Peter Acton's blog

The recent ‘surpise’  rise in employment in the US has highlighted the problems of finding growth areas in the UK economy. How can employers in the logistics sector help to ‘stimulate the recovery’ by taking people on.

Retail sales over Christmas and January have not been too encouraging but there is one area where the logistics sector has been doing ’its bit’.  This is in the area of home delivery.

There are few occasions that we look back on as pivotal in the political and economic short term future of the UK. George Osborne’s Autumn Statement is definitely one of them. He told everyone how serious it is; the economic challenges from the Eurozone on the UK economy, the global slowdown, lack of confidence in UK consumer spending and the caution by banks to lend to business. Not a pretty picture for 2012. Being an avowed Keynsian, I was relieved that he did not slam on the borrowing brakes any harder otherwise we will be in deep recession in 2012 without doubt.

Beleaguered road transport operators have enough to worry about. So hot on the heels of the Agency Workers Directive, the European Commission (EC) is striking at the heart of every road transport operator. New rules and regulations for the role of the transport manager.

Sexily titled (EC) No 1071/2009 it will come into force on 4 December 2011. Apparently we have had two years to get used to the idea. But most operators I have spoken to recently are not aware of it. More importantly the implications on their operation are little understood.

So listen up!