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Can We Meet the Challenge?
An Impromptu Investigation Reveals That Our Ports Can Cope With Increased Traffic—hut Can Our Hauliers? Need for a National Outlook by Norman H. Tilsley
SO much has been said about what will happen if Britain joins the Common Market, and so much speculative thinking has been translated into words that it is difficult for the haulier (he has other things to think of) to know what it is all about. I am talking not in terms of large haulage combines and those already specializing in cross-Channel services, but the " small " man, the "
ordinary" haulier, whose thoughts have been occupied hitherto, as have his vehicles, with the conveyance of goods cross-country, between producer and consumer; who has, up to now, thought of Europe only in terms of holidays.
Through reading his morning newspaper he has daily had placed before him statements and statistical opinions about what may happen if we go into the Common Market melting pot. The whole question of Common Market, the Six," the "Seven," or EEC and EFTA, is balanced and pivoted on the word "if," and nobody from the Prime Minister downwards knows exactly what will happen, as yet, as a result of the discussions that are so soon to take place on this important question.
Already in this series of articles, we have been told that changes in the transport industry of this country can be expected. Our imaginations have, perhaps, been aroused at the mention of the name of a document called the Treaty of Rome, which, broadly, lays down the aims and objects of member nations. Among the many subjects covered by the Treaty of Rome, Article 75 is of importance. It refers to transport and it states: "The Council. acting on a proposal of the Commission and after the Economic and Social Committee and the Assembly have been consulted,. shall . . lay down: (a) common rules applicable to international transport effected from or to the territory of a Member State or crossing the territory of one or Member States; (b) conditions for the admission of non-resident carriers to national transport services within a Member State; and (c) any other appropriate provisions. . . ."
Looking a little deeper into the Treaty of Rome—the part of it that deals with transport—we find an important article, Article 80, which is concerned with rates: "The application imposed by a Member State, in respect of transport effected within the Community, of rates and conditions involving any element of support of protection in the interest of one or more particular enterprises or industries, shall be prohibited , . . unless authorized by the Commission."
So, hauliers big and small will, directly or indirectly, be involved in this gigantic upheaval that is to take place. But when is all this going to take place? This is impossible to answer, but whatever happens, the provisions of the Treaty are phased into certain stages, and it is the general belief that the working out of an overall transport licensing system, which will allow, for example, French-based haulage contractors to trunk direct to London from, say, Paris, will not come into being for a very long time. There are importers and exporters waiting to leap across the Channel in both directions with their goods, but for some time hence, these goods will be shipped across in the conventional way and transhipped from the vessel on to either rail or road vehicles.
What are the Effects? What Should be Done?
Assuming, therefore, that Britain joins the Common Market, and assuming that the aims of the Treaty of Rome are adhered to and the common rules, mentioned in Article 75, come into being which allow a freer movement of loaded vehicles between the continent of Europe and this country, the first question that the haulier should ask himself is, "How is this going to affect me." followed immediately with the rider, "and what should I do about it?"
With these two questions in mind, slanted more towards the general carrier of goods rather than towards the specialist, I began a limited inquiry of my own, round and about the ports likely in the future to become centres through which the new traffic could pass.
The Common Market countries are Belgium and Luxemburg, France, Germany, Holland and Italy. Because of their geographical situation, the ports most likely to feel any effect from a change in imported and exported goods to and from the Common Market countries (though there is a difference of opinion about whether there will be any change), are situated in the south and along the east coast as far north as Hull. Tyne and Tees ports could also be affected to a small extent. Already—and this is nothing to do with the advent of the Common Market—new ports have been coming into use, the reason for this being that the larger docks, in particular the London group, and, to a lesser extent. Southampton and Bristol, are becoming congested. Not only is there a shortage of quayside water space for vessels, but facilities for storing, and loading and unloading direct from ship to vehicle, and vice versa, are strained to the limit. There is also a tendency for industrial strife to occur in the larger systems.
The modern trend is for smaller, shallow draught vessels, and because of their size, 'they usually come from Scandinavia, the Baltic and northern Europe. They use the quieter and smaller quays along the south and east coasts, namely the Cinque Ports (where, almost inland at Rye, small timber vessels • discharge their cargoes); also used are certain ports in the Thames Estuary, Colchester, Ipswich, King's Lynn, Boston and then finally the Humber ports of Grimsby, Goole, Immingham and Hull.
Heavier Tonnages Inwards and Outwards
Already these ports are carrying heavier tonnages both inwards and outwards, and if there is to be a greater flow of traffic in the future, then, provided the ports can cope, local haulage contractors are obviously going to gain an advantage over their "foreign " based colleagues. They will be on the spot and in a position to liaise with shipping agents and the port authorities, gaining information which will be invaluable to them.
Popular opinion has it that there will be a greater increase in goods for export. The whole idea of a common market is that goods should flow freely both ways with as little restriction as possible. The effect on general, long distance hauliers, whose vehicles already traverse the trunk routes towards the docks, will surely be that they will find themselves with more outwards traffic to carry to the ships. Vehicles thus occupied, under our present transport system, will be searching for return loads at the ports, Conversely, port-based operators, or those in the near vicinity, will carry outwards goods sent into the country from abroad. These vehicles will, inland, be tramping around for return loads to their bases.
