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12th August 2004
12th August 2004
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Page 1, 12th August 2004
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Page 6

Court puts trucks beyond It's control

A Scottish court has overruled the Transport Tribunal and put unlicensed trucks back on the road. Chris Tindall reports. TWO...

"Ifs a first in transport history...

they are operating legally without an operator's licence" But the firms took their case to Scotland's Court of Session,...

VAN to build 40 0 /0 more MAN IS PLANNING to expand

its Salzgitter factory — home to the current generation of ERFs — in a bid to boost production by 40% by the summer of 2006....

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Fiege Merlin 'is secure' following restructuring

GERMAN-OWNED white goods distribution specialist liege Merlin has played down speculation about its financial status following...

Indicate cops make first arrests

A POLICE SQUAD set up two months ago to combat soaring truck crime in the West Midlands has made its first arrests following a...

Fag bust

A Paisley man has been charged with excise duty evasion following the seizure of four million cigarettes from a truck in...

Toll up

Traffic on the M6 Toll soared 15% in July to a daily average of 55,308. This could be due to roadworks on the Ma

Trucks halved

The number of trucks entering Bristol has fallen 51% since the launch of a freight consolidation centre in the city. Trucks...

Hundred grand

The rising cost of fuel will see the annual cost of running a 44-tonne truck exceed £100,000 by the end of the year, says the FTA.

M1 fire

A truck fire caused mile-long tailbacks on the M1 last Saturday (7 August). The incident started after the brakes of the French...

Key error

A truck was stolen from the Wood Lane Industrial Estate in Erdington, West Midlands last Monday (9 August), The driver got out...

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Oliver's wife seeks fresh start

New firm seeks licence to take over the work of William Martin Oliver, whose directors are awaiting retrial. Michael Jewell...

Heinz meanz rise

WIGAN-BASED Wincanton drivers working on the firm's Heinz contract have become the latest to benefit from a big pay rise in the...

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New lobby group

BUSINESS LEADERS in the West Midlands and the NorthWest are teaming up in a bid to make the government take their transport...

Hero saves fire victim

A 37-YEAR-OLD truck driver has been hailed as a hero after dragging an unconscious driver from a blazing car seconds before it...

ON THE RIGHT ROAD

Barry Proctor welcomes the new pricing for the M6 Toll road. Because after all, the price was the only thing wrong with it.....

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Dockers opt for strike ballot

Chaos looms at ports as crane drivers and dockers threaten to strike after rejecting a 2.9% pay offer. Jennifer Ball reports....

Rail-freight plans for Welsh timber

A SURGE IN WELSH timber production over the next decade could result in far-reaching changes to the way it is transported to...

Page 13

Hijacking trio will share a ten stretch

THREE MEN HAVE been jailed for a total of 10 years for their part in attempting to hijack a truck and its load in Middlesex...

MOTORWAY MAGIC

Take a stroll with us through the little sideroads of haulage, the diversions and detours, the quirky, the quixotic and the...

Page 14

Exel plans to drop Tibbett Britten brand after takeover

Exel intends to scrap the Tibbett & Britten name. David Harris reports. EXEL PLANS TO scrap the 46year-old Tibbett & Britten...

Bosses banned for insolvent trading

THE DIRECTORS OF a haulage firm that collapsed owing hundreds of thousands of pounds have been banned from holding a...

Page 16

Rigid Axors join Meres Axor/Atego line-up

Six weeks ahead of the formal launch, Mercedes has revealed some details of the new Axor and Atego ranges. Julian Milnes...

Sparky Sprinter

Mercedes will also be showcasing a new hybrid Sprinter van at IAA. Based on the 311 CD!, it includes an electric motor...

Page 18

'Derisory fine and ban is just says judge

Jennifer Ball reports on a verdict of careless driving after a collision that killed a family of four. A TRUCK DRIVER who...

Tetlow takes over at VOSA

STEPHEN TETLOW, head of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), has been appointed chief executive of the Vehicle...

