Notes on the Government Road Haulage Scheme
Page 18
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Supplied by the Ministry of War Transport and the Hauliers' National Traffic Pool, to keep the Industry informed of Developments, but not necessarily to be Regarded as Official Pronouncements GENERAL CARGO MOVED. — The general cargo moved in the week ended May 1 amounted to 63,000 tons.
CHARTERED FLEET.—Further offers of vehicles were received last week, bringing the total number of such vehicles to 3,025. Of this total about 250 have so far been called up and a further 1,630 are regarded as " possibles."
LOADED MILES.—It has been officially estimated thet a well-operated vehicle on long-distance work probably averages 700 miles per week throughout the year. Under the Government Scheme chartered vehicles are now averaging 685 loaded miles. With all modesty, the Ministry feel that that is not bad as a start, and it further shows that chartered hauliers are doing their job.
NAUTICAL LANGUAGE. — Comment has been made elsewhere on the similarity of terrns employed by the Road Haulage industry and the Merchant Navy, such as " the chartered fleet" and " general cargo." If the use of such terms serves to emphasize the close association between the men who
ferry the goods across the seas and the men who deliver them to the consumer, the Ministry are all in favour el them, but they have not yet gone to the length that one haulier suggests, When it was pointed out to him that the mileage for which he was charging greatly exceeded the point to point mileage, he replied with crushing sarcasm that his firm took their distances from the speedometer; they did not navigate by the stars. Perhaps the temptation to get in a cutting rejoinder was too great to be resisted. At any rate, it is hard to believe he was ignorant of the fact that the point to point mileages accepted are the actual road mileages laid down in the A.A. handbook.
CAMBRIDGE APPOINTMENT. The appointment is announced of Mr. A. E. Hudson as a member of the Cambridge Management Committee of the National Pool. Mr. Hudson fills the vacancy created by the appointment of Mr. A. Porter as Area Road Haulage Officer. SUB-AGE'NTS.—It seems that in trying to remove one misunderstanding these notes may have given rise to another. A fortnight ago a paragraph was inserted with the object of making it clear that the Hauliers' National Traffic Pool does not require operators to obtain traffic through a registered sub-agent. The paragraph had no other object or significance. A correspondent points out, however, that it may tend to discourage some registered hauliers from loading through accredited sub-agents. The Ministry and the Pool therefore take this opportunity of stating that there was no intention to suggest that an operator who is a registered participant cannot take traffic from a sub-agent if he so wishes.