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FRIEND OR FOE?
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• A year ago there was consternation in the industry when the Freight Transport Association announced that it was interested in a merger with the Road Haulage Association.
The RHA rejected the FTA's overtures, but the move focussed the industry's attention on the role of the trade associations. What should the RHA and PTA be offering their members? Do they offer their members value for money? Would the industry have benefited from the proposed merger?
To find out the industry's views on these and other questions, we undertook a survey. Chosen at random, 200 operators were asked the following questions: Does your company belong to a trade association?
Results show that the industry is split roughly into thirds: 34.6% belong to the RHA: 28% to the FTA and 36% do not belong to either. No other trade association (or union) scored more than 2.6%.
With over a third of transport firms not affiliated to a transport trade association, there appears to be plenty of opportunity for both the RHA and the FTA to increase their membership. If proposals for the regulation of the industry by the trade associations are to be effective, a far greater proportion of transport companies need to belong to either the FTA or the RHA.
Does your company get good value for money from its trade association? It seems clear that those companies belonging to trade associations feel they do get good value. A total of 95% of FTA members said yes, while three quarters of RHA members were similarly satisfied.
Many of those questioned expressed the view that individual operators have to make use of their association's facilities to get the best value for money, One haulier from Essex told us that younger members seemed loath to attend meetings unless there was a crisis, and were perhaps less happy with value for money as a result.
One RHA member told us membership fees are, "expensive, but worth it." However, 11.5% of RHA operators expressed dissatisfaction at the value for money provided by the association. Several of these operators were small companies, such as the one who told us: "The RHA is becoming a money-making organisation and is no longer beneficial to the smaller operator." Another small operator said: "The RHA's place is helping the smaller man, they are no longer fulfilling this role."
Despite slightly higher levels of dissastisfaction among RHA members than among FTA members, there was one point which RHA members praised. The RHA handbook, they told us, was invaluable in interpreting the latest regulations.
What are the biggest benefits to your company of belonging to a trade association?
It is interesting that there was no single benefit identified as the primary reason for belonging to a trade association.
Both associations were praised in the survey for their effective lobbying of parliament, their training programmes and for the information services they offer, covering technical and legislative matters. Among FTA members, the association's
vehicle inspectorate, fuel price monitoring and tachograph services are popular. For RHA members the insurance services, legal assistance and wages guidance are well liked.
What benefits does the road transport industry as a whole get from the existence of your trade association?
Most of those asked felt that the trade associations provide the same benefits to industry as they do to individual companies.
One operator told us: "A collective body such as the RHA wields more power and influence than a single voice, particularly as most operators are seeking the same goals." Other hauliers told us the trade associations help to maintain continuity in wages and conditions, while one operator said: "If everyone played by the RHA rules then it would be better for everyone involved in the trucking business." What do you see as the major campaigning issue for your trade association?
Most of those questioned