Export & Freight Feb-Mar 22 by 4SMNI

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www.exportandfreight.com IRELAND’S TRANSPORT MAGAZINE FEB-MAR 2022

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Contents FEB-MAR 2022

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COVER MOTIS

COMMENT With Covid-19 restrictions being significantly eased, life in the transport & logistics sectors is getting back to where it was at the beginning of 2020, but there is still a way to go. There is no doubt, the last two years has placed much stress and shock on global and national supply chains, so what can we all learn from the post-Covid/post-Brexit world? That’s a subject that will be discussed at the forthcoming ITT Hub Conference; you can read all about that in this issue. In recent weeks, truck manufacturers have been reporting on how they have been coping, and it is not all bad news. DAF, for example, once again topped 30% market share in 2021, Iveco are not doing too badly either as we read in their ‘State of the Nation’ annual report, while MAN Truck & Bus continues to accelerate the change to zero-emission commercial vehicles, as does Renault Trucks. Also in this issue, we hear from Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon who has been looking back and reflecting on her two years in office, saying she is proud of her team who have responded to the challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit – and congratulations are in order to David Wells, Chief Executive of business group Logistics UK, who was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours list, for services to transport and logistics.

THE EUROPEAN HAULIERS ONE-STOP SHOP

GENERAL NEWS Diamond Trucks expands into England

Page 14-15

ITT Hub focuses of future for freight

Page 16-17 Page 40

DAF Trucks tops 30% market share again Freight and logistics in the UK: Looking back on an exceptional year

Page 12

Iveco’s annual State of the Nation

Page 37

Mallon looks back on two years as Infrastructure Minister

Page 20-21

REGULAR FEATURES Court Report

Page 25

Seamus Leheny, Logistics UK Policy Manager-NI

Page 31

Services provided by freight forwarders and customs agents have never been more essential in the wake of Brexit and the ongoing debate over the Northern Ireland protocol, so we have been looking at what some of our leading agents in this specialist field have to offer.

John Martin, RHA Policy Manager for Northern Ireland

Page 32-33

David Mullan, Transport Regulation Unit

Page 34-35

Shipping and ports also feature prominently in this issue, with our annual look at this vital sector. We hear how Seatruck Ferries have coped with the last two years and report on how Belfast Harbour has benefitted from an increase in global trade and investment in new infrastructure projects during 2021.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Well, that’s it for now, but remember, you can keep up to date with all the industry news 24/7 by logging on to our website at www.exportandfreight.com. You should also be receiving our FREE weekly newsletter, sent to your inbox every Wednesday; if not, let us know and we will make sure you do.

Helen Beggs Editor-in-Chief/Publisher Email: Helen@4squaremedia.net

IRELAND’S TRANSPORT MAGAZINE

Carlos Rodrigues, MD Renault Trucks UK & Ireland

Page 26-27

Spotlight on Customs & Freight Forwarding

Page 46-59

SHIPPING NEWS Page 66-67

Seatruck Ferries weathering the storms Belfast Harbour Reports Buoyant Trading Performance

Page 70

Small decline in volumes at Dublin Port

Page 74

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Page 63

Our Annual Guide to Shipping

All the latest developments and new launches

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Page 75-78

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Helen Beggs Editor-in-Chief, David Stokes Editor, Phil Eaglestone Commercial Vehicle Editor, Joel Byers Production Manager, Eleanor Blane Accounts Manager and Helen Beggs & Garfield Harrison Publishers

CIRCULATION: Ireland’s specialist magazine for the transport industry. Export & Freight is packed with news, information, developments and trends dedicated to the local marketplace. Export & Freight is a controlled circulation journal, posted each month to exporters, manufacturers, hauliers, own account operators, transport suppliers, commercial vehicle manufacturers, rail companies, bus and coach operators and manufacturers, air and sea terminal, passenger and freight ferry operators, shipping agents and freight forwarders, to name but a few. Export & Freight is also sent to members of professional bodies, including the IRTE, Institute of Quarrying and Institute of Freight Forwarders, FTA and RHA. Export & Freight is also available in your local newsagent. Export & Freight, is published by ‘4 SM (NI) Ltd’, at The Old Coach House, 12 Main Street, Hillsborough, N. Ireland BT26 6AE. We are a completely independent voice and are not connected to any Institutes or Associations within the industry. Our aim is to publish accurate, specific and dedicated information, targeting each sector of the transport industry, throughout Ireland. The publishers cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies supplied by the contributors. All rights reserved. The contents of this publications may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, either in part or in full, including photocopying and recording, without the written consent of the owner. Nor may any part of this publication be stored in a retrieval system of any nature without prior written consent of 4 SM (NI) Ltd.

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TTS Launches New Logistics Apprenticeships & Leadership Programmes In a further commitment to the wider transport industry in Northern Ireland, Transport Training Services has launched a range of new logistics apprenticeships and leadership programmes. The logistics apprenticeships will support logistics industry employers with their workforce needs across the entire spectrum of logistics, including Warehousing & Storage; Logistics Operations; and Supply Chain Management programmes.

and provides practical knowledge and skills to strengthen leadership, whilst the level 3 management programme is designed for those currently managing staff and/ or managing processes who require upskilling in areas of their job to be fully competent.

TTS can support employers with all aspects of the apprenticeship starting with recruitment and candidate assessment.

Candidates for the new customer service apprenticeship also need to be employed in an existing customer service role to be considered.

Robert Deignan, Careers Development Officer at TTS said: “The introduction of these new logistics apprenticeships is a natural extension of the programmes already offered by TTS for the transport and logistics sector. We are seeking logistics industry employers to partner with us to be able to offer these new programmes to young people across Northern Ireland, so please

get in touch with myself if you would like to know more.” In addition, the social enterprise has introduced qualifications aimed at helping existing automotive, transport and logistics

professionals to up-skill in the areas of Team Leading, Management and Customer Service.

Michael Strain, CEO at TTS, added: “We are always looking for ways to add value to our customers across the spectrum of automotive, transport and logistics and these plans are part of an exciting new chapter for TTS.”

The level 2 Team Leading qualification is designed for supervisors or first-line managers

To find out more, please visit the TTS website at www.transporttraining.org

PACCAR Report Strong Demand for its Truck Ranges In reporting ‘very good annual revenues and net income in 2021, PACCAR’s Chief Executive Officer Preston Feight, says customer demand for the new Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF trucks introduced in 2021 is very strong. Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF delivered 47,600 trucks in the fourth quarter, 45% higher than in the third quarter, reflecting an improvement in the global supply chain. “I am very proud of our employees who have delivered outstanding trucks and transportation solutions to our customers while demonstrating the highest commitment to health and safety,” says Preston. “PACCAR is investing in new technologies that deliver enhanced operational efficiency and environmental benefits to our customers. PACCAR delivered several important technology and innovation milestones in 2021.These include introducing the exciting new heavyand medium-duty Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF vehicles, implementing a strategic partnership to develop autonomous trucks, launching production of zero emissions trucks, and enhancing connected services for Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF trucks.”

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European above 16-tonne truck industry registrations were 278,000 trucks in 2021. It is estimated that European truck industry registrations in the above 16-tonne market in 2022 will be in the range of 260,000-300,000 trucks. “European truck demand strengthened in 2021due to good European economic growth,” said Harry Wolters, DAF president. “DAF achieved above 16-tonne market share of 15.9% in 2021.” The new DAF XF, XG and XG+ earned the International Truck of the Year 2022 award, as judged by an independent jury of leading European transportation journalists. DAF is the first truck manufacturer to introduce a new generation of trucks utilizing the new European regulations for truck masses and dimensions, resulting in a range of highly attractive and aerodynamic trucks which feature industry-leading fuel efficiency, safety and a luxurious cab for driver comfort. Harry Wolters, DAF president, commented, “The new DAF trucks provide excellent performance and premium features, including a 10% fuel efficiency gain, side view cameras, more interior space and a customizable digital dashboard.” A DAF XF technology truck, powered by an innovative hydrogen engine, earned the Truck

Innovation Award 2022. Ron Borsboom, DAF executive director of product development, noted, “This achievement highlights PACCAR’s research and development strategy to explore a broad range of propulsion technologies for commercial vehicles. Hydrogen internal combustion engines offer near-zero emissions and leverage PACCAR’s proven technology and manufacturing facilities, while contributing to PACCAR’s environmental leadership.”

Record Parts Profits Meanwhile, PACCAR Parts achieved record annual pre-tax income and profits. David Danforth, PACCAR vice president and PACCAR Parts general manager, said, “PACCAR Parts provides strong profitability through all phases of the business cycle. PACCAR Parts’ long-term growth reflects investments in distribution and technology, initiatives such as e-commerce, TRP all-makes parts, and a growing population of integrated and connected PACCAR vehicles with PACCAR MX Engines.”

AC T I V E LY, P R AC T I CA LLY, W E ’ LL H E LP YO U T H R I V E AG A I N These challenging times are affecting us all in many different ways. But we’re here to reignite your plans – with expert advice and support, to help you drive forward again with confidence.

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Logistics UK’s Chief Executive recognised by the Queen in New Year’s Honours list Fifty six year old David, who has been in charge of the organisation for the past six years, has been recognised for his transformational work which has established the business group as one of the largest and most important in the UK, raising the voice and impact of the sector at a critical time to help make Brexit work and keeping Britain’s economy moving during the Brexit transition and the Covid-19 pandemic.

employees as key workers at the start of the pandemic. Among a host of recent important policy wins for members, the business has successfully lobbied for higher funding for the new LGV apprenticeship standard, which will enable more people to enter the industry, as well as campaigning for the interests of the sector to be recognised in the UK/EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA).

“I am truly honoured to receive this OBE after an unprecedented period of challenge and change for our sector,” he said. “I have always said that our industry shows resilience unlike any other, and that has been demonstrated time and again during my time as Chief Executive. I am indebted to all our amazing members and their staff, as well as the team at Logistics UK, for the support and commitment which they have shown to keep goods moving, despite the challenges posed by Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, skills shortages and other unforeseen circumstances. This award is for them too.”

“Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our team, and the backing of our members, I am so proud to see the recognition and influence which the logistics industry is now rightfully starting to achieve at all levels of government and in the media. This visibility will also be key to ensuring that our industry continues to attract the brightest and best talent in the years ahead.”

David Wells has successfully initiated and pursued a strategy to ensure that Logistics UK represents the entire logistics sector, collaborating, challenging and championing logistics with policy makers, and speaking to the media with one voice.

David Wells.

Under his leadership, the organisation, which represents more than 19,000 members across the whole logistics sector, and moves the goods and services critical to everyone, has dramatically raised its profile and impact with decision makers and influencers in business, politics and the media.

Leadership & Influence Driven by his leadership and influence with opinion formers, Logistics UK achieved unprecedented recognition for logistics

Married with two sons, David was recently appointed as Chair of the Trustees of a Suicide Prevention charity in his hometown of Eastbourne. Supported by local churches, the organisation offers counselling and support to those in crisis or considering suicide. “The past two years have been challenging financially for most charities; however, our support base has stepped up and our workers and volunteers are meeting the ever-increasing daily demand for our life-saving support.”

RHA Says Hauliers Still Have to Comply with NI Protocol Rules

by the consumer ultimately. A lot of that has been hidden because there is general inflation. “When the UK Government support schemes including the Movement Assistance Scheme and the Trader Support Service are phased out costs will escalate considerably over what we are seeing at the moment.

The Road Haulage Association’s Policy Manager for NI John Martin has been responding to an order from Stormont aiming to halt physical checks on food imports from Britain, an order that went unheeded, leading to the resignation of the First Minister and the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive. “The bottom line with checks is that the requirement is still there and legitimate hauliers still have to comply with the legislation,” he said. “The European Commission have indicated that NI Department officials are only undertaking 20% of their expected checks and the checks are not the real issue so this will have minimal impact. Suppliers in GB are not refusing to send goods to Northern Ireland because they might get checked at Belfast, Larne and Warrenpoint or at our airports. “Customs declarations, back office bureaucracy and SPS data are where the real problems begin and end. This is the major issue that requires sorting both from a haulage perspective and for many businesses in Northern Ireland struggling to source the products

from GB they always have.

Big Issue

“So long as the haulage company must comply with the customs requirements of Simplified Frontier Declarations, Safety and Security Declarations, GVMS and SPS requirements and so long as customers are required to complete Supplementary Declarations for goods that come from GB to Northern Ireland and are only destined for Northern Ireland then the costs of administration and bureaucracy that haulage companies are passing on will remain. No amount of reduction in physical checks at our ports will change this process.”

He added: “The checks were never seen as a big issue. The big issue from a haulier’s and business perspective is the necessity to have the paperwork, the necessity to have all the data. That’s really the nub of the problem.

He says the RHA in Northern Ireland would welcome a meeting with both the Irish Government and the European Commission to discuss their concerns.

“From a Northern Irish perspective, I think the negotiations have been going on too long. It has taken them 13-14 months to realise and accept there are issues and the pain is still being felt by businesses. A number of businesses in Northern Ireland have benefitted from the protocol, and yes there are advantages, but the disadvantages currently outweigh the advantages. “For a number of hauliers it has added 10-20% additional costs on to their bottom line. That has to be borne by businesses and

“In addition a lot of product is coming from the south via Northern Ireland into Great Britain. That’s a back door right into the UK marketplace. “The difficulty is whenever the easement ceases in July, how do they differentiate between Irish/ EC products and Northern Irish product going into GB? They will be shackled with the same bureaucracy as in Dublin. That will have a seriously detrimental effect on trade, and despite us asking officials what their solution is no one can clarify. “The capacity at Larne, Belfast and Warrenpoint is being taken up not only by Northern Irish hauliers but by Irish hauliers. Northern Irish hauliers are finding it increasingly difficult to get space on boats in Northern Ireland. “The diversion of trade is happening big time and its costing more in time, money and more damaging to the environment.”

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Volvo FL Electric Door-to-door deliveries The Volvo FL Electric is built to make everyday life run smoother with zero tailpipe emissions. Cleaner, efficient and quieter – working to deliver the goods that are needed to the right place at the right time. For more information visit volvotrucks.co.uk/fl-electric

Volvo Trucks. Driving Progress

Meet the bricks of the future. Now 8% better. With climate change, we are facing the biggest challenge in human history. And some things must change. Like what kind of construction materials we’ll be using. Maybe it will be these innovative bricks right here made from cigarette butts that will reduce your environmental footprint, or perhaps something else. Whatever it is, we’re confident we’ll make it 8% better. That’s because our new Scania Super is the best powertrain we’ve ever built. The most efficient and sustainable of its kind. Setting a new industry standard for powertrains and combustion engines, with a fuel saving of 8%. The Super is ready today to carry the cargo of tomorrow. Scan the QR code, visit scania.com/uk/en/super or call 0845 034 3034.

The new Scania Super powertrain, with the combustion engine as its centrepiece, will deliver a fuel saving of 8 % compared to Scania’s current 13 l engine (DLU). The comparison is made for long distance operations.

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UK’s first zero emission automated logistics testbed onboards Terberg The onboarding of Terberg as a partner and the receipt of a retrofitted electric tractor unit is a huge success for 5GCAL and its mission to be the first project of its kind in the UK to deliver Zero Emission Automated Logistics. The next step in the ambitious 5G Connected and Automated Logistics (CAL) project sees the onboarding of new project partner Terberg and next generation 5G infrastructure.

The £30 million package consists of £16.4 million from the government match-funded by

The Terberg YT202 (EV Model) – a fully electric yard tractor designed for moving trailers in distribution centres, transport depots and container terminals – was procured by the North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA) for the 5G CAL project. It has been retrofitted by Street Drone with drive by wire components and a myriad of sensors and cameras (both standard and LiDAR). Following further tests and a rigorous simulation study, the autonomous and teleoperation trials of the Terberg YT202 can now take place. This will involve scaling up the original trial route to incorporate numerous, typical driving challenges such as roundabouts, security gates, traffic lights, bridges and junctions – all key tests to accelerate the development of an advanced autonomous system and to help scale deployment.

The 5G CAL project was awarded a share of £30 million through 5G Create, an open competition combining British creativity with innovative new uses for 5G as part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s £200 million 5G Testbeds and Trials programme (5GTT). The government is pushing ahead with its plans to unlock new economic benefits and productivity boosts from 5G while commercial rollout continues at pace. It has now funded 24 5G testbeds across the UK, which have trialled almost 70 different 5G technologies, products and applications.

manufacturing, Sunderland.

organisations ranging from large tech and telecoms companies to SMEs and local authorities. New project partner, Terberg, is bringing a new dimension to the £4.9m 5G CAL project announced in 2020, as it provides the HGV that will be retrofitted

with autonomous technology. Driven by an ambition to be one of the first manufacturers to bring teleoperated HGVs to market, and allowing these to be controlled remotely, Terberg is all set to revolutionise the sector in the home of advanced

Whilst recently attending Cenex, the UK’s premier low carbon vehicle event, the Sunderland’s 5G CAL project team showcased the new Terberg YT202. The fully electric drive means the vehicle is economical to operate and does not lead to emissions at the point of use, plus the electric motor is quieter and requires much less maintenance than a diesel engine.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK appoints Heiko Selzam as Managing Director Heiko Selzam is preparing to take on the job of Managing Director at Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK, effective from 1 April 2022. He succeeds Wolfgang Theissen, who passed away in September. Heikois a familiar face within the global Daimler Truck family, having joined what was then Daimler Benz AG in 1996 as Sales Executive for Commercial Vehicles. Since then he has taken on multiple assignments in the Middle East, Luxembourg and Austria, gaining experience across sales and service. In his current role, Heiko has established the new Mercedes-Benz Trucks Austria GmbH, and as CEO he has taken the company through full independence with the separation of the Daimler Group companies Mercedes-Benz AG and Daimler Truck AG. Heiko’s UK appointment will see him

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return to the business with which he spent two years as Sales Director, from 2017 to 2019. In this position, in addition to the new and used truck business, he was responsible for truck training and sales operations, as well as sales of telematics services. As a result, he feels well prepared for the job of Managing Director: “Through my previous role as Sales Director in the UK, I am very familiar with the structure of the company,” he said. “I already know many employees, customers and business partners, and I am very much looking forward to working with them again. There are some

Heiko Selzam.

challenges to overcome in our industry, but I am confident that the excellent team will combine and we’ll accomplish all our tasks.” In a statement, Head of Sales Europe JeanMarc Diss, said: “Heiko’s extensive business experience and strong leadership skills are two significant assets which will support our business success in the UK. We would like to thank him for his continuous commitment and achievements, and we wish him the utmost success in his new role as Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK.”

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Operators Give Thumbs Up To Road Safety Technology in Brigade Electronics Survey The benefits of vehicle-mounted cameras and video technology have been laid bare in new research from Brigade Electronics. The road safety pioneer commissioned an in-depth survey to get their views on the reasons they use cameras and video technology on their fleets, how useful they are, and what they consider when they decide to invest. A standout finding was that 59% of respondents said the fitment of camera systems/digital recording had reduced collisions or near misses– which means fewer accidents and fatalities on the road and in workplaces and 55% said it had improved driver behaviour. A total of 44% said safety technology had helped with insurance claims, highlighting the benefits of cameras in protecting their drivers from unjustified claims, including crash-for-cash scams.

Brigade’s Sidescan®Predict is the next generation of side-detection sensor system, designed for collision avoidance between vehicles, objects and vulnerable road users. Utilising ultrasonic technology, this intelligent system predicts if a collision is likely to occur and alerts the driver by a visual and/or audible warning, depending on the severity of the calculation.

Sidescan®Predict

Clients are also playing an increasing role in the adoption of this technology: 12% of respondents said cameras are a contractual requirement from a client, a 3% rise on 2020. The survey revealed that one-fifth of operators have no plans to use road safety technology and the most common reason (44%) is that it is not seen as relevant to the operation. However, changes to the Highway Code that came into effect in November with further new guidance being added in January, has increased the responsibility of commercial vehicle drivers, making it more important than ever before to be able to mitigate risk. The new hierarchy of road users means those who are most likely to be seriously harmed, such as pedestrians and cyclists, will have greater priority over other road users – with HGV drivers ranked lowest. This would mean they are more likely to shoulder the blame in an incident and might be the reason for a higher proportion of smaller operators investing in safety. Chris Hanson-Abbott OBE, of road safety device experts Brigade Electronics, said: “It’s good to see that the benefits of cameras and other safety technology are being recognised by fleet operators. “As cameras on their own are a passive technology that does not alert the driver to take action, Brigade always recommends that they are combined with active technology such as sensor systems with driver alerts to reduce collisions. “Innovative safety tech like Brigade’s Sidescan®Predict, a major improvement of the current SideScan side detection system, can reduce accidents and insurance claims when combined with cameras. “However, there is still some way to go. Only 47% of fleets have 100% of vehicles fitted with the technology – despite overwhelming evidence they improve safety and save lives. “That said, only 2% of operators said their fleets had no safety technology at all, which is encouraging.”

• Differentiates between stationary and moving objects • Data such as vehicle speed, wheel position and the speed and direction of a VRU feeds an algorithm to calculate the risk of a collision • System in constant operation below 20mph/32kmh, with or without the indicators activated • Detection area extends up to 2.5m from side of vehicle • Designed and developed by Brigade

01322 420300 brigade-electronics.com You’re safer with us EXPORT&FREIGHT

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DAF starts field test of new generation distribution trucks Together with leading customers, DAF Trucks has started extensive field tests as the final phase in the development of an entirely new generation of distribution trucks. These will share the unrivalled DNA of the New Generation XF, XG and XG+, featuring the highest levels of quality, safety, efficiency and driver comfort.

The launch of the New Generation XF, XG and XG+ has been a tremendous success all over Europe. After the first test drives, the series was widely praised by the

trade press and crowned ‘International Truck of the Year 2022’ shortly after. With an impressive order book of nearly 20,000 units before production officially started in early November, the threesome broke all records in the 93-year history of the Dutch truck manufacturer. The field-tested New Generation DAF distribution trucks make use of the same platform as the award-winning, new long-haul and heavy duty trucks, the first commercial vehicles developed with the new European Masses & Dimensions regulations in mind. Obviously, just like their stablemates, the new series of distribution trucks will push the boundaries in terms of road safety, efficiency and low emissions, as well as driver comfort.

Start the Future “With the game-changing XF, XG and XG+, DAF started the future of long and heavy haulage,” commented Ron Borsboom, executive director Product Development. “Now, we are on our way to start the future of regional and national distribution as well. Direct vision, seating position, ergonomics, fit and finish, it will all be of a new league, next to superior vehicle efficiency plus ride and handling.” DAF will unveil its New Generation of distribution trucks in the second half of the year. The new series will become available in addition to the wide range of the popular and versatile DAF CF trucks.

Freight and logistics in the UK: looking back on an exceptional year The coronavirus pandemic and Brexit are having lasting impacts on the UK freight and logistics industry, according to the latest edition of AECOM’s annual Freight Matters report, in which industry experts share insights and data from an exceptional year. Throughout 2021, the UK freight industry has remained in the national spotlight. The lasting impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit have had considerable influences on the way the industry has evolved and developed, whilst other key bearings such as the lasting commercial vehicle driver shortage and the UK ‘fuel crisis’ have considerably affected the way the sector has operated as well as how it is perceived by the wider public, writes Raj Sharma, AECOM’s Principal Consultant. Especially in the context of COP 26 and the signing of the Glasgow Climate Pact, the decarbonisation of all freight modes and the chartering of a path to net-zero continues to be a priority for all modes. Some modes are closer than others – and effective strategies such as appropriate modal shift

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and the greater prevalence of alternative vehicles are all important tools in the armoury for the freight and logistics sector. AECOM’s annual Freight Matters report discusses these pressing challenges and brings together the latest, and most critical, high-level industry data for road, rail, water and air freight transport from a range of credible sources, alongside expert insight from AECOM’s freight and fleet specialists. The report is of value to those working in the freight industry, involved in freight activity and/ or interested in the sector’s growing contribution to the UK economy. It can be used to help inform decision-making, policies and projects. Insights include:

Coronavirus By stepping up to ensure the continuous movement of goods

in the face of changing demand, the freight and logistics industry has played a hugely important role in the response to the challenges presented by coronavirus. As the UK and many other countries have a better grip on the pandemic, there is an expectation that the industry will return to pre-pandemic normality (or close to it). Our report considers that it may be better for the industry to examine the potential opportunities that coronavirus has opened up and looks at how these could be highly beneficial if taken.

Post-Brexit Brexit has dominated political discourse for some time and continues to do so as the UK transitions from a paid-up full member of the European Union to a future as an independent trading nation. This has created the need to consider trading

patterns, both with Europe and the rest of the world, and how these changes may affect supply chains. With so many questions remaining unanswered regarding the future of freight and logistics in the UK, we call for a national freight strategy that reflects these challenges and opportunities and helps put in place the infrastructure required to facilitate new trading relationships. We also call on policy makers to support the efforts of the freight sector, and the vital role it plays, by providing the infrastructure and skills needed to do this effectively.

