Peter Steele – Motor Transport https://motortransport.co.uk UK haulage, distribution and logistics news Tue, 30 Apr 2019 10:28:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.4 Cost of clean air zone compliance may see operators abandon clients in affected areas, survey finds https://motortransport.co.uk/blog/2019/04/30/cost-of-clean-air-zone-compliance-may-see-operators-abandon-clients-in-affected-areas-survey-finds/ Tue, 30 Apr 2019 10:19:13 +0000 http://motortransport.co.uk/?p=41713 A majority of operators would consider leaving a client if the introduction of a clean air or low emission zone meant that doing business with them would no longer pay, according to the findings of the Asset Alliance Industry Monitor 2019. The report– now in its second year and launched today (30 April) at the [...]

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A majority of operators would consider leaving a client if the introduction of a clean air or low emission zone meant that doing business with them would no longer pay, according to the findings of the Asset Alliance Industry Monitor 2019.

The report– now in its second year and launched today (30 April) at the CV Show – surveyed the readers of Commercial Motor and Motor Transport – comprising MDs, owners and senior managers at UK road transport businesses.

It revealed that 57% would move on from customers due to the financial impact of urban environmental legislation, while less than a quarter (23%) would remain loyal irrespective of the cost of clean air compliance to them.

With the London Ultra Low Emission Zone having gone live on 8 April, and Birmingham and Leeds set to follow suit next year, the pressure to comply with a minimum standard of Euro-6 or face fines is ratcheting up.

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Some 60% of those surveyed said that the purchase of compliant vehicles was having a detrimental effect on the cost of doing business, while 59% said local authorities had not been effective in communicating their clean air plans.

Willie Paterson, CEO, Asset Alliance

Asset Alliance Group CEO Willie Paterson (pictured) said: “The road transport sector works with low margins, and the introduction of more stringent environmental legislation is tough.

"The fact that more than half of fleets may walk away from existing customers because of rising costs puts the challenges we are facing into stark reality. Our focus continues to be supporting operators to manage their fleets and balance sheets to ensure they remain sustainable and open to opportunities of scale.”

Main photo: PA Images

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Aquarius helps operators prepare for introduction of smart tachographs in 2019 https://motortransport.co.uk/blog/2019/01/23/aquarius-helps-operators-prepare-for-introduction-of-smart-tachographs-in-2019/ Wed, 23 Jan 2019 10:37:30 +0000 https://motortransport.co.uk/?p=39905 Download this exclusive white paper from digital tachograph analysis specialists Aquarius to help you prepare for the next generation of tachographs. The next generation of digital tachograph technology often referred to as smart tachographs, will change the way that tachographs are used across the road transport industry following the introduction of EU legislation Annex 1C from [...]

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Download this exclusive white paper from digital tachograph analysis specialists Aquarius to help you prepare for the next generation of tachographs.

The next generation of digital tachograph technology often referred to as smart tachographs, will change the way that tachographs are used across the road transport industry following the introduction of EU legislation Annex 1C from June 2019.

With all new truck requiring the installation of smart tachographs from this point, operators will have a further five years to retrofit such devices to existing vehicles on the fleet. And because the legislation was passed in 2014, and enacted in 2016, it will not be affected by Brexit.

This white paper, presented and prepared by digital tachograph analysis specialists Aquarius exclusively for Motortransport.co.uk, is designed to help operators with the transition to smart tachographs.

Inside it explains how roadside enforcement will work; what geo-positioning of smart tachographs means for road transport operators and how it works in conjunction with earned recognition.

It also looks at how data sharing from the smart tachograph can improve fleet operations.

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Eight ‘billionaires’ now form the Motor Transport Top 100, 2018’s list reveals https://motortransport.co.uk/blog/2018/11/27/eight-billionaires-now-form-the-motor-transport-top-100-2018s-list-reveals/ Tue, 27 Nov 2018 15:26:23 +0000 https://motortransport.co.uk/?p=39167 Eight road transport and logistics businesses now have an annual turnover in excess of £1bn. They are: Royal Mail; DHL; XPO Logistics; FedEx Corporation (comprising FedEx and TNT); DPD Group UK; UPS; Wincanton and Menzies Distribution. The billionaires dominate the Motor Transport Top 100. Collectively they are responsible for 71% of all people employed by [...]

