UK Roads not ready for autonomous HGVs – Swannells – Warehousing Huntingdon

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news April 19, 2017warehousing huntingdon

There’s no doubt that one day autonomous HGVs will have a place in the haulage and freight industry, but according to a report carried out by the Road Haulage Association (RHA), roads all across the UK are nowhere near ready for autonomous HGVs.

The government published a report claiming that “an early example of CAV (connected and autonomous vehicles) close to deployment.”

The report also stated that “HGVs may be one of the first that will take the advantage of CAV technologies because, if you are an operator, you have an interest in pence per mile rates and you can benefit in fuel economy platooning”

But the majority in the industry recognise that there will be a number of challenges if these plans are to go ahead, especially as you would still need to have a driver at the wheel along with the autonomous vehicle, does this mean you pay them less as they are not driving?

The RHA released a statement saying that the idea of CAV is being treated with caution.

Swannells – Warehousing Huntingdon

Before we see autonomous vehicles involved in the haulage industry, it is clear that serious change is needed for UK roads. While manual drivers have years of experience and are now used to the road conditions, autonomous vehicles may have only been tested on well layered, even roads.

Before the government looks to invest further into autonomous vehicles in the UK, the majority of the haulage industry recognises that the more serious issue is the state of the roads in the UK, and it is an issue that continues to hold the industry back. Once the roads have been sorted, then the government can look to invest further in autonomous vehicles.

Swannells – Warehousing Huntingdon

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Our New Scania

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news March 30, 2017

Here at Swannells Transport, we’re proud to announce we have added a new vehicle to our fleet.

Our new truck is a new generation Scania R520 model with a V8 engine and is one of the first in the country.

Like any job, the right working environment can improve efficiency levels as well as job satisfaction, which is something we take into consideration.

When talking about the new purchase, Andrew Swannell said: “We are lucky; our drivers are loyal and take great pride in their vehicles. They are like our extended family and we want to give them a great working environment where they continue to enjoy their job. With the Next Generation Scania, we have just that, you can tell the interior has been designed with the driver’s needs and comfort in mind,”

Here’s a couple of photos of our new truck:

10,000 haulage firms on ‘red list’ – Swannells – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news March 15, 2017haulage companies in huntingdon

Around 10,000 haulage firms are on a ‘red list’ because of the threat they pose to other road users, according to the body that enforces lorry safety in Britain.

The list represents one in eight transport companies and is used by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to target enforcement.

Swannells Transport – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

According to the DVSA, the hauliers are failing to ensure adequate maintenance and safety or to monitor drivers’ hours. The body went on to say that the sanctions for repeatedly flouting the rules are inadequate.

Gareth Llewellyn, DVSA chief executive said that the regulatory system was ‘ripe for review’.

Transport companies with vehicles that weigh 3.5 tonnes of more need an operator license, which carries obligations to ensure vehicles are safe, road worthy and regularly inspected.

The DVSA enforces the regulations through roadside spot checks. During 2015, almost 30,000 were checked at the roadside or companies premises, and nearly 9,000 were served with prohibition notices.

Impound Vehicles – Swannells Transport – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

Depending on how severe the defect, a vehicle is immobilised until repaired or the operator is given a deadline to get it fixed.

The DVSA scores operators on the likelihood their vehicles will be operating, with a green, amber or red rating.

Mr Llewellyn said: “Where we believe there is something of imminent impact for the public, we will impound that vehicle – it is about making sure those things that are really posing a risk to the public are taken out very quickly.”

But Chris Snelling from the Freight Transport Association, said the red list in itself was not an indicator of the industry’s safety record, but of the capability of the DVSA to undertake enforcement.

He went on to say if safety standards across the industry rose, he would anticipate the DVSA would still maintain a red list of 10,000 lower-performing operators.

Swannells Transport – Haulage Companies in Huntingdon

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Diesel Cars in London – Swannells – Warehousing Huntingdon

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news February 14, 2017warehousing huntingdon

London’s air is so polluted that motorists should be given up to £3,500 to persuade them to get rid of their old diesel vehicles and replace them with more environmentally friendly vehicles, according to Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London.

The nitrogen dioxide that is emitted by diesel cars is a key contributor to London’s poor air quality, which is so bad that City Hall now advises the public to avoid leaving the house unnecessarily on the worst-affected days.

The Mayor of London is urging the government to introduce a scrappage scheme, costing around half a billion pounds, that would offer incentives to low-income households and businesses to scrap their older vehicles.

Kahn would also like to see the car tax redesigned so that it no longer gives drivers an incentive to choose a diesel car. “The toxic state of our air leaves us with no choice but to rid our city of the most polluting diesel vehicles. It is shocking that nearly half of new car sales in the UK are still diesel vehicles and the national system of vehicle excise duty still incentivises motorists to buy these polluting cars,” Khan said.

