Demonstrations are expected on today and on Saturday (25-02-12) against the local Conservative government conference which is taking place at the Queens Hotel, City Square.

A march from Woodhouse Moor to City Square via Albion Street, The Headrow, Vicar Lane and Boar Lane will take place on Saturday starting around 1130. Some traffic disruption may be encountered on that day.

A rally will also take place on Saturday on City Square from around 1230 to 1400. Some traffic disruption may be encountered on that day.

For more information visit Libcom.org

As a result of these actions international deliveries may be affected. If you require any more information please give us a call on 08080 742 587

For more information about the strike from the European transport workers federation click here

Our fleet includes trucks, vans, scooters and motorbikes delivering packages across the whole of the UK all day every day, however its or motorbike couriers that are able to offer on of the fastest and most reliable same day services in the express delivery industry.

Our biker boys and girls Mike, Mel, Paul, Mark, Colin, James and the three Chris’s don’t have to wait in traffic or look for somewhere to park. In some cases when delivering goods our team have reduced delivery times by a third in some instances compared to small vans delivery times.

Having a large fleet of motorbike couriers enables Mail Box Express to offer rapid responses to the urgent delivery needs of our customers. With some of the top 25 legal firms in the country proud customers we ensure we always have rider’s available to delivery their and your goods when you need us the most.

Our same day delivery service is like no other as our customers get one dedicated rider/driver through transit, It wont go through any depots, we have a live online tracking system, you get the POD within 30 seconds of signing, you don’t need an account to get a quote or to book a delivery.

There are many more reasons why using our motorbike courier can help your business deliver on time every time, the 10 point pledge show our customers what they can expect from us your courier service.

We are so confident in or service we offer our customers a double your money back on late all late deliveries. Our motorbike couriers are fully trained advanced local couriers with some of our bikers racking up over a million miles whilst on deliveries.

The latest equipment and technology is used on our bikes GPS, Bluetooth, protective cases and much more enabling us to delivery your goods safely and securely.

We can offer a fully accountable service unlike other couriers, we can prove beyond doubt that your delivery has been delivery, by who, at what time, what route, when and who signed for it. This is something that the legal industry and general businesses have been using for many years.

If you are sending sensitive information do it through Mail Box Express your local and nation same day courier service, we delivery promises not excuses. Give us acall on 08080 742 587 to get a quote or visit us online.

For more information on what is going to be change and why they are changing it visit the Red Tape Challenge website , there were 142 suggestions for the Department of Transport to scraped, merged, simplified, amend or improved, these are a few or the proposed changes:

• Scrapping the regulation requiring motorists to hold a paper counterpart to their driving licence by 2015 – saving drivers up to £8m.
• Improving the regulation surrounding the notification process for vehicles that are not in use on the road (Statutory Off Road Notification or SORN). Once drivers have notified the DVLA that their vehicle is SORN, they will no longer have the burden of annual SORN renewal.
• Only issuing hard-copies of V5C vehicle registration certificates for fleet operators when needed (with the potential to offer the same to private motorists).
• Introducing a limited exemption from drivers’ hours rules so that those who also drive as Territorial Army reservists in their own time can continue to do so.

The Challenge also considered various measures that are not based in legislation and examined pieces of primary legislation that can be amended or simplified. Other proposals include:

• Removing the need for an insurance certificate. The Department for Transport will work with the insurance industry on removing the need for motorists to have to hold an insurance certificate.
• Abolishing the requirement for drivers to prove they have insurance when applying for tax, meaning 600,000 more people will be able to tax their car online. This has been made possible by new checks of existing databases for insurance under new Continuous Insurance Enforcement rules. (The DVLA’s records are now compared regularly with the Motor Insurance Database (MID) to identify registered keepers of vehicles that appear to have no insurance).
• We will look at experience in other countries on driver Certificates of Professional Competence (CPC) – the qualification for professional bus, coach and lorry drivers. In particular, to see if we could remove the need for some sectors, such as farmers who drive stock to market, from needing a CPC.
• Local Authorities will now have to ensure business interests are properly considered as part of any future proposed Workplace Parking Levy scheme. They must show they have properly and effectively consulted local businesses, have addressed any proper concerns raised and secured support from the local business community.
• Abolishing the regulations on the treatment of lost property on buses. Bus companies currently have to wait 48 hours before they can throw away perishable items left on the bus.

It’s great to see the government making a conscious effort to save them selves and average Joe’s money and time by changing and updated old regulations.

Many road users are over whelmed by the regulation, safety and responsibility will be improved through the proposed changes and the previous is something every road user and courier service would be glad to see.

You wont find any couriers that have our unique GEO stamping systems that ensures your package is tracked from collection to delivery making it 100% accountable for your goods whilst in transit, a report with a maps shows you exactly when and where a package has been, who signed for it and have it was delivered.