New urea solution ma work better in the col

FINNISH CHEMICAL company Kemira has developed an alternative to the urea solutions now going into production for SCR. equipped...

Page 19

Skip-fire firm fined £20,000 for noxious fires

A THEALE SKIP-HIRE firm has been fined over £20,000 for illegally burning waste. Reading Skips was found guilty of breaching...

Thieves ring up to check what to steal

CRIMINALS ARE using new tactics to get insider information and target valuable loads. Mark Hooper from Truckpol, the...

Page 20

The politics of speed

The Conservative Party has promised an overhaul of speed limit legislation if it gets into power. CM newsdesk reports. F...

Speed on the screen

Help may be on the way for heavy-booted HGV drivers tf plans by the DfT for a new digital database of speed limits comes to...

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Intelligence services

Maurice Newey retires in October after six years in charge of the often derided Vehicle Inspectorate and its successor, VOSA....

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Agencies need regulation

FOLLOWING YOUR article on driver agencies (CM 22 July) I feel compelled to write to see if this is a nationwide issue or just a...

Just a little bit of history repeating.

In your 5 August issue you report MAN's adoption of Dennis Eagle's Elite 2 low-floor cab for a new municipal chassis range,...

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More questions than answers

Is Lorry Road User Charging just one more tax, or is it an effective cure for congestion? Colin Barnett looks at the figures...

Page 31

Boss has no luck with truck

The TC concludes that a director's claim to be running a vehicle legitimately was unfounded — and refuses to give it back...

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Case adjourned while records are checked

DOUBTS ABOUT the authenticity of maintenance records belonging to Bootle-based Gibbons Logistics has led to the adjournment of...

TC issues formal warning over lost wheel

A LOST WHEEL led to international removal company GB Liners being called before Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Jonathan...

Page 33

No return for scaffolding vehicle operated without an 0-licence

A READING scaffolder has lost his bid for the return of a vehicle impounded by VOSA in May. South Eastern and Metropolitan...

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Rules of engagement

A court has awarded costs of £90,000 against a worker who backed down at an employment tribunal. Kate Hodgkiss reports. E...

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Rough justice

T he Department for Transport continues to prevaricate over whether recovery operatives can use red flashing lights on their...

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Burden of proof

Up to one in five used vehicles still has outstanding finance on it when it is sold, meaning that it does not belong to the...

Page 39

Haulage industry welcomes new M6 Toll prices

Britain's haulage industry has warmly welcomed Midland Expressway Limited's decision to relax charges for a trial period on the...

M6

Brings Major Benefits Midland Expressway Ltd managing director Tom Fanning says the M6 Toll is creating benefits for both the...

What the trade says

TNT Express Services, one of the UK's biggest logistics specialists, has been converted to the M6 Toll following the trial...

Tag's the way to do it

The M6 Toll's electronic tag payment system is the easiest and most convenient way for hauliers to use the motorway. A tag...

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17 August

RHA drivers' hours & tachographs early evening seminar, Colchester; members, £65 (ex-VAT); nonmembers, £78 (ex-VAT) Contact:...

RHA Working Time Directive half-day seminar, Leicester; members, £135 (ex-VAT); non-members, £165 (ex-VAT) Contact: RHA on 01733 261131; e-mail: training@rha.net

7 September

RHA drivers' hours & tachographs early evening seminar. Aylesbury: members, £65 (ex-VAT); nonmembers, £78 (ex-VAT) Contact: RHA...

RHA Working Time Directive half-day seminar. Sheffield; members, £135 (ex-VAT); non-members. E165 (ex-VAT) Contact: RHA on 01733 261131; e-mail: training@rha.net

15 September

Commercial Motor/Contract Journal safety conference, Driving Accidents Down, Villa Park, Birmingham. Featuring practical case...