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Bridgestone collaborates with Scoobic to provide premium tyres for its electric vehicles Bridgestone and its subsidiary Webfleet Solutions have reached an agreement with Scoobic Urban Mobility, a company that designs and manufactures 100% electric last-mile and urban delivery fleet vehicles. The deal offers an integrated solutions package for Scoobic customers. All new Scoobic vehicles will come equipped with factory-installed fleet management technology from Webfleet Solutions, and will be fitted with premium Bridgestone tyres.

Greater safety and efficiency thanks to state-of-the-art fleet management systems

The European-level agreement covers operations in all countries where both companies are active. Service is already being provided in Spain, France and Italy, and will soon be expanded to other markets such as Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom.

last-mile delivery and urban mobility services through its 100% electric fleet of vehicles, on a pay-per-use model. At the same time, Scoobic will leverage the telematics data to provide advanced proactive maintenance services to its customers, which include Correos, Amazon, Carrefour and Heineken.

integrated approach, Bridgestone is pioneering premium tyres and tyre technologies for EVs and dedicated fleet and mobility solutions, while also partnering with leading EV manufacturers, such as Fisker and Lightyear and offering end-toend services across its EV-ready retail and service network.

Meanwhile, Webfleet Solutions offers state-of-the-art, data-driven telematics solutions for fleet management, enabling safer, more efficient and more profitable operations. Its software-as-a-service solution, WEBFLEET, can be used by Scoobic customers to manage their operations efficiently. It includes the EV solution system, which provides information on battery level, charging time and nearest charging points. WEBFLEET also issues alerts when it identifies that a vehicle needs to be checked, enabling greater safety and reduced vehicle downtime.

Scoobic aims to be at the forefront of the last-mile delivery market segment in Europe, which is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. The company offers public and private operators

As part of its commitment to help shape a sustainable future of mobility, Bridgestone is investing to make electric mobility more efficient and accessible to drivers and fleets. Through a fully

This agreement with Scoobic is the latest milestone for Bridgestone EMIA and comes soon after its partnership announcement with EV Box to expand Europe’s EV Vehicle Charging Infrastructure.

fleet management systems and optimisation tools offered by Webfleet Solutions, as well as a highly experienced and widespread network of car service centres for maintenance.”

Bridgestone’s retail network of service locations specialising in tyres and integrated car maintenance will maintain Scoobic’s electric fleet and replace tyres when necessary.

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DIAMOND TRUCKS UK OPENING NEW DEALER SITE IN WARRINGTON Renault Trucks’ dealer for Northern Ireland, Diamond Trucks, is expanding its operation to the mainland, establishing a new Approved Renault Trucks dealer in Howley Lane, Warrington, Cheshire. Operating as Diamond Trucks UK, the 4.5 acre site on Howley Trade Park is located in one of the country’s prime industrial, logistics and distribution hubs, just 2.8 miles from Junction 9 of the M62 motorway, with excellent access to the M56 and M6 and onward routes across the UK and to Ireland. Construction is now underway to remodel

and refurbish the existing 45,000 sq ft building to Renault Trucks’ exacting dealer standards, creating first class office and workshop areas for staff, and comfortable, well-equipped facilities for new, used and aftersales customers as well as waiting drivers. Diamond Trucks’ expansion into England follows seven years of continued growth in Northern Ireland, where the dealership has seen Renault Trucks’ market share increase from 2 to 10

Renault Trucks’ dealer for Northern Ireland, Diamond Trucks, is expanding its operation to the mainland, establishing a new Approved Renault Trucks dealer in Warrington, Cheshire.

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percent. With growing freight traffic through ports in Northern Ireland, the new Warrington dealership is ideally placed to support operators coming into Liverpool, Holyhead and Heysham. Harry Nash, Director, Diamond Trucks, says: “Since 2015, Diamond Trucks Northern Ireland has gone from strength to strength, building a reputation for outstanding service support. The acquisition of our new site in Warrington is a good strategic fit for us, extending our

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influence to support Renault Trucks operators on both sides of the water, and opening up opportunities for new business in the area. “We continue to see great value in the Renault Trucks brand and its product range that is growing in both market share and confidence, and look forward to welcoming customers to Diamond Trucks UK in the coming months.” Derek Leech, Service Market & Retail Development Director at Renault Trucks UK, says: “The new Diamond Trucks UK site further strengthens the Renault Trucks dealer network in the UK, and will enable us to better support customers and grow our presence in the key North West region. “Winner of Renault Trucks’ Dealer of the Year in 2020, the team at Diamond Trucks has a proven track record in delivering for customers and the Renault Trucks brand. We know that Harry and the leadership team at Diamond Trucks bring the experience, expertise and vision to drive even more success here in Warrington.” Trading will commence at Diamond Trucks UK, Howley Trade Park, Howley Lane, Warrington WA1 2EB in August 2022.

Harry Nash, Director, Diamond Trucks, at Howley Lane, Warrington, the site of Diamond Trucks UK’s new Approved Renault Trucks dealer which will open its doors in August following full refurbishment of the existing buildings.

Tel. 028 90 837171 info@diamondtrucks.co.uk

www.diamondtrucks.co.uk

DIAMOND TRUCKS’ EXPANSION INTO ENGLAND FOLLOWS SEVEN YEARS OF CONTINUED GROWTH IN NORTHERN IRELAND, WHERE THE DEALERSHIP HAS SEEN RENAULT TRUCKS’ MARKET SHARE INCREASE FROM 2 TO 10 PERCENT.

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LOGISTICS CONFERENCE

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WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR FREIGHT? The freight landscape is changing and you need to be on top of the issues facing your business. Happily a free high-level conference on 11-12 May will help your decision making The last two years has placed much stress and shock on to global and national supply chains. What do we need to learn in the postCovid/post-Brexit world? How do we do all of this while pressure is on the industry to de-carbonise – and what does that look like? Finally, how do we make our people, processes, technology and finances more resilient? This is no blue-sky thinking, but the stark reality facing everyone in the freight and export business. Whatever your opinion of the issues, and how they will continue to affect your business, if you’re going to stay in the sector you’re faced with tough decisions. Informing your decisions means you need to harness the power of knowledge, which is why this year’s Future Logistics Conference at Innovation and Technology in Transport Hub (ITT Hub) is the place to be. And, you can get all this knowledge, from the leading practitioners in the field, for free. It will enable you to return to your businesses fully conversant with the latest developments and an eye to what to consider for the future.

STELLAR LINE UP Over two days, the conference on 11-12 May will focus on the following subjects: • The future for gas-powered HGVs • The future for battery-electric trucks • Future-proofing the supply chain • Vans - when is the right time to switch to electric?

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• Buyers’ guide: new fuels, pitfalls in the real world • The future for autonomous deliveries and last-mile Addressing the key challenges facing our industry today and tomorrow, presentations and panel discussions will be delivered by thought leaders, innovators and experts.

Indeed, it’s a stellar line up of some of the 20 most influential and knowledgeable professionals in the transport sector, giving you real insight into what you need to do to plan your future business. If this isn’t enough, opening the conference, is world-renowned space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE, whose keynote address covers her experience of developing truly

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innovative solutions, helping our industry to re-evaluate the opportunities presented by decarbonisation. The full conference programme and speaker list is online at www.itthub.co.uk

A WIDER EVENT Free to attend, the Future Logistics Conference 2022 is part of the second ITT Hub event at Farnborough International Conference and Exhibition Centre, near London. With an indoor and outdoor exhibition, Ride and Drive test routes; new for 2022 is a an area focusing on the chilled and refrigerated sector, Cold Chain Hub. Launched in 2021, ITT Hub set the format for a new truly-interactive event with more than 4,000 people finding out about the latest developments in their sector. Building on the success of ITT Hub’s debut, a long list of exhibitors spanning the sector is expected this year. Already confirming their presence across vehicles, warehouse, software, safety and compliance are a host of exhibitors with well-known names, from DAF Trucks, Renault Trucks, Volvo Group and Volta Trucks to TRAILAR, Schmitz Cargobull, Tachosys, TruTac, TyreWatch to Disc-Lock, Air Products and Argent Energy.

COOL AND COLDER… Making the 2022 event an even more compelling ‘must visit’ is the addition of the new Cold Chain Hub by TCS&D, now at Farnborough in its ultra-modern purpose-built exhibition hall. The rapidly-growing list of exhibitors already includes: Coolkit, Petit Forestier, Smart Graphics, SPAL Automotive and Thermo King. Says Carrier Transicold: “We look forward to meeting our cold chain colleagues at this exciting, dedicated industry event where we will be showcasing the latest innovations in sustainable refrigeration technology.

BUSY AND LIVE ITT Hub uses the best aspects of Farnborough’s all-new main event building. The outside exhibition area enables a wide range of vehicles and products to be displayed and examined in daylight. An integral part of the event, rather than a tacked-on afterthought, this area includes a unique Ride & Drive experience. This enables licence-holders to get behind the wheel of the latest products on a bespoke test route both on and off-site (using public roads). The highly-popular experience really brings the event to life and is unique in Ireland and the UK. From conventional powertrains, all the way through to electric, you can put vehicles

through their paces in real-life conditions.

TALENT SPOTTING AND MORE Feature areas bring the show even more to life with an extra buzz of activity, from Q&A to live discussions and opportunities to find out everything you need to know from a raft of experts. A Talent Hub brings together skills and training, with opportunities to find the best new talent for your business, while the Energy Hub Theatre will explore the transition to net-zero and answer all your questions ahead of the move away from diesel. The lively EV Café – a pan-industry group of leading practitioners across the van and truck sector – stages a series of ‘Top Gear’style conversations in their relaxed manner, where the really tough questions get some answers you might not always expect.

REGISTER NOW! Registration is now open for the conference and exhibition, both of which are free to attend www.itthub.co.uk Innovation and Technology in Transport Hub (ITT Hub), is staged at Farnborough International, Hampshire, just west of London on 11-12 May 2022. The venue is easily accessible by road, rail and air.

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FINANCIAL SERVICES

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CLOSE BROTHERS COMMERCIAL FINANCE:

REFINANCE SOLUTIONS OFFER QUICK ACCESS TO WORKING CAPITAL In 2008, Close Brothers Commercial Finance opened its doors in Ireland during the financial crisis. We were able to help businesses across the country, and our prudent approach has proved equally useful in today’s challenging market. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit, the we have continued to provide specialist finance to companies of all sizes. As part of a merchant banking group, we offer a range of funding options in Ireland, including invoice finance, asset based lending and asset finance. Over the course of the last 24 months or so, asset finance has proved to be especially popular with SMEs battling with challenging market conditions.

REFINANCING SOLUTIONS Refinance, for example, can provide a lifeline to businesses who need to access capital quickly. It releases capital tied up in assets, such as vehicles and equipment,

improving cash flow immediately without disrupting work. Close Brothers Commercial Finance’s refinancing solutions work simply. Working capital is released against the value of assets on your balance sheet and you lease them back over an agreed period. This means that you can continue to access and use essential vehicles and tools while benefitting from a cash lump sum. Our agreements are designed to adapt with your business. We can arrange for repayments to match income patterns, such as seasonal peaks and troughs, and if you already have agreements

in place, we can refinance existing debt to reduce monthly outgoings and ease cash flow. The Close Brothers team has comprehensive knowledge of the different industries and extensive experience providing sustainable funding. We aim to give businesses growth opportunities. We can help you find an affordable way to secure the new assets you need to grow by arranging a bespoke refinance package. We offer a flexible range of financing options tailored to your needs.

CLOSE BROTHERS Close Brothers is a merchant banking group providing lending, deposit taking, wealth management services, and securities trading. Close Brothers Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 250. Our core purpose is to help the people and businesses of Britain and Ireland thrive over the long term. To achieve this, all of our diverse, specialist businesses have a deep industry knowledge, so they can understand the challenges and opportunities that our customers and clients face. We support the unique needs of our customers and clients to ensure that they thrive, rather than simply survive, whatever the market conditions. Visit our website to find out more: https://www. closecommercialfinance.ie/

THE CLOSE BROTHERS TEAM HAS COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES AND EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE PROVIDING SUSTAINABLE FUNDING

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TRUCK NEWS

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DAF TRUCKS REPORT SOLID PERFORMANCES IN A CHALLENGING YEAR DAF Trucks can look back on an excellent year. The production of trucks reached 60,000 units, a clear reflection of the high demand for transport as a result of the strong recovery in the economy. The undoubted highlight was the introduction of the New Generation DAF XF, XG and XG+. These models for long distance transport, resulted in a full order book for the Eindhoven truck manufacturer.

the Netherlands (28.5%), the UK (29.4%), Poland (24.3%), Hungary (24.8%), Bulgaria (23.8%) and Portugal (19.0%). DAF also remained the undisputed market leader in Europe in the heavy duty tractor segment.

The jewel in the crown was the award of the two most prestigious prizes in the truck industry. The New Generation XF, XG and XG+ were voted ‘International Truck of the Year 2022’ because of the new standard they have set in relation to efficiency, safety and driver comfort. In addition, the DAF XF H2 concept truck with hydrogen combustion engine, won the coveted ‘Truck Innovation Award 2022’. All of which confirms that the New Generation DAF trucks represent a brand new platform; one that is ready for new alternative drivelines and the promise of an even cleaner future.

OUTSIDE EUROPE

It goes without saying that as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,2021 was also a very challenging year for DAF, largely due to the scarcity of parts. In fact, it was not the demand for trucks that ultimately determined the production numbers but rather the availability of chips and other components. In 2021 about 49,000 heavy and medium duty CF and XF trucks came off the production line (compared with 37,600 in 2020) as well as about 11,000 LF distribution trucks (9,000 in 2020). Market leader in 6 European countries DAF achieved a market share of15.9% (2020: 16.3%) in Europe in the heavy (16 ton+) segment and 10.1% (was 9.5%) in the light segment. As in previous years, DAF was the2021 heavy duty market leader in

DAF sold 8,600 trucks outside the European Union in 2021, compared with 5,900 in 2020. This included a large order for heavy duty trucks from Colombia and an order for several dozen fully-fitted garbage trucks in Ghana. Furthermore, the 10,000thlocally built truck was produced in Taiwan, where DAF is the market leader among European brands in the heavy segment. DAF also ended the year as market leader in Israel and made great strides in amongst others Australia and Brazil. In 2021 DAF sold 2,250 PACCAR engines to leading manufacturers of coaches, buses and special vehicles. This represents an increase of more than 10% compared with 2020 when DAF Components sold 2,000 engines. DAF also received two orders from the Belgian Armed Forces in 2021. Over the coming years a total of about 900 all wheel drive vehicles – equipped with or without ballistic cab – will be delivered.

‘RECORD AFTER RECORD’ “No less than 40% of all newly-sold used trucks were delivered along with a DAF Multi Support repair and maintenance contract –a record,” according to Richard Zink, member of the DAF Board of Management with responsibility for Marketing and Sales.

opting for maximum uptime support, both in terms of costs and vehicle availability. A record number of transporter operators availed of the services of PACCAR Financial, which also sold an unprecedented number of used vehicles.”

FURTHER GROWTH IN 2022 “Thanks to the upturn in the economy, there is an increasing demand for trucks in Europe and with the New Generation DAF XF, XG and XG+ DAF has an excellent product on its hands,” says Harry Wolters, president of DAF Trucks. “These are the first and only trucks on the market to comply with the new European regulations for vehicle masses and dimensions. This means that the XF, XG and XG+ set a new benchmark in the areas of efficiency, safety and driver comfort. We expect the European truck market to reach somewhere between260,000 and 300,000 vehicles in 2022. Thanks to our industry-leading model programme and first-class services, we are ready, together with our professional dealers, to achieve further growth.”

“This means that more and more customers are

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MALLON LOOKS BACK AT TWO YEARS AS INFRASTRUCTURE MINISTER Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has been looking back and reflecting upon her two years in office, saying she is proud of her team who have responded to the challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit, while building a better future with plans that include all-island rail connectivity, delivering the iconic Narrow Water Bridge, connecting Derry-Belfast with the new A6 and approving a new stadium for the GAA in Ulster at Casement Park. Commenting on her key priorities over the last two years, the Minister said: “To address the historic underfunding of our water and sewerage infrastructure, I allocated £344.5 million this year from my budget for essential water and sewerage services. This was the first time in many years that we had been able to fully fund this essential public service as recommended by the Utility Regulator. “Unfortunately, the road network, including footways, cycle lanes and bus lanes, maintenance has suffered due to a historic lack of investment, but this year I was delighted to be able to allocate £17 million towards a Roads Recovery Fund of which £15 million is being targeted towards rural roads. This investment, the highest level of funding to date for a specific rural roads fund, is being used to address areas of immediate concern across the rural roads network. “I have also allocated £19 million for flood

A6 dual carriageway.

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protection schemes across the North, including Belfast, Newcastle, Lisburn and Newry, to protect homes and businesses from the devastation of flooding, which can be a distressing and frightening experience for those affected. “Playing my part in tackling the climate crisis has been of huge importance to me. I set up a new £20 million per year blue/green infrastructure fund to support the transformation of our communities, promote active travel and shape our places.

RAIL & ROAD “I have invested in public transport to encourage a shift away from the car to more sustainable transport. One hundred and forty five zero and low emission buses including 20 hydrogen fuelled buses costing £74 million will begin to go into service from Spring this

year. In addition, I have invested £30 million for the purchase of 38 new zero emission battery electric buses for the Foyle Metro fleet, making it one of the first cities across these islands to have a zero emission bus fleet. “I have also invested £66 million in 21 new train carriages and depot infrastructure to transform rail journeys. This will help to reduce carbon emissions and attract more people to make cleaner public transport choices. “I have allocated funding for the feasibility study for the Phase 3 upgrade of the Derry to Belfast railway line. This crucial

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investment is the first step to getting rail in the North West of Ireland back on track. “The North West Transport Hub has been completed and work on the Belfast Transport Hub is underway. The A6 is nearing completion and other key infrastructure projects including the A1 Junctions safety programme, Narrow Water Bridge, York Street Interchange and a range of bypass projects are moving forward. All of these will have economic multiplier effects and help to address safety, connectivity and regional imbalance.

ALL ISLAND APPROACH “It is important to recognise the island-wide benefits of iconic cross-border projects like the Narrow Water Bridge that will not only connect people but the economies of this island. I am delighted that working with the Irish Government I have launched an all-island strategic rail review, the first review in over 100 years, looking at how we can connect communities and businesses across Ireland and deliver cleaner rail travel across our island. “Road safety is of course an issue I take very seriously. A consultation on a new Road Safety Strategy to 2030 has just ended which will provide the framework for implementation to improve road safety. Other initiatives such as the 20 mph scheme at schools; the road safety grant scheme; the introduction of tougher penalties for mobile phone use while driving; and enforcement actions by the DVA, in collaboration with the PSNI continue as we work to make roads safer for all users. “I firmly believe in the need for a long term shared vison and an agreed approach to infrastructure delivery. That is why in August 2020 I established the Ministerial Advisory Panel on Infrastructure, which recommended that an Infrastructure Commission would more effectively support the long term planning and development of relevant infrastructure here. I was pleased that this has been included as a key action in the Executive’s Covid Recovery Plan and is now being progressed in a positive way via a cross-departmental working group. I will keep pushing for delivery of this ambitious project alongside my commitment to a youth assembly, where we not only work with experts on the future of infrastructure here but also with our young people, the leaders of tomorrow.” She added: “The COVID-19 pandemic remains and was ever present over the last two years which brought many challenges for the delivery of the frontline services for which I am responsible. In this challenging time my team has pulled together, we have worked with others to find creative and safe solutions to keep our services running and to help others struggling through the pandemic. For my remaining time in office I remain determined and focused on delivering good governance and improvements to the lives and livelihoods of all the people who live and work here.”

Proposed Narrow Water Bridge scheme.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS: • Granted planning permission for a new stadium at Casement Park, Belfast. • Contract awarded for a new regional planning IT system in conjunction with 10 local councils.

• Work begins on a £19 million major refurbishment of rail infrastructure for the Whiteabbey area. • £10 million investment project underway for a new train station at York Street, Belfast. • Rail infrastructure upgrade works costing £31million underway in the Cullybackey area

• North West Multi Modal Transport Hub project completed.

• £17.85 million Belfast Tidal Flood Alleviation Scheme underway.

• Work on Belfast Transport Hub progressing.

• £2.9 million Phase one river Flood Alleviation Scheme in Newry underway.

• £23.5m in financial support for Taxi Drivers and Private Coach and Bus Operators. • £20million per year Blue/Green Infrastructure Fund set up to promote active travel and support the transformation of communities by providing/ improving cycleways, footways and green/ blue spaces that will encourage people to walk, wheel and cycle as part of their everyday lives. • Published ‘Belfast Cycling Network’. • Work underway to build a new £16.5m Driver & Vehicle Test Centre and Depot at Hydebank, Belfast. • Introduced a new online booking system for driving and vehicle tests. • Introduced a new Commercial Licensing System for taxis and buses. • Between 1 August and 31 December 2021 conducted 325,220 full vehicle tests, which is 6% higher than the five-year average for that period. • Between 1 May and 31 December 2021 conducted 46,525 driving tests, which is 39% higher than the fiveyear average for that period. • Introduced new legislation to exempt vehicles of historic interest from MOT. • The A6 Randalstown to Castledawson Dualling Scheme completed. • The A6 Dungiven – Drumahoe dual carriageway scheme progressing. • A £1.1 million extension to the M1 bus lanes has been completed. • Five new Park and Ride projects at Newtownards (Bus), Comber (Bus ), Cairnshill, Belfast (Bus), Downpatrick (Bus), Trooperslane, and Carrickfergus (Rail) underway.

• £5.1 million Shimna River flood alleviation scheme begins • £365,000 flood alleviation scheme on the La Salle Stream in West Belfast. • £2.8 million flood alleviation scheme on the Glenbrook River in the Cregagh Road / Montgomery Road area of East Belfast • £900,000 flood alleviation scheme on the Flush Bridge Stream in the Prince William Road area of Lisburn • Published ‘Living with Water’ plan for Belfast. • Second Cycle Flood Risk Management Plan 2021-27 published. • Planning for the Future of Transport - Time for Change published. • Implementation of a part time 20mph speed limit programme at more than 200 schools. • New legislation to increase penalty points and fines for those using a hand-held mobile phone while driving introduced, • Consultation on proposals to reduce the number of minor motoring offences coming before our courts taking place. • Options paper and online questionnaire published to help inform a future policy for pavement parking. • Provided £350,000 of matchfunding for local councils to grow the e-charging network. • Electric Vehicle Infrastructure TaskForce established and new legislation to extend permitted development rights for electric vehicle charging points. • Legislation to extend permitted development rights for telecommunication development and also to remove permitted development rights for oil and gas exploration.

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VOLVO’S FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE FMX TICKS ALL THE BOXES FOR ROBINSON CONCRETE Transporting heavy loads in the rolling countryside of Northern Ireland can be challenging to say the least. Thankfully, these days, truck manufacturers are able to supply increasingly innovative solutions to help improve manoeuvrability, ease of access and maximise payload potential. 22

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ROBINSON CONCRETE WORKED CLOSELY WITH LOCAL DEALER DENNISON COMMERCIALS AND VOLVO’S TECHNICAL TEAM TO COME UP WITH THE FINISHED PRODUCT

Family-run Robinson Concrete, which has been operating in County Londonderry for the past 73 years, has recently added a new Volvo FMX 4x4 tractor unit to its growing fleet – designed specifically to solve these issues. Like most concrete and aggregates firms, the business’ fleet was traditionally made up with rugged rigid eight-wheelers. However, having studied the market closely, it started to explore the possibility of utilising more tractor units and trailers to increase the loads it could shift. Gareth Robinson, who runs the firm alongside his two sons Matthew and Scott, explains: “The fleet at the moment is around the 30 mark, the vast majority of which are rigids. Before the FMX landed we had four other tractor units, but they

were really only used for hauling sand between our two depots, in Claudy and Ballymoney, around 40 miles apart.

go and haul aggregates from the sand pits. It made sense on all fronts.

“Our core business though is delivering to farms, and we noticed that other trucks accessing these sites – such as milk tankers and those carrying fertiliser – had been getting larger, plus farm machinery in general is growing in size, so access to these sites was becoming possible for bigger vehicles. We also had a new dual carriageway opened near our yard in Ballymoney – so the road networks were improving.

“We knew though that the set-up was only ever going to be as good as what was pulling the trailer. In terms of going onto construction sites, there are lots of options out there using double drives and tag-axles, etc. But we felt that, because of the difficulty of working in our sand pits and the terrain we are often on is quite challenging, steep and mucky, a 4x4 would be the best route for us.

“That really made us start thinking about moving towards trailers, and because we’re processing our own aggregates, when concrete is quiet we can just unhook the concrete mixer trailer and

“We were aware of other manufacturers bringing out these hydraulic front wheel drive options, but it was really only Volvo who could provide everything we were looking for.”

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DEALER CO-OPERATION

wondering ‘can I get in and will I get stuck if I do get in’, it just adds hassle to your day. Using the 4x4 and the trailer, they can be ultra-confident working on any site.”

Robinson Concrete worked closely with local dealer Dennison Commercials and Volvo’s technical team to come up with the finished product – and they couldn’t be happier with how it has turned out.

ANOTHER ON ORDER The solution has worked so well Robinson Concrete has another identical FMX 4x4 tractor unit due to be delivered in the next few months. The business also has two specifically designed new mixer trailers – supplied by Muldoon Transport Systems –on the way to join the two it already has in operation.

