Industry news – Page 135
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MT ArticleHGV driver found drinking in social club while on sick leave was unfairly dismissed, tribunal finds
A lorry driver sacked from his job after he was spotted drinking and smoking outside a social club while on sick leave was unfairly dismissed, according to an employment tribunal.Colin Kane, 66, was a driver for Ryton-based surfacing and aggregates firm Debmat and had suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ...
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MT ArticleDaimler Truck sets out independent future
Daimler Truck revealed its plans for an independent future at a press conference last month as it heads towards separation from its parent company and stock market listing by the end of the year.In addition to a radical financial shake-up, the company unveiled more plans for its electric future with ...
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MT ArticleCommercial vehicle asset finance sector sees 140% surge in new business in April 2021
The commercial vehicle finance sector saw new business leap by 140% in April compared with the same month in 2020, according to the FLA.This compares with a rise of 58% and 43% respectively in the plant and machinery and business equipment finance sectors and an overall growth of 80% in ...
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MT ArticleWork starts on final unit at Panattoni Park Northampton
Logistics developer Panattoni has started construction of the final unit at Panattoni Park Northampton.Works on the 380,000 sq ft facility will begin this month. The unit will offer 15m clear internal height, 50m yard depth, 34 dock doors, four-level access, 68 HGV trailer spaces and 296 car parking spaces with ...
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MT ArticleRHA launches 12-point plan to avert “catastrophic” HGV driver shortage
The RHA has published a 12-point plan to tackle the HGV driver shortage which it warns has now reached a major crisis point.Launching the plan, RHA chief executive, Richard Burnett said: “The upturn in the economy since Covid-19 is increasing demand across supply chains and the reopening of non-essential retail ...
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MT ArticleLogistics firms team up to help Transaid provide HGV driver training simulator to Zambia
Logistics firms Clipper Logistics, Malcolm Group, XPO and software provider Big Change have joined forces to donate an HGV driver training simulator for trainee HGV drivers in Zambia.The donation to the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) in Zambia, which transport charity Transaid has partnered with since 2008, follows a visit to ...
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MT Article
Driver shortage the biggest worry for operators in next 12 months, new industry research reveals
Difficulty recruiting skilled HGV drivers tops the list when it comes to key challenges facing operators in the next 12 months, according to brand-new industry research published today.In the latest edition of the 'Asset Alliance Group Industry Monitor', produced in partnership with Motor Transport and Commercial Motor, 29% of respondents ...
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MT ArticleHGV driver fined for crossing solid white lines to overtake cars
An HGV driver showed “complete disregard for the rules of the road” when he breached solid white lines on the A36 and overtook two vehicles.Matthew Lobley, 46, has now been fined and received points on his licence after dash cam footage showed he was driving on the wrong side of ...
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MT ArticleSchmitz Cargobull to start trailer production in the UK
Europe's leading trailer maker Schmitz Cargobull is to open a new factory in Manchester to serve the UK and Irish markets.The new factory joins four Schmitz maunfacturing sites in Germany plus plants in Lithuania, Russia, Spain, Turkey and Australia.Andreas Schmitz, CEO of Schmitz Cargobull, said: “The UK is a key ...
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MT ArticleFraikin reinforces inhouse workshop capacity with reopened Bristol depot
Fraikin has re-opened its Bristol workshop in a move designed to increase the amount of maintenance performed inhouse and drive down its reliance on third-party contractors.It said the decision to re-establish the depot three years after it closed down would help improve the efficiency of customer maintenance in the region, ...
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MT ArticleDriver behaviour keeps fleet managers awake at night
Almost three-quarters of UK fleet managers think poor driving behaviour has a negative impact on their business.A report into attitudes and safety concerns of European fleet decision makers found that respondents (71%) were most worried about their drivers’ habits and poor behaviour behind the wheel – specifically the use of ...
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MT ArticleEmployers must stop "flogging" drivers to end fatigue epidemic
Nearly one in three truck drivers said they had fallen asleep at the wheel in the last year, according to a report revealing that professional driver fatigue is now at “epidemic” levels.The survey also found that 60% of HGV drivers said they had to drive while fatigued on a regular ...
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MT Article
UK tops areas of interest for road transport expansion - despite Brexit
The UK tops a list of countries road transport firms are considering expanding their operations into, according to legal firm DWF.Its survey found that despite the unprecedented challenges of the last year, haulage firms across Europe are looking ahead to expansion.Of those polled that transport goods to the UK, 38% ...
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MT Article
NaVCIS Freight pleads for industry support as funding crisis threatens closure of crime busting operation
The freight arm of the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) is warning that it is “critically short of funds” and in danger of closing down by October this year.The warning comes as freight thefts continue to rise across the country with 1,528 HGV and cargo crime related offences reported ...
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MT ArticleHauliers urged to get DVS permit as TfL reveals 7,000 fines issued since launch in March
TfL is calling for more hauliers to apply for a Direct Vision Standard (DVS) permit after revealing that more than 7,000 penalty charge notices (PCNs) have been issued to lorry drivers since the schemes launch in March, raising a minimum of £1.9m in fines.With penalties ranging from £550 a day ...
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MT ArticleCoventry warehouse and lorry park get the go ahead
A 24/7 lorry park with 173 spaces and a 106,000 sq ft warehouse on Coventry’s Lyons Park industrial estate have both been given planning approval by the local council.Developer Goodman Logistics Developments said the Lyons 106 facility will offer customers high-quality shed space in a strategic Midlands location, with 75% ...
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MT ArticleTruck seized and driver arrested after suspected scrap metal theft
Police in Kent seized a truck after the driver was stopped and arrested in connection with a robbery of scrap metal in Chatham.Rural officers were out working with local partners to tackle fly-tippers when they came across a suspicious vehicle on 27 May.Kent police said the 23-year-old driver was arrested ...
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MT ArticleBirmingham Clean Air Zone to launch on 1 June, operators warned
The country’s second clean air zone (CAZ) launches in Birmingham on Tuesday (1 June) and the BVRLA is reminding fleet operators to assess the impact on their business.Pre-Euro-6 diesel vehicles will be required to pay a daily £50 charge to enter the zone, which lies within the A4540 ring road.Non-compliant ...
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MT ArticleHauliers slam "appalling" standard of rest stops in major new survey
Hauliers have delivered a damning verdict of the security, quality and availability of rest stops in the UK, with most rating them ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’.In a survey of more than 1,000 freight and coach firms, 59% described rest stop facilities on motorways and major A roads as inadequate.A further ...
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MT ArticleGasrec collects 10,000th tanker load of LNG from Isle of Grain terminal
Gasrec has collected the 10,000th tanker load of LNG from the National Grid facility on the Isle of Grain, as demand for the environmentally-friendly fuel soars.In total, 2,149 tankers filled up at the facility in 2020 and it expects utilisation to increase by 80% this year.Nicola Duffin, Grain LNG commercial ...