"Chartered Fleet Should Be Reduced," Say Yorkshire Hauliers
Page 18
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
DISSATISFACTION with present conditions in the road haulage industry, particularly in relation, to the chartered-fleet side of the Government scheme and the transfer of road traffic to the railways, was expressed in a lively discussion at a meeting of the 'Federation of Yorkshire Road Transport Employers, in Leeds.
An outcome of the discussion was the adoption of a resolution which urged that the chartered fleet should not be extended " but reduced as quickly as is possible in accordance with practical needs," and which further suggested that chartered-fleet traffic could be handled more efficiently and economically' by the industry ' itself, through the area machinery of the Hauliers' National Traffic Pool.
It was decided to forward the resolution to the Minister of War Transport, to the Road Haulage (Operations) Advisory Committee, and to other parties concerned, and to prepare an amplifying memorandum.
Mr. J.--S. Hutchinson, of Huddersfield, who proposed the resolution, said that the chartered fleet was established to carry Government-controlled traffic, but there were indications of a move to employ. chartered vehicles for the carriage of private traffic.
Mr. Hutchinson also argued that the existence of two sets of officials, one for the chartered fleet and one for the Hauliers' National Traffic Pool, was
wasteful of man-power. The Pool, he suggested, was quite capable of handling all Government-controlled' traffic, and would do the work with a saving of fuel and personnel.
Mr. H. H. Beaumont, of Ripponden, remarked that whereas six months ago every road haulier was working to 100 per cent, capacity, operators had now experienced a definite falling-off in their traffic. Was this due to the operations of the chartered fleet or the Hauliers' National Traffic Pool, or because of a diminution in the aggregate amount of traffic? If there had been no such diminution in aggregate tonnage, yet at the same time operators had idle vehicles, this suggested that from the Government's point of view the haulage scheme was a success in the sense that it was resulting in transport economies.
Mr. Hutchinson said that manufacturers of sanitary wear in the Halifax and Huddersfield areas bad received written instructions from the Ministry of War Transport to the effect that as from July 18 all their products must be sent by rail. The manufacturers were alarmed at the prospect of breakages in transit.
Mr. H. H. Walker, of Brighouse, remarked that as professional hauliers were losing so much traffic to the railways and the Government haulage scheme, C-licence holders should no longer be permitted to carry goods for hire or reward.