In theory, more goods passing in each direction should mean that extra vehicles will be required in each direction, and this poses the question—are there enough vehicles presently licensed in all parts of the country to meet the demand?
This, of course, is a mammoth question and is virtually impossible to answer on a national basis. My inquiry was, therefore, limited to the areas close to the ports which may carry excess traffic as a result of our entry into the Common Market.
My most difficult task was to assess the situation as it could affect London docks. Unfortunate?y, the Port of London Authority do not publish figures of tonnages into and out of the port, broken down into commodities which could possibly give a guide as to what would happen in the event of our entry into the Common Market. Here, because of the vastness of the docking system and because vessels regularly arrive and depart with cargoes from all over the world, all trades and areas in the country must be included.
It has been said recently in the Metropolitan Traffic Court that London docks are "choking." (The port carried 1,385,732 tons less cargo at the year ended March 31, compared with the previous year—this may well be due to the fact that owners are docking elsewhere in an endeavour to avoid congestion.) The Port Authority, very much alive to the situation, are making noble efforts to make good war-ravaged areas, in order to cope more quickly and efficiently with excess tonnage.
Growth in. Volume Poses Many Problems
The Chief Engineer's Department, in a recent issue of their monthly magazine The P.L.A., which deals with the modernization of Millwall Docks, admits that the growth in the volume of road transport has posed many problems, such as the width and course of existing roads; the standard of lighting, parking places and vehicle ranks; congested working areas; bottlenecks; and delays and problems of
load transference. These are but a few of the problems which cannot be solved on a short-term basis," they state.
As an indication of the volume of traffic using this one system of docks (India and Millwall), they point out that 8,000 vehicles—equivalent to a queue some 16 miles long— enter and leave in one day. To cope with this problem, and with an eye to the future, road layouts are being rationalized and lighting improved; many vehicle parks have been established and areas awaiting development are being utilized as vehicle ranks.
With such a situation in mind, the majority of Metropolitan-based operators I interviewed hope that if there is going to be any excess, it is diverted to the smaller south coast ports. All were in general agreement that even now they had not enough vehicles to cope with nominal seasonal influxes of, for instance, fruit and/or vegetables. Recently there have been substantial applications to the Licensing Authority for increased vehicles to cope with, amongst other things, this type of traffic. It arrives from the Continent bound for Covent Garden and is then distributed throughout, mainly, the Home Counties and western areas.
If protests from agriculturalists regarding Britain's entry into the Common Market come to naught, there will definitely be—we are told—more Continental fruit and vegetables flooding.into the country, although one importer to whom I spoke predicted that this would be only a temporary rush and the situation would soon become balanced. "The law of supply and demand would see to this," he said. 'But in any case, there are never enough vehicles to cope with increases now."
He explained that the new railhead set up by the British Transport Commission at Hither Green (some 10 miles south of London) specifically to cope with the green market trade, was now being utilized to the full and was at a near state of saturation.
Continental vegetables are now entering the country via Dover, Gravesend, Portsmouth (mainly cauliflower) and Shoreham, and increasing use is being made of the Medway ports. Here, in the South Eastern Traffic area, one haulier informed me: "If we get more coming in, then we will have to just find the extra vehicles from somewhere,"—implying that he was working to capacity. Another small-fleet owner however, told me that he would welcome more trade to keep his vehicles working. Obviously the present method of having excess work sub-contracted would work well in the area.
Increased Use of Ports For Perishable Goods
Increased use is being made of Harwich and Colchester as parts of entry for highly perishable goods, such as lettuce, tomatoes, melons and grapes. These goods, during the season, come in from Italy, France and occasionally Belgium—all countries in the Common Market.
One London wholesale importer, who specializes in imports from Holland, and whose goods come in via Harwich, told me that even now, with the situation as it is, there is "considerable friction" over delays that he suffers through lack of transport for his goods from Harwich, required urgently at Covent Garden, Spitalfields, and Stratford-by-Bow markets. Asked what he though would happen if we entered the Common Market, he replied: 'They seem to have better facilities for producing goods a I 4 at lower prices, which can compete in our market, therefore imports will increase, year by year."
Whilst the ports mentioned above deal mainly, and directly, with Common Market countries, the position, as one would expect, is different with regard to ports higher up the coast. Grimsby and other Humber ports, for instance, are main entry ports for goods coming to the Midlands from countries which are not in the Common Market, namely Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. Whether the traffic that now comes from these countries— and it is considerable—will continue to flow, is not certain.
It is, of course, possible, that trade with EFTA countries (mainly Scandinavia), by special arrangement and negotiations, will remain the same and therefore there is bound to be an increase of traffic arriving from Common Market countries as a result of our entry into that union.
Can these ports—Hull, Grimsby and frnmingham—cope with such extra traffic that may be forthcoming?
Food Imports Steadily Increasing
At present the port of Grimsby deals mainly with Danish food imports, and in particular, dairy traffic. This traffic is steadily increasing. Last year, only one boatload of goods arrived at the port per week from Denmark. This year it has increased to an average of 11 boatloads a week, but this is often increased to four a week.