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Eight road transport and logistics businesses now have an annual turnover in excess of £1bn.

They are: Royal Mail; DHL; XPO Logistics; FedEx Corporation (comprising FedEx and TNT); DPD Group UK; UPS; Wincanton and Menzies Distribution.

The billionaires dominate the Motor Transport Top 100. Collectively they are responsible for 71% of all people employed by the Top 100 businesses in road transport, 63% of all turnover and 70% of all pre-tax profit generated.

Kuehne + Nagel; Hermes; Eddie Stobart and Whistl come next on the rankings with a turnover in excess of £500m per annum. The newly created EV Cargo is set to join them next year at the very top of the rankings with a turnover of approximately £628m.

There are five new entries in the Top 100 this year, pointing towards the considerable amount of merger and acquisition activity the sector has seen in recent years.

Kinaxia, which has just purchased its 11th haulier Fresh Freight, makes its first appearance in the Top 100 – and will rise many places higher than its current spot at 41 once AKW Group is bedded in.

The bar for entry continues to rise as well, so commiserations to Neill & Brown Global Logistics Group, ranked 101st with a turnover of £24.1m.

However, while some 71 of the 100 businesses demonstrated turnover growth only, less than half (42) saw pre-tax profit climb layin bare the increasing cost pressure road transport businesses face.

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Major new player EV Cargo set to shake-up UK road transport industry https://motortransport.co.uk/blog/2018/11/23/major-new-player-ev-cargo-set-to-shake-up-uk-road-transport-industry/ Fri, 23 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000 https://motortransport.co.uk/?p=39003 EmergeVest, the Hong Kong-based private-equity investor that has acquired CM Downton, NFT Distribution and Palletforce over the past four years, has merged its road transport and logistics assets into one company: EV Cargo. It has created a business that would rank 11th in the Motor Transport Top 100 and is now the largest privately-owned operator [...]

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EmergeVest, the Hong Kong-based private-equity investor that has acquired CM Downton, NFT Distribution and Palletforce over the past four years, has merged its road transport and logistics assets into one company: EV Cargo.

It has created a business that would rank 11th in the Motor Transport Top 100 and is now the largest privately-owned operator in the UK.

EV Cargo is a result of the consolidation of software firm Adjuno, freight-forwarder Allport Cargo Services, ambient distribution specialist CM Downton, temperature-controlled logistics operator NFT Distribution, 4PL Jigsaw and the 98-member strong Palletforce network.

The newly formed business has nine million ft2 of warehousing space, and approximately 5,000 employees – including 2,200 drivers.

The combined businesses have 175 UK operating centres as well as 18 overseas operations - albeit Palletforce has 98 haulier members and 116 depots.

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EV Cargo will run under four main operating segments: Express; Global Forwarding; Logistics and Technology. The four chief executives of each division – to be announced at a later date – are joined on the executive board by EmergeVest founder Heath Zarin (pictured), now chief executive of EV Cargo.

EmergeVest MD Simon Pearson becomes chief strategy officer. Mark Davis, secretary of NFT Distribution Financing, also serves on the executive board as general counsel.

Heath Zarin, EV Cargo chief executive, said: “We are excited to announce the creation of EV Cargo, bringing together our UK logistics and technology platform into a unified £850m corporate structure.

"EV Cargo will continue our existing strategy of delivering mission-critical supply chain services powered by people, technology, innovation and sustainability.

“By working closer together and creating additional capabilities, we will provide new and existing customers with access to a wider range of leading-edge integrated solutions,” he added.

In 2017 group revenue from UK road transport related activities stood at approximately £628m (although year-ends for the businesses comprising such activity vary from 30 March 2017 to 31 December 2017).

