June 2010 Number 431 £4.00 www.bar.co.

uk

CMOTY and DMOTY winners

and other conference successes 26

David Stanley interview 30 Cargoshell 48 On the road 50

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 News
No: 431 June 2010 www.bar.co.uk
FROM WATFORD

This month:
Editor’s Column 6
Industry News 6-25
Harmonising speed limits for safety
What happened to Chaffeys?
Anyvan.com
EU regulations for HGV visibility
Half of truck drivers don’t buckle up
New RoSPA website
UK housing market update
Ps and Qs for modern motoring

F
The business of green
resh in everyone’s mind here in Watford of the winners of the Domestic Mover of the
BAR News 26-29 is the memory of a very successful Year and the Commercial Mover of the Year
Baillie Moving Systems Annual Conference, held at the Bristol Competitions. Full reports on the result are
Bristol conference success Marriott City Centre Hotel in mid May. The contained elsewhere in the magazine, but
BARS sees rise in corrugated carton prices venue was superb, the food delicious and the congratulations are due to Matt Purdie & Sons
company charming. A wide spectrum of for the award of Domestic Mover of the Year
Product of the Month
business sessions, with some really stimulating and to Pickfords Business Moving as Commercial
CMG News 30 speakers and lively debate, were very well Mover of the Year. A hard fought contest in
Interview: David Stanley attended; extra chairs having to be brought in both exciting categories and worthy winners in
at one point (surely a first). The business partner each. Well done.
Training News 32-39 exhibitors reported busy footfall in the exhibition Attention will now begin to turn to the 2011
BTEC estimating and management certificates area and the buzz of business conversation Annual Conference which will be held at the
Investing for the upturn was a noticeable element of the conference, Renaissance Manchester Hotel. So, if you were
showing very well the lively interest that unable to get to Bristol, do not miss out and
European News 40-41
delegates had in the wide range of exhibition book early for next time.
News Roundup stands. The Annual General Meetings of the BAR has been selected for the shortlist in the
Brussels - the congestion capital Association and the Removers Benevolent Trade Association Forum Best Practice Awards
Letters 42 Association were held as the opening sessions in the Commercial Initiative and Social Initiative
and saw Matt Purdie stand down as our categories, for the online estimating system
People News 43
President and hand the President’s role (and on the BAR website and the collaboration that
And another thing ... 45 chain of office) to Reg Hackworthy, who warmly the Association has formed with FRN and
Competition 45 congratulated Matt on his two years as President. Greenworks for furniture re-use. While on the
Articles 46-53 Also, Ian Studd was elected as Vice President subject of the website, have you signed up for
Pickfords revised and David Bunting re-elected as Honorary the estimating system yet? Reports come in to
Cargoshell - collapsible cargo containers Treasurer of the Association. Watford that those who use it find it valuable
Interview from the front line One of the principal features of any conference, – so please e-mail commercial@bar.co.uk for
of course, is the opportunity to meet and more details.
Golf the Tiger Woods way
network with old friends and to make new Looking forward to events in the autumn, a
Diary Dates 55 contacts. The social side was not lacking at series of Business Advice Roadshows for BAR
Feature Schedule 55 Bristol with a nice programme of receptions, members will take place around the country, in
Memberships 57 visits to local places of interest and a black-tie the week commencing 20 September. These
Gala Dinner on the Saturday night. Amongst follow on from the very informative and well
the highlights of the dinner, apart from the received roadshows held last year and full
On the cover: Matt Purdie & Sons win the DMOTY 2010 excellent food and wine, was the announcement details will be provided in the next issue of R&S.
with Pickfords Business Moving taking the CMOTY award.

The British Association of Removers

Contact Details: Editorial
Contribution on all aspects of the Removals & Storage industry
are welcomed, together with photographs if appropriate.
Please contact The Editor, Steve Jordan:
Tel: 01908 695500 Fax: 01908 690099
Email: rands@thewordsworkshop.co.uk
By post: Removals & Storage, The Words Workshop Ltd
26 Swanwick Lane, Broughton, Milton Keynes MK10 9LD
Contact Details: Advertising
For all enquiries and bookings, please contact Marianne Lee:
Tel: 01908 695500 Fax: 01908 690099
Email: marianne@thewordsworkshop.co.uk
Deadline: The booking deadline for all display advertisements is
the 10th of the month preceding publication.
Removals & Storage is subscribed to by members of the British Tel: 01923 699 480
Fax: 01923 699 481
Association of Removers in the UK and Overseas.
E-mail: info@bar.co.uk
Subscriptions: Additional subscriptions are available from BAR
at: Tangent House, 62 Exchange Road, Watford, Hertfordshire President: Reg Hackworthy
WD18 0TG. Tel: 01923 699 480 Fax: 01923 699 481 Director General: Stephen Vickers
E-mail: info@bar.co.uk. Current annual subscription is £48.00 in Company Secretary: James Falkner
the UK and £72.00 overseas. Editor: Steve Jordan
Assistant Editor: David Jordan
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in Removals & Storage are not
necessarily those of the British Association of Removers, or of News Editor: Nikki Gee
Features Editor: Charlotte Freestone
its publisher.
Removals & Storage is designed on behalf of
All rights reserved: No part of Removals & Storage may be The British Association of Removers by:
scanned, reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without I Like. Tel: 01908 675854, Email: talk2ilike@btopenworld.com
the prior written permission of the publisher. (To contact R&S, see details opposite.)

Copy and advertising deadlines 2010

Article submission: 5th of the month preceding publication Booking of trade adverts: 10th of the month preceding publication
Booking of display adverts: 10th of the month preceding publication Artwork for adverts: 15th of the month preceding publication
Booking of classified adverts: 10th of the month preceding publication

June 2010 Removals & Storage 5

 Industry News

TomTom launches
THE
Editor’s new GO LIVE 1000
COLUMN TomTom has previewed the GO LIVE 1000, the first
in a new generation of navigation devices, designed
to bring real-time services to millions of drivers.
T
his June issue of the Removals & Storage always feels to me as if
it falls between two stools: The conference, with all its excitement
and valuable information is gone but it all happened too early
for me to report fully on it. Sadly, the clock is rarely our friend and this
issue had to be put to bed long before we all turned up in Bristol. I just
left a couple of holes to offer congratulations to Matt Purdie and Sons
for winning the DMOTY award and to Pickfords Business Moving for
winning CMOTY. Well done, and well done to all those finalists who
represent the moving industry at its best.
But there are still plenty of stories in here to keep you turning the pages.
My own recommendation: dwell a little on the page about Cargoshell.
I’d be really interested in your opinion. Is it the greatest thing to hit the
shipping industry since the invention of the container – or is it a folly that
will be forgotten by Christmas? I really don’t know, you tell me.
Another place to pause I suggest should be the ‘on the road’ interview
published by kind permission of Ria and Angus Russell of Britannia Lanes
of Somerset and Bristol. It is my opinion that most companies would
benefit from consulting their ‘on road’ staff more, tapping into that rich
seam of experience that heads off in the front of their vehicles every Going live - TomTom’s GO LIVE 1000 will be available in the summer
morning. But, in my experience, few make the most of their most valuable

T
asset in this way. Have a read and let me know what you think. Maybe I
should interview some of your chaps sometime? he new TomTom delivers
As I write this George Osborne has just announced the first of his many richer and more detailed
bitter pills he will serve up to an anxiously awaiting British public. maps, covering two million
£6.2 billion of cash taken out of the system is bound to impact on the kilometres more roads and
moving industry to some extent. Time, I feel, to hang onto your hats and addressable locations across
ride the summer rush as fast as you can so that it thrusts you out of the 45 European countries. It also
other side strong enough to tackle the dark winter months again. features a new Park Assist feature
Conference report next month. which automatically informs
drivers of car parks near their
Steve Jordan destination.
The GO LIVE 1000 continuously
scans the road network for the
fastest routes, using layers of
navigation information. This has
resulted in a patented super-fast
and accurate routing software
along with a better visual
understanding of traffic conditions.
Working with partner Vodafone,
TomTom has pioneered The GO
LIVE 1000 to include TomTom
HD Traffic™, IQ Routes™ mobile
speed cameras and local search
in 16 countries.
The TomTom GO LIVE 1000
will be available in the summer.

ICM Gerson bags Aaron Mauger (centre)

with Craig Robinson

another Tiger!
(left) and foreman
Richard Turtill (right)
of ICM Gerson

L
eicester Tigers and New
Zealand rugby union centre
Aaron Mauger has picked
ICM Gerson for his return move
to New Zealand, following his
retirement from the game.
Niall Mackay of ICM Gerson, a
Tigers club member and season
ticket holder, had been in touch
with Aaron as soon as he
announced that he was returning
to New Zealand earlier this year
in order to boost his chances of
playing for the All Blacks in the
2011 World Cup. However, since
then, a persistent hip-related
back problem has meant that
Aaron has been forced to turn
down the offer from the All Blacks
and retire from the game.
Aaron won 45 caps for the All
Blacks and played successfully
for Canterbury and the Crusaders
in New Zealand before joining
Tigers at the end of the 2007 World
Cup and was named Leicester
Tigers Supporters Player of the
Year for the 2008/2009 season.
Aaron comes from a strong
sporting family with his elder
brother, Nathan, also
representing the All Blacks, as
did uncles Graeme and Stephen
Bachop, and uncle Ivan Mauger
being six-times World
Speedway Champion.

6 Removals & Storage June 2010


Harmonised speed
limits for safer roads
Speed limits for buses and lorries should be harmonised to
give the greatest safety benefits for all road users says
the Freight Transport Association (FTA).
T
his latest advice comes in response to a
government consultation on heavy goods
vehicle (HGV) and passenger carrying
vehicle (PCV) motorway speed limits.
Although broadly supportive of efforts to
normalise speed limits on these classes of
vehicles, the FTA has questioned the logic
behind introducing a different speed limit for
lorries and a higher speed limit for passenger
carrying vehicles (PCVs).
Malcolm Bingham, FTA’s Head of Road
Network Management Policy, said: “These
plans should make it easier for police to
enforce the law and, crucially, by reducing
the speed limit for smaller trucks from 70mph
to 60mph it will remove some of the incentive
for operators to run unrestricted lorries which
are older and, by virtue of that fact, could be
less safe and more polluting.”
However, Malcolm said that despite this
Swifts Removals moves Wrexham Library
S
wifts Removals has successfully
completed a major move in Wrexham:
the move of the Wrexham Library.
Swifts had to pack and move over 80,000
books which all had to be packed in order to
comply with the library’s coded system. The
consignment worked out to be 12,800 cubic
feet in volume. The move went extremely
well and the company was a week ahead of
the allotted schedule. The service provided
and Swifts’ members of staff were praised
highly by Mr Hedd Ap Emlyn who was co-
ordinating the move for the library. Nigel
Peters, Managing Director of Swifts
Removals said: “I was extremely pleased
and proud of all my members of staff who
helped during the move.”
Industry News
Hands-free phones
The FTA believes
in levelling speed
limits between
motorists and
commercial
vehicle drivers
a major distraction
B
rake, the road safety charity, said
that recent research by the
University of Utah shows that
driving performance is dramatically
impaired when using a hands-free mobile
phone for 97.5% of drivers.
Drivers on hands-free mobile phones
took 20% longer to hit the brakes when
needed and following distances increased
30% as the drivers failed to keep pace with
simulated traffic while driving. Memory
performance declined 11%, and the ability
to do maths problems fell 3%.
Ellen Booth, Campaigns Officer for Brake,
said, “The evidence is overwhelming.
Using a hands-free or hand-held phone
while driving is dangerous, full stop. It’s
time that our politicians took note and put
an end to the ridiculous situation where
using a hand-held mobile is banned, but
using hands-free isn’t.”
“Using a hands-free phone isn’t safer
than using a hand-held because it’s the
being a step in the right direction, it is odd
conversation that’s the distraction. The
that the proposed 65mph limit for passenger
person on the other end of the phone can’t
carrying vehicles is not being extended to
tell when you are coming up to a junction
HGVs. “If anything the safety implications here
or trying to manoeuvre so they will keep
would surely be greater.”
on talking and distracting you and
It has long been FTA’s contention that
expecting you to answer. To drive safely you
leveling speed limits between motorists and
need to give your full attention to the road.
commercial vehicle drivers will remove
If you need to make a call or check your
instances of risky overtaking procedures, which
messages, pull up in a safe place first.”
are especially prevalent on single carriageways
where HGVs over 7.5 tonnes are limited to
40mph.
By reducing the motorway speed limit of
HGVs between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes from 70mph
to 60mph the Department for Transport
hopes to level the commercial playing field
between owners of older trucks, which do not
have speed limiters, and those newer trucks,
which are limited to a maximum speed Even hands-free phones impair performance
of 56mph.
Doing things by
the book - Swifts
Removals completed
the Wrexham Library
move a week ahead
of schedule
June 2010 Removals & Storage 7
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Motorists experienced the worst winter for 30 years
Government to review
transport response to
severe weather
Before the general election, the then Transport Secretary
Andrew Adonis announced an independent review of the
transport sector’s response to this winter’s severe weather.
T
he UK has experienced its worst winter
for 30 years, with blanket snowfall and
prolonged periods of sub-zero
temperatures, creating challenging conditions
for transport providers and the travelling public.
The review will be conducted in two phases:
the first will identify measures that can be
implemented relatively quickly in preparation
for next winter 2010/11; and the second will
consider preparedness for severe winter
weather in future years. Phase one will be
published this summer and phase two in
the autumn.
The review will be chaired by David Quarmby
CBE, currently Chair of the RAC Foundation
and former Chief Executive of the Strategic
Rail Authority. He will be supported by Brian
Smith, currently Assistant Chief Executive of
Cambridgeshire County Council and Chris
Green, a Non-Executive Director of Network Rail
and former Chief Executive of Virgin Trains.
Andrew Adonis said, “Following a decade
of relatively mild weather, the UK has now
experienced two harsh winters in succession.
For the most part our transport networks have
coped well, but there are lessons that can be
learned in order to improve our resilience for
future winters.”
“David Quarmby, Brian Smith and Chris
Green bring with them extensive experience of
the English transport system over many years
and I am delighted that they have agreed to
undertake this review. I have asked them to
seek evidence from a wide range of stakeholders
in order to identify and disseminate examples
of the very best practice in responding to
severe winter weather and I look forward to
receiving recommendations.”
The review is part of a government drive to
ensure that local authorities are prepared for
future severe weather. The government
promised an additional £100 million for local
authorities to help pay for repairs to potholes,
this builds on the trebling of funding to local
authorities over the last ten years for road
maintenance from £265m in 2000-01 to £809m
in 2010/11.
The terms of reference for the review can
be viewed at: www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/
reviewofwinter0910.
The review will build upon the
recommendations of the UK Roads Liaison
Group ‘Lessons from the Severe Weather
February 2009’ available at: www.ukroads
liaisongroup.org/liaison/winter.htm.
Recommendations emerging from the
review will only apply to English authorities,
but will take account of the wider UK context.
Industry News
Tyres that ‘think’
T
yres capable of monitoring
themselves, road conditions and
‘talking’ to a vehicle’s electronic
systems will be available within three
years, heralding a revolution in traction
technology, according to one of the world’s
leading automotive sensor developing
companies Schrader Electronics.
The development comes just a few years
after tyres relied entirely on their mechanical
and physical properties for their contribution
to a vehicle’s driving dynamics. Tyre
Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS)
introduced the concept of combining
electronic sensors within a vehicle’s tyre
and have proven to make a significant
contribution to safety and fuel efficiency.
All cars will be fitted with this technology
by law from 2012, but the arrival of this
new technology will change what can be
offered by tyres.
Schrader Electronics is leading the way
with this new development. It centres on a
sensor mounted within the inside of the tyre
rather than on the valve or wheel rim as
with current direct TPMS. It then transmits
information wirelessly to receivers mounted
in the vehicle’s wheel housing and via the
car’s ECU to the driver. This enables a raft
of previously unobtainable data to be relayed
to the vehicle’s ABS, ESP and other
electronic systems.
Information about the tyre’s tread depth,
pressure and temperature, along with the
shape of its footprint and the amount of
load it is under, will be combined with
precise readings of road conditions, such
as the amount of grip available, to optimise
control of the vehicle’s dynamics.
The first phase of these tyres is the ‘Cyber
Tyre Lean’ which measures the pressure,
temperature, average load and the number
of revolutions. This is fed to the vehicle’s
electronic systems. The fully intelligent
tyre, to be called the ‘Cyber Tyre’ is
expected in the marketplace during 2013.
‘Cyber Tyres’ - tyres that can ‘talk’ to a
vehicle’s electronic systems and supply
data about road conditions and wear levels,
for example, will be avaiable by 2013
according to Schrader Electronics
June 2010 Removals & Storage 9
 Industry News

What happened to Chaffeys?

Bob Hayes of Turners Removals
in Horsham, West Sussex, has
issued a challenge to the R&S to
find out what happen to some
old removal firms.

T
o start the ball rolling, Bob has provided
three photos of vans that once belonged
to Chaffeys (we can only presume that
all the vehicles are from the same company).
Bob believes the vehicles are an Austin FFK
from the late fifties/early sixties, probably
with a 1200ish ft2 Sparshatt body; the second
to be a 1974/75 Guy BIG J4 16 ton gwv with a
strange box on the cab which could be a
sleeper; and the third to be a 1986/87 Mercedes
SK drawbar outfit.
So the question is, “What happened to
Chaffeys?” If you have any information then
the R&S would like to know. Or if you have
any old photos of vehicles or people that you
think would be of interest to the membership,
please e-mail rands@thewordsworkhop.co.uk.

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10 Removals & Storage June 2010

 Industry News

Mitsubishi shows hybrid

forklift at Bauma THE
sources at Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks. BIG
ISSUE
In a move reaffirming the manufacturer’s
commitment to producing environmentally
friendly, innovative and highly efficient trucks,
the company will focus specifically on meeting

European customer needs when introducing
these hybrids to the European market.
Forklift truck applications typically involve
many short acceleration and deceleration
cycles, with a high energy demand, which is
why the use of hybrid technology in forklifts
can be so beneficial. In this case Mitsubishi
has achieved significant increases in fuel
Mitsubishi’s hybrid forklift achieves
significant increases in fuel efficiency
efficiency over traditional internal combustion
engined trucks of similar capacity.
With a unique forklift powertrain design,
T
here are plenty of big issues in the
modern moving business but Neil
James of Hunts Removals has
alerted R&S to one that is exercising
bloggers and tweeters more than
most: is it worth paying for leads?
Although many people do pay for leads
it seems that the economics might not
always stack up. Reports abound of
companies receiving a very poor
conversion rate and of customers prices

T
he world’s first lithium-ion-battery/
diesel-engine forklift truck, developed
by parent company Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries (MHI), was recently shown at the
Bauma exhibition in Munich. Already in
production in Japan, where it was launched
as the first ever 4.0 to 5.0 tonne capacity
hybrid forklift, the truck will be released for
the European market in 2011, according to
AGS FW London BAR_135x188_eng Hires.pdf 1 2010/01/08 04:58:36 PM
comprising a high-capacity lithium-ion
battery, a compact, low-emission diesel engine,
two induction motors and an inverter,
Mitsubishi has cut engine displacement by
one-third and significantly reduced CO2
emissions. Despite their small engine size,
these high-specification hybrid models have
been designed to deliver powerful performance
and reliability.
that are simply not compensatory for
a high quality moving service.
But what do you think? Is any lead a
good lead or are bought in leads not
worth bothering about? Comments
please to rands@thewordsworkshop
.co.uk.

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June 2010 Removals & Storage 11

 Industry News
Two new vehicles for
Rogers Removals
L
ondon-based Rogers Removals has two
additions to its fleet of vehicles. The
vehicles have been purchased to replace
older ones that may not comply with the new
low emission standards which come into effect
in 2012.
The vehicles are both two years old and are
identical apart from one digit on the registration
number. They were purchased as chassis
cabs and then handed over to Essex Bodies to
complete. The truck bodies are made from
ultra light weight GRP panels and each hold
three storage containers.
Dennis Rogers of Rogers Removals said,
“We chose Essex Bodies as we had worked
with a truck which they had made for another
BAR member and we were impressed by the
quality. The other BAR member also
recommended Essex Bodies to us. We’ve found
them to be very helpful and attentive all the
way through from the initial quote to
completion, even though we changed the
required spec just before they began building.
We’ll be renewing our fleet with a further
four trucks over the next 12 to 18 months, as
long as we can source suitable chassis, and
Bid for work on anyvan.com
Anyvan.com is a free delivery auction
website that matches customers who
need goods moving with couriers and
removal companies, saving both money
and CO2 emissions.
The delivery auction site allows UK couriers to bid for
jobs ranging from straight forward point to point
delivery, to more specialist jobs like antique moving,
livestock haulage or complete house moves.
The concept of the site is simple. Members of the
12 Removals & Storage June 2010
we hope to use Essex Bodies each time.”
Rogers Removals has eight removals vehicles
in total and three service vans, the two vehicles
that have been replaced have been sold. Dennis
concluded, “Although current demand could
probably see us increase the number of vehicles
that we run, we are restricted as our yard is
full. It’s a shame as the older vehicles are in
rather good shape and still have many moves
left in them. However, it’s always nice to
upgrade the fleet in any case.”
One of an identical new pair for Rogers Removals
public post jobs and deliveries they need completing
listing the item’s height, width, size and weight and how
far the product has to travel and when the job needs to
be done. This is then posted to the site for companies to
search and bid on.
At the time of writing, jobs included full house moves,
sofa deliveries, quarry stones delivery and motorbike
delivery to name a few.
For more information and to sign up and get bidding
go to www.anyvan.com.
Danger –
humps ahead
F
or many motorists, speed humps are an
all too familiar sight on Britain’s roads.
But although they are implemented by
councils with road safety in mind, leading
independent consumer motoring expert, Honest
John, has questioned whether the long-term
impact on the condition of roads, as well as the
safety of vehicles, is being taken into account.
“The excessive spread of speed humps on
Britain’s roads has gone virtually unchecked
for years, with their perceived effectiveness
at improving road safety seen as a green light
to place them almost anywhere,” says Honest
John. “However, I believe another important
safety consideration is consistently being
ignored – that of road conditions which then
have an impact on a vehicle’s safety.”
Honest John believes repeatedly traversing
speed humps causes long-term damage to
various parts of a vehicle, and especially the
tyres and suspension. Travelling over speed
humps also increases wear on the shock
absorbers in particular, which have a vital
effect on braking and stopping distances. And
in some cases with larger vehicles such as
those used in the removals industry, speed
humps can cause direct damage to the
underside and bodywork of the vehicle.
But he also believes it’s not just vehicles that
take punishment from speed humps; the areas
surrounding them also take a pounding and
in particular the roads on which they are
placed – adding to costs for councils already
under enormous pressure to make savings.
“Any vehicle that mounts a speed hump
sends shockwaves through the ground,
damaging the substructure of the road and
potentially even buildings and walls in close
proximity,” explained Honest John. “The
potholes and broken surfaces surrounding
speed humps testify to the damage they can
cause. Even UK building regulators have
recognised the damage speed humps can do
and require that they are not built within 25
metres of bridges, subways or tunnels.”
“By continuing to ignore this problem,
councils and legislators risk not only
endangering drivers, but also damaging
Britain’s road network.”
For more information go to: www.honest
john.co.uk.
Speed humps can cause damage to vehicles - honest!
 The BAR Services guide to upping sticks: 12

BAR Services
members
co-operative.

(Keeping a lid on prices is just one of its benefits)

A s a co-operative, BAR Services exists for one reason-that is to meet the needs
of the BAR members. BAR Services combines the member‘s extensive industry
knowledge with its own bulk purchasing power to produce a company that can
provide lower prices on good quality products. This is just one
of the benefits provided by BAR Services, for more details
please call on 01342 870087
�����������������������������������������������������������������
 Industry News
Equality Act guidance may leave
small firms confused, Forum warns
G
uidance drawn up to help employers
understand the Equality Act may prove
baffling to smaller firms, the Forum of
Private Business has warned.
The non-statutory guidance on the Act has
been drawn up by the Equality and Human
Rights Commission (EHRC) and is supposed to
be clear and simple enough for all businesses
to understand. However, with the document
stretching to more than 300 pages, and with
just six months to go before the Act comes into
force in October, the Forum is concerned that
many small businesses will struggle to make
sense of their new obligations. Additionally,
the Forum believes much of the guidance’s
wording is ambiguous and misleading, making
it difficult for business owners to know exactly
how they are expected to prevent discrimination
in line with the forthcoming changes to the law.
The Forum raised its concerns with the
EHRC in response to a consultation on the
guidance, which closed in April. In a letter to
the equality watchdog’s Chairman, Trevor
Philips, Forum Chief Executive Phil Orford
welcomes the Act as a move aimed at
consolidating existing anti-discrimination
�������������
14 Removals & Storage June 2010
legislation. However, he points out that the
guidance accompanying the Act appears to have
been drawn up with only large businesses
in mind.
Mr Orford wrote: “The employment guidance
is just short of 300 pages, an obvious hindrance
for most small business owners who often
have severe limits on their time. Much of the
content also appears to be drafted for larger
businesses with specialist HR or legal
departments and extensive formalised
processes. Many of the examples are not
relevant to the experiences of small business
owners and will not help them determine what
they need to do to be compliant.”
Mr Orford went on to explain that the Forum
is also concerned that the supposedly easy-to-
understand guide may misinform or confuse
employers as to their obligations. The guide
appears to create ambiguity in a number of
key areas and is also inconsistent in its use of
language - creating a recipe for confusion.
Calling for clearer guidance to be issued, Mr
Orford added: “Understandably, the EHRC
wants to ensure that legislative change
translates into practical changes in the
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workplace and that equality becomes a part
of everyday business. We understand the value
of this aim and believe that it is achievable for
most small businesses. However, it will only
be achieved when businesses are given clarity
about their obligations and are not being
overburdened by regulation.”
The Equality Bill recently became the Equality
Act after receiving Royal Assent on 8 April,
2010. Many of its main provisions will come
into force in October 2010 but others are set
to be phased in over the next three years.
May misinform or
confuse employers ...
Forum of Private
Business Chief
Executive Phil Orford
raised concerns
about the Equality
Act guide
�����������������������

HGV visibility -
are you compliant?
E
uropean regulation ECE104 regarding
HGV safety markings came into force in
October 2008 and affected new vehicles,
but the legislation is being extended to cover
all existing ‘type approved’ HGVs over a certain
weight next year. However, a number of drivers
and operators are not complying with the
requirements according to Simon Smedley,
MD of HGV Direct. “Fines for non-compliance
can be sizeable, it makes sense to ensure that
your truck is correctly ‘marked’. At the moment,
the legislation only applies to new ‘type
approved’ HGVs, but in 2011 it may apply to
all HGVs. Unless drivers are made aware
now, they could be in hot water next year.
Should an HGV be involved in an accident
and not be compliant, the consequences can
be unthinkable.”
The legislation will apply to ‘type approved’
HGVs with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) above
7.5 tonnes and trailers with a GVW above
3.5 tonnes operating in the UK and Europe from
July 2011. The reflective tape is available for
rigid or curtain sided vehicles and is visible
at night to drivers 1000m away. The red tape
is retro-reflective to make the vehicle visible
UK automotive
production
on the rise
U
K automotive production continued to
make progress in March with strong
growth in commercial vehicle, engine
and car production.
According to The Society of Motor
Manufacturers and Traders Ltd (SMMT),
commercial vehicle output rose 61.6% and
UK engine production was up 43.6% on last
at night, the yellow is fluorescent and is
highly conspicuous in daylight and poor/
failing light. White reflective tape is also
available for the front of the vehicle.
Simon adds, “There are around 600 fatal
accidents a year in the UK involving HGVs in
rear or side impact with another vehicle.
Research suggests that up to 12% of these
could have been avoided if conspicuity marking
tape had been fitted. It is estimated that 40%
of road accidents occur during twilight, night
and dawn, despite the fact that less than one
third of traffic is on the road during these
hours. Not only does conspicuity tape increase
a vehicle’s visibility at night and in low light
but it also enables other drivers to more
accurately assess a vehicle’s speed and
direction relative to their own. Regardless of
regulations or whether your fleet falls within
the scope of the regulations, it makes good
safety sense to improve the visibility of your
trailers. Considering that a 12.5m roll of
ECE104 conspicuity tape can be purchased
for just £28.80, the cost will be more than
offset by the hassle factor of dealing with
an accident.”
Conspicuous
by its absence -
research suggests
that up to 12% of UK
fatal accidens
could be avoided
if conspicuity
marking tape was
fitted to HGVs
year. There was also a record 90.2% rise in
UK car production, the fifth successive month
of growth.
The Chief Executive of SMMT, Paul Everitt,
said “Headline figures highlight the scale of
challenges faced this time last year, but also
demonstrate a steady improvement in
demand in home and export markets.” He
went on to say that he predicts that industry
will continue to face tough market conditions
with the Scrappage Incentive Scheme closing
and limited access to finance and credit for
consumers and businesses. However a solid
exchange rate and the world class
competitiveness of the UK industry should
help to sustain demand over the longer term.
Industry News
New rules to
help reduce
roadworks
N
ew guidance to make sure that
companies who dig up the road
replace it properly - reducing the
risk of potholes forming - was recently
published by the then Transport Minister
Sadiq Khan.
It is estimated that poorly replaced road
surfaces mean there are around 90,000
remedial works each year, adding
inconvenience to motorists, cyclists and
pedestrians. The revised Code of Practice
sets out new methods to provide better
quality road surfaces, reducing the chances
of potholes developing as well as cutting
down the risk that the road will have to be
replaced a second time.
The announcement was part of a package
of measures set out by the government over
the last nine months to reduce disruption
caused by road works. These included
proposals to increase by tenfold the charges
for companies whose works overrun, to
improve signage and protection of sites
and for a tougher street works inspection
regime. In addition, the Department
introduced more rigorous testing and
training for those who dig up the road as
well as approving the first two street works
permit schemes - to help councils coordinate
and manage works on their roads - and
published guidance to help other councils
put these schemes in place.
Sadiq Khan said: “Since becoming
Transport Minister last year I have made
tackling disruption caused by road works
a priority. I have set out plans to increase
penalties for late running works tenfold
and proposed strict new rules to ensure
that work sites are properly signed and
protected. The new Code of Practice will
ensure that when utilities dig up the road
they replace it properly - reducing
disruption as well as the probability of
potholes developing.”
A consultation on the new Code of
Practice finished on 23 November, 2009
and the full document can be found at:
www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/network/local/
streetworks/cop/sroh/.
June 2010 Removals & Storage 15
 Industry News
Half of all truck drivers
do not use a safety belt
T
he use of safety belts among Europe’s
truck drivers is growing steadily. Still,
however, fewer than half of all truck
drivers use a safety belt. A recent study by
the CEESAR research institute in Switzerland
(Center of Excellence for Embedded Systems
Applied Research) showed that the number of
fatalities and injuries in traffic accidents would
decrease by 40% if everyone buckled up.
Road accidents are one of the most common
causes of death in modern society. Between
2001 and 2008, 375,000 people were killed in
traffic accidents in Europe. A key reason for
this high death rate is that many Europeans
still do not use safety belts. Truck drivers are
at particularly high risk. Safety belt use among
truck drivers ranges from 10-70% in European
countries, with an average of 50% of drivers
using the life-savers.
But what is the reason behind this lack of
use of the safety belt? This is a question that
Volvo Trucks’ Traffic and Product Safety
Director, Carl-Johan Almqvist, has long
grappled with. “Many drivers live under the
impression that it is much safer to drive a big
truck than a small passenger car,” he said.
This is certainly true, but the argument fails
for drivers who drive into concrete bridge
supports even at very low speeds. And if a
vehicle overturns it’s the unbelted truck drivers
who suffer the really severe injuries.
“We human beings quite simply have no
speed sensors. We can read the speed on a
gauge, but we have no means of registering
speed within our own bodies,” said Carl-Johan
Almqvist. He explained, “This contrasts with
our feeling for height as you would never jump
from a height of four metres and just hope for
the best. However, in terms of trauma to the
human body, this resembles a head-on collision
at 30 kilometres an hour without a safety belt.
We understand height but not speed.”
It is also a question of attitudes. An Paepen
is responsible for Volvo Trucks’ Driver
Development – a driver training programme
for professional drivers. She has heard just
16 Removals & Storage June 2010
about every reason there is to explain why
drivers do not use safety belts.
“It varies with the type of driver. Many
distribution drivers feel it is annoying to put
their belts on and take them off when they are
only driving short distances between stops.
Long-distance drivers want to be as comfortable
in their workplace as they are at home on the
sofa and construction drivers like to be able
to hop out of their seats should something go
wrong,” said An Paepen. “But it is also a
question of age. The older generation, who
did not grow up with safety belts, are on their
way out. The youth of today are much more
accustomed to using safety belts.”
That the trend is heading in the right direction
is confirmed by the ETSC, an independent
traffic safety organisation based in Brussels.
“In general, safety belt usage is growing at a
steady pace,” says Vojtech Eksler, an analyst
at ETSC.
In France, safety belt use has for several
years been above 70%. In Sweden, however,
where safety belts originated, usage is about
40%. In the USA, 72% of drivers use safety
belts, although in states with stricter laws,
the figure is 80%. According to Vojtech Eksler
there are many players who could work
together to boost safety belt usage even further.
Governmental authorities and the EU could
sharpen their focus on providing safety
information and pursuing the law. Insurance
companies could impose higher excesses in
cases of accidents where the parties concerned
do not use a safety belt. Technical considerations
are also important he explained, “We can see
a clear link in our research. In vehicles with
safety belt warning systems, both driver and
passenger safety belts are used far more than
in vehicles where these devices are not fitted.”
Volvo Trucks has filmed what happens inside
a truck when it overturns and rolls over. The
film can be viewed on YouTube. Visit: www.
youtube.com/watch?v=rww9oFNoNi8 or key
in ‘Volvo Truck rollover test 2’ in YouTube’s
search engine.
Buckle up - research
shows that fatalaties
and injuries would
fall by 40% if all
truck drivers wore
their safety belts
Best commercial
vehicle fleets
help cut
road crash
casualties
A
lmost 50 public and private sector
fleets, including many of the UK’s
leading commercial vehicle operators,
are in the vanguard of a government-backed
drive to reduce the number of road crashes
involving at-work drivers.
Although official Department for
Transport (DfT) figures show a consistent
reduction in road crash casualties - a total
of 2,538 people were killed on Britain’s
roads and 228,367 people were injured in
2008, the most recent year for which data
is available - it is estimated that up to a
third of those casualties could be employees
on work-related journeys.
At the heart of the government’s bid to
reduce work-related road crashes and
casualties is the ‘Driving for Better Business’
campaign, which is managed on behalf of
the DfT by RoadSafe, the automotive
industry-backed charity and a leading
forum for promoting and devising solutions
to road safety problems.
Central to the success of the campaign is
the recruitment so far of 42 high-profile
safety-focused ‘business champion’ fleets
from across the public and private sectors
to showcase their own good practice, with
the aim of encouraging other organisations
to adopt sound safe driving management
policies.
Caroline Scurr, Director of the ‘Driving
for Better Business’ campaign said: “Our
‘business champions’ can prove that
reducing the number of crashes involving
at work drivers saves thousands and, in
the case of large fleets, millions of pounds.
In addition, cutting the carnage improves
business efficiency and the image of an
organisation. All of our ‘business champions’
have cut crashes and related costs
significantly through implementing a wide
variety of safety-focused initiatives, and
consequently employee well-being has
also been improved. The result is complete
legal compliance and a measurable
contribution to business efficiency with
savings that go straight to the bottom line.
The business and employee advantages of
managing occupational road safety
effectively and efficiently are there for all
to see. We will continue to drive home those
benefits with public and private sector
organisations across Britain as we continue
to recruit more ‘business champions’.”

