Industry News

The Cabinet Office has been reprimanded by the UK Statistics Authority for using unpublished and unverifiable data to refute RHA’s claims last month that export volumes plummeted by 68% in January, after the UK’s exit from the European Single Market. The reprimand follows an investigation into the Cabinet Office data used to publicly refute the findings of an RHA survey of its members which showed the volume of exports going via British ports to the EU plummeted by 68% in [...]

The post RHA vindicated as Gove rebuked for using unverifiable data to deny plunge in post-Brexit exports appeared first on Motor Transport.

John Parry (pictured), Society of Operations Engineers (SOE) fellow and former IRTE director, has died at the age of 76. Most recently chair of the IRTEC steering group and SOE board member, Parry was a major influence on the SOE’s industry standard irtec initiative by instigating its relaunch in 2011. It gave technicians recognition for their capabilities and changed the face of vehicle maintenance. Parry had also been an IRTE Services board member. In 2006, he won Motor Transport’s Service [...]

The post SOE fellow John Parry dies appeared first on Motor Transport.

Meachers Global Logistics has hailed the creation of freeports at eight sites around England, saying Solent’s new status will create a much better environment for international trade. The Chancellor announced plans for ports to become low tax zones in his Budget speech, saying they would create special economic sites, which would attract money and jobs. The freeports include East Midlands airport; Felixstowe and Harwich; Hull; London Gateway and Solent. Each zone includes a port and the zones can stretch as [...]

The post “Fantastic news” – Solent freeport could attract £2bn investment and create 52,000 jobs appeared first on Motor Transport.

Durite, the UK’s leading brand in Vehicle Safety, Lighting and Auto Electrical parts for commercial vehicles and general automotive aftermarket, has been acquired by Safe Fleet, a global leader in fleet safety solutions headquartered in Belton, Missouri, USA. Safe Fleet owns a portfolio of market-leading brands that provide safety solutions to fleet vehicle manufacturers and operators around the world. Their reputable smart solutions form an integrated safety platform for fleets of every type: Public Service Vehicles, Emergency services, Truck & [...]

The post SPONSORED: Durite Ltd joins Safe Fleet appeared first on Motor Transport.

The transport industry has given a mixed reaction to today's (3 March) Spring Budget. Logistics UK welcomed chancellor Rishi Sunak's moves to support the recovery of the economy, including a freeze in fuel duty and extension to the furlough scheme, but said the industry needed to see greater investment in training programmes to help fill growing job vacancies. Meanwhile, e-commerce specialist Parcelhero warned the Budget would "fail to rescue retail or bail out business". Alex Veitch, general manager of public [...]

The post Transport industry divided over Spring Budget appeared first on Motor Transport.

An HGV driver who attempted a U-turn on a “dark and foggy” road, resulting in a collision with a police car, has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. Andrei Stan (pictured) was found guilty at Reading Crown Court of causing serious injury by dangerous driving after the incident on an unlit stretch of the A4 near Hungerford in February 2019. Thames Valley police said Stan’s trailer was carrying a shipping container and was positioned across the entire carriageway for 51 seconds, [...]

The post Policemen left with ‘lifelong serious injuries’ after jailed HGV driver did U-turn in fog appeared first on Motor Transport.

Maritime Transport has placed an order for 275 Volvo FH with I-Save tractor units, becoming one of the largest operators of the models in the UK. The major investment in the next generation trucks follows a recent order by the Felixstowe-based company for 50 previous generation FH with I-Save units, which Maritime said had now become its most fuel efficient 44-tonners. Paul Heyhoe, Maritime Transport fleet director, said: “We have had 40 on the road for a few weeks now, [...]

The post Maritime Transport orders 275 Volvo FH I-Save tractors appeared first on Motor Transport.

Proposed changes to the Highway Code, which include guidance on how smart motorways operate, have been criticised by the widow of a man killed by an HGV on the M1. A consultation into the changes by Highways England was launched following the publication of an 18-point action plan last year to make the controversial traffic measure safer. Changes in the Highway Code include additional guidance on the availability, appearance and use of emergency areas; the use of variable speed limits [...]

The post Widow of man killed in HGV crash on smart motorway slams proposed changes to Highway Code appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK is partnering with City & Guilds to offer the transport nanager CPC qualification. The move follows the withdrawal of awarding body OCR from the transport manager CPC market in March this year and ensures another avenue for operators and their transport managers to access training, which is on offer in the form of classroom-based, online or blended learning. Chris Lipscomb, Logistics UK’s operations director, said: “We are proud to be working with City & Guilds to expand our [...]

The post Logistics UK joins forces with City & Guilds to launch transport manager CPC appeared first on Motor Transport.

While prime minister Boris Johnson dismisses custom delays between Britain and Ireland as “teething problems”, hauliers are telling a very different story. At a recent session of the Northern Ireland Infrastructure Committee, operators spelt out the reality of the new trading rules in stark detail. Ballymena haulier McBurney Transport employs 800 staff and operates 350 trucks and 1,100 trailers. The company ships approximately 114,000 trailers across the Irish Sea every year. Director Paul Jackson told the committee his firm had [...]

The post Brexit ‘abyss’ looms for GB-Northern Ireland trade appeared first on Motor Transport.

Frank Zapper once commented that the world might not end in fire or ice, but in paperwork. For much of the international logistics sector, January felt exactly like slow death by paperwork, with customs clearances piling up in their software systems, and the freight piling up in the warehouses. As freight flows normalise and the bureaucracy becomes more familiar, can we sort the ‘teething problems’ from the urgent and serious threats to supply chain integrity? Freight volumes plummeted in January. [...]

The post Brexit UK-EU logistics ‘teething problems’ could take years to resolve appeared first on Motor Transport.

FairFuelUK has welcomed an announcement by chancellor Rishi Sunak in today's (3 March) spring Budget that the goverment is to again freeze fuel duty. Commented Howard Cox, founder of FairFuelUK, secretary for the APPG for Fair Fuel: “It would be churlish not to thank the chancellor and the prime minister for maintaining the freeze in fuel duty for a 10th successive year. It has been a tortuous campaigning journey convincing the treasury year after year that this fiscal policy has [...]

The post Fuel duty freeze a victory over ill-informed green lobby, insists FairFuelUK appeared first on Motor Transport.

Road Skills Online has announced that, following recent assessment by the CPD Standards Office, its drivers' Professional Development Plan (PDP) is now formally recognised as four hours of CPD training for each year of eLearning completed. Road Skills Online said professional development in the freight transport sector is being increasingly recognised as an effective way to reduce costs, minimise collisions and improve road safety, but finding time to sit down with drivers is harder than ever. Its eLearning platform therefore [...]

The post Drivers’ Professional Development Plan celebrates accreditation from the CPD Standards Office appeared first on Motor Transport.

Durite, the UK’s leading brand in Vehicle Safety, Lighting and Auto Electrical parts for commercial vehicles and general automotive aftermarket, has been acquired by Safe Fleet, a global leader in fleet safety solutions headquartered in Belton, Missouri, USA. Safe Fleet owns a portfolio of market-leading brands that provide safety solutions to fleet vehicle manufacturers and operators around the world. Their reputable smart solutions form an integrated safety platform for fleets of every type: Public Service Vehicles, Emergency services, Truck & [...]

The post Durite Ltd joins Safe Fleet appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK is partnering with City and Guilds to offer the Transport Manager CPC qualification. The move follows the withdrawal of awarding body OCR from the transport manager CPC market in March this year and ensures another avenue for operators and their transport managers to access training, which is on offer in the form of classroom-based, online or blended learning. Chris Lipscomb, Logistics UK’s operations director, said: “We are proud to be working with City & Guilds to expand our [...]

The post Logistics UK joins forces with City and Guilds to launch Transport manager CPC appeared first on Motor Transport.

Industrial developer Panattoni is set to start work on the second phase of its 1.6 million sq ft industrial park in Northampton. Panattoni Park Northampton, which is on junction 16 of the M1 motorway, will see three new units built measuring 250,000 sq ft, 380,000 sq ft and 430,000 sq ft, respectively. The second phase of development at the Park comes after Panattoni speculatively developed and let 625,000 sq ft of space to Eddie Stobart Logistics at the site. Winvic [...]

The post Three new units to be built at Panattoni Park in Northampton appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum is holding an online conference to look at transport decarbonisation in the UK including low-carbon fuels, infrastructure, sector-specific targets and next steps for policy. The event will take place on the morning of Friday 30 April and will include contribitions from Rachel Solomon Williams, head of low carbon fuels at the DfT, Matthew Bell, director of Frontier Economics, Greg Marsden, professor of transport governance at the University of Leeds and Graham Cooley, CEO of ITM [...]

The post Online conference to look at policy options for low carbon transport appeared first on Motor Transport.

Draconian measures that will significantly increase red tape and delays for goods sent between the UK and Northern Ireland will go ahead on 1 April, after the government failed to extend a grace period. A meeting of the UK-EU Joint Committee this week ended without agreement on a waiver of customs declarations, paving the way for “severe” consequences for parcel deliveries and supermarket food supplies between NI and mainland Britain. In a statement following the meeting from the co-chairs of [...]

The post New ruling on deliveries to Northern Ireland will have “severe impact”, Parcelhero warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

Trucks and vans will be the first to trial a new payment system on the M6 toll road using ANPR cameras. Road owner Midlands Expressway said the cameras will go live in April and initially will involve fleet operators, before all other road users come under the scope of the new system. The cameras will identify license plate data and remove the need for physical payment at toll plazas. It means customers can manage all transactions via the M6 toll [...]

The post HGVs to lead trial of new payment system on M6 toll road appeared first on Motor Transport.

Scania will open a new £10m regional headquarters close to Glasgow later this year. The 43,000sq ft, 7.8-acre plot at Eurocentral will replace its existing operation in Bellshill and will include 12 workshop bays, an ATF lane, parts department, office accommodation and secure parking for 50 trucks and trailers. “Scotland has been a key market for Scania since we began importing trucks into the UK back in the mid-1960s,” said Martin Hay, Scania (Great Britain) MD. “Our continued sales growth [...]

The post Scania set to unveil new £10m regional HQ near Glasgow appeared first on Motor Transport.

SmartWitness UK said it had found non-UK hauliers “really frustrated” by the Direct Vision Standard scheme and many were still looking to boycott London rather than shell out thousands of pounds to make their fleets compliant. However, it added that their stance could prove beneficial to UK hauliers who are ready for the safety scheme, which comes into force on 1 March. “The result has been that many south-east based haulage firms who have done their compliance with us are [...]

The post Opportunity knocks for UK operators as European hauliers boycott London over DVS appeared first on Motor Transport.

Scania has appointed a new chief executive and president, Christian Levin, from 1 May. Levin is currently on the executive board of TRATON SE and chief operating officer of TRATON Group and has more than 20 years’ experience working at Scania. As well as becoming chief executive, he will also remain a member of the executive board. Levin succeeds Henrik Henriksson, who leaves after 23 years at Scania and more than five as its chief executive, to join H2 Green [...]

The post Scania names new chief executive and president appeared first on Motor Transport.

The ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Brexit fallout and weak demand all conspired to result in the fourth consecutive month of decline in UK commercial vehicle production, according to the SMMT. UK CV manufacturing fell 31.5% in January, with 5,616 units rolling off the production lines, marking the worst start to the year since 2015. The SMMT said manufacturing was subdued both for domestic and international markets, down 28.8% and 33.6% respectively. More than half (53.2%) of all CVs [...]

The post New year sees commercial vehicle manufacturing continue to slide appeared first on Motor Transport.

Police rescued 18 people from the back of a refrigerated lorry near Peterborough on Tuesday (23 February), less than a week after a similar incident on the A14. Officers in Cambridgeshire said they received a call from an HGV driver who had noticed the people on his vehicle and was concerned for their welfare. Paramedics attended the scene at Haddon Services on the A1M but nobody was injured. Read more Police track down refrigerated truck after desperate phone calls from [...]

The post Immigration service detains 18 stowaways after new refrigerated truck incident appeared first on Motor Transport.

The decision to remove the hard shoulder on 10 miles of the M6 and turn it into an extra lane reveals the government’s “reckless disregard” for the public’s safety, according to a road safety campaigner. Claire Mercer, whose husband was struck and killed by an HGV on a smart motorway, warned that there was a danger to life in Highways England’s plans to introduce ‘all lanes running’ on one of the busiest stretches of motorway in the country. Work to [...]

The post New all lanes running motorway plan branded “arrogant and reckless” appeared first on Motor Transport.

A career in logistics, including becoming an HGV driver, is the solution to spiralling unemployment rates – but the DVSA needs to sort out the thousands of lost driving tests during lockdown, according to Logistics UK. The business group was responding to figures released from the office of national statistics, which showed that unemployment is now at its highest rate since 2016, at 5.1%. Elizabeth de Jong, Logistics UK policy director, said: “The logistics industry is in desperate need of [...]

The post Resolve test backlog and driver shortage, Logistics UK urges government appeared first on Motor Transport.

One of the biggest speculatively developed sites in Crewe is about to begin construction and is expected to provide around 300 jobs on completion. Developer Panattoni said ‘Crewe 305’ on the Crewe Commercial park would include 27 dock doors, five level access doors and a yard with parking for 49 HGVs. The 305,000sq ft unit also includes 13,864sq ft of office space and parking for 213 cars. Panattoni’s first development on the park was eventually let to NWF Group Plc [...]

The post New Crewe logistics park will create 300 jobs appeared first on Motor Transport.

Business leaders in Scotland are demanding the government commits to fixing a notorious stretch of road on the A83 plagued by major landslips. The road, near the Rest and Be Thankful in the Highlands, is a key transport artery that provides vital links to communities across Argyll and Bute and connects the area to the rest of Scotland. Last year the road was closed for more than 200 days, which the campaign group said was a “record-breaking 300% increase” compared [...]

The post Government urged to repair key Scottish road link after landslips lead to record breaking level of closures appeared first on Motor Transport.

Fleet Operations, a provider of outsourced fleet management services, has appointed a new business development manager to support its growth plans. Mark Gallagher brings with him 20 years in the fleet industry and has previously spearheaded solutions to help businesses transition to electrification. Fleet Operations said Gallagher’s new role will involve accelerating the growth of its client base. Gallagher said: “As the fleet industry readies itself for recovery in the wake of the pandemic, companies will be looking at how [...]

The post Fleet Operations recruits business development manager appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the benefits of connected vehicles firmly into the spotlight. ‘Smart’ system technology has provided a safe, socially distanced way for operators to keep up with fleet compliance, driver performance and vehicle maintenance.  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the benefits operators can glean when using the latest generation of telematics and digital tachographs. MT is therefore carrying out exclusive reader research on how operators are tapping into the potential of their fleet telematics [...]

The post MT reader research: Are you making the most of your telematics and digital tachograph data? appeared first on Motor Transport.

Transport secretary Grant Schapps MP has given the go-ahead to the widespread use of longer semi-trailers (LSTs) on Britain’s roads. At a recent transport select committee hearing the transport secretary said he had signed off a trial of “heavier, or I think more wheelbases. I’ve signed off trials to make it permanent.” A Dft spokesman told MT that Schapps was referring to the DfT’s trial of LSTs. The trial of 2,600 LSTs, which was set to run until 2027, became [...]

The post Schapps gives green light to longer semi-trailers on UK roads appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK is calling for the government and the EU to agree three key changes to speed up the movement of goods between Northern Ireland and the UK. The call was made last week at a government roundtable attended by Logistics UK’s Northern Ireland policy manager Seamus Leheny and chaired by cabinet secretary Michael Gove MP and European Commission vice president Maroš Šefčovič. Leheny said: “Logistics UK laid out three key asks. Firstly, we want to see the development of [...]

The post UK and EU must agree three key moves to ease NI shipping delays, Logistics UK demands appeared first on Motor Transport.

The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NAVCIS) has joined forces with surveillance experts AnteVorte Group to give HGV drivers training to avoid becoming victims of freight crime. The course launches as hauliers continue to be dogged by high levels of cargo theft this year. Latest figures from NAVCIS, which is the police department responsible for dealing with freight crime, reveal 321 offences involving theft of HGVs or theft from HGVs have been reported since 1 January this year, amounting to [...]

The post Training to help HGV drivers avoid cargo theft launched by NAVCIS and surveillance experts AnteVorte appeared first on Motor Transport.

Webfleet Solutions has upgraded its PRO Driver Terminal, the PRO 8475, which it said would give fleet operators improved workflow efficiency, enhance customer service and boost productivity. The upgrade includes LTE connectivity and Google services, as well as combining features such as order management and two-way communication between drivers and fleet managers. Webfleet said the PRO 8475 is designed for both in-vehicle and outdoor usage and is drop-proof, break-resistant, shock-proof, UV-resistant, vibration-proof, dust and water protected. Paul Verheijen, Webfleet Solutions [...]

The post Webfleet Solutions enhances PRO Driver Terminal with new features appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Direct Vision Standard (DVS) could spark disaster for supply chains, with European hauliers not prepared to deliver into London, according to Kent-based Rendrive Haulage. The company is pleading with the mayor to review its implementation after MD Tony O’Malley said he had been told by its continental partners that they were refusing to deliver materials into the capital. He said: “We run construction consolidation centres within the M25, which are detailed on the TfL [Transport for London] consolidation centre [...]

The post Supply chain chaos feared over DVS as European hauliers refuse to deliver into London appeared first on Motor Transport.

A hunt for a refrigerated lorry on the A14 and M11 this week began after three men called the police to say they were suffocating in the back and struggling to breathe. The vehicle, thought to have travelled from France, was eventually found at Brampton Hut services just before 4.30pm on 17 February. The three men were safe and not injured and Cambridgeshire police said their welfare was now being handled by the immigration services. It said incidents like this [...]

The post Police track down refrigerated truck after desperate phone calls from trapped stowaways appeared first on Motor Transport.

New HGV registrations plummeted by more than 32% last year, according to SMMT figures. The decline, which led to the weakest demand since 2010, was attributed not only to the coronavirus pandemic but also a bumper 2019, when new smart tachograph legislation prompted a 12.6% increase in registrations. The figures showed that 32,918 units were registered in 2020, of which 57.7% were rigids and 42.3% were artics. There were declines in both types of truck, with 7,352 fewer rigids and [...]

The post Slump in HGV registrations blamed on Covid and bumper 2019 appeared first on Motor Transport.

HGV operators not yet compliant with the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) should consider renting trucks to avoid thousands of pounds in fines, according to Enterprise Flex-E-Rent. Following concerns raised by telematics provider SmartWitness that with only days to go, less than 20% of vehicles comply with the DVS, the CV rental firm said these operators should opt for renting. It predicted that there was likely to be an influx of DVS safety permit applications as the 1 March deadline approaches, [...]

The post Rent DVS-compliant trucks to avoid heavy fines, hauliers told appeared first on Motor Transport.

Police in Hampshire said “a massive effort” from haulage operators meant it would be downscaling its A31 HGV triage operation early. The EU Exit strategy, known as Operation Transmission, involved lorries pulling off the motorway network and getting their papers checked in advance of reaching Portsmouth International Port. But with eight of the scheduled 12 weeks of the operation passed, police said they would be downscaling it from today (18 February). The force said key factors in its decision included [...]

The post Hauliers “90% border-ready”, say Portsmouth police as Brexit operation is downscaled appeared first on Motor Transport.

FORS is reducing its annual subscription fee for members from next month in a move aimed at helping hauliers during the pandemic. The reduction, for new and existing members, is based on fleet size and means an operator with between six and 10 HGVs will see the fee cut by 4.8%; an operator running 11 to 25 HGVs will see it cut by 5.6% and if the fleet includes between 51 and 100 lorries then the cost will be reduced [...]

The post FORS cuts subscription fee to help hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

Musicians have joined forces with concert hauliers to urge Boris Johnson to ensure the survival of the events haulage industry amid new post-Brexit trade restrictions. In a letter to the prime minister, the group, which includes luminaries from the music industry, said he needed to secure a “cultural easement” to allow UK firms to continue to take tours across the EU. They warned that the industry, which contributes £70bn a year to the UK economy, faces ruin otherwise. The letter [...]

The post Radiohead join industry call for a fair deal for UK concert hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

Scania's 540 S tractor has come top of two comparison tests run in Germany by European trade magazines. The manufacturer won both the 1000 Punkte Test (1000 Point Test) and European Truck Challenge (ETC). The two tests are said to be among the most established for commercial heavy trucks in the world Cab-related qualities like the driver environment, sleeping comfort and noise levels are assessed, as well as road handling, gear shifting and serviceability. The trucks are also driven more [...]

The post Scania 540 S wins two comparison tests run by European trade press appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers looking to avoid post-Brexit border disruption are invited to an RHA seminar on the TIR international customs transit system tomorrow (17 February). TIR, which operates across all EU countries and beyond, helps hauliers to avoid the use of national transit procedures through the use of customs-sealed containers. It is operated by the International Road Transport Union (IRU) and UK hauliers can apply to join it as members of either the RHA or Logistics UK. To comply, operators must meet [...]

The post RHA offers TIR webinar to members looking to avoid customs problems appeared first on Motor Transport.

DAF Trucks has delivered the second largest market share its history. Last year saw it register 37,580 trucks in a total European heavy-duty market of 230,400 vehicles, resulting in a share of 16.3% (2019: 16.2%). In the same period, DAF Trucks’ market share of the European medium-duty truck market, which totalled 41,400 units, was 9.5% (2019: 9.7%). Last year also saw DAF Trucks continue its heavy-duty market leadership in the Netherlands (31.8%), the UK (31.6%), Poland (23.7%), Hungary (27.9%) and [...]

The post DAF Trucks grows market share as demand rises appeared first on Motor Transport.

Firethorn Trust is looking to build a 500,000sq ft logistics park in Peterborough with plans to open it in the summer of 2022. The £60m Kingston Park development is expected to create 150 jobs, according to the company. Peter Mather, a partner at Firethorn Trust, said: “Peterborough is one of the fastest growing cities in the UK and has developed into a significant regional commercial location due to its excellent road connectivity and strong labour supply. “Our plans to develop [...]

The post Plans for Peterborough logistics park could create 150 jobs, says developer Firethorn Trust appeared first on Motor Transport.

An online sales tax to level the playing field between high street and online purchases would be passed straight on to customers, ParcelHero has warned. It said home shoppers should not be duped into footing the bill for the impact of Covid-19, after 18 high street retail bosses called for online businesses to pay similar tax to physical store sellers. The Chancellor is thought to be considering introducing an online sales tax amid an explosion in internet shopping and more [...]

The post End consumers would foot bill for new online tax, ParcelHero claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

Austrian powertrain specialist AVL is working on an internal combustion engine powered by hydrogen designed to provide heavy trucks with low carbon propulsion at a fraction of the cost of fuel cells. In a press statement, AVL said: “The development project’s target is to increase both the efficiency potential of multi-port and a direct injected hydrogen engine concept for direct propulsion of a commercial vehicle with an existing standard powertrain. AVL used a 12.8 litre natural gas engine for the [...]

The post Powertrain giant develops hydrogen combustion engine for heavy duty trucks appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK has been invited to join the government’s Brexit Business Taskforce, providing advice about how logistics can overcome challenges posed by new trading arrangements. It said the invitation, made by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, was in recognition of the group’s work helping the government to keep Britain trading throughout the Brexit process. David Wells (pictured), Logistics UK chief executive, said: “Logistics is the lifeblood of UK PLC – it is vital to all elements [...]

The post Logistics UK to join government’s Brexit Business Taskforce appeared first on Motor Transport.

The DfT is planning a major trial of around 3,000 25-metre artics on Britain’s roads this year and will drum up support by giving Denby Transport permission to use its Eco-Link B Double road train as a demonstrator from next month. Denby Transport chairman Dick Denby, who has been lobbying the government for over 20 years, told motortransport.co.uk that the DfT is looking at issuing a Section 44 permit to enable the 25.25m 60te B Double to take to the [...]

The post Denby Eco-Link to hit the road ahead of major trial of 25-metre artics appeared first on Motor Transport.

ParcelHero is calling on the government to take urgent action as official figures reveal over a third of UK importers are struggling at borders and Northern Ireland trade is in a downward spiral. The latest ONS economy report highlights soaring problems at customs and a crisis developing in the province. Transport costs, border disruption and customs duties problems soared in the two-week period between 24 January and 7 February. David Jinks, ParcelHero head of consumer research, said the new figures [...]

The post Renegotiate Brexit terms with EU or face collapse of Northern Ireland trade, government warned appeared first on Motor Transport.

Advice aimed at helping operators stay on the right side of new tax laws has been published by HMRC today (15 February). The briefing document sets out how it will monitor organisations engaging drivers and other contractors who work through their own limited company when new tax rules kick in. Under the updated IR35 rules, from 6 April large and medium-sized haulage companies - with net turnover of above £10m or 50 or more staff – will no longer be [...]

The post HMRC publishes advice on how to meet new tax rules on self-employed drivers appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government has given councils £500m to fix potholes in the country’s roads, after research found motorists believe them to be a bigger problem than drink driving. The Department for Transport has allocated the money for highways maintenance, with the funding expected to fix the equivalent of 10m potholes. It is the second instalment from the £2.5bn Potholes Fund, providing £500m a year between 2020/21 and 2024/25, announced by the Chancellor in the 2020 Budget – and is part of [...]

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With just over a fortnight until enforcement of the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) begins, less than 20% of HGVs are ready for the scheme, SmartWitness has warned. The telematics firm said most fleets had done “too little too late” and there was now a massive bottleneck on installations of approved cameras and sensors. It said Transport for London (TfL) had issued only 50,000 DVS permits, which was only 12% of the total number of HGVs in the UK and less [...]

The post “Too little too late” – less than 20% of HGVs comply with Direct Vision Standard as deadline looms appeared first on Motor Transport.

Scania (Great Britain) MD Martin Hay has decided to take early retirement. The truck manufacturer said it was now recruiting for a successor to the post and an announcement would follow in due course. Hay has worked for Scania for more than 30 years, with roles in the dealer network, at importer level and at Scania's headquarters operation in Sweden. His dealer career included appointments as MD for the former Scantruck operation and as regional executive director for Scania South [...]

The post Scania (Great Britain) MD Martin Hay steps down appeared first on Motor Transport.

An HGV driver was caught holding two mobile phones – one to each ear – as he drove along the M4 in his 44-tonne vehicle. The incident was one of more than 100 offences Avon and Somerset police spotted last week on motorways and described as “appalling, unacceptable and dangerous”. It was captured on camera by officers as they patrolled in an HGV cab on loan from Highways England. The police also spotted a 3.5-tonne vehicle illegally towing a trailer [...]

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It’s ‘back to the future’ for international hauliers needing smooth transport across borders after Brexit, with the International Road Transport Union (IRU) claiming firms are returning to the TIR system. The IRU said paperwork, delays and a shortage of customs brokers and transit guarantees meant transport operators were turning to the TIR carnet as “a simple, cost-effective and easily accessible” method to manage new customs border arrangements. The union highlighted the case of Polish haulier Sachs Trans, whose driver (pictured) [...]

The post Hauliers revert to TIR system to sidestep Brexit red tape appeared first on Motor Transport.

Have you met a professional driver who is not concerned about road safety? All of us who have driven a 16.5m or 18.75m long vehicle in city traffic are acutely aware of the additional hazards presented by pedestrians and cyclists around us, particularly in poor visibility. If the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) being introduced by Transport for London (TfL) on 1 March helps to remove some of the stress involved in city driving and reduces the number of people who [...]

