All Opinion articles
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Resource planning software for the transport industry: no longer just for the big boys
Operators and suppliers in the transport and distribution industry are fast becoming aware of the benefits associated with using an efficient enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, but they can be forgiven for not fully understanding how to select a solution that best fits their business model. In ...
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How transport and logistics providers can drive successful post-M&A integration
The transport sector has been operating under turbulent conditions for the past few years, facing substantial cost increases amid unprecedented global pressures and economic and social disruption. These circumstances come amid wider transformation in the sector, as emerging EV technologies, cleaner vehicle fleet options, and innovations posed by artificial intelligence ...
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Why hauliers are turning to asset disposal specialists to sell used vehicles
Hauliers are facing the challenge of disposing of their ageing vehicles to generate funds to invest in new, more efficient models.
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Driver CPC changes good news for transport industry
We are firm believers that Driver CPC is a good thing, for people in logistics and for the wider public as it creates a more efficient and safer industry.
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Skills investment will be needed to future-proof supply chains
Alongside a number of RHA colleagues, I attended the Labour Party conference this week. It provided a unique opportunity for us to engage with decision-makers on behalf of our members and to highlight the criticality of our sector to the nation’s economy. Throughout the main speeches and the various fringe ...
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The need for radical transformation in the transportation of goods
We all recognise that transportation of goods needs to be more sustainable. Stats show that the logistics sector is the source of just over a third of global CO2 emissions, so it’s critical our industry prioritises this issue and plays an active role in driving proactive change. ...
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Prevent insolvency by knowing the warning signs
Business insolvency is a multi-faceted issue driven by a range of concerns, from a lack of meaningful management information to a bad corporate culture. These problems need scrutinising closely to understand the leading drivers of a fleet operators’ insolvency. Doing so can offer a chance of recovery, providing liquidation isn’t ...
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Business Distress Index – where does the transport & logistics sector rank?
The Business Distress Index, released quarterly by Real Business Rescue, paints a picture of the financial health of UK SMEs across various sectors, including industrial transportation and logistics. It fleshes out the journey travelled by each sector under a range of trading conditions influenced by external factors, such as the ...
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A ZEV mandate for HGVs: opportunity or disaster?
HGVs account for over 6% of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions, placing a significant responsibility on our sector to decarbonise. The transition to zero-emission vehicles is well underway, with every OEM already growing its electric vehicle portfolio. So, what would a ZEV mandate for HGVs mean for OEMs already facing the ...
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How haulage firms can combat rising costs
The number of businesses in the road transport sector entering administration has more than trebled over the past three years, with 68 companies going under in the first half of 2024 alone, compared with 20 in the first six months of 2022. One of the most recent ...
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IT systems can only take you so far - then it needs the human touch
In recent years, the logistics industry has witnessed a significant influx of IT solutions enter the marketplace. The industry’s rapid adoption of such technology has undoubtedly propelled it into the 21st Century, enabling operators to remove the complexities associated with outdated or inefficient manual processes at a ...
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Consolidation a catalyst for growth but proceed with caution
Resilience has been the business buzzword of recent years – and no more so than in the world of supply chain and logistics. Weathering storms from the pandemic to the cost-of-living crisis, businesses have been operating within a volatile global market, becoming increasingly agile to constantly evolving circumstances. Disrupted transport ...
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Charging ahead: how fast are global van and truck fleets turning electric?
The inevitable shift to electric vans and trucks is gaining momentum globally with government initiatives to prohibit or reduce sales of non-electric new vehicles, bolstered by incentives such as grants and tax benefits. This regulatory push is prompting delivery and fleet businesses to pivot towards electric alternatives over traditional petrol ...
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Don’t sit back and watch your business fail - take action
A report from November 2023 found that 463 haulage firms had gone bankrupt in the previous 12 months, and just over 6 months on, anecdotal evidence suggests the trend remains. Factors such as high debt servicing costs, fuel prices, wage growth, and consumer demands for technology and ...
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Creating safer vehicles on the UK’s ‘safest roads’
Designed to ease traffic flow on UK roads, smart motorways rely on technology to limit congestion and have been dubbed the UK’s ‘safest roads’. However, with technical issues causing frequent incidents, it’s not enough for fleet operators to rely on government technology alone. To truly safeguard drivers ...
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Why developing electric trucks has become a risky business
The road to zero emissions for those currently operating in the logistics supply chain is paved with a multiplicity of product offerings from a worldwide manufacturing base. Unfortunately, many of the emerging EV commercial vehicle suppliers have failed, or run into difficulties, for a variety of reasons.
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The importance of collaboration for our sector
As our industry faces unique challenges on a number of fronts, there’s much work happening and much work to do.
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How can we steer the logistics industry towards a stable workforce?
Last week, I was invited to attend the Road Transport Expo, and hear the latest Asset Alliance Industry Monitor briefing. Recruitment and Retention remains one of the biggest challenges keeping truck operators awake at night.
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New Freeports offer an opportunity to improve facilities
We know that there are not enough secure parking facilities in the UK. Estimates show that there is a deficit of around 11,000 spaces every night but herein lies one of the problems. No government, whether that be HM government centrally or devolved, can say with any degree of certainty ...
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Five ways to close the gender gap in road transport and logistics
With only 26% of the transport workforce being made up of women, it’s an important conversation to examine the challenges women in transport face today.