British lose out
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
PROVISIONAL Department of Transport figures last week showed that in 1984 British hauliers carried only 43 per cent of the international traffic by powered vehicles from Great Britain.
This is the fourth year of continuous decline since the peak of 58 per cent in 1980.
And the downward trend seems to be accelerating. In the final quarter of 1984 British hauliers' share reached an all-time low of 39 per cent.
French hauliers now carry 24 per cent of the total powered vehicle traffic from Great Britain (up from 20 per cent in 1983), Dutch hauliers 9 per cent (up from 7 per cent) and Belgians 9 per cent (down from 10 per cent).
These figures emphasise the importance of the forthcoming joint CM/RHA conferences to promote the services of British international hauliers (CM, March 30).
Unaccompanied trailer traffic now accounts for 45 per cent of total movements, a decline of 4 per cent on the year.
These are not broken down by vehicle nationality.
Despite the drop in the annual total, unaccompanied movements rose by 17 per cent between the third and fourth quarters of 1984.
The DTp report shows that half all international haulage movements with Great Britain passed through Ramsgate, Dover and Folkestone last year, increasing from 44 per cent in 1983.
Their share of powered vehicle traffic was 73 per cent, rising from 70 per cent in 1983.
Unaccompanied traffic went up from 18 per cent to 22 per cent.
The figures broken down by nationality are based on the number of powered, vehicles which leave British ports for Europe, and do not specify whether or not the vehicles were laden.