"If you're buying from a recognised dealer, you have far

more legal protection and the dealer will almost certainly have done the checks with us." Under the law, a vehicle that is...

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LOVE IT OR HATE IT

Four years after its UK launch the TG-A has had plenty of time to establish itself. As Andy Salter discovers, after a rocky...

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"We confirm there have been nine official safety recalls, ranging

from 2001-2004. There have then been various product recalls which are merely the subject of our own service information items,...

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the support they get from MAN dealers

Service back - up is one of the key factors in any buying decision. It's taken a while for MAN to get its service network up to...

Page 47

As usual, we called on the advice of used vehicle

ex pert Barry Travis, editor of the Heavy Commercial edition of The Red Book Its a cracking truck," he says. "Good for the...

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THE VERDICT The TO-A was a major leap forward for

MAN — even within the company some people are prepared to admit it was probably a step too far. That's certainly the...

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SAFE DESCENT

Health and safety concerns over falls from trailers and a compensation culture have forced operators to review working...

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WBB MINERALS Cheshire-based WBB MInerals runs 96 powder tankers, one

equipped with a Total Restraint Access Module (TRAM) system. After three months assessing tank top access, the company is...

RUGBY CEMENT LOGISTICS.

National fleet operator Rugby Cement Logistics takes a similarly serious view of health and safety and has risk assessed its...

Page 52

Tat testing a truck or lipping trailer is an expensive

proposition, but Leyland Trucks has come up with a way of simulating it on a computer. Brian Weatherley reports. If you've...

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Safety upgrade For tank top safety, Clayton can offer a

harness and roof tracking system; the driver attaches a 2m steel lanyard before stepping up, but for ground-based operations,...

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Breaking the accident barrier

Stopping drivers falling from trailers is just one of the topics covered in the forthcoming "Driving Accidents Down" conference...

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WEIGHING UP STABILITY

For less than £300 more than a normal truck weighing system, a new solution stops tippers toppling. Brian Weatheriey reports....

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CRANE AND ABLE

UK trailer maker Crane Fruehauf has a fresh product range. So is it back? p undits betting on the demise of Crane Fruehauf in...

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Crane Fruehauf has provided evidence of its resurgence by launching five new trailer products in five different sectors.

The bathtub tipper has been a success for the company, even during "the decline", as Alan Giles puts it. To complement this the...

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PARTNER OR PLAYMATE?

Mazda is aiming, to boost its presence in the pickup market. But will it cut the mustard? Emma Penny reports. W ith the pickup...

Page 62

WOODEN WONDER

Pallets are Axtra Transport's bread and butter. If consignments are not on a wooden pallet, MD Mel Weller won't touch them. Tim...

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Weller says:"If it's a panic job there's no time to

organise backloads we just pack the truck and send the driver on his way." The relatively light but bulky nature of pallets...

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Time to make a move

After the birth of his son, Rob Salter turns his attention back to business and decides there's potentially more work out there...

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Dealer IT must be up-to-date

Truck dealerships could be losing business because of outdated levels of customer service. D ealer management system (DMS)...

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The sun shines strongly on the export market

Commercial Vehicle Auctions has seen a summer of strong exports, late-year/high spec tractors and some decent multi axle...

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Desperately seeking...

Second-hand truck sales are all about supply and demand. Steve Banner tal (s to dealers around the country about which vehicles...

Standards are rising in the Republic

TOUGHER ENFORCEMENT by the authorities in the Republic of Ireland means it's no longer a dependable outlet for old...

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Dealers go overseas for the right stock

DEMAND IS NOW so high for powerful tractors with top-ofthe-range sleeper cabs that UK dealers are increasingly raiding other...

Thefts boost business

SALES OF USED tipper trailers are receiving a boost from an unwelcome quarter —some hauliers are having to buy replacements...

Demand outstrips supply of drawbars

DEMAND FOR USED drawbar combinations is rising sharply, says Simon Hall, sales and leasing executive at Weston-on-the Green,...