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22nd January 1998
22nd January 1998
Page 1
Page 1, 22nd January 1998
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Page 6

Registration fee is 'just one more tax'

by Sally Nash • Hauliers have slammed a surprise Government plan for a £25 one-off vehicle registration fee on 1 April as "yet...

Four manufacturers get new bosses

• Renault, Foden and Volvo have joined Iveco Ford in appointing new managing directors in the UK. Yves Garin moves from...

BRIEFS

• Tanker manufacturer Thompson Carmichael has been acquired by Heil of America, which builds more than 3,700 tankers a year. •...

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Volvo buys NFC's truck rental fleet

by Brian Weatherley and Miles Brignall • Volvo has become the first truck manufacturer to buy up a major truck buyer,...

Horses back in London

• A London brewery has decided to revive a 400-year-old tradition and resume beer deliveries by horse and cart after it found...

Court hears Fewston evidence

• Eric Preston, the first transport manager to be accused of manslaughter, passed a lorry fit for the road just five days...

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COMMENT

ADDING TO THE BURDEN s a semi-newcomer to this sector I've been shocked to find out just how much of the world seems to work...

Eurotunnel follows P&O with fare hike

by Miles Brignall • International hauliers will have to pay more to cross the Channel following a decision by Eurotunnel to...

United Carriers speeds up

• Parcels firm United Carriers is likely to need up to 170 more drivers over the next two years as it moves towards becoming a...

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More French resistance

by Rob Witlock • French authorities are doing their best to force hundreds of British hauliers to drop their compensation...

URTU throws down challenge

• Transport and General Workers Union general-secretary Bill Morris has been told to " put up or shut up" by the United Road...

Cannabis danger more than booze

• Driving after smoking cannabis could be a greater danger than drink-driving—and as many as three million people could be...

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TGWU backs diabetics

• Grandfather rights could soon be introduced for insulintreated diabetic drivers of vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes whose licences...

Barnard has new hopes for Crofty

by Rob Willock • The future of Redruth tipper operalor Robert Barnard appeared brighter last week as his main contract, the...

Who's top of the pay league?

• The average pay of employees in the road haulage industry is £17,300, according to research into salaries and productivity by...

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Oliver leaves VI to teach bosses

by Sally Nash • After 13 years at the helm, Vehicle Inspectorate boss Ron Oliver is quitting the job at the end of April. He...

Warning letters were ignored

• Two hauliers have had their 0licences curtailed at public inquiry for failing to act on warning letters sent after fleet...

Kallaway sentence cut

• A Devon lorry driver who caused the deaths of three people after ploughing into traffic halted by temporary traffic lights on...

Haulier's contract threatened by theft of four Multilifts

• A stunned Gloucestershire haulier is desperately appealing for the recovery of four eight-wheeler Mika vehicles stolen the...

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Caterpillar joins ERF's EC line-up

• ERF is to fit Caterpillar engines to its EC range, which could end its relationship with Perkins. The Sandbach firm already...

Foden fleet for Merlin

• Merlin Distribution has bought 88 Caterpillar C10engined Foden 4380 tractive units to service its contract with J Sainsbury....

Dutch debut for Daf 85 'Compact Forte'

• Daf will launch three new models at next month's Amsterdam truck show, all suffixed CF and with many design features used on...

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Green additive with few snags

by Oliver Dixon • Keighley-based lubricant manufacturer Highspeed Energy Care is to launch a fuel additive called Countdown...

More ERFs for BP's distribution

• BP has bought a further 29 ERF EC12 tractive units to join its 128-strong UK distribution fleet powered by Perkins Eagle...

Modular kit for racking out vans

• A new racking system for medium to large vans will be launched by Telford-based QI Van Systems in March. Modular 2000 is...

Better shutter seals

• Henderson Mobile has improved its P3 insulated and AccessPlus dry-freight shutters. New seals and tracks are said to provide...

Island Plastics is up for sale

• Bodybuilder Island Plastics Industries has gone into receivership. The Cowes, Isle of Wight manufacturer of the specialised...

