Winter Newsletter 16-17
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>Winter</strong> 20<strong>16</strong>/<strong>17</strong> Issue #3<br />
Inside this Issue:<br />
□ New Motis Café-Bar Diner<br />
□ Abnormal Load Visits Motis FSA Dover<br />
□ Eurotunnel Peak Days Calendar 20<strong>17</strong><br />
□ 5 Steps to Wellbeing at Work<br />
□ What’s Happening in the World of Freight?<br />
□ Being Prepared in <strong>Winter</strong><br />
□ Motis Sponsorships<br />
□ 20<strong>17</strong> Racing Calendar<br />
Connect with us on…
NEW Motis Café-Bar Diner<br />
Our new Café-Bar Diner<br />
within the Motis Freight<br />
Clearance Centre on Western<br />
Docks, Dover, Kent UK<br />
is now open. It offers a<br />
great selection of European<br />
foods, meals and snacks<br />
with great coffee and draft<br />
beer.<br />
If there’s something you’d<br />
like that you can’t see on<br />
our menus below please<br />
just ask and if we can, we<br />
will do it for you!<br />
You can also call us on<br />
07769090043 to place your<br />
order ahead then just call in<br />
and pick it up.<br />
Like the Facebook page<br />
Motis Café-Bar Dover for<br />
more info!<br />
Homemade Burgers<br />
Pizzeria<br />
Full Menu<br />
Drinks<br />
Abnormal Load Visits Motis FSA Dover<br />
watch the huge load take to the<br />
road of Kent.<br />
A 318 tonne transformer (the<br />
size of a house!) made its<br />
way from Sellindge to the<br />
Port of Dover, parking for the<br />
night in our truck park at<br />
Motis FSA. Throughout its<br />
journey the load was on one<br />
of ALE’s specialist vehicles<br />
which is over 87 metres long<br />
and 6 metres wide and travelled<br />
at a speed of approximately<br />
12mph. Travelling<br />
along the A20 and M20 with a<br />
police escort, the route was<br />
carefully planned by ALE’s<br />
specialist haulage contractors<br />
and local highway authorities<br />
to ensure it had as little effect<br />
on people as possible. Crowds<br />
of spectators gathered to<br />
After leaving Dover, the electricity<br />
transformer was shipped<br />
to a specialist facility in Germany<br />
for essential maintenance to<br />
ensure it is able to play its vital<br />
role in helping to ensure the<br />
UK continues to enjoy safe and<br />
reliable electricity supplies.
Eurotunnel Peak Days 20<strong>17</strong><br />
You may recall that Eurotunnel<br />
introduced a Peak Day<br />
Calendar to its pricing structure<br />
where a Premium of<br />
€12.00 / £10.00 Supplement<br />
would be charged on ''Peak''<br />
days. We have received notification<br />
of an amendment to<br />
this as follows for 20<strong>17</strong>.<br />
With this in mind, please be<br />
informed that the following<br />
will be classed as ''Peak''<br />
days and the above mentioned<br />
Supplement will be<br />
added to your existing rate<br />
should you use the Eurotunnel<br />
service Folkestone - Calais/Calais<br />
- Folkestone on<br />
the days in the timetable<br />
(right):<br />
5 Steps to Wellbeing at Work<br />
To protect and enhance our<br />
own personal wellbeing,<br />
Gillian Morris from local<br />
charity Inspire urges us to<br />
pursue these ‘five ways’<br />
which have been inspired by<br />
research by the New Economics<br />
Foundation.<br />
Give<br />
Committing an act of kindness<br />
once a week over a 6<br />
week period is associated<br />
with an increase in wellbeing.<br />
Be Active<br />
Regular physical activity is<br />
associated with lower rates<br />
of depression and anxiety<br />
across all age groups.<br />
Take Notice<br />
This can strengthen and<br />
broaden your awareness and<br />
also enhance your selfunderstanding<br />
and allow you<br />
to make positive choices<br />
based on your own values and<br />
motivations.<br />
Learn<br />
Continued learning through life<br />
enhances self-esteem and encourages<br />
social interaction and<br />
a more active life. Why not<br />
learn something new about a<br />
colleague or research something<br />
that has always interested<br />
you.<br />
Connect<br />
Strong evidence indicates that<br />
feeling close to, and valued by,<br />
other people is a fundamental<br />
human need and one that contributes<br />
to functioning well in<br />
the world.
