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The good, the bad, and the outrageous
Page 12
Page 14
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It's been an action-packed year for the UK's road transport industry, from City Group's collapse and the merger of the Vehicle Inspectorate and Traffic Area Network, to the end of truck production at ERF's Middlewich HQ. Dominic Perry, Jennifer Ball and Chris Tindall look hack at an eventful year.
JANUARY
The first big story of the year was a financial crisis at City Group, one of the fastest growing firms in the business. The administrators were called in to help the group trade out of its financial problems, but it soon became clear that Its debts were insurmountable. The business was shut down with angry employees left asking how the first haulage outfit to be listed in the Sunday Times Profit Track 100 could go from success to failure so quickly.
The Vehicle inspectorate used its impounding powers for the first time, confiscating two trucks belonging to unlicensed operators in the South-East. VI operations director Bob Tatchell said: "Impounding Is good news for legitimate operators and a further warning for those who would flout the law." The VI would Impound 100 vehicles by the end of the year FEBRUARY Heavy hauliers and livestock specialists were hit by new regulations that threatened to make their lives more difficult than ever.
The heavies were hung out to dry by the Metropolitan police who withdrew their escort service without bothering to consult the hauliers concerned Mark Range from Range international said: it's impossible to see all round a vehicle, and you can't account for the actions of the general public. Without the police nature will take any notice."
The livestock hauliers warned that the latest government foot-and-mouth regulations were a step backwards that could lead to new outbreaks of the disease.
And a long running CM investigation finally came to a head when Jim Nay, the man behind several collapsed haulage firms, was finally banned from holding an 0licence in any Traffic Area for two years. He subsequently reappeared as general manager of a Livingston-based car transport firm.
MEN The British truck building Industry suffered another body-blow as ERF, owned by German truck giant MAN, announced that it was ending mainstream truck production In the UK and switching it to MAN plants In Germany and Austria. This was the end of the line for ERF's g engines and composite cabs and the loss of 200 jobs at t Middiewlch factory.
Seddon Atkinson, part of t Iveco empire, closed its Cecilia plant and moved production an iveco plant in Spain.
The High Court ruled th the L2,000-a-head stowaw fines broke European hum. rights laws. The governme appealed, was defeated, al duly changed the rules to alit a "civil penalty" of up £.4,000 a head.
An Austrian haulier at the ce tre of the 'social dumpir scandal that rocked ti Gorman and Austrian hauia Industries was jailed for s months and fined €9,000. Ka
Kralowetz, director Luxembourg firm United Car Lines, hit the headlines whi 150 East European drive working for his firm were le stranded with no food money in a border car pal following the collapse of UCL. transpired that UCL had be paying drivers less than ti legal minimum. it had at failed to make social securi payments and had encode-do drivers to break the tacho ai hours rules.
A driver who killed a faml of four after fatigue caused hi to crash head-on Into their cr was Jailed for five year Christopher Hannon fro Gwent pleaded guilty to causli death by dangerous driving. H tacho charts showed that I had failed to take his dal rest—the court heard that I had only had three houes Mel in the 36 hours before he set al The Home Office promised set up an independent body ' monitor sentencing throughol England and Wales-tion Secretary David Blunke expressed his concern abol inconsistent sentencing ar called for new sentench guidelines. The Vehicle inspec orate said it would welcon anything that would gh appropriate recognition road safety Issues.
Transport lawyer Gar Hodgson, a partner at Ford ar Warren, warned the Biunkett's plan must not er magistrates' discretion.
The Freight Transpol Association was campaignir for drivers to be exempt from a European Commission Directive seeking to limit the amount of vibration workers could be exposed to.
Truckfest 2002, sponsored by CM, was held on a rainy weekend In Peterborough. Noteworthy wagons included a Renault Premium tractor decorated [VI honour of Queen's Golden Jubilee.
The Department of Transport planned to introduce on-thespot fines for foreign drivers caught committing offences in the UK in a move to bring the Vehicle inspectorate more in Ilne with its Continental counterparts.
Drivers who set out to break the hours rules were warned that they could be punished with a minimum penalty of a 12-month ban. Senior Traffic Commissioner Michael Betts said drivers who installed switches or pulled fuses to get round tachograph and speed limiter legislation were a danger to other read users and should be treated as harshly as drink-drivers.
Proposals for a 16.1% hike in 0-licensing and vehicle fees were slammed by hauliers and industry organisations alike, who described the government move as a "superb own goal". The Road Haulage and Freight Transport Associations argued that the proposed increase was simply too big, particularly considering the poor service provided by the Traffic Area Network.
