AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

3rd May 2001
3rd May 2001
Page 1
Page 1, 3rd May 2001
Close

Page 6

RHDTC launches campaign to recruit 100,000 drivers

RI by Dominic Perry The Road Haulage and Distribution Training Council (RHDTC) has announced ambitious plans to to recruit an...

■ More than 40% of transport firms are finding driver

recruitment difficult, according to a new survey commissioned by the RHDTC. The UK-wide survey found that drivers with C+E...

■ EU proposals on driver training—which would make preliminary and

ongoing training compulsory—are expected to receive their first reading at the next transport Council of Ministers' meeting on...

,tolen: A white Volvo FH12 420 12 with large fuel

tanks ielonging to Freightmasters IM ransport of Northern Ireland. legistration, X231JCW: chassis, 1 1244DAC31A522163. Taken...

SCHOOLBOY TRAGEDY

Vinchester Crown Court has ward that schoolboy Daniel leveridge was "scythed down" whilst out walking with friends when a metal...

STOWAWAY FIASCO

Two men were caught trying to eave a Dover ferry after allegedly losing the keys to a truck containing 68 asylum seekers,...

CLOSE CALL

A trucker is recovering in hospital after crashing into a crash barrier on the M6 near Blacko, Lanes. He is thought to have...

RED LIGHTS

Two freight trains, both operated by English, Welsh and Scottish Railways (EWS), went through red lights in Newport in March....

NEW PRESIDENT

Wincanton chief executive Chas Lawrence has officially taken up the presidency of the Freight Transport Association. He has...

Page 7

Fuel protests planned by PFL

■ A new wave of fuel protests is set to take place next week, according to insiders from the People's Fuel Lobby (PFL). The...

Welsh company in huge fuel tax scam

■ A director and an employee at Rhymney-based Impel Distribution will be appearing at Cardiff Crown Court this week for...

FOOT AND MOUTH UPDATE

Delays and leakages ot by Miles Brignall The Freight Transport Association has moved to reassure hauliers whose vehicles are...

Haulier takes his own life

■ A livestock haulier who also farmed has been found dead in a barn a week after some of his beef cattle were slaughtered as a...

Page 8

Jack Straw is tipped for Transport

■ by Sally Nash Parliamentary sources suggest that the man international hauliers love to hate—Home Secretary Jack Straw—could...

...For whom the toll smells

I International driver Frank aylor has vowed never to use he Humber Bridge again after he bridge operator snubbed its...

Tanker mistake pollutes marsh

■ A South Wales-based timber firm and tanker driver have been fined more than £11,000 after causing a major pollution incident...

Haulier's retirement leads to fleet sale

■ Well known Bedfordshire haulier Keith Harvey is to retire and is selling his 24-Volvo and 40-trailer fleet. The doors at RW...

Lower limit on limiters

European Commission proposals to extend the compulsory fitting of speed limiters to smaller commercial vehicles are expected in...

Page 9

Late Spanish payer breaks assurances

III by Dominic Perry A Spanish firm exposed by Commercial Motor as a late payer has failed to keep its promise that it would...

Give 'em a chance

Our lead story on driver 4 4 . 1 recruitment this week (see page 4) is excellent news for an industry hard-pressed to find the...

Permissive Coventry

• Coventry City Council was accused of "not knowing what its lorry drivers were doing" when Solihull magistrates fined it...

Page 10

Supermarket cuts affect drivers' jobs

I by Sally Nash wo big-league transport irms are laying off drivers folowing a cost-cutting blitz by Ugh-street supermarkets....

UK roads crumbling, says report

■ Britain's roads are in the worst condition for decades, according to a government report published last week. Motorists face...

Page 12

Truck sales boom is running out of steam

II by Toby Clark be recent boom in truck sales ould be over, as the first quarer of 2001 has been a bad one or some of Europe's...

Site show plan

in Despite the threat from foot and mouth disease, this year's Site Equipment Demonstration will he going ahead as planned on...

Powerful partnership

■ A direct-injection diesel engine jointly developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen and Ford has been launched with a further 23...

