Latest news – Page 353
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VMS Fleet Management buys Western Truck Rental
VMS Fleet Management has acquired southwest-based rental, contract hire and sales business Western Truck Rental for an undisclosed sum.VMS said the acquisition will allow Western to grow and expand while continuing to serve existing customers from its base in the Southwest of England.The deal sees VMS take immediate control of ...
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Yusen Logistics launches Milton Keynes shared-user facility
Yusen Logistics has launched operations from its new shared-user warehousing and distribution facility in Wolverton, Milton Keynes.The new distribution facility is part of the company’s five-year drive to expand its UK presence. Dubbed Transform 2025, the strategy aims to see the company double in size over the next five years.Read ...
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Visit the CV Show 2020 to learn about the future of road transport
Motor Transport has teamed with the CV Show to bring visitors to the show a Future Transport Theatre to examine some of the big issues facing road transport.Taking place on every day of the show which runs from April 28 to 30 at the Birmingham NEC, the Future Transport Theatre ...
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S Walker Transport ceases trading
Redditch-based S Walker Transport has closed down after almost three decades in business, with the loss of 39 jobs.Administrators from Leonard Curtis were appointed to the firm on 25 February “following a cessation of trade” and are now involved in winding down the company.A statement from Leonard Curtis said: “The ...
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No 11th hour U-turn on IR35, HMRC review confirms
Hopes for an 11th hour U-turn on IR35 have been dashed this week after an HMRC review confirmed that the proposed tax changes - which could see driver agency rates leap by 20% - will go ahead from April.The IR35 review, dubbed Review of Changes to the Off-payroll Working Rules, ...
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CM Downton seals deal with Smurfit Kappa
CM Downton has sealed “a multi-million pound” contract with Smurfit Kappa, transporting packaging products from two manufacturing sites in the south west.The EV Cargo-owned company said the three-year deal will help boost efficiency, reduce empty mileage and streamline transport operations.It said load fill would be maximised by its investment in ...
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Government reviews £25bn Roads Programme following Heathrow ruling
The government’s £25bn Roads Programme is facing delays while the DfT reappraises the strategy in the light of the recent Court of Appeal ruling on plans to expand Heathrow.The review could result in some major road schemes, including plans to expand the Smart Motorway programme, delayed or scrapped altogether.The five-year ...
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FORS seeks clarification from Traffic Commissioner over audit criticism
Kevin RooneyFORS – the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme – has contacted the Traffic Commissioner (TC) for the west of England, Kevin Rooney, to "seek clarification on comments that its audits had on occasion fallen short of a diligent, high-standard process"."Remarks published in recent press reports suggest that a FORS member ...
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AS24 launches tracker to combat trailer theft
HGV service provider AS24 has launched a low-power tracker to combat trailer theft.The 'FindIT' device has been developed after an ONS study revealed that thefts involving transport companies increased by 7% last year.The new battery-powered technology features a "low-cost box", which can be fitted in five minutes, the company said.The ...
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Hermes pledges £1m to help couriers in coronavirus self-isolation
The GMB union has praised Hermes for pledging £1m to support self-employed workers if they need to self-isolate as a result of the coronavirus.Hermes confirmed it will help find someone to deliver on a courier's behalf and guarantee that their rounds will be kept open for them for when they ...
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Circle Express back in profit after move to fleet HP agreements
Cost-saving initiatives helped nudge Circle Express into the black last year, after it reported a pre-tax profit of £26,000.The express delivery company also saw turnover fall from £29.2m to £28.9m in the year ending 31 March 2019.However, it returned to profitability after reporting a pre-tax loss of £595,000 in 2018.In ...
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Haulage industry pivotal to keep this country running during coronavirus outbreak
Health secretary Matt Hancock has announced that he is confident food supplies will not run out in the event of a prolonged outbreak of coronavirus.There already seems to be sporadic so-called panic buying. I’ve noticed empty shelves where the own-brand paracetamol and ibuprofen used to be down at the local ...
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Palletforce sets sights on international expansion
Palletforce has launched five new direct services to Aegean and Baltic countries after experiencing “unprecedented growth” in international volumes.The routes to Greece, Turkey, Latvia, Lithuania and Croatia bring the number of international services operated by Palletforce to 30.It added that a further 10 countries could be added in the next ...
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Wilko workers "furious" over plans to cut sick pay
Wilko is planning to reduce sick pay for its distribution and retail workers in a bid to tackle absence levels that were twice the industry standard.The home and garden retailer said high sickness absence levels were “a real concern” and it wanted to take steps to bring the company sick ...
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Michelin to raise £25,000 for Transaid through cycle challenge sponsorship
Michelin has pledged to fundraise £25,000 for charity Transaid after renewing its membership with the international development organisation.The renewal extends a relationship that began when Transaid was founded by Save the Children, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK) in 1998.Michelin intends to fundraise the money in cycle challenge ...
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Rail Minister opens Maritime's new strategic rail freight interchange at SEGRO Logistics Park, East Midlands Gateway
(Left to right) Sir John Peace, Midlands Engine; John Williams, Maritime; Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris and David Sleath, SEGRORail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris has officially opened Maritime's new strategic rail freight interchange at SEGRO Logistics Park, East Midlands Gateway.The MP was joined by representatives from Maritime Transport and SEGRO, and more ...
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Hydrogen drought in Scotland's Central Belt ended with Edinburgh refuelling station
A new public hydrogen refuelling station has opened at Wallyford, less than a mile off the A1 and 8 miles to the east of Edinburgh.The Logan Energy station supplies vans, trucks and buses with hydrogen at 350 bar; it is the first in Scotland’s Central Belt and the only hydrogen ...
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David Hathaway Transport doubled profits before Kinaxia buyout
David Hathaway Transport increased profits by more than 52% before it was acquired by Kinaxia last year, recently published results show.The Bristol-based transport, storage and haulage contractor made a pre-tax profit of £688,000 in the year ending 31 May 2019, compared with £451,000 the year before.Turnover also rose by 11% ...
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Massey Wilcox blames wage costs on profits dip
Latest figures from Massey Wilcox show that it increased revenue by 8.3% but profits fell as it struggled to pass on running costs, particularly wages.For the year ending 31 May 2019, it reported a turnover of £12m, up from £11.1m the year before.Pre-tax profit reduced by 24% to £638,000, with ...
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Premier Logistics switches strategy after CVA
A back-to-basics approach has helped Premier Logistics to successfully trade through its 18-month Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), the company has revealed.The haulier said it is now ready to compete on a level footing after restructuring its finances in 2018 via a CVA in the face of a £5.7m shortfall to ...