EV Cargo would rank 11th by turnover on that basis in the Motor Transport Top 100 – published on Monday (26 November).

Pre-tax profit for the group companies in 2017 stood at £10.9m, and the number of employees associated with such activity stood at 4,502.

 

 

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Clean Air Zones and the Ultra Low Emission Zone, in association with Ryder: Where are they and how do HGV operators stay compliant? https://motortransport.co.uk/blog/2018/11/22/clean-air-zones/ Thu, 22 Nov 2018 13:53:33 +0000 https://motortransport.co.uk/?p=38985 Clean Air Zones and the Ultra Low Emission Zone are coming and you can count on Ryder to help ensure that your vehicles are ready. Please bookmark this page to ensure Motortransport.co.uk and Ryder keep you up to date with these key legislative changes. We are here to provide you with information and advice on [...]

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Clean Air Zones and the Ultra Low Emission Zone are coming and you can count on Ryder to help ensure that your vehicles are ready.

Please bookmark this page to ensure Motortransport.co.uk and Ryder keep you up to date with these key legislative changes. We are here to provide you with information and advice on this ever-changing landscaped to help you stay compliant.

 

CLEAN AIR ZONES

Heathrow Street, Leeds

In May 2017 DEFRA and the DfT published the Clean Air Zone Framework which set out the principles for the operation of Clean Air Zones in England. It provided the expected approach to be taken by local authorities when implementing and operating a Clean Air Zone.

A Clean Air Zone defines an area where targeted action is taken to improve air quality and resources are prioritised and coordinated in order to shape the urban environment in a way that delivers improved health benefits and supports economic growth.

The first phase of cities tasked by DEFRA with reducing levels of nitrogen dioxide (NOx) by 2020 to meet EU standards comprises of Birmingham, Derby, Leeds, Nottingham, and Southampton. They had been directed to consider the creation of Clean Air Zones to achieve this.

Following the publication of the framework, Birmingham Leeds and Southampton are moving forward with Clean Air Zones, but Derby and Nottingham have opted for alternative means to reduce air pollution levels.

As part of Phase Two, a further 23 councils in England have been asked to produce Local Action Plans to tackle hot spots of severe air pollution in their area.

Phase Three will see another 33 local authority areas in England submit Local Action Plans.

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST CLEAN AIR ZONE NEWS ON MOTORTRANSPORT.CO.UK

LONDON ULTRA LOW EMISSION ZONE

Plans to reduce emission levels in London are more advanced than in other cities across England. An Ultra Low Emission Zone, covering the existing central Congestion Charging Zone, will be in effect from 8 April 2019.

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST ULTRA LOW EMISSION ZONE NEWS ON MOTORTRANSPORT.CO.UK

PHASE ONE

BIRMINGHAM

Birmingham by nightWhy is it being introduced?

Birmingham’s population is expected to increase by 150,000 by 2031, resulting in a forecast two million more car journeys.

Birmingham City Council says there are 900 deaths a year linked to man-made air pollution and transport contributes 80% of NOx emissions. NOx is the biggest challenge it is addressing with the Clean Air Zone. It has pointed to studies showing that 60% of vehicles entering the proposed Clean Air Zone were compliant with the standards required, so only 40% would have to pay the charge or be upgraded.

You can read the full proposal here.

How much will the Birmingham Clean Air Zone cost?

Birmingham City Council is reviewing the £100 per visit charge for pre-Euro-6 HGVs proposed for its Clean Air Zone planned for January 2020 and may reduce it when it submits its final plan to government at the end of 2018.

Waseem Zaffar, cabinet member for transport and environment on Birmingham City Council, said in October 2018: “We have not finalised the figures. We were basing them on London, but we will set the charges in our full business case in December. We need a national approach to charging as we do not want the Clean Air Zone to damage business.”

Is retrofit funding available?

Birmingham is asking for £36m funding to help mitigate the effects of the Clean Air Zone on local businesses and residents, and is proposing to allocate £15,000 per HGV to either fund a retrofit or replacement to Euro-6 standards. Birmingham City Council said in October 2018 that if it does not get the full £36m mitigation funding it will review the scheme.