It's curtainsiders for Joda

Joda Freight, based in West brkshire, has added 18 Utility T high-cube curtain-sided trailrs to its fleet. The triaxle trailer...

ERFs for Ensor

• Haulier Ensor Vehicle Services has taken on four 4x2 ERF high-roof ECX tractors on contract hire through ERF Finance. The...

New homes for van duo

E Van makers Toyota and Renault have both moved into new UK headquarters. Toyota GB has moved into its new purpose-built home...

Page 13

Aggregate and muckaway specialist J Settle Transport has expanded its

all-Volvo fleet to 10 with two 290hp 6x4 FM7s and a 3130hp 8x4 FM12. They all feature Swadlincote aluminium bodies and onboard...

PDX DAILY The first Ivaco Daily Truck to be fitted

with a Dhollandia tail-lift is being operated by Prestige Shopfltting Services of County Durham. The 105hp 35C11 is fitted with...

CHEREAU CUR.= NR Evans has added another 16 Chereau reefers

to its chilled meat distribution fleet. The 26-pallet triaxie semis have SAF disc brakes, lifting front axle and Thermo King...

RARE BEAVERTAIL Andover Trailers has designed a 32ft beavertail curtainsider

fitted to an Iveco EuroToch for Johnston Sweepers to move pre-launched demonstration road sweepers to its customers. The...

RENAULT UNION Dealerships Renault Trucks Bristol and Renault Trucks Exeter

have joined forces to become Renault Trucks Southwest. The new partnership will cover South Wales and Gloucestershire,...

Floor moves sideways

III by Bill Godwin TLS Logistics of Munich is about to introduce an innovative moving-floor system which is designed to move...

Toyota holds reins at Hino

• Toyota is to increase its stake in h-lino and wit take a tighter grip on its management. Toyota executive vice-president...

First XL Alpha

• Powder distribution company Arclid Transport is the first company to take delivery of an eight-wheeled Foden Alpha rigid...

Evolution wil aid Hampson to develop...

• The first 7.5-tonne MA 12000 Evolution chassis hr gone into operation in the L following its launch at last year IAA show in...

[conic takes a slice of the Dundee cake

• by Colin Barnett Mercedes-Benz is to launch a 6x4 version of its Econic municipal chassis at the Institute of Waste...

Page 16

Traffic examiner's report is inaccurate, say residents

A traffic examiner's report supporting a licence bid by a Cheshire haulier was attacked as "biased and inaccurate" by local...

IMAGE SUSPENDED Hartlepool-based Stewart & Son Haulage's licence has been

cut to three vehicles and three trailers and suspended, pending satisfactory financial evidence. Stewart appeared before North...

FORMAL WARM Bradford-based Transport Co Partnership escaped with a Formal

warning when it appeared before North Eastern DIG Brian Horner. The company had been called before the DTC because of...

TRAILER DEFECTS Using a trailer with a defective tyre and

defective brakes cost Flint agricultural contractor Alan Thomas £585 in fines and costs. Wrexham magistrates fined driver, Gary...

OVERLOAD FINES Middlesbrough haulier Les Woo!sten was fined £400 with

£85 costs for overloading the first axle of a 7.5-tanner. Dewsbury magistrates heard that it was only the third overloading...

LESS LICENCE Maintenance problems led to Trojan Metals of Dundee

being granted a licence for six vehicles instead of the 10 applied far. Scottish IC Michael Betts said he would not consider...

KPMG put licence and jobs at risk

lo w ... „ Accountancy firm KPMG has - z u f' been attacked by North Eastern Traffic Commissioner Tam Macartney for putting a...

Page 17

Stressed boss goes it alone

A Gwent operator has reverted to being a oneman-band after problems with man management led to his vehicles being issued with...

Haulier fined for faulty speed limiter

A Wrexham-based waste operator allowed his 32tonner to he used at speeds up to 100km/h because of a defective speed limiter, a...

Revocation upheld by Tribunal

Aberdeen-based Robert Mitten has lost his appeal against the revocation of his licence on financial grounds by Scottish Deputy...

Page 18

FASTER FOREIGNERS

Re comments in Car/about speed limiters, the Police and VI are to be commended on their efficiency at checkpoints etc, but one...

