The aim of restructuring the business into three coherent sales and marketing regions – Americas (North and South America), EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and APAC (Asia Pacific) – is to create an organisation which can meet its customers’ needs more effectively and better exploit the commercial potential of the Group’s different truck brands.

At the start of the year, Claes Nilsson became President Volvo Trucks EMEA Sales & Global Brand, with operational sales and marketing responsibility for the EMEA region. The position also involves responsibility for managing the global product strategy and developing the Volvo Trucks brand.

“I think that our new structure offers us significant opportunities. The strategy for Volvo Trucks has been in place for some time and is very much still valid. We will continue to develop Volvo Trucks’ unique qualities and supply trucks which meet our customers’ high standards and expectations,” says Claes Nilsson.

The organisational changes came into effect at the start of the year. The new management team will continue to take a highly customer focused approach and will also be investing in expanding the service and aftermarket network.

“We already have more than 2,300 dealers and workshops all over the world and this figure will grow. Our relationship with our customers plays a central role and our business goes much further than just selling trucks. This is only the beginning of what we do. For us it is all about offering our customers effective transport solutions with guaranteed quality, safety and the greatest possible care for the environment,” he adds.

Alex Attwood tries out a new Mercedes- Benz Sprinter, watched by Pat Byrne of the Bank of Ireland, left, and Norman McBride of RentaMerc.

The 50 Sprinters and 25 Vito models were supplied to RentaMerc by sister company Mercedes-Benz Truck & Van (NI), the German manufacturer’s dealer for the province. They have joined a fleet of 500 vehicles that ranges from the compact and stylish Vito to the mighty 44-tonne Actros tractor unit.

Powered by state-of-the-art Euro 5 engines, the new arrivals were presented at a handover ceremony at Stormont Castle attended by Environment Minister Alex Attwood and representatives of the RentaMerc’s finance partner, the Bank of Ireland.

RentaMerc’s trucks and vans are available on a range of rental packages from the company’s three sites in Campsie, Dargan, Mallusk and Dungannon. As the name suggests, all wear the famous three pointed star of Mercedes-Benz.

RentaMerc Managing Director Norman McBride said: “With the arrival of these impressive new vehicles we are preparing for growth in our business in 2012 and beyond. That demonstrates our faith in the success of our own future trading prospects, and in those of our wide and varied customer base throughout Northern Ireland.

“The fact that these vans are among the ‘greenest’ and most fuel-efficient that money can buy also shows our commitment to reducing the impact of our operations on the local environment.”

Commenting on the investment, Environment Minister Alex Attwood said: “It is encouraging to see the introduction of these new low-emission, fuel-efficient vehicles. Transport is one of the highest sources of emissions in Northern Ireland and the replacement of older vehicle stock with lower emission, fuel-efficient vans will help in our efforts to meet greenhouse gas targets.”

And Pat Byrne, the Bank of Ireland’s Regional Manager for Northern Ireland, added: “We are delighted to support the growth of both RentaMerc and Mercedes-Benz Truck & Van (NI), proving that we are ‘open for business’, and to help put this new fleet of modern, fuel-efficient vans to work.”

The new Sprinters are all 3.5-tonne 313CDI models in Long and Medium lengths, while the 2.8-tonne Vito vans are Long-bodied 113CDIs and 110CDIs. All offer significant increases in fuel economy and power, as well as reductions in exhaust emissions, compared to equivalent units from the previous ranges.

Alex Attwood tries out a new Mercedes- Benz Sprinter, watched by Pat Byrne of the Bank of Ireland, left, and Norman McBride of RentaMerc.

Diesel rose by 2.2 cent and now costs an average of 146.9.

These change includes the addition of extra Carbon Tax in the budget which added 1.6 cent to the cost of a litre of disel. The additional 2% in VAT that comes into effect on 1st January will add 2.33 cent to diesel.

“The policy of ever increasing fuel taxes was pursued by the last government and continued by this one,” says Director of Policy Conor Faughnan. “We have now had five separate tax increases on fuel since October of 2008.”

An IRHA spokesman said last night that hauliers could not pass the increase on to their customers and the increase would result in some haulage companies going under.

The spokesman said the increase would increase the price differential between legitimate and laundered diesel on the market, and would serve to put more money into the pockets of criminals.

