Criminal Gang Defrauded €25m VAT on Fuel Oil
European crime agencies have dismantled a gang that defrauded states of millions of euros in VAT on fuel oil. The gang, based in Spain and Portugal, used a “complex corporate architecture” including shell companies and missing traders, to defraud more than €25m from the hydrocarbon sector. Eurojust, the EU’s crime-fighting agency, said the investigation began […]
JCB to Reveal Transport Management Solution
Global manufacturer JCB will be explaining how the implementation of new transport management solutions has helped the company meet changing customer expectation at an industry presentation in March. Chris Buckler, Operations Director for JCB Worldwide parts, will be speaking at the event, entitled ‘Aftermarket logistics and transport: Trends for a global aftermarket business’ on Tuesday […]
World Economy to Grow at 2.7%
he global economy is forecast to grow by 2.7% in 2017 after reaching a post-crisis low of 2.3% in 2016, according to the World Bank. The bank’s Global Economic Prospects 2017 report said the receding of obstacles to economic activity in emerging markets and commodity exporters would drive growth. The forecast for advanced economies is […]
Ferry Wage Deal : Agreement in principle
An agreement in principle has been reached which will see crews on the freight vessels serving the Northern Isles paid at least the minimum wage, the Minister for Transport and the Islands Humza Yousaf has announced. Following discussions between Transport Scotland, Seatruck and Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), an agreement has been reached to transfer […]
TOTAL Lubricants Announce Future Generation of Oils
With regulators setting stricter greenhouse gas emission limits, engine manufacturers need to make diesel engines cleaner and more fuel-efficient than ever before. In turn, lubricants manufacturer need to produce new oils for these new engines. OEMs are also looking for improvements in oil oxidation control, aeration control and shear stability. The next generation of Heavy […]
Don’t leave your Tyre Safety Out in the Cold
With Met Office yellow warnings of snow and below zero temperatures across much of the UK forecast for the end of this week Tyre Safe, the UK’s tyre safety charity, is urging motorists to ensure their tyres are suitable for the adverse driving conditions. The last time Britain experienced widespread heavy snowfalls and record low […]
Use TOTAL Coolants for a Safe Winter Drive
The cooling system in an engine helps prevent damage caused by freezing, cavitation, corrosion overheating and the formation of deposits. Should the cooling system not function correctly, the engine will begin to fail, as could the radiator, water pump, head gasket or engine block. At worst, the engine can be destroyed. Therefore, coolants are very […]
Use TOTAL AdBlue® to Meet EU Emission Regulations
European regulations for exhaust emissions (NOx) have become increasingly stringent therefore dramatically increasing the urgency for engine optimisation. There is a limit to how this can be achieved, and from Euro IV onwards, other technologies have had to step in to keep the reductions possible. All new trucks built from October 2006 are equipped with […]
Airbus Starts Integrating First Beluga XL Freighter in France
Airbus has started integrating the core airframe of its first new Beluga XL cargo airlifter at its production facilities in Toulouse, France. During the first 12 months of the 18-month integration process, the airframe will be completed, and its mechanical and electrical systems will be fitted at an integration station. The remaining six months will be […]
Lorry Drivers to Protest Against “Inhumane” Conditions
Lorry drivers are planning to stage a protest at the port of Liverpool in a row over toilet and catering facilities. The hauliers describe conditions as “inhumane” with a lack of adequate services for drivers at the end of often long journeys. The protest will take place next Friday morning outside the main entrance to […]
Logistics Company Secures Funding for Joint Venture
North Somerset-based logistics business Osprey has launched a new joint venture, supported by a £7m funding package from HSBC. The company has joined forces with land heavy transport specialist Allelys, based in Redditch, to create Osprey Heavy Lift. The new venture will provide customers in industries requiring major heavy lifting, such as construction and power […]
10nm Cannon Lake PCs Will Start Shipping in 2017
Chipmaker Intel has confirmed that its 10nm ‘Cannon Lake’ architecture will show up in PCs before the end of the year. Intel had originally planned to introduce the first family of 10nm processors sometime in late 2016. However, technical challenges encountered in shrinking transistors to ever smaller scales led to the launch being delayed until 2017. […]
