BR wants c and d profit element
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• In contrast to the occasion when the Freightliner c and d fleet at Dudley was started when 72 hauliers objected (CM September 22 and October 27, 1967) five opposed an application by British Railways in Birmingham on Wednesday for 12 more 9ton artics to add to its present 27.
There were three Freightliner rail services in October 1967 when the first grant was made and now they ran eight, said Mr. H. Mann for BR. In the four week period ended November 30, 2,543 containers had passed through Dudley, of which 1,818 had been hauled by BR vehicles.
Mr. R. W. Hall, area superintendent, Manchester Freightliner Division, said the figure of 338 containers a week moved by 36 vehicles was only reached by October 5 this year because of severe restrictions on the amount of wagons Glasgow could receive. But now the situation was very difficult. Dudley's own vehicles were hauling 2.5/2.7 containers per day which could be used more efficiently than hired vehicles doing only two movements daily.
"We have got to make a profit. Our success is going to depend on a very good cartage performance. We want the profit element from the c and d transaction and see no reason to pass this portion on to another organization," said Mr. Hall.
Witnesses from Seawheel Ltd., John Sutcliffe and Son (Grimsby) Ltd. and Cunard Brocklebank Ltd. all spoke of increased container traffic through Dudley to the continent via Harwich and Felixstowe, to Ireland via Heysham and the United States via Southampton.
Mr. J. H. Hubble, terminal superintendent, said the potential future traffic was 26.5 containers per day which required 12 more vehicles. The terminal manager, Mr. J. 0. Gill, said he could not use hired vehicles throughout the 24 hours and his own drivers were more enthusiastic and easier to control.
The West Midland Licensing Authority, Mr. J. Else, granted the 12 vehicles but said that this should not be interpreted as his acceptance of the principle that hiring was not a proper and efficient way of dealing with this traffic.