The increase comes into affect at Midnight tonight, and when VAT is added, the cost of diesel will rise by 1.94 cent per litre at the pumps.

The top rate of VAT is to increase by two percentage points to 23% from January 1, while capital taxes and DIRT will rise to 30%.

Mr Noonan also confirmed that there would be no increase in income tax in the budget.

Fine Gael’s Jim Higgins MEP has highlighted the “detrimental environmental and congestion impacts” of EU plans to limit Ireland’s truck height of 4.65m to just 4m by 2014.

Declan McKeon, FTA Ireland’s Head of Policy, said: “Ireland’s exports rely on an efficient supply chain and restricting trailer heights would cause untold damage to its efforts to pull out of this period of recession. Like Mr Higgins, our concerns have also been highlighted to the Commissioners who, if they forge ahead with this ‘harmonisation at any cost’ approach, could cost industry dearly at a time when Ireland’s fragile economy is incredibly vulnerable.

“A one-size-fits-all approach to trailer heights across every European country simply won’t work; different countries have different infrastructure parameters and the companies that operate commercial vehicles should be trusted to buy and use those trucks that work best for them. Limiting their choice will also limit their ability to optimise their performance – which is bad news for the economy and could impede Ireland’s environmental progress.”

Last month, FTAI’s fight against EU proposals to limit the height of future semi-trailers to just 4 metres won a powerful ally in the International Road Transport Union (IRU).

McKeon concluded: “This issue affects all member states in Europe and although it’s a technical amendment, there needs to be an urgent and serious sanity check which reflects the importance of this issue. After all, in the last ten years alone the Irish logistics sector has invested in around 1,000 trailers exceeding four metres.

“FTAI will be working hard with other industry bodies and stakeholders, including the Freight Transport Association in the UK, to convince the policy makers to decapitate the current proposal.”

These discussions have not yielded agreement on such a derogation, which is a matter of regret to the Minister. It is not open to the Government to legislate for a qualifying period, as this was a matter which was placed in the hands of the Social Partners under the terms of the Directive.

Accordingly, the Minister informed the representative bodies that the Directive will become effective on a “day 1” basis, with no lead-in or qualifying period. This means that with effect from 5th December, 2011 all temporary agency workers (c.35,000 workers or approximately 2% of the active workforce) assigned to a hirer are entitled to equal treatment in terms of basic working and employment conditions as if they had been directly recruited by the hirer in the same job. The Government’s Bill, when published before Christmas, will confirm this and will define pay for the purposes of the legislation as follows:

· Basic pay

· Shift premium

· Piece rates

· Overtime premium

· Unsocial hours premium

· Sunday premium where a Sunday is worked and a premium is normally paid to a directly recruited employee.

This is an exhaustive list in the Bill to be published. Other possible component elements of remuneration will not be included in the definition of pay for the purpose of equal treatment in the Bill, including for example:

· Occupational Pension schemes

· Financial participation schemes

· Sick pay schemes

· Benefit in kind

· Bonus payments

The Bill will also provide for equal treatment of Temporary Agency Workers who fall within scope of the Directive in respect of the following:

· Working time

· Rest periods

· Rest breaks

· Night work

· Annual leave

· Public holidays

The Bill will also transpose the Directive’s provisions that temporary agency workers will also be given rights in relation to access to the collective facilities and amenities of a hirer (e.g. canteen or other similar facilities, childcare facilities and transport services) under the same terms as directly recruited employees and are to be informed about vacant posts.

The Minister said to the representative groups that Hirers and Agencies should make the appropriate arrangements to ensure that the principles of equal treatment as indicated above are put in place from 5th December, 2011 for all temporary agency workers, including those who are assigned on or after 5th December, 2011.

The IRHA met with the Department of Finance recently to present and discuss the proposals contained in the Association’s pre-budget submission. Despite the road haulage sector contributing greatly to the overall economic recovery via exports, profit margins in the sector remain at their lowest levels ever, with a startling reduction in the overall number of haulage license holders over the last three years, the IRHA stressed.

The IRHA’s pre-budget submission has sought to provide the Minister with realistic proposals, which IRHA research suggests, will result in a financial gain to the overall exchequer while simultaneously assisting licensed operators in the sector that at present do not receive any Government subvention.

