The Fight Freight Crime campaign is looking for support and funding from the road freight sector it represents; to raise funding for TruckPol at a time when organised truck crime is a growing threat.

RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning said: “To manage a problem one must have the ability to first measure its true scale. TruckPol provides vital information on such criminal activity and is the only police resource dedicated to collating and disseminating data and intelligence on UK truck crime. To see the demise of this unit would be a catastrophe and would set us back ten years.”

Theo de Pencier, FTA Chief Executive also commented: “TruckPol plays a key role in the fight against criminal gangs which target a sector that is both vulnerable and attractive to thieves. The fact that the industry it helps to protect has kept it afloat this last year shows how highly regarded it is. Sadly, without government funding, TruckPol is once again facing closure and it is up to industry to save it at the eleventh hour.”

It costs approximately £120,000 to fund TruckPol for 12 months. However,in these straightened times the collective pot of private sector funding is still some £30,000 short of the mark and with April fast approaching time is running out.

“This scheme is good news for UK transport operators and should be welcomed also by motorists, many of whom have complained that foreign hauliers pay nothing for using our roads,” said RHA Head of Communications, Kate Gibbs.

“The RHA has been working with government officials to get the best scheme possible under EU rules and we believe this is what the new proposals represent. We are urging ministers to press forward with this project as a priority, both in terms of Parliamentary time and commercial dealings, so that the original deadline of spring 2014 start-up can be met.”

“This comes as very good news for both the Road Haulage Association and for the industry at large”, said RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning.

“Both Nick Denton and Kevin Rooney are well known to the RHA and I am confident that these appointments will bring a new dimension to what has always been an excellent working relationship between Association staff and the traffic area offices throughout the UK.”

This is a ‘must have’ addition to the transport office, containing all the advice and information an operator needs to operate an efficient, compliant and of course cost effective business.

Leading industry experts cover a variety of topics covering all aspects of a transport operation, ranging from health and safety and operator licensing to drivers’ hours and tachograph regulations. The Manual contains information on all of the latest legislation and haulage industry developments likely to affect both drivers and operators, regardless of fleet size.

The 2012 edition has two additional chapters. The first, commercial vehicle tyres, sponsored by ATS Euromaster Ltd, Commercial Vehicle Tyres, includes practical information and advice about choosing the right tyres for your trucks, maximising tyre life and how to control your business’ costs. Winter tyres and how to cope with severe weather conditions are also covered which, given the harsh weather experienced in Britain last year, may well make all the difference to a members’ final choice.

The second new addition is the chapter covering vehicle specification, sponsored by Iveco Ltd. This provides advice on commercial vehicles’ different components, from the engine and driveline specification, to fuel, safety and telematics. In fact it covers all of the key considerations operators should make when buying a new truck and looks at how businesses can save money by considering higher vehicle specifications and taking steps to reduce fuel usage and maintenance costs.

Also included is detailed information about all of the RHA’s services and the benefits our members receive in return for their annual membership fee. The RHA’s team of area managers, helpdesk operators and specialists offer tailored advice and information on various transport and legislative issues and are only a call away.

RHA Training can help you satisfy your training needs and meet the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) requirements, while the RHA’s Conditions of Carriage are the industry standard and will help limit your liabilities for the goods your vehicles carry.

In 2011 the RHA launched RHA Smart Safety, a new online service which allows businesses to manage their health and safety responsibilities and ensure they remain compliant. RHA Training managers will carry out an initial risk assessment of your operations and members will have access to their own consultant and receive full technical support.

Deliver UK, the RHA’s campaign designed to ensure policy makers recognise the road haulage industry’s contribution to the UK economy, is continuing its fight for lower fuel prices and other representational work.

Each RHA Member will receive a free copy, but if you require additional copies they can be purchased through the RHA Hauliers Shop.

Either visit our online store at www.rha.uk.net/shop or call 01733 263434.

Price £35.00 (zero Vat) for RHA Members – £40.00 (Zero Vat) for Non-Members.

As a key player in the market, RHA Telecom Solutions is perfectly placed to bring to members significant telecoms expertise and experience, together with product and service choice at the most competitive rates possible.

RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning said: “We are pleased to welcome Transglobal UK Ltd to our experienced team of businesses partners. RHA Telecom Solutions will be able to provide RHA members with landline, mobile, broadband and phone systems products and services whilst offering significant telecoms expertise and experience, widest product and service choice along with the most competitive rates”.

RHA Telecom Solutions products include landline systems – as an appointed BT wholesale partner, they have direct access into BT’s systems and those of all other major international telecoms networks allowing a seamless migration of RHA Members’ landline rental and calls, and at significantly discounted rates off BT’s standard tariff.

As a large provider of Broadband RHA Telecom Solutions provides a ‘business grade’ Broadband service. This service differs from the residential type that many businesses have fallen into the trap of using. Residential Broadband generally will not offer the resilience and speed of a business grade connection, speed that is so ‘mission critical’ in business today. The company also provides dedicated leased lines for un-contended end to end connections.

RHA Telecom Solutions can provide a first line support for most legacy or state of the art phone systems, RHA Telecom Solutions has the capability, through its competitively priced service contracts to ensure that members’ phone system faults are rectified speedily and recommend any software or hardware upgrades. A site visit can also provide a report detailing any requirements for cabling or major phone system upgrade or replacement. And when it comes to mobile phone systems, as an appointed wholesale provider for Orange and Vodafone RHA Telecoms Solutions manages the whole provision and after sales support of the mobile.

Christmas is the busiest time of the year for retailing and for the essential logistics industry which supports it. Christmas 2011 seems certain to have seen the biggest ever market for online shopping and thus the fulfilment by the logistics industry on which it all depends.

Geoff Dossetter, Chairman of the Freight Logistics Industry Image Group, said: “This year, more than ever before, millions of delighted customers will have been grateful for the ability to search and select their purchases online, knowing that they could order with confidence that their goods would be delivered to their home as promised.

“At the same time thousands of shops in malls, out-of-town centres and high streets, have all been full of goods delivered by the increasingly smart logistics industry, as have food and drink for pubs and restaurants. Whether for long-distance trunking, regional distribution, shop or home deliveries, the ability of the logistics industry to adapt to the huge demands of its busiest time of the year with slick efficiency is a great credit to all of those engaged in the work – warehouse staff, drivers, transport office personnel and managers. They should all be thanked and congratulated.”

Logistics employs some 2.2 million people across 196,000 companies, and annual turnover is in the order of £75 billion.

Geoff Dossetter said: “We take the efficiency of the logistics industry for granted – we expect goods to be delivered to the shop or the home on time and in the right quantity and condition, and they are. During December we must have seen literally hundreds of millions of successful deliveries. But the reality behind this achievement is a highly complex and sophisticated process of supply chain management and operation which results in these items being delivered to the right location, at the right time with no delay or problem.

“In 2011 the logistics industry has achieved a higher than ever success rate for the mutual benefit of suppliers, retailers and consumers.”

The five members of the Freight Logistics Industry Image Group are the British Association of Removers, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, the Freight Transport Association, the Road Haulage Association, and the sector skills council Skills for Logistics. The group is chaired by Geoff Dossetter, a long time industry spokesman.

This is a sensible decision” said RHA Director of Policy Jack Semple.  “We have been urging members to make the changes for some months now, but it is inevitable that some will leave it until the last minute.  However, operators will still be fined if they are unable to provide the TfL Contact Centre with evidence that they have ordered their system prior to the 3 January deadline when the new LEZ rules come into force.”

“This represents a victory for the RHA and for the FairFuelUK campaign group,”  said RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning.

“For many, today’s announcement will offer some respite but the fact remains that if the UK economy is to stand any chance of recovery, a much longer term solution is essential.

Despite the reduction to 3ppl, in August, the future for the economy in general and for UK hauliers in particular, looks extremely poor. Mr Osborne’s message was one of optimism and help for the economy. But this will not be a feeling shared by the UK road freight operators operating at a considerable financial disadvantage compared to their foreign counterparts.

The Association also welcomes the news that there will be a £5bn investment into infrastructure; in particular improvements to the road network in the Midlands, the South West and of course the halving of tolls on the Humber Bridge.

“We’ve come a long way,” concluded Geoff Dunning, but, if this industry is to thrive, there is still a very long way to go.

