Recovery war hots up
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by Steve McQueen • An LGV recovery price battle could be on its way. A recovery operators' association is considering setting up a breakdown service which it claims could cut up to 23% off hauliers' roadside rescue costs.
The Association of Vehicle Recovery Operators' 800 members have still to vote on whether to introduce the service, which could be operating by October.
Under the scheme, says AVRO, hauliers would save money by not having to pay for "the middle man"—in most cases the AA, RAC and National Breakdown.
Currently hauliers' fees are split between the motoring clubs and the AVRO members the clubs appoint to help with recoveries.
The un-named scheme would compete with RAC Commercial Services, launched in April, which stiffened competition in the sector by offering a single call-out charge and no membership fees.
• Kent recovery operators are claiming experienced firms have been excluded from the county's police road rescue contract and that this is undermining the credibility of the operation.
Many are amazed that David Weeks, manager of Addington Recovery, failed to make the list of 21 successful operators, despite having one of the largest rescue fleets in Kent.
Weeks questions the logic in offering operators the work without the right equipment and only three months to make the – grade.
The AA, managing agent from 1 August, says it used independent assessors to select which of the 112 firms on the con tract should stay. It claims it is normal practice to give operators a period of grace to buy equipment.