HOLD THE LINE • According to the philosopher Henry David
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Thoreau: "It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things." Obviously he never worked as a British road haulier.
Desperate men do desperate things. Like the 60 owner-drivers working for ARC who've been picketing its 10 depots in South Wales following the company's decision to introduce new rates — rates, says the National Owner Drivers Association, which will leave most of them thousands of pounds out of pocket.
What's happening in Wales is happening all over the UK. The unpalatable truth is that when it comes to negotiating decent rates road hauliers are their own worst enemies. The lads in Wales may be the exception, but all too often desperate hauliers talk about holding out for a decent rate while resorting to terminal rate wars when the chips are down.
It's easy to blame customers who take advantage of the situation, but who's the biggest villain: the consignor for paying a lousy rate for the job, or the haulier for doing the job for a lousy rate?
Every time a haulier says "My God you're ruining me... but I'll do it" he makes it that bit harder to win a viable rate in the future. The smarter operators have already grasped that uncomfortable truth, but so have the customers. If it wasn't for the recession they'd be laughing all the way to the bank.
The choice facing every haulier is clear. Say no to poor rates now, or be condemned to fight like dogs over the scraps for evermore. Are things really that desperate?