”rha.uk.net is another step forward in the Association’s strategy of getting closer to its members by providing them with all the tools they need to operate efficiently, cost effectively and, above all, legally,” said RHA Head of Media Relations, Kate Gibbs.

You’ll find the lastest news from the industry about issues affecting the industry, advice and information on a vast range of subjects, events – for members and non-members, a new find a haulier and find a load service and of course there’s the hauliers’ shop, selling a vast range of supplies for owner operators and big fleet concerns, industry blogs, Olympic news; the list is endless.

Also available is the Association’s new health and safety management system, Smart Safety and all the on-line publications including the National Directory of Hauliers, the RHA’s new training prospectus, the Haulage Manual, Roadway magazine and the Hauliers’ Shop catalogue.

Anyone who asks “What can the Road Haulage Association do for me?” only has to log on to www.rha.uk.net and they will find the answer straight away.

“The report advances ministers’ clear and specific commitments to progress,” says RHA infrastructure manager Chrys Rampley. “It will help to break down current barriers hampering development of truckstops and promote the adoption of an EU-wide scheme for identifying standards for lorry parking facilities and security.”

“It would have been helpful for the report to have shown different grades of truck parking: areas of ground with poor surfaces; sites with proper hard standing; and secure parking. But the report does move the parking issue forward.

“The report shows that, at regional and local level, average use masks specific areas of high demand that can cause problems, particularly in the East and South East of the country.

“Lack of parking facilities is inhibiting the efficient carriage of goods and increasing the risk of drivers being involved in an accident. The lack of secure facilities also means that drivers and their loads are also at greater risk of crime, as high value loads have to be parked at the roadside.

“Truck drivers make essential daily deliveries of goods that are used both by industry and the general public. They are legally required to take scheduled breaks, and also bear the responsibility for the loads safety and security.

“After a full day’s work, drivers deserve the basic facilities of a shower and hot meal with the knowledge that their truck is parked securely. If a facility is not available, then drivers must stop where they can and this is not always acceptable to the local population and other road users.

“There are no easy, quick-fix solutions but the report points to clear and specific commitments to progress,” Rampley says.

“Road diesel is a key industrial fuel, affecting the price of almost everything we make and buy. It already amounts to a 30% tax on this element of the supply chain – far more than in any other EU country,” says RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning.

“A typical UK 44-tonne truck – the workhorse of the British economy – pays at least £25,000 a year in diesel duty. That compares with £16,000 in France, £15,000 in Belgium and just £12,000 in Luxemburg, where many foreign fleets buy their fuel.

“British transport firms must pass on their costs to British customers – or lose the work to foreign competition, in which case the UK government gets no duty or other tax revenue.

“We are now faced with the prospect of two substantial duty increases – 3.02 pence a litre in January and then another increase in August that is likely to be around 3.41 pence a litre – a total increase of 6.63 pence. That would be an 11% increase over just eight months.

“Taken together, these increases would widen the gap between what UK industry pays for transport and what its EU competitors pay by another £2,700 per truck per year.

“These duty increases are totally out of step with UK business. The transport industry’s customers are looking for rates freezes and even reductions – not the increases that will have to be sought as a result of diesel duty increases”. Dunning.

The RHA has expressed its sympathy with those who suffered losses, with the people from the emergency services who dealt with the consequences and everyone else involved in the horrific accident.

“I am sure that the Police and other emergency services will carry out a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this dreadful incident,” said RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning.

“As yet, the cause of this terrible event has yet to be determined and I believe that lessons must be learned by everyone involved.”

Director of Policy Jack Semple says: “These are extensive trials and they are likely to have a material impact on the industry.

“Mike Penning, the roads and logistics minister, has made clear from the start his intention to bring in longer trailers, on the basis that those who wanted to operate them should be allowed to do so, if that can be done safely.  His decision not to move swiftly to regulation, as was proposed,  increases the investment risk to hauliers.

“Nonetheless, we welcome his commitment to work to minimise any disadvantage there might be to medium-sized and smaller transport firms – an issue that we have highlighted during extensive engagement with the Department for Transport on the issue of longer semi-trailers.

