1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220 
Don Critchley
Page 151
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
While Don Critchley, the recently appointed general manager of British Vita subsidiary Blue Dart Transport, has spent most of his working life "bouncing" about the rubber industry, he is no newcomer to transport. In 1958 he Was responsible for the ownaccount operation of a 60-vehicle fleet with Vitafoarn — the company which eventually became British Vita.
"I am only just beginning to get my hooks back into transport," he told me. However, it soon became evident that this will not take him long.
One of his main concerns is the low .ate being offered by some hauliers. 'They have not kept pace with nflation and now seem to be scared to ncrease their charges."
Asked if he had been given a workng brief when he took up the position, )on replied: "My brief is to make )rofit; to ensure that this is a profitable )rganization." And, it would appear, le is already involved in several mlicies aimed at achieving this.
At present, for example, about 40 )er cent of the work being carried out )y Blue Dart is own-account and the ither 60 per cent external haulage. lecause most of the 331 vehicles and 143 trailers owned by the company are lesigned for hire bulk/low weight )perations, Blue Dart's next move, ays Don, will be towards the heavier ind of the haulage market.
' Don claims that the company's leadquarters at Stakehill, nr Manhester, and its maintenance and
epair facilities, are among the most nodern in Britain. "And soon," says )on, "other hauliers will be able to enef it from these facilities too as Blue )art is shortly to introduce a rescue nd repair service."
T. O'T