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19th March 1998
19th March 1998
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Page 1, 19th March 1998
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Page 6

TNT subcontractor in 0-licence shock

EXCLUSIVE by Rob Willock • Hot on the heels of the Government's announcement on impounding comes the revelation that haulage...

TN rejects 3% pay offer from Exel

• Exel Logistics, part of the UK's largest transport company, NFC, has made a 3% pay offer to its staff—the lowest so far in...

BRIEFS

• Dawsonrentals has ordered 250 Volvos in a deal worth 12.5rn. The FL618 and FL7 rigids and FL10 and FH artics will be phased...

Page 7

Mixed blessings in Budget

by Miles Brignall • One Liverpool haulier was so incensed by this week's budget that as CM went to press he was planning to...

COMMENT

PRUDENT, MR BROWN? T he Concise Oxford Dictionary defines "prudent" as: "Careful to avoid undesired circumstances". So what do...

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Impounding in 18 months

by Rob Willock • Truck impounding is just 18 months away—and it will be part of a package designed to toughen-up enforcement...

TN set to take UC to tribunal

• Transport & General Workers Union officer Maurice Britton says parcels group United Carriers could find itself at an...

Born-again haulage for Scots

• A scheme to encourage the creation of new businesses in Scotland played a vital role in the formation of more than 1,000...

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Kinnock presses for more checks

• EU Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock is proposing new European rules to force other EU countries to carry out random...

Parts are high price in Calais

by Robin Meczes • The problem of UK operators being overcharged following breakdowns in Europe has been highlighted by a...

Recognition by right

• Union bosses arc demanding sanctions against transport employers who fail to recognise a union when workers vote for one. The...

Thorburn International winds up

• As predicted, Liverpool-based Thorburn International Transport went into voluntary liquidation last week (CM 12-18 March)....

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Stobart granted Eft

by David Craik • Carlisle haulier Eddie Stobart has won a £20m railfreight grant from the Department of Transport to develop a...

New rules on breakdowns

• The Government has revised the regulations designed to improve the safety of broken down vehicles. Drivers may now use new...

Van driver's death blamed on fatigue

• The death of a courier driver in a head-on crash in France has been blamed on the number of hours he had been driving. At a...

HGV priority in South London

• A traffic lane giving priority to HGVs and buses is to begin operating in two weeks' time in South London to ease congestion...

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Copper wants HGV day ban

by David Craik • Hauliers have reacted with anger and bemusement to a statement by a police officer on prime-time TV that for...

Costs are the main worry

• Rising running costs are transport operators' biggest concern, well ahead of safety, the environment, the condition of the...

Brady Distribution buys Coffer

• Northwich - based chemicals distributor James Coffer)/ & Son has been bought by Cumbria firm Brady Distribution for an...

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US is on the acquisition trail

The Yanks are coming...York is the latest European trailer manufacturer to pass into American ownership—will UK hauliers...

Page 18

ERF centres on waste

by Bryan Jarvis • ERF has bought the design rights and tooling of Britannia Truck's distinctive centre-steer cab; it plans to...

Renault Kerax in Belgian uniform

• Renault VI has won an order to supply the Belgian army with 27 all-terrain 8x4 breakdown trucks. The order was clinched in a...

All-gas fleet is first in the UK

• Dennis Eagle has supplied the UN's first fleet of gas-powered refuse trucks to North East Lincolnshire Council. The council...

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Volvo's Stateside return match

After recently suffering from poor results in the US, Volvo is now staging a strong North American fightback with its bonneted...

Global trucks that share a common heart • Volvo is

working on three "worldwide product platforms" which Gustafson defines as: "A ]ow cabover, a high cabover and a conveinional."...

Volvo and Cummins' big Signature

• Volvo's decision to offer Cummins' latest 15-litre Signature 600 engine (CM 24-30 July 1907) in its bonneted 1IN places the...

FI - 11 2: legislation changes could make it a strong contender for American cabover market.

Are t15 trucking tastes changing?

• American hauliers have traditionally bought "component" trucks, unlike European operators who have accepted integrated...

