Dutch and German witnesses support Continental application
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• Witnesses from Antwerp, Mainz, Rotterdam and London went to Manchester on Wednesday to support an application by Transitex Export Services Ltd., Bolton, for a B licence to enable it to operate through to the Continent with its own tractors and trailers. The company is seeking to operate four adics to carry goods to and from ferry ports either on its own or customers' trailers. Six private hauliers, the Transport Holding Company and British Railways objected.
For the applicant, Mr. J. S. Lawton told the North Western deputy LA, Mr. A. H. Jolliffe, that Transitex offered an overall transport, documentation and packing export service to its customers. Internally there had been occasions where sub-contracted haulage had proved unsatisfactory but it would still continue employing outside haulage. It was desirable for economic and prestige reasons to use English vehicles on the Continent.
Mr. J. R. van den Vloet, Simon Smits Transport Maatschappig NV, Antwerp gave examples of where delays could have been avoided if tractors had accompanied trailers on the ferries. Transitex handled 10 to 15 trailers a month for the firm.
Traffic manager of Mainz forwarding agents, J. F. Hillebrand GmbH, Mr. P. Ebert felt that if Transitex could deliver right through to Germany it could improve its service at little extra cost for fast, safe delivery.
For THC and BR, Mr. J. Booth quoted Commercial Motor's report that the German Minister of Transport had allowed British vehicles to move through Germany without the customary permits during the French strikes. He asked if Mr. Kleij of NVD Stasse, had made inquiries as to whether, if Transitex obtained this licence, it could obtain such a permit. Mr. Kleij said he had not.
Mr. J. S. W. Gardner, office manager of Simmonds Bros. (Rubber) Ltd., London, said it used Transitex for full container loads of waste rubber to Europe. It had used BR for domestic deliveries but for Continental work BR was not competitive on rates.
Mr. R. Sharpies, managing director of Transitex, said the main problem in using Continental hauliers was the lack of communication. Transitex sought to give a guaranteed express service and obtain return loads of import back. Overall revenue from Continental transport operation last year was £22,452.
He sought one trailer of 10 tons unladen weight so that he could use a trailer having a running gear of his own design and incorporating self-loading equipment to speed unloading at destination points, said Mr. Sharpies.
The hearing was adjourned.