“It is clear that the industry is split on the issue of longer trailers, with the majority of transport companies opposed to them being allowed on our roads for a variety of reasons that we set out those concerns in our consultation response. That opposition has if anything strengthened in recent months.

“We have now moved past that point, however, and we will be urging our members to assess, as a matter of urgency, how many of the new lengths to apply for, which length suits their business, and which axle designs are best for their operation,” Semple says.

“The proposal of a rural fuel duty rebate scheme of a 5 pence per litre duty discount comes as good news for hard pressed hauliers across Scotland”, said RHA Director Phil Flanders. “However”, he continued, “this will only be seen as the first step. Island communities have been and continue to be particularly hard hit by the rising cost of transporting goods essential for day to day living. The extent of any scheme will need to be looked at both urgently and closely.

“There are numerous areas on the Scottish mainland which are very remote in terms of freight journeys; Ardnamurchan and the Mull of Kintyre for example. Pump prices in these areas are particularly high compared to mainland areas because of the high transport and distribution costs.

“A 5 pence per litre duty discount will go some way to helping ease the financial burden in these areas but more must be done. Yes, these proposals are a start, but there is still a very long way to go. The proposals, as they stand, amount to using a small sledgehammer to crack a very large nut”.

The RHA advisea that hauliers should closely monitor the TrafficScotland website for the most up to date weather and road information. http://trafficscotland.org/weather/

The most affected area will be the Central Belt. The afternoon and evening of today, Monday 12th September is expected to see the worst time of the storm but the current forecasts are that all of Scotland can expect to be hit.

Please plan journeys accordingly and do not take any unnecessary risks, particularly if using high sided vehicles.

In addition, an Amber Alert has been issued from the Highways Agency for the North East and North West regions. Please note that the forecasted strong winds are now being experienced.

New, cutting edge, software means that RHA members, their staff and the industry in general can keep up to date with the latest industry issues, what the RHA is doing about them, product information, informed comment and much more, from their iPads, iPhones and Android mobile devices. All they have to do is visit and bookmark: www.roadway.co.uk and their device will do the rest.

Head of RHA Publications – and the editor in chief of Roadway, – Peter Shakespeare said: “It has been possible to view Roadway on-line from a PC since 2009. But our latest page viewing software now allows the magazine to be read on 3G enabled mobile devices.”

“This will dramatically increase our potential readership and as the road transport industry is a mobile one, it means readers who spend a great deal of time away from the office can catch up with their magazine, anytime, anywhere.

“We believe this is a first for a trade publication in our sector and we will be watching the viewing stats with interest over the coming weeks and months.”

Roadway is also embedded on the RHA’s Facebook site. Go to: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Road-Haulage-Association/147815178569858?sk=wall

Shakespeare added: “While the RHA will continue to publish in print for the foreseeable future, we need to keep up to date with the latest publishing trends. Electronic publishing and information exchange is the future and we are using the medium to offer as many options to RHA members and the users of our publications as possible.”

Richard Goddard, past chairman of the Road Haulage Association’s Recovery Members’ Committee said: “Our operators are expected to work in dangerous conditions on a hard shoulder with forty four ton trucks driving past at speeds of up to 56mph.  Their only protection from incoming traffic is basic training regarding coning placement and strategically parking their vehicle. Government must give us the same protection as the other emergency services and allow them to adopt a more effective light warning system.”

The past two years has seen three fatalities; Ringwood, Manchester and South Wales. Each involved a vehicle leaving the inside lane and colliding with a recovery operator and all have led to police charges being brought.

1998 saw six fatalities. This led to the formation a watchdog group – Survive.  Comprising representatives from the major motoring clubs and recovery associations, it works tirelessly, researching and lobbying for hard shoulder safety. They work with the Highways Agency and they have had many successes, particularly in making motorists aware of the dangers of stopping on the hard shoulder. This has led to the common practice of, wherever possible, motorists taking refuge half way up a motorway embankment on the other side of the motorway barrier.

The recovery operator does not have that luxury.  It is highly dangerous work and the recovery industry argues that the Highways Agency should afford them greater protection with red flashing lights.

“We need even more protection”, said Dave Gregory, secretary of RHA Recovery. “A hard shoulder incident should automatically trigger a mandatory 50mph speed limit. Speed restrictions apply for motorway night workers; why are the same safety measures not given to recovery operators?

