RAIL STRIKE '94
Page 10
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Hauliers keeping Britain moving
* Now in its llth week, the rail strike is forcing Castle Cement to transport up to four 800-tonne trainloads of cement a week by road to its South East distribution depot at Kings Cross.
Up to 10 tankers operated by its distribution arm, Castle Cement Transport Services, are handling the job.
"Where there's only been a one-day stoppage we've managed easily," says national fleet manager Ron McClellan, who says the additional load was simply slipped into one of the four non-strike days. "But when the two-day strikes came, we had to look at losing one train or 400 tonnes so we had no alternative but to switch," he says. "This made it a road situation."
The tankers are taken from Castle's 200-strong fleet and the move to road is causing minimal extra cost or inconvenience."We just put our tankers on to night work," says McClellan. "We hire drivers through agencies."
Castle is likely to go back to rail after the strikes finish because it takes longer to deliver into central London by road. But McClellan adds: "All the aggro would make us think again when it comes to reinvestment."