The post Direct Vision Standard – a good idea at the worst possible time? appeared first on Motor Transport.

P&O Ferries has launched a new initiative providing free food, shopping discounts and cabin upgrades to freight drivers. The move is aimed at raising awareness of their contribution to keeping the economy moving. Under its 'Free Food February for Freight Drivers' initiative, those sailing on P&O between Dover and Calais can have a complimentary meal from a menu that has been 'specifically designed to be filling and hearty'. Two freight drivers per vehicle can claim a free meal by presenting [...]

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Online shoppers have urged retailers to clarify returns policies and offer longer returns windows after a new survey revealed consumers are sitting on a potential £2.4bn of unreturned goods. The 'lockdown logjam' has been worsened by lockdowns restrictions, the research by locker network InPost found, making returning unwanted items much harder. Over a quarter (29%) of shoppers surveyed said retailers should issue refunds for returned goods more quickly during the current restrictions. They also said they are more likely to [...]

The post Online shoppers create £2.4bn ‘lockdown logjam’ of unreturned goods appeared first on Motor Transport.

Brexit complexities and the impact of Covid-19 continue to be the biggest challenges for operators during 2021, according to a brand-new report by MT and sister title Commercial Motor. The 'Hot Topic: Industry Insight 2021' report asks industry readers their thoughts on a range of topics affecting trading conditions, as well as exploring fleet investment trends for the year ahead. When asked about key business challenges, respondents put Brexit and the continued coronavirus pandemic at the top of their list, [...]

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Cardboard packaging has become so scarce it’s now dubbed ‘beige gold’, according to ParcelHero. The home delivery specialist is warning that the shortage, driven by the surge in online shopping during the pandemic, could lead to damaged parcels, increased costs and delays to home deliveries. ParcelHero’s head of consumer research, David Jinks, said: “The Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI) says demand for cardboard boxes from online retailers is five years ahead of pre-pandemic levels. “On top of this increased demand, [...]

The post Parcel deliveries could be hit by shortage of ‘beige gold’, ParcelHero warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA is standing by its claims that the volume of exports going via British ports to the EU plummeted by 68% last month, despite a government statement to the contrary. The RHA’s calculation, made against the same time period last year, is based on a survey of the association's haulage members. The survey also showed that 65%-75% of trailers from the EU were going back empty in the same period. Richard Ballantyne, chief executive of the British Ports Association [...]

The post RHA stands by claim of 68% plunge in EU exports post-Brexit as government refutes figures appeared first on Motor Transport.

Road transport software specialist Aquarius is reporting a marked increase in the number of agency drivers being employed by its UK customers during the pandemic. Demand in November and December 2020 rose by 74% compared to the same period in the previous year, according to data from the company’s ClockWatcher Elite tachograph analysis software. It also detected a 30% rise in the number of agency drivers being used by operators during the months of August, September and October 2020 compared [...]

The post Demand for agency drivers soaring, Aquarius data reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

Think Logistics is looking for more operators to support its learning programme and plug the skills gap by offering young people a virtual internship. With schools closed and pandemic restrictions in place, Think Logistics can no longer reach out to students on the same scale, via presentations, work placements and internships. To counter this the industry-led organisation has teamed up social mobility and education charity Career Ready which can provide virtual internship placements. Think Logistics and Career Ready are offering [...]

The post Think Logistics calls for operators to tackle skills shortage by taking on virtual intern appeared first on Motor Transport.

Brexit checks on animal and food products have been resumed at Larne port in Northern Ireland after a police investigation into alleged threats to staff concluded it was safe for them to return to work. The police investigation followed Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s decision last week to remove twelve environmental health staff from the port “with immediate effect”, after reports of “an upsurge in sinister and menacing behaviour in recent weeks”. At the same time Northern Ireland’s Department [...]

The post Brexit checks resumed on animal and food products at Larne and Belfast ports appeared first on Motor Transport.

Freight forwarding technology company E-Gistics has landed a government-funded £131,000 cash injection for its new online distribution platform which matches vendors and independent hauliers. E-Gistics’ platform offers smaller hauliers, pallet members and freight forwarders the ability to digitise the pricing and booking of deliveries carried out by combinations of independent firms, performing this task online rather than via emails and phone calls. The consolidaton software is so groundbreaking, according to E-Gistics, that it met all the tests to qualify as [...]

The post E-Gistics looks to revolutionise parcel delivery with disruptive “Uber-style” technology appeared first on Motor Transport.

Road safety organisation Driver First Assist is planning to roll out low-cost defibrillators to the transport industry and beyond, reports Jack Carfrae. Everyone has seen defibrillators in public. Airports, shopping centres, train stations, outside shops; they sit innocuously on the wall, ignored by all and sundry until they suddenly become vital. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) says 30,000 people suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in the UK and, according to the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the survival [...]

The post Save lives by carrying new low-cost, in-cab defibrillators appeared first on Motor Transport.

Crimestoppers is appealing to hauliers to help stop people smuggling with the launch of a hard-hitting campaign. The campaign - "Say no to people smuggling" - is calling on HGV drivers to report any suspicious activity they see and follows the recent jailing of seven men for a total of 92 years following the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants who suffocated in the back of a refrigerated trailer whilst being smuggled into the UK. The 39 victims, including two teenagers, [...]

The post Crimestoppers enlists hauliers in fight against people smuggling appeared first on Motor Transport.

The transport secretary said it was “entirely wrong” that smart motorways were introduced without the right technology to make them safe, but he has ruled out scrapping them. Grant Shapps told MPs reversing the controversial traffic measure would mean acquiring land the equivalent of 700 Wembley stadium-sized football pitches and destroying large areas of green belt and that instead “we have to make what’s there safe". Shapps was responding to concerns about smart motorways following an inquest into the deaths [...]

The post Government refuses to scrap smart motorways but admits launch was too early appeared first on Motor Transport.

The shooting by armed officers of a man attempting to steal an HGV in Wiltshire last year was necessary and proportionate, an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has found. Wiltshire Police were called to the Rivermead industrial estate in Westlea on 16 June 2020 shortly after 5pm following reports of a man carrying a handgun. Armed officers attended and encountered a 59-year-old man, Howard Jones, who got into the driver’s seat of a lorry and turned [...]

The post Police acted lawfully in shooting man trying to steal HGV, investigation concludes appeared first on Motor Transport.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has warned imports and exports of live animals will be disrupted after 1 July following news that Portsmouth International Port has scrapped plans to build a live animal border control post (BCP). Owners Portsmouth City Council said the government had provided insufficient funding for the £7m project which had been intended to support vets in the import of livestock for breeding. Live animal BCPs will be set up at other ports, the government explained, with [...]

The post Livestock transfer faces disruption after Portsmouth border plan is scrapped appeared first on Motor Transport.

Trade volumes into the Republic of Ireland (ROI) from Great Britain fell 50% in January compared to the same month last year, the Irish government revealed this week. The operational update said “some” businesses of all sizes are experiencing “severe difficulty” in adapting to the new Brexit customs controls and suggests firms ensure all paperwork is in order and that supply chains fully understand the new customs rules. It also suggests firms consider alternative routes to EU markets or look [...]

The post Trade volumes from Britain into ROI plunge 50% in January appeared first on Motor Transport.

New guidance aimed at tackling major delays to groupage at Northern Ireland ports has been rushed through without reference to the haulage industry and fails to tackle the issue, the RHA told MP Michael Gove this week. The accusation, made in an open letter from RHA chief executive Richard Burnett, comes as complex Brexit customs arrangements at the border of Northern Ireland, introduced on 1 January, continue to seriously delay deliveries, resulting in a significant drop in trade for hauliers. [...]

The post New guidance on groupage not enough to stop major delays at NI ports, warns RHA appeared first on Motor Transport.

Brittany Ferries is launching three new weekly freight-only sailings between Ireland and France. They will begin this Thursday (4 February) with a sailing between Rosslare and St Malo. The first of two from Cork to Roscoff will begin this Saturday. These are in addition to ones offered by Brittany Ferries out of Cork and Rosslare to both France and Spain. The new sailings are in response to demands from both Irish and French hauliers seeking a more direct route as [...]

The post Brittany Ferries ups sailings between Ireland and France to help hauliers avoid Brexit red tape appeared first on Motor Transport.

Government plans to double the number of electric vehicle charge points to nearly 8,000 this year by offering £20m of funding to local authorities do not go far enough, a leading think tank warned this week. The warning follows government confirmation this week that funding for the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) will continue into 2021/22, allowing residents without private parking to reliably charge their vehicle. Local authorities are being urged to take advantage of a £20m cash injection to [...]

The post Government’s £20m plan for EV points not enough, think tank warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers are bracing themselves for more delays at Northern Ireland’s ports after Brexit checks on animal and food products were suspended at both Belfast and Larne ports this week following threats to customs staff. Twelve staff have been removed from Larne Port “with immediate effect”, following “an upsurge in sinister and menacing behaviour in recent weeks”, according to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council . A spokesman for Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) said it [...]

The post Brexit checks suspended at Belfast and Larne ports after customs staff threatened appeared first on Motor Transport.

Fleet operators have adapted quickly to the demands of Covid-19 lockdowns, new research from telematics specialist Quartix shows. Commercial vehicle tracking data shows a major difference in how operators responded to the first, second and third national coronavirus lockdown periods of 2020, the company reported. While mileage travelled by its UK customers during mid-March to May plummeted by 50%, businesses have adapted to keep activity levels high throughout the following lockdowns. The statistics were calculated using a date in early [...]

The post Fleet operators show resilience in adjusting to lockdown, new research reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

Over 30 unemployed young people are set to join the Port of London Authority (PLA) in Gravesend and Forth Ports, including Tilbury Port, as part of the government’s £2.4bn Kickstart work programme. Successful applicants will join a paid six-month traineeship. Opportunities range from experience in administration through to operations with the aim of giving 16 to 24-year-olds a chance to gain important experience in a real working environment. Glenn Witham, HR director at the PLA, said: “With the pandemic seriously [...]

The post Kickstart given to 30 youngsters’ logistics careers appeared first on Motor Transport.

Brittany Ferries has urged firms to send unaccompanied trailers via ports on the western channel designed to receive driverless loads, as demand rises. The ferry company said the need for drivers to provide negative Covid tests had driven the trend for unaccompanied loads travelling from the continent to UK ports such as Portsmouth and Poole. Ferry firms have reported reduced freight volumes in January as a consequence of Brexit concerns and stockpiling. However, Brittany Ferries said the proportion of unaccompanied [...]

The post Go west, Brittany Ferries tells hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

Carbon emissions generated by online shopping are more than a third lower than those produced by visiting bricks and mortar stores, according to latest research. A report produced by property developer Prologis found e-commerce brings clear sustainability benefits and the use of last mile logistics facilities could dramatically reduce transport-related carbon emissions. Home deliveries have rocketed during the pandemic, but they have also led to concerns that they are not as environmentally friendly as many believe, with high return rates [...]

The post Shopping online reduces carbon emissions by a third, report reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK said it was “cautiously optimistic” that the government’s solution to checks on food consignments moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will help prevent delays. After lobbying from the logistics sector to ease the administrative burden after Brexit, the government has now proposed a solution on goods using groupage, which the trade association expects will reduce the number of vehicles needed to be inspected on arrival in NI. Earlier this week, Logistics UK chief executive David Wells met [...]

The post Logistics UK backs government plan to reduce delays to food freight entering Northern Ireland appeared first on Motor Transport.

Almost 5,000 HGV learner drivers lost more than £180,000 last year due to suspended practical tests, according to freedom of information data. The DVSA said 4,868 theory test certificates expired in 2020, at a cost of £37 for both parts of the test. This equates to a total cost of £180,116. The lockdowns imposed on the country meant tests were paused as test centres closed. However, the Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed it has no plans to extend certificate [...]

The post Learner HGV drivers hit in pocket by 2020 test suspension appeared first on Motor Transport.

Employers should recognise the growing impact of the pandemic on their drivers' mental health and check that staff are fit to drive alongside daily walkaround checks, according to FleetCheck. Peter Golding, MD at the fleet software firm, said a recent poll showing 40% of people think their mental health has worsened during the crisis was just the latest in a series of surveys and research revealing the scale of Covid-19’s impact on a large section of the population. He said [...]

The post FleetCheck calls on operators to check drivers’ mental health appeared first on Motor Transport.

European operators with less than 20 vehicles see limited benefits in reducing their carbon emissions and lack the basic capabilities to address the issue, according to a new report by online transport platform provider Transporeon. In an extensive survey of 800 small- and medium-sized European carriers, researchers found that although heavy-duty vehicles are responsible for around 20% of all transport-related GHG emissions, hauliers are not sufficiently engaged with the topic and that the potential for cutting emissions is not being [...]

The post Smaller operators rejecting zero-carbon argument in struggle to survive, new report finds appeared first on Motor Transport.

Commercial vehicle manufacturing fell 15.5% in 2020, in what the SMMT said was “the worst year in a lifetime”. Just 66,116 vans, trucks, taxis and buses left production lines, the lowest output since 1933. Output in December was down 9.2%, rounding off a weak quarter and what the group added was “an awful year for the CV sector,” which churned out 12,154 fewer units than in 2019. The SMMT said the pandemic,vsocial distancing measures and multiple lockdowns conspired to practically [...]

The post Commercial vehicle manufacturers hopeful for the future despite “worst year in a lifetime” appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK met with key government members this week to demand hauliers be given grants to cover the cost of empty running created by Brexit border issues. Chief executive David Wells met Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove MP, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis and transport secretary Grant Shapps to discuss the problems being faced by businesses trying to move freight across the Irish Sea. Wells asked the ministers to consider making grant support available to hauliers affected [...]

The post Give hauliers grants to cover cost of shipping empty trailers to Northern Ireland, Logistics UK tells ministers appeared first on Motor Transport.

The UK's youngest female transport manager CPC holder has slammed the logistics sector for not doing enough to attract new recruits. Twenty-year-old Molly Watson, project manager with Pallet-Track member Osborne Motor Transport in South Shields, said efforts to plug the skills gap, including attracting truck drivers, faces an uphill battle unless the industry addresses fundamental infrastructure issues such as reversing the lack of investment in truck stops and secure parking. She said the sector’s unattractive reputation for long hours and [...]

The post “Step up and improve your image,” youngest female transport manager CPC holder urges industry appeared first on Motor Transport.

Smart motorways are “inherently unsafe and should be abandoned” a South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner is warning. Dr Alan Billings has written an open letter to transport secretary Grant Shapps following a recent inquest which found that Jason Mercer, 44, from Rotherham, and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, of Mansfield, who died when a lorry crashed into their vehicles on a smart motorway section of the M1 on 7 June 2019, had been unlawfully killed. The inquest saw coroner David Urpeth [...]

The post Police commissioner calls for “inherently unsafe” smart motorways to be ditched appeared first on Motor Transport.

Truck manufacturers are investing in hydrogen fuel-cell technology to develop zero-emissions trucks in order to avoid paying hefty penalties for non-compliance with carbon-emission reduction targets from 2025, according to a report by credit rating firm Fitch Ratings. The strategy is being driven by the EU’s recent adoption of emission standards and targets for HGVs to help meet carbon-neutrality targets by 2050. These include a 15% average reduction in emissions from 2025 and a 30% reduction from 2030, compared to current [...]

The post Truck makers to opt for hydrogen fuel cell technology ahead of tough new EU emission targets, says report appeared first on Motor Transport.

More than 60 cargo thefts from trucks have been reported since the beginning of 2021, amounting to over £1m worth of goods stolen, according to the latest figures from the freight division of the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NAVCIS). Thefts include a high value cargo of fine wines stolen on 4 January from an HGV in Basildon Essex, the theft of three HGVs and their trailers at Totton in Hampshire on 9 January, the theft of a trailer and [...]

The post Police warn HGV drivers to be vigilant as January sees cargo thefts soar appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA is warning the government not to create fleets of stranded assets as it moves to phase out diesel powered HGVs. The call comes as the government mulls when to phase out the sale of new diesel HGVs and the introduction of road pricing to offset the decline in fuel and vehicle excise duty as the UK switches to electric vehicles. The proposals are part of a consultation document recently launched by the House of Commons Transport Select Committee. [...]

The post Plan to scrap diesel HGVs must not create stranded assets, RHA warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

The 35th Motor Transoport Awards are now open for entries and to allow more time for companies to prepare entries the deadline has been set for 9 April. The shortlist will be announced at the CV Show on 9 June and, after a virtual awards ceremony in 2020, the announcement of the winners and presentation of the 20 trophies will return to the Grosvenor House Hotel in London's West End on Thursday 2 September. For 35 years, the Motor Transport [...]

The post MT Awards 2021 now open for entries with later deadline of 9 April appeared first on Motor Transport.

Healthcare logistics specialist Alloga UK is expanding its storage footprint with the addition of a major warehouse at Panatonni’s Derby 370 unit at Derby Commercial Park. The move, which is part of a wider strategy to drive growth, will see Alloga occupy a total 1.78 million sq ft of warehouse space. The fit out is set to be completed by the middle of 2021. Chris Williams, MD of Alloga UK said the deal sees the company lease its first warehouse [...]

The post Alloga leases major new warehouse at Derby Commercial Park appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Commercial Motor Golf Day is returning for 2021 on 22 July at Lambourne Golf Club, Burnham. The competition is made up of 25 teams of four  and the format will be a four-ball full handicap Stableford competition, with the best three individual scores per hole per team counting. The cost of just £700 (plus VAT) per team includes green fees, a golf-related gift, lunch and dinner with inclusive drinks and prizes. “The Commercial Motor golf day is a fantastic [...]

The post Get some fresh air and do some Covid-safe networking at the 2021 CM Golf Day appeared first on Motor Transport.

New research has revealed that the number of European drivers parking in the UK plummeted by 26% in January compared to the end of 2020. Mark Garner, MD of smart payment system provider SNAP, said the reduction was caused by three factors: a massive stockpiling of goods in warehouses in the UK prior to the country’s final break with the EU; uncertainty surrounding border delays and customs checks, and Covid-19. He said: “We think this will shake itself out over [...]

The post New data shows slump in European drivers parking in UK appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK said it was “extremely concerned” at moves by the government to fine HGV drivers who enter Kent without a negative Covid-19 test. Ministers aim to stave off traffic chaos at the county’s ports by imposing £150 penalties on international lorry drivers entering Kent without first obtaining a negative test. But in response to the laying of the government’s statutory instrument in Parliament today (22 January) on fines for HGV drivers, Elizabeth de Jong, Logistics UK policy director, said [...]

The post Logistics UK slams proposal to fine truck drivers entering Kent without negative Covid test appeared first on Motor Transport.

Smart motorways present “an ongoing risk of future deaths” and a review into their safety should now be undertaken, a coroner has concluded. Following an inquest into the deaths of two men on a stretch of the M1 in South Yorkshire, Sheffield coroner David Urpeth said he would be writing to the transport secretary and Highways England explaining that the use of hard shoulders as a live traffic lane was confusing and dangerous. HGV driver Prezemyslaw Szuba was jailed for [...]

The post Coroner calls for urgent review of smart motorways after inquest into M1 deaths appeared first on Motor Transport.

Apprenticeships could be the saviour of students facing cancelled examinations and dubious about higher education amid the Covid-19 pandemic, with one recruiter saying enquiries are on the increase. Beverley Ellis, director at TRS Training said: “We have noticed an increased number of enquiries since the government began to announce that examinations would be cancelled; students want to protect their career prospects and are apprehensive about embarking on university courses - with the associated costs and complications with regards housing further [...]

The post Pandemic sparks growing interest in apprenticeships among students appeared first on Motor Transport.

Tip-Ex/Tank-Ex will be bursting back onto the scene in the bustling market town of Harrogate this summer, following its postponement last year due to the pandemic. We’ve been working tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure this comeback event is our biggest, busiest event to date with a host of new activities planned. From four halls packed with the latest fleet equipment, to a brand-new Transport Manager conference, a dedicated driver day and everything else in between, we can’t wait [...]

The post Tip-Ex/Tank-Ex 2021 to include brand new Transport Manager Conference appeared first on Motor Transport.

TfL has created an 'allow list' of vehicles for operators who have applied for its Direct Vision Standard safety permits before 1 March or are in the process of having the Safe System equipment fitted in order to qualify for a permit but have not yet received it. It has also streamlined the application process two months ahead of the deadline as it warned this week that thousands of HGV operators have yet to apply. The allow list will prevent [...]

The post New TfL ‘allow list’ will help operators avoid Direct Vision Standard penalty charges appeared first on Motor Transport.

Rental firm SIXT is bolstering its drive for international growth in the van and truck sector with the appointment of former Lidl Germany chief executive Daniel Marasch (pictured). Marasch will head up SIXT’s new van and truck management division. His brief is to help make SIXT a market leading player in the European and US van and truck rental business. Erich Sixt, chairman of the board at SIXT SE said: “As one of the world’s most successful mobility providers, we [...]

The post SIXT appoints former Lidl chief executive as part of van and truck expansion plans appeared first on Motor Transport.

Record numbers of hauliers declined to move goods from France into Britain in the second week of January whilst those that did raised their prices significantly. According to data from German software firm Transporeon, which monitors transportation prices and movement rates, prices to transport goods from France to the UK rose by more than 50% in the second week of January, compared with the third quarter in 2020. Meanwhile rejection rates increased by 168%. This compares to a 102% jump [...]

The post Hauliers decline to transport goods into UK at record rate, report reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

Companies relying on postal carriers for deliveries into the EU have been warned delays are being caused by couriers struggling with customs and duty charges. Neil Kuschel, chief executive at cross border e-commerce technology provider Global-e, said not only are customers in Europe facing new charges now that the UK has left the EU, but some carriers are also struggling to manage duty clearance fees and paperwork. He said: “If you are a brand or retailer who has been wholly [...]

The post Customs delays continue for deliveries into EU appeared first on Motor Transport.

Transport for London (TfL) is calling on hauliers to make sure they apply now for their HGV Safety Permit or risk facing a fine of £550 from 1 March when entering London. TfL is warning that applications “take time to process” and is urging hauliers to act now. The free permit will be required for all HGVs over 12 tonnes driving within Greater London. It is part of the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) which is a key element in London’s [...]

The post Apply for HGV Safety Permit now or risk £550 fine for entering London, TfL warns hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

An inquest into the deaths of two men who died after being struck by an HGV on a stretch of smart motorway on the M1 starts on Monday (18 January). Jason Mercer and Alexandru Murgeanu had pulled over to exchange details after being involved in a minor road traffic collision when a truck driven by Prezemyslaw Szuba struck them both, in June 2019. Read more New campaign to win over smart motorway sceptics Death crash HGV driver jailed but campaign [...]

The post Date set for inquest into smart motorway deaths appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers have been warned their vehicles will be clamped if they are found parked up waiting for permission to cross the Channel after being turned away from ports. Kent County Council (KCC) is even encouraging the public to download an app that lets them snoop on HGV drivers parked illegally and report them to the police. It said traffic levels are expected to rise over the coming weeks, particularly as French customs intensify their border checks, and so the council [...]

The post Drivers turned away from ports will be clamped for parking up, Kent council warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

A hearing to decide whether or not a claim by hauliers for compensation over price-fixing by a cartel of truck makers can take place will start in April. The Competition Appeal Tribunal will hear the RHA’s application for a collective proceedings order between 19 and 26 April, with any subsequent trial possibly taking place in 2022 at the earliest. Steven Meyerhoff, head of commercial litigation at Backhouse Jones, said there were currently around 13,100 operators in the RHA’s application, representing [...]

The post Truck cartel compensation hearing to start in April appeared first on Motor Transport.

A third of companies involved in European logistics are making headway with their carbon reduction strategies, with another fifth in the process of implementing measures, according to new research. However, a leading sustainability expert has urged firms to make more effort to share their zero-carbon assets. The survey also found that 15% of businesses in the sector are still not measuring their emissions and a third have yet to set targets. The research by Kuhne Logistics University (KLU) in Hamburg [...]

The post Logistics giants urged to collaborate over decarbonisation plans appeared first on Motor Transport.

UK shellfish hauliers have warned they stand to go out of business due to spiralling costs and a deluge of paperwork now that the country has left the EU. Mark Moore, purchaser at the Dartmouth Crab Company, which runs 12 HGVs out of the West of England traffic area, said Brexit had made his industry unsustainable. He said: “We are deluged with paperwork; it’s at ridiculous levels. “The costs involved have made the industry unviable. Also, border controls are deliberately [...]

The post “Crazy” extra paperwork will put us all out of business, claim shellfish hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

Development giant GLP is to build a million sq ft of warehouse space across seven units and four sites in Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes, following the grant of planning permission. It is understood to be the largest programme of speculative logistics real estate development currently underway in the UK. GLP said the move aims to meet demand in an increasingly supply-constrained logistics real estate market in the UK. It follows the company's completion of 1.25 million sq ft of [...]

The post Planning permission granted for major logistics warehouse project across four sites appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers will lose out on trade between Britain and Northern Ireland if the government does not move swiftly to ease border friction, Logistics UK director of policy Elizabeth de Jong told MPs this week. The warning comes after one in four lorries arriving at Holyhead last week were held up due to inadequate paperwork and some businesses announced they were pausing their deliveries to Northern Ireland. Giving evidence to the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee this week, De Jong [...]

The post Freight levels to Northern Ireland will fall unless border friction is sorted, Logistics UK warns MPs appeared first on Motor Transport.

Interpol, the international police organisation, is warning that pharma supply chains may become a prime target as criminals attempt to intercept shipments and steal Covid-related products, particularly vaccine and virus testing kits. In a statement, Interpol secretary general Jürgen Stock, said: “As governments are preparing to roll out vaccines, criminal organizations are planning to infiltrate or disrupt supply chains.” The Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) reinforced the warning this week. It said: “It is critical for pharma supply chains to [...]

The post Covid-19 vaccine supply chains prime target for criminals, Interpol warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

Long-delayed industry guidance on pallet weights for tail lift deliveries is “imminent”, the RHA revealed today (11 January). The news follows a virtual meeting between the industry working group, which put together the draft guidance, and HSE officials. “The RHA, in close collaboration with the Association of Pallet Networks, continues to work with the Health & Safety Executive on the issue of tail lift & pallet weights," it told motortransport.co.uk. “This has been a protracted process as due to the [...]

The post Long-overdue pallet weight guidance “imminent”, RHA confirms appeared first on Motor Transport.

Almost three quarters of UK international hauliers believe they will be negatively impacted by customs changes following the UK’s exit from the EU this month wih just 13% believing the impact will be positive. According to a survey by Haulage Exchange, 71% of 32 international operators said the UK’s departure from the EU will not be good for their businesses. The survey, carried out on behalf of Transport Exchange Group, also revealed that 66% expect to spend more time dealing [...]

The post Brexit customs changes bad for business, say 71% of UK hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

HGV drivers crossing the Channel must continue to provide proof of an authorised negative coronavirus test within 72 hours of travelling to the border, according to the government. It has urged hauliers to seek tests at one of 34 information and advice sites across the country before reaching Kent, in order to help smooth traffic management. The testing arrangements will continue following a decision by the French government on 7 January to keep the current system in place. It means [...]

The post Covid tests to continue for cross-Channel truckers appeared first on Motor Transport.