Economic improvements overshadowed by late payment,
according to latest barometer of small business
I
mprovements in orders and turnover
experienced by small firms are being
overshadowed by cash flow difficulties as
a result of late payment, the latest Economy
Watch member panel survey from the Forum
of Private Business suggests.
According to the monthly survey of members
on the Forum’s Economy Watch panel 43% of
respondents said they had experienced an
increase in orders, with 18% reporting a
decrease and 39% no change. In all, 35% said
their turnover has increased from February,
24% that it has fallen and 40% that it stayed
the same. Respondents’ total turnover was up
by a reported £508,000 in March compared to
the previous month. However, the total amount
of capital tied up in late payment at any one
time is £16,608,500, an increase of £1,014,780
from February. This equates to 35.5% of their
combined turnover.
“Our research shows that, while there are
indications of recovery for small firms,
particularly those seeing a boost in orders and
sales, this is being more than offset by
increasing late payment,” said Matt Goodman,
Policy Representative at the Forum of Private
Business. “Unfortunately, it’s a case of two
steps forward, three steps back as far as small
businesses and the economy are concerned.
Late payment devastates cash flow. It is
important that more large companies sign up
to the government’s prompt payment code
and that the principle of sustainable payment
is embraced across the supply chain.”
The survey’s other findings are:
Other economic indicators
• In total, 23% of business owners noticed an
increase in profitability, 29% a reduction and
48% no change.
• The amount of money held on deposit has
increased for 13%, stayed the same for 53%
Late payment
devastates cash
flow - the amount
of capital tied up
in late payment
has increased
since February
and decreased for 34%.
• Cash flow difficulties not resulting from late
payment have become worse for 20% of
business owners surveyed, better for 13% and
remained the same for 67%.
• Investment in machinery and equipment
has increased for 17%, fallen for 21% and
remained unchanged for 63% of respondents.
For investment in sales and marketing it is
29%, 11% and 60% respectively.
• The tax burden has risen for 27%, remained
the same for 70% and fallen for just 4% of
business owners surveyed. Other business
costs have increased for 41%, stayed the
same for 51% and decreased for less than 1%.
Business priorities and needs
• A total of 24% of respondents anticipate not
investing in their businesses in the coming
months, with 54% expecting to invest in sales
and marketing, 18% in machinery and
equipment, 25% in product and process
development and 13% upgrading property.
• Improved business confidence and industry
growth was chosen by an overwhelming 45%
of respondents as the main factor that would
help their businesses to grow, followed by
innovation and improved product ranges (15%),
reduced costs (10%), cash flow improvements
(9%), cuts to public spending and better
government management (9%), new clients
(9%) and improved marketing (9%).
• In all, 6% cited less tax, the same number
improved access to finance, 5% less red tape
and 5% resolving competition issues. Further,
better working practices were selected by 4%
of respondents, more business-to-business
investment by 4% and ‘stability’ by 4%.
Confidence
• Business confidence has decreased, with
39% of respondents saying they are ‘confident’
Industry News
or ‘very confident’ compared to 44% in
February. However, levels of pessimism have
also fallen slightly, with 13% ‘pessimistic’ or
‘very pessimistic’ compared to 16% in February.
Business support
• Of all the businesses surveyed, 16% anticipate
requiring support in the coming month, with
68% intending to be self-sufficient and 15%
uncertain, indicating the importance of a
stable business environment.
Finance
• The amount being sought in loan lending
has decreased by £44,000 compared to
February. Other forms of finance are being
pursued more aggressively, including
overdrafts (up by £8,200) and alternatives
such as use of credit cards (an increase of
£11,900).
• In all, access to finance has improved for
just 6% of respondents, deteriorated for 13%
and remained unchanged for 63%.
• The majority of businesses now believe
finance is ‘affordable’ or ‘very affordable’
(78%, down slightly from the 81% recorded in
February) while just 10% said it is ‘unaffordable’
or ‘very unaffordable’ – the same figure as in
February.
• The average cost of overdrafts has remained
at 5.7% and stayed at 4.4% for secured loans.
The cost of unsecured loans increased slightly
to 11.6% (from 11.5% in February). Although
increasing for 7% and decreasing for 3% the
cost of finance has not changed for 90% of
respondents.
• Most businesses are holding back from
seeking growth finance, probably until there
is greater confidence in the lending market.
Employment
• Total employee numbers have decreased by
4% over the past year and 8% of businesses
surveyed have reduced staff working hours.
• Chosen by 45% of respondents, the cost of
employment is seen as the joint biggest
barrier to recruitment along with economic
conditions and the local business climate.
• 25% selected the complexity of employment
law and 18% poor skills of local workers. In
all, 16% feel they are unable to recruit good
staff and 14% cited health and safety law as
the biggest barrier to taking on new employees.
• In addition, 29% of businesses surveyed
said their ‘business model’ does not require
further recruitment, 11% felt that their
existing staffing levels are adequate to meet
their growth plans and 10% believe there are
no barriers to recruitment. Just 1% believe
they do not have the internal management
skills required.
• Staff training costs have risen for 14%,
fallen for 9% and stayed the same for 77%
of respondents.
June 2010 Removals & Storage 17
 ����������������
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RoSPA unveils new website
Ever wondered where you can find the
answer to such questions as “Are employers
responsible for fatigued workers driving
home?” or “What is meant by the morning
after effect in relation to drink driving?”
Well wonder no more, because The Royal Society for the
Prevention of Accidents’ (RoSPA) mission to save lives and
reduce injuries has been brought bang up to date with the
unveiling of a new interactive website that includes a huge
frequently asked questions database. RoSPA’s main site -
www.rospa.com - has been totally refashioned to help fulfill
the charity’s aim of leading the way on accident prevention
in the 21st century.
New look for Move-It
Channel Moving
A
fter 25 successful years, Kent-based
Move-It has been renamed to bring
together all business activity under one
brand name, Move-it Channel Moving. The
firm, based in Ashford, will transform all its
new vehicles with a new red, white and blue
livery and staff will wear a striking new uniform.
Berin Riley of Move-It Channel Moving said
that his company was thriving despite the
recent downturn in the market. “Move-it
started out 25 years ago with domestic and
commercial removals and over the years has
expanded its services to include short and long-
term storage, commercial and international
moving and document storage,” he said. “In
2008 a specialist European removal brand,
Channelmoving.com was acquired to augment
the existing international services, particularly
to France and we now offer a weekly service
throughout France with additional routes into
Italy, Spain, Germany and Northern Europe,
including as far north as Scandinavia. We are
The site is easier to use and looks brighter and sharper
than its predecessor. However it still provides plenty of life-
saving information about preventing accidents at home,
on the road, at work and at leisure. There are also sections
dedicated to child safety and safety and risk education.
In addition, the website provides links to hundreds of
other sources of safety information. Tom Mullarkey, RoSPA
Chief Executive, said: “This is a very exciting development
that shows we’re still at the cutting edge of saving lives and
reducing injuries. It’s vital that in the age of information
technology we have a big, interactive presence on the web.
Our previous website received 2.92million visits in the last
year and we look forward to many more visitors in the future.”
the only removal firm in Ashford (and one of
only five in Kent) which is certified to
BS EN 12522.”
“The company has helped many famous
people and businesses relocate, collected and
delivered valuable works of art and furniture
around the world and helped around 10,000
local people to move home in Kent over the
last quarter century.”
Keith Evans (left) and Berin Riley (right)
of Move-it Channel Moving
Industry News
UK companies
face tough new
bribery laws
B
ritish companies must comply with
tougher corruption laws after the
Bribery Bill was passed by
parliament – the first significant overhaul
of the country’s bribery laws for a century.
The biggest change for businesses under
the Bribery Act will be the new offence of
corporate failure to prevent bribery.
Companies will have to show they have
‘adequate processes’ in place to prevent
bribery, or face prosecution along with the
individuals responsible for the bribe.
The punishments which could be handed
down under the new act include companies
having to hand back all the profit made
from a contract won as a result of a bribe,
unlimited fines and individuals facing up
to ten years in jail.
The changes introduced by the Act, which
was somewhat diluted under the pressure
to complete business before the end of the
last parliament, are considerable. It extends
the definition of bribery beyond the
traditional relationships of agents and
principals, creating a new strict liability
corporate offence and a specific offence of
bribing a foreign public official.
The Act aims to reform the criminal law
to provide a new, modern and comprehensive
scheme of bribery offences that will enable
courts and prosecutors to respond more
effectively to bribery at home or abroad.
The Act will provide a more effective
legal framework to combat bribery in the
public or private sectors. It will also replace
the fragmented and complex offences at
common law and in the Prevention of
Corruption Acts 1889-1916, create two
general offences covering the offering,
promising or giving of an advantage, and
requesting, agreeing to receive or accepting
of an advantage. Furthermore, it will create
a discrete offence of bribery of a foreign
public official and create a new offence of
failure by a commercial organisation to
prevent a bribe being paid for or on its
behalf. Its proponents say that it will support
business by ensuring that everyone is clear
about their responsibilities to do business
in an open and honest way and help tackle
the threat that bribery poses to economic
progress and development around the world.
For more information visit: www.justice.
gov.uk/publications/bribery-bill.htm.
June 2010 Removals & Storage 19
 Industry News
Quality award and
celebration for Bournes
Bournes is celebrating 135 years of providing moving and storage
services. It is also celebrating winning the UniGroup Worldwide UTS
International Quality award for the third time.
B
ournes is a member of UniGroup
Worldwide UTS network that has 1500
branches in six continents. Bournes won
the network’s first ever quality award in 1993
and also again in 2003 becoming the only
member company to win the award twice, and
now has done it for the third time. It is still the
only company in the history of the network to
have achieved the accolade more than once.
UK HOUSING
MARKET UPDATE
To keep BAR members informed of the changing
conditions in the housing market the R&S will be
compiling a monthly update of the most important facts
and figures taken from the Halifax House Price Index.
April 2010
Average House Price for March:
£168,202 - up -0.1% on the previous month
- up 6.6% on last year.
House prices fell -0.1% in April
This followed a 1% rise in March.
House prices in April were 6.6%
higher on an annual basis
This was the largest increase in the annual rate of
change - measured by the average for the latest three
months against the same period a year earlier – since
October 2007 (8.9%).
Prices are 8.7% above their April 2009
trough; an increase in the average
price of £13,539 over this period
This rise follows a fall between August 2007 and
April 2009 of 23%. The average house price is now
£168,202; 16% below its August 2007 peak.
20 Removals & Storage June 2010
The staff at
Bournes Removals
Bournes was established in 1875 with the
aim of providing high quality services to
customers for a fair price. In its 135th year it
is a great achievement for this generation of
the team to still be externally recognised for
providing the quality of service on which the
foundations of the company were built and
for which they have earned a reputation.
Each year this award is presented to the
Supply and demand imbalance is easing
The improvement in house prices since spring 2009
has encouraged more people to try to sell their property.
New sales instructions increased again in March,
helping to push up the stock of unsold properties to the
highest since April 2009. The ratio of completed sales to
stock fell for the fourth successive month in March - to
the lowest since July 2009 - indicating a loosening in
market conditions. (Source: RICS monthly survey,
March 2010.)
Housing market activity has weakened
Bank of England industry-wide figures show that the
number of mortgages approved to finance house
purchase – a leading indicator of completed house sales
– in 2010 quarter one were 18% lower than in 2009
quarter four. Approvals increased by a seasonally
adjusted 4% between February and March, but this rise
followed falls in both January and February. The return
of the lowest stamp duty threshold to £125,000 at the
start of the year and bad weather in January and
February have affected the overall level of activity,
including approvals, in late 2009 and early 2010.
(Statistics taken from the Halifax House Price Index April 2010)
UniGroup Worldwide UTS member company
with the best overall performance based on:
• Correct, professional and timely
communication;
• High quality performance;
• Active and correct users of Movetrack
vehicle coordination system (reducing
environmental impact);
• Timely and efficient financial procedures;
• 100% UniGroup UTS uniforms and clear
branding throughout the company;
• Consistent high quality Standards;
• Effective quality management system
in place;
• Responsiveness to claims and complaints;
• Pioneer at all levels;
• Development and innovation of the
UniGroup UTS network;
• Use of and effective implementation of the
UniGroup UTS Insurance Program;
• Active involvement in the country/regional
organisations;
• ISO certified;
• High ethical standards in business.
Eric Bourne, Managing Director, said “I
believe it is testament to every individual
member of our team and the effort that they
put into providing the highest standards of
service and customer care every day and
their commitment to ensuring we exceed every
customers expectations, every time. We are
proud of our company and are honoured that
our network are proud of us too.”
Driver CPC hits
operator budgets
T
he training for Driver Certificate of
Professional Competence (DCPC) is likely
to put a further strain on transport
operators’ budgets, according to a survey
by Driver Hire at the Commercial Vehicle
Operator Show.
Some 74% of those interviewed thought that
employers should pay for the cost of DCPC
training – even though the legal obligation to
arrange training rests with the drivers.
Richard Armitage, Driver Hire’s head of
training said the industry saw the DCPC as a
good move which would enhance the
professional skills of drivers.
“However, with diesel prices at record highs
and thousands of drivers to train, there’s no
doubt that DCPC is an added financial burden.
That may also explain why almost 60% of
those interviewed have made no arrangements
to commence training.”
However, he said, the new skills acquired
by drivers attending DCPC training might
actually help to reduce operating costs.

Tackling congestion
on major roads
The policy of transferring control of many major roads from the
Highways Agency to local authorities has broadly been a success,
the Transport Committee concluded in a recently published report.
M
ajor roads are managed by the
Highways Agency only where they
are of national strategic importance,
leaving other major roads to be managed in
accordance with the needs of local communities.
There is a large backlog of repairs on local
authority roads, and in some areas emergency
repairs are common. This is a costly and
inefficient way to maintain roads. The
committee heard evidence that some local
authorities spend less money on the
maintenance of the major roads under their
stewardship than is provided by the
government. The committee recommended
that the government sets out clearer guidelines
for what local authorities need to spend on
their major roads. Local authorities also need
to become more transparent about what they
spend, and how that compares to government
advice. Where a strategically important, but
locally managed, road needs improvement
which cannot be funded by local resources the
Department should consider either
transferring the road back to the Highways
Agency (re-trunking), or providing additional
financial resources to the relevant local authority.
The committee concluded that the current
major road network needs to be used more
effectively to reduce congestion at bottlenecks
and at peak times. It recognised the
sustainability problems inherent in using
road construction as the main mechanism for
managing congestion on the network, and
noted that building more roads is not always
the right solution to the problem. The committee
accepted, however, that it may be necessary
to build and upgrade motorways in some areas
which are currently poorly served. The
committee urged the government to intensify
its efforts to encourage sustainable travel as
part of an integrated transport policy. It is
supportive of the government’s policy to use
innovative methods such as Active Traffic
Management (ATM), better planning and new
technology to tackle congestion on motorways,
trunk roads and major A-roads. ATM includes
hard-shoulder running and variable speed
limits, which help to regulate the flow of traffic
at busy times. The committee believes the
integration of different modes of transport,
making it easier for travellers to choose public
transport, such as trains or buses for parts of
their journey, is key to managing congestion
on the major road network.
Launching the report, committee Chairman
Louise Ellman MP said, “Congestion on our
major road network costs our economy
enormous sums every year. The government
needs to demonstrate leadership by ensuring
Industry News
Fuel policy
threatening
British hauliers
O
verseas trucks operating a ‘bring
your own fuel’ policy when they
travel to Britain could put British
businesses in jeopardy because of foreign
competitor’s ability to undercut prices,
according to figures published by the
Department of Transport.
Treasury coffers missed out on £215
million of revenue last year thanks to this
sort of system and, with further duty
increases planned for October and next
January, this trend is likely to continue.
Typically a foreign truck uses 270 litres of
diesel whilst in the UK – equivalent to more
than five full tanks for a Ford Mondeo. But,
with UK fuel prices being at an all time
high, it’s obvious why so many companies
fill up abroad.
Simon Chapman, Freight Tranport
Association’s chief economist said that
a limit on the amount of fuel carried in
running tanks of trucks as they enter the
country could provide a solution.
“A quantity limit paired with a time-based
that a wide range of cost-effective tools are
charge, or vignette, on foreign trucks
used in the fight against congestion”.
while they are in the UK would not only be
The committee also concluded that the
a revenue stream but the authorities would
Highways Agency and local authorities need to
also be better aware of which companies
provide better, and more timely, information to
are operating on UK soil.”
the travelling public. This is true both where
Better intelligence and awareness
road works slow down traffic and cause
brought about through the introduction
congestion, and where ATM methods such as
of a vignette could also help make the UK’s
temporary speed restrictions are imposed on
roads safer. The Vehicle & Operator Services
drivers.
Agency (VOSA) has already clamped down
Mrs Ellman MP added: “It is vital that the
on many overseas operators who skimp
public understands what is happening, and
on compliance with vital safety measures,
why the speed limit is lower than normal. That
including drivers’ hours and safe loading.
may be because of road works, an accident or
Knowing who is on UK soil would assist
because of congestion. We have all experienced
them in targeting offenders and help keep
the frustration of temporary speed restrictions,
other road users safe.
sometimes for miles, for no apparent reason.
Information provided for the public needs to
be comprehensive and absolutely up to date.
Information that is out of date is no better
than having no information at all”.
The committee also concluded that:
• The government must develop more
detailed forecasts of future traffic growth so
that it is better able to plan for the needs of
different types of drivers in future;
• Trunk roads should normally be dual
carriageway, and the Highways Agency needs
to take steps to upgrade the 900 miles of trunk
roads which are currently single carriageway
as soon as possible;
• Where capacity is increased on the major
road network, the government and local
authorities need to give very careful thought
to the impact on other, smaller local roads; and
• The government’s efforts to have more goods
transported by rail and water are welcome, Trucks arrive in the UK having filled their tanks
and the development of a strategic freight with cheaper fuel from the continent
network needs to be beefed up.
June 2010 Removals & Storage 21
The Professional Advisers Panel is a brand new
initiative specifically designed to offer members
extended support across every aspect of their business.
This is a development of our highly successful Insurance
Broker Panel scheme whereby BAR members receive
unlimited support, guidance and advice from qualified
specialist companies within the UK. We are constantly
looking at ways to support our members businesses;
therefore, if this initiative proves to be a success, we will
develop the Professional Advisers Panel even further into
other relevant areas such as Health & Safety and
Environmental services.

For any independent insurance, financial or legal advice, please contact a

BAR Professional Adviser partner.

