Industry news – Page 144
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MT ArticleHauliers "90% border-ready", say Portsmouth police as Brexit operation is downscaled
Police in Hampshire said “a massive effort” from haulage operators meant it would be downscaling its A31 HGV triage operation early.The EU Exit strategy, known as Operation Transmission, involved lorries pulling off the motorway network and getting their papers checked in advance of reaching Portsmouth International Port.But with eight of ...
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MT ArticleRent DVS-compliant trucks to avoid heavy fines, hauliers told
HGV operators not yet compliant with the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) should consider renting trucks to avoid thousands of pounds in fines, according to Enterprise Flex-E-Rent.Following concerns raised by telematics provider SmartWitness that with only days to go, less than 20% of vehicles comply with the DVS, the CV rental ...
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MT ArticleSlump in HGV registrations blamed on Covid and bumper 2019
New HGV registrations plummeted by more than 32% last year, according to SMMT figures.The decline, which led to the weakest demand since 2010, was attributed not only to the coronavirus pandemic but also a bumper 2019, when new smart tachograph legislation prompted a 12.6% increase in registrations.The figures showed that ...
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MT ArticleScania 540 S wins two comparison tests run by European trade press
Scania's 540 S tractor has come top of two comparison tests run in Germany by European trade magazines.The manufacturer won both the 1000 Punkte Test (1000 Point Test) and European Truck Challenge (ETC).The two tests are said to be among the most established for commercial heavy trucks in the worldCab-related ...
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MT ArticlePlans for Peterborough logistics park could create 150 jobs, says developer Firethorn Trust
Firethorn Trust is looking to build a 500,000sq ft logistics park in Peterborough with plans to open it in the summer of 2022.The £60m Kingston Park development is expected to create 150 jobs, according to the company.Peter Mather, a partner at Firethorn Trust, said: “Peterborough is one of the fastest ...
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MT ArticleDAF Trucks grows market share as demand rises
DAF Trucks has delivered the second largest market share its history.Last year saw it register 37,580 trucks in a total European heavy-duty market of 230,400 vehicles, resulting in a share of 16.3% (2019: 16.2%).In the same period, DAF Trucks’ market share of the European medium-duty truck market, which totalled 41,400 ...
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MT ArticleRHA offers TIR webinar to members looking to avoid customs problems
Hauliers looking to avoid post-Brexit border disruption are invited to an RHA seminar on the TIR international customs transit system tomorrow (17 February).TIR, which operates across all EU countries and beyond, helps hauliers to avoid the use of national transit procedures through the use of customs-sealed containers.It is operated by ...
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MT ArticleHMRC publishes advice on how to meet new tax rules on self-employed drivers
Advice aimed at helping operators stay on the right side of new tax laws has been published by HMRC today (15 February).The briefing document sets out how it will monitor organisations engaging drivers and other contractors who work through their own limited company when new tax rules kick in.Under the ...
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MT ArticleRenegotiate Brexit terms with EU or face collapse of Northern Ireland trade, government warned
ParcelHero is calling on the government to take urgent action as official figures reveal over a third of UK importers are struggling at borders and Northern Ireland trade is in a downward spiral.The latest ONS economy report highlights soaring problems at customs and a crisis developing in the province.Transport costs, ...
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MT ArticleLogistics UK to join government's Brexit Business Taskforce
Logistics UK has been invited to join the government’s Brexit Business Taskforce, providing advice about how logistics can overcome challenges posed by new trading arrangements.It said the invitation, made by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, was in recognition of the group’s work helping the government to ...
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MT ArticleEnd consumers would foot bill for new online tax, ParcelHero claims
An online sales tax to level the playing field between high street and online purchases would be passed straight on to customers, ParcelHero has warned.It said home shoppers should not be duped into footing the bill for the impact of Covid-19, after 18 high street retail bosses called for online ...
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MT ArticleGovernment gives councils £500m to fix ten million potholes
The government has given councils £500m to fix potholes in the country’s roads, after research found motorists believe them to be a bigger problem than drink driving.The Department for Transport has allocated the money for highways maintenance, with the funding expected to fix the equivalent of 10m potholes.It is the ...
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MT ArticleHGV driver on M4 caught holding mobile phones to both ears
An HGV driver was caught holding two mobile phones – one to each ear – as he drove along the M4 in his 44-tonne vehicle.The incident was one of more than 100 offences Avon and Somerset police spotted last week on motorways and described as “appalling, unacceptable and dangerous”.It was ...
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MT ArticleOnline shoppers create £2.4bn 'lockdown logjam' of unreturned goods
Online shoppers have urged retailers to clarify returns policies and offer longer returns windows after a new survey revealed consumers are sitting on a potential £2.4bn of unreturned goods.The 'lockdown logjam' has been worsened by lockdowns restrictions, the research by locker network InPost found, making returning unwanted items much harder.Over ...
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MT ArticleP&O Ferries offers free food, discounts and upgrades to freight drivers
P&O Ferries has launched a new initiative providing free food, shopping discounts and cabin upgrades to freight drivers.The move is aimed at raising awareness of their contribution to keeping the economy moving.Under its 'Free Food February for Freight Drivers' initiative, those sailing on P&O between Dover and Calais can have ...
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MT ArticleDirect Vision Standard - a good idea at the worst possible time?
Have you met a professional driver who is not concerned about road safety? All of us who have driven a 16.5m or 18.75m long vehicle in city traffic are acutely aware of the additional hazards presented by pedestrians and cyclists around us, particularly in poor visibility. If the Direct Vision ...
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MT ArticleDemand for agency drivers soaring, Aquarius data reveals
Road transport software specialist Aquarius is reporting a marked increase in the number of agency drivers being employed by its UK customers during the pandemic.Demand in November and December 2020 rose by 74% compared to the same period in the previous year, according to data from the company’s ClockWatcher Elite ...
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MT ArticleParcel deliveries could be hit by shortage of 'beige gold', ParcelHero warns
Cardboard packaging has become so scarce it’s now dubbed ‘beige gold’, according to ParcelHero.The home delivery specialist is warning that the shortage, driven by the surge in online shopping during the pandemic, could lead to damaged parcels, increased costs and delays to home deliveries.ParcelHero’s head of consumer research, David Jinks, ...
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MT ArticleBrexit and Covid-19 remain top trading challenges for 2021, new MT research reveals
Brexit complexities and the impact of Covid-19 continue to be the biggest challenges for operators during 2021, according to a brand-new report by MT and sister title Commercial Motor.The 'Hot Topic: Industry Insight 2021' report asks industry readers their thoughts on a range of topics affecting trading conditions, as well ...
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MT ArticleCrimestoppers enlists hauliers in fight against people smuggling
Crimestoppers is appealing to hauliers to help stop people smuggling with the launch of a hard-hitting campaign.The campaign - "Say no to people smuggling" - is calling on HGV drivers to report any suspicious activity they see and follows the recent jailing of seven men for a total of 92 ...