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FREIGHTLINER COSTING CHALLENGED

11th February 1966
Page 35
Page 35, 11th February 1966 — FREIGHTLINER COSTING CHALLENGED
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

BRITISH Railways are quoting 29s. 6d. per

ton for their newest Freightliner route between Manchester and London, soon to start running. This rate for a 20=tOn load includes collection and delivery of the container within a five-mile radius of the Manchester Longsight and London York Way ten-nini.

BR representatives gave these details at a meeting of the Manchester Centre of the Institute of Traffic Administration on Monday. Their costing was challenged by a haulier who said the RHA had heard last week of BR soliciting London traffic in Glasgow at 50s. a ton, customer's depot to depot.

In reply. Mr. W. Garbett, Manchester Freightliner terminal manager, said BR realized it was no use getting a profitable service and loading it with the costs of the past. They now quoted for the traffic they wanted. BR would not issue rate books for the Freightliner services—our rate books can no longer be road hauliers' points of reference, he said. • The Longsight depot is equipped to take three 1,000 ft. Freightliner trains at a time, with a 21 hr. turn-round for each. The critical turnround factor would be in providing facilities for a free flow of haulage vehicles around the trains, with swift documentation taking only one minute at the entrance control.

Before accepting traffic BR would vet the concern to see how long containers would need to be away from the rail terminal. An average turn-round time of 15 mm. per ton at a user's base had been mentioned, said Mr. Garbett. BR would not want the business of loading or unloading to take too long.

Asked whether BR had decided to charge demurrage, Mr. Garbett said he thought road hauliers would agree that "demurrage scarcely, if ever, can repay you—it is a deterrent to detention but it does not pay for the loss of a vehicle".

It was hoped that Aand B-licensed hauliers would handle smalls traffic with BR selling the haulier the bulk haul section of the traffic. If hauliers were associated with the Freightliner service he saw no reason for BR to oppose their licensing applications.

Minimal packing was required in the containers, said Mr. Garbett. Test loads of bottles, high quality bricks and other fragile commodities had travelled more than 30,000 miles to date without mishap.


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