Insurance

Basil Fry & Co Ltd Reason Global Insurance

Tel: 01372 385 985 Tel: 0845 602 1775

Email: broking@basilfry.co.uk Email: info@reason-global.com
Website: www.basilfry.co.uk Website: www.reason-global.com

Financial Legal

Wellers Backhouse Jones Solicitors

Tel: 0207 630 6665 Tel: 01254 828300

Email: BAR@wellersaccountants.co.uk Email: enquiries@backhouses.co.uk
Website: www.wellersaccountants.co.uk Website: www.backhousejones.co.uk

MEMBERSHIP
INITIATIVE

in association with

Breeding a better class
of driver - thoroughly
modern motoring Ps & Qs
There is a right and proper way to behave behind the wheel –
from being a good car host to protocol regarding music choice.
T
o redefine driving for 21st century
motorists, two quintessentially British
brands – Debrett’s (the modern authority
on etiquette and manners) and Vauxhall -
have joined forces to publish Thoroughly
Modern Motoring Manners from Debrett’s and
Astra, providing in-car etiquette tips for both
passengers and drivers.
The 47-page book is the definitive guide to
well-mannered motoring. Simon Ewart from
the Vauxhall Astra team, said: “When we
developed the Astra, we concentrated on making
the interior special. From there it was a natural
move to look at modern motoring etiquette, so
the atmosphere for driver and passengers
alike is as good as the ambience. Contemporary
car design is all about great style, so it’s
important that today’s drivers behave in a way
that matches what their car says about them.”
Excerpts from Thoroughly modern motoring
manners from Astra and Debrett’s:
On chivalry: A chivalrous man will ensure
that his female passenger is comfortable before
the journey begins. He should offer to take
her coat, check that her seat is adjusted and
be sure that the temperature is to her liking.
She will expect her man to be a calm and
competent driver. Any signs of aggression
and she will most likely assume that in life –
as well as behind the wheel – he is volatile
and impatient.
A chivalrous passenger is as well-behaved
and polite in the car as he is when he’s out
and about. He realises that jokes about
women drivers are clichéd and is never a
backseat driver. He’s happy to sit back and
enjoy the ride.
On in-car entertainment: Music should be
carefully chosen and kept at a sociable volume.
Save contentious remarks and heated
discussions for non-mobile situations.
Unless you’re a karaoke-pro or trying to
entertain the children, avoid singing along.
Equally, save whistling for solo drives.
On being the perfect host: Sometimes your
passengers will want to doze or daydream.
Always respect their wishes – if they want to
stay in their own world for the duration of the
journey, let them.
On being the perfect guest: The driver is in
control of the car and that extends to the
controls of the stereo, temperature, etc. Don’t
adjust anything without asking first.
As a passenger, you don’t have to concentrate
on the road. Engage in conversation, but be
quiet during tricky manoeuvres and
challenging situations.
On fragrance fundamentals: A car is a
confined space, so think twice before spraying
too much aftershave or perfume as you may
overwhelm your fellow passengers.
On being ladylike: Smooth down your skirt.
Keeping your knees together, swivel your
body and swing your legs outwards. Place
one foot down, keeping your knees together.
Dip your head and shoulders forward and
slide and glide out of the car.
For hat-wearers: It’s good manners to
remove your hat in the car, just as you would
when entering a building.
Thoroughly Modern Motoring Manners from
Debrett’s and Astra is available from www.
debretts.com and www.amazon.co.uk
for £5.99, ISBN number: 978-1-870520-78-2.
Music should be
carefully chosen
and kept at a
sociable volume
Industry News
Drivers more interested
in keeping their cars
clean than checking
the spare tyre
O
ver 80% of UK motorists admitted
in a survey to having their car
cleaned regularly, but only 30% of
owners have checked their spare tyre/
wheel in the last three months, almost
20% admitting to never having checked
the spare at all. One good point from the
survey, however, is that almost half of UK
drivers seem to have taken heed of safety
advice and checked the tread depth of
their tyres within the last month.
The consumer survey, undertaken by
fast.MAP on behalf of mytyres.co.uk, one
of the UK’s leading online tyre retailers,
underlines the fact that the spare tyre is
the most neglected component and could
put motorists in both an inconvenient
and potentially dangerous situation
following a puncture on one of the four
running wheels.
A spokesman for mytyres.co.uk said,
“Whilst it is not illegal to have a spare
below the legal 1.6mm tread depth, it does
become illegal the moment it is fitted to
the car. A regular check of the spare takes
but a few minutes and could save a lot of
problems should motorists suffer a
puncture.”
mytyres.co.uk recommends that the
spare is checked once a month for the
correct pressure and general condition.
If the spare is difficult to access there are
products on the market which connect to
the valve and can be attached to the side
of the boot which provides a simple visual
indication of the tyre pressure.
Making his Mark
Matt Purdie (left), BAR President,
congratulates Mark Chudley on chairing
his first National Council meeting.
June 2010 Removals & Storage 23
 Industry News
Scrappage scheme overview
T
he scrappage scheme, which ran from
May 2009, ended in March with figures
from The Society of Motor Manufacturers
and Traders (SMMT) showing that 388,540
new cars and 6,959 new LCVs have been
registered through the incentive scheme.
The figures show that the average CO2
emissions of a car bought through the scheme
were 132.9g/km, over 27% below the scrapped
car’s figure and 9.5% below the overall new
car market average.
“The scrappage scheme ended in March and
SMMT’s latest figures show that the majority
of the 400,000 scrappage-funded vehicles
have now been registered,” said SMMT Chief
Executive, Paul Everitt. “The scheme helped
support our economy and played a vital role
An increasing number of EU member
states levy CO2-based taxation or
incentivise electric vehicles
A
ccording to ACEA - the European
Automobile Manufacturers Association,
the main lobbying and standards group
of the automobile industry in the European
Union - at present 17 EU Member States levy
CO2-related taxes on passenger cars, 15
governments provide tax incentives for
electrically chargeable vehicles and in 2009,
motor vehicle taxes from these amounted to
euro 377 billion or 3.4% of GDP.
The 17 EU countries that levy passenger car
taxes partially or totally based on the car’s
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and/or fuel
consumption are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland,
Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands,
Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the
United Kingdom.
By April last year, 16 Member States had
CO2-related taxation, up from 14 in 2008, 11
in 2007 and nine in 2006. New to the list are
Germany and Latvia. Italy chose not to prolong
its one-year fleet renewal scheme which
included both CO2-based incentives and
24 Removals & Storage June 2010
400,000 new
vehicles were
purchased under
the scrappage
scheme
in providing a much-needed boost to the UK
automotive industry. Our latest registration
forecasts suggest the 2010 market will perform
better than expected, but will appear subdued
compared to the peaks achieved during the
scrappage scheme.”
The scrappage scheme accounted for just
8.0% of all new car registrations in April, its
lowest share since the scheme began. Since
May 2009 the scheme has accounted for 18.1%
of total new car sales, and in the second half
of 2009 was regularly accounting for more
than a fifth of total market volumes. Similarly
the impact of the scheme has diminished in
the LCV market, accounting for 2.1% of April
volumes, compared with 3.7% over the May to
April period.
incentives for electric vehicles.
Incentives for electrically chargeable vehicles
are now applied in all western European
countries with the exceptions of Italy and
Luxembourg. New to the list is Belgium. The
Czech Republic and Romania take the number
of Member States up to 15. The incentives
mainly consist of tax reductions and exemptions,
as well as bonus payments for the buyers of
electric vehicles.
The European car industry supports the
further introduction of the fiscal incentives for
fuel efficiency. Tax measures are an important
tool in shaping consumer demand towards
fuel-efficient cars, and help create a market for
breakthrough technologies, notably during
the introduction phase. Innovations generally
first enter the market in low volumes and at a
significant cost premium, and this needs to
be offset by a positive policy framework.
Electric mobility will make an important
contribution towards ensuring sustainable
mobility. However, advanced conventional
technologies, engines and fuels will further
Transpakship
sponsor
container
of aid cargo
for Haiti
I
n light of the recent earthquake in Haiti
which left thousands of people without
homes and basic essentials, Transpakship
International Limited - being shippers of
household and personal effects to the West
Indies for over forty years - decided that they
must be involved in the emergency aid efforts
to help the devastated islanders recover.
With the help and assistance of
contributors nationwide who donated
food, clothing and aid cargo, Transpakship
began to receive cargo at its secure depot
and subsequently used its expertise and
packing skills to load a 40ft container for
onward shipment to the Caribbean island
ready for the charity l’Athletique D’Haiti to
carefully distribute to needy recipients.
The container was loaded by the
Transpakship team prior to its export from
Felixstowe on 3 May, 2010 with it being
due to dock on 27 May.
Transpakship would like to thank all
donators for their tremendous response
and efforts in the knowledge that it will
hopefully make a difference to many lives.
play a predominant role for years to come.
Governments must continue to include these
CO2-efficient technologies and solutions in their
overall sustainable mobility policy approach.
Failure to harmonise tax systems weakens
the environmental benefits that CO2-based
taxation and incentives can bring. European
automakers have long called for the abolition
of car registration taxes which are still widely
applied in the EU. Generally, registration
taxes threaten fleet renewal. A harmonised
CO2-based tax regime for cars should be a
priority, applying a linear, technology-neutral
system that is budget neutral in end effect. It
would maximise emission reductions, support
manufacturers and maintain the integrity of
the single market.
In 2009, the market share of cars emitting
120gCO2 /km had risen to 25%. Cars with
emission above 160gCO2 /km accounted for
23% of the market, compared to 39% in 2006
and 80% in 1995.
ACEA consider the European automotive
industry to be key to the strength and
competitiveness of Europe. It’s members are
BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler, FIAT Group,
Ford of Europe, General Motors Europe, Jaguar
Land Rover, MAN Nutzfahrzeuge, Porsche,
PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault, Scania, Toyota
Motor Europe, Volkswagen and Volvo. Annually,
ACEA members invest over euro 26 billion in
research and development, or 5% of turnover.

Project management:
the business of green
By Michelle LaBrosse and Erica Edmond
B R
eing Green is not just Kermit’s theme
song anymore. It’s everyone’s. Green tips
are top of mind, everywhere we turn.
So, when we think of project management,
how can we apply some ‘green thinking’ to
our projects?
Here are three ways to bring some green
ingenuity to your every day business life.
1 Green office. There are hundreds of ways
to make your office greener. Here are just a
few to get you started:
• Use coffee mugs instead of paper or
Styrofoam;
• If you are a small or home-based office,
investigate producing your own energy;
• If you can’t produce your own energy, look
for a supplier that is producing green energy
in your area;
• Put automatic timers or sensor lights in
your bathroom, conference rooms or spaces
that are not occupied the majority of the day;
• Use as much natural light as possible in the
design of your office space;
• Use energy saving light bulbs;
• Switch off computers, photocopiers and
other equipment when not being used;
• Buy office equipment with the best energy
ratings;
• Use green materials when building out a new
office, like bamboo instead of wood flooring;
• Use refillable vs. disposable pens;
• Buy green products for your office –
everything from toilet paper to recycled paper
for printing;
• Promote a ‘reuse’ mentality and lead by
example;
• Promote ‘think before you print’;
• Use environmental or natural cleaning
products;
• Support and buy the products of other
vendors and suppliers who are eco-friendly;
• Support virtual office employees or support
car-pooling and ride sharing if in a suburban
area;
• If you’re in a rural area, can you create a
wildlife trust around your company’s property?
2 Green team. When you make green more
than a passing fancy, you show your team
and your customers that you mean business.
You’re not just being trendy; you’re making
changes that impact the world around you.
3 Green PR. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of bad
news out there. Your customers do want to
hear about the good things that you’re doing.
So, if you have a green initiative or a project
with a green heart and soul, talk about it.
Get the buzz going. Green PR is only bad when
it’s insincere.
About the authors:
Michelle LaBrosse is an engineer and an
entrepreneur with expertise in both aerospace
and mechanical engineering. For her
engineering master’s thesis she participated
in a Department of Energy grant to help older
factories become more energy self-sufficient.
The Project Management Institute recognised
Michelle as one of the top 25 most influential
women worldwide in Project Management.
Erica Edmond is a go-to resource for all
things green. She researches and writes and is
also a research assistant for a communication
professor at the University of Portland.
Start to make your
office greener by
swapping regular
light blubs for
energy saving ones
Industry News
‘Little and often’
cost increases
threaten haulage
firms, warns RHA
oad haulage firms must recover rising costs by
increasing the rates they charge customers. That
is the stark warning from the Road Haulage
Association, as both fuel duty and diesel costs continue
to rise.
“Transport firms face a triple-whammy of rising
diesel commodity costs, endlessly rising fuel duty and
increases in costs elsewhere,” said RHA Director of
Policy Jack Semple. “In the past 12 months, the price
of diesel before duty and taxes has risen by 18%,
largely due to the sinking value of the pound against
the dollar. The Chancellor’s decision to increase duty
every three months rather than once a year is clearly
designed to disguise the impact from motorists but
the impact on the haulage industry’s costs is severe.
By April 2011, he will have increased fuel duty seven
times in just 28 months.”
“UK duty amounts to a 25% tax on the operation of
a typical 44-tonne truck and is by far the highest in
the EU. British hauliers are paying up to £12,000 a
year more than their EU competitors. Maintenance
costs have risen sharply as a result of the deterioration
in road conditions since the recent severe weather and
members have reported sharp increases in spring,
suspension and tyre costs, which cannot be ignored.
Employment, training and overhead costs have also
been rising.”
“With demand and confidence still low in many
sectors of the economy, hauliers are often fearful of
asking for rate increases. But customers must recognise
that running a professional transport business requires
sustainable haulage rates,” Semple concluded.
Thamesport
plans for
bigger ships
L
ondon Thamesport has installed a new ship-to-
shore quay crane with a reach of over 62 metres
to accommodate the latest generation of post-
panamax container ships. The crane has an outreach of
62.5m, equivalent to four rows further across than any
of their regular customers currently require. The port’s
largest regular callers are 339m vessels, but it has plans
to extend the 650m quay by a further 100m to
accommodate two ships at once. Thamesport can
already accommodate the world’s longest merchant
marine vessel, the Emma Maersk which can carry more
than 11,000 TEU.
The crane was ordered through materials handling
Briggs Equipment, which provides and maintains the
port’s quay cranes, gantry cranes, internal movement
vehicles, and reach trucks. It was delivered via barge by
Zhenhua Port Machinery Company of Shainghai.
Thamesport now has eight quay cranes along with
twenty nine gantry cranes. It currently has an annual
capacity of 875,000 TEU and planned developments
would see this figure rise to 1.2 million.
June 2010 Removals & Storage 25
 BAR News
New International Associate:
Baillie Moving Systems
Baillie Moving Systems in Chicago, previously Skipworth Moving,
has been accepted by BAR as an International Associate.
A
s an international forwarder and mover
the company prides itself on being
unique to the international moving
market in the US. Chris Baillie, President of
Baillie Moving Services, explained, “Most
forwarders in the US do not own trucks,
warehouses or have moving crews. But we can
service any need, big or small, in the Chicago
or Midwest area, with our own equipment.”
Baillie Moving Systems operates a fleet of
six trucks and eight trailers and works out of
a 42,000 square foot warehouse located in
Batavia, a suburb of Chicago that gives the
company access to all major highways. “This
means we can pack and load your shipments
anywhere in the Chicagoland area. We are
able to service all domestic and international
needs as if you were actually here in Chicago,”
Chris said.
The company’s ability to meet any
international moving needs in this way has
led to significant international growth. Chris
Bristol conference success
T
he BAR conference in Bristol was a
roaring success by any standards with
over 200 people attending, more speakers
than ever before, and an exhibition area that
was kept busy from the moment it opened.
Highlights of the two days included, of course,
the installation of Reg Hackworthy as the new
BAR President. As the presidential period of
office had changed two years ago Reg had the
dubious pleasure of becoming the longest-
serving BAR vice president in history.
The July and August issues of Removals &
Storage will carry full reports on all the
conference speakers and social events with,
no doubt, the usual gallery of action shots as
accompaniment. They will include: new offers
from BT to help reduce the cost of business
communication; an illuminating presentation
from Brodie Clark the Head of the UK Border
Agency; tips for successful tendering in the
public sector from expert Gerry Thorogood;
legal words of wisdom from James Backhouse;
guidance on how to get more from your
membership of BIFM from Beth Goodyear; the
latest Moving Trends Survey from Peter Middup;
and the launch of the CMG apprenticeship
from Loren Webster.
In total there were some 20 presentations
over the two days, all quick fire, no nonsense
offerings that left no time for the audience
attention to fade and made sure that everyone
left having learned something that would be of
direct and immediate benefit to their business.
If anyone needed inspiration to keep fighting
during the economic downturn, it was provided
26 Removals & Storage June 2010
said, “The control factors for any operation
are huge, but because we are using our own
equipment we can keep our costs down since
we do not need to involve a middleman along
the way.”
Baillie Moving Systems’ continued success
seems to have been driven by its international
growth. So, for Chris, joining an association
such as the BAR seemed to be the next step.
“Joining BAR was an important step for the
company since the majority of our international
business is to and from the UK. We realise that
being affiliated to BAR will give our company
more credibility with our current clients and
hopefully expose us to possible future clients.”
He continued, “It is important for us to
establish new relationships with other
international movers who might need some
help servicing clients in the Chicago and
Midwestern markets.”
As they say, Chicago is the gateway to the
Midwest!
in handfuls by Rachel Elnaugh of Dragons’
Den fame. She explained how she had built
up her Red Letter Days company and seen it
destroyed again all within a few years. But her
enthusiasm and determination was an
inspiration to everyone who attended.
Probably the highlight of the whole event was,
of course, the announcement of the winners
of the CMOTY and DMOTY competitions.
Congratulations to Pickfords Business Moving
and Matt Purdie & Sons for taking home the
silver.
If you weren’t able to be at the conference, you
certainly missed a treat. However, don’t despair:
all the presentations will be reproduced as
faithfully as possible in these pages over the
next few months. Read and enjoy and make a
mental note to try to attend in Manchester
next year.
Mark Herrington (right) from Pickfords Business
Moving (CMOTY winner) and Matt Purdie from
Matt Purdie & Sons (DMOTY winner)
New Affiliate:
TOTALCARD
TOTALCARD, part of the
TOTAL Group, has become
BAR’s most recent Affiliate.
T
OTAL is the 4th largest oil company
in the UK with a turnover of more
than £3billion. The company has 13
distribution terminals and 850 forecourts
spread across the country. TOTALCARD is
part of the group’s long term strategy to
provide its customers with a high level of
security and a flexible approach to pricing
and payment.
The card is accepted nationwide at over
3000 stations (TOTAL, BP and SHELL). It
operates using a chip and pin formula the
same as debit and credit cards, with the
customer able to limit the amount of spend
per day by account level to ensure no over
spend. The card also offers differing options
as to which products can be purchased
using the card. This means only certain
products, i.e. petrol, diesel, car wash, can
be purchased using the TOTALCARD.
Currently there are three million active
TOTAL fuel cards across Europe equating
to over 200 million transactions a year.
These cards give any sized company the
ability to monitor and manage their fuel
payments whether they have a fleet of two
cars or 30 lorries.
Daniel Shepherd, Card Sales Manager
for TOTALCARD, said, “The card offers a
secure solution for businesses and lets
managers monitor their fleet’s fuel
consumption which is important both
environmentally and financially.”
The TOTALCARD has a complete online
management tool which means you can
manage your account anywhere, anytime.
The online portal covers card management,
transactions check and processing,
abnormal transaction monitoring and fuel
costs analysis.
Daniel said that they decided to join BAR
because it seemed to fit perfectly with
what they wanted to achieve. He said,
“We’re really happy to be part of the BAR.
Our aim is to offer all members
competitive pricing and a great service to
allow them to get the best out of their
TOTALCARDs.”
 ��������������

