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28th April 2005
28th April 2005
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Page 1, 28th April 2005
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Page 6

Scots anger builds to protest levels

The WM has left a lot of angry operators out there — but are they angry enough to take to the streets? Chris Tindall reports....

Shell dismisses farmers' protest

PRESSURE GROUP Farmers for Action kicked off their fuel protests at 5am on Monday morning (25 April) at the Stanlow oil...

Page 7

Farmer protest jumps the gun

CRACKS HAVE ALREADY begun to appear in the alliance of fuel protesters with farmers and hauliers falling out over tactics....

Action but no choreography

AS A WAVE OF fuel protests kicked off this week it was increasingly unclear who was leading them and if there was any...

FFA chairman David Handley, a leading figure in the 2000

blockades, says: "Over the past six weeks we have looked to see if any party mentioned fuel tax in their manifesto and how they...

Page 8

I don't want you here again

An operator and his representative, both "monumentally unhelpful", have got short shrift from the DTC this week Mike Jewell...

Road & Sea faces winding up order

CHESHIRE-BASED haulage firm Road & Sea Express faces an uncertain future after a winding up petition was issued in the courts....

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Rover spawns drivers

THE COLLAPSE OF the MG Rover car plant could significantly boost the number of trainee truck drivers in the West Midlands....

City Link drivers are 'worst off'

DRIVERS AT PARCELS delivery company Initial City Link are to strike on Wednesday (4 May) amid claims that they are among the...

Sweet understanding

Listening to the radio Brian Weatherley has been impressed by some highly articulate drivers and their common-sense comments....

Page 10

Good and some bad

Police are making headway on truck crime — but the number of hijackings continues to rise. Jennifer Ball reports. OVERALL...

Tunnel trucks go up

TRUCK TRAFFIC through the ChannelTunnel rose 6% in the first three months of this year over the first quarter of 2004 following...

Drivers hit for f38 card DRIVERS ARE to be charged

£38 for the smart card needed to use new digital tachographs despite union demands that it should be free. The Driver and...

Page 12

On the margin

It's full of papal bull 'Meters nodik ace a good press release to keep our news hounds happy—and the following were, indeed,...

Page 13

That was the year...

CM was launched in 1905; for our centenary year we're bringing you stories from years gone by. This week we're back in 1919 and...

Page 14

Volvo escapes censure or blame for Mont Blanc fire

The French state prosecutor is not blaming Volvo for the Mont Blanc tunnel fire that caused 39 fatalities. Colin Barnett...

FANS OF BONNETED trucks will be saddened by the news

that Scania is pulling the plug on the Tcab,despite its re-launch last year. Overall length regulations and the need to...

EXHAUSTS AND particulate traps firm Eminox is blaming the closure

of its Abingdon customer service operation on the government's decision to cut the grants for the fitting of emissions control...

Page 16

Best of the century

Commercial Motor's new website invites you to vote for the greatest commercial vehicle of all time. Emma Penny reports. IF...

Page 18

Doubts over Wales by rail

Mid-Wales log loads go from road to rail — but not everyone is impressed. David Harris reports. A FORESTRY COMMISSION...

Exel disputes claim

A FORMER MECHANIC at logistics giant Exel is seeking compensation for constructive dismissal, claiming he was forced to leave...

Spain ignores crime squad

PRESSURE GROUP Fair Trials Abroad (FTA) is stepping up its campaign for the release of a British truck driver jailed in Spain...

Page 19

Triple kidnapping at heist

POLICE ARE HUNTING an armed gang who kidnapped a truck driver and two other men before stealing three trailers loaded with...

Drugs ripped off in van attack

A VAN DRIVER was attacked and his vehicle containing a load of medication was stolen in Manchester at 1.30pm on 20 April while...

Sprung Dafs

Cambridgeshire police are hunting thieves who stole two Oaf trucks from waste company Donarbon's yard in Waterbeach, Cambs. The...

Stolen fridges

Lockerbie operator EardIey International is offering a reward or information leading to the recovery of two Gray & Adams...

