1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202 
r: 1 .1 f, 1 rtl 11 1 11111kr
Page 9
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
THE SLEEPING GIANTS
Mr X muses on the latent power of the Trade Associations; and wishes they could sound more often as a single voice.
It look the TUC and the Transport Secretary to do it. A lastminute swipe at the "single most costly compliance issue in living memory" (the FTAs words, not mine!) has brought out the Turner/King duo singing, dancing and stamping their feet in a rare moment of unity. Rarely in my years in the transport industry have I heard such vitriol from our trade associations.
Of course it was absurd that the unions should attempt to throw a spanner in the works at such a late hour. Literally millions of man-hours have been spent on what we all considered was a deal now done and dusted, for richer or, more probably, poorer. Even more absurd was that Alistair Darling should consider any conciliatory moves, but then we are rather close to a general election.
But now our sleeping giants are well and truly awake. Let's hope they remain in harmony. Because together, the FTA and the RHA represent the vast majority of UK-registered trucks. Many of the key issues such as taxation, enforcement, and congestion, are shared by the own-account and the hi re-andreward sectors. And when it comes to the WM, it is even more gratifying to hear some harmony, especially in an area where the supermarket driver is far less likely to have his or her wage packet affected than the press-on type in a trunker.
There have been so many opportunities over the years where our industry could have flexed its muscles to command a fair and reasonable return on our investment. Our disunity over the years has cost us dearly in vital areas such as rebates on fuel and investment in roads, not to mention the absence of proper recognition at the upper levels of government.
So the VVTD is all over us like a rash, and a bad one at that. Ironically, this unhelpful legislation has brought the FTA and RHA together. Long may this harmony continue. The UK transport industry is used to taking regulation in its stride, but the time is rapidly approaching when it becomes "regulated out"!
"Of course it was absurd the unions should attem throw a spanner in the at such a late hour"