TIME TO MAKE A STAND • We are very good
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in this country at moaning amongst ourselves about the rates situation in the haulage industry, but when it comes to doing something about it nobody has the time. Everyone is too busy just trying to keep their vehicles running to pay their bills.
Hauliers know there is a lot more to running a truck than just driving it. But how many people outside the industry understand all the rules and regulations that a driver needs to know? Rules governing the carriage of hazardous goods; the way a vehicle is loaded; drivers' hours; the cost of road tax and insurance; and all the paperwork needed for differing countries, to mention just a few. It is about time that we made everyone aware of these facts.
Why should a lorry driver be looked upon as an enemy of the public? This is not the attitude on the Continent, so why should it still be prevalent in the UK?
The whole haulage industry has got to change its image. This can only be done by operating clean, well maintained vehicles, fully taxed and insured, driven by courteous and safe drivers.
Let's get rid of all the rate cutting, law breaking operators who give our industry such a bad name.
Which brings us back to the subject of rates. Why haven't haulage rates increased? After all, our costs have managed to increase along with the cost of living in general. We find it difficult to believe that manufacturing companies and freight forwarders have not allowed for this in their budgets over the past few years.
We understand that the competition for work is fierce between freight forwarders, and they also have to survive the present economic climate. What worries us is that the time has now come that unless something is done about the rates the only people left able to operate will be those who are running illegally.
The time has come for the Government to intervene and bring in a basic haulage rate that is linked to inflation, which must be paid for the various classes of haulage.
We are continually being legislated against by the Government, but nobody wants to know or understand what effect these laws have on the haulage industry.
By the introduction of a basic rate the threat of loss of work to the freight forwarder would disappear.
The haulier would be assured of receiving a realistic rate to operate his vehicles, and could concentrate on being competitive with the level of service given, instead of the current rate cutting process which is destroying the haulage industry in the 1990s.
We truly believe that if we all pull together and make our feelings known to the Government, we can change the present situation. We don't need to resort to the tactics of the Spanish or the French. After all we're British hauliers and proud of it.
Ron and Sue Hart, Maulden, Bedford