All Industry News articles – Page 188
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ArticleTransport for the North to create dedicated freight strategy
Transport for the North (TfN) is to create a dedicated freight and logistics strategy in a bid to boost freight activity and job opportunities in the north of England.TfN, the body formed of stakeholders and authorities from a selection of northern cities as part of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse agenda, ...
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FTA calls for delegated examiners to conduct more driving tests
The FTA has called for so-called ‘delegated examiners’ to be allowed to conduct vocational driving tests in the place of regular DVSA test examiners.The call comes after the government agency cancelled all outstanding training courses for delegated examiners at its Cardington, Bedfordshire, training facility through to the end of March.In ...
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UK share of international traffic falls to new low
UK-registered goods vehicles’ share of the international road freight market has fallen to a fresh low of just 13%, new figures from the DfT have shown. In the year to the end of June, there were 2.3 million journeys recorded from the UK to mainland Europe by powered goods vehicles ...
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EC to decide over German minimum wage this autumn
The European Commission is not expected to decide until this autumn whether to pursue its infringement case against Germany over the imposition of the German minimum wage on hauliers from other nations, an EC spokesman has revealed.The EC launched its infringement procedure with a letter of formal notice in May ...
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European Commission extends deadline for investigation into FedEx-TNT merger
The European Commission (EC) has extended the deadline for the completion of its investigation into FedEx’s proposed acquisition of TNT. The new deadline is 13 January compared with the original 7 December deadline. It came after the two operators requested more time.Ricardo Cardoso, spokesman for competition policy of the EC, ...
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ArticleMore than a third of transport managers to quit within five years
Around 34% of transport managers intend to quit within five years, a new survey from the FTA has found.The figure, based on data collected from 328 transport managers, is a significant increase compared with last year's response to the same question, when 23% of the participants stated their intention to ...
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ArticleExchanging Places celebrates 20,000th participant
TfL and the Metropolitan Police have celebrated a milestone in their Exchanging Places venture, which welcomed its 20,000th participant at a cycling festival in London last week. The joint-funded initiative allows members of the public to climb into the cab of an HGV to better understand what drivers can and ...
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Longer semi-trailer trial achieves new high
The highest recorded number of longer semi-trailers are either on the road or will be soon, months into the fourth year of the government’s longer semi-trailer trial.Latest figures from a report by Risk Solutions show that 91% (1,641) of the trial’s target of 1,800 trailers are registered on Vehicle Special ...
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ArticleScotland approves new rail freight terminal
Plans for a new international rail freight terminal at Mossend in Bellshill have been approved by Scottish ministers. The new Mossend International Railfreight Park (MIRP) will expand the existing Mossend railhead run by PD Stirling and will be able to accommodate the latest 775 metre-long electric freight trains, said the ...
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Government stacks up further problems over Calais disruption
The DfT has declined to confirm the contents of a document sent to transport minister Andrew Jones by Kent County Council, which reportedly calls for nearly £300m of extra funding to be put into additional infrastructure to relieve the M20 during Operation Stack. According to The Independent, the taskforce – ...
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Trade bodies to collaborate on industry-promoting organisation
Industry bodies are to collaborate on a new joint initiative to promote the road haulage industry, with a focus on improving its public image and attracting more employees.The new organisation, to be formed by the RHA, FTA, CILT and Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE), was the outcome of a ...
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ArticleEC to investigate FedEx's takeover of TNT Express
The European Commission has launched what it terms an “in-depth” investigation into the proposed acquisition of TNT Express by FedEx. Announcing the move, the EC said it had “concerns that on a number of European markets for international express and regular small packaged deliveries, the merged entity would face insufficient ...
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ArticleHauliers should not receive stowaway fines until Calais situation is resolved
Haulage firms and their drivers who unwittingly transport migrants into the UK inside their vehicles should not be fined until the chaos at Calais is rectified, according to a law firm.Moore Blatch said drivers and their employers were facing a health and safety issue fuelled by intimidation, personal violence and ...
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ArticleConduct an energy audit or you could face a significant financial penalty, warns expert
ShutterstockTransport and logistics firms who have not yet taken steps to comply with the requirements of the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) Regulations 2014 must act now or face up to a £50,000 fine, an expert has warned.The regulations, brought in as a consequence of the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive, ...
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ArticleSupply chain operatives apprenticeship gets green light after HGV driver disappointment
The government has given the greenlight to a supply chain operatives apprenticeship just days after it rejected the HGV driver apprenticeship. Both schemes were put forward by an industry-led working group of employers supported by the FTA, RHA and CILT under the government’s Trailblazer apprenticeship initiative.However the HGV Driver apprenticeship ...
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"Little or nothing" been done to protect hauliers in Calais from "sheer volume" of migrants
A risk management company has warned that “little or nothing” is being done to protect the employees of haulage firms in Calais – and the warning signs are there that violence in the area could escalate.Nathan Monshin, director of international risk at risk management specialist Spherical International, told Motortransport.co.uk, after ...
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ArticleBVRLA membership surges to 10-year high
The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) gained over 70 new members in the first half of this year. Among the 73 firms to have joined since January are Arrow Self Drive, Asset Finance Solutions, MV Commercial and North East Truck & Van.The association’s membership has now reached a ...
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DVLA check time goes to 21 days
The DVLA has extended the time period that third parties can view a driver’s licence records via an online code from 72 hours to 21 days in a “victory for common sense”.This move has been welcomed by industry, but online licence checking still remains a contentious issue among firms needing ...
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ArticleStowaway damage could cost £1bn, says RHA
The cost of spoiled loads as a result of stowaways getting into UK-bound vehicles could be as high as £1bn a year, the RHA has estimated. Assuming an average value of £30,000 per trailer, that total could be reached if just 1% of the 10,000 loads crossing the Channel every ...
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ArticleIndustry welcomes Calais safe zone, but wants more
Trade associations have welcomed plans for a new secure zone in Calais for UK-bound HGVs but highlighted that more needs to be done to deal with the migrant crisis that has erupted in recent weeks. Home secretary Theresa May told parliament last week: “A secure waiting area for 230 vehicles ...