The council is also proposing to exempt Euro-5 vehicles with existing finance arrangements from the charge for up to two years as they had “been bought in good faith”.

Where is the Clean Air Zone in Birmingham?

Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone will be a category D zone affecting all vehicles moving inside the A4540 ring road and enforced by automatic number plate recognition cameras.

Motor Transport held a Clean Air Zone seminar in Birmingham on 11 October 2018. You can download all the speaker presentations here.

 

 

DERBY

Derby CityDerby City Council rejected plans for a Clean Air Zone on 25 October 2018. This was after residents and businesses voted for a traffic management system to cut emission levels in the city.

Derby City Council’s deputy leader Matthew Holmes said: “The message was very clear that charging motorists and business to enter a clean air zone was not supported nor would it be the right solution for Derby despite other local authorities pursuing charging schemes.”

A second consultation, which sets out the traffic management measures for the city centre, was launched by Derby City Council in November 2018. It also consults on other measures such as electric vehicle power point initiatives and cycling route schemes.

 

LEEDS

Where is the Leeds Clean Air Zone, when does it start and how much will it cost?

Leeds City Council submitted its final Clean Air Zone plans to central government on 23 October 2018, with approval expected eight weeks after this date.

A category B Clean Air Zone has been proposed, which will charge non Euro-6 HGVs £50 per day to enter the designated central city area. There are no notable vehicle type exemptions for HGV operators.

The proposed “go live” date for the Leeds Clean Air Zone is 6 January 2020.

You can view the zone on this interactive map.

 Is there money available to upgrade my vehicle?

Leeds City HallApproximately £13m will be allocated to the HGV sector in the form of grants worth up to £16,000 that operators can bid for to upgrade non-compliant vehicles. Funding was initially earmarked for HGV retrofit systems, but with concerns that technology would not be ready in time for Clean Air Zone compliance, the council has extended the scheme.

Its final Clean Air Zone report states: “Although the council will continue to work with retrofit providers and the government to speed up the development of retrofit, the proposed support packages have been amended to allow companies to bid for up to £16,000 per non-compliant vehicle to be used as support towards the purchase of a new or second-hand vehicle or to pay off the balance of a lease early to allow an earlier upgrade as well as for retrofit.

Businesses that are located within the Clean Air Zone and will be “most financially impacted by the proposals” will be prioritised for funding.

What do I do if there is no availability of Euro-6 vehicles?

Leeds City Council has introduced a 'Lack of Market Capacity' exemption. This would allow operators that have placed an order (by a pre-defined date) of a compliant vehicle or retrofit system to benefit from a sunset period until it arrives.

Evidence will be needed of the order being placed and the vehicle/system being available within a reasonable time.

Motor Transport held a Clean Air Zone Roadshow in Leeds on 3 July 2018. You can download all the speaker presentations here.

 

 

NOTTINGHAM

Nottingham has rejected any plans for a Clean Air Zone.

Instead, the city is proposing to drive down emissions through retrofitting its buses to Euro-6 standards and by requiring taxis to improve their emission standards. The council will also replace its HGVs with electric vehicles.

Nottingham City Council has planned to extend the city centre Clear Zone to include minimum emissions criteria for HGVs, taxis and other vehicles. Currently, the Clear Zone restricts vehicle access to seven streets between 10am and 4.30pm to permit holders only.

SOUTHAMPTON

Southampton City Council has confirmed it will charge non-Euro-6 trucks entering its Clean Air Zone but has yet to set charge levels. To date, it has only used London charging models whereby the charge for non-compliant vehicles (Euro-1 to Euro-5) is £100.

The city council has published an indicative map that currently follows Southampton City Boundary, however, it says that if the scheme were to be introduced a more detailed map would be produced identifying third-party land on which Southampton City Council cannot levy a charge (such as the M271, M27 and M3).

