"It's Grand to be Back in a Family"
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Users, Hauliers and Employees in Eastern Counties Welcome Dena tionalizat ion : Value of Efficient Drivers Emphasized
By P. A. C. Brockington
A.M.i.Mech.E.
A(-MOWER of Sandy, Bedfordshire, Mr. V. J. Clow, was the first of three "customers " met during my tour of the eastern counties, who used seven identical words when describing the service given by free hauliers. "The drivers know who their boss is," was the explanation he gave when outlining the fundamental benefits of free-enterprise transport.
With the exception of a woman farmer who said that British Road Services and local operators provided an equally good service, all the growers and merchants who were questioned stated, or agreed, that the sense of responsibility shown by the privateenterprise driver gave the haulier the advantage over admittedly efficient State transport.
The value of the keen driver is a factor that has been mentioned many times in this series of articles on the progress of denationalization and it is now appropriate to re-emphasize it by introducing sentiment. It needs re-emphasis and to be qualified by sentiment if the dominating impression of the tour is to be indicated by the written word.
"Great to Know the Boss" The last user with whom I discussed the change-over is, like Mr. Clow, i employing drivers and office staff who were formerly with B.R.S. He said: "I have asked each of the drivers in a friendly way how he likes the change and without exception the reply has been that it was great to know who the boss was and to be back in a family. The B.R.S. Was a soulless organization.
" With his present boss, acting as a boss and not as a B.R.S. manager, he knows that he will get sympathetic understanding of any domestic or other crisis he may be in. That encourages him to understand our problems."
met Mr. Clow in the offices of A. Cooper and Sons (Transport), Ltd., Sandy. who operate 11 Dennis and et8
Bedford lorries of 5-ton to 71-ton eapacit), on trunk runs and a Bedford 15-cwi vehicle for distribution. When the concern's six vehicles and premises were nationalized in 1949, Mr. S. T. Cooper became depot superintendent and the depot was operated by the same staff, which included his brother. Mr. H. 3. Cooper, and traffic manager, Mr. W. H. Wilson.
There has been little apparent change since denationalization. Mr. Cooper re-acquired the same premises and a number. of the same vehicles, and most of the drivers worked at the .depot as B.R.S. employees. About 70 per cent. of the traffic comprises vegetables and other perishables, 20 per Cent. is grain and the remainder general goods. The radius of collection is approximately 15 miles and perishables are delivered to markets in London and Manchester.
It was Mr. Clow who suggested that the difficulty of enforcing discipline tended to create discord and impaired efficiency in the State organization, with the result that the bad driver brought the good driver down to his own level. Thepower of a.principal to dismiss an unsatisfactory employee and to take on men of his own selection was a pre-requisite to both efficiency and harmonious relations. According to Mr. Clow, most growers in the area hold the same opinion.
Mr. H. Francis. one of Mr. Cooper's drivers, was asked to comment on this aspect of denationalization (no one else was present during the conversation) and he agreed that the good driver suffered if the actions of the bad driver were not subject to immediate disciplinary measures. Mr. Francis was employed by Mr. Cooper before nationalization and was a B.R.S. driver for four years at the Sandy depot.
He said that all the drivers appreciated freedom from "shoving about," now that Mr. Cooper was a principal again. Among other advantages of working for a private-enterprise concern were a reduction in tramping and more frequent nights at home. He regarded sleeping in lodgings as something of an ordeal.
In Mr. Cooper's opinion, the B.R.S'. system of sub-contracting traffic to other depots should be copied by private hauliers when they required other concerns to provide vehicles. instead of passing on traffic they could not carry without charging commission, which was the practice before nationalization. Sub-contracting could be organized only on. a fair-rate basis and 'enabled services to •be expanded • efficiently.
Although the same number of stall was employed in the office as before. extraneous costs had undoubtedly been reduced, such as those incurred by visiting officials. B.R.S. rates for perishable traffic were "rather high and it had been possible to reduce charges by 10 per cent. Back-loads arc precluded when the vehicles are carrying vegetables in returnable cases, but when the produce is loaded in sacks. there is little difficulty in obtaining return loads from other hauliers.
