Recovery Members Update December 2010

Welcome to RHA Recovery Member Update!

Once again December has proved a busy month with several meetings scheduled. Here goes with my final report of the year which also coincides with the conclusion with my first year as Secretary of RHA Recovery

Police Vetting

There has been no more developments on Police Vetting procedures but I must stress that if operators feel they are being asked questions during the application period that are intrusive, please contact me. I will treat the matter in confidence and make discreet enquiries.

Freight Transport APPG

The committee met again in early December and tackled issues such as the introduction of the Motor Insurers Database, the threat of terrorism in the haulage industry and the impending threat of the four metre height restriction under discussion from the European Union. There is a real threat that the four metre height restriction could have devastating effects on the UK haulage industry which runs its vehicles slightly higher. It is estimated by the SMMT that costs for haulage could rise by as much as 30% if the legislation is introduced. Acts of terrorism to the haulage industry is also a real threat and representatives from ACPO gave a short presentation to the committee.

Emergency Services Show

RHA Recovery, in conjunction with Professional Recovery magazine, exhibited at this year’s Emergency Services Show. The show was held at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire. Thank you to the operators that visited us on the stand. It was great that so many of you made the journey to see what the emergency services industry had to offer. As well as the three major stakeholders in the sector, there were many suppliers and niche organisations that work alongside the emergency services industry on a day to day basis at the show. The AA has its own Special Operations Response Team who all work on a semi-voluntary basis to offer support in times of crisis such as flood relief. We were also keen to demonstrate the work of the Heavy Rescue Partnership at the show and this brought a lot of interest.

Heavy Rescue Partnership

The Heavy Rescue Partnership became an official charity on November 26 at Longton Town Hall in Stoke-on-Trent. THE HRP has joined forces with the Red Cross who have the support of Tesco in providing provisions in times of national emergency. The HRP has worked for a couple of years now in supplying support at major traffic accidents but it is now hopeful that with the right financial support, it can offer support in cases of flood relief. It has several high wheel base ex-military Bedfords that can get through up to two metres of water and take in supplies and get people out. Defra has now supported the charity financially and Rob Flello, the chairman, said that the HRP was so simple in its conception, he was surprised that it had only just started to be accepted by police forces.

European Tow Show 2011

Still nothing to report on next year’s show but an announcement will be made in the New Year.

ERRI

The ERRI committee is now in a position to follow up on its circulated letter asking for stakeholders to form working groups.

Various requests

Once again this month I have had several requests from hauliers who have needed assistance. I have pointed them in the right direction, but it is also clear that not enough of our hauliers have signed up to RHA Rescue which gives them a hotline to call in cases of emergency. If hauliers sign-up to RHA Rescue their options for effective recovery will greatly increase.

Recovering Electric Vehicles (EV)

I travelled down to London and to the offices of the SMMT in Halkin Street to hear a presentation from the SMMT in conjunction with the IMI on the recovery of electric vehicles. This will become more of an issue as more and more electric vehicles are introduced onto our roads. The SMMT and IMI asked representatives from the recovery trade associations and IVR to the meeting to discuss ideas on the way forward and the likely problems with dealing with high voltage vehicles. The meeting was very instructive and I have relayed our committee the necessary information and have been asked to highlight any concerns they may have regarding the recovery of these vehicles. I am sure there will be more on this subject in future issues.

Telephone Interview

I gave a telephone interview to a national logistics magazine on the work of the independent recovery operators. It is clear that the perception in the UK is major assistance clubs are responsible for vehicle recovery in the UK. The general perception is that these clubs are totally responsible for vehicle recovery and that, in the eyes of the man in the street, there is no such thing as an independent recovery operator. It is an issue that frustrates me; we are all supportive of the work that the clubs do, but as an industry we need to do more to get the message across of the work that the independents do in keeping the UK moving.

Flashing Amber Lights

The Highways Agency has commissioned a private firm of consultants to look at conspicuous lighting in the haulage and vehicle recovery industry. Ray Engley of the RHA is dealing with this but he was seeking input from our sector. I asked Robin Doney from the RHA Recovery committee to speak to Ray as Robin is our committee’s ‘expert’ on this subject and deals with it at committee stage on Working Group 1 on the Survive Executive.

New Members

Once again I can report more new members this month and have received further requests for information from others which myself and the RHA sales team will be following up. There is a growing awareness amongst operators of the work being done by Nikki King and our committee and also an overwhelming support for the ERRI initiative which RHA Recovery is proud to support.

Extreme Weather Conditions

It is clear that everyone has been kept busy over the past few weeks due to the extreme weather conditions we have been experiencing. RHA have lobbied government for a relaxation in the Working Hours Directive and have been successful in Scotland so far. These relaxations have strict guidelines and if operators need more information they should check the RHA website. The relaxations have been in place to get essential supplies moved around Scotland.

Season’s Greetings

It is very clear that with the extreme low temperatures and heavy falls of snow in most areas that it is going to be a busy Christmas for operators. The past four weeks have seen unseasonal falls of snow and low temperatures and there does not seem any indication that these conditions are going to ease this side of Christmas. Can I take this opportunity of wishing you a safe and Happy Christmas from myself and the RHA Recovery committee. We hope you have a busy festive season and that all your operators stay safe whilst performing an essential service on the UK roads.

Contact me

As you can see from this month’s newsletter, there has been a lot going on again. If you have any concerns and need advice or support, please do not hesitate in contacting me, I might not have all the answers but at RHA we have the infrastructure to give you an informed response.

We are still very much looking for new members. The benefits of RHA Recovery membership are stronger than most other trade associations because we are part of the massive Road Haulage Association infrastructure. We also have the RHA Rescue benefit where members will be invited to join that organisation which will open up other work opportunities. Over 100,000 HGV’s are part of RHA Rescue and our members have exclusive opportunities to tap into that work source.

If you are interested in joining RHA Recovery or would like information on what we can offer, please contact us at our Peterborough office. Janice Wadsworth will deal with your enquiry, she can be contacted on 01733 261131. Alternately you can call me direct, my mobile number is 07976 829927.