'It is the pettifogging, arbitrary obstructionism which taxes the stamina'
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g1 n a recent issue covering the Brussels show, CM posed the question: Are British bodybuilders missing the European boat?" This is a vexed question with me and presumably with other British bodybuilders and trailer manufacturers.
In the first place, there isn't a single European boat, but many different boats. There is absolutely no harmonisation in terms of the various limits for height, weight, width, obligatory equipment, lighting, braking systems and other fundamentals. This presents its own problems for the rosyspectacled would-be exporter beating his joyful path towards the Dover ferry This is only the first of the problems. I believe that some of our larger EC partners use their own unique importation, inspection and certification procedures as a deterrent to frustrate imports and to make life that bit more difficult for the unwary Anyone who has struggled with KFZ letters in Germany, carte grise, barre rouge and mines de passage in France, will know exactly what I mean.
In trying to deliver a recent order for 24 curtainsiders to France, we learnt that because more than 15 vehicles of the same type were involved they could only be invoiced by a French company. We were forced to find a French company to process the paperwork.
And then there's VAT We have encountered the most implacable bureaucracy on the refund of VAT money from Germany whose primary objective seems to be to prevent repayment of tax, although the rules clearly indicate it is repayable.
We all know the propensity of some our EC partners to protectionism—it is hard to disguise the smell of burning lamb. But it is the more insidious, pettifogging, arbitrary obstructionism of officialdom which really taxes the stamina.
The job gets done, however, because there are customers over there who want what we have got over here.
This brings me to products. CMs readers could have inadvertently gained the impression from your Brussels show article that we were lagging behind in terms of product. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is galling to read that a German company to which we have exported hundreds of curtainsiders over the past few years has now "invented" one of its own and proposes to introduce it to the UK. What price European co-operation? Perhaps we should ask the 5,500 Leyland Daf employees who are now pondering their fate after their Dutch partners pulled the rug.
Never mind that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery: it doesn't really matter that someone bites two fingers off the hand that was feeding them, except that we might have put the two fingers to another good use.
Meanwhile, we in Britain and at Congleton in particular, are setting the pace with superb and well proven Mega bodies, the most effective multi-height and raise/lower roof applications, full-length unsupported roofs, progressive bolt-together bodies and other innovative designs.
I don't believe British bodybuilders need to defer to anyone when it comes to quality and designs. What we need is a more level playing field. We export completely built units to Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia with less hassle than to Calais. But wait a moment—is that a light I see at the end of the Channel Tunnel? We can only hope it's not an oncoming TGV.
El If you want to sound off about a road transport issue write to features editor Patric Cunnane