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amenity · Joined: 22 Nov 2006 Posts: 775 Location: Dovercourt

Thought this would interest all those with roads in mind.

UK hauliers fear new “invasion” of foreign trucks
13/Jun/2008
UK road transport operators are worried that plans due to be discussed today (June 13) by EU ministers could lead to the country being swamped with even more foreign trucks.
The country's Freight Transport Association (FTA), for example, issued a statement explaining that today's scheduled meeting of the Council of EU Transport Ministers in Luxembourg would discuss European Parliament proposals to liberalise the movement of lorries operating in the national territory of another country.
"If such a plan goes ahead then the UK can expect an invasion of foreign lorries able to offer far cheaper haulage rates due to the lower level of fuel duty for diesel which applies throughout Europe – an average of just 25p per litre compared with the UK's 50p per litre," stated the FTA.
At present, explained the association, cabotage − the ability of a lorry to carry out work in a country not its own – was restricted to work picked up on the spot market following completion of a journey making an international delivery.
Now, stated the FTA, the European Parliament was proposing that such work could be by previously-agreed contract, starting with three jobs from 2009, seven jobs from 2011 and complete freedom after 2014.
"The substantial difference in diesel duty means that foreign lorries working in the UK can do so at an average of 8% lower costs than can be achieved by the UK domestic industry − and for vehicles from Eastern Europe it can be up to 15% lower," said the FTA.
"The liberalisation of this market presents the real prospect of the establishment of depots in Calais, or elsewhere in northern France, with foreign vehicles coming into the UK on a Monday, carrying out work in the UK throughout the week, and then returning to France to refuel at the weekend. All without paying a penny to the UK exchequer in fuel duty or road charges and without the requirement to adhere to the UK's rigorous Operator Licensing regime, which has resulted in substantial advances in vehicle maintenance and road safety."
The FTA said it understood the UK Government was "very concerned" about that prospect and would be represented at the Council of Ministers by Transport Minister Rosie Winterton. "FTA hopes that Ms Winterton will succeed in avoiding this potential catastrophe for the UK transport industry," it added.

pepsi · Joined: 05 Mar 2007 Posts: 161

Interesting reading Amenity, especially as the company I work for is just about to set up a haulage branch.

Sadly, I am not surprised, the government has so far succeeded in destroying our fishing, agricultural and manufacturing industries, there are not many other areas to attack so transport would seem to be the next obvious target.

We will end up as a nation of service providers [and even that is doubtful with the amount of off-shoring that is going on].

Our biggest danger is that we are starting to put all our eggs in a single basket, i.e. financial services, and the Swiss do it far better than us, they don't seem to loose as many peoples critical data.
Very Happy

ivan burit · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:12 pm Post subject:

amenity, i saw a recient TV programme on this too.

Two points i will raise:-
1. some uk transport has to pay to use some european roadways/ motorways,
this can be reversed into non-British registered commercial vehicles entering UK ports via any means, should be charged to do so.
but this raises more questions too.
If Ro-Ro cargo enters uk ports, the surcharge would not apply (unless pre existing ones do apply)
Also, if cargo not able to stand long journey`s is subject to time consumimg delays, more like cargo`s will end up air freighted in to the UK.
saying that, if EU trucks are allready inside the UK, what is to stop them from collecting local loads for onward UK destionations.
2. will it drive more UK hauliers to register their trucks abroad, taking all the advantages of doing so, working cabotage drops back to the UK, but by having long range tanks fitted, filling them to the brim before leaving EU shores, and legaly returning carrying hundreds of gallons of diesel rebated in the EU....

So i belive (and i may be wrong) Eddie Stobbart has done / is doing this to his fleet.

Another somewhat small point, if you was a UK haullier, but spent long days in the EU, what advantage is there in purchasing a right hand drive tractor unit, just for some of your work, be it UK based.

more questions than answers today i think...
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