS will get "whatever it needs, whatever it costs" to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. Rishi Sunak said his three-point £1bn plan to tackle the impact of the virus on the UK workforce would include extending access to statutory sick pay and allowing anyone self-isolating to get a sick note over the phone. He also promised that the government would make [...]

The post Kinaxia boss praises Budget pledge to support UK workforce amid Coronavirus outbreak appeared first on Motor Transport.

A campaign group is also seeking a judicial review of the government’s decision to introduce smart motorways. It has appointed Yogi Amin, human rights lawyer and partner at Irwin Mitchell to pursue the case and has raised almost £10,000 of the £20,000 it needs to fund the case on crowdfunding site Crowd Justice. The Smart Motorways Kill campaign group was launched by relatives and friends of some the 38 people that have died since 2015 on smart motorways. The group’s [...]

The post Campaigners to launch legal challenge to smart motorway programme appeared first on Motor Transport.

Telematics and transport technology firm Microlise has bought TruTac in a move aimed at strengthening its presence in the HGV and PSV sectors. The company, which was launched in 1990, specialises in providing fleet compliance and management software for HGVs and PSVs. The acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, sees Coventry-based TruTac remain an independent company within the Microlise Group. Nadeem Raza, Microlise chief executive, said: “We are delighted to announce this acquisition and we welcome the TruTac team to Microlise. [...]

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The government has given supermarkets the go-ahead to ramp up night-time deliveries and is looking at extending delivery drivers’ hours to ensure stores remain stocked during the coronavirus outbreak. The emergency measures, announced today, will see delivery hours to supermarkets extended outside night-time curfew hours to help food retailers respond to increased demand for long-life food and hygiene supplies. The government said it is also looking at allowing extensions on drivers’ hours “to respond to any shortage of delivery drivers” [...]

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HGV service provider AS24 has launched a low-power tracker to combat trailer theft. The 'FindIT' device has been developed after an ONS study revealed that thefts involving transport companies increased by 7% last year. The new battery-powered technology features a "low-cost box", which can be fitted in five minutes, the company said. The device locates the trailer and sends the haulage operator an alert when it is not where it should be. Operators can therefore access information on all their [...]

The post AS24 launches tracker to combat trailer theft appeared first on Motor Transport.

FORS – the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme – has contacted the Traffic Commissioner (TC) for the west of England, Kevin Rooney, to "seek clarification on comments that its audits had on occasion fallen short of a diligent, high-standard process". "Remarks published in recent press reports suggest that a FORS member audit had been hastily carried out and not conducted on site," a statement said. "FORS has requested further information to enable an investigation. Although the TC has acknowledged receipt of [...]

The post FORS seeks clarification from Traffic Commissioner over audit criticism appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government’s £25bn Roads Programme is facing delays while the DfT reappraises the strategy in the light of the recent Court of Appeal ruling on plans to expand Heathrow. The review could result in some major road schemes, including plans to expand the Smart Motorway programme, delayed or scrapped altogether. The five-year Roads Programme, which plans to expand more than 100 major roads, was due to start next month and was expected to be published alongside this week’s budget. However, [...]

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Hopes for an 11th hour U-turn on IR35 have been dashed this week after an HMRC review confirmed that the proposed tax changes - which could see driver agency rates leap by 20% - will go ahead from April. The IR35 review, dubbed Review of Changes to the Off-payroll Working Rules, was launched in January this year on the back of a pre-election promise from former Chancellor Sajid Javid that he would “make sure that the proposed changes are right [...]

The post No 11th hour U-turn on IR35, HMRC review confirms appeared first on Motor Transport.

Motor Transport has teamed with the CV Show to bring visitors to the show a Future Transport Theatre to examine some of the big issues facing road transport. Taking place on every day of the show which runs from April 28 to 30 at the Birmingham NEC, the Future Transport Theatre will be held adjacent to the Commercial Motor stand 4G35 in hall 4. The provisional running order is: Tuesday 1000 The Road to Zero – is diesel dead? – [...]

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The DVSA is to launch a campaign to remind HGV drivers and operators of the regulations around driving time and rests, and to encourage them to stick to the rules. Mark Horton, DVSA enforcement policy manager, said: “HGV drivers do a vital job in often difficult circumstances. We know it’s not always easy to comply with the rules on breaks and rests, but they are there for a reason – to help keep our roads safer for everyone. “That’s why [...]

The post All your questions about drivers’ hours but were afraid to ask – answered anonymously by DVSA appeared first on Motor Transport.

The industry has begun making plans to mitigate the effects of Covid-19, but hauliers have told motortransport.co.uk they also need the government to provide more regular updates on the spread of the virus. As UK health officials moved into the second phase of their response to the coronavirus outbreak, companies involved in logistics and distribution said the burden of responsibility to keep supermarkets and shops fully stocked was “huge”. Peter Whitehead, MD at PF Whitehead in Croydon, said it had [...]

The post Coronavirus: “We feel a huge burden to keep the wheels turning,” admit hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

HGV service provider AS 24 has launched a low-power tracker to combat trailer theft. The 'FindIT' device has been developed after an ONS study revealed that thefts involving transport companies increased by 7% last year. The new battery-powered technology features a "low-cost box", which can be fitted in five minutes, the company said. The device locates the trailer and sends the haulage operator an alert when it is not where it should be. Operators can therefore access information on all [...]

The post AS 24 launches tracker to combat trailer theft appeared first on Motor Transport.

A new public hydrogen refuelling station has opened at Wallyford, less than a mile off the A1 and 8 miles to the east of Edinburgh. The Logan Energy station supplies vans, trucks and buses with hydrogen at 350 bar; it is the first in Scotland’s Central Belt and the only hydrogen station between Aberdeen and Sheffield. Logan Energy has a "strong belief in the hydrogen economy and its role in the future energy system", and has financed the station itself. [...]

The post Hydrogen drought in Scotland’s Central Belt ended with Edinburgh refuelling station appeared first on Motor Transport.

Michelin has pledged to fundraise £25,000 for charity Transaid after renewing its membership with the international development organisation. The renewal extends a relationship that began when Transaid was founded by Save the Children, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK) in 1998. Michelin intends to fundraise the money in cycle challenge sponsorship this year. Read more Malcolm Group driver trainer completes Transaid HGV placement in Tanzania Neat idea to fund Transaid bicycle ambulances while cutting plastic use XPO Logistics [...]

The post Michelin to raise £25,000 for Transaid through cycle challenge sponsorship appeared first on Motor Transport.

A plan to transport freight from Manston Airport to the capital by electric vehicle to Ramsgate Port and onwards to London via the River Thames is being discussed by The Port of London Authority (PLA) and airport owners RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP). RSP is currently applying for a development consent order to create an air cargo hub at the Manston airport site. A decision from the DfT is expected on 18 May. The developer plans to reopen and develop Manston [...]

The post Manston Airport owners mull freight route to London via Ramsgate Port and Thames appeared first on Motor Transport.

RHA chief executive Richard Burnett is the latest speaker to be announced at the Microlise Transport Conference taking place on the 20 May at The Ricoh Arena in Coventry. Burnett will discuss 'the post-Brexit landscape', clean air zones, investment in road infrastructure and the skills shortage and need for diversity within the transport sector. He will also update the industry on the continuing work the RHA is doing to tackle the issues facing operators. “The Microlise Transport Conference is the [...]

The post RHA chief executive to examine sector’s future at Microlise Transport Conference appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government should make the use of longer semi-trailers (LSTs) a permanent fixture on the UK’s roads following the successful outcome of its trial, according to the FTA. The DfT funded study demonstrates that use of these vehicles continues to have a significant impact on the reduction of carbon emissions and road congestion across the UK. They have also been found to be safe for both the driver and other road users. Explained Phil Lloyd, head of engineering & vehicle [...]

