2015 Features List
Deadlines are three weeks before publication
January 12
MT Awards launch
Chemicals sector report
The recession saw significant merger and acquisition activity in the chemicals transport market that Hoyer
said in June 2013 was in “steady decline”– is this now over or are the biggest going to go on getting
bigger? In such a specialist sector, where barriers to entry are high, rates would normally be higher than in
general haulage, but profits remain thin on the ground. What are the prospects for 2015?
January 26
Trailers
It is now three years since the launch of the longer semi-trailer trial and there should finally be all 1,800 on
the road and generating data to inform the DfT’s decision on whether to allow LSTs to continue operating
on Britain’s roads after the trial ends. What is the operators’ experience of LSTs, what is their potential to
increase efficiency and should the scope or length of the trial be expanded, possibly to try out increased
maximum gross weights?
February 9
Parcels
How did the B2C home delivery carriers cope with Christmas? Is capacity now better aligned with demand
for online shopping and what has happened to rates? What is the strategy of major players such as
Amazon and Next for their order fulfilment and delivery in 2015 and how is this affecting the carriers? Has
everyone now caught up with Predict or is DPD still leading the way? What will be the next battleground
for carriers – evening and weekend deliveries, even more flexibility in terms of delivery options, even later
cut-off times for next day delivery – or will price remain king?
February 23
Telematics
In-cab tracking and telematics can improve the performance of drivers and productivity of vehicles
immensely, but is there an even bigger win on the horizon by integrating data from several fleets to reveal
where there is spare carrying capacity and matching it to available loads? Are big clients like
supermarkets pushing their transport contractors to pool their data and so operate more like a single fleet
to improve efficiency and so cut costs? Who will own and control this data – the operators, the client or a
telematics company?
March 9
Ad study
Repair and maintenance
Has Euro-6 meant the end of fleet operators doing their own R&M? Are these trucks really too complicated
for in-house workshops to handle or has the difficulty in looking after these vehicles been over-stated? If
there is still a trend towards third party R&M who is picking up the business? Are franchised dealers the
best or only option when buying a new truck with an R&M package or are specialist third party workshops
gaining market share? How important is having a good local dealer or workshop when it comes to
choosing which truck to buy? Which manufacturers are getting it right?
March 30
CV Show guide insert and preview
April 13
Multimodal preview
Oils and lubes
Has the arrival of Euro-6 meant a significant change in the engine oils used by HGV operators? Oil
companies usually advise paying more for a top quality synthetic lube – but what type of oil really offers
best value for money? How many operators are using oil analysis to determine the optimum oil change
interval, how many stick rigorously to the truck maker’s recommended intervals and how many haven’t a
clue and just leave it to their R&M contractor?
May 4
CV Show review
May 11
MT Awards shortlist
Tip-ex/Tank-ex preview
Online grocery deliveries
What is the best approach to grocery home delivery? Fleets of vans based at superstores or dedicated
DCs serving just online shopping? How many drops a day does a driver need to make to make home
delivery a profitable operation? In any given evening, a typical suburban street could see four or five
different delivery vans dropping off shopping to different houses – is there scope for a collaborative home
delivery joint venture to cut down on delivery mileage and manpower? Is the carbon footprint of home
delivery better or worse than a weekly trip to the supermarket in a family car?
May 25
Tyres
When it comes to keeping a fleet shod in rubber, there is a wide range of options available – budget v
premium, pay as you go or ppk, do it yourself or a managed contract, etc. Taking a typical fleet of 50 to
100 vehicles doing a mixture of work from trunking to regional deliveries as an example, what are the
options and how can a fleet manager evaluate them all and work out the best long term approach?
June 8
Training
Now that drivers are required to undergo periodic training, isn’t it time that transport managers are under a
statutory duty to keep up to date? CPC holders called before a traffic commissioner for failing to meet the
O-licence undertakings are often sent on refresher courses, but why not change the law so transport
managers – like airline pilots, opticians and chartered engineers – are required to undergo compulsory
continuous professional development (CPD)? What sort of training would CPC holders benefit from –
apart from the obvious legal updates?
June 15
Tip-ex/Tank-ex review
Cameras
In-cab cameras are becoming an increasingly popular option for CV operators, both to improve driver
behaviour and to defend bogus cash for cash scams. But are cameras alone enough or are they far more
effective when fitted in conjunction with a telematics system? Are there now proven cost reductions from
fitting cameras and which way should they face – towards the driver or out of windscreen? Are all cameras
the same or are there cheap poor quality products out there that should be avoided?
