[asset_ref id=”1276″]See to believe
FedEx and ORBIS International, the global organisation dedicated to saving sight worldwide, have signed a new fiveyear deal worth $5.375 million in the form of cash and in-kind contributions from FedEx. In addition, FedEx Express will donate an MD-10 cargo aircraft to ORBIS to be the thirdgeneration Flying Eye Hospital. “FedEx has supported ORBIS for almost three decades, one of our longest-running relationships with a non-profit,” said James R Parker, executive vice president, FedEx Express air operations.
Cycling for Everyman
Members of Bristol-based John T Evans Haulage, which is part of Palletways, have raised £5,000 for the Everyman testicular and prostate cancer charity after cycling 45 miles from England to Wales. The 13-strong team will be led by one of the directors of John T Evans Haulage, Martin Chalke.
Extreme forklifting
The British Antarctic Survey, which carries out scientific research on the frozen continent, has signed a contract with Briggs Equipment for a short-term hire Yale truck that will help its logistics operation. Every year the survey sends two ships to Antarctica. Stores manager Mick Cliff said: “We already have one 2.5-tonne truck from Briggs on a five-year contract but in the summer, when it is winter in Antarctica, we are at our busiest.”
Painting the town pink
GeoPost UK’s Bristol team has raised more than £3,000 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. More than 30 pink ladies and gents from the parcel delivery company carried a special pink parcel through Bristol as part of GeoPost UK’s Pink Parcel Challenge. This is the latest leg of the parcel’s 3,907 mile round trip of GeoPost’s 45 UK locations – part of a challenge to raise £100,000 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
What the papers say…
Forklift torture
A businessman who strung up a colleague from a forklift truck in a row over money has been jailed for 33 months, according to the Daily Mirror. Muhammed Sheikh claimed Saeed Noor had stolen £100,000 from his firm after he lured him to a warehouse and attacked him for more than three hours. However, a court heard that Sheikh was heavily in debt and could not pay back a £10,000 loan from Noor. He was found guilty of assault causing actual bodily harm and false imprisonment. (26th July)
Million dollar crash
More than one million Australian dollars worth of wine has been destroyed following a forklift truck accident in Australia. The BBC reported that 462 cases of the 2010 Mollydooker Velvet
Glove shiraz, which sells at A$185 (£117), had been smashed while being loaded for export to the United States. Winemaker Sparky Marquis told reporters: “When they opened up the container they said it was like a murder scene, but it smelled phenomenal.” (22nd July)
Flying high
Five baby birds were taken on a journey of a lifetime after their nest ended up on board a lorry. The birds’ parents had built the nest in a disused helicopter in Yeovil, Somerset, reported the
Daily Mail, but this was then loaded on to the back of the lorry and they were transported to Tittensor near Stoke-on-Trent. (27th July)
Forklift love
A Chinese couple who met over their love for lift trucks travelled to their wedding on a convoy of brightly decorated forklifts in their home town of Xintai, The Metro reported. Newlyweds Kong
Qingyang and Shen Likun first met when he was a forklift driver and she was a forklift salesperson. It took three and a half hours to arrive at the church though as the trucks only have a top speed of 8 mph. (8th August)
Beware of the sat-nav
Lorry drivers are getting lodged in a narrow country lane after satnavs send them down a nothrough road en route to an industrial estate in Aston Clinton, according to local radio station
Mix96FM. Residents want warning signs put up. (26th July)