Driving and operating bans for Insch haulier
Scotland’s Traffic Commissioner has disqualified the owner of a Insch haulage business for breaching safety. The commissioner found that Ronald Wink deliberately undermined road safety measures put in place to protect the public from fatigued drivers. Mr Wink also lost his licence to operate heavy goods vehicles and has been disqualified from professional driving licence […]
Royal Mail Launches Consultation on DB Closure
The plan, which was first announced in August last year, could affect around 90,000 employees. The scheme reported a surplus of £1.77bn on an IAS 19 accounting basis as of 31 March 2016, with assets of £7.44bn and liabilities of £5.67bn. However, costs of running the scheme are expected to more than double in 2018, […]
Multipurpose Shipping Freight Rates to Improve By End 2017
The multipurpose shipping market will see the first signs of recovery by the end of 2017, following in the steps of the dry bulk and container shipping markets, according to the latest Multipurpose Shipping Market Review and Forecaster report published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. Dry cargo demand is weak but strengthening with multipurpose shipping […]
KiwiRail to End Electric Freight Haulage
Following two years of studies, national railway KiwiRail announced on December 21 that it had decided to cease electric haulage of freight trains on the North Island Main Trunk line in favour of using diesel locomotives. Electric traction will be phased out over the next two years, but the 25 kV 50 Hz infrastructure is to […]
Take Control Using Vacu-Lug’s Tyre Management
The latest upgrade of Vacu-Lug’s VMS system has added a self-authorisation function, which allows customers to validate and authorise any work that has been carried out on their vehicles from their own computer. This development means that customers wishing to use this added function are able to accept or reject their own pending authorisations and […]
Supply Chain Needs Greater Liquidity
Greater liquidity in the supply chain would improve overall business performance, according to the first Supply Chain Funding Index, which has been launched by Urica, the supply chain finance specialist, in conjunction with YouGov and economist Dr John Ashcroft. The Supply Chain Funding Index is based on an algorithm that incorporates figures on the strength […]
Police investigate shipping container burglaries
Police are appealing for information following a number of burglaries at an industrial site in Trafford. Between 4am and 9.15am on December 4, thieves broke into five shipping containers at Maritime Transport on John Gilbert Way, Trafford Park. A number of items were stolen including a significant number of 32-inch Luxor televisions from one of […]
European Parliament approves EU ports regulation
Despite objection from the UK port industry, the European Parliament has approved a new regulation on EU ports, with an aim to make them more efficient and attractive to investors, and make the fees and funding that EU ports get from shipping lines and governments clearer. A large majority voted to approve the regulation: 546 […]
DHL Freight Consults On Closure Plan
DHL has launched a consultation on the future of its DHL Freight division involving the restructuring of the business and the closure of unprofitable operations. The DHL Freight business employs about 600 people across 16 sites. A spokesperson from DHL said: “Following a strategic review of its UK Operations, DHL Freight UK has identified some […]
Busiest day for Royal Mail in pre-Christmas rush
Millions of cards, letters and parcels are being sorted as Royal Mail tackles its busiest day. The Nottingham Mail Centre was expecting to deal with 2.8 million items of post alone on December 14 as part of the Christmas rush. Across the country, around 120,000 Royal Mail postmen and women will be joined by 19,000 […]
Growing Arctic shipping faces major hazards
When Kostas Ladas, general manager of the London office of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), which manages the Liberian Register, addressed the Tanker Shipping & Trade conference in London in November, he predicted significant growth in Arctic traffic in the coming decades but warned of big safety and environmental risks. The Arctic […]
Haulage Firm £1m Expansion – Creating 10 Jobs
Haulage firm D&D Transport has started a rapid £1m expansion programme by investing £160,000 in new vehicles. The family-run Langley Mill company has also recruited six new staff, with another four to be hired in 2017, while the team will move to a larger site nearby next month to enable further growth. The new three-acre […]
AV Dawson’s North Sea Supply Base Undertakes Lift
