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B RS launches
Page 36
Page 37
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Overnight Express service
by John Darker
• On Monday, British Road Services launched a new overnight express service between Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, with 14 towns served en route. Features of the scheme are guaranteed delivery overnight of goods up to 561b weight, and automatic insurance of goods up to £.10.
The scheme has been designed to be as simple as possible. Parcels weighing not more than 28113 will cost lOs and those up to 561b, 20s irrespective of distance. Customers will have to deliver their goods to the Overnight Express Depot in the evening and these will be ready for collection at the destination depot next morning. The latest time for accepting goods on this route will be 8 pm, Almost invariably it will be possible to collect goods by 9 a.m.
Mr. Frederick Farrant, manager of Overnight Express, who is based in Birmingham, says: "There has already been considerable interest shown by customers to our introduction of this first route. We have tried to keep the operation as simple and straightforward as possible and I think it is going to be very successful."
Commenting on the broader aspects of the introduction of this new service, Mr. Alistair Tucker, BRS executive director (marketing), said: "This is another logical step in BRS's market development strategy of identifying and satisfying customer needs in the total business of the transportation of goods."
The striking blue, orange and white livery chosen for the Ford Transit vans which are to launch the new service certainly epitomizes the vigorous marketing philosophy of the young BRS management. Mr. "Fred" Farrant, the manager of the Overnight Express service, is only 27 and it is perhaps a tribute to the company's management development programme that he should head a very interesting development offering great scope for expansion on a national basis little more than three years after joining BRS. Mr. Farrant joined as a clerk and after completing a two-year cadetship became an operating assistant at Newport branch. He recently completed another management development course following which he was given this new assignment.
I understand that the service has already been given a pilot test of two weeks carrying computer documentation between the depots served and the BRS computer terminal in Birmingham. The company requirement for this was not the occasion for the overnight express service; in fact, intensive market surveys over a period of months in the Midlands and North West have shown the need for such a venture. A less intensive survey, nationally, has also provided a positive indication of demand. (Last week CM reported a new express parcels service by Speedy Delivery Services Ltd. which began a London and Home Counties service with two 1-ton Ford Transit vans on January 1 and has doubled its output within four weeks, requiring a further two Transits to cope with the expanding traffic. The company hopes to have 12 vehicles operating by December).
This intriguing development by the general haulage side of BRS does not, I am assured, conflict with any plans of the sister BRS Parcels company to introduce services which might appear to be similar. The Parcels company is likely soon to announce two interesting developments. One will offer a specialized local delivery service for mail order customers—a fast expanding business which can, in some measure, be "streamed-out" of the standard collection and delivery services. The second will provide express overnight movement and delivery of goods collected the previous day and brought in to the established BRS Parcels depots.
Both companies, it seems clear, are very sensitive to the market possibilities of new streams of traffic which hitherto have been moved by passenger train or by customer's vehicles or—and this is the great imponderable—have been mixed up in standard ized traffic flows designed for average requirements. The realization that there are appreciable quantities of traffic which demands first class, express treatment is a significant development which will not be lost to professional distribution managers.
BRS, I understand, have—GPO services permitting—aimed a direct mail shot at traffic managers of firms in towns covered by their new service. They plan to employ specialist drivers who will not normally interchange with other services. If the intensive marketing and costing homework that has preceded the introduction of Overnight Express has been accurate, we may expect to see countrywide services before long.
Schedule of towns, managers and depots
BIRMINGHAM (Robin Easton), Bromford Lane, Birmingham 81021-EAS 19011.
CHEAPSIDE, BIRMINGHAM (Albert Marklew), Cheapside, Birmingham 12 (021-VIC 4281). OLDBURY (Stan Kiddey), Wolverhampton New Road, Oldbury, Warley, Worcs (021-BRO 30211, WALSALL (Frank Tilstone), Wolverhampton Road, Bentley, Walsall, Staffs 126471), WOLVERHAMPTON (Frank Tilstone), 54 Bilston Road, Wolverhampton, Staffs (26421).
STAFFORD (David Davies), Stafford Common Goods Stn., Common Lane, Stafford (2161). STOKE (Jim Roberts), Whieldon Road, Stoke-onTrent, Staffs (482811.
TUNSTALL (Fred Walters), High Street, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs (84265 and 88541). SANDBACH (Roy Stonier), The Hill Garage, Newcastle Road, Sandbach, uheshire (2532). GREENHEYS, MANCHESTER (Charlie Discon), Wentworth Street, Ardwick, Manchester 12 1061 -ARD 4741).
TRAFFORD PARK, MANCHESTER (Bill Lloyd), Richmond Road, Trafford Park, Manchester 17 (061 -TRA 1044).
CHEETHAM, MANCHESTER (Cliff Askew), 102 North Street, Manchester B (061-DEA 2072 and 061-BLA 44311.
BOLTON (Les Bennett), Kay Street, Bolton, Lanes 126141).
BLACKBURN (Jack Preston), Bennington Street, Blackburn, Lancs (54211).
PRESTON (Percy Boothman) 322 Aqueduct Street, Preston, Lanes (267351.
KITT GREEN, WIGAN (Percy Boothman) Prescott Lane, Kitt Green, Wigan, Lanes (Wigan 82841). ST. HELENS (Bill Dowling), Sherdley Road, St. Helens, Lanes (25454).
LIVERPOOL (Bill Rigby), Studholme Street, Liverpool 20 (051-B00 4080).
RUNCORN (John Ellis), Cavendish Farm Road. Western Point, Runcorn, Cheshire (2358). WARRINGTON (Gordon North), Battersby Lane, Warrington, Lanes 135151).