Border aids Ukrainian drivers

Conflict will trigger product shortages and soaring costs

UK firms will feel the impact of war in Ukraine even if they have no business in Eastern Europe, with rising diesel prices and a shortage of food and industrial products squeezing bottom lines, according to ParcelHero.

Freight transport services to the stricken country are now at a virtual stop and services to Russia suspended.

David Jinks, ParcelHero head of consumer research, said: “Food retailers are likely to see an increase in prices.

“The Russia-Ukraine plains export about a quarter of the world’s wheat and half of its sunflower products, such as seeds and oil.

“In addition, Ukraine sells a lot of corn globally. Some analysts are predicting a doubling of global wheat prices.

“Ukraine has a very large heavy-industry base and is one of the largest refiners of metallurgical products in Eastern Europe,” Jinks continued.

“It’s also well-known for its production of high-tech goods and transport products.

“There are five industries where the share of Russian exports to the EU is significant: textiles, pharmaceuticals, electrical equipment, machinery and transport equipment.

“Supply chains and costs could be impacted in all these sectors,” he added.

Supply chain visibility platform FourKites added that as well as seeing rates “skyrocket” for ocean and air freight as TEUs transported from China to the EU by rail are shifted to other modes, shippers, 3PLs and freight forwarders are now in crisis mode.

Fowler Welch has signed a 15-year lease on an environmentally sustainable 97,891sq ft facility at Kent’s Panattoni Park Aylesford.

The temperature-controlled logistics operator will join logistics giant DHL at the site, which includes several zero-carbon technologies and enhanced sustainability features, as well as 20 dock doors and a 50m yard.

Panattoni Park aims to minimise the operational use of carbon, which includes scope three emissions from tenant activity and installed equipment and systems such as heating and lighting. Each building will have air source heat pumps to control temperature in the offices and photovoltaic panels on the roof, reducing energy use by up to 15%.

Alex Mitchell, Panattoni development associate, said: “In a short space of time we have signed pre-lets with two high-quality logistics companies, which endorses our belief in the location.”

Border Trucks boss comes to rescue of pair desperate to return home Ukrainian drivers get helping hand

By Chris Tindall

Carlisle-based Border Trucks stepped in to help two stranded Ukrainian HGV drivers get home to their families and defend their country.

The two men, Sergii (pictured left, top) and Sasha (below), were spotted by MD Stephen Whitehead parked up outside his premises and out of ideas about how to return to their homeland.

In an almost jaw-dropping slice of luck for them, Whitehead’s wife is Ukrainian and so they were able to chat. The couple gave them a bed for the night and then arranged for them to fly from Manchester airport to Poland for the onward journey.

Whitehead also arranged for their lorries to be parked in a secure compound belonging to another Carlisle operator, RJ&I Monkhead, where they can remain indefinitely.

The haulage boss said Sergii had reached his family and was now defending his country, while Sasha was still attempting to get to Kyiv. n Owens Group has said it will

provide space for any Ukrainian drivers who need to park up their HGVs in order to return home due to the escalating conflict in their country. The transport company, based in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, said it would ensure the vehicles were kept safe and secure free of charge until the

drivers were able to return.

ATF INCREASE: Eight new authorised testing facilities (ATFs) have been opened since the DVSA lifted its moratorium on new sites in June last year, with another 21 approved in principle out of a total of around 50 applications. However, the ATF Operators Association told MT that opening new testing centres without increasing tester capacity would only exacerbate the ongoing shortage of DVSA testers, and repeated previous calls for the DVSA to boost numbers by allowing the use of private sector delegated ATF testers.

Fowler Welch takes bite of Panattoni Park

VOX POP What is the best and worst thing about your job?

Lesley O’Brien, director, Freightlink Europe

My actions for the week include sales, security and operational meetings, month-end accounts, a review of costings, fleet renewal progress, driver inductions and training reviews, and an office restructure. The variety ensures that every day brings a different challenge, often disrupting any pre-planned schedule. This can be exciting, exasperating and often stressful.

Without doubt, the most enjoyment comes from engagement with the people, the variety of industries and the ‘work hard, play hard’ ethos of the transport workforce. But it is disappointing that our industry and workers are rarely appreciated for the magnificent work we do and we continue to struggle to raise margins, have satisfactory facilities for our drivers and receive recognition.

Bob Terris, chairman, Meachers

On 1 April, I will be celebrating 60 years with Meachers. I still enjoy coming into the office every day and I’m still involved in all the decision-making processes, which gives me tremendous job satisfaction.

If there is one frustration, it is the constant changes in government approach to our industry. During the pandemic we were portrayed as the best thing since sliced bread, and now they are hitting us with every imaginable barrier to providing cost-effective services to our customers.

Mike Parr, MD, PML

One of the highlights has to be that real sense of achievement when you manage to pull off a challenging time-sensitive assignment, such as moving 200 tonnes of strawberries in one day!

The worst is the lack of government guidance, the absence of any clear direction and the constant changing of the goal posts, which makes it difficult to plan ahead.

An example would be Sadiq Khan’s decision to extend the LEZ to include Heathrow, which has had a crippling effect on many of the European hauliers that we work with. We dealt with this by establishing a new hub in Kent, outside of the LEZ zone.

Charlie Shiels, CEO, ArrowXL

The Arrow team is undoubtedly the best bit about my job. Working with brilliant and talented colleagues who constantly strive to exceed expectations creates an incredible company mentality.

One area that I struggle with is when people have to leave us, either through conduct or capability. But we have a brilliant HR team that resolves any issues as quickly and as empathetically as possible. All of our decisions should be about making ArrowXL better in the right way, with the right team.

Kevin Buchanan, group CEO, Pall-Ex

Firstly, at 57 you don’t see much ‘new’ anymore, and less and less surprises or delights you, but I love to see our fantastic young talent develop and grow. Increasingly we are able to promote from within and this is a fantastic feeling. Also the development of members who join us new to the sector and how, in many cases, being involved with Pall-Ex transforms their business for the better.

What I like least is the lack of appreciation and support from successive governments. All we got was spin and criticism once the challenges of labour shortages started to hit home after Brexit – to the point that the CEO of the RHA even lost his job over trying to speak out and support his members.

Andrew Malcolm, CEO, Malcolm Group

The most enjoyable bit is engaging with our own people and being able to share the good, bad and ugly about our industry in an open and constructive way. The not so good is managing the expectations of others who don’t understand the full supply chain and expect the impossible yesterday.

John Lewis finds a Home for e-vehicles

The John Lewis Partnership is to replace its Home Services fleet entirely with electric vehicles by 2030.

It said that by 2028 its HGVs would be running on biomethane and the delivery and home services fleet would be electrified by 2030. The Partnership is being supported by EV technology firm Flexible Power Systems, which is establishing a mixed charging solution incorporating depot, public network and home charging for the company’s fleet of 4,000 cars, vans and light trucks.

‘Get real and review diesel lorry ban,’ says Dawsongroup

Heavy vehicle manufacturers will not be ready to end the sale of new diesel HGVs by 2040 and the government must relax its timetable, according to CV leaser Dawsongroup.

Its chief executive Steve Miller (pictured) said the government did not understand the industry and that “a shot of reality” was needed to enable road haulage to transform to cleaner options.

He said: “I think there’s no alternative but to give a bit more time.

“Right now, if we’re talking electric trucks, the simple fact is they have too limited a range, and the weight of the batteries needed even for these reduced operating distances will render payloads too small to deliver the needs of customers at a sensible rate.

“UK operators are currently in

FACE FACTS: Dawsongroup boss Steve Miller says the government’s green ambitions are unrealistic

a no-win situation, and the government, while undoubtedly wellmeaning in its drive to decarbonisation, just does not understand the industry and the complexities it faces in simply keeping UK plc moving.”