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Leading brands throw weight behind Road Transport Expo – the industry’s newest and best show
Top players on board for RTX By Hayley Pink
Road Transport Expo (RTX) is heading into the new year with a fantastic line-up of exhibitors confirmed for the three-day summer extravaganza promising to be “all about the truck”. More than 60 leading brands are already on board for the brandnew industry event taking place from 30 June to 2 July at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, with plenty more in the pipeline. From truck and trailer manufacturers, through to specialist technology and equipment firms for all types of HGV operation, RTX will bring you everything you need to run your fleet in a single venue. It will also feature topical seminars and workshops, alongside more than 10 different exhibition
zones (see box), live demonstrations, ride and drive opportunities, show and racing truck displays, and much more. “We have been delighted with the enthusiastic industry response to the Road Transport Expo,” explained Road Transport Media divisional director Vic Bunby. “It is gearing up to be an unmissable event for anyone who works in the road transport sector and we are looking forward to sharing regular updates with you as the show preparation progresses.” Free ticket registrations will open at the end of this month, so make sure to check out the dedicated show website at roadtransportexpo.co.uk and register your interest to receive information as soon as it is released.
Everything you need – under one roof! RTX aims to have something on offer for all road haulage divisions, from city deliveries through to specialist tankers and recovery vehicles. Take a look below to see those zones already confirmed, with more likely to be added as the show grows. n Urban zone, in association with Freight in the City Expo n Tipper zone, in association with Tip-Ex n Tanker zone, in association with Tank-Ex n Trailer zone n Waste and recycling zone n Cranes and materials handling zone n Heavy haulage zone, in association with Heavy Torque n Recovery zone, in association with On Scene n Convoy in the Park and truck racing zone n Used trucks and auction zone
VOX POP What are your new year business resolutions? Charlie Shiels, CEO, ArrowXL The biggest item on our wish list for 2022 is a review of the C1 entitlement to allow car drivers to drive 3.5-7.49-tonne vehicles. The change in 1997 has had a devastating effect on the driver population and it needs to be addressed. A mild winter would be a massive bonus too! Our immediate priorities focus on continuing to look after our people in terms of their physical and mental health. The last 22 months have had a massive toll on everyone's well-being, regardless of role or position in our company. The global supply chain issues have also had a huge impact on operations. The requirement to plan for operational stability is massively impacted by stock shortages, disruption and availability. Caroline Green, chief executive, Pallet-Track My immediate priority is to ensure that our team stay safe and well and the business continues to operate as efficiently as possible given unpredictable absences and the resulting uncertainty around manpower planning. Perpetuating the optimism of our team as we start the new year is key. Volumes have started high and we need to continue to deliver high levels of service. 6 MotorTransport
The past two years’ lockdowns have impacted our ability to meet our members and customers face-to-face and my burning hope is that we can get back to a more ‘normal’ situation as soon as possible. The use of video conferencing has been absolutely invaluable, but nothing can build relationships like meeting in person. Bob Terris, chairman, Meachers Our objective is to continue with the progress made in 2021 and to further increase employee pay rates, in addition to the three increases given since June 2021. We also want to complete the replacement of equipment still in AFS livery acquired in March 2021, continue to increase charges on a six-monthly basis in addition to fuel surcharges and look for another acquisition on the freight forwarding side Kevin Buchanan, group CEO, Pall-Ex Our principal objectives are to deliver market-leading service, be the employer of choice, supply market-leading technology and sustain a market-leading brand position and sales performance. We will also develop partner relationships and look to achieve financial performance in line with shareholder expectations. All these areas have significant investments planned.
Lesley O’Brien, director, Freightlink Europe We intend to build on our massive growth in 2021. Not only does quality service rely upon quality equipment– replacement delivery dates is a current issue – but our transport and office teams are our most important asset. One immediate focus is therefore to strengthen our driver workforce, minimising reliance on any agency workers, whilst strengthening relations and collaborating with those driver agencies who are committed to providing quality drivers and service. These are sadly few and far between. I shall certainly be lobbying for the regulation of driver agencies. Moreton Cullimore, MD, Cullimore Group For the construction-linked side of our transport it’s all about being mindful of costs. Adverse weather means at this time of year we see a dip in volume of sales on aggregates and concrete which makes those vehicles less busy. So it’s about control of costs and working as effectively as possible and trying to grab those extra loads where possible. We’ve also got to prepare for the very busy period in the few weeks before Easter – or as soon as the weather breaks. 17.1.22
