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There is just not enough coverage of the smaller operators in CM
Page 17
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I AM ONE of your many thousands of readers in the UK, and I have been a reader of Commercial Motor for years, ever since my granddad and dad introduced me to it. I have enjoyed reading all the articles in the magazine, including the reviews of the vans and HGVs, and my dad has even used your magazine to sell some of his trucks.
The only problem that I have with the magazine is that the haulage companies you cover. Every time there's been a company in the magazine, they have been one of the bigger ones. We never see firms like my dad's haulage business. He has four Volvo FM12s for tipper work and works out of around five to 10 different quarries in our area. There are around 20 different firms around this area that do the same work as my dad, with either less or a couple more trucks than my dad.
We hear all the time about how the credit crunch is affecting firms like Eddie Stobart and other big companies. But the credit crunch is affecting all the smaller firms a lot more. This past year I have heard my dad speak about his friends' businesses having to sell their trucks because it's becoming so expensive to even fill the trucks up.
It's a shame to hear about the bigger firms I understand, but hearing about the smaller companies would be a great help as well. Lynette Whaley Via email Ed's note: CM is for readers of all sizes, as our diverse news pages will testify, and in our 16 July issue we took a detailed look at how some of the smaller haulage companies and owner-operators are coping in this crushing recession.
We want to hear more from firms like Lynette's dad's, so don't be afraid to send us an email or you could even write a letter to tell us exactly what's on your mind!