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29th April 2010
29th April 2010
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Page 1, 29th April 2010
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Election quandry

With this edition, Commercial Motor's last before the general election [the next issue comes out on polling dE itself], we are...

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Tarmac Topblock may face a subbie park-up

CM COVER STORY laura.haitstone.farbi.co.uk TARMAC TO PBLOCK could face a national park-up by its 100 owner-drivers who claim...

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Po JOINT VENTURES

Culina's joint ventures boost capability and turnover dominic.perryarbi.co.uk CLILINA LOGISTICS Group believes that two recent...

PI STOLEN TRAILER

Have you seen this missing trailer? FORMER ROAD HAULAGE ASSOCIATION char man Willie Willie Oliver is asking for the industry's...

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The final countdown

christopher.wattonfarbi.co.uk WITH THE ELECTION just one week away (6 May), all parties are looking for your support and our...

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Can you give a guarantee that the budget for VOSA will not be cut during the next term? Over the past couple of years, Labour...

Will you give the haulage industry what it clearly wants and decouple fuel duty?

We understand the industry concern over fuel prices. This was one of the factors behind the Chancellor's decision to stagger...

How will you ensure that foreign-owned HGVs pay to use Britain's roads?

We have no current plans to introduce either a time-based user-charge scheme or widespread distance-based tolling scheme for...

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BUT WHAT OF THE LIB DEMS?

Given the way the Liberal Democrats are polling at the moment, it could be in Nick Clegg's hands as to who gains power in the...

We do not support the use of substantially larger trucks

on UK roads. However, the DfT is currently undertaking research on the costs, benefits and implicaticins of increasing HGV...

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Airfreight: service resumes while ash backlog remains

CM COVER STORY christopher.waltonfarbi.co.uk AIRFREIGHT HAULIERS say they are glad to he back to near-normal conditions after...

P SITE CLOSURES

FIDNL to shut two depots HOME DELIVERY Network (I - IDNL) expects to close depots in Northamptonshire and Clwyd by the summer,...

P ACOtifSITIC3N

Leach Distribution bought by Dascher ROCHDALE-BASED haulage firm Leach Distribution has been acquired by German logistics...

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DVLA struggling to change diabetes law

c.hris.tintlatt@rhi.co.uk THE UK RISKS BEING referred to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for failing to introduce new laws...

P APPLICATION

Centurion Logistics director gets thumbs up from DTC NORTH WESTERN Deputy Traffic Commissioner (DTC) Simon Evans says he...

Eat more chips, says Big Lorry Blog

"Now there's a message I can get behinc Yes this comes to me from my old mate ar ace truck snapper Tom Cunningham, who great...

Double troubl( for hauliers, The Transpor Law Blog

"The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) I to the haulage industry for its latest safety campaign. Its aim? To reduce the number...

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CM PG: driver compliance will help battle freight crime

joannatourkefarbi.co.uk THE CENTRAL Motorway Police Group (CMPG) is urging hauliers to remain compliant so it can use its...

PUBLIC INQUIRIES HELP FIRMS CLEAN UP THEIR ACT

PUBLIC INQUIRIES (Pis) can provide "positive wake-up calls" for haulage firms that have let their maintenance standards slip,...

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Drinks distributors wary

of London cycle schemes Eaura.haitstonetarbi.co.uk THE BREWERY LOGISTICS Group (BLG) is concerned that Transport for London's...

P OPIVFP rpr

Industry calls for mandatory eco-driving NEARLY THREE-QUARTERS (72%) of respondents to the latest Trucking Britain Out Of...

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Alex Rawlings and Shahid Hussain declared bankrupt

chris.tindatnrhi.co.uk THE TWO MEN AT the centre of a complex network of haulage companies that were sold using their own...

P NEW ACADENC

Logistics academy gets go-ahead A NATIONAL ACADEMY promoting colleges offering qualifications in logistics and raising the bar...

P AND RNALLY...

Human cargo fails to attract bids online THREE AMERICAN executives of froic exchange uShip took a novel approa to getting...

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How a family business survives the recession

Essex parcels and pallets specialist Millbray Contracts is on the charge, expanding its truck fleet and increasing volumes and...

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Transtact and Taymix: what the TC discovered

CM finds out how a 'total Lack of professional competence' led to two closely connected operators losing their 0-licences last...

Bell also expressed concern that although Rory Taylor had not

carried out the role of transport manager since January 2006, and employee Peter Noyce had not undertaken the transport manager...

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The IC did acknowledge that some measures had been put

in place by Translact and Taymix to make improvements following the accident. These included a review of routes to ensure they...

