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The state of freight

21st May 1983, Page 66
21st May 1983
Page 66
Page 66, 21st May 1983 — The state of freight
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

THE FREIGHTING industry set up its international stall at a significant time: as the date of the General Election was set. Any talks by a new government on the United Kingdom withdrawing from the European Economic Community must prove a damper to expansion, while the return of Mrs Thatcher may mean full steam ahead in this growth area.

However, the International Freight and Trade Exhibition in Bell Vue, Manchester, last week, looked further afield, with deepsea lines and air-freight companies prominent besides the likes of Brittany Ferries, Port of Le Havre, Sally the Viking Line and Sealink.

Nearer home, Manchester Docks can handle all types of dry cargo and a container terminal has been provided for Manchester Liners' container ships from Montreal and the Mediterranean. Bridgewater Transport Services operates a road transport fleet for the Port of Manchester, and the port runs a quay delivery bureau affording preference to vehicles giving advance notice and arriving at specified times.

The Port of London, also represented, is, on the other hand, threatened by a ban on 38-tonners by the Greater London Council, never mind how important it is to rejuvenation of dockland, where Asda is reported to have delayed the opening of its new superstore on the Isle of Dogs till later this year because of insufficient road links.

While driver-accompanied units are now a strong feature of cross-Channel freight transport, the container in particular comes into its own on short and longsea crossings, giving rail a chance. BR's Railfreight International links the Speedlink network to Continental freight trains; modern wagons can carry 54 tonnes. Road collection and delivery is arranged by Railfreight.

The exhibition—this was the third one — does not feature commercial vehicles, although several exhibitors run fleets. However, ubiquitous forklift trucks were present.

Bel-O-Pak (UK), a new company, of Kennington Road, London, SE11, presented informa tion on its range of material handling devices. It claims that a Belopak-based load, compared with a normal pallet-based load, gives the user an extra 3.34 cubic metres volume for each 20ft ISO container.

The company also says that eight cartons in a unitised load will stand only as high as seven in a normal pallet-based load, giving a potential 15 per cent increase in space utilisation on a lorry. Therefore, at the end of the road, it claims, "One container ship in seven needn't go!"

Other devices designed for use in this system include the BOP foot, and sheet tray, sling, box, big bag and slave pallet. The foot is an open-ended sleeve with a pleated structure which collapses under the weight of a unit load yet causes a space to be formed inside the length of each sleeve. This space provides access for forklift truck forks, which then causes the sleeve to expand with the thickness of the forks as they are driven down the length of each sleeve.

Freight forwarders are offered consolidation services to selected European locations by Cargo Consolidators.

Our own offshore islands are the speciality of Winsford-based Road and Sea Express (Sandwich).

Small freight vehicles are catered for by the East Kent Shipping and Forwarding Co — by Hoverspeed it's the quickest way across the Channel.

The whole field of distribution is covered by Cargo Handling (UK) in Britain and certain European locations: small parcels of general freight is sent in one of three categories — nextday delivery 7/96 hours; or timed collections. International trucking services are offered to shipping lines and forwarders.

cannot include every specialist firm at this exhibition; any operator planning to move into a new field would have been well advised to turn up in order to see something of what he is up against, and freight managers to see what is on offer by services he has not hitherto used.

However, I cannot conclude without a mention of the Middle East, where so many firms have encountered difficulties, particularly towards the end of the boom period. Whittle International tells me it gets around 40 lorries a month off to this area. Customers are quoted a composite price (subject to any currency or transit tax fluctations) without any hidden extras right through to destination. Dubai takes around 17 days.

• by John Durant


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