Built on a 3,900mm wheelbase, the FMX benefits from an X-High chassis with rear air suspension to improve ground clearance on rough terrain. The firm also selected Michelin XZY3 steer and Michelin X Works drive tyres, offering maximum durability and excellent grip. Powered by Volvo’s D13K Euro-6 engine, producing 540 hp and 2,600 Nm of torque, the FMX – equipped with spacious Globetrotter cab – has the power to allow the firm to carry more product, while the 4x4 drive paired with the rear-steer concrete mixer trailer creates fantastic manoeuvrability.

Johnny Millen, Robinson Concrete Driver.

“The team at Dennison led us through the process and really opened our eyes to what was possible,” adds Gareth. “Basically, with this truck there are no compromises. The steering of the trailer combined with the double drive of the truck just ticks so many boxes for us.

down into the pit to turn around, the vehicle was sticking and didn’t have enough traction in the loose sand to get out. The 4x4 FMX can just go in, and back out, no questions asked.

“Only this week, for instance, we had one of our tag axle trucks doing the sand and gravel work and it had to stop because every time it went

“There are always restrictions with a tag axle, in our line of work. If you’re a driver and you’re delivering to a construction site,

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“The ones we have currently were specified with a hydraulics system and rated at 44 tonnes initially to pull behind either a double drive or a tag axle,” says Gareth. “But we are getting trailers now specifically made for the 4x4s, rated at 40 tonnes, so they will be a metre shorter, which will give us even more manoeuvrability. They won’t have the hydraulics on either as we already have that on the trucks, so we gain about half a tonne more in payload capacity in the mixer. “Down in the Republic of Ireland a lot of businesses similar to ours use 10x4 rigids for this type of work, but having tested this spec now we feel this is actually a better solution and it may be something that catches on in the south as well.”

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£3000 Fine for Overweight Vehicle

Convicted on Series of Tachograph Offences

A County Antrim operator has been convicted at Belfast Magistrates’ Court and fined a total of £3000 after DVA enforcement officers stopped a 3 axle Scania articulated goods vehicle in combination with a 4 axle Faymoville trailer in the Larne area.

A County Armagh operator was convicted at Belfast Magistrates’ Court and fined a total of £2000 after DVA enforcement officers stopped a 3axle Scania heavy goods vehicle in the Belfast area.

Officers weighed the vehicle using the Department’s dynamic weighbridge and it was found to be overloaded on axle 2 by 890kgs on the maximum authorised weight and by 9280kgs on its gross train weight. The driver claimed a special types exemption but was unable to provide a current special types movement order.

Company Convicted on Multiple Offences A County Tyrone Haulage company has been convicted at Belfast Magistrates court and fined a total of £1200.

During an examination of the vehicle officers found that vehicle data from the tachograph had not been downloaded for a period of 796 days which was 706 days outside the 90 day requirement. In addition, officers found that the driver’s digital smartcard had not been downloaded for 69 calendar days, 41 days outside the stipulated 28 day requirements. Officers were unable to correlate the current days driving with records and a further in-depth investigation uncovered and removed an interrupter device (magnet) attached to the gearbox tachograph sender unit.

Failed to Take Daily Rest A County Antrim operator has been fined £1,000 at Belfast Magistrates’ Court which heard that when DVA Enforcement Officers examined a 3 axle Volvo articulated tractor unit in the Larne area they discovered a number of tachograph offences.

The conviction arose when DVA Enforcement carried out an in-depth tachograph investigation of vehicle records belonging to the company. During an examination of the records it was noted that data had not been downloaded from a tachograph in accordance with the relevant EU regulations. As well as a failure to download, the investigation also identified multiple drivers’ offences of failing to take daily rest, weekly rest etc. In addition, the operator failed to attend a formal interview with investigators.

Analysis of the tachograph data identified that the driver was fraudulently using a digital tachograph card belonging to the vehicle operator and that the operator had failed to download the driver card and the vehicle tachograph within the prescribed time limits allowed thereby failing to identify that the driver had failed to take minimum daily rest on a number of occasions.

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CARLOS RODRIGUES MANAGING DIRECTOR, RENAULT TRUCKS UK & IRELAND

The past year has been a positive one for Renault Trucks, but what about the year ahead? Export & Freight’s David Stokes has been finding out from Carlos Rodrigues, Managing Director, Renault Trucks UK & Ireland. “For Renault Trucks UK & Ireland, 2021 was a positive year for a number of reasons, summed up as performance, products and presence,” he tells us.

actually increased during the last 12 months. This has been achieved through very high and detailed levels of inventory management, whilst protecting stock for VOR cases where required.

“On the performance front, we increased our both new trucks and LCV market share for the third year in a row and, despite stock challenges, our Used Trucks team were once again able to sell over 1,200 units.

The teams both centrally in Lyon and here in the UK have done a fantastic job in ensuring maximum uptime for our customers. The group has and continues to dedicate a lot of resource to ensure through the procurement team we can continue to serve our customers.

“From a parts perspective, we were not only able to secure parts availability, but all of our dealer points were able to remain open and continue to deliver an excellent customer service. “In terms of products, we introduced the ‘evolution’ of our T, C and K models with improvements to the exterior design of our cab, driver comfort and driver security at the forefront. “We also registered our first 100% electric HGVs with a 16T D Z.E. entering service with Warburtons in Enfield. “Finally, we grew our presence in the market strengthening our network in 2021 to 72 dealer points with new sites opening in Cornwall, Gloucester, Hoddesdon, Glasgow and Tuxford. And for 2022, we recently announced a new site in Warrington, with our successful dealer for Northern Ireland, Diamond Trucks dealer extending its presence in Great Britain.”

WHAT WILL BE THE MAIN CHALLENGES OF 2022 IN BOTH THE UK AND IRISH MARKETS? In 2022 we want to further build on our successes over the past three years and ensure that we continue to deliver the same level of customer service. That remains our priority focus. The industry is also in a period of transition, and during this phase we are working closely with our customers to help them make the right choices for their business and to support them with their decarbonisation plans.

WHAT IS TRUCK AND PARTS AVAILABILITY LIKE AT THE MOMENT, GIVEN THE CONTINUING MATERIAL SHORTAGES? The supply chain situation is still very tense, and our focus is to maintain the exacting quality of trucks and also our delivery precision, as we not only have to work with our customers but also local body-builders. I would like to thank our dealers and bodybuilder partners for their continuous support in the current challenges and context. Parts availability has remained good at both our dealer and at our warehouses. In fact, first time pick rate at our dealers for current products has

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HAVE YOU SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE USED TRUCKS MARKET? IF SO, WHAT IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THAT INCREASE? Given the shortage of supply of product, we have seen a huge demand in Used Trucks. As a result we have prioritised sales through our retail and dealer channel to ensure we meet this demand and support our customers. We are finding that the average mileage of used trucks sold is higher, as well as an increased demand for newer, higher spec trucks such as our special edition T01 Racing, and the first Used T Highs. We have also sold our first Used fully electric Master Z.E.s.

RENAULT’S RANGE T, T HIGH, C & K TRUCKS WILL ALL BE FITTED WITH THE NEW DE11 AND DE13 ENGINES LATER THIS YEAR; HOW WILL THAT IMPACT YOUR BUSINESS? We’re really excited for the next phase of our TCK evolution with the new DE11 and DE13 engines. These engines offer a 3% fuel saving and C02 reduction versus the current engines and will begin to arrive on our shores in Q3 2022. On top of this, we’re also delighted to be adding a turbo-compound engine to our offer. This will be available on 13-litre 480hp engines and

deliver a further 7% fuel and C02 reduction. These fuel consumption improvements come on top of the 2021 TCK EVO benefits offering up to 3% fuel saving. For Renault Trucks this is another step in supporting our customers’ profitability, and in the current climate with fuel prices going up, the savings customers will see with our latest Turbo-Compound vehicles generation will be substantial.

HOW IS YOUR LCV BUSINESS GROWING? For our LCV portfolio, 2021 was yet another year of growth, with our market share within the 3.5t market increasing by 0.5%, and a healthy order book of vans to be delivered in 2022. Our market share in sector has actually increased by 280% versus 2017, when the original strategy was put in place so things are really progressing well and in line with our expectations. Growth within the electric Z.E. Master sector has again increased significantly in 2021 and we fully expect that around 8% of our total van sales to be electric in 2022. This further reinforces our electromobility story especially in the Municipal sector where the Master Z.E. chassis cab tipper is gaining popularity. And, with the introduction of the Renault Trucks Trafic Red Edition to our LCV range, 2022 is set to be a great year, with the importance and contribution of our LCV portfolio an ever- growing part of our business.

RENAULT ARE PIONEERS OF ELECTRIC MOBILITY, BUT HOW CLOSER TO ‘NORMAL’ ARE ELECTRIC COMMERCIAL VEHICLES TODAY? There is no doubt that the pace is starting to increase and as a result so is our business activity. We are in discussion with many customers across a multitude of sectors, some of which are currently running our Z.E. demonstrators, and since the turn of the year especially, we are taking multiple orders. Later this year we will introduce a new battery for the D, D Wide and Master EVs and this will offer increased range across these vehicles. In summary, for urban and semi-regional applications, Renault Trucks’ electric vehicles are the new normal. The challenge on these applications is not the truck but the design of the infrastructure to support customers operations. Our teams of Energy Transition Specialists are here to support our customers, working with our infrastructure partners. These are new considerations but we are prepared for our customers’ demands.

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IN CONVERSATION

WILL RENAULT TRUCKS BE ATTENDING ANY BIG SHOWS THIS YEAR? We’re in the process of finalising our event plans for the year and we’re looking forward to the return of events once more, connecting with the industry - and it’s always an added bonus if the sun is shining. For certain we will be at ITT Hub in May, and this will be out first major outing of the year. We’re also confirmed to be attending the heavy construction show, Hillhead, in Derbyshire which unfortunately was postponed last year.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD? In 2020 we also announced that Renault Trucks and its dealer network were committing to reach Net Zero by 2030 of our scope 1 and 2 emissions. I am pleased to say that the engagement of the entire dealer network is excellent. We have seen a number of initiatives coming to fruition to support that journey. One significant one from 2021 was the first Renault Trucks “green efficient” dealer facility in Felixstowe, constructed to the highest environmental standards. It has achieved the top EPC rating of ‘A’, with sustainable solutions on site such as photovoltaic panels, insulated doors and envelope cladding, LED lighting with sensors, mechanical heat recovery and efficient plant throughout to keep emissions to a minimum. We have also used waterbased wall paints throughout the building. We are determined to decarbonise our operation and make a difference, we started our journey in 2021, and we will share more of the steps we are taking in 2022.

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REFUSE COLLECTION

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DENNIS EAGLE & MANVIK KEEPING LOCAL BOROUGH COUNCIL’S WASTE COLLECTIONS ON TRACK With a population of around 162,000 people to serve, and seven district electoral areas to cover, Ards and North Down Borough Council’s refuse collection fleet of vehicles has to be robust, reliable and fit for purpose, which is why they’ve opted for Dennis Eagle, supplied by Dennis Eagle’s Northern Ireland distributor Manvik Plant & Hire Ltd, as Export and Freight’s David Stokes has been finding out. Ards and North Down Borough Council’s vehicle fleet of trucks and support vans totals around 180 vehicles of different brands including DAF, Volvo, MAN, Renault, Vauxhall and Iveco. Significantly, it includes 26 front line Dennis Eagle refuse collection vehicles, in addition to eight back-up trucks, all at 26 tonnes, and fitted with Terberg bin lift systems.

The council’s Chief Executive is Stephen Reid, while Fleet Manager is Jeff Shaw, a prominent member of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers in Northern Ireland who has many years of experience in the industry. It is his responsibility to keep the fleet running smoothly and on schedule, which can be a logistical challenge at the best of times. Waste and recycling, of course, is set to remain

high on any local council’s agenda. Latest figures show that Northern Ireland’s councils collected 284,771 tonnes of waste during April to June 2021, a 20.4% increase compared to April to June 2020, with household waste accounting for 88.2% of all waste collected during this period. So, like all councils across Northern Ireland, Ards and North Down has a crucial role to play in successfully

THE RESULT IS A SERIES OF HIGHLY ATTRACTIVE AND VERY AERODYNAMIC TRUCKS WHICH FEATURES CLASS-LEADING EFFICIENCY, SAFETY AND DRIVER COMFORT. 28

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REFUSE COLLECTION

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managing that waste, and they can only do that by employing the best people and equipment available.

LOW ENTRY CABS “One of the prime reasons we favour the Dennis Eagle brand is its reliability and the fact the trucks feature low entry cabs, which is appreciated by both drivers and crew members,” says Jeff. “You can imagine the big difference having a low entry cab can make to the refuse collection teams who are getting in and out of the cab maybe several hundred times a day.” The council’s area is vast, stretching from Holywood, Bangor and Newtownards right down to Portaferry on the Ards peninsula and across to Comber and Killinchy. The vehicles are based at the council’s depots in Bangor and Newtownards and each is assigned to a specific area. “Bearing in mind the Covid-19 restrictions, we try to assign the same driver and crew members to the same truck on each collection route,” says Jeff. “Not only does that protect them from the potential of picking up the virus, but it also means they become very familiar with the households and businesses in that area.”

SERVICE & SUPPORT Another reason for choosing Dennis Eagle is the high level of support and service the council gets from Manvik Plant & Hire Limited who are based at Dargan Crescent on the Belfast Harbour Estate, which means their service engineers are only minutes away in cases of emergencies.

service they and Dennis Eagle provide. “Having that high level of support is crucial to our collection operations. The crews work to very defined schedules; households expect their bins to be emptied on a certain day of each week, and if that doesn’t happen it reflects badly on us.” He adds: “In the past, we have considered and trialled different truck brands and manufacturers; we don’t favour one over the other, all are good in their own right. We have rigorous

procurement processes and we always prioritise quality and what we believe will best service the council’s needs and activities. “We keep a regular eye on what is coming on to the market and before Covid-19 we attended some of the big transport shows to stay abreast of all the latest technologies and innovations. “However, at the end of the day, Dennis Eagle vehicles have proven very fit for our purposes, and as I said our crews like them; indeed,

“We do have our own workshops and carry out all routine maintenance on the refuse trucks, but it is always reassuring that Manvik is on our doorstep if and when we need them,” says Jeff. “We can’t fault the

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TRUCK NEWS REFUSE COLLECTION

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Jeff Shaw, Transport Manager, Ards and North Down Borough Council.

they all take a certain amount of pride in their vehicles, as most truck drivers do. We provide them with all the necessary cleaning materials to ensure the vehicles present a clean image; after all, rate payers’ money is used to acquire the trucks in the first instance, so we need to care for those assets.” All the front line trucks, which are replaced every seven years, are fitted with camera recording and tracking devices for both the protection of the driver and crew and for the general public; equipment suppliers include Brigade Electronics and Mantis. “The cameras produce fantastic images and give our drivers an all round view of what’s happening in the immediate areas they are working in, which is vital considering the working environment takes in heavily built up housing estates, town centres and rural locations. Having such cameras fitted to the trucks means any incidents or accidents can be quickly dealt with and resolved.”

SOLAR PANELS In recent times, the council has been running a pilot scheme to fit several trucks with solar

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panels on the roof of the vehicles; they have been provided by a company called Trailar who have UK bases in Rugby & Oldham and who operate across the globe, with many blue chip companies as customers. The shatter proof and ultra thin solar panels - or mats, as they are called – are said to save fuel, CO2 and maintenance costs, so has Jeff found that to be the case? “Without doubt,” he says. “We have made comparisons and find that the vehicles with solar panels benefit from better fuel efficiency, and we are saving up to a tonne and a half of carbon per vehicle. We are very pleased with these outcomes, which make a excellent contribution to the Council’s ambitious commitments around sustainability and tackling climate change.” The council’s fitters have been trained on how to install and maintain them, so going forward every new vehicle that is added to the fleet will now feature solar panels, such has been the success of the pilot programme. Undoubtedly, other local councils will follow Ards and North Down Borough’s lead.

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Seamus Leheny Policy Manager - Northern Ireland. Logistics UK

MAKING NORTHERN IRELAND’S ROADS SAFER In November 2021 Northern Ireland Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon launched The Road Safety Strategy for Northern Ireland consultation, outlining the government’s proposed approach to road safety until 2030 and inviting views. Logistics UK responded to the consultation– with responses informed by discussions with our members through representative freight councils and sector working groups – which closed in January. In this article I will give an overview of the key points and Logistics UK’s views on how to improve road safety across Northern Ireland. As part of the proposed changes, a review of the current hand-held mobile phone offence will be carried out by the Department for Infrastructure, aimed at tightening their use based on advancements in modern smart phone technology. The review will echo that carried out by Department for Transport in Great Britain, which recently broadened the offence so that it is no longer limited to just making calls and texting. Logistics UK is a safety-first organisation; many of our member companies have established policies in respect of mobile phones which go beyond the minimum legal requirements. Many have a ban on mobile devices in vehicle cabs altogether and employ a “zero tolerance” approach to mobile phone offences, whereby an offence committed in a commercial vehicle, works vehicle or private car can constitute gross misconduct and lead to dismissal. It is, however, recognised that effective communications are critical to many modern logistics operations – hand-held communication devices are used in several elements of logistics including ‘Proof of Delivery’, waste and utility operations – and therefore a pragmatic approach with full regard for road safety should be adopted. With the safety of all road users vital, Logistics UK welcomes reference to the use of targeted enforcement within the strategy consultation document. Logistics UK has worked consistently with the Driver & Vehicle Agency in Northern Ireland on road safety initiatives for commercial vehicles; it would endorse any system that would target non-compliant operators who

undermine our industry and often undercut compliant operators who regularly invest in keeping their commercial vehicles safe and compliant for use on the roads. Targeted enforcement would certainly help to address this imbalance and remove non-compliant operators and vehicles from our roads. Effective urban planning also plays a key role in improving safety, in addition to helping industry to operate as efficiently as possible while lessening its impact on the environment. Whether new communities are being built or small changes are being made within a local area, the requirements of logistics should be as intrinsic to the planning process as considerations for essential amenities such as gas, electricity and public transport. Logistics must be considered from the outset to ensure efficient delivery and servicing routes can be designed that also allow access to kerbside deliveries.

RE-TIMING DELIVERIES

SAFETY A PRIORITY Logistics UK strongly supports modal shift, including moving journeys from cars to public transport, and active travel. However, new transport schemes, such as those aimed at enabling more walking and cycling by reallocating road space must consider the needs of road freight, such as the need for kerbside access. With more active travel encouraged, safety must remain a priority. In recent years Logistics UK in Northern Ireland has collaborated with cycling charity Sustrans on the development and delivery of a ‘Safe Urban Driving’ training course aimed at HGV drivers. The training course isa Driver CPC accredited seven hour-course delivered in one day. The first half of the day is spent in a classroom learning about safe driving practices and guidance in urban areas. The second part of the day then involves the HGV drivers getting on bicycles with Sustrans trainers and being taken around an urban centre for practical learning about the risks and rules for cyclists, which then helps to raise their awareness of cyclists, and cyclist’s movements, when driving. This course has been extremely well received by HGV drivers and educates them on the fundamental safety of the vulnerable road users they share road space with. To date, Logistics UK has delivered this training to over 350 HGV drivers in Northern Ireland, primarily in Belfast but also in some other regional towns.

Commercially, consideration should also be made to re-timing deliveries, including night-time deliveries. This can help to remove or reduce freight vehicles from travelling during peak hours, which is beneficial for improving safety, and reducing both congestion and vehicle emissions.

It would be a welcome development if the Department for Infrastructure was willing and able to promote this type of training in the future to increase the understanding and best practice of sharing the road safely between HGV drivers and cyclists.

Besides commercial premises, the growth in online shopping means that we should re-examine how we manage deliveries to homes. Conflicting legislative and regulatory frameworks must also be looked at, such as loading parking restrictions, planning restrictions and vehicle access for deliveries and servicing.

The logistics sector is ready and willing to play its part in ensuring our roads are as safe as possible and, along with Logistics UK, eagerly awaits the outcome of the consultation. Logistics UK looks forward to working with members and the NI Executive to implement the necessary changes and looks forward to a safer future for all.

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John Martin RHA Policy Manager for Northern Ireland.

NEW EU REQUIREMENTS FOR “POSTING” OF DRIVERS INCLUDING CABOTAGE AND CROSS TRADE JOURNEYS A new EU Directive came into effect on the 2nd February, introducing new requirements for a ‘Posting of Workers Declaration’ (Using the Internal Marketing Information’ Platform - IMI). unload them at another point in any of those countries. There are no fees to register your journeys.

This is a mandatory requirement for operators (Both own account and hire/reward) using vehicles and drivers for certain journeys within the EU including cabotage (Picking up and delivering a load within a member state.) and cross trade (Picking up a load within a member state and delivering it to another Member State). This is part of the wider Mobility Package which is affecting ALL EU & UK transport operators doing international movements including within Ireland. The new provisions do not apply to operators whose vehicles provide international transport services to or from the UK into EU Member States or onwards into 3rd party countries or return journeys. These new requirements apply equally to GB and NI road transport operators that fall within scope with information provided by the UK Government which can be accessed via the following link https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ declare-youre-transportinggoods-inside-the-eu-iceland-

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Your drivers are sometimes called posted workers if they’re working on a journey like this. https://europa.eu/youreurope/ citizens/work/work-abroad/ posted-workers/index_en.htm

liechtenstein-and-norway

• HGVs

IN SCOPE VEHICLES

• HGVs towing trailers

The scheme applies to the use of the following vehicles for commercial purposes including:

WHICH JOURNEYS YOU MUST REGISTER

• vans of any size or other light goods vehicles (sometimes called ‘light commercial vehicles’) • vans towing trailers • cars towing trailers

You must register the journey if you transport goods between 2 points in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway for commercial purposes. This means that you load goods at one point and

This includes: cabotage jobs loading goods in one of these countries and unloading them at a different place in the same country, using a vehicle registered in the UK; cross-trade jobs - loading goods in one of these countries and unloading them in different one of these countries, using a vehicle registered in the UK; and moving goods for your own business’ use - You must also register journeys where you move goods for your own business’ use between these countries. This includes if your business is not mainly about moving goods. If you’re a Northern Ireland vehicle operator you need to

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John Martin RHA Policy Manager for Northern Ireland.

JOURNEYS THAT DO NOT NEED REGISTERED You do not need to register the journey if it’s: • using a vehicle not carrying goods • from the UK to one place in Europe, where you can both unload and load goods • from the UK to Europe, and you unload goods at more than one place in Europe (but you cannot load goods in Europe) • from Europe to the UK, and you load goods at more than one place in Europe (but you cannot unload goods in Europe) • from the UK to a non-European country (but you cannot load or unload the goods while you’re in Europe)

PURPOSE The purpose of the new requirements forms part of the EU attempting to enhance standards for workers who are ‘posted’ into other countries to provide transport services. The intention is to ensure that EU operators are not undercut by competitors from outside the EU who are not compliant with the established terms and conditions for EU workers. What this means for UK operators who provide in-scope services is that they will have to ‘post’ their drivers, formally, using an EU web portal, so that the host member state(s) will be able to access those details for enforcement purposes, should they stop the vehicle at the roadside. As this is a UK/EU issue, the interface with the EU is being handled mainly by the Department for Transport, and there are a number of weblinks which provide guidance support and access to the EU Portal (the Internal Market Information system – IMI).

The links below will take you to the relevant web pages on the Department for Transport website which in turn interfaces with the EU portal. Users of the portal have to get a log in registration before being able to enter details onto the platform. Register road haulage journeys within Europe (posting declarations) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) DFT guidance with further links: https://www.postingdeclaration. eu/landing, and https://www. postingdeclaration.eu/help Within the IMI platform, once a declaration has been generated, there is scope to print it and hand to the driver, or they can be sent by email to the driver who has the ability to open a pdf on a phone or iPad. Ideally giving a hard copy to the driver would be the best, as you’d know they have got it, but for short notice deployments, or if the drivers are already ‘in position’ then they can have it emailed to them instead.

CREATE AN ACCOUNT ON THE EU PORTAL You need to create an account (https://www.postingdeclaration. eu/landing) on the EU portal before you can register a journey. You need information about your company, transport manager and drivers.

COMPANY INFORMATION To create your account, you need your company’s: • address • country of registration • email address • registration number • UK Operator’s Community Licence number

TRANSPORT MANAGER INFORMATION (If applicable) To create your account, you need your transport manager’s: • name

On the live site, there are fields that are not mandatory, but should be completed if the information is available, this is because this posting of workers portal applies to any type of commercial movement that falls into cabotage or cross trade operations, AND applies to own account operators as well, as Standard International operators.

• CPC certificate number

Each declaration will have its own unique QR code so that the declaration cannot be ‘tampered with or amended and is driver specific.

• telephone number

DRIVER INFORMATION

• email address • home address • driving licence number • driver card number • internal reference number (for example, their employee number) • ID document (for example, a passport) - you’ll need the document number, the issue

If a declaration has been made valid for up to 6 months and has been made for doing both cabotage and cross trade, using one or more vehicles, in particular countries then only one declaration is required. It is not based on the number of cabotage, or cross trade movements undertaken.