Page 20

BRIEFS Tax rebate not claimed

• A Shropshire haulier, who swore an affidavit that he had not used his vehicles since his licence was revoked last September,...

Explanation required

• David Palmer, trading as Fellview Livestock, of Longtown, Carlisle, is to be asked why he failed to appear before North...

Tribunal backs revocation

• Bournemouth based David 301 Power, trading as A2B Rubbish, has lost his appeal against the revocation of his Operator's...

Page 21

IC acts on untaxed truck

;16 • A Birmingham owner-driver who admitted he had vehicle untaxed and untested has had his licence suspended with immediate...

Five prohibitions lead to suspension

• A North Wales skip-hire firm had one of its three vehicles suspended for a week when it appeared before North Western Deputy...

Page 24

Lights decision clears driver

by Sally Nash • A Scottish truck driver whose vehicle collided with a train on a level crossing has been cleared of causing an...

Staff answer the questions

• National 48 - hour parcels carrier Business Express is asking its drivers to tell the company how it can become number one in...

Health cover pays out

• The Transport & General Workers Union's DriverCare insurance, launched last October, has made its first big payout to a...

Doncaster crackdown

• Truck drivers travelling in the Doncaster traffic area of South Yorkshire Police should be aware that the division is...

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haulage factfile

CM'S Haulage Factfile pages provide busy operators with brief news items on: forthcoming events, services, business products,...

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letters

Do you want to comment on any of the stories in Commercial .:1 i ? Does someone in the industry deserve a pat on the back—or a...

Let's share our difficulties

S oon we will all know what the Chancellor has in store for us in his Budget next week. If the press has got the right "leaks",...

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Choice in the Channel

T uesday 10 March! Just another date in the calendar for most people, but a day that will feature in the annals of the road...

Experience—threat Or opportunity?

W ith reference to your letter from RJ Lister (CV/ 26 Feb-4 Mar), I know how he feels. 1 hive been an Fl(iV driver with...

A lot for little reward

I could not agree more with Joe Walker of Nottingham (CM 5-11 March). It is about time god (Eddie Stobart) was put in his...

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bird's eye view by the hawk Commercial Motor takes road

haulage very seriously. However, once a week our quirky corespondent, the Hawk, steps off his perch to take a humorous look at...

Dropped right in it

o he Hawk can recall a time when it was the prerogative of chaps from the world of rock and roll to drive their Rollers into...

Fantasy passenger

ho would you most like to share yours with? A Toyota survey shows Tony Blair in pole position, overtaking the likes of Chris...

Truckers in tune

0 inging truckers, aka the Heathrovy . Flyers, are planning to raise money for Capital Radio's Help a London Child which takes...

Education matters

nce again Soundwell college makes an appearance on this page. Commercial vehicle supplier Greenhous Leyland Daf has been...

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alailit WI ROADTEST: ISUZU NQR

QUESTIONS ANSWERED lsuzu's 6.2-tonne NPR has its admirers, but some of them have been asking for more payload. Isuzu has duly...

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Right to repair

Major repairs don't come cheap, but writing off a damaged truck is also likely to leave you out of pocket. Industry insiders...

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REE1 FOCUS 111 ' 1111111=

liar ations a theme Swap-body trailers are nothing new, but there are always fresh variations to be found, or designed, as CM...

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PROFILE ARBOCKLE SMITH

Clocking up a century in haulage is no mean feat-the key might be to identify your customers' requirements before they do....

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LAWV

RECENT AND IMMINENT LEGISLATION The Rood Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 1996. CIF 1 July 1997. Amends the lighting...

Page 63

Family secrets

What do you do if an employee takes a job with your toughest competitor and takes your trade secrets with him? With the right...

Page 64

nde p enden V olvo's acquisition of NFC's rental arm, BRS, for £49m

could signal the start of a trend for truck manufacturers to move down the line into operation. Volvo Contract Services...

Page 66

Ian Hetherington, head of external affairs at the Road Haulage

& Distribution Training Council, explains the importance of its skills survey if the industry is to overcome the shortage of...