A novel battery system that powers a refrigeration unit on Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans when the engine is turned off has ensured chilled food is delivered to the Isle of Wight with no increase in temperature. Convenience food producer Greencore has praised Carrier Transicold, Clayton Power and van fleet provider Petit Forestier for their approach to a unique problem it experienced when making ferry crossings from Southampton. Its 3.5-tonne vehicles are required to turn off their engines while on the ferry, [...]

The post Solution found for keeping food chilled on extended ferry crossings appeared first on Motor Transport.

The HGV annual test model has failed to demonstrate resilience during the pandemic, prompting Logistics UK to call for a review of the system. In a report about the impact of Covid-19 on logistics, the trade association highlighted how the light vehicle MOT scheme continued operating through 2020, enabling van operators to maintain their pre-pandemic testing schedules. But it said that “in stark contrast”, the HGV annual test delivery model did not show resilience, which it was now taking up [...]

The post Logistics UK calls for urgent review of HGV testing system in new Covid report appeared first on Motor Transport.

Microlise has launched its 2021 Driver of the Year awards. The initiative shortlists drivers by analysing a year’s worth of Microlise telematics performance data to identify the most talented short-, medium- and long-distance candidates. The process involves the Microlise data science team, who will initially analyse in excess of 250,000 drivers’ telematics records from 2020. Data will be anonymised with company, contract and driver personal identification information removed. Initially developed in conjunction with the University of Nottingham’s Advanced Data Analytics [...]

The post Microlise begins hunt for Britain’s best truck driver appeared first on Motor Transport.

HGV traffic to and from Ireland via Holyhead has slumped by around a third, according to port operator Stena Line. Stena said the reduction is largely due to operators from mainland Europe - whose trucks would normally head for Ireland via the UK 'land bridge' and pick up loads on the way back – deciding to avoid the UK. Head of UK Port Authorities at Stena Line Ian Davies said that whilst it was cheaper and quicker for lorry drivers [...]

The post New year sees UK-Ireland truck traffic via Holyhead fall by a third appeared first on Motor Transport.

The DfT has confirmed that logistics employees will continue to be classed as ‘essential workers’ during the UK’s third national lockdown and allowed to travel for work. The move comes after industry representatives raised concerns that problems in the first national lockdown - which saw logistics workers on their way to work and truck drivers stopped by police - did not arise in the third national lockdown. In a letter to logistics associations including the RHA, Logistics UK and the [...]

The post Logistics workers ‘essential’ in latest lockdown, government confirms appeared first on Motor Transport.

FTA Ireland is warning UK shippers and hauliers to ensure any goods sent to the Republic of Ireland are accompanied by the correct declarations paperwork or face potential delays on arrival at Dublin and other Irish ports. One week after the end of the Brexit transition period, Aidan Flynn, the association’s general manager, is cautioning British businesses that failure to comply with new procedures will put the Irish supply chain at risk. He said: “We are all facing new trading [...]

The post FTA Ireland alerts UK operators to risk of costly delays appeared first on Motor Transport.

Home delivery networks have seen a surge in business following the introduction of a third national lockdown, according to parcel comparison site ParcelHero. The company also said strict new Brexit red tape had stretched delivery networks this week although there had not been dramatic delays to parcels and goods deliveries. Panic buying caused supermarket websites to crash on Monday evening (4 January) when the lockdown was announced with Brexit increasing courier costs and creating the need for significant new paperwork, [...]

The post “Prepare for January rollercoaster ride,” home delivery firms warned appeared first on Motor Transport.

Microlise has launched its 2021 Driver of the Year award. The initiative shortlists drivers by analysing a year’s worth of Microlise telematics performance data to identify the most talented short-, medium- and long-distance candidates. The process involves the Microlise data science team, who will initially analyse in excess of 250,000 anonymous drivers’ telematics records from 2020. Data will be anonymised with company, contract and driver personal identification information removed. Initially developed in conjunction with The University of Nottingham’s Advanced Data [...]

The post Microlise begins hunt for Britain’s best trucker appeared first on Motor Transport.

More than half of all parcels sent in the post and via couriers this week are unwanted Christmas gifts, creating a “tsunami of returns” according to ParcelHero. It said the 52% boom in online shopping had created a huge jump in the number of presents now being returned, with the first working day of 2021 seeing returns increase by 10.7% year on year. ParcelHero said fashion stores were particularly feeling the strain, with initial figures indicating over 60% of items [...]

The post Online shopping boom creates “tsunami of returns” appeared first on Motor Transport.

Automatically treating HGV drivers found with stowaways in their vehicles as suspects in a criminal investigation is “a troubling development” amounting to an assumption of guilt, according to a transport lawyer. Chris Powell, associate solicitor at Rotheras, said a policy change by the police following the deaths of 39 migrants hidden inside a trailer in Essex would make lorry drivers’ lives more difficult as a result. Powell was commenting following confirmation by Essex Police that it had overturned the procedures [...]

The post Transport lawyer slams police decision to treat HGV drivers found with stowaways as suspects appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has welcomed the smooth flow of traffic at Channel ports, following the UK’s exit from the EU on 1 January, but warned that the real test will come later this week as freight volumes return to normal, complicated by the need for truck drivers crossing into France to have tested negative for Covid-19 no more than 72 hours previously. Speaking to motortransport.co.uk, Rod McKenzie, RHA MD of public policy, said: “Whilst there have been no serious delays the [...]

The post New border controls set to be tested as freight volumes return to normal this week, RHA warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

International hauliers are being “strongly encouraged” by the DfT to ensure their HGV drivers are tested for Covid-19 before travelling to France, warning that those drivers arriving in Kent without a test will face delays. The DfT is also offering to help hauliers set up their own testing facilities with lateral flow test kits provided by The Department of Health and Social Care free of charge, along with free training. The move follows the decision by the French government last [...]

The post Get Covid-19 test or face being put in the slow lane in Kent, DfT warns HGV drivers heading for France appeared first on Motor Transport.

Infrastructure works have started this week on the Segro Logistics Park Northampton Gateway (SLPNG) - a 450-acre multimodal logistics hub located next to junction 15 of the M1. The project has been designated as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) which will provide five million sq ft of industrial facilities and a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) once it is completed. Winvic Construction has begun the infrastructure works this week, including the 35-acre SRFI which will handle up to 16 [...]

The post Work starts on major new multimodal Northampton hub appeared first on Motor Transport.

A new electric vehicle (EV) charter and accompanying training course have been launched by the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP). The charter commits the organisation to fast-tracking the adoption of EVs in the UK through: supporting members through electrification with a helpline and administrative assistance; providing best practice documents and education; and lobbying government on the conditions needed to reach the 2030 cessation of the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans. The EV Fleet Manager Training Course lasts [...]

The post Association of Fleet Professionals launches charter to fast-track adoption of electric vehicles in UK appeared first on Motor Transport.

A planned new nuclear plant at Sizewell could also be a centre of hydrogen production for vehicle use, and the plant developer is seeking expressions of interest for partners to produce hydrogen and use it to run heavy vehicles at the site on the Suffolk coast. The initiative could be the precursor to scaling up hydrogen production for use as transport fuel and in other applications. The power plant company EDF Energy sees the East of England as a potential [...]

The post New Sizewell nuclear plant could produce low carbon hydrogen for road transport appeared first on Motor Transport.

RHA chief executive Richard Burnett has congratulated the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps for his part in the re-opening of the UK-French border but warned that the situation is far from resolved and that hundreds of drivers may not make it home for Christmas. The border has reopened for accompanied freight services and some passenger services on the proviso that everyone travelling from the UK into France is able to show proof of a negative Coronavirus test, taken [...]

The post “Stranded truckers not out of the woods yet,” warns RHA chief executive appeared first on Motor Transport.

A leading industry training provider has urged drivers to continue with their dangerous goods (ADR) courses remotely after the DVSA ordered classrooms in Tier 4 areas to be closed and exams suspended to help control the spead of Covid-19. Speaking to motortransport.com, Vicky Corridan, owner of Corridans in North Lincolnshire, said: "I lead a single campaign to have ADR courses allowed via my virtual classroom. It's what the DVSA now like to call remote delivery. This has been successful, having [...]

The post Classroom ADR training suspended in Tier 4 but courses can be completed online appeared first on Motor Transport.

UK commercial vehicle (CV) manufacturing decreased by 1.9% in November, with 8,605 units rolling off production lines, according to figures published this week by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). While output for the domestic market rose 10.1%, with logistics and CV operators working flat out to meet growing demand for online deliveries, it failed to offset an 8.8% decline in exports, equivalent to a loss of 490 units, as stricter coronavirus restrictions closed off entire parts of [...]

The post Covid costs UK commercial vehicle manufacturing sector £825m appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK has reacted with optimism to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) reached today (24 December) between the UK and EU but has cautioned that there is still much to be done to protect the nation’s supply chains, and the economy as a whole. “A deal is great news for the UK economy,” said Elizabeth de Jong, the group’s policy director, “since it removes the risk of tariffs being placed on almost every item imported from the EU, which would [...]

The post Zero-tariff Brexit deal welcome but prepare for the extra paperwork, Logistics UK reminds hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

An uninsured HGV driver whose licence had been revoked has been jailed for more than three years after his vehicle struck and killed a cyclist in Derby. Herbert Wyatt, 65, had lost his licence 12 weeks before the fatal collision in January with 25-year-old Josephine Gilbert, but he kept the revocation from his employer. At Derby Crown Court, Wyatt pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, as well as causing death by driving a vehicle while uninsured and causing [...]

The post Jailed HGV driver in fatal collision with cyclist didn’t have licence or insurance appeared first on Motor Transport.

A coroner’s decision not to produce a report outlining action that must be taken to reduce air pollution, after ruling that the death of a nine-year-old girl was caused by it, has surprised lawyers. Last week, coroner Philip Barlow ruled that air pollution had made a material contribution to the death of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who lived in Lewisham, south east London. It is the first time in the UK – and possibly the world – that pollution has been recognised [...]

The post Call to action should have followed London air pollution death, say lawyers appeared first on Motor Transport.

Testing truck drivers in Kent for Covid-19 will have a huge impact on the supply chain and will be extremely expensive, according to the RHA. It was responding to reports that the plan to reopen France’s border following fears that a new coronavirus variant could cross the Channel and enter mainland Europe would probably include testing for HGV drivers. More than 1,500 lorries are currently trapped in Kent waiting to leave the UK as politicians figure out how to reopen [...]

The post Covid tests for HGV drivers trapped in Kent will have massive impact on supply chain, insists RHA appeared first on Motor Transport.

More deaths involving migrants being smuggled in lorry trailers will happen, the president of the Irish RHA has warned. Eugene Drennan was speaking after four men were found guilty at the Old Bailey of their involvement in a people smuggling ring, which contributed to the deaths of 39 Vietnamese men, women and children in October last year. The discovery of the migrants unresponsive in the trailer of a lorry by its driver, Maurice Robinson, in Grays, Essex was made in [...]

The post More migrant deaths likely despite Old Bailey people smuggling convictions, warns Irish RHA president appeared first on Motor Transport.

The 2020 Motor Transport Top 100 has highlighted the success of online retailing even before the Covid-19 pandemic, with parcel carriers such as Hermes, Yodel, DPD and UPS all increasing sales at double the industry average rate of 2.3%. The figures for the Top 100 come mainly from companies’ 2019 accounts and so are not affected by the Covid-19 crisis. However, it is clear that the home delivery specialists have been the major beneficiaries as consumers have taken to the [...]

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Long-delayed industry guidance on pallet weights for tail lift deliveries could finally be published early next year, motortransport.co.uk has learnt. The industry working group, which put together the draft guidance, is meeting with HSE officials to prepare the document for publication in early January. According to industry sources, the meeting follows intense lobbying by the RHA last month after the association became so frustrated at the delay that it warned HSE officials that chief executive Richard Burnett would complain to [...]

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French transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari has told Sky News a plan is being worked on to resume the movement of unaccompanied freight from the UK to France with cross-EU talks "to begin within hours". The move to "establish a solid health protocol" comes after the UK governement and industry groups warned of "serious disruption" following France's decison to refuse arrivals of UK passengers for 48 hours amid concerns over a new strain of the cororavirus. Freight trucks have been banned [...]

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The DVSA must overturn its decision to stop all LGV driving tests during the pandemic to help address the shortage of professional drivers in the industry, according to Logistics UK. It said the industry needed 76,000 drivers and that the government must act now to secure the future of the industry. In a report looking at skills and employment in logistics, the group said Brexit and Covid-19 had exposed structural issues in the labour market. It said a raft of [...]

The post DVSA must act on LGV testing to address driver shortage appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA is to welcome coach operators into its membership after complaints from firms that they had been “let down” by their current trade body amid the coronavirus pandemic. Launching in April 2021, RHA Coaches hopes to take on board 500 new members by the end of the year who will benefit from the trade association’s close ties with the government. It is understood that the RHA, whose mmebers currently operate from 13,500 sites, had planned to enter the coach [...]

The post RHA to recruit coach operators as dissatisfaction with CPT grows appeared first on Motor Transport.

Prohibitions issued by the police or DVSA during roadworthiness checks have fallen by 19% since 2013, according to figures obtained by Logistics UK. However, the business group also warned against drawing the wrong conclusions and that more work was required to understand why there was a significant drop in notices handed out to operators between 2013/2014 and 2018/2019. Logistics UK’s compliance report relies on publicly available DVSA data, as well as figures gathered from Freedom of Information requests. It said [...]

The post Dramatic fall in HGV roadside prohibitions in last five years appeared first on Motor Transport.

A new study has revealed that the vast majority of hauliers – 96% - are not ready for the end of the Brexit transition period and require clarity on border legislation. Confusion around the transition is apparent in the results, which showed that 66% of respondents are not prepared to present safety and security declarations at customs – because they assumed these documents are the responsibility of the exporter or importer rather than the haulier or courier. The survey of [...]

The post With just two weeks to go, most hauliers still in the dark over Brexit appeared first on Motor Transport.

A major national campaign to educate the public about how smart motorways work and what to do in the event of a breakdown will launch next month. The move follows widespread criticism that the traffic management technique – which includes the controversial practice of converting the hard shoulder into a live lane – is not fully understood by motorists. In October, HGV driver Prezemyslaw Szuba was jailed for 10 months after he collided with two men on the M1 who [...]

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Logistics UK is calling for the government to urgently tackle the driver shortage crisis by providing financial support for HGV driver training, reforming the Apprenticeship Levy and prioritising HGV driver tests cancelled due to Covid restrictions. The call follows the publication this week of Logistics UK’s Skills and Employment Report 2020, which reveals that there were 20,500 fewer HGV drivers in Q2 2020, a reduction of 6.7% year-on-year. The report also reveals that the number of EU and UK HGV [...]

The post Urgent reforms of HGV driving training, tests and apprenticeships needed to solve skills crisis, warns Logistics UK appeared first on Motor Transport.

The design and construction of DPD’s new net zero distribution centre in Bicester is being held up as an example of how logistics firms and developers can radically cut carbon in new buildings. DPD’s new DC, which is currently under construction, features in a report by logistics property companies Prologis and Tritax Big Box. Dubbed Net-zero building in action, the report aims to share the two company’s combined experience in cutting and mitigating carbon emissions in buildings. The report shares [...]

The post Prologis and Tritax Big Box showcase DPD facility as shining example of net zero development appeared first on Motor Transport.

UK international hauliers and their customers could face a two-tier UK customs system, post-Brexit, which will prioritise larger importers, leaving smaller importers and their logistics partners facing slower customs clearance and higher prices. The warning comes from Sam Tyagi, founder and chief executive of customs clearance platform KlearNow. It follows a survey commissioned by the company which found that 45% of logistics workers believe the UK's customs infrastructure will struggle with the increased import and export paperwork. Tyagi said: “It’s [...]

The post Fears grow over two-tier Brexit customs system favouring biggest importers appeared first on Motor Transport.

A government ban on truck drivers taking any break other than a 45-minute rest period in seven Kent boroughs from January next year has been slammed by the freight industry. Any truck driver who ignores the ban, which comes into force on 1 January, will face a £150 fine. The temporary ban comes as the government braces for lengthy post-Brexit queues on Kent roads headed to and from the Channel Ports. Logistics UK is calling on the DfT to withdraw [...]

The post Logistics UK calls for “immediate” withdrawal of DfT plan to ban driver breaks in Kent post-Brexit appeared first on Motor Transport.

Three quarters of delivery drivers are willing to switch to zero-emission electric LCVs to reduce pollution, according to a survey carried out on behalf of LeasePlan UK. The latest annual LeasePlan Mobility Insights Report, produced by Ipsos, reveals that 75% of delivery drivers would switch to zero-emission electric LCVs to reduce pollution, while almost two thirds (61%) said they were also willing to share their LCVs with other businesses to reduce congestion. Alfonso Martinez, LeasePlan UK MD called on global [...]

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The heads of Europe’s largest truckmakers are set to announce plans to halt the sale of diesel vehicles by 2040, a decade earlier than originally planned. Daimler, Scania, MAN, Volvo, DAF, Iveco and Ford have formed an alliance and signed a pledge to phase out traditional combustion engines and focus on hydrogen, battery technology and clean fuels. The pledge also calls for widespread investment in energy grids and a higher tax on carbon across Europe to help drive the change. [...]

The post Seven major European truck manufacturers pledge to end sales of diesel trucks by 2040 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers are warning that large retailers could cut back on shipping to Ireland if checks created by Brexit cause delays. Martin Reid, the RHA's director for Scotland and Northern Ireland, slammed the government this week for failing to clarify the nature of post-Brexit customs checks. Reid said the situation at the port of Cairnryan, in Dumfries and Galloway, where many goods are transferred between Scotland and Northern Ireland, is unclear - whether or not a Brexit deal is struck. "Although [...]

The post Border checks may force major retailers to cut back deliveries to Ireland, RHA warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

The relaxation of drivers’ hours rules has been extended until 30 December, in response to crippling port congestion, Covid-19 and “unusual demand patterns”. The Department for Transport (DfT) said the relaxation applies to anyone driving within Great Britain under the EU drivers’ hours rules and involved in the transport of food and other essential goods from ports, including mixed loads with a significant content of such goods. In addition, the DfT said anyone transporting food and other essential goods for [...]

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Defra has launched a consultation on live exports, proposing to ban livestock movements if the temperature falls outside of the range 5–30 degrees, unless vehicles have a thermo-regulation system. The proposals also include stricter conditions for poultry, with a temperature range of between 5 and 25 degrees. In its plans, the government department said there were growing concerns about the requirements for the transport of animals, which did not reflect latest scientific evidence on welfare. It said that now the [...]

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Ongoing capacity problems at some of the UK’s largest ports has occurred because of the three ‘Cs’ – Covid-19, Christmas and Customs, according to Logistics UK, which warned that delays could persist for months. Following Honda’s decision to halt car production at its Swindon plant due to what it described as a parts delay, construction industry trade body BMF said it was investigating claims that building products shipped in containers from the Far East were also struggling to get into [...]

The post “Unprecedented” capacity issues at UK ports blamed on Covid, Christmas and customs appeared first on Motor Transport.

UK hauliers will not require ECMT permits while undertaking international work between the UK and EU until at least 30 June 2021 in the event of a no-deal, according to the European Commission (EC). It said there was now significant uncertainty about whether a deal between the UK and EU members would be in place by January and so it was putting in place a set of contingency measures to ensure “basic reciprocal air and road connectivity between the EU [...]

The post Hauliers won’t need ECMT permit until end of June 2021 under no-deal Brexit appeared first on Motor Transport.

A new specialist consultancy for freight logistics has been launched to help businesses capitalise on IT opportunities. Innovate Freight will help hauliers understand the advantages and disadvantages of in-house and external solutions and spread IT best practice across the sector. The brainchild of Richard Litchfield, who has more than 20 years of experience of implementing freight management systems, Innovate Freight is launching with three product offerings: IF Health Check, IF Consult and IF Consult Plus, which provide a range of [...]

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Smart logistics provider Community Network Services (CNS) is targeting international hauliers with its new purpose-built online tool aimed at fast tracking freight. The Border Entry and Exit Movement Service (BEEMS) has already been approved by P&O Ferries which will be mandating the use of BEEMS on its Cairnryan to Larne route from January. BEEMS provides a digital fastrack for freight using the customs pre-lodgement process, connecting transport offices and ferry operators with drivers to streamline the flow of goods. It [...]

The post P&O Ferries backs use of CNS fast track freight tool for hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

TfL is urging operators of HGVs over 12 tonnes to apply now for a free Direct Vision Standard (DVS) Safety Permit, ahead of enforcement action being implemented from 1 March 2021. Latest TfL data suggests that as many as 100,000 HGVs using the capital’s roads have yet to apply for their permit, despite facing the risk of a penalty charge notice of £550 for non-compliance (halved if paid within 14 days). DVS rules, which assign HGVs a star rating up [...]

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The DVSA has reminded drivers and operators of commercial and public service vehicles that tyres aged over 10 years fitted to front-steered axles will be illegal from 1 February 2021. The new legislation covers England, Scotland and Wales and will affect tyres fitted on the front axle of a goods vehicle with a maximum gross weight exceeding 3,500kg. Frances Molloy was instrumental in the ban through years of tireless campaigning after her son Michael died in a coach crash in [...]

The post Tyres over 10 years old fitted to front axles banned from next February, DVSA warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

CNG Fuels has landed £80m in funding from Foresight Group to build 14 new refuelling stations for gas powered HGVs as part of wider plans to roll out a national network. The joint venture deal will see the initial £80m of funding used to develop around 14 public access stations on major routes over the next two years. The move will quadruple the company’s capacity and enable it to refuel 8,000 vehicles a day. CNG Fuels is predicting that the [...]

The post CNG Fuels inks £80m funding deal for 14 new gas powered HGV refuelling stations appeared first on Motor Transport.

Cargo theft from HGVs rose to pre-pandemic rates in the third quarter of 2020, as the national lockdown came to an end and traffic returned to the roads. According to the latest quarterly report on cargo theft from the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NAVCIS), incidents of cargo theft in the UK rose by 33% in the three months to 31 August compared to the previous quarter. The report, collated by the freight arm of NAVCIS, said of the increase: [...]

The post Cargo theft surges back to pre-pandemic rates in Q3, NAVCIS reports appeared first on Motor Transport.

CNG Fuels has landed £80m in funding from Foresight Group to build 14 new refuelling stations for gas powered HGVs as part of wider plans to roll out a national network. The joint venture deal will see the initial £80m of funding used to develop around 14 public access stations on major routes over the next two years. The move will quadruple the company’s capacity and enable it to refuel 8,000 vehicles a day. CNG Fuels is predicting that the [...]

The post CNJ Fuels inks £80m funding deal for 14 new gas powered HGV refuelling stations appeared first on Motor Transport.

Almost 100 delegates have signed up to a webinar next week focusing on how operators can transition to electric vehicles (EV). The webinar hosted by the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) will launch new guidance and advice on the issue. Created by the AFP’s EV, Low Carbon and Alternative Fuels committee, the guidance draws on a wide range of experiences from across the organisation’s membership. Paul Hollick, AFP chair, said: “We’ve been looking closely at creating new written materials that [...]

The post Scores of operators sign up for electric vehicle webinar next week, Association of Fleet Professionals reports appeared first on Motor Transport.

More than a third of transport and logistics businesses have increased their customer communications in response to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to new research from SMS communications provider TextAnywhere, while online shopping and home delivery has risen significantly in the past few months, 57% of logistics firms still reported a decline in overall operations of at least a quarter. TextAnywhere asked transport and logistics firms about how they had used customer communications to maximise service during the [...]

The post Logistics firms ramp up customer communications during pandemic appeared first on Motor Transport.

Gasrec has completed a £1m upgrade to its flagship refuelling facility at the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT), to meet mounting operator demand for biomethane fuels. A team of engineers have installed new fuel dispensers, new supply lines and a new fuel management system, along with greater remote operability for the site – which has the capacity to refuel up to 700 trucks per day with Bio-LNG and Bio-CNG. Gasrec has also introduced its own fuel cards to provide [...]

The post Gasrec completes £1m upgrade to DIRFT biomethane refuelling facility as industry demand grows appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK has urged businesses that rely on UK-EU supply chains to engage with advice sites popping up all over the UK to provide HGV drivers with information on Brexit preparations. It came as negotiations on a post-Brexit trade deal reached a stalemate, with a senior UK government source telling the BBC that the prospect of a breakthrough was receding. On 3 December, David Wells, Logistics UK chief executive, met with the EU transition minister Rachel Maclean at a new [...]

The post Hauliers urged to get ready for Brexit as end of transition period looms appeared first on Motor Transport.

Operators running HGVs into London are being warned of a “hidden deadline” to apply for a permit under the forthcoming Direct Vision Standard (DVS). Goods vehicles over 12 tonnes GVW will require a DVS permit to enter the capital from March, based on a star rating indicating how much a driver can see from the cab. Enforcement of the standard has been delayed due to the upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic. However, Brigade Electronics said there is an unwritten [...]

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A group of MPs are asking hauliers to tell them what impact a cut or increase in fuel duty will have on their businesses as the country emerges from the economic doldrums. The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on road haulage and logistics has launched an inquiry into whether duty acts as a barrier to the sector’s ability to recover from the pandemic. The group has published a survey it wants road freight companies to respond to, which includes questions [...]

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FORS has joined forces with Network Rail to try to drive down the number of bridge strikes by HGVs. The scheme is encouraging members to heed warnings over the issue and avoid putting their operator licences at risk. As Network Rail revealed that bridges are struck by HGVs an average of five times every day across the UK, FORS director John Hix warned: “Traffic Commissioners are able to initiate proceedings against operators whose drivers’ strike bridges, with public inquiry results [...]

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Pallet network residential deliveries have risen to unprecedented levels during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Association of Pallet Networks (APN). It said the first quarter of 2020 saw 14% of pallet network volumes being delivered to residential addresses, but this rose to almost 36% during April. The APN said the rise in residential deliveries was largely driven by consumer demand for hi-tech equipment, food and drink, gardening and DIY products during the pandemic. APN chairman Paul Sanders, said: “Pallet [...]

The post Pallet networks seeing “unprecedented” demand for residential deliveries, APN reports appeared first on Motor Transport.

HGV traffic is the only type of motor transport to have returned to pre-pandemic lockdown traffic levels, according to new data released by the Department for Transport. The figures show that since 1 September HGV traffic has matched early 2020 traffic levels before the first lockdown began. In the first weeks of the first national lockdown in late March and April, HGV traffic fell by 40% during weekdays with Easter Monday recording a low point with a 75% drop. Since [...]

The post HGV traffic first to return to pre-Covid-19 lockdown levels appeared first on Motor Transport.

  Bandvulc transforms tyre service standards for major commercial vehicle rental firm Fleet of more than 2,500 vehicles wholly monitored and managed by Conti360 Fleet Solutions through national service network Communication key to success for MC Rental, via key account contact, online platform and holistic management of processes Combination of Bandvulc, Continental and Uniroyal tyres fitted to a wide-ranging mix of vehicles For commercial vehicle rental firm, MC Rental, Bandvulc has proven to be the perfect fit. Their decision to [...]

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The DVSA’s chief executive told MPs that the industry’s significant driver shortage is an “image issue” and nothing to do with the enforcement agency’s testing capacity performance. Giving evidence to the transport select committee, Gareth Llewellyn said “no-one was knocking my door down” to tell him there were not enough HGV driving examiners and that before the lockdown in March, there were thousands of vacant slots available. The outgoing chief executive’s comments have once again come as a surprise to [...]