LONDON LOW EMISSION ZONE

Euro-6 HGVs will be exempt from the £100 daily charge (and £1,000 penalty charge for failure to pay the daily charge) from 8 April 2019. A daily charge runs from 00:01-midnight. If you drive within the Ultra Low Emission Zone area across two days, for example before midnight and after midnight, you will be liable to pay two daily charges if your vehicle doesn't meet the standards.

This will be in addition to the weekday Congestion Charge and the Low Emission Zone charge and will replace the T-Charge.

From 25 October 2021 the Ultra Low Emission Zone area will expand to the inner London area bounded by the North and South Circular roads.

Low Emission Zone expansion

However HGVs will need to be Euro-6 to enter the whole of Greater London from 26 October 2020 or face fines of up to £300 for the oldest models.

HGVs meeting Euro-4 or Euro-5 standards will pay a £100 daily fee to enter the Low Emission Zone, while Euro-3 and older will pay £300.

This means that the Ultra Low Emission Zone expansion will not affect HGVs, which will already be covered by extended Low Emission Zone regulations, but it will require cars and vans to be Euro-4 petrol or Euro-6 diesel or pay a £12.50 daily charge,

The new Ultra Low Emission Zone will cover an area 18 times larger than the existing central London zone.

Emissions regulations will be in place 24 hours a day, seen days a week, 365 days a year.

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST ULTRA LOW EMISSION ZONE NEWS ON MOTORTRANSPORT.CO.UK

CLEAN AIR ZONES PHASE TWO AND PHASE THREE: OTHER CITIES AND REGIONS AFFECTED

PHASE TWO

The government has asked 23 councils in England to produce Local Action Plans to tackle hot spots of severe air pollution in their area. Final outlines of plans are due by 31 December 2018. The 23 local authorities are:

  • Basildon
  • Bath and North East Somerset

Bath and North East Somerset Council announced proposals for a charging Clean Air Zone across the city in October 2018. The council has chosen a category D Clean Air Zone, which will require all vehicles including cars, to meet the minimum Euro-4 petrol or Euro-6 diesel emissions standards.

Proposed charges are £100 per day for HGVs, buses and coaches to enter the designated city centre zone, and £9 per day for cars, vans and taxis.

In addition to the usual national Clean Air Zone exemptions such as military vehicles and those with a historical vehicle tax class, the council is also exploring a range of local concessions. Under consideration is the proposal to delay the introduction of charges until 1 January 2025 for the following vehicles: emergency service vehicles; recovery vehicles or breakdown trucks over 3,500kg; vehicles in the special vehicles tax class; vehicles in the special types tax class; vehicles in the general haulage vehicle tax class; the council is also exploring a range of support measures for local businesses, which include a post 2021 project to retrofit Euro-4 and Euro-5 HGVs.

  • Bolton Metropolitan Borough
  • Bristol
  • Bury
  • Coventry
  • Fareham
  • Gateshead
  • Guildford
  • Manchester
  • Middlesbrough
  • New Forest
  • Newcastle
  • North Tyneside
  • Rochford
  • Rotherham
  • Rushmoor
  • Salford
  • Sheffield
  • Stockport
  • Surrey Heath
  • Tameside
  • Trafford

PHASE THREE

Furthermore the government has also requested plans to tackle levels of air pollution in a further 33 local authority areas. Following these submissions eight councils - Bolsover, Bradford, Portsmouth, Broxbourne, Newcastle-under-Lyme & Stoke-on-Trent, Leicester and Liverpool - will carry out more detailed study outlining how they will tackle more persistent air quality problems they have identified

  • Ashfield
  • Basingstoke and Deane
  • Blaby
  • Bolsover
  • Bournemouth
  • City of Bradford
  • Broxbourne
  • Burnley
  • Calderdale
  • Cheltenham
  • Dudley
  • Kirklees
  • Leicester
  • Liverpool
  • Newcastle-under-Lyme
  • Oldham
  • Oxford
  • Peterborough
  • Plymouth
  • Poole
  • Portsmouth
  • Reading
  • Sandwell
  • Sefton
  • Solihull
  • South Gloucestershire
  • South Tyneside
  • Southend-on-Sea
  • Stoke-on-Trent
  • Sunderland
  • Wakefield
  • Walsall
  • City of Wolverhampton

