Sales in the transport industry are growing by 6%, down on the 8% growth seen last year, according to Plimsoll-Analysis' latest road haulage report. Of the 2,000 companies analysed, 1,335 are holding or increasing sales on last year, but almost half (45%) are making less profit than last year. Some 23% of operators are selling at a loss, while 29% are in more debt now than they were last year.

However, Acumen Logistics has shrugged off the credit crunch, increasing its turnover by 120% from £5.8m to £10.6m for the year ending 31 March 2008 with profit up by 284% from £103,792 to £365,436 for the same period.

The number of foreign trucks on the UK roads has increased by 33% since 2001 and is expected to rise a further 18% in the next five years. According to research from the insurance compnay LV=, the largest number of foreign trucks come from the Netherlands, followed by Germany, Poland and France. Taking into account the costs of accidents, insurance claims and potential congestion, LV= estimates that foreign trucks cost the UK economy £100m in 2006.

Volvo Trucks' deliveries during May amounted to 9,133 vehicles, up 9% compared with the year-earlier period.

The volume growth compared to last year is an effect of increased production in Europe and South America.

The deliveries of new trucks were at high levels for the main part of Europe.

The demand on the North American market remains at a low level. The results in May 2007 were impacted by the transition to production of US'07 vehicles, while May 2008 figures reflect temporarily higher build rates at the New River Valley Plant to recoup production lost as a result of the strike earlier this year.

In the Middle East deliveries increased with 55% and in South America with 23%.

Iveco has reduced lead times for its Stralis and Trakker products to six months, as part of its strategy to increase the company's share of the heavy truck market to 15 per cent by 2011.

The additional product availability comes at a time when Iveco has already recorded a 61 per cent increase in its heavy truck order intake in the UK between January and May 2008, compared with figures for the same period last year.

Volvo Trucks’ deliveries during the period January-August amounted to 59,810 vehicles, down 9% compared with the same period last year.

In North America, 9,082 trucks were delivered, which is a decline of 62% compared with the preceding year prior to implementation of new exhaust emission standards. Deliveries were also affected by change-over problems at the plant in New River Valley, USA.

In general, the demand for transports is highly favourable for Volvo Trucks in other parts of the world. Deliveries rose 86% on markets in Eastern Europe. During the current period, the increase was 26% in South America and 20% in Asia.

With 211 204 registrations recorded for the month of May 2007, the French market for new light vehicles (passenger cars + light commercial vehicles) suffered a slight loss of 1.3 % for likefor-compared to May 2006.
From January to May 2007, 1 059 216 registrations for new light vehicles were recorded, a slight drop of 1.6 % for like-for-like working days (104 days) compared to the same period in 2006.
NEW LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS With 38 809 registrations recorded in May 2007, the market for light commercial vehicles (less than 5 tonnes) rose by 6.2 % for like-for-like working days compared to May 2006. The market for light commercial vehicles maintains its strong performance from January to May 2007: with 195 009 registrations recorded, the market increased by 2.3 % for like-for-like working days compared to the same period in 2006.
NEW REGISTRATIONS FOR HEAVY TRUCKS The market for heavy trucks over 5 tonnes (excluding buses and coaches) remained stable (+2.6 %) in May 2007 (3 986 registrations). From January to May 2007, the market is 5.6 % down compared to the same period in 2006 (20 250 registrations).

    www.ccfa.fr

The Volvo group announced yesterday its aim to invest up to 138 million dollars in building a new factory in Kalouga, near Moscow. When it will ready to start the production, expected in 2009, the factory should produce up to 10 000 Volvo Trucks and 5 000 Renault Trucks.
   For the coming years, Volvo expects an increase in the demand from western Europe of heavy vehicles produced on the Russian market, which should enable him to spare by working with local subcontractors.
In 2006, 2 500 Volvo Trucks and 600 Renault Trucks have been sold in Russia.

   www.ccfa.fr

Benson International has announced that Pierquip, a Quebec trailer dealer, join the Benson family of dealers. Pierquip is the first and only full line Benson International distributor in Quebec.
"Benson is pleased to bring such a strong dealership into our dealer family to help us broaden our reach into Quebec," Lenny Miller, vice president sales and marketing said. "Pierquip brings a wealth of experience to the table and will be a strong asset to our company."
For more information on Pierquip, contact Pierre Labelle, president, at (450) 438-6400 or visit Benson International is a manufacturer of Class 6, 7, & 8 specialty trailers and bodies that has served the transportation industry for 45 years with locations in Cadiz, Ky. and Mineral Wells, W.Va.
www.pierquip.com.

A trial begins this week for a man accused of driving a Dubuque trucking company into bankruptcy.
Roger Waldner, former chief executive officer and owner of H&W Motor Express, was indicted in May 2006 on 12 counts of bankruptcy fraud.
After several legal postponements, a jury will hear opening arguments Monday at the U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. The trial is expected to be complicated and could last weeks.
In January 2001, Waldner acquired the regional trucking company and planned to bring H&W under one operational fold of a fleet of trucking firms.
According to court documents, during the year and a half Waldner operated H&W, more than $1.8 million was transferred to other companies either owned or associated with the defendant and other officers of H&W.
By 2002, the trucking company — which had 27 business locations in nine states, including its Dubuque headquarters — filed for bankruptcy protection. Scores of employees lost their jobs and their pensions, and other benefits still hang in the balance.
Waldner is accused of making seven false statements in his bankruptcy petition and supporting schedule and making five false statements during a subsequent meeting with creditors.
The fraud case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI and the U.S. Trustee’s Office.
www.truckinfo.net

Launching a keynote paper at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, chief executive Roger King said that hauliers know the need for a more efficient roads network more than any other group. They see the earning power of their lorries reduce year on year.
"But the idea that pricing is the "cure" has been vastly overplayed. Even if it proves technically possible there is no evidence that it will solve the problem. Meanwhile, it will be intrusive and expensive.
"Unfortunately, in selling the idea of road pricing, political spin goes into overdrive. All the political parties seem wedded to the idea of charging in some form as a way of controlling access to the roads.
"But it is a distraction from the inescapable fact that we need a strategic roads programme and to invest more in infrastructure – as the government plans to do in both rail and air, where the need is less urgent.
"We would support tolls – but only on new roads, as a means to getting them built," King said.
"Road pricing should not be confused with congestion charging in cities, which may have a role to play provided that motorists have a genuine public transport alternative. In such cases, it would be wrong to charge trucks.
The RHA puts forward several suggestions: Introduce incentives to encourage home working.
Reduce stamp duty, to encourage people to relocate closer to their work.
www.rha.net

German industrial conglomerate Linde has agreed to sell its fork-lift truck business to Goldman Sachs Capital Partners and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.
The business is being sold for 4bn euros ($5.1bn; £2.7bn).
Analysts expect Linde to use the proceeds to cut its debts, which increased after it bought British industrial gases maker BOC.
The German engineering firm bought BOC to form the world's largest industrial gases firm earlier this year.
"We are utterly convinced that KKR and Goldman Sachs have the right overall concept for the group," said Linde chief executive Wolfgang Reitzle.
source: bbc.co.uk

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Eddie Stobart, one of Britain's best-known trucking firms, Norbert Dentressangle which is looking to boost its UK operations.
Jean-Claude Michel, president of Norbert Dentressangle, admitted he had identified the Cumbrian haulage business as a potential takeover target. Mr Michel said: "We think that it could be a good opportunity for us, but there are a lot of candidates and many financial institutions are also looking."
The French company wants to double in size in the UK in the next two to three years.
source:http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2047874,00.html