Dublin Port opens up Port Centre to the City with new Public Realm<br />
Dublin Port has announced<br />
details of a new project to<br />
soften its boundaries to the<br />
City and provide public<br />
realm at Port Centre for the<br />
first time in 35 years.<br />
This is the largest physical<br />
intervention by Dublin Port to<br />
reintegrate the Port with the<br />
City, as committed to in the<br />
Company’s Masterplan.<br />
Enabling works to prepare<br />
the site at Port Centre have<br />
begun, with contracts having<br />
been signed with Wills Bros<br />
Civil Engineering to carry out<br />
the development. The works<br />
involve removing a section<br />
of the existing old boundary<br />
Journey Times to/from Heysham Port and the M6 Completely Transformed!<br />
The Heysham M6 Link<br />
Road, the 'Bay Gateway',<br />
officially opened to traffic on<br />
31st October 20<strong>16</strong>. It was<br />
back in early 2014 when<br />
work on the £124 million project<br />
began, now the opening<br />
of the new 4.8km road will<br />
massively improve access to<br />
Heysham Port from junction<br />
34 of the M6.<br />
The new link road will significantly<br />
reduce congestion in<br />
the areas of Lancaster,<br />
Morecambe and Carnforth.<br />
Journey times to and from<br />
Heysham Port and the M6<br />
will be completely transformed<br />
and provide a huge<br />
wall to create new pedestrian<br />
entry points at Alexandra<br />
Road and East Wall Road,<br />
identifiable by tall russet coloured<br />
structure made from Cor<br />
-ten steel, the same material<br />
that is used in shipping containers.<br />
The entrances will open out<br />
into a new public plaza north<br />
of Port Centre. At the entrance<br />
to the building, a refurbished<br />
podium will feature a new<br />
boost for all users of Heysham<br />
Port.<br />
Transiting through Lancaster<br />
during peak periods can currently<br />
take up to 1 hour but<br />
with the new link road it will<br />
take just 10-15 minutes!<br />
sculptural sphere inspired by<br />
the spherical-shaped time ball<br />
that dropped daily on the top of<br />
the Ballast Office at O’Connell<br />
Bridge to signal Greenwich<br />
Mena Time to passing ships.<br />
Made from stainless steel, its<br />
surface will mirror the surroundings<br />
of Port Centre and<br />
provide a new focal point at the<br />
precinct. From the podium, visitors<br />
will also be able to observe<br />
the Port’s operations from a<br />
safe distance, as intended by<br />
the original architects.<br />
Visitors will also discover a<br />
landscaped maritime garden<br />
with distributed seating, accessible<br />
from a new footbridge<br />
connecting to the car park.<br />
Why not take advantage of this<br />
new link and see how much<br />
you could save by using the<br />
routes from Heysham to Warrenpoint<br />
or Dublin through<br />
Motis. For further details,<br />
please do not hesitate to contact<br />
us.
Cross-Border Business Leaders Join Together to call for Brexit Focus<br />
Business leaders from<br />
across the UK and the Republic<br />
have joined together<br />
to urge politicians on both<br />
sides of the border to do<br />
their utmost to maintain<br />
strong trading links between<br />
the two nations in Brexit negotiations.<br />
The Institute of Directors in<br />
the UK and IoD Ireland - two<br />
separate organisations -<br />
said both Northern Ireland<br />
(NI) and the Republic are<br />
heavily reliant on crossborder<br />
trade and the government<br />
needs to keep their<br />
wellbeing front and centre in<br />
the upcoming talks.<br />
The two organisations have<br />
released a report - The Irish<br />
Question - which surveyed<br />
their members and found<br />
that a failure to maintain an<br />
open border for both trade<br />
and the movement of people<br />
will impact economic<br />
growth.<br />
board its members’ concerns.<br />
NI is unique as the only region<br />
of the UK having a land border<br />
with the EU. IoD members are<br />
extremely concerned on what<br />
the impact of Brexit will mean<br />
for the free movement of people<br />
and goods across this border.<br />
Meanwhile, firms in NI have<br />
been at the sharp end of the<br />
pound’s fall against the euro<br />
since the EU referendum as<br />
although some exporters are<br />
benefiting from a cheaper<br />
pound, two-thirds said exchange<br />
rate volatility is having<br />
a negative effect on them. And<br />