IMPERIAL GUARD

This letter is to update your industry on developments in the pounds and ounces legal dispute—a debate which will be of...

B OOST FOR B OOTLEGGERS

Your main story last week was about fuel laundering and the way gangs in Ireland are extending into the British mainland (CM26...

MONEY FOR TRAINING It was with some amazement that I

read in Commercial Motorthat there is no funding available for training in our industry ("Managing the Assets", page 41,...

It's your shout!

■ Are hoardes of foreign trucks running on UK roads without speed limiters? Do you really care if you check your payload in...

Page 19

A burgervanina Bedfordshire lay-by has become the surprisingstudio for artist Kerry

Morrison who is attempting to transform the familiar roadside cafe into a place of artistic collaboration, Instead of a bacon...

A truck driver's life Is hard enough what with trying

to make delivery schedules, avoiding fines for stowaways and trying to find a parking space—without having to dodge mad...

As a general rule, journalists like an easy life. In

fact, if someone could do all our donkey work for us then we'd be much, much happier people and might not have to get out of...

NEWS from the

NORTH! By our Northern Correspondent Eric Strongitharm Oswaldtwistle. Showing the Spagthorpe Motor Company has lost none of...

Page 24

PEST VOLVO FRIll

If ou only have to look around when hurtling, sorry queueing, along the M25 to appreciate the popularity of the Volvo FM12...

Page 25

here can you get a sed FM12?

To qualify for the Volvo Selected Used Trucks programme a vehicle must be less than six years old. Long-haul trucks must have...

Model: Volvo FM12 6x2 Globetrotter.

Design GM: 26,000kg. Plated GCW: 44,000kg. Importer: Volvo Truck and Bus, Wedgnock lane, Warwick CV34 5YA. Engine: D12C380....

Page 26

lew owner

II T365 JCL Was contracted out from Ouftields of East Anglia to Derek Cooper (Transport) and registered on 12 March 1999....

i O BR MSGROVIA CM'sused

test route After much discussion among the CMtesting team we decided to take some A-road distance off the used test route....

Page 28

FORD TRANSIT

3 RICE AS TESTED: £22,025 (ex-VAT), includes £20,250 for the basic vehicle. ENGINE: 2.4-litre turbo-diesel, 118hp (88kW). GVW:...

Page 29

THE FACTORY

Immediately before the company began updating It to coincide with the arrival of the new Transit, we paid Ford's Southampton...

SPECIFICATION

MODEL Ford Transit 350 LWB EL High Roof Jumbo van. ENGINE Four-cylinder 16-valve charge-cooled turbo-diesel. Ca!achy:...

Page 30

NICK BROOKES

Many hauliers complain that there's no money in haulage—but working in a specialist sector can bring results. Adam Hill talks...

Page 34

PI HA CAR

F uel cards have been around for some time and they are an effective way of keeping tabs on fuel costs—but many cards can be...

Page 38

W11111111 the

arguillent BOB MONKS Truck driver turned barrister Bob Monks has just become general secretary of he United Road Transport...

Page 39

UP FOR GRABS The next election for general secretary of

a union which represents road haulage workers is almost certain to be in the T&G. General secretary Bill Morris (above) will be...

Page 40

11 FOR A P01111

Two years have elapsed since the minimum wage was introduced in a blaze of publicity. At the time opponents warned that it...

Page 41

...so what is the minimum wage?

The Low Pay Commission (LPC) is an independent advisory body which was established as a result of the National Minimum Wage Act...

Page 42

CLEAN

ndustry-watchers paid particular attention last month [April] when Exel announced its first full-year results since the...

Page 43

Whn 'minty to ha

During the first four months of 2001 Exel has scooped up .£500m worth of contracts in the Midlands with the prospect of 800 new...

Page 44

SAFETY

Two recent incidents raise fresh question marks about ferry safety. What obligations do ship owners have to ensure safety of...

Page 46

trnard Jenkin MP, Shadow Minister for Transport, says the Conservatives are riving to help the haulier's lot..

If you want to sound off about a road transport issue write to features editor tric Cunnane or fax your views (up to 600 words)...