Irish Trucker Magazine Online

Slowdown in job losses
The month of June recorded a slowdown in the amount of job losses in Ireland amid speculation that the global economic recession may have hit rock bottom.

IBEC express concern over job losses
With almost 160,000 jobs lost in the year to March 2009, IBEC, the group that represents Irish business admits that the crisis is worsening.

New EU transport policy on way
The EU Commission’s publication on the future of European Transport Policy (IRU) has been welcomed by the International Road Transport Union.

Minister to consider licence revoke
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey has now enough evidence to revoke a convicted drug dealer of his haulage licence according to the Garda Ombudsman.

DTA chairman resigns
The chairman of the Dublin Transport Authority, Tom Mulcahy has informed Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey of his decision to resign from the position.

Watchdog blasts speed camera issue
Ireland has been criticised over its failure to implement the privitisation of speed cameras on the country’s roads by the European Transport Safety Council.

EC look to close tachograph loopholes
The European Commission and pan-European law enforcement organisation TISPOL have launched a campaign to bring an end to the loopholes and inconsistencies created by the introduction of the digital tachograph.

Trucker faces jail term
A Northern Ireland lorry driver is facing a jail term after he admitted carrying 300 kilos of cannabis resin in his truck when stopped in Scotland.

Clampdown on rogue driving instructors
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has stressed that any unregulated driving instructors for both car and heavy goods vehicles will face prosecution, if they don’t adhere to new regulations introduced.

Work disputes on the rise
The number of workplace disputes being referred to the Labour Court has increased by 30%, it has been revealed.

Irish drivers escape points
Drivers in Southern Ireland that are buying cars registered in Northern Ireland have been trying to avoid incurring penalty points, according to the Department of Transport.

Lorry driver acquitted
A Dublin lorry driver has been acquitted by a jury at the Galway Circuit Criminal Court of dangerous driving, which caused the death of a woman.

Job search reaches crisis point
The chances of any successful seeking employment at the moment are slim after a study revealed that there are 10,000 fewer jobs available compared to this time last year.

Major cigarette haul uncovered
The Revenue Commission has revealed that custom officers have seized over three million cigarettes from a container at Rosslare Europort, which was destined to be sold on the Irish market.

Conference to reduce transport emissions
A conference will be held to highlight the problems that carbon emissions are causing within the transport industry.

Truck dealership in plea to court
A truck dealership facing prosecution for selling a lorry crane, which had been involved in a fatal accident, has asked the High Court to halt proceedings under the health and safety legislation.

Speed cameras on hold
The privitisation of speed cameras is set to go ahead, but politicians have stressed that it will not happen this year in a bid to cut costs.

Southern businesses suffering
A survey has revealed that more jobs are being lost in the south compared to the north of Ireland with a large number of lay offs in the haulage industry.

Gardai prosecuting Laois motorway contractors
There is a Garda crackdown on Truck Drivers involved in the motorway project in Laois after claims that they were using roads deemed unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles.

RSA crack down on HGV breaches
The Road Safety Authority has revealed that the state body will be tendering for a legal firm to prosecute companies that breach the road haulage legislation.

Driving test to go green
The Department of Transport has announced plans to introduce a new syllabus to the driving test that will include the haulage drivers’ licence.

More points on way
Drivers will have to be extra vigilant as the Department of Transport is set to introduce an extra 28 offences under the penalty points system.

Penalty points for bridge collisions
Any hauliers that collide with an overhead bridge will receive three penalty points for the offence after new legislation was introduced from today (May 1st).

Motor dealers face jail over price fixing
A car and Light commercial dealership along with two of its former directors will be sentenced in June after they were found guilty of price fixing.

Hauliers’ big smoking offenders
Commercial drivers are the biggest offenders of the smoking ban in Northern Ireland as nine out of the ten people fined, drive for a living.

Confusion surrounds VTN penalty points
Hauliers and van drivers that have not got their vehicles tested may face incurring penalty from May 1st, despite the backlog in waiting for a test.

Officials knew of criminal record
The Department of Transport were informed on three separate occasions over the last two years that convicted drug trafficker Kieran Boylan had a criminal record, according to Gardai.

IRHA seek explanation
The Irish Road Haulage Association has requested a meeting with the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey over a convicted drug trafficker obtaining a road haulage licence.

TD calls for answers
Labour spokesman for Justice Pat Rabbitte has blasted the Government for their failure to act swiftly in regards to the awarding of two haulage licences to a convicted drug trafficker.

Customs seize 175,000 litres of fuel
A cross border operation has resulted in the seizure of 175,000 litres of fuel during 19 raids in Armagh, Monaghan and Donegal.

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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.