 

 

 

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Electric vehicles pave the way for micro distribution strategies https://motortransport.co.uk/blog/2018/11/09/electric-vehicles-pave-the-way-for-micro-distribution-strategies/ Fri, 09 Nov 2018 16:58:20 +0000 https://motortransport.co.uk/?p=38761 Both DPD UK and UPS (via Cross River Partnership) provided delegates at Freight in the City 2018 with more details on their respective electric-powered urban distribution operations in the capital. DPD’s 5,000ft² Westminster site, which can handle 2,000 parcels per day and opened on 17 October, is part of the carrier’s “micro distribution strategy in London” [...]

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Both DPD UK and UPS (via Cross River Partnership) provided delegates at Freight in the City 2018 with more details on their respective electric-powered urban distribution operations in the capital.

DPD’s 5,000ft² Westminster site, which can handle 2,000 parcels per day and opened on 17 October, is part of the carrier’s “micro distribution strategy in London” said Rob Fowler, general manager, CSR and technical planning (main picture).

DPD currently operates 11 depots in London, primarily on the edge of the city and, Fowler said, that ultimately affects the number of vehicles it puts on the road. The Westminster operation allows for low stem mileage from a micro depot.

“We are paying a market rent for the property at 5,000ft2 and spent £500,000 fitting the building out for all electric. It will serve SW1 postcodes where some of our routes are less than five miles a day.

"We’ve purchased Nissan NV200s - well proven electric technology - and are the first company in the UK to import the Paxster: you can get 100 to 110 parcels a day on this vehicle.

“Every micro-depot is fed by a larger depot. We’ve procured two eCanters to do that. The other challenge is charging solutions. We have a 10-year lease on Westminster, we don’t own it, but we spent £50,000 on charging solutions. This keeps the lights on and vehicles charged!” he added.

Fowler said that Westminster was just the start of its micro distribution strategy and it could achieve “great productivity” in the centre of London, but only with a huge amount of investment and improvement.

“It is a high productivity situation,” he said of the micro distribution strategy. “It is considerably more expensive per square foot, but needs high utilisation per square foot making it very valuable to our business.”

However he said that the industry as a whole needed a mass produced electric 3.5-tonne OEM vehicle. “We need that manufacturer to come forward,” said Fowler. “We need the buildings, we need the electric infrastructure. We need to share the pain.”

Tanja Dalle-Muenchmeyer (pictured, left), programme manager, electric freight at the Cross River Partnership (a London-based public private partnership) has worked with UPS and UK Power Networks since 2013 on a 4.5-year project to improve the electrification of the UPS fleet in London.

“Local grid constraints can cause a real issue,” she said of the strains of the project. “Adding these vehicles means UPS have more EVs to charge than they can handle on the current electric infrastructure.”

One solution, she said, was smart-charging technology: “It works throughout the night deciding which vehicles get which power so UPS can now electrify its central London fleet of 150 vehicles.

"This optimises use of existing assets, but smart-charging reduces capital expenditure. It can also reduce operational expenditure. Smart-charging tech is developing rapidly and we have introduced smart charging to UPS and retained business continuity.”

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Brexit amplifying urban logistics warehousing shortage https://motortransport.co.uk/blog/2018/11/07/brexit-amplifying-urban-logistics-warehousing-shortage/ Wed, 07 Nov 2018 20:45:40 +0000 https://motortransport.co.uk/?p=38703 Brexit has amplified the shortage of warehousing space in the UK, delegates were told at the Freight in the City Expo. Kevin Mofid, director of research at Savills, described property as “the forgotten part of the supply chain”. “Brexit is amplifying these trends,” said Mofid. “At a national level the vacancy rate for warehousing is 6%, [...]

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Brexit has amplified the shortage of warehousing space in the UK, delegates were told at the Freight in the City Expo.