You also need:

To create your account, you need this information for each of your drivers who drive in Europe: • date of birth

If you have lots of drivers, you can upload their details in a spreadsheet. When you’ve signed in, select the Driver menu, and then Upload driver(s). You can then download a spreadsheet template to use and upload.

Registering a journey is also known as making a ‘posting declaration’. Each time you register a journey, you need to assign a driver that you’ve already registered on the EU portal.

• email address

• full name

• applicable law (which country’s law they’re employed under)

• VAT number

• office address

• start date of the drivers’ employment contract with you

When you’ve finished creating your account, you’ll be able to register your journeys (make a posting declaration).

• name

Declarations can be valid for 6 months and can have multiple vehicles registered to a driver.

The IMI platform allows for copying of declarations, once one has been submitted so that declarations for additional countries can be made quickly and easily.

date, the expiry date, and which country issued it

• the start and end dates of the journey (posting) - the start date is the date your driver enters the European country to load and/or unload goods, and the end date is when they leave the European country • the type of operation (cabotage or international carriage) • the type of transport (goods or passenger) • the vehicle registration (number plates) of the vehicle and trailer • contact details for your transport manager or another contact person in the UK

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David Mullan Head of Transport Regulation Unit

HOW TO BEST MANAGE TRANSPORT OPERATIONS Happy New Year, and welcome to the first TRU Newsletter of 2022. A regular feature within this newsletter is advice for existing licence holders to best manage transport operations, to engage with the Department, and avoid a scenario that puts their licence, and in turn their business, in jeopardy. In truth this information is readily available to you on your Goods Vehicle Operator’s Licence. When did you last read your licence? Your licence confirms the maximum number of vehicles and trailers you are authorised to use, it lets you know the place at which they must normally be parked, and it will provide any specific undertakings you, as an individual licence holder, have agreed to. In addition, your licence lists the general conditions and undertakings attached to all licences. Failure to adhere to these conditions and undertakings could adversely impact road safety, or compromise fair completion. This could in turn result in the Department taking steps to revoke your licence and withdraw your authority to legally carry goods. If you consider the impact of that on you, your family and your employees – perhaps it’s worth taking 10 minutes every once in awhile to read your licence and remind yourself of the basics. Further guidance on goods vehicle operator licensing can be found within the Department’s published Practice Guidance documents.

MOST SERIOUS INFRINGEMENTS What is a MSI (Most Serious Infringements)? An MSI is at the top of the categorisation scale of infringements with regard to seriousness. One MSI could result in the loss of your good repute as an operator. Losing your good repute as a standard operator’s licence holder may result in revocation of your licence. MSIs have a similar impact on a restricted licence holders as it affects their fitness to hold a licence.

of 25 % or more; (b) Exceeding, during a daily working period, the maximum daily driving time limit by a margin of 50 % or more without taking a break or without an uninterrupted rest period of at least 4,5 hours. 2. Not having a tachograph and/or speed limiter or using a fraudulent device able to modify the records of the recording equipment and/or the speed limiter or falsifying record sheets or data downloaded from the tachograph and/or the driver card. 3. Driving without a valid roadworthiness certificate if such a document is required under Community law and/or driving with a very serious deficiency of, inter alia, the braking system, the steering linkages, the wheels/tyres, the suspension or chassis that would create such an immediate risk to road safety that it leads to a decision to immobilise the vehicle. 4. Transporting dangerous goods that are prohibited for transport or transporting such goods in a prohibited or nonapproved means of containment or without identifying them on the vehicle as dangerous goods, thus endangering lives or the environment to such extent that it leads to a decision to immobilise the vehicle. 5. Carrying passengers or goods without holding a valid driving licence or carrying by an undertaking not holding a valid Community licence.

How is an MSI defined? Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 defines an MSI into the following categories:

6. Driving with a driver card that has been falsified, or with a card of which the driver is not the holder, or which has been obtained on the basis of false declarations and/or forged documents.

1. (a) Exceeding the maximum 6-day or fortnightly driving time limits by margins

7. Carrying goods exceeding the maximum permissible laden mass by 20 % or more

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for vehicles the permissible laden weight of which exceeds 12 tonnes, and by 25 % or more for vehicles the permissible laden weight of which does not exceed 12 tonnes. What happens if a MSI is detected? Many operators don’t realise that many of these infringements are issued as immediate prohibitions by DVA, DVSA or police and it’s when the prohibition is issued as “immediate” that it becomes an MSI. You should be aware that when you are issued with an immediate prohibition on any of these categories, that it becomes an MSI and therefore an event that affects your good repute. You must report that to the Department within 28 days, similarly to other convictions and penalties. The Department will then carry out an administrative procedure to determine whether, due to specific circumstances the loss of good repute would constitute a disproportionate response in the individual case.

ADVERTS FOR APPLICATIONS The newspaper advert is a key requirement of new applications and major variations to existing licences. Adverts not meeting any one of the requirements often leads to refusal of an application. The impact is largely a financial one because of the need to reapply. It is therefore important that the wording and timing meet the legislative requirements and the selected newspaper(s) is an acceptable publication. The advert must be published no more than 21 days before or after your application is received in the Northern Ireland Central Licensing Office (NICLO). If it is, the application will be ruled ‘out of time’ and you will need to re-advertise or reapply. (For example, an application received on 1 November by NICLO must be advertised

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David Mullan Head of Transport Regulation Unit

between 11 October and 22 November). An application is considered received when the fee has been paid and you have submitted the online application. This is a legislative requirement and the Department has no discretion to accept adverts published too late or too early, even if the rest of the advert requirements have been met. The wording of the newspaper advert needs to be clear and to follow exactly the wording in the template that is available during the online application process. The applicable template (new or variation) can also be requested from NICLO. Use only the template provided by the Department. Do not rely on advert templates found online or provided to you by other organisations such as transport consultants or your chosen newspaper. Ensure the newspaper has correctly printed your advert by checking the wording meets the requirements before sending it to NICLO as any errors or omissions, particularly to the mandatory wording, will likely lead to refusal of the advert, and subsequent refusal of the application if there is no time to readvertise within the 21-day requirement. Common errors to avoid include: • use the NI version of the new or variation advert template as appropriate, not the GB version which refers to the traffic commissioners • include the heading ‘GOODS VEHICLE OPERATOR’S LICENCE’ • include the full name of the applicant/ licence holder, not just a trading name. If it is a partnership, include all partners’ first and last names (not initials); and for companies, the full name of the company (not the director(s)) including ‘Ltd’ • include the full correspondence and operating centre address(es) given in the application, even if they are the same, and include the full and correct postcode(s) • state clearly how many vehicles and trailers you wish to park at the advertised operating centre(s) and that they match the numbers given in your application • if it is a variation to an existing licence, also state the overall number of vehicles and trailers that will be parked at the operating centre(s) should the application be granted • include all the mandatory wording set out at the end of the advert template, including reference to the Department’s website, and make sure the NICLO address, including the postcode, is printed correctly

NEWSPAPER PUBLICATION Annex 1 of the Department’s ‘practice guidance document 1’ provides details of acceptable newspapers for adverts. If you advertise in a newspaper that does not circulate within the vicinity of the operating centre, the application will likely be refused unless you can prove the newspaper is available locally, and your advert meets the other requirements. The advert must be big enough to be easily read. You should upload the whole page of the original newspaper showing your advert, name of the newspaper and date of publication, to your online application in the ‘operating centres and authorisation’ section. This will allow the Department to check that you have advertised your application correctly. See also the Department’s ‘Guide for goods vehicle operators’ for further details about the licensing and application requirements.

NEW CUSTOMS RULES The Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain have been asked by HMRC to draw your attention to help and advice to support you with the introduction of the new customs rules on 1 Jan 2022; make sure you’re prepared for the new requirements. From 1 January 2022, anyone moving goods between Great Britain (GB) and the European Union (EU) through a Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) border location must be registered to use this service. Current arrangements will continue to apply to goods moving from the island of Ireland to GB, while discussions on the Northern Ireland Protocol are continuing. HMRC are aware of some common issues occurring when customers are creating Goods Movement References (GMRs) into GVMS, which are causing them delays at the border. To help avoid these issues you must: • Get a GMR for all movements, including empties. • Ensure you’re entering the correct type of declaration reference for your movement. Entry Reference Number (ERN) for imports via CHIEF or Movement Reference Number (MRN) for imports via the Customs Declaration Service (CDS). Declaration Unique Consignment Reference (DUCR) for exports via CHIEF or CDS. Check which references should be entered in a GMR on GOV. UK - Get a goods movement reference. • Not use the trailer references when entering

your Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) into the GMR for an accompanied movement, as this means the carrier will be unable to validate your GMR. The VRN must match the vehicle presenting the GMR. • Not add EU export Movement Reference Numbers (MRN) into the GMR. If you do not fulfil these requirements, your GMR will be invalid, and you will not be allowed to board the vessel. The person making the customs declarations for the goods you’re moving should: • Use the dual location code for all exports declarations from GB to EU, when the goods will be moved through the border locations of Dover and Eurotunnel. This gives you flexibility on your route. Check the location codes for roll on roll off border locations for use in CDS or CHIEF. • Ensure that ‘RRS01’ is entered in the customs declaration in box 44 for CHIEF or Data Element 2/2 for the CDS, if you will be moving the goods through a GVMS border location. If this is not done, GVMS will not be able to validate it on the submitted GMR. For more details, please refer to the recently published Customs Information Paper. • Check the status of declarations once the goods have arrived in GB, as you may need to take further action to release the goods from customs if they are held. You should use your GMR in the check if you need to report for an inspection service to understand if your goods are held. If you’re arriving into the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel, you’ll need to attend an inland border facility to have these checks carried out. For all other GVMS border locations, you must go to the inspection facility within or near the port if your goods are held. Register for GVMS and find out how to move goods through border locations that use the service.

NEED EXTRA SUPPORT? If you have a specific question about importing or exporting, call HMRC’s Customs and International Trade helpline on 0300 322 9434. The helpline is open from 8am to 10pm Monday to Friday and from 8am to 4pm at weekends.

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Pictured here on the front row are Ryan and Jimmy McNeill, along with the Transport Supplies team (from L-R) Louise Monroe, David Monroe, William Savage, Graham Western, Neil McPoland, Ian Hamill, John Cantley, Tommy Brown.

FATHER & SON NOW ON THE ROAD WITH TRANSPORT SUPPLIES It’s a father and son thing at Transport Supplies NI Ltd, which provides many of our leading transport companies with vital top branded products to keep their businesses on the road. Its longest serving employee is Jimmy McNeill who started working in Transport Supplies 29 years ago when he hit the road in a 7.5-ton Ford Cargo covering Counties Armagh and Down; now his son Ryan is following in his dad’s footsteps, quite literally!

beginning of the year.

Ryan was taken on by Transport Supplies, who have depots in Belfast and Portadown, five years ago to work in the stores, but like his dad he is now on the road as a sales representative after being promoted at the

No doubt, he is getting plenty of pointers from his dad on how to succeed in the job – and on how to improve his game of golf, as both Ryan and Jimmy like to unwind at week-ends taking to the greens at Antrim Golf Club.

Ryan is working alongside colleague Neil McPoland (Hightower), serving the needs of customers throughout County Antrim. It’s a new and exciting challenge, and Ryan is enjoying every minute of it.

www.transportsupplies.co.uk Belfast 02890 781230 Portadown 02838 362555

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The Portadown based team of Michael Percival, Andrew Clarke, Andy Conn and Billy McConaghy.

TRUCK NEWS

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IVECO DELIVERS HEALTHY ‘STATE OF THE NATION’ REPORT Iveco’s 33rd ‘State of the Nation’ press conference - the first for several years – was recently held at its UK headquarters in Basildon. Export & Freight’s Phil Eaglestone was there. Special guest for the day was Mike Hawes, Chief Executive Officer of the SMMT, who was joined by a number of Iveco directors who delivered upbeat reports on the past year’s activities and confident predictions for the year ahead. Describing 2021 as a pivotal year for Iveco in the UK , Truck Business Line Director, Gareth Lumsdaine, told the gathering journalists: “Our market is up. Our volumes are up. Our product range is the strongest it’s ever been, and with the ambitions of 2035 and 2040 moving even closer, we’re strengthening our position as a leader in alternative fuels.” He added: “Of course, the last two years have meant tough times for all, for businesses - with the challenges of Brexit, change, COVID - and now with spiralling energy costs, and for those of us in truck manufacturing, semi-conductor and supply chain shortages constraining our ability to deliver. “In that sense, we’ve been hit like all our competitive manufacturer colleagues, but apart from a 2-week layoff when production ceased through a lack of components, we think we were in a better position than most. We kept our order book open and we’ve continued to build, albeit maybe not as fast as we would have liked.” He said driver shortages, changes to the way we retail and shop, the need to respond to climate change and decarbonisation, the demands of clean air and low emission zones, and the challenges of meeting London’s new Direct Vision Standard all combined to have a huge impact on the demand for trucks in 2021. So how did Iveco do in all this? “2021 was the strongest year we’ve had here in the UK for over a decade. That comes from doing the right thing. However gratifying the trends are, the important thing is - they tell a story about our dealers - their stoicism, their strength and their determination to support our customer base, about our people - working from home, working long hours, going the extra mile and focusing on getting it right ...and about our products.” So what about 2022? “Things are improving -

and we do believe that as we move further into the year, things will continue to ease gradually, but right now, market registrations reflect supply, far more than demand. We’re expecting tractor registrations to pick up faster as supply improves and demand drags itself out of two tough years. We’re expecting rigids - eight wheelers in particular - to be a bit slower as the effects of last year’s shortages and lack of body slots at bodybuilders continue to prolong lead times.”

VAN MARKET Meanwhile, there was an equally upbeat report from Iveco’s Light Business Line Director, Mike Cutts, saying that from 3.5 to 6 tonnes, volumes increased more than any other brand on the market. “As a manufacturer focused more on the needs of professionals, our Daily product was wellsuited to capitalise on the strongest growth areas - dot com, construction and the utilities. Indeed, some 70% of our 3.5 tonne volumes were chassis-cab, bodied vehicles as opposed to simple white vans. Not only that, we took the strategic decision to re-enter the dot com channel in particular, with a 5-year strategy. As an example, we delivered 645 three and a half tonne Dailys to Tesco last year whilst other manufacturers struggled to supply.” He added: “After a strong performance in 2021, and with a healthy order book right now, we’re continuing to be bullish. We have our exciting new Model Year 22 Daily. Launched some 6 months ago, and now arriving on the UK roads, New Daily takes innovation and connectivity to new heights with best-inclass comfort and safety, even greater levels of mission focus, and reductions in TCO. “It has a new 6-speed manual gearbox. Precision gear engagement and the very best in gearshift feel and comfort will make it a favourite for drivers, especially in urban around-town applications. It adopts new state-of-the-art engine technology, giving full compliance to ‘Light Duty Step D Final’ and ‘Heavy Duty Step E’ requirements ahead of new regulations.

Daily’s 2.3 litre F1A now delivers up to 6% fuel savings over the previous model, whilst its new 6-speed manual gearbox enables a torque increase of up to 15%, and later this year, we’ll be launching our electric Daily.”

ALTERNATIVE FUELS On the future for alternative fuels, Jorge Assensio, Medium and Heavy Product Manager and Alternative Fuels Business, said the greatest challenge is to deliver a new, greener, cleaner world, which has huge implications for those in road transport. “Fossil fuels like diesel aren’t good for our environment. It’s an inescapable fact, and despite our success in reducing the harmful emissions these fuels produce, we cannot get away from the reality that - even under the exacting provisions of today’s Euro VI - burning one litre of diesel produces 2.63 kgs of CO2. That was the case in 1930. And it remains the case in 2022. “If we are to deliver the new, greener, cleaner world we all want then that has to change. Yes, it can be done, but there is no obvious route to achieving that. “At the moment, there is still much discussion on the right and wrong ways of doing so, and for sure, there will be no ‘one answer fits all’ solution for several decades to come,” he said. “But the good news is that we as van and truck manufacturers, along with all our competitive colleagues, have entered that marathon. We’ve got the gear, we’ve done the training, and already we’re up and running. “Biomethane is a gateway to the future - and Iveco will continue to develop it as a mainstream alternative to diesel, but it is an interim solution. We expect its popularity to peak around 2030 when emissions-free solutions become a real world, practical alternative. The next part of the journey will be battery electric, followed by hydrogen - in particular, hydrogen fuel cell. That is what we are working on now, in partnership with those who will supply the all-important support infrastructure that’s going to be needed to make it work.”

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ROD HAWKINS APPOINTED BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER AT NICHOLL OILS Rod Hawkins has clearly hit the ground running, returning after 17 years to Nicholl Oils as its new Business Development Manager for Northern Ireland, having spent several years at NI Trucks. There, he had the dual role of Heavy Truck Business Development Manager, representing both NI Trucks in Northern Ireland and their sister company, Emerald Truck & Van, the Iveco distributor for Ireland. The Carrickfergus man, who prior to his NI Trucks appointment worked at Scania dealers Road Trucks where he spent six years, has been in the industry since 1984 and

that wealth of experience is already being put to good use in his new role which he took up at the beginning of the year. The timing of his appointment couldn’t have been any more appropriate, with two major issues facing the transport, quarry and construction sectors: the imminent removal of rebates for red diesel and the emergence of a more environmentally friendly fuel alternative HVO.

Nicholl Oils are well placed to help customers meet those issues; with its Head Office located in Greysteel and depots in; Belfast, Omagh, Coleraine, Dromore, Strabane, Newtownards, Ballymena, Mallusk, Cookstown, Dungannon and Enniskillen, all strategically positioned to ensure a provincewide delivery service. The company has grown over the 60 years to become Northern Ireland's largest independent oil distributor. While promoting Nicholl Oils core products - Derv, Gas Oil, Petrol and Kerosene - to the haulage, quarry and fuel reseller markets, Rod will also be focused on introducing customers to HVO, hailed as a perfect replacement for diesel. From April this year, red diesel will no longer be available at a rebated rate for many commercial applications, and most current users of red diesel will have to switch to white diesel which will attract the full rate of tax. Industry users of heavy plant, machinery and equipment such as excavators, dumpers, loading shovels and screening plants will no longer be able to

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BENEFITS OF CLEAN AIR HVO RENEWABLE DIESEL AT A GLANCE

Up to 90% reduction in net CO2 greenhouse emissions meaning the fuel is significantly better for the environment than a regular diesel or biodiesel. Great cold weather vehicle performance due to the higher cetane number which is up to 90 and a low cloud point gives a better starting performance, less chance of any waxing in extreme temperatures and a clean combustion.

run them on red diesel and the permission to use red diesel for commercial heating and power generation will also be affected. Not surprisingly, some of our leading contractors in the construction industry are already switching to HVO and comments Rod: “We are expecting a surge of new customers in the months ahead, so we are fully stocked to meet that demand.”

Manufactured from waste fats and vegetable oils makes Clean Air HVO renewable and sustainable. High flashpoint meaning it is safer for storage and handling compared to regular diesel. As a replacement for regular diesel and gas oil a wide variety of OEM approvals means the fuel can be used without requiring

Meanwhile, for those businesses operating throughout the UK, the company’s Fleet Diesel card is a more appropriate alternative. It can be used at 285 sites in Northern Ireland and a further 1,100 sites throughout the rest of the UK.

any vehicle modifications meeting EN15940 standards required for paraffinic fuels. (On their websites, Scania, Volvo, Iveco, DAF, MAN, John Deere and Caterpillar all approve the use of HVO) Clean Air HVO Renewable Diesel/Gas Oil will also result in improved air quality as it reduces any notifiable particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions.

For further information, Rod Hawkins can be contacted on 07760616329 or email: rod.hawkins@nicholloils.com

He added: “For customers wanting to put HVO to the test, we can supply a bunded tank on their premises, enabling them to trial this alternative fuel in their vehicle, plant and machinery fleets.” So, what exactly is HVO? For those not familiar with this increasingly popular fuel alternative, the clue is in its description. HVO stands for ‘hydrotreated vegetable oil,’ which is manufactured from sustainable raw materials that do not impact adversely on the environment; indeed as a clean air renewable fuel, HVO can reduce up to 90% of your net CO2 emissions. It can also help to tackle another pressing issue, says Rod. “The continuing issue surrounding semiconductor chips has meant that truck manufacturers’ lead times are stretching into 2023, so those HGV operators looking for alternative fuel powered vehicles such as CNG or electric to reduce their carbon footprint will have to wait much longer to put their carbon reduction plans into action. “On the other hand, by switching to HVO your trucks can be up and running within a week – and without any changes to the vehicle’s filters or engines. Essentially, you can just drain your diesel tank, fill up with HVO and off you go, no matter the size of your truck’s power unit.” HVO can be ordered in bulk from Nicholl Oils and will become available as demand increases at its network of Nicholl Auto 365 Forecourts.

FUEL CARDS The company’s Local Account fuel card can be used across that network; it is ideal for businesses with a mobile workforce. The cards are safer than cash, both for companies and individual drivers, and more efficient than credit cards. They can also provide businesses with valuable savings through detailed reporting on fuel spend and usage. Businesses can then use this information to identify areas of inefficiency within the fleet.

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DAF Trucks tops 30% share again as market dominance continues

and, accordingly, prices have risen dramatically, especially for Euro VI compliant DAF models which meet Clean Air Zone and Low Emission Zone requirements. SMMT figures reveal individual vehicle category successes of the built-in-Britain brand, leading the way in seven of eight key segments including in two- and three-axle rigids, and two- and three-axle tractors.

DAF Trucks has again topped 30% market share in the UK for trucks above 6.0-tonnes GVW. With a total of 31.1% in 2021, it is the third year in succession that DAF Trucks has exceeded 30% and is the company’s second highest ever share of the market after its 32% high-point in 2020. The impressive achievement also means DAF Trucks continues with 27 uninterrupted years of market leadership in the UK.

The release of the figures comes amid a hugely exciting start to 2022 for DAF Trucks, with significant numbers of the company’s New Generation DAF XF, XG and XG+ range now being delivered to customers, boosted by the 2022 International Truck of the Year Award.

Total UK registrations at 6t GVW in 2021 grew by 12.9% to 37,163 from 32,918 in 2020 when numbers were dramatically reduced by the pandemic. Despite this growth, the 2021 market is still down on average pre-pandemic levels however as material shortages have constrained the supply of new trucks. “The market size of just over 37,000 belies a very strong demand for new trucks,” said Laurence Drake, Managing Director of DAF Trucks, “We continue to see very high levels of demand from operators looking to replenish, upgrade and grow their fleets. Our order intake during 2021 was at record levels and lead-times

have moved out consequently. “The New Generation DAF models are in demand due to their enhanced efficiency, safety and driver comfort. Our customers

understand the benefits of investing in the latest technology on the total cost of ownership,” he said. The strong demand for trucks is also affecting used truck availability

MAN accelerates change to zero-emission drive systems MAN Truck & Bus is accelerating the change to zero-emission commercial vehicles. Production of heavy-duty e-trucks in Munich is now scheduled to begin as early as the beginning of 2024 with prompt delivery of an initial 200 units, almost a year earlier than originally planned.

The DAF Dealer network has also performed exceedingly well throughout 2021, with notable KPIs including 98.44% MOT first-time pass rate, completion of 400,000 DAFcheck vehicle inspections and a very strong 12-months for DAF Genuine and TRP Parts. DAFaid, DAF’s industry benchmark roadside assistance service, attended 80,000 call-outs, 80% of which were successfully resolved at the roadside within 90-minutes.

In addition to the new emissionfree drives, MAN is developing comprehensive eMobility solutions that prepare customers for vehicle use at an early stage. “We need to drive the electrification of our fleet even faster. However, we will only succeed in ramping up e-mobility if we support our customers in their transition and convince them to do so. To this end, we are creating integrated digital solutions and charging offers,” explains Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus. In addition to accelerating the rampup of electric mobility, the commercial vehicle manufacturer is intensifying its research into hydrogen mobility. To this end, Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder and Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger have presented a funding commitment of €8.5 million for the so called “Bavarian Fleet” (Bayernflotte) project.

In front of the near-production prototype of the MAN electric trucks, which was shown for the first time in Nuremberg (from left to right): Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs, Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus, Dr. Markus Söder, Minister President of Bavaria, and Dr. Frederik Zohm, CTO of MAN Truck & Bus.

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“Our focus is clearly on battery-electric drives. They form the basis for our heavyduty e-trucks, which we will be launching on the market from 2024. Only when sufficient green hydrogen and the corresponding infrastructure are available well after 2030 do we expect to use H2 trucks in selected areas of application. That is why we are researching the topic of hydrogen and the funding from the state of Bavaria enables us to build up further expertise in the field.”

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS

AWARDS2022 GALA DINNER

THURSDAY 15th SEPTEMBER CROWNE PLAZA, SHAWS BRIDGE, BELFAST

ENTRY DEADLINE

1st AUGUST 2022 ENTRIES SUBMITTED AFTER THIS DATE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AS JUDGING DAYS ARE IN JULY Entries are invited from individuals or companies connected with the road transport & logistics industry, for any or all of the categories listed

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EXPORT & FREIGHT TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS AWARDS 2022

CATEGORIES ANNOUNCED TRANSPORT MANAGER OF THE YEAR

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR

a. This award will be presented to the applicant who demonstrates the highest levels of up to date knowledge, professionalism and ability in managing all aspects of a modern transport undertaking.

