BRS confirm: Truck rental is on
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AS REPORTED in CAI last Friday, British Road Services are to set up a Truck Rental Division which will commence operations on January 1. The multi-million pound exercise is the biggest BRS development for ten years.
Mr A. Smith, head of BRS group contracts, has been appointed controller of truck rental, Mr Bill Atkinson, who was managing director of Eastern BRS, becomes Eastern region truck rental director, and Mr G. Simmons is to be truck rental manager of Southern BRS.
Pilot schemes are being launched in the southern and eastern BRS companies, but, as we reported last week, the service will be nationwide by rnid-1975. In five years' time there will be 1,000 vehicles in the BRS truck rental livery throughout the country.
According to a BRS survey, over half the truck rental in the UK is being supplied by small local companies and mainly in the light vehicle range. It is estimated that professional haulage is the main shortterm rental customer closely followed by the engineering and electrical industries, with the distributive trades, food and paper industries close behind.
Mr K. Fielding, the BRS head of marketing, said this week: "We have the essential elements to run a successful short-term rental organization. Certainly we have the facilities in terms of vehicles and maintenance. Of equal importance, is the fact that we have the choice of 150 locations in our seven regional companies".
The truck rental division is to offer a fully comprehensive service which will .include drivers if required.
The truck rental rates vary from £4.50 per day for a Volkswagen 18 cwt van on a 1-6 day rental, up to £28 for a 32 ton DAF 2200 for the same period. The range also includes Ford Transits, Bedford 4.3 ton dropside platforms. Bedford RD, Ford D1710, Leyland TR750 vans, Ford D1210 vans and platforms, Scammell Crusaders and Foden S80s. Mileage rates vary from 4p at the low end of the scale to 7.5 for a Crusader.