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Backloctd problems down South too

17th September 1992
Page 31
Page 31, 17th September 1992 — Backloctd problems down South too
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II I cannot help writing to criticise what owner driver, Graham Cordiner from North East Scotland says about return loading (CM 10-16 Sept).

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black: we along the South Coast of England are in the same position as himself in north Scotland.

His back loads are southern operators' outward journeys and their back loads are his outward journeys, one stripping the other. If he cannot afford to go back home without a back load, he is cutting rates and his waiting at supermarkets to off load should be covered in the rate he quotes to his hirer.

I have been in control of the Hill family-owned group of transport companies for the past 60 years, and in the past operating 160 vehicles and trailers. Always our rates policy for general traffic was from and to and halfway back, relying on elusive back loading to cover the missing link, the quarter of the round trip and revenue.

The owner-operator has killed off the original transport operators as the rates they accept are mostly back load prices each way. We concentrate mainly now on abnormal load notifiable traffic, which load price must cover the empty journey back, the minimum notifiable load time being 48 hours to all the authorities concerned, so back loading is almost out anyway.

At one time we covered all our own work with our own vehicles; now we have a number of owner-drivers who only work for us drawing our specialised trailers and we will not take on any work unless we are able to obtain a satisfactory rate to properly be re-imbursed for the use of our own and subcontractor's vehicles. JA Hill Hill & Sons, Holley, Southampton.

Tags

People: Graham Cordiner
Locations: Southampton

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