The three items covered in detail in the pre-budget submission are an essential user fuel rebate for the licensed, tax compliant haulage sector, the current application of the carbon tax and how it can be adjusted to actually contribute to a reduction in green gas emissions and agricultural fuel.

Electric Vehicle Ireland says its Alkè Electric Utility truck with a factory fitted sow plough to the front and a rear factory fitted Electric Salt Spreader (not shown in picture) can perform a full day’s work on an electricity cost as low as 91c.

Zero emissions and Zero noise pollution if being used in town centres at night are just some of one of the obvious advantages.

New developments notably include an alert system, user support and the current geographical scope of TIR-EPD implementation, as well as an RSS feed so that users can remain constantly up-to-date with the latest TIR-EPD news and important alerts.

The IRU TIR-EPD application allows TIR Carnet Holders to comply, free of charge, with the EU NCTS/TIR and EORI Regulations which entered into force in 2009, as well as with the new EU security requirements, which entered into force on 1 January 2011, by submitting TIR Electronic Pre-Declarations to Customs offices of entry/departure in a simple, standardised way.The IRU TIR-EPD is also fully compliant with the World Customs Organisation’s Framework of Standards.

Check out the new web section:

This year, I-Shift is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Today no fewer than 80 per cent of Volvo’s FH trucks are equipped with the system, making I-Shift virtually a standard feature. At its launch in 2001, however, things looked very different. There were already a number of so-called AMTs (Automated Mechanical Transmissions) on the market, but they were all based on manual gearboxes adapted to permit automatic gear-changing. They were often not entirely reliable and customers complained. Vehicle manufacturers were forced to face angry customers who had paid a great deal of money for a transmission that caused problems.

However, Volvo Trucks believed in the concept of a transmission system designed from the very outset for automatic gear-changing. The first target was to adapt it for long-distance transport

The company succeeded and in 2002, just one year after the system’s launch, 14 per cent of all Volvo trucks sold were equipped with I-Shift. This can be compared with its predecessor, Geartronic, Volvo Trucks’ first AMT, which was only fitted to one per cent of all trucks sold by the company.

Sven-Erik Tibb was the main project manager throughout the development of I-Shift. “We created a totally new unsynchronised basic transmission and an integral control unit with all the electronics, sensors and so on. We then added software that was fully tailored for long-distance traffic. This gave us total control of the engine and gear-changing,” he recalls.

The new I-Shift was thus a combination of fairly straightforward, uncomplicated mechanics along with electronic control. “There are many benefits with I-Shift. In addition to lower fuel consumption, the system contributes to safer driving, which benefits everyone,” says Ricard Fritz, Senior Vice President Strategic Planning and Business Development, Volvo Trucks.

“The driver is free to fully concentrate on the traffic and does not become tired from all the gear-changing by the end of the working day. I-Shift is also very easy to drive, and this is appreciated by both experienced drivers and those who are not so experienced,” he adds.

Other advantages of I-Shift are that it changes gears very quickly compared with other systems on the market, there is no need for a clutch pedal, and there is software optimised for different types of driving.

Second generation

In 2005, when the second generation I-Shift made its appearance, the front and rear parts of the transmission had been redesigned to include a new clutch system and a new range-change unit. This provided greater capacity for higher gross combination weights and, consequently, I-Shift could now be fitted to trucks used for some heavier construction and forestry transport duties. As a result, the transmission also found its way into trucks with the 16-litre engine and not just vehicles with 9- and 12-litre power units.

Launch of third generation

The third generation was launched in 2009 and was tailored to match Euro-5. It featured a number of hardware improvements, together with new software which made the transmission suitable for additional, even more demanding assignments. It was now possible, for example, to rock heavily laden trucks free if necessary.

“From the very start, we had developed programs for different types of operation and customers were able to choose between the various programs. Each new generation added new applications and now even really heavy-duty construction vehicles like the Volvo FMX can be equipped with I-Shift,” says Sven-Erik Tibb, who today is section manager for drivelines and hybrids at Volvo.

Åke Zander, technical director at Volvo Powertrain, was also involved from the start. According to him, I-Shift can keep fuel consumption at the same level as the best driver on his best day with a manual transmission. The electronics make sure that the correct gear is always selected to enable the engine to work as economically as possible.

“The advantage when it comes to I-Shift is that it doesn’t have bad or good days. It provides the same fuel-efficient progress, regardless of who is driving or how the driver feels. What’s more, the driver does not need to apply any force to shift gear,” says  Zander.