The transportation and export of a refinery substation built at AV Dawson’s North Sea Supply Base marks the site’s biggest lift of the year. The 287-tonne module, which is larger than a tennis court and measures 37 metres in length, nine metres wide and six metres in height, was constructed by Mech-tool Engineering at AV […]
Marshall Fleet Solutions has Lighting Upgraded at Two Depots
Venture Lighting Europe’s high performance industrial luminaires have been used to upgrade the lighting at two depots owned by vehicle maintenance and repair company, Marshall Fleet Solutions. Over 50 of Venture’s 150W Highbay Professional luminaires were used across the two sites to upgrade the company’s lighting scheme from 400W Metal Halide lamps to help achieve […]
Figures Reveal Four Drivers Per Month Ignore Motorway Closures
Drivers are being urged not to put road workers’ lives at risk by deliberately ignoring road closures on the M60 and M62 near Manchester. New figures have revealed that four drivers a month are entering closed sections of road in the Manchester smart motorway scheme to either overtake traffic on the motorway or avoid using […]
Prohire Plc Acquires Sunrent
A leading commercial vehicle contract hire company has expanded its fleet following the acquisition of Sunrent for an undisclosed sum. Prohire Plc which provides vehicle contract hire, fleet and accident management solutions and short-term rental to some of the UK’s major LCV and HGV fleet users, has purchased family-owned Sunrent adding to its national network. […]
Hill Dickinson announces Global Head of Shipping
International commercial law firm Hill Dickinson has announced that Julian Clark will be joining the firm as Global Head of Shipping. Julian, who joins in January, is a founding partner of Campbell Johnston Clark (CJC) and specialises in both wet and dry shipping. Prior to founding CJC, Julian spent seven years as a partner at […]
DB Schenker combines air, sea and land board divisions
The management board of Schenker is being reorganised from the start of next year, with the air and ocean freight division being combined with its land transport division. The transport company said the new board division will be called freight and it hopes the combination will “improve integrated transport products and services and make better […]
Algorithm aims to create haulage sharing economy
Researchers have developed an algorithm that creates opportunities for logistics firms to collaborate. The tool is designed to help hauliers share trucks by identifying common routes and journeys, thereby combining different routes into single looped trips and avoiding empty running. Its developers at Vlerick Business School in Belgium hope the algorithm will create a “sharing economy […]
Haulage boss whose tipper truck killed four
The owner of a haulage company whose tipper truck killed four people after it brakes failed told a jury “it’s so hard to keep track of paperwork”. Four-year-old Mitzi Steady, Robert Parker, 59, Philip Allen, 52, and Stephen Vaughan, 34, all died in the crash in Bath on February 9, 2015. But Matthew Gordon, of […]
How to ensure your van is prepared for the colder months
With a fleet of vehicles that are needed on the road in the dark winter weather, there is a larger risk of problems. The entire vehicle performance can be affected by freezing temperatures, and roads can become treacherous. However, cold weather in the UK tends to stay within certain boundaries, and is therefore fairly predictable […]
Road freight on the threshold of ‘systemic change’
A new report by market research company Transport Intelligence has said that the European road freight industry is “on the threshold of a period of systemic change which will transform operating models and disrupt markets.” The report said that there are several alternative fuels currently being developed which, although cannot compete with fossil fuels, will […]
Abu Dhabi Charter Operator GI Aviation Receives AOC
GI Aviation, the Abu Dhabi-based charter company, is celebrating its newly granted aircraft operator’s certificate (AOC) from the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). The operator is hoping to revolutionize business aviation in the UAE with Pilatus PC–12NG single-engine turboprops. Operating single-engine turboprops commercially under instrument weather conditions is becoming increasingly acceptable worldwide—and popular—largely attributed […]
Russian Cargo Ship Destroyed En Route to the ISS
Yesterday, an unmanned Russian Progress MS-04 cargo spacecraft broke up in the atmosphere and crashed over Siberia while making its way to the ISS. According to Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, the cargo ship was lost at an altitude of 120 miles (190 km) over an unpopulated mountainous region in the Siberian republic of Tuva. It […]