because of the need to do<br />
business in the Republic, the<br />
majority of IoD NI members<br />
think Brexit will make the red<br />
tape burden worse.<br />
Seamus Nevin, Head of Employment<br />
and Skills Policy at<br />
the Dublin-based IoD, said the<br />
Westminster government has<br />
a big job on its hands.<br />
the Brexit. If the Government<br />
can overcome the many intricate<br />
and complicated difficulties<br />
NI presents for Brexit,<br />
they will have gone a long way<br />
to ensuring the best possible<br />
outcome for the whole United<br />
Kingdom.”<br />
The report also found:<br />
Over £1bn in goods and<br />
services are exchanged between<br />
the ROI and the UK<br />
every week.<br />
Trade between NI and the<br />
ROI is worth £2.2bn per<br />
year.<br />
30,000 people cross the<br />
Northern Ireland-Ireland<br />
border every day. 14,800<br />
persons habitually commute<br />
between NI and the Republic<br />
for work or Study.<br />
One-in-ten IoD members in<br />
NI and a quarter of IoD Ireland<br />
members have employees<br />
who commute across<br />
the border and the majority<br />
want to see the common<br />
travel area between the two<br />
countries maintained.<br />
Ian Sheppard, Chairman at<br />
NI Institute of Directors, said<br />
government must take on<br />
“Leaving the EU will be probably<br />
the most cumbersome legislative<br />
task ever undertaken<br />
by a British Government. Because<br />
of the deep historical<br />
and economic ties, one of the<br />
knottiest issues of all is the<br />
UK’s future relationship with<br />
the Republic of Ireland.<br />
“This will be the litmus test for
The Fuel Dinosaur-Transport must Move with the Times - Seamus Leheny, FTA<br />
Recently after fuelling up at<br />
the local garage, my 5 year<br />
old son asked me what<br />
were the ingredients of the<br />
diesel we had just put into<br />
the car, one of a hundred<br />
varying inquisitive questions<br />
he asked that day!<br />
When I told him it was old<br />
plants and dinosaurs, he<br />
had a good laugh! When I<br />
consider we have been using<br />
fossil fuels for transport<br />
since the industrial revolution<br />
mid-19th century, it’s<br />
not only ridiculous such<br />
technology hasn’t advanced<br />
but it reinforces the need for<br />
transport to adapt quickly<br />
and embrace new technology.<br />
The weak pound and a rise<br />
in oil prices have combined<br />
to push up the cost of fuel<br />
at the pumps, which spells<br />
bad news for transport operators.<br />
And the situation<br />
looks set to get worse with<br />
OPEC’s plan to cut oil production<br />
to force a further price<br />
increase.<br />
The FTA has been calling on<br />
Chancellor Phillip Hammond<br />
to cut fuel duty to ease pressure<br />
on the logistics industry<br />
and will press him further before<br />
he announces his Autumn<br />
Statement in November.<br />
A cut would also boost the<br />
economy, putting billions back<br />
into consumers’ pockets.<br />
Fuel represents around a<br />
third of the running cost of a<br />
44 tonne truck so this latest<br />
rise is going to hit operators<br />
hard.<br />
Some operators will be able<br />
to recoup the additional cost<br />
from their customers, but<br />
many will have contracts that<br />
don’t allow for an increase<br />
and will have to swallow the<br />
cost themselves.<br />
Diesel prices are only ever<br />
going to keep increasing as<br />
resources become scarcer,<br />
the battle for us as an industry<br />
is to ensure we do not absorb<br />
these costs and going<br />
forward to ensure advancements<br />
in vehicle technology<br />
frees us from our addiction to<br />
diesel and petrol.<br />
One way to help achieve this<br />
is the uptake of low emission<br />
vehicles such as those powered<br />
by gas and electricity. Presently<br />
there is a low emission freight &<br />
logistics trial managed by the<br />
Government department, OLEV,<br />
which is providing up to £24m in<br />
funding to industry. It covers vehicles<br />
ranging from N1 Class III<br />
up to 44 tonne HGVs. The level<br />
of funding awarded will depend<br />
on the size of company making<br />
the application but main criteria<br />
is that the project must involve a<br />
vehicle operator.<br />
More in depth details of the<br />
scheme can be viewed at;<br />
https://www.gov.uk/government/<br />
publications/funding-competition<br />
-low-emission-freight-andlogistics-trial.