So what does the future look like?

Euro 6 will soon be making its entrance, and transmission systems will need to be adapted to the new engines. “The next generation will be even more fuel-efficient. What’s more, we are going to consolidate, refine and stabilise what we have already achieved and further expand the applications for I-Shift,” promises Åke Zander.

This means independent garages, service centres, and other workshops will get the information essential to maintaining vehicles correctly, and parts suppliers will be able to identify the correct part for each vehicle, and create application lists for parts. In addition suppliers of garage equipment will be able to request Vehicle Assemblers to validate the connectivity of their equipment with the VA’s vehicles.

Given the every growing complexity of modern vehicles and the growing parts variety and diversity even within one series, independent aftermarket businesses were finding it increasingly difficult to carry out their business, i.e. to produce and sell parts and offer other services. There was the threat of a monopoly on the part of the vehicle manufacturers and thus of higher prices to be paid by Europe’s motorists.

“We could have had a market monopoly on information on parts data and repair information,” explained International Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) chief executive Brian Spratt. “The European Commission has tackled the problem and responded to it in a positive manner and the new rules will obligate the Vehicle Assemblers to release electronic data that allow an exact identification of car spare parts, as well as service and repair data.”

“As ever with rules from the EU, this decision may seem remote to most motorists, nonetheless, it has a huge impact as soon as their car has to be serviced or repaired. The independent sector should capitalise on this success by reminding all motorists that they can have their vehicles serviced in the independent sector using the most up to date information and parts, and without invalidating their vehicle warranty,” Mr. Spratt said.

Further information on this topic and a video, can be found via a special website from FIGIEFA – follow this link: www.yes2euro5.eu.

The new “Fuels You Can Trust” initiative will enable customers to easily recognise Maxol stations committed to selling legitimate Irish duty paid fuel.

The new initiative comes after the most recent illegal diesel laundering plant raid in Monaghan and will be rolled out during this month, July 2011.

Under this scheme Maxol retailers throughout the Republic of Ireland will participate in a traceability programme, pledge their ongoing commitment to purchasing their fuel exclusively from Maxol and permit the testing of fuel samples by it. Participating Maxol retailers will prominently display Maxol’s “Fuels You Can Trust” assurance seal on their forecourts. ‘Speaking about the new pledge, Maxol CEO Tom Noonan said “Whilst the Maxol brand has always been synonymous with quality fuels, we believe that the introduction of the new pledge reinforces our retailers commitment to their customers at a time when there has been an epidemic of diesel laundering plants throughout the country and when there is heightened concern about the implications of becoming involved in using “washed product”.

The introduction of ‘Fuels You Can Trust’ is the first activity of its kind by any fuel marketers in Ireland and sets out to protect bona fide Irish fuel retailers as well as Irish consumers. Currently fraudsters use chemical agents to remove markers and dye contained in agricultural diesel fuel to make it difficult for the Revenue Commissioners to detect that it is illicit. The chemicals remain in the diesel and have serious implications on vehicle performance as they remove the essential lubricants required by engines to run smoothly and effectively.

Maxol’s ‘Fuels You Can Trust’ is a step in the right direction for everyone according to Chief Executive Tom Noonan “Many motorists and fuel retailers are keenly aware of the increase in ‘outlets’ selling fuel at a price which seems too good to be true; which is generally the case. The main objective of ‘Fuels You Can Trust’ is to provide motorists with a visible guarantee that motor fuels purchased from any Maxol station displaying the assurance seal are genuine Maxol products which fully comply with EU and Irish fuel specifications.

In recent years, Maxol has taken a leading role in supporting the Irish Petrol Retailers Association and the Irish Petroleum Industry Association in lobbying Government and the Revenue Commissioners to take firm action against illegal operators. Whilst progress is being made, we believe that a direct and bespoke campaign is critical and this is our primary motivation for introducing ‘Fuels You Can Trust’ across our entire network. It is hoped that this campaign will highlight the dangers associated with using laundered product and support those in the legitimate trade who are still trying to earn an honest living in the fuel retail market despite the sophisticated and substantial illegal fuel network now operating in Ireland. ”

The new Maxol ‘Fuels You Can Trust’ campaign will be supported by a full merchandising campaign including the application of the assurance seal to all pumps, forecourt poster signs and the provision of information at the pump and in-store, making it easy for Irish motorists to spot on their journeys.