The post DVSA: “Industry has an image problem and driver shortage not our fault” appeared first on Motor Transport.

The large-scale transition to electric commercial vehicles and economic recovery can only be achieved if a “favourable” Brexit deal is thrashed out, according to the SMMT. Its comments followed the release of dire production figures for October, which showed CV manufacturing fell by 25.6%, with just 6,761 units leaving factory gates. The SMMT said overseas and domestic market production figures are in double-digit decline as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing threat of a no-deal Brexit hitting [...]

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A promise by the government to splash out with the “biggest ever investment” in roads is still not enough to plug a backlog in maintenance, with billions more needed, according to the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA). This week’s comprehensive spending review (CSR) promised a “once in a generation” investment in infrastructure projects, with capital spending in 2021 totalling £100bn. Rick Green, AIA chair said the funding announcement for roads reflected government recognition of the need to invest in the local [...]

The post Government’s road investment pledge “billions short of what’s needed” appeared first on Motor Transport.

The HSE is visiting haulage premises in the run-up to Christmas to ensure they are Covid-secure, amid a surge in demand for online shopping. It said that large numbers of agency and temporary workers were being recruited to fulfil orders and steps needed to be taken to make sure the risk from contracting the respiratory disease was minimised. HSE inspectors and local authority officers will visit warehouses and distribution centres across the country to make sure workplaces are following the [...]

The post Christmas staff fulfilling online orders present Covid risk, HSE warns hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

An HGV driver on the M40 was so distracted by his mobile phone he was unaware of two police cars with their blue lights flashing attempting to stop him. The detail emerged following “record breaking” results from Warwickshire’s commercial vehicle unit (CVU), which patrolled motorways in the county in a lorry looking for drivers putting themselves and others at risk. The unit captured footage of an HGV driver who is believed to have been watching a video while driving and [...]

The post Police catch HGV driver watching video on phone in new motorway clampdown appeared first on Motor Transport.

The chief executive of the DVSA has told an influential group of MPs that traffic commissioners should be “abolished” and operator cases pursued through the courts instead. Giving evidence to the transport select committee, which is currently investigating the work of the enforcement agency, outgoing chief Gareth Llewellyn described the TCs as “anachronistic” and said a significant amount of money could be saved by doing away with them. He said: “In the operator world there’s a group called the traffic [...]

The post Scrap traffic commissioners and save millions, outgoing DVSA chief tells MPs appeared first on Motor Transport.

A group of MPs have urged the government to pause the rollout of Clean Air Zones (CAZ) for at least a year and review the evidence of their effectiveness in light of changing travelling patterns. The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on road freight and logistics said no one was disputing the need to tackle air pollution, but that the situation in this country had changed since the debate over charging zones first began a few years ago. The APPG [...]

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The data connectivity provided by electric trucks will mean a bigger revolution for fleet management than the vehicles themselves, r2c Online is forecasting. The commercial vehicle compliance and maintenance software specialist, which has 85,000 users across 33,000 fleets, said that the ability to gather information in real time would provide “massive” operational advantages. Tim Meadows, MD at r2c Online, said: “Electric trucks are a very exciting development but essentially, the approach to safety and maintenance dictated by their form of [...]

The post Electric truck data connectivity will bring operators “massive” operational gains, software specialist predicts appeared first on Motor Transport.

Haulage operators in Scotland now have until next summer to lodge a claim for damages in relation to a cartel among truck manufacturers, following a decision in the country’s Supreme Court. The Court of Session rejected an argument by Europe’s largest truck manufacturers that it was too late for companies to pursue compensation, after the European Commission found they had fixed the prices of trucks over a 14-year period between 1997 and 2011. The ruling is not binding in England, [...]

The post Scottish cartel ruling to trigger UK action? appeared first on Motor Transport.

The freight arm of the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NAVCIS) is on the hunt for industry partners to help it tackle rapidly rising levels of cargo theft from lorries. The call comes just two weeks after the theft of £5m of Apple products, from a truck exiting the M1, which saw the HGV driver and his security guard tied up and kidnapped. NAVCIS Freight focuses on gathering intelligence on freight theft from trucks, working with local police forces and [...]

The post NAVCIS calls for industry sponsors to help it fight freight thefts appeared first on Motor Transport.

Visitors to the virtual Commercial Motor Show at the end of September may have sat in on the break-out session on eco trucks, when Andrew Malcolm, chief executive of the Malcolm Group discussed a proposed trial of 48-tonne GCW trucks to feed railheads for intermodal operations. Malcolm operates trains on regular routes running from one of six multimodal terminals in Scotland. Using skeletal trailers and containers, or swap bodies, Malcolm is able to considerably reduce the number of road movements [...]

The post DfT considers trial of 48-tonne trucks for intermodal operations appeared first on Motor Transport.

Online food orders soared 99.2% in October and web sales grew 60.1% year on year, sparking warnings that operators will need to review their planning ahead of the Christmas peak. October’s retail sales estimates, released today (20 November) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), reveal sales volumes rose by 5.8% year on year, up by 1.2% from September’s results. However, home delivery specialist ParcelHero said the figures don’t reflect the impact of the second lockdown, which only started in [...]

The post “Truly astonishing” – new online sales figures trigger fears of Christmas delivery chaos appeared first on Motor Transport.

New vans running on petrol and diesel will not be sold in the UK from 2030 as the government forges ahead with its “extremely aggressive” phase out of conventional combustion engines. A consultation into the transition from diesel HGVs to zero-emission freight transport has also been promised as part of the government’s plan for a so-called “green industrial revolution”. But critics said the £4bn investment was too small to meet the scale of the challenge, with recent research suggesting £16.7bn [...]

The post Industry demands better infrastructure to support new zero emission deadline appeared first on Motor Transport.

Carbon-fibre body-builder Penso is on track to double capacity at its Coventry production line as demand for its lightweight Blue Ocean home delivery pods ramps up. Following a bumper order from supermarket Asda earlier this year, Penso has seen a surge of enquiries from logistics companies looking to maximise payload as they seek to handle record consumer demand for home deliveries. Manufactured from a blend of carbon fibre and recycled plastic, the triple-compartment ultra-lightweight pods are said to be able [...]

The post Penso riding high on wave of home delivery growth appeared first on Motor Transport.

UK Fuels has expanded its fuel card network to 3,350 sites after adding 307 Sainsbury’s fuel station locations this month. This is UK Fuels latest supermarket deal. The company also has contracts with a range of supermarket fuel stations including Tesco, Morrisons and the Co-op. Other fuel stations added to the UK Fuels network over the past 12 months include motorway service stations and over 80 new independently-owned outlets. The company, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, said it [...]

The post UK Fuels adds over 300 Sainsbury’s fuel stations to its network appeared first on Motor Transport.

UK haulage operators are estimated to see £7.5bn wiped off their turnover this year as the “catastrophic impact” of the coronavirus continues, according to the International Road Transport Union (IRU). The turnover loss is 26% higher than estimated in the summer and has prompted the IRU to urge the government for immediate action or else face up to “a shocking number” of bankruptcies in the coming months. The IRU research is an update to its June report on the impact [...]

The post Pandemic to cost UK hauliers “catastrophic” £7.5bn as bankruptcies loom appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has welcomed the publication of a handbook for hauliers to help prepare them for the end of the transition period in just 31 days’ time. The government has faced criticism from the haulage industry for a lack of clarity and information about the systems required to ensure trade flows smoothly in January when the UK leaves the European Union. Information and advice sites have now been set up across the country, which provide assistance on how to apply [...]

The post Government launches Brexit handbook for hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government has clarified its response to a petition demanding councils and major developers take into account HGV welfare facilities when deciding applications, acknowledging that professional drivers have been let down. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) was told by the petitions committee to provide a revised response after it attracted more than 10,000 signatures. The petition called for legislation to force councils to include secure lorry parking, as well as refreshment and washing facilities when allowing [...]

The post Government insists new HGV driver facilities will meet adequate standard appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government is considering a trial of 25-metre double artics on Britain’s roads as part of a wider multi-modal transport strategy. The move follows the recent launch of a DfT consultation into the use of longer semi-trailers (LSTs) on the UK’s roads, following a successful seven-year trial which showed LSTs delivered significant cuts to mileage and CO2 emissions. Denby Transport chairman Dick Denby recently met with DfT minister Baroness Vere to argue the merits of the 25.25m 60te B Double [...]

The post DfT mulls trial of 25.25m long, 60-tonne road train appeared first on Motor Transport.

Police officers are appealing for witnesses after £5m of Apple products were stolen from a lorry during a robbery on the M1 motorway in Northamptonshire. The raid happened on the southbound slip road at Junction 18 of the M1, between 7.45pm and 8pm last Tuesday (November 10). Police said the lorry driver and the security guard, who was travelling in a second vehicle, were “targeted and tied up”. The lorry was then driven to Eldon Close in Crick, where the [...]

The post Lorry raid on M1 slip road sees driver tied up and £5m of Apple products stolen appeared first on Motor Transport.

Bath hauliers whose businesses suffer from the introduction of the city’s clean air zone (CAZ) next year will be able to apply to Shire Leasing for financial assistance. Bath and North East Somerset Council has announced this week that it is taking on Shire Leasing to deliver its financial assistance scheme for local businesses adversely impacted by the city’s CAZ, which is due to be launched on 15 March next year. The financial assistance scheme, supported by the government’s Clean [...]

The post Bath appoints Shire Leasing to deliver financial assistance for hauliers hit by city’s CAZ appeared first on Motor Transport.

Commercial operators will suffer if government moves to end sales of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans by 2030 are not supported by a nationwide roll out of a charging infrastructure. The warning comes from Logistics UK and follows the government’s announcement last week that it is to bring to an end the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans five years earlier than planned – to 2030. Denise Beedell, policy manager for vans and [...]

The post Banning sales of new petrol and diesel vans by 2030 without adequate infrastructure will harm operators, Logistics UK warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers are calling on the Port of Felixstowe to get its house in order and tackle “outrageously long delays” at the port before the Christmas rush. Shipping lines cannot offload containers at the port because of lack of space and are having to re-route to other ports, including those based in mainland Europe whilst hauliers are reporting long queues at the port as goods are delayed. Last week, Taiwanese shipping firm Evergreen was forced to redirect one of its ships [...]

The post RHA condemns “outrageous” delays at Felixstowe Port and calls on owners to act appeared first on Motor Transport.

The sixth annual National Lorry Week has launched today (16 November) with a plea for the nation to shine a light for the logistics industry. The RHA is calling on the UK to show its appreciation of the sector and the heroic efforts made by hauliers and drivers to keep supplies flowing to hospitals, supermarkets and homes during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. RHA chief executive Richard Burnett said: “National Lorry Week provides the perfect opportunity for the nation to say [...]

The post Haulage industry asks nation to shine a light during National Lorry Week 2020 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Fleet software specialist FleetCheck is to provide free software to help FORS members undergoing remote audits during the pandemic. The offer follows FORS' recent announcement that, due to the latest lockdown, its members due to be audited before February 2021 will do so by either using electronic evidence or by holding printed information up to camera on a video-conferencing call. FleetCheck is offering FORS members not currently using FORS-FMS free access to the software for this period. Peter Golding, MD [...]

The post FleetCheck helps FORS members facing remote lockdown audits with offer of free software appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Commercial Vehicle Show 2021 is to be rescheduled due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the show’s organisers have announced this week. The show will still take place at the NEC in Birmingham but will move from the original date of Tuesday 13 April to Thursday 15 April 2021 to the new date of Tuesday 8 June to Thursday 10 June 2021. A spokesperson for the show said the decision was led by “consideration to the ongoing coronavirus situation and [...]

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Highways England is backing the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to help raise awareness of mental health issues, focusing on commercial vehicle drivers. It has produced a range of windscreen stickers and leaflets encouraging anyone suffering in silence to talk to someone and giving details of where to go for help. Mark Cartwright, head of commercial vehicle incident prevention at Highways England, said commercial vehicle drivers were especially vulnerable as they spent long periods alone behind the wheel. "This has [...]

The post Highways England gets behind CALM drivers campaign appeared first on Motor Transport.

Unite has pledged to stand up for lorry drivers and make the government ensure there are adequate welfare facilities installed at the huge HGV parks in Kent currently under construction. The union said it would not allow MPs and local councillors to “look the other way” as lorry drivers were denied basic rights, resulting in a public health crisis. The parks are being built to deal with delays caused by increased checks and paperwork following the country’s withdrawal from the [...]

The post Unite union demands new Brexit HGV parks meet drivers’ welfare needs appeared first on Motor Transport.

The “massive challenge” of distributing millions of Covid-19 vaccines in the UK, as well as across the world, will largely rely on courier firms such as UPS, DHL and FedEx, according to logistics experts. Following an announcement by Pfizer and BioNTech that its vaccine has become the first to clear interim clinical trials, courier giants are now mobilising their assets in order to fulfil one of the largest logistical operations in history. However, there remain immense challenges in delivering the [...]

The post Courier giants plan “militarised” distribution of Covid-19 vaccine appeared first on Motor Transport.

Volumes in UK pallet networks held up well in the third quarter, falling just 0.3% year on year, despite the impact of the viral pandemic. Latest figures from the Association of Pallet Networks (APN) also showed that economy volumes were up 18% to the end of September and total volumes during the month increased by 16%. Quarter pallets increased by 9.6% compared to Q3 2019 and APN chairman Paul Sanders said this was perhaps symptomatic of the increase in home [...]

The post Pallet networks report steady Q3 volumes appeared first on Motor Transport.

A customs software provider for freight forwarders has told the government there is "a totally unacceptable level of risk" in mandating its Customs Declaration Service (CDS) for shipments to and out of Northern Ireland. In a letter to HMRC, Agency Sector Management (ASM) explained that the original plan for CDS migration and the subsequent shut down of CHIEF [Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight] was scheduled for September 2020. But after extensive meetings with HMRC, ASM has now concluded [...]

The post Customs software hitch throws Northern Ireland Brexit plan into more confusion appeared first on Motor Transport.

Work to build the UK’s longest road tunnel could start in 18 months after Highways England (HE) invited tenders for the £2bn project. It said construction sat at the heart of the proposed Lower Thames Crossing, which it hopes will improve journey times by almost doubling road capacity across the Thames east of London. It will feature 14.3 miles of new road and two 2.6-mile long tunnels. HE said that at 16 metres wide, they would be some of the [...]

The post Highways England seeks developer for £2bn Lower Thames Crossing project appeared first on Motor Transport.

With just 34 working days left before the Brexit transition period ends, Logistics UK has reacted “with incredulity” at an announcement by the government that it had launched a ‘business-led task force’. Senior cabinet office minister Michael Gove said it was a “challenging time” for businesses and it was determined to support them so that they were ready for 1 January. The task force has been created to help firms prepare for the UK’s final break with the EU. But [...]

The post New business-led Brexit task force “a government smokescreen”, Logistics UK boss claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

Transaid, the international transport charity, said it had secured vital funding to help protect supply chain workers in Zambia from exposure to Covid-19. Professional drivers in the landlocked African country have been battling deteriorating working conditions, potentially increased road safety risks and a lack of access to information and training to support them during the global health crisis. Transaid said funding for the six-month project would help to build capacity and preparedness within the country’s transport and logistics sector against [...]

The post Transaid wins funding to protect drivers in Zambia from Covid-19 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK has renewed its appeal to government to provide the clarity and systems hauliers require to ensure trade continues flowing after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December 2020. Speaking to the House of Commons Select Committee on the Future Relationship with the EU today (11 November), Elizabeth de Jong, the organisation’s policy director, said not enough government information has been forthcoming. She pointed to significant delays in delivery of the Haulier Handbook, which is intended to give [...]

The post “Fix gaps in Brexit guidance to avoid delays and shortages,” industry urges government appeared first on Motor Transport.

Trailer manufacturers and dealers are warning of a “trailer drought” in the UK ahead of the Black Friday and Christmas peaks, with prices for second hand trailers reaching unprecedented levels. Industry experts say the shortage is driven by the recent demise of trailer manufacturer The Cartwright Group, the ongoing uncertainty caused by Brexit, the boom in internet shopping as a result of the pandemic and the temporary closure of trailer manufacturing facilities during the first pandemic lockdown earlier this year. [...]

The post Peak season threatened by trailer “drought”, warn manufacturers and dealers appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Logistics Skills Network (LSN) has slammed the DVSA’s decision to suspend HGV driver testing and training during the government’s latest four-week lockdown in England, which began last week. The LSN, whose members train around 40% of all HGV drivers each year, is warning that the decision will add thousands more delayed tests to the existing backlog of 20,000 delayed HGV tests created by the previous lockdown and exacerbate the HGV driver shortage in the middle of the logistics industry’s [...]

The post Decision to halt HGV driver tests will disrupt peak season, industry warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

Shell is partnering with the Smart Freight Centre to sponsor its smart transport manager training (STMT) module. The online programme aims to educate fleet managers on how to reduce carbon emissions, increase efficiencies and cut costs throughout their entire supply chain. The programme covers five modules over a four-hour online course. The modules cover the latest methodologies and technologies offered to transport fleets and gives transport managers on the course an individualised Smart Action Plan to help put these ideas [...]

The post Shell to sponsor carbon-cutting fleet manager training programme at Smart Freight Centre appeared first on Motor Transport.

The UK government must make immediate preparations to prevent severe disruption to the flow of goods into the UK in the event of the new mink-related Covid-19 strain originating in Denmark spreading into France, Belgium or Germany, the RHA warned this week.The warning follows new rules laid out over the weekend for HGV drivers who have recently travelled through Denmark. British HGV drivers who have travelled through Denmark in the last fortnight will have to self-isolate for 14 days along [...]

The post RHA warns of major supply chain chaos if mink-related Covid-19 strain spreads beyond Denmark appeared first on Motor Transport.

The public spending watchdog has criticised the government for failing to prepare for Brexit and said between 40% and 70% of laden HGVs travelling to the EU will not be ready for Customs requirements. In a report into the country’s preparedness for the end of the transition period, the National Audit Office (NAO) said it was now “very unlikely” that businesses would be ready, particularly if the EU implemented full controls at its border. The report said: “Some of this [...]

The post Up to 70% of HGVs bound for EU won’t meet new customs rules, National Audit Office claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

Network Rail has released a list of the most battered bridges in Britain in a bid to raise HGV driver awareness ahead of the Black Friday and Christmas rush. The list reveals that the Watling Street bridge on the A5 in Hinckley, Leicestershire, has the unenviable title of Britain’s most-bashed bridge after being struck 25 times in the last year. The second most-struck bridge, the Bromford Road bridge in Dudley, West Midlands, also saw the most rail passenger delays attributed [...]

The post List of most-struck bridges revealed as Network Rail calls for HGV drivers to take more care appeared first on Motor Transport.

Longer semi-trailers (LSTs) could become a permanent fixture on Britain’s roads as the government moves to bring to an early end a trial of over 2,600 LSTs following positive results. LSTs, which are two metres longer than conventional heavy goods vehicles, can carry two more rows of pallets or three more rows of goods cages on each journey. The DfT has launched a consultation into the future of LSTs today (9 November 2020) after the trial revealed that LSTs can [...]

The post Operators could be allowed longer semi-trailers after successful trial appeared first on Motor Transport.

With no need to travel long distances and no annoying searches for a parking space when you get there, e-commerce is becoming increasingly popular with consumers. [...]

The post Sponsored: Traveling from Earth to Mars 73 Times a Year appeared first on Motor Transport.

The transportation and storage industry had a rate of fatal injury around twice the average across all industries, according to new figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The average rate of non-fatal injuries between 2012/13 and 2019/20 was 2.7% in road haulage; 2.9% in warehousing and 3.4% in post and courier work. The average across all industries was 1.9%. However, the HSE added: “The rate of non-fatal injury to employees reported by employers to RIDDOR shows a downward [...]

The post Sector faces double the risk of fatal injury, new data reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

Fresh food logistics to and from the continent must be prioritised if it is to remain competitive after the UK leaves the EU, according to the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA). It said the £8.7bn trade in meat products, which keeps the just-in-time food supply chain moving, was about to “run into a huge brick wall” after the government refused to give it precedence over other products travelling through ports. The BMPA said an HGV carrying anything other than fresh [...]

The post Fresh food supply chain will hit Brexit brick wall, meat authorities warn appeared first on Motor Transport.

All face-to-face Driver CPC courses have been suspended until 2 December as part of the lockdown restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The DVSA said the national restrictions, to be introduced from Thursday (5 November) do not affect its HGV testing service and that ATFs can remain open. However, all vocational theory tests will be suspended, as will Driver CPC courses that are scheduled to be completed in the classroom. The enforcement agency said CPC courses can continue [...]

The post Face-to-face Driver CPC courses suspended during national lockdown appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK said member companies could continue trading smoothly with the EU at the end of the Brexit transition period after it secured discounted access to software from customs experts AEB. Organisations that will be required to make customs declarations from 1 January can get a lifetime 5% discount on AEB’s four software packages, which Logistics UK said can be used to speed up the process. Al Richardson, head of membership at Logistics UK, said: “Customs declarations will be required [...]

The post Logistics UK signs member discount deal for customs software appeared first on Motor Transport.

Concerns that Transport for London (TfL) was poised to extend the congestion charging zone to the North and South Circular Roads have been allayed after a bailout plan was agreed without the expansion. However, the industry has urged the government to consider exemptions for hauliers from conditions imposed in the summer which increased charges for road users. TfL said a funding agreement worth around £1.8bn had been reached, which would enable it to continue to support the capital for the [...]

The post Relief as plans to extend London congestion charge zone scrapped appeared first on Motor Transport.

Operators should not be distracted by the prospect of a busy Christmas and instead must prepare for a worst-case scenario of a Brexit and Covid-19 “double whammy”, according to Dawsongroup. The truck and trailer contract hire and rental business said haulage firms must not be panicked into doing nothing and that plans needed putting into action now to avoid becoming a casualty of the UK exiting the European Union and the Covid-19 pandemic. Dawsongroup said the big fear was that [...]

The post Operators must prepare for Covid and Brexit “double whammy” says Dawsongroup appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Association of Pallet Networks (APN) said its members had "robust continuity plans" and appropriate safety measures in place to continue deliveries during the country’s second lockdown. Its move to reassure the marketplace came as research from Whistl showed that nearly half of Christmas shoppers (46%) are aiming to increase their online spending activities during the festive season and up to 44% of fashion sales will switch to online. APN said pallet network distribution workers included warehouse staff and drivers [...]

The post Get ready for an online Christmas as England heads into lockdown appeared first on Motor Transport.

The industry is facing a new shortage in essential fleet skills as companies restructure their businesses in the wake of the pandemic, FleetCheck has warned. The fleet software specialist has reported growing instances of managers with fleet expertise being made redundant or moved into new roles, often leaving responsibility in the hands of people who have relatively limited experience. MD Peter Golding said: “Long-time watchers of the fleet industry will know that this tends to happen during recessions. There is [...]

The post Company reorganisations leaving skills vacuum, says FleetCheck appeared first on Motor Transport.

It could be another 18 months before claims for damages from thousands of hauliers in relation to the truck manufacturers’ price-fixing cartel are resolved, according to a lawyer involved in the case. Steven Meyerhoff, director at Backhouse Jones solicitors and head of commercial litigation, said a hearing before the Competition Appeal Tribunal could take place during the first quarter of 2021, but then the tribunal must make a decision on whether a trial should go ahead – probably sometime in [...]

The post Damages claims from cartel case may take another 18 months to resolve appeared first on Motor Transport.

A transport lawyer has added his voice to growing concerns that there will not be enough HGV access permits for operators wanting to enter the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Tim Culpin, transport partner at Aaron & Partners, said there would “simply not be enough” European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) permits available to meet demand should a ‘no deal’ be agreed. Culpin urged operators to prepare for the UK to crash out of the EU [...]

The post No-deal Brexit would leave HGV operators short of EU access permits, lawyer warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers should expect to receive an S-mark prohibition and face a follow-up investigation if enforcement officers discover a tyre aged 10 years or older fitted to front axles from next year. Secondary legislation to make old tyres illegal is currently being laid and they will be banned from the front wheels of HGVs from February 2021. The government said tyres fitted in twin configuration will not be included, since a failure of one tyre in a pair presents a lower [...]

The post DVSA warns of further clampdown on tyres aged 10 years and older appeared first on Motor Transport.

Another significant blow to the transport sector could come in the form of an extension of the Capital’s congestion charge zone, which has been suggested as a means of bailing out Transport for London (TfL). The RAC said the government had demanded the current zone be extended to encompass “a huge geographical area”, which would hit businesses hard. Logistics UK said it had written to transport secretary Grant Shapps in a plea to the government to think again about its [...]

The post Industry slams plan to enlarge London congestion charge zone appeared first on Motor Transport.

Cullimore Group’s MD has called for haulage to get the support and recognition it deserves as the industry gears up for the RHA’s National Lorry Week. Moreton Cullimore (pictured) said drivers were being let down by a lack of parking and being denied access to toilets. The third generation family MD of the 90-year-old haulage company said he welcomed a recent statement from the Petitions Committee calling for the government to provide a revised response to an online petition demanding [...]

The post Cullimore MD demands more support for hauliers ahead of National Lorry Week appeared first on Motor Transport.

The widow of a man killed on the M1 when he was struck by an HGV travelling at 56mph said it wouldn’t have happened if Smart motorways hadn’t been introduced. Claire Mercer, wife of Jason Mercer who died in the collision last year, said the wrong person was being punished after HGV driver Prezemyslaw Szuba (pictured) was jailed for 10 months following his guilty plea for causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving. Szuba was travelling along the M1, near [...]

The post Death crash HGV driver jailed but campaign to scrap Smart motorways continues appeared first on Motor Transport.

The first UK trial of wireless charging technology for light commercial vans will launch in Edinburgh next spring. Heriot-Watt University, Flexible Power Systems (FPS) and City of Edinburgh Council have been awarded funding worth £1.6m for the project, which has potential to accelerate commercial fleet electrification across the UK. Wireless charging allows electric vehicles (EVs) to recharge while parked on charging pads instead of using cables that need to be manually plugged in by a driver. The project will get [...]

The post First UK wireless charging project for light commercial vans to launch in spring appeared first on Motor Transport.

Work on post-Brexit freight software is unlikely to be ready for the 1 January deadline, the Association of Freight Software Suppliers (AFSS) has warned. The idea behind the new border software is to reduce the time that vehicles would need to stop for border checks. It is intended to help haulage and logistics companies submit paperwork digitally so that taxes can be calculated. However, the project has been slammed by the RHA and Logistics UK who claim it will add [...]

The post “Fix it and fast!” – HMRC slammed over delay to Brexit freight software appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has announced that the sign-up process for its new Customs Brokerage Service for international hauliers will begin on 1 November 2020. Initially focussing on roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) traffic, the service goes live on 1 January 2020 and will be electronically connected to all 26 major UK ports. It aims to ensure that Ro-Ro declarations can be completed in a way that suits operators and traders. With less than 10 weeks until the Brexit transition period ends, the RHA [...]

The post “Time is running out” – RHA launches Customs Brokerage Service for RoRo traffic appeared first on Motor Transport.

US warehousing giant Panattoni says significant progress is being made at its Wakefield515 site where steel is already up on what it describes as the largest speculative development in the North for 10 years. Caddick Construction, Panattoni's build partner for the landmark Yorkshire project, is on site to complete the 515,820sq ft warehouse with cladding being added to the fully formed framework. The facility, due to be completed by the end of Q2 2021, is located at the M62 and [...]

