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ANY HAPPY RETURNS?

15th April 1993, Page 44
15th April 1993
Page 44
Page 44, 15th April 1993 — ANY HAPPY RETURNS?
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Europe than it exports. There are already small signs that opportunities to maximise vehicle use in Europe are expanding in other ways.

Teleroute, the only European road freight exchange which operates in the UK, has increased the number of UK subscribers from 300 to 400 over the past 12 months; in January, the total amount of business it handled was up 91 '!zo on the same period last year. Rob McHugh, managing director of Owner Operators UK (phone (0285) 770833), and one of the UK's two Teleroute licensees, says: "People are suddenly realising they can move around much easier. This particularly applies to moving loads within the EC rather than directly back to the UK."

Teleroute user Charles Russell International Transport, which is based near Gloucester, has crass-traded in this way for years. "Because we have guaranteed departures every weekend from here, it's a lot easier to do this sort of work now the barriers have been removed," says Russell's international manager Carry Morrison. With the way the pound is at the moment, it also gives you a chance to earn more cash by dealing in foreign currencies." eastern Europe as well," says Hardy Subscription is £25 a month or £300 a year with the computer equipment costing a further £1495 a month to rent or £325 to purchase outright. To access the system, which is based in Lille, France, subscribers pay 38p a minute in phone charges. 00UK's McHugh says most subscribers average less than two hours of phone calls a month. "if you take a fleet of 20 vehicles all doing Continental work and each one does one leg of one journey empty for 200 miles every month, it doesn't take a lot to recoup the costs," he says. "If, for argument's sake, you are paying 35p a mile for basic running costs, you are incurring £1,400 a month for moving vehicles you can't earn from."

He says the type of businesses that are attracted to Teleroute are forward-looking international operators with good existing contacts. "They use it to maximise their earning capacity."

Yorkshire-based UFO Transport has had Teleroute for nine months and transport director Kevin Davis describes it as a good, instant way of making people aware of when vehicles are available. "Historically, it has been a case of using your own market intelligence and personal contacts," he "We still rely on this method most of all but


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