Irish Trucker Magazine Online

Truck bodies sign cooperation agreement on parking facilities
IRU, together with the International Transport Forum (ITF), earlier this week signed a cooperation agreement with the EU funded LABEL project to stimulate the development of truck parking areas (TPAs) offering sufficient levels of security and comfort.

Trucker receives jail sentence
A Dutch truck driver has received a ten-year jail sentence at a recent sitting of Dublin Circuit Court after he was found guilty of trying to transport drugs into the country.

NI haulage firm hit by taco charge
A total of 13 drivers from a Northern Ireland haulage firm have been found guilty of faking records by a court in the U.K.

Haulage industry to benefit from wage hikes
A survey carried out by IBEC has revealed that almost 20% of employers are planning wage hikes for their employees next year.

VOSA warning on overladen trucks
According to VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) despite fines of up to £5,000 excess weight tops the list as the most common offence committed by hauliers.

FTA calls for greater adherence to CPC training
The Freight Transport Association has called on its members to embrace the Driver CPC so as to avoid a backlog of mandatory training requirements towards the end of the first five year term.

Lower drink driving limits welcomed by PARC
PARC (Public Against Road Carnage) the road safety group last night gave its backing to the new legislation lowering the drink-driving limits.

EC approval for new legal framework for ITS
The decision by the European Parliament to vote in favour of a new legal framework for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) has been welcomed by the European Commission.

IRHA calls for emergency meeting with Minister O’Keeffe
The Irish Road Hauliers Association has called on Batt O’Keeffe the Enterprise Minister for an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis confronting the transport industry.

Pressure begins to mount on MEPs over WTD
The passing of legislation at the European Commission standardising working time directives has now come under pressure just days after its introduction.

Truckers facing more legal problems as stowaways on increase
The thorny question of stowaways on HGVs has created an extra burden for unwitting transporters who now face an increased chance of impinging on the law as the incidents of stowaways has been on the up.

First build parking areas, then deploy Intelligent Transport Systems
Addressing the European Commission’s Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Conference 2010 and a special workshop on Intelligent Truck Parking, IRU Head of Goods Transport & Facilitation, Peter Krausz, welcomed the growing interest in secure truck parking areas to ensure driver, vehicle and cargo security, as well as road safety and respect of social regulations.

VOSA gain powers to stop vehicles without police support
VOSA looks likely to receive stronger powers for roadside checks if a consultation process currently being discussed is passed later this year.

Stricter drink driving laws for professional drivers voted into law
Despite facing strong opposition, the new drink driving laws were passed through the Dail on Wednesday evening last.

Custom and security issues tops agenda for IRU meet with Belarussian and Ukrainian authorities
The IRU has welcomed a delegation of high-level officials from the Ministry of Transport and Customs administrations of Belarus and Ukraine to introduce them to the use and benefits of the IRU electronic pre-declaration (TIR-EPD) and SafeTIR data reporting systems.

IRU and Georgia set to cement road agreements
A meeting between a delegation from the International Road Transport Union and the First Vice Premier of Georgia, Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, David Tkeshelashvili took place in Georgia.

UK Transport body in talks with Treasury ahead of emergency budget
The UK Coalition Government who are set to introduce an emergency budget this coming Tuesday 22 June sparked an ‘emergency’ meeting between the UK’s powerful Freight Transport Association and an official of the treasury.

IRU deplores EU working time vote
The International Road Transport Union has reacted strongly against the decision by MEP’s not to give exemption to self-employed truckers in the working ban.

RHA adds its voice to debate on ‘no’ vote for drivers working time
Following on from the EU vote on not allowing exemption for self-employed drivers in the working time ban the UK’s powerful transport association the Road Hauliers Association has called for a single set of rules for HGV drivers to help clarify matters.

No time exemption for self-employed truckers
Self-employed truckers will not be exempted from rules on working hours, after a proposal was rejected by MEPs.

IRU propose shift of emphasis from toxic to carbon emissions for HGVs
The Internatonal Road Transport Union has outlined its proposal to shift the legislative focus for heavy commercial vehicles from toxic emissions to CO2 emissions.

Call from Irish politician to vote down truck driver ‘working time ban’
The controversial proposal to allow self-employed truck drivers being exempt from ‘working hour’ rules has now come smack into the Irish limelight with Labour MEP, Proinsias De Rossa calling on his fellow MEPs to vote down the proposal.

Drivers’ rest time focus of Spanish seminar
In addressing a Road Transprt seminar organised by the IRU Spanish Member Association (ASTIC), Mr. George Causse, President of the IRU’s Commission on Social Affairs outlined the IRU’s views on key issues relating to the EU social rules framework for road transport.

HGVs revised weight and dimensions up for discussion
The International Road Transport Union (IRU) has said that it has welcomed the decision y Deutsche Bahn’s willingness to discuss the introduction of revised weight and dimensions for Heavy Goods Vehicles to increase EU transport system efficiency.

EU looks to strengthen partnership for transport and logistics
According to Slim Kalls, Vice President and Europea Commissioner for Transport the decision by the eleven countries belonging to the Northern Dimension Partnership for Transport and Logistics (NDPTL) decision to endorse the setting up of a secretariat for the partnership in the framework of the TEN-T is an important milestone in shaping the transport policy in the region.

IRU holds seminars on Digital Tachograph use in non EU AETR countries
In an effort to bring a universal standard to the use of digital tachographs, the International Road Transport Union Academy is holding a number of seminars.

Commission sends a formal request to Ireland on port state control
The European Commission sent (Thursday) a reasoned opinion to the Irish authorities for failing to properly implement the EU directive on port state control.

Rogue truckers put lives at risk
Assistant Garda Commissioner Kevin Ludlow has come out against rogue truckers who use magnets to diasble tachographs and which also disconnects their anti-lock braking system.

Speed cameras to operate in the dark
Drivers who speed under the cover of darkness will now face the the ‘all seeing’ new speed cameras set to come into play in an effort to save up to fifty lives each year on Irish roads.

Better transport rather than more transport backed by IRU
At the annual meeting meeting of the Internatioanal Transport Forum on “Transport and innovation: Unleashing the Potential”, which brought together over 800 delegates from around the world, including Transport Ministers, industry leaders and academics, the IRU presented, in partnership with its German Member Association BGL e.V., the innovative Modular Concept as the solution to help promote multimodal transport.

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Features

Legislation looms large
Three pieces of legislation, two national and one European could have far reaching consequences for the Irish road haulage industry. John Loughran reports.

Taxing times
The hard-pressed haulage industry will be hit with yet another layer of taxation next January, when the Government's controversial Carbon Energy Tax finally comes on stream. Words: John Loughran

Legislation update
John Loughran examines three EU Directives that will have far reaching consequences for the Irish Transport industry when they are finally adopted and reviews the Carriage of Dangerous Goods Act which came into force on April 1st.

A burning issue
The Solid Fuel Industry Association is seeking the backing of the haulage industry in its attempt to have a proposal to ban the nationwide sale of bituminous coal and petcoke rejected.

Prompt payment legislation is welcome news for truckers
Proposed new legislation currently being drafted by the Government which will mean that all payments in the public and private sector must be made within 30 days has been warmly welcomed by the Irish Road Haulage Association, But, not everyone is happy with the announcement, writes John Loughran.

Whistle Blowers scheme gets favourable response
Traffic Watch, an innovative "whistle blowing" blowing scheme aimed at curbing speeding and aggressive driving in counties Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny and Tipperary has received more than 300 calls in its first 10 weeks of operation.