Newcomers' risks LA advises
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• The financial risk attached to entering the road haulage industry as a small private operator was stressed repeatedly by the West Midland LA, Mr J. Else, when he beard 13 applications for operators' licences in Birmingham last week. The LA's questions and comments ranged from "Think hard about it" to "Do you really think you can make it pay?"
Of the 15 applications listed 13 were granted, the remaining two being refused because the applicants did not attend. All but two of the applicants were completely new operators.
Mr J. H. Spittle, of Wednesfield, near Wolverhampton, was granted a licence for one vehicle. Mr Spittle said that he was at present a police officer. He would operate one vehicle as soon as he received a licence and intended to obtain a second vehicle later on. The vehicle would be taken to a local garage each weekend for servioing; an inspection would also be carried out.
In granting the application Mr Else said that he was most fearful that Mr Spittle would not make a living with the vehicle he intended to operate.
Mr K. Taylor, of Tutbury, was also granted a licence for one vehicle, which he said would be plated at under 16-ton-gross vehicle weight. Mr Taylor said that he was a working director of Castle Garage (Tutbury) Ltd, but would give up this job. He would use the maintenance facilities provided by Castle Garage to maintain his vehicle. Mr Taylor told the LA that he had earned about £30 a week at the garage. In reply to the LA's question of whether he could earn this type of money with the vehicle, he said that he thought he would.
Mr R. J. Pountain, of Sudbury, was granted a licence for a vehicle which he said would be a 16 ton flat. Mr Pountain said that he had been a driver /mechanic with a plant-hire firm but that it had been his ambition to enter the road haulage industry on his own. Now that he had the money to begin he planned to buy a new vehicle if his application was granted. He had plenty of room on which to park the vehicle with the maintenance being carried out by a local firm. The vehicle would be sent for inspection every 4000 miles and would receive a full service every 12,000 miles. Mr Pountain told the LA that he thought he could make the vehicle pay.