The post DfT holding back benefits of longer semi trailers, claims FTA appeared first on Motor Transport.

Technology specialist Samsara has launched new tools to help operators looking to transition their fleets to electric. The products include real-time current and historical state of charge (SoC) reports and ways to monitor charging status to determine if their vehicles are plugged in and charging. New alerts also notify operators if the SoC falls below a particular custom percentage so the driver can route the vehicle to the closest charging station. The new products also aim to help operators leverage [...]

The post Samsara launches tools to help operators switch to electric fleets appeared first on Motor Transport.

John Heirs, driver training & compliance manager with Malcolm Group, has returned to the UK after completing his third voluntary placement supporting Transaid’s Professional Driver Training Project with the National Institute of Transport (NIT) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The project aims to reduce the number of road crashes and fatalities on Tanzanian roads by improving the standards of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and passenger service vehicle (PSV) driver training. During the secondment, Heirs delivered training to six NIT driver [...]

The post Malcolm Group driver trainer completes Transaid HGV placement in Tanzania appeared first on Motor Transport.

HS2 Ltd, the public body tasked with overseeing the project, has revealed that at least 500 tippers may be needed full-time during the peak of its construction. The vast majority of the 132m tonnes of material excavated during the development of the high-speed railway will be moved by site haul plant to locations it can be safely and smartly reused in Phase One of the project without moving it off-site. Ben Goodwin, HS2 communications manager: Phase Two – Eastern Leg, [...]

The post HS2 may need over 500 full-time tippers at construction peak appeared first on Motor Transport.

Road users are being urged to report poor road signs on motorways and A-roads in a bid to force Highways England to improve signage across the UK’s major roads network. The Sort My Sign campaign, launched by Transport Focus, aims to pressure Highways England to make signs, including electronic signs, clearer to improve safety and reduce driver stress. The information from road users will be used by Transport Focus to create a map identifying poor signs which will be used [...]

The post Roads watchdog calls for road users to name and shame poor road signs appeared first on Motor Transport.

An environmental campaign group is planning a legal challenge to the government’s £28.8bn roads programme on the grounds that it breaches UK climate and environment laws. Campaign group Transport Action Network is warning that the DfT’s latest five-year Road Investment Strategy, due to be published in April, does not take into account recent government commitments on reducing carbon emissions. The warning follows the successful legal challenge to Heathrow Airport's expansion plans, which saw the Appeal Court rule that the plans [...]

The post Government’s £28bn road programme set to face similar legal challenge used to halt Heathrow expansion appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government has confirmed that around 50,000 workers will need to be recruited to fill out customs paperwork for trade with the EU after Brexit in a Canada-style deal. Pressed by Labour MP Justin Madders over whether it was feasible to recruit and train an estimated 50,000 new customs officers in less than six months, cabinet office minister Michael Gove said: “Yes, it is and the government stand behind that.” The FTA said negotiations with the EU over a future [...]

The post New Brexit border rules will require 50,000 extra customs officers, government admits appeared first on Motor Transport.

Significant financial, regulatory and societal barriers are preventing commercial vehicle operators from investing more in road safety practices, according to a report from the International Road Transport Union (IRU). It found that while 80% of logistics operators will continue to invest in road safety and the industry recognises it has a key role in safety improvements, financial resources, a resistance to change and technology know-how were all preventing further investment. The IRU said 3,500 people die on the roads around [...]

The post Make a bigger investment in road safety, operators urged appeared first on Motor Transport.

Ford Motor Company is the latest big name to sign up for ITT Hub 2020 at Farnborough International Conference & Exhibition Centre on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 May. Ford will be showcasing its latest commercial vehicle range and providing live demos. The company joins over 80 confirmed exhibitors including DAF Trucks, Iveco, Mercedes Benz Truck, Renault Truck & Van and Volvo Group. The event features indoor and outdoor space, a ride and drive vehicle demonstration programme featuring all the [...]

The post Ford Motor Company signs up for ITT Hub 2020 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Plans for a controversial clean air zone (CAZ) in Coventry have been abandoned in a move the RHA has described as "a victory for common sense". The Government has now backed Coventry City Council’s plans to improve air quality without charging hauliers and other road users. New measures including improved road networks and investment in cleaner air technologies have won ministers over after they had originally ordered local officials to implement a CAZ to bring emissions down to within legal [...]

The post Hauliers claim victory as Coventry CAZ scheme is scrapped appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has repeated its plea to the French authorities to do more to protect truck drivers from violent migrant gangs looking to enter the UK illegally. The call comes after an HGV driver was allegedly threatened with guns and knives at a French service station on Thursday night (20 February). The driver reported being confronted by a migrant gang while parked off the A26 in Guignicourt, near Reims – 150 miles from Calais. Police were called and the driver [...]

The post Migrant gangs step up attacks on British truckers appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government is being urged not to raise fuel duty in the forthcoming Budget following speculation that the first increase in a decade is on the cards. Reports suggest that the plan under consideration is an increase of around 2ppl, although the rise may not be introduced until next year. However, the RHA said if the tax went up with the rate of inflation then the annual cost of running an HGV would increase by £763. Instead, the trade association [...]

The post Government urged to maintain 10-year freeze on fuel duty in March Budget appeared first on Motor Transport.

A national survey of road freight operators on the impact of clean air zones (CAZs) has been launched by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Road Freight and Logistics as part of its first inquiry of the new parliamentary session. The APPG is chaired by former transport minister Sir Mike Penning MP, who said: “We all welcome the government’s determination to tackle the challenge of air quality in our towns and cities, but it is essential that well intentioned policies do [...]

The post Hauliers to get their say to government on impact of clean air zones appeared first on Motor Transport.

Doctors on Wheels is circumventing a DVLA ban on its D4 medicals by offering HGV drivers medicals with self-employed doctors, MT has learnt. DVLA stopped accepting all D4 medicals from Doctors on Wheels (DoW) from 20 June last year. The decision was triggered by an investigation into the company, which saw raids on the firm’s offices in Swindon, Leicester and Huddersfield. The joint investigation by DVLA and Swansea Trading Standards was prompted by claims that D4 medicals were not being [...]

The post Doctors on Wheels still offering D4 driver medicals appeared first on Motor Transport.

The deadline to enter the 2020 Motor Transport Awards has been extended to 5pm on 6 March. To request an extension go to the MT Awards website and complete the form. This year, to reflect the increasing pace of adoption of electric and other alternative fuelled vans, the awards include two new categories: Clean Fleet Van of the Year sponsored by Close Brothers Vehicle Hire and Clean Fleet Van Operator of the Year sponsored by Renault Trucks. The 34th Motor Transport Awards [...]

The post Deadline extended to enter 2020 Motor Transport Awards appeared first on Motor Transport.

Classifying HGV drivers as ‘low skilled’ and refusing potential applicants from getting visas could cause the industry to grind to a halt, business groups have warned. The government this week unveiled its plan to move away from the UK’s reliance on “cheap labour” from Europe and instead “encourage people with the right talent.” The proposals include expanding the definition of skilled workers to those educated to A-level/Scottish Highers equivalent standard. A points-based system would also be introduced, with overseas citizens [...]

The post FTA “appalled” by points-based immigration plan appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hundreds of millions of pounds raised by employers and intended to pay for apprentices has not been used and has instead paid back to the government, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information act. The data obtained by the BBC showed that 55 of the largest employers in England each released more than £1m back to the government after the money was not used to train apprentices. In total, almost 5,000 companies in England relinquished £401m of funding [...]

The post New probe points to major flaw in apprenticeship levy appeared first on Motor Transport.