Putting the Case for Progressive Apprenticeships - Martin Reid, RHA<br />
The Department for Economy<br />
has put out an important<br />
consultation related to how<br />
we develop a skilled workforce.<br />
It proposes a framework<br />
for more investment in<br />
training through progressive<br />
apprenticeships.<br />
This is exactly the sort of<br />
thing that we need in Northern<br />
Ireland if we are to build<br />
solid foundations for the<br />
productivity and competitiveness<br />
we need as an economy.<br />
We have just one, significant,<br />
change to propose.<br />
Proposals are that apprenticeships<br />
should start at level<br />
3 and be for at least 2 years.<br />
We support the idea of level<br />
3 and above - but we have<br />
one major amendment to put<br />
forward to the Belfast government;<br />
we need one-year,<br />
level 2 apprenticeships also.<br />
Reasons for our position include<br />
fairness and pragmatism.<br />
To exclude level 2 would<br />
be to exclude the overwhelming<br />
majority of people in road<br />
haulage and logistics - a sector<br />
vital to the whole economy.<br />
The Benefits<br />
For the Employer:<br />
More skilled individual<br />
Better able to drive his truck<br />
economically & safely<br />
Better acquainted with rules<br />
For the Individual Driver:<br />
More thorough training<br />
Better acquisition of skills<br />
Transferable skills of longterm<br />
benefit in any industry<br />
For NI’s Economy:<br />
More productive & competitive<br />
industry<br />
Operating more safely with<br />
a more adaptable workforce<br />
Driver Crisis<br />
Is due to many years of underinvestment<br />
in training. Without<br />
a level 2 lorry driver apprenticeship,<br />
larger haulage firms<br />
will end up paying the apprenticeship<br />
levy from April 20<strong>17</strong><br />
with no prospect of getting it<br />
back. And SME and smaller<br />
firms will be denied the funding<br />
they so desperately need.<br />
The Department for Economy<br />
is definitely on the right track<br />
overall - but the road haulage<br />
industry wants to join them on<br />
the journey. That is the message<br />
I and my colleagues are<br />
putting forward on behalf of<br />
RHA members and the industry<br />
in Northern Ireland as a whole.
Being Prepared in <strong>Winter</strong><br />
As we are once again in to<br />
the <strong>Winter</strong> season, it is vitally<br />
important that we prepare<br />
ourselves and our vehicles<br />
for all conditions.<br />
With this in mind, please<br />
see the following tips and<br />
advice taken from Sneider’s<br />
68-page <strong>Winter</strong> Survival<br />
Guide to help make sure<br />
you are fully prepared:<br />
Visibility<br />
Watch for other vehicles’<br />
break lights ahead of you<br />
Make sure your lights are<br />
on and working<br />
Clean the ice and snow<br />
off mirrors, windows,<br />
lights & reflective tape<br />
Use your air conditioner<br />
to help keep windows<br />
defrosted - conditioned<br />
air is dry air<br />
Watch the cloud of powdered<br />
snow surrounding<br />
your unit. There may be<br />
a car hidden in it<br />
See and be Seen - be<br />
aware of your surroundings.<br />
Look ahead, to the<br />
sides and rear<br />
Roadway<br />
Watch for glazed conditions<br />
and slow down for the following:<br />
Be extra cautious on entrance<br />
and exit ramps - a<br />
sharp turn on a slippery<br />
road means double trouble<br />
Be aware of bridges - their<br />
surfaces freeze first<br />
Intersections can be very<br />
icy so start braking early for<br />
stop signs and red lights<br />
Allow for the wind<br />
Don’t “fall” for roads that<br />
are rain covered - keep<br />
speed down to maintain<br />
traction and stay off cruise<br />
control<br />
Traffic<br />
Keep in mind the importance<br />
of a good following<br />
distance (7-14 seconds<br />
or more) and your ability to<br />
recognize what the other<br />
driver might do<br />
Traction<br />
Don’t drive in the ruts of<br />
other vehicles - their spinning<br />
wheels have probably<br />
packed the snow into ice<br />
Accelerate/decelerate carefully<br />
and gradually<br />
Slow Down - speed decreases<br />
traction, slowing<br />
will increase it<br />
Turn the engine brake off<br />
when on wet, icy or snow<br />
covered roads, when approaching<br />
bridges; onramps<br />
or exit ramps<br />
Presenting secure cargo for<br />
shipping is also very important.<br />
Inadequate securing<br />
and incorrect declaration of<br />
weights is an extremely serious<br />
issue with the potential to<br />
endanger both the vessel and<br />
its crew.
