A CLOS D BOOK?
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Few of us in the commercial vehicle industry were sorry to see the back of 1986, but it did have its moments. Geoff Hadwick reminds us of some of the highlights.
JANUARY
The NFC decides to merge its two parcel companies into one, called National Carriers Roadline and the TGWU threatens to strike.
FTA makes a tentative bid for a 40 tonnes UK truck weight limit, but quickly pulls its toe out of the political hot water; the "leak" manages to boil up in Westminster. A rail-only Channel Tunnel is announced — it's nothing but a mousehole, says a disgusted RHA. The new Ford Transit is finally unveiled, revealing a new and "more aerodynamic" shape.
FEBRUARY
In conies the GLC lorry ban to a resounding silence and the FTA tries an eleventh hour block, arguing that the capital's roads have not been properly signposted.
US parcels giant Federal Express buys Lex Wilkinson.
TNT takes its plain white vehicles to Wapping and starts Britain's first road-based national newspaper distribution contract.
The annual RHA-TGWU pay rounds settle at an average 6%.
The bus industry says it is in "chaos" and Buckinghamshire County Council controversially rejects a private bid to market the region's bus services.
MARCH
The Construction and Use regs alter, allowing thin wall reefers on the road. Wall thicknesses fall to less than 46mm, enabling hauliers to load 12.2m long trailers with 24 metric pallets for the first time in the UK.
The Chancellor pushes up DERV tax, but freezes Vehicle Excise Duty in the spring budget.
The Leyland-GM talks collapse as the Government decides it could not withstand the political storms which would surround a sell-out to the Americans.
APRIL
Iveco and Ford merge, with Iveco taking the larger stake. Commercial Motor says Ford has lost some of that magic touch which used to assure it of a commanding lead in the UK market.
Digger manufacturer JCB joins the continuing race to buy Land Rover and the mud starts to fly — JCB boss Anthony Bamford says Land Rover has not made a decent profit for years.
The Dip snubs the lorry ban and makes a number of key London roads exempt by "trunking" them.
MAY
Transport Secretary Nicholas Ridley surprises many when he says he wants 40 tonners, too.
The Post Office switches its £13 million-a-year parcels business from rail to road.
JUNE
Bedford announces "major" job losses are in the pipeline.
JULY
Some 40% of lorry overtaking manoeuvres are dangerous, says a report being prepared by the Cranfield Institute of Technology. The lunacy behind Britain's non-aligned lorry weight regulations is exposed as UK-based hauliers are given the go-ahead to run at 40 tonnes when on the continent, but only at 38 tonnes at home. TNT gets a High Court undertaking from the print unions that the violent depot attacks the company is suffering will not receive official backing. Police warn that somebody will die soon if the violence does not abate.
AUGUST
GM sells its United States truck operation to Volvo.
DERV prices soar again and hauliers protest.
Managing director Ian McKinnon leads a bold management buy-out at Leyland Bus, taking 35% of Leyland's valuable Multipart spares business with him.
Managing director Harry Blundred leads Devon General to become the first NBC subsidiary to be sold to its management.
SEPTEMBER
Gallup report shows that lorry and bus drivers are the least likely road users to cause an accident.
Bedford quits the truck market completely and announces 1,500 redundancies to a shocked industry. The Bedford unions say they are "bitter, disillusioned and demoralised."
OCTOBER
No Need to Speed safety campaign jointly launched by the FTA and RHA.
Lamb war flares again and meat trucks are hijacked in France. A disturbing ICC report reveals that 25% of hauliers in England and Wales are making a loss.
Britain does badly in the EEC multilateral permits share-out gaining an 11.4% increase — the smallest in the community.
NOVEMBER
Wales suffers a massive 30% slump in bus route mileage, making it the nation's worst-hit region since deregulation. Mrs Thatcher presses French leader President Mitterrand to pay compensation to those hauliers having their loads destroyed — surprisingly he agrees.
DTp traffic examiners fear that some Licensing Authorities are exceeding their statutory powers and say they should pull in their horns.
DECEMBER
Leyland's future is clouded once again as Paccar and DAF announce they are both "interested" in the state-owned company.
The Army shares its long-awaited .£220 million DROPS contract between Foden and Scammell.