The industry is sailing headlong into a “perfect storm” of conditions that will push the current shortage of HGV drivers to crisis levels, according to recruiter Driver Require. It said the culmination of Brexit, a drop in the exchange rate and impending IR35 legislation, which aims to close a limited company loophole, all stack up to make the UK a less attractive place to work for foreign HGV drivers. And whereas previously the industry has avoided the driver shortage becoming [...]

The post IR35 rollout could trigger mass exodus of foreign HGV drivers appeared first on Motor Transport.

The shortage of LGV drivers in the UK is heading towards crisis point as a “perfect storm” of circumstances will see the current 50,000 gap in the workforce widen unless rates of pay and working conditions are rapidly improved, according to recruitment specialist Driver Require. Its latest report 'Investigating the UK’s LGV driver shortage' says the shortage of LGV drivers has been growing steadily over the past 10 years, with demand currently 370,000 drivers but only 320,000 currently working. The UK has so [...]

The post HGV driver shortage will grow to “crisis point” unless pay and conditions improve appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA has announced that it will change its name to Logistics UK from the end of May. The move comes as the organisation looks to achieve more for its members and change the way it is perceived by people outside the industry. "For people who don’t really know us, the name Logistics UK is modern, it’s impactful, it’s authoritative," FTA marketing and communications director Kevin Green told motortransport.co.uk. "But we’re not changing who we are or what we do. [...]

The post FTA to rebrand and become Logistics UK appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Unite union has strongly criticised plans to rely on a movable concrete barrier on the M20 to deal with cross channel disruption while ignoring the welfare needs of HGV drivers. It said the replacement of former traffic initiative Operation Brock with a new system was going ahead without consultation with the industry and with inadequate welfare provisions. The union quoted an “admission” from the Department for Transport in a Freedom of Information response that “in the event of severe [...]

The post New M20 barrier “ignores basic welfare needs of HGV drivers”, Unite claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

Local councils near the Severn Crossing are considering congestion charges to cope with rising traffic levels triggered by the scrapping of tolls on the bridge. According to the latest local transport plan from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), "charging measures and controls" may have to be introduced to tackle congestion caused by the removal of tolls on the Severn Crossing in December 2018. Both the Welsh government and WECA - which includes Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol [...]

The post West of England councils mull congestion charges as traffic from toll-free Severn Crossing spikes appeared first on Motor Transport.

Essential, immersive and industry-focused – The Microlise Transport Conference continues to pack a punch... The event attracts the calibre of speaker that encourages laser-sharp industry debate and collaboration. Among the speakers that will take to the main stage on 20 May at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry will be Sir Peter Hendy, Network Rail chair and Caroline Hicks, head of the the National Enforcement Group at the DVSA. Hendy will provide delegates with the inside track on bridge strikes. This [...]

The post Network Rail chair and DVSA National Enforcement lead announced as first two speakers for Microlise Conference on 20 May appeared first on Motor Transport.

A movable concrete barrier on the M20 that can be set up "within hours" to keep Kent’s roads moving at times of cross-channel disruption will be on standby from later this year, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced today (Monday 17 February). Once a specialist vehicle is in place, Highways England will be able to deploy the barrier, helping ensure minimum disruption to traffic. The idea will be a "marked improvement to Operation Brock", a government spokesman said, which required a [...]

The post New M20 barrier will be marked improvement on Operation Brock, government insists appeared first on Motor Transport.

UK hauliers undertaking international work in the EU should prepare for the ending of cabotage from next year, according to the RHA. It is expected that the European Commission will disallow cabotage operations from UK companies in the EU from 1 January 2021 when the transition period ends. The RHA said this could change as a result of ongoing negotiations, but for now operators should assume cabotage will no longer be permitted from next year. Article 8 of Regulation 1072/2009 [...]

The post RHA urges UK hauliers to prepare for ending of cabotage appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers are calling on the Welsh government not to follow England in creating “expensive” and “inflexible” clean air zones. The RHA made the call this week as officials from the National Assembly of Wales launched an inquiry into air quality. Chris Ashley, RHA environment and regulation policy chief is warning the Welsh Government against adopting similar “flawed” CAZ plans to England’s, which he says are forcing operators to upgrade trucks prematurely and putting firms out of business. Responding to the [...]

The post Don’t adopt England’s “inflexible” CAZ framework, RHA warns Wales appeared first on Motor Transport.

With the imminent crackdown on bogus self-employed workers in logistics, operators are being urged to act now to avoid significant disruption to their businesses. Despite the government’s announcement that it intends to review the proposed application of IR35 to the private sector, driver recruitment specialist Driver Require says operators should not to see this as a postponement or cancellation of the IR35 plans but for what it is: a review with no guaranteed outcome. Financial secretary to the Treasury Jesse [...]

The post Hauliers urged to prepare for roll out of IR35 to agency workers appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has described the government’s decision to go ahead with high-speed rail link HS2 as a huge relief to the tipper sector but warned it will cause serious disruption to the wider transport and logistics industry. The work is expected to be completed by 2040 and will link London to Birmingham, and then Manchester and Leeds However, speaking to motortransport.co.uk, RHA head of technical services Malcolm Dodds said that although the news would ease long-standing uncertainty [...]

The post HS2 go-ahead good news for tipper sector but will badly disrupt local road network, RHA warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

Small businesses in transport and distribution are looking forward to “a new era of planning for sales growth” according to latest research, which claimed Brexit uncertainty had now been cast aside. Figures from Hitachi Capital Business Finance (HCBF) showed growth prospects for small firms in the sector had increased for the fourth successive quarter. Growth outlook had jumped to 34%, from 29% at the end of last year and those predicting contraction had fallen from 29% in the third quarter [...]

The post Small transport businesses can expect “new era of growth”, report claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

The logistics industry is calling for urgent action to prepare for a no-deal Brexit after the government confirmed this week that there will be trade barriers post-Brexit for both exports and imports. Speaking at a Cabinet Office event entitled Preparing Our Border for the Future Relationship, Michael Gove - the cabinet minister in charge of Brexit arrangements - told delegates there will be checks on food and animal products at the border and a need for customs declarations and safety [...]

The post “Urgent” government action needed to prepare for post-Brexit trade barriers, industry warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

Government plans for a national Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charging system that will not allow operators of non-Euro-6 trucks to automatically pay entry charges have been slammed as “anti-business, childish and unacceptable” by the RHA. The CAZ charging system is the brain child of the Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU), which is a joint venture between the DfT and DEFRA. CAZ charges will be applied to all trucks that do not meet Euro 6 standards and can be as high [...]

The post RHA slams CAZ national charging plans as “anti-business” and “childish” appeared first on Motor Transport.

Accreditation scheme FORS “isn’t fit for purpose”, with auditing processes that are no longer thorough enough, according to the traffic commissioner for the West of England, Kevin Rooney (pictured). Rooney’s comments at a recent compliance conference in Somerset appeared to reveal frustration among the traffic commissioners at FORS member companies attending public inquiries with inadequate auditing procedures. Rooney said: “FORS, as it is currently put together, isn’t fit for purpose. It is not doing what it was meant to do. [...]

The post “FORS not fit for purpose,” insists West of England traffic commissioner appeared first on Motor Transport.

The IVECO manufacturing facility in Ulm, Germany, is to be the production hub for the Nikola TRE battery electric and fuel-cell electric heavy-duty truck models. CNH Industrial brands IVECO and FPT took a $250m stake in Nikola last September. The announcement was followed in December with the unveiling of the Nikola TRE, a battery electric vehicle (BEV) heavy duty truck, which is the first step towards the fuel-cell electric (FCEV) model. The Ulm region has committed a substantial investment to [...]

The post Production hub revealed for Nikola TRE heavy-duty electric trucks appeared first on Motor Transport.