Kevin Mofid, director of research at Savills, described property as “the forgotten part of the supply chain”.

“Brexit is amplifying these trends,” said Mofid. “At a national level the vacancy rate for warehousing is 6%, in London that falls to 3%. Amazon took 27% of all available warehousing space in 2016.

"You’ve got all this structural change in the retail world happening, and then Brexit is coming along to amplify those trends."

He added: "Anyone looking for warehousing space as a direct result of Brexit should be thinking about it now, as there isn’t a lot of space to go round."

Read more

Mofid pointed to the residential property market as an example of what this trend could do to commercial rates for warehousing property.

“All of the political pressure is about delivering homes,” he said. “For example, in New York and San Francisco there is 1.5% vacancy rates, and rents have gone up 40%.

"This is coming to London. This is going to be needed to be factored in for planning. It is effectively a landlord’s market.”

He said that planners and logistics companies would need to get more creative with new warehousing builds – and look at mixed use options that blend commercial and residential.

“The Greater London Authority have established that warehouse real estate keeps the city alive and keeps it moving, therefore there can be no net loss of that space.

"You need to intensify land use and have mixed use,” he said, pointing to examples such as Travis Perkins’ site in St Pancras. This has student accommodation above its DC (and no complaints about noise from the students, he added).

“This is what can work when minds are aligned. With good design nothing is technically impossible. By working together, collaboration, we can use these solutions that are being delivered,” said Mofid.

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No plans for emission zone rationalisation, says TfL https://motortransport.co.uk/blog/2018/11/07/no-plans-for-emission-zone-rationalisation-says-tfl/ Wed, 07 Nov 2018 13:22:56 +0000 https://motortransport.co.uk/?p=38679 TfL is not currently planning a rationalisation of its plans for various congestion and emission zones across London, despite conceding that it has “a lot of zones” and some small operators are not ready for them. Speaking at Freight in the City Expo on 6 November, Alex Williams, director of city planning at TfL, outlined [...]

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TfL is not currently planning a rationalisation of its plans for various congestion and emission zones across London, despite conceding that it has “a lot of zones” and some small operators are not ready for them.

Speaking at Freight in the City Expo on 6 November, Alex Williams, director of city planning at TfL, outlined plans for improving air quality and improving vulnerable road user safety across the capital ahead of the introduction of the central London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) on 8 April 2019.

Williams said: “We have a lot of zones: congestion charging; T-charge… I sense that big operators are ready for it. Some of the smaller operators are not.”

He also pointed towards zero-emission zones, such as one proposed for the City of London and ultra-low-emission streets in Hackney, and said that TfL would look at one for central London in 2025. However the definition of what is required in such a zone is yet to be established.

Alex Williams, director of city planning at TfL

As to whether TfL would simplify the current set-up of low, ultra and zero emission zones, Williams said: “At the moment there are no plans for rationalisation and simplification, but there will come a time when we need to look at that.

The ULEZ dealing with emissions and congestion charging. It is a complex picture. I haven’t got a political mandate to confirm a set of changes, but we will look at it.”

TfL is currently working on an action plan for freight which is set to be published in the spring. Williams said that there continued to be “a lot of engagement and dialogue in the industry as to what will be required in that”.

TfL is also looking at a short-term target of 10% fewer HGVs and LGVs in the central congestion charging zone during the AM peak by 2026. This, Williams conceded, was exacerbated by the continued rise in LGV traffic in the capital – a phenomenon driven by the continued rise of home delivery and online retail.

ULEZ map

“We cannot pretend that freight is not there,” he said, “it is and we need to do something about it. We need to work with you on this, and we realise some of you are concerned with the impact on the bottom line.”

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Focus on future freight concepts at TRL Freight Symposium https://motortransport.co.uk/blog/2018/09/26/focus-on-future-freight-concepts-at-trl-freight-symposium/ Wed, 26 Sep 2018 15:08:47 +0000 https://motortransport.co.uk/?p=37798 The TRL Freight Symposium will be held at the Cavendish Conference Centre, London on 28 November at 1pm. With the UK's road transport industry facing increasing difficulties to balance unsustainable consumer trends, against requirements to reduce congestion and emissions, there is a clear opportunity for technological, operational and environmental innovations to address the challenges. TRL's [...]