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• Our new web based service
www.evl-rates.co.uk for easy
and immediate online quotes
• We guarantee a fast, efficient and
competitive quality service

We can offer quotes on the

following services:
• FCL (full container load
single shipper)
• Groupage
• Airfreight

Australia, USA, Canada

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Unit 6, Lakeside Industrial Estate, Colnbrook, Berks, SL3 0ED, UK
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BAR Services
sees a further
rise in corrugated
case prices
T
he reaction by members to news of a
further increase in corrugated case
prices is understandably one of shock.
Many members have commented that at a
time when the removal industry is trying to
recover from a difficult period, an increase in
their packaging materials is the last thing they
need. BAR Services feels it is important to
provide the membership with an explanation
for why this is occurring.
Removal companies have already seen two
price increases during 2010 and a further
potential increase is being discussed for the
future. So what are the reasons behind this
escalation at a time when companies are
looking for a price cut, not a price increase?
The simple answer is that the cost of the raw
materials has increased dramatically and
Product of the Month
Load Restraints
Legislation dictates that large loads must be restrained in
a way to prevent unacceptable movement or dislodging
of the load during transit. They are therefore a necessary
piece of equipment for the removal industry.
BAR Services supply a full range of load restraints to suit
your needs and requirements. Manufactured in heavy
tenacity polyester, all straps are manufactured to meet
the specification outlined by the BS EN 12195-2
Standard. Each system has a unique serial number
BAR Services Ltd, Moor Hall, Sandhawes Hill, East Grinstead, Sussex RH19 3HQ Tel: 01342 870087 Fax: 01342 870072 Email: sales@barservices.co.uk
there have been shortages in supply. Over the
past 20 years, the price of paper has dropped
dramatically by up to 50% to an all time low.
The paper industry has fought to keep these
low prices but paper mills are now forced to
put their prices up. Although there has been a
small decrease in energy and fuel costs over
the last few years this has done little to offset
the significant growth in pulp, chemicals and
fuel costs.
Paper shortages have occurred due to the
closure of some of Europe’s leading board mills
but other factors have also led to the restricted
supply of paper pulp into the European paper
market. Firstly, much of our waste paper is
being traded worldwide and, with a growing
and healthy economy, much of this is being
sent to China. As much of Chinese produce is
allowing traceability and safety. They are quick and easy
to use saving you both time and money whilst providing
your load with stability and protection.
BAR News
exported there is little waste paper left in the
country hence the need to buy from abroad.
Secondly, the paper industry in Finland and
Sweden has seen many workers on strike not
only in the paper mills but also in the ports.
As recently as April 2010, six Swedish paper
mills went on strike as unions could not reach
a consensus over a labour agreement whilst
Finland saw no end to the ongoing strike by
its dockworkers.
Finally, more recent events in Chile have
also seen paper and board manufacturers
further challenged by the effects of the
earthquake. Operations at many of the Chilean
paper mills came to a halt during the eruption
causing a major impact on the already restricted
supply of paper pulp.
For all these reasons, the UK corrugated
market has been suffering for a prolonged
period of time with the cost of a box being
much less than the cost of its manufacture.
Many box manufacturers have found it hard
to survive such losses and those that have feel
that now there is no alternative but to pass on
these increases.
BAR Services understands that the timing
of this news is not great for its customers but
you can be assured that it negotiates hard on
behalf of the members to ensure the percentage
increase is as low as possible. General
Manager Miranda Hyder assures you that she
is continuously working with all of the BAR
Services suppliers to see if any of the price
increases can be mitigated. Whilst the company
will endeavour to keep prices as low as possible,
it feels it is still necessary to be sensible about
passing on the increases as keeping prices
artificially low is unsustainable and
unrealistic.
If you have any questions regarding the
information in this article or the price
increases please do not hesitate to ring
the sales team on 01342 870087 or
e-mail sales@barservices.co.uk.
Load restraints are just one of the products
that make up the BAR Services range of
specially designed products for your use.
For further information or prices please
call the sales team on 01342 870087 or
e-mail sales@barservices.co.uk.
June 2010 Removals & Storage 29
 CMG News
David Stanley:
Xpress yourself
With 20 years experience in the removals industry under his belt,
David Stanley, Sales Director of Xpress Relocation Ltd, has helped
the company progress and make its mark on the UK’s removals
industry as a reputable and trustworthy business.
T
his experience coupled with his strong
opinions saw him join the CMG Council
18 months ago. David talks to Charlotte
Freestone about his career in the industry,
his hopes for the future of the CMG and the
hells of the M25 rush hour.
David’s move into the removals industry
was a reasonably late one. Having owned an
overseas freight business based in Sutton,
Surrey, David was approached by Tony Smith,
who owned the business centre David’s
company was based in. David said, “Tony had
just purchased a very old and well established
family run business, EDES, known then as
“ I felt it was
important to
get our name
out there, so I
made applications
for both BAR
and CMG.”
David Stanley
30 Removals & Storage June 2010
W.EDE + Co, to add to his portfolio. Tony already
had a lot of businesses to look after and so he
asked me to join him. That was it. I was a
removals man overnight!”
David admits that at the time he had to think
on his feet and work very hard to familiarise
himself with the removals industry but, before
long, he had helped turn EDES into one of the
most successful removals companies in the
UK. After 13 years of service at the company
and following a change of ownership, David
joined Xpress Relocation in Milton Keynes as
its sales director. David recalls, “At the time
Xpress Relocation were loyal subcontractors
for EDES. I felt I could put my experience into
good use.”
From being in such a high profile company
for so long, David found the move to a small,
family run business rather daunting. “I felt it
was important to get our name out there,”
said David, “so, I made applications for both
BAR and CMG. BAR, and the Commercial
Moving Group especially, have lots to offer
companies to help them develop both a
professional and efficient approach to their
business.”
It would appear that David’s ambitions to
raise the profile of the company have succeeded.
Since David joined Xpress Relocation the
company has achieved certificates of merit in
“ We have a very
strong council
and some good
characters to take
us forward into
what we hope to
be better times.”
David Stanley
the CMOTY in 2006 and 2007 and was a
Corporate Move Finalist in 2009.
David’s passion for his own company is
something that bubbles over to the removals
industry in general. This didn’t go unnoticed
by the vice chairman of the CMG, Neil Rogers.
David said, “I was having a healthy discussion
with Taff about the CMOTY in 2008. My strong
views at the time led to him suggesting I join
the council and so I did. He probably regrets
that suggestion to this day!”
Half way through his second year as a
councillor David feels that the council is as
strong as it has ever been. “We have a very
strong council and some good characters to
take us forward into what we hope to be better
times ahead. You are never going to be able to
please everyone but all you can do is hope your
decisions make good commercial sense to the
majority of members.”
The recent introduction of standards such
as BS 8522 is one such issue that has seen a
few BAR members up in arms at even more
bureaucracy, but David is pleased with the
outcome. “What the CMG has achieved now is
a professional, quality organisation with all
of its members fully accredited to an industry
recognised standard,” he said. “This is very
important and sometimes essential when
tendering for government and corporate
work. You often won’t even make the PQQ stage
without the BS Standard.”
David believes that by publicising the
standard to facilities managers and at
conferences such as BIFM and FMA, it will
one day be the norm for facilities managers
across the UK to insist on the Standard. “This
will mean that they wouldn’t dream of calling
in a non-CMG member for their relocation
requirements.”
So are there any aspects of his job that David
doesn’t enjoy? “Just the joys of the M25 rush
hour!” he laughs. Living in Surrey, some two
hours away from Milton Keynes (on a very
good day!), with his wife, three children and
dog, David says that he looks forward to putting
this long commute behind him. “I enjoy life in
Surrey at the moment, walking my gorgeous
labradoodle in the countryside, but I look
forward to the time when the kids have moved
on and I can move to a nice country cottage in
Buckinghamshire, closer to the office, leaving
the joys of the M25 rush hour behind me!”
 �����������������������������������������������

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BARTS’ BTEC Qualification
in Practical Estimating and
Removals Management
I
n 2008 BAR Training Services launched
the first ever removals industry-specific,
nationally recognised qualifications. These
qualifications help to enhance the removal
industry as one that is skilled and professional.
Removals staff who successfully complete
either of the BTEC qualifications are presented
with certificates that are recognised
throughout the United Kingdom as a further
educational award.
The two BARTS BTEC qualifications are:
• BTEC Award in Practical Estimating
• BTEC Award in Removals Management
The BTEC Award in Practical Estimating is a
two-day course that teaches delegates the skills
required when going out to survey a job in a
customer’s home. The qualification includes
key topics such as quantity assessment and
volumes, the role of the estimator, selling
skills and risk assessment. The course also
includes three practical visits to local properties
in the Watford area.
The BTEC Award in Removals Management
is a nine-day course that is split into two blocks.
The course is designed for lower to middle
management and covers key topics such as
operational planning, contract conditions,
warehousing, marketing, overseas removals,
insurance and drivers hours.
If you would like to know more about BARTS’
BTEC qualifications please contact a member
of the training team on 01923 699484 or
e-mail training@bar.co.uk.
Training News
Comments ...
Comment from Freddy Sheppard, Sheppards Removals
& Storage Ltd, having attended the BTEC in Removals
Management course recently.
“The course was great and covered every
aspect of management that I needed to
take Sheppard’s forward and expand.
Thank you, to all the tutors.”
Chris Smallwood of Britannia Anchor Removals has a
wealth of experience in the removals industry, he runs
and manages his own successful removals business and
has recently became a lecturer for BARTS. Britannia
Anchor Removals are based in the Greater Manchester
area and specialise in UK household removals, office
removals, professional packing services and storage, as
well as European and worldwide shipping. As an
industry expert, it’s no wonder that Chris can say his
business is ‘recommended by 96% of his customers’.
“I was asked recently to lecture on the
BTEC in Removals Management covering
the subject of Removals Planning and
Costing. The course was a one-day part of
the BTEC course, I have to say that the
content was not only informative but
totally relevant to the industry. There is
absolutely no question that this course
would enhance the ability and skills of
any employee or indeed employer. The
net result of such a course would be the
ability of any individual to enhance the
profitability of the company they work
for, making it a cost effective way of
training. I would totally recommend
BARTS and this course to any employer
who feels they are not getting the best
out of their staff, or feel that they need to
explore a cost effective way to increase
their profitability.”
June 2010 Removals & Storage 33
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 Training News

Training – implementing core training to ensure business

success and innovation to ensure long-term BARTS training on-site
investing for the survival. A skilled and motivated workforce
will be essential to ensure organisations are
at McCarthy’s in Leeds
future upturn well placed to take advantage of the recovery
when it comes.”
Loren Webster, BARTS Training Manager
travelled to Leeds to train McCarthy’s
in business Despite the economic downturn, it is essential
that organisations continue to invest in training
personnel to better their selling skills,
the comments below came from the
by Martin Minker of BARTS their staff. Those who have continued to attendees:
implement core training will be far better

T
he economic downturn has had a
significant impact on the funds invested
by businesses in training. Spending on
skills development has plummeted by 52%
over the past year, according to the Chartered
Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD)
2010 Learning and Development Survey.
Despite the fall in spend, most firms have tried
to maintain a level of training with efforts
focused on managing costs more efficiently.
With the economy slowly emerging from
recession, the talent that employers say they
are looking for includes leadership skills (65 %),
front line people management skills (55%)
and business awareness (51%).
John McGurk, the CIPD’s learning and talent
adviser said: “Our annual survey demonstrates
that learning and development professionals
across the country are rising to the challenge of
To discuss your training needs further please contact BARTS
on 01923 699484 or e-mail training@bar.co.uk
prepared for when business begins to pick up
once more.
As well as core skills training, oganisations
should be particularly aware of mandatory,
refresher training in the core health and safety
elements such as manual handling and fire
awareness. As reported in last month’s edition
of the Removals & Storage, organisations who
fail to invest in regular refresher training are
facing heavy fines for breaches in regulations.
Investing in staff training not only ensures
employees are well skilled, it also makes for a
motivated, productive and happy workforce.
BAR Training Services can help you to
implement core training programmes within
your organisation and provide advice on how
to access government funding for your training
requirements.
(Information taken from Wellers)
The course increased knowledge
in sales techniques.
Roy Howarth
Learning how to tackle negotiation
better and with confidence.
Stephanie McGowan
It was all very interesting.
Ann O’Sullivan
I enjoyed the course, it gave me new
ideas. It was informative and gave me
confidence to convert new leads and be a
more confident sales person. Thank you.
Beverley Newby
Enjoyable, informative.
Mark Peters
All courses BARTS offer can be delivered
on-site at your premises.
To enquire, please contact BARTS
on 01923 699484.

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36 Removals & Storage June 2010
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 Training News

BAR Training Services

Training Available on your premises
The following courses can be delivered on site by our Field Trainer using
our mobile training vehicle:
• Health & Safety awareness • Removals Documentation
MAKING • Manual Handling • Fire Warden Training
TRAINING • Fire Safety Training • Risk Assessment
AFFORDABLE • Induction Training • Fragile Packing - Beginner/Refresher
• Basic/Advanced Packing Skills • Specialist Packing/Piano’s
• Vehicle & Container - Loading • Writing a Winning Tender - NEW!
• Warehousing • Selling Skills
������� • Export Wrapping • Removals Apprenticeship
������ • Commercial & Overseas Training • BTEC in Practical Estimating
��
��������
• Team Leader Training • BTEC in Removals Management
���������
•� Driver CPC •� Train the Trainer
�������� Please visit the BAR Training Services section at www.bar.co.uk
to download a booking form or call us on 01923 699 484
*All courses are subject to change.

BAR Training Services, Tangent House, 62 Exchange Road, Watford, Herts, WD18 0TG.
T: 01923 699484 F: 01923 699481 E: training@bar.co.uk W: www.bar.co.uk

�������������������������������������� ������������������

38 Removals & Storage June 2010

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 European News
News Roundup
P&O launches
LCL service
P&O Ferrymasters has launched a less than
container load (LCL) service from Germany
and Benelux to Ireland. The service is being
run in co-operation with distribution
specialist The Pallet Network, which is
located in Ireland. It will use trailers based
on daily collections from Germany and
Benelux, with cross-docking facilities in
Europort on to 45ft curtainside containers.
Initially there will be two departures per
week from Europort to the port of Dublin,
with TPN distributing directly across
Ireland to end customers. P&O plans to
increase the frequency of the service once
it has been established. Containers will
depart on Tuesdays and Fridays, with
arrivals in Dublin on Friday and Monday
mornings. A track and trace capability and
ADR option will also be available.
European
LEZ guide
There are over 160 Low Emission Zones in
11 countries in Europe, in big cities and
smaller towns alike, so Sadler Consultants
– a firm specialising in air quality policy -
has come up with a single website which
“gives you all the information you need on
Low Emission Zones in one place - and in
your language.” The firm says that www.
lowemissionzones.eu is a complete,
multilingual, one-stop-source of information
on European LEZs. With more cities and
towns using or preparing Low Emission
Zones or Environment Zones to help them
meet increasingly tough air quality standards,
Sadler says there is a real need for clear
information, which is what its site delivers.
40 Removals & Storage June 2010
R&S is grateful to FEDEMAC for its contribution to this section
If you have please send it to: The Editor, Steve Jordan, Removals & Storage,
The Words Workshop Ltd, 26 Swanwick Lane, Broughton, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK10 9LD
Tel: 01908 695500 Fax: 01908 690099 Email: rands@thewordsworkshop.co.uk
Working time rules for
self-employed drivers
MEPs in the European parliament’s
Employment Committee have voted to
reject plans to exclude self-employed drivers
from rules on working time, the Working
Time Directive. The existing law on drivers’
hours aimed to include self-employed truck
and bus drivers from 23 March, 2009 unless
the Commission came up with a different
idea first. It did. In October 2008 it said
there was no need to include self-employed
drivers. Then socialist, green and leftist
groups persuaded parliament to include
those self-employed drivers and now
centre-right Edit Bauer MEP says there is
no precedent for regulating the working
hours of self-employed people. MEPs will
vote on the text in the next plenary.
Auto industry
worried by iron
ore price hike
ACEA, the Brussels-based auto industry
association says its members are “very
concerned” by the “sudden and massive
increase” in iron ore prices. Recently, leading
iron ore exporters said they would hike
prices by 80%. The association says such an
“excessive and unpredictable” pricing policy
would hurt European manufacturing,
including the auto industry. The big three
iron ore exporters are Australia’s Rio Tinto
and BHP Billiton and Brazil’s CVRD with
70% of world exports. Other big producers
like India and Russia barely export ore. To
add to ACEA’s woe, BHP and Rio Tinto just
said they plan to merge Australian iron ore
operations.
Draft van CO2
report issued
The European Parliament’s Environment
Committee 17-page draft report on van CO2
has been issued by its author (rapporteur)
Martin Callanan MEP. He suggests no
changes to the Commission’s short-term
target of 175g/km CO2, phased in from
2014 to 2016. The Commission’s longer term
2020 target rises from 135g/km to 150g/km
while the penalty for van makers who exceed
the targets drops from euro 120 to euro 95
a vehicle. Callanan also wants 120kph speed
limiters in vans from 2015. The Environment
Committee were due to debate the draft
report at its May meeting in Brussels with the
Committee to vote at its September meeting.
Joint Operational
Coordination Centre
at Calais
In accordance with an agreement signed on
6 July, 2009 a Joint Operational Coordination
Centre (JOCC) has been operational since
8 February, 2010 bringing together
representatives from Police aux frontières,
Douanes, United Kingdom Border Agency
(UKBA) and the Calais Chamber of Commerce
and Industry. The objective of this centre is to
strengthen co-operation and communication
between the services, essential elements to
the good management of working priorities
and the integration of joint operations at
port. The latest x-ray scanning technology
will also be installed. Its management has
been trusted to French Douanes in the
framework of the fight against fraud and the
movement of illegal goods. It will therefore
strengthen the existing control operations
in the Port of Calais. While allowing traffic
flow to be maintained through better
integration of currently independent controls,
the scanner was scheduled to begin operation
for a trial period of three months starting
from 19 April, 2010.