You won’t find many couriers who don’t group their same day deliveries, Mail Box Express only delivery directly from you to your customer, your package will be the only one in transit.

You won’t find many couriers being able to say that they only use one driver throughout your same day deliveries journey and that it will never go through any depots.

You won’t find many couriers who are so confident in their service that they will offer your double your money back on late deliveries, Mail Box Express will.

You won’t find many couriers who are ambassadors for your business, with all employees wearing tidy uniforms and ties.

Unlike other couriers we don’t tie any business down to any contracts.

Unlike many couriers you can book instantly online within seconds with or without an account, you can pay online; choose the time of your delivery and the vehicles you want to deliver it.

You won’t find many couriers that can keep promises like Mail Box Express, that’s why our motto is we deliver promises, not excuses.

I bet your courier doesn’t have one of the fastest and safest delivery networking in the UK connecting Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester and London

I bet your courier cant offer you all of the following services:

• Same day delivery
• Next day delivery
• International delivery
• Document/tender serving
• Royal Mail and DX collection
• Banking services
• Technical services
• Installation services
• Secure data back up, storage and collection
• Passport and Visa collection
• Exhibition stand courier and assembly
•  POS couriers, assembly and storage
• Man with a van services

If your courier can do the same all the above and do it better than Mail Box Express then they must be using Mail Box Express, If you want to find out about any of the services we can provide your business give us a call on 0808 742 587

Evidence undertaken by the Government suggests that people are less likely to use seatbelts on short or familiar journeys and this puts them at serious risk of injury in a crash.

The law

• Drivers and passengers who fail to wear seatbelts in the front and back of vehicles are breaking the law
• Drivers caught without a seatbelt face on-the-spot fines of £60. If prosecuted, the maximum fine is £500

The facts

• Drivers and passengers aged 17-34 have the lowest seatbelt-wearing rates combined with the highest accident rate
• In 2009, of the 1,059 car occupants killed in crashes, 21% were not wearing a seatbelt
• There is evidence that people are less likely to use seatbelts on short or familiar journeys – this puts them at serious risk of injury in a crash
• Always wear a seatbelt. In a crash you’re twice as likely to die if you don’t.

What happens if you don’t wear a seat belt?

On the Think!.Gov website you can now experience the effects of not wearing a seat belt on screen so you never have to experience them on the road on the ‘Crash Simulation’. Regardless of your profession or the distance you are travelling you need to wear a seatbelt, you maybe shocked to hear but there are only a few exemptions from the law:

• If you work for the emergency response services
• If you work for a government services/agencies
• if you have medical disability or illness

If you don’t have a ‘Certificate of Exemption from Compulsory Seat Belt Wearing’ then you are not able to drive without wearing a seat belt.

Times you don’t have to wear a seat belt:

• a driver who is reversing, or supervising a learner driver who is reversing
• in a vehicle being used for police, fire and rescue services
• a passenger in a trade vehicle and you’re investigating a fault
• driving a goods vehicle on deliveries that is travelling no more than 50 metres between stops
• a licensed taxi driver who is ‘plying for hire’ or carrying passengers

Failure to wear a seatbelt carries a fine of up to £500, however usually a fixed penalty notice will be issued, allowing you the option of paying a £60 fine. The driver of the vehicle is usually responsible for every occupant under the age of 16 in the vehicle they are driving. If you are caught not wearing a seat belt they the driver will incur the fine/penalty notice.

If you need any more information regarding seatbelts visit Think!.Gov.

‘I can’t afford to pay you until my customers pay me’

This is a difficult response to receive, having yourself asked why your invoice has not been paid. If it is to be believed, ask whether the customer can make an immediate partial payment of the total sum. As a freelance contractor, you need to establish precise timelines as to when your client will be able to pay. To this end, should you request post-dated cheques?

‘The cheque’s in the post’

This is probably the oldest line in the credit control book! As the ‘payee’, the first request you make is for the cheque number. Then ask; when it was paid; what was the precise value and whether it was sent 1st or 2nd class post? It is important to note very carefully what your customer says in the event you need to ask them to cancel and reissue a cheque. You can also gauge your client’s integrity by looking at the cheque number of any subsequent ‘replacement’ cheque, and comparing it with the one they claim was sent originally.

‘I’m not paying, there’s a dispute!’

Is there really a dispute? If there is, then the client may well have good reasons not to pay. The freelancer given this excuse needs to establish, as a matter of urgency, precisely what the query/issue is, and what needs to be done to facilitate the client making the payment. Whatever the outcome, it’s always good practice to confirm the remedy in writing for clarification purposes (and to further demonstrate that you have rectified the problem). This is one of the reasons why we recommend you call your customer 7 days after dispatch of your invoice. This can often resolve any queries before your invoice even becomes due for payment.

