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 
Pressure mounting on freight fowarder
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
by Charles Young • Commercial Motor has uncovered further allegations against North London freight forwarder Federation Freight— including claims for money by several hauliers and the possible use of yet another company name.
Last month we reported how Federation boss Jeff Lewis previously ran four other freight fowarding firms which have attracted 20 county court judgments since 1993.
Several hauliers have since phoned to say Lewis owes them money. One, Greenford-based Unicorn Logistics, served Lewis with a statutory demand for more than £7,000 which it says it is owed for six loads of fruit and vegetables it brought back from Europe.
Unicorn's solicitors sent a personal demand to Lewis at his North London office after it emerged that he is a sole trader, trading as Federation Freight.
Unicorn says it will bring bankruptcy charges if the money is not paid. Lewis has confirmed he was paid for Unicorn's work by his client, Louth-based Davex, but disputes the debt, saying he didn't receive the original CMRs that he asked for, and that the load was damaged.
However, another haulier owed money by Lewis says he sent in his original CMRs but still wasn't paid.
Last week CM visited the North London address given on the company's letterhead, only to find it is a secretarial service called Business Services Bureau. Lewis admits he uses this company as a forwarding service but will not say why. The hauliers who are owed money claim it is a ploy to stop them finding him. To this accusation he simply replies: "There are other reasons."
A letterhead for Federation Freight, dated 4 August 1998, gives a different address (see above). Another haulier says Federation Freight may have traded under the name Star Freight. CM has seen a Star Freight fax offering a full load from Spain to England but when we phoned the number given there was no reply. Lewis denies he has traded as Star Freight.
Newcastle-based Starfreight Services has no connection with Jeff Lewis. LoNook Nw2 Tel: we: 922-727o Fax: 0181 9.22-7277 • This is the letOtir sw, tertiead used by Federation Freight which is intact a mail forwarding service. CM has also seen a fax dated 4 August 1998 with the address given as Forum House, 235 Regents Park Road. London t13 31F. There are also claims, denied by Lewis, that the company occasionally trades under the name Star Freight.