National Campaigning Update 1st February 2012
If you have comment on these or any other issues please email campaigning@rha.uk.net
Haulage will be hit in 2012 says Bank
Haulage margins are under renewed and acute pressure, says the Bank of England. It picked out the sector as one in which there remains significant over-capacity.
The Bank of England’s regional agent’s summary of business conditions predicts that having already pared back non-labour costs as much as possible during the recession, many businesses will now think they have no option but to reduce staff numbers.
The report also says that smaller companies are continuing to be wary of approaching banks for finance fearing “re-pricing of existing facilities, or requests for increased security against lending, such as personal guarantees”.
For more information click here for the Economic News
Late payments blasted
Record numbers of businesses are paying suppliers late in what the Institute of Credit Management has called an “epidemic”.
On average it took 25.6 working days more than the agreed payment date (usually between 30 and 90 days), for bills in 2011 to be settled, according to figures from the Institute.
This shows a worsening trend from the 22.5 day average in 2010 and the 21.5 day figure in 2008.
At an average of 34 days late large companies are the worst offenders, although smaller business were between 20 and 22 days overdue on average.
The Institute has asked the government to make businesses abide by late payment codes of practice.
The RHA met the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills to discuss the issue last week. We are focusing on the very large end-users of transport services.
TruckPol faces an uncertain future
The RHA Security Forum has expressed strong concern over the future of Truckpol, which may not exist after March this year due to a funding shortfall following government cutbacks.
The commercial vehicle division of the Association of Chief Police Officers' Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service collates and records incidents of truck crime, and disseminates information countrywide to different police forces.
As well as informing policing strategy, the intelligence released by the unit can be used for campaigning in order to influence government policy.
The RHA has supported TruckPol on the basis that the Home Office was matching pound for pound the financial support provided by industry, and so we are disappointed to be faced with withdrawal of Home Office backing.
RHA security manager Chrys Rampley said: “We understand the present budget restrictions are severe but to see the demise of this unit would be a catastrophe and set us back 10 years.”
Tachograph offence figures highlighted in Parliament
In 2010 there were 7,103 accidents recorded in the UK involving HGV drivers who had exceeded their permitted hours. The figure for 2009 was 7013.
The figure for the number of drivers' hours prohibitions for going over the drivers’ hours limits was 19,434 in 2010/11. For 2009/10 it was 21,981 and for 2008/9 it was 19,071.
The figures were given in a Parliamentary answer by Earl Attlee.
Local authorities join truck parking summit
The RHA is today attending a truck parking summit at the Department for Transport that aims to pinpoint problems that are slowing progress on the development of better truck stop facilities.
Parking restrictions, best practice and barriers to investment in truck parking are also on the agenda.
Chrys Rampley, RHA infrastructure manager said she hoped that by bringing government, local authorities, planners and developers together to share best practice the summit would break down some of the barriers to new sites being developed.
The DfT’s recent lorry parking study identified that demand out-strips supply particularly in the South East, West Midlands and Eastern England and that the regions with high levels of excess demand and off-site parking also have high road freight crime.
Members needed for HSE Strategy Forum
We are looking for members from the small and medium sized haulage business to join us at a Health and Safety Executive forum in March.
HSE is proposing to reinstate the ports and logistics strategy forum and is seeking representation from the SME sector of the haulage industry to ensure a level playing field when reviewing industry policy.
Key discussion topics will centre on:
- HSE RIDDOR data and analysis
- Load safety
- Identifying major risks and actions needed, including vehicle runaways, reversing vehicles and falls from vehicles
- Sharing incident data, good practice and lessons learned
- Benchmarking
- Training and competence
The first meeting will be held at the HSE offices in Rose Court, London on 29 March at which the HSE will update the group on its plans.
If you would like to get involved and accompany the RHA to the meeting please contact r.engley@rha.uk.net to register your interest. It’s vitally important that the SME sector gets its voice heard; the alternative is that larger companies dominate the agenda, which may not necessarily be to the benefit of the SME sector.
Eurotunnel truck numbers grow
Last year 1.26 million trucks used Eurotunnel, representing a 16% increase on 2010. Rail freight was also up by 17% in 2011 on 2010.
Eurotunnel said that 2011 freight traffic was running at volumes last seen in 2007.
Eurotunnel has recently put in a bid to buy three Sea France ferries, now that the ferry operator has gone into liquidation.
Pre-pack reform kicked into the long grass
The government is dropping plans it announced a year ago that would have required insolvency practitioners to notify creditors in advance of a pre-pack, giving three days for the proposals to be challenged.
Employment minister Edward Davey announced that the government is backing off reform and instead the Insolvency Service will look at whether any changes can be made within the existing regulatory framework to improve confidence and transparency.
The RHA has campaigned vigorously for pre-pack reform, and had supporting the defunct proposals, so we are extremely disappointed they are being dropped.
We will continue to press the government to bring in improved protection for creditors and competitor businesses that are often undermined by some pre-pack deals.
Electric Vans Grant introduced
The Department for Transport has introduced a Plug-in Van Grant for in ultra-low carbon vans, on top of the grant that already exists for cars.
Van buyers will get 20% or up to £8000, off the cost of a plug-in van. Manufacturers have already been asked to apply for their vehicles to be part of the scheme.
Over £400 million has been set aside by the government to encourage use of ultra-low emission vehicles, through giving incentives to potential purchasers, supporting research and facilitating the installation of infrastructure such as plug-in points.
For more economic news please go to the Economic Update.