All Industry News articles – Page 147
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Pallet networks remain one of the sector's most attractive investments, says Palletways boss
A continuing appetite among private equity and the entry of trade buyers into the sector is proof of the enduring attraction of the pallet network model, according to Palletways CEO James Wilson.Speaking to motortransport.co.uk, the man behind modern Palletways who retires from his role at the end of this month, ...
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DVSA boosts staff numbers as it struggles to tackle VED backlog created by IT glitch
The DVSA has been forced to take on extra staff to address a backlog of annual test results created by an IT glitch that has prevented hauliers from paying their Vehicle Excise Duty (VED).The IT problem at DVSA, which began in March, came to light last month after RHA received ...
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ArticleDVSA mulls self-testing for Earned Recognition operators
The DVSA is considering allowing operators within its Earned Recognition scheme to conduct their own annual tests.Speaking to motortransport.co.uk at last month’s Microlise Transport Conference, Marian Kitson, director of enforcement at the DVSA, said: “The minister is telling us he is not confident of the ability of the industry to ...
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DfT issued less than half of its haul of vital EU haulage permits to international operators, despite huge demand
Hauliers have criticised the DfT over the way it allocated European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) permits after motortansport.co.uk discovered that it issued less than half of the UK’s share.The permits are the only device that will allow international hauliers to operate on the continent if the UK leaves ...
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ArticleEuropa Worldwide Group spends £2m on expanding Dartford hub's storage ready for Brexit
Europa Worldwide Group has spent £2m expanding its Dartford hub to cope with any customs backlog after Brexit.The company, which is celebrating its fourth anniversary at its Dartford headquarters, fast-tracked plans to expand the 86,509sq ft facility to ensure it was "Brexit ready".Under the recently completed expansion programme, the central ...
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ArticleMichael Ellis replaces Jesse Norman as transport minister at DfT
Michael Ellis has been appointed minister of state for transport, taking over the role from Jesse Norman, who has joined the Treasury after two years at the DfT.Ellis previously served as parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from Jan 2018 to May ...
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ArticleFTA and RHA blast Welsh minister's decision to scrap M4 relief road build
The industry's leading trade associations have slammed the Welsh government’s decision to ditch plans for a £1.4m M4 relief road, announced today (4 June).The scheme would have seen a new 14-mile stretch of motorway built, parallel to the existing M4 motorway between J23A at Magor to junction 29 at Castleton, ...
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ArticleNew book reveals inside story of how TNT and Murdoch broke the union stranglehold over Fleet Street
A new book telling the inside story of how TNT UK worked with newspaper publisher Rupert Murdoch to break the union stranglehold on Fleet Street has already been reprinted.‘The man who never sleeps’ is the autobiography of Tom Bell OBE, then MD of TNT UK, who famously ran trucks across ...
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Truck drivers 'worst affected' by air pollution
HGV drivers have the highest overall exposure to air pollution and yet are being overlooked in the air quality debate, according to scientists at King’s College London.Research by environmental charity Hubbub in cooperation with the college and The Times newspaper examined how poor air quality affected people living and working ...
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Hauliers must use apprenticeship funding or lose it to the Treasury, warns training provider
Millions of pounds of unspent apprenticeship funding is in danger of being diverted into the Treasury’s coffers, with many operators unaware that they can transfer a quarter of their funding to subcontractors to help pay for their apprenticeship schemes.The warning came from Tony Higgins, MD of SP Training, a Carlisle ...
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Sign up now for our webinar explaining how smart tachograph technology will affect you
Motortransport.co.uk's sister title Commercial Motor is running a free webinar session, which will explain everything you need to know about smart tachograph technology.Next month sees the biggest change in tachograph legislation in 12 years, with the introduction of the new generation of on-board, mandatory digital recorders to enforce drivers’ hours ...
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ArticleHGV registrations surge by more than a fifth in the first quarter
HGV registrations surged by more than a fifth (21%) to 11,859 units in the first quarter of 2019, according to the SMMT.Registrations of rigids at 6,339 units showed a close to 13% increase year on year, while artics were the star performer with registrations close to a third higher (32.3%) ...
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CNG Fuels to pump out another five biomethane gas stations this year
Natural gas fuel supplier CNG Fuels is set to open five new natural gas refuelling stations this year.The move follows a 300% rise in demand for the company's renewable biomethane compressed natural gas (Bio-CNG) fuel last year.The five new public access stations will be located in Warrington, Erdington, Northampton, ...
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Microlise conference audience highlights new technology as biggest opportunity
The audience of 1,200 industry professionals at the 2019 Microlise transport conference voted new technology as the biggest opportunity for the road transport industry.The post-conference report also reveals that delegates believe the skills shortage is by far the biggest challenge facing the industry. One thing employers are doing is looking ...
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ArticleSerious Fraud Office investigating "aspects" of biodiesel trading at Greenergy
Greenergy, one of the UK’s largest suppliers of transport fuel, is being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) concerning "certain aspects" of biodiesel trading.The investigation, which is being carried out jointly by the SFO and Dutch authorities, has seen a number of sites, including five of Greenergy's UK sites, ...
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ArticleAxis Fleet Management collapses into administration and ceases trading
Contract hire and rental firm Axis Fleet Management has entered administration and ceased trading.Insolvency experts at FRP Advisory were appointed to the company, with a head office in Long Hanborough, Oxfordshire on 10 May.In a statement from the administrators it said “challenging trading conditions resulted in cash flow difficulties and ...
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Finalists revealed for everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards 2019
A shorlist of 46 individuals makes up this year’s 2019 everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards programme, with the winners set to be announced at an awards ceremony in London on 13 June at the Grosvenor House HotelFor the past 12 years, the awards have celebrated the UK’s brightest ...
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ArticleBibby Distribution's Mark Field named Microlise Driver of the Year 2019
Bibby Distribution driver Mark Field (pictured with host Quentin Willson) has been named Microlise Driver of the Year 2019.He also scooped the short distance category, aimed at drivers who regularly undertake journeys of up to 30,000 miles per year.The medium distance category was won by Ceva Logistics’ driver Jonathan Phillips, ...
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ArticleIT failure at DVSA frustrating operators' efforts to tax vehicles
An IT issue at DVSA, which is preventing annual test data from being processed, has left dozens of operators struggling to pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED).The RHA said this week that it has been contacted by a number of RHA members struck by the problem, which appears to affect vehicles ...
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Volkswagen revives Traton Group IPO
Volkswagen's plans to sell Traton Group, which contains the Scania and MAN brands, have been revived.Following a board meeting yesterday (13 May 2019), Volkswagen announced that the IPO will go ahead "before the summer break, depending on further developments on capital markets".The move comes just days after Traton delivered record ...