Latest news – Page 668

  • Article

    Chancellor freezes fuel duty - but no cut leads to 'massive disappointment'

    2013-12-05T12:43:00Z

    Chancellor George Osborne has cancelled the planned fuel duty rise in September 2014, confirming a commitment to a duty freeze he made at the Conservative Party Conference in September.The rise was expected to be 1.61ppl, and in freezing this rise the chancellor will have frozen duty for the duration of ...

  • Article

    DVSA 'unsurprised' by perceptions of Driver CPC

    2013-12-05T10:35:00Z

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) – also still known separately as the Driving Standards Agency and Vosa – has said it is not surprised that under 10% of respondents to its recent Driver CPC consultation felt the new qualification had significantly improved road safety. Last week, a DSA ...

  • Article

    Access to finance still holding transport sector back

    2013-12-05T10:27:00Z

    Over half the transport firms planning to secure bank lending in the next 12 months fear their request will be turned down, according to the results of the latest Close Brothers Business Barometer. Around four in 10 UK transport firms plan to seek lending for business growth in the next ...

  • Article

    TCs underline change in financial standing limits

    2013-12-04T17:05:00Z

    The Office of the Traffic Commissioner has issued a reminder to vehicle operators about the new financial standing levels that will apply from next month. On 1 January, minimum financial standing limits for standard national and international operating licences rise from £7,200 to £7,400 for the first vehicle and ...

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    Article

    Transport Committee cycling debate: a long road ahead

    2013-12-04T12:53:00Z

    Cycle Super HighwayThe Transport Committee’s evidence session on cycling safety appears to have upset some of the pro-cycling groups, seemingly because given the opportunity the assembled MPs didn’t give representatives of the road transport industry the kicking some wanted to see.Certainly David Davies, executive director of the parliamentary advisory counsel ...

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    Article

    Royal Mail workers will not strike during Christmas peak

    2013-12-04T12:43:00Z

    Royal Mail has said its Christmas deliveries will not be affected by industrial action, as it reaches an agreement with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) after weeks of talks.The operator, which last week admitted the threat of industrial action had caused it to lose business to rival carriers, said the ...

  • Article

    Williams-Sonoma chooses Wincanton for UK launch

    2013-12-04T12:37:00Z

    Wincanton has won a contract with homeware retailer Williams-Sonoma, which is launching in the UK this month.The operator’s two-man delivery arm will assemble and deliver furniture to homes across the country when the US retailer opens its first UK store under its West Elm brand this month.The contract will also ...

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    Article

    Should parcel carriers fear Amazon's drone delivery threat?

    2013-12-03T16:33:00Z

    Amazon has revealed that yesterday (2 December) was its busiest day for online orders yet, with shoppers placing an estimated 47 orders per second in the UK. This, plus a record-breaking ‘Black Friday’ last week, means that parcel carriers delivering goods on its behalf are likely to be in for ...

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    Article

    TfL not convinced London lorry ban is a good idea

    2013-12-03T15:35:00Z

    TfL is studying the implications of a peak hours ban on LGVs in the capital, but remains unconvinced of its desirability.Speaking at the Transport Committee’s evidence session on cycling safety yesterday (2 December), Andrew Gilligan, the mayor of London’s cycling commissioner, TfL, said such a ban could have saved the ...

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    Article

    Wincanton wins Paul's Boutique contract

    2013-12-03T15:12:00Z

    Wincanton has won a warehousing and distribution contract with fashion label Paul’s Boutique.The contract will see the operator deliver products to department stores across the UK, as well as store its range of women’s clothing, accessories and perfume.Paul’s Boutique has taken some space at Wincanton’s 500,000ft² shared-user DC in Greenford, ...

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    Article

    Cándido Hermida chooses ND for express pallet deliveries

    2013-12-03T15:11:00Z

    Norbert Dentressangle has won a contract with Spanish yacht furniture manufacturer Cándido Hermida, to transport product between Spain and the UK.ND will provide ‘just in time’ deliveries using a dedicated fleet to Poole, Dorset, where the yachts are produced on tight schedules.Through the operator's Red Europe Express pallet delivery service, ...

  • Article

    Europa Worldwide Logistics opens Leeds site

    2013-12-02T16:21:00Z

    Europa Worldwide Logistics has opened a 2,500 ft² site near Leeds as demand for European imports and exports in the region grow.The site opened on 28 October and is located at Calder Park, close to junction 39 of the M1. It will use local operators to collect and deliver to ...

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    Article

    CV operator numbers continue to decline

    2013-12-02T12:59:00Z

    The decline in the number of O-licences in circulation continues, according to the latest report from the traffic commissioners.The number of licences in issue fell by 3,000 last year, from 84,072 in 2011-12 to 80,894 in 2012-13. Licence numbers have been falling since 1999-2000 when there were 110,067 in circulation, ...

  • Article

    Expansion plans at Miniclipper Logistics

    2013-12-02T12:30:00Z

    MT Partnership Award winner Miniclipper Logistics is planning further expansion and investment after a record performance this year.The Leighton Buzzard operator, which has customers in the chemicals, solar power, soft drink and food ingredients markets, achieved a record turnover of £9.4m in the year to 31 May, up 10% on ...

  • Article

    Maturi makes return to Palletways

    2013-12-02T12:19:00Z

    Julian Maturi, the MD of Palletways when it was sold to its current owner James Wilson in 2004, has returned to the business as an executive director.Ex-Wincanton man Maturi led a management buyout of Palletways backed by 3i in 2002.He then sold the business to Wilson and Phoenix Equity Partners, ...

  • Article

    Asda trains to reduce cycling risk

    2013-12-02T11:35:00Z

    Asda Logistics Services is to give vulnerable road user awareness training to its 2,400 in-house drivers as it looks to reduce the risks of driving in urban areas.The supermarket told MT its move towards small-format stores, boosted by its acquisition of Netto in May 2010, meant drivers were increasingly delivering ...

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    Article

    Iveco unveils Euro-6 Eurocargo middleweight contenders

    2013-12-02T10:30:00Z

    Iveco has unveiled its Euro-6 Eurocargo line up, which follows the Italian manufacturer’s SCR-only policy, with larger four and six-cylinder engines and up to 11,000 ex-factory variations of engine, transmission and chassis options.There is no Stralis-style facelift: the new Eurocargo looks the same as Euro-5 models, inside and out. In ...

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    Article

    Labour enters cycling debate with HGV Safety Charter

    2013-11-29T16:50:00Z

    Ahead of the Transport Committee’s cycling safety evidence sessions next week, Labour has involved itself in the debate with the launch of an HGV Safety Charter.Detailing a series of safety measures it expects hauliers to take to ensure the safety of cyclists after a recent series of deaths on the ...

  • Article

    Over 2,000 FPNs issued in London road safety initiative

    2013-11-29T16:15:00Z

    The Metropolitan Police issued over 2,000 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to cyclists, LGV and car drivers during the first three days of its road safety crackdown in London this weekA combined total of 1,392 FPNs were issued to car and LGV drivers for offences such as skipping red lights, crossing ...

  • Article

    FedEx prepares for 11% increase in Cyber Monday volumes

    2013-11-29T16:14:00Z

    Parcel giant FedEx Express is preparing for its busiest ‘Cyber Monday’ yet, expecting an 11% year-on-year increase in worldwide parcel volumes.It estimates it will move around 22 million parcels on Monday 2 December, which Amazon has warned will be the busiest day for online retail orders. Last year, the operator ...