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THE DOBSON STORY

18th January 1963
Page 60
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Page 60, 18th January 1963 — THE DOBSON STORY
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

44 URN out a good-looking lorry; keep it up to scratch, and you can then demand the highest standard of driver." That, in a nutshell, is how William Dobson—managing director of five companies bearing his name summed up his views on the successful running of a haulage ,fleet. He should know, for at the age of 40, from his first floor office in the company's headquarters in Dorset Place, Edinburgh, he controls a fleet of 60-odd A licensed vehicles—tankers, platform vehicles and tippers; some of them artics, and some rigids.

The business was started by Mr. Dobson's grandfather, William Dobson. A stonemason by trade, he left his home in Oreenend, Edinburgh, in 1869 to seek his fortune in America and worked in New York laying flagstones. His contract included carting away the material he had excavated to the docks, and on his return loads—horses and carts were the mode of transport then—he brought the flags to be laid as pavements. (The original contract, together with the founder's union card, has been framed and hangs on the wall in the present Mr. Dobson's office.) Returning to Edinburgh in 1879 the richer by £700, Dobson senior started his own business in Yeaman Lane. He began by excavating sand on the site and delivering it, still horsedrawn, to his customers. The ground was then refilled and

stables were built to accommodate 30 horses. As was common in this type of work in those early days, the cartage side of the business developed in conjunction with building and road construction work which, at that time, was limited to the laying of causeway setts and waterbouncl macadam, the materials arriving by barge via the Union Canal which ran alongside the premises.

When the founder's son, Charles Dobson (the present managing director's father), returned from active service at the end of the Great War, motor lorries were introduced and garages were built in Dorset Place on the site where the present premises are now situated. At this time the main business was road construction and laying telephone ducts for the G.P.O.—work which was carried out not only in Scotland, but in England and Ireland as well.

Separate Companies Formed

In the mid-1930s, shortly after the Road Traffic Act was introduced, the business was split in two. The haulage under

taking was registered as William Dobson (Edinburgh) Ltd., and a new company, Chas. G. Dobson Ltd., was formed to look after the constructing and public works contracting side. By this time progress was such that contracts were held with the Admiralty, Air Ministry, Edinburgh Corporation and the Post Office,, and consisted of roadmaking, site preparation, etc.

The horse and cart still continued to play a large part in the haulage work and, as time went on, pneumatic tyres replaced iron-shod wheels. Indeed, although mechanical excavators, petrol and steam wagons were later to replace many of the Irish horses used, the last pair were not disposed of until as recently as December, 1958.

Gradually, as more heavy equipment was introduced, more room for vehicles and machinery became essential and the premises at Dorset Place, which Up till then had been occupied on a rental basis, were eventually purchased in 1954. The ground space thus owned by the company was increased to 2+ acres.

In that year, also, a third company was formed, to be known as Dobson's Storage (1954) Ltd. This started off with a small store of approximately 10,000 square feet, situated in the centre of Edinburgh. At the present time the company can offer, as a result of rapid expansion, some 60,000 sq. ft. of storage space for its customers.

• Two further limbs of thc group, completing the five companies now controlled by Dobson's, . were later incorporated as separate entities. Dobson (Contract Hires) Ltd. was formed for the purpose of hiring out, on an annual basis, equipment ranging from compressors to bulldozers, as well as goods vehicles and tankers.

The fifth company, which came into being last year, is Dobson (Home Heat) Oils Ltd. As the Esso Petroleum Company's authorized distributors within the Edinburgh area, this latter company undertakes the supply of most kinds of burning oils for domestic use. as well as auto diesel oils, petrol and paraffin.

The Haulage Side As a haulier, Dobson's carries a wide variety of commodities, literally all over the country. Specializing in bulk liquids, the company operates about a third of the fleet on the carriage of oil, acids and beer in bulk. It also hauls a good proportion of general haulage and does a lot of tipping work.

The company went over to articulation somewhere between 1947 and 1948 (although many tippers are still operated), and the majority of the tractive units are of Atkinson manufacture. Experience has shown that this make of unit, fitted with a Gardner engine, a David Brown gearbox, plus a Kirkstall rear end, is best for the type of work undertaken.

The company operates twice as many semitrailers as there are tractive units. It has found that the Dyson trailer best suits its purpose. Mr. Dobson told me that he considers that the air-ride, as against the conventional spring type of suspension, is most suitable for tanker operation.

An interesting feature of the tankers is that the pumps are carried in an unusual position. The vehicle chassis have been extended roughly 10 in. beyond the rear spring hanger brackets, and the pumps are located there—the drive shafts having centre bearings below the fifth wheel bedplates. Most of the tankers comply with the Petroleum Regulations, which enables them to be used for the carriage of white products for the oil companies. They can also carry black oil residual fuels for industrial heating for factories and foundries. To enable the fleet to include the carriage of phosphoric acids among its user, certain of the tankers are fitted with rubber lined tanks.