‘I have not received the invoice’

This is another old but overly used line to explain why the client hasn’t paid. As stated, it’s is always good practice to telephone the client 7 days after dispatch of your invoice to confirm the they have actually received it and any supporting documentation. On the phone, your official line can be that you’re calling to check that all was well with the goods/service provided. Do remember though to make a note of who you talked to, and the time and date of the conversation.

‘I returned the invoice’

Typically, the client follows this excuse, breathlessly, with ‘because ‘the order number was wrong/ not on the invoice,’ or ‘because the invoice was addressed to the wrong company name,’ or ‘because the amount was incorrect.’

As a contractor, it is imperative to ensure that your invoicing documentation is correct first time, otherwise you are giving your customer a legitimate reason to delay payment to you. If you receive purchase orders then read them and ensure you comply with their conditions of order (unless you have a written signed agreement that allows your Terms & Conditions to override them). Always ensure the order number(s) and end-client’s name are accurately quoted and the invoice is addressed to the correct company name, spelt out in full. If in any doubt, telephone the person who has given you the order to confirm the necessary details (preferably in writing).

Also, ensure that the invoice is checked before you send it to the client. Ensure it’s correctly priced, and if there is a variance in the price agreed, check that your client is happy for the reasons for the difference (- again preferably confirm this in writing, after you send the invoice).

‘The authorised signatory for the cheque is not in the office’

Either the person to administer your cheque is not in the office, or they are on holiday, off sick, or in meetings all day! Does their business now grind to a complete halt because of this individual’s absence? If you’re ‘sold’ this line, find out if there have been any pre-signed cheques that can be used to make payment to you, or if there is someone authorised to organise an electronic payment to you, assuming you can receive such a transaction. Alternatively, establish precise timeframes as to when the person will be back and ensure you contact them then.

‘The director/owner has died’

It’s rare that this reason for not paying an invoice is given, but it has been cited. Of course, business life still goes on.

That said, if the firm to suffer such a loss is a sole proprietorship then effectively the business has ceased trading. However often it may continue operating with a surviving relative “taking over the reins”. According to law, you, as a supplier, have a claim on the estate of the deceased. A tactful telephone call expressing sympathy, and querying how the business is to be continued (and by whom) may prove fruitful. In the case of a partnership suffering a death, then the partners have ‘joint and several liability’ to the debt and should pay, though a respectful wait on your part may well be appropriate. If it is a limited liability company (an ‘Ltd,’ ‘PLC,’ or ‘LLP’), then the business should continue to trade.

‘We have ceased trading/are in liquidation/receivership ‘

Too often this claim is tantamount to a ‘scam’ to avoid payment. As a freelancer, the onus is on you to quickly establish precisely how the company has ceased trading. Is the company/ business in ‘formal insolvency’? (For example, Liquidation, Receivership, Bankruptcy, IVA) If it is, you need to find out the name of the firm of insolvency practitioners who are dealing with the administration of the case. Contact them without delay and lodge a claim as soon as practicable. If you hold reservation of title or hold any intellectual rights or have any security you need to make the insolvency practitioner aware of this, again as matter of urgency.

You will also need to provide evidence that the company in liquidation, receivership or administration, has signed and accepted your terms and conditions of business. Without this, you stand little or no chance or retrieving and goods or property from the insolvency firm dealing with their affairs. If the business has merely ceased trading, you must satisfy yourself that the business has no assets in order to make a commercial decision whether or not it would be appropriate to pursue the debt through legal channels.

‘You will have to wait until we have paid higher priority suppliers / creditors’

This should NEVER BE ACCEPTABLE to you as a freelance contractor to explain why an invoice has not been paid. When told this by a client, it’s crucial to remember a credit manager’s oldest adage – ‘He Who Shouts Loudest Gets Paid First.’ To this end, speak with your client and explain your terms of payment and request immediate payment and pursue the monies vigorously. This reinforces our advice about ensuring from the outset that your client is aware, unequivocally, of your payments terms and that you expect to be paid on your stated due date.

‘I’m in the process of changing banks’

Not an uncommon claim in the current climate, but does their businesses again grind to a complete halt? This is doubtful and normally there are some provisions made to access funds. The contractor waiting for their invoice to be paid by such a business needs to establish exactly when this problem will be resolved. Can the client pay by credit card, or can they make a Paypal transaction? Either way, ensure you get a specific timeframe for the account switchover or for resolution of the problem, with the result being a precise date that you can expect to be paid by, after which time communicate that you will apply interest under the Late Payment Legislation.

All the following information was obtain from the Department of transport websites, click here to read the report and find out more information about the 2011 road safety statistics and how the information was collected.

