Tag: haulage|road transport|transport

A team from Collett & Sons has successfully delivered an 80-tonne transformer from Lancashire to the Harting Rig Wind Farm substation in Scotland. Appointed by Fracht UK, Collett was tasked with providing a transport solution to deliver the heavy cargo the 230 miles from Goole to South Lanarkshire. But what would normally have been a relatively straightforward journey for the experts from Collett was complicated just three miles shy of the wind farm site in the shape of Glassford Bridge.

Identified in the planning process, weight restrictions were in place on the structure, resulting in limitations to the vehicles and cargoes crossing the bridge. The loaded trailer and truck combination would have exceeded the structure’s maximum permitted weights, therefore a new approach would be required.

Alongside the weight limitations, Collett was also required to observe a maximum speed of 10mph and ensure that no other traffic or pedestrians would be present on the bridge during the transport operation. In addition, all vehicles must follow a three-metre strip of the bridge, with a series of cat’s eye markers in place to ensure each vehicle maintained a set alignment throughout.

With all this identified, Collett executed innovative transport arrangements to overcome these obstacles.  Arriving at Glassford Bridge, the process began by uncoupling the loaded trailer from the 8×4 MAN TGX tractor unit. Once disconnected, two 40m wire cables were attached, connecting the trailer and primary ballast truck.  A secondary 8×4 ballast unit was then connected at the rear of the trailer, again using 40m wire cables.

The extended combination was then ready to go.  Having implemented Temporary Traffic Restriction Orders, the lights on the bridge were turned to red and the team from Collett was able to proceed. With all other traffic restricted, the secondary ballast tractor reversed and the primary drove forward. This tensioned the cable, removing any slack, then both vehicles began the slow drive forward.

Controlling the cable tensioning throughout, the primary tractor unit cleared the structure, followed by the trailer, transformer and Steersman in tow. With the ability to control the trailer’s steering and braking, Collett’s Steersman ensured that the trailer and cargo remained within the necessary alignment whilst traversing the structure.

Once clear of the bridge, and with the trailer brake applied, the secondary ballast unit took up the cable stack and crossed Glassford Bridge to complete the operation.

With the wire cables removed and the primary tractor unit re-coupled, the 80-tonne transformer completed the remaining three miles of the journey to Harting Rig Wind Farm. On arrival, the cargo was met by Collett’s Heavy Lift Team for jacking and  skidding to its final position.#

 

Inflation, weakening demand, social instability and the war in Ukraine are leading to tumultuous developments in road freight prices, reveals the Ti / Upply / IRU Road Freight Rate Benchmark for Q2 2022. For the first time, this edition offers a separate analysis of the evolution of spot and contract rates.

• The European contract road freight rate index reaches an all-time high of 121 points in Q2 2022, up 6.1 points quarter-on-quarter and 13.1 points year-on-year.
• The European spot road freight rate index also reached a record high of 134 points, up 11.8 points from Q1 2022 and 20.1 points from Q2 2021.
• Inflation is rising in all European countries and reached a record high of 8.6% in the Eurozone in June, weighing on costs and demand.
• While diesel prices have varied by country since prices have remained elevated in July and are 69% above the January level.

The European Road Freight Rates Benchmark, produced by Transport Intelligence, Upply and IRU, analyses European road freight rates and market outlooks on a quarterly basis, to inform the decisions of shippers, transport providers and hauliers.

For the first time since the beginning of the report, Ti, Upply and IRU are able to offer a differentiated analysis of spot and contract rates in this edition covering Q2 2022.

• War in Ukraine: Following the invasion of Ukraine, in March, the EU-27 pre-tax diesel price jumped 69% from its January level.
• Demand weakening: Multiple indicators point to a weakening demand for European road freight, with declining activity in all major economies and inflation rates weighing on consumer and business confidence.
• Rising inflation: Inflation is rising in all European countries and reached a record high of 8.6% in the Eurozone in June. According to the latest data, Spain is experiencing the highest increase with a price rise of +10.2%, higher than the other major European economies of Germany (7.9%), France (5.8%), Italy (8%) and the UK (9.1%).
• Driver shortage: The shortage affects the entire European continent. Germany is in a particularly critical situation with an estimated shortage of 50,000 to 80,000 truck drivers. Migrant workers account for 24% of the German driver workforce and the loss of Ukrainian citizens returning to defend their country has further restricted the supply of drivers in Germany.
• France/Spain: This corridor has seen very significant increases in spot rates. In particular, the increase reached 21.2% quarter-on-quarter in the Paris-Madrid direction. This is almost twice the average increase in European spot rates and is also the second highest increase of all European spot rates.
• Germany/Poland: All rates, with the exception of spot rates from Duisburg to Warsaw, have reached new historical highs on this route after having followed an upward trend since the beginning of the pandemic. Contrary to the relationship observed on most European routes, spot rates on this route increased more slowly than contract rates. Demand has been affected in particular by the weakening of the industry in Germany and Poland. The instability created by the conflict in Ukraine is particularly noticeable in this part of Europe and also affects the development of industrial prospects.
• France / Great Britain: Following the Brexit, transport operations between France and Great Britain have become more expensive and longer. Researchers at the London School of Economics (LSE) have found that while exports have largely recovered, British imports from the EU have fallen by 25% compared to other destinations. In addition, the variety of goods traded fell by 30%. Low value goods were the most affected by the increase in administrative costs.

