The Small Operator: 4
Page 53
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LESLIE FOWLER has been in haulage for 15 years. He runs his 12-vehicle company from its Winslow base, although in fact the company's registered office is in Bletchley.
Mr. Fowler started in the haulage business running one vehicle under contract to Levers Feeds Ltd., which is part of the Unilever empire, This lorry was a Bedford fourwheeler. Its main work was delivering cattle food in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and part of Berkshire. Business must have been good, for after 18 months Mr. Fowler bought another vehicle. Later in 1953 he found himself in a position to buy the company under whose name he now operates, which at that time was running two vehicles—one on A licence and one on B. His next step was to buy two BRS vehicles on special A licence—which, he told me, he very quickly sold at a profit. This move was followed by the purchase of another company—this time a one-vehicle firm at Ilford.
You may well get the impression from the rapid progress Leslie Fowler made in the business in his first two years that he is a "smart operator"—and this is certainly the impression he gave me. He is not a young man and is decidedly not an old man—he would probably prefer to be described as "in his prime". And on the evidence of his 15 years ip haulage, he is not short of business acumen.
When his business was expanding in 1953 Mr. Fowler branched out into shop delivery, storage and redelivery. Much of the merchandise was suiting. Then in 1955 he started carrying aluminium ingots for International Alloys Ltd., of Aylesbury. From 1959 he did very much more business with this company—it is now part of ICI— and being requested by International Alloys to lay on more traffic for them, discontinued shop deliveries.
Mr. Fowler is obviously a firm believer in the efficiency of articulation, since of the 12 vehicles licensed to operate under the Aston Clinton Haulage banner, 10 are artics. The tractive units are varied. On the heavy side there are two Atkinsons, two Guys and a Leyland Beaver—in addition to these there's a Seddon and four Dodge units. Of the rigids, one is a Foden six-wheeler, the other a four-wheel Dodge.
In May 1966—Mr. Fowler began to carry molten aluminium in tanks at 90TC. One of his vehicles is now carrying this to Leeds two to three days a week--another transports a similar load to Bolton every day. Mr. Fowler told me, with no little pride, that his was the only firm in the country carrying this type or load any distance. The molten aluminium loses an appreciable amount of heat in transit, being at about 700°C when it is actually delivered.
Extensive export dock deliveries are made for International Alloys, trips commonly being made to Avonmouth, London, Kings Lynn, Harwich and Grimsby. Mr. Fowler paid what is probably a rare compliment to administration at the docks. "Organization at the docks is tip-top", he said. He then went on to speak in glowing terms of the quality of International Alloy's managers at Aylesbury who make the arrangements for these movements with shipping agents.
In view of the harmony that obviously exists between Mr. Fowler and this company, perhaps it is not surprising that 75 per cent of his business is now with them. Of the remainder some is with the London Brick Co. and the rest split up between numerous small firms.
Most of the small hauliers with whom 1 have spoken have had at least one big grumble. Mr. Fowler's was a little out of the ordinary. "These premises are not big enough," he said, "it's a b . . nuisance. I've tried to get planning permission for bigger premises for garaging and parking— and I need more office space. But the council seem dead against transport in general." However, since the time of my visit I am glad to relate that this blot on Mr. Fowler's horizon has cleared. He recently told me with obvious relish that he had at last managed to buy a large piece of land at Aylesbury—here he would have a garage, offices, warehouses and generous parking facilities. The business is being transferred to the new premises in about two weeks time. "I'm told this new garage will be the biggest run by a transport operator within about 15 miles of Aylesbury," he said.
At present Mr. Fowler and his wife take care of the office work between them. He concentrates on the sales side and she on the book-keeping.
As mentioned, Mr. Fowler is a staunch advocate of articulation. With his 10 tractive units he uses 12 trailers of various makes—"but I prefer M. and G. Trailers— they're supplied by a small firm in Worcester and give excellent service".
Mr. Fowler mentioned that his trailers— they are mainly 20-ton units—meet with a "fair share of damage". This led us on to the subject of maintenance. This is looked after by "two first-class men at Leighton Buzzard" who do most of his servicing.