Viewpoint

Read the latest opinions, analysis and views on the trends in road transport, haulage and logistics, from experts in the industry to the thoughts of our own team of experienced journalists.

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Mobile phone laws affect both drivers and operators

January 16, 2020 Admin Support

The current rules for HGV drivers when it comes using a hand-held mobile phone are exactly the same as those for drivers of any other type of vehicle. However, enforcement is typically more stringent for commercial drivers, with increasingly creative strategies being developed by police to catch offenders – including a recent operation using unmarked HGVs for surveillance.

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Barriers to electric power for commercial vehicles are not intractable

December 2, 2019 Steve Hobson

Recent figures from business intelligence firm JATO revealed an astounding rise in global demand for electric vehicles, with sales of non-hybrid cars increasing by 92% over a 12-month period. This is perhaps the clearest sign yet that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are finally a viable alternative in the consumer sector.

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Deal or no-deal – the real cost of truck pricing

October 9, 2019 Sponsored Support

The Department for International Trade’s publication of a revised list of temporary tariffs on truck imports if the UK leaves the EU without an agreement once again raises the question of the impact of commercial vehicle pricing on haulage operating costs and profitability.

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Knowing your driver better would be easier with more data on Driver CPC

October 7, 2019 Sponsored Support

Increasingly ‘knowing-your-driver’ has become a key fleet compliance requirement. As technology permits more frequent checking across a wider range of datasets, fleets are taking the opportunity to increase their awareness of their drivers. Improving risk profiles, insurance rates, HR strategies and road safety are all rolled-up in this. However, much depends on being actually able to access the data often held by government bodies.

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Fit safety systems in the factory

August 24, 2019 Sponsored Support

As an operator it’s frustrating to purchase new trucks and still have to fit additional safety features, now often mandated to work in the city centre construction sector, which are not currently available to be installed or supported by the manufacturer.

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Try innovating like Silicon Valley

August 23, 2019 jasmine Flintham

As the world’s leading technology centre, Silicon Valley is brimming with innovation – not just from a hardware or software point of view, but in terms of how it solves problems. One example of this is “design sprints”, a five-day process developed by former Google executive Jake Knapp, which sees team members come together to answer critical business questions through design, prototyping, and testing ideas. At ArrowXL we use this model to improve our operations, most recently regarding reverse logistics. […]

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Back to school to fill skills shortage

August 22, 2019 jasmine Flintham

At TWE Haulage we face the same driver recruitment and retention issues as everyone else. I’m a big believer in training and developing young talent and yet I’ve been frustrated for years with the sector’s apprenticeship offerings. So I decided to go back to the way we used to train – not just for a role but for an all-round employee. I decided to find a young, enthusiastic individual who was interested in the logistics sector. After months of searching […]