IT ALL BEGAN IN 1968
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In reply to H Gee's letter ( CM1117 March) I would suggest the real problems in this industry started with Harold Wilson's Labour Government and his transport minister Barbara Castle's 1968 Transport Act, which brought in deregulation.
The old system of licensing did a good job of stopping anyone who just fancied a go in transport from working for next-to-nothing in competition with existing hauliers. Is it any coincidence that it's usually these upstart companies which started off post-1968 with Operator's Licences that get into trouble for driver's hours offences, etc (after cutting rates to win contracts)?
If diesel is so expensive, why are most trucks driven as if fuel was dirt cheap? Let's all drive for economy and set an example to the nutters in cars.
If your trucks are returning 9.5mpg you will produce many savings in fuel, insurance premiums, tyres, etc, and you won't need to flog the driver to death to get that extra load done each week, Also, don't do cheap return loads. They often take hours to load and unload so many are uneconomic anyway.
Alan Mar, Grimsby.