A new customer survey has revealed that 75% of transport planning professionals have seen increasing pressure to reduce their environmental impact in the last 12 months, yet two thirds (66%) believe that much more needs to be done to keep pace with public pressure for action. The annual Paragon survey was completed by more than 100 industry specialists and suggests that the greatest pressure for change is financial, with 56% of respondents highlighting added costs such as rising fuel prices. [...]

The post Transport industry failing on its green responsibilities, new report claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government must provide reassurance that cleaner lorries running on alternative fuels will last for at least 12 years if the industry is to decarbonise within the next 20 years, according to the RHA. Following an announcement this week that the UK has pulled forwards its ban on petrol and diesel cars and vans to 2035, business groups have warned that any shift to electric or alternatively fuelled vans and lorries will require a huge investment in overhauling the nation’s [...]

The post RHA demands alternatively fueled vehicles have at least 12-year lifespan after petrol and diesel ban is brought forward appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) has partnered with charity Mates in Mind to improve the mental health of its workforce and members. Mates in Mind was established to tackle the challenges of mental ill-health specifically within the construction sector, but the tie-up comes amid plans to expand the support and services it offers to incorporate transport and logistics companies. Explained Martin Lockham, growth development manager at Mates in Mind: “After our successes within the construction sector, providing organisations with [...]

The post FORS partners with mental health charity Mates in Mind appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Minister of State for the Future of Transport, Mr George Freeman MP, will make an official visit to the inaugural Innovation & Technology in Transport (ITT Hub) at Farnborough International Conference & Exhibition Centre on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 May. The MP for Mid Norfolk, who was appointed to his current role in 2019, is responsible for decarbonisation, transport technology, innovation, devolution and connectivity. He will be visiting Farnborough International on Wednesday 13 May, the first day of [...]

The post Minister of State for the Future of Transport George Freeman to make official visit to ITT Hub appeared first on Motor Transport.

This year's CV Show is to tackle negative perceptions of the transport and logistics industry and its worsening skills shortage. The UK's largest CV expo takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on 28-30 April and, alongside leading driver training specialists, providers will showcase the ways in which any necessary qualifications can be gained. New data has revealed that up to 64% of UK transport and logistics companies are facing a severe skills shortage in the coming year with the [...]

The post CV Show 2020 to tackle negative perceptions and severe skills shortage appeared first on Motor Transport.

A breakdown in car MOT tests in Northern Ireland could hit HGV testing slots after the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) resorted to using heavy duty lanes in a bid to clear the backlog. The use of vehicle lifts in all test centres across the province has been suspended after inspections revealed widespread signs of cracking in the equipment. The DVA said opening hours have been extended “to increase capacity to facilitate the prioritisation of taxis and four-year-old vehicles with [...]

The post Northern Ireland MOT chaos may delay HGV tests appeared first on Motor Transport.

The current industry skills shortage may not be resolved by proposals to reduce the salary threshold for immigration after Brexit – because HGV drivers are generally paid more than £30,000, according to Talent in Logistics. Skilled migrants from outside the EU currently need to have a job offer with a minimum salary of £30,000, but in a report by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), it said this should fall to £25,600 for all workers to help recruit staff. Ruth Edwards, [...]

The post Post-Brexit salary threshold on immigration will lead to escalating skills shortage, government warned appeared first on Motor Transport.

A senior coroner is demanding DfT take action to warn HGV drivers, operators and truck manufacturers that tray tables placed on dashboards can lead to fatal accidents by creating dangerous blindspots. The call follows an inquest into the death of Dr. Suzanna Bull who died in 2017 when she was knocked off her bike and dragged under a 32-tonne Scania truck as it turned left in Birmingham city centre. The Coroners Court heard that the driver, Robert Bradbury, who was [...]

The post Senior coroner calls for drivers to be warned against using tray tables on truck dashboards appeared first on Motor Transport.

Plans to build an HGV parking area along the route of the Lower Thames Crossing have been dropped, in a move that has drawn criticism from the RHA and FTA. A further consultation into the construction of Britain’s longest road tunnel connecting Kent, Essex and Thurrock has launched, but key changes to the design of the road include removing a rest and service area and maintenance depot, as well as a junction at Tilbury. Highways England said the changes reflect [...]

The post Industry bodies slam move to scrap HGV parking area on route of Lower Thames Crossing appeared first on Motor Transport.

Paragon Software Systems has introduced a zoning tool in the latest version of its routing and scheduling software. Using 'Zone Editor', operators will now be able to automatically factor in geographic restrictions such as Low Emission Zones. The new functionality aims to allow geographic zones to be specified and stored within Paragon’s routing and scheduling software to help manage the increasing complexity of urban distribution plans. Transport planners will have the ability to create areas where low emission vehicles must [...]

The post Paragon Software Systems launches zoning tool to help operators navigate restricted areas appeared first on Motor Transport.

RHA chief executive Richard Burnett has called for better refuge areas and clearer signage on Smart motorways amid growing industry calls for the idea to be scrapped. BBC’s Panorama (27 January) revealed that 38 people had been killed on smart motorways in the last five years and ‘near misses’ on a section of the M25 had risen 20-fold since the hard shoulder was removed in April 2014. The government minister who approved the roll out of the system told the [...]

The post “Smart motorways need better refuge areas and clearer signage,” insists RHA appeared first on Motor Transport.

Decarbonising UK road transport at the rate required to achieve the government’s net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050 will require much greater emphasis on developing renewable bio and synthetic fuels for use in conventional internal combustion engines (ICE), according to the influential Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). In a new report, ‘Accelerating road transport decarbonisation’ the IMechE argues that while the development of battery electric vehicles (BEVs)will be important in the long term, this technology cannot replace ICE engines quickly [...]

The post Biofuels are quicker route to decarbonising road transport than battery electric appeared first on Motor Transport.

A new category for vans powered by clean alternative fuels - Clean Fleet Van of the Year - has been introduced by the Motor Transport Awards. While only 1% of the 311,000 vans under 3.5 tonnes sold last year were electric, there is a growing appetite among fleet operators for low emissions vehicles and this new award is for the clean van below 7.5 tonnes GVW that is leading the way from drawing board to volume sales. It can be powered [...]

The post Motor Transport Awards introduce new Clean Fleet Van of the Year category appeared first on Motor Transport.

Operator demand for rented and leased commercial vehicles is on the rise driven by a “perfect storm” of factors including Brexit uncertainty, air quality legislation and the decline in traditional retail. According to a major report, published by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) this week, these pressures are undermining operator confidence in how and when to invest in their fleets, resulting in a shift to short-term solutions. The BVRLA’s 2020 Industry Outlook: Commercial Vehicles report – compiled [...]

The post Leasing deals on rise as operators delay fleet upgrades in face of economic uncertainty appeared first on Motor Transport.

Ensure free movement of trucks between the EU and UK after Brexit or face "significant disruption" to the economy, the logistics industry warned this week, following a government shift towards a hard Brexit. The calls from both FTA and RHA follow signs that the government is hardening its approach to Brexit and comments from Chancellor Sajid Javid that industry has had enough time to prepare. FTA policy director Elizabeth de Jong challenged his claims, saying the government had yet to [...]

The post Government drift towards hard Brexit unnerves logistics industry appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Energy Networks Association (ENA) has claimed hydrogen is the best alternative fuel option for HGV operators looking to cut carbon emissions and will play a major role in the future of heavy haulage. Speaking to motortransport.co.uk at the Westminster launch of a report by the Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce into the ‘electric vehicle transition’, ENA head of innovation Randolph Brazier (pictured) said: “One thing that didn’t come across today is that it’s not all about electrification. We represent the [...]