June 22
Load security
The DVSA is clamping down on insecure loads – but who should be responsible if a driver hooks up his
unit to a badly loaded trailer? How far can drivers be expected to check and even refuse a trailer that has
been loaded before he gets on site? There are also different views on what constitutes proper load
securing – if a trailer is built to the EN12642 standard for example does the load still require securing or
are the curtains regarded as the adequate load restraint? Health and safety largely rules out drivers
climbing onto trailers to secure loads – have the latest restraint systems that use straps hanging from roof
rails solved this problem and have they caught on?
June 29
Pallet distribution
Despite much speculation during the recession there has been no consolidation among the UK’s pallet
networks. With the economy finally picking up, what will happen to pallet network volumes? Will they
continue to grow and rates improve or will shippers shift to 3PL pallet carriers, especially for premium next
day services? What are the pros and cons of using a national shared user carrier like TNT, ND or even
Parcelforce compared with one of the pallet networks? Are pallet networks struggling to find enough good
regional hauliers to become members and will this ultimately limit their growth? Will poaching of the best
operators by the strongest networks eventually force consolidation of the market?
July 6
All the news from the MT Awards
July 20
Cash is king
While operating margins remain painfully thin for many hauliers, it is often poor cash flow rather than low
profitability that kills many businesses. With drivers wanting paying in seven days, fuel companies in 14
days and most other bills due within 30 days, how can hauliers survive when their customers pay in 60 or
even 90 days? Why should the transport industry effectively bankroll their customers’ businesses with free
30 or 60 days loans? Would anti-late-payment legislation make any difference or is it up to the industry to
put its collective foot down and refuse unreasonable payment terms?
August 10
Fuel theft
Just how big a problem is the theft of diesel from bunkers and vehicle tanks? Few operators will admit to
having a problem, but is most fuel theft committed by drivers rather than masked bandits? What can
operators do to measure and manage the problem? It has been said that the side view cameras fitted to
spot cyclists have cut down on fuel theft as they also monitor illicit activity around fuel tanks – is there any
evidence of this?
September 7
Driver CPC
One year on, what has been the impact of the deadline for drivers to get their 35 hours periodic training?
How many drivers have quit the industry and how many might still be driving illegally? DVSA promised a
clampdown on drivers without the DQC – how many have been fined or lost their licences? Are operators
being held to account by traffic commissioners for failing to train their employed drivers or is it purely the
drivers’ responsibility to ensure they are legal? What changes is the DfT making to the Driver CPC regime
to ensure it is not just a tick box exercise?
September 21
Ad study
Tachographs
The latest EU legislation affecting drivers’ hours and tachographs
October 5
Finance
Euro-6 trucks cost more than Euro-5 – right? But is anyone actually buying Euro-6 or do most operators
now regard truck ownership as an outdated concept? Is leasing or contract hire the now preferred option
for acquiring assets? Who is putting up the cash for these deals – specialists like CVL, Ryder and
Dawsons or the truck manufacturers? If a fleet operator does want to raise a few million to renew its fleet,
what are the options? Are the banks back in the game or are they still wary of lending to transport
companies? What are current levels of debt among fleet operators and are rates and profits now high
enough to fund the renewal of the UK truck parc?
October 19
Traffic commissioners
All operators hope they will never meet their traffic commissioner but they perform a vital role in keeping
road transport safe, legal and fair. We review their work as reported in the TCs’ annual report and look at
the key issues facing the industry’s regulators.
November 2
Grocery distribution
Supermarkets led the way towards dedicated distribution to stores from large multi-temperature RDCs run
by 3PLs 20 years ago – but what approach are the big four grocery retailers taking now? While dedicated
DCs are still the way to go for the high service levels required by modern supermarkets without large
backroom stores, will some element of shared user transport make a comeback to cut costs and improve
vehicle fill? How far can a dedicated store delivery fleet be used to make collections of inbound products
from manufacturers without affecting service to stores? What routeing/scheduling/tracking technology are
the supermarkets using to maximise vehicle productivity? How much is done in-house and what is the role
for 3PLs in today’s supermarket distribution world?
MT Top 100
November 16
Cycle safety
The construction logistics industry is investing hundreds of thousands of pounds in equipment and driver
training to reduce cyclist casualties – so have the numbers of accidents involving HGVs in 2015 seen a
significant reduction compared with previous years? It might seem obvious that fitting more safety
equipment must make trucks safer – but is there now hard evidence that this is in fact the case? If so,
what kit works best without distracting or overloading the driver with information? Is the Clocs’ WRRR
standard now widely accepted by construction clients or do some still like to specify additional equipment
over and above the agreed specs? What is the role of FORS in cycle safety and will the Gold standard
include effective cycle safety measures?
December 7
Quiet Cities review
Full report from the Quiet Cities conference and exhibition
MT cost tables