Industry news – Page 209

  • Article

    UK's first open access Bio-LNG fuelling site opens in Northamptonshire

    2013-05-23T13:20:00Z

    The UK’s first open access Bio-LNG filling station, a blend of liquefied natural gas and liquid biomethane, opened today (23 May) in Daventry.The site, which is operated by alternative fuels firm Gasrec, will operate in the similar way as a traditional petrol station and is capable of storing enough ...

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    Article

    Bridgestone UK app goes global

    2013-05-23T10:58:00Z

    A tyre monitoring app developed by Bridgestone UK that enables users to compare the performance of different tyre brands is being rolled out across other European markets.The Challenge app works by calculating the true cost of tyres over time and shares the performance data with all other users, before ...

  • Article

    Lack of growth in haulage rates confirms industry's fears

    2013-05-22T14:20:00Z

    Growth in haulage rates slowed almost to a halt in the first three months of the year, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).Average haulage rates grew by just 0.1% against a 2005 baseline in the first quarter of 2013, down from 0.2% during the ...

  • Article

    Wincanton secures Pernod Ricard Group contract renewal

    2013-05-21T10:48:00Z

    Wines and spirits supplier Pernod Ricard Group has renewed its UK warehousing and distribution contract with Wincanton, extending their relationship by five years.The operator has provided warehousing, repacking and customer distribution for Pernod Ricard’s brands, which include Absolut, Jameson, Jacob’s Creek and Campo Viejo, since 1995.The new part of the ...

  • Article

    MP calls for windfall tax if price-fixing in oil sector proves widespread

    2013-05-16T15:25:00Z

    A windfall tax should be applied to the UK oil sector with the resulting revenues used to cut fuel duty, if the EC’s investigation into alleged price-fixing confirms widespread malpractice, it has been suggested. Robert Halfon, Conservative MP for Harlow and founder of the PetrolPromise.com campaign, said the EC’s decision ...

  • Article

    FTA Everywoman Awards 2013 winners revealed

    2013-05-16T15:15:00Z

    Wincanton were the big winners at the sixth annual FTA Everywoman awards, picking up Director of the Year and the Motor Transport-sponsored Rising Star award at the ceremony at London's Savoy Hotel.On Thursday 16 May nine awards were given to female role models in the road transport industry, who - ...

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    Article

    UPN reveals identity of first European service provider

    2013-05-16T08:39:00Z

    Trevor Paul from Twente Express (l) and Andrew Spencer from UPN (r)The United Pallet Network has revealed the identity of the first of its European service partners as Brownhills, West Mids-based Twente Express. UPN revealed in April that it had shaken up its existing European coverage in a move ...

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    Article

    Motorway service stations could be forced to display fuel prices

    2013-05-15T15:05:00Z

    The RHA and motorway service area (MSA) operator Moto have welcomed the prime minister’s plans to force service stations to display fuel prices on motorway signs, but the Petrol Retailers' Association (PRA) believes it will push prices up.RHA chief executive Geoff Dunning said the added transparency will help lower fuel ...

  • Article

    EC raids prompt calls for fresh investigation into UK oil sector

    2013-05-15T10:22:00Z

    Calls have been made for further investigations in the UK into alleged price-fixing in the oil industry, after European anti-trust regulators confirmed they had carried out raids on several firms involved in the sector.The raids, which took place on Tuesday 14 May, are reported to have involved BP, Shell, Statoil ...

  • Article

    Fuel transparency bill is killed off; industry to fight on

    2013-05-13T14:07:00Z

    MP Robert Halfon’s fuel price transparency bill has been killed off, having failed to make its passage through parliament in time.Halfon’s bill, which received a successful first reading last October, called for the tax take on fuel to be printed on every forecourt receipt.However, last week the Queen’s Speech heralded ...

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    Article

    Calling all truck, van and trailer rental companies

    2013-05-10T14:59:00Z

    Motor Transport, in partnership with the BVRLA, is currently compiling a ‘who’s who’ of the UK commercial vehicle rental and leasing sector, and we want to hear from every sized player in this market.The data we are collecting will be turned into a supplement featuring the top 250 rental and ...

  • Think Logistics
    Article

    Think Logistics takes off at national launch

    2013-05-10T11:12:00Z

    Almost 100 delegates from road transport operators and training providers last week (9 May) attended the national launch of Think Logistics, an initiative to get school leavers interested in a career in logistics developed by Abbey Logistics MD Steve Granite.Granite and a steering group of half a dozen other operators ...

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    Article

    Women in Logistics awards nominations now open

    2013-05-10T09:24:00Z

    Photograph by: ANG PHOTOGRAPHYWomen in Logistics is urging the industry to put forward nominations for its second awards night, celebrating the achievements of women in transport.The organisation will hold its second charity ball and awards night in September with funds being raised for Transaid, which supports transport in developing countries.Nominations ...

  • Article

    MEPs flesh out plans to cut van emissions

    2013-05-10T08:14:00Z

    MEPs have approved a set of draft legislative amendments outlining rules for reducing the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of vans by 2020. The draft amendments, voted on during the first week of May by the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, are designed to help van manufacturers achieve an average maximum of ...

  • Article

    Vosa to conduct van safety blitz

    2013-05-09T12:23:00Z

    Vosa has confirmed it is planning to significantly increase its enforcement effort on vans.Speaking at the recent FTA Van Excellence Conference, Vosa head of enforcement policy Gordon Macdonald said the agency was “determined to improve van operational standards”.He added that it “makes no secret of its intention to significantly ...

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    Article

    High fuel costs aren't the main reason for failures in logistics

    2013-05-09T07:38:00Z

    The price of fuel has little effect on the profitability of logistics companies and isn’t the primary cause of failures in the industry, the Motor Transport Directors’ Club was told last month.Speaker John Manners-Bell, chief executive of Transport Intelligence, told the gathering of the most senior people in road transport ...

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    Article

    Warehousing: Rent rises as units snapped up

    2013-05-08T09:47:00Z

    Whether they have been forced to consider second-hand space because of a lack of new buildings or prefer it for cost reasons, occupiers have become used to a wide choice of warehouses. Now, however, they are facing a reduced supply.Overall, the amount of second-hand space available in units above 100,000ft² ...

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    Article

    Mail and parcels firms say TV report was "not representative"

    2013-05-07T07:00:00Z

    Two post and parcel carriers at the centre of a recent investigation by Channel 4 programme Dispatches have said they do not believe its findings to be representative of service levels across their operations. In a report broadcast on 29 April, Dispatches showed staff secretly filmed at UK Mail’s Bournemouth ...

  • Article

    Yearsley faces fresh objections to new Peterborough site

    2013-05-06T07:00:00Z

    Yearsley Group is facing fresh objections after submitting a planning application for its new 385,000ft² cold store in Peterborough.The site, which it wants to establish in the Great Haddon Employment Zone, will include a 35m high automated storage facility and will eventually employ some 300 staff, around 220 of whom ...

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    Article

    Online auction site for used trailers launched

    2013-05-03T14:26:00Z

    Trailer hire specialist Hireco has launched a novel way of selling its ex-rental trailers – an eBay-style auction website. Buyers will be able to log in, browse the trailers for sale and make bids, receiving email notifications if they have been outbid before the auction ends.Hireco has a rental fleet ...