A lorry has crashed into a village footbridge and well… it’s destroyed.
The truly amazing thing, from what could have been a fatal accident, is that no one was hurt.
(c) BBC Website
The road was closed whilst the police investigated the accident.
Kevin
Last June the law surrounding Cabotage changed and Uk companies were allowed to use drivers returning to European companies to deliver their goods. A lot of industry people thought that was a good thing, myself included until I started examining the laws regarding corporate manslaughter act.
Looking at in in more detail and reading and referring to an article on the Road Transport website, has left me in doubt that it’s not a good thing.
Do you really save money? What happens in the event of an accident? Who is liable if a foreign driver subcontracting for you has breached the law?
Subbing out work under cabotage rules can save on your costs, but who pays up if the foreign vehicle is not roadworthy or an accident occurs? Operators using cabotage rules to offload work on to foreign hauliers and save money are being warned they are setting themselves up for “astronomical” liability costs, unless they do their homework first. The rise in online freight exchanges for companies wanting to reduce empty running and subcontract work to minimise costs, coupled with escalating fuel prices, means using continental hauliers is seen as making good business sense.
But transport lawyers say it is so difficult to bring foreign-based haulage companies before a UK court if they are involved in an accident while working on your behalf and it is very likely your customer will pursue you instead. And alarmingly, due to a legislative loophole, foreign companies remain outside of the scope of the Corporate Manslaughter Act. This means that if they are involved in a death on UK roads, you could find yourself facing manslaughter charges. Hauliers carrying out cabotage journeys in this country operate under the conditions of carriage used by the UK operator, which often are the Road Haulage Association’s own guidelines. This limits liability of the haulier to any claim made against it and prevents it having to pay out excessive amounts of money to the customer in the event of an accident.
Obviously due diligence needs to be proved, and before subbing out work to a returning driving you should vet the company in question. The Haulier who agrees the job with the customer is liable and not a haulier in another country who is a third party sub contractor.
It may be cheap in the short term, but the long term costs of not completing your vetting etc will put you out of business. You cannot claim limited liability if you do not have a system for checking those liabilities.
What can you do to limit you liabilities?
It may take a bit of time, but it could save your business one day.
Sarah
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=d80ff849-42a5-43b8-8d26-9fecb52c1c35)
Freight Emergency doesn’t just work for Lorry spills that need trans-shipping. It is also a service that can be utilised by couriers and freight forwarders, in fact any business that is moving goods across the UK may find it beneficial to have our number.
0844 884 3331
You never know when you may get in trouble and we are here to help. If you are involved in an acident and cannot move your freight to it’s destination then give us a call. If the acident is not your fault it may even be possible to recover what we cost via the other persons insurance - speak to you insurers to find out if you can do this.
Sarah
For when your delivery must take place
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=96cd64d1-3fbf-4282-a061-4a9b23ceb45e)
Yes, that’s right. Some things we really cannot recover, with all the will and resources in the world, we cannot help Jules Verne! 
Europe’s “Jules Verne” space freighter has destroyed itself in a controlled burn-up over the southern Pacific.
The 13.5-tonne cargo ship had completed a six-month mission to the space station and was packed with the orbiting platform’s rubbish.
Two engine firings were required to slow the freighter sufficiently to pull it into the atmosphere.
The European and US space agencies had chase planes in the air to try to capture the fireball on video.
Astronauts on the space station reported seeing the light from the falling freighter.
On a serious note, Freight Recovery and Load Rescue services only apply in the Mainland UK. We can make introductions for services in Ireland, but are not responsible for anything that may happen when using our recommendations.
Give us a call on 0844 884 3331
Kevin
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=22d558c0-0a55-4ead-8ec8-0806f32110e8)
Freight recovery and load rescue plays a vital part in the supply chain when delivering goods. Think of it being like the AA for your goods…
How does it work?
With Road Traffic Accidents up year on year, this kind of service is vital to keeping your goods on the road and helping you meet your deadlines.
In 2006 39 LGV drivers were killed and 429 were seriously injured. Also 13 passengers in those vehicles were killed and 135 were seriously injured. Source : Your Road Risk
What does it cost?
You will be charged a loading and unloading, plus mileage fee for the delivery plus the call out charge of £50+VAT. If you are a member of Rubs, then as a membership benefit, the call out fee is waived.
If the accident is not your or your drivers fault, then all costs may be recovered from your insurers.
How do we book?
Just give us a call 24/7 on 07816 528421 or during office hours on 0844 884 3331
Your supply chain is that bit safer and as a RUBS member you get a free call out saving you £50+VAT, and it costs nothing to join!
Kevin
Freight Recovery for when your cargo, freight and goods must get there today.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=eda92380-17aa-402f-bf34-825ceeafbdb5)
Rubs Transport professional & solicitor Chris Lodge has shared this article with us. Although aimed primarily at motorists, it could apply to couriers and van drivers as well.
Driving Whilst uninsured.
In my business, we are often dealing with uninsured drivers and I am not talking about a claim against an uninsured person but where my client turns out to be uninsured and didn’t realise it.
First, if you are uninsured and the accident is not your fault, you can still bring the claim against the driver at fault (but if he too is uninsured you can’t claim against the Motor Insurers Bureau).
However, if you are to blame or partially to blame, your actual insurers will have to pay the claims of others including injury but will then try to recoup all their costs including your opponent’s legal fees from you!.
Don’t forget, even if your vehicle is owned by your employer, it’s up to you to make sure you are insured to drive it!
So how come you are uninsured?
Someone may have modified the vehicle without telling the insurers, not renewed the MOT in time.
It may have tyres which make the car unroadworthy or you may have forgotten to tell your insurers about a motoring offence.
Even if you share a vehicle to drive to work with a colleague, it is worth ensuring that this would not fall into the category of “hire and reward”
These are just a few of the examples of where an insurer can “refuse to indemnify you” - in other words, they won’t pay up.
If you use insurance brokers, ask them to check if you are not sure about anything. That’s their job!
This can prove very expensive, so don’t take the risk!
You can read more of Chris’s excellent articles here
Kevin
Load rescue and freight recovery
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=2e44ae95-eaee-4417-bebf-d4612938fb42)
I have found this piece of interesting reading, and we all know lorry drivers are vulnerable to falling asleep at the wheel.
Around 300 people a year, in the UK, are losing their lives as a result of fatigued drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
Being tired adversely affects driver performance as much as being drunk. Several studies, conducted by road safety experts, have confirmed that inadequate rest, driving for too long and driving at times when you would normally be asleep can all result in a degradation of driver performance which is similar to that caused by alcohol in the blood stream.
Those who drive for a living, including truck drivers and delivery drivers, are at the highest risk of being involved in fatigue related accidents. Around 4 in 10 tiredness related accidents involve a commercial vehicle. But people involved in other demanding roles, such as doctors who work long shifts and business people returning from overseas meetings, are also high on the tiredness risk list.
It is recommended that, if you are feeling even slightly fatigued, you should stop for a 15 minute break. Drink an energy drink or a couple of cups of coffee and then take a cat knap for no more than 15 minutes. When you wake the caffeine will have begun to take effect. Don’t snooze for any longer as you will enter a different sleep phase.
Source: http://www.gosimply.com/blog/2008/09/26/tired-drivers-as-dangerous-as-drunks/
Safer driving is essential for the driver, and other people using the roads, and the author of the quote has some excellent advice. If you really do feel that tired, you are better off not driving at all.
Kevin
Safer Driving, less loads to recover
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=9256020d-edf5-4a7b-9fbf-2129f27e89a2)