Siddle Cook pulls out of heavy haulage
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• One of the oldest hauliers in the North of England, Siddle C. Cook Ltd, Consett, Co Durham, has decided to pull out of heavy haulage and to concentrate on general work and contract hire.
This week director and general manager Mr L. J. Crouch said that rationalization had been forced on the company because of deterioration of trade during the past 18 months, the fall-off in heavy engineering and shipyard work being particularly serious in reducing the demand for heavy vehicles. More firms had entered the business and the Consett depot, being situated in a remote position, could not operate economically. The firm is part of the NFC's Tayforth Group.
The National Freight Corporation had decided that as there was another heavy haulage depot within a radius of 15 miles it would be better to operate one intensively rather than have two half-employed, An NFC spokesman told CM that Pickfords Heavy Haulage would take over some of the work and all the vehicles. Nearest Pickfords depot to Consett is at Birtley.
Some 50 men, representing half the labour force at Siddle C. Cook, will lose their jobs as from today August 25. Some have been offered work at depots of NFC companies Road Services (Caledonian) at Gateshead and at Road Services (Forth) at Darlington.