Two makes of tyre are used in the fleet—the U.S. Royal and the Michelin. Michelin X tyres are operated 100 per cent, on tractive units and on the large tippers. On the rigids, however, the company uses the U.S. Royal.

No Old Vehicles Used Gbod maintenance plays an important part in the successful running of any fleet. In Dobson's, five mechanics plus a foreman are kept busy, seven days a week, maintaining the vehicles. Major overhauls are not undertaken—" We don't keep vehicles long enough to warrant, under normal circumstances, complete engine changes, or anything like that", Mr. Dobson told me. The vehicles (five years is the maximum period a vehicle is kept) are inspected every three to four months. Oiling and greasing are carried out on a mileage basis—engine oil is changed every 3,000 miles, whilst the oil in gearboxes and backends is changed every 10,000.

A wide variety of spares is kept available for immediate use; heavy components are not carried, with the exception of spare gearboxes and steering differentials which are stocked for Bedfords and B.M.C.s. Half shafts are available on call, plus a fairly comprehensive range of springs. "We find ", Mr. Dobson explained. "taking an eight-wheeler, for example, that if a front spring goes, it is best to completely change the whole lot because, if you find one spring going, you can bet that the rest will soon go." All the multi-wheelers, by the way, have automatic lubrication, and, wherever possible, breakdowns (which are few and far between) are attended by Dobson's own staff.

Modus Operandi Dobson's will take anything anywhere. As an example, the company collects and disposes of garden rubbish; it moves coal, tar, petroleum products. acids and heavy constructional equipment im to 35 tons. Situated near to some of Scotland's main cargo ports (Leith, Grangemouth and Granton), the company carries such materials as esparto grass from North Africa, and timber from Canada and Scandinavia. In refrigerated tankers it carries Lager to Ireland, and hopes, soon, to carry it through to the Continent, Bulk cement carriage is another speciality.

The company has had a long history of co-ordination with Scottish breweries. Five nights a week it transports beer in 1344 barrels southwards to London for Scottish Brewers Ltd. Whisky for overseas shipment is carried from one bond to another for The Distillers Co. Ltd. in specially constructed Crownsealed vehicles to suit Customs and Excise requirements. A nightly trunk service, as well, is operated through to Leeds.

Except for a handful of vehicles which are employed on contract work at Avonmouth, all vehicles return to Edinburgh at least once a week. Whilst return load traffic is an essential part of any A-licensed operator's work, clearing houses are not usually used by Dobson's to obtain return loads. The company prefers to find return traffic "by other means ". It has liaisons with Road Services (Forth), British Road Services, Road Services (Caledonian) and other operators.

In co-operation with another well known haulier—Russell of Bathgate Ltd.—the company operates a concern known as Storage Services (Leith) Ltd. It has acquired 21 acres within Leith docks, and the intention is ti put up a store and use the remaining ground space as .a park for trailers working inside the docks. IContract A Opera ions Contract A licence operation forms an important part of the company's activities. It operates vehicles in this way for Scottish Brewers Ltd., Esso, the North British Rubber Co., and the National Coal Board.

Mr. Dobson has strdng views about contract working and ordinary "hire and reward" A licence operations. "The two have to stay absolutely separate and apart ", he told me. "If you go to a customer and ask his blessing to back you in a contract licence switch 1 to open A licence, I think you are jeopardizing your own interest. The two have to work side by side ", he stressed.

"The customer ", he reasoned, "interested in contract work, usually has his own CAleensed fleet, andhe wants you, with your open A vehicles, tip come in and do his larger jobs. Both sides agree the price, arid if it doesn't work out then surely it

is your own fault." .

Licensing, too, is taken seriously. "We go through As and Ds '' as soon as they arrive, and if we feel somebody is applying for something that may laffect us, we object", Mr. Dobson told me. The reason for this is to get the applicant to discuss the matter, and if his need l is considered to be genuine, then the objection is withdrawn,1 This then, is how this substantial family business is operated at present. As to the utire? Well, the Common Market, at the time when I interviewed Mr. Dobson, loomed large on the Dobson horizon, If Britain joins, then Dobson's will seriously consider whether or no it will "go Continental "—depending, of course, on the econoinies.

The key to the Dobson success was given to me by Mr. –Dobson as I left his office: "We never accept an order willyfilly. Give the customer the truth and nothing but the truth —if you can't supply a vehicle when he wants it, then say so; keep within your capacity; -maintain a personal connection with your customers and, more important still, your drivers:"


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