All Motor Transport articles in 2022
View all stories from this issue.
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Article
Coventry binmen strikes cost council £7.2m, new report reveals
The cost to Coventry City Council of the strikes among its bin lorry drivers has ballooned to £7.2m, according to a new report.The dispute over pay began at the start of the year and was finally resolved in the summer, by which time households and businesses had endured months of ...
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Rest and Be Thankful diversion route to be upgraded
Transport Scotland said it was developing medium term improvements to the Old Military Road (OMR) through the Glen Croe corridor, days after the Rest and Be Thankful was subject to convoy control.It said the improvements would make it a more resilient diversion route until a long-term solution was in place.Proposed ...
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Cornish haulier invests in eight more Arocs tippers
A hurried purchase of an Arocs tipper at the start of the year has paid dividends for Cornish operator Duchy Plant Hire, which has now ordered another eight of the Mercedes-Benz vehicles.Two have recently been put into service and another six will be delivered by Intercounty Truck & Van early ...
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Squeezing even more efficiency from retail supply chains will be top priority for 2023
ASCG recently surveyed 100 retailers about plans and strategies for dealing with the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. ‘Reviewing supply chains to find efficiencies’ came out top, with 40% of retailers prioritising this as a solution for reducing costs and protecting margins as sales and bottom lines feel the effects ...
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Confectionery firm fined after man breaks arm unloading truck
A sweet manufacturer has been fined £5,000 after an employee climbed on a forklift truck to help keep its balance while unloading equipment from a lorry and fell, breaking his arm.According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) the worker at Lees of Scotland was asked to get on the ...
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Will the brakes go on warehouse development in 2023?
Brexit and Covid-19 have had huge impacts on demand for warehousing in the UK, the evidence being clear from the number of large sheds springing up alongside major motorways. MT spoke to three experts in the field of logistics property development to get their views on prospects for 2023.Charles Binks, ...
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Home Farm hails new Mercedes Benz steering system
Oxfordshire arable grower Home Farm (Charlton) Estates has praised its “fantastically versatile” new Mercedes-Benz Unimog for its all-terrain capabilities.Supplied by local dealer Arthur Ibbett, the UGE U430 implement carrier is also one of the first in the UK to be fitted with a comfort steering option, which reduces steering force ...
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Howdens Joinery rolls out innovative eye and brain training to improve driver awareness and safety
Kitchen and joinery products supply giant Howdens is trialling an innovative driver training tool – EyeGym – in a bid to improve driver performance and safety.The online visual, cognitive and decision-making training has been endorsed by many top sports people including England Rugby World Cup winning manager Sir Clive Woodward ...
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Roads regulator slams National Highways over smart motorway radar detection failures
Radar technology installed across England’s smart motorway network is still not meeting performance targets, according to the country’s roads regulator.National Highways (NH) came under pressure to fit stopped vehicle detection technology on every all lane running (ALR) smart motorway where the hard shoulder has been converted into a live lane, ...
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Jobs saved at London courier firm after pre-pack sale
Administrators at Begbies Traynor said they had saved 34 jobs after London-based courier firm Rush Worldwide entered administration and was then sold in a pre-pack deal.The company, which offers same and next-day delivery services, entered administration at the end of November and insolvency practitioners Julie Partner and Andrew Hook were ...
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Trade bodies demand government widens shortage occupation list
The government is being urged to add HGV drivers and forklift truck operators to the shortage occupation list (SOL) after Brexit and Covid-19 led to a chronic shortfall.Trade associations have teamed up to force the government to address the shortage of skilled workers in the industry and make it understand ...
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Greene King plays down impact of strike action as pay row continues
Greene King has paid tribute to its brewing and distribution teams and said their hard work had helped cancel out any impact from a pay dispute among union workers, which has now escalated into strike action.Three days of industrial action commenced on 21 December and a further four days are ...
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Truck graphics firm OPG secures funding for management buy-out
Truck graphics firm OPG has completed a management buy-out (MBO) and launched its “next chapter of growth” in the 27-year-old business.The Lanarkshire company, which designs and produces graphic wraps for vehicles and works with household names across industries including food and drink, retail, logistics and construction, relied on a six-figure ...
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HGV driver jailed for causing death by careless driving
An HGV driver who collided with a motorist on the M6 while changing lanes, resulting in her death, has been jailed for 34 weeks.Robert Ward (pictured) initially denied being responsible for Victoria Kavanagh’s death following the collision on 27 July 2020, but he later changed his plea to guilty to ...
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DVSA operation checks out curtain-sided lorries
A recent DVSA enforcement operation in Staffordshire targeting curtain-sided lorries has seen 37 vehicles checked, 20 immediate and seven delayed prohibitions issued and three curtainsiders taken off the road immediately, due to poor load security. Announcing the results of the operation, DVSA said: "Unlike box-sided vehicles, the curtains on a ...
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Nestlé begins electric shunter trial at York site
Confectionary manufacturer Nestlé UK & Ireland has launched a trial of an electric shunter at its York site as part of plans to eventually replace the diesel shunters across its UK depots and reduce its carbon footprint.The Gaussin Electric Shunter, which is being used in the two-week trial, features battery-swap ...
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UKWA leads industry appeal for government to end labour shortages
The UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) has co-ordinated a joint campaign with other industry trade bodies calling on the government to tackle the critical labour shortages in the warehousing and logistics sector.The call comes ahead of the conclusion of a review into the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) being carried out by ...
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Wincanton secures extension to Neal's Yard contract
Wincanton Group has won an extension to its fulfilment and distribution partnership with Neal’s Yard Remedies, aided by its robotics offering, eco-friendly facility and value-added services.Orders will be distributed from Wincanton's carbon neutral Cygnia facility in Northampton and will include the provision of value-added services, such as a bespoke gifting ...
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Xpediator mulls bid from founder Stephen Blyth
Xpediator's mamagement looks set to accept an acquisition bid from a consortium led by the company's founder Stephen Blyth, who resigned from Xpediator earlier this year.In a statement released today, the company said that it was "minded" to recommend the bid - for an undisclosed sum - to its shareholders.The ...