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17th March 2011
17th March 2011
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Page 1, 17th March 2011
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Middle East magic

During my 15 years in this industry, I’ve visited many hauliers and travelled to some glamorous destinations, but I have never...

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Can the last haulier turn off the lights?

joanna.bourke@rbi.co.uk FAIRFUELUK campaigners continue to rally support for their call to scrap the planned duty rise on 1...

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

Derek Linch Haulage blames the rising cost of fuel and a major contract loss for its collapse into administration, writes Roger...

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Whole Vehicle Type Approval will hit bodybuilding industry

will.shiers@rbi.co.uk THE UK BODYBUILDING industry is on the verge of a massive cull following the introduction of Whole...

Home Office pulls plug on TruckPol

THE HOME OFFICE has axed funding for TruckPol, leaving the freight crime fighting unit to rely on private sponsors to survive....

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Contract renewals mark MBO at Andover Transport

JASON HORNER has marked his management buyout of Andover Transport by announcing contract renewals with Palletways and...

Unite proposals target fuel drivers’ wages, pensions and their safety

UNITE IS WRITING up a list of proposals for fuel distributors to consider ahead of April negotiations. Last week the trade...

Robert Wiseman to close two sites

ROBERT WISEMAN Dairies has confirmed that 50 drivers will be affected by the closure of two of its sites. The company will...

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Silver Lining for failed firm SAM Transport

By Simon Jack NORMANTON, WEST Yorkshire-based haulier SAM Transport & Distribution’s assets have been acquired out of...

Pall-Ex signs another two new members

PALL-EX HAS toasted a strong first quarter, signing two new members ahead of CEO Hilary Devey’s appearance on BBC TV show...

Michelin wins tyre contract for Massey Wilcox Transport fleet

BRISTOL-BASED haulier Massey Wilcox Transport has switched to a Michelin tyre contract across its 170-strong fleet, ending a...

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Haulier who fiddled tacho chart has O-licence revoked

roger.brown@rbi.co.uk HEREFORDSHIRE haulier MA Bullock and Sons has had its O-licence revoked following a VOSA investigation...

Scottish hauliers clear the air with Aberdeen LEZ proposal

HAULiERS iN SCOTLAND say they would accept the introduction of a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in Aberdeen as long as they are given...

Focus on agency worker regulations

RECRUITMENT AGENCY Driver Hire is launching an awareness campaign to highlight the forthcoming Agency Workers Regulations. The...

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DTC mulls Select’s ‘overall repute’

roger.brown@rbi.co.uk SELECT International Transport – sister firm of collapsed haulier BH Freight – is awaiting the outcome...

M61 and A6135 looks to be in need of a fresh lick of paint

EVER BEEN DRIVING down a road and couldn’t make out the road markings? According to a survey by the Road Safety Marking...

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The wheels on the truck...

Tyres are heavily regulated, so why not wheels? The government and a safety campaigner square up. chris.tindall@rbi.co.uk WHEN...

THE DAMAGE DONE

Tyres are subject to many regulations, with each one also possessing an ‘E’ mark denoting that it is type approved. Yet Wells...

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It’s a way of life

The M-Sport Stobart WorLd RaLLy Team is preparing for a race in 40ºC heat over rock-strewn passes in Jordan, driven by Bob...

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Incentive for a different Euro

HAVING READ THE CM cover story last week (10 March) regarding the magnitude of the £26bn fuel tax bill for UK road users, I...

The rest about the best...

I ENJOYED READING Top 10 – The Best Trucks feature (CM 3 March). However, can I point a few things out? 1. If a Mack...

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3663 to pay £62,000 for paralysed driver

The food distribution company was fined after a driver was paralysed in an accident while working for the firm...

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NR Evans in Midlands takeover

NR EVANS AND Son has been granted permission to base 16 vehicles and the same number of trailers at a new site in Dove Valley...

WH Bowker

WH BOWKER wants the go-ahead to change the authorisations at some of its depots. It is looking to remove its operating centre...

DHL Express (UK)

DHL EXPRESS (UK) is asking for the green light to base 55 vehicles and 50 trailers at a new operating centre in Woolston,...

Turners (Soham)

NEWMARKET-based Turners (Soham) wants authority for 15 vehicles and the same number of trailers at a base in Caldicot, Gwent.

Ken Jones Transport (Goldcliff)

KEN JONES Transport (Goldcliff) is looking to base 25 trailers at the Crynant Plant site in Neath, West Glamorgan, as well as...

