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7th July 1988
7th July 1988
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Page 1, 7th July 1988
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NOT A MATTER OF CHOICE

• At last somebody has done something positive about declining fuel standards in Britain and made a stand against the creeping...

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Brussels boosts UK permit share

• Britain's share of the EEC permit quota has leapt to 1,265 licences this year, and to 1,771 in 1989, following the transport...

Buyers set their ow rdtf standard • The long-running and

increasingly acrimonious dispute over oil company plans to reduce diesel fuel quality has resurfaced, with the latest...

Bogus insurance warning

• Hauliers have been warned against a "hire and reward" insurance company selling bogus insurance policies despite warnings...

Volvo extends Its horizons with Jap attack

• Volvo's bid to distribute to parts few other truck and bus manufacturers can reach was given fresh impetus this week when it...

The Soviet Union is to launch a 3.5-tonne van in

the UK and Western Europe following talks with a British motor design consortium which included the Sussex engineering firm,...

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Wheels still dropping as IRTE report arises

• Two hauliers have described this week how wheels inexplicably flew off their trucks at high speed — hours after they claim to...

Murty vows to return

• Stunt driver Steve Murty, who cheated death two weeks ago in a horror crash performing a 200kmp/1 wheelie, has vowed to...

• The police plan to use video cameras to catch

dangerous drivers under the radical reforms to road traffic law currently being drawn up by Transport Secretary Paul Channon.

• The European Community has shelved its controversial proposals to clamp down on drivers' working hours.

• Job prospects in road transport for the next three

months are looking good, according to the latest survey of employers with the contract driving company, Overdrive. This says...

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Winning in the rain

• Old, but definitely not forgotten. Bromley, Kent-based Bill Humphreys Transport proved you don't need a brand new truck to...

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Lynx fighting back

• Lynx Express Delivery holds a unique position in the National Freight Consortium: it's the only member company not making a...

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Hauliers lose appeal

• Five hauliers fighting to clarify Britain's new overload laws have lost their case with the Law Lords. The hauliers were...

Limited renewal ruling

• Worcester-based coach operator C N Jones, an associate of Swanbrook Coaches, of Cheltenham, has had its ninevehicle licence...

• A coach operator has obtained a PSV operator's licence

following a long struggle during which he had to prove that links with his father's now-liquidated company did not exist. In...

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Phoenix boosts the load

• Derbyshire-based Heanor Haulage is to become the latest operator to use a lifting selfsteering axle to convert a triaxle...

Many tanks for the Powerpak

• Perkins PowerPak's new approach of commercially intergrating engines with transmissions was announced at the recent BAEE...

Mercedes-Benz 12 vans recalled

• Almost 200 Mercedes-Benz T2 vans have been recalled following sliding door mounts failure. Mercedes has decided to send all...

Versatile Wright body

• Ballymena-based coach builder Robert Wright & Son has unveiled its latest mediumsized bus which can be built on a range of...

US clutches from Eaton and Valeo

• The Eaton Corporation and French vehicle components maker Valeo are joining forces to manufacture and market clutches in the...

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Constructor gets tough

• Leyland Daf has gone ahead with plans to manufacture a modified chassis for its Constructor 6x4 models, and to build the...

Multi-compartment reefers to boom

• Refrigerated trailers with multi-compartmental and multitemperature bodies will become more and more common, predicts Craven...

Japanese cut back on exports to EEC

• Japanese motor manufacturers have voluntarily agreed to limit their exports to the EEC to 1.21 million CVs and cars in 1988....

Forgotten semis on the road

• Two unused single, spinesemi-trailers built almost 10 years ago have just gone into service with the special produce carrier,...

Midi extras from Vauxhall

• Vauxhall, which has taken over the marketing of all Bedford commercial vehicles, has brought out a variety of accessories for...

Noisy in reverse

• Audible reversing signals are to be fitted to North Yorkshire school minibuses at a cost of 29,300 after a pupil's legs were...

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Transfleet buys Cotts

• Distribution, rental and contract hire company Transfleet has bought competitor Mitchell Cotts Transport, which has a fleet...

