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West Yorkshire haulage firm James Wilby has taken delivery of an Iveco Stralis Active Space  to join its mainly DAF fleet of 38 vehicles.

Keith Shaw, MD at the Heckmondwike-based company says he decided to give the Stralis a try after local dealership Northern Commercials brought one over to his yard to show him.

Shaw adds: “We’ll be putting the Stralis through its paces to see how it performs against our existing DAFs.

“First impressions have been positive, but we need to wait for the engine to run-in before we can compare the two on fuel.”

Ford has revealed the first details of its next generation Transit van, with the unveiling of the Tourneo Custom Concept.

Due to go on show at the Geneva motor show on 6 March, the Tourneo Custom Concept is a passenger model of what, according to Ford of Europe chief engineer Barry Gale, is a "very close version" of the production Transit that will go on sale in the third quarter of 2012.

Power for the new range will come form the 2.2-litre Duratorq TDCi engine currently used in the Euro-5 Transit, with all new models receiving six-speed transmissions as standard. Production models will be built at the Ford Otosan facility in Turkey, and will get features previously only seen on Transit ECOnetic versions as standard. These will include Auto-Start-Stop and Smart Regenerative Charging to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions, however, there are currently no plans to produce hybrid or electric models ahead of the initial launch.

Paul Randle, vehicle line director at Ford of Europe, says: "The Tourneo Custom Concept will be on show at the Geneva motor show, and a full Transit Custom range with van and combi models will be at the CV Show in Birmingham [in April]. The entire line-up represents a global commitment to this segment."

Short- and long-wheelbase models will be available, with high and stand roof options. Details of new load systems and bulkhead options for the one-tonne payload vehicle will be revealed as the sale date approaches.

In addition to the new exterior, which evokes the Ford Kinetic styling found on new passenger car models, the all-new interior is said to offer greater seat adjustment and a fully adjustable steering column to accommodate drivers of all sizes and help launch the new global Transit to market.

Pall-Ex has begun the search for a network partner in Turkey, as part of plans to build a one-stop 15-strong European pallet network by 2015.

With Pall-Ex Italia already up and running since 2009, last year saw the launch of ventures in Iberia and Romania.

As Anand Assi, Pall-Ex’s project director in charge of the expansion, says: “Turkey not only has domestic products like textiles and minerals requiring domestic and pan-European distribution but it is an increasingly important in-transit route.

“The Eurasian transport corridor connects Western Europe to Southeast Asia. Turkey’s location, as with Romania, makes an ideal transit trade hub between the two continents.”

Last year Pall-Ex MD Adrian Russell revealed to Commercial Motor’s sister-tile Motor Transport the business’s intention to sign up 15 franchise partners within the next four years. With partners in Germany, Poland and Scandinavia up next.

Rival Palletforce has previously stated its intention to expand its operations within Europe, while the boss of Palletways, James Wilson,  revealed in a recent interview  (CM 9 Feb) that he remains focused on his European strategy.

That strategy sees Palletways directly running networks in Benelux, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland and Germany – which it has just launched an express service to - with coverage in France provided via partner CLL.

A&M Transport Hereford is appealing for information following the theft of lorry parts worth £2,000 from one of its Iveco 7.5-tonners.

The incident, which took place at the company’s site on the Holmer Trading Estate in Hereford last weekend (11-12 February), saw the complete front-end of the truck, including bumpers and light clusters, stolen using specific tools so as not to damage the parts.

PC Phil Harvey, who is investigating the theft, explains: “The parts are sprayed white and the engine cover panel has the A&M Transport logo on it. They were carefully removed using the correct tools from a 2009-registration Iveco lorry.”

He adds that none of the other lorries in the compound were tampered with and that it is thought the parts were “stolen to order” to repair a similar lorry with front-end damage.

Director at A&M Transport, Alan Standring, says the thieves “cannibalised the front of the vehicle”, and that the Iveco was off the road for nearly three days while the parts were replaced.

Police are appealing for anyone with knowledge of the stolen parts, or who "know of a small haulage firm with an Iveco which has damage to its front", adds Harvey, to get in touch on 101.

A&M Transport runs a fleet of five 7.5-tonners with tail-lifts on general haulage work, and specialises in same-day deliveries.

TNT has rejected a bid from rival UPS that valued the company at €4.9bn.

TNT Express N.V. revealed at 4.35pm today that a "non-binding and conditional proposal" of €9 per share from US-based parcel giant UPS was rejected by its board.

However discussions between both parties continue.