Speaking after a warning from French economy minister Emmanuel Macron last week that a Brexit would bring an end to the juxtaposed border controls set up under the Treaty of Le Touquet in 2003, FTA deputy MD James Hookham said: “It’s one of our red-line issues, to keep the juxtaposed controls in place.

“At the moment, trucks go through British immigration controls in French territory so any immigrants found will be removed onto French soil and remain in France. Should that revert to where we were conventionally, they would land in Britain and become the responsibility of the British government,” he said. “If that arises, it would be a free-for-all among migrants.”

Whether such a relocation would really be forced by a Brexit is not clear. A statement last month to this effect by prime minister David Cameron drew fire as a scaremongering tactic within the ongoing EU referendum debate; the Home Office, meanwhile, has so far declined to comment on the implications of a Brexit for the juxtaposed border arrangement.

RHA policy director Jack Semple said it would prefer to avoid speculating on what might happen in the event of a Brexit but added: “The core issue is that migrants are desperate to get to the UK and as long as that is the case, they will see lorries as their best chance of getting here.”

Despite the unrest sparked earlier this week by the partial removal of the ‘Jungle’ camp, both the FTA and RHA continue to support the move, the RHA labelling it “a positive first step… to get the crossings back to normal” and the FTA repeating previous calls for the camp to be moved “away from the motorway and Eurotunnel facility”.

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The contract, which extends a 10-year relationship, involves the transport of some 50,000 pallets a year from Newell Rubbermaid’s Lichfield DC to retailers including Tesco and Amazon, Andyfreight commercial services manager John Powell said.

Newell Rubbermaid’s well-known products include Parker and Papermate pens, Irwin tools and Graco baby products.

Andyfreight MD Andy Pountney said the contract extension was “testament to the efficiency and service we provide to all of our customers” and would allow the firm “to continue to grow the business steadily”.

Andyfreight, which runs 23 artics, 50 trailers and seven 18-tonners, will be celebrating its 30^th anniversary in December.

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The site, which it said would create 500 new permanent jobs over three years, should begin operating this autumn.

“Amazon has a dedicated and enthusiastic workforce who play a crucial role in delivering a first-rate level of service for our customers and we look forward to recruiting people from Leicestershire and the surrounding area,” said John Tagawa, Amazon’s vice president of UK operations.

The move was welcomed by Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, who said he was “pleased that such a reputable company has confidence in the area”.

The new site will join Amazon’s ten other fulfilment centres, which comprise two in Doncaster – including the one opened late last year in Water Vole Way – along with others at Dunfermline, Dunstable, Gourock, Hemel Hempstead, Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Rugeley (pictured) and Swansea Bay.

The retailer has separately denied suggestions that it may be about to occupy another same-size site in Sevington, near Ashford, in Kent.

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Simon Gibson Transport, founded 16 years ago, employs 138 staff and runs a fleet of 94 vehicles.

The firm, which managed to double its turnover and profit between 2012 and 2014, is particularly active in the construction, glass, foundry, plastics and food sectors and was the winner of the Tanker Safety Award at the Tip-ex and Tank-ex 2015 Awards.

GCA, which is active in the chemical, hydrocarbons, construction and dry bulk sectors and already runs sites in the UK at Brentwood, Widnes and Billingham, has so far not commented on its 75% acquisition of the business.

However, Simon Gibson, who retains the remaining 25%, told Motortransport.co.uk: “While the business is in a very strong position, we will now enjoy the backing of a major European player to enable us to offer a wider variety of services to existing and potential new customers.

“We are still hungry to expand and being part of a large group gives the business the financial security we need to take advantage of market opportunities and handle larger contracts in order to continue to grow the business further,” he added.

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The agreement, which follows almost two months of talks at conciliation body Acas, provides for further negotiations between the DfT, the DVSA and the unions in the next few weeks to put a final resolution in place over the DVSA’s modernisation of employment and next generation testing (NGT) contracts.

It is anticipated a final resolution will be reached at the end of March.

Both unions began a series of strikes over their concerns about the contracts affecting staff such as driving test examiners, vehicle testers and roadside enforcement officers last November.

These were only suspended when the DVSA agreed to return to the negotiating table in early December.

Under the terms of the interim agreement, the DVSA will undertake three separate studies relating to driving examiners’ working time and flexible working options, as well as revisiting a number of issues in relation to the new NGT contracts including travel times, nights-away arrangements and holiday notice periods.

While the agreement is only temporary, both unions have sounded a positive note about it.

In a written statement, Prospect said: “Difficult and challenging times and discussions remain ahead, but with the commitment from the DVSA and DfT for negotiations… a glimmer of light may well be showing.”

The PCS, meanwhile, said “significant progress” had been made on the issues it was concerned with.

The DVSA declined to comment individually on the interim agreement, but a joint statement with the unions said all three parties were “very encouraged by the positive way these talks have progressed”.