Key results from Quarter 4 2011 include:

• All motor vehicle traffic was 3.6 per cent higher in the fourth quarter of 2011 than in the fourth quarter of 2010.
• If the effects of heavy snowfall are removed from the fourth quarter of 2010, it is estimated that the increase in traffic between these two quarters would be below 0.5 per cent.
• Car traffic was 3 per cent higher and light van traffic 5 per cent higher in the fourth quarter of 2011 than in the fourth quarter of 2010, whereas heavy goods vehicle traffic was at around the same level.
• Traffic was higher in the fourth quarter of 2011 than in the fourth quarter of 2010 on all road types, with the largest increases on minor rural

Provisional annual estimates:

• The latest provisional annual estimates show that in 2011, the overall motor vehicle traffic volume in Great Britain was 0.9 per cent higher than in 2010, at 305.8 billion vehicle miles.
• In 2011, cars accounted for 78.8 per cent of all motor vehicle traffic, light vans accounted for 13.8 per cent and heavy goods vehicles accounted for 5.4 per cent.
• 20.2 per cent of traffic was on motorways in 2011, with 28.5 per cent on rural ‘A’ roads and 16.3 per cent on urban ‘A’ roads. 35.0per cent of traffic was on minor roads in 2011.

Quarterly road traffic by vehicle type:

• The provisional quarterly estimates show that all motor vehicle traffic was 3.6 per cent higher in the fourth quarter of 2011 than in the fourth quarter of 2010.
• Quarterly estimates do not take into account the impact of extreme weather. Part of the reason for the latest increase in traffic may be the effect of heavy snowfall in the fourth quarter of 2010. If the effects of this snowfall are removed, it is estimated that the overall increase in traffic between the fourth quarters of 2010 and 2011 would be below 0.5 per cent.
• Car traffic was 3 per cent higher in the fourth quarter of 2011 than in the same quarter in 2010, whilst heavy goods vehicle traffic was at around the same level.
• Light van traffic and other motor vehicles traffic, which includes two-wheeled motor vehicles, buses and coaches.

Recent trends in traffic estimates:

• The increase in provisional traffic estimates between 2010 and 2011 follows 3 consecutive years of declining traffic, which represents the first period where traffic has decreased in consecutive years since records began in 1949.
• This increase does not necessarily indicate a long term return to traffic growth however, as traffic levels in 2010 were affected by periods of heavy snowfall in the first and fourth quarters. Annual estimates for 2011 are currently provisional and may differ from final estimates.
• Provisional estimates for 2011 show increases in traffic in the first and fourth quarters compared to the same quarters of 2010. However if the effects of snowfall in 2010 are removed, it is estimated that there would have been little change in traffic levels between these quarters of 2010 and 2011.
• The second and third quarters of 2011 both show small decreases in traffic compared to the same quarters of 2010. All estimates for 2011 are provisional until the publication of final annual estimates for 2011

It seems that as adverse weather is the biggest variable to traffic congestion and delays it seems that these parts few weeks (February 2012) will yet again affect the statistics of the report. As a same day courier service we try and reduce the amount of vehicles we have on the road as much as we can, we only make unnecessary journeys.

Twitter

If you are a Twitter account holder all you have to do when you see a message like the one below is retweet it and then become a follower of @mailboxexpress:

#RT & *FOLLOW* @Mailboxexpress FOR A CHANCE TO #win A FREE NEXT DAY DELIVERY http://ow.ly/8XYuG (T&C Apply)

Facebook

For Facebook its even simpler, all you have to do when you see a message like the one below is visit the Mail Box Express Facebook Fan Page and ‘like’ us, whilst your there you can comment, discuss and share:

for a chance to win a free next day delivery all you have to do is like our fan page mail box express

Now Mail Box Express have been trading over 17 years we now want give a chance to business who usually wouldn’t use our service the change to experience one of the best and fastest courier services in the UK.

T&C

The free next delivery will only be accepted up to the value of £30, the delivery has to be made in the Mainland UK and can not exceed 15KG. No multiple entries will be accepted and the draw will take place on March the 31st 2012. The names of new followers/likes to our Twitter account @mailboxexpress or to our Facebook Fan Page mailboxexpress from the 9/02/2012 until the 31/03/2012 will be added into the prize draw.

The selected winner will be randomly chosen from a list by an external respondent, we will have witnesses at the prize draw and we will contact the winner with the details and further terms and conditions of the usage of the free next day delivery.

Mail Box Express has the right to withdraw entries from the competition with or without a valid reason. The competition entrances must remain following the @mailboxexpress twitter account or the mailboxexpress Facebook fan page for the entire duration of the competition.

Mail Box Express follows the guidelines of Twitter & Facebook if you would like to read them please click here. If you have any question surround the competition please contact karl@mailboxexpress.co.uk or call me on 0113 245 2666.