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21st September 2006
21st September 2006
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Page 1, 21st September 2006
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Page 6

Hard times to come for owner-drivers

A logistics boss reckons high overheads and low margins mean the days of the owner-driver are numbered. Louise Cole reports....

NHS Logistics vote for protest strike action

NHS SUPPLY chain workers are to mount 24-hour strikes to protest about the sale of NHS Logistics to German firm DHL (CM 14...

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Cumbria's Barnett & Graham closes following cash crisis

A LONG-ESTABLISHED Cumbrian haulage firm has closed down following a cash crisis. Penrith bulk and powder specialist Barnett &...

Sonia rejeds MAN takeover approach

SCAN1A HAS SNUBBED a multi-billion-Euro takeover bid by its rival MAN. MAN's initial E6.5bn bid was "unanimously"rejected by...

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Daf XF105 is Europe's top truck

The Daf XF105 has been elected International Truck of the Year 2007. At an awards ceremony during the IAA Hanover international...

High-roof concept from Merc

Literally the biggest star on the huge Mercedes-Benz stand is the Actros Space-Max 'dream truck'. Some of its features, such as...

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Renault takes wraps off new tippers

Renault completed its range renewal programme with the launch of two tippers featuring new cabs, new engines and revamped...

Cabstar signals Nissan's continued commitment to the light CV mmarket

Nissan continues to develop its light commercial range with the Hanover launch of the latest Cabstar featuring a new cab and...

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Bouncing back again

A haulier created from the ashes of a previously failed venture has now gone into administration itself. David Harris...

HSC moves on waste safety

THE HEALTH AND Safety Commission (HSC) is promoting safe systems of work to reduce fatalities in recycling and waste collection...

GMB to hold tat .Ks with Cleanaway bosses

THE GMB UNION will meet Cleanaway bosses next month in a final attempt to resolve industrial unrest at the waste company's...

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Driver left shaken by airgun attack on Al

A truck driver had a lucky escape when he was shot at by another motorist. Chris Tindall reports. A TRUCK DRIVER was left...

Two new depots for Ramage

SCOTTISH WAREHOUSING and transport firm Ramage Distribution has invested more than E7m in two new depots for its network. The...

Fraikin council contract extended

CONTRACT HIRE FIRM Fraikin has won a contract extension with Dumfries and Galloway Council to take its current agreement...

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FTA welcomes Conservative plans for more road building

Tory plans to boost road building without raising taxes have been welcomed by the industry. David Harris reports. A...

W&S signs El m deal

HEATHROW AIR FREIGHT haulier Watkins & Sole (W&S) has won a E1m-a-year rolling contract with Japanese transport giant Yusen Air...

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Container firms were unable to pay off their creditors

Mounting debts have led to the closure of a pair of Felixstowe container specialists; now their assets will be sold. Chris...

Recovery operator angered by police rota scheme

A RECOVERY OPERATOR based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs alleges that he is losing more than £60,000 a year because of ongoing...

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TWO PENSIONERS who were knocked of their tricycles by a

truck asked the court to be lenient with the driver, because they said he was a decent man who had shown genuine remorse....

IMPERIAL COMMERCIALS, the new name for Lex Commercials following its

acquisition by Imperial Holdings in April, has set up two new Hino dealerships. The sites, at Peterborough and Derby, could...

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GMB and 3663 fall out over job losses

The GMB union says almost 100 drivers will be looking for new work as the result of a contract switch. Chris Tindall reports....

Poles want to go Dutch

A GROUP OF Polish truck drivers are taking a Dutch haulier to court because it paid them less than the Dutch minimum wage. The...

EWS's high five from Southhampton

BRITAIN'S LARGEST RAIL freight operator, EWS, has established a rail freight service operating between the Port of Southampton...

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Third operator loses licence over false statements

Using false statements to back up a licence application strikes at the core of the system, TC warns. Mike Jewell reports. AN...

WEEK THREE Sponsored by: 4 Freight BestPractice

It's not every day the government gives some of your taxes back, but the Freight Best Practice initiative offers free advice to...

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Swede and sour

German truck manufacturer MAN has finally con firmed the long-standing rumours and announced a bid for its Swedish rival...

HINO MOTORS, part of the Toyota group, wants to strengthen

its bond with Scania, to counter DaimlerChrysler's market dominance. With a worldwide sales alliance Hino plans to branch out...

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Counting the cost

The good news is that fewer people are being killed at work — but there is no room for complacency. Fatal accident statistics...

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In transport for the long haul

He may be relatively new to the industry, but Neil Cunningham, boss of Ramage Distribution, already has a keen eye for what...

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J ove now to

save your cash IT MUST BE apparent by now that the Chancellor and his friend 'Prudence' are not going to reduce duty on the...

Let's limit the speed of allvehicles

AS A LORRY driver with over 40 years' experience Fin puzzled by UK speed legislation. I can see the safety rationale behind...

