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The Troubles of The Haulier.

10th May 1932, Page 42
10th May 1932
Page 42
Page 42, 10th May 1932 — The Troubles of The Haulier.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

[37421 Sir,—Regarding the article in The Commercial Motor of April 26th, respecting the Road Haulage Association, the author is obviously endeavouring to do what many of us have been advocating for some 20 years, i.e., recommend hauliers to pay a little attention to their own interests.

One could write upon this subject indefinitely, but I submit that the crux of the whole matter lies in the single remark : "It is an amazing fact that many concerns pay no heed to costing." There you have the whole trouble in a nutshell.

The strength of a trade union obviously lies in the fact of members refusing to work at rates below union figures, and if haulage contractors adopted a similar plan, that would be a remedy for their trouble, almost a complete remedy, and, unless I have misunderstood the author of the article in question, that is precisely what he is driving at.

However, he, like many others, rakes up the old fallacy of attributing blame for the present conditions to the much-abused clearing house, whereas, it is sheer common sense that hauliers are entirely to blame.

A clearing house is virtually a trader offering traffic to hauliers, and traders will ever find hauliers game for plunder, so long as hauliers ask for it. It is contrary to all logic to blame a vendor of goods for selling a commodity for which there is a ready market.

After admitting that hauliers are totally incapable of than aging their own affairs, the author suggests they would be quite capable of managing the " trader's " affairs, which I submit is ludicrous. Hauliers have only the good clearing houses to thank that their position to-day is not infinitely worse than it is. Even the biased must agree that, but for the transport department of the Nottingham Chamber of Commerce, haulage rates out of Nottingham would be considerably lower than they are to-day. Many traders prefer regular service at stabilized rates to irregular service at rates varying from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Regarding the suggestion that the Road Haulage Association should function as a clearing house, it has yet to be proved that this Association could obtain better rates from traders than the existing good clearing houses. [The Road Haulage Association has stated definitely that it does not intend to act as a clearing house.—ED.1 I have viewed this matter from all angles• for many years, but always arrive at the same conclusion, i.e., that the haulier's worst enemy is himself. The obvious remedy for the hauliers' present position is to abide by rates, etc., on trade-union principles.

W. GAMMONS, Managing Director, For Walter Gammons, Ltd.


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