FORTHCOMING PUBLIC INQUIRIES Welsh and North Western traffic areas Cardiff

● Trade Furniture, based in Cardiff, will attend a PI on 29 March. The TC will consider disciplinary action against the...

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FUTURE LEGISLATION

Northern Ireland O-licensing reform The Department of the Environment has introduced primary legislation to more closely mirror...

ACT NOW

The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2011, 15 March 2011 Provides exemption from tighter emission...

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Time out

Will April’s extra bank holiday put pressure on a struggling industry or is there a case for more public holidays? Words:...

WHAT THE INDUSTRY SAYS

Ruth Pott, director of employment affairs for the Road Haulage Association, confirms that employers don’t have to pay for bank...

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Holiday rights

April/May bank holidays: 22 April – Good Friday 25 April – Easter Monday 29 April – Royal Wedding 2 May – Labour day 30 May –...

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Keep track of your PAYE

Employers may resent being unpaid tax collectors, but lag behind with payments and you could find you are publicly named and...

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SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW TACHODISC?

Tachodisc has been involved with Drivers’ Hours law for more than 30 years, so there is very little we don’t know about the...

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ANALYSIS SOFTWARE OF THE FUTURE

For 2011, Tachodisc’s in-house software and technical development team has added some significant new features to the company’s...

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THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL TACHOGRAPHS

Tachodisc attends the EU Committee for the Implementation of Digital Tachographs, which keeps the company informed of all the...

IS THERE A NEW VERSION OF THE DIGITAL TACHOGRAPH?

Yes, there is an updated specification of the digital tachograph that must be fitted to all new trucks registered from 1...

ARE THERE ANY UPCOMING DEVELOPMENTS FOR THE TACHOGRAPH?

There are a number of possibilities that have been discussed at EU level on how digital tachographs should be developed in the...

WHAT IS REMOTE DOWNLOADING?

This is a topical subject, which is far too complex to discuss in detail here. A topline explanation is that there are...

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2011 KEY LEGISLATIVE DATES FOR TACHOGRAPHS

Staying compliant is key to running a professional transport operation, and there are a number of legal changes this year to...

DRIVER CARD RENEWALS

For 2011, operators and drivers who ordered their first digital tachograph company and driver cards in 2006, when digital...

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Clash of the titans

Scania 141 or Volvo F89? Both can claim to be iconic vehicles, seen to be the ultimate driving machines in their time, but...

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THE VIEW FROM BOTH CABS

David Jamieson was lucky enough to drive both marques to European destinations and began hauling trailers to the Middle East in...

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estination oha

Thirty-four years ago, a TV series followed a convoy of trucks from the UK to Qatar. Following its release on DVD, CM discovers...

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Eastern promise

It’s a name well known for its impressive history, but Astran Cargo Services also has great things to come Words/Main image:...

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THE MODEL

In 2010 Astran Cargo Services commissioned well-known Dutch die-cast truckmaker Tekno to build a model of one of its trucks....

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ANCIENT HISTORY

In 1964, Bob Paul and Mike Woodman bought a used truck and drove 5,000 miles from London to Afghanistan’s capital Kabul....

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RECENT HISTORY

In 2004, Hugh Thompson and Peter Carroll, then the directors of Seymour Transport, bought Astran. The new company was...

SELLING TRUCKS

A large number of Astran subcontractors sell their trucks at the end of the journey, and simply fly home. It’s a process that...

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A trip down memory lane

Bob Carter’s Trans UK Continental was a magnet in the 1970s for young men seeking adventure in countries such as Iraq, Iran and...

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? arabia

nadventur We’v revelle i th rem i niscence o drivin t th Middl Eas bac i th day bu wha ar th chance o succeedin now C find ou...

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Try before you buy

Prices will soon harden and late-year stock dry up in the second-hand market. CM asks its used truck expert Laurie Dealer to...

THE LAURIE DEALER TEST DRIVE

Insist on it, as it might save you a packet. Here is what you need to do on a proper test drive: ● Make sure you’re insured or...

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THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO BUYING USED

I’m a strong advocate of the ‘once-over’ when buying a used truck, so here is an essential guide of what to look out for:...

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MV Commercial opens fourth site

MV COMMERCIAL, the truck hire and used sales business based in Livingston, West Lothian, has opened its fourth site in the UK...