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@RHANews
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Representing the interests of UK commercial vehicle operators including HGVs, coaches and vans. Our members move the economy and people.
United Kingdom
Joined August 2011
Today's meeting with @michaelgove fell far short of our expectations. The mutually effective co-operation we wanted to ensure seamless border crossings just didn't happen and there is still no clarity over the questions that we have raised. @RHARichardB
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It’s a shambles. Govt tell us what we have to do but not how to do it. How the IT systems that will make it work has only been shared with a small number of operators. Most of us don’t know and that’s an absolute crisis with only 30 days to go. @RHARodMcKenzie @SkyNews
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Truckers are trying to avoid the UK as Brexit red tape keeps them waiting 15 hours or more to get to the continent. @RHARichardB says loads to the EU have fallen by as much as 68% and has asked @michaelgove for “a suitable compensation package.” v.
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Chaos in #Kent with 7k truck queues. We've consistently warned Govt but they're not engaging with industry on solutions, said @RHARichardB. Traders need to recruit and train 50k new staff to handle new red tape but woefully inadequate support. @SkyNews
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#Army not the solution to 100k HGV #DriverShortage - won't scratch the surface, @RHARichardB told @KayBurley @SkyNews. Firms must be able to plug gaps with overseas drivers as we train a UK-based workforce in the longer term.
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.@NicolaSturgeon Of course common-sense should prevail in the current severe weather conditions but some deliveries have to be made. Hospitals, feed for livestock, heating oil etc. HGV drivers should be applauded, not pilloried. #snowscotland
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.@NicolaSturgeon’s comment that HGVs should not use Scottish trunk roads unless unavoidable is naïve in the extreme says @RHANews. Often, in isolated areas, an HGV will be the only vehicle able to get through. These drivers should be applauded – not pilloried @RHARichardB
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At 3am today, trucker Andy was queuing to check-in at Calais. He reported migrants throwing bricks at vehicles. One went through his window and his face was badly cut by flying glass. Do we have to wait for the death of a driver before action is taken to stop this happening?
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With just 17 working days to go until the end of the transition period, hauliers are still in the dark. They know what to do - but not how to do it. To say that Government is cutting it fine is a massive understatement. @rbtsteve #RHAmember #RoyBowlesTransport
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RHA categorically denies accusations of creating fuel supply panic and believes this disgraceful attack on a member of it’s staff is an attempt to divert attention away from their recent handling of the driver shortage crisis.
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Huge downturn in exports to #EU - RHA international members report 68% in survey. I find it deeply frustrating and annoying that ministers have chosen not to listen to the industry and experts @RHARichardB told @ObserverUK @michaelgove @guardian.
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Dover/Calais is a major UK/EU crossing point and we’ve already seen massive queues. Brexit stockpiling is one thing, the Christmas rush is another but to close borders for 48 hrs is a real hammer blow to the all-important supply chain @RHARodMcKenzie @SkyNews
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The end of transition clock is ticking yet Government has still not provided any clarity as regards.•EU market access for hauliers.•IT and systems readiness.•Physical border infrastructure .•The trader support service for Northern Ireland.@RHARichardB @BarclaysCorp
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Increasing drivers’ hours is just putting pressure on an already exhausted workforce. Govt aren’t listening to us. In the short term we need access to the @ukHomeOffice #ShortageOccupationList to allow us to access a broader market. @RHARichardB @BBCBreakfast #Drivershortage
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17 weeks until 1 January but the IT systems hauliers will have use aren't ready. The extra 220M customs declarations need an extra 50k customs agents to complete them and we, the hauliers we represent and the rest of the industry are worried sick. @RHARichardB @bbcnickrobinson
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The HGV #DriverShortage is already severely affecting food supply chains, and the build up for Christmas which has already begun, @RHADuncanB told @theJeremyVine on #PanicAtThePumps
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KISS announce their 'End of the Road' farewell tour via @NME Remember, without trucks, they won't be going anywhere! #LoveTheLorry @RHARichardB @genesimmons @PaulStanleyLive @tommy_thayer @KISS_Ericrp @KISSOnline