The post “Hydrogen makes more sense than electric for heavy haulage,” claims energy expert appeared first on Motor Transport.

The chronic lack of lorry parking sites in Kent has been raised in the House of Commons by an MP who urged the government to deliver on what it promised “long ago”. Dover MP Natalie Elphicke said lorries travelling through the port were the “beating heart of our national economy” and yet there were not enough truckstops to cater for the demand. She added that “making time for such a debate is not simply a matter of concern for the [...]

The post MP demands inquiry over Kent truckstop shortage appeared first on Motor Transport.

Lawyers are working on a High Court legal challenge calling for Smart motorways to be scrapped after two men were knocked down and killed at the roadside by an HGV. Solicitors at Irwin Mitchell said the safety of the all lanes running (ALR) initiative had been called into question several times and the number of deaths on these routes across the country was now “a major cause for concern". ALR is one of a suite of tools transport chiefs have [...]

The post Lawyers call for ban on Smart motorways after spate of fatal accidents appeared first on Motor Transport.

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that it has issued more than 8,000 HGV safety permits as part of the Direct Vision Standard since it launched last October. Freight operators are required to obtain a free permit, which is needed to be compliant with the scheme before enforcement begins on 26 October. The Direct Vision Standard seeks to tackle road danger at its source by minimising HGV blind spots. Based on how much a driver can see directly through their [...]

The post TfL urges operators to apply for HGV safety permit by 26 October to comply with new Direct Vision Standard appeared first on Motor Transport.

The organisers of ITT Hub 2020, the new event for innovation and technology in road based-transport, have announced that it will host a special area for government and non-governmental organisations that play a key role in the provision, regulation and development of current and future services across the whole sector. The event will take place at Farnborough International Conference & Exhibition Centre on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 May 2020 and the 'Government Hub' will feature various agencies in a [...]

The post ITT Hub 2020 to host government agencies that play key role in transport sector appeared first on Motor Transport.

Accompanied roll on/roll off (roro) traffic will grow to an 80% market share by 2050 if driverless HGVs replace much of the country’s conventional lorry and container transport, according to a white paper. Technical developments and commercial and environmental pressures over the next 30 years are expected to encourage freight operators to explore innovative ways to ship goods through ports. It would result in a growth in traffic through almost all of the ports in Britain, but particularly through the [...]

The post New research points to rapid rise of ‘driverless accompanied’ roro traffic appeared first on Motor Transport.

A well-regarded and vital truckstop in Coventry will shut its doors for the last time on 27 January. PJM Lorry Park, which has close links to all the major motorways, said its customers could park over the weekend of 25-26 January, but the site would need to be vacated by 5am the following day. PJM MD Paul Moore said: “It is with great regret that we are forced to close the lorry park due to circumstances beyond our control. “We’d [...]

The post PJM Lorry Park in Coventry to close appeared first on Motor Transport.

HGV drivers on board a roro ferry that rolled heavily in rough seas en route to Scotland ignored international regulations and stayed in their cabs, putting themselves and rescuers at risk. A Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report highlighted the “industry-wide” issue of drivers remaining in their vehicles, after nine lorries toppled over on the P&O ferry as it sailed from Northern Ireland to Cairnryan on 18 December. The report also identified that the forecast weather conditions had not been [...]

The post HGV drivers in hot water after ferry accident exposes regulations breach appeared first on Motor Transport.

A quarter of operators have still not tapped into the potential of using telematics on their HGV fleets, according to new fleet management research commissioned by Motor Transport and Fraikin. Those reporting they did not use telematics at all on their trucks predominantly comprised smaller operators running up to five vehicles. Whereas at the largest end of the operator scale, 100% of those running 500 trucks or more deployed telematics systems to some degree. Operators reported a near 50:50 divide [...]

The post One-in-four operators still missing out on telematics efficiency gains, finds research appeared first on Motor Transport.

A Suffolk MP has held “positive discussions” with Highways England about regular closures of the Orwell Bridge on the A14, after local businesses said it was costing them £1m each time. The 40-year-old bridge carries 69,000 vehicles every day but high winds often lead to it being closed, impacting heavily on the local economy. It was forced to close again on two consecutive nights last week due to wind speeds in excess of 50mph. Paul Clement, CEO of business group [...]

The post Local MP demands answers from Highways England after Orwell Bridge closures branded “utterly ridiculous” appeared first on Motor Transport.

Click here to go to the download page. The past few years has seen a steep rise in the prominence of environmental and air quality issues within the mainstream political agenda, both in the UK and globally. And road transport must play a core role in this environmental battle. However, are the strategies put in place by government to reduce harmful road emissions the right ones? Do they go far enough? And what will the impact on UK businesses be, [...]

The post Clean Air Zone update 2020 appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA has launched a new supply chain consultancy arm which specialises in warehousing. The consultancy is run by industry experts Martin Palmer, Eddie de Jong and Paul Wilson (pictured, left to right), who are experienced logistics consultants. Services offered by the new team will include warehouse improvement and optimisation, including process mapping and review, manpower modelling, system assessments and cost evaluations, as well as a full warehouse design and automation service. This will include operational profiling, modelling for storage [...]

The post FTA launches warehousing and supply chain consultancy appeared first on Motor Transport.

Brigade Electronics is warning operators to be aware that TfL has changed the Direct Vision Standards on the positioning of sensors on articulated trucks. The changes were prompted by concerns that sensors fitted to articulated lorries could be triggered by the truck turning left rather than by the presence of a cyclist or pedestrian. The Direct Vision Standard (DVS) specification has been altered to make clear that that sensors on artic cabs must be “suitably positioned to provide sufficient coverage, [...]

The post Brigade Electronics sounds alarm at DVS specification changes appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) Driver Apprenticeship is set to be torn up this summer and replaced with two new LGV Driver Apprenticeships, one of which will include the cat C+E licence for the first time, while the other will focus on urban driving skills and only include the cat C licence. The move, approved last month by the DfT and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE), the body that oversees apprenticeships, follows widespread criticism that the current [...]

The post LGV Driver Apprenticeship to be split in two for rigid and artic licences appeared first on Motor Transport.

Bath and North East Somerset Council has voted in favour of a £100 charge for non-Euro 6 HGVs entering the city's Clean Air Zone. The move has prompted RHA to warn the council that haulage firms will be put at risk by the move while the FTA said the charge will create a “stealth tax”. The warnings follow Bath and North East Somerset Council’s decision last week to charge non-Euro 6 buses, coaches and HGVs £100 to enter the CAZ, [...]

The post Hauliers face £100 Bath Clean Air Zone charge ‘stealth tax’ appeared first on Motor Transport.

Motor Transport is proud to announce a new collaboration which aims to improve the efficiency of transport planning. The UK’s leading news publisher for commercial fleet operators is bringing an innovative software solution to the sector. My Transport Planner is a unique, on-demand transport planning tool. It will enable organisations of all sizes to increase vehicle utilisation, cut costs and reduce emissions from road transport. Using the Software as a Service (SaaS) model, My Transport Planner is a pay-as-you-go solution, [...]

The post New partnership drives freight transport efficiency appeared first on Motor Transport.

Business leaders in Scotland have urged the government to follow through with its commitment to upgrade the A96 and A9 and ignore calls to abandon the investment in response to the climate emergency. They have written to cabinet secretaries Derek Mackay MSP and Michael Matheson MSP, to counter calls for the Scottish government to shelve investment in the two key routes to the North and North-East ahead of the next Budget. The Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) said everyone supported [...]

The post Upgrades to A96 and A9 must go ahead, Scottish business tells government appeared first on Motor Transport.