Interlink plans European package

• Parcels company Interlink plans to launch into Europe, opening 100 franchises in West Germany before June next year and...

• Food manufacturer Bensons Crisps has added two Scania trucks to its North West distribution fleet in Kirkham.

The vehicles are P92M sleeper-cab Inter Urban drawbar rigds with Joioda one-tonne tail-lifts fitted to both Prime movers....

• Trailer manufacturer Craven Tasker is launching a service and

repair division. A pilot depot is being opened in Sheffield, and the company plans a network of outlets throughout the county....

Hill Hire makes debut in Northern truck rental

• Truck rental company Hill Hire, Northern industrial group Sir James Hill's first venture into commercial vehicles, has opened...

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ino net spreads

• Anglo-lrish Hino truck assembler and distributor Harris has taken its first steps in establishing a dealer network in the UK,...

Bunzl bundles transport ops

• Transport and manufacturing giant Bunzl is putting its parcel, groupage, distribution and specialist interests under a...

• Choosing the right supplier is vital for any truck

manufacturer, ERF boss Peter Foden has told a conference of the company's suppliers. "With the best product in the world, if it...

• The Spanish truck market is growing fast, from 60,000

units produced in 1986 to 87,000 last year. The greatest increase has been in tractive units — up 62,2% in 12 months. Pegaso...

• National Carriers Contract Distribution's million-a-year deal with troubled furniture

and carpets retailer Harris Queensway was still in the balance last week as a confused takeover battle raged. The contract...

Wreckers' profits slump

• Profits in the vehicle recovery industry are plunging and most heavier trucks are being operated at a loss, claims research...

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BCC boss stands down

• Denis Quin is stepping down as director-general of the Bus and Coach Council after 14 years. He was previously director and...

CONFERENCE

No changes will be implemented until the annual BCC conference at Eastbourne in September, after which Quin will leave his...

Reading Transpor goes for Optares

• Reading Transport will be the first bus operator to run Optare dual-doorway doubledeckers based on the Leyland Olympian...

• Premier Coaches, the Stainforth-based coach company previously owned by

Harold Wilson, has been bought by South Yorkshire Transport and all its 19 employees were transferred to SYT on 27 June....

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Easy changing MOM

111 Volvo Bus has followed the trend towards micro-processorcontrolled gear changing systems with the launch of its Easy Gear...

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Weighty case won

• Lancashire hauliers W Robinson (Bilsborrow) was given an absolute discharge on two overloading offences last week after...

Thumbs down for removals firm bid

• A second attempt by Stuart Lowndes Removals to use a site at Sandbach in Cheshire as an operating centre, has been turned...

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Ford's autumn booster

• Ford has announced some of its coming months' plans for its commercial range, including a naturally-aspirated version of the...

Whales go to Oldham

• Three 5,455-litre gullyemptier units delivered to Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council by Whale Tankers are equipped with both...

• Ford has produced two special-edition models of its Fiesta Laser and Escort Laser light delivery vans.

Both vans have Ford 1.6litre IDI diesel-engines with five-speed gearboxes and come complete with design accessories such as...

• The Garron 5 is the largest in the range

of Swedish-built all-terrain vehicles, and it is now available from James Jones of Stirlingshire. The five-axied tracked...

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Steyr backs monobloc

• Austrian vehicle manufacturer Steyr-Daimler-Puch has developed its own high-speed, direct-injection diesel-engine for use in...

Pinzgauer aims to go anywhere

• James Jones & Sons of Stirlingshire is the new importer of the Steyr-Daimler-Puch Pinzgauer all-terrain vehicle which is...

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Terra van from Seat

• Volkswagen's Spanish company, Seat, has introduced a light, high-capacity, car-derived van, in the style of the Fiat Fiorino...

• The likely replacement for the Bedford KB — Isuzu's

TFR — was shown at the recent Helsinki Motor Show, The Helsinki vehicles are available with two cab sizes, the standard, and...

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DEALERS

N EW RENAULT DEALER • A new dealer for East Yorkshire and North Humberside has been appointed by Renault Truck Industries....