For further information on Maxol’s Fuels You Can Trust scheme please visit

Www. maxol.ie/fuels-you-can-trust

The call comes in the wake of news that the National Roads Authority (NRA) is considering plans to add news tolls to the country’s roads network.

IRHA president Eoin Gavin commented: “A task force should be established immediately to review the road tax and tolling systems in Ireland. The current double taxation of road tax and tolling is not balanced and unfairly penalises the road haulage sector.”

He added: “A Euro Vignette style system should be introduced which would have one method of collection and is based on a pay as you go system.”

On the back of European Commission (EC) proposals to amend the current EU Tachograph Regulation (3821/85/EC), the IRU is stressing that beating tachograph fraud is essential for the future sustainability of road transport services.

The IRU says the EC is relying too much on increasingly complex and costly technology, such as compulsory satellite positioning, which does not automatically deliver the required security results, and does not reduce the growing administrative burdens hampering efficient and safer road transport.

President of the IRU Commission on Social Affairs, Georges Causse, said: ‘’Without a tamper proof tachograph, we cannot achieve the safety and efficiency objectives which the digital tachograph was meant to deliver. Moreover, the lack of effective enforcement distorts competition in the single market for the vast majority of transport operators who work hard to drive the EU economy and abide by the law. The EC should thus concentrate its efforts on targeting the small minority of operators who break the rules and tamper with the tachograph in order to eliminate the risks they pose to road safety.”

The IRU strongly opposes the compulsory fitting of every device with satellite positioning as it will fail to make the digital tachograph tamper proof. “If the will and capability exists to manipulate the digital tachograph, the same defrauders will not hesitate to block a satellite signal. The switch from analogue to digital brought about more complex technology, yet did not deliver security. More complex and costly technology will not stop determined rule breakers but rather more targeted enforcement and tougher sanctions for those found guilty of tachograph fraud will” Georges Causse argued.

IRU Head of Social Affairs, Damian Viccars, added, “The industry has long called for measures to reduce the operational and administrative burdens caused by the digital tachograph. The IRU welcomes some of the steps made by the EC proposal in this direction.” These include the elimination of any need for paper letters of attestation to record drivers’ activities, creating a standardised ITS interface enabling the voluntary and cost efficient integration of the tachograph into an open telematics platform, and laying down a requirement that should lead to common training standards for control officers to increase the consistency and effectiveness of controls.

Silvia Valles Barrera will now represent Europe and Ireland in the final round of the competition travelling to Cairo, Egypt this October to compete against the winners from the Africa and Middle East, Americas, Asia and Pacific regions.

Ms. Barrera, who is a native of Spain, has been employed by Hawthorn Logistics since September 2010 and is responsible for managing its clients’ needs to transport goods and products around the world.

Hawthorn Logistics is one of Ireland’s youngest but fastest growing freight forwarding companies providing global shipping to exporters and importers along with warehousing facilities and expertise for distributing product by courier, air, sea and road

The awards competition, run by the International Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA), is open to candidates representing the countries and national freight associations in the four geographical regions into which it is divided.

Ms. Barrera was chosen to represent the Irish International Freight Association (IIFA) after she achieved distinction level in the FIATA Diploma in Freight Forwarding. The internationally recognized diploma course is validated by FIATA and delivered by the IIFA.

Each participant in the regional finals of the Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year 2011 awards had to prepare a thesis focusing on one key import and export commodity or cargo in their country.

The thesis was obliged to consider the complexity of the issues of importing and exporting including bulk cargo, time sensitive delivery, hazardous goods, multimodal moves as well as cross-border issues, regulatory issues and risk management.

Ms. Barrera’s thesis titled ‘The Medical and Pharmaceutical Industry in Ireland and its Challenges for the Freight Forwarder’ saw her qualify as a regional finalist at the FIATA World Congress in Cairo alongside competitors from the United Arab Emirates, Mexico and Hong Kong.

“Our members are delighted with Silvia’s success. Flexibility is the key to successful freight forwarding. That flexibility is only possible if you possess a thorough knowledge of all transport modal options and Silvia has proven that her skills and expertise are among the best in the business,” said Colm Walsh, CEO, of the Irish International Freight Association (IIFA).