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Ti reductions • Mercedes has cut prices on a range

of key parts on its Ti panel van range. Components including the exhaust, clutch parts, shock absorbers and brake parts have...

H100 goes turbo-diesel

• Hyundai will launch a turbodiesel variant of its recently introduced H100 panel van this summer. The 2.1-litre engine was...

Autoclutch for Transits

by Charles Young • Ford will have a new Autoclutch system available as an option on 69 and 75hp Transits this spring. The...

BRIEFS

• Powerscreen International has bought SDC Trailers for E7m. The move complements last year's acquisition of Moffett...

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BRIEFS Wheelnuts were loose

• A prohibition notice for a significant maintenance failure led West Midland Traffic Commissioner John Mervyn Pugh to halve...

Licence cut • Bilston heavy haulier Starr Roadways is to

appeal against a cut in its licence from 60 vehicles and 50 trailers to 50 vehicles and 35 trailers West Midland DTC Roger...

Licence lost for non-payment

• Robertson International Haulage was called before the Scottish Traffic Commissioner Michael Betts at an Edinburgh...

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Haulier cleared of drawbar defects following accident

• Northern Straw Co and one of its drivers were cleared of alleged offences arising out of an accident on the M62 when they...

IC issues a warning for hours and speed

• At a Leeds disciplinary inquiry North Western Traffic Commis sioner Keith Waterworth commented that owner-drivers often...

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letters

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

Unfair conclusions?

T t was with great disap pointment that I read the article entitled "Examiners lose respect" (CM18-31 Dec 1997). These feelings...

Skills survey

R ecent correspondents have highlighted growing concern over the difficulty of recruiting qualified and experienced drivers....

Ton-up vans

W hile agreeing with Ian Fowler's comments about speeding and, in many cases, tailgating HGVs, I suggest the new menace is the...

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Resistance vs drag

I was interested in the comment in the article Van Aerodynamics (CM 1-7 Jan): "Ecotek's own trials are carried out on a rolling...

Rare statistics

I notice that references to the monthly vehicle registration figures are becoming fewer and fewer. There is little detail given...

Tools for the job

J am replying to the letter "No licence" (CM 8-14 Jan). I cannot see how the writer of the letter could contemplate tendering...

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haulage factfile

CM's Haulage Fact& page provides busy operators with brief news items on: forthcoming events, services, business products,...

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

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

Turkey to go T he Hawk is rather partial to the

odd travel sweet while motoring along in his trusty Reliant Robin. But according to a report by the RAC, motorists real ly took...

News from the book-shelf

estling in the Hawk's bulging postChristmas post bag were a trio of motoring publications. Vehicles of the RAC, A Century on...

Big bang in Plymouth

ktured shaking hands on a job well done are Major Adrian Rafferty and Peter Sherlock, head of Car and Commercial at Plymouth...

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1 2.112 ROADTEST: VAUXHALL ASTRAVAN W hite vans may not be

the most exciting way through town but they do have one redoubtable quality: no-one messes with a white van. Short of running...

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LAMA/

RECENT AND IMMINENT LEGISLATION The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) (No6) Regulations 1996. CIF 1 July 1997....

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PROFILE FRYERS OIL

DECENT DISPOSA Haulage workshops know all about disposal of engine oil but what do pubs and restaurants do with redundant...

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DRINK & DRICS TEN

W hat America does today the world does tomorrow. But does that include regularly testing HGV drivers for drink and drugs? Has...

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Time management

T oo much to do—too little time. I expect you know the feeling. It seems that the amount of work each of us has to do is far...

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None for the roa

It's hardly news that drink-driving i a particularly stupid thing to do—b police figures show that man drivers still used the...

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WIND HAZARDS

Taking a atterin Recent gales sweeping the country at more than 100mph have forced hauliers to take extra precautions to...

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TREKSTOPS 11111.11E

ive A good breakfast is a wise start to any journey, particularly if you're a hard working truck driver. That's why the allday...

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Jim Nelson, a self-employed driver in Kendal, Cumbria will lose

his HGV licence in May simply because he is dependent on insulin... 'There is nothing to say that we are any more a risk to...