R&S is grateful to FEDEMAC for its contribution to this section
Brussels: European
capital of congestion
A new study has unveiled Europe’s 59 most congested
cities for drivers and Brussels is top of the list.
P
oland and the UK are also places where
urban driving can be a nightmare,
while Spain and the Nordic countries
offer a smoother journey.
According to the study, drivers in the home
of the European Commission face delays on
over 37.7% of its main roads each day, narrowly
beating Warsaw into top spot on the list.
Another Polish city, Wroclaw, is in third place.
It’s bad news too for the Brits: despite the
congestion charge, few Londoners will be
surprised to find their city comes in fourth
overall, while Edinburgh and Belfast also make
the top ten. And before the Welsh start singing
the praises of their roads, they should take note
that Cardiff at number 26 is one of a further
five UK cities that make the overall list.
Revision of the
Late Payments
Directive
M
embers of the European Parliament’s
Internal Market Committee (IMCO)
adopted the report of MEP Barbara
Weiler on the revised version of the late
payments directive in April.
FEDEMAC strongly welcomes the decision
by IMCO and hopes for action by the EU Council
to make sure that matters are now put into
practice via the Small Business Act.
The decision portrays a strong position by
the European parliament on the need to protect
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs),
which most removals companies are, from
unfair late payments by public authorities and
other business customers.
Driving in much of France is a happier
experience, once you can escape Paris and
Marseilles no other French city is listed. And
it’s not just Germany’s autobahns that allow
traffic to flow smoothly: its most congested city,
Munich, comes just 28th in the list. But once
they’ve made it into the table, there’s no stopping
the Germans: Essen, Hamburg, Stuttgart,
Cologne, Düsseldorf and Berlin are all between
31st and 38th place. With six further cities in
the lower levels of the table, Germany has a
greater number of congested cities than
anywhere else – though this may reflect the
number of large cities the country has.
Residents of Spain and the Nordic countries
are most likely to escape the jams. Only three
Scandinavian cities make the top 20 – Oslo is
16th with 26% of roads congested, while its
Swedish counterpart Stockholm has just 6%.
And so much for our preconceptions of
angry Latin drivers hooting their horns in
fury: in Spain, it seems gridlock is relatively
rare. Barcelona comes in seventeenth place,
but its other major cities are all in the lower
echelons of the table. Bottom of the table – and
therefore best for drivers – comes Zaragoza,
where just 1.5% of the roads are clogged.
The table has been produced by SatNav
provider TomTom. Rankings are based on how
fast cars can travel on a city’s road network
as measured by the anonymous speed data
TomTom collects every day from drivers who
use its devices. Wherever drivers were travelling
at 70% or less of the speed limit, traffic was
defined as congested.
FEDEMAC President, Arnaldo Righetti
commented: “This is an important step for
SMEs and a strong message to the Council of
Ministers. The parliament’s committee decision
supports putting the principle for 30-day
settlement by public authorities and the
commitments of the Small Business Act and of
the EU Recovery Plan into practice. In the past
many smaller enterprises have been hindered
from tendering for public procurement contracts
because of the real risk of late payment and
the unacceptable credit periods which often
prove to be unsustainable and impractical for
any small company to bear, even more so in
times of economic crisis.”
MEPs have also voted in favour of tougher
60-day settlement provision for transactions
between private enterprises. Sub-contractors
and large companies often impose unacceptable
terms of payment which often appear as if
SMEs are being held to ransom to gain or stay
in business.
European News
IRU calls for
greater Road
Transport
Security
T
he International Road Transport
General Assembly has unanimously
adopted a Resolution on Road
Transport Security in the Supply Chain,
calling upon governments to better
implement and enforce all international
conventions relating to road transport
security. The Resolution calls for co-operation
with national and international industry
organisations to fight organised crime,
since road networks have always been
vulnerable and subject to such security
threats.
A joint IRU-ITF survey on attacks on
international drivers, conducted in more
than 35 European, Balkan and Central-
Asian countries, has shown that one in six
drivers (17%) has suffered at least one attack
in five years. 42% of the attacks took place
in truck parking areas, 66% of which
occurred between 10:00pm and 6:00am.
The survey estimated the total direct
cost of these attacks extrapolated to the
whole international driver population in
Europe at more than euro 7 billion, not
including indirect expenses, the value of
lost business opportunities or consequences
of the human suffering.
The IRU Resolution thus calls upon
competent authorities to urgently develop
and implement political, legal and practical
instruments to remedy this situation by:
• Applying all necessary prevention
measures to fight criminal activities faced
by drivers at national and international
levels and put an end to the related human
suffering and economic losses, notably by
developing a network of secure parking
areas and informing the IRU accordingly
of their locations;
• Encouraging transport operators to report
each incident to the enforcement authorities
and refer all occurrences of theft/assault
to national and, when necessary,
international jurisdictions, and effectively
prosecute perpetrators of criminal acts;
• Strengthening the implementation and
enforcement of international conventions,
including the TIR Convention, as the best
multilateral legal instrument to comply
with the security requirements of the WCO
SAFE Framework of Standards.
June 2010 Removals & Storage 41
 Letters
Send your letters to: The Editor, Steve Jordan, Removals & Storage,
The Words Workshop Ltd, 26 Swanwick Lane, Broughton, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK10 9LD
Tel: 01908 695500 Fax: 01908 690099 Email: rands@thewordsworkshop.co.uk
A gross infringement
on your ability to trade?
Dear Sir
I feel compelled to write about an incident
that happened to our company recently as the
more I think about it, not only does it seem
grossly unfair, but I cannot help but feel that
this must affect a large number of companies
and not just ourselves.
This is what happened. Not long ago, we had
a relatively busy day work-wise with all of our
vehicles booked out. One of our vehicles had
been in the garage the day before and we were
expecting it back. Unfortunately, the garage
did not manage to get the lorry back to us in
time and so, in order to get the job done, we
hired a lorry from a local hire company, rather
than risk losing a customer by not completing
the job.
During the day, the vehicle was stopped by
VOSA on a routine check at which point they
discovered that we were not authorised to use
this vehicle as it was not on our Operators
Licence. Needless to say, we have since had a
visit from VOSA and had a statement taken
under caution. We are currently awaiting our
punishment.
I have since learnt that if we have a vehicle
off the road, as was the case this time, then
we can log on to the Traffic Commissioners
website and delete one of the vehicles from
our licence which would enable us to use a
hire vehicle in the interim.
The above is just to point out what has
happened to us as it could happen to anyone
in the industry in similar circumstances, but
it has made me think seriously about the
situation in general and what can only be
described as restrictive practice which is
forced upon us which in my opinion is totally
unnecessary. Let me explain:
Say, for instance, we have an Operators
Licence for three vehicles (just an example).
We do a lot of commercial moving and so the
work load comes in peaks and troughs. We
are asked to quote for a move from London to
42 Removals & Storage June 2010
Bristol. The volume is four lorry loads and all
items must be loaded on the first day and
delivered next day. Under the current
legislation, we cannot even quote for this
work as we only have a licence for three
vehicles. We are not allowed to increase this
to four vehicles under any circumstances.
What this means is that a grossly unfair and
restrictive practice exists which prevents
companies from increasing their work load
or, in the current climate, just survive. This
has to be an unacceptable situation. It’s no
different than saying to Tesco (for instance)
that they can only sell 40 cans of beans in each
store each day. (Well, what’s the difference?)
We could also get two quotes accepted for one
particular day where we need two vehicles on
each job. Again, as things stand, we could not
take both jobs on. This cannot be right.
Before you say that we should increase our
licence by one vehicle or to have an allowance
for an extra vehicle, we have tried that and
were refused on “financial standing”. Surely
it should be up to the operator to decide how
many vehicles he operates. If he then doesn’t
keep all of them up to the required standard
regarding maintenance, etc. and gets caught
then that’s fair enough, he deserves whatever
punishment comes his way.
Does anybody else out there think that this
situation is a gross infringement of our ability
to trade as we would like? Is it a restrictive
practice? Does it affect anybody else? Should
the BAR make representations on our behalf
to enable us just to carry out the work we would
like to? Let’s be honest, it’s hard enough at
the moment to get enough work so why should
we have to say no to any potential customer
just because the likes of VOSA thinks it would
be in our best interest not to increase or at least
have an option to increase our fleet of vehicles.
Would love to get the thoughts of any other
member on this matter.
Name and
company provided
Yes, we’re
missing out on
website leads!
Dear Sir,
We’ve just read the April edition of R&S and
read with interest the section “Are you
missing out on website leads?”
Well yes we are!!!
We signed up in January and paid our
monies to be part of the new website
revolution and asked for leads to be sent to us
for DH, DL, & TS ... and guess how many
we’ve had for the last 4 months ... NONE!!!!
We’ve had leads sent for clients in Leeds and
Newcastle but seemingly no-one is moving in
our area! I brought this up at one of our BAR
meetings comparing the new website to a
new restaurant, you can have the best chefs
in the world but if no-one knows you’re there
no-one’s going to come! We have a great
website but no consumer traffic is being driven
there, at least with the ‘bedroom brokers’ we
got a steady supply of leads!
Why oh why does the BAR not spend a
serious amount of money with Google so that
when a consumer searches the Internet for
“removals/home moving/storage” etc, etc, etc,
the site “BAR (British Association of Removers)
Move with your local member”, or whatever,
is prominent on the page. The consumer
would surely log onto our site rather than
‘move me.com or ‘touch local’, etc. as there is
a certain trust with an association and I feel
more consumers would enquire further.
More enquiries to the site means more leads
to members and more revenue back to BAR.
Consumers are not always going to type BAR
into the Internet because most consumers
don’t know what the BAR is, why should they?
We have been a member for a number of
years and we have not had one lead sent to us
in all that time, how many companies would
love to be a member of BAR if lots of quality
leads were sent to them regularly?
Would you pay £800 plus a year and get very
little back in return?
Would love to know your thoughts.
Owen Schott
Schott Removals

David Tracey retires
D
avid Tracey, Managing
Director of Britannia
Movers International has
announced he is to retire in July
2010. David joined the Britannia
group in 1994 primarily to build
up the international side of the
business. In 2005 he subsequently
took over the position of MD and
since then has spearheaded many
of the developments that have
allowed Britannia to reach its
current position within the global
moving market.
Nick Shotton will be officially
taking over from David at
Britannia’s summer conference
in June. Until then Nick will be
working side by side with David to
ensure that Britannia continues
to head towards a successful and
bright future.
Nick joins Britannia with
considerable experience in
logistics, nationwide transport
operations and removals. Asked
about his appointment to the
managing director’s position at
Britannia Nick said, “I am delighted
to be joining the Britannia
organisation and am looking
forward to continuing the great
work done by David and his team.
The unique structure of the group
gives it an immense strength
which I am confident will assist
Britannia to continue to move
ever forward.”
Nick Shotton will take on the
managing director’s role when
David Tracey retires in July
People News
Two new staff at
Baxters International
B
axters International is
proud to announce two
new additions to its
international sales arm, Wendy
Smith and Maria Clarke. Both
Wendy and Maria will be
working for the corporate and
international side of the
business, increasing the team
to six in this department of
Baxters.
Wendy Smith
Wendy has over 20 years
experience within the corporate
and international market, having
worked for Allied Pickfords and
then Harrow Green. Maria has
worked in both the freight and
international businesses for the
last 13 years, latterly for
Stewart Harvey Woodbridge.
Baxters is very proud to take
on these experienced people
and both Wendy and Maria are
looking forward to the new Maria Clarke
challenges ahead.
June 2010 Removals & Storage 43
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People and places
By WALLY WHINGER
Can you think of any subjects for our
grumpy old man to get his teeth into?
You can email him at:
david@thewordsworkshop.co.uk
A
few months ago my local pub was
closed for refurbishment. I’m not sure
why as it seemed fine to me but
apparently the new owners, a large chain,
thought it was time to rip everything out
and bring the old place into the twenty-first
century. For six weeks we watched through
the security fencing as the old place was
torn apart, an extension tagged on the back
and the old familiar sign replaced with a new
modern design. It was all a bit sad really;
even the landlord who had been there as long
as I can remember had said his goodbyes to
make way for the new man who would take
over when the place reopened.
But, looking on the bright side, the adverts
for the new gastro pub promised a new
international menu, a luxury dining area
and an open plan kitchen so we’d be able to
watch our food being prepared before our
very eyes by expert chefs ... fab! And as if all
that wasn’t enough we’d be able to enjoy
wines from the new well-stocked cellar and
designer beers from around the world.
A couple of weeks after it eventually opened
I decided to give the place a try - I must say
it looked impressive - the new owners must
have spent a small fortune. I went to the bar
and waited too long before the barman, a
boy of about twelve, warmly greeted me with
“All right there mate?”, “I will be when I get
a drink,” said I with a hint of annoyance.
Oh dear! Looks like the last competition was far too easy. Half the BAR membership has e-mailed me shouting that it’s
Darren House from Farrer & Fenwick of course. Most were too polite to add “How stupid do you really think we are?” Having
shuffled through the electronic mountain of e-mails to randomly extract a winner, Leanda Buchschacher from Room for a
Change has emerged victorious. This time it’s much harder, some might say impossible. But, what’s life without a challenge!
Answers to Steve@thewordsworkshop.co.uk
And another thing ...
“I’ll try a pint of the Black Sheep please.”
The Barman looked vacantly along the row
of pumps before announcing, “Sorry mate,
Black Sheep’s off,” so I decided to have a
Scotch n’ water instead. “Cheers mate, £2.85,”
said the twelve-year-old as he put a half-pint
glass on the bar with a single measure of
Scotch in the bottom and filled it to the brim
with water. I could hardly believe it.
The handful of diners in the open plan
restaurant didn’t seem to be faring much
better either. I heard one complaining that
he’d been waiting twenty minutes for his
starter and another that her plaice was raw
in the middle. And if they’d been hoping for
some Ainsley Harriot style theatrics from
the ‘expert’ chef in the open kitchen, they
were in for a disappointment. Apart from
not being able to cook he appeared to have
undergone a quadruple personality bypass
and had no idea how to interact with the
customers. Didn’t anyone think of that?
You see this sort of thing everywhere these
days; companies will spend a Rooney’s
ransom on buildings and ‘things’ to make
their businesses look good, but then hire a
bunch of untrained halfwits to run it. That’s
not what people want. Yes we need to look
good, but investing in people and making
sure they get the right training is much
more important when it comes to pleasing
customers.
Solution to May’s puzzle
June 2010 Removals & Storage 45
 Kevin Pickford retires
Pickfords revised
Kevin Pickford has retired as managing director of
Pickfords and Russell Start has taken his place. Just before
Kevin returned to Australia, Steve Jordan caught up with
them both to find out more about the UK’s largest moving
company and its plans for the future.
46 Removals & Storage June 2010
K
evin Pickford has been with Pickfords
for over 30 years and has run the UK
company since 2005. He originally
came over from Australia for three years but
stayed on to help steer the company through
the difficult times during its sale from its
American parent, Sirva, to Moving Services
Group, a company owned by Yogesh Mehta
and Frank Grace who also own TEAM, and to
guide it through the recession that turned up
at what was already a bad time for the company.
Mission completed, he’s off home.
The circumstances surrounding Sirva and
its sale of the Pickfords brand have been well
documented. Since then Kevin orchestrated
many changes for the company both in terms
of rationalising its overheads and in its
operational structure.
In the past Sirva had insisted on Pickfords
being largely centrally-controlled through a
network of regional offices. That might work
all right in the USA but it’s not for the UK.

