A Repairer's View on Grouping
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The Rapidly Widening Interest in This Movement Represents Closing of the Ranks, in Which the Repairer Can Give
AS , S a result of the 'frequent expressions of opinion on the, subject of _" grouping," I am tempted to add what 1 hope are a few constructive thoughts. Although -4 must confess to a certain degree of bias, being connected' with the repairing side of the 'industry, I am vitally interested in the welfare of road transport, and being a step removed, as it were, from immediate participation in road-transport activities, I am able to view the situation with a considerable &Mount of detached realism.
Let us examine the fundamentals of the situation. Why this sudden interest in grouping? It must be admitted that interest thete undoubtedly is, and that its real growth is cornparatively. recent. . , The oldest group is about eight years of age, whilst about half of the-present 20 groups is, I believe, less than,two years old.
, I am convincedthat., the explanation lies. in the entry of ,big. business into the transport. world. . That is to say, the entry of big business, in fact, not in theory. Not the Waldorf Group, but the actiial existence of large aombines.
. The sudden -increase in the number of groups constitutes.
. an unconscious closing of the ranks of the small and medium-sized operators, .
In the burly-burly of competition the small haulier feels very unprotected, 'and he is right. . In the past he has looked, half-hopefully, for the associations to protect him,
• and has looked in vain. The writer of a recent article described . the small haulier as a sheep being led to slaughter. I have attended many association meetings and have -always been impressed by the evident feelings of impotence and 'frustration amonot many of the Members. It was .always quite apparent that their deliberations would Make no impression other than on the minute book. This is, in fact, all to the good if the disillusionment be complete and the haulier be at last firmly convinced that his salvation really-lies in the soundne,ss. of his economic Position and not in paying a few guineas a year to support
a magic formula. .
An association is of. inestimable value if it be the one lody..representative, of the unity of an economically sound and stable industry. . The principal fallacy attached to associations. isthe belief that. they produce unity. They do not; they are the result of -unity. When hauliers. arc repaired to unite: not verbally, but in action. a' good working association will spring up overnight.
Economic Size of Haulage Business
In a young industry a considerable' amount of adjustment must, of necessity, go on until reasonable stability is reached. Success goes to those individuals who can clearly recognize the most efficient and economic method and adopt themselves thereto. One of the problems being worked out in road transport at the moment is the, most advantageous size for a haulage business. The answer, judging from present trends, would appear to be—as big as possible. However, the small haulier does not seem to be accepting this verdict, but is nevertheless tacitly admitting it, .brfornaing groups. That tendency towards big business is the right direction, although' it is by no means certain that either big business or small business is the best way, and it will be instructive to examine some of the defects. and advantages of both.
The •large transport Combine enjoys two substantial advantages: better traffic organization, resulting in less empty mileage, and better organization of repairs to attain lower repair costs and less time in dock. The greatest difficulty facing the large combine is the problem of efficient management, particularly of depots.
Road transport for goods is-different from quantity pro, duction or passenger transport„ wherein the difficulties can be, to a major extent, reduced to a common denominator and solved by the application of fixed rules. Haulage presents an endless variety of problems requiring initiative, enterprise and hard work, also the authority to act promptly. The small haulage business has the advantage that the right type of management is available. Although it must be admitted that the small handier has many lessons in management and organization still to learn, the' right material is there and will mature with experience. The principal defects of the small business are that the quantity of traffie: is too small to organize, and the same applies to repairs. Provided these two defects could be remedied the small haulier would be capable of giving a very good account of himself.. The problem presenting itself to the small haulier is this:, How can he achieve enough traffic and repairs to organize without sacrificing his trump card of individuality? It may well be that the answers to both are at the moment in the making. The answer to the first is grouping, and to the second, the
professional -repairer. •
. „ The incidence of the present . war has accelerated enormously the development of such problems and is virtually compelling the growth of both these instruinents, It is no more difficult for a group of hauliers to work amicably together than it is for a large combine,
Co-operation of Groups and Repairers The 'cost of repairs to a small haulier employing his own mechanics and doing his own repairs to, say, six or. 10 lorries, is often fabulous. If only one mechanic be employed, the cost of delay in completing urgent repairs will be prohibitive. If two be engaged, only a fraction of their time can be usefully employed and the cost per working hour will again be too great. Supposing the time of two men be fully occupied, this will be a sign that the fleet-requires too much maintenance. The obvious answer is to engage the services of a repairer Who is Servicing a large number of vehicles, for he can keep his mechanics fully employed and give quick service. I recommend that when hauliers are contemplating the formation of a group they get into touch with a -likely repairer' and enter into an agreement for quick and economical repairs. The quantity of repairs they could offer would give them great bargaining power.
. Hauliers who made use of these Methodswould immediately place themselves. in a very .favourable eConomic ,position.and would he under no disadvantage against. competition from laFge combines.
In conclusion, there are two things I would like to say. Resulting from observations during a long experience of repairing commercial vehicles, I am convinced that at least one-third of the repairs to lorries are avoidable, being the result of neglect or overloading on the part of the owner. This type of repair is no good either to the operator or the repairer, and is one of the lessons still, in a great measure, to be learned by the "'wilier.
I have' noticed on several occasions announcements by groups that their policy towards the motor trade is one of " live and Jet live." This policy I believe to he both impossible and mistaken, Charity does nobody any good, and the motor trade does not wish to live in a fool's paradise. If the motor trade can perform a useful function it will survive in any case. If it cannot, no benevolent gestures on the part of haulage groups will sustain it.
It is my honest conviction that the commercial-vehicle repairer can provide valuate service to the haulier. The latter needs the repairer just as much as the repairer needs
him. The small. hauher can, to a considerable extent, solve his traffic problems by his own efforts by grouping, but to arrive at competitive maintenance costs he must have recourse to an outside specialized engineering organization. The small haulier,, therefore, cannot regard with indifference a feeble, inefficient repairing industry, and his best interest would be served by announcing in no uncertain. terms the hind of service he requires from the motor trade: