AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Return to Freedom With a Change of Outlook

25th March 1955, Page 40
25th March 1955
Page 40
Page 41
Page 40, 25th March 1955 — Return to Freedom With a Change of Outlook
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

An Example of a Company Willing to Work with Others So That Waste Mileage May Be Cut and Proper Terminals Developed

By C. S. Dunbar, M.Inst.T.

FOR more than 20 years now, exchange of traffic and interworking have been a regular feature of operation among express carriers, but before the war it was practically unknown for any such arrangement to be made between general hauliers. The war brought about a change of outlook because of the operation of the Ministry of Transport's Road Haulage Organizatiork which brought erstwhile competitors together, and the seed there sown was encouraged to grow by the experience gained by many hauliers when they took office under British Road Services.

Economy Improved As that body became properly organized, it was found possible to cut out many redundant depots and to save many thousands of wasted miles through the development of trunk services with proper terminal facilities.

It is encouraging to find that hauliers returning to the industry are now willing and anxious to work with. others so that separate companies can concentrate on the areas they know best and not have to scratch about all the country for return loads. Of course, for many years, clearing houses have been used for return traffic, but that is an entirely different matter from the organization of regular services.

I have more than once advocated that working arrangements should be made between B.R.S. and independent hauliers. and there is every indication that when the size and location of the nationalized fleet is finally determined, there will be no

1114

lack of response from independent operators to any suggestions which B.R.S. may put forward to avoid wasteful competition.

These remarks are prompted by a visit I have paid to Toft Bros. and Tomlinson (1954), Ltd., following my talk (The Commercial Motor, February 25) with the directors of Longton Transport, Ltd. In 1921, Mr. Eli Toft, Mr. Vernon Toft, and Mr. J. Tomlinson went into partnership, each driving a vehicle, and began working from Youlgreave in North Derbyshire.

Mineral Haulage The Peak District, where they began operations, is, of course, a quarrying area and produces such minerals as fluorspar and lead, so that the partners' early activities were mostly concerned with the movement of such materials as well as work for the county council. They not only hauled road materials for the council, but took on a good deal of work on daily hire, so that by 1927, when Mr. J. McLean joined the business, the fleet had grown to 15, mostly Leylands.

A year later. a move was made to Darley Dale where the central building of the existing range was erected. From then on the growth was astonishing, no fewer than 53 vehicles, mostly heavies, representing the claimed tonnage when the 1933 Act came into force.

As with most companies, the Act slowed down the rate of expansion, but on nationalization there were 66 vehicles (380 tons unladen weight) in the fleet, about half of them tippers. This latter characteristic was because of the volume of county council work, and, in fact, in the summer months it was necessary to bring in a number of sub-contractors to help.

Gardner Agency An important development was the securing in 1930 of the Gardner agency for Derbyshire. Toft Bros. and Tomlinson were among the earliest regular users of oil engines on the road and began by employing the L2 marine type. They claim to have run the first Gardner 4LW in regular daily service. By 1939. the whole fleet was equipped with Gardner engines.

A limited-liability company was formed in 1935 and the Toft brothers retired in 1938, when Mr. W. Tomlinson and Mr. J. A. Tomlinson, sons of Mr. I. Tomlinson, joined the company. So important had the engineering side become that in November, 1946, the North Derbyshire Engineering Co.. Ltd.. was formed. The directors, accurately guessing at the trend of post-war events, also divorced the transport side from their other interests and in 1942-43 they formed North Derbyshire Contractors, Ltd., Darley Dale Plant and Vehicle Hiring Co., Ltd., and Darlton Quarries, Ltd.

In the early years of the war, the company were faced with the dual

roblem of catering for increased affic whilst fuel was restricted. To nprove operation, depots were pened in Liverpool in 1940, and in ondon in 1941, and in the following ear, the business of Messrs. J.• R. [dime, Norma nton, was acquired to )rm a West Riding centre. Then Ame the Ministry scheme and Mr. . McLean was appointed unit antroller.

Rather to the surprise of the irectors, control was removed in 946 and the company opened. the .ondon, Liverpool and Normanton epots again and a new one at Hull. ,ut the period of freedom was a loft one, for nationalization came 1949.

The associated companies, of nurse, were not affected and have arried on uninterruptedly. Whilst le transport side was run by B.R.S., le engineering company did the epair work for the fleet based in the djoining premises. The other., subidiaries have little connection with le day-to-day happenings at Darley )ale as the quarry is at Stoney 4iddleton and the contracting cornanies (which are largely engaged in pen-cast coal production) are at :hesterfield.

