Proud Preston
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KEEPING THEM HAPPY
"We all go to him with our moans and he keeps us happy ", it was said of pleasant Mr, W. Dixon, who holds the twin position of R.H.A. North Lanes subarea and T.R.T.A. Preston and Blackburn secretary. He has served the commercial transport world from Preston for 43 years, having started there with the C.M.U.A., which preceded the modern organizations, in 1921.
Mr. Dixon recalls how hauliers in Bolton, Accrington and similar districts fared better than on-the-spot people when the modern Irish ferry services opened up, because it was during nationalization and the 25-mile limit could be exploited better from a base further inland.
There has been a change at the Corporation-owned dock. Northern Ireland Trailers Ltd., located there, have in 10 years grown from half a dozen to 50 vehicles and run all over the country without cutting across the business of the other operators in proud Preston. B.R.S., with a depot in the dock, have substantial interests there. Sailings to Larne and Belfast (roll-on/roll-off), and to Drogheda. Greenore and Londonderry (lift-on/ lift-off), total 30 a week.
A. Addison and Co., with eight vessels. are the main pulp carriers but often subcontract when boats come in two or three at a time. James Turner and Sons, of Chorley, with. R.H.A. sub-area chairman G. H. Turner, is a 22-vehicle family business handling considerable ferry work.
Geest have their own fleet and call heavily on R. Burton and Son and their eight vehicles. From Bury, D. Hall and Son Ltd. are often in demand. It is said that the ferry service saved the dock and certainly today the dock is a vital factor in local haulage.
A daily service to all Lancashire towns is offered by parcel expert Mr. Harold Bridges, who says it is better by road and best by Bridges (Transport Ltd.). His fleet continues to grow and nears three figures. He began in haulage by driving his own vehicle, accompanied in those days by his wife.
Innumerable trunk services, both by day and night, are run from the district, among them W. H. Bowker Ltd. and Jack's Motors Ltd. of Blackburn; F. Milner and Son of Lancaster; R. Parker (Haulage) Ltd. of Garstang; Scotts Transport Services (Preston) Ltd. (ail to London); Hague Transport Ltd. (to London and Glasgow); Naylors Transport (Leyland) Ltd. (to London and Scotland).
In Clitheroe, Ribblesdale Cement Ltd. have a large C-licensed fleet but also call substantially on hauliers as do Leyland Paints Ltd., the paints and wallpaper manufacturers, whose Mr. G. Mercer is a popular T.R.T.A. Preston and Blackburn chairman. Only a few of Mr. Mercer's national fleet of C-licensed vehicles (which totals more than 50) are based locally, so he calls on Leyland (Lancs.) Road Services; W. and J. Riding Ltd. (Longridge) and W. Wilkinson (West Longridge) extensively.
And of course Leyland Motors, represented on the traders' area committee by G. Mills, have a "maximum subscription" C fleet.
THEY LIKE IT AWKWARD
GIVE them a boat to float into Lake Windermere, even Lock Lomond, and they are in their element. They just love awkward loads, do the Miller brothers John and Arthur of Chris Miller Ltd., Preston. It is a love of a tussle inherited from father, who in turn . . . well, let's just say that starting with a horse and cart in 1837 and building up to several horses to move trees, there have been four generations of the family running this business with the fifth generation, male and female, already in the "driving cab".
They managed to retain most of their business during nationalization and would fight to do so in the future.
Although experts in special loads, holding 21 A licences from 1 to 25 tons (three of them for heavy machinery), and having 10 mobile cranes, their activities go far beyond this, to most things except tipping. The 10 Contract A vehicles include some for Castrol for whom they also store and are the distributors over a 30-mile radius, The storage is in part of a disused cotton mill.
The storage activities continued to grow and Arthur • Miller says " we must mechanize handling even more ". He also hits out at people who keep transport waiting to load and unload, using the vehicles as "warehouse space "—transit room should be provided, he says.