Hire or reward doubles
Page 16
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
THE AMOUNT of goods carried by hire or reward operators in the Irish Republic has doubled over the last 16 years but hauliers still have a long way to go before they capture a market share to compare with their European counterparts, according to a new study of road freight transport.
The study is based on a detailed survey carried out by the Irish Government's Central Statistics Office in 1980.
The authors draw comparisons between their 1980 findings and the results of a similar survey conducted in 1964. They have found that tonnes carried and vehicle kilometres travelled by road haulage vehicles nearly doubled while there was almost a threefold increase in the tonne/ kilometres performed — the most useful yardstick for measuring transport activity.
They say that the most significant changes in the road transport fleet has been the enormous increase in the numbers and size of heavier vehicles. In 1964, 78 per cent of goods vehicles were less than three tons unladen weight while just four per cent had unladen weight in excess of five tons. By 1980, however, just under 64 per cent of goods vehicles were under three tons while almost a quarter were over five tons.
The study also highlights the growth of the professional road haulage industry. In 1964, the hauliers' share of total tonnage was about a fifth, and they held their greatest market share in the shortest distance classes. But in 1980 their shares had grown to 40 per cent of tonne kilometres performed.