Haulage News & Transport News

Skills for Logistics (SfL) has revealed a 29% leap in apprentices joining road transport businesses in England.

Since its launch on Friday 1 March, members of the Road Haulage Association and Freight Transport Association have had exclusive access to discounted fuel through a new joint venture with The Fuelcard Company.

According to the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance survey of councils published last week, one in five local roads in England and Wales are in poor condition.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's cycling vision and plan to create a 'Crossrail for the bike' was welcomed overall by the Freight Transport Association today, with the announcement of improved cycling infrastructure being seen as good news by the association, which did however call on Mr Johnson not to forget the freight industry in his plans.

The Freight Transport Association will be holding its first Whole Vehicle Type Approval seminar on 11 June 2013 at the Hilton Coventry Hotel. The event will focus extensively on European rules on construction standards for road vehicles which are being introduced on a European-wide basis for Whole Vehicle Type Approval.

From Friday 1 March, members of the Road Haulage Association and Freight Transport Association will have exclusive access to discounted fuel through a new joint fuel card from The Fuelcard Company.

Ahead of this month’s budget (20 March), over 100 MPs joined FairFuelUK (FFUK) and its backers at Parliament to show their support for a cut in fuel duty.

£50,000 pint of beer revealed as part of government’s latest THINK! campaign.
A £50,000 pint of beer was unveiled in London  as part of the government’s latest THINK! campaign highlighting the consequences of a drink-drive conviction.

The Freight Transport Association is continuing to hammer home the message to the Chancellor that he should reduce road fuel duty by 3 pence per litre in his 2013 Budget to help ease the pressure on domestic freight operators.

As new European requirements on roadworthiness take effect from 20 March 2013, MOT for cars and large vehicle tests are included in the changes.  The revised European legislation will introduce new requirements to annual vehicle tests to reflect advances in technology.

There are big profits in the oil and money markets, and, as a result of the falling rate of Sterling, fuel prices are rising, but UK’s road transport operators - essential users of fuel – still have the right to expect a profit.

The Freight Transport Association has welcomed the HGV Road User Levy Act, which became law today. The levy will mean that foreign-registered lorries will have to pay to travel on UK roads, something that UK vehicles already have to do to drive in many European countries.

The Road Haulage Association has written to all 41 of the newly-elected Police and Crime Commissioners to urge action within their county forces to combat crime against road haulage and distribution.

Despite media reports that the secretary wants to scrap the proposal, The Department for Health (DfT) has said it is still intending to trial an 80mph motorway speed limit.

With around 30,000 technicians maintaining O-licensed vehicles in the UK, FTA has acknowledged the need within the freight industry for more opportunities to recognise and value technicians and fleet engineers.

A Driver CPC is required for those taking a vehicle for testing, Vosa has confirmed.

Having always prided itself on recognising the diversity of the transport and logistics industry, the Freight Transport Association now continues to embrace this and has joined forces with everywoman.

The Road Haulage Association is pleased that the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has abandoned plans for setting a new Euro 4 target for HGVs in London’s Low Emission Zone in 2015 (“Phase V”).
Commenting, RHA Director of Policy, Jack Semple, said: “We do not have the exact details but it appears that the Mayor’s announcement reflects many of the points for which the RHA has argued strongly in meetings with Transport for London (and also in our consultation response on Air Quality to Defra in August 2011).

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) is sending Birthday wishes to the London Congestion Charge which turns ten on Sunday 17 February, but is calling on the powers-that-be to extend the celebrations by considering the freight and logistics industry by offering the gift of free access which FTA says should be granted for "essential users."

The Highways Agency is asking road users to help reduce the amount of litter on motorways and major A-roads.

With the UK’s largest intralogistics event fast approaching, IMHX 2013 are pleased to announce world land speed record breaker Richard Noble, OBE will perform the official opening duties on the first day of the event, which takes place at Birmingham’s NEC on March 19th-22nd.

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) is backing the raising of the speed limit for LGVs to 50mph on all A-roads in England with the belief that it will improve safety and keep traffic moving.

After discovering 25 fuel laundering sites in the UK, 22 of them in Northern Ireland, HMRC, VOSA and the traffic commissioners (TCs) are vowing to step up their fight against fuel laundering and hauliers who use rebated diesel.

Responding to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) report issued 30 January, the Freight Transport Association has said that 'it won’t change anything, and is simply a side-show in order to distract from the real issue of fuel duty.'

With the number of penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued in London going up by 50 per cent, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) is calling on its members to train their drivers in identifying PCN hotspots.