The post “A landmark project” – Wakefield515 logistics and distribution hub takes shape appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK has claimed a no-deal Brexit could have a significant effect on the price of imported goods and make the cost of transporting them unaffordable to UK operators. In a letter to the Sunday Times published on 25 October, chief executive David Wells said: “Everyday household items we import will become more expensive under World Trade Organisation tariffs, some by 30% or more. This will make the household shopping basket much more expensive, particularly in the early part of [...]

The post No-deal Brexit could make cost of transporting goods unaffordable, Logistics UK boss warns operators appeared first on Motor Transport.

Business leaders have called time on the apprenticeship levy, demanding the government ends the “failed experiment”. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said there was an urgent skills challenge in the UK jobs market and the country faced a stark choice: more investment in lifetime learning or do nothing and risk spiralling rates of unemployment. In its report, Learning for Life, the CBI said that by 2030, nine in 10 employees will need to reskill and that new technologies and [...]

The post CBI brands apprenticeship levy a “failed experiment” and calls for urgent government review appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK said hauliers should be reassured by the government’s contingency plans for any disruption on Kent roads in January, after it said it would introduce legislation to enforce Operation Brock. However, it also said the latest plans still lack the detail that companies needed to plan ahead. Following consultation with the industry, the Department for Transport said it would bring forward legislation to enforce the traffic management strategy, which should reduce the risk of disruption as hauliers travel through [...]

The post Government to enforce Operation Brock as Brexit contingency amid plans for 45 haulier advice centres appeared first on Motor Transport.

Online retail sales were up 53% year-on-year in September, according to latest ONS figures, providing more evidence that we’re heading towards a ‘digital Christmas’. Overall spending in retail increased by 3.4%, but this was dwarfed by online purchases. According to ParcelHero, leading the online charge were department stores’ online sales, with September being the month pre-orders opened for the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X and helping sales soar by 88%. Read more Firms switch to local providers to [...]

The post September online sales up 53% as rush to order new games consoles points to ‘digital Christmas’ appeared first on Motor Transport.

The DVSA and JAUPT will take action against any driver or training provider that is found to repeat the same periodic training subjects as part of the Driver CPC. The enforcement agency and the accreditation service said they had started monitoring training provider uploads and driver records and could revoke a driver qualification card (DQC) if they find that the rules have been broken. The move follows a review of the Driver CPC directive by the EU commission, which now [...]

The post DVSA warns of major Driver CPC clampdown to tackle rule breaking appeared first on Motor Transport.

The lead organisation overseeing the UK platooning trials has told motortransport.co.uk that the project is “very much still alive”, despite progress stalling due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) said the government remained committed to the trials and that desk-based research has continued during the pandemic. We reported last week that the consortium behind the project had completed off-road trials and extensive safety testing and driver training, but that on-road trials scheduled for 2020 had been abandoned. [...]

The post Platooning trials will be completed, project chiefs insist appeared first on Motor Transport.

A guide for drivers to raise awareness of cargo crime and offer advice on protection has been produced by CV security specialist Maple. The free Drivers’ Cargo and Road Transport security guide covers terrorism, the importance of secure parking, deception and theft from moving vehicles. Maple said the timing of its release was pertinent as there are “very real concerns” about a spike in cargo crime as the industry navigates a post-lockdown environment, while Europol has also warned of a [...]

The post Drivers offered advice on cargo crime amid “very real concerns” appeared first on Motor Transport.

The haulage industry fared better than most UK sectors during the second quarter of the year, with a slowdown much less pronounced than elsewhere, according to official figures. ONS data shows total business investment in the UK transportation and storage sector fell to £2.6bn in April, May and June 2020 – down from £3.1bn in Q2 2019, a 17.8% reduction. But this was significantly less than the dramatic reduction seen in the wider economy, which fell 26.1%. Tax relief consultancy [...]

The post Haulage sector more resilient than most during pandemic, new data reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

Telematics firm Teletrac Navman has launched a web-based automated AI tool, aimed at supporting fleet operators with the move to electric vehicles. The EV Readiness Tool integrates with the company's fleet management and tracking platforms and analyses telematics data to provide operators with detailed recommendations of where electric vehicles could be adopted into their operation. The smart algorithms assess the feasibility of switching and calculate the total cost of ownership of an EV switch versus the existing fleet (purchase price, [...]

The post New telematics tool shows operators where to electrify fleets appeared first on Motor Transport.

Marshall Fleet Solutions (MFS) has expanded its 2020 apprenticeship programme. Ten new people are set to join the scheme, working at their local MFS regional depots around the UK, as part of a three-year development programme. The Cambridgeshire-based firm will now have 15 engineering apprentices employed on a full-time basis within the business, which includes both male and female apprentice engineers, which it said is unusual in the commercial vehicle industry. “At Marshall Fleet Solutions, we believe it’s not just [...]

The post Marshall Fleet Solutions launches 2020 apprenticeship programme appeared first on Motor Transport.

Time is running out for HGV drivers and operators to oppose government plans to make lorry drivers legally liable in the event of a collision, the RHA warned this week. The association is calling on the industry to respond to a consultation document on proposed changes to the Highway Code, before the consultation period comes to an end next week (27 October). It warns that if the proposed changes go ahead they will put much greater responsibility on HGV drivers [...]

The post Last chance to oppose government plans to put road safety onus on HGV drivers, RHA warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

A local haulier has warned Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) council that its decison to launch a clean air zone (CAZ) in the city will significantly lengthen HGV journey times as drivers seek out alternative routes to avoid being charged. The scheme is due to launch next March and imposes charges on vehicles that do not comply with Euro-6 diesel and Euro-4 petrol emissions limits. A charge of £9 per day will be applied to non-compliant “taxis, private hire [...]

The post Bath clean air zone will heavily disrupt local supply chain, major haulage firm claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

Operators can cut their CO2 emissions and help re-green arid drylands in Africa under an initiative launched this week by Webfleet Solutions and charity JustDiggit. The Green Your Fleet platform allows customers to estimate their annual CO2 emissions based on their fleet size and vehicle types. It then calculates the amount required to offset the fleet’s carbon emissions and estimates how many square metres will be regreened, how many trees planted, how much water will be saved and how many [...]

The post Webfleet offers operators chance to cut fleet emissions and help re-green African drylands appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government has encouraged the industry to respond to plans to overhaul the country’s outdated planning system and explain how “high quality” lorry parking facilities should be provided. In a response to a petition demanding that councils are forced to include “safe and secure HGV parking with refreshment and washing facilities for drivers” when deciding distribution park applications, it said it was considering “innovative ideas” to improve HGV parks. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said: “As [...]

The post “Work with us to improve HGV facilities,” government urges industry appeared first on Motor Transport.

Trials on British roads involving platoons of autonomous HGVs have been put on hold due to the ongoing pandemic. The consortium behind the investigations into the use of the technology said off-road trials and “extensive safety testing and driver training” had been completed, but Covid-19 had affected the programme and on-road trials scheduled for this year had been abandoned for the time being. HelmUK added: “An evaluation will be made at a future agreed date to understand the changes in [...]

The post Pandemic halts trials of autonomous HGV platoons appeared first on Motor Transport.

Greater Manchester is asking for £98m of government funding to help local HGV, coach, van and minibus operators upgrade their fleets to Euro-6 standard ahead of the launch of its clean air zone (CAZ) in the spring of 2022. However the RHA dismissed the funding plans this week as a “very expensive sticking plaster on a misguided government policy”. Greater Manchester is requesting a total of £150m of government funding as part of its CAZ bid, of which £98m will [...]

The post Manchester CAZ £98m fleet upgrade fund a “sticking plaster on a misguided policy”, says RHA appeared first on Motor Transport.

A Scottish transport firm has condemned as “inexcusable” delays by the traffic commissioner’s office in processing O-licence applications after it was left waiting since May to run HGVs. Eion Robertson said he had £50,000 sitting in his bank as evidence of financial standing and yet “nothing in my fridge” after he was left waiting on a decision by the TC to grant a licence. Sole trader Robertson, who wants to operate 10 HGVs and 10 trailers out of a base [...]

The post “Incompetent and inexcusable” – haulier slams O-licence delays after five-month wait appeared first on Motor Transport.

High levels of interest from fleet operators for zero emission vehicles will drive a “dramatic shift” to electric vans, according to research from the Arval Mobility Observatory. Despite a plethora of obstacles that still need to be overcome – including a lack of models, limited range and supply, as well as the extra payload – Arval said its research revealed growing enthusiasm for battery electric power in light CVs. Half of respondents said they were already running hybrids, or planned [...]

The post Van fleets will see “dramatic shift” to electric, new report predicts appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics companies and their customers are responding to seismic changes in online retail in an effort to tackle what is predicted to be an unprecedented peak in Christmas shopping. Following research by Barclay’s Corporate Banking that showed 15% of UK firms have created roles to cater for an increase in online demand, warehousing and distribution firm Carlton Forest said it was also seeing companies switch to more localised logistics providers as they prepare for an uplift in orders. Alistair Plant, [...]

The post Firms switch to local providers to tackle Christmas e-commerce boom appeared first on Motor Transport.

HGV traffic in Great Britain dropped to just 25% of its normal levels at the height of the lockdown in April, but had almost bounced back to pre-Covid levels by July, new figures reveal. Department for Transport statistics showed light and heavy commercial vehicle traffic returned to at least 100% of their typical levels before cars and all other forms of transport. The Easter weekend of 10-13 April marked the lowest levels of HGV traffic and thereafter they remained at [...]

The post New figures reveal impact of lockdown on truck traffic appeared first on Motor Transport.

Dawsongroup Truck and Trailer has launched a new, mobile-friendly website. The company, which is headquartered in Milton Keynes, said the new site has a fresh, modern look and provides users with access to more dynamic and up-to-date information, including company news, testimonials, videos, case studies and bespoke build and supply projects. Dawson Group Truck and Trailer, which is an independent supplier of tractor units, rigids, trailers and specialist heavy commercial vehicles, has over 11,000 assets and provides award-winning contract hire, [...]

The post Dawsongroup Truck and Trailer launches new website appeared first on Motor Transport.

Three women from the transport industry have been honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Lesley O’Brien (pictured), partner at Freightlink Europe has received an OBE for services to diversity and inclusion. O’Brien has been recognised for being the driving force behind the creation of She’s RHA, which engages not only with women but also other minority and less privileged groups. In January this year O’Brien also launched Freight People, a monthly forum for the transport community which offers expert [...]

The post Queen bestows honours on three women from the logistics sector appeared first on Motor Transport.

A parliamentary petition calling for the removal of temporary traffic measures to tackle congestion has reached over 15,800 signatures in just two days. The petition is targeting the temporary road closures, new cycle lanes and the expansion of pedestrian areas and reduction of road space introduced across the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in a government bid to reduce pollution levels. The move has met with a growing chorus of opposition from the logistics industry, local businesses and residents [...]

The post Petition calling for traffic congestion measures to be ditched gains 15,800 signatures in two days appeared first on Motor Transport.

Leeds Clean Air Zone is no longer required, Leeds City Council announced today (13 October). The decision follows a joint government and city council review which found that air quality improvements, driven by businesses switching to cleaner vehicles faster than expected, had made the scheme redundant. Instead the council will look at bringing in new air quality targets that go further than the national standards. The review found that more than 90% of buses and 80% of HGVs driven in [...]

The post Leeds to ditch CAZ plans appeared first on Motor Transport.

The delayed Birmingham City clean air zone (CAZ) will be launched on 1 June 2021, the city council has confirmed. The move will see non-Euro 6 trucks, buses and coaches charged £50 a day to enter the zone, which lies within the A4540 ring road. Non-compliant cars will be charged £8 a day. The scheme had originally been due to be enforced from July 2020. However, a fault with a new government website and the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic [...]

The post Birmingham CAZ will launch in June next year, city council confirms appeared first on Motor Transport.

The policing of the UK’s roads should be run on a nationwide basis to ensure consistency across the whole network, according to Logistics UK. The call comes in its response to a joint review of roads policing by the Home Office and DfT. Logistics UK head of road freight regulation policy James Firth said: “Logistics UK is calling for the government to establish common, unified road safety objectives which all enforcement bodies are committed to achieving and that are governed [...]

The post Logistics UK calls for overhaul of roads policing appeared first on Motor Transport.

Freight forwarders are demanding the government intervenes in a dispute between Felixstowe Port owners and users. The row centres around disruption to operations at the port which the British International Freight Association (BIFA) says is causing freight forwarders and hauliers to suffer major operational damage and incur significant additional costs. Last month UK forwarders and shippers who route cargo through Felixstowe were told not to return empty containers to the port but to take them to London Gateway instead. The [...]

The post Congestion problems at Felixstowe Port need government intervention, says BIFA appeared first on Motor Transport.

Freight traffic on Brittany Ferries is set to increase by 15% on routes from the UK to Spain, the ferry operator is predicting. The company said it had seen a major decline in passenger traffic during a “season to forget” but that freight levels had stayed steady during the period, despite the impact of Covid-19. The ferry operator, which serves France, Spain, Ireland and the UK, added that there had been positive signs from the marketplace with several major customers [...]

The post Brittany Ferries predicting 15% leap in freight on its UK to Spain route next year appeared first on Motor Transport.

DPD was again the big winner in the 2020 Motor Transport Awards, coming out on top in five of the seven categories in which it was shortlisted, taking its tally of trophies to 34 and overtaking TNT. Covid-19 forced the cancellation of the live show for the first time in 34 years, and in an online awards presentation broadcast last night (October 7) DPD was revealed as the winner of the Customer Care, Home Delivery, Urban Delivery, Clean Fleet Van [...]

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The time taken for traffic commissioners to process goods vehicle licence applications has increased to 38 days as they struggle with the impact of the coronavirus. Figures released by the office of the TC (OTC) showed that up to March of this year, they had driven down the average number of days to turn around a haulier’s application to 36.45 - and 134.8 days if it involved a public inquiry. But the number of days rose to 38.01 and 136.84 [...]

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The first virtual Commercial Motor Show conference hosted a discussion of a broad base of presentations on the common theme of future technology, and in particular, how technology in different fields is helping to increase the operational efficiency of truck fleets. Bridgestone technical manager – north region, Gary Powell opened by highlighting the ways in which tyre choice can help both fleet and global issues by using the labelling system which rates truck tyres in respect of fuel economy, wet [...]

The post CM Show takes a look forward to future technology appeared first on Motor Transport.

The volume of goods moved between the UK and Europe could fall by 20% post-Brexit, Europa Worldwide MD Andrew Baxter told delegates at the Commercial Motor Show 2020, adding that he plans to cover any losses by winning new business from poorly prepared rivals. Baxter said Europa had worked hard to prepare for the end of the transition period on 31 December, warning that poorly prepared companies risk bankruptcy. He said: “There will be a real meaningful shift in the [...]

The post Prepare for Brexit transition or risk bankruptcy, Europa’s chief warns operators at CM Show appeared first on Motor Transport.

Operators are saving thousands of pounds a year by joining the DVSA Earned Recognition (ER) scheme, according to Phil Breen, DVSA ER national account manager. Speaking to delegates at the virtual Commercial Motor Show 2020, Breen demonstrated how drastic reductions in roadside stops and related rectification and loss-of-use costs had saved one member £8,750 over two years, whilst another larger operator in the scheme had saved £12,000 in just one year. Breen said another key benefit is the exclusive, direct [...]

The post Earned Recognition can slash operator costs, DVSA tells CM Show delegates appeared first on Motor Transport.

SP Training has launched two mental health training courses aimed at both management and drivers, to coincide with World Mental Health Day. The Mental Health & Wellbeing in Logistics course is the first to be registered as a Driver CPC module and receive JAUPT accreditation and can be delivered remotely or in the classroom. The course is designed to help drivers understand mental health conditions, cope with stress and teaches them how to improve their health and wellbeing. A one-day [...]

The post SP Training launches mental health courses appeared first on Motor Transport.

The senior traffic commissioner’s (STC) statutory documents have been refreshed and include changes to how operators and drivers will be treated following bridge strikes. STC Richard Turfitt has dusted down the 15 guidance documents and updated the way the TCs will approach the exercise of their statutory functions. Most of the changes have been made to bring the legal position up to date and incorporate recent key upper tribunal cases. A significant addition relates to bridge strikes in the document [...]

The post Bridge strike warning in new traffic commissioner guidance appeared first on Motor Transport.

Bath will become the first city outside London to launch a charging clean air zone (CAZ) after announcing its intention to press ahead with plans despite concerns over Covid-19. It said the CAZ would launch on 15 March 2021 after initially aiming for a November 2020 start date; however, the council added that the date would be monitored to account for any developments regarding the pandemic. The CAZ will operate in the city centre 24 hours a day, seven days [...]

The post Bath and Birmingham press on with clean air zone plans appeared first on Motor Transport.

DPD was again the big winner in the 2020 Motor Transport Awards, coming out on top in five of the seven categories in which it was shortlisted, taking its tally of trophies to 34 and overtaking TNT. Covid-19 forced the cancellation of the live show for the first time in 34 years, and in an online awards presentation broadcast last night (October 7) DPD was revealed as the winner of the Customer Care, Home Delivery, Urban Delivery, Clean Fleet Van [...]

The post DPD again the big winners as Motor Transport Awards winners revelaed in online presentation appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government has published details about how the arrangements for the UK’s borders with the EU will work from January and actions that hauliers need to take. It said the guidance followed “extensive engagement” with stakeholders, as well as a £705m package of investment for border infrastructure, jobs and technology. The GB-EU border operating model maps out intended locations of inland border infrastructure, which will offer additional capacity for freight checks; announces that passports will be required for entry into [...]

The post Industry welcomes new government guidance for hauliers on post-Brexit border plan appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government has today (7 October) set out further details around the creation of a number of Freeports across the UK to create jobs, drive investment and regenerate communities. Responding to the consultation on the proposals, the government confirmed that sea, air and rail ports in England will be invited to bid for Freeport status before the end of the year, with the government aiming for the first of the new sites to be open for business in 2021. It [...]

The post New Freeports will “turbo-charge post-Brexit trade”, government claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

International transport charity Transaid is part of a consortium which is to investigate how to identify and prevent human trafficking along key trade corridors in East Africa. The research funded by the UK’s recently formed Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) will focus on the role transporters play in facilitating illegal trafficking along long distance corridors and how it can be prevented. The research is being managed by IMC Worldwide and carried out by a consortium led by Cardno Emerging [...]

The post Foreign Office funds Transaid to investigate causes of human trafficking appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA and Logistics UK are among more than 30 signatories of an open letter to the UK Prime Minister and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, urging them to agree to an “economically sensible” outcome to Brexit negotiations. The letter, which is also addressed to UK negotiator David Frost, states that ending the transition period on 31 December without an agreement between the EU and UK is “not an option” for road hauliers. It said: “It is in the interest [...]

The post Industry bodies sign open letter to PM and Brexit negotiators demanding sensible resolution appeared first on Motor Transport.

Record online spending combined with a driver shortage exacerbated by Brexit could create the ‘Mount Everest of Christmas peaks’ this year, delivery specialist ParcelHero is warning. With operators already seeing capacity stretched by the surge in online shopping triggered by the pandemic and a worsening driver shortage, ParcelHero is predicting that with Christmas this year likely to be 50% busier than in 2019, the situation could reach breaking point. ParcelHero is urging operators to work closely with retail partners to [...]

The post Soaring online sales and driver shortages could see repeat of 2014 Black Friday chaos this Christmas, warns ParcelHero appeared first on Motor Transport.

An independent review aimed at improving transport infrastructure links between Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England has been launched this week. Led by Sir Peter Hendy, the review will look at road, rail, air and sea links and make recommendations as to how the government can improve connectivity between the four nations and help the economy recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Sir Peter’s former roles include chair of Network Rail and head of TfL during the Olympics. [...]

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How will transport and logistics look after Covid-19 has eventually receded? There is no shortage of companies who would like the answer to that question and visitors to the Commercial Motor Show conference gained some valuable insight in a special panel discussion. Speakers included former John Lewis partnership COO Dino Rocos, Clipper Logistics chief executive Tony Mannix, head of sales – transport at Wincanton Steven Cleary, and British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) director of corporate affairs Toby Poston. [...]

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How can we move freight with reduced environmental impact? Speaking in a session on Eco trucks at the Commercial Motor Show, Kevin Buck, MD of HazComp, highlighted the concept of the 25.25m long, 60-tonne GCW road train over seven, eight or nine axles. As two such vehicles could be used in place of three standard 16.5m semi-trailer combinations, with 52 pallets being carried per vehicle rather than the normal 35, the benefits include improved efficiency and productivity, fewer trucks on [...]

The post Road trains could offer eco-friendly solution to shifting freight appeared first on Motor Transport.

A driver’s ‘direct vision’ alone is not enough to prevent collisions caused by blind spots and vehicle safety systems need to be fitted as well if fatalities are to be reduced, according to Brigade Electronics. It said active systems that require a driver to take immediate action through the provision of audible alerts and warning sounds are crucial to driving up safety standards. Brigade cited research that showed 25% of road deaths in the EU involve a lorry and that [...]

The post Good visibility won’t always prevent accidents, Brigade warns drivers appeared first on Motor Transport.

There was a 20% increase in the number of goods vehicle occupant fatalities in Great Britain last year, according to official figures. In 2019, 66 people died in HGV cabs following road traffic accidents, up from 55 the year before. Of this number, the Department for Transport (DfT), said 55 were drivers and 11 were passengers of heavy and light goods vehicles. Overall goods vehicle casualties have shown a decreasing trend, falling by 2% from 5,071 in 2018 to 4,985 [...]

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A report for business owners providing vital insight into trends in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in logistics over the next 12 months has been produced by Logistics UK. The report, created in partnership with accountancy firm Carter Backer Winter (CBW), gives an overview of M&A activity across the sector, as well as expected trends and valuations and it also delves into important issues facing haulage operators, particularly in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit. Philip Bird, CBW partner and [...]

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The rift between the government and the RHA over the predicted chaos at the port of Dover and on Kent roads in January showed no signs of healing this week, after cabinet minister Michael Gove accused the business group of not being constructive. In response to a question from Hilary Benn, chair of the committee of the future relationship with the EU, to clarify what he meant about IT systems being in place, Gove told the House of Commons: “I [...]

The post Burnett hits back after Gove attacks RHA’s Brexit stance appeared first on Motor Transport.

Seaborne Freight has appointed a voluntary liquidator and will go out of business owing almost £2m. The company has lodged a winding up resolution with Companies House and appointed voluntary liquidator Quantuma. The freight ferry company was awarded a £13.8m government contract in December 2018 to provide extra freight capacity to UK ports in the event of a no-deal Brexit back in March 2019 – despite having no ferries or any sector experience. The award was part of a wider [...]

The post Hapless Seaborne Freight goes under owing £2m appeared first on Motor Transport.

Skills shortages is a constant theme for the logistics sector that was tackled on day two of the virtual Commercial Motor Show. While Covid-19 saw volumes in many parts of the industry fall off a cliff, with the RHA finding that at the depths of the lockdown half of all HGVs were laid up, the combination of suspension in LGV driving tests and the end of the Brexit transition period at the end of 2020 could see the current 50,000 [...]

The post CM Show put skills shortage in the spotlight appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics specialist PML has appointed its youngest director in the company’s 17-year history with the promotion of Ryan Parr to operations director. The 25-year-old joined the business at 18 and for the last seven years he has worked across various parts of the company to develop an understanding of the global logistics sector. In his new position, Parr will have direct responsibility for the day-to-day running of PML’s operations, exports, warehouse, transport and sea freight. Read more PML rides Covid-19 [...]

The post PML recruits youngest-ever director appeared first on Motor Transport.

Industry heads have debated the pros and cons of biofuels, electric and natural gas during a panel discussion on reducing carbon emissions at the Commercial Motor Show. Justin Laney, partner and general manager of central transport at John Lewis, outlined the merits of biofuel while Mervyn McIntyre, head of fleet at Hermes, explained why the company now has the largest range of CNG vehicles in the UK. Also present was DPD marketing director Tim Jones who said 2020 had marked [...]

The post Expert panel weighs up case for electric vehicles, biofuels and gas appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Microlise conference took place on the third day (1 October) of the virtual Commercial Motor Show and covered a range of topics designed to help operators improve their operational efficiency. Lee Oliver, head of sales at Microlise’s recent acquisition TruTac, spoke about improving levels of compliance with drivers’ hours legisation using the latest technology. “It is moving a rapid pace and unless your operation changes at the same pace you risk falling behind,” he said. “Telematics gives you the [...]

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The road to zero carbon emissions will need big changes to the refuelling and charging infrastructure, according to industry specialists attending last week’s CM Show who agreed that hydrogen is now a viable alternative to electric. A specialist conference panel comprised of Mark Griffin, market development manager – Clean Fuels, BOC Gases; Danny Jones, director, Off Grid Energy; David Horsfall, director of property, Tylesey Energy Park and Dr Duncan Yellen, MD, ITM Motive. Yellen claimed there was still considerable “misunderstanding” over hydrogen [...]

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Warwickshire Police using a Highways England HGV detected 211 driving offences during a five-day operation between 14-18 September. One HGV driver was apprehended driving on the hard shoulder at over 50mph whilst at the same time using his mobile phone. Another driver was caught reading his delivery notes as he drove at 70mph on the M40, whilst a third was apprehended watching TV on a laptop whilst travelling on the M40 at nearly 60mph. For two drivers, the offences were [...]

The post Warwickshire police use HGV to monitor lorry drivers on local motorways appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Commercial Motor Show has been formally opened by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Transport, Baroness Vere of Norbiton (pictured), and chief executive of the RHA, Richard Burnett, introduced by Commercial Motor editor Will Shiers. Acknowledging the role played by the industry in recent times, the Baroness said in her opening speech: “You’ve been the lifeblood of our economy during the Covid crisis. You’ve kept supermarket shelves fully stocked, and food on our plates. You’ve kept factories [...]

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Transport for London (TfL) is exhorting operators to follow the example of delivery firm Whistl and get their fleets ready for the introduction of its Direct Vision Standard (DVS). Whistl is working with connected vehicle technology firm Connexas to ensure its London fleet meet the regulations. DVS comes into force next March and will operate a star rating system which will grant safety permits to vehicles depending on the driver’s direct view through the windows of their cab. Amendments to [...]

The post TfL calls on operators to follow Whistl’s lead in meeting Direct Vision Standard appeared first on Motor Transport.

TfL is set to enforce the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) and tighten the London-wide Low Emission Zone (LEZ) from 1 March 2021, despite industry calls for both schemes to be further delayed during the pandemic. Both schemes were delayed in April this year at the request of the city’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, who was concerned the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic would see hauliers struggling to become fully compliant by the deadline. The haulage industry has been lobbying for a [...]

The post TfL ignores calls to further delay Direct Vision Standard appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has launched a scheme to help save jobs across the UK automotive industry and its supply chain, as firms in the sector battle the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The industry initiative, dubbed the Safe Harbour Scheme, allows multiple companies to come together to support critical suppliers. The scheme aims to help preserve the UK’s automotive manufacturing capability and capacity and prevent further damage to the industry and its supply chain which [...]

The post SMMT launches Safe Harbour Scheme to prevent insolvencies and save jobs appeared first on Motor Transport.

