15,000 LORRIES WILL
Page 42
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
More Lists for Small Buyers Shortly : Special Arrangements for Large Units
'f THE Road Haulage Disposal Board continue to believe that about HE vehicles will satisfy the needs of the small man. More lists of transport units designed for the small buyer will be published in January and February.
The Board's third half-yearly report, covering the six months to November 28, was published on Wednesday (Stationery Office, 9d.). It details the plans for the disposal of medium and large units.
It also states that the unsold vehicles and property in the parcels and smalls organization of British Road Services are to be transferred on January 1 to a company [B.R,S. (Parcels), Ltd.] for sale as a going concern. Only 162 of the parcels vehicles have been sold.
A " balanced assortment" of medium and large units, few of which will exceed 100 vehicles, is to be offered. They will include every remaining general haulage depot at present operated by British Road Services, except those to be retained. Each* depot will be offered with an appropriate number and type of vehicles.
Premises other than existing operational depots will not normally be included in such units, but where opera interest, so that, so far as practicable, these may be taken into account in the formation of units. The booklet is to be published at the end of this year or early in 1955, but the preparation of the list cannot be completed until the spring.
The report states that the character of the normal lists (1-8) has undergone a marked change. The number of units has increased, but their size has decreased. There are two reasons. One is that units with premises are unpopular, and consequently the number offered has been drastically curtailed. The second is the marked preference of tenderers for smaller units.
Many of the larger units unsold on the first offer, most of which contained premises, have been broken down and re-offered in smaller lots. The average size of units dropped front 7.9 vehicles in list 1 to 2,2 vehicles in list 8. List 8 contained three times as many vehicleonly units as the first three lists to be published.
Vehicle Units the Test
"It has been clear from the earliest results of tendering that the state of demand for small units, and the success or failure of the lists, must be judged by the results of the vehicle-only units," the 'reportsays. "After an indifferent start in lists 1 and 2, from which 56 per cent, and 53 per cent, of the vehicles•in such units were sold, list 3 showed a great improvement with a figure of 74 per cent.
"List 4 resulted in only 51 per cent. of sales, and it seemed that this might mark a falling-off in demand. For subsequent lists, however, demand has again been strong. The number of tenders has remained steady, the level of prices offered has been fully maintained and, as a result, the percentage of sales has been high."
Percentages of vehicles sold are: list 5, 66.; list 6, 66; list 7, 67. List R.4 has been the most successful of all. The average number of tenders per unit was higher than ever before. Tenders were received for every unit and 75 per cent, of the vehicles were sold.
Explaining their efforts to sell units with premises, the Board say that in a