All Opinion articles – Page 8
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ArticleTCs and DVSA falling short of compliance with Regulators' Code
Regulators of any function – be it regulating the road transport industry, medicines, the protection of animals or even water – must regulate for the protection of the vulnerable and with consideration for environmental or social impacts, as well as any other objectives. They must also, however, regulate with consideration ...
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ArticleHaulage 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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ArticleDigital innovations on the road ahead in 2020
New technologies are accelerating the pace of change for businesses across Europe, with many businesses unsure how developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, data analytics and other innovations will impact their operations in 2020.AI and machine learning will open up new possibilities that seemed unimaginable only a short ...
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ArticleMobile phone laws affect both drivers and operators
The current rules for HGV drivers when it comes using a hand-held mobile phone are exactly the same as those for drivers of any other type of vehicle. However, enforcement is typically more stringent for commercial drivers, with increasingly creative strategies being developed by police to catch offenders - including ...
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Gender equality in logistics offers business benefits as well as a feel-good factor
There are too few women holding senior roles within logistics and supply chain. A 2018 Gartner report shows that, although women account for 37% of the total supply chain workforce, only 25% of senior managers or directors are female.However, organisations have much to gain from achieving gender equality at higher ...
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Is a 5% profit margin really enough for today's hauliers?
Here we are at the end of yet another year and the time when the MT cost tables appear.I look forward to comparing my own costs to yours and the MT tables are not far adrift of reality.Except for one thing.I question the wisdom of advising your readers of going ...
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ArticleBarriers to electric power for commercial vehicles are not intractable
Recent figures from business intelligence firm JATO revealed an astounding rise in global demand for electric vehicles, with sales of non-hybrid cars increasing by 92% over a 12-month period. This is perhaps the clearest sign yet that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are finally a viable alternative in the consumer sector.The ...
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ArticlePallet networks can offer customer service as good as parcels carriers
Hand-held technology is now holding the hands of consumers who demand the same transparency from the pallet networks as they do from the major parcel carriers - as a hygiene factor rather than a ‘nice to have.’Gone are the days when consumers had to take time off work to wait ...
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Deal or no-deal - the real cost of truck pricing
The Department for International Trade’s publication of a revised list of temporary tariffs on truck imports if the UK leaves the EU without an agreement once again raises the question of the impact of commercial vehicle pricing on haulage operating costs and profitability.A 10% tariff on imported trucks is better ...
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ArticleKnowing your driver better would be easier with more data on Driver CPC
Increasingly ‘knowing-your-driver’ has become a key fleet compliance requirement. As technology permits more frequent checking across a wider range of datasets, fleets are taking the opportunity to increase their awareness of their drivers. Improving risk profiles, insurance rates, HR strategies and road safety are all rolled-up in this. However, much ...
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ArticleFit safety systems in the factory
As an operator it’s frustrating to purchase new trucks and still have to fit additional safety features, now often mandated to work in the city centre construction sector, which are not currently available to be installed or supported by the manufacturer.New trucks have wiring looms cut into, additional cables run ...
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ArticleTry innovating like Silicon Valley
Peter Scraton Operations Director, ArrowXLAs the world’s leading technology centre, Silicon Valley is brimming with innovation – not just from a hardware or software point of view, but in terms of how it solves problems. One example of this is “design sprints”, a five-day process developed by former ...
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ArticleBack to school to fill skills shortage
Trevor Edden MD, TWE HaulageAt TWE Haulage we face the same driver recruitment and retention issues as everyone else. I’m a big believer in training and developing young talent and yet I’ve been frustrated for years with the sector’s apprenticeship offerings. So I decided to go back to the way ...
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ArticleTransport leaders’ drive for digitisation
Chris Fenton MD, Industrial and transport, WincantonAs we enter the ‘fourth industrial revolution’, we are beginning to reap the benefits of digital technologies in the supply chain, from cloud-based transport management systems and artificial intelligence through to 3D printing and fleet telematics. Digitisation of the supply chain – whether in ...
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ArticlePerformance is cause for optimism
Jason Whitworth M&A partner, BDOWhen it comes to merger and acquisition activity in the logistics industry, 2019 was always going to herald tough conditions.However, while transport and logistics companies are right to remain cautious, it isn’t all doom and gloom. Our latest ‘Logistics and Supply chain management quarterly review’ ...
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Don't dismiss the value of driver medicals after Doctors on Wheels incident, says Dr Grant Charlesworth-Jones
Following the Doctors on Wheels incident that has seen DVSA refuse to accept driver medicals conducted by the firm, Dr Grant Charlesworth-Jones, medical director of D4Drivers, sets out why operators shouldn't dismiss the value of a check-up conducted correctly.With the average age of an HGV driver in the UK nearing ...
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ArticleTransport leaders and the drive for digitisation
As we enter the ‘fourth industrial revolution’, we are beginning to reap the benefits of digital technologies in the supply chain, from cloud-based transport management systems and AI, through to 3D printing and fleet telematics. Digitisation of the supply chain is a challenging process but one that presents opportunities if ...
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Diversity in the workforce is essential to sector's success
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace are key to a thriving and successful logistics sector, says Lesley O'Brien, Freightlink Europe and Freight Train.Today (8 March) is International Womens’ Day, when women throughout the globe celebrate. I love supporting and celebrating the success of my female colleagues.It is almost 3 ...
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ArticleApprenticeship Levy monies must be freed up for vital training
The Treasury has to act quickly to release some of the £83m the logistics industry has paid in the Apprentice Levy between April 2017 and March 2018 to help fill the skills gap as the UK heads for Brexit on March 29, says FTA head of skills Sally Gilson.The levy ...
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No deal Brexit ‘catastrophic’ for UK supply chain
As confusion continues in Westminster over the shape of the UK’s future relationship with the EU, the FTA is urging politicians to find a solution which supports businesses so that Britain can keep trading effectively with its biggest market, the EU. As the clock counts down to March 29 when ...