Thomas Larrieu, Chief Executive Officer at Upply, comments: “The lull in European demand should slow the upward pressure on road freight rates. On the other hand, hauliers are still facing significant cost increases (fuel, labour, etc.), so rates are likely to remain at high levels in the coming months.”

Nathaniel Donaldson, Economic Analyst at Ti said: “The effect of rising costs in 2022 is now very evident with road freight rates across the European continent reaching new all-time highs. Initial fuel price rises following the invasion of Ukraine have held and produced a much more costly environment for European road carriers whilst industrial action and a worsening driver shortage keep capacity tight. A range of indicators are pointing towards a drastic slowdown in consumption and production which will ease further increases while high costs keep rates elevated.”

CLICK HERE to download a copy of the full benchmark report.

Collett & Sons, an expert in transporting abnormal loads, has transported two 160Te shunt reactors over 5000 miles to the onshore substation site in southern Scotland for the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm project, jointly owned by EDF Renewables and ESB.

Collett was contracted with the full scope of work providing a door-to-door service, including the project management, engineering and the transport of the two 160Te shunt reactors.

A year before deliveries commenced, Collett’s Consulting Department was contracted to undertake multiple surveys to find the most feasible route. This included all route surveys, swept path analysis reports, topographical surveys, bridge height surveys and wire cable height surveys. This resulted in Collett liaising with local authorities to temporarily remove street furniture and employing tree surgeons to remove obstructing foliage.

The shunt reactors were transported in three stages before arriving at the substation site. First, Collett worked in partnership with a trusted European partner to transport the shunt reactors ahead of their arrival in the UK. The Collett Projects Department was then responsible for all port operations, including the loading of the vessel, also chartered by Collett, for the 4800 miles to the Port of Leith in Scotland.

Working closely with the port, Collett carefully planned the cargo’s discharge, including providing crane lifting plans and an agreed programme of works for all loading and discharge operations.

Once at the port, utilising an 800Te crane, the shunt reactors were discharged onto a dedicated 14-axle line modular flat top trailer. Both shunt reactors were offloaded at the port onto stools for temporary storage. Collett also transported and stored multiple ancillary components at its port-side depot in Grangemouth.

Utilising its 550Te capacity girder bridge with 20-axle lines, Collett transported the shunt reactors from Leith Docks to Innerwick. Due to narrow access along the remainder of the route, Collett transhipped each of the two shunt reactors from the 20-axle girder bridge on to a 14-axle flat top modular trailer in a dedicated road closure area, complete with all traffic management, in order to complete delivery. All movements were facilitated under police escort, as well as Collett’s in-house fleet of pilot vehicles.

At the NnG onshore substation site, located in the Lammermuir Hills, Collett’s Heavy Lift Team offloaded and positioned the shunt reactors into their final position using a hydraulic jacking and skidding system.

Part two of the project is expected to take place in the coming weeks , when two 180Te supergrid transformers are due to be delivered to the wind farm site.

The UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that traffic management measures in Kent will be removed this month (April 2021) as trade returns to normal levels.

The Kent Access Permit (KAP) and the M20 moveable barrier will be stood down from 20th April, as delays have been prevented thanks to hauliers arriving at the border prepared.

The DfT says this comes as freight volumes between the UK and the EU continue to operate at normal levels, with the latest data showing a 46% increase in exports in February. KAPs have been instrumental in avoiding delays at the border, by ensuring that HGV drivers have the correct paperwork before setting off and allowing them to move quickly through the UK’s ports.

Compliance with the KAP obligation from industry has been consistently high, tracking at more than 80% since the middle of January for non-GB hauliers, while the latest data shows the average compliance with the KAP obligation is at 86%.

The removal of the KAP on 20th April will mean less paperwork for hauliers, making it quicker and easier to cross the border, further supporting the already smooth flow of goods from the UK into Europe.

The Kent Resilience Forum has also announced plans to stand down the moveable barrier on 24th April. Specially designed to allow traffic on the M20 to continue in both directions, the barrier and its contraflow system have been critical in keeping roads open and traffic moving as hauliers adjusted to the new border requirements.

Hauliers will have continued access to support on border requirements at any one of 46 information and advice sites across the UK, with the busiest sites remaining in place until at least August. So far, sites have proven to be extremely popular, says the DfT, helping to prepare more than 200,000 hauliers adjust to new border requirements since first opening in November 2020.