While regional lockdown restrictions continue to vary, in many regions fleets that have found trucks out of action may now need to get their vehicles back on the road. [...]

The post Sponsored: Getting trucks back on the road and ready for the season ahead appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Road Haulage Association and Logistics UK have joined forces with 31 other road haulage associations across Europe to urge negotiators on all sides to agree a deal on Brexit. In an open letter to the EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, UK chief negotiator David Frost and Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the trade associations call for a reciprocal solution between the EU and the UK and warn that the alternative will be “patchwork of fragmented national arrangements – which would [...]

The post European hauliers join forces to urge UK government and EU to forge reciprocal deal appeared first on Motor Transport.

There were just 631 LGV driving tests carried out in the first quarter of 2020, but the pass rate rose to 79.1%, according to official figures. This compares to 15,194 carried out in the fourth quarter of 2019, with a pass rate of 59.8%. As the effects of Covid-19 largely put paid to attempts by candidates to take their tests, those that were able to take them were proportionately more likely to pass. The DfT statistics showed that of the [...]

The post Covid-19 slashes number of LGV driving tests taken appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has launched a £100,000 fund to help Covid-hit automotive businesses save apprenticeship jobs as the government’s furlough scheme comes to an end. The newly launched SMMT Apprentice Support Programme, funded by the SMMT Charitable Trust Fund, is accepting applications from small and medium automotive firms from across the entire supply chain. Successful applicants to the scheme will have apprentice salaries covered for those apprentices at risk of redundancy due to Covid-19 pressures. [...]

The post SMMT launches £100,000 apprenticeship rescue bid appeared first on Motor Transport.

HGV drivers made redundant by RHA members can apply for a free day’s Driver CPC or an HGV driver medical to help them get back to work. The move is aimed at helping those HGV drivers who have lost their jobs at an RHA member company. The RHA is calling on its members to make any drivers that they have made redundant aware of this offer. Drivers can apply through the RHA Benevolent Fund which will fund the CPC or [...]

The post RHA Benevolent Fund offers free Driver CPC or free medical to redundant HGV drivers appeared first on Motor Transport.

Covid-19 has accelerated logistics innovation, e-commerce and the sector’s digititalisation “by years”, according to DHL’s latest Logistics Trend Radar report. However, disruptive trends such as self-driving vehicles and drones have yet to deliver, held back by legislative and technical challenges as well as limited social acceptance, the report adds. Whilst e-commerce is growing rapidly the report notes it remains only a fraction of global consumer retail spending. It also predicts that B2B e-commerce, which dwarfs the consumer market size by [...]

The post Pandemic speeds industry innovation “by years”, DHL trend report reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government has launched the Trader Support Service this week which aims to help Northern Ireland firms deal with the red tape created by the new Irish Sea border, which comes into force when the UK leaves the EU on 1 January next year. The new border will require customs declarations for goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain and the free-to-use Trader Support Service (TSS) will help firms deal with these documents. Under the scheme, traders will register with [...]

The post Operators to get help with red tape created by Northern Ireland sea border appeared first on Motor Transport.

Former staff at Cartwright Group who lost their jobs when the business entered administration are pursuing legal action after alleging that it failed to properly consult them. Despite around 259 jobs being saved when Cartwright Fleet Services, Cartwright Rentals and Cartwright Finance were sold to leasing firm Zenith, law firm Simpson Miller said it had received calls from “dozens of former staff” and it was now attempting to secure a protective award for those affected. Following the group’s collapse into [...]

The post Former Cartwright employees take legal action after trailer builder goes into administration appeared first on Motor Transport.

Cartwright Conversions, a subsidiary of the Cartwright Group in administration, has been sold to Sheffield-based Trek Group in a £4.8m deal. The sale of the Belton, North Lincolnshire-based business, which is a specialist convertor for blue light emergency vehicles, saves 66 jobs. Trek Group said the new company will retain the Cartwright name, due to its reputation in the industry, and will be called Cartwright Vehicle Conversions. It will be led by Cartwright Conversions’ MD Steve Shaw (pictured). Tom Janion, [...]

The post Cartwright Conversions sold to Trek Group appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Port of Felixstowe has apologised for disruption to hauliers after a perfect storm of surging import volumes, empty containers and Covid-19 led to long delays at the country’s largest container terminal. In a statement, the port said it was increasing its vehicle booking system (VBS) availability, opening on Sundays for haulage collections and attempting to slow down the number of empty containers being returned in an effort to keep on top of the disruption. “The situation has been caused [...]

The post Felixstowe says sorry for long delays to container vehicles appeared first on Motor Transport.

The industry has hit back at the government’s warning that there will be queues 7,000-trucks-long blocking Kent unless it gets its paperwork in order by the end of the transition period, accusing it of avoiding responsibility for its own mismanagement. Cabinet office minister Michael Gove said in a “reasonable worst-case scenario”, between 30% and 60% of laden HGVs would arrive at the border in January with the correct paperwork. This would mean they would be turned back by the French [...]

The post Government slammed for passing the buck on Brexit delays appeared first on Motor Transport.

Cartwright Group has gone into administration today resulting in 490 redundancies at S Cartwright & Sons (Coachbuilders) and Cartwright Fabrications and the sale of subsidiaries Cartwright Finance, Cartwright Fleet Service and Cartwright Rentals to Contract Vehicles, the commercial vehicles division of leasing and fleet management firm Zenith. The sale of the businesses and their assets also sees 259 employees transferred to the new owner. They will continue to trade as part of Zenith. The move creates the UK’s largest HGV and [...]

The post Cartwright Group collapses with 490 jobs lost and fleet and rental arms sold to Zenith appeared first on Motor Transport.

SDC Trailers is working “flat out” to fulfil new orders created by demand from the internet retail sector, as online shopping during the pandemic continues to grow, and by the recent demise of rival trailer manufacturer Cartwright Group. The company is predicting this latest boost to its order book, combined with moves to streamline production and reduce overheads, will help improve on its latest set of financial results for the year to 29 December 2019, which saw the company’s pre-tax [...]

The post Windfall of work in pandemic helps SDC Trailers offset impact of Brexit on costs appeared first on Motor Transport.

Falling levels of air pollution during the Covid-19 pandemic could see Leeds and Sheffield City Councils drop their plans for charging Clean Air Zones. In April this year the government announced the suspension of all Clean Air Zones until “no earlier” than January 2021, as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent update on Leeds’ CAZ plans James Lewis, deputy leader for Leeds City Council, said that pollution levels had fallen “significantly” in the city [...]

The post Plummeting pollution levels prompt Leeds and Sheffield to review CAZ plans appeared first on Motor Transport.

Trevor Milton, chief executive of electric and hydrogen-powered truck start-up Nikola Motor Company, has resigned amid claims the company made fraudulent claims about its technology. The resignation comes just two weeks after Nikola signed a $2bn (£1.6bn) partnership with General Motors. Nikola also has a joint venture with Iveco to produce an electric truck. The deal saw Iveco invest $250m in the joint venture in September last year. Milton’s departure follows a report from hedge fund firm Hindenburg Research earlier [...]

The post Nikola chief resigns amid claims that firm’s electric truck technology is an “intricate fraud” appeared first on Motor Transport.

Highways England (HE) has warned HGV drivers not to ignore road closures on the A5 in Warwickshire after receiving reports of vehicles flouting the law. Essential maintenance between Redgate and Higham has meant the A5 is closed in the evenings, but HE bosses said lorries were attempting to access the route from the nearby A444. “We are receiving reports from other road users that heavy goods vehicles and other vehicles are attempting to access the A5 at the A444 Longshoot [...]

The post HGV drivers warned not to use A5 during closure appeared first on Motor Transport.

A permit system for trucks leaving Kent for continental Europe after the EU transition period will be enforced by the DVSA with £300 fines and vehicle impoundings. The Kent Access Permit (KAP) is expected to significantly reduce the number of unready HGVs reaching Kent from 1 January and reduce pressure on Kent’s roads, the port of Dover and Eurotunnel. Under proposals consulted on last month, the KAP will support the Smart Freight software, which is intended to be used by [...]

The post Kent Access Permit scheme to be enforced with £300 fines appeared first on Motor Transport.

Unite has called for the public release of a government document leaked to the Guardian which details potential queues of up to 7,000 lorries across Kent after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December. Unite said the report – as well as information on potential post-Brexit disruptions around other coastal regions housing major ports – should be released to allow impacted industries, workers, councils and communities time to prepare. The union, which warned on Monday (14 September) that the [...]

The post Unite calls for leaked document on “post-Brexit chaos” in Kent to be released appeared first on Motor Transport.

Two hero police officers helped save the life of an HGV driver, who suffered a heart attack at the wheel on the motorway and collided with the central reservation. Shane Sharkey entered cardiac arrest on the M60 and lost control of his lorry, which then hit the concrete central reservation causing extensive damage to his vehicle and resulted in the contents being emptied across both carriageways. PC Chris Pixton and PC Patrick Geoghegan-Shaw of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) intervened and [...]

The post Police save HGV driver’s life after motorway crash appeared first on Motor Transport.

Kent police said border checks were returning to normal after an operation at Dover port prompted the implementation of Operation Stack and six-hour queues. Kent police did not disclose the reason behind the sudden checks of all vehicles and passengers exiting the country on 15 and 16 September, but in a statement it said the operation had now been “stood down”. It added: “Border control checks are now returning to normality.” Earlier, the port of Dover said it was part [...]

The post Police operation at Dover port causes “mayhem” appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has laid down four elements for achieving a “sustainable recovery” and has urged the government to consider the environmental, economic and social needs of business and people. The association pointed out that the industry has been hit hard by the pandemic and many companies have seen work all but dry up. However, it cautioned against the government’s emphasis on a “green recovery” and said a sustainable recovery was more relevant: “Far too often the term ‘green’ is used [...]

The post “Green recovery” a poor excuse for road disruption, claims RHA appeared first on Motor Transport.

A leaked government document warns that lack of haulier preparations for Brexit could create major delays on routes to the UK’s channel ports with HGV drivers waiting two days to reach the front of queues of up to 7,000 trucks – whether there is a trade deal with the EU or not. However, the RHA hit back this week, laying the blame for any post-Brexit border delays at the feet of the government. A “reasonable worst-case scenario” report, drawn up [...]

The post Operators face queues of 7,000 trucks in Kent and a two-day wait to reach border, leaked post-Brexit report warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

Axtec is inviting operators to its stand at the online Commercial Motor Show to share its expertise on ensuring fleet vehicles are not inadvertently overloaded. The axle weighing specialist has been manufacturing in-depot weighbridges, on-board and portable devices since its launch in 1991 and said it is the only UK company working exclusively in this field. Its expertise is tapped into by the DVSA for calibration of the UK’s network of national weighbridges, which can be used for prosecuting overloaded [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Take a load off your mind with weighing axle specialist Axtec appeared first on Motor Transport.

A police operation which used an unmarked lorry to target large commercial vehicles in the Lincolnshire area of the A1 has resulted in 32 trucks being stopped over a three-day period. A total of 49 vehicles were stopped during Operation Tramline. These included 32 lorries, 11 LGVs and six private vehicles. The 46 offences identified were: Mobile phone – 3 Seatbelt - 37 Construction and use offences – 2 Driving without due care – 2 No insurance – 1 Drivers’ [...]

The post Police stop 32 trucks on A1 using unmarked vehicle appeared first on Motor Transport.

DAF Trucks has shared its sustainability strategy in the lead up to this month’s online Commercial Motor Show, and in anticipation of the government’s publication this autumn of its Transport Decarbonisation Plan. In a video titled ‘On the road to even cleaner road transport’, DAF director of product development, Ron Borsboom, explains the significant steps the truck-maker has taken to reduce transport’s impact on the environment, and how the company is preparing for the future. The DAF strategy includes both [...]

The post CM Show 2020: DAF shares sustainability strategy for existing and future technology appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Covid-19 pandemic could see operators take a more radical approach to their future plans with a more rapid uptake of modern technology and electric vehicles than originally planned, according to FleetCheck research. Peter Golding, FleetCheck MD, said: “With the coronavirus crisis now in its sixth month, we are starting to see some strong indications of how fleets are planning to approach the next few months as well as into 2021 and beyond. “It’s an interesting moment because the current [...]

The post Pandemic may speed radical transition to electric, FleetCheck claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

Twenty three European automotive industry leaders are calling on the EU and UK to “pull out all the stops” to avoid a no-deal Brexit and secure a free trade agreement (FTA) or face “devastating” trade and job losses across the sector. The group, which includes the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), warned this week that a no-deal Brexit will cost the pan-European automotive [...]

The post Avoid a no-deal Brexit or face “devastating” trade and job losses, automotive industry warns EU and UK negotiators appeared first on Motor Transport.

Closing London Bridge to vehicles on weekdays is a “step too far”, Logistics UK warned Transport for London (TfL) this week. TfL is set to temporarily ban vehicles from London Bridge from Wednesday (16 September 2020). The ban will be in place from 7am to 7pm on Mondays to Fridays. Natalie Chapman, head of urban policy at Logistics UK, said the ban will lead to more congestion and higher pollution levels in the capital. She said: “Logistics UK and its [...]

The post London Bridge vehicle ban a “step too far”, warns Logistics UK appeared first on Motor Transport.

Moves towards delivering dangerous goods driver training remotely are underway following concerns that classroom training is putting candidates and training providers at risk of contracting Covid-19. The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) told motortransport.co.uk that although ADR drivers must currently attend training centres to take a test, a transition towards online examinations was now being looked at. One training provider said he couldn’t understand why he had to put trainers and candidates at risk: “The authorities are happy to allow Driver [...]

The post Covid risk may force ADR driver training online appeared first on Motor Transport.

Sheffield has dropped “economically damaging plans” to introduce a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) after Covid-19 showed there were alternative ways of improving air quality without charging businesses. Following decisions by Bristol and Leeds to change their approach to driving down emissions, Sheffield City Council said the situation was now “dramatically different” compared to when it first developed its proposals. In a statement, the council said: “The situation has changed significantly and unexpectedly due to the global Covid-19 pandemic and we [...]

The post Sheffield scraps Clean Air Zone plan appeared first on Motor Transport.

Teletrac Navman has launched a campaign to celebrate the “hidden heroes” of haulage and give a voice to commercial vehicle drivers who have kept Britain moving through Covid-19. ‘Who is a Commercial Driver?’ sees 15 fleet drivers join forces and share their stories about the challenges they have faced, delivered through an inspiring video campaign. The initiative, in partnership with road safety charity Brake, aims to raise awareness of the extra pressure the pandemic placed on lorry drivers as they [...]

The post Campaign launched to find pandemic’s “hidden heroes” appeared first on Motor Transport.

Pallet network hauliers need to urgently campaign for pallet weight guidance to protect their staff from harm and themselves from prosecution, Rase Distribution chairman Geoff Hill warned this week. His warning follows the news that Reason Transport indicated a plea of guilty to charges in connection with the death of HGV driver Petru Pop at its hearing on 28 August at High Wycombe Magistrates Court. Pop was crushed to death as he was trying to unload a pallet of tiles [...]

The post Reason Transport case highlights urgent need for pallet weight guidelines, says Rase Distribution chairman appeared first on Motor Transport.

Trakm8, technology provider of fleet management, insurance telematics, optimisation and dashboard camera systems, will be showcasing an array of innovation at this year’s virtual Commercial Motor Show (29 September – 1 October). Visitors to the free-to-attend virtual exhibition will have the opportunity to learn more about Trakm8’s technology solutions through the use of interactive aids, such as literature and video downloads, as well as access to the company’s industry experts through live chat and video functions. Trakm8 said its systems [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Trakm8 focuses on ‘intelligent, game-changing’ fleet management technology appeared first on Motor Transport.

Minister for the cabinet office Michael Gove has agreed to a roundtable discussion between industry representatives and members of the cabinet office to discuss post-Brexit transition plans for hauliers. The UK is due to leave the EU single market and customs union on 31 December, sparking widespread fears that the new arrangement will cause chaos for hauliers at the channel ports. Last week RHA director of policy, Rod McKenzie told BBC news that the UK is "sleepwalking into a disaster" [...]

The post Michael Gove to meet with industry bodies to discuss Brexit border and customs concerns appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK has urged the government to carefully consider the locations of 29 temporary lorry parks it has proposed to build to ease pressure on hauliers after Brexit. The HGV parks are intended to form an internal border, providing a base for document and vehicle checks for trucks entering and leaving the UK when the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December.. Work has reportedly started on a lorry park in Ashford, Kent with other potential sites including Liverpool, Salford, [...]

The post New Brexit lorry parks must meet key criteria, government told appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Esso Card from WEX Europe Services has become the first product to be offered under fleet management software company FleetCheck’s affinity programme. The new initiative is designed to offer FleetCheck’s more than 1,000 customers the opportunity to access a range of essential products and services at preferential rates. Under the Esso Card offering, FleetCheck customers will not have to pay an annual subscription fee for each fuel card and will also be offered a discount on every litre of [...]

The post FleetCheck offers hauliers fuel discount with new Esso Card appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK is warning that any attempt by the government to negate parts of the EU Withdrawal Agreement will have severe consequences for UK supply chains. The call came as the RHA criticised the lack of “energy” being exercised by government departments to prepare traders for the UK’s exit from the EU on 1 January next year. Alex Veitch, Logistics UK public policy general manager said: “Logistics UK is concerned about reports that the UK government may jeopardise British business’ [...]

The post Supply chain in jeopardy as traders struggle with Brexit policy, government warned appeared first on Motor Transport.

Operators planning to extend their fleet replacement cycles in the wake of the coronavirus crisis could incur expensive service, maintenance and repair (SMR) costs, epyx warns. The company provides the 1link Service Network SMR platform through which fleet operators can buy and manage SMR from around 9,000 franchise, independent and fast-fits. Debbie Fox, epyx commercial director, warned this week that SMR costs can rise “considerably” in the fourth and fifth years of the cycle. She added: “It seems like an [...]

The post Extending fleet life in face of Covid-19 could be false economy, epyx tells hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) has welcomed fleet driver risk management firm DriveTech as its latest new member this week. The organisation has gained 75 new members since its launch in March this year. The AFP was formed by the merger of the Association of Car Fleet Operators (ACFO) and the Institute of Car Fleet Management (ICFM). The AFP represents operators running light commercial fleets, vans and cars. Paul Hollick, AFP chair, said: “Since March, we’ve had over 75 [...]

The post Association of Fleet Professionals welcomes 75th new member appeared first on Motor Transport.

Almost a third of haulage companies are unhappy with the country’s motorways and A-roads, according to a report. The survey by Transport Focus measured the satisfaction of HGV managers from 526 logistics and coach businesses. It found two fifths of businesses that run lorries and coaches on England’s motorways and major A-roads are satisfied with how those roads meet their business needs. But three in ten companies overall were dissatisfied with road performance. The rating was based on five key [...]

The post Hauliers give mixed verdict on UK road network appeared first on Motor Transport.

CEVA Logistics is aiming to standardise and simplify its 4PL global operations with the roll out of logistics platform CargoWise. The CargoWise platform allows logistics operators to execute complex transactions in areas such as freight forwarding, customs clearance, warehousing, shipping, tracking, land transport, e-commerce, and cross-border compliance, enabling them to manage their operations on one database across multiple users, functions, countries, languages and currencies. CEVA will roll out the platform over the next five years, replacing multiple legacy systems. The [...]

The post CEVA Logistics launches global roll out of CargoWise platform appeared first on Motor Transport.

Warrington Borough Council has criticised government plans to create a Brexit lorry park at Appleton Thorn, close to the M56. If the plans go ahead the HGV park will act as an internal border, providing a base for paperwork checks, alongside sample vehicle checks, for trucks entering and leaving the country after Brexit, from 1 January next year. It is part of wider government plans to open a number of major lorry parks across the country to act as border [...]

The post Warrington Brexit lorry park plans slammed by council appeared first on Motor Transport.

Road Skills Online will be demonstrating our Professional Development Plan Online training from their booth at the upcoming Commercial Motor Show. Road Skills Online are excited to share how the bite sized toolbox talks will help you and your drivers to remain safe, legal and compliant.  The professional development plan is complementary to your other periodic training as it embraces all drivers in a regular, consistent training culture, thus overcoming the ‘forgetting curve’ which follows conventional training. The professional development plan [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Develop your professional road skills online appeared first on Motor Transport.

Tranzaura build pioneering technology solutions that make safety, awareness and efficient work practices the centre of everyday life for people in transport, across all industries. Tranzaura have 10 years’ experience in the provision of digital solutions to the transport sector. In this time, we have worked with a number of SME, national and multinational clients across the UK and Ireland to digitise their transport operational processes. Our integrated product portfolio consists of five technology solutions (delivered on both desktop and [...]

The post CM Show 2020: All you need to digitise your transport operation appeared first on Motor Transport.

The formal start of construction of HS2 has begun, with contractors saying the work heralds a “jobs boom”. The move to full construction was described by the government as a “shovels in the ground” moment and marks the start of one of the biggest infrastructure projects ever undertaken. Having received Notice to Proceed earlier this year, Balfour Beatty, part of a joint venture involved in construction of the high speed rail link, said it would become one of the biggest [...]

The post Contractors predict HS2 “jobs boom” as full construction begins appeared first on Motor Transport.

Anglo-Swedish electric vehicle start up Volta Trucks has officially launched its 16-tonne GVW battery electric urban delivery truck, the Volta Zero. Designed as an EV from the ground up, CEO Rob Fowler said the vehicle was “available now to meet customers’ desire to decarbonise”. The company has already taken orders for 12 vehicles from customers including Fowler's former employer DPD to take part in a pilot in the UK and France in H1 2021 and expects to build 500 units [...]

The post Volta Zero battery electric truck designed to save lives as well as the planet appeared first on Motor Transport.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK is showcasing its market-leading products and services at the Commercial Motor Show 2020. The jewel in the crown for Mercedes-Benz Trucks is the new Actros. Show attendees can find out why the truck was crowned International Truck of the Year 2020, and learn about its pioneering innovations, including MirrorCam, Multimedia Cockpit, Enhanced Predictive Powertrain Control, Active Brake Assist 5 and Active Drive Assist. These features increase driver comfort, business efficiency and safety, all of which will be [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Join Mercedes-Benz in the virtual world appeared first on Motor Transport.

Government plans to ban parking on pavements across England must not be at the expense of freight deliveries, according to Logistics UK. A consultation into proposals that could give councils greater powers to ban parking on pavements and fine drivers was launched this week after a review found the practice disproportionately affected the visually impaired and wheelchair and mobility scooter users. Three options have been put forward: making it easier for councils to prohibit parking; giving councils the power to [...]

The post Concerns raised over plan to ban pavement parking appeared first on Motor Transport.

Software and risk management company FleetCheck has designed a series of factsheets for FORS companies after conducting research among members that revealed common areas of concern. The six information sheets, entitled Driver Engagement; Managing Compliance; Automated Fuel Reporting; Common Challenges; FORS Tools and Five Common Mistakes, are designed to give fleet managers the information they need to reach the and maintain their FORS standards. Peter Golding, FleetCheck MD said: “Through our existing collaborations with FORS we work with hundreds of [...]

The post FORS fleets reveal biggest fears appeared first on Motor Transport.

Robust testing among hauliers of software to avoid long queues and checks at the border before the end of the Brexit transition period is looking increasingly remote, freight groups have warned. With just over 100 days until the country cuts its ties with the EU, the industry is becoming increasingly concerned that so-called smart freight software – which is required to be used by every company involved in exporting goods to the continent – will not be ready for adequate [...]

The post Smart freight system to avoid Brexit border chaos “won’t be ready in time”, government warned appeared first on Motor Transport.

Cloud-based transport software firm Simacan has joined forces with eCMR platform TransFollow to offer combined information about shipments alongside updates about status and arrival times. The partnership will involve Simacan integrating the TransFollow eCMR into its software and Simacan’s smart estimated times of arrival will become visible on TransFollow’s platform. The move allows transport planners to use the Simacan platform to manage the trip execution in real time based on the combined information and in addition to alerts about deviations [...]

The post Pandemic speeds digitalisation of transport planning appeared first on Motor Transport.

Attendees at the CM Show can see first-hand how Lytx machine vision and artificial intelligence-powered solutions help equip fleet managers with the tools to proactively tackle some of the toughest problems facing their drivers today, such as distracted driving. Damian Penney, vice president of Lytx Europe, said: ‘‘We’re delighted to participate in this year’s virtual Commercial Motor show where we will be discussing the solutions fleet managers can put in place to support their most important asset – the driver. ‘‘2020 [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Keeping drivers safe with intelligent camera technology appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK has called on the government to scrap plans to ramp up fuel duty to help pay for the Covid-19 crisis. Media reports have claimed chancellor Rishi Sunak is considering raising duty by 5p per litre in his autumn budget, ending a 10-year tax freeze. However, Logistics UK director of policy, Elizabeth de Jong, said the association was "extremely concerned" by the rumours. "Logistics businesses have worked tirelessly during the pandemic to ensure the nation is supplied with all [...]

The post Fuel duty rise would be huge blow to sector’s recovery, warns Logistics UK appeared first on Motor Transport.

Skills for Logistics has announced the launch of a major new independent trade association for the UK’s specialist logistics training providers. The Logistics Skills Network aims to bring together key organisations from the sector to develop and share best practices, knowledge, experience and resources, and offer a communication platform for the coordination of collective interests. The network intends to work closely with government organisations such as the DVSA and DfT and will also receive strategic support from industry leaders. Skills [...]

The post New trade body launched to unite training providers appeared first on Motor Transport.

TRP, the UK’s largest all-makes truck-and-trailer parts brand, supported by DAF Trucks, is to receive its own dedicated presence at the Commercial Motor Show. Details of DAF genuine parts will be available on DAF Trucks’ main stand at the show. With TRP experts on-hand to describe the TRP brand, show-attendees will experience a number of TRP’s many service offerings including the DAF Webshop, the online outlet which hosts the eCatalogue of TRP’s entire range, TRP’s national fleet programme and a [...]

The post CM Show 2020: TRP looks the part and takes centre stage appeared first on Motor Transport.

E-Cargo Vehicles are pleased to announce their product availability into the UK logistic sector. We fully understand the world of logistics are changing . The last mile delivery brings with it its own challenging problems. Emission levels, congestion, cost and reliability, and ever demanding client deadlines. We can offer a range of last mile purpose designed, all electric, articulated three wheeled cargo vehicles. Various body options serve a number of sectors, from parcels, fresh and chilled foods, take aways, flowers, [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Electric cargo vehicles offer clean last-mile solution appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Air1 team are exhibiting at their first virtual show in September, the Commercial Motor Show. With face-to-face events on hold for the foreseeable, this event is the ideal exhibition for visitors to come along and still discuss their AdBlue requirements, via video calls, and to see what Air1 has to offer. Air1 has developed a culture of working in partnership with our customers and suppliers ensuring that you get a competitive, reliable service that is both comprehensive and friendly [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Sort all your AdBlue requirements in the virtual world appeared first on Motor Transport.

Given the current circumstances, it is even more important that transport operators are obtaining the best possible pricing from their suppliers for the goods and services they require. Expense Reduction Analysts (ERA) are experts in procurement and have been helping UK businesses and organisations for over 25 years to ensure that they receive best value on an ongoing basis. ERA clients include leading industry operators such as Clipper Logistics, Lloyd Fraser, Breedon Aggregates, PD Ports, and many other fleet operators [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Come and meet the procurement experts appeared first on Motor Transport.