The liritish Transport Commission cquired the shares of Tat Bros. and -omlinson, Ltd., and the directors emained for a time to make the ranSfer as smooth as possible. Then 4r, J. McLean died in 1950 and his on, Mr. D. J. McLean left, as did he other directors, The Darley Dale premises were taken on lease and lesignated as a group headquarters a the Notts and Derby District of

he Midland Division. Mr. C. H. 4ayling, who had joined Toft's in anuary, 1940, was appointed group raffle superintendent.

Regular Trunk Services In the early stages, depots at lartington, Wirksworth and Amberate were attached to Darley Dale. he group originally contained about DO vehicles, but eventually it was ound possible to operate with about talf this number. The post of group raffle superintendent was abolished nd Mr. Mayling became depot nanager. As in other parts of the ountry, the main feature pf the I.R.S. era was the building up of egular trunk services.

When a workable fleet based on )arley Dale was put up for tender, he remaining partners" in the old :ornpany successfully bid for it, egistered a • 'new company—Toft lros. and Tomlinson (1954), Ltd.— eith Mr: W. Tomlinson, Mr. J. A. Pomlinson and Mr. D. J. McLean as

directors, and regained possession of their former premises on December 20, 1954.

The fleet taken over numbered 28, but 10 of these were Dodges engaged in milk collection. This was something foreign to Toft's experience sb they sold the 10 vehicles to G. Siddall (Transport), Ltd., Darley Dale. The remaining 18 consist of four Atkinson eight-wheelers, an E.R.F. sixwheeler and 13 Maudslays together with three trailers. The total carrying capacity of the fleet is 104 tons. B.R.S. have not entirely evacuated from Darley Dale: they have found other premises and are keeping 10 vehicles in the neighbourhood.

• Mr. Mayling is transport manager and his experience with B.R.S. is being put to good use in the organization of the business on somewhat different lines from those prevailing before the war. The type of traffic has changed somewhat, Next door to the company's headquarters is a large works, originally a shadow factory and now occupied by Firth Derition Stampings, Ltd, Forgings are made there for all the leading car and aeroplane manufacturers.

Lead is no longer mined on a commercial scale in the district but the smelting works of H. J. Enthoven remains in Darley Dale, with headquarters at Rotherhithe, and there is a continuous flow of traffic between the two places. Tipping work, which formed a high percentage of the old company's work is not undertaken at present.

The new company started their existence with a flourish. I was shown an impressive record of active customers, collected in the short time the business has been functioning, and here I must mention the highly systematic way in which the paper

work is done with quite a small staff The loose-leaf order book contairs entries which tie up with the vehicle records, the rate card and the invoice. The system of indexing quotations and recording rates is really well done. I was particularly pleased to see that Toft's have realized the need for a smaller scale to cover those cases where they collect a consignment smaller than their normal one ton lower limit. .

They do not make the mistake, which is made by so many hauliers, of putting the occasional small on the tonnage rate; this is done even by some concerns when the tonnage rate is one that has been quoted for 5-ton or even 10-ton lots.

Simple Basic Document One change for the better (probably due to B.R.S. practice) is that most of the customers no longer' expect hauliers to return their own signed notes to them with the invoice, as used to be the practice. Toft's have a simple form in quadruplicate which serves all purposes as a basic document. When an order is received it is entered in the order book and given a job number. A form is then made out with details of sender and consignee and approximate weight.

Further details are filled in at the sender's and he receives the copy headed "collection note."

The consignee is presented with two copies, one of which he keeps and the other he hands back, signed, to the driver. The company thus has eventually both the signed receipt note and the fourth copy in its possession. The referencing system allows proof of delivery to be given as quickly if required.

I was glad to see, too, that all notes bear the statement that "goods are carried under the company's conditions of carriage."

In these early days, the company is dependent for its return loads on friendly arrangements with other concerns in whatever towns the lorries are going to. The job to which priority has been given on the traffic side is the organization of trtinking and the first run that is being tackled is London.

Here we come to a most interesting development. The problem is shall the company find new depot premises in London and other places or shall it depend on interworking arrangements? The latter is the plan that will be tried. Vehicles starting from each end will change drivers at Northampton and the drivers will each return to their own bases, so that the question of subsistence allowance will not arise.


comments powered by Disqus