Unwanted Traffic
The hauliers who are mentioned in this article mainly undertake agricultural traffic of a type which, it would appear. B.R.S. do not want. B.R.S. ar..! probably more interested in goods produced by large industrial undertakings and regular bulk loads that can be carried by maximum-capacity vehicles on main trunk services.
The manager of a large engineering company in Lincolnshire stated: "For our type of heavy transport, we do not consider that private hauliers will provide a better service than B.R.S. could have done if they had been allowed to continue; they were in a position to work out return loads on a national basis better than any private haulier could hopoto do.
"Their already good services would
oubt have improved with time and rience. Private hauliers are offerteaper rates while they are trying stain the cream of the traffic, leavhe non-economic routes to B.R.S. think B.R.S. should be allowed to more than 3,500 vehicles, so that can maintain their regular services. .te hauliers who became B.R.S. igers and are now back as operaknow all the B.R.S. charges and to cut rates to get the best traffic." L executive of another industrial :m in the area producing small iary components had quite dift views about the State service. efficiency of the private contracwould in time kill B.R.S." he [ed. "No matter how efficient i. might become, the human touch U still be lacking. Industry suffers le inability of local depots being to say ' yea ' or 'nay.'" th Mr. G. N. Welch, 'elch Bros. (Poston). Stapleford, Came, who operate 88 les, and Mr. R. T. ence, managing or of an associated tut, Roundham sport, Ltd., East
ng, Norwich, who run 31 vehicles employed by B.R.S. as group gers after their concerns were nalized. Both considered that the should be permitted to operate than 3,500 vehicles.
this their opinion differed from sf Mr. Cooper, who believed that imination of B.R.S. would be justim the score of national economy.
Myers' Attitude Imbroved fly of the drivers working for Mr. have returned to his employ after years with B.R.S., and when I 1 one of his most important eus1 I heard another variation of the driver" story, with the same :ations, this time with regard to trial traffic.
. J. R. Gee, transport manager of rd Towgood and Sons, Ltd., Shaland of other member concerns of -'s, Ltd., in the Sawston district, hat there had been a vast improvein the drivers' attitude to their job the change-over. When employed e State, the drivers did not care nuch time it occupied or how the was handled.
companies in the group include makers, manufacturing stationers sroducers of food wrappers, and , and Mr. Welch now handles all i.wston traffic (apart front smalls, go by rail) as he did before ialization, "The drivers," said Mr. Gee, "must know our trade; the wrong man can cause trouble. Direct deliveries save a certain amount of packing and proof of delivery is important. Most of our customers contact headquarters in London for information regarding loads, and details must be available by telephone.
"The B.R.S. were bad for getting information and smaller consignments got lost. What is also important is that I can always get vehicles from Mr. Welch to collect raw materials at short notice."
Vehicles in the Welch fleet include 65 operating on special A licences of which 10 arc Foden and A.E.C. eightwheelers and 40 are Bedford 5-6tonners. Operational bases have been established at Henlow, Beds, and Witham, Essex, in addition to the main depot in Stapleford.
Eight-wheelers are used on truck services to London, Liverpool and Newcastle upon Tyne. A representative at Newcastle is responsible for supervising the traffic in conjunction with Miller and Gordon, Ltd., who load the vehicles for return runs to the eastern counties and London.
Inter-working arrangements have also been made with G. and K. Haulage, Ltd., Tipton, Staffs. Traffic from Stapleford is about 75 per cent. industrial and 25 per cent, agricultural, whilst from the other depots about 50 per cent. of the traffic is of each type. It is probable that further depots will be established.
Rates charged by Welch's Transp6rt generally correspond to the B.R.S. schedule, but the driver's pay is higher. The total tonnage carried amounts to about 750 a week.
In Mr. Welch's view, "B.R.S. made an industry out of a rabble" and the State service can provide a better national transport network than can private enterprise, but this was contested by the transport manager of another concern producing costly and fragile components which form vehicle loads to a value of £12,000 or more. He preferred the service given by private hauliers because deliveries must be certain and great care must be taken in handling the goods.
A complete reversal of attitude on the part of the drivers since denationali zation was given as an all-important factor in the operation of his fleet by Mr. Lawrence. This, he stated, was exemplified not only by imprbved relations with his customers, but a greater pride in the ' mechanical condition and appearance of vehicles.
