Industry News

Over 2.5 million people died from Covid-19 in 2020, and the world has been galvanised into action by the devastating loss of life. Yet every year, more than one million people lose their lives in road collisions. But, unlike the pandemic, its most significant effect is among children and young adults. Road crashes are the leading cause of death for the 5 to 29 age group. Worldwide, the number of road fatalities continues to increase each year. Yet, in Europe, [...]

The post New call for action on road safety as research reveals 40% of fatal collisions involve HGVs appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Midlands will need 76 low and zero emission fuel refuelling stations by 2040 if it is to meet growing demand from operators in the region for alternative fuels and meet statutory zero carbon targets. According to a recent study by think tank Midlands Connect, the region will need a maximum of 65 hydrogen refuelling stations and 11 CNG/LNG refuelling stations by 2040 just to service the Midlands HGV fleet. The study, dubbed Alternative Fuels: Beyond Fossils, is calling for [...]

The post Midlands hauliers will need 76 low and zero emission fuel stations by 2040 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Leading hauliers have told MT they have been forced to increase rates to customers amid a range of growing industry challenges. Pressures on already tight margins have been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic, driver shortages, increasing fuel prices and a hike in the cost of moving goods and services internationally. Cullimore MD, Moreton Cullimore, said hauliers are therefore faced with "no option but to increase rates", which would inevitably have an effect on inflation. “The transport industry cannot be squeezed [...]

The post Hauliers hike rates amid “perfect storm of crises” appeared first on Motor Transport.

The use of renewable ‘drop-in’ fuels, such as HVO (hydro-treated vegetable oil), to reduce the carbon impact of HGV fleets was the focus of the latest Freight in the City webinar. In partnership with DAF Trucks, the topical webinar looked at the government’s ambition to move towards net zero carbon by 2050 and the role sustainable fuels would play to achieve this aim. Phil Moon, marketing manager at DAF Trucks, acknowledged the significant task that lay ahead of both manufacturers [...]

The post ‘Drop-in’ fuel HVO explored at latest Freight in the City webinar appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Algorithm People, developer of pay-as-you-go route optimisation platform My Transport Planner, has secured $2.2m (£1.6m) of funding from a consortium of tech investors led by former Sage chief executive Stephen Kelly. It said the cash injection will allow it to accelerate plans for UK and international growth and focus on the opportunity created by the world’s race to Net Zero. Established in 2018, The Algorithm People focuses on solutions for fleet modernisation, enabling firms to operate more efficiently, while [...]

The post Developer of My Transport Planner secures new investment appeared first on Motor Transport.

Global property group Goodman has broken ground on 338,267 sq ft of e-commerce and distribution space at Purfleet Commercial Park in Essex. At the heart of the M25 and A13 corridors and 16 miles from central London, Purfleet 338 is said to offer fast connections to the national motorway network, placing 21 million consumers with a combined purchasing power of £453bn within a two-hour HGV drivetime. The site also sits within a thriving logistics employment base, with more than 35,000 [...]

The post Goodman starts work on 340,000 sq ft M25 distribution space appeared first on Motor Transport.

Courier firm Speedy Freight said leading national brands are still facing "massive challenges" in moving products six months on from the UK's departure from the EU. Clients facing the worst delays are those shipping products of animal origins, the company said, with the new, longer sign-off process on both sides of the border creating delays of up to 72 hours for some shipments. Those involved have incurred "massive fines". Driver shortages remain "the single biggest crisis in the haulage industry", [...]

The post Leading exporters still facing long border delays and massive fines, insists Speedy Freight appeared first on Motor Transport.

Funding to help local hauliers upgrade their fleets to meet Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) requirements has been almost tripled to £12,000. Local operators will be able to apply for the support, up from an original proposal of just over £4,000, which they can use towards purchasing Euro-6 trucks which meet the Greater Manchester CAZ requirements. Hauliers will also be given more time to upgrade their fleets, according to the city’s Clean Air Plan, published today (21 June). In [...]

The post Greater Manchester hauliers see CAZ funding for truck upgrades almost tripled to £12,000 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics UK’s?Transport Manager conference series, sponsored by Bridgestone Tyres, is set to return this autumn?with live events planned at 11 venues around the UK. Kicking off on 21 September at Southampton’s?Hilton at the Ageas Bowl, the series of conferences will highlight?key issues for?fleet managers, provide professional advice and help attendees remain compliant and up to speed on the?latest?legislative?developments. Delegates will hear from a range of senior industry figures and policy makers, with experts?on hand?throughout the day?to advise on legislation and [...]

The post Logistics UK to launch Transport Manager conference series in September appeared first on Motor Transport.

Clare Bottle (pictured) has been appointed chief executive of the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) with Neil Bowker, commercial director of Bowker Group, taking on the role of chairman. Bottle is replacing Peter Ward, who is stepping down on 1 July. She joins UKWA from Coca Cola Europacific Partners where she was associate director of warehousing, responsible for managing 3PL contracts and running in-house warehousing operations across the UK. Her career includes delivery of successful logistics projects as an interim manager [...]

The post Clare Bottle and Neil Bowker take over UKWA reins appeared first on Motor Transport.

Wales is to freeze new road building projects during a review of highway schemes which will consider the impact of road transport on the climate emergency. The move is part of a goal to radically reduce pollution in Wales in order to meet statutory Net Zero emission targets by 2050. Announcing the road building freeze later today (22 June) in the Senedd, Lee Waters, deputy minister for climate change, will say: “Since 1990, Welsh emissions have fallen by 31%. But [...]

The post Climate emergency prompts Wales to review road building projects appeared first on Motor Transport.

Growing demand for warehousing and a “critical” shortage of industrial land has seen a controversial plan to build a £73m logistics hub on Green Belt land near Wigan, given the green light by the government. Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, requested a public inquiry into Symmetry Park, near junction 25 of the M6, after it was approved by Wigan council’s planning committee last year. The call-in was prompted by local opposition to the [...]

The post Controversial £73m Wigan logistics hub gets government go-ahead to be built on Green Belt land appeared first on Motor Transport.

The British Vehicle Leasing and Rental Association (BVLRA) is calling on councils operating Clean Air Zones to promote leasing and rental as a way to help operators transition sooner to low emission vehicles. The move comes in the same week that Greater Manchester Combined Authorities announced it has boosted funding for local fleet operators to £12,000 to help them upgrade their trucks to Euro-6 vehicles ahead of the launch of the Greater Manchester CAZ. Speaking at Freight in the City’s [...]

The post BVLRA calls on councils to promote leasing as CAZ upgrade option appeared first on Motor Transport.

Freight in the City, in partnership with Volvo Trucks, hosted the 'Fleet Decarbonisation Online Roadshow: Birmingham' webinar on the UK’s Clean Air Day (17 June), bringing together a panel of industry experts to help operators on their journey to acheive a zero-carbon fleet. Councillor Waseem Zaffar, Birmingham City Council cabinet member for transport and environment, spoke about the city's plans to become net zero carbon by 2030. Key strategies include the city’s Clean Air Zone, the roll out of around [...]

The post Watch on demand: Fleet Decarbonisation Online Roadshow: Birmingham appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hydrogen fuel provider Element 2 and renewable hydrogen systems supplier, Ways2H have forged a partnership to deliver up to 40 waste-to-hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK. The deal is part of Element 2’s wider plans to deploy over 800 hydrogen pumps in the UK by 2027, and 2,000 by 2030. Under the new partnership, announced today (June 22), the two companies will collaborate on the production and distribution of renewable hydrogen fuel for public transit and other forms of transportation [...]

The post New joint venture unveiled for 40 waste-to-hydrogen fuelling stations appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers using TfL’s Woolwich Ferry to cross the Thames are facing severe disruption next month after ferry workers voted to ramp up industrial action with nine days of 24-hour strikes planned in July. Hopes have been dashed that industrial relations on the free ferry would improve after TfL management took over the ferry operation from Briggs Marine Contractors in January this year. Last week Unite accused TfL of victimising a shop steward carrying out legitimate trade union duties. Staff are [...]

The post Hauliers face further delays as Woolwich ferry strike action escalates appeared first on Motor Transport.

Effective repair and maintenance regimes have been a critical part of the transport industry’s ability to keep the country moving and put food on people’s tables during the Covid-19 crisis. And just how operators have been approaching the issue is highlighted in the latest research report from Motor Transport and sister title Commercial Motor. The ‘Hot Topic: Repair, Maintenance & Tyre Management Report 2021’ found that a massive 89% of fleet operators believe that R&M is the most important area [...]

The post New MT research reveals the fleet strategies keeping the country moving appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers have repeated their plea to government to relax the testing process for HGV drivers as the nationwide driver shortage hits crisis levels. “We’re close to the brink and so is everyone else,” said Turners (Soham) MD Paul Day. “Are we delivering everything with a perfect service? No. Is everyone else? I don’t think they are. It’s getting worse. In another month it’s going to be really tight.” The UK now has an estimated shortfall of 65,000 HGV drivers, exacerbated [...]

The post Turners alerts customers over worsening driver shortage crisis appeared first on Motor Transport.

Funding to help local hauliers upgrade their fleets to meet Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) requirements has been almost tripled to £12,000. Local operators will be able to apply for the support, up from an original proposal of just under £4,000, which they can use towards purchasing Euro-6 trucks which meet the Greater Manchester CAZ requirements. Hauliers will also be given more time to upgrade their fleets, according to the city’s Clean Air Plan, published today (21 June). In [...]

The post Greater Manchester hauliers see CAZ funding for truck upgrades tripled to £12,000 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Four companies have come together to develop a smart, connected trailer tarpaulin aimed at foiling cargo theft. Technology firm ZF, coated textile manufacturer Sioen Industries and security specialist Securitas have joined forces with side curtain manufacturer Roland International to create the Intrudor Detection system. The system has been launched as cargo theft continues to rise with 1,528 HGV and cargo crime related offences, worth around £26.4m, reported in the UK in the first quarter of 2021, according to the National [...]

The post Consortium launches smart connected tarpaulin to tackle rising curtainsider cargo thefts appeared first on Motor Transport.

With more than 45,000 HGV driver tests outstanding at the DVSA as a result of the Covid-19 lockdowns, Logistics UK is calling on the government to introduce a seasonal visa for European HGV drivers to protect the nation’s supply chain while the agency catches up with the backlog. Chief executive David Wells (pictured) warned: “Our members urgently need drivers to be available now while DVSA catches up with the backlog of outstanding driving tests. Without this temporary cover, there is [...]

The post Issue HGV driver visas or face food shortages, Logistics UK warns government appeared first on Motor Transport.

Driving theory test centres across the UK are being relocated after the DVSA split the contract for managing the service between two companies. From September, existing contractor Pearson Vue will be joined by Reed in Partnership to oversee the process, which the DVSA said would give it greater control of managing the content. A DVSA spokesman said HGV theory tests are covered by the change and that “some existing test centres” would change location. But one training centre in Scotland [...]

The post Driving theory test centres split to help DVSA manage content appeared first on Motor Transport.

The job of an HGV driver is not eligible for the Shortage Occupation List and the industry needs to focus instead on filling roles from the ballooning UK unemployed, according to the government. There have been growing calls for truckers to be added to a list of occupations where there is a dire shortage, but in a response to a recent question from MP Jonathan Edwards about what assessment the government has made, Home Office minister Kevin Foster said it [...]

The post HGV drivers not eligible for Shortage Occupation List, minister insists appeared first on Motor Transport.

With the use of employee-facing mobile applications in the transport sector rocketing, new research reveals that so too has the number of complaints from end users about their functionality. The study, by mobile data capture specialist WorkMobile found 75% of chief information officers (CIO) in the industry have fielded criticism about their firm’s apps. WorkMobile said the two most commonly reported problems were that apps were not updated frequently enough (38%) and they were not sufficiently tailored to employees’ needs [...]

The post Logistics firms slammed over sub-standard mobile apps appeared first on Motor Transport.

The pandemic has been enough to prompt feelings of anxiety and fear in most people, but a survey from a mental health support service has found significantly high levels of worry among transport professionals about a return to the workplace. Wellbeing provider Westfield Health said its research showed how employees are both worried and confused about how – and where – they will be working. It said 51% of the 1,500 UK employees report feeling anxious about the return, but [...]

The post Transport staff endure anxious wait over confusing return to work plans appeared first on Motor Transport.

The Unite union has launched a seven-point manifesto, which it said would tackle the industry’s driver shortage and plug a 76,000-strong skills gap. It said the declaration would make haulage a better place to work, but it required government help, as well as the industry to take “a long hard look at itself”. Top of the list of issues identified is low pay, along with outsourcing and “an unhealthy reliance on agency drivers and bogus self-employment”. It said these factors [...]

The post ‘Take a long hard look at yourself over shortage crisis,’ Unite tells industry appeared first on Motor Transport.

Operators remain optimistic about their business performance in the next 12 months, new research has revealed, with nearly half expecting a degree of upturn compared with 2020: 16% believe things will be “significantly better” and 30% “slightly better”. Just under a quarter of operators believed they would fare the same in terms of performance, while 22% were expecting a slightly worse or signicantly worse year ahead. Whilst resilience remains high for the sector, the ‘Asset Alliance Group Industry Monitor 2021’, also highlights a more [...]

The post Business confidence remains strong for UK operators, new MT research reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

Scotland’s timber transport industry has received a £7m boost from the government to improve infrastructure and recover from the pandemic. The cash injection will be used to upgrade rural roads, create new forest haulage routes and passing places and promote the moving of timber by sea. Projects in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, Ayrshire, Stirling and the Highlands will all share in the funding support. One of these, TimberLINK, will receive £900,000 to help move timber by sea [...]

The post Scotland’s timber transport network given £7m government grant appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hauliers driving around Felixstowe Port are to receive enhanced training aids after an “incorrectly parked” truck was crushed by a container in April, trapping the driver inside. An investigation by port authorities has found that the lorry, which was crushed by a 40ft container lowered by crane onto the cab roof in April, should not have been parked at the spot and could not be seen by the crane operator. The incident, which happened on 23 April, saw fire crews [...]

The post Felixstowe Port shakes up haulier training after “incorrectly parked” truck crushed by container appeared first on Motor Transport.

Time is running out to join us at the Commercial Motor Golf Day, which takes place on 22 July at Lambourne Golf Club, Burnham. The competition is made up of 25 teams of four (100 players total), and it is almost full to capacity. The format will be a four-ball full handicap Stableford competition, and the best three individual scores per hole per team will count. A cost of £700 (plus VAT) per team includes green fees, a golf-related gift, [...]

The post Enter a team or sponsor a hole at the Commercial Motor Golf Day appeared first on Motor Transport.

Goodyear has unveiled what it says is the first tyre intelligence solution for cargo van fleets - Goodyear SightLine. The product aims to enhance safety and cost-efficient reliablity for all vehicles, starting with cargo vans serving the field service, construction and last-mile delivery industries. Later this year, Goodyear SightLine will also be available to the company's original equipment customers and emerging fleet and mobility providers. Initially available in North America and Europe, it uses sensors with cloud-based algorithms to communicate [...]

The post Goodyear launches tyre intelligence technology for cargo van fleets appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has named an Aylesbury-based trucker the winner of HGV Heroes 2020 after he helped prevent a man falling to his death from a footbridge last year. Tom Reddy (pictured centre), who was working for Moran Logistics at the time, parked his truck under a bridge on the A47 just outside of Peterborough on 5 May 2020 as it looked like someone was going to jump onto the busy carriageway. He and another motorist scrambled up the verge and [...]

The post Driver who helped prevent suicide crowned HGV Heroes winner appeared first on Motor Transport.

Food wholesaler BidCorp and the National Buying Consortium are calling on the government to take urgent action to tackle the shortage of HGV drivers and warehouse operatives or face worsening food shortages and price inflation across the UK. The warning comes ahead of a meeting tabled for tomorrow (June 15) between transport minister Baroness Vere and representatives from the logistics, wholesale and food suppliers industries to discuss the supply chain crisis. Speaking to Motortransport.co.uk, Bidcorp chief executive Andrew Selley (pictured) [...]

The post Major wholesalers warn of food shortages and wage and price inflation as HGV driver crisis worsens appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA is meeting with transport minister Baroness Vere and DfT officials tomorrow to demand urgent action on the driver shortage crisis as goods continue to disappear from supermarket shelves across the country and the hospitality industry struggles to get sufficient supplies. The meeting comes as wholesalers and suppliers warned this week of increasing food shortages in supermarkets, pubs, restaurants and care homes as suppliers’ haulage partners struggle to find enough drivers to ensure deliveries. The UK is suffering from [...]

The post Logistics industry in crisis talks with DfT as driver shortages hit food supplies appeared first on Motor Transport.

Asset Alliance Group has won a competitive tender to supply a new Isuzu Grafter to building materials supplier Pearsons of Duns to support deliveries to customers with difficult access. Supplied on a hire purchase basis, the 3.5 tonne truck will be used for the supply and delivery of home heating fuels to customers across the UK. The Isuzu Grafter, which has a payload of more than one tonne, has a lightweight structure and a reduced turning circle designed for narrow [...]

The post Asset Alliance wins bid to supply Isuzu Grafter to Pearsons of Duns appeared first on Motor Transport.

UK distributors are calling for the army to be mobilised to prevent the imminent breakdown of the country’s food supply chain, due to a critical shortage of HGV drivers. The Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD) warned this week that its members are struggling to get food deliveries out to the supermarkets, restaurants, pubs, schools and care homes that they serve. Some convenience stores have been forced to put up signs warning customers of empty shelves due to the lack of [...]

The post Call for army to help deliver food supplies as HGV driver shortage deepens appeared first on Motor Transport.

The vehicle rental and leasing industry is sounding the alarm on a lack of vans which it warns could hamper the UK’s economic recovery. Findings from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association’s (BVRLA) latest Business Impact Survey show that, whilst the sector is much more optimistic about economic recovery than earlier this year, there is widespread concern about van supply. The survey, which was carried out in May, shows that 90% of respondents expect the economy to improve in [...]

The post Lack of electric vans threatens economic recovery, warns BVRLA appeared first on Motor Transport.

An industry think tank put together by HGV driver recruitment firm Driver Require believes that the key to solving the long-term shortage of drivers lies in stopping existing drivers leaving the industry as well as recruiting and training more new drivers. The first report from the think tank, led by Driver Require CEO Kieran Smith, pictured, and including leading hauliers, training providers and industry bodies, estimated that since the beginning of the pandemic the HGV driver pool has contracted by [...]

The post Driver Require think tank calls on industry to improve conditions and stop “squandering” new drivers appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has accused Kent County Council (KCC) of “an abuse of process” following its attempt to permanently ban HGVs from stopping on roads in the county. A temporary ban introduced in January in seven Kent boroughs was widely criticised, with Logistics UK complaining that both the DfT and the council had failed to consider the welfare of lorry drivers. The move was seen as necessary to avoid lengthy post-Brexit queues when the UK exited the European Union. Truck drivers [...]

The post Hauliers urged to object to ‘ludicrous’ plan to prevent HGVs stopping on any road in Kent appeared first on Motor Transport.

One-in-five operators plan to acquire non-diesel trucks for their fleets within three years, new research reveals, showing a healthy appetite for new technology. The ‘Asset Alliance Group Industry Monitor 2021’, compiled in partnership with Motor Transport and Commercial Motor, also discovered that just over half (51%) of respondents said they had no current plans to buy non-diesel trucks, however with the caveat “this might change”. The remaining 29% stated they had no intentions to try alternatives. Gas-powered trucks topped the list [...]

The post One-fifth of operators to try alternative fuels within three years, new research reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

A lorry driver sacked from his job after he was spotted drinking and smoking outside a social club while on sick leave was unfairly dismissed, according to an employment tribunal. Colin Kane, 66, was a driver for Ryton-based surfacing and aggregates firm Debmat and had suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for several years. The condition meant he had periods of absence due to ill-health and it was during one of these that he was spotted by a colleague at [...]

The post HGV driver found drinking in social club while on sick leave was unfairly dismissed, tribunal finds appeared first on Motor Transport.

Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions (HCVS) generated a pre-tax profit of £19.7m in the year ending 31 March 2021, despite a challenging year for the leasing market. It said it increased its overall fleet by 17% during the period, despite a 29% decline in new car registrations. The expanded fleet of HGVs, vans, plant, machinery and cars now comprises over 95,000 assets. HCVS also said it had “led the charge” on EV adoption over the last 12 months and has committed [...]

The post Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions ‘leading the charge’ on EV adoption appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics developer Panattoni has started construction of the final unit at Panattoni Park Northampton. Works on the 380,000 sq ft facility will begin this month. The unit will offer 15m clear internal height, 50m yard depth, 34 dock doors, four-level access, 68 HGV trailer spaces and 296 car parking spaces with EV charging. Once the final unit is complete the developer is predicting that the Park could create up to 1,000 jobs. The 1.7 million sq ft industrial site is [...]

The post Work starts on final unit at Panattoni Park Northampton appeared first on Motor Transport.

The commercial vehicle finance sector saw new business leap by 140% in April compared with the same month in 2020, according to the FLA. This compares with a rise of 58% and 43% respectively in the plant and machinery and business equipment finance sectors and an overall growth of 80% in the asset finance market in the same period. In contrast, the IT equipment finance sector saw new business fall by 13% in April, compared to the same month in [...]

The post Commercial vehicle asset finance sector sees 140% surge in new business in April 2021 appeared first on Motor Transport.

Global road freight revenues are expected to grow by an average of 4.3% annually from 2020 to 2025, according to new research. 'Navigating Roadblocks in the Long-Haul Road Freight Industry', a whitepaper published by Shell and Frost & Sullivan, examined how digitalisation is advancing a new generation of fleet management solutions and the role decarbonisation strategies will play in futureproofing operations. Top industry challenges include the skilled driver shortage, the report confirmed, with fleet managers urged to utilise data-driven fleet [...]

The post Road freight revenues set to grow in digital and zero-carbon transformation, new whitepaper reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

Daimler Truck revealed its plans for an independent future at a press conference last month as it heads towards separation from its parent company and stock market listing by the end of the year. In addition to a radical financial shake-up, the company unveiled more plans for its electric future with technology partnerships announced for advanced battery development, as well as high-speed charging and hydrogen fuelling infrastructures. While the company enjoys a 40% market share in North America, chief executive [...]

The post Daimler Truck sets out independent future appeared first on Motor Transport.

LPG distributor UGI International has made the first shipment of BioLPG to the UK after securing the exclusive rights to supply it from Polish-based producer Ekobenz. The partnership significantly boosts the ability of AvantiGas, a UGI International subsidiary, to supply BioLPG supply in the UK, the group said this week. Neil Murphy, vice president of business development at UGI International, said: “We consider it our mission to be an innovator in offering our customers a greener and cleaner LPG fuel [...]