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P LETTER OF THE WEEK

'Transport is the country's Lifeblood' WTT'HOUT ENTERING THE political debate, let's all sincerely hope that the incumbent of...

There must be more funding

TRANSPORT is an essential industry and should be recognised as such. The entire country would grind to a standstill if the...

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Company fined after driver crushed to death

The victim had not been trained to perform an unloading operation safely. A MARBLE AND granite manufacturing company has been...

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Theft suspect loses unfair dismissal claim

A DRIVER WHO was arrested on suspicion of stealing road surfacing material from his employer has lost his claim for unfair...

m acted reasonably

Tribunal judge Wendy Warren ruled that the firm had acted within the bounds of reasonable responses and Bains' claim for unfair...

1 4 CASE TWO

Multiple test failures Lead to 0-licence cut A HAULIER HAS had its licence cut for using an unauthorised operating centre and...

Maintenance neglected Cutting the licence for the 10-week period. the

TO said that maintenance had been neglected in favour of securing contracts and getting work.

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P WESTERN AND WEST MIDLANDS TRAFFIC AREAS

ECM gets go-ahead for eight vehicles and trailers at Yeovil ECM (Vehicle Delivery Services) has been granted authorisation to...

FORTHCOMING PUBLIC INQUIRIES Western and West Midlands Traffic Areas Birmingham

• In Birmingham on 7 May a public inquiry will consider disciplinary action, as well as repute of the transport manager, at...

Bristol

A public inquiry will be held on 4 May in Bristol to consider a new application, as well as the repute of the transport...

• On 6 May in Bristol, a public inquiry will

consider a new application, as well as the repute of the transport manager. at Select International Transport, from Gloucester.

• On 16 June in Bristol a public inquiry will

consider disciplinary action against Colin Bennett, trading as Colin EJ Bennett Transport, in Bridgend, Gloucestershire. The...

Tiverton

• A public inquiry will take place in Tiverton, Devon, on 5 May to consider disciplinary action, as well as the repute of the...

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Justice must be done

Fines of millions of pounds and naming and shaming orders are part of a new range of penalties for workplace deaths. Words:...

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1 Lighting-up . . time

LEGAL DIGEST Changes to the OCRS scheme mean that thousands of operators are more at risk of being stopped, while others will...

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. • 1. OCRS has been used by VOSA as part of its targeted enforcement policy since 2007. Each operator receives a...

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Traffic enforcement

With traffic enforcement, the green banding will start including operators with a rating of one. two and three. as well as...

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To pay or not to pay?

The grounding of Europe's aircraft meant that stranded employees were unable to work. Do employers have to pay them? Words:...

Dean* with unex • ected absence

• Check the relevant contracts and handbooks to find out whether you have the right to withhold payment for the period of...

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VOLVO FH13.480 GLOBETROTTER XL

The ramifications of a major transport business going pop can be detrimental to a truck manufacturer's reputation, as well as...

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MAKING A STAND In summer 2007. CM teased a solid

return from the Volvo FH480, allowin , it to join its contemporaries as a true competitor. We've finally got the result we've...

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Productivity

The overall fuel figure for YNO7 AZP is 8.19mpg. The backbone for this is a strong A-road see ' tion where it returned...

HERE'S ONE WE TESTED EARLIER...

Its not the first time we have put a Volvo FH4806x2 around the test route — in 2008 it was a classic late-year truck high on...

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'TD\D c

Kevi n Swallow Considering the predicament Innovate Logistics left Volvo Trucks in you'd be forgiven Ii thinking the mark(...

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CONTROLLING THE FLOW

Trailer manufacturers focus on aerodynamics Trailer manufacturers keen to improve aerodynamics have to date achieved fuel...

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"emistructive

;;Nirtifin n The recession hit construction and container shipping hard two sectors that Lancashire trailer firm Dennison...

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FRESH ORDERS

A sign that the tide is beginning to turn in the UK container sector is when a major player comes back to the market. It has...

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Rallying round

Michelin has not only managed to stay ahead of its competitors during the recession, it also claims to have helped its...

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Haulier enjoys new Lease of Life

With cost savings in mind, one Leicestershire-based general haulier has replaced its 24-strong fleet with ex-leasing vehicles....

Stock shortage continues to push up prices

Used van prices continue to rise, driven by a lack of stock. Manheim Auctions saw average March prices rise 5.6% to £4,237, a...

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Dealing with a sucessful servia

Lincolnshirebased service agent R&A Scott has scooped MAN's Service Provider of the Year for UK Northern Region award. Words:...