“The perceived benefits of this system never
emerged and the company began to lose touch
with its local community,” said Kevin. “Sirva
had an American view of how things should
happen in the UK and didn’t really understand
that the markets are not the same. There were
a lot of merits in the theory but it turned out
to be ultimately flawed.”
Following its break from US ownership,
Pickfords has now been able to shrug off the
constraints of the imposed structure in favour
of much more local control with the head
office just supplying those services that are
more sensible to handle nationally: IT, HR,
finance, insurance, compliance, etc. Under
the new structure day-to-day operational
decisions are made locally thereby ensuring
that they fully reflect the needs of the business
and its customers. Kevin said that the changes
are now largely complete.
So Russell takes over a company that is very
different from the one Kevin inherited five
years ago. Russell is, however, no stranger to
the company. He started his career in the
“ If we can look
at the top line the
bottom line will
largely look after
itself. The business
is pretty good at
turning revenue into
gross margin.”
Kevin Pickford
moving industry in 1982 as a trainee with
Davies Turner. He stayed for five years then
moved to Pickfords in Enfield in 1987 initially
to work on the foreign office contract. After
spending time working with imports, airfreight
and shipping he took on the role of general
manager in 2000.
In 2003 Russell left Pickfords to join TEAM
as operations director for the UK. In 2007 he
and Karin Milivoyevich became joint managing
directors of the company with Russell
focussing on sales, marketing and customer
relations. Now that Pickfords and TEAM have
joint owners Karin has become the sole MD
for TEAM with Russell in charge at Pickfords.
For Russell it’s gone full circle.
Of course his previous 16 years with Pickfords
has been an enormous help to Russell in
getting to grips with the old company as have
the lasting relationships he made during that
time. “The reception I’ve had from people has
been fantastic,” he said.
Russell agreed that the company has a
problem with the industry seeing Pickfords
and TEAM as the same thing yet, he explained,
there is very little overlap in practice. “TEAM’s
core products are corporate domestic and
international relocation and international
household goods moving. Pickfords is domestic
and international moving, both migrant and
corporate, as well as business moving and
storage including some self storage. So the only
crossover is in the international corporate
moving sector.”
He said that Pickfords does not do relocation
in its own right but would handle relocation
services through a relocation service provider,
which might be TEAM if that was appropriate,
but could be any other provider. Of course it
would make sense for Pickfords to use TEAM
whenever possible.
“They are two separate organisations
trading independently on their own brands
with independent propositions,” said Russell.
“They will cross over sometimes but where
that happens we will compete against each
other.” There are plenty of similar examples
around the world: Crown and Grace in
Australia and the Laser Group in South Africa
operate in a very similar way. “We see Pickfords
as a national business operating all services
for domestic and corporate; TEAM is more of
a relocation move management company.”
Simply put, Russell would be quite happy if
people understood that Pickfords is the moving
company and TEAM is the relocation company.
He said that the company, with 57 branches
in 11 areas, is now about the right size. If
there are further changes in the branch-based
structure it will be to grow the company not
shrink it.
Pickfords sold off its records management
business some time ago to Crown however it
does see this as an area that will again become
important in the future. “Some of our future
growth will come from new products, organic
growth won’t allow us to reach our targets,”
said Russell. “We will need to look at new
revenue streams and records management
would be one along with self storage and
business moving related activities including
relocation services for the business moving
market.”
During the interview both Kevin and Russell
were focussing on revenue not profit.
Traditionally the company has received its
fair share of criticism for unrealistic pricing;
could this be why? “If we can look at the top
line the bottom line will largely look after
itself,” said Kevin. “The business is pretty good
at turning revenue into gross margin and if
we keep the overhead in the right proportion
it will automatically flow through to the bottom
line. Throughout the business across the
country we have a lot of resource, a good
chunk of which is fixed cost. So there are
opportunities from time to time where we
might take a particular piece of business at a
price that might appear to be crazy. But if for
us it’s incremental revenue it makes sense
with our cost base. Now that we have our
structure more locally based this is likely to
become easier for us.”
Since losing the Sirva shackles, Pickfords
has again taken a much more active role with
BAR right round the nation with staff attending
Area meetings and the BAR conference. Kevin
Kevin Pickford retires
said that the company’s return to the BAR fold
was viewed with some trepidation by some
members although it had been a generally
happy experience. “I just felt that as the largest
player in the industry we have something to
give and may have something to learn. We
are now much more engaged with other BAR
members in working together. It’s also been
useful to have the support of BAR to help
resolve disputes rather than having to resort
to lawyers.” In an interview with R&S two
years ago Kevin said that he didn’t want
Pickfords to be seen as “The elephant in the
room”. Has that been achieved? “No not yet,
but at least we are not the hidden elephant.”
Kevin returned to Australia after Easter.
His short-term plan is to help Russell during
the transition but long-term he has nothing
definite planned. “I’ll take some time to figure
out what I’d like to do next. After over 31 years
with the Pickfords group it’s part of who I am,
so it’s not going to go away just because I’ve
got on a plane. I go back with mixed feelings
but I am comfortable with what I’ve done here.
“Now it’s time to
focus on sales.
That’s much more
fun than all the
hard stuff Kevin’s
had to deal with
over the last
few years.”
Russell Start
I’m sure that Russell is the right guy to move
the business forward.”
It was clear that Kevin holds Pickfords very
close to his heart. “It has been an interesting
ride. But fundamentally the strength of the
Pickfords brand and of the people has never
ceased to amaze me. I’ve always tried to
communicate well with them, tell them the
truth, bad news and all, and the way they
have reacted has been an inspiration for me.
I’ve always said that the only bad question is
the one you don’t ask, even if the answer isn’t
always what you want to hear. The business
has many good people and I shall miss them.”
In tribute to Kevin, Russell said that anyone
who has any affection for the brand owes
Kevin a huge amount. “Now it’s time to focus
on sales. That’s much more fun than all the
hard stuff Kevin’s had to deal with over the
last few years.”
When Russell was doing the filing for Davies
Turner in 1982 he had no idea that he would
one day be running Britain’s largest moving
company. “I could never have envisaged my
career turning out his way,” he said. “It’s been
a fantastic journey. To have the opportunity
to push forward with the UK’s biggest brand
is very exciting.”
June 2010 Removals & Storage 47
 Collapsible shipping containers

Collapsible
shipping
containers:
origami on
the high seas

I
n 1956 Malcolm McLean, a trucker from
North Carolina, launched the first intermodal
shipping container which could be
transferred easily between lorries, trains and
ships. It revolutionised the transportation of
goods by abolishing the traditional system of
break bulk loading, helping to oil the wheels
of globalisation. Since its conception,
containerisation has failed to evolve, despite
environmental and economic changes. Now,
another newcomer to the shipping industry is
trying to implement this change with his
invention of collapsible shipping containers.
Rene Giesbers, a heating-systems engineer
from the Netherlands, has invented a collapsible
shipping container which, he hopes, will
replace McLean’s steel design. Cargoshell is a
fibreglass composite, folding container which
is light weight and can be erected by just one
person and a forklift truck. By replacing the
steel of normal containers the amount of CO2
produced, both in production and transportation
of the containers, is reduced to just 25% of its Top: the Cargoshell container being erected;
steel counterpart. It weighs only three-quarters Centre: good to go; Above: once folded,
Cargoshell uses a quarter of the space required
as much as a regular container but, more by a traditional container
importantly, can be shrunk to just a quarter
of its size.
The argument for collapsible shipping because it is possible to colour the composite
containers is undeniable. When they are empty itself. During the lifespan of a Cargoshell it is
their volume is considerably reduced. That therefore unnecessary to repair or renew a
means that many more Cargoshells can be coating, unlike steel containers.
transported together and stored together than Containers lost overboard are a danger to
regular containers. An additional advantage shipping traffic and a source of pollution when
of this is the massive reduction of transport they sink to the bottom of the sea. By installing
needed for empty containers. If, for example, float bags in the container sidewalls, a
all steel containers were replaced by Cargoshell, Cargoshell lost overboard will keep floating
the amount of transport kilometers would and can be traced back quickly through the
decrease by 75% in the Port of Rotterdam, built-in GPS system which means the Cargoshell
where the Cargoshell saw its launch, alone. can be retrieved from the water very quickly.
The Cargoshell’s composite material is a The Cargoshell is now undergoing tests to
good insulator, offering great advantages for see if it is strong enough to meet international
temperature-controlled transport. This would standards. The main challenge facing the
reduce the amount of energy needed to keep introduction of the Cargoshell however is the
the container at a constant temperature disruption of the current system. It is a huge
during transit. risk to introduce a brand new product like this
Unlike their steel counterparts, Cargoshell to an industry with well established processes.
containers do not corrode and therefore do Mr Giesbers aims to have one million
not need any protective coating to protect Cargoshells plying the seas, rails and roads by
them. Nor is a coating needed for branding 2020, equivalent to 4% of the market.

48 Removals & Storage June 2010

INTERNATIONAL & EUROPEAN
TRADE SPECIALISTS
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Visit the Trade Services page
Choose either International or European rates
then just enter the User ID & Password
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01322 386969
HEAD OFFICE: Blue Hawk House, A1 Manor Way
Business Park, Manor Way, Dartford, Kent DA10 0PP

Memb No: S092

 On the front line
ON THE I
seem to have spent the last 15 years or so
interviewing the owners and senior
management of companies. They all have
ROAD
their story to tell of hard work, risk taking,
luck and team building. I have spent precious
little time, however, interviewing operational
staff. Why? I’m not sure really. They are more
difficult to track down of course, spending
An interview with most of their time on the road. They are often
less willing to speak to anyone with a tape
the front line. recorder and a camera. But mainly I think it
By Steve Jordan was just my own failing. To begin the process
of rectifying my error, I dropped in to Britannia
Lanes of Bridgewater and Bristol and, by kind
permission of Ria and Angus Russell,
interviewed three of their operational staff.
I should have done it many years earlier.
Shaun Hamilton, Porter; Mervyn Berry,
Driver; and Bill Hembery, Storeman all
agreed to talk to me. It would be indiscrete of
me to report all they said as much related to
internal matters within the company, but they
did provide some valuable information from
which anyone running a moving company, or
any company for that matter, can learn.
There was one overriding emotion that
came through during the interview. All three
of the guys, even Shaun who had only been
with the company for nine months, were
intensely proud of the company and focussed
on their role in its success. They knew that
however good the marketing, sales and image
of the company was on paper, it was primarily
through their actions that the good name and
“ I think all office
staff should spend
a month on the road.
We’d all be happy
to teach them as
long as they came
in addition to
a full crew.”
Mervyn Berry
reputation of the company would be maintained.
If they had frustrations it was only where
procedures got in the way of them doing the job
to the best of their ability using the training
they had all had and the experience they had
gained.
For me, having run a moving company 20
years ago, it was interesting to note that many
of the areas of difficulty were no different now,
despite the 21st century’s love affair with
training, health and safety, equal opportunities
and human resource management, than they
had been in the 1980s. Fundamentally, the
things that mattered to Shaun, Mervyn, and
Bill were simple: respect, appreciation, a sense
of belonging, and a fair day’s work for a fair
day’s pay.
50 Removals & Storage June 2010
Communication was important. The process
of communicating what the customer expects
and the circumstances of the job from the sales
process through to the guys at the sharp end,
was vital. We are all guilty, quite rightly
perhaps, of expecting perfection in the goods
and services we buy. One small thing wrong
can sour what was otherwise a job well done.
Simple things like accurate estimates, careful
access planning and realistic promises to
customers can make a huge difference. If you
can’t get the van up the drive because there’s
a tree in the way, it doesn’t set the job off to a
good start. “It’s fine to tell the customer that
they don’t need to empty their freezer but have
you ever tried to pick up a freezer full of meat?”
said Bill. Mervyn said that it was also very
easy to overload some vehicles and so accurate
estimates were essential. “It might be just an
extra piece of furniture but if I get caught with
an overloaded vehicle it’s my license that’s
at risk.”
When communication breaks down the guys
feel it’s often because of a lack of appreciation
of the roles between the office-based staff and
those on the road. Most office staff throughout
the moving industry have never had the
opportunity to spend time on the road so it’s
very hard for them to have a full appreciation
of what’s needed. “I think all office staff should
spend a month on the road,” said Mervyn.
“We’d all be happy to teach them as long as
they came in addition to a full crew.”
We all love to be appreciated and have our
opinions respected. Good management
involves the ability to spot talent and then work
out how that ability can be used to further the
aims of the company and maintain the
enthusiasm and loyalty of staff. That’s very
hard to do when you’re busy trying to do the
best you can with limited resources and trying
to keep customers happy. But it’s what drives
many people, more so than money.
Front-line workers have an appreciation of
what works and what doesn’t. Theory is fine
but practice can often be very different. “No
job is straightforward,” explained Bill. “There’s
always something that holds you up. It’s hard
to explain that to the office. Often it just takes
extra time to keep the customers happy.” Even
if office staff had spent time on the road it
would still be impossible for them to have the
level of experience of even a relatively junior
porter when it comes to ‘real life’. For this
reason it’s essential that management uses
that resource to the full, tapping into this rich
seam of knowledge that rides around in removal
cabs every day of the week. The resource is
there for the taking. Every moving man in the
country is ready and willing to provide it. All
he asks in return is recognition that his
contribution is valued and appreciated. How
many managers recognise and use that
resource to the full? Not many I suspect. How
many companies hold regular staff meetings
in which the opinions of operatives are
genuinely sought and acted upon? Not many.
Most meetings, if they take place at all, are
just the management’s way of telling the staff

what they have already decided. Not a very
inclusive way of doing things.
Shaun said that professionalism was
important to him. He didn’t want to just be
professional in his work he wanted the whole
operation to look professional. One obstacle
to that, he felt, was the occasional use of
inexperienced labour. He understood that it
was sometimes necessary to accept hired help
particularly as the industry emerges from the
recession and full time crews are kept to a
minimum, but it does create a bad impression
and puts a much greater load on the
experienced crews.
All the Britannia crews are very well trained.
The office in Bridgewater includes full
training facilities. The crews appreciate that
training and enjoy the professionalism it gives
them. The training programme even includes
a course on customer relations which, all the
guys agreed was very useful but, in their
opinion, didn’t go far enough.
“Most customers are very good,” said Bill.
“Some want to be involved; others take a step
back and leave you to it. We have to work out
very quickly what type of people they are.”
He felt that more training on how to deal with
difficult customers would be helpful. “We
always try to be polite, pleasant and have a
laugh with the customers, but sometimes they
can be really difficult and, especially when
you are tired after a long job, it’s hard to know
the best way to deal with them.” Some people
have a natural ability to handle people, some
“ We have a joint
responsibility to
make it work.
We are very proud
to work here.
We all get on well
and it shows.”
Shaun Hamilton,
Mervyn Berry,
Bill Hembery
do not, everyone could benefit from some
additional guidance.
I asked Shaun, Bill and Mervyn how they felt
about their role as salesmen for the company.
I was surprised to find that they all felt a very
strong responsibility to do the best job they
could, not just in the hope of a healthy tip at
the end but also because they needed to get
the referrals, to sell the next job, that would
help keep the company in business and them
in work. “We have a joint responsibility to make
it work,” they explained. “We are very proud
to work here. We all get on well and it shows.”
Particularly impressive, I thought, was their
joint answer when I asked if it would make
them even more keen to get referrals if they
were paid a commission for leads obtained.
On the front line
Focussed -
left to right:
Bill Hembery,
Storeman;
Shaun Hamilton,
Porter and
Mervyn Berry,
Driver
They all agreed that it wouldn’t make any
difference to them. They would like the money
but they couldn’t do more anyway. “You
shouldn’t need an incentive. You should always
be at that standard.”
In every company I have known, and certainly
in my own from 20+ years ago, there has been
a divide between the office and road staff:
neither fully appreciating the pressures on
the other. I suspect that Ria and Angus bridge
that gap better than most. But a company that
could banish it forever would be a powerful
force. Is it possible for a company to find a way
of respecting everyone’s opinions equally,
using everyone’s talents to the full, ensuring
everyone fully understands their role in the
team and appreciates the value of others, and
keeping everyone driving forward to a common
aim with clear benefits for all? It must be.
Anyone out there know how to do it? Answers
please to steve@thewordsworkshop.co.uk.
June 2010 Removals & Storage 51
 Golf down under

Golf the Tiger Woods way

The Moving Company from New Zealand took a unique opportunity
to hold an industry event in April: its 2010 open golf championship.

T
he event was made possible by the Woods very closely recently, perhaps for the
Steve Williams watches
holding of the FIDI conference in wrong reasons. He said, however, that Tiger Facundo Urtubey,
Melbourne and the OMNI conference was, probably the finest golfer that has ever Lift Van Argentina
immediately after in Queenstown, New lived and we are unlikely to see that sort of
Zealand. Seizing the opportunity Mark talent again in our lifetimes.
Pitcher, The Moving Company’s managing Amid the star gazing it was easy to forget
director, invited industry partners to that there had been a golf competition. The
Auckland for what turned out to be a truly winner was Rob Chipman from Asian Tigers in
special event. Hong Kong with Chris Meyer from Interconnex
The tournament was held over two days at close on he heals. Al Mithal from Star Worldwide
two championship courses in Auckland: Gulf in India finished furthest from the front.
Harbour Country Club and the Formosa Golf
Resort. 40 players tested their skills on the
twisting fairways and super-fast greens with
some putting in excellent performances.
On day two Mark invited a special guest to
the Formosa course: Steve Williams, Tiger
Woods’ caddy, recognised throughout the sport
as the world’s greatest. Steve started the
morning by giving all the players the inside
track on putting technique helping them
banish the dreaded ‘three putt’ from their
game forever. He then followed each group
around the course, caddying for them and
helping them put his advice into practice.
The prize giving included a collection and
auction of Tiger Woods memorabilia in aid of
Steve’s own charity The Steve Williams
Foundation that works to provide help for
children with cancer. The event raised around
US$40,000. In his speech Steve commented Steve Williams provides driving advice to
that many people had been watching Tiger Chryster Bosmyr and Jeff Mason

52 Removals & Storage June 2010

 Golf down under

The winner Rob Chipman from Asian Tigers

Hong Kong receives his trophy from Steve Williams

Host Mark Pitcher

putts up with
Steve Williams
looking on

Above: Steve Williams

advises Chris Meyer
of Interconnex;
left: the assembled
field; below: Host
Mark Pitcher of The
Moving Company

June 2010 Removals & Storage 53

Trafalgar Cases Ltd INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING AT ITS BEST

Jewel in the crown

Trafalgar Cases range of warehouse containers are generally accepted as being
the best in the removal & storage industry, with many gems in their range.

The standard “Warehouse Container”, the jewel in their crown,

has many features and benefits. The robust container can be used for
heavy duty storage, archiving or converted into a suite conversion kit.

INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING IN PLYWOOD, SOFTWOOD & CORRUGATED BOARD

Stanhope Works, Primrose Hill, Kings Langley, Herts WD4 8HS

Telephone: +44(0) 1923 261155. Fax: (0) 1923 268064.
E-mail: sales@trafalgarcases.com Web: www.trafalgarcases.com
 Diary Dates

Diary Dates
BOARD, COUNCIL AND BAR AREA MEETINGS 2010 Southern Area
COMMITTEE MEETINGS 2010 Contact Greg Wildman: 01372 385985
Kent Area gregw@basilfry.co.uk
Board of Directors Contact Tom Bourne: TomB@uts-bournes.co.uk June 22 6.00pm Venue TBA
July 14 October 20 12.30pm Venue TBA
December 1 East Anglia Area
Contact Andrew Pearson: 01362 853777 Western Area
Executive Committee June 8 - Contact Ria Russell: 01278 447099
June 30 - September 14 - September 14 -
September 15 - October 12 - Speaker to be advised or general meeting for
November 24 - November 9 - current issues.
November 9 -
National Council New Met Area Possible skittles and fireworks evening at
June 15 - Contact Darren House: 01932 253737 Middlezoy. (To be confirmed dependent on
October 12 - September 14 - numbers and venue confirmation.)
‘Hog Roast’ evening kindly hosted by
Overseas Group Anglo Pacific at their premises: West Midlands Area
June 22 - Anglo Pacific, 5/9 Willen Field Road Contact Sarah Pargeter: 01384 377786
October 13 - London NW10 7BQ.
BAR SCOTTISH AREA
Commercial Moving Group North West Area MEETINGS 2010
June 17 - Contact Annette Harris: 0161 653 4455
October 14 - Contact Phil Stewart: 01786 448383
Yorkshire Area Meetings will be held at:
Contact Graham Puddephatt: Hilcroft Hotel, Whitburn
grahamp@reason-global.com September 14 -
June 23 - Venue TBA November 9 -
September 15 - Venue TBA
November 17 - Venue TBA

East Midlands Area

Contact Jayne Cliffe: 01778 394291
Meetings will be held at:
The Haycock Hotel, Wansford
September 15 7.00pm
November 17 7.00pm

Do you have any diary dates?

E-mail them to rands@thewordsworkshop.co.uk

Feature Schedule 2010

Every month Removals & Storage includes a number of feature items.
These are planned well in advance to allow members of and suppliers
to the industry to join in. Here’s what’s coming up.

