Small and medium-sized hauliers are doomed: a clear, if painful
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message from John Bridge, outgoing national chairman of the Road Haulage Association. And if an experienced haulier like John with all the expertise of the RHA to hand can't make a prolonged living out of transport, who the hell can?
Constant pressure from high operating costs, poor rates, cut-throat competition and difficult operating conditions make haulage a game many don't want their children to follow them into. Little wonder that Bridge is just the latest in a very long line of operators to throw in the towel.
So we can only guess what on earth John, and thousands of other hauliers who have already given up or are poised to do so, will make of the frankly crass comments made this week by Messrs Geary and Patel, the two law lecturers who have deemed last year's fuel protests "evil".
What gives them the right to condemn hauliers this way? They obviously don't believe in free speech, or legal demonstrations ...and they obviously know nothing at all about haulage. Let's see them run a transport business successfully for a few months in the real world before they come out with such rubbish again. Then, gentlemen, perhaps we'll take your views a bit more seriously.. .maybe.
• Why the IT-themed issue this week? Because if there's one area that can have a huge impact on your efficiency and profits, it's information technology. We hope you find our '4-page guide useful. We're planning more special issues in future, including one on cutting your costs; and if there are any other subjects you'd like to see us cover, please let us know.