The post UGI International seals deal to boost UK supply of BioLPG appeared first on Motor Transport.

A “game changing” technology which allows electric vehicles to charge their batteries on the move could open the door to long haul electric HGVs. Environmental specialists Ricardo and electricity distributor Western Power Distribution (WPD) are joining forces with Coventry City Council in a new study which will assess the feasibility of using dynamic wireless charging for electric vehicles on the UK’s distribution network and look at installing the technology in Coventry. The project is funded through the Ofgem Network Innovation [...]

The post New “game changing” wireless technology could open door to long-haul electric HGVs, says Ricardo appeared first on Motor Transport.

Difficulty recruiting skilled HGV drivers tops the list when it comes to key challenges facing operators in the next 12 months, according to brand-new industry research published today. In the latest edition of the 'Asset Alliance Group Industry Monitor', produced in partnership with Motor Transport and Commercial Motor, 29% of respondents revealed the driver shortage was the most troubling concern for their business. Next in line was the fear of a poor economic outlook for the UK with 17% of [...]

The post Driver shortage the biggest worry for operators in next 12 months, new industry research reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

Logistics firms Clipper Logistics, Malcolm Group, XPO and software provider Big Change have joined forces to donate an HGV driver training simulator for trainee HGV drivers in Zambia. The donation to the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) in Zambia, which transport charity Transaid has partnered with since 2008, follows a visit to the centre in 2018 by representatives of the four companies. The simulator allows new drivers to spend additional hours behind the wheel in the safety of the classroom before [...]

The post Logistics firms team up to help Transaid provide HGV driver training simulator to Zambia appeared first on Motor Transport.

Covid-19 and Brexit has cut a swathe through the transportation and warehousing sector with just 75% of companies back up and running compared to June last year and 9.6% permanently closed. The latest Business Insights Report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that the sector has been hit harder than any other, including accommodation and food services which, in comparison, has 83.3% of businesses in operation and just 1.6% that have ceased trading. The ONS report looks at [...]

The post Transport sector hit harder than any other by Brexit and Covid-19, ONS report reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

The RHA has published a 12-point plan to tackle the HGV driver shortage which it warns has now reached a major crisis point. Launching the plan, RHA chief executive, Richard Burnett said: “The upturn in the economy since Covid-19 is increasing demand across supply chains and the reopening of non-essential retail outlets and parts of the hospitality sector is making the situation even worse.” He added: “The pandemic also resulted in the loss of about 12 months of driver training [...]

The post RHA launches 12-point plan to avert “catastrophic” HGV driver shortage appeared first on Motor Transport.

The UK tops a list of countries road transport firms are considering expanding their operations into, according to legal firm DWF. Its survey found that despite the unprecedented challenges of the last year, haulage firms across Europe are looking ahead to expansion. Of those polled that transport goods to the UK, 38% said their company was currently considering relocating or establishing new bases here. Italy was second (31%) and Germany third (30%). DWF said that while the desire to expand [...]

The post UK tops areas of interest for road transport expansion – despite Brexit appeared first on Motor Transport.

Nearly one in three truck drivers said they had fallen asleep at the wheel in the last year, according to a report revealing that professional driver fatigue is now at “epidemic” levels. The survey also found that 60% of HGV drivers said they had to drive while fatigued on a regular basis and 52% reported wanting to pull over and take a break, but being unable to. The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETWF) report questioned 2,861 truck, bus and coach [...]

The post Employers must stop “flogging” drivers to end fatigue epidemic appeared first on Motor Transport.

MAN Truck & Bus UK's sales director David Cussans will retire before the end of the summer, having worked with the brand for 33 years. Cussans joined MAN in 1988 as national fleet sales manager and subsequently held board positions in the UK company. Between 2010 and 2017, he also worked for sister brand Scania as regional executive director and member of the Scania GB executive team. In 2017, Cussans returned to MAN as UK truck sales director and is [...]

The post MAN sales director Cussans to retire after 33 years appeared first on Motor Transport.

Transport for London has refused to extend the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) grace period after Logistics UK said a shortage of parts and vehicles was making compliance difficult for operators. In a letter to the association, TfL said the industry had already “had a significant amount of time to prepare” for the safety scheme. It also said 13 people walking and cycling in London had died in collisions with HGVs last year and so “in this context, our view is [...]

The post TfL refuses plea to delay DVS enforcement due to safe system equipment shortages appeared first on Motor Transport.

An HGV driver showed “complete disregard for the rules of the road” when he breached solid white lines on the A36 and overtook two vehicles. Matthew Lobley, 46, has now been fined and received points on his licence after dash cam footage showed he was driving on the wrong side of the road in Wiltshire. The driver pleaded guilty to failing to comply with solid white line road markings at Salisbury Magistrates and fined £155 and given three penalty points. [...]

