Export & Freight May-June 22

Hard to believe mid summer’s day is just around the corner; where does the time go? Here at Export & Freight, we have been working towards the return of our Annual Transport & Logistics Awards taking place in September, having just enjoyed a highly successful Golf Masters at the Lough Erne Resort; you can view some video highlights of the day at https://exportandfreight.com/golf-masters-2022/ It was a pleasant distraction from the ongoing issues and concerns of our industry.

The debate over the NI Protocol is still very much to the fore, but at least there may be some light at the end of the tunnel with news that Foreign Secretary Liz Truss may be tabling legislation in Parliament as part of a process to find a workable solution.

Meanwhile, the shortage of skilled workers throughout the transport and logistics sector continues to cause concern, with calls from Logistics UK urging the Department for Education to expand the terms of its National Skills Fund to include level 2 qualifications so more people can access training to become HGV drivers, warehouse operatives, mechanics or other vital roles.

In other areas, the drive towards decarbonising the transport industry is gathering pace. Diesel may not be dead, but one thing is for sure: electrification is the future, with all of our leading truck and van manufacturers well on the road to meeting their obligations of net zero emissions by 2050 – and it’s good news that there are plans to invest £20 million in a new public electric vehicle charging network of over 350 locations across Northern Ireland, an investment that will help address the lack of charging infrastructure.

So, what have we got in this issue? We look back at two highly successful exhibitions – the ITT Hub and the CV Show – both of which were well attended and supported by exhibitors, and we have pictorial round-ups of the annual CILT Gala Dinner and the 2022 Institute of Asphalt Technology (IAT) Annual Conference which was, for the first time, hosted by the Northern Ireland Branch.

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