“We have every confidence that she will do Europe and Ireland proud at the FIATA World Congress in October and look forward to the prospect of welcoming her home as the overall Young Freight Forwarder of the Year 2011,” he added.

Petrol fell by two cents to an average of 149.3 cents per litre while diesel dropped by 1.7 cents month on month to an average of 141.1 cents. This minor reprieve however, is expected to be short lived as retailers strive to reconcile forecourt prices against the cost of crude oil globally.

“While a price drop is welcome, activity within the global markets surrounding the price of a barrel of oil would suggest that it’s to be a short lived one,” says Miriam O’ Neill, AA Ireland Spokesperson.

“Global demand for oil is at its highest point since the beginning of 2011. Add to this mix the uncertainty surrounding the euro and we’re likely to see quite a bit of volatility pricewise over the weeks to come.”

FTA’s own research suggests that high volume semi-trailers will deliver both efficiency and carbon savings for companies through the cutting of vehicle mileage. Not all sectors will migrate to these vehicles – it will mostly benefit those businesses such as retailers, parcel companies and manufacturers of high volume, low weight products where existing 13.6 metre semi-trailers become full before they reach their gross weight.

Simon Chapman, FTA’s Chief Economist, said: “All the evidence we have had from our members has reinforced FTA’s view that high volume semi-trailers are good for the environment and good for business. For high volume, low density loads, the extra deck space offers improved productivity and fewer vehicle journeys.

“High volume semi-trailers would also have a positive effect on road safety, with overall hgv mileage reduced and the potential for operators to specify the latest on-road safety technology and mirrors for vehicles.”

The proposals for high volume semi-trailers are an important way in which the government is supporting industry’s own efforts to decarbonise its supply chains and reflects FTA’s argument that government effort needs to focus on working with industry rather than imposing regulation and taxation on it as a way of cutting carbon emissions.

Chapman concluded: “The vehicles being considered are no longer than drawbar trailer combinations already on the road, and the proposals are not a stalking horse for increased hgv weights in the UK.”

The AA fuel price survey shows that the average cost of diesel now stands at 142.8 nationwide.

The AA reminds diesel users that while it is always good advice to shop around for good value you must be sensible about it.

“There is no doubt that we have a problem out there with dodgy diesel. Earlier this month the Garda and Customs raided a fuel laundering plant in Co. Monaghan with the capacity to produce 20 million litres per annum. That’s enough to supply 10 service stations all year round, which gives an idea of the scale of the problem.”

Drivers with laundered diesel in their tanks are guilty of a serious offence. Quite apart from the legal consequences – a fine of €5,000 is possible – you may damage your engine culminating in a costly repair.

In the debate, Said El Khadraoui (S&D, BE), who is steering the legislation through Parliament, said that the compromise reached marks a cornerstone for the next decade of European transport policy as it “offers for the first time the possibility to Member States to charge external costs (…) and to make best use of a wide range of toll variations to improve mobility.”

On average, 3 to 4 euro cents per vehicle/km may be added to charges for using transport infrastructure to cover the external costs of road haulage, starting with air and noise pollution. The directive will cover not only trans-European transport (TEN-T) networks, but all motorways, and will apply to vehicles of over 3.5 tonnes. If a Member State wishes to grant exemptions for vehicles of up to 12 tonnes, then it must notify the European Commission of the reasons why..

In exchange, Member States firmly commit themselves to invest 15% of overall revenue in TEN-T networks. The remaining amounts should be used to reduce damage to the environment and develop all transport systems sustainably. To promote transparency and public debate, MEPs inserted into the law a requirement that Member States report regularly to the Commission on the charges imposed and the use made of revenue from them.

Lorries with the least-polluting engines will be exempt from air pollution charges until 1 January 2014 (EURO V emission class), and until 1 January 2018 for EURO VI. In sensitive and mountainous regions, the existing “mark-up” of up to 25% may continue to apply and may be added to the external costs charged for lorries in the heaviest pollution classes (EURO 0 to II). It may also be extended to the EURO III class from 1 January 2015.

To manage traffic flows more effectively without generating more revenue, charges may be varied by up to 175% in congested areas, with the highest charges applying during five rush hours, and lower rates at all other times. To enable hauliers to calculate their costs and plan routes, the European Commission will make available a list of charges and the times whey they apply throughout the EU.

