Latest Industry news – Page 217

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Bulk diesel price on course for record high

2013-02-26T10:45:00Z

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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OFT hits Mercedes-Benz and three CV dealers with £2.6m fine

2013-02-21T17:34:00Z

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 ...

Article

International operators could face higher ferry prices

2013-02-20T17:18:00Z

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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DfT holds out for longer-semi trailer adoption

2013-02-20T07:23:00Z

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 ...

Article

European backload rates fall

2013-02-19T16:45:00Z

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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Vote on truck noise leaves current limit in place

2013-02-14T14:57:00Z

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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RHA urges chancellor to consider diesel prices and rates in Budget

2013-02-14T11:59:00Z

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 ...

Article

Do you deliver at night?

2013-02-13T15:03:00Z

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 ...

Article

Lack of innovation thwarting operators' push for better rates

2013-02-13T13:55:00Z

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 ...

Article

Deadline for Everywoman in Transport and Logistics extended

2013-02-12T14:21:00Z

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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News Extra: Sprinter's safety credentials reinforced in latest model

2013-02-12T08:46:00Z

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 ...

Article

LHVs 'no less safe' than regular trucks

2013-02-06T17:38:00Z

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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News Extra: Prolonged recession deepens concern over industry prospects

2013-02-06T10:25:00Z

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 ...

Article

Further blind spot research required to tackle cycle safety

2013-02-05T12:14:00Z

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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DSA scraps changes to CPC training approvals process after criticism

2013-02-04T11:05:00Z

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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Fuel duty battle is industry's must win

2013-02-04T10:05:00Z

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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Bigger, better MT.co.uk launches today

2013-02-01T12:30:00Z

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 ...

Article

Commercial vehicles key to reducing emissions

2013-01-31T12:56:00Z

Commercial vehicles have “a very big role” to play in reducing road transport carbon emissions in the future, according to the head of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LCVP).Speaking to Motortransport.co.uk after an event this week (29 January) marking the tenth anniversary of the public-private partnership, LCVP MD Andy Eastlake ...

Article

Privatise road network, says CBI

2013-01-31T10:36:00Z

The only way to ensure the long-term health of the UK’s ailing roads network and plug a £10bn funding shortfall is to wrest control away from the government, a new CBI report has claimed.With the economy already losing up to £8bn a year in congestion related costs, the report, titled: ...

Article

Disappointment as OFT says there will be no fuel market investigation

2013-01-30T11:06:00Z

The founder of campaign group PetrolPromise has expressed his disappointment after the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) decided against launching an investigation into the UK petrol and diesel market.Campaign founder Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow, said: "I am grateful to the OFT for their work. But it is disappointing that ...