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"It’s clear that Lord Agnew doesn’t understand how the logistics industry works, who the experts are, or the market itself," said @RHARichardB after the peer accused firms of burying their heads in the sand over post-transition trading: #Brexit
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HGV drivers are not great transmitters of disease. They work alone in their cabs (where they also spend their rest breaks) and the idea of them roaming around the French countryside, infecting 1000s of people is laughable. @RHARodMcKenzie @SkyNews
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Govt plans to fine hauliers for not having right #customs paperwork is counterproductive, @RHARichardB told @FT. Without extra 50k agents to create the paperwork then hauliers can't be expected to go to the ports with the paperwork all correct:
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Although the proposals to relax cabotage rules could help the Christmas supply chain, it would mean taking work from UK hauliers and giving it to foreign operators with tanks of cheaper fuel and who pay no tax. DON’T LET CABOTAGE SABOTAGE OUR INDUSTRY @RHARodMcKenzie @BBCr4today
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The supply chain is doing fine @RHARodMcKenzie tells @BBCNews. It's the panic buyers, stockpiling supplies that are causing the problem. UK hauliers are always the unsung heroes but they are doing a great job and should be acknowledged. #coronavirusuk #SupplyChains #panicbuying
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Right now, the majority HGV drivers caught up in this mess have little, if any, access to toilet or washing facilities. This is not only putting their health at risk, it’s exacerbating the very situation that it was supposed to prevent @RHARichardB
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#HighwayCode consultation: Plans to give cyclists right of way to undertake a left turning vehicle or overtake a right turning vehicle. We're urging all road users to call for the proposed changes to be scrapped:
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.@radiohead join concert hauliers and music biz call on @10DowningStreet to secure a ‘cultural easement’ to allow UK firms to continue taking tours across the Europe: @RHARichardB @aborchestras @colingreenwood #WeMakeEvents
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Our #HGVHeroes campaign launches today, recognising our industry's workers and the fantastic job they do, said @RHARichardB - Have you got someone to nominate? #HGV #freight #LoveTheLorry
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Start your engines, National Lorry Week is here! Show your love by tweeting pictures, videos telling us what the lorry means to you - whether you’re a lorry driver, working in the office or in the warehouse - we want to hear why you #LoveTheLorry
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Government claims I leaked info from fuel meeting are absolute nonsense, @RHARodMcKenzie told @IanKingSky on @SkyNews. We want to engage with ministers on solutions to the HGV #DriverShortage. Here's our response to the Government's attack:
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We believe there are 8-10,000 trucks waiting to cross into #France. Drivers have been treated incredibly poorly, @RHARichardB told @BBCNewsChannel. Govt's contingency plans must get better #covid19 #BorderClosure
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'The UK is asking HGV drivers to sleep in lay-bys, without food or hot water. Many end up being victims of crime. These are the things that really put people off joining the industry, and need to be sorted,' @RHADuncanB told @Telegraph.
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RHA, @Tesco and @EddieStobartCom get together to get food to stranded truckers in #Kent. @RHARichardB: “This is a great seasonal example of the industry pulling together to support its own driver community.”
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Many concert tours would grind to a halt should the UK and European union fail to reach an agreement on trucking. There would be 17-mile tailbacks at Calais within 24 hours of Britain crashing out of the trade bloc. @RHARichardB @IQ_Mag #NoDealBrexit
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Border chaos from 1 Jan - we warned ministers that they were going to run out of time to get industry prepared, but they haven't listened. The onus must fall on the Government, @RHARichardB told @BBCNews @faisalislam #Brexit
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Every day truckers across the UK are forced to park in laybys so that they don’t exceed legal hours - there's nowhere else for them to go. Government needs to do more to ensure drivers have the facilities to rest safely before getting back on the road.
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Lorries wouldn't have to park in laybys to comply with drivers' hours regulations if there were enough spaces available. We need action from politicians to make it happen, not just words: @Kent_Online #Kent
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EU hauliers and food suppliers concerned about friction at border. Large fresh/chilled food manufacturers are preparing to cut deliveries to the UK in January by as much as 50%, @RHARichardB told @HillDickinson event.
