While applauding the Prime Minister's pledge to "keep going" to block future fuel duty rises, the Road Haulage Association is still, as one of the original backers of the hugely successful campaign group FairFuelUK, committed to finding a permanent solution to the thorny issue of high fuel prices.
Negotiations between the Road Haulage Association and M6 Toll road operator Midland Expressway have resulted in an exclusive deal for RHA members to use the road free-of-charge during the month of July. This month-long trial will allow members to have the benefit of the toll road without cost to see if it suits their business. The M6 is well-known as a route for traffic travelling through the Midlands and the number of junctions mean it is well suited to trucks making collections or deliveries to adjacent sites. In addition, the service area on the route is also useful as stopping point; the truck parking area normally has plenty of space and is quiet at night.
Bartrums Warehousing and Distribution has received 10 Wilcox 70 cubic yard plank sided tipping trailers fitted with the company’s specification GT Radial GT876 tyres. Bartrums has completed a two-year tyre test programme in which various GT Radial patterns were compared across different vehicle types and wheel positions. Following these performance results the brand was made main supplier to the entire fleet, GT Radial says.
Now this is a truck, Crocodile Dundee may have drawled. Australia is no stranger to the superlative, and the country is soon to be home to what Guinness World Records claims is the world’s largest semi-truck. Tractomas, built by French heavy-haulage specialist Nicolas, is capable of pulling a road train weighing 535 tonnes. The 1,000 horsepower tractor is fitted with 385/95R25 Goodyear GP-2B tyres, and before it departs down under the Goodyear-shod giant is on display at the Bauma 2013 show in Germany.
West Midlands tyre dealer Truck Tyre Solutions (TTS) reports securing a contract with one of the UK’s leading steel hauliers to supply Continental tyres as exclusive tyre fitment. Brierley Hill based A Hingley Transport runs a fleet of 80 top-weight tractor units and 180 trailers and specialises in the movement of steel as well as carrying out general haulage throughout the UK. The company is part of the AH Group, which also refurbishes trailers and builds new trailers, all of which will be fitted with Continental tyres as original equipment.
On 21st November, as part of the on-going build-up of political pressure in advance of the Autumn Statement, the Road Haulage Association joined fuel campaigners at the Palace of Westminster to tell MPs, face to face, about the hardship being forced upon their constituents as a result of high fuel prices.
"Each of the supporting groups gave a short presentation to the MPs present", said RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning. "We were able to provide them with a stark list of facts and figures that really pushed the message home. The good news is that those present certainly appeared to be genuinely concerned".
The Road Haulage Association has welcomed the news that the Scottish National Party are to vote against the 3ppl fuel duty increase planned for January 2013.
News of the Department for Transport's consultation on raising the speed limit on single-carriageway roads has met with the approval of the Road Haulage Association.
RHA Director of Policy Jack Semple said: "The consultation is clear and balanced and we will be responding formally in due course.
The news that a charge will be introduced was also well received by the Road Haulage Association, who said that the planned introduction by spring 2014 is especially welcome. This is a year earlier than set out in the consultation document and reflects strong lobbying by the RHA.
The news that the Government intends to go ahead with plans to introduce a charging system whereby foreign operators pay to use UK roads gets the thumbs up from the Road Haulage Association.
The Road Haulage Association has also applauded the news that the Office of Fair Trading have called for information on the UK petrol and diesel sector.
"Diesel accounts for over a third of a haulier's operating costs", said RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning. "Between June 2007 and June 2012, diesel prices have risen by 43 per cent; a rise which will no doubt have had a very significant depressing effect on the economy."
Family-run steel haulage company Randall Barber Transport reports that it is saving an average of eight pence per kilometre per tyre with Continental, with each tyre travelling up to 10,000km further compared with the fleet’s previous brand of tyres. The company also say it is enjoying the benefits of technical advice from the manufacturer’s Technical Services team. The firm originally selected Continental as preferred tyre supplier in 2009.
The Road Haulage Association has called for tougher action to be taken against truck drivers who falsify their driving records. Mandatory jail sentences are needed to deter those who are tempted to cheat – backed by a new determination to detect and prosecute them through the courts, the RHA says.
Apollo Tyres has rolled out its product range in the Nigerian market and the tyre maker has appointed the Stallion Group, a conglomerate that already boasts partnerships with several global vehicle manufacturers, as its representative within the country.
Mitas Tyres Limited claims to offer the UK’s largest range of high-spec row-crop tyres, and the company showed the latest products from its range at Cereals 2012 together with Case IH. The company also provided visitors with advice on correct row-crop tyre selection.
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