“I’m urging the government to immediately review this policy, and today I’ve delivered a detailed report on how it can deliver an effective national diesel scrappage fund. One that both fairly compensates motorists and rapidly helps clean up our filthy air.

Air pollution is thought to cause around 50,000 early deaths every year while costing £27.5bn to try and maintain. Last April it was called a ‘public health emergency’ by MPs.

Under the mayor’s proposed scheme, van drivers in London would be given up to £3,500 towards the cost of a cleaner model, and low-income households could receive a credit worth £2,000 that they could use on alternative transport, such as joining a car pool, or on a new vehicle.

Swannells – Warehousing Huntingdon

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Delivering This Winter – Swannells Transport – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news January 5, 2017warehousing cambridgeshire

The New Year means that winter is well underway, with the official start of winter being the 21st December. The Freight Transport Association (FTA) is supporting Highways England’s winter road safety campaign which this year highlights the dangers of driving in the rain and encouraging drivers to slow down during inclement weather conditions.

Swannells Transport – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

At this time of year, attention is often concentrated on the disruption caused by snow and ice, whereas statistics say driving in the rain, with wet roads and poor visibility, actually poses a greater threat. 85% of road traffic incidents in bad weather take place in the rain and almost 100 times more road deaths occur in rain compared with snow and ice. One reason for this is that the danger of driving in the rain are often underestimated by drivers.

However, snow and ice and other types of severe weather also pose problems for transport operators who are particularly busy at this time of year delivering the goods everyone needs.

FTA’s Head of Road Network Policy, Malcolm Bingham said: “It’s important to be prepared for all types of weather at this time of year, and FTA has a suite of products and services designed to help and advise road users. We work closely with the national highway authorities and the Met Office to communicate vital weather information and provide a traffic information service which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to ensure that vital amber and red winter weather alerts are passed on to members as they are issued.”

Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Swannells Transport – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Thank you for reading the latest news from Swannells Transport. We provide a range of different services including general haulage, hazardous freight, we are also BRC qualified and on top of all of that, we are able to meet your warehousing needs. For more information on any of our services, get in touch with us today.

New Penalties For Use of Mobiles When Driving – Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news November 16, 2016warehousing cambridgeshire

Plans to double fines and penalty points for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving has sent a strong message to drivers, but we still need better enforcement for the measures to work according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA)

The Department for Transport (DfT) has released its response to the consultation on ‘Penalties for use of a Hand Held Mobile Phone Whilst Driving’. The DfT now proposes that those caught using a hand-held phone whilst driving will receive:

A £200 fine (currently just £100)
6 points for all drivers (currently 3)
No option to take a remedial course

FTA’s Head of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Policy, Ian Gallagher had this to say: “These proposed changes should go some way towards making all drivers think about the consequences of their actions. Vocational drivers also risk their livelihood as many of our members already have in place a zero tolerance for employees in breach of these rules.”

Police in England and Wales are conducting a week-long crackdown on motorists who use their phones while driving. The National Police Chiefs’ Council said the campaign aims to “make driving distracted just as socially unacceptable as drink driving”.

Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

The national week of actions comes after a previous one back in May, which resulted in the detection of over 2,000 offences across the week.

It comes after an RAC surgery in September suggested the number of motorists illegally using mobile phones while at the wheel was rising. Out of all the motorists asked, 31% of them said they had used a handheld phone behind the wheel compared with 8% in 2014.

A Dangerous Past Time – Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

People checking social media and texting is nor becoming much more common than taking calls at the week, according to PC Derek Kitcher of Gwent Police. He stated that most offenders don’t even realise that a police car is next to them until an officer beeps their horn.

Fellow officer SGT Leighton Healen told the BBC that it was something that was becoming socially unacceptable and was a dangerous “pastime”.

Drink-driving was a personal choice whereas mobile phone usage seems to be a spontaneous offence, he said.

”What we want to do is educate people, raise awareness around the use of mobile phones and prevent it in the first place. As a police force, I’m not always keen to issue that fine if education is better served.”

Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Thank you for reading the latest news from Swannells Transport, we have a range of services including warehousing, general freight as well as hazardous freight. For more information on any of our services, get in touch with us today.

Grants Will Encourage Greener Trucks – Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news November 1, 2016warehousing cambridgeshire

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) says the Government’s plan to extend its Plug-In-Van grant scheme to trucks is a step in the right direction, as we look to encourage take-up of green technologies in the logistics sector.

Swannells Transport – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Electronically powered freight vehicles above 3.5 tonnes will now be supported by the scheme, which was launched back in 2012, with the Government pledging £4 million towards grants of up to £20,000 per vehicle.

FTA has continually called on the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) to provide much-needed financial support to help operators make the switch to alternative fuels and low carbon technology. The grant scheme has been offered to car and small van users since its launch but larger vans and trucks had previously been excluded.

Warehousing Cambridgeshire – Swannells

FTA’s Climate Change Policy Manager, Rachael Dillon had this to say: “We are delighted that Government has recognised that freight operators need support as much as other vehicle users to adopt greener fuels and technologies in order to reduce carbon and contribute to improved air quality.