Manufacturers must provide definitive timelines about when they intend to make heavier electric vehicles (EVs) available to operators if widespread take-up of the technology is to become a reality, according to the FTA. It said that for a number of years it had urged vehicles makers to progress the development of EVs over 3.5-tonnes – as well as tippers and pickups – and yet its latest research revealed continuing frustration among fleet operators over the limited models available. The FTA [...]

The post Choice of electric vehicles still too limited, claim operators appeared first on Motor Transport.

Half of operators (49.6%) believe they will slash the CO2 emissions of their fleets by at least 15% by 2025, according to new research by conducted by Motor Transport and Fraikin. While nearly one-fifth (17.4%) believe they will be able to exceed the 15% voluntary CO2 reduction target set to industry by the government in its Road to Zero strategy. A further 30% felt it unlikely their fleets would succeed in the challenge, while a further one-fifth remained unsure. However [...]

The post Fleet operators optimistic they will slash own-fleet CO2 emissions 15% by 2025 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Caroline Hicks, head of the National Enforcement Group at the DVSA will provide a critical update on the Earned Recognition Scheme at the Microlise Transport Conference on 20 May. She will also explain how it enables the DVSA to target major cases of serial non-compliance among operators. Earned Recognition was first introduced in 2018 and is designed as a way to prove fleet operators meet driver and vehicle standards, by regularly sharing performance information with DVSA. As a result, vehicles [...]

The post DVSA to provide critical update on Earned Recognition Scheme at Microlise Transport Conference appeared first on Motor Transport.

Innovation & Technology in Transport Hub (ITT Hub) and the FTA have released full programme details for the FTA’s Future Logistics Conference that will be taking place on both days of the inaugural ITT Hub 2020 event in May this year. Organised in conjunction with strategic partner the Freight Transport Association and taking place in the heart of ITT Hub 2020 at Farnborough International, the FTA Future Logistics Conference will feature 45 sessions delivered by more than 100 industry-leading speakers [...]

The post Full details of FTA Future Logistics Conference at ITT Hub 2020 now online appeared first on Motor Transport.

Telematics provider Astrata has overhauled its commercial fleet software FleetVisor, giving users access to real time information. Astrata said its web-based solution now also gives customers “complete fleet management” and enables users the opportunity to immediately see where attention is required and to act quickly. Read more Discover the different approaches to tachographs and telematics adopted by CV operators Artificial intelligence will make big difference to road transport, predicts Samsara Teletrac Navman develops combined dashcam and telematics safety system FleetVisor [...]

The post Astrata upgrades FleetVisor software to offer “complete fleet management” appeared first on Motor Transport.

Sales of electric vans rose to 3,204 in 2019 according to the SMMT, but that is still just 1% of the total light van market last year. The top five electric vans were the Nissan NV200, Renault Kangoo and Kangoo Maxi, Peugeot Partner and LDV V80. The overall light van market under 3.5 tonnes GVW grew 2.4% to 311,103 last year while sales of heavy vans between 3.5 tonnes and 6 tonnes fell slightly to 8,695. The Ford Transit and [...]

The post Electric vans still only 1% of total UK light commercial sales in 2019 appeared first on Motor Transport.

The next mayor of London must recruit a “freight commissioner” in order to support the growing logistical demands of the capital, according to the FTA. With just a few months before Londoners get a chance to vote for a mayor for the next four years, the trade association said it was crucial that whoever takes on the role, they employ someone dedicated to overseeing the many freight-based initiatives in the pipeline. These include the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission [...]

The post Next London mayor needs “freight commissioner”, claims FTA appeared first on Motor Transport.

After a successful event in 2019, the Commercial Motor Golf Day is returning for 2020 on 9 July. Taking place at Lambourne Golf Club in Dropmore, Buckinghamshire, this golf challenge is open to a maximum of 25 teams of four (100 players). The format will be a four-ball full handicap Stableford competition. The best three individual Stableford scores per hole per team will count. “As well as a fantastic event, the Commercial Motor Truck Open is the perfect opportunity to [...]

The post Commercial Motor Golf Day 2020 is the perfect way to tee off networking opportunities appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Direct Vision Standard (DVS) is the first legislation of its kind. From 26 October 2020, all goods vehicles over 12 tonnes will require a permit to drive into Greater London, including vehicles from outside the UK. Enforced by Transport for London (TfL), the legislation is based on a ‘star rating’ indicating how much a driver can see from the cab in relation to other road users. The vehicle manufacturer will issue a star rating for your vehicle. This rating [...]

The post SPONSORED: All you need to know about the Direct Vision Standard coming into effect this year appeared first on Motor Transport.

A council in North Yorkshire is stepping up enforcement to stop HGVs parking overnight on an industrial estate, with companies as well as drivers warned they risk being fined. Hambleton District Council said its Public Space Protection Order on the Leeming Bar Industrial Estate, introduced last year, had led to a reduction in both lorries parking up and “incidents of anti-social behaviour”. In June 2019, 269 educational leaflets were issued to drivers and this had fallen to 170 by October. [...]

The post North Yorkshire council threatens fines over unauthorised overnight parking appeared first on Motor Transport.

A radar-based navigation system for HGVs that can operate anywhere and in any weather condition is set for release this year. The radar, vision and laser system has been developed by Navtech and autonomous vehicle software firm Oxbotica and can be used in both on-road and off-road environments, including quarries, mines and ports. The firms said it is not reliant on external infrastructure and can operate on its own or be fused with other location services driven by GPS, lidar [...]

The post Radar-based HGV navigation system will tackle ‘challenging environments’ appeared first on Motor Transport.

Businesses in Scotland have been warned that Extinction Rebellion (ER) is planning to target companies that fund and profit from the fossil fuel industry on 14 January. Police Scotland said the environmental movement had made it aware that it was planning “some form of protest activity” in Edinburgh, but that it had not provided specific locations, times or the level of activity. ER said the planned location would be outdoors, in a public place and targeted at private business but [...]

The post Extinction Rebellion to target Scottish businesses on 14 January appeared first on Motor Transport.

2020 will be a tipping point for haulage, with manufacturers and companies taking their environmental and road safety responsibilities seriously and embracing greener alternatives, according to the founder of Swedish startup Volta Trucks. Carl-Magnus Norden said that the introduction of the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) in London in October 2020 will put pressure on the industry to upgrade their fleets. But he also predicted that this pressure will be intensified by more UK cities following Bristol’s lead and announcing plans [...]

The post “Hauliers will come under even greater pressure in 2020,” predicts Volta Trucks founder Carl-Magnus Norden appeared first on Motor Transport.

Online retail sales exceeded £20bn last November and December for the first time, bolstering demand for warehousing space to cope with quick turnaround deliveries, according to real estate specialist Colliers International. It said that in the year to the end of September 2019, 55% of overall industrial lettings for warehouses over 100,000sq ft were for bespoke design and build hubs, to cater for the growth in fast shipping, boosted by online shopping. Colliers said provisional activity in the fourth quarter [...]

The post Growth in online retail sales driving spiralling demand for warehousing appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA has hailed new figures showing a dip in HGV greenhouse gas emissions as "a positive and encouraging step" in its bid to help the government achieve its proposed 15% reduction target by 2025. THE 2019 results from the FTA's Logistics Emissions Reduction Scheme (LERS) showed members of the voluntary group achieved a 4% reduction in their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions last year and decreased their average kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per vehicle km to 0.72, from [...]

The post New FTA research reveals 4% drop in HGV greenhouse gas emissions during 2019 appeared first on Motor Transport.

The UK government has ratified the Electronic Customer Relationship Management (e-CRM) protocol, allowing national and international transports from and to the UK to be achieved with digital consignment notes. The agreement comes after a successful international pilot project with Dutch e-CRM platform TransFollow, West Yorkshire-based haulier Brian Yeardley Continental under the supervision of the UK Ministry of Transport and industry associations such as the FTA. By agreeing to the protocol, the UK will allow the use of e-CMRs as 'a [...]