This will be awarded to an Apprentice, someone not certificated at Level 3 before Sept 21, who has demonstrated skill and determination in the course of their training and working in a workshop.

b. The applicant will be assessed against all aspects of transport management including – driver recruitment, maintenance, driver licensing, operator licensing, drivers hours/rest periods, vehicle testing, contracts of employment, vehicle excise, financial management, use of IT, fuel efficiency and disciplinary procedures.

CHILLED OPERATOR OF THE YEAR This award will be presented to the best Chilled Operator who presents an up-to-date modern fleet with a high quality distribution service. The judges will be looking for an operator who complies with all temperature controlled regulations and service options.

OWN ACCOUNT OPERATOR OF THE YEAR (Restricted Licence Holder)

a. This award will be presented to the applicant who operates under an own account (Restricted) operator’s licence and demonstrates the highest levels of up to date knowledge, professionalism and high quality service to their respective customer base. b. Judges will pay particular regard to all aspects of the business including a well-presented modern fleet who deliver a highly efficient and effective service to their customer base. Other aspects on the business will be assessed including business planning, employee retention and recruitment, training, fleet compliance, operator licensing, contracts of employment, use of IT, fuel efficiency and environmental issues.

SAFETY AWARD Each company will need to demonstrate how they manage, control, and monitor the quality aspects of their respective companies and be able to describe roles, responsibilities, and methodologies for ensuring compliance with all regulatory bodies. Review of the company’s strategy and controls currently employed, or to be developed and implemented by the company, to consistently deliver products and services that meet the requirements of the Safety Award. *Read more at https://exportandfreight.com/awards-enter-20/

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL HAULIER OF THE YEAR (over 20 Vehicles)

a. This award will be presented to the applicant who operates under a standard operator’s licence with more than 20 vehicles specified on their operators licence and demonstrates the highest levels of up to date knowledge, professionalism and high quality service to their respective customer base. b. Judges will pay particular regard to all aspects of the business including a well-presented modern fleet who deliver a highly efficient and effective service to their customer base. Other aspects on the business will be assessed including business planning, employee retention and recruitment, training, fleet compliance, operator licensing, contracts of employment, use of IT, fuel efficiency and environmental issues.

HAULIER OF THE YEAR (up to 20 Vehicles)

a. This award will be presented to the applicant who operates under a standard operator’s licence with 20 or less vehicles specified on their operator’s licence and demonstrates the highest levels of up to date knowledge, professionalism and high quality service to their respective customer base. b. Judges will pay particular regard to all aspects of the business including a well-presented modern fleet who deliver a highly efficient and effective service to their customer base. Other aspects on the business will be assessed including business planning, employee retention and recruitment, training, fleet compliance, operator licensing, contracts of employment, use of IT, fuel efficiency and environmental issues.

TOP TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT OPERATOR OF THE YEAR This award will be presented to the operator who demonstrates the highest standards of in-house training programmes developed in line with best practice and leading edge training providers to ensure compliance, enhance safety and develop staff. The training must be designed and provided for delivery to staff solely within the business and not for delivery to external 3rd party customers.

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TBC

DRIVER OF THE YEAR

TOP FLEET OF THE YEAR

This Award will be presented to the commercial vehicle driver who offers a high standard of driving skills, excellent driving record, immaculate vehicle and dress code and dedication to the trade. This will be a practical test held at Transport Training Services, Nutts Corner, in August. Please send a CV and hi res image of the candidate. A practical driving test will determine the winner.

This will be presented to an outstanding fleet of vehicles based on appearance, quality, maintenance programmes, driver efficiency, skill and professionalism. Judges will be looking for carefully planned maintenance systems, low levels of downtime, well-kept vehicles and drivers and investment in the latest models, driving aids and technology.

TRAILER FLEET OF THE YEAR

INNOVATION EXCELLENCE AWARD The Innovation Excellence Award is open to all companies operating within the transport and logistics sector who have invested in innovative solutions to make their operations more efficient, profitable and successful. This can be any type of innovation from the latest equipment and facilities to cutting edge technology or environmental solutions. Any type of transport operation is invited to enter from shipping lines to hauliers, van fleet operators to own account fleets. The contender is invited to illustrate in the entry their innovative solutions for their business.

EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD

TBC

This will be open to all companies who pride themselves in the level of their customer service including Dealers, Service Agents, Equipment Suppliers, Hauliers, Shipping companies etc. Entrants should show how they have gone the extra mile to provide the highest level of excellence in their service to all customers and outline why their company deserves the accolade of the best Service Provider. Customer testimonies, though not essential, are advised, as these will show examples of quality customer service. These will be totally confidential and shredded once the judging has taken place.

TOP TEAM OF THE YEAR This award is open to all companies and businesses in every sector of the logistics industry - from transport and logistics operators to exporters, warehousing experts, shipping companies and dealerships - and recognises teams within the organisation who by working together on a project, initiative or strategy have made a significant and positive contribution, perhaps by overcoming difficulties and challenges to do so. A team, by definition, could be made up by just two people, or a hundred; size is not important. What is important is that the team can demonstrate outstanding achievement or accomplishment in their area or field of expertise.

HOME AND BUSINESS DELIVERY OPERATOR OF THE YEAR This award is aimed at operators in the Home and Business Delivery sectors who can clearly demonstrate high standards of operational compliance and customer service. Operators will be required to provide evidence of safe and efficient best practice in the areas of; vehicle maintenance and standards; driver licencing, competence and behaviour; safe working environment including working practices and fuel efficiency; demonstrate how peak flows in demand are handled; proven on-time delivery statistics; and customer service. Entries are encouraged from companies who consider themselves the delivery operator of choice for the retailer, business owner and consumer.

This award will be presented to an operator whose trailer fleet consistently offers exceptional standards in every aspect of operation, including use of innovation, safety performance, vehicle efficiency and operational uptime. The winner will also be able to demonstrate how their trailer specification is tailored to their operational requirements and supports their business objectives. Please send details of your trailer fleet including any specialist operations offered.

VAN OF THE YEAR

TBC

This Award invites all van manufacturers to nominate one vehicle from their model range with a 900-1700 kg payload, which they see as the ultimate fleet van for the UK and Ireland. The only conditions are that the nominated vehicle must be reasonably new and a proven workhorse for a wide range of locally, nationally or internationally running fleets. One will be picked as Van of the Year by an independent panel of Judges.

LIVERIED VEHICLE OF THE YEAR

TBC

This Award is open to any company who owns and operates an individual vehicle with an outstanding livery and befitting a flagship vehicle within the company. Entries must be accompanied by hi res photographs of the vehicle and details of the livery, what the vehicle is used for operationally and why the company invested in the unit.

FLEET TRUCK OF THE YEAR This award invites all truck manufacturers to nominate one vehicle from their model range over 18 tonnes GVW which they see as the ultimate fleet truck for the UK and Ireland, the only conditions being that the nominated vehicle must be reasonably new and a proven workhorse for a wide range of locally, nationally or internationally running fleets. One will be picked as Fleet Truck of the Year by an independent panel of judges.

LOGISTICS & WAREHOUSING SPECIALIST This will be presented to a national organisation with bases in Ireland/UK and/or Europe offering a high level of international logistics service covering all aspects of the supply chain including haulage, warehousing, and distribution. The winner will prove a total commitment to providing an excellent range of logistics services and exceptional levels of customer care.

TRANSPORT PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR This award will be presented to the individual whose personal achievement deserves industry recognition.

SO HOW DO YOU ENTER? IT’S NOT AS COMPLICATED AS YOU MIGHT THINK. IN FACT, OUR ADVICE AS ALWAYS IS: KEEP IT SIMPLE. ALL CHANGE FOR JUDGING 2022 This year awards category finalists will be judged by telephone entry or Zoom Call. Due to Covid Restrictions no site visits or face to face interviews will be held. Judging will be held in August 2022.

HOW DO YOU ENTER? Your entry will not be judged on presentation but make sure it is easy to read and is filled by both reasons why you should win and evidence to support these reasons. Any factual information, such as operational, service, financial or personal details, to back up any claims expressed in your entry, should be clearly and concisely laid out. You don’t have to be a big concern to enter. You could be an individual, a company with less than 10 employees or a large national/international outfit. You will be judged on merit, not size. The judges are looking for excellence, outstanding qualities or contributions, unrivalled service and innovation, individuals and organisations who have gone the extra mile – so demonstrate all of that in your entry; make it stand out from the rest! If you have faced any difficulties or obstacles in achieving your goals, make sure you note it on your entry. If you need to provide any additional information to support your entry, keep it as brief and to the point as possible. Feel free to send customer testimonies to support your entries.

• Entries should state the category they are entering. • Entries must be made by emailing a word / PDF document stating the award category to helen@4squaremedia.net • A minimum of 2 high res images that best depict your entry to be supplied in high resolution (if an image is embedded in your entry, please also supply separately - this is for multi media use, should you be a finalist) • Entries should not exceed 1000 words (approx.) • Separate award entries to be emailed for each category entered. • Large files can be sent via WeTransfer - email to be sent to helen@4squaremedia.net to advise thereof. • Award entry enquiries can be made to Helen Beggs: helen@4squaremedia.net or M: 07779 713762 You can also submit supporting corporate material – brochures etc, including photographs of projects, services or products. You can enter any number of categories but bear in mind, it is left to the judges opinion to reallocate any entry which may be more suitable to another category or an additional category. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. All entries are private & confidential. The winner will remain confidential until the event. All entries should be received by 1st August 2022.

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TBC

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SOCIAL MEDIA WALL courtesy of

TBC

TOP TABLE AWARD courtesy of

AFTER SHOW PARTY courtesy of

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AWARDS2022

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TURNING THE SPOTLIGHT ON FREIGHT FORWARDERS AND CUSTOMS AGENTS AND BROKERS Services provided by freight forwarders and customs agents have never been more essential in the wake of Brexit and the ongoing debate over the Northern Ireland protocol. While most established businesses may already have a good agent, there are new companies entering the marketplace in need of a reliable service; others may want to avail of more competitive rates or other ancillary services. Here, we take a close look at the different roles of customs agents and freight forwarders and focus on some of our leading providers in this specialised and complex field.

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YOUR CUSTOMS CLEARANCE PARTNER Join over 320 clients worldwide by having 24/7 access to industry experts for all your fleet and customs needs from our offices in the UK and Ireland. We offer our clients a managed customs solution to ensure the movement of their goods. Want to find out how we can help your business?

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+44 28 3066 0988 allied-fs.co.uk

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ALLIED FLEET SERVICES OFFER CLIENTS TAILOR-MADE CUSTOMS SOLUTIONS Allied Fleet Services was formed in 2017 to consult with transport businesses on identifying how to improve business efficiency, cost-saving opportunities, increasing profitability, and work on the best reporting systems for its clients.

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With 37 years of experience between them, the company’s team has been able to build a network of trusted suppliers who they consult with regularly to provide clients with the best deals. The team has grown from just one employee to 19 today, with over 320 clients currently managed by the agency globally. This is used to their advantage by creating a bigger buying power. As a result, this improves profitability and increases opportunities for its clients. Due to its successes, the company has seen exponential growth in all aspects of the business, including a 3400% increase in turnover within just three years. This is attributed to the return of satisfied clients, and constant onboarding of new clients who have become aware of the efficient, professional and innovative nature of the business.

CUSTOMS SERVICES In 2019, Allied Customs Services was established, with dedicated 24/7 Customs Brokers who work with clients worldwide. In house they have a unique, electronic system that offers a one stop solution for all their customs requirements. The company has also recently opened new premises in Dublin to facilitate customs changes introduced on 1 January 2022 and to prepare for further changes coming this summer. “We are experts in the field of transits, so much so that we have set up a team dedicated specifically to deal with T1 and T2 documents,” commented Managing Director Stephen McAneney. “This is headed up by our company Business Development Manager Kieran McCann, who holds extensive knowledge around Customs which is second to none. Currently we are dealing with customers who use our transit service across Europe, including Czech Republic, Sweden, Latvia, Belgium, Holland, France and Croatia to name a few.” Whether you are importing goods to the UK, or exporting worldwide, there is a Customs Clearance solution for you: • Import Declarations • Export Declarations • Safety & Security Declarations • Traces and IPAFFS entry • Transit documents • ENS Declarations for carriers

• Simplified frontier and supplementary declarations for importing goods to the UK Additionally, the company’s full import and export Customs Clearance Service removes the need for clients to fill out supplementary documentation, allowing a one-off payment to be made for Customs Clearance.

CUSTOMER SERVICE Going above and beyond being just a service provider, Allied Fleet Services keeps constant, open lines of communication with clients, advising them of all industry news and updates. With the arena of Customs being very much a live, fluid process with rules and regulations constantly changing, this communication is key in delivering a top tier service for clients. Throughout their years of experience individually and as a company, agents hold close contacts in government bodies in both Ireland and the UK as well as industry experts, allowing them to stay ahead of the game by advising customers of any changes that are forthcoming and what processes will be required to clear their freight.

The company’s secure system allows data to be uploaded quickly and easily, with sensitive information encrypted for your business’ protection. Agents are available 24/7 to all clients, allowing for constant monitoring of ongoing shipments, or offering advice. This also allows facilitation of communication with ports across the world in all time zones.

KEEPING UP TO DATE As industry experts, Allied Fleet Services keeps its clients and followers up to date on its LinkedIn and Facebook profiles. With an innovative, growth mindset, the company is constantly striving to improve and streamline services, currently investing in unique, bespoke software packages to allow customers a full interactive service. If you have any queries, get in touch for a no obligation discussion on +4428 3066 0988 or customs@allied-fs.co.uk

Using its Customs Clearance Services, you can: • Minimise disruption to your supply chain • Keep your goods moving throughout borders, providing you with reference numbers to track progress • Offer one source to view all your customs declarations and documents

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PARTNERSHIP APPROACH AT AB CARGO Headquartered in Belfast, AB Cargo provides worldwide customs clearance, warehousing, and customised services in Air, Sea & Road Logistics. It has ambitious plans for the year ahead and beyond with the opening of its first customs warehouse with Authorised Consignee/Consignor status. The commitment and enthusiasm from the remarkable team at AB Cargo has enabled the company to grow from strength to strength from when first established in 2016. AB Cargo’s philosophy is to always put customer satisfaction first and believe good customer service is essential when looking for new customers and retaining loyal customers. It believes excellent customer service starts the moment it receives that first request. Managing Director Tony Budde comments: “A key feature of AB cargo is the onboarding of clients where we attempt to remove some of the complexities and issues around the new regulations prior to starting work - enabling our clients to release the resources used on customs and re focus on their own core business.”

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There’s no doubt, the past few years have been challenging for both air and sea cargo leaving a lot of businesses feeling more pressure than normal. From additional customs checks at borders to paperwork that would have never been required, businesses are now having to navigate the complexities of customs clearance. “AB Cargo understands this and with extensive experience in all aspects of customs clearance, our team will go over and beyond ensuring the customer receives the highest level of service.”

BREXIT CHANGES AB Cargo had invested in the changes for Brexit and assisted HMRC and software

companies for those changes, using its market experience to help with the implementation of the new CDS system. Although TSS (the government free temporary service) was also launched to assist with clearance services for those who were not prepared, AB Cargo’s CDS customs clearance services has been a great assistance to the local marketplace.

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With ongoing innovation into the future, AB Cargo is set to launch several initiatives including an online clearance platform allowing customers to have full control of their own customs clearance - with the knowledge and expertise of AB Cargo employees in the background.

INDEPENDENT COMPANY

“This year we will raise the bar even higher and are committed to offering a seamless flow for our customers’ goods,” adds Tony. “We are currently in the process of making it possible for them to upload data onto a live portal. This platform allows customers to store data and ensure the most up-to-date information is supplied.

As a fully licensed IATA airfreight forwarding company, it can also transport any type of product by air. “We fly goods between 3rd countries in the world for our UK & Ireland clients,” says Tony. “Through our global partners we can arrange all aspects of international cross trade traffic allowing direct trade from source to end user.”

“Customers will also have live tracking information so they won’t have to wait for an email response as the information can be accessed in any other time zone at any moment of the day.”

As an independent freight forwarding company, AB Cargo is not bound to a single shipping line or NVOCC. It regularly moves standard, reefer and flat racks to ensure your goods arrive safely, smoothly and as quickly as possible.

In addition, the team at AB Cargo has wide-ranging knowledge and experience and are fully qualified to organise the transportation of dangerous goods by air. It also provides a professional Security

YOUR TAILORED LOGISTICS SOLUTION Great service begins and ends with experienced and friendly professionals, which is why we put so much consideration into selecting the best people to join our team. We aim to not only meet your needs, but also exceed your expectations of what a dependable Global Logistics Provider can be.

screening, packing service, covering picking and repacking, labelling, palletisation, and crate making for fragile high value goods. “We work closely with our clients to customise the services we provide based on their specific needs and circumstances,” says Tony; “We’re proud to be a leading logistics solutions provider in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and willing to go the extra mile whenever and wherever we’re needed.”

www.abcargo.co.uk

AIR FREIGHT SERVICES

SEA FREIGHT SERVICES

Forsyth House, 2 Cromac Place, Belfast BT2 8LA

T: +44 (0) 3300 417227 www.abcargo.co.uk

ROAD FREIGHT SERVICES

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CLARKSONS PORT SERVICES CREATES NEW CUSTOMS HUB IN INVESTMENT DRIVE TO MEET DEMAND Clarksons Port Services (CPS) has created a new customs hub at its Belfast headquarters in an investment drive to meet clients’ needs as the landscape of import and export becomes challenging as a result of Brexit. For businesses moving goods in or out of GB, Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland, CPS will guide you step by step through the process advising at each point of any changes due to Brexit and the implementation of the NI Protocol. It can look after sea freight and Ro Ro clearances for the majority of ports in GB and NI and covers 170 ports worldwide. Part of Clarksons, the world’s leading provider of integrated shipping services, CPS runs a tight 24/7 operation with more than 30 years’ experience in helping businesses with sea, air and road freight and is actively recruiting to help support its rapid growth. It currently has 14 offices around the UK with 115 staff but is looking to bolster its Belfast office during its current recruitment drive. The requirements for importing and exporting

goods can appear overwhelming so the service CPS offers to guide customers through it all, allows them to focus on areas of their business where it’s most needed. Chris Ewings, Customs Clearance Manager at Clarksons Port Services said: “Many businesses come to us as they don’t quite know how the new customs arrangements affects their business, the responsibility often falls to the finance teams, which may not be familiar with the logistical operation, so our expertise puts us in the best position to support businesses through the processes which apply to them.”

DIRECT ACCESS CPS has direct access to the Government’s Customs Declaration Service (CDS), the new single customs platform which will

replace the Customs handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) due to close on 31 March 2023 and HMRC is gradually reducing CHIEF services to ensure only the Customs Declaration Service is being used. Currently traders are able to use the Trader Support Service (TSS) if you move goods into Northern Ireland, but CPS can handle those movements without the need for TSS registration and subsequent supplementary declarations making it a much more streamlined process. “Every member of the CPS team offers in-depth knowledge and is continually updated on any changes of worldwide rules and regulations meaning our customers don’t have to. You will have a dedicated customs agent looking after you and our goal is to take away the stress of meeting requirements and ensure your shipment is completed according to current law,” continued Chris. Whether you are a large multinational company, a small business or an individual, a customs declaration is required for all goods imported into the UK customs territory across international borders and this declaration will list the details of all the goods being imported in the shipment. The UK Government dropped border controls at the beginning of the year, when Brexit, in combination with the chaos caused by the pandemic, threatened to shut down UK-continental Europe supply chains, but businesses now need to be ready for the end of this transition period. Goods moving into and out of the UK are now subject to new customs controls due to Brexit and CPS is integrated with the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) and can ensure all the entry requirements for GVMS are complete and provide the required GMR number. “The GVMS implementation for the rest of GB on 1 January, has been the most recent change to the way we move our goods into and out of GB, this process of pre lodgement of customs documents was designed to speed

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Declarations which must be submitted in advance for goods imported into the customs territory of the EU from countries outside the EU.

their business, we can offer advice as to how best to navigate their supply chain and remain compliant with regulations,” concluded Chris.

SAFETY & SECURITY

If you are moving goods to common or EU transit countries, there are different declarations, and you plan your route using common or Union transit. If you are moving multiple items together you may be able to move these together as a single transit movement under one declaration. CPS can issue transit documents from Belfast if this is required.

For more information on customs clearance and for a free consultation, visit the CPS website customsclearance.clarksonsportservices.com, call +44 (0) 2890 260 846 or email enquiries.customs@clarksons.com

CPS’s services also include Safety and Security Declarations (SSD) which are required by border authorities to analyse the potential risk caused to their territory by goods crossing their border. It also offers to help with Entry Summary

“CPS offers a truly stress-free service whatever a business’s requirements are. We’re here to help guide our customers through the regulations and in some cases translate the regulations into practical terms to show how they will affect

up the customs process and mitigate delays but judging by the traffic jams at some of the French Ports either the message didn’t get through or companies were under prepared. At CPS we undertook a series of information meetings with clients and gave regular updates on the implementation of GVMS so our partners were well up to speed and have had all documents in order so far,” said Chris.

Specialists in worldwide logistics for sea, air and road freight • Experts in customs clearance for over 30 years • First-class logistical support in the UK, Europe and worldwide • 14 offices around the UK with 115 staff • 170 ports covered worldwide 24/7 • Import/export clearances for GB, NI, ROI • GB NI declarations without using TSS For further information on what we offer, visit customsclearance.clarksonsportservices.com or email enquiries.customs@clarksons.com

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SOMETIMES CUSTOMS CAN MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE GOING BACKWARDS It’s fair to say it’s been an eventful couple of years for the industry when it comes to changes in the supply chain. The introduction of GB and EU customs clearance requirements that haven’t been seen for over 30 years has turned the industry upside down. Transport businesses large and small now have new challenges to make sure they can keep their customer’s goods moving. This can be a pain, but get it right and it is a great opportunity to support your existing customers and secure new business. CustomsLink can work with you to provide the solution… Built on the back of the success of its sister company Freightlink, the UK’s largest online freight ferry ticket agency, CustomsLink takes away the complexities of the customs process for short sea, time sensitive ferry and tunnel shipments with managed and self-service digital solutions. “As an experienced international supply chain company, we identified that there was a potential threat to our existing customer base if they couldn’t access customs services,” says the company. “Existing customs broker services are based around the deep-sea model. This doesn’t work for the high frequency, ‘Just in Time’ model of short sea shipping. CustomsLink has created a new solution from the ground up, utilising expert knowledge from the road transport and ferry industries and combining it with customs expertise. This allows us to deliver a speedy yet compliant service. “It has been nearly two years since we started helping our customers with their customs declaration

needs. With our dedicated team, we’ve experienced the many changes that have taken place since Brexit. We are now in a place where we are providing sole traders with occasional jobs and large, global brands moving hundreds of shipments a day - all with industry leading solutions for import and export declarations and border controls across the UK, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and the EU. We have all the relevant UK port badges for customs clearance and hold Transit Authorised Consignor and CFSP statuses. “We are also getting ready for the new GB safety and security declaration requirements (S&S GB) coming on the 1st July this year. CustomsLink can offer this service through an online service or API for high volume customers. We highly recommend transport businesses start preparing for this now so that they can continue to bring their goods into the UK.”

CUSTOMS CLEARANCE SOLUTIONS Customs clearance requirements are constantly evolving. Since 2020, CustomsLink has built and adapted its technology to cater for the many changes that have occurred. At CustomsLink, those needs are addressed before they hit the supply chain industry, so

that your goods don’t get held up at port or border control posts. CustomsLink makes these new processes as simple as possible to organise and always strive to be the only customs broker you need to deal with. No duplication, one customs broker, save time and money, best in business. CustomsLink’s main services include • GB-EU import and export declarations – you can save money and create your declarations yourself by using its industry-leading digital platform with 24/7/365 access or take advantage of its talented team with a fully managed service. Simply send the team your commercial documents and they take care of the rest. • Haulier Border Toolkit CustomsLink’s flagship product designed specifically for hauliers whose customers may have already generated their import/ export customs paperwork. Often, there are additional border requirements that fall under the haulier’s responsibility such as Safety and Security Declarations and Port Passes. The Haulier Border Toolkit covers all of these requirements including ENS, EXS and S&S GB, as well as GMR, PBN,

Logistics Envelope, Portbase and RX Seaport port passes. • Master Unique Customs Reference (MUCR) request service - CustomsLink can consolidate your multiple consignment customs references into one reference for you. You will need this to export groupage through an Inventory Linked port.

DON’T PANIC! WE CAN HELP If at this point, customs clearance keeps you up at night and you’re worried you’re not ready, don’t panic. CustomsLink is here to help. “The learning curve has been huge for everyone and we’re still on that curve, but don’t fret, we know our stuff. We are proud of our fast and friendly service. A 4.8 out of 5-star rating score and lots of happy customer feedback demonstrates that we are solving customs headaches every single day.” For more information, visit the website customs-link. com and register today, or if you have a specific requirement give CustomsLink’s knowledgeable team a call on +44 (01772) 368 002.

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THE COMPLETE END TO END CUSTOMS SOLUTION SERVICES INCLUDE · Import & Export Declarations · Haulier Border Toolkit - SSD (EU ENS, EXS, S&S GB ENS from July 2022) and Port Passes (GMR, PBN, Logistics Envelope, Portbase, RX Seaport)

· Complete N. Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Germany solution · Transit · MUCR requests · IPAFFS/TRACES Pre-Notifications

LET OUR EXPERT TEAM DO YOUR DECLARATIONS FOR YOU OR USE OUR ONLINE PLATFORM AND DO IT YOURSELF

ARRANGE YOUR CUSTOMS DECLARATIONS NOW Visit : CUSTOMS-LINK.COM Or call our expert team on : +44 (0) 1772 368 002

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WOODSIDE GLOBAL CONTINUES TO EXPAND SUCCESSFUL CUSTOMS CLEARANCE SERVICES In 2021 Woodside Global had a successful year post-Brexit, ensuring key UK and Ireland supply chains ran uninterrupted through Brexit challenges, a global shipping crisis and a shortage in skilled drivers. They now look forward to building on last year’s successes. Woodside Global, an AEO accredited customs brokerage firm, has been successfully providing customs services since 1975. Part of Woodside Logistics Group, it is long-established in the industry and is formerly known as All-Route Shipping. A key component of 2021’s success was the development of customer IT integrations. This made the traditionally admin-heavy customs process much smoother, particularly in cases of large numbers of commodity codes, products of animal origin and controlled goods. Woodside Global works seamlessly with its sister transport divisions: Woodside Haulage, Woodside Tankfreight, Woodside Motorfreight and Woodside Distribution, providing a fully integrated transport and customs solution. Many customers are now reaping the benefits of a totally integrated solution and there is a continuing upward trend of integrating more transport customers to Woodside Global’s customs platform. The group look forward to seeing this increase in 2022. To facilitate further improvements in this area, Woodside Global has expanded its team of developers, resulting in the launch of a new customer portal in Q2 2022 to work alongside existing integrations with blue-chip companies and SAP systems.

WEBINARS & CONSULTANCY Each change to legislation and process from HMRC and Irish Revenue brings new requirements for Woodside Global’s customers. Woodside Global will continue to work hard to meet these requirements and is always adding to its already extensive portfolio of services.

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These services cover all GB/NI and GB/ ROI requirements as well as further afield through their rest-of-world freight forwarding and customs team. Woodside Global’s experienced customs agents and internal compliance team work closely with HMRC and Irish Revenue to stay up to date with the ever-changing GB/NI and GB/ROI landscape. This, along with continual professional development, ensures that staff are highly trained to provide the full quota of customs services. In addition, they offer a consultancy service via tailored webinars, written communication and one-to-one calls to make their customers aware of upcoming changes. Customer service is top priority for Woodside Global and they are expanding further to ensure its customers’ supply chains run smoothly and to give peace of mind. Their skilled team of customer service representatives ensures that essential communication and smooth transfer of key customs documents occurs in a timely manner.

community throughout Northern Ireland. Initiatives undertaken in 2022 include welcoming higher-level apprentices to the business, along with university placement students, and on a charitable level, Woodside Logistics Group has sponsored Air Ambulance Northern Ireland since 2017 and has plans to increase its charitable work in 2022. If you would like help or assistance with any aspect of your customs process, please contact one of the company’s customs experts on 028 933 43040 or alternatively email: customs@woodsides.com

AMBITIOUS GROWTH PLANS As part of Woodside Logistics Group’s ambitious capital investment plans, and building on the company’s success, it has moved into new headquarters that provide a bright, modern and collaborative workspace for its 150 office staff. This is an excellent investment in the team and ensures staff have the facilities to provide customers with the highquality service they have come to expect. Furthermore, they are also ensuring that they are committed to giving back to the local

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Think Customs... Think Woodside Global With over 40 years’ expertise, we’ll help you take new opportunities and streamline your customs processes. No matter what borders your goods cross, we’ve got you covered.

0289 334 3040 www.woodsides.com customs@woodsides.com

SHIPPING CONTAINERS

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EIGHT WAYS TO AVOID CONTAINER SCAMS Rising costs have led to an upsurge in both the sophistication and number of shipping container scams. Here Andrew Jones, Managing Director at S Jones Containers, outlines a number of ways to try and avoid being scammed. We have recently seen an increase in unscrupulous scam artists offering containers at reduced prices that simply never arrive. These days scam artists are clever enough not to offer prices that are ‘too good to be true’ with prices that are quite close to the normal market, which makes scams harder to spot. Here are eight ways to spot and avoid a scam container.

ARE THEY WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE? It’s becoming increasingly common for scammers to use an existing company’s name, or very similar sounding one, stealing logos and identities to make themselves seem official. Some will even go so far as to provide a spoof quote, adding their own contact details which invariably stop working once payment has been made. The way they do this is to copy a quote they have had from a genuine supplier and then corrupt the contact details to their own. Check a number of key sources to ensure the contact details you are offered are genuine. When trying to impersonate an existing business scam artists will use what may, at first glance, seem to be the correct email domain names e.g. @s.jonescontainers.co.uk, or @sjonescontainer.co.uk instead of the legitimate @sjonescontainers.co.uk.

details on that site the same as the selling page? You must contact the company selling the containers directly to ensure you are not looking at a hoax product listing.

company’s official website for telephone numbers, contact forms and email addresses, rather than clicking links in email chains is the best way of counteracting this.

ARE THEY ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS?

Fortunately, the UK container industry is relatively small and close knit, so if you do come across an organisation that you’re not quite sure of, speaking directly to an established supplier will soon reveal whether a company is fake or not.

Shipping containers by their nature are big, bulky and worth some consideration when it comes to transport. If the seller is only interested in securing your card details, it’s a sure-fire sign of a scam. However, we are now finding that some scammers have done their homework. They will have made enquiries to genuine companies in order to learn what questions to ask and what areas to cover, like delivery issues, or container uses. Do not rely on what feels like a real conversation alone to be sure you are dealing with a real company.

ALWAYS CONTACT THE COMPANY DIRECTLY Similarly to bank scams, containers scammers will often try to isolate their victims taking them away from official communication channels. Going straight to the

Also, we are quite a friendly group and no company will be upset if you just want to phone and check. It is better to be safe than sorry.

IS THE PRICE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? Container prices are determined by global manufacturing trends and complex logistic requirements. Whilst prices in the market place are always changing, if it seems too good to be true and is way below other quotations that’s often because it is. What can seem like an absolute steal of a deal, or even just a bit cheaper than quotes obtained directly, could turn out to be a complete waste of thousands of pounds when the container you have paid for never arrives.

Cross check phone numbers on genuine company web sites (again, check the domain name is correct). For organisations that you were not previously aware of, search Companies House and review their filing history. If they are a genuine company they will have filed accounts and other key documents.

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REPORT A SCAM Attempted scams can be flagged via sites like Action Fraud. Whilst not an official crime report, it does mean the police are more aware of fraudulent activity. You should also report crimes in order to obtain a crime number and allow the police to catch the perpetrators.

PROFESSIONAL TRANSPARENCY To help further combat scams we’ve created a new webpage Doing Business With S Jones Containers, which includes an up-to-date list of all of our account managers. Ordering directly through an established company’s website or telephone line is without doubt the best way to avoid a scam.

Scammers are a plague on many industries and unfortunately the container industry is no different. While scam artists will never be eradicated completely, at S Jones Containers we want to do all that we can to help businesses, organisations and the general public to avoid being scammed.

Container scammers will often make use of websites such as Gumtree, Amazon, eBay and Facebook Marketplace to advertise fictional containers. A detailed look at seller profiles will often identify red flags, such as suspect reviews and limited background details.

Bear in mind that scams can be sophisticated, so just because the company has a good-looking website might not mean they are legitimate. Do they have a wider and convincing presence on business social media sites, such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter? Do they have reviews? No reviews, or all perfect 5-star reviews within a couple of days can be a warning sign.

HELP AT HAND

ARE THEY USING A THIRDPARTY SALES SITE?

Do they have an official company website and if so are the contact

CHECK THEIR GENERAL ONLINE PRESENCE

Andrew Jones, Managing Director, S Jones Containers.

S Jones Containers is one of the oldest and most respected shipping container companies in the UK. The family run business has been in continuous operation for more than 100 years and prides itself on both its professionalism and exacting standards.

Doyle Shipping Group (Belfast) Ltd 101 Airport Road West Belfast BT3 9ED Phone +44 (0) 28 90 755881 Email shipping@dsg.uk

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NEWS

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Shake Up of Highway Code Has Come Into Force New state-of-the-art technology, which uses artificial intelligence to detect the speed and distance of cyclists from a truck, could help keep vulnerable road users safe, while protecting drivers from hefty new fines which form part of a shake-up of the Highway Code. “Vehicle safety systems play an important role in saving lives and Brigade remains at the forefront of industry with the sole aim of keeping drivers, cyclists and pedestrians safe on our roads.”

With tougher penalties now in force to ensure greater protection for cyclists and pedestrians, Brigade Electronics is calling for more operators to adopt a new predictive collision detection system, to safeguard against fatalities on UK roads.

Sidescan®Predict constantly gathers object detection data, with additional technology embedded in the system to amass information such as speed, direction, acceleration, and the turning rate of a vehicle.

Sidescan®Predict is the next generation of side-detection sensor system that can intelligently discriminate potential collisions and warn the driver with sufficient time to intervene. The new technology is the brainchild of Brigade Electronics, who spent more than seven years researching, developing and testing the system, before it had its first trials in 2020. Since then, Sidescan®Predict has revolutionised the truck and van industry, with the system helping to reduce the risk of facilities by an additional 84 per cent. Brigade’s UK marketing manager Emily Hardy said: “With the Department for Transport publishing a new ‘hierarchy of road users’ this week, giving more protection to cyclists and pedestrians, it is now more important than ever before

to take action to help preserve lives and keep within the law.”

the country, while ensuring that UK roads are safe for vulnerable users.

The reformed Highway Code includes a tranche of changes for motorists and passengers, and those who fail to abide by the new rules will face tougher £200 fines and six points on their licence.

Emily added: “Sidescan®Predict is a revolutionary system that utilises ultrasonic technology to predict if a collision is likely to occur. It has already received positive feedback from drivers, who say they noticed a significant reduction in the risk of collision with both vulnerable road users and static objects.

The change is part of a £338 million package announced by government to boost cycling and walking across

This information feeds an algorithm created by Brigade to assess the risk and calculate the likelihood of a collision with cyclists and pedestrians who are near the vehicle. The system always remains switched on when the vehicle’s speed is below 22mph, regardless of the indicator selection, and cannot be deactivated by the driver. It has been designed for the most rigid body vehicles, including rigid box vehicles, tippers, mixers, coaches and buses with a minimum length of 5.2 metres. The system comprises of six sensors which have a detection area of 2.5 metres, compared to the industry standards of 1 to 1.5 metres.

Heavy mileage means truck drivers are 86% more likely to experience insufficient sleep No matter what you do for a living, a good night’s sleep is essential. Even more so if you’re a lorry driver, as sleep deprived driving has similar effects as drunk driving. Select Car Leasing’s study found that truck drivers are 86% more likely to experience insufficient sleep while being out on the road. Irregular sleep schedules, noisy lorry stops and an inability to switch off can mean that it’s near impossible for drivers to get a sound sleep before they start working again. Truckers often fall victim to a lack of healthy options at service stations on the road and a severe lack of exercise. According to Select Car Leasing’s study, their increased mileage puts them at a 78% higher risk of obesity.

Tips 1. Challenge what is preventing you from sleep As possibly one of the biggest contributors of a poor quality of life, it’s essential for truckers to get the recommended 7-8 hours. High-quality ear plugs and mattress pads are essential for a sound sleep. Sunshades can block out any unwanted light and you can minimise any outdoor noise by downloading

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a white noise app to play while you sleep.

2. Stock up on healthier choices Meal prep is a driver’s best resource for staying healthy. Investing in a car refrigerator means you can keep healthy, veg-packed meals cool. Having breakfast and protein bars stocked are easy for on-the-road snacks and prevent drivers from reaching for less healthy options like crisps, pastries and chocolate.

3. Move more on breaks Moving more doesn’t have to involve a HIIT workout. When you’re living a sedentary lifestyle, even something as simple as going for a long walk during rest periods can make the difference. Fitting in exercise before working has even been linked to increased alertness and a better quality of sleep.

4. Stay in touch with family and friends Being away from family and friends can be one of the biggest challenges that lorry drivers face. Schedule in time to talk to your spouse, children, or parents so matter where you are you’re still keeping in touch with those significant to you.

5. Bring a hobby with you Hobbies are so beneficial for relaxing and de-stressing after a long day behind the wheel. Whether it’s a podcast, a good book or a musical instrument, ensuring you take time away from work to do something you love can make being on the road less monotonous and improve your mental health. Check out the health calculator here: https://www.selectcarleasing. co.uk/driver-health-calculator

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WELCOME TO OUR ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO SHIPPING

This exclusive and comprehensive listing of every freight and passenger ferry operator in Ireland has proved to be an invaluable reference point for the industry down through the years. It covers every area across the ro-ro and lo-lo sectors, highlighting sailing frequencies, routes, operators, vessels, cargo types and contact details. The annual guide is designed in a simple, easy to understand format so that potential customers can see at a glance whatever information they need.

LOAD-ON/LOAD-OFF services CRONUS LOGISTICS DESTINATION

PORT OF EXIT

BRISTOL WARRENPOINT

www.cronus-logistics.com

OPERATOR

FREQUENCY

DEPARTURES

VESSELS

CRONUS 2/WEEKLY Tues PM & Fri PM Lily B LOGISTICS

TYPE OF CARGO

TEL/FAX

LO LO T: 028 4175 3241 LO LO

CONTACT DETAILS Email: sales@ cronus-logistics.com

ROLL-ON/ROLL-OFF services BRITTANY FERRIES DESTINATION

PORT OF EXIT

www.brittanyferriesfreight.co.uk

OPERATOR

FREQUENCY

CAEN, FRANCE Portsmouth Brittany Ferries Up to 3 daily returns

DEPARTURES

VESSELS

TYPE OF CARGO

TEL/FAX

Portsmouth: Morning/ Normandie Multi-purpose Tel: 0330 159 5001 afternoon/night Mont St Michel Multi-purpose Caen: Morning /afternoon/night

CONTACT DETAILS Brittany Ferries Email: freight.sales @brittanyferries.com

LE HAVRE, FRANCE Portsmouth Brittany Ferries Up to 12 x weekly Le Havre: Etretat Multi-purpose Tel: 0330 159 5001 Brittany Ferries returns Afternoon/night Email: freight.sales @brittanyferries.com CHERBOURG, Portsmouth Brittany Ferries Daily April to September FRANCE

See website Normandie Express Fast craft Tel: 0330 159 5001 Small vans only www.brittanyferries freight.co.uk

CHERBOURG, Poole Brittany Ferries Up to 7 x weekly returns FRANCE

See website Barfleur / Cotentin Multi-purpose Tel: 0330 159 5001 Brittany Ferries www.brittanyferries Email: freight.sales freight.co.uk @brittanyferries.com

ROSCOFF, FRANCE Cork Brittany Ferries Up to 10 x weekly returns Rossclare

See website www.brittanyferries freight.co.uk

ST MALO, FRANCE Portsmouth Brittany Ferries Up to 7 x weekly

See website Bretagne Multi-purpose Tel: 0330 159 5001 www.brittanyferries Pont-Aven Multi-purpose freight.co.uk

Brittany Ferries Email: freight.sales @brittanyferries.com

SANTANDER, SPAIN Plymouth Brittany Ferries 1 x weekly

See website Pont-Aven Multi-purpose Tel: 0330 159 5001 www.brittanyferries freight.co.uk

Brittany Ferries Email: freight.sales @brittanyferries.com

BILBAO, SPAIN Portsmouth Brittany Ferries 3 x weekly Poole 2 x weekly

See website Cap Finistère Multi-purpose Tel: 0330 159 5001 Pelican Freight only www.brittanyferries freight.co.uk

Brittany Ferries Email: freight.sales @brittanyferries.com

SANTANDER, SPAIN Portsmouth Brittany Ferries 3 x weekly

See website Pont-Aven / Galicia Multi-purpose Tel: 0330 159 5001 Cap Finistère Multi-purpose www.brittanyferries freight.co.uk

Brittany Ferries Email: freight.sales @brittanyferries.com

ROSCOFF, FRANCE Cork / Rosslare Brittany Ferries Up to 1 x weekly

See website Pont-Aven Multi-purpose Tel: 0330 159 5001 Connemara / Kerry Multi-purpose www.brittanyferries freight.co.uk

Brittany Ferries Email: freight.sales @brittanyferries.com

BILBAO, SPAIN Rosslare Brittany Ferries 2 x weekly

See website Connemara Multi-purpose Tel: 0330 159 5001 www.brittanyferries freight.co.uk

Brittany Ferries Email: freight.sales @brittanyferries.com

Pont-Aven / Connemara Armorique

Multi-purpose Tel: 0330 159 5001 Multi-purpose Multi-purpose

Brittany Ferries Email: freight.sales @brittanyferries.com

The number of sailings per week varies at present due to Covid-19 restrictions, but ‘normal service’ will resume in the near future.

DFDS DESTINATION

www.dfds.com

PORT OF EXIT

OPERATOR

FREQUENCY

DEPARTURES

VESSELS

TYPE OF CARGO

TEL

CONTACT

DUNKERQUE, ROSSLARE DFDS 6 Weekly Returns Regina Seaways Multi - Purpose T: 021 2339590 Email: FRANCE /Visborg Admin.Cork@dfds.com

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ROLL-ON/ROLL-OFF services IRISH FERRIES DESTINATION

PORT OF EXIT

www.irishferriesfreight.com

OPERATOR

FREQUENCY

HOLYHEAD Dublin Irish Ferries Up to 6 round trips per day 14.10; 20.15

DEPARTURES

VESSELS

Dublin 02.00; 08.05; Ulysses, WB Yeats, 14.30; 20.55 Epsilon, Dublin Swift Holyhead 02.40; 08.15; Visit www.irishferries freight.com

TYPE OF CARGO

TEL/FAX

CONTACT DETAILS

Ro/Ro Freight, Dublin Email: dublinfreight Passengers, T:+353 (0) 818221560 @irishferries.com Cars, Coaches

PEMBROKE Rosslare Irish Ferries 2 round trips Rosslare: 08:45, 20:45 Blue Star 1 per day Pembroke: 14:45, 02:45

Ro/Ro Freight Dublin Passengers, T:+353 (0) 818221560 Cars, Coaches

Email: dublinfreight @irishferries.com

CHERBOURG Dublin Irish Ferries

Ro/Ro Freight, Dublin Passengers, T:+353 (0) 818221560 Cars, Coaches

Email: dublinfreight @irishferries.com

Ro/Ro Freight, Passengers, Cars, Coaches

Email: dublinfreight @irishferries.com

Visit www.irishferries freight.com

CALAIS Dover Irish Ferries Up to 10 round trips per day

Visit W.B. Yeats www.irishferries Epsilon freight.com Dover 02:10, 04:40, 06:55, Isle of Innisfree 09:30, 11:45, 14:20, 16:30, Isle of Inishmore 19:05, 21:15, 23:45 Calais 00.50, 03.20, 05.30, 08.05, 10.20, 12.55, 15.10, 17.40, 19.55, 22.25

Dublin T:+353 (0) 818221560

SEATRUCK

www.seatruckferries.com

ROUTE

OPERATOR

FREQUENCY

DEPARTURES

VESSELS

TYPE OF CARGO

TEL/FAX

CONTACT DETAILS

Warrenpoint - Heysham Route Seatruck Ferries 11 weekly Departure times, Seatruck Ro/Ro Freight Warrenpoint: Email: warrenpoint.booking departures see link Performance & Trade Cars T. 028 4175 4400 @seatruckgroup.co.uk each direction www.seatruckferries.com Precision Heysham: /routesschedules T. 01524 853512 heysham.booking @seatruckgroup.co.uk Dublin - Heysham Route Seatruck Ferries 6 weekly Departure times, Seatruck, Ro/Ro Freight Heysham: Email: heysham.booking departures see link Seatruck Pace & Trade Cars T. 01524 853512 @seatruckgroup.co.uk each direction www.seatruckferries.com Clipper Point Dublin: /routesschedules T. 00353 1 8230492 dublin.booking @seatruckgroup.co.uk Dublin - Liverpool Route Seatruck Ferries 17 weekly Departure times, Seatruck Power, Ro/Ro Freight Liverpool: Email: liverpool.booking departures see link Seatruck Progress & Trade Cars T: 0151 9333660 @seatruckgroup.co.uk each direction www.seatruckferries.com Seatruck Pace Dublin: /routesschedules T: 00353 1 8230492 dublin.booking @seatruckgroup.co.uk

P&O FERRIES DESTINATION

PORT OF EXIT

www.pofreight.com

OPERATOR

FREQUENCY

DEPARTURES

VESSELS

TYPE OF CARGO

TEL/FAX

CAIRNRYAN Larne P&O Ferries Up to 7 daily Regular sailings European Causeway, RoRo Freight Freight: return sailings 24 hours European Highlander / Passengers, cars, T. +44 845 832 22 22 caravans & coaches Passenger: +44 (0) 1304 448 888 LIVERPOOL Dublin P&O Ferries Up to 4 daily From Dublin Norbank, RoRo & Freight, Freight: return sailings 03:00, 09:00, 15:00, 21:30 Pennant cars & passengers T. +44 845 832 22 22 From Liverpool / +353 1 876 2345 03:00, 09:30, 16:00, 21:00 Passenger: +44 (0) 1304 448 888 EUROPOORT NL Hull P&O Ferries 1 x daily Hull 20:30 Pride of Hull, ROPAX T. +44 (0) 1482 708 288 each direction Europoort 21:00 Pride of Rotterdam ZEEBRUGGE BE Hull P&O Ferries 6 sailings per week

Hull: Tue, Thu, Sun, Vessel, Freya LOLO T.+44 (0) 1482 708 288 Zee: Mon, Wed, Fri

freight.bookings.hull @poferries.com freight.bookings.hull @poferries.com

EUROPOORT NL Teesport P&O Ferries 4 x sailings per week Tees: Tue, Thu, Sun, Vessel, Estraden RORO T. +44 (0) 1482 708 288 Europoort: Mon, Wed, Fri

freight.bookings.hull @poferries.com

ZEEBRUGGE BE Teesport P&O Ferries Daily Mon-Sun

Ex Teesport: Mon, Wed, Fri 19:30. Sun 12:30 Ex Zeebrugge: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat 20:30

Vessels, Boresong, RORO T. +44 (0) 1482 708 288 Estraden

freight.bookings.hull @poferries.com

ZEEBRUGGE BE Tilbury P&O Ferries 22 sailings per week

From Tilbury: Mon 21:00; Tue-Fri 10:00 & 22:00; Sat 10:00; Sun 18:00 From Zee: Mon 22:00; Tue-Fri 11:00 & 23:00; Sat-Sun 20:00

Norsky, Norstream, RORO T.+44 (0) 1482 708 288 Sky, Stream

freightops.tilbury @poferries.com

Sprit of France Ro/Ro freight/ Spirit of Britain Passengers Pride of Kent Pride of Canterbury

freightsupport @poferries.com

DOVER Calais P&O Ferries 1 x every 45-60min 1 departure approx. each direction every 45-60min each direction

CONTACT DETAILS Email: freight.larne @poferries.com Freight sales & bookings pofreight.com Email: freight.dublin @poferries.com Freight sales & bookings pofreight.com

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Freight: T. +44 (0) 1304 86 38 75 Passenger: +44 (0) 1304 448 888

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ROLL-ON/ROLL-OFF services STENA LINE GROUP DESTINATION

PORT OF EXIT

www.stenaline.com

OPERATOR

FREQUENCY

HEYSHAM Belfast Stena Line 2 sailings daily Tues-Fri in each direction 1 sailing daily Mon, Sat, Sun

DEPARTURES

VESSELS

TYPE OF CARGO

TEL

CONTACT DETAILS

Both directions Stena Hibernia Ro/Ro Freight Service T: 0845 070 4000 Freight Reservations Tues-Sat 08:30 Stena Scotia Email: freightbooking.uk.roi Mon & Sun 20:00 @stenaline.com Tues- Fri 20:30

BIRKENHEAD Belfast Stena Line 3 daily Tues-Sat Both directions Stena Edda Ro/Ro Freight T: 0845 070 4000 Freight Reservations 2 Sun, 1 Mon 10:30 & 22:30 Tues-Sun Stena Embla Passengers/ Email: freightbooking.uk.roi No Mon AM Ex Belfast Stena Foreteller Cars/Coaches @stenaline.com Ex Belfast Mon 14:45 Tues-Fri 15:15 Ex Birkenhead Tues-Sat 03:15 CAIRNRYAN Belfast Stena Line 6 sailings in each direction Mon-Sat 5 sailings in each direction Sun

07:30, 11:30, 15:30, 19:30 Superfast VII Both directions Mon-Sat Superfast VIII 23:30 Ex Belfast Mon-Sun & Ex Cairnryan Sun 23:00 Ex Cairnryan Mon-Sat

Ro/Ro Freight T: 0845 070 4000 Freight Reservations Passengers/ Email: freightbooking.uk.roi cars/coaches @stenaline.com

HOLYHEAD Dublin Stena Line 4 sailings in each 02:15, 14:45, 20:30 Stena Adventurer Ro/Ro Freight T: 048 90 786062 direction Mon-Sun both directions Stena Estrid Passengers/ Ex Dublin Mon-Sun 08:15 cars/coaches calling from the UK Ex Holyhead 0845 070 4000 Mon-Sun 09:00

Freight Reservations Email: freightbooking.uk.roi @stenaline.com

FISHGUARD Rosslare Stena Line 2 sailings each day Ex Rosslare 07:30, 18:15 Stena Europe Ro/Ro Freight T: 048 90 786062 Mon-Sun Ex Fishguard Passengers/ 13:00, 23:45 cars/coaches calling from the UK 0845 070 4000

Freight Reservations & Freight Email: freightbooking.uk.roi @stenaline.com

Rosslare Stena Line 6 x weekly Tues- Thurs & Sat 21:30 Stena Horizon CHERBOURG each direction Fri 20:30 Sun 1:.00 Stena Forerunner

Freight Reservations Email: freightbooking.uk.roi @stenaline.com

Ro/Ro Freight T: 0845 070 4000 Passengers/ Cars/Coaches

HARWICH Rotterdam Stena Line 2 sailings daily Mon-Fri in each direction

Ex Harwich Stena Somerset Ro/Ro Freight T: 0845 070 4000 08:00, 22:30 Mon-Fri Stena Forerunner Ex Rotterdam T: 0031174315858 (H) 11:30 Tues-Fri 21:00 Mon-Fri

Freight Reservations Email: freightbooking.nl @stenaline.com

KILLINGHOLME Hoek Van Stena Line 1 sailing daily Holland Mon-Sun In each direction

Ex Killingholme Stena Transporter Ro/Ro Freight T: 0845 070 4000 20:30 Mon-Sun Stena Transit Ex Hoek Van Holland T: 0031174315858 (H) 20:30 Mon - Sun

Freight Reservations Email: freightbooking.nl @stenaline.com

HARWICH Hoek Van Stena Line 2 sailings in each Ex Harwich Stena Hollandica Holland direction Mon-Sun 14:15 & 22:00 Mon-Sun Stena Britannica Ex Hoek Van Holland 09:00, 23:00

Ro/Ro Freight Passengers/ cars/coaches

T: 0845 070 4000 T: 0031174315858 (H)

Freight Reservations Email: freightbooking.nl @stenaline.com

IMMINGHAM Rotterdam Stena Line 1 sailing each Ex Immingham 19:45 Fiona Sea Ro/Ro Freight T: 048 90 786062 Freight Reservations direction Mon- Fri Ex Rotterdam 19:45 Jutlandia Sea Passengers/ Email: freightbooking.uk.roi - Sun Cars/Coaches @stenaline.com

MOTIS DESTINATION

www.motis.com

PORT OF EXIT

OPERATOR

FREQUENCY

DEPARTURES

VESSELS

TYPE OF CARGO

TEL/FAX

CONTACT DETAILS

NOVARA, ITALY Freiburg Intermodal (Motis) 1 x every 3 hours Approx every Intermodal Ro/Ro freight T. 028 3025 2500 Booking & Sales Office MOTIS each direction 3 hours starting Truck Train F. 028 3025 2552 Email: sales@motis.com www.motis.com FOLKESTONE Calais Eurotunnel/ Up to 6 Departures Visit: www.motis.com Multiple Ro/Ro freight T. 028 3025 2500 Booking & Sales Office MOTIS (MOTIS) Per Hour F. 028 3025 2552 Email: sales@motis.com www.motis.com MONT BLANC & Mont Blanc & Mont Blanc & On arrival On arrival Multiple All vehicles T. 028 3025 2500 Booking & Sales Office MOTIS FREJUS TUNNEL, Frejus Tunnel Frejus Tunnels travelling with F. 028 3025 2552 Office MOTIS FRANCE (Italy) non-hazardous Email: sales@motis.com cargo www.motis.com HELSINGBORG Puttgarden Scandlines 1 x every 45 Visit: www.motis.com Multiple Passengers/ T. 028 3025 2500 Booking & Sales Office MOTIS (Sweden) (Germany) (Motis) minutes Passenger vehicles, F. 028 3025 2552 Email: sales@motis.com Ro/Ro freight www.motis.com IJMUIDEN Newcastle DFDS 1 x Daily 17:00 Multiple Passengers/ T. 028 3025 2500 Booking & Sales Office MOTIS (Holland) (Motis) Passenger Passenger vehicles F. 028 3025 2552 Email: sales@motis.com Ro/Ro freight www.motis.com HELSINKI Rostock Finnlines 1 x Daily Visit: www.motis.com Multiple Passengers/ T. 028 3025 2500 Booking & Sales Office MOTIS (Finland) (Germany) (Motis) Passenger Passenger vehicles F. 028 3025 2552 Email: sales@motis.com Ro/Ro freight www.motis.com PATRAS Ancona Minoan Lines/ Average 4 x Daily Visit: www.motis.com Multiple Freight/ Passenger T. 028 3025 2500 Booking & Sales Office MOTIS (Greece) (Italy) Superfast/ F. 028 3025 2552 Email: sales@motis.com Aneklines www.motis.com

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SEATRUCK FERRIES SUCCESSFULLY WEATHERS BREXIT & COVID-19 PANDEMIC STORMS While ferry companies, like many other businesses, have been battered on a number of fronts over the past two years, not least because of Brexit and Covid-19 lockdowns, the operational model employed by Seatruck Ferries has successfully weathered those storms, as Export & Freight’s David Stokes has discovered. Having celebrated 25 years of steady growth on the Irish Sea in 2021, Seatruck Ferries is looking to the future with confidence, and with good reason, as it sees its unaccompanied freight only service in increasing demand. The company, headed up by Chief Executive Officer Alistair Eagles, began its Warrenpoint service in May 1996 and today operates three routes: Dublin – Liverpool; Dublin – Heysham; and Warrenpoint -Heysham. Combined, the service moves hundreds of thousands of trailers per year ranging from tippers, tanks, flats, refrigerated and hazardous units on crossing which are serviced by six vessels, four of which can carry up to 140 vehicles, the other two just over 100 vehicles.“We have another two vessels on charter, one to Stena Line, the other to P&O Ferries, which gives us the capacity for further growth if and when volumes increase, which we believe they will,” says Alistair. Among reasons for that optimism is the continuing driver shortage which has been exacerbated by the fallout from

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Brexit. “Even before we left the European Union there was a severe driver shortage, and that’s only got worse. Today, transport companies need to look at how best they can utilise their drivers; having them sit on a ferry crossing probably isn’t the most effective way to do so, which is why sending freight unaccompanied can be a much better option in many cases.” And there is another reason: consideration for the environment. “More and more companies are focused on the environment. Using an unaccompanied freight service clearly cuts down on road miles and therefore reduces harmful emissions.” Those arguments certainly stack up when looking at recent statistics. “When we first launched 25 years ago, 70% of freight on the Irish Sea was driver accompanied, but according to the latest quarterly report from the IMDO, 70% of total traffic on the Irish Sea in the 3rd quarter of 2021was unaccompanied. That’s a complete reverse, and the market continues to

move in that direction,” adds Alistair. Contributing to those figures, no doubt, is the fact that many drivers wanted to maintain social distancing and that was made easier by utilising an unaccompanied freight only service as it kept them off ferries and out of harm’s way. At one stage, Seatruck ferries stopped shipping any HGV drivers or any other passengers on its Irish Sea vessels. “Although our Irish Sea services ran as normal they were restricted to the shipment of drop trailers and unaccompanied trade vehicles. Customers who normally moved driver accompanied vehicles on our services were still able to move their traffic, albeit on an unaccompanied trailer only basis.” “To further protect the crews, we cancelled all but critical maintenance that involved shore technicians coming onboard. Crew also stayed on the vessel and didn’t get off when in port. Cleaning regimes

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onboard were also stepped up. If a crew member were to develop symptoms, we created isolation areas on each vessel as it was vital that the ships keep moving,” explains Alistair who added that those restrictions were now gradually being eased. “We are taking drivers again, but there is no sharing of cabins, and the situation is kept constantly under review.

PROUD MILESTONE “Although we reached that 25 year milestone in 2021, we didn’t feel it appropriate to have a big celebration because of Covid-19 and the social distancing measures, but we are proud of what our dedicated team has achieved over that period, and we feel there is a lot more to come in the years ahead.” That’s not to say the past two years haven’t had any impact on the business. Indeed, at one stage in the early days of the Covid19 pandemic Seatruck Ferries, like others around them, suffered a sharp decline in traffic. However, there was a reasonable quick rebound, helped by the fact that businesses began stockpiling ahead of Brexit, and more traffic was diverted from the Republic to Northern Ireland ports, driven by changes in customs checks and procedures. “Taking everything into account, overall last year our volumes were down just three percent compared to the general market at eight percent, and the year ahead is looking reasonably healthy for us.”

MYSEATRUCK One of the more recent additions to the service offered by Seatruck Ferries and well appreciated by its customers is the relaunched MySeatruck, an online booking portal that can be used to make and amend bookings, track and trace units, review statistics, manage users and see up-to-date sailing schedules and news about the Seatruck services. Regarded as the most user-friendly, informative, and easy-to-use online booking system on the Irish Sea, it can be viewed on PCs & iMacs, tablets, and phones, using current operating systems. It’s a one-stop-shop for all your business with Seatruck and is entirely free to all Seatruck Ferries customers. “Three years ago less than 10% of bookings

Alistair Eagles.

were made electronically,” says Alistair, “but that has risen to over 90%.” Entirely within ‘MySeatruck’ you can create your PBN’s and GMR’s without needing to access the Government websites. Customers have described it as a ‘game changer’ and it is proving to be a huge advantage since the beginning of this year when both a GMR and PBN have been required for UK-Ireland movements in both directions. Both references can be created on a single screen without the need to enter significant information as most of the data needed is taken from your online booking. You just need to add the MRN’s for your loads and instantaneously your GMR’s and PBN’s are generated and verified at the push of a button. The functionality also works for GB-NI loads. The ability to bulk-create GMR’s and PBN’s for empty loads has recently been introduced. Another popular service is Seatruck’s exit customs screen in Dublin, with collecting drivers getting a final reminder of their customs routing status as they exit the terminal; it is the only ferry company offering that service, which rather appropriately sums up Seatruck Ferries’ proactive approach to good customer relations. This is due to be rolled out to other terminals as import customs procedures come into force.

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Artemis Technologies Opens New Manufacturing Facility In Belfast Artemis Technologies has opened a new facility on Belfast Lough as it prepares to commence testing of its transformative new Artemis eFoiler (R) electric propulsion system. The 42,200 sq ft facility in Titanic Quarter’s Channel Commercial Park, will house the company’s manufacturing and engineering teams as it brings to market a range of green technologies and vessels including workboats, passenger ferries, leisure craft, as well as Crew Transfer Vessels for the offshore wind sector.

“It is an important step forward in our mission to help deliver a sustainable maritime future and brings us closer to returning commercial shipbuilding to Belfast -one of the key drivers behind our decision to locate in Northern Ireland.

Artemis Technologies Technical Director, Romain Ingouf commented: “The Queen’s Island facility is going to allow us to turn our prototyping activities into a production line for the Artemis eFoiler (R) propulsion system. Over the next year or so we’ll need to double our workforce to support this activity. “We currently have two vessels here, our first Artemis eFoiler (R) propelled prototype, an 11m workboat, as well as an 11m sistership, enabling us to bench mark our green propulsion system against a conventional gasoline propelled vessel.”

The first test vessel to be powered by Artemis Technologies’ revolutionary Artemis eFoiler (R) electric propulsion system, an 11m workboat, is expected to take to the water in a matter of weeks. Artemis Technologies Commercial Director David Tyler said: “It’s incredibly exciting to announce a major milestone for Artemis Technologies, moving into our new facility here in Belfast Harbour. Right in the heart of the Titanic Quarter, and next to several of our Belfast Maritime Consortium partners.

change and decarbonisation. We wish Artemis every success in their new facility here.”

Pictured at the 42,000 sq ft facility in Titanic Quarter’s Channel Commercial Park, from left, Romain Ingouf, Technical Director and David Tyler, Commercial Director.

“From this new facility, we will be able to directly launch our first prototype vessel into the waters of Belfast and begin the crucial phase of real-life testing. “What we will create here in Northern Ireland, we hope will create an impact on a global scale, providing commercially viable solutions that will help not just the UK, but countries across the world to realise their net zero targets.”

James Eyre, Commercial Director, Titanic Quarter added: “We are delighted to welcome Artemis Technologies to Channel Commercial Park, which is one of Belfast’s largest and most versatile business parks. Situated in the heart of the city’s Innovation District, Titanic Quarter is home to a growing cluster of leading businesses who are pioneering solutions to combat global climate

The development of the vessels is complemented by Artemis Technologies’ advanced simulator located at its Lisburn facility, which informs the design process prebuild to ensure a streamlined and efficient manufacturing project. Established in 2017, Artemis Technologies is the lead partner of the Belfast Maritime Consortium, a 13-member syndicate which has brought together a range of established and young firms, academia and public bodies to design and build zero-emission high-speed ferries in the city. The consortium was awarded £33 million by UKRI’s flagship Strength in Places Fund for the £60m project.

Stena Estrid Cruises to the Top of the Service Charts It’s smooth sailing for one of Stena Line’s newest ships - Stena Estrid, which has been crowned ‘Top Ship’ by the company’s customers. Not only is it Top Ship on the Irish Sea, but it scored higher than any other vessel across its entire fleet of 37 vessels on 18 routes. Stena Estrid, which launched in 2020, showed flexibility and adaptability during a pandemic impacted 2021 by operating on five different routes. In addition to its regular Holyhead – Dublin route, it also covered sailings across Rosslare – Cherbourg, Dublin - Cherbourg, Holyhead - Belfast, and Cairnryan– Belfast, in what was an incredibly challenging year for Stena Line. It was Stena Estrid’s consistent performance levels that helped sail the ship to the top position gaining two awards - ‘Overall Customer Satisfaction in 2021’ and ‘Overall Cleanliness for 2021’. This comes only two

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years after Stena Line launched the ship, and its two sister vessels Edda and Embla in a multimillion-pound investment in its Irish Sea fleet. Stena Line’s Head of Onboard Sales and Services (OSS), Stephen Bryden said: “We couldn’t be prouder of Stena Estrid’s performance. From launching at a very difficult time, just before a global pandemic, Estrid has proven to be one of the best next generation ships currently operating in ferry travel. “During 2021 crew of Stena Estrid showed their flexibility and agility to cover three different routes on the Irish Sea, including

our route to France. So, it is an incredible achievement that during a year of such a great upheaval they were able to gain the coveted position of top ship for ‘Overall Customer Satisfaction in 2021’. “It is great for our passengers that join the vessel in Dublin or Holyhead to know that they are sailing on the Stena Line’s number one vessel. Many congratulations to all our onboard colleagues and our shoreside port staff who helped steer Stena Estrid to the number one position. This is a fantastic achievement that recognises the hard work of the entire Stena Estrid team, well done everyone.”

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BELFAST HARBOUR REPORTS BUOYANT TRADING PERFORMANCE IN 2021 Trade through Belfast Harbour has benefitted from an increase in global trade, the restart of domestic travel and cruise tourism and investment in new infrastructure projects during 2021. Releasing its annual trade figures, Belfast Harbour has reported a record year, with 25.6m tonnes handled by the Port in 2021, an increase of 9% on the previous year, which had been impacted by Covid-19. Roll-On Roll-Off freight performed strongly, rising 12% from 2020 to almost 600k freight units following significant investment in terminals and facilities and demonstrating the importance of Stena Line’s freight traffic routes to Scotland and England to the local economy. Container traffic increased 15% to 132,000 units handled, which was the highest level since 2008. The overall volume of ferry passengers travelling through the Port increased by 69% year on year to almost 1.5 million people, with routes benefitting from the easing of Covid19 travel restrictions and the growth in the ‘Staycation’ market. Stena Line’s Belfast to Liverpool route proved particularly popular

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as over 400,000 passengers used the service in 2021, up over 150% on 2020 levels. Overall bulk tonnages handled by Belfast Harbour were up 3% to 9.76m tonnes, with a number of bulk categories posting their strongest year on record. This included grains and feedstuffs, which were up 4% to 2.43m tonnes; aggregates, which were up 6% to 1.86m tonnes; steel, up by 50% to 244,000 tonnes; and scrap metal, which saw a 13% rise to 412,000 tonnes. Belfast Harbour also welcomed 72 cruise ship calls in 2021 as cruise travel partially resumed, compared with one cruise call in the prior year, due to the pandemic. Cruise call volumes are expected to grow in 2022 as the cruise tourism market continues to recover. Michael Robinson, Belfast Harbour’s Port Director, said: “These results record a

positive trading picture for Belfast Harbour and demonstrate the resilience of the Port community as it continues to deliver goods and services across Northern Ireland. “In spite of the challenges faced since the outbreak of the pandemic, Belfast Harbour has benefitted from an increase in global trade and the resumption of domestic travel. “In addition, following the UK’s exit from the European Union, changes in Ro-Ro traffic volumes on routes between Ireland and Great Britain have taken place, with all NI Ports, including Belfast, experiencing improved trade volumes whilst grace periods continue to apply. “Furthermore, our on-going investments in key port infrastructure, aimed at creating a world leading regional Port, have also contributed to the strong trading performance, with increased capacity facilitating the strong growth we have witnessed in many sectors of port trade.”

A huge thank you

to all our customers and port users for their continued support and for making 2021 a fantastic year for Belfast Harbour.

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Stena Line and Associated British Ports sign £100 million deal for new ferry terminal Stena Line and Associated British Ports (ABP) have entered into an agreement to jointly develop a new freight terminal at the Port of Immingham in the Humber region. The £100m agreement will see the Swedish ferry company operate the new terminal for the next 50 years. It is a major longterm commitment and boost for the region, where freight on routes to and from the EU has been booming since Brexit. Stena Line is one of the largest ferry operators in the world with 18 routes, and 37 vessels, operating between 13 countries across Northern Europe. It currently runs four daily freight services from the Humber to The Netherlands. These important services are now in greater demand than ever before and are expected to increase further. 2021 saw their North Sea routes moving record levels of freight, this included a 28% year-on-year increase in unaccompanied freight. At the start of the year Stena Line relocated its Rotterdam freight service to the Port of Immingham, the largest port in the UK by tonnage, which is owned by ABP. The move has allowed the company to become the provider of both the terminal and shipping operations, which has resulted in improved benefits and expanded services to its significant freight customers in the region. With freight levels continuing to grow for the company, Stena Line needs to add capacity and expand its operations at Immingham. It requires a long-term solution that has access to the main Humber Estuary. This would allow for quicker sailing times and the option to use larger vessels to cater for

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increased freight demand from exporters and importers from across the region and the rest of the UK. The proposals outline the relocation of Stena Line’s current Immingham freight operations to a new site, adjacent to Immingham Outer Harbour, where ABP will develop a new purpose built terminal facility. The proposals will allow the company to further expand its services by providing increased freight capacity for its customers. It is a significant infrastructure development for the region. NiclasMartensson, Chief Executive Officer of Stena Line, said: “Our freight levels are at record levels and are continuing to increase, so we want to build on this success

and provide additional services to our most important business needs, those of our customers, with the development of a brand new terminal and berths at the Port of Immingham.” He added: “Stena Line is pledging a significant long-term commitment that will bring a substantial boost to the region’s economy in terms of jobs and revenue. We look forward to working with Associated British Ports to develop this exciting project.” Simon Bird, Humber Director, Associated British Ports, said: “We’re delighted to welcome this new deal with Stena as it underlines the fact that ABP in the Humber is continuing to go

from strength to strength. Stena will be joining a growing family of commercial partners who are choosing to use ABP’s ports in the Humber which have fantastic facilities and connections for traders across Europe and beyond. Our track record in recent years of investing in new infrastructure is making the Humber the place to be for trading links between the Midlands and North of England, and the rest of the World.” ABP intends to submit an application for a Development Consent Order to the Secretary of State for Transport in early summer with a view to the new terminal facilities being operational in 2025.

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PORT OF LARNE KEEPING HAULIERS ON THE MOVE For many ports across the island of Ireland, the past two years has been a challenging time, but businesses appears to be getting back to more normal levels despite the ongoing debate over the Northern Ireland protocol in the wake of Brexit. At the easily accessible Port of Larne, it is also business as usual, with many hauliers continuing to opt for the short two hour sea crossing to Cairnryan in Scotland. Larne, of course, has always been a gateway of choice for many freight operators exporting to and from Ireland, with facilities at the port including nearly 5,000 sq metres of warehousing and generous storage areas within its 40 acres site. With regular crossings provided by P&O Ferries between Larne and Cairnryan, hauliers are able schedule freight movements at times that will best suit them, from early morning onwards; lorry drivers can spend less time onboard and more time on the road.

Comments Harbour Master Stuart Wilson: “We offer a diverse range of services, being a deepwater port, and while our core business has always focused on ro-ro operations, the port can also cater for a whole range of diverse cargoes.” The port has enjoyed, for example, good success in handling onshore windfarm components such as turbines. Indeed, the variety of heavy and outsized cargoes handled at Larne is impressive and ranges from piling rigs and construction plants to excavators, wind turbines and even railway carriages. It also acted as the mobilisation port for the seasonal repair work on the interconnector cables running between Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Safe & Secure With P&0 Ferries’ extensive parking available,

LARNE PORT

the port, which is just 30 minutes from Belfast and two and a half hours from Dublin, handles around a quarter of a million commercial vehicles each year – and it is also fully equipped to accept unaccompanied traffic. Dockside staff are fully trained to load all types of trailers ensuring a safe and secure passage. The port, of course, is also well established in handling driver accompanied traffic, with fast and efficient check-in facilities dedicated to serve freight drivers. The port is nine miles closer than Belfast to Scotland and adds Stuart: “As the shortest Irish Sea crossing, which is one of the competitive advantages enjoyed by P&O Ferries at Larne, ferries can operate reliably and recover quickly recover after any weather-related disruption.” With much improved infrastructure in recent years, including modern freight drivers’ facilities, the Port of Larne has become even more easily accessible for local companies who may not have considered using the facilities in the past and indeed that continues to be the case.

CALL STUART WILSON ON +44 (0) 28 2887 2100 or email: info@portoﬂarne.co.uk, to discuss how we can help you.

WHATEVER YOUR PORT SERVICES REQUIREMENT

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DUBLIN PORT SEES A SMALL REDUCTION IN VOLUMES IN 2021 POST BREXIT Following a surge in activity in Q4 2020, before Brexit border controls were introduced on 1st January 2021, overall volumes at Dublin Port declined in Q4 2021 by -10.3% to 9.1 million gross tonnes. The company says this decline was driven by an -11.9% reduction in the number of containers and trailers year-on-year from a preBrexit spike of 418,000 units in Q4 2020 to 369,000 units in Q4 2021.

Full year 2021 For the year as a whole, overall volumes at Dublin Port fell by -5.2% to 34.9 million gross tonnes; 83% of Dublin Port’s volumes are in the Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo modes and there were contrasting outcomes in these two modes: - The number of Ro-Ro units fell by -9.3% or 99,000 trailers - This was significantly offset by an increase in Lo-Lo units of +10.2% or 43,000 containers - Overall unitised volumes (RoRo and Lo-Lo combined) were down by -3.8% or 56,000 units - Trade vehicle imports increased by +10.9% during 2021 to 82,000 notwithstanding space constraints causing a number of ship arrivals to be cancelled during December, the busiest month in the year for Irish vehicle imports. The company says the full year impacts of Brexit on Dublin Port’s unitised volumes (Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo) are now clear. The overall decline in the number of containers and trailers was small at just 56,000 units (-3.8%). Fewer goods are now moving in trailers in the Ro-Ro mode and more are moving in containers in the Lo-Lo mode. Lo-Lo’s share of unitised volumes increased from 29% to 33%. Fewer Ro-Ro trailers are moving driver-accompanied. During 2021, their number declined by 90,000, contributing substantially to the overall decline in Ro-Ro volumes of 99,000. The decline in Ro-Ro volumes was concentrated on routes to the GB ports of Holyhead, Liverpool and Heysham where volumes declined

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by 187,000 (-21%) to 703,000. However, Ro-Ro volumes on direct routes to Continental Europe increased by 88,000 to 259,000. As a result, where GB routes accounted for 64% of all of the 1.5 million unit loads (Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo combined) in 2020, they only accounted for 52% of the 1.4 million unit loads in 2021.

levels by -5.2%. The reduction in cargo throughput was accounted for by a drop of 56,000 in the number of containers and trailers to 1.4 million. Behind this figure there was a substantial decline in unitised volumes with GB – down 214,000 units – largely offset by a strong increase in volumes with the EU of 158,000 units.

Significant Changes

“Brexit has caused the makeup of Dublin Port’s unitised volumes to change significantly. Ro-Ro volumes were down by 99,000 and, for the most part, this decline was accounted for by a 90,000 reduction in driver accompanied Ro-Ro. By comparison, the number of Lo-Lo containers increased by 43,000.

Commenting on the 2021 figures, Dublin Port’s Chief Executive, Eamonn O’Reilly, said: “Dublin Port finished 2021 with overall volumes down on their 2020

“The extensive Brexit preparation work completed in 2020 paid off in 2021. There was none of the catastrophic congestion that had been projected and what

17% of Dublin Port’s volumes are in the bulk commodity modes and these grew by +2.1% during 2021, and although passenger numbers increased by 1.5% to 845,000 during 2021, the number travelling is still less than half of what it was pre-Covid (1.9 million in 2019).

disruptions there were in the early days of 2021 were quickly resolved as supply chains adapted to the new realities. Over the course of the year, the average number of trailers called for some physical inspection on services from GB was just 2.5 per ferry. “The risks of Brexit were comprehensively mitigated and Dublin Port’s volumes are set to increase again during 2022 driven by growth in trade on direct services with Continental Europe.” He added: “Looking ahead, we are currently preparing our third and final Masterplan project – the 3FM Project – to provide additional infrastructure for continued future growth. The 3FM Project includes the construction of Ireland’s largest container terminal with an annual capacity of 360,000 containers to meet Ireland’s longterm port infrastructure needs.”

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Ford Transit Custom delivers UK’s top-selling vehicle spot for 2021 The Ford Transit Custom range was the UK’s top-selling vehicle among both passenger and commercial vehicles last year. With vans playing a key role in starting to reopen the UK economy last year, more than 53,000 buyers chose new Ford Transit Customs to help their businesses thrive, while a further 3,750 customers bought Ford Tourneo Custom people carrier. In addition to delivering 10 percent more onetonne Transit Customs than in 2020, Ford also last year supplied more than 34,000 of the larger two-tonne Transit, making it the UK’s third bestselling vehicle in the year. Ford’s total commercial vehicle range accounted for one in every three vans bought in 2021. Ford also remained the UK’s No.1 top selling brand for combined passenger and commercial vehicle sales.

difficult year, with the pandemic ongoing and semiconductor shortages affecting the entire automotive industry, to grow commercial vehicle sales and meet the demand and loyalty to the Transit brand.” Significant Ford initiatives in 2021 underpinned van customers’ continued expectation of reliability, and emerging need for charging and data services. The new Ford Liive centre – opened at the company’s European commercial vehicle business line home at the Ford Britain Dunton Campus in Essex – monitors live data feeds from Transits in the field and can alert customers to servicing requirements and provide assistance in real time to ensure vehicles stay operational on the road. Since the free-of-charge service was launched in April, around 22,500 additional days of customer use of their vehicles were created through proactive interventions.

“The army of Ford Transit drivers, and the companies employing them, depend on their vehicles – just as homes, businesses and other customers depend on their deliveries,” said Lisa Brankin, Ford of Britain and Ireland managing director.

All Electric 2022

“Ford prioritised vehicle supply in a

This year, the all-electric E-Transit 2-tonne

model goes on sale, supported by the new Ford Pro organisation – on hand to advise customers on charging; service from Transit Centres, mobile service vans and Ford Liive; telematics and other data services; and finance. Aside from keeping the UK’s economy on the move in 2021, Transit vans also supported a variety of community-focussed activities throughout the year. A specially converted refrigerated Plug-in Hybrid Transit was sent to Oxford Mutual Aid, an organisation which provides emergency care packages for those experiencing food poverty. The Transit allowed them to more than double their delivery capacity and bring supplies to more than 500 households a week. Another special conversion was the Transit ‘VaxVan’ which was turned in to a mobile vaccination clinic which delivered Covid-19 vaccinations to communities with low uptake. Ahead of the Ford E-Transit’s arrival in the spring, vehicle innovations available now on Transit and Transit Custom include the ‘smart’ mirror, linking rear-view cameras to the driver’s mirror for a view behind the vehicle uninterrupted by bulkhead or load behind.

Maxus Partners with Drayton Motors Group to Expand UK Dealer Network MAXUS has partnered with Drayton Motors Group to grow its dealer network in the UK with the addition of a new dealership in Eastern Lincolnshire. Located in Louth, East Lindsey, the newest dealership will offer a dedicated sales and aftersales service to MAXUS customers in the eastern region. Drayton Motors MAXUS brings the total number of MAXUS dealerships in the UK to more than 45. Mark Barrett, General Manager of Harris MAXUS spoke of the expansion of its dealer network: “We are thrilled to have partnered with Drayton Motors Group to bring a new MAXUS Dealership to Lincolnshire. We always look for partners with a solid track record, not only in sales and customer service but in aftersales too. Drayton Motors Group is

an award-winning family-owned business and as such, we know our brand is in good hands. We look forward to a successful partnership in the years ahead.”

Speaking about the new partnership with MAXUS, Darren Bradford, Managing Director of Drayton Motors, said: “We are very proud to announce the

opening of our newest dealership - Drayton Motors MAXUS in Louth. This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for the Drayton Motors Group as we venture into the commercial vehicle sector with SAIC MAXUS as partners. “We have the full MAXUS range available at our new dealership, including the EV range which we see huge growth potential in. Backed by SAIC, which is one of the largest eLCV manufacturers in the world, and their multibillion investment in innovation, MAXUS is at the forefront of battery technology and has an advanced electric van range with a more than attractive price structure. We are looking forward to welcoming MAXUS customers to our Louth dealership and to a bright future working together.”

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TruTac flags forthcoming European licence rules for van operators TruTac is giving UK van operators an early heads up about legislation in May that will affect those with LCVs above 2.5 tonnes (or towing trailers with a combined weight over 2.5 tonnes) travelling across international borders that are engaged in hire and reward. From 21 May 2022, companies using vans or other light goods vehicles weighing between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes for hire and reward will require a Goods Vehicle Operator’s Licence to drive in the European Union. This includes crossing from N. Ireland into the Republic of Ireland. The move is part of the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. One of the many conditions of the licence is the appointment of a dedicated transport manager, with a valid Transport Manager Certificate of Professional Competence (TM CPC) qualification. The UK Government has said some operators may be able to obtain a temporary exemption from the TM CPC requirement if they have “appropriate experience of managing light goods vehicles in the form of temporary transport manager status.” Another condition is for the company to demonstrate financial standing to run the business with

a minimum of £1,600 available for the first vehicle and an extra £800 per additional vehicle. As with HGV operators, assets must also be kept safe and in good condition. All safety inspection and maintenance records undertaken must also be retained

for a minimum of 15 months. TruTac believes operators should be prepared for the new regulations, regardless of their status. “This piece of legislation comes at a particularly testing time for transport operators – irrespective of the size or weight of their vehicles

– and it’s the type of thing that could easily be misunderstood or overlooked completely,” says TruTac Managing Director, Jemma James. “Those with vehicles under 3.5 tonnes will be used to a fairly straightforward approach to driver and vehicle compliance, but these new rules introduce an extra layer of complexity, especially for anyone with vans just over the 2.5 tonne mark or for those who tow trailers or semi-trailers. We want to help operators prepare for it, to ensure they are fully compliant and that their businesses are unimpeded.” TruTac’s range of software for the transport industry is designed with compliance at its core and is just as applicable to van operators as to those with heavier vehicles. Its TruControl fleet management portal comprises a suite of software applications for simple all-round compliance management. The web-based portal includes modular products to keep control of all compliance areas in one place such as TruView, which illustrates key performance data via clear graphics and TruChecks, a configurable app for daily walkaround vehicle checks with full back-office reporting. TruFleet, intelligent fleet management software delivers real-time vehicle planning and maintenance control while TruLicence supports driving licence validation and verification with alerts and reporting.

Calling All Van Operators… Are you prepared for the changes to EU rules on operator licensing from 21st May 2022? From that date anyone operating a light goods vehicle and/or trailer between 2.5 and 3.5 tons in an EU member state will be required to have a goods vehicle operator’s licence. The changes will only apply to anyone operating a light goods vehicle for hire or reward. This means that goods, not owned by the operator, are being transported for payment. To find out more, Logistics UK will be holding free event for van operators on 1st April, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz Vans NI. This free event brings together experts from

Department of Infrastructure, PSNI and Logistics UK to hear how to reduce risk and improve the safety of your vans and drivers on the road. MercedesBenz Vans NI will also be providing an opportunity for you to see their electric vans. Speakers include Richard Crawford from the Freight Policy Branch at the Department of Infrastructure for NI, who be discussing

the mobility package and the new rules for operator licencing for vans, while Constable Noel Teeney from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Road Policing Team, will be discussing Driver Licencing requirements, mechanical defects, overloading, towing, speed restrictions and driver walk around checks.

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Latest Generation Renault Trafic The latest generation of the long-established Renault Trafic sees the introduction of car-like levels of refinement, equipment and cutting-edge technology to the best-selling model. With its capacious and ergonomically designed load area now complemented by advanced features that bolster safety, connectivity and comfort, New Trafic ensures that the model is even more suited to the requirements of tradespeople and corporate fleets. The New Trafic boasts a dynamic new appearance that is the result of a comprehensive round of changes. Most obvious, and instantly identifying this latest version of the Trafic, is a completely new front-end design. Ensuring the New Trafic stands out with a greater presence, the new front end styling features full LED lighting with C-shaped running lights and a redesigned bumper that complements the upright grille, finished with chrome detailing.

Interior The interior of the New Trafic has undergone a significant transformation with an allnew premium design, the latest technology and an airy, comfortable feel. Influenced by Renault’s range of passenger cars, the sophisticated new interior provides an attractive and refined environment for the driver and passengers, with eye-catching details, quality materials and clever practical touches. A new full-width horizontal trim detail provides a greater sense of width and space to the cabin, with all versions also receiving new gear lever and steering wheel designs, heating controls embellished with chrome detail and a sleek, cohesive overall design that’s easy to operate and more user-friendly to interact with.

The full LED headlights, with better light distribution and a 15 metre greater range, enhance visibility by 20 per cent, while manoeuvres are made easier thanks to 30 per cent larger electric folding door mirrors. The LED fog lights have chrome edging to complement that of the new grille, while a cornering function aids visibility while manoeuvring at night. New 17-inch ‘Avens’ alloy wheels feature on Sport models – diamond-cut on Sport+ models – with elegant new 16-inch ’Siras’ wheel covers on Business and Business+ variants. There’s a new radio antenna and new Cumulus Blue paint option, the distinctive new shade being one of eight exterior colours available with customers also able to choose from Urban Grey, Glacier White, Magma Red, Highland Grey, Slate Grey, Jet Black and Carmin Red. New Trafic offers a choice of short and long wheelbase body lengths, with both having the option of low or high roof heights. A long wheelbase Crew Van is also available, featuring left and right-side loading doors, with those of Sport and Sport+ versions having opening windows.

under the roof at 14°, which is 934.5 mm, and there’s now up to 84 litres of on-board storage space, split between 54 litres under the passenger bench seat, 14.6 litres in the doors and the rest via numerous dashboard spaces. For those who need the interior to double as a workspace, there is the immensely useful Mobile Office feature that comes as standard on Business+ and upwards. Together with the enhanced storage space, this includes a fold down middle passenger seat, with detachable A4 clipboard, plus laptop and smartphone cradles. The rear load area is just as impressive.

Powertrains & Driving The New Trafic is powered by a wider range of new and improved engines. Four different versions of the smooth and efficient 2.0-litre Blue dCi diesel engine are available, with customers able to choose from dCi 110, dCi 130, dCi 150 and dCi 170 variants. All versions are front-wheel drive and feature the latest fuel-saving Stop & Start functionality, contributing to the New Trafic’s compliance with the most stringent Euro 6D-Full emissions regulations.

Safety Features A new instrument panel houses a crisp 4.2-inch TFT colour display and clear dials on Sport and Sport+ variants (3.5-inch monochrome display on Business and Business+ specification), while, depending on the version, a new 8-inch EASY LINK display sits in the driver’s eye line for greater ease of use with more functions than ever, supplemented by a row of piano-touch keys located just below for further vehicle controls. New Trafic is equally generous when it comes to space. It is best-in-class for chest height

Standard safety features include cruise control with speed limiter, ESC (Electronic Stability Control) with Hill Start Assist and Grip Xtend, plus ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution). The Business+ trim adds even more refinement and connectivity with the inclusion of the EASY LINK display with 8-inch touchscreen, DAB radio, Bluetooth and USB charging ports, smartphone integration with Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay™, and manual air conditioning.

Renault Trucks Extends LCV Range Renault Trucks is extending its range with the launch of a new light commercial vehicle, the Renault Trucks Trafic Red EDITION. This new model, which joins the Renault Trucks Master Red EDITION, will be available in 2022 in Ireland, the UK, France, Belgium, and Switzerland. For more than 35 years, Renault Trucks has been putting its century-long expertise in HGVs and its expertise in the conversion marketplace, coupled with its commercial vehicle dealer network, to use for the benefit of LCV operators. And for several years now,

Renault Trucks’ focused strategy has been increasing its market share and penetration through innovation and a compelling tailored proposition that is set to continue with the introduction of the new Renault Trucks Trafic range. In 2022, the light commercial vehicle market is expected to remain very dynamic, driven by the boom in e-commerce and the increased activity of the SME sector, both of which will be strategically catered for by Renault Trucks. To meet this diversity of working requirements, Renault Trucks is extending its range of commercial vehicles and launching the Trafic Red EDITION.

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Contract hire now available across the 3.5t IVECO Daily range IVECO UK has introduced a new range of contract hire funding options for the 3.5t GVW range of Daily panel and crew vans, chassis cabs and crew cabs.

These offers are open to limited companies through business contract hire, which is provided via a partnership with Arval UK, part of the BNP Paribas Group.

lutons, contract hire offers the flexibility to include this on a single invoice transaction.

Available across the UK dealer network, credit approval decisions will be provided in just two minutes, which allows customers to react quickly to their changing business demands.

Offers can be quoted instantly and customised with or without repair and maintenance packages. These can include IVECO ON connectivity, giving the highest levels of customer satisfaction and allowing clear and complete visibility over fixed running costs while maximising vehicle uptime.

For customers looking to tailor Daily for their own specific business mission, either with optional extras or body-built solutions such as tippers, dropsides and

“It’s a pleasure to introduce this new contract hire funding option via our Dealers in partnership with Arval UK BNP Paribas Group to further enhance the

acquisition choice for both our current and new customers,” said IVECO UK Light Businessline Director, Mike Cutts. “We understand how important it is for businesses to have clear sight of expenses to plan ahead and protect their bottom lines, especially during the turbulent times we’ve experienced recently. This new funding method, in collaboration with our Business trimline model, offers customers an all-encompassing solution as robust as the Daily itself.” Paul Hyne, Arval UK Commercial Director, said: “Partnering

with IVECO to provide a suite of commercial contract hire products and services for their experienced network of dealers in the UK is a strategic decision, which we believe will benefit new customers across the country. “We look forward to working with its dealers and franchise partners, to help them promote the awarding winning IVECO Daily range of vehicles. This move complements our own plans for growth in the commercial sector and strengthens the existing relationship between IVECO and the wider BNP Paribas group.” For almost 45 years, the Daily range has proven itself a tough and dependable partner on any mission and now it is even simpler to take advantage of a rich heritage in heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Sharing a support network of experienced dealers and workshops with its truck stablemates, operators can take advantage of extended opening hours and the responsive assistance non-stop 24/7 road-side support service. Also available on Daily are the same range of comprehensive connected Repair & Maintenance packages and a live link to the IVECO control centre. A vehicle’s performance can be monitored behind the scenes to adapt servicing requirements, propose efficiency-boosting driving style adjustments, and even take advantage of an over-theair software update function to keep vehicles working and reduce the Total Cost of Ownership.

CV Fleet and EV Specialist Joins Harris Maxus With a career in the automotive industry that spans more than three decades, fleet and EV specialist, Chris Adams has been appointed dealer development manager for Harris MAXUS. Chris joins the company following 17 successful years at Vauxhall, where he was most recently corporate account manager for a number of major bluechip companies, responsible for all aspects of vehicle and service supply. Chris’ 35 years in the motor industry have seen him specialise in a number of key areas including fleet, conversions and electric vehicles all of which will contribute to the growing success of the MAXUS brand and in particular, its EV strategy. His role will cover dealership development in the London and Eastern regions. Mark Barrett, general manager, Harris MAXUS said, “In his previous role, Chris

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worked closely with his dealership sales teams and this, together with his business acumen and unrivalled experience in the commercial vehicle sector make him an outstanding appointment for the business. “Chris will work closely with me and our UK sales manager, Bill Laidlaw, as we continue to grow our dealership footprint across the country and indeed, across other right hand drive markets. I am confident that his expertise and industry knowledge will prove invaluable.” Chris has a passion for all forms of road transport and at weekends can be found enjoying a spin on his much-loved motor bike or in his 1964 Austin Healy Sprite.

Chris Adams.

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NEW TRUCK SALES SOLD IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Mannok, Derrylin takes delivery of 5 new evolution T480 6x2 tractor units supplied by Diamond Trucks, and maintained locally by approved serviced agent MK Truck Repairs.

Dennison Commercials were delighted to hand over these two, NEW MODEL, Volvo FH Globetrotter XL Trucks to waste management company, Re-Gen Waste Ltd.

DAF CF 450 & PK18001L sold to Acheson & Glover Ltd, Fivemiletown by TBF Thompson DAF Trucks.

Freeburn Transport, take delivery of two new evolution T HIGH 520 6x2 tractors units supported with a 4 year full manufacturer R&M package - supplied by Diamond Trucks, Mallusk.

MAN 12.220 TG3 to AlCorn Recovery delivered by RK Truck Centres Ltd.

Customer Paul White recently collected their new 70 cube Fruehauf Tipper from Granco.

Dumfries Freight’s collect two brand-new FH500 Globetrotter 6x2 Trucks from Dennison Commercials.

DAF XF 480 sold to Taggart Jack, Ardstraw by TBF Thompson DAF Trucks.

MAN 32.410 TGS 8x4 delivered by RK Truck Centres Ltd to Northstone.

1 FUSO 9C18 to Caterwaste, Toome delivered by RK Truck Centres Ltd.

C 430 delivered to Ardstraw Quarries by Diamond Trucks.

1 of 3 x DAF CF 480 sold to BOC Ltd by TBF Thompson DAF Trucks.

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NEW TRUCK SALES SOLD IN NORTHERN IRELAND

RAS Haulage, Kilkeel add another Renault T HIGH 520 tractor unit to their exclusive all Renault Truck fleet. Supplied by Diamond Trucks, Mallusk. Pictured is driver Lee receiving the keys.

2 LCC Group MAN 26.510 TGX delivered by RK Truck Centres Ltd.

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Henderson Wholesale had the first 3 of 7 new evolution T480 6x2 tractor units supplied by Diamond Trucks.

Strain and Shields take delivery of this incredible new model Volvo FH from Dennison Commercials.

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Kearns & Murtagh Ltd Tachograph and Road Speed limiter Specialists ARMAGH LTD

Specialists in Maintenance & Repairs Full Range of Spare Parts Available Approved Tachograph & Speed Limiter Centre Pre-PSV Test Lane Tel: 028 3752 3491 and 028 3752 6393 (stores) Fax: 028 3752 7878 Email: cbtarmagh@gmail.com

Specialising in Hino & Iveco Diagnostic Systems Unit 3a, Derryboy Road, Carnbane Business Park, Lisduff, Newry, Co. Down BT35 6QH T: 028 3026 5720 M: 07831 852014

E: info@kearnsmurtagh.com W: www.kearnsmurtagh.com

APPROVED TACHOGRAPH CENTRE Digital and Analogue Tachographs for All Makes of Trucks info@tbfthompson.com I www.tbfthompsondaf.com

TBF Thompson DAF Trucks 19 Michelin Road I Hydepark Industrial Estate I MALLUSK I BT36 4PT 2 Diviny Drive I Carn Industrial Estate I PORTADOWN I BT63 5WE 6 – 10 Killyvalley Road I GARVAGH I Coleraine I BT51 5JZ

028 9034 2001 028 3839 3300 028 2955 8353



Lisburn Tachograph Centre Analogue & Digital Tachographs

Calibration - Parts - Repairs

GERALD LYTTLE & SONS COMMERCIAL REPAIRS & TACHOGRAPH CENTRE

Trucks - Buses - Vans - Oil Tankers

ANALOGUE & DIGITAL TACHOGRAPHS for all Vehicles

TACHOGRAPHS TO SUIT ALL VEHICLES DIGITAL DOWNLOAD SOLUTIONS

Wabco, Haldex & Knorr-Bremse ABS & EBS

Please contact our office for more information T. 028 9264 1676 lisburntacho@btconnect.com www.lisburntachographcentre.com

Tel: 028 8675 1261 Fax: 028 8675 1882

RK Trucks Centre DIGITAL & ANALOGUE Approved Tachograph Calibration Centres at: Carryduff, Co. Down T. 028

9081 3600 F. 028 9081 4115

219 DRUM ROAD, COOKSTOWN BT80 9HR Email: alastairlyttle@btconnect.com

APPROVED ANALOGUE & DIGITAL TACHOGRAPH CENTRE

SERVING THE NORTHWEST FOR 99 YEARS.

Dungannon, Co. Tyrone T. 028

8772 2111 F. 028 8772 7393

www.rktrucks.com

48 Main Street, Claudy, Co. Londonderry BT47 4HR

Tel: 028 7133 8641

www.eakinbrosltd.co.uk EXPORT&FREIGHT

CLASSIFIEDS

WWW.EXPORTANDFREIGHT.COM

PALLETS WANTED Tel: 07778 853566

STANDARD 1000 x 1200

EURO

800 x 1200

PALLETS

COLLECTION AVAILABLE OR DROP OFF AT SPRUCEFIELD SITE. www.exportandfreight.com

Kieran Trehy Hydraulics HYDRAULIC PUMPS

• HYDRAULIC PUMPS FOR TIPPERS, CRANES, SKIP LOADERS, CAR RECOVERY UNITS • POWER TAKE OFF UNITS TO SUIT ALL COMMERCIAL VEHICLE GEAR BOXES - EVERY APPLICATION

We sell parts for

DAF • VOLVO • IVECO • MAN • RENAULT • MERCEDES • SCANIA Armagh 028 3752 5427

• TIPPER KITS FOR ALL COMMERCIAL VEHICLE TRACTORS Contact - Kieran Trehy at: Unit 2, Northern Cross, Business Park, Finglas, Dublin II

Newry 028 3083 4884

www.cmpireland.com

TEL: 003531 8644915 / 8443109

MAN | Genuine Parts

McCAUSLAND CAR PARK

MORE QUALITY MORE PERFORMANCE MORE VALUE LESS COST

AIRPORT PARKING • • • • • • •

valueline

For Business or Pleasure

Park for 1 day or more FREE coach to and from the Terminal Open 24 hours, 7 days a week FULL CAR CLEANING SERVICE We carry your luggage Discounts available on-line Our BEST PRICE GUARANTEED at www.mccausland.co.uk

see our website for special offers

The NEW valueline from MAN Genuine Parts, Now much more is less.

ITC

RK Trucks & ITC Edgar Road, Carryduff, Belfast, BT8 8NB RK Trucks Tel: 028 9081 3600 Fax: 028 9081 4115 ITC Tel: 028 9081 2186 Fax: 028 9081 7575

Tel: 028 9442 2022

www.rktrucks.com www.internationaltruckcomponents.com

www.mccausland.co.uk

Fax: 028 8772 7393 ITC Parts: 028 8772 2803 Fax: 028 8772 7393

Belfast International Airport

126 Tamnamore Road, Dungannon RK Trucks Tel: 028 8772 2111

EXPORT&FREIGHT

Your Parts Partner Belfast 028 90 781230

Portadown 028 38 362555

www.transportsupplies.co.uk

Order before 10am

to guarantee same day delivery provincewide

Transport Supplies now has over 12,000 product lines in stock from all the leading specialist brands. Plus there’s our fast delivery direct to you provincewide as well as free collection from our stores.

Groundbreaking

Boosted wear performance. Best in class wet grip. Bridgestone Europe For your nearest Bridgestone Authorised Dealer, visit our website www.bridgestone.eu

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22/08/2019 12:03

Export & Freight Feb-Mar 22

Articles inside

Seatruck Ferries weathering the storms

Small decline in volumes at Dublin Port

Spotlight on Customs & Freight Forwarding

Iveco’s annual State of the Nation

Seamus Leheny, Logistics UK Policy Manager-NI

Court Report

Mallon looks back on two years as Infrastructure Minister

ITT Hub focuses of future for freight

John Martin, RHA Policy Manager for Northern Ireland

David Mullan, Transport Regulation Unit

Diamond Trucks expands into England

Carlos Rodrigues, MD Renault Trucks UK & Ireland