All Opinion articles – Page 4
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ArticleConsequences of driver shortage can prove a positive for the industry
Given the amount of publicity there has been around the shortfall of HGV drivers, it may have been more appropriate for the RHA to rename its National Lorry Week (25-31 October) as National Lorry Drivers' Week.Its aim is to highlight just how important the logistics industry is to this country ...
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ArticleShould the Driver CPC be suspended? Or is there a better short-term solution?
The current shortage of HGV drivers has been attributed to various causes including Brexit, training and administration delays due to Covid, as well as the poor working conditions experienced by drivers when they are out on the road. All of these have contributed to an issue that has been building ...
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ArticleReasons businesses say 'no' to zero-emissions deliveries
The eyes of the world are on Glasgow for the COP26 Summit on Climate Change. But while everyone might be looking, it’s a fair bet to say plenty of people involved in the UK’s logistics sector aren’t really listening. Sure, those involved in the delivery business are all talking a ...
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ArticleTransport and manufacturing need to address skills shortages to thrive
I was honoured to be inducted into the Motor Transport Hall of Fame this month, and it was lovely to meet up with former colleagues from my time in transport journalism and the RHA at the MT Awards. The event also prompted me to compare the HGV driver shortage and ...
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ArticleGoing straight to C+E HGV tests is not without risk
Whilst recognising the current driver shortage crisis, the government plans to change how drivers obtain an HGV licence comes with increased risk. The combining of category C and category C+E tests is likely to mean that prospective drivers have less time to develop their hazard perception skills and research has ...
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'Road to zero' can sometimes feel like the road to nowhere
The original UK government transport policy on emissions control published in 2018 was titled the ‘Road to zero’. In the aftermath of the ground-breaking Paris Agreement in 2015, a global plan to restrict air temperature rise to 1.5 deg was agreed by almost every nation in the world, and to ...
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ArticleThe absurdity of forcibly retiring drivers on spurious grounds in a skills crisis
As the country pulls away from the Covid crisis, and rightly gets back to work, demand across industry is sure to increase. This could well bring on another crisis, this time far more economically driven. When the hospitality sector fully reopens demands on the transport sector will vastly outstrip current ...
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ArticleWarehouse automation in demand as driver shortage extends to forklift trucks
An exceptional shortage of forklift drivers is prompting more and more UK companies to adopt automated materials handling equipment to optimise the efficiency of their warehouse intralogistics processes.We hear a lot about the problems caused by the present lack of HGV drivers but the scarcity of qualified MHE operators is ...
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ArticleAs leader, I'll transform Unite and put members first
Empty supermarket shelves are the picture of summer 2021. According to the Road Haulage Association, we're short of 100,000 HGV drivers, but the truth is, the sector is an unappealing prospect for workers.Financial inducements to lure drivers won't address the problems at the heart of the industry. The government doesn't ...
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ArticleHoyer is ready for future powered by green hydrogen
Green hydrogen is a key to many countries and continental communities achieving climate neutrality. The EU, the US, Canada, Argentina and Japan among others want to be climate-neutral by 2050, and China has set itself this aim by 2060. Global demand for hydrogen will rise significantly in the coming years ...
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ArticleGovernment must dangle carrots as well as wave stick to speed take up of electric LCVs
A record year for EVs. A record year for home deliveries. What comes next? Ideally, the electric van boom.Up until recently, electric LCVs (e-LCVs) were considered somewhat of a fantasy. Batteries weren’t powerful enough - and were too big and cumbersome – to allow for proper cargo transportation.But manufacturers have ...
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ArticleGovernment’s 2040 diesel lorry ban 'impractical and short-sighted'
The government finally confirmed its short-sighted decision to ban the sale of new diesel lorries by 2040. This deadline may even be brought forward if "technically feasible”.This at a time when the industry is struggling to overcome a huge shortfall in qualified HGV drivers, and it’s predicted the amount of ...
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ArticleCheck your insurance cover as cargo theft continues to rise
“Police warn drivers over recent upsurge in cargo thefts” (Motor Transport 8/2/21)Whilst police have been warning drivers about the alarming rise in cargo thefts since the beginning of 2021, haulage and logistics operators should heed this stark warning.With more than 60 cargo thefts from trucks reported since the beginning of ...
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ArticleHow do we get the industry back in the driving seat?
Aztek Logistics MD Stuart Charter (pictured) assesses the logistics sector's existential crisisAs a regional, national and international haulier, we have always been able to respond to the ebb and flow of customer demand by flexing our mix of directly-employed and agency drivers, a state of affairs that remains the case ...
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ArticleSome good news but Budget could have done more to help fill the logistics skills gap
Following a turbulent 12 months for the nation, the 2021 Spring Budget was vital in laying out the path to Britain’s economic recovery. In the view of Logistics UK and its members, there were many positive aspects of the Budget.But Chancellor Rishi Sunak could have gone further to invest ...
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ArticleUnlocking the potential of connected technologies
MT caught up with commercial contract hire, fleet management and rental firm Fraikin following the publication of MT’s ‘Hot Topic Industry Insight 2021’ report, available to download free of charge. The report looks at a range of topical challenges and opportunities for freight operators, with investment and fleet technology a ...
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ArticleWhat will 2021 mean for logistics and supply chain?
Almost a year ago the country faced its first lockdown and the initial three weeks eventually lasted an unbelievable 14 weeks or so.During that time the supply chain network of the UK was not only put under immense pressure, it also proved its unswerving resilience as it adapted to the ...
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ArticleWhatever happens with Covid-19 retailers need to remain agile
If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that you never know what challenges are around the corner or how disruptive they will be. With the UK in the grips of its third national lockdown and retailers across the country having closed their high street stores for business yet again, we expect ...
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ArticleDirect Vision a good step - but does not go far enough
The Direct Vision Standard (DVS) for commercial vehicles in London is a positive step towards better HGV road safety, but does not go far enough.All goods vehicles over 12 tonnes now require a permit to drive into Greater London, including vehicles from outside the UK.Enforced by TfL, the DVS legislation ...
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ArticleApprenticeships DO work for HGV driver training
Caroline Moody with her 2020 Amazon Everywoman in Transport & Logistics freight leader awardThroughout this Covid-19 pandemic the logistics sector has demonstrated the valuable role it plays in enabling this country to function. But is has failed to address the long-term shortage of LGV drivers, estimated at around 50,000, which ...