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"Backloads have disappeared so hauliers working for supermarkets and food manufacturers are running at a loss. We've told the supermarkets they have to start paying round trip rates or change the operating model to keep the supply chain going" @RHARichardB
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We’re the industry that has never been appreciated and taken for granted, @RHARichardB told the @thesundaytimes. Drivers, warehouse workers and back-office teams are keeping this whole industry going.
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New #Pingdemic rules are 'as clear as mud' @RHARodMcKenzie told @mrjamesob on @LBC this morning. The process for truckers seeking exemption from #SelfIsolation is 'incredibly onerous', and most businesses won't have the time or energy to navigate all the paperwork
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Follow a group of hard working truckers as they keep the UK moving, fed and safe. Regardless of #COVID19, the men and women @RHANews represents do this every day of the year and it’s a job they do incredibly well. @RHARichardB @grantshapps @RHAKelaKay
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Today, we're delivering an open letter, signed by 77 MPs and Lords from across the political spectrum, to the Prime Minister @RishiSunak @10DowningStreet, calling on the Government to improve roadside facilities for HGV and coach drivers. #driverfacilities Read below 👇
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National Lorry Week is here! Use the hashtag #lovethelorry all week to help spread to word of the industry.
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.@transportgovuk issues letter confirming all truckers and logistics staff who travel for work to be considered ‘essential’. We are urging employers to issue copies to staff to use if challenged, said @RHARichardB. -
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Checked at Cabinet Office level on plans for £50 an hour charge for drivers waiting for customs. Have statement "drivers will not be charged while they are waiting for their paperwork to be dealt with." May get time limits after cleared. @Motor_Transport @RHARichardB @RHADuncanB
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Dept for Transport issue note that hauliers stuck in snow have dispensation to exceed drivers' hours to get to a place of #safety @transportgovuk #snowday2
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HGV drivers are becoming a rare commodity. With that in mind the market will prevail and we'll see significant increases in driver wages as a result. It’s time retailers and retailers got their heads around that fact. @RHARichardB @RHAColinS @dailymirror @ExpressGilo
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Last year we worked hard and closely with Govt. We were designated critical workers – keeping the nation fed and things moving. This time there has been no Gov thought as to how we approach this in a practical way – to learn from what happened last year. @RHARichardB @bbcpaddy
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No access to toilets was one of the key issues on today’s @BBCRadio2 @theJeremyVine programme. Forget the excuses said @RHARodMcKenzie it's a basic human right for workers to be able to use the toilet. If you deny an HGV driver that access, you're breaking the law. #rhafacilities
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'It's going to take 18 months to tackle the HGV driver shortage', @RHARichardB told @SkyNews. We've called on the Government to provide short and long term solutions, to allow the haulage industry the time it needs to train a UK-based workforce
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Driver CPC is a barrier to truckers getting back behind the wheel, writes @RHARodMcKenzie. "CPC creates a barrier for experienced lorry drivers returning to the cab. It puts a hurdle in the way, adds complexity, and is seen by many drivers as pointless".
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Today's announcement from @CharlotteV that drivers’ hours regs are to be relaxed won’t make any material difference says @RHARichardB It fails to address the underlying issues which require a package of measures to fix. #Drivershortage
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Praise from @BorisJohnson for the devotion and self-sacrifice of those in every walk of life helping to beat #COVID19. Police, bus and train drivers, pharmacists, supermarket and postal workers, road hauliers, bin collectors, cleaners, security guards, teachers and thousands more
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RHA chief executive @RHARichardB has told @IanKingSky on @SkyNews that, even if done at a faster pace, training new UK-based HGV drivers won't happen fast enough to end supply chain disruption. We need other measures brought in too, and quickly. #DriverShortage
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Truckers denied access to toilets - still being locked out over #coronavirus fears. They deserve better and it's against the law: @BBCCovWarks #covid19
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.@MarrShow talks about a no-deal #Brexit to @DominicRaab “If you talk to @rhanews they say that there will be significant disruption and an operational disaster recovery. Businesses must plan says Raab. Indeed says @RHARichardB, but tell us exactly what to plan for.
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Fuel represents around 30% of an HGVs operating costs and every extra penny adds over £400 pa that has to be passed on. Hauliers can't afford it - neither can consumers. Don't price UK hauilers off the road.#fueldutyincentivenotpuinishmnet. @PhilipHammondUK @FairFuelUK
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46% of the UK truck fleet is now parked up through lack of work and many drivers are on furlough. This needs to be flexible. The lack of cash flow and the speed of accessing govt support funds inevitably means that many truck operators will go out of business. @RHARodMcKenzie
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Border closure - Truckers facing huge delays trying to cross border into #France, @RHARichardB told @mrjamesob on @LBC. Urges shoppers not to panic buy. Supply chain is resilient. #Covid19 #Freight
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Despite living in uncertain times, UK hauliers are doing all they can to keep the supply chain moving. Hear the facts from @RHARichardB on @BBCFoodProg 22.03.20 at 12.32hrs
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The #logistics industry is worth £124bn to the UK economy? But its true value is the role it plays in making sure we get everything we need – it’s fundamental to our way of life. Without logistics we get nothing. This is exactly why we need to celebrate #NationalLorryWeek
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Meanwhile down the road on the A1, stranded #lorry driver John dished out doughnuts and biscuits to hungry motorists caught up in the snow @heartnortheast #snowday2018 #GoodSamaritan
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Introducing #HGVHeroes!. Our latest campaign celebrates the amazing work our industry has been doing to keep our country going through difficult times. To find out more and to nominate a HGV Hero, visit:
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The #logistics sector is the fifth largest in the UK and employs more than 2.5 million people including drivers, data analysts, IT specialists, designers, warehouse staff, administrators, accountants, managers, technicians, planners, drivers & more #NationalLorryWeek #NLW
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@ManstonTruckTrial “Of course it’s good to have a plan in place but today’s limited scope trial will need to be repeated to stress-test other aspects of the management of thousands of lorries properly" @RHARichardB #NoDealBrexit.
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We were very proud to meet the Princess Royal at the @MalcolmGroup stand at #Multimodal24 today. She spoke to RHA colleagues @MDean04 and @PhilSnowdenRHA, and board members Andrew Malcolm, Tim Wray and Sam Fagan at the #Birmingham @thenec event. She also spent time with our
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Fuel duty contributed £30Bn to @hmtreasury in 2016/17. UK hauliers, responsible for moving 98% of our economy, should not have to pay more for doing a great job. Without trucks, you get nothing. @RHARichardBurnett @FairFuelUK @halfon4harlowMP @steve_hawkes
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Lorry drivers are the unsung heroes doing an incredible job keeping goods moving, @RHARichardB told @BBCRadio4 @DanSaladinoUK Clip:
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The HGV driver shortage will put the brakes on #Covid recovery plans as lockdown restrictions ease and the demand for food and drink increases. That’s the stark warning to Government from @RHARichardB
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Major question marks over the facilities available to lorry drivers stuck in queues and holding areas @RHARodMcKenzie told @BBCBreakfast. #Truckers deserve to be treated better. #Covid19
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It is estimated that UK households spend £22bn at Christmas, the average spend being £796. Of this, £159 is thought to go on food and drink and the rest on gifts (£596) , cards, trees and decorations (£41). And how does it reach the shops? On the back of a truck!#lovethelorry
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The haulage industry is doing all it possibly can to address the 45k driver shortage but needs financial support from Govt to achieve the results that the industry and economy so desperately need @RHARichardB @TheSun @Microlise
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Drivers - Please let us know which MOTORWAY SERVICES are still NOT offering toilet & food facilities. We’d like to know about CURRENT, not past closures. This is so we can ask the Govt to act. Replies by 4pm today please - messages to @rhatomcotton
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85% of UK trucks are SMEs - delivering everything we get in the UK. Food and medicines never been busier. For those delivering to other retailers, work has dried up. Not all can switch to other sectors. 46% of trucks are now parked up as their work has dried up. @RHARodMcKenzie
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I'm shocked at the impact the new customs arrangements are having on the supply chain between GB and NI, Peter Summerton from RHA member @McCulla_Ireland told @itvnews Delays are hitting firms hard. @RHAJohnMartin
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Pedestrians and cyclists sit in lorry cab to see what truckers can and can't see in @metpoliceuk fantastic #ExchangingPlaces initiative in #MarbleArch. Understanding where the blind spots are can save lives. #RoadSafety
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The UK haulage and logistics industry employs 2,540,000 people across a diverse number of roles. This makes it one of the largest industries in the country, and vitally important to the UK's supply chain. #LoveTheLorry
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Govt has listened to us and has taken the sensible approach. But the EU must do exactly the same. A 6-month relaxation gives more time to prepare. We've seen that the food supply chain can be maintained, but we still need more customs agents. @RHARichardB @BBCr4today @pmdfoster
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The RHA has warned that the Government’s visa announcement aimed at tackling the lorry driver shortage barely scratches the surface of the urgent problem of Christmas deliveries and current supply chain difficulties. @RHARichardB #Drivershortage .