MilY Fuel protester Brynle Williams slammed Irish truckers who, he said, were regularly speeding in North Wales. The prospective Tory candidate for the Welsh Assembly called for on-the-spot fines to deter speeding, alleging that foreign hauliers continued to break limits because they were confident that the extra paperwork Involved in prosecuting them deterred the police from taking any action.
North-Eastern Traffic Commissioner Toni McCartney warned hauliers that they would have to justify their use of agency transport managers at Public Inquires, following a spate of cases of hauliers using CPC holders with responsibility for a large number of other 0-licences.
A Freight Transport Association survey highlighted the threat that UK international drivers faced from Illegal immigrants. It showed that one In four respondents had been attacked with everything from gas to guns, knives and clubs.
AUGUST Barry Prior, head of transport law at Herts legal firm Wediake Saint, raised concerns about the potential merger of the Vehicle Inspectorate and the Traffic Area network. He was concerned that staff working for the newly merged agency might compromise the independence of the Traffic Commissioners.
The European Commission finally published the long awaited specification for smartcard tachographs, starting the countdown towards the new-generation tacho's adoption Iii all new trucks from 5 August 2004.
The British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) warned that road haulage was one of eight sectors where businesses were going to the wall because of rocketing employers' liability insurance premiums. BIBA chief executive Mike Williams told CM. "I suspect these difficulties are more likely to affect the hazardous sector—waste and chemicals for example.., anything that is perceived as high-risk. Insurers are taking a long hard look at Individual businesses,"
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CM launched a sticker campaign driving home the message that "People buy, trucks supply". The MIA and FTA welcomed this Initiative to Improve the industry's Image. RHA chief executive Roger King added: "We need to remind people that if they eat it, Watch it or touch It, It probably came by truck."
We also revealed that the Department for Transport had spent time and money on publishing a business plan for the Traffic Area Network, despite the fact TAN will cease to exist next spring.
Ken Livingstone told CM he wanted the "early retirement" of the most polluting trucks in his campaign to Improve the capital's air quality, while the Road Haulage Forum was developing a lock-in' clause to help prevent hauliers losing newly trained drivers to rival employers. CM also exclusively reported on "draconian" Home Office measures to disqualify drivers or Impound their vehicles for overloading more than twice in three years.
Customs & Excise launched a crackdown on diesel rackets with plans to cut fuel fraud by half by 2006. More use of specialist Investigators and a central intelligence unit were among the Initiatives Customs Would be employing. This was at odds with CM reports that Welsh ferry ports were now being seen as soft touches because of a shortage of Customs officers on duty.
The RHA accused the European Commission of ''gross negligence" in its research into the Working Time Directive and Its impact on costs. It pointed to inconsistencies between the calculated numbers of drivers and vehicles being driven.
The Home Office's attempts to fine 36 international hauliers for unwittingly bringing stowaways into the UK crumbled when the case was settled out-of-court. But the Home Office refused to say if other UK operators would be treated in the same way.
Trouble at Southampton Container Terminal continued, with drivers complaining about the new electronic system and endless delays.
NOVEMBER The Transport & General Workers Union pressed ahead with pay claims, giving drivers in the hire-and-reward sector an increase of 8-10%. The union said this was needed to make sure they did not lose out when the Working lime Directive came in. A T&G spokesman warned that most employers were doing nothing to prepare for its implementation.
The European Council's final draft proposal on the Driver Training Directive removed the requirement for drivers to have up to 420 hours of classroom training after passing the tests; the industry heaved collective sigh of relief.
Pallet network Expr(4 Pallet Systems called in the lit uldators; UK ports beefed Li their security following warr ings that bomb-laden truck might find their way onto for rles; and the Vehicl Inspectorate was forced 1 deploy a team in Germany In desperate bid to recruit staf DECEMBER The Sangatte refugee cent, was closed earlier tha planned and British and Front immigration officials promise to search every truck passin through Calais. FTA chief exec utive, Richard Turner said: "0 have consistently told the goi, ernment that thls is not a Issue we can solve on our owl At last they have come up wit a solution."
Chancellor Gordon Brown pre-Budget statement incIL ded a pledge to review th operation of employers' liabi ity insurance, but he made n promises about the sky-hig rates of UK diesel duty.
Senior Traffic Commission( designate Philip Brown urge the government to "tread care fully" over the merger of the' and the Traffic Area Offices.