Latest News

Eddie Stobart chief executive Andrew Tinkler will reveal the keys to success in the transport industry at the Fifth Motor Transport Fleet Management Conference next month.
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NYK Logistics says that it is planning a number of port-centric import centres following considerable interest in its first UK site at Thamesport. Initially envisaged as a 35,000ft² depot, the centre - which only goes live later this month - will soon add another 45,000ft², rising to a total of 120,000ft² by September, says NYK Logistics UK managing director Ian Veitch.
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'That was the biggest and best CV Show ever,' said Tony Young, CV Show manager. 'We had a terrific response from delighted exhibitors throughout the three-day show. The specialist areas worked extremely well, and compliments about the quality of visitors have been consistent.' The CV Show is the biggest of its type in Europe and a shop window for business sectors worth at least £10bn.
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Tea producer Twinings has renewed its logistics contract with Ceva Newsfast. The two companies have been working together since 1990, with Ceva warehousing the Twinings products at its Wellesbourne site for onward distribution to supermarket regional distribution centres, wholesalers and retailers.
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Volvo has been granted SEK 12.8m (£1.1m) by the Swedish Energy Agency (SEA) to support field testing of third-generation dimethyl ether (DME) technology for heavy vehicles. The 14-truck field tests in Sweden are part of a project comprising demonstration of the entire technology chain, from biomass to fuel in the trucks and also includes distribution and filling stations for DME.
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DHL Exel Supply Chain has won a contract extension worth £53.5m with Nisa-Today's to deliver frozen and chilled foods throughout the UK. Nisa-Today's has had a relationship with the organisation for 18 years, originally with Exel before it became part of DHL. Under the extension, DHL Exel will continue to provide warehousing and distribution services for Nisa-Today's until March 2011, working with DHL Freight.
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Transport for London (TfL) has insisted operators do not need to keep paying £200 a day to enter the capital once Vosa has approved their abatement equipment, even though it can take up to 10 days for the data to be uploaded at TfL. The organisation has moved to clarify the situation after one operator was informed by TfL's helpdesk that he would have to keep paying until his smoke test results appeared on its database.
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Hatcher Components has developed a sleeper option with more space for the Volvo FL. The Hatcher FL Sky Cab can be specified with two or three bunks and the conversion includes lockable storage compartments, sunroof and reading lights. There is also a separate compartment for a night heater if required. The additional weight from the conversion is 190kg and the roof height becomes 3850mm
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Suffolk Police say the roll-out of new Operation Stack procedures for trucks bound for Felixstowe Port last week was a "huge success" that prevented traffic chaos in and around the town. High winds at the port over several days led to the launch of plans to park hundreds of LGVs on the old A45 rather than on one lane of the A14. Local and national press described the regime as mayhem, but roads policing inspector Trevor Sharman says this is not true.
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Tesco says it will close its Weybridge distribution depot with the loss of 700 jobs if planning permission is given to build an 75,000m2 warehouse near Andover. The supermarket is in discussions to lease the proposed unit from developer Goodman, which has applied to build a 130,000m2 business complex on the old Andover airfield. Objectors claim the warehouse will result in around 1,700 lorry movements on the nearby A303 and surrounding roads.
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Business Travel The Government wants to ensure that the taxation of cars used for business travel properly reflects and supports business activity, in addition, to promoting fairness and environmentally friendly travel. Expensive Car Restriction From 1 April 2009 the capital allowance treatment of business cars will be reformed. The detail: Expenditure on cars with CO2 emissions above 160g/km will attract a 10 per cent writing-down allowance (WDA) and expenditure on cars with CO2 emissions of 160g/km or below will attract a 20 per cent WDA.
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Driver agencies provide professional drivers as temporary labour. Some also double as recruitment agencies to find you permanent drivers or managerial staff. Driver agencies can provide qualified cover for holiday, sickness or vacancy at short notice. There is also a moderate skills shortage in the UK road transport industry and driver agencies go some way to filling this gap.
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Volvo has been given permission by the Swedish government to let tired drivers take trucks on public roads so it can test its safety systems. The public road test is the final stage of developing the system, which aims to alert drivers if their driving patterns suggest they are getting tired. Other road users do not need to get too nervous. The tired drivers will be accompanied by a back-up driver who can quickly take control of the vehicle if necessary and a test leader will also be present in the cab.
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German car manufacturer Volkswagen has bought a 30.62% share in Scania from Investor and the Wallenberg family, making it the Swedish truck maker's largest shareholder with a total share of 68.8%. The sale also paves the way for the potential three-way merger between VW, Scania and MAN which has been in the pipeline for over a year.
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The updated Renault Magnum is due to be unveiled at the CV show in April, but Brian Weatherley gets a first look - and likes what he sees. Commercial Motor has gained a sneak preview of the latest Renault Magnum, which makes its official debut at the CV Show at the NEC in April. The long-serving French flagship tractor's cab has grown upwards by 20cm, so there is now 2m headroom throughout the truck as you walk around the cabin-and not just under the roof vent. The extra headroom inside is certainly noticeable.
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Light vans are the fastest growing category of traffic on UK roads, according the latest figures from the Department for Transport (DfT). Provisional figures comparing 2007 and 2006 indicate that light van traffic was 9% higher, against an increase in HGVs of just 1% and a decrease in cars of 1%. Overall traffic levels fell by 0.9%.
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These days it is all to easy to underestimate the amount of training and hard work that goes into becoming a truck driver. It may sound simple 'to just get a licence and off you go', but it takes time, dedication and money. This feature sets out to take apart every aspect of obtaining your C+E licence (Class 1 for the old school among you) starting from even getting your car licence. One of the things mentioned was time, which in most cases also relates directly to money. While looking at most of the costs laid out in this investigation please keep at the back of your mind the amount time you may have to take off work and potentially lose money - unless of course you have paid holiday left which you are willing to sacrifice. Obviously not knowing readers' individual salaries, this is one cost we cannot factor into the equation.
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Could an 'emissions trading scheme' be the way to reduce CO2 emissions from Europe's truck fleet? That was among the topics discussed at the International Transport Forum. Cutting CO2 emissions from road transport took centre stage during a two-day meeting of experts from Europe and the US at the International Transport Forum (ITF) in Paris.
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Operators based near the Dartford crossing in Kent have called for proposed discounted tolls that have been offered to local residents be extended to include businesses. Transport minister Rosie Winterton last week revealed plans to allow residents of Dartford and Thurrock to pay an annual £10 registration fee and get 50 journeys. After that they will have to pay 20p per trip. However the concession does not extend to businesses. David Salter, director at Purfleet-based Atlas Freight, says he sends trucks over the crossing every day. "As with everything else, all we seem to end up doing is paying. I'm sure a discount would benefit local businesses far more than local residents."
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Logistics firm Wincanton continued its aggressive acquisition strategy this week with the £25m purchase of container firm Hanbury Davies (HD). Although the move will have come as a surprise to some, those in the container sector say that the identities of the two parties are not a shock. John Williams, managing director at Maritime Transport, says: "It wasn't entirely a surprise. Wincanton has been making some overtures in the container sector for some time and until now we have seen very little evidence of beef, there's been no real action to support its profile.
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