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'As a country, we don't respect lorry drivers - we treat them badly'.@RHARodMcKenzie explains to @BBCSurrey our call for HGV drivers to be shown more respect, as their work is absolutely vital for all of us. This includes providing safe, clean toilets and other facilities.
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📺@grantshapps applauds our industry for keeping goods moving during #pandemic. He says road haulage is the lifeblood of the economy. #NationalLorryWeek #NLW #HGVHeroes
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The RHA welcomes the suspension of the HGV road user levy for a further year along with the freezing of VED for HGV’s. These are welcome steps for a hard pressed haulage industry battling driver shortages and a range of other cost issues in the supply chain. @RHARodMcKenzie
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Irony at its best? An HGV delivering flu medication, breaks down reversing into a delivery bay in Sutton. Red noses and red faces? 😳😳
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UK lorry drivers 'denied access to toilet facilities over virus fears now granted entry as a result of @RHANews intervention. "This is another big win for members and the entire industry during very uncertain times" @RHARichardB
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On the fifth day of #Christmas we're calling on the Government to vastly improve parking and welfare facilities for lorry drivers. Woefully inadequate provisions are dehumanising and leaving people at risk - not acceptable
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We've written to Prime Minister @BorisJohnson, stressing the need for action on the crippling effects of the current HGV driver shortage. The letter was signed by 22 members of the haulage industry, acalling for action on a number of points. Read more:
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To the thousands of men and women who kept the UK fed, moving and safe during two World Wars. We will remember them.
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#Snowmaggeddon: Lorry drivers have been braving the elements delivering essential supplies around the country, says @BristolPost
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Today we presented five-year-old Henry Ellison with his #HGVHeroes certificate!.Henry went to his school’s superhero day last year dressed as a trucker, and we were so impressed that we made him an HGV Heroes award, but due to COVID-19 we couldn't get it to him before now.
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Our Managing Director, Richard Smith, inspects the #NationalLorryWeek truck before heading out to meet the public in Cathedral Square, Peterborough. Our national roadshow starts today!
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Even after gaining their licence drivers need 4 to 6 weeks of on the job training. Even by starting now it’s unlikely they’ll be driving solo until the New Year. We can’t wait that long - we need solutions now.” said @RHADuncanB
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Did you know that 2.54 million people work in the haulage and logistics industry?.That it's the UK’s fifth largest employer? .That it's worth £124Bn to the economy?.Amazing!😀😀😀.#LoveTheLorry week will be back 16-22 September. To get involved go to
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Boris Johnson ‘planning 2p fuel duty cut’ in boost for Brit drivers "The penny is finally beginning to drop" says @RHARichardB @FairFuelUK @HowardCCox.
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.@RishiSunak, you need the services of this industry more than ever. We keep shop shelves full and hospitals supplied with PPE. Don’t make UK hauliers foot the bill for keeping the nation safe and fed.” @RHARichardB @FairFuelUK
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