Industry news – Page 163
-
MT ArticleLondon mayor threatened with legal action over raising congestion charge
Legal action could be taken against London mayor Sadiq Khan after a lawyer issued a pre-action protocol letter on him following the increase of the congestion charge.The letter from Black Antelope law director Shaheen Mamun said the mayor had not engaged in a formal consultation that is adequate and fair ...
-
MT Article
Operators offered one-year "period of grace" to meet financial standing
Operators struggling to meet financial standing can now be offered a period of grace of up to a year to get themselves on a firmer footing, according to transport lawyers.Laura Hadzik, solicitor at Backhouse Jones, said the maximum period had been extended by six months to 12 months “for assessments ...
-
MT ArticleDVSA to update HGV driver training programme in response to fatal accident
The DVSA has confirmed it will add questions to the HGV driver theory test about class VI mirrors, after a coroner raised concerns about the risk of deaths being caused on the roads.In a letter from DVSA chief executive Gareth Llewellyn, he said he would also be recommending that drivers ...
-
MT ArticleNorthern Ireland hauliers demand more clarity over government's Brexit plan
Hauliers in Northern Ireland said they had become “deeply concerned” by the lack of government engagement about how trade will continue between their country and mainland UK after Brexit.With less than seven months until the current Brexit transition period ends, the FTA and other business groups told the House of ...
-
MT Article
RHA welcomes £10bn government support pledge
The RHA has hailed a new government pledge of £10bn to support thousands of businesses by protecting against customer defaults and payment delays.The Trade Credit Reinsurance scheme, agreed following extensive discussions with the insurance sector, will see the vast majority of trade credit insurance coverage maintained across the UK.Commenting, RHA ...
-
MT ArticleFleet service, maintenance and repair levels recovering, claims epyx
Fleet service, maintenance and repair (SMR) has rebounded and is now back up to 60% of pre-coronavirus levels, according to e-commerce provider epyx.The company said it was basing this assessment on usage levels of its vehicle maintenance management tool, 1link Service Network, used by fleets to manage their SMR processes.Tim ...
-
MT ArticleExpiry date of photocard driving licences extended by seven months
The DVLA has confirmed that as of today (4 June), the expiry date of photocard driving licences has been extended by seven months, following a change of EU regulations.It applies to 10-year photocard licences expiring between 1 February and 31 August 2020, as well as five-year Group 2 vocational licences ...
-
MT ArticlePallet networks offer best lifeline to manufacturers, APN boss claims
The Association of Pallet Networks (APN) has claimed it is best placed to help UK manufacturers whose order books have been hit by unpredictable and fluctuating volumes during the Covid-19 pandemic.Explained APN chairman Paul Sanders: “The pallet networks offer many advantages for businesses which are rebuilding their order books and ...
-
MT ArticleMore than a third of HGVs not ready for Direct Vision Standard, survey reveals
Over a third of HGVs operating or entering Greater London are not ready for the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) and HGV Permit Scheme which comes into force in October this year, according to a survey by fleet technology specialists CameraMatics.The survey asked 700 fleet managers how prepared their fleets were ...
-
MT ArticleSixteen percent of operators could cease trading by July, RHA survey reveals
The RHA has repeated its plea for more government help for hauliers, after a new survey revealed 16% of operators are in danger of becoming insolvent within four weeks.The RHA survey of 600 companies also revealed frustration at the government’s furlough system, which operators say is still too inflexible.More than ...
-
MT ArticleAre you breaking the law after Covid-19?
For hauliers who have been obliged to suspend or severely cut back on their operations because of the Covid-19 epidemic, a return to work probably cannot come soon enough. But as Jonathon Backhouse of Backhouse Jones solicitors told motortransport.co.uk, operators need to be aware of possible pitfalls in resuming their ...
-
MT ArticleUK firms target new global markets in wake of Covid-19
A survey of UK companies has found more than half are now considering expanding into new global markets as a result of Covid-19.The findings, commissioned by logistics and e-commerce provider One World Express, also showed that 45% of firms said the pandemic had made them realise they were overly reliant ...
-
MT ArticleApril saw only fifteen commercial vehicles manufactured in UK
Unsurprising and yet stark figures from the SMMT show that just 15 commercial vehicles rolled off GB production lines in April.CV output dropped by 99.3% as plants were forced to close their doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving just a handful of vehicles to leave the factory gates in ...
-
MT ArticleNew Goodyear trailer tyre boasts range of benefits for regional hauliers
Goodyear has introduced a new KMAX T GEN-2 trailer tyre, offering greater mileage, longer life and radio frequency identification (RFID) connectivity.The product range replaces the KMAX T trailer range and complements its premium KMAX GEN-2 steer and drive truck range.Maciej Szymanski, Goodyear marketing director, said: “The KMAX T GEN-2 range ...
-
MT ArticleDVSA extends vehicle testing suspension
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has confirmed that the suspension of annual testing of heavy vehicles has been extended to include vehicles due for test shortly.Vehicles due for their regular annual test in June, together with those which were due in March and subsequently extended to June, will receive ...
-
MT Article“Avoid knee-jerk reactions” – what logistics can learn from Covid-19
Logistics firms need to learn from the Covid-19 pandemic and guard against “knee-jerk reactions”, according to KPMG supply chain expert Maureen O’Shea.Speaking as part of a webinar discussing the future of the sector, she also advised businesses on key recovery strategies and warned them that by fixating on the crisis ...
-
MT ArticleLogistics firms offered free online consultations to help restart their businesses
Free 15-minute consultations for companies emerging from the Covid-19 crisis are being offered on a first come, first served basis.The pre-bookable ‘Flying 15’ sessions will be held online on 5 June and are intended to offer insights into how best to restart trading after lockdown.The consultations have been designed by ...
-
MT ArticleNew Brexit talks must focus on free trade deal, insists FTA
A free trade agreement acceptable to both the UK and EU must be top of the agenda when Brexit talks resume next week, the FTA has urged.On the eve of further negotiations over the future of the relationship between the UK and other European countries, concerns are growing that consensus ...
-
MT ArticleCommercial Motor Show 2020
Commercial Motor is launching an exciting new virtual exhibition for the road transport industry.Held over three days in the autumn, the Commercial Motor Show 2020 will put hundreds of exhibitors in front of a 10,000-plus audience, all without the need for social distancing.Visitors to this free-to-attend event will see the ...
-
MT Article
Prove there's a need for sector-specific support, FTA tells hauliers
FTA policy director Elizabeth de Jong has told motortransport.co.uk that the government needs more proof that some hauliers are close to collapse before it can offer sector-specific support.Her comments come in the wake of an RHA survey showing 73% of hauliers have significantly reduced or worse cashflow following the Covid-19 ...