No time to waste on cold callers

IN RESPONSE TO Les Kelly's letter on his experience with operators and the SAFED Aggregates scheme (CM 31 August)— put it in...

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K transport volunteers take on Malawi

For Transaid's inaugural overseas challenge a dozen volunteers signed up for a 460km bicycle ride along LakeiValavvi, raising...

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Spanish resident wins right to UK 0-licence on appeal

Overturning a TC's decision, the Transport Tribunal said it was "irrelevant" that an operator lived in Spain. Mike Jewell...

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Suspension for owner-driver who did not use mode switch

A SCOTTISH owner-driver has had his one-truck operator's licence and his LGV driving licence suspended for six weeks following...

Meat firm in a stew is given the chop

AN OPERATOR given a chance to put his house in order at a public inquiry has had his licence revoked after a further...

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'Evasive' scaffolder's appeal for return of vehicle rejected

A SCAFFOLDER who "had not told the truth" has lost an appeal to theTransport Tribunal for the return of his impounded truck....

LEGAL BRIEFS

Six-month suspension for driver A driver employed by Hughes Specialised Transport, who failed to stop for a liveried Vosa...

Haulier escapes revocation

A Co Durham haulier has escaped with a formal warning after being given six weeks to have his vehicles go through a fresh MOT...

Warning over record keeping

Purfleet, Essex-based Kentvaie Transport has been formally warned to observe regulations on drivers' hours and tachographs and...

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Driven to distradion

A driver who lost concentration while using a hands-free phone has been jailed for causing death by dangerous driving. Is it...

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IN A NUTSHELL

On 1 December 2003 it became an offence fora driver to: • Speak or listen to a phone call on a handheld phone. • Send or...

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Keep clear of flu Id ling zone 1

me CM'S upcoming conference on the new Corporate Manslaughter Bill is the ideal chance to wise up on this law before it's too...

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Law p us

Up and coming law with the FTA FUTURE LEGISLATION DVLA fee proposals: The DVLA is considering revising fee structures to...

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A VERY 111111 1 1SE

RFFIt Its predecessor was an impressive piece of kit, but not without its limitations. Is the new Astravan an improvement —...

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OUR VIEW

has the last word They say you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Fortunately, with the Astra car as a starting point,...

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Telematics has great potential for reducing insurance costs, but tangible

discounts can be hard to come by for fleet operators. Why is this and when might the situation begin to change? Robin Meczes...

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UPFRONT DISCOUNTS

Martin Ecott, divisional director at specialist commercial vehicle insurance broker Heath Lambert Group, believes that until...

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PROPERTY PORTFOLIO Leasing out property can be as lucrative for

small firms as for the DHLs and Wincantons of this world. When Scottish firm Pollock (Scotrans) made a loss last oi financial...

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AIR AND RAIL FREIGHT When the parent company of renowned

firm Eddie Stobart announced in March that it had bought Carlisle Airport, commentators starting talking about air freight...

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WORKSHOP When you have a haulage firm based in a

quiet part of Middleton, Derbyshire, and the nearest dealer is 18 miles away, it makes sense to start up your own workshop. And...

PALLETS Pallet Networks have, in the decade or so that

they have been in existence, revolutionised the transport industry -and the number of companies that now belong to one of these...

TRAILER ADVERTISING

Trailer advertising may be a relatively new phenomenon, but a number of companies are now offering operators the chance to...

WAREHOUSING

Pete Osborne's Innovate Logistics is a classic example of the money that can be made through warehousing, currently one of the...

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LOOKING FOR

A FLAT MATE? Who do you call for fast relief from puncture troubles? Sharon Clancy reviews the range of services available...

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Michelin Euru Assist has upped the stakes in providing European

breakdown assistance: it now pledges to get to the scene of a tyre-related European breakdown in less than two hours—or it will...

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Independent Tyrelink

Independent Tyrelink is a 24 - hour roadside breakdown service operated by members of the National Tyre Distributors...

Response times

Tyre service providers are generally cagey about response times. They all monitor performance regularly; two hours from receipt...

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VI

NYL FRONTIER Sticky backed plastic has come along way from its Blue Peter days, as Colin Barnett discovered when he checked...

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1+11)F ELI)

Long hours, loneliness and lack of control can leave road transport workers prone to mental health problems, from depression to...

MENTAL DISTRESS

To help clear up the myths surrounding mental i Ilness and mental health, Mind has answered a few simple questions for us: What...

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MAGNUM: A SPENT FORCE?

At this year's Hanover IAA Show, Renault will unveil the limited-edition Magnum Vega. Is this the last word for the Magnum — or...

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Succession digression

Is it time for a change at the FTA? All this talk of feuding and fighting within the Labour Party as a result of uncertainty...

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Making the Wright move

It's the end of an era as Charlie Wright leaves Commercial Vehicle Auctions and strikes up on his own. Kevin Swallow reports....

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Seasonal sales lull draws to a close

Now the summer is over, many dealers are reporting an upturn in sales — but business remains slow for some. Steve Banner...