The competitive edge
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• Opening Commercial Motor's 24th Fleet Management Conference, held for the first time in Birmingham, Wincanton Group managing director David Yeomans, told delegates that he was no stranger to FMC — eight years ago he spoke on the subject "Tachograph-tool or toy".
Now conference chairman, Yeomans reckoned that a lot had happened since then. "Commercial vehicles were re ferred to as juggernauts, and we were seen as being somewhat unprofessional — although most of us in the business didn't actually agree with that at the time."
Operators today were more professional than ever before. "We've seen dramatic increases in productivity, improved loading and vehicles, better, more-durable equipment and some improvements in the road network." Yeomans reminded the 400 delegates, however, that competition remained intense — and warned "that just around the corner, only four years off, we're talking about 1992 and cabotage, where competition could further increase.
We have to work to improve our operations to stay ahead and maintain that competitive edge that we've managed to achieve over the last five years."