“How many more will die on our roads before they get the protection they deserve? Red lights, as used by the police and emergency services, will not stop hard shoulder deaths but they will offer some much needed protection to our members and will save lives”.

“Budgets are being cut at the Highways Agency and at local councils,” said RHA Director of Policy Jack Semple. “It will be increasingly tempting for these organisations to minimise direct charges from maintenance contractors by ignoring the cost of traffic disruption.

“That temptation should be resisted. We should require roads authorities to take account of the broader economic costs of congestion and diversions resulting from work for which they are responsible – and the DfT is well placed to take a lead.”

“Hauliers are shoppers too,” said RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning. “The difference is that the average HGV operator cannot take his truck onto the forecourt of a supermarket filling station; it’s not allowed. If hgv operators were able to take advantage of this offer, filling up a 400 litre tank would cost £48 pounds less.

“These price cuts can only ever be short term. What is desperately needed and would help everyone would be a reduction in the actual rate of fuel duty.

“However, January’s planned duty rise, combined with the proposed August increase will drive up fuel duty by a massive 10.4%. This will suck more money out of the economy and further undermine efforts to regenerate growth.

“To increase fuel duty by over 10% is unthinkable in the current climate. The Treasury must rethink its addition to annual duty increases”.

“This is good news for the motorist”, said Geoff Dunning. “However, by their very nature, heavy goods vehicles are unable to take advantage of these cuts, quite simply because they are not allowed onto supermarket forecourts.

“The exchange rate should not be used as an excuse for high pump prices when the price of oil has dropped by 12% in the last month.

“It is imperative that we see a 5ppl cut in the price of fuel. When the price rises we have no choice but to bite the bullet and pay up. Equally, when the price comes down, we expect to see that reflected at the pump too”.

Petrolprices.com quotes the national average pump price for diesel as at Tuesday 9th August to be 140.60ppl. However, market data indicates that this should be a penny lower.

“When the barrel price goes down, it takes approximately two weeks for the drop to be reflected at the pump”, said RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning. “On that basis, we expect to see the pump price drop by 5 pence per litre within the next week.

“If this does not happen, we will want to know why. This situation is hurting UK hauliers and their customers; it’s also hurting every member of society. High fuel prices mean high food prices. You can’t have one without the other”.

VOSA and the police have this week started issuing leaflet warnings to UK and foreign drivers from, highlighting potential penalties of a fine of £5,000 fine or two years in jail.

These warnings must be backed by action by VOSA and the police bringing drivers swiftly before the courts, the RHA says. That is especially true of foreign drivers. Whereas UK drivers can normally be easily traced, it is tempting to take lesser action against foreign drivers because of the practicalities of getting them into court.

Distorting the tachograph record in this way is commonly used to disguise gross abuses of drivers’ hours rules, which is a major road safety hazard. It also distorts fair competition and pushes others to break the rules.

“We have been stressing the ministers that the UK must send out a clear signal that the use of magnets is a really serious offence will not be tolerated in this country,” RHA Director of Policy Jack Semple said.

“There is an important message here, also, for the magistrates courts. We look to them to reflect the seriousness of the offence in their penalties, including revoking the licence of guilty drivers,” Semple said.

“Customers should expect significantly higher charges, as their transport suppliers gear up for the Olympics. Heavy congestion is expected across the London area as a result of an influx of people into the capital and significant restrictions to the road network aimed at getting Olympians to the Games on time,” says RHA director of policy Jack Semple.

“We have reviewed the information available from the Olympic Delivery Authority and Transport for London with members from across the industry and it is clear that we are going to need more trucks and more staff to meet the existing business requirements, let alone the needs of the Games themselves.

“Businesses in London should be aware that congestion is likely to impact on goods moving out of the capital, as well as in-bound deliveries.

The RHA is working to alert members, their customers and the roads authorities about the impact of the Games. Our key message is: “Don’t under-estimate the risks – plan ahead.”

“London is obviously the major area for the Olympics but we expect congestion problems at Weymouth and the other Olympic venues,” Semple said.