The post UK ratifies digital consignment notes after pilot project with Brian Yeardley Continental appeared first on Motor Transport.

The DVSA has given management software firm Convey Technology the seal of approval to supply Earned Recognition (ER) technology to fleet operators. The IT firm said its suite of compliance products enable companies to gather, analyse and interpret compliance data that fall within the requirements of the ER standard. Convey now includes ER dashboards and reporting as a standard feature, as well as “an intuitive multi-level graphical drill-down feature". It explained that this allows operators to view and benchmark their [...]

The post Convey Technology to supply Earned Recognition essentials to fleet operators appeared first on Motor Transport.

The 34th Motor Transport Awards will return to the Grosvenor House Hotel in London's Park Lane on 1 July 2020 to celebrate, recognise and reward excellence in the road freight transport industry. What makes the Motor Transport Awards so valued by the winners is the fact that they are judged by senior independent figures within the transport industry. For more than 30 years, the Motor Transport Awards have been seen as a benchmark for excellence among UK road transport fleet [...]

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Sir Peter Hendy CBE, chair of Network Rail, is to explain how the organisation is working to reduce bridge strikes in an address to the Microlise Transport Conference on 20 May 2020. The former Commissioner of Transport for London is one of the first confirmed speakers at the event, to be held at The Ricoh Arena in Coventry. There are an estimated 2,000 bridge strikes annually across the UK, each costing an average of £13,500 in train delays and bridge [...]

The post Network Rail chair Sir Peter Hendy to address bridge strikes at Microlise Transport Conference appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government has announced funding for four British biofuel plants as part of its Transport Decarbonisation Plan which aims to deliver net-zero carbon emissions in the UK by 2050. Two of the new biofuel projects are being funded under the government’s £20m Future Fuels for Flight and Freight Competition. KEW Projects and Rika Biogas have been awarded a share of £6.5m to build plants that will provide green fuel for heavy goods vehicles. The project at KEW projects will also [...]

The post Government funds four biofuel plants as part of Transport Decarbonisation Plan appeared first on Motor Transport.

After a successful event in 2019, the Commercial Motor Golf Day is returning for 2020 on 9 July. Taking place at Lambourne Golf Club in Dropmore, Buckinghamshire, this golf challenge is open to a maximum of 25 teams of four (100 players). The format will be a four-ball full handicap Stableford competition. The best three individual Stableford scores per hole per team will count. “As well as a fantastic event, the Commercial Motor Truck Open is the perfect opportunity to [...]

The post Commercial Motor Golf Day 2020 is a must-attend event appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA has hit out at plans for a Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) in Oxford, which it claims are "effectively a tax on trucks and vans in areas of the city". It is calling for Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council to reconsider their strategy until zero-emission commercial vehicles become a viable alternative for local businesses. The scheme could be rolled out by December this year and will focus on an interim 'Red Zone' which will cover a small [...]

The post Oxford Zero Emission Zone “a tax on trucks”, claims FTA appeared first on Motor Transport.

Three-quarters of operators (74.5%) say managing a commercial fleet has become more stressful in the past few years, according to brand-new research conducted by Fraikin, Motor Transport and Commercial Motor. Managing drivers, handling compliance and pressure to reduce costs were all cited as key stress factors. More than half (53%) also revealed that fleet assets are being used more intensively today than they were three years ago, with a significant 70.4% finding it a struggle to fill driver vacancies in [...]

The post New Fraikin research drills into key challenges and trends in fleet management today appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA has welcomed the "clarity and direction" that the General Election result has provided to businesses planning for Brexit. However, it has warned that without the passing of the Withdrawal Agreement through parliament, there is still the risk of a no-deal departure from the EU on 31 January 2020, which it claimed "could bring chaos to the supply chain and the industry which relies on it". Speaking after news that Boris Johnson's Conservative Party has gained a parliamentary majority [...]

The post ‘We still risk the chaos of a no-deal Brexit,’ FTA warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has congratulated Prime Minister Boris Johnson on his General Election victory but urged him to work with the freight and logistics trade on "a number of key issues of vital importance to member companies". "Over the past three years we have highlighted the risks and impacts of whatever Brexit approach is taken," said RHA CEO Richard Burnett (pictured). "Enough time to implement and transition to any new arrangements for customs, lorry access regulations and labour is essential to [...]

The post ‘Let’s tackle the key issues together,’ RHA tells new government appeared first on Motor Transport.

Trevor Milton (pictured), CEO of Nikola Motor Company, has accused OEM truck giants of putting the brakes on the switch to zero emissions but warned them that the days of diesel are “dying pretty quick”. Speaking to motortransport.co.uk following the release of new data by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) showing that 98.3% of all heavy and medium trucks on Europe’s roads still run on diesel, he admitted he had become infuriated by the “arrogance” of the OEMs he [...]

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Nearly three-quarters (70.4%) of operators struggle to fill their HGV driver vacancies some or all of the time, according to new research just published by motortransport.co.uk. Meanwhile, more than half (51.6%) of operators do not think Driver CPC has added any value to their business since its introduction to the UK 10 years ago. However nearly one-quarter of operators (23.5%) do feel it has made their drivers safer on the road and a further one-fifth felt Driver CPC had provided [...]

The post Driver recruitment struggles, CPC value and agency use trends revealed in latest Fraikin research appeared first on Motor Transport.

Aggregate Industries (AI) has defended its decision to apply a rate increase only to its franchise hauliers after the move was criticised by an external haulage contractor. In a letter to hauliers in the company’s northern region, AI said it had chosen to “only apply an increase to the franchise vehicles as recognition of the ever increasing safety specification, engagement and investment required by the franchise agreement". From 1 January it will apply a minimum inflationary increase to mileage rates [...]

The post Aggregate Industries excludes non-franchise hauliers from rate increase appeared first on Motor Transport.

FairFuelUK has welcomed news that prime minister Boris Johnson has publicly committed to freezing fuel duty for the 10th successive year. The pressure group represents small businesses and hauliers across the UK and reacted to the news with "a huge sigh of relief as there was no mention of this levy’s future in his manifesto". However, it warned that operators would be "hit hard" with a tax hike of 16% if Jeremy Corbyn - "the anti-motorist's Sword of Damocles" - [...]

The post Tory pre-election pledge to freeze fuel duty welcomed by FairFuelUK appeared first on Motor Transport.

A guide to brake testing for operators struggling to understand their reports has been produced to cut through “engineering jargon”. The FTA said its members’ guide will help readers understand how brake performance is calculated and what else they should be looking out for. Phil Lloyd, FTA head of engineering and vehicle standards policy, said: “Transport managers without an engineering background should understand that even though a report says ‘pass’ there may still be issues that need to be considered.” [...]

The post FTA launches ‘jargon-free’ guide to HGV brake testing for operators appeared first on Motor Transport.

Although truck sales in the second half of 2019 will be significantly lower than the first half, Renault Trucks expects this year to finish on 47,000 units, 9% ahead of 2018.  Speaking to journalists last week, commercial director James Charnock said Brexit had “distorted” the UK market, with two large pre-buys in the first half of 2019, but November sales were still 14% up year on year. Renault expects the market in 2020 to be smaller though Charnock said next [...]

The post Renault Trucks outperforms a strong UK truck market as dealers up their game appeared first on Motor Transport.

Brigade Electronics has launched a Direct Vision Standard (DVS) star rating checker service to help fleet operators following the introduction of new regulations in London. The banning of HGVs with a zero-star rating - based on how much the driver can see from the vehicle’s cab - is only the start of the ambitious Direct Vision Standard for London, Brigade explained. It believes many fleet operators and logistics businesses could fall foul of the star-rating regulations when one- and two-star [...]