Step-frame gone

A red 13m Vanhooi triaxle step-frame trailer with winch skids and clamps was stolen from Steve's Autos yard, Main Road, Maltby...

Page 20

Veteran fitter's view on why wheels fall off

REGARDING YOUR letter headed "Tight means trouble" (CM 24 March),! am a fitter/ driver of 40 years' experience and I must admit...

Unions are government eyes

I WAS REALLY rather shocked, but then perhaps I shouldn't be, reading John Craig's letter under the heading "Unions' threat is...

Casual users cause trouble

DURING AND immediately following the Second World War, food, clothing and fuel were rationed.After the fuel crises of 1956 and...

I used my CMto teach the police

ONE OF MY regular tasks is an informal discussion with operational officers on the Road Policing Unit (RPU) with Avon &...

Page 22

Soft around the edges

CV registrations aren't behaving exactly as could be expected. David Burke of MAN ERF explains the marketplace trends... THE...

Page 24

Listening in to the party line on road transport

CM is not suggesting that all operators become single-issue voters, but we have asked the major parties for their road...

Page 28

Travelling light

Couriers are not burdened with as much red tape as HGV operators, but Alan Savage, chairman of the National Courier...

Page 31

'Front' company for banned operator loses licence appeal

Tribunal upholds Traffic Commissioner's decision to disqualify operator who failed to turn up for disciplinary hearing or...

Page 32

Missing mileage could result in adion against 0-licence

A NORTHUMBRIAN haulier must wait to see what action might be taken against the licence he holds with his wife after tachograph...

160 hours community service for tachograph fiddling BUXTON TRUCK driver

Christopher Doyle was given a 160 hour community service order after he appeared at Derby Crown Court and admitted 14 offences...

Page 33

Forged HGV licence costs £1,000 in fines

AN IRISH truck driver caught driving on a forged Irish HGV driving licence has been lined £1,000 after spending two nights in...

'Wrong disc' costs skip-hire firm more than £1,800 in fines

DISPLAYING AN 0-licence identity disc belonging to another company in the windscreen of a vehicle and having no 0-licence has...

Page 34

Friends from afar

Foreign drivers can help fill our skills gap — but they must be the right sort of foreigners. Jonathan Exten-Wright and Sarah...

Page 38

Property rights

Operators who rent need to understand leasing law. Stuart Darlington lists 10 things you need to know... 10 things you need...

Page 41

Roya 1 conclusions

A top speed of 5mph for HGVs and a vehicle tax to pay for road improvements were among the recommendations of the 1905 Royal...

Page 50

CUTT 1 NG ED

Following the changes to the lightweight Atego, Axor has received similar attention. Andy Salter cheas out the changes. L ike...

Page 52

GIFT IS It 1 GIIT

It's all change for the German manufacturers as both Mercedes-Benz and MAN launch new ligh=weight truc'cs; this time we're...

Page 54

KEEP IT THE FAMI LI'

Chemical haulier Suttons Group is coping with UK sector decline by moving into Asia, where customers appreciate its family...

Page 60

TAKING LIFE TO THE EDGE

As Commercial Motor prepares the Truckzone at this years SED Show, we review some of the highlights visitors to this three-day...

Page 61

Around the stands

As ever the Truciczone isn't confined just to the truck and van builders and a whole plethora of other companies will be...

Page 62

Truck-mounted forklifts offer huge productivity benefits. But, as Brian Weatherley

reports, it would be foolhardy to fit the kit without obtaining the training. I n a recent survey Moffett-Kooi,the UK...

Page 68

If only we could vote for the Road Transport Industry Party

In the run-up to the election what about the road transport that keeps UK plc in business? Sandy Bruce imagines a party we...

Page 69

Use your common sense

Be smart when assessing mileage says one used truck dealer, and make sure you know what you're buying. perators who buy...

Page 70

A good year a

II round The latest figures to be published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders are confirmation that all...

Page 72

'Can do' style wins all round

A north of Scotland dealership has claimed Fodenis Dealer of the Year crown. Emma Penny reports. W hen a sales director tells...