Ballynahinch Rugby Club<br />
1st XV Fixtures for remaining season:<br />
Ulster Bank All Ireland League -<br />
Division 1B, Ulster Senior League<br />
DATE<br />
OPPOSITION VENUE<br />
Ballynahinch secured their<br />
eighth Miller McCall Wylie<br />
Junior Cup when their second<br />
string triumphed <strong>17</strong>-3<br />
over Omagh at Kingspan on<br />
13th Dec. 20<strong>16</strong>. For highlights<br />
of the match go to:<br />
http://www.ulsterrugby.com/<br />
news/15544.php#.WJR0VW-<br />
LSM8<br />
Ballynahinch 1s also made it<br />
three First Trust Senior Cup<br />
titles in a row with a victory of<br />
27-10 over Dungannon on<br />
15th Dec. 20<strong>16</strong>. Click on the<br />
following link for a rundown on<br />
the match:<br />
http://ulsterrugby.com/<br />
news/15550.php#.WJRogG-<br />
LSM9<br />
FEB 11th UCC 12.30pm Away<br />
18th Galwegians Home<br />
MAR 4th NAAS Away<br />
11th Old Wesley Home<br />
25th Shannon Away<br />
APRIL 8th UL Bohemian Home<br />
15th Bucaneers Away<br />
Team Oliver Racing<br />
Stuart and all at Team Oliver<br />
Racing are delighted with<br />
the overall championship results.<br />
It was recognised early<br />
in the year Stuart’s own<br />
BTRC campaign was going<br />
to be challenging, within<br />
what was a field of very<br />
good equipment, teams and<br />
drivers. “Finishing runner up<br />
behind the team that won<br />
the 2014 and 2015 FIA European<br />
Truck Race Championship,<br />
I am more than happy<br />
with”, said Stuart.<br />
Shane<br />
started the<br />
season<br />
with an all<br />
new race<br />
machine<br />
and has<br />
not disappointed,<br />
with several successful<br />
trips across into Europe to<br />
participate in the FIA season<br />
as well as his strong challenge<br />
in the BTRC, he has managed<br />
to secure a well-deserved<br />
BTRC 5th place overall.<br />
Michael “the new kid on the<br />
block”, with no previous race<br />
experience, started his race<br />
career by going straight into<br />
Class A of the BTRC. With an<br />
open mind in the team at the<br />
start of the season, Michael<br />
has excelled massively beyond<br />
expectations and performed<br />
well beyond what would be expected<br />
in his first year. To the<br />
extent he managed to secure<br />
8th place overall in the BTRC.<br />
Team Oliver Racing would like<br />
to take this opportunity to thank<br />
all who have worked with, supported<br />
and sponsored the team<br />
throughout the season and<br />
look forward to bigger and better<br />
things in 20<strong>17</strong>.
Albatec Racing<br />
20<strong>17</strong> Racing Calendar<br />
Albatec Racing:<br />
FIA European Rallycross Championship<br />
James Grint rounded out 20<strong>16</strong> with 6th place in a<br />
thrilling British Rallycross Grand Prix at Croft. The<br />
Dumfries team and Kimpton racer, aboard his Peugeot<br />
208 RX Supercar, preceded that with 11th place in<br />
the British Rallycross Championship. Tommy Rustad<br />
scored a sensational 1st win with Albatec Racing in<br />
the final round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship<br />
in Latvia. The Norwegian powered his HTB<br />
Racing Peugeot 208 RX Supercar to victory, despite<br />
a late spin for the outgoing champion. Frenchman<br />
Jérôme Grosset-Janin brought his similar Poujoulatbacked<br />
two-litre, <strong>16</strong>v motor home in 4th, to retain his<br />
vice-champion crown for the Dumfries team.<br />
Team Oliver Racing:<br />
British Truck Racing Championships<br />
Round 1: Barcelona, Spain - 1st/2nd April<br />
Round 2: Hell, Norway - 10th/11th June<br />
Round 3: Höljes, Sweden - 1st/2nd July<br />
Round 4: Lohéac, France - 2nd/3rd Sept<br />
Round 5: Riga, Latvia - <strong>16</strong>th/<strong>17</strong>th Sept<br />
British Rallycross Championships<br />
Round 1: Croft - 19th March<br />
Round 2: Lydden - <strong>17</strong>th April<br />
Round 3: Pembrey - 25th June<br />
Round 4&5: Mondello Park - 22nd/23rd July<br />
Round 6: Lydden - 28th August<br />
Round 7&8: Pembrey - 23rd/24th Sept<br />
Round 9: Croft - 22nd October<br />
Brands Hatch - 25th-26th March<br />
Pembrey - 22nd-23rd April<br />
Thruxton - 3rd-4th June<br />
Nurburgring - 1st-2nd July<br />
Donington Park - 22nd-23rd July<br />
Lydden Hill - 5th-6th August<br />
Snetterton - 9th-10th September<br />
Pembrey - 14th-15th October<br />
Brands Hatch - 4th-5th November<br />
For further information on anything within this newsletter or for<br />
general enquiries please contact us on…<br />
+44 (0) 28 30 25 25 00<br />
sales@motis.com<br />
www.motis.com