BUSINESS MOVES

SURREY MOVE FOR WINCANTON • Wincanton Vehicle Rentals has moved its head office from Brentford to Compass House, 207-215 London...

COMMUNICATION

TELECOM RENTALS • A hire service for radio pagers, fax machines and portable telephones has been launched by Mobile Telecom...

PUBLICATIONS

CODE OF PRACTICE • An approved code of practice for labelling and classifying dangerous substances has been published by the...

TRAINING

TRAINING SOFTWARE • Expert Help has launched a range of computer software for training managers, trainees and administrators...

EQUIPMENT

RAC FIRST AID KIT • The RAC has produced a modern first aid kit for motorists. The kit includes: extralarge dressings; eye...

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EVENTS

INDUSTRIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD • Lloyds Bowmaker is inviting developing companies to enter its 1988 Industrial Achievement Award...

TECHNOLOGY

USA TODAY • Haulage firms in the USA can now keep track of the location of their trucks using satellite technology. The...

SERVICES

DOOR STEP PARTS • Hiab's lorry-loader crane customers can now get Hiab parts delivered to their door, with a new part-sales van...

LICENCES

CHANGES IN FEES • Fees for ordinary driving licences will rise on 1 November. The cost of a first driving licence will increase...

AUCTIONS

CMA POSTS IT • Central Motor Auctions is to run a series of Post Office surplus light van sales at its Shepshed centre in...

ROAD NEWS

RICHTON FLYOVER • An experimental tidal-flow traffic scheme is now in operation on the A13/A117 Becton Flyover in east London....

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DOES THE CRISIS REALLY EXIST?

• I read with interest the article on Britain's Driver Crisis (9-15June issue) and would like to know if this is peculiar to...

TURNER PUTS THE RECORD STRAIGHT • Could I correct the

statement in your business news pages in Commercial Motor 23-29 June issue, from Jack Allen/Highland Leasing. Contract hire...

ALUMINIUM ATTRIBUTES • In case anyone thinks that the Wilcox

Group has lost faith in aluminium alloy for the construction of tough, efficient vehicle bodies, could I correct a small slip...

(CM 23-29 June). It uses a horizontal hydraulic ram to

remove a bulk load without tipping — a tremendous advantage from the point of view of safety when you are unloading on...

ROADTEST REQUESTS

• I am 28 years of age and physically disabled, and have been reading Commercial Motor for many years. The roadtests and...

Readers' letters are welcomed and can be phoned in on

01-661 3302 (24-hour service). Otherwise, write to Dear Sir, Commercial Motor, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2...

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OVERNIGHT

Richard Gabriel started in the parcels industry as a motorcycle courier. In just 10 years he is now head of Interlink Express,...

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IHIII11 1 11.11 lieve that within two or three years Interlink will be the single biggest independent parcels carrier in Britain."

Part of Gabriel's optimism is based on his faith in Interlink's computer systems. The hardware was bought in but all the...

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• Pundits in the pigeonfancying fraternity are blaming recent solar

flares for the loss of thousands of pounds worth of our feathered friends in a recent cross-Channel race. Could there be a...

• A major road transport union has been charged with

corruption and a judge has said that it has become totally dominated by organised crime. An extraordinary racketeering lawsuit...

• These wonderful beasts are the Dolmus taxis of Istanbul.

Dolmus is not a sticky sweetmeat you buy down at the local Stavros kebab shop but, I am assured, is Turkish for "full". The...

• The 1988 Unipart Reflections of Technology Award for original sculpture has been won by Loughborough College student Sarah Kenchington.

Kenchington's untitled entry earned her the distinctive trophy, to be held for a year, and an award of 22,500. A cheque for the...

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LITTLE BOXES

This year we gave 12 parcels companies the challenge of picking up in a remote farm in west Wales, and delivering next day to...

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WRAPPING UP THE RANGE

Parcels are carried in everything from CDVs to 38-tonners: for our survey of the parcel van market we have concentrated on...

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NIPPY GUTSY TRUSTY JUSTY

Not every 4WD buyer needs an all-terrain capability. Subaru's 4x2/4 Justy CDV is designed to carry light loads over bad roads....