Since 2005, Lisle Design has been manufacturing the Digidown range of download tools for Digital Tachographs. Digidown has become the gold standard for such products; the Lisle Design name is synonymous with excellence and reliability. This reputation is built on three key tenets: reliable products, first class customer support and caring for our family of partners and distributors throughout Europe. What’s new from Lisle Design at the CM Show 2020? This year we are focused on a new remote downloading [...]

The post CM Show 2020: ‘Gold standard’ for digi tach downloads appeared first on Motor Transport.

A range of e-learning training modules that advise commercial vehicle workshops on health and safety rules and regulations in light of Covid-19 has been announced by Inspire International UK. The risk management company said statistics show that half of companies expect an increase in their risk profile as more staff return to work and 71% expect to invest in legal compliance, with the largest anticipated risk being health and safety. To address this, Inspire is offering a ‘Covid-19 Return to [...]

The post Risk firm offers workshops post-Covid health and safety training modules appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has begun ramping up the industry’s profile as it embarks on a 13-week campaign culminating in National Lorry Week between 16-22 November. The event will showcase logistics as being innovative, inclusive and sustainable and follows the HGV Heroes campaign, in which the trade association celebrated the very best of the industry after staff went above and beyond to keep goods moving during lockdown. Read more Love the lorry, it would be a poorer world without them National Lorry [...]

The post RHA begins National Lorry Week campaign appeared first on Motor Transport.

Tesco and Ocado are among a small army of companies recruited by the government to help map the road network and identify “pothole hotspots” to pinpoint where funding is needed most. In what the Department for Transport (DfT) called a “first-of-its-kind audit”, data will be collated on current potholes identified by businesses and combined with roads imagery from highways mapping firm Gaist to make journeys as smooth and safe as possible. The DfT said Uber and Deliveroo were also on [...]

The post DfT calls on delivery firms to pinpoint pothole hotspots appeared first on Motor Transport.

SmartWitness will be exhibiting their full line of video telematics solutions at the virtual Commercial Motor Show including TfL Direct Vision Standard (DVS) systems, their latest line of 4G hardware platforms, and innovative cloud-based intelligence. Since 2007, the company has been a global player in the fleet video space focusing on reliability, ease-of-use, and powerful analytics. For DVS, SmartWitness will be providing free consultations to assist fleet owners with safety rating evaluations for all vehicles over 11-tonnes and HGVs that [...]

The post CM Show 2020: All you need to know about Direct Vision appeared first on Motor Transport.

TyreWatch will be ready to roll at this autumn’s Commercial Motor Show with its real-time, connected tyre management technology for fleets. The business strives to help customers run efficiently at all times, with tyre monitoring a key element in reducing fleet operation costs. TyreWatch technology combines continuous tyre monitoring, Formula One style telematics and powerful artificial intelligence. Sensors which process both pressure and temperature are mounted securely within the wheels. These send data to the on-board TyreWatch controller, which collates data from [...]

The post CM Show 2020: TyreWatch brings connected, real-time monitoring to fleets appeared first on Motor Transport.

Fastview360 was born out of the haulage industry and we understand the issues that the transport industry have when it comes to accidents, drivers behaviour and safety. We have approached the development of our product with the haulier and HGVs in mind, so everything is solid, strong and very reliable. We offer an unlimited extended warranty and are more than happy to back that up with our unmatched service standards that only come from the transport industries work ethic. All [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Cameras designed by hauliers for hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

One of the largest warehouses within the M25, offering the potential to reach 21 million consumers within two hours, has been granted planning permission. Property group Goodman said the high spec 340,000 sq ft single unit warehouse at Purfleet Commercial Park in Essex would efficiently service e-commerce, retail and third-party logistics customers. Based half a mile from junctions 30 and 31 of the M25 and 16 miles from central London, Goodman said Purfleet 338 also taps into 9,300 job seekers [...]

The post New Goodman warehouse in Essex will service e-commerce and 3PL customers appeared first on Motor Transport.

Nearly 11% of logistics businesses are still reporting severe or extreme disruption to their overall freight volumes in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Feedback from a new industry panel also showed that more than a third of companies would need an extension of the coronavirus job retention scheme to 2021 in order to allow them to continue or resume trading effectively. Around half will be seeking relief to business rates or deferring their VAT, NI or corporation tax payments. Read [...]

The post Third of logistics firms need extension to furlough scheme appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has expressed "serious concerns" over proposed changes to the Highway Code that it said would leave HGV drivers legally liable in the event of a collision. The DfT's three key proposals are that all drivers give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross the road, that cyclists be given priority at junctions when travelling straight ahead, and that a new 'Hierarchy of Road Users' be introduced. But in an updated statement following fears first raised last week, [...]

The post “Frightening and irresponsible” – Highway Code changes would transfer legal liability to HGV drivers, RHA claims appeared first on Motor Transport.

In 2020, Diesel Technic UK & Ireland is celebrating its fifth anniversary and since 2015 has been reliably supplying its distribution partners and their workshop customers in Great Britain and Ireland with automotive parts and accessories with the product brands DT Spare Parts and SIEGEL Automotive. The parent company was founded in 1972, and today, Diesel Technic is one of the largest suppliers in the automotive sector. Customers in over 150 countries especially value the one-stop shop: 41,000 products from [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Diesel Technic celebrates fifth anniversary appeared first on Motor Transport.

THe DVSA has announced that officers performing roadside checks and site visits are to wear body-worn cameras. Slightly larger than a credit card and usually worn on the chest, the devices record video and audio in the same way as a personal CCTV unit. "We are investing in ‘bodycams’ for all frontline enforcement staff to reduce physical and verbal assaults," a DVSA spokesman confirmed. "The move brings us in line with many other enforcement bodies such as the police who [...]

The post DVSA staff to get bodycams to protect them from assault appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK has warned the government it needs to act now to stimulate economic activity and restore consumer confidence amid claims the nation’s businesses are "stagnating" after two months of cautious re-opening following the pandemic. “Logistics businesses of all types are finding it increasingly difficult to remain solvent, with the end of the furloughing scheme fast approaching, and it will become more expensive for those who remain in the scheme,” said chief executive David Wells. “At the same time, faltering [...]

The post “Urgent action needed to stop avalanche of redundancies and insolvencies,” warns head of Logistics UK appeared first on Motor Transport.

Government plans to reallocate road space is based on a “fantasy” and should be reconsidered, according to the RHA. The association is accusing the government of failing to consider the practical reality and economic consequences of hiving off road space for cyclists and pedestrians, and of using the Covid-19 pandemic to drive through the reallocation policy without adequate consultation. It warns that it will lead to increased congestion and delays to deliveries, adversely affecting both local and national businesses. Duncan [...]

The post Ditch “fantasy” road allocation policy, RHA tells government appeared first on Motor Transport.

Highways England chief executive Jim O’Sullivan is to stand down early next year. O’Sullivan, who was appointed in 2015, has led Highways England’s (HE’s) delivery of the government’s roads programme. He has also overseen the controversial smart motorways system which was suspended earlier this year after the Transport Select Committee and the Police Federation warned that the practice of using the hard shoulder as a live lane in periods of congestion had created “deathtraps”, largely responsible for 38 deaths on [...]

The post Highways England boss Jim O’Sullivan to leave next year appeared first on Motor Transport.

The head of one of the UK's leading hauliers has urged the industry to sign an online petition demanding councils and major developers include HGV welfare facilities on their agendas. Moreton Cullimore, MD of the Cullimore Group, said a full review of planning legislation is needed to force councils to include adequate, safe and secure HGV parking with refreshment and washing facilities for drivers during the building of large distribution parks or when undertaking major road improvement or other construction [...]

The post Cullimore Group urges industry to sign online petition calling for improved HGV welfare facilities appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OTC) is warning public inquiry (PI) attendees that they must follow the 14-day quarantine rule when arriving back in the UK from a country that is not on the exemption list. The warning follows “several worrying incidents” since the OTC reintroduced physical attendance at PIs, which were suspended at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown. In a statement, the OTC said: “In the short time since we reintroduced physical attendance at hearings, there have [...]

The post OTC warns of “worrying” incidents of PI attendees breaking quarantine rules appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has called on the government to review its clean air zone (CAZ) policy after another local authority said it was looking at alternative ways of improving air quality without charging drivers. Bristol mayor Marvin Rees said officials are exploring opportunities to transform travel in a bid to clean up the city’s air quality in the shortest possible time. The move comes after the government had ordered Bristol City Council to impose a clean air zone (CAZ) to bring [...]

The post RHA urges government to review clean air policy as Bristol considers scrapping charges appeared first on Motor Transport.

Triangle Management Services has compiled the 2020 edition of the UK Domestic Express Parcel Carriers Digest. The publication is designed to be a handy compendium of the UK express parcel industry, examining the 15 key UK carriers that offer a national parcel delivery service throughout the UK. The carriers included are: APC Overnight; DHL Parcel UK; DPD; DPD Local; DX Freight; FedEx UK; Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA); Hermes; Parcelforce Worldwide; Royal Mail; TNT Express; Tuffnells; UPS and Yodel. An estimated [...]

The post New digest examines impact of pandemic on top parcel carriers appeared first on Motor Transport.

Technology firm TRAILAR is heading online to the Commercial Motor Show next month with its innovative solar product for HGVs and vans. Over the three-day show, taking place from 29 September to 1 October, visitors will be able to learn and gain valuable insight into how the solar technology works, and the potential operational savings across their fleets. Downloadable product specification sheets will provide key facts and savings from each type of vehicle, as well as a link to an [...]

The post CM Show 2020: TRAILAR shines light on cost and emissions benefits of solar technology appeared first on Motor Transport.

Delays to the construction of a road linking a new motorway junction with a major distribution centre is reportedly forcing thousands of HGV drivers to clog up a local A road. The £50m junction on the M49 at Avonmouth was completed over eight months ago and is due to connect to a DC housing companies including Amazon, Royal Mail, Tesco, Lidl, Next, DHL and The Range. However, it is understood drivers using the junction would reach a dead end from [...]

The post HGV drivers left frustrated over delays to DC link road appeared first on Motor Transport.

Vital rail and road upgrades that will create jobs, increase connectivity and boost the economy will be delivered more quickly thanks to the launch of a new 'Acceleration Unit', transport secretary Grant Shapps announced today (21 August). The new team of specialists will join the DfT to tackle delays to infrastructure projects and drive forward progress. The unit is set to be in place next month and be led by Darren Shirley, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport. [...]

The post Government to speed up transport infrastructure projects with new Acceleration Unit appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK has raised concerns over the government’s consultation on Operation Brock enforcement, which closes on Sunday (23 August) and relates to road usage at the Channel ports, particularly across Kent, after the end of the EU transition period. The move to relaunch Operation Brock is contained in a consultation document published this week which acknowledges that there could be border queues created by the UK’s exit from the EU in December, for at least the first six months of [...]

The post Operation Brock won’t solve border friction, warns Logistics UK appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Association of Pallet Networks (APN) said new figures for the first six months of 2020 show the UK pallet network sector was "far less affected in terms of volume than the early experience of European counterparts indicated". The first two quarters of 2020 saw pressure on pallet volumes, with a 10% drop in next day deliveries compared to the same period the previous year. This reduction began early in the year, possibly caused by the uncertainty of the Brexit [...]

The post Pallet volumes resilient during pandemic, says APN amid “cautious optimism” appeared first on Motor Transport.

Leeds City Council has announced that their planned clean air zone (CAZ) has been “suspended for the foreseeable future”, with a review earmarked for the autumn. Officials said that improvements in air quality during the pandemic could mean government support and funding is withdrawn. Chris Ashley, the RHA’s head of policy on the environment and regulation, said: “I am pleased that Leeds City Council appears to be taking on board the points we’re making. “As we emerge from lockdown into [...]

The post Leeds Clean Air Zone plan “suspended for foreseeable future” appeared first on Motor Transport.

Analytics company GlobalData has confirmed that the Covid-19 pandemic has begun forcing transport and logistics companies to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies. Principal disruptive tech analyst, Manish Dixit said the main factors driving companies to go digital were increasing labour shortages, forced closure of factories and disruptions in delivery routes and logistics hubs due to lockdowns. Dixit said "big data" and "digital twins" were technologies that UK transport companies would be likely to adopt in the wake of the [...]

The post Digital technologies to power supply chain of the future, say analysts appeared first on Motor Transport.

The UK government is calling for the logistics industry’s views on the use of automated vehicles on motorways. The Call for Evidence, launched by DfT today, will focus on the Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS) - which can take over control of the vehicle at low speeds, keeping it in lane on motorways. The technology is expected to be available in cars entering the UK market from Spring 2021. ALKS is designed to enable drivers to delegate the task of [...]

The post DfT seeks industry views on use of automated vehicles on motorways appeared first on Motor Transport.

A consortium which includes autonomous tech firm StreetDrone has won £2.4m of funding to develop self-driving 40-tonne trucks capable of moving parts and assemblies between Nissan’s Sunderland car manufacturing plant and local businesses. The 800-acre Sunderland site will host the proof-of-concept project, which aims to evaluate how 5G connected and autonomous logistics operations can be used in industrial supply chain operations. The 5G Connected and Autonomous Logistics project, dubbed 5GCAL, will develop software and hardware solutions spanning redundant braking systems, [...]

The post Plan to develop 40-tonne autonomous trucks gets government funding appeared first on Motor Transport.

Shell has launched a new European electronic tolling solution (EETS) for heavy-duty fleets to help simplify the complexity of cross-border toll payments. It is designed to enable drivers to manage tolls in more than 10 countries across Europe and to ensure that fleet managers can keep track of a range of fuel and non-fuel purchases. These include toll payments - along with Shell Fuel Card expenses - with a single set of invoices in their own currency, managed through Shell [...]

The post Shell to simplify European tolling for fleets appeared first on Motor Transport.

The transport and logistics industry has described claims by the EU Commission that it will restrict access to British trucks at the end of the post-Brexit transition period as “ridiculous” and would leave the EU “shooting itself in the foot”. The Commission said the UK’s request for continued cabotage rights after the 31 December deadline was “fundamentally unbalanced” and would give rights to UK hauliers that are “extremely close to single market membership”, which it was not prepared to allow. [...]

The post Transport industry slams EU over threat to restrict access to UK trucks after Brexit transition period appeared first on Motor Transport.

Descartes Systems is inviting Commercial Motor Show visitors to its virtual stand to see how its technology can help improve fleet operations and compliance. The global software company works with fleet operators of all sizes to boost their efficiency, safety and customer experience. According to Descartes, existing clients have improved delivery capacity by 35% without adding drivers or vehicles and reduced drivers’ hours and tachograph infringements by 50%. It said a complete set of routing, scheduling, mobile applications such as [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Descartes Systems targeting compliance and efficiency gains for fleets appeared first on Motor Transport.

Ever considered joining the DVSA’s Earned Recognition scheme? The voluntary programme sees hauliers regularly sharing fleet performance data in exchange for their vehicles being less likely to be stopped for roadside checks, or visited by DVSA officials on site. Join us online at the Commercial Motor Show 2020 and hear first-hand from the DVSA how the scheme has been progressing since its launch. You’ll also learn about the real-life experience of membership from family haulier Freightlink Europe, and the type of technology [...]

The post CM Show 2020: All you need to know about gaining DVSA’s Earned Recognition appeared first on Motor Transport.

ULEMCo will be on hand at this autumn’s Commercial Motor Show to share with operators how its hydrogen technology can take their vehicles beyond Euro-6 on the road to decarbonisation. Recent results announced from HyTIME, a Low Emission Freight and Logistics Trial project partly funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles in partnership with Innovate UK, showed that more than 14 tonnes of CO2 was saved over a two-year period from 11 urban trucks and vans running on green [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Hydrogen technology can decarbonise CVs today, says ULEMCo appeared first on Motor Transport.

Held over three days, the Commercial Motor Show will put exhibitors in front of an audience of thousands of commercial vehicle buyers and operators, all without the need for social distancing. In addition to seeing the latest vehicles, products and services, visitors to this free-to-attend event will be invited to sit in on a wide range of interactive webinar sessions covering a range of topical issues. The event will be opened by Baroness Vere, parliamentary under-Secretary of state for transport. The morning session [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Day one will focus on the Covid-19 impact and HGV decarbonisation appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA is targeting transport managers, van operators and retired hauliers with new membership deals. The three offers, launched today (Monday 17 August), sees the association extend membership beyond its business-owner base for the first time. 'Professional Membership' supports transport managers by helping them fulfil their statutory duties. It includes access to RHA’s Help Desk service. 'Individual Membership' gives logistics staff, retired hauliers and non-industry partners the opportunity to hear directly from the RHA, and get access to a benefits [...]

The post RHA throws membership doors wide open in “push for positive change” appeared first on Motor Transport.

Government plans to make HGV drivers bear the greatest responsibility for road safety have been condemned as “extremely dangerous” by the RHA this week. The move is part of a government review of the Highways Code. Its three key proposals are that all drivers give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross the road, that cyclists be given priority at junctions when travelling straight ahead, and that a new 'Hierarchy of Road Users” be introduced. This would see those [...]

The post Forcing road safety onus onto HGV drivers “extremely dangerous”, claims RHA appeared first on Motor Transport.

The UK’s new heavy goods vehicle (HGV) market fell by 73.4% in the second quarter of 2020, with 4,151 units registered, according to figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). While the bulk of the decline was driven by coronavirus lockdown measures, a strong Q2 in 2019 – boosted by the the introduction of smart tachographs saw a large uptick in orders – contributed to this year’s decline. Registrations of rigid trucks fell by 72.6%, [...]

The post SMMT warns of “deeply concerning” drop in new HGV registrations in Q2 appeared first on Motor Transport.

The DVSA has admitted it now has “a number of outstanding applications” for individual vehicle approvals (IVAs) as well as appointment delays, as the enforcement agency battles to support priority testing during the pandemic. Its comments came as one operator told motortransport.co.uk that it had been waiting eight weeks for an IVA, but had been given no indication from the DVSA when its imported Mercedes would finally be tested. Paul Ponsonby, director at Birmingham-based haulier Paul Ponsonby, said it was [...]

The post Fears grow over testing backlog as operators struggle to contact DVSA appeared first on Motor Transport.

DAF Trucks is calling on operators to attend the Commercial Motor Show virtual exhibition next month, describing it as a “fantastic opportunity for the truck industry to reconnect” in the wake of Covid-19. With the unfortunate cancellation of several important industry events this year, DAF Trucks has emerged as a vocal supporter of the Commercial Motor Show, having been one of the first major truck manufacturers to confirm its online attendance. Reiterating the importance of relationships within the truck industry, [...]

The post CM Show 2020: ‘A fantastic opportunity for truck industry to reconnect,’ says DAF Trucks MD appeared first on Motor Transport.

It probably won’t come as a huge shock that this year’s Motor Transport Awards are moving online. We are naturally disappointed that our black-tie ceremony, widely known as THE event of the year for our sector, won’t be taking place in 2020. Goodness knows we all deserve a good night out! But we will always put safety first, as we know all of you do every day in your operations. The good news is that the 34th annual awards will [...]

The post Motor Transport Awards 2020 move online appeared first on Motor Transport.

FORS will use its Commercial Motor Show presence to reinforce the importance of operational efficiency, with new training routes to help fleets upskill their workforce. Visitors to the free online trade show will hear from FORS on how membership to the voluntary accreditation scheme can increase fleet efficiency; leading to savings in fuel costs, better MPG rates, insurance reductions, and improved customer satisfaction. A recent survey of FORS’ 5,000 members across the UK and Europe found operators have saved over [...]

The post CM Show 2020: FORS drives home efficiency savings and new online training appeared first on Motor Transport.

Webfleet Solutions and Bridgestone are looking forward to an ‘incredible opportunity’ to bring their latest products and connected mobility solutions to life at the virtual Commercial Motor Show this autumn. Both companies are working together to demonstrate how advanced technologies can help truck and van operators drive efficiencies, realise cost-savings, reduce their carbon footprint and raise the bar in service delivery. The Commercial Motor Show is a virtual exhibition and conference running from 29 September to 1 October. Visitors to [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Webfleet Solutions and Bridgestone eye future fleet innovation appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has welcomed the decision by agricultural and food giant AB Agri not to require hauliers to join the SafeContractor accreditation scheme. The body was concerned hauliers were being held to ransom, with further work dependent on signing up to the scheme which requires firms to pay to be assessed against a list of health and safety requirements, and face two audits before qualifying. Read more RHA objects to AB Agri plans to force operators to join SafeContractor accreditation [...]

The post Hauliers not required to join AB Agri SafeContractor accreditation scheme appeared first on Motor Transport.

Operators due to appear at public inquiries are urged to review their financial standing requirements in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, following cases in which firms struggled to demonstrate compliance before the traffic commissioner. Laura Hadzik, Backhouse Jones solicitor, said it had become “increasingly apparent” that many hauliers could not demonstrate they were meeting financial standing and were falling foul of their regulatory requirements at PIs. Hadzik said: “It’s a mandatory requirement throughout the lifetime of your licence, and it’s [...]

The post Check your financial standing before attending public inquiries, lawyer urges appeared first on Motor Transport.

The office of the traffic commissioner’s (OTC) decision to publish the outcomes of driver conduct hearings is “a serious GDPR breach” and could result in legal action being taken, according to a lawyer. Jonathon Backhouse, director at Backhouse Jones, said “sooner or later” a professional driver would sue the OTC for publishing the results of the hearings, as well as the driver’s name, date of birth, postcode and date of the hearing. The OTC announced in June it had started [...]

The post “A serious GDPR breach” – OTC risking legal action for revealing results of driver hearings appeared first on Motor Transport.

As the government tries to strike the delicate balance of reviving the economy while savings lives, the Commercial Motor Show conference will look at the impact of Covid-19 on key sectors of the transport and logistics sector. The lockdown has accelerated the trend away from high street retail towards online shopping, especially in clothing and fashion, and Dino Rocos, non-executive director of Clipper Logistics and former COO of the John Lewis Partnership, will analyse this phenomenon and whether bricks and [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Find out how Covid-19 has changed logistics sector trends appeared first on Motor Transport.

Transport Data Interchange (TDI) will be sharing an exciting Tech Talk during next month’s Commercial Motor Show about its latest tachograph analysis software. The Chesterfield-based business has been awarded the contract to provide the software behind the newly launched FORS Tacho Service. Built on TDI’s ‘Disc-Check’, a Software as a Service (Saas) solution, the new FORS Tacho Service provides dedicated tachograph analysis software that can be securely accessed from anywhere and on any device. The software allows multiple methods of [...]

The post CM Show 2020: TDI and FORS launch new tachograph analysis tool for members appeared first on Motor Transport.

An alleged online scam that is said to have cheated around ten hauliers out of thousands of pounds of payment for loads taken from Europe to the UK has been referred to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. The bureau was alerted to the scam by UK haulage company Trans Orbis Forwarding, after it discovered the fraudsters had used the company name to advertise loads on international freight exchange website Timocom, reportedly conning at least ten hauliers out of an estimated [...]

The post Alleged freight exchange scam referred to National Fraud Intelligence Bureau appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) is inviting operators to join its membership as they look to bounce back from the effects of Covid-19. To explain the benefits of membership, AFP will be taking part in the brand-new Commercial Motor Show, a free-to-attend event that takes place online from 29 September to 1 October. Key benefits to joining AFP include essential training and support provided by its Fleet Academy, ensuring compliance with legal, taxation and environmental requirements. Also included are [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Association of Fleet Professionals aims to support firms in their Covid-19 recovery appeared first on Motor Transport.

A moveable concrete barrier on the M20 to keep Kent’s roads moving during cross-channel disruption won’t be fully completed until 2022, according to Highways England (HE). A specialist ‘zipper’ machine will enable the barrier to be deployed quickly on the motorway and is seen as a method of ensuring congestion-free traffic flows when the Brexit transition process ends at the end of 2020. HE said the new scheme, costing £60m, is designed to ensure that the M20 can be kept [...]

The post Motorway barrier to ease Brexit congestion won’t be ready until 2022 appeared first on Motor Transport.

New EU drivers’ hours and tachograph rules are being introduced on 20 August, including a requirement for drivers to ‘return home’ every four weeks. The Department for Transport said there will also be a ban on taking regular weekly rest periods in the driver’s vehicle and more flexibility on the scheduling of rest periods for some drivers undertaking international carriage of goods. There will also be new provisions for rests and breaks for drivers when journeys involve transport by ferry [...]

The post New international haulage rules force drivers to return home every four weeks appeared first on Motor Transport.

The developer behind Britain’s first lithium-ion battery gigaplant for the automotive and renewable energy sectors has stepped up its bid to begin construction in South Wales. Britishvolt said the factory in Bro Tathan would be one of the largest ever industrial investments and could power future electrified transport, in cars as well as HGVs. The start-up also said it had appointed a project director, Ray Macera, who most recently oversaw the Gestamp pressing facility that supplies Jaguar Land Rover’s Nitra [...]

The post New battery gigaplant could power future of electrified road transport appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA is calling on agricultural and food giant AB Agri to reconsider its decision to require its haulage operators to join the SafeContractor accreditation scheme, motortransport.co.uk has learnt. Sources say the RHA is particularly concerned that hauliers are being held to ransom by AB Agri’s decision to make any further work dependant on operators signing up to the scheme. The SafeContractor scheme, operated by risk management solutions firm Alcumus, requires firms to pay a fee to be assessed on [...]

The post RHA objects to AB Agri plans to force operators to join SafeContractor accreditation scheme appeared first on Motor Transport.

PD Ports is celebrating the official opening of a multi-million pound bulks handling facility at Teesport that marks an important milestone in the revival of the Tees Valley following the collapse of the SSI Steelworks in 2015. Simon Clarke MP, Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, officially opened Teesport Bulks Terminal during a virtual ceremony on August 12th. PD Ports’ £9.2 million investment to renovate and refurbish its former Steel Export Terminal delivers a modernised warehousing facility that is [...]

The post PD Ports opens Teesport Bulks Terminal as new investment revives regional economy appeared first on Motor Transport.

DAF Trucks is the latest truck manufacturer to confirm its attendance at the Commercial Motor Show, a virtual exhibition for the road transport industry. Other companies already committed include Isuzu Truck UK, MAN Truck & Bus and Mercedes-Benz Trucks. The three-day event, which takes place on 29 September – 1 October, is expected to attract a 10,000-plus audience, all without the need for social distancing. In addition to seeing the latest vehicles, products and services, visitors to this free-to-attend event [...]

The post CM Show 2020: DAF Trucks to exhibit at brand-new online event appeared first on Motor Transport.

A joint bid to make Thurrock the centre of a major global free port on the river Thames has been launched by Forth Ports Group and DP World. The bid is in response to government plans to create up to 10 free ports across the UK after Brexit. These will allow firms to import goods and then re-export them outside normal tax and customs rules. The deadline for free port bid submission is expected to be towards the end of [...]

The post Forth Ports and DP World launch plans for River Thames free port appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Commercial Motor Show 2020 is an exciting new concept – a virtual exhibition and conference created for the freight and logistics sector. Held over a three-day period, the Commercial Motor Show will put exhibitors in front of an audience of thousands of commercial vehicle buyers and operators, all without the need for social distancing. In addition to seeing the latest vehicles, products and services, visitors to this free-to-attend event will be invited to sit in on a wide range of interactive [...]