The new Eurovignette rules, approved with 505 votes in favour, 141 against and 17 abstentions, still need to be formally approved by EU Member States. They may be applied as of three months after their publication in the Official Journal.

The programme will commence in July of this year and will seek to promote companies that offer the most reliable and cost effective product/service for operators in the haulage industry.

The completed directory will not be an exhaustive list of every supplier in the country but rather it will be limited to a small number of third parties who will have to pass a rigorous vetting process undertaken by IRHA head-office before inclusion in the directory.

Expressions of interest will be accepted from any provider of product / service to the sector who may choose from the category of ‘Corporate Partner’ or ‘Patron’ of the Association.

Thereafter the IRHA will undertake the necessary background checks as well as conversing with past clients of the relevant company. Third party companies will be accessed on a first come, first served basis.

The initial response to this initiative from the Association has been enthusiastic with a number of entities already committed to the programme for the first twelve months. If you feel that this is something that could be a benefit to your company and you wish to explore the offering further, please contact Jonathan in head-office for details – jonathan@irha.ie

The FTA says it supports recommendations by the Audit Commission that local authorities need to adopt greater transparency to promote more proportionate spending on the repair and maintenance of roads.

The leading transport trade body estimates that tyres and maintenance account for over 10 per cent of the costs of running a typical large truck. Malcolm Bingham, FTA’s Head of Road Network Management Policy, said:

“Commercial vehicle operators contribute massively to the economy via taxes, is it too much to ask that our roads are fit-for-purpose? After all, the not inconsiderable cost of damage caused to trucks and vans by poorly maintained roads cannot be reclaimed from the local authorities. The resulting inflation, as additional transport costs get passed to the customer, is certainly not good for UK PLC.

“The Audit Commission has identified that local highways authorities maintain 98% of the country’s roads, yet the level of spending on improving road conditions differs widely between them and seems to bear no resemblance to road condition or size of network. This has to change and we support the Commissions’ calls for greater transparency across local authorities both in benchmarking costs and whole-life maintenance plans.”

Poor road quality also has a considerable impact on road safety. While recognising that our roads are getting safer, the Road Safety Foundation identified that road collisions account for up to 2.3 per cent of the UK’s Gross National Product.

Bingham concluded: “Aside from the obvious imperative to improve the safety of all road users, with potential savings of £35bn to be found there is also a strong business case for improving safety levels on our A-roads. But the challenge doesn’t stop at better road design and could be undermined by inadequate maintenance.”

The leading trade body says it will work closely with both Alex Attwood MLA and Danny Kennedy MLA respectively to ensure that Operator licensing reform and investment in infrastructure remain firmly on the political agenda at Stormont.

Tom Wilson, FTA’s Head of Policy in Northern Ireland, said: “We welcome the appointments of both Mr Attwood and Mr Kennedy to their new roles and look forward to working closely with each of them in their individual capacities in the best interests of Northern Ireland’s logistics sector and, in a broader sense, its economic well-being.”

The primary legislation creating scope for the Operator licensing regime was passed in January 2010. However, the necessary secondary legislation has not yet been brought forward.

Wilson continued: “With Mr Attwood, our primary aim is to input into and expedite the introduction of the new O-licensing regime – essential to improve industry standards of safety and compliance.”

The individual remits of both Ministers will cover areas affecting how transport and freight operate in terms of safety, environmental performance and untapped potential to make Northern Ireland a better place to do business.

Wilson concluded: “Among Mr Kennedy’s responsibilities will be infrastructure development and the allocation of the rather limited resources now available to the new Executive. Working with the new ministerial team and MLAs across the Assembly we aim to demonstrate that investing in the supply chain is the surest route to economic recovery.”

A total of 125 HGVs were registered in April an increase of 62 per cent on the same month last year.

To date 475 HGVs have been registered an increase of 4 per cent on 2009.

SIMI Director General, Alan Nolan commented: “These commercial vehicle figures are a first tentative sign of stability beginning to return. This is the first month since 2008 that the HGVs have shown an increase and together with the increase in LCV registrations, this has to be welcomed.

Nolan continued: “These are not big numbers so statistics like this have to be viewed in context. That said, commercial vehicles are very often seen as a true barometer of economic activity and although we will need to watch future developments very carefully before drawing firm conclusions, this result has to be seen as a very welcome indicator.”