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Anne Reston
Page 59
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CHAIRMAN, PRESTONS OF POTTO
Belonging to a haulage family can buy a ticket into the industry, even if it does not guarantee success but the majority of family members taking a leading role remain male, That was even more true in the 196Cis when Anne Preston married Richard Preston, of the famous Potto haulage family. Her father was a livestock haulier, so she already knew something about the business, but It took quite a bit of get up and go for her to take such an active part in the family f irm.
This was all the more so as before long she had children, who were looked after by someone else because she spent such long hours at work.
Preston recalls: 'My mother hated the fact I chose a career rather than two small children, but I had no career break and I had to have someone to look after my children completely."
In fact it was the men of the Preston family who were most supportive of Anne's determination to make a success of her haulage career. Her husband has always backed her and her father-in-law even signed over his shares in the company to her, which meant, as she observes wryly, that he must have had some faith we were going to stay together, and we did".
Preston went on to become the first woman on the board of the Road Haulage Association, has been made an MBE, and is still thoroughly enjoying her role at the Foto haulier.
Her advice to women wanting to succeed in the haulage business?
"It's very tough. You've got to be prepared to do long hours and I've always been a great advocate of networking -with other local businesses, with the Chamber of Commerce, the IR HA and so forth. I've also always read a lot, and you do need to keep up with all the legislation nowadays. I wouldn't put anyone off, but you need to realise you will have to work hard."