ESTA and IRU in talks on abnormal transport issues

The problems faced across Europe by abnormal road transport operators was the subject of the first of a series of meetings between ESTA and the IRU – the international road transport industry association – in Brussels on May 15. Those attending were ESTA Director Ton Klijn, Transport Section Vice-President Iffet Türken, Marc Billiet, who leads … Read more

FEM and ESTA host latest ICSA meeting

The International Crane Stakeholders Assembly (ICSA) held its eighth meeting in Munich in April during the Bauma exhibition. Hosted by ESTA and FEM – the European Materials Handling Federation – the meeting discussed a draft position paper on the use of cranes on barges, and developments to crane standards EN13000, B30.5 and B30.30. It also … Read more

Canadians and ECOL sign mutual recognition pact

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between ECOL and the British Columbia Association for Crane Safety (BCACS) from Canada.  The agreement – which was signed in Munich during the Bauma exhibition in April – will in future mean that ECOL card-holders in Europe will be able to work in British Columbia without taking any … Read more

Crane manufacturers in boost for operator scheme

Four leading crane manufacturers – Manitowoc, Tadano, Terex and Liebherr – have agreed to align their training operations with the ECOL scheme and its standards, and are currently going through the registration process. Sarens has also applied to qualify its Belgian training facility under ECOL, and Comokra from Belgium plus Fagioli from Italy are expected … Read more

ECOL experts make progress in Munich

ESTA’s European Crane Operators Licence (ECOL) project took another significant step forward in April with the first official meeting of the new organization’s Committee of Experts. The inaugural meeting of the 9-strong committee took place during the Bauma exhibition in Munich. It followed the final meeting of ESTA’s ECOL Working Group in Denmark at the end … Read more

ESTA Awards winners at record-breaking dinner

Fagioli, Mammoet and Sarens took two prizes each at this year’s ESTA Awards held in Munich on April 11. The awards dinner, organized jointly by ESTA and International Cranes and Specialize Transport magazine, was one of the biggest ever with more than 530 guests in the ballroom of the Westin Grand Hotel. Four other winners … Read more

New ESTA members in Turkey and Switzerland

Turkish heavy cargo lifting and transport association AKT has joined ESTA. Based in Istanbul, AKT has just under 100 members who work throughout Turkey and internationally, and has representatives in the provinces of Ankara, Bursa and Konya. In a separate move, Combe Driver Services is the latest organization to become an ESTA supporter.  The Swiss … Read more

Marking and lighting regs work making progress

The ESTA Working Group developing proposals to harmonize European standards and regulations on lighting and marking for heavy transport continues to make progress. The next meeting will be held in April in Munich during the Bauma exhibition.  The project is lead by André Friderici and Iffet Türken, ESTA”s Section Transport President and Vice-President respectively, with … Read more

MEP backs ESTA on permits and infrastructure

Dutch MEP Caroline Nagtegaal has written to the European Commission in support of ESTA’s campaign to develop heavy transport corridors across Europe and reduce the bureaucracy caused by the maze of different permits required by member states. Her action follows a meeting earlier this month with ESTA Director Ton Klijn who detailed the problems being … Read more

ESTA and SC&RA find common ground in Texas

ESTA has been looking at the lessons Europe can learn from the experiences of abnormal load and heavy transport organisations in the USA.  Last month, ESTA Director Ton Klijn and Section Transprt President André Friderici spoke at the annual Specialized Transportation Symposium run by the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association in Houston. The invitation from … Read more