Sharp ■ Informed ■ Challenging
5.3.18
Operators count cost of blast from Siberia and Storm Emma
Snow go misery By Chris Druce and Hayley Pink
Record-breakers
Figures reveal increase in home delivery pallets p3
Pointing fingers
RHA and FTA accuse TfL of flouting competition law p4
What’s in a name?
Eddie Stobart name could disappear from the road p10
OPERATORS IN THIS ISSUE AD Boyes Haulage Logistics �������������������p4 Bedworth Haulage ���������������������������������p4 Callerton Haulage ���������������������������������p4 Camino Transport ����������������������������������p8 Dachser ������������������������������������������������p8 Eddie Stobart ��������������������������������������p10 Edeka ���������������������������������������������������p8 Hermes �������������������������������������������������p8 Kraftverkehr Nagel ��������������������������������p8 Ludwig Meyer ���������������������������������������p8 Wincanton ������������������������������������������p10
the business was forced to close on Thursday (1 March). “Transport is hard enough, without this,” he said. Allen said the firm, a Fortec member, was undertaking some pick and pack at its warehouse but had not been able to get any vehicles out, despite freight continuing to arrive from England. “There’s a cost as we aren’t generating any sales or revenue,” he said, describing how an hour’s journey to Belfast port had taken one of his drivers more than four hours. “It’s frustrating but the customers at least understand.” Paul Ince, joint MD of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire pallet firm The Pink Link said the company parked up vehicles last Thursday for the health and safety of its drivers and the public: “When we were looking to send people out we thought it was treacherous. Thankfully our customers are all very understanding as they are local to us. It will cost us money, but hopefully won’t cost us reputation.” He added that the multidrop nature of the firm’s deliv-
Image: PA
NEWS INSIDE
The road transport industry battled on against the ‘beast from the east’ and Storm Emma last week, but many operators have been left counting the cost. In Scotland, Glasgow-based Bullet Express had to close after rural and access roads became unnavigable. MD David McCutcheon said while his business would survive, some would be finished off. “This is going to be expensive for a lot of people. We’d just had a really good month in one of our departments and this situation will wipe that out and put us back to square one,” he said, adding the firm was expecting to work [last] weekend to catch up. McCutcheon criticised First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who attacked HGVs for ignoring Scotland’s red weather warning, after trucks and cars were stuck on the M80 (pictured). “Many of those trucks were delivering essential goods, such as medical supplies,” he said. “If she’d done her homework she would have realised many would have left before the snow.” RHA chief executive Richard Burnett said: “In many cases – particularly in isolated areas – an HGV will be the only vehicle with the capability of getting through. The drivers of these vehicles should be applauded, not pilloried.” James Allen, MD of Allen Logistics NI based in Moria, Craigavon in Co Armagh spoke of his frustration after
eries meant customers were often based off the main road network, with access very difficult in heavy snow and ice. The knock-on effect of halting deliveries for a day will mean a high volume of inbound deliveries to be collected by The Pink Link from its Palletways UK hub. “Losing a day means it puts us under a fair amount of pressure because obviously customers want their products, and as a customer-focused business we’ll do what we can to get them there,” said Ince. Malcolm Bingham, head of policy for the North of England at the FTA, said the catch-up following bad weather downtime for operators would be just as challenging as the lost revenue. He believes firms may press the DfT to relax drivers’ hours rules to address any backlog – there have been exemptions already for animal feed and heating fuel – but the government will be cautious. “This is very much for the industry to call and we will echo this call,” Bingham added.
CAZs ‘could be end of SMEs’ Seven trade associations, including the FTA and BVRLA, have written a joint letter to the government warning of the financial effect clean air zones (CAZs) could have on HGV operators and local businesses. They warn that blanket charging zones, if applied without careful consideration, would add to the cost of delivering goods in urban areas, with HGVs often entering multiple cities each day. The knock-on effect could close some smaller companies. The FTA confirmed it had signed the letter, which was also co-signed by the Builders Merchants Federation, BVRLA, British International Freight Association, UK Warehousing Association, National Federation of Builders and British Allied Trades Federation. Last month the High Court ruled that the government needed to do more to boost air quality in 33 local authorities. ■ For more on CAZs see news extra on page 6.
News Extra p6 Focus: Freight in the City p16 Regulation p20 Safety p24 Interview: Richard Simpson p28 Careers Hub p37
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