The post Brigade Electronics launches star rating checker to aid fleet operators appeared first on Motor Transport.

South West traffic commissioner Kevin Rooney (pictured) will be the keynote speaker at a conference for transport and logistic operators, organised by Pro Tect Solutions. The event, on Friday 24 January 2020, will be hosted by Barry Hood, director of Pro Tect Solutions, a consultancy and membership organisation. Also speaking is Andrew Ball, a DVSA traffic enforcement manager, and Howard Cox, from FairFuelUK. Hood said: “It’s an opportunity to direct the right questions to the right people and learn about [...]

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The National Grid is ready to overcome the challenges of recharging large volumes of electric vehicles and so range anxiety need not be a barrier to the widespread adoption of low emissions vehicles,  according to Carl Bayliss, project director – electric vehicles at National Grid. Speaking at the FT Future of Mobility Summit in London this week, Bayliss said he was often asked if “the grid” could cope with charging the expected volume of electric vehicles as the UK heads [...]

The post Self-driving trucks are a reality today but the electric vehicle recharging network is still in the future appeared first on Motor Transport.

Truck turnaround times at the Port of Liverpool have fallen after owner Peel Ports said it had turned its focus to road haulage efficiencies. It said October was a “record-breaking” month for its container operations with quayside and landside throughput exceeding all previous figures with year-on-year growth of 12%. The port also said turnaround times for hauliers is now consistently below 40 minutes. David Huck, Peel Ports MD said: “More businesses are realising that it makes more sense to ship [...]

The post Liverpool turnaround times fall as Peel Ports improves road haulage efficiency appeared first on Motor Transport.

Network Rail has insisted there is no excuse for HGV drivers not to know the height of their vehicles and it will support regulatory action against companies that are involved in bridge strikes. The rail network operator said its own research found 52% of lorry drivers do not take low bridges into account when route planning and 43% admitted that they did not measure their vehicle. In the last year alone, it said almost 2,000 instances of vehicles hitting railway [...]

The post Network Rail clamps down on HGV operators involved in bridge strikes with ‘Wise Up, Size Up’ campaign appeared first on Motor Transport.

Protecting the seamless movement of goods after Brexit, boosting driver facilities, expanding Heathrow and helping hauliers decarbonise; the FTA has handed its own election manifesto to the main political parties. The trade association said the industry was determined to meet the government’s target of becoming zero-emission but it would not be achieved without the right support. It has called for the next government to actively support and develop the alternatively-fuelled vehicle market so that businesses of all sizes can transition [...]

The post FTA urges next government to slash fuel duty as it lays out its election manifesto appeared first on Motor Transport.

Commercial EV company Tevva has welcomed a technological breakthrough in the US which enables rapid charging of batteries, potentially adding 200 miles of driving time. Scientists said they have discovered a way for vehicle batteries to take in 400Kw of energy in just 10 minutes, overcoming a major hurdle currently surrounding electric vehicles. “We demonstrated that we can charge an electrical vehicle in ten minutes for a 200 to 300 mile range,” said Chao-Yang Wang, professor of materials science and [...]

The post Tevva welcomes breakthrough in battery technology appeared first on Motor Transport.

Road signage will be eliminated in less than a decade as self-driving vehicles emerge and digital infrastructure is built, according to the UK’s umbrella organisation for self-driving technology, Zenzic. So-called “naked highways” will become a feature of the road network from 2027, according to Zenzic, which also said new planning guidance and blueprints for connected and automated mobility (CAM) ready cities, towns, highways and rural roads will become available from early next year. Zenzic said the physical evolution and decommissioning [...]

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CNG Fuels has announced plans to become the UK’s first supplier of renewable biomethane from cow manure for lorries, to help operators achieve net zero emissions. The company said it was also consulting on how its network of refuelling stations can accommodate low carbon and battery electric technologies for HGVs, for when these become commercially viable. John Lewis has already committed to replacing its fleet of 500-strong diesel trucks with biomethane fuelled alternatives by 2028 and Hermes also intends to [...]

The post CNG Fuels to supply biomethane from cow manure to power HGVs appeared first on Motor Transport.

Truck registrations over 6 tonnes fell 13.1% to 8,557 in Q3 2019 as the market “rebalanced” after higher than usual sales in H1, according to the SMMT. However 3-axle tractor units remained popular, with sales down only 2.5% to 3,623. The big losers were rigid trucks below 16 tonnes, with volumes down 28.5% to just 1,507. H1 sales were artificially inflated as buyers sought to avoid proposed import duties ahead of the original Brexit deadline of March 31 and beat [...]

The post HGV sales start to ‘rebalance’ in Q3 after H1 boom appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA has slammed the government for breaking its vow to improve and expand the number of toilet facilities for HGV drivers on the national road network. The criticism follows an FTA survey which revealed that almost all respondents believe toilet facilities have not improved since the government pledged to upgrade them 18 months ago, with some drivers claiming they had become worse. Speaking on the UN World Toilet Day (19 November) Elizabeth de Jong, UK policy director, said many [...]

The post FTA accuses government of failing to improve toilet facilities for HGV drivers appeared first on Motor Transport.

New research by Rivus Fleet Solutions and the AA has revealed that, while fleet managers accept the need to move towards an alternatively fuelled future, many are continuing to invest in “more cost-effective” Euro-6 diesel vehicles. In a survey of 500 car and light CV fleet decision makers for the latest Operational Fleet Insight Report, researchers found the remaining barriers were cost, charging location, charging time and driver training. A “wait and see” attitude remained prevalent, the report said, although [...]

The post Fleets weigh up benefits of alternative-fuel future appeared first on Motor Transport.

Midlands Expressway, which operates the M6 Toll, has joined forces with police to target HGV drivers in a bid to improve their driving skills. The safety campaign focuses on the five most common offences on UK roads, which are tailgating, using a mobile phone or tablet while driving, stopping or reversing on a motorway, parking on the hard shoulder, and not using mirrors correctly. The programme is supported by literature and a video to help raise HGV driver awareness. The [...]

The post Midlands Expressway and police team up to target HGV drivers’ bad habits appeared first on Motor Transport.

A two-year trial of biomethane-powered trucks has seen well-to-wheel CO2 emissions slashed by over 1,400 tonnes and trial drivers rating the trucks higher on comfort than their diesel equivalents. The Dedicated to Gas project, funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles and Innovate UK, saw Howard Tenens, Kuehne + Nagel and Asda run a total of 20 Euro-6 trucks on biomethane. Other trial partners included Cenex, Air Liquide, Emissions Analytics and Microlise. The trial found that the trucks, which [...]

The post Biomethane truck trial sees CO2 emissions slashed by 1,400 tonnes appeared first on Motor Transport.

The FTA has announced that the Safe Loading Pass Scheme (SLPS) is to be extended to cover Liquefied Petroleum Gases (LPG) from 1 January 2020. From this date, any vehicle wishing to load LPG at participating terminals must be inspected under the SLPS when their existing pass expires. Managed by the FTA, the SLPS identifies the vehicles and trailers that meet the safety standards required for admittance to fuel and gas loading terminals. The scheme is recognised by members of [...]

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Outsourcing of vehicle repairs is now industry’s preferred choice when it comes to maintaining their HGVs, according to the latest survey produced by Motor Transport and sister title Commercial Motor. Nearly two-thirds (60%) of operators surveyed chose to send vehicles off-site for repair, with one-third of those picking main dealerships as their preferred option. The research also highlighted that larger operators would be more likely to opt for a main dealership, while smaller businesses would be more likely to pick [...]

The post Outsourcing HGV maintenance is industry’s top choice, according to latest parts and repair survey appeared first on Motor Transport.