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However, the FTA conceded that moving the whole camp to a different location much further away from the port and Eurotunnel terminal, as it has previously called for, might be “a tricky issue”.

Speaking after a meeting yesterday with Xavier Bertrand, newly elected president of the Nord Pas de Calais Picardie region, FTA head of European policy Pauline Bastidon said moving the camp was “not that easy” from a practical point of view and would necessarily involve the agreement of not just regional but national authorities in France.

While moving the camp would undoubtedly help to reduce the numbers of migrants in Calais, she said, determining a new location was something that would need careful consideration.

“We wouldn't want to remove the camp from Calais and end up with another one in Zeebrugge or Cherbourg,” she cautioned.

The planned removal of the southern portion of the current camp, however – believed to contain 800-1,200 migrants - should help alleviate their numbers in the region.

At the meeting yesterday,  which also involved the RHA, Eurotunnel and P&O, Bertrand confirmed he was to meet today (18 February) with the British ambassador in Paris to discuss the problems in Calais. He also pledged to raise the issue at the forthcoming Franco-British summit on 3 March.

A further meeting between those at yesterday’s talks is being planned for April.

Finding a permanent solution remains tricky though. “We need to be realistic,” Bastidon said. “It’s a very complex problem that involves many different layers of government, many stakeholders and many different parameters that will be tricky to resolve in six months.”

RHA chief executive Richard Burnett said the meeting with Bertrand had been “a step towards a concerted effort to eliminate the problems in the Calais area”.

He added: “It was immediately apparent and encouraging to learn that all those present were of the same, firm opinion that the issue must be addressed by those on both sides of the Channel.

“Many [vehicle] operators are now taking longer and more expensive routes in order to avoid the risks of travelling via Calais,” he continued. “This is adding substantial cost to the supply chain and transport companies will not return to Calais until and unless they can be confident that the safety of their drivers can be assured and the problem has been resolved.”

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“It was an easy decision to move to a sole provider relationship with Goodyear,” commented MD Steve Benton. “The KMax product is an impressive performer on mileage with strong EU tyre label ratings.”

Benton opted for the deal after taking receipt of some new trailers fitted with KMax tyres last year.

“We’ve been impressed with the product and support offered by Goodyear,” added Benton.

The post Steve Benton Transport signs five-year deal with Goodyear appeared first on Motor Transport.

The T460 6x2 tractors, supplied by Renault Truck Commercials on a three-year contract hire deal through BRS, join a 300-strong fleet and are being used for double shifting 24/7 across South Wales, London and the Midlands within the firm’s retail division.

“We had a fleet seed on long-term trial and the fuel return was very impressive,” said Owens Group operations director, Ian Owen. “The new Range Ts have only been on the road for a few weeks but we are already seeing up to 9.5mpg, which we expect will improve further as the vehicles run in.”

Owen said he believed the new trucks would also help attract drivers.

“Attracting and retaining the best drivers is fundamental to the success of our business,” he said. “Having the best trucks on the market helps us to achieve this objective and the new tractor units have been enthusiastically received.

“Our drivers like the layout and size of the cab, position of the controls and the modern look, and have awarded top marks for comfort, too,” he added.

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Border Force officers discovered the drugs in 18 separate parcels during a search on 21 and 22 December. An investigation was subsequently begun by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

A Border Force spokeswoman told Motortransport.co.uk she could not say how the search had come about but confirmed it was a UPS site.

A UPS spokesman told Motortransport.co.uk: “UPS works very closely with UK and global customs agencies as well as international authorities to ensure imports into the UK are correctly screened.

"We regret we are unable to provide details on particular investigations as it is company policy not to elaborate on specific security measures.”

The NCA has not yet confirmed whether any arrests have been made in relation to the find or where it believes the drugs originated.

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The firm, which runs seven artics on grocery distribution work, had the first downlights fitted to a new SDC triaxle curtainsider in late January.

Director Vic Dellicolli told Freightinthecity he was very pleased with the system so far and was already looking to retrofit it to a second, fridge trailer, with more of his predominantly temperature-controlled trailer fleet set to be fitted out thereafter.

The downlights, fitted along the side of the trailer, come on when the regular vehicle lights are activated; illuminate automatically when a vehicle is travelling at less than 15kph; and also flash in conjunction with the indicator lights when a vehicle is turning. They also work as an extension to a vehicle's regular hazard warning lights.

Dellicolli said he was particularly pleased with the indicator function of the new lights. “Even a cyclist with his head down in driving rain can’t miss eight flashing lights on the side of the trailer,” he said. “Anything you can do to make a vehicle more conspicuous and hopefully safer is worth looking at.”

The system should also help make reversing at night in a dark yard less risky, he added. “Any extra lighting should save all those bumps and scrapes that nobody can explain!” said Dellicolli.

Mercedes-Benz has been trialling the system for its factory-fit potential (pictured).

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