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The art of

5th May 1978, Page 38
5th May 1978
Page 38
Page 39
Page 38, 5th May 1978 — The art of
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

BUSINESS for the tipper operator cannot get much worse than it is now — but provided the operator can survive the next few months and learn to charge realistic rates for the job, there is every chance that the tipper market will stabilise in the future.

That's what Horace Tatler reckons, and he should know. He's managing director of Tatler Bros Ltd, Eastwood, Nottingham, and is now the only surviving tipper operator in his area.

"Many people who thought that they could make a quick buck have come and gone since I started in the business back in 1936. But today my order books are full and look like being so for some time to come," he told me when I visited their yard recently.

Tatler Bros Ltd is a family business run by Horace Tatler, his wife Joy and son Michael. The yard is next to their home and has only the bare essentials to keep his vehicles in a 100 per cent roadworthy condition.

At one time Horace Tatler had a fleet of 40 vehicles but now he has cut back to seven tractive units and seven trailers. He has no wish to increase the fleet size again as he considers he has the right number to service his potential clients.

His fleet comprises one Mandator, three Marathons and three Mercedes 1626 sleepercab tractive units with five Craven and two Crane Fruehauf articulated tipper trailers.

These vehicles are used for distance work over an area from Poole in Dorset across to KE and as far north as Yorkshire. considerable number of t 70,000 miles covered by ea tractive unit is on motorwa but this does not worry Hora Tatler because he can afford replace them every three-to-fc years.

He claims that motorways fact save wear and tear on t vehicles and his compel actually benefits from these loi journeys. He says "Vehicles a now designed for long distanc and should be used for this IN pose."

None of his work is cern! out on a long-term contra basis. Each job is individual quoted for at a realistic rate. Icapital investment is constani protected this way which e ables him to renew vehicles b fore heavy maintenance cos are incurred.

Because he has been able quote and obtain a proper rat he has not been compelled find return loads to make a jot ney profitable. He would retu empty rather than accept a loi on a "cover-you-for-your-fue basis.

Tatler Bros are members the RHA Midlands Tipp' Group. Horace Tatler has beE both group sub-area committ( chairman and area represer ative on the National Tipp' Council in London.

He feels that although thidea of co-operation betwee tipper groups is good, there al many members who only pay It service to realistic rates and w pass on the unprofitable job: He considers many small tippi operators to be selfish and to independent.

Vehicle maintenance an pair is carried out by Michael 3/ler in the workshop and though it does not look like a 3lace, it is functional and )hicle breakdowns are rare.

Drivers are very aintenance-minded and carry .1t a daily check before starting journey. Any necessary adstments are made before the 3hicle is allowed back on the )ad.

Every 10 days, irrespective of lileage, each vehicle and ailer is given a thorough check. ecause autolubrication sys)ms are fitted to all vehicles, Abrication problems are rare. ,II the lubricants are changed very 5,000 miles and the filters very 10,000 miles.

Adjoining the workshop is a mall parts store where only fastloving items are kept. It is not onsidered necessary to hold a .ast stock of spares as there are lealers nearby. In any case the .ehicles are not kept long enugh to require major over%au's.

In the yard is an 8,000 gallon uel tank and this adequately neets his needs. Horace in his .isual meticulous manner has ust negotiated a new supplier vho can give him 0.08p per 3allon more discount than his )revious supplier. This will save im £.15 per month or El 20 per jear. He considers many more ripper operators ought to watch their pennies.

Tatter Bros employ eight drivers. Most have been with the company a long time. He does not have any problems keeping drivers — in fact he has a waiting list. They all earn above average wages and are well looked after. Overalls and jackets are supplied and even after a day's work the drivers look clean and tidy.

When I hesitantly raised the subject of tachographs and drivers hours his immediate reply was "No problem."

Instruments, mainly Lucas Kienzle, have been fitted to all vehicles since 1960 and the drivers use them as they were designed to be used. There were neat piles of used discs on Horace Tatler's desk when I visited him, and he said that the information obtained from a disc is invaluable to him.

Horace considers that the downfall in the tipper market came in the early 1960s when many hire purchase companies were really pushing for business by offering vast sums of money to operators.

They found that owing to the normal seasonal fluctuations, repayments became more difficult and rates were cut just to keep vehicles moving. Operating capital diminished and it took only one major failure to finish a company.

The result is that now there is a shortage of tipper operators which meant that in January and February of this year, clients were falling over backwards trying to get their loads moved.

There are many operators who fall into the same category as Tatler Bros and these make up the major part of the tipper sector of the road haulage industry. There is one very important point to be learned: Only quote realistic rates for a job and leave a vehicle in the yard rather than run it unprofitably. Adjust the size of the fleet to meet the demands of the area and give the customer reliable service." These are the reasons why Tatler Bros are still in business today.

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Locations: Nottingham, London

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