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The TRL Freight Symposium will be held at the Cavendish Conference Centre, London on 28 November at 1pm.

With the UK's road transport industry facing increasing difficulties to balance unsustainable consumer trends, against requirements to reduce congestion and emissions, there is a clear opportunity for technological, operational and environmental innovations to address the challenges.

TRL's symposium will debate the issues and explore how future freight concepts can become a reality. Guest speakers at the event include:

  • Matthew Edwards, DfT - will give an overview of the government’s freight strategy and research programmes.
  • Professor Samir Dani, Huddersfield Business School - a summary of research around supply chain concepts and the likely impact on the future of freight.
  • Professor Tom Cherret, University of Southampton - explores future freight concepts including freight traffic control, new supply chain ideas and innovative forms of freight transportation.
  • Gavin Bailey, TRL - presenting an overview of real on-road trials including AV freight, platooning, urban delivery, hyperloop for freight and aerial drones.
  • Nick Gazzard, representing CILT - an overview of the freight industry, based on the UK Freight Planning to 2035 report.

You can register for a ticket now.

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Operators may need to find alternatives to road transport in the event of a no-deal Brexit https://motortransport.co.uk/blog/2018/09/26/operators-may-need-to-find-alternatives-to-road-transport-in-the-event-of-a-no-deal-brexit/ Wed, 26 Sep 2018 10:25:42 +0000 https://motortransport.co.uk/?p=37785 The government has advised logistics businesses and users of logistics to consider alternative modes of transport to road haulage in the event of a no-deal Brexit. In guidance published by the DfT, the government admitted that there is likely to be new requirements at borders with the EU if the UK leaves without a deal. [...]

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The government has advised logistics businesses and users of logistics to consider alternative modes of transport to road haulage in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

In guidance published by the DfT, the government admitted that there is likely to be new requirements at borders with the EU if the UK leaves without a deal.

The DfT also advised that it would be possible that the EU would require checks at EU ports that could create delays and also affect routes. It did not say if this these arrangements would be reciprocated for inbound traffic from the EU to the UK.

What the DfT described as “agrifood goods” may not be able to enter the EU except via a port with a Border Inspection Post, it also warned.

Hauliers and businesses should consider what contingency plans they need to have in place for the movement of goods if there are delays at ports, the DfT advised. This may include consideration of:

  • alternative routes to move goods by roll-on-roll-off haulage
  • alternative modes of transportation, such as containerisation or unaccompanied trailers
  • appropriate arrangements to allow for disruption to supply chains

Hauliers should also consider whether they need permits to haul goods internationally. Up to 984 annual Euro-6 ECMT permits, 2,592 monthly Euro6 ECMT permits and 240 monthly Euro-5 ECMT permits are available.

The DfT expects the DVSA to be taking applications for ECMT permits from November 2018 and that demand “will significantly exceed supply”.

Permits will not be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, but under the Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018, which takes into account: intensity of use; the industrial sector in which the haulier operates; vehicle emissions and existing international business.

Registration for trailers will be required only for trailers travelling to, or through, a foreign country that has ratified the 1968 Vienna Convention.

Furthermore In a no-deal scenario, possession of a UK-issued Driver CPC would, in practice the DfT countered, continue to allow a UK driver to drive a UK truck in the EU when using an ECMT permit.

What the associations think

Richard Burnett (pictured), chief executive at the RHA, said that it was too-little, too-late, and added that he was astounded by the suggestion that hauliers should consider alternative modes of transport to move goods between the UK and the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Burnett also said that he was very concerned that there was no mention of plans for freight movements between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Pauline Bastidon, head of European policy at the FTA, said that the no-deal notice regarding road haulage was overdue. “These notices… demonstrate that contingency agreements are needed to at least protect basic transport connectivity between the UK and the EU,” she said.

 

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