The post HGV driver fined for crossing solid white lines to overtake cars appeared first on Motor Transport.

Peter Ward is stepping down as CEO of the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) after six years at the helm. His successor will be named shortly, the association said this week. Under Ward’s leadership UKWA widened its membership to retail and manufacturing logistics users, and introduced new benefits to membership. He also provided a voice for the industry at government and local authority level and helped shape government policy around Brexit. Ward also fostered strong links with Transaid, helping to raise [...]

The post Peter Ward steps down as chief executive of UKWA appeared first on Motor Transport.

Contractor management specialists Orange Genie Group has launched an umbrella company for HGV and delivery drivers in the wake of the enforcement of IR35 in road transport by HMRC from April this year. IR35 is designed to prevent drivers setting up limited companies through which they cut their tax and NI contributions compared with drivers employed on operators' books. Instead they must be either directly employed by an operator or join an IR35-compliant umbrella scheme. To help drivers meet these [...]

The post Orange Genie launches umbrella company for logistics drivers appeared first on Motor Transport.

TfL is calling for more hauliers to apply for a Direct Vision Standard (DVS) permit after revealing that more than 7,000 penalty charge notices (PCNs) have been issued to lorry drivers since the schemes launch in March, raising a minimum of £1.9m in fines. With penalties ranging from £550 a day to half of that, if paid within 14 days, the scheme is estimated to have raised between £1.9m and £3.8m in fines from hauliers in its first three months. [...]

The post Hauliers urged to get DVS permit as TfL reveals 7,000 fines issued since launch in March appeared first on Motor Transport.

The freight arm of the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) is warning that it is “critically short of funds” and in danger of closing down by October this year. The warning comes as freight thefts continue to rise across the country with 1,528 HGV and cargo crime related offences reported so far this year, worth around £26.4m. NaVCIS Freight’s role is to gather data on freight crimes and look for trends and tactics to support national and cross border [...]

The post NaVCIS Freight pleads for industry support as funding crisis threatens closure of crime busting operation appeared first on Motor Transport.

The UK tops a list of countries road transport firms are considering expanding their operations into, according to legal firm DWF. Its survey found that despite the unprecedented challenges of the last year, haulage firms across Europe are looking ahead to expansion. Of those polled that transport goods to the UK, 38% said their company was currently considering relocating or establishing new bases here. Italy was second (31%) and Germany third (30%). DWF said that while the desire to expand [...]

The post UK tops areas of interest for road transport expansion – despite Brexit appeared first on Motor Transport.

Nearly one in three truck drivers said they had fallen asleep at the wheel in the last year, according to a report revealing that professional driver fatigue is now at “epidemic” levels. The survey also found that 60% of HGV drivers said they had to drive while fatigued on a regular basis and 52% reported wanting to pull over and take a break, but being unable to. The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETWF) report questioned 2,861 truck, bus and coach [...]

The post Employers must stop “flogging” drivers to end fatigue epidemic appeared first on Motor Transport.

Almost three-quarters of UK fleet managers think poor driving behaviour has a negative impact on their business. A report into attitudes and safety concerns of European fleet decision makers found that respondents (71%) were most worried about their drivers’ habits and poor behaviour behind the wheel – specifically the use of mobile phones and other devices. Speeding was their second pressing concern (69%), followed by eating or drinking at the wheel (68%) and driving tired (67%). Webfleet Solutions, which commissioned [...]

The post Driver behaviour keeps fleet managers awake at night appeared first on Motor Transport.

The DVSA has announced the end of the moratorium on new ATFs and is now accepting applications from operators. The enforcement agency paused the process in 2017 to help it support existing ATFs and meet their needs. But in line with the recommendations in the DfT's recent 'Heavy vehicle testing review', the DVSA said it was aiming for a “phased approach to ending the moratorium” and would now start assessing applications – but only if they meet certain criteria. It [...]

The post DVSA opens up applications for new ATFs but lack of testers still a constraint on testing capacity appeared first on Motor Transport.

Fraikin has re-opened its Bristol workshop in a move designed to increase the amount of maintenance performed inhouse and drive down its reliance on third-party contractors. It said the decision to re-establish the depot three years after it closed down would help improve the efficiency of customer maintenance in the region, as well as speeding up repairs and reducing VOR times. The move has also created five full time jobs. Darren Hall, Fraikin MD, said: “Though the standard of maintenance [...]

The post Fraikin reinforces inhouse workshop capacity with reopened Bristol depot appeared first on Motor Transport.

