Truck and Track Winter 2024/25 www.truckandtrack.com 10 BUSINESS NEWS Scotland – RHA welcomes speed limit consultation The RHA has welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement that there will be a consultation on the National Speed Management Review. Part of the consultation invites feedback on whether the current 40 mph speed limit for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) on Scottish single-carriageway roads should be increased to 50 mph, as it is throughout the rest of Britain. The RHA has campaigned for this change for many years, most recently during this month’s National Lorry Week, when it highlighted the success of the ongoing 50 mph trial on the A9, together with the evidence of benefits in England and Wales, which moved to a 50 mph limit in 2015. The RHA believes there would be three main benefits of a 50 mph limit for HGVs in Scotland: a reduction in risky overtaking by other drivers, reduced emissions as a result of more efficient fuel consumption and economic benefits derived from faster journeys. Martin Reid, RHA Policy Director for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said: “The Scottish Government should be commended for consulting on the change to HGV speed limits. The 50 mph trial on the A9 has resulted in a reduction in risky overtaking with a resultant improvement in safety, backed up by a decade of data from roads in England and Wales. “The extension of a 50 mph limit across all Scottish singlecarriageway A-roads should be expected to yield similar results.“We also know that lorries use less fuel and create fewer emissions when they can drive at 50 mph, and shorter journeys create savings which can be passed on to customers. “Having HGVs driving at up to 50 mph would be a positive step, and we welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to this consultation.” Road Safety Manager at IAM Roadsmart, Stewart Mackie said, “As an organisation that champions safer roads in the UK, IAM Roadsmart believes that government policy should reflect the evidence. The report on England and Wales’ move to allow Heavy Goods Vehicles to drive at up to 50 mph on “A” roads concludes that the change from 40 mph has not had a detrimental impact on safety along single carriageway roads. Analysis of the three year trial done on the A9 suggests that the move to a 50 mph limit for Heavy Goods Vehicles on single carriageway stretches has actually reduced collisions, fatalities and casualties from incidents involving HGVs.” HaulTech helps power growth at high Velocity Investing in a transport management system (TMS) has helped a haulier to rapidly scale up its operations. Velocity Transport Solutions was founded in 2016 in Sunderland. After investing in a TMS from HaulTech in 2020, its fleet has grown fivefold, working across ambient, chilled and frozen goods. “We grew from a handful of HGVs in 2020 to more than 15 today,” said Mike Bones, head of transport at Velocity. “HaulTech has certainly played a part in enabling that growth. The transport planning is very user-friendly.” The company is an offshoot of Velocity Recruitment, which is a leading provider of recruitment services to logistics and other sectors across North-East England. It also offers training such as Driver CPC courses. Designed to meet the needs of independent hauliers, HaulTech’s TMS can reduce administrative processes by up to 80%. It also helps haulage companies to control and cut operational costs. The TMS enables users to seamlessly create, schedule, assign and manage jobs through a single point of data entry. It also streamlines invoicing and can integrate with accounting software such as Sage. HaulTech is Velocity’s first TMS and is bringing multiple benefits to its operations. “We have offices across the region and the accounting department is not in the same building as my transport team,” added Mike. “HaulTech provides us with a central register where we can access all the information we need. “The biggest benefit for us is that it streamlines our invoices. It links in with our accounting software, meaning we can move from proof of delivery to invoicing at the push of a button.” Velocity Transport started out by providing traction units and drivers to major hauliers, after a request from one of its valued clients on the recruitment side. Today, it now also offers general haulage operations through its own fleet of tractors and trailers. The company works for a wide range of clients in sectors such as automotive, waste and food products. “HaulTech have been fantastic, we cannot fault them at all,” said Mike. “They are extremely flexible and responsive to our needs. I would definitely recommend HaulTech – in fact, I have recommended it to another haulier in the North-East and they are now also using the system.” HaulTech offers a complete portfolio of haulage solutions, including TMS, WMS, tracking and vehicle cameras. For further information, visit https://haultech.co.uk/ TRUCK & TRAILER SOLUTIONS WELCOME TOALLPORTS GROUP allportsgroup.co.uk
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