Thanks to the far-sightedness of the B.T.C.'s Port Authorities. Grimsby has gauged its whole recent development with a view to Britain entering a European Common Market.
The port's main trade was once in fish. Recently there has been a complete changeover, and now Grimsby can be held out as one of the largest centres of the frozen food industry in the world. With Danish and Norwegian imports steadily increasing, month by month, together with more and more general cargo and commercial motor vehicles, the port is fortunate in having one of the most go-ahead Masters in the land. He told me, " We have the opportunity for more trade. In recent years, many improvements have been carried out to provide good road access to all berths, and the last stages of this work are, in fact, in progress on the east side of the Dock. Adequate transit sheds have been provided on both sides of the docks with flush concrete quays, and there are also new, adequate, berths to cater for the increasing volume of bulk cargo."
Largest Ships After Modernization
• At nearby immirigbam—which is capable of taking the largest of merchant ships—as a result of a recent modernization programme this port, which hitherto catered mainly for rail traffic to the ship side, can now offer 9,000-ft. of flush-surface concrete quays served by newly installed electrical cranes, capable of lifting 10-ton loads.
So much for the Southern Humber—it is obvious that they can cope with any influx. But what of the transport position?
I visited the largest transport contractor in the area, whose headquarters are in Grimsby. I was told plainly, "Road transport in Grimsby is bursting at the seams. We cannot cope now. There is no availability at all."
This particular group are already sub-contracting "foreign "-based vehicles to a considerable extent. They backtoad an average of 30 vehicles a day—this in addition to their own substantial fleet and vehicles belonging to an associated company, specializing in insulated traffic. Their figures demonstrated that they are sub-contracting to the same extent as their own vehicles are employed.
I confirmed this statement with the managing director of a substantial and old established shipping concern which not only runs a fleet of vehicles under C licence, but also operates barges and lighters across the Humber estuary.
" We are all geared up to cope with it," he told me confidently, and then went on to explain how, in the past few years, he had specialized in palletization. Goods for transhipment were standing in his warehouses on pallets and, in conjunction with the Humber Lines and one or two similar • organizations, he is able to offer an excellent service across the North Sea to Holland, loads being completely palletized, no manhandling being necessary at all, from leaving the warehouse. The pallets are loaded aboard ship by means of fork-lifting equipment, placed aboard the vessel by the company, and are palletized right through to the customer in Holland.
Provided arrangements can be made for the return of empty pallets, this system is one that could well be developed for general use in trading with other Common Market countries. "We are trying to educate the dockers here about the advantage of palletizing loads," I was told, "but the Continent is showing us the way and we must catch up." It would seem that some of their vessels are actually being equipped with special fork-lifting gear in their holds for this purpose.
Hauliers Complain of Dock Delays
Across the river and on to Hull I was met with a very different situation. Whilst Hull, since the war, has been making good its war wounds and has developed with a view to increased trade, 1 heard many complaints from hauliers about delays in the docks, caused principally by a lack of shed space. Like Grimsby, the traffic passing through Hull is mainly to and from the EFTA countries, and consists of a goodly proportion of general traffic. Trade with countries now in the Common Market is considerable, however, and a recent list of goods passing through to these countries, issued by the Port Authorities, shows a wide variety of general goods, including vehicles, iron and steel, machinery, chemicals and fertilizers, as well as textiles.
It is certain that if there is to be increased trade coming into and going out of the country, Hull will have to absorb a large portion of it, as one of the northernmost ports that can be economically and speedily reached from Common Market ports.
The position as regards road transport in Hull is, I find, very much the opposite to that pertaining in Grimsby.
I called on the two largest haulage contractors in the town and asked them whether they thought they could cope if there were an influx of goods to and from the port.
I was told by the director of a well-known Hull concern— he gave me permission to quote his name, but I prefer not to, for obvious reasons—" Although this is against me" -(he was referring to possible future applications his company may make for licences)—" if there is an influx, I can hire as many vehicles as I shall need." He thought that the question of vehicle availability could only be looked at nationally. The problem of the shortage of vehicles was not a parochial one. His opinion was that there were too many vehicles tramping around the port for return loads. "We turn them away daily," he concluded, and added, "I am against extra vehicles."
Plenty of Vehicles To Carry the Loads
I then visited an internationally known concern of warehouse-keepers and transporters. The head of the company told me that although they hired as many vehicles daily as their own considerable fleet consisted of, he agreed that there were plenty of vehicles in Hull to carry the loads. He severely criticized the dock facilities and suggested that if the arrival times of vehicles were staggered, most difficulties would disappear. He had known of vehicles having to wait at the docks for over eight hours.
Briefly then, what is the overall position—remembering always that the whole exercise is based on speculation. Can the ports cope? I answer, with some hesitation, "Y." Can the hauliers cope? Despite the situation in Hull, I would answer "1 do not think so." But I would back very strongly the sentiments expressed to me in Hull—that this problem can only be looked at nationally and not parochially. Therefore—and this question I leave unanswered—is it right that individual Licensing Authorities should decide the quantum of vehicles and facilities without help from some national committee?