Europe's leading trailer maker Schmitz Cargobull is to open a new factory in Manchester to serve the UK and Irish markets. The new factory joins four Schmitz maunfacturing sites in Germany plus plants in Lithuania, Russia, Spain, Turkey and Australia. Andreas Schmitz, CEO of Schmitz Cargobull, said: “The UK is a key transport and logistics market and an important semi-trailer and rigid truck market for us. With the new plant we are moving closer to our customers and ensuring that [...]

The post Schmitz Cargobull to start trailer production in the UK 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 [...]

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

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 [...]

The post Pandemic hampers goods vehicle licence applications appeared first on Motor Transport.

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. [...]

The post Government review into transport links between home nations launched appeared first on Motor Transport.

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. [...]

The post Industry debates post-Covid-19 future appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Goods vehicle road deaths up 20% last year appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post New report predicts mergers and acquistions in food, health and e-commerce sectors appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Microlise looks at technology in transport in virtual CM Show conference appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Energy chiefs back hydrogen but call for better infrastructure appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Baroness Vere opens CM Show and hails “army of heroes” appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

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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 [...]

The post Commercial Motor Show to debate the fuels of the future appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Highways England raises roadworks speed limit to 60mph after successful trials appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Driver poll reveals Britain’s best and worst motorways appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Highways England road improvement plan was heavily scaled back, review reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post DVSA adds ‘e-learning’ content to driver CPC courses appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Drivers claim some firms still ban them from using their toilets appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Ctrack by Inseego signs deal with MaxOptra to provide fleets with enhanced route-planning software appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post DfT pledges to increase HGV parking facilities appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post HGV toll charges slashed for new customers using M6 toll road appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post HGV testing regime set for shake up as government confirms major review appeared first on Motor Transport.

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%) [...]

The post Less than a third of HGV drivers feel valued, Talent in Logistics survey shows appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Covid-19 driving major change in strategy for logistics firms, survey reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post DVSA grip on HGV testing regime could be loosened as government mulls major review appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Covid-19 rules could jeopardise justice in public inquiries appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Freeports have potential to free up trade – FTA appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Covid-19 has propelled UK to the verge of a ‘green transport revolution’, says transport secretary Grant Shapps appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Safety not compromised by speed limit increase, government report reveals appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Trailblazer group requests Procedural Review of apprenticeship funding after only £6,000 offered to employers appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post HGV tyres over 10 years old to be banned appeared first on Motor Transport.

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. [...]

The post HGV driving tests resume in England with Wales set to follow on 27 July appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post New Texaco engine oil halves rate of ash build-up appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Government plans host of customs posts with parking for thousands of trucks appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post UK haulage industry slower to recover from pandemic than EU peers appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post DfT to unveil plans for transport industry at Freight People webinar appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post European online consumers fear fewer goods and slower delivery from UK post-Brexit appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Fleet managers claim congestion is main challenge facing transport sector appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post DVSA a “brick wall with a culture that needs to be fixed,” RHA tells MPs appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Vision Techniques develops “unbeatable” night camera technology appeared first on Motor Transport.

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, [...]

The post Government plans for Brexit customs clearance post welcomed by hauliers appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Daily diesel sales still 20% lower despite government easing lockdown appeared first on Motor Transport.

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 [...]

The post Call for clarity on impact of EU border checks on UK operators appeared first on Motor Transport.

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

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

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

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

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

The post New night vision camera “an exciting technological advancement” appeared first on Motor Transport.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post British International Freight Association offers free customs training for younger members 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 and TopUsed used vehicle programme appeared first on Motor Transport.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post Low cost finance options for 4G-enabled camera package appeared first on Motor Transport.

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

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

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

The post Tip-ex/Tank-ex to return in June 2021 appeared first on Motor Transport.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post London mayor threatened with legal action over raising congestion charge appeared first on Motor Transport.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post Seventh International Workshop on Sustainable Road Freight Transport appeared first on Motor Transport.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post April saw only fifteen commercial vehicles manufactured in UK appeared first on Motor Transport.

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

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

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

The post Commercial Motor Show 2020 appeared first on Motor Transport.

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

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

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

The post Logistics firms offered free online consultations to help restart their businesses appeared first on Motor Transport.

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

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

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

The post Northern Ireland extends HGV driving licences and reinstates special vehicle testing appeared first on Motor Transport.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post Transport industry bodies plead for more coronavirus support in letter to prime minister appeared first on Motor Transport.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post Motor Transport Awards moved to November 2020 appeared first on Motor Transport.

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

The post CNG and LNG sales hit record Q1 highs appeared first on Motor Transport.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The need for drivers to undergo HGV driver medicals is to be suspended – possibly for a year - as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, according to a letter sent by MP Robert Buckland to a constituent. News of the suspension of D4 medi