The post CM Show 2020: All you need to know about THE virtual tradeshow of the year! appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK has warned that time is fast running out for international operators to become familiar with complex new paperwork and IT systems being introduced when the UK leaves the EU on January 1, 2021. “With less than 150 days left to the UK’s EU departure, the time to take action is now," urged Logistics UK director of policy Elizabeth de Jong. "Operators must be ready to switch to new systems and new methods of trading if their businesses are [...]

The post Brexit red tape forces hauliers to learn at least eight new IT systems appeared first on Motor Transport.

Brigade Electronics will be heading into the virtual world to dispel the myths around the new London Direct Vision Standard (DVS).  In its first-ever virtual show, Brigade will be joining an impressive line-up of industry experts and exhibitors at the Commercial Motor Show 2020. Free-to-attend, the online CM Show will take place across three days from 29 September to 1 October. It offers delegates the chance to learn from leading operators and manufacturers on a range of topics challenging the [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Brigade Electronics takes Direct Vision Standard into virtual world appeared first on Motor Transport.

The first virtual exhibition and conference for the UK road transport industry, the Commercial Motor Show, will include presentations from key industry speakers focusing on vital topics such as how the industry is recovering from Covid-19, the Road to Zero emissions and skills shortages. The first day of the virtual conference on 29 September will take as its theme the effect of the pandemic on the logistics sector and how major industries such as retail, infrastructure and hospitality are likely [...]

The post CM Show 2020: BVRLA to explain how hard-pressed operators can renew their fleets amid Covid-19 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 will be a key focus of next month’s inaugural Commercial Motor Show, held online between 29 September and 1 October. Despite the disruption of Covid-19, the government has remained clear on the targets set in its Road to Zero strategy, launched 2018, to move away from fossil fuels used in road transport. Indeed the recent pandemic has given the UK new impetus to revitalise the drive towards cleaner vehicles, secretary of state for [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Travel the ‘Road to Zero’ at brand-new industry event appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Convoy truck shows at Donington Park and Pembrey will be cancelled this year, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Your safety is always going to be our top priority and it’s for that reason and with heavy hearts, we are calling off this year’s Convoy events,” explained Road Transport Media divisional director Vic Bunby. “Things had been looking positive for a couple of weeks, but with the recent rise in Covid-19 cases, local lockdowns and restrictions, we just can’t [...]

The post Convoy truck shows at Donington Park and Pembrey cancelled in response to pandemic appeared first on Motor Transport.

Day two of the Commercial Motor Show 2020 brings you a buzzing conference programme exploring alternative fuels, fleet safety, skills shortages and Brexit implications. In the opening ‘Road to Zero’ session, you’ll hear from leading fleet operators at John Lewis Partnership, DPD and Hermes about the steps they took introducing biofuels, electric and natural gas vehicles to their businesses. And through exciting ‘live chat’ technology, you’ll also be able to take an active part in the discussion by asking key [...]

The post CM Show 2020: Cleaner fuels, safer fleets, skills shortages and Brexit challenges all on the agenda for day two appeared first on Motor Transport.

The key findings have been revealed from a four-year £20m government programme aimed at cutting emissions and improving air quality. The Low Emission Freight and Logistics Trials (LEFT) included a major UK study of long-haul and gaseous fuel technologies, assessing how dedicated Euro-6 gas trucks perform in terms of engine performance, reliability and fuel economy. The research, which compared gas performance with diesel, looked at four main duty cycles - city centre, urban, regional and long haul – and used [...]

The post DfT trial confirms benefits of gas fuel technology for long-haul operators appeared first on Motor Transport.

Operation Brock is set to be revived as part of government plans to cope with post-Brexit queues at the Channel Ports. The move to relaunch Operation Brock is contained in a consultation document published this week which acknowledges that there could be border queues created by the UK’s exit from the EU in December, for at least the first six months of next year. Mitigation plans proposed in the document include the relaunch of Operation Brock from December this year, [...]

The post Operation Brock set to be relaunched as government questions hauliers’ readiness for Brexit appeared first on Motor Transport.

Moves by the DVSA to give Earned Recognition operators a 12-month MOT exemption on their HGVs and and trailers will do nothing to change the way the role of ATFs is interpreted and compromises safety, according to The Authorised Testing Facilities Operators Association (ATFOA). Operators have made use of three-month exemptions since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, but the DVSA said it was expanding the exemption period for certain operators it considered to be safer to ease the massive [...]

The post ATF operators slam DVSA over MOT exemption plan appeared first on Motor Transport.

The first virtual exhibition and conference for the UK road transport industry, the Commercial Motor Show, will include presentations from key industry speakers focusing on vital topics such as how the industry is recovering from Covid-19, the Road to Zero emissions and skills shortages. The first day of the virtual conference on 29 September will take as its theme the effect of the pandemic on the logistics sector and how major industries such as retail, infrastructure and hospitality are likely [...]

The post Rental and leasing association to explain how hard-pressed operators can renew their fleets amid Covid-19 at the Commercial Motor Show appeared first on Motor Transport.

Freight operators delivering medical supplies from Europe should avoid the Channel Ports as “a matter of priority” to avoid border delays expected when the UK exits the EU at the end of the year. The warning comes in a letter sent this week by Steve Oldfield, chief commercial officer at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to medical suppliers. The letter sets out plans aimed at ensuring the continued supply of medicines and medical products into the UK [...]

The post Operators delivering medicines after Brexit must avoid channel ports “as matter of priority” warns government appeared first on Motor Transport.

Brexit will make it easier for stowaways to enter lorries bound for the UK at French ports, according to a Dutch trade association. In a whitepaper explaining how shipping agents can be better prepared to deal with stowaways, Transport en Logistiek Nederland said it was concerned about the potential for an “extra stream of stowaways” at ports. “Up to and including 31 December 2020, there will be no other customs procedures than there are now,” the paper explained. “Over the [...]

The post Brexit will lead to “extra stream of stowaways”, new report warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

Tyre firm Prometeon has moved to allay concerns customers might have about new rules banning old tyres, stating that its fleet management processes already go “above and beyond” the new legal requirements. Roads Minister Baroness Vere said it will become illegal to fit tyres that are aged 10 years or older to the steer axles of trucks, buses and coaches. Legislation will be laid in the autumn and will also apply to retreaded tyres, which must have clearly visible marks [...]

The post Prometeon reassures customers after government bans old HGV tyres appeared first on Motor Transport.

A task force made up of automotive experts that can oversee plans to ban new diesel, petrol and hybrid vehicles needs to be created, or else environmental targets could be missed, a transport body has warned. Transport for the South East said an action plan is required to ensure the ban is in place by 2035, or earlier. It said a task force made up of representatives from across government, the automotive industry and consumer groups could oversee the action [...]

The post Transport group calls for task force to ensure net zero carbon deadline is met appeared first on Motor Transport.

Earned Recognition operators will be given a 12-month MOT exemption on their HGVs and trailers as the DVSA tries to ease a huge bottleneck. Operators have been making use of three-month exemptions since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, but the enforcement agency said it was expanding the exemption period for certain operators it considered to be safer, in a bid to ease demand for MOTs. As well as companies who are signed up to the Earned Recognition scheme, the [...]

The post Earned Recognition operators given year’s MOT exemption amid massive backlog appeared first on Motor Transport.

FairFuel (UK) and the Alliance of British Drivers (ABD) have teamed up to legally challenge the Mayor of London’s decision to increase the congestion charge after a lawyer served him with a pre-action protocol letter. Howard Cox, FFUK founder, described Sadiq Khan as a “modern day Dick Turpin” and that he should have taxed other sources of pollution than drivers in the Capital. In June, Black Antelope Law director Shaheen Mamum said he had put Khan on notice of a [...]

The post “A modern day Dick Turpin!” – business groups round on London mayor over congestion charge hike appeared first on Motor Transport.

UK commercial vehicle manufacturing picked up in June, but the growth failed to offset the impact of Covid-19 as overall half-year output plummeted by almost a quarter, new figures show. UK CV production increased by 23.9% last month, with 4,144 trucks, vans and buses leaving production lines, according to the SMMT. It said this increase followed a particularly weak June 2019, when output fell by more than a half due to key model changeovers. However, even though production ramped up, [...]

The post CV manufacturing up in June but half-year output down by a quarter appeared first on Motor Transport.

Baroness Vere, parliamentary under-Secretary of state for transport, is to open the virtual Commercial Motor Show on 29 September. This three-day event is a first for the road freight transport industry, with an online exhibition that has already attracted the support of truck makers DAF, Isuzu, Iveco, MAN and Mercedes-Benz and a full virtual conference programme. As well as Baroness Vere, key speakers will include RHA chief executive Richard Burnett, professor David Cebon of Cambridge University, Malcolm Group chief executive [...]

The post Transport minister to open inaugural virtual Commercial Motor Show appeared first on Motor Transport.

After a successful event in 2019, the Commercial Motor Golf Day is returning for 2020 on 24 September. 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. The day will include a round of golf, snacks and drinks on the course, drinks at [...]

The post Book your team in for the Commercial Motor Golf Day 2020 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Ambitious plans to install thousands of miles of bike lanes in England in a drive to make the nation fitter must not be at the expense of kerbside deliveries, Logistics UK has urged. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged £2bn to transform road infrastructure and build protected cycle routes in towns and cities. But Logistics UK said the plans must be implemented with consideration to the needs of hauliers: “Without deliveries, businesses in cities and towns will not receive the [...]

The post Bike lanes could hamper kerbside deliveries, Logistics UK warns appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers returning from Spain are exempt from the 14-day self-isolation rules put in place by the UK government, so long as their journey is work-related the RHA has confirmed. People returning to the UK from Spain or its islands must quarantine for two weeks after it was added to the list of at-risk countries on 26 July, due to a spike in cases of Covid-19. However, truckers are exempt if their journey is in a freight vehicle and they are [...]

The post Hauliers returning from Spain exempt from 14-day quarantine appeared first on Motor Transport.

The number of transport managers disqualified for non-compliance fell by over a third last year, according to the latest annual report from the Office of the Traffic Commissioner. The report for the year to 31 March 2020 revealed that 96 transport managers were disqualified in the period, compared to 139 in the previous year. The disqualification of licence holders also dipped, down from 873 to 818, whilst licence revocations dropped to 282 from 314 in 2018. The West Midlands region [...]

The post Number of disqualified transport managers falls by over a third, OTC report reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is mulling a new tax on deliveries, according to Downing Street, as part of plans to revive the high street and cut emissions and congestion. The tax would be targeted at goods sold online and could take the form of a 2% levy on online sales or a charge on deliveries. The move follows the Chancellor raising concerns that business rates are penalising high street stores and giving internet retailers an unfair advantage. A Downing Street spokesman [...]

The post Chancellor moots delivery tax to help high street and cut congestion appeared first on Motor Transport.

Researchers at Aston University have claimed commercial fleets could halve their emissions and better meet clean air targets using new technology which imitates how ants share knowledge and scales it up to optimise routes around busy cities. The software, which has been developed and tested by computer scientists in the college of engineering and physical sciences under the Think Beyond Data initiative, uses route optimisation to intelligently direct fleets from the same company around a city or town - slashing [...]

The post New urban routeing technology based on research into ant behaviour appeared first on Motor Transport.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is looking to partner with transport and logistics operators to trial solutions for low carbon consumer home delivery. As part of its Low Carbon Future Mobility project, the council’s initial focus will be on grocery, parcel and takeaway deliveries which it says have been accelerated by the impact of Covid-19. It has up to £3m of match-funding available to support, and de-risk, innovative interventions and is now looking to engage with the transport industry to identify [...]

The post Solihull council seeks commercial partners in pledge to match-fund low carbon home delivery trials appeared first on Motor Transport.

A plan by Hampshire County Council to cut freight movements across the county’s highways by banning truck movements on Sundays has been slammed by the RHA. The plan is part of the council’s policy to reduce the county’s carbon emissions. The strategy also proposes a new rule to stop HGVs from overtaking on motorways in the region. The report, published on the council’s website, suggests the strategy should include a move to “ban the movement of HGVs on a Sunday [...]

The post Move to ban HGVs on Sundays “absolutely wrong”, says RHA appeared first on Motor Transport.

A £19.3bn plan to install overhead charging cables for electric lorries on the slow lanes of the UK’s motorways, which could help the UK meet its 200 zero carbon emissions target, has been published this week. If the plans get government approval a £80m pilot programme could to be rolled out along 40 miles of the M180 between the A156 and the M18 in South Yorkshire. The site has been earmarked because of its high levels of HGV traffic from [...]

The post Plan to install overhead cables on motorways for electric trucks moves step closer appeared first on Motor Transport.

The government is insisting its plans to build a lorry park outside Ashford, Kent ahead of Brexit are not a repeat of its Stanford West lorry park project. The park would have held 3,600 trucks but the plan was ditched in 2017 after the government decided not to fight a judicial review of the proposal. The Ashford site, dubbed Mojo, is located just outside of Ashford, near junction 10A of the M20, and has enough space to park 10,000 trucks. [...]

The post Ashford lorry park will be no repeat of Stanford West, says DfT minister appeared first on Motor Transport.

Motor Transport was launched in 1905 as Motor Traction. Here we look back on a story published 100 years ago. MONDAY, JULY 26TH, 1920 Progress of Investigations by the Fuel Research Board. On Thursday, July 15th, the Director of Fuel Research – Sir George Bielby – invited representatives of the press to attend a meeting of the Scientific and Industrial Research Department to receive an account of the progress made by the Board into the problems connected with alternative fuels [...]

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The Covid-19 pandemic is widely expected to give the government’s net zero carbon emissions strategy a big boost, and the new Commercial Motor Show virtual conference will take a look at the options for decarbonising heavy road transport. David Cebon, professor of mechanical engineering at Cambridge University, will compare the efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells with battery electric vehicles, while Brian Robinson, head of commercial vehicles at the LowCVP, will review the role of biofuels. Rob Fowler, chief executive of [...]

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The speed limit on Highways England roadworks is to increase from 50mph to 60mph following extensive trials. The trials, carried out on eight road schemes, were launched in response to feedback from road users who said they were frustrated at not being able to go quicker. The pilot schemes found that drivers found it easier to stick to the 60mph limit, thereby increasing safety. They also resulted in an average saving of almost 3,780 hours journey time each day across [...]

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The M11 has topped the list of road users’ best motorways, with the M20 voted the worst, according to research by Transport Focus. The motorway from London to Cambridge had the highest overall satisfaction of 92%. The best A-road was the A66 route across the Pennines from Scotch Corner to Penrith. Among drivers of vans and lorries, 78% were satisfied with their journey overall. Transport Focus chief executive Anthony Smith said: “In the 12 months before the coronavirus lockdown, more [...]

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Highways England’s (HE) programme for major improvements on the road network was overly optimistic and had to be substantially reduced from 112 schemes to 73, according to a review of the agency. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) also said too many people are still dying on the road network despite it being one of the safest in the world and HE had not quite achieved all of its KPIs. However, the ORR’s five-year assessment added that it had [...]

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Driver CPC delegates can now take up to two hours of a seven-hour course as ‘e-learning’ content under changes brought in this week. So-called e-learning is not the same as distance learning or remote learning, which have been used as part of the emergency response to Covid-19 during the pandemic. Instead, the change by the DVSA means it will allow up to two hours of learning to be completed by the driver ahead of a training course and so does [...]

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Victory! Back in 2017, after campaigning from the Unite union and Truckers’ Toilets UK, the HSE ruled thatemployers in control of non-domestic premises (i.e. places of work) were required to allow all visitors to their premises, who were not employed by them, access to their toilets and washing facilities. No more peeing in the bushes with nowhere to wash hands, no more problems for women drivers having a period. Transport sector customers had to acknowledge 21st century realities and realise [...]

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Nearly 100 operators involved in bridge strikes have been reported to the traffic commissioner in the last 12 months, figures reveal. The office of the traffic commissioner (OTC) said of the 99 firms involved in these incidents, 12 were subsequently called to public inquiries and 22 dealt with at preliminary hearings. Others received warning letters. The figures emerged as Network Rail said it had received a “fantastic response” across the haulage industry to its ‘Wise Up, Size Up’ campaign and [...]

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Ctrack by Inseego has teamed up with MaxOptra to meet the growing demand from multi-drop distribution operations for optimised scheduling and live transport management. The partnership will deliver telematics-enabled solutions that use highly accurate, real-time data to support dynamic route planning and planned vs actual performance monitoring. MaxOptra’s route planning software has been seamlessly integrated with Ctrack’s cloud-based telematics platform to obtain actual vehicle data and provide real-time visibility of what is happening out on the road. By linking the [...]

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Over 14 tonnes of CO2 has been saved in a two year project by the Low Emission Freight and Logistics Trial (LEFT) involving just 11 urban trucks and vans running on green hydrogen dual fuel. With between 20-45% of the diesel fuel being displaced by green hydrogen on the various vehicles, the HyTIME project concluded that with the appropriate hydrogen infrastructure, fleet wide roll-out could provide "a huge and timely step change in overall fleet emissions". ULEMCo - the company [...]

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Take up for warehousing space in the UK reached record levels in the first half of 2020, with over a third of space taken up by Amazon and 11% involving deals where the lease is for less than 12 months due to the pandemic. A total of 22.4m sq ft of warehousing was taken up in H1, 38% above 2019 levels and 66% above the long term average, according to the latest Savills Big Shed briefing. However, Savills is warning [...]

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The government has pledged to improve overnight HGV parking facilities through “established and new” processes as part of its Covid-19 recovery plan. The move is revealed in a letter sent last week from Transport Secretary Grant Schapps and transport minister Baroness Vere to RHA chief executive Richard Burnett. The letter notes “the incredibly important contribution that delivery drivers make to the nation, the economy and businesses,” and pledges to look at new ways to overcome the barriers to creating more [...]

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Toll charges on the M6 toll road are to be halved for new haulage customers as part of a campaign to help the Midlands economy recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The operating company, also known as M6Toll, said 50% cut to charges for new hauliers will apply to those using the route from end to end. The cost of local journeys for all vehicles exiting at local junctions will also be slashed by half for the next [...]

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Highways England has appointed a new chair with a brief to lead the delivery of the government’s second five year Road Investment Strategy. Dipesh Shah, who assumes the role on 1 September, will replace Colin Matthews, who has held the role for six years. Shah was selected after a competitive selection and brings extensive experience as a non-executive director of Thames Water, Commissioner of the Crown Estates and as former CEO of the UK Atomic Energy Authority. The new chair [...]

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The government is to launch a major review of the DVSA’s HGV testing system which could clear the way for accredited private sector testers and break the DVSA’s grip on HGV tests by the end of the year. The review, exclusively revealed yesterday by motortransport.co.uk, was confirmed today in a letter from Transport Minister Baroness Vere to the chairman of the Authorised Testing Facilities Operators Association (ATFOA) and RHA. Both organisations hailed the move and said they hoped the review would [...]

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UK lorry drivers feel undervalued, have a low level of job satisfaction and feel disengaged, according to a recent survey by Talent in Logistics. The survey into HGV driver engagement, carried out in collaboration with Pertemps Driving Division ahead of the Covid-19 lockdown, revealed that just 30% of UK HGV drivers in the UK feel valued. The survey also revealed that just 9% of drivers surveyed blamed the driver shortage on facilities, with poor pay (34%), poor working hours (19%) [...]

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Almost two-thirds of logistics firms are having to overhaul their business strategies in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, a new report reveals. According to a survey from online temporary staff agency redwigwam, 65% of companies said they were having to rethink the way they did business with one in five saying they would be hiring more temporary workers they hire. Of those, 38% planned to grow the size of their flexible workforce by between 51-75% while 33% planned increases of [...]

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A DfT review of the HGV testing system is on the cards in a move that could see DVSA’s monopoly on HGV testing overturned and the door opened to accredited Authorised Testing Facility (ATF) operators. According to sources, the DfT is to launch a review "in the coming months" into the way HGV and trailer roadworthiness testing is carried out. The review will look at how to tackle the current shortage of DVSA testers and consider boosting numbers by allowing [...]

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New rules for operators appearing at public inquiries (PIs) in light of Covid-19 could jeopardise fair hearings and may result in a rise in the number of appeals, according to solicitors. The senior traffic commissioner (TC) has produced a guidance document explaining the rules around attendance and preparation for anyone appearing at a PI as lockdown restrictions are eased.   Mark Davies, a director at transport lawyers Backhouse Jones, said it includes a request that evidence and paperwork is lodged [...]

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The FTA said a plan by the government to establish 10 freeports in the UK as part of its “levelling-up” agenda has the potential to unlock significant opportunities for international trade. However, it also warned that the policy brings with it a host of problems relating to competition, planning and friction with the Northern Ireland protocol and it urged clarity and more details about their creation. Freeports are zones considered as outside their home country for customs purposes, enabling goods [...]

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Covid-19 has given the UK the opportunity to rethink and accelerate the switch to greener vehicles, secretary of state for transport Grant Shapps MP told delegates at yesterday’s Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (Low CVP) virtual annual conference. “We stand on the very verge of a new revolution; a green transport revolution,” he said. “We can reframe the narrative around green vehicles and show that it is this generation that will drive the transition to zero-carbon road transport.” The minister’s ambition [...]

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Increasing the speed limit of HGVs to 60mph has had no impact on safety, according to a government report. In 2015, new national speed limits for lorries over 7.5-tonnes were introduced on single and dual carriageways, to 50mph and 60mph respectively. Stakeholder interviews conducted in 2019 reported that awareness of the policy among drivers was good and a key benefit had been reduced driver stress and frustration, with both HGV drivers and general traffic considered to have benefited. The report [...]

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The road haulage Trailblazer Group (TBG) is seeking a procedural review after being informed that just £6,000 has been allocated to fund two new LGV Driver Apprenticeships by the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (IFATE). In a letter to the TBG, IFATE said it considered that “the most appropriate funding band” for the apprenticeship in Category C and C+E licence training was £6,000. It said: “The funding band is the maximum amount of government funding available to employers per [...]

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Tyres aged 10 years and older will be banned from HGVs in England, Scotland and Wales, under new rules to help improve road safety. The ban, which will also affect buses and coaches, follows an extensive investigation, including research commissioned by the Department for Transport (DfT), which indicated ageing tyres suffer corrosion which could cause them to fail. The move will make it illegal to fit tyres aged 10 years or older to the front wheels of lorries, buses and [...]

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HGV driving tests began again this week in England, with Wales choosing to restart them on 27 July. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that as the country recovers from Covid-19 it could now open up its services to get the economy moving again. Driver training and theory tests for HGVs in England recommenced on 4 July. Examiners will end a vocational test early if a candidate commits either a serious or dangerous fault or a total of 16 driver faults. [...]

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Texaco has launched a new engine oil which is intended to mitigate the effects of diesel particulate filter (DPF) clogging on operating costs. Delo 600 ADF features what Texaco calls Omnimax technology - additives which are designed to prevent the ash build-up which eventually requires fuel- and time-consuming regeneration. Texaco research over the past two months has revealed that 67% of operators had experienced emissions problems on Euro-6 engines, with 29% being DPF blockages. The new lubricant is said to [...]

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Up to a dozen customs controls posts offering parking to tens of thousands of trucks are to be built across the country, with at least five earmarked for Kent, in preparation for the UK’s exit from the UK. However, the RHA warned this week that UK ports will still be in danger of becoming gridlocked when the UK exits the EU unless the government addresses the major shortage of UK customs intermediaries. The “10 to 12” customs posts are part [...]

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Activity in the UK’s haulage sector is back to 84% of pre-Covid-19 levels but is still lagging behind its EU peers, according to research by Geotab and Webfleet Solutions. Data from Geotab and Webfleet’s commercial mobility recovery dashboard, shows that while the UK’s transport sector activity has recovered to 84% of its pre-Covid-19 baseline, three months since lockdown was first imposed, it is lagging behind other European countries, with France at 97%, Germany at 99%, Italy at 98%, Netherlands at [...]

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The DfT is set to reveal its plans for the transport industry in relation to Covid-19, Brexit and the skills shortage at the Freight People’s latest online meeting this month. Freight People, launched in January this year, is a networking forum for freight professionals founded by Bradford-based driver training company, Freight Train. Its aim is to create a supportive transport forum to debate industry issues and share best practice. The forum’s latest online meeting, on 21 July, will see Philip [...]

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European online consumers believe Brexit will lead to slower online delivery and less choice of UK goods, according to research by Whistl. The delivery management company is warning e-tailers to make sure they partner with delivery companies that can ensure seamless delivery to and from post-Brexit Britain to protect their markets. Whistl surveyed international online consumers on how they think Brexit will affect their international purchasing behaviour after the transition period ends on 31 December 2020. The European respondents to [...]

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The Algorithm People, developer of pay-as-you-go route optimisation platform My Transport Planner, has signed up its 100th partner. The software uses algorithms to calculate the most efficient routes and schedules for vehicles engaged in deliveries, collections and site visits. The company insists smarter planning minimises wasted mileage and improves vehicle utilisation, generating cost savings of up to 30% for transport operators. My Transport Planner users range from small businesses through to national chains such as Selco Builders Warehouse. The Algorithm [...]

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Road infrastructure, Clean Air Zones and the adoption of alternative fuels top the list of challenges reported by fleet and mobility managers over the next five years. The finding comes from research in the Arval Mobility Observatory, which questions transport businesses to uncover broader trends. Asked what the main challenges facing fleets are in the next five years, 43% of respondents cited a lack of road infrastructure, which could cause increased congestion, as the top issue. The introduction of more [...]

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The DVSA’s decision to shut down HGV testing during the Covid-19 pandemic resulting in a backlog of thousands of tests is indicative of a “cultural issue” within the department which “needs to be fixed”, MPs were told this week. The damning criticism of the DVSA was made by RHA chief executive Richard Burnett as he was giving evidence to the House of Commons Transport Committee’s inquiry into the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the haulage industry. Burnett raised the [...]

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Vision Techniques has launched the VT Night-Sight 24 Ultra high-performance camera. The company claims it is one of the best performing night vision cameras in the commercial vehicle market, offering "unbeatable day-time HD clarity with the addition of unprecedented night vision capabilities". This allows the camera to capture clear, high-resolution coloured images in areas where there is little or absolutely no light. The technology uses an advanced sensor to guarantee exceptional night vision with improved HD resolution, even in pitch [...]

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Hauliers are backing government plans to create a 27-acre Brexit customs clearance centre and lorry park near Ashford in Kent. Plans for the site, which will accommodate over 10,000 lorries, were revealed by the government last week. The site, known as Mojo, is close to junction 10a of the M20 and will be used to minimise potential disruption at Kent ports at the end of the Brexit transition period. Work begins at the site today (13 July) to build fencing, [...]

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Daily diesel sales are 20% lower than before the pandemic lockdown was introduced, with petrol sales down by 26%, according to the latest government data. The continued depression is revealed in data from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The data comes from sales figures from 4,500 filling stations, which make up over 50% of petrol stations in Great Britain and covers the period from 27 January 2020 to 05 July 2020. While average sales per filling station [...]

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The RHA is demanding clarity on how hauliers will be expected to run their businesses from January next year when full border customs checks from the EU are imposed. While the UK has announced that it will not be introducing complete customs checks on goods arriving from the EU, Michel Barnier, EU Brexit negotiator, has confirmed that from 1 January 2021, every UK product imported into the EU will face checks, regardless of whether or not a trade deal is [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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. [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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, [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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