Notes on the Government Road Haulage Scheme
Page 18
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PROGRESS—By the end of this week the Government Scheme will have been in operation for exactly three months. It is therefore an appropriate moment to review the progress made. The partners, namely the Ministry and the haulage industry, set out with the threefold object of creating a fleet of vehicles under continuous Government control, providing a National Pool for a considerable part of the Government's long-distance r o a d traffic, and building up "Defence Lines " which would be equal to any emergency. How far have the objects been achieved?
A GOOD START.—Towards the 2,500 vehicles which may eventually be required for the chartered fleet, the Ministry has received rather more than 3,000 offers, most of which are still under examination. The number of vehicles actually on charter does not at present greatly exceed 200, but the rate of calling up is being accelerated, Some 3,500 firms have been registered with the National Pool, in addition several hundreds of firms have been appointed as sub-agents. With regard to the Defence Lines, agreements -have been concluded, providing the Minister, at short notice, with about 33,000 vehicles. 'These are substantial results, which provide a solid ground on which to build as the situation demands, and the Ministry is grateful to those hauliers who, without prejudice to their position after the war, have supported the principle of central control of a considerable part of Government and other essential traffics in the national interest, and have handled the traffic passed to them with care and expedition.
TEETHING TROUBLES.—There have inevitably been teething troubles, but these have been mainly connected with such minor administrative problems as the incorrect endorsing of invoices and rendering of accounts. Whitehall has indeed been placed in the unusual position of having to beg hauliers to send in their accounts—and, of course, to render them correctly. It is hoped that with. the publication of all the documents about the scheine in a compact form any misunderstandings on these points will be removed.
600000 TONS MOVED.—In the last analysis, however, the real test of the success of the scheme is the volume of traffic economically handled. Measured by the yardstick of traffic volume, the results are distinctly encouraging. In the first week, the general traffic moved totalled only 13,000 tons; in the week ended April 24 it was 69,750 tons. By the end of the first quarter, it may be safely predicted that the grand total moved since the inauguration of the Scheme will he not far short of 600,000 tons: ALLOCATION OF TRAFFIC.—When the Scheme was framed, it was agreed that, subject to the avoidance of uneconomic operation, hauliers who previously carried traffic which now passes to the M. of W.T, Road Haulage Branch, should be 'given first consideration in the allocation of such traffic by the Hauliers' National Traffic Pool. In
their own interests, therefore, hauliers should make certain that the appropriate Pool management is aware of the traffic previously handled by them and now transferred to the Road Haulage Branch.
METROPOLITAN POOL COMMITTEE.— The retirement of Mr. F. Lucas from the Metropolitan Pool Committee has created a vacancy which has now been filled by the appointment of Mr. J. F. H. Pye.
BLOCK LETTERS, PLEASE—Here is an S 0 S from the staff detailed to examine applications for registration with the Pool. Will hauliers please insert their names and addresses in block capitals? Many of the applications submitted are like a doctor's prescription, and in some instances. the calligraphic experts and decoders have been completely beaten, with the result that -notification of acceptance has been held up. Any hauliers who have not received notification within a reasonable period are invited' to renew their applications.
REGISTRATION NUIYIBERS.—By the way, the receipt of an acknowledgment bearing the hauliers' registration number at the foot is confirmation of acceptance as a participant in the Pool. Consequently it is unnecessary, after receipt of such acknowledgment, to repeat the application. Nevertheless, for a week or two following the registration, hauliers are advised to supply their drivers with the allotted registration number when applying at Pool offices for loads, owing to the inevitable lapse of time between notification of acceptance and the appearance of a haulier's name in the lists circulated to area officers. •