Of the 31 vehicles in the fleet, 22 are operating on special A licences and four on open A licences, the lorries including 6-7-tonners of Austin, Dodge, Seddon and Vulcan manufacture, two A.E.C.s of 12-ton and 14-ton capacity, and four Bedford 8-10-ton articulated units.
Loads" comprise mainly agricultural or market-garden produce and deliveries arc made to London, Birmingham, Newcastle upon Tyne, Manchester, Ciloucester, Liverpool and Glasgow. Cattle feeding stuffs are back-loaded from London direct from the manufacturers, and clearing houses are used for return loads from Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.
that it could be used by private hauliers to promote efficiency, but pointed to the difficulty of obtaining delivery. receipts from many small concerns. Payments made by merchants to farmers depended upon establishing the exact load carried and the avoidance of delays was important.
Delays by B.R.S.
Long delays were commonplace in the B.R.S. organization, and were fairly typical of clearing-house methods, he said. Clearing houses tended to depress rates.
A farmer of North Pickenhdm, Norfolk, Mr. J. Dennis, told me that " it is difficult to stop B.R.S. drivers talking and get them off the place." Private-enterprise drivers were eager to get on with the job, he said.
Another farmer, Mr. Jim Wainer, of Manor Farm, North Pickenham, stated that the general efficiency of privateenterprise and State transport was comparable, but the hauliers' drivers were always looking for extra jobs and more willing to work at any hour.
Confirmation that drivers under private enterprise were happier and more efficient than they were as B.R.S. employees was also obtained from a third farmer in the area.
A first-hand knowledge of the trade on the part of operators and drivers was given by Mrs. I. Parkins, wife of c9 Mr. A. W. Darkins, a haulier of Stoke Ferry. as the secret of efficiency. Mrs. Darkins drove a lorry on long-distance runs For a number of years and many of the drivers have been employed by Mr. Darkins for over 25 years. A knowledge of all the vehicles' whereabouts at any time was also invaluable in creating users' confidence.
A company formed last year by Mr. A. W. Darkins, Mr. A. Dent, a haulier in Hilgay. and Mr. W. J. 'vlason. of Messrs. Mason and Nelson, livestock carriers, of Terrington St. John, is registered as Swaffham Livestock Transport, Ltd., and Mr. R. P. Alderton, formerly of &B.S. staff, is the manager. The fleet comprises three Albion 6-7-tonners and two Vutcans of the same capacity, all with wooden containers.
The vehicles operate on special' A licences and were purchased from B.R.S. with the premises. Of the total. of about 40 vehicles in the combined fleet, Mr. Darkins operates nine and Mr. Dent 17, whilst Messrs. Mason and Nelson also run nine lorries.
Most of these have open A licences. but some have been purchased from B.R.S. with special A licences. Makes include Morris-Commercial. Bedford and Leyland. and types vary from 5-7-tonners, which form the majority, to 10-ton articulated units.
Livestock Haulage Expanded
Although many of the regular market runs lie within a 25-mile radius. denationalization has enabled services to he expanded. Swaffham Livestock Transport. Ltd., also run to centres in the Midlands, Wiltshire, Hertfordshire and other districts; apart from animals for slaughter, breeding livestock intended for egport is taken to London docks and shows are visited.
Back loads cannot normally be carried in the containers, but when a vehicle is used as a platform lorry, arrangements are made with a clearing house to collect a return load before the vehicle leaves the base.
The depot purchased by Swaffham Livestock Transport from B.R.S. was formerly owned by Mr. T. C. Grange, of Granges Transport Services, Ltd., Wells, Norfolk, whose fleet of 50 vehieles (of 6-ton to 14-ton capacity) and premises were nationalized in 1949, Mr. Grange thereupon formed a new company, Grange's Agricultural Services, Ltd., to provide a limespreading service in the area, and is now back in long-distance transport, without his original premises. after purchasing two Albion 6-tormers, two Bedford 6-ton lorries and a Bedford articulated 10-tonner, all with special A licences.