“The cost of an electric vehicle can be prohibitive so any financial support that Government can give may allow operators to make the business case to invest.

She added: “There are still a huge number of barriers to adopting electric vehicles including higher costs, lack of charging infrastructure, short range, reliability and limited payload due to the weight of batteries. Whilst electric won’t suit every operation or truck, FTA hopes that the grant system can encourage uptake.”

Swannells Transport – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Thank you for reading the latest news from Swannells Transport. We are warehouse and distribution specialists base in Cambridgeshire. For more information on our warehousing and distribution services, contact us today. We offer a range of other services including general haulage and hazardous freight.

Delivering to London Is Tougher Than Ever – Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news October 19, 2016warehousing cambridgeshire

96% of transport operators, when asked by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) say that delivering in London is harder than it was five years ago – with congestion, restricted delivery times and the number of compliance schemes among the reasons given.

Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

A survey conducted by the FTA in partnership with Road Transport Media (RTM) asked a number operators about their experiences in the city and question them on issues including penalty charges, vulnerable road users and the London Lorry Control Scheme. The majority of those who took part said increased traffic had become the biggest problem.

RTM Group Managing Editor, Christopher Walton, had this to say: “Congestion is overwhelmingly the number one factor when it comes to the challenges of delivering in London, with vulnerable road users and too many compliance schemes both very close in second place.”

RTM’s Freight in the City Expo on 2 November, will look into how delivering in London can be cleaner, quieter and safer. Alternative fuels, consolidation, cycle safety, air quality, consolidation and quiet deliveries are all on the agenda. There will also be a variety of different people from the industry making speeches, including Natalie Chapman, FTA’s Head of Policy for London.

Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Ms Chapman said: “Delivering in an ever-growing city is a huge challenge but HGVs remain the most effective way of getting goods in and out so it’s vital to ensure this is done safely, cost-effectively and with consideration for the environment.

“FTA believes there are many improvements that can be made without compromising the efficiency of transport operations, such as reforming night-time delivery restrictions, avoiding lorry bans and increasing enforcement of existing HGV legislation.”

Swannells Transport – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

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15% Financial Standing Increase – Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news October 6, 2016warehousing cambridgeshire 0 Comment

The post-Brexit fall in the value of the pound has meant road hauliers will have to demonstrate greater financial reserves to operate legally in the UK, according to the FTA.

warehousing cambridgeshire, warehousing huntingdon, warehousing cambridge

Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Financial standing requirements – for standard operator license holders, are stated in European law in Euros and are reassessed eery year according to the exchange rate on the first working day of October, but they don’t give into force until the 1st January of the new year.

Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

The FTA has predicted that the sums will go up to around £7,800 for the first vehicle, which would previously have cost £6,650. Each subsequent vehicle after that is likely to set you back around £4,300w which has risen from £3,700. Although these figures are simply predictions, the official figures will be announced by the Department for Transport fairly soon. In January 2016 the same rates fell from £7,000 to £6,650 and from £3,900 to £3,700

Head of Member Advice at the FTA, Es Shepherd, had this to say: “The potential hike may create difficulties for hauliers as they now need to demonstrate to the Traffic Commissioners – the industry regulator, that they have over 15% greater reserves available.

“The financial standing requirements exist to demonstrate to the Traffic Commissioner that a commercial vehicle operation is solvent, and ostensibly to show that they don’t need to start cutting corners in vehicle maintenance and safety in order to save costs.”

The financial standing rates for restricted operators are set by the Department for Transport in consultation with the Traffic Commissioners and do not usually change year-to-year. Theses currently stand at £3,100 for the first vehicle with every subsequent vehicle costing £1,700.

Financial standing is not a sum that has to be paid, rather an indication that a business has such reserves if they need them.

Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

Ms Shepherd went on to say: “The increase would come as a sudden shock to operators who will need to demonstrate these extra reserves by the New Year. While ‘cash at the bank’ is the most straightforward way of demonstrating compliance, other methods permitted by the Traffic Commissioners include joint and several guarantees, overdraft facilities, credit facilities and invoice finance agreements.”

Swannells – Warehousing Cambridgeshire

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BRC Global Standards Approval for Swannells Transport

Local Buzz Marketing Latest news September 23, 2016

After much work and a huge team effort we are delighted to announce that we are now BRC Qualified and able to store food goods. In just over a month we will be proudly showing our new BRC Global Standards logo.

Warehousing in Warboys, Cambridgeshire – Swannells Transport

About BRC Global Standards

BRC Global Standards is a leading quality certification programme used in over 120 countries. This achievement means that we have met the strict standards required by BRC. You can find out more about BRC by visiting their website www.brcglobalstandards.com.

A great achievement

A team effort from everyone at Swannells Transport was required to achieve this status. This is another milestone for our business and recognition of our achievements and growth in the past few years.

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