The "Commercial Motor" Freight Exchange.
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From a letter dated 29th August.
" With regard to this matter, we notice that in your issue of this week (27th August) you have written an article round our previous letter as to our willingness to do what we can to assist those traders in our district who are not so fortunately placed as ourselves with regard to transport facilities, and we would mention that we have now got into touch with various ammunition firms in the neighbourhood, and they are making use of our vehicles to the fullest possible extent for the transit of munitions of war, etc. We therefore feel particularly pleased in the knowledge that, whilst we are keeping our vehicles fully employed, we are also assisting to some extent in the struggle which is at present engaging practically the whole of Europe. " From this you will doubtless realize that most of our former spare time is now taken up with the work which we have at present in hand, but nevertheless we are still willing lo help other traders if it is at all possible, and a 'phone message at any time will always bring forth a prompt reply as to whether we have a van disengaged. Our 'phone number, as you will notice, is Dartford 10 (Nat.)."
The, above letter is representative of others which have -reached us from owners who have been put in touch with one another through our "Freight' Exchange." It has unfortunately been held over for publication, due to exceptional pressure on our space. The article to which the writers refer was entitled by us "Mid-week Slackness of Laundry Vans."
We find the slackening of demand upon this section of our organization to "KEEP THE WHEELS OF INDUSTRY TURNING," to which slackening we referred a fortnight ago, to have become more marked. We explained this relative slackness, which compares unfavourably with the large number of inquiries .that reached us daily during the first three weeks of last month, by the fact that the railway companies of the country have not been continuously dislocated to meet the requirements of the military authorities.
It is highly satisfactory, from all points of view, and especially at a time immediately after the compulsory withdrawal from commercial service of some 1800 commercial motors, that the railways have been able to do virtually all that has been asked of them by the commercial community. Had this been otherwise, the depletion—by reason of the transference of their vehicles to the Army—of the resources of many commercial-vehicle Owner's, who had been accustomed to
do their own work, would have caused very serious upset indeed for them. The consequence of the foregoing situation, which has developed more particularly during the past 10 days, has been an almost-general lack of loads offering. Consigners have, very naturally 1:17e agree, been unwilling to divert odd loads from their usual course, and the railways, or, in not a few instances regular motor-haulage contractors with steam plant, have been open and ready to continue work as before.
We had, prior to this slackening of demand, dealt to the satisfaction of inquirers with 47 requests for assistance. We have reluctantly to admit that, despite our best efforts, we were unable to fit together the offers or requirements in a very much larger number of cases.
A form of intimation, which we ask all interested supporters to use, will be sent post free.
We are satisfied that a good ease exists for further action, when matters settle down, in respect of the establishment of permanent "Freight Exchanges " or "ecle.aring houses for traffic offering and required." The original suggestion along these lines came from an old supporter of TEE CoMMEECiAL MOTOR, Mr.
D. H. Simpson, M.Inst.A.E., of Manchestei . The work involved is, however, quite beyond our capacity at the moment, but it shall not be forgotten.