July 2010: BAR conference; Brazil August 2010: Canary Islands

E-mail us on any of the topics mentioned, or with anything you wish to say, at
rands@thewordsworkshop.co.uk or phone Charlotte Freestone on 01908 695500.

June 2010 Removals & Storage 55

 Memberships

BAR Memberships June 2010

Registered: Applications:
The following members have registered: BAR has received the following application for:
National Group National Group
Schepens International Ltd The London Removal Company
Memb No: S114 County House
Unit 17-18 Landford Common 221-241 Beckenham Road
New Road Kent
Landford BR3 4UF
Wiltshire Tel: 020 8676 6062
SP5 2AZ Web: www.thelondonremovalcompany.co.uk
Tel: 01794 323558
Resignations
Web: www.schepens.co.uk
BAR is sorry to lose the membership of the
Crispin Removals Ltd following companies whilst thanking them for
Memb No: C120 their past support:
18-24 Hows Street
National Group
London
E2 8EE Mundens Removals & Storage
Tel: 0207 7390303 Memb No: M051
Web: www.crispins-removals.co.uk
International Associate
Overseas Group
Nat Ross, Dublin
S Dell & Sons Ltd Memb No: R304
Memb No: D012
Additional Trading Name
Additional Trading Names
EVL International an ATN of European Van
George Bird Removals & Storage an ATN Lines International Ltd
of CJS Removals Memb No: E007
Memb No: C023
The following company has ceased trading:
Simply Ship Redditch an ATN
Liquidation
of Hunts International (Removers) Ltd
Memb No: H054 AMC Removals Ltd
Memb No: A093
International Associate
Moving Star
Memb No: M330
41099 Boyce Road
PO BOX 6021
Fremont
California
USA
94538
Tel: 001 510 675 9930
Web: www.movingstar.us

Any member wishing to make any

comment regarding an application
should do so in writing to BAR Head
Office within 21 days of receipt of
this notification.
Details of membership applications
in process may also be found on the
BAR website: www.bar.co.uk

June 2010 Removals & Storage 57

 TRADE SERVICES

Channel Islands Ireland Scotland/Europe

Scotland and Islands

Daily trade service to and from the Channel Islands

�� Packing services
�� Origin and destination
services
�� Local storage
�� International groupage
services
�� Export packing services

Tel: 01489 581 063 or 01489 579 997

Email: channel.islands@pickfords.com
www.pickfords.com
PO19

Isle of Man

Established 1990

�������������������������������������
��������������������������
������������������������������������������� Sweden and Scandinavia
����������������������
�����������������������������
��������������������������
���������������������������

North West

��������
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58 Removals & Storage June 2010

 TRADE SERVICES

France

France &
Switzerland
• Weekly services and competitive rates
H081

• Tranship & Hoist services available

• Collection from your To download ou
depot or clients www.hamiltonsr r tariffs visit:
emova
residence available Username:Trad ls.co.uk
Password: Ham6 e
62

H A M I LTO N S
N AT I O N A L & I N T E R N AT I O N A L R E M O VA L S
Contact our European department on 01379 851074
trade@hamiltonsremovals.co.uk

Germany and Austria Austria Eastern Europe

WH HUMPHREY & SON LTD Eastern Europe

Weekly shuttle service

Full, part and return loads
Weekly Groupage Service Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria
Austria, Slovenia, Croatia
Full origin and destination Romania, Czech Republic
services available.
German speaking staff
Contact Chris
Contact Darrel or Justin T: 020 88035151
Tel: 0208 144 0734 • Fax: 0844 770 7111 F: 020 88074141
E: Europe@ryansmove.com
Email: Darrelb@humphreys-moving.com

Italy

ITALY
• Regular runs to all areas • Full or part loads
TRADE • Receiving depot 10mins from M25 J5 ...or we collect
ROUTES • All deliveries and collections carried out by our own crews
TO
Phone Paul for advice and genuine delivery/collection times
paul@bearsbyremovals.co.uk
-AND OF
COURSE FRANCE EN
ROUTE 01732 358900 ‘WHEN SERVICE MATTERS’
Switzerland Cyprus and Malta

� Weekly Services to
North and Southern Cyprus, Malta,
Egypt, Israel, Dubai, Morocco,
Canary Islands, Lebanon and Tunisia.

Contact Darrel or Justin

Tel: 0208 144 0734 • Fax: 0844 770 7111
Email: Darrelb@humphreys-moving.com

June 2010 Removals & Storage 59

 TRADE SERVICES

Spain United Arab Emirates

WEEKLY

��������
• WEBBS INTERNATIONAL REMOVALS S.L.
• WEEKLY SCHEDULED SERVICE
�������
• RATES FROM £1.95pGBP PER CUBIC FOOT
• NO VAT ! • PRICE GUARANTEE
��������
• INFORMATIVE WEBSITE �����
www.william-worldwide-webb.com
UK Office: Tel: 01843 585055
������
Email: sales@webbsremovals.com
Mallorca Office Tel: 0034 971 693566
Email: webbs@spain.cc REGULAR

�����
Regular Trade
�������� Services to
���������������������������������
�����������������������������������������������������
�������������������������������������������� ������ UNITED ARAB
��������������������
����������������������������������������������������� ������ EMIRATES
Dubai, Sharjah
and Abu Dhabi
OVERSEAS
REMOVER

Advance
Payment
Guaranteed

Full & part loads Memb No: GO13

Call Stuart, Sami or Jeremy on

01432 377477
fax: 01432 279894
email: shipping@gbliners.com
�����������������
����������������� ������������� Caribbean

����������������������������
������������������������������

Cyprus

Regular Trade
Services to
SOUTHERN
CYPRUS
& all other major
destinations
OVERSEAS
REMOVER

Advance
Payment
Guaranteed

Full & part loads Memb No: GO13

Call Stuart, Sami or Jeremy on

01432 377477
fax: 01432 279894
email: shipping@gbliners.com

60 Removals & Storage June 2010

 TRADE SERVICES

South America Australia and New Zealand

To Australia &
Trade services to and from Panama,Costa Rica,Puerto Rico Honduras,Dominican
Republic, El Salvador Ecudor Guatamala,colombia
Nicaragua./Brazil,argentina,peru,chile,bolivia, venezuala, mexico,
paraquay,uruguay.

LCL, groupage and full container services to central and south america. Paima, fidi
New Zealand
,IAM, Bar. Warehouse receiving 6.30am-9.30pm saturdays 6.30am-4.00pm. ����������������������������������
Tel: +44 (0)1902 714555
Fax: +44 (0)1902 427837
Atlantis Overseas Removals
Email: gary@burkebros.co.uk Receiving Birmingham
Burke Bros Moving Group, Burke Bros Trading Estate, Fox's Lane, Wolverhampton, and Leeds
West Midlands. WV1 1PA
������ john@atlantisltd.co.uk
������ 01132 789191
������������0121 451 1588

Worldwide China South Africa

������������
Trade Rates �����������������
��������������������������������������
to Europe �����������������������������
������������������������������������������
Regular Services to all Major ����������������������
Destinations Worldwide
Receiving in Windsor & Stourbridge ������������������������ Training
Contact Mike, Chris or Steve on ����������������������������
01633 488 100 ���������������������������
trade@fox-moving.com
������������������
��������������������������

G&R Advert 60x60mm:Layout 1 20/10/08 16

Piano Specialists Trailer Hire

TRAILER HIRE
THE PIANO From car trailers to 3200 cubic feet
stepframes, 8 container �����������
SPECIALISTS
curtainsiders unsignwritten haulage
������������
A family run business, Est. in 1968.

available too. (UK and Europe).

��������������
LOCAL MOVING • WORLDWIDE SHIPPING www.tradestorage.co.uk/trailers
��������
WEEKLY EUROPEAN SERVICE ������������������������
020 8795 4838 or 01793 731696
Recommended by the worlds finest piano manufacturers,
������������������������
auctioneers, music colleges & academies.
�������������������������������������������
Computers and Internet �����������������������������������
������������������������
�������������������������
Mem. No G005
�������������������������������������������
100 BOLLO LANE, CHISWICK, LONDON W4 5LX �����������������������������������������
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8994 9733 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8995 0855 ��������������������������������
Email: info@gandrremovals.co.uk www.gandrremovals.co.uk
���������������������������
���������������������������

External Elevators

June 2010 Removals & Storage 61

 TRADE SERVICES
Strip Ad Trade Services:Layout 1 12/5/10 12:55 Page 1
Trade Storage

Cadogan Tate® Trade Services www.cadogantate.com

TRADE STORAGE – Please call Alan Carpenter 0208 963 3905

Depots in LONDON NW10 – WOKINGHAM (M4) – OXFORD (M40)
Secure alarmed warehouses – helpful flexible service - competitive rates�
EXTERNAL ELEVATOR – Please call Alan Carpenter 0208 963 3905
External access up to 6 th floor – no stair/lift work. Includes Operator & Equipment.
Immediate payback in saved time & money.
EUROPEAN GROUPAGE – Please call Stuart Ashe 0118 989 5500
Fortnightly air-ride satellite tracked service between London, Paris, Geneva & Côte d’Azur.
Fine Art service available. Trade rates.

www.tradestorage.co.uk Warehouse Containers

We are not a removal company or

your competitor, you are our clients
on which our business depends.
They say that imitation is a form of
flattery - but there is only one
Trade Storage Limited.
sales@tradestorage.co.uk
London or Swindon
0208 795 4838 or 01793 731696

How do you find the

right person for the job?
Advertise your job vacancies in
Removals & Storage magazine
“I would highly recommend R&S magazine to any
Removal Company wishing to advertise their job vacancies.
I cannot praise the classified team highly enough for their
professonalism, pro-activeness, skill and design capabilites.
If all our suppliers were out of the same mould, and achieved
the same results for us, our professional working life would be
made a great deal easier!”
Mina Patel, Bishop’s Move

Call Marianne Lee on:

01908 695500
or email: marianne@thewordsworkshop.co.uk

62 Removals & Storage June 2010

 ADVERTISING RATES

Journal of the British Association of Removers

ADVERTISING RATES
1st January 2010

DISPLAY AD RATES* (per insertion) 1–6 Insertions 7–12 Insertions

Members/Affiliates Non-Members Members/Affiliates Non-Members

Full Colour Full Page £745 £928 £707 £886

Half Page £470 £583 £434 £547
Quarter Page £279 £350 £266 £335
Mono Full page £473 £593 £434 £542
Half Page £343 £429 £308 £386
Quarter Page £220 £276 £208 £260
Inside Front Cover £886 £1110 £849 £1066
Outside Back Cover £955 £1157 £905 £1129
Front Cover (full colour, per single insertion) £964 £1190

DISPLAY AND CLASSIFIED AD MECHANICAL DATA (height x width)

Full Page: Half Page: Quarter Page: Front Cover:
Trim 297mm x 210mm Horizontal 135mm x 188mm Horizontal 66mm x 188mm Trim 210mm x 210mm
Bleed 303mm x 216mm Vertical 272mm x 92mm Vertical 135mm x 92mm Bleed 210mm x 213mm

CLASSIFIED RATES* MECHANICAL SPEC

All advertisements to be supplied in eps format
Situations Vacant £2.15 per word (min 15 words)
(CMYK, 300dpi) with fonts and pictures embedded or
Sales and Wants £2.15 per word (min 10 words) as a high resolution PDF (Acrobat Distiller settings can
Boxed Ad £26.50 (per single column cm) be supplied on requ est). Please send on CD (with a
(Picture £16 extra) printed colour copy for checking layout)**
to the address below, or by email:
Box Number £26.50 marianne@thewordsworkshop.co.uk
Loose Inserts £278 per 1,000
(per A4 sheets supplied) GUARANTEED POSITIONS
All guaranteed positions, excluding front cover, inside
Half Page Mono £509 front cover and outside back cover, are charged at
Half Page Colour £614 normal rates plus 20% and are subject to availability.
Quarter Page Mono £422
ENQUIRIES
Quarter Page Colour £500 All enquiries to:
TRADE RATES* Marianne Lee,
The Words Workshop,
Trade notices are booked per unit or multiples thereof, 26 Swanwick Lane,
and run for a minimum of 12 months. Broughton,
One unit measures 30mm x 1 column (60mm) Milton Keynes, MK10 9LD.
1 unit mono £391 per annum Tel: 01908 695500
Email: marianne@thewordsworkshop.co.uk
1 unit colour £508 per annum
COPY DATE PLEASE NOTE:
All rates shown cover the cost of advert insertion only.
10th of the preceding month
Advertisers should provide their own advertising
artwork. Removals & Storage can generate new or
amend existing artwork for an additional charge.
All advertising must be paid for in advance by credit card.

* All prices are subject to VAT at the current rate.

** If no colour print is supplied, The Words Workshop cannot accept responsibility for the correct reproduction of the advertisement.
Removals and Storage is produced by The Words Workshop on behalf of The British Association of Removers.
All display rates shown are per single insertion, based on singular or series bookings for editions of R&S within 12 calendar months.

June 2010 Removals & Storage 63

 CLASSIFIEDS

Classified Are You Looking To Sell?

Advertising
Charges We are looking to buy good quality household moving and storage
companies in London and the home counties.
All classified advertisements should be booked no later than the 10th Please call 07933 123 123
and received no later than the 15th of the month preceding publication. in full confidence for a quick decision.
For all advertising enquiries please contact:
Marianne Lee at The Words Workshop,

FIND THE
marianne@the wordsworkshop.co.uk
26 Swanwick Lane, Broughton, Milton Keynes MK10 9LD
Tel: 01908 695500 Fax: 01908 690099

Rates
RIGHT PERSON
Situations Vacant
For Sale and Wanted ads
£2.15 per word (min 15 words)
£2.15 per word (min 10 words)
FOR THE JOB
Boxed Ad (Semi-Display) £26.50 per single column centimetre
(Please note all lineage & semi-display ads are set by R&S in house style)
Half Page Mono £509
Half Page Colour £614
Quarter Page Mono £422
Quarter Page Colour £501
Box Number +£26.50
All charges are plus VAT.

Box Numbers
Replies to Box Number advertisements should be sent to:
The Advertiser
Box no. (XYZ)
The British Association of Removers
Tangent House, 62 Exchange Road, Watford, Herts WD18 0TG

Situations Vacant
In line with the Sex Discrimination Act, all positions are open to male Advertise your job vacancies in
and female applicants.
Removals & Storage magazine
Vehicles Call Marianne Lee on:
01908 695500
Purchasers of a vehicle advertised in Removals & Storage should satisfy
themselves that the payload/volume is suitable for the purpose for
which they intend to use it. or email: marianne@thewordsworkshop.co.uk

Situations Vacant

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64 Removals & Storage June 2010

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 CLASSIFIEDS

The Words Workshop ...

moving is our business
W hen it comes to writing it’s important to get things spot on. Whether it’s a
newsletter, an article for a magazine, the words on your website, or an advert
for the Removals & Storage, it’s important that you get the message just right.
Steve Jordan, our managing director, has worked in the moving business for over
thirty years and is a familiar face to many in the industry – he is also the editor of
this magazine. Steve’s long experience both as a moving man and a copywriter
has enabled him to assemble a team of writers that really know how the moving
business works - and that means we are in a unique position to provide the
right words for your business.
So, if you’re wracking your brains trying to think of a catchy story that will
get you in the news, want to start a newsletter but don’t have the time, or
simply hate writing - give us a call, we’ll be happy to help.

Call: +44 (0) 1908 695500

or visit: www.thewordsworkshop.co.uk
The Words Workshop
26 Swanwick Lane
Broughton, Milton Keynes
The right words for your business United Kingdom MK10 9LD

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��������������������� BOOK YOUR
��������������������� CLASSIFIED
�������� QUARTER PAGE
�������������������������� ADVERTISEMENT
�����������������������

MONO:
£422
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COLOUR:
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£501
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Contact Marianne Lee

Tel:01908 695500 Fax:01908 690099
Email:marianne@thewordsworkshop.co.uk

June 2010 Removals & Storage 65

 CLASSIFIEDS

BOOK YOUR
CLASSIFIED
QUARTER PAGE
VEHICLE
SALES
ADVERTISEMENT
OFFER!
MONO: THIS FOR SALE

£422
Make and Model
FOR +VAT
SPACE
Marsden Vanplan
X container,
new MOT to June
XX XX,

PLUS
full service histo
ry XX XX Xkm.
Feature, feature,
feature,

PICTURE
feature, feature,
feature,

COLOUR:
feature, feature,
feature,

FOR
LEZ compliant.
Asking price

£501 £188
ONLY
Contact XX XX
XX XX
Phone and em
FOR +VAT ail address

+VAT
Contact Marianne Lee
Tel:01908 695500 Fax:01908 690099 Contact Marianne Lee
Email:marianne@thewordsworkshop.co.uk Tel:01908 695500 Fax:01908 690099
Email:marianne@thewordsworkshop.co.uk

Order additional copies of R&S

R&S is published monthly and costs only £48 a year for
UK companies and £72 a year for Overseas companies.
You may order as many copies as you wish.
Please send your order with payment to:
British Association of Removers,
Tangent House,
62 Exchange Road,
Watford,
Herts WD18 0TG
England.

Please send copies of Removals & Storage to: I enclose a cheque for
Name made payable to: The British Association of Removers
Company
Address I wish to pay by debit/credit card (not Amex)
Card number

Postcode
Tel no Expiry date MM/YY
email Security code

66 Removals & Storage June 2010

 Trade Secrets
Find out what you can achieve on-line with
our trade groupage shipping services,
and make sure you’re in the know.
We’ve been in the business for
30 years and offer frequent
sailings on all routes to major
destinations worldwide.

We’ll arrange shipment on the vessel

promised and nominate reliable FIDI
agents at destination. With depots in
London, Manchester and Glasgow we
offer a competitive groupage solution
wherever you are located.

At Anglo Pacific we understand

your business and will ensure
that your goods are handled
professionally from start to
finish.

Visit our website or simply call

our friendly experts and
get the facts.

Memb No: A026

Our Services
◆ Continuous receiving in London, Manchester and Glasgow
◆ Worldwide LCL, FCL and airfreight services
◆ Regular groupage services to Australasia, North America, South Africa, S.E. Asia, Dubai, Cyprus
◆ On-line sailing schedule updates and shipment tracking

FREEPHONE 0800 707 6093

Or visit us at www.anglopacific.co.uk. London, Manchester, Glasgow