Vehicles cut for Earl
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• North Eastern Licensing Authority Frederick Whalley has renewed a Sheffield haulier's licence for 12 months only, and has restricted the number of vehicles and trailers on it, following evidence of vehicle prohibitions and defect notices.
Robert Earl and Sons (Transport) had applied to renew its licence, with a reduction from 50 vehicles and 75 trailers to 35 vehicles and 70 trailers. It had reduced its fleet because of the collapse of the Sheffield steel industry.
Whalley, however, allowed only the 25 vehicles and 50 trailers currently owned by the company.
A senior vehicle examiner gave evidence that he had imposed four prohibitions and 10 defect notices after checking 11 vehicles and seven trailers — and other defects which were rectified on the spot would otherwise have justified further prohibitions. The agreed period between inspections had been exceeded, he said, and others were suspect, having been dated after the date on which he saw them. Maintenance seemed to be "remedial, rather than preventative" due to a lack of supervisory control.
The company had been in business since 1882, said managing director Frank Earl. Maintenance was no longer carried out on separate premises and had been put under the control of Earl's nephew.
Furthermore a new transport manager had been appointed and fitters, "who seemed to think the world owed them a living," had been reprimanded. Rates on the company's premises were £18,000 per annum and it could not survive with a fleet of less than 25 vehicles.
Whalley said that he did not think the company could adequately maintain the size of fleet applied for. He was restricting the size of its fleet until he had confidence in its maintenance arrangements.