All Industry News articles – Page 270
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MT Article
OFT continues investigation into sale of Mercedes vehicles
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has confirmed it is still investigating two further alleged infringements of competition law, as part of the investigation it began in 2010 into Mercedes-Benz UK and five of its commercial vehicle dealers.Last week the OFT revealed it had reached a settlement with Mercedes-Benz ...
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MT Article
Online retailers should increase number of delivery options, says GFS
Global Freight Solutions (GFS) has called on online retailers to increase the number of delivery options they offer consumers and consider using more third party carriers, as demand from internet shoppers and pressure on carrier capacity continues to grow.The GFS Review 2012 shows that B2B volumes fell by 2% ...
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MT ArticleFTA call on chancellor to cut fuel duty, while ensuring HGV levy is fair
TfL has set up a dedicated Freight Delivery UnitBoth the FTA and the RHA have now urged the chancellor to prioritise cutting fuel duty and ensuring the HGV Road User Levy does not negatively impact on UK operators.Revealing its submission ahead of the Budget next month, the FTA said it ...
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MT ArticleBulk diesel price on course for record high
fuel pump in tankThe average price of a litre of bulk diesel is just 0.75p off the all-time record set at the end of March last year, according to a survey of Road Haulage Association members.Nick Deal, manager of logistics development at the RHA, explained that the falling exchange ...
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MT Article
OFT hits Mercedes-Benz and three CV dealers with £2.6m fine
Mercedes-Benz and three of its commercial vehicle dealers – Ciceley, Road Range and Enza - have admitted infringing competition law and agreed to pay settlements totalling £2.6m, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has revealed.A fourth dealer, Northside, has also admitted infringing competition law but will avoid any fine due ...
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MT Article
International operators could face higher ferry prices
Cross-channel rail services supplier Groupe Eurotunnel has said it will challenge the Competition Commission over its provisional findings that passengers and freight customers could face higher prices because of its expansion into ferry services on the Dover-Calais route. The Competition Commission said yesterday (19 February) that it believed Eurotunnel’s ...
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MT ArticleDfT holds out for longer-semi trailer adoption
Wincanton was one of the first operators to have an LST on the roadThe DfT has said a decision will be made in due course on the rigidity of the December deadline for operators to take up their allocations of longer semi-trailers as part of the government’s 10-year trial.It comes ...
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MT Article
European backload rates fall
International operators suffered due to weak rates during Christmas 2012 due to the recession across most of the Continent, according to an online international backloads service.The latest Freightex European Road Freight Rate Index, based on the price paid per load between November 2012 and January 2013, revealed that rates ...
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MT Article
Vote on truck noise leaves current limit in place
Proposals to reduce the maximum noise limit of heavy trucks have been rejected by a plenary session in the European Parliament. Although MEPs in the EU Parliament’s Environment Committee approved a proposal in December that would see most newly registered heavy road-going trucks restricted over an eight-year period to a ...
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MT Article
RHA urges chancellor to consider diesel prices and rates in Budget
Rates pressure, diesel prices and lorry road user levy revenues are among the points the RHA wants the chancellor to consider ahead of the Budget (20 March).Rates remain a ‘key concern’ , with members noting that a significant increase in fuel prices would not push them to raise rates as ...
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MT Article
Do you deliver at night?
Motortransport.co.uk would like to hear from any operators and retailers that currently make or receive deliveries at night.Perhaps you tried out-of-hours deliveries for the first time during the Olympics and are now continuing to operate outside of the traditional delivery window. You may transport goods in a specific sector that ...
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MT Article
Lack of innovation thwarting operators' push for better rates
New research suggests operators’ expectations of growth this year could be hamstrung by a lack of innovation within the road transport sector.The latest UK Logistics Confidence Index, conducted by Analytiqa, for Barclays and Grant Thornton reveals that more than half of respondents (53%) expect profits to increase in the next ...
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MT Article
Deadline for Everywoman in Transport and Logistics extended
The deadline for entry into the FTA Everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards has been extended.Those seeking to enter the competition, which recognises the achievements of women within logistics, now have until 5pm on the 18 February to do so.Maxine Benson, co-founder of Everywoman, said: “The annual awards, sponsored this ...
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MT ArticleNews Extra: Sprinter's safety credentials reinforced in latest model
Mercedes-Benz is incorporating a host of safety features in its new Sprinter. Always keen to ensure it makes vehicle safety a core quality of its van range, Mercedes is to fit some of the latest developments from passenger car and truck part boxes to ensure the Sprinter ...
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MT ArticleLHVs 'no less safe' than regular trucks
There is no indication that longer, heavier vehicles (LHVs) are less safe than regular vehicles, a new report by Volvo Trucks has confirmed. Based on an analysis of data from the STRADA (Swedish Traffic Accident Data Acquisition) programme, truck combinations up to 25.25m long with a maximum weight of ...
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MT Article
News Extra: Prolonged recession deepens concern over industry prospects
They say you have to be an optimist to work in road transport, but the last 12 months of tough trading have taxed even those who always try to see the glass half full.The latest UK Logistics Confidence Index* compiled for Barclays and corporate finance adviser Grant Thornton showed overall ...
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MT ArticleFurther blind spot research required to tackle cycle safety
A new report has called into question the effectiveness of safety mirrors fitted to LGVs as a means of preventing accidents involving cyclists.Research carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) for the Construction Logistics and Cyclist Safety report found that even when different types of LGV were fitted with ...
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MT ArticleDSA scraps changes to CPC training approvals process after criticism
The DSA is to work with the industry to develop a revised process for approving Driver CPC training courses.The move was agreed at a meeting last week between the DSA, trade associations and training providers, which was arranged after the FTA raised concerns about changes to the process being proposed ...
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MT Article
Fuel duty battle is industry's must win
The decision by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) not to investigate the £47bn UK oil sector is simply a side-show, and the need to tackle the punishingly high rate of fuel duty remains paramount, campaigners have said.James Hookham, MD of policy and communications at the FTA, said: “This report ...
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MT ArticleBigger, better MT.co.uk launches today
As Motortransport.co.uk celebrates its first birthday, we have enhanced and improved the site, bringing you additional content that you can only read online.To ensure we continue to provide you with the most relevant news and content to help you and your organisation stay on top of developments in the road ...