These have been added to a fleet of two Albion 6-tonners with open A licences, purchased in 1949, and three Albions of the same capacity carrying meat on contract. Traffic includes livestock and agricultural produce, some of which is taken on regular runs to London, where the vehicles are backloaded with feeding-stuffs. The development of interworking with other free c10 hauliers in distant centres is planned, mutual assistance between operators in the county already providing an expandable local service, Mr. Grange is worried about the future of 22 ex-B.R.S. drivers (a concern which is shared by Mrs. Grange) who were employed at the local depot. This was divided into five lots for disposal and the majority of the vehicles has been purchased by operators outside the area.
The chance of the drivers all obtaining appropriate work locally is slight, and this is the more distressing because they are men with an intimate knowledge of the traffic carried. Much of the traffic is still handled by B.R.S. vehicles based at a main depot in King's Lynn, which is one of a number in the East Midlands to be maintained at full strength.
When I visited Mr. C. E. Ground, of Messrs. Ground's Transport, Spalding, Lines, who transports Mainly agricultural and market-garden produce with a fleet of 19 vehicles, I was shown a new building in course of construction which undoubtedly represents an outstanding private-enterprise venture. The building is a single-span structure with floor dimensions of 110 ft. by 50 ft. and it has a central loading bank which will accommodate 10 vehicles and enable unloading and loading to be performed at the same time during trans-shipment of produce by eight operators. This will, it is estimated, save two hours a night, Before nationalization, the concern's fleet numbered eight vehicles which, together with the premises, were acquired by B.R.S. The present fleet, which is based on the same premises, comprises 13 lorries operating on special A licences, three on B licences and a further three on contract. Leyland,' E.R.F., Bedford and Seddon vehicles of 5-ton to 12-ton capacity are included. Regular trunk services are ran to London, the Midlands and Lancashire, and the chief back-loads are feeding-stuffs and bricks, 'When the six Bedford 6-tormers operated by Knowles (Transport), Ltd., Doddington, Cambridge, were acquired in May, 1951, Mr. G. Knowle had already purchased six Bedfords of the same capacity to run under contract. In June, 1954, he bought the B.R.S. depot at March and nine Maudslay, Seddon and Bedford lorries of 6-7-ton capacity, and has since added six Foden and E.R.F. six-wheelers and eightwheelers with special A licences and a Bedford 5-tanner with an A licence.
Agricultural produce and bricks are the main outgoing loads which are trunked to London and the Midlands, and back-loads of groceries and other foods are collected direct from the manufacturers. Drivels are paid 2s, a ton on back-loads.
Mr_ Knowle endorsed the great value of the keen and capable driver in the creation of confidence among users and in relations with the workshop fitters and other members of the staff_ No one, in Mr. Knowle's opinion, should be asked to work more than a 51-day week, except in an emergency.
Two comments made by Mr. S. Godfrey, of Prime Godfrey's, Sons, Ltd., Swavesey, Carnbs, might have a particular significance if considered together. About the drivers he said: " They just can't do enough -now. They'll come to work at any time and load at any time."
Later he advanced the view that C-licence 'holders would eventually give back to hauliers mucli of the traffic they had transferred to their own vehicles during nationalizatioa.
Back from B.R.S.
After a fleet of 17 vehicles had progressively been built up, it was acquired with the concern's premises in 1949. Following four 'years' experience as members of B.R.S. staff. Mr. S. Godfrey and his brother, Mr. R. Godfrey. aret operating 13 lorries on special A licences and four under contract, carrying agricultural produce. and sonic products of local light industries, to London, the Midlands, the north-west districts, Cumberland and South Wales.
Their rates -show a 5-per-cent. advantage over those quoted by B.R.S., who have recently introduced reductions for most classes of traffic. Rates include the return of empties, which is guaranteed.
Mr. Welch estimated that the "final" size of the B.R.S. fleet would be 10,000 vehicles. Another ex-B.R.S. haulier who asked to remain anonymous said: I know that B.R.S. will keep 10,000 vehicles; I know that they don't want the odds and ends of traffic they are now getting rid of: I know that they would oppose renationalization above that figure."
His words carried conviction. When I questioned him about his own operations as a haulier, everything he said suggested that the facilities he could offer were inferior to B.R.S. service_ I-le was obviously frightened of making an enemy of a permanent and powerful entity.