“Congestion adds to costs and undermines efficiency. It has been a serious concern for many years and as the industry looks ahead it sees the problem only getting worse,” says RHA director of policy Jack Semple.

“The capital/cash flow issue first emerged as a serious concern with the banking crisis of late 2008. Our new survey adds to evidence from the Bank of England and elsewhere that access to cash in the SME sector remains a serious problem and we believe that it threatens the government’s agenda for growth.

“The road haulage and distribution sector is particularly disadvantaged. Diesel suppliers require payment within one week or, in many cases, before delivery – and fuel accounts for more than one third of the operating cost of a large truck. At the same time, we have mounting evidence that hauliers’ customers, and especially very large companies, are taking increasingly long to pay their bills – they are exploiting their market position to use their suppliers as banks, in effect.

“HM Revenue and Customs has hardened its line on deferring VAT payments, increasing risks for firms facing short-term cash-flow difficulties.

“These factors together mean that transport firms are squeezed on both cost and revenue and finding it increasingly difficult to fund growth in their businesses and to investment in new equipment,” Semple said.

After cash and congestion, the RHA survey identified uncertainty over market conditions, regulation and building a larger customer base as important barriers to growth.

Asked in the survey about a range of factors related to the performance of the logistics industry, the most negative rating was for the willingness of customers and receivers of goods to work constructively with transport companies.

“Members clearly believe that ‘Partnership’ is an over-used term and that it often belies reality. Too often, shippers and receivers fail to genuinely consider option that are more efficient – and usually greener – and instead simply squeeze suppliers to commercially unsustainable haulage rates,” Semple said.

The survey was carried out in consultation with the Department for Transport, as part of the RHA’s contribution to the government’s Growth Review.

Confirmed Road Show Dates and Venues include:

22 September: Copthorne Effingham Park Hotel, Crawley

28 September: The Royal Chace Hotel, Enfield

06 October: Scotch Corner Hotel, Darlington

12 October: Alona Hotel, Motherwell

19 October: Templeton Hotel, Templepatrick, Northern Ireland

26 October: Village Hotel & Leisure Club, Ashton Under Lyne

02 November: National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham

17 November: Bristol City Football Club, Bristol.

A total of eight events will take place across the UK and Northern Ireland covering a variety of topics including updates from the Traffic Commissioners, fuel efficiency and Euro 6, the London Low Emission Zone, the NEST Pension Scheme, and the transport and logistical ramifications of the 2012 Olympics.

The cost for RHA members is only £80 + VAT and the cost for non-members £90 + VAT – exceptional value in terms of time AND money.

A total of eight events will take place across the UK and Northern Ireland covering a variety of topics including fuel efficiency and Euro 6, the London Low Emission Zone, the NEST Pension Scheme, and the transport and logistical ramifications of the 2012 Olympics

The Road Shows also will feature updates from Traffic Commissioners, presentations on employment law, changes to the Access to the Profession Regulations and new engine technology advancements. In addition, each Road Show will also look at the impact of regional issues relevant to the Show’s location.

“The RHA Road Shows provide the perfect opportunity for attendees to hear, first hand their Traffic Commissioners view of the key issues. They also provide a chance to network within a focussed time frame”, said Steve Ellis, Head of RHA Training. “In addition, each of the presenters will be on hand to answer questions”.

The cost for RHA members is £80 + VAT and the cost for non-members £90 + VAT – exceptional value for time and money.

To book your place or to find out more call 01733 261456 or email training@rha.uk.net

The letter, signed by Mr Halfon, pulled no punches. “High fuel taxes aren’t working”, said Mr Halfon. “Not only are our road freight industries being crushed, but foreign road freight operators continue to expand their operations in the UK at the expense of domestic hauliers as their rates of duty are up to 24 pence per litre less than their British counterparts”.

Today’s lobbying exercise was to request Government consideration for two proposals:

· To initiate an inquiry as to why pump prices do not fall when the price of oil decreases

· To abandon the inflationary duty rise planned for January 2012 which will have the potential of adding 4 pence per litre to the price of fuel. If the cost of filling a tank becomes easier to bear, this could result in a higher tax revenue for the Treasury.

“Today has been about bringing the critical issue of rising fuel prices to the very heart of government”, said FTA Chief Executive Theo de Pencier. The cross party support we have amassed shows there is a real political appetite for fuel tax reform and that this is matched in constituencies around the country.

“Fuel is the biggest single cost for transport operators and unless the government acts to relieve the pressure faced by hauliers and other businesses we could be in danger of seeing more redundancies and more insolvencies in this beleaguered sector.”

RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning added: “This is an issue that we, as an industry have to keep fighting for. The effects of an increase in fuel duty will have a catastrophic impact on the economy and on an industry that is finally recovering from a financial meltdown.

“We, together with FFUK, will continue to press the message home until, quite literally, we as an industry see the penny drop”.

L-R Martin Vickers MP (Cleethorpes); Kate Gibbs, Road Haulage Association, Robert Halfon MP (Harlow), Steve Baker MP(High Wycombe), Eilidh Whiteford SNP (Banff and Buchan), Theo de Pencier, Freight Transport Association.

“His decision to allow full-service truckstops on motorways will attract the investment we need for a step-change in the availability of lorry parking on major routes,” predicts RHA infrastructure manager Chrys Rampley. “It should also lead to more comfort and security.

“This is good news for employers and their drivers. Mike Penning has delivered the most important policy development on truckstops for many years. Our concern over truckstops was one of the key points the RHA stressed to the minister when we first met him a year ago; and he made a commitment then that his department would work with us to make real progress.

“That work has taken place – and now we have got something to show for it,” Rampley said.

Over 340 people from the road freight sector attended four presentations covering a wide range of industry issues, including updates on the progress of the introduction of O Licence changes and how enforcement in both Northern Ireland and Great Britain will affect operators over the coming months

Speakers included VOSA Chief Executive Alastair Peoples and VOSA Director of Operations Alex Fiddes who spoke about the benefits of compliance.

Donald Armstrong, head of the Transport Regulation Unit gave details of when the new system will be introduced and what non-complaint operators can expect if they appear at a public inquiry. Stanley Duncan DVA Chief Exec gave details of the new enforcement strategy already being enacted, information on the introduction of graduated fixed penalties, in particular the issue of deposit and immobilisation.

RHA Employment Director Ruth Pott spoke on employment issues and made those attending aware of how recent legislation will affect employers and dispelled popular misconceptions regarding various parts of employment law

Finally, John Beattty from Stewarts Solicitors covered the process of Public Inquiries and what the non-compliant can expect when called to appear at one.

“It was extremely encouraging to get such a good turnout for these particular events”, said RHA Director for Scotland & Northern Ireland Phil Flanders.

“Those attending now have a much better idea of what they can expect now and in the near future. The numbers present and the interest shown also confirms beyond a shadow of a doubt that many NI freight operators are keen to improve their standards. I am delighted that the Road Haulage Association which represents a professional and responsible road freight industry has been able to facilitate and encourage increased levels of compliance”.

As a result of an exemplary measure from traffic planners, lorries are able o progress through the city in a way that is smoother, quicker and quieter and less costly in terms of carbon, pollution and operating costs.

The change involves a re-phasing of two sets of traffic signs that allow trucks adequate “green” time to through the busy Wellington Road junction at Altens Industrial Estate. For heavy trucks, a journey-time saving of up to 19% has been recorded since the measure was introduced early this year.

“The measure has made a big difference to hauliers and improved traffic flow generally”, said Phil Flanders, RHA regional director for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

“Aberdeen City Council have shown what can be done to improve the efficiency and lessen the environmental impact of lorries with even relatively small measures,”

“We could make a really significant difference to congestion across the UK if local authorities adopted the sort of pro-active approach that we have seen in Aberdeen.”

Behind the new measure lies a partnership between business and public authorities called Nestrans (North-East Scotland Transport), which promotes progressive transport policies. Vice-chairman is Eddie Anderson, managing director of ARR Craib, a leading Aberdeen-based haulier and an RHA member company.

Anderson said: “The way local authorities provide and manage the road infrastructure has a big impact on the transport industry. RHA staff engage with councils across the country and I recommend that hauliers also get involved

“That is the best way to ensure that councils properly understand the vital, positive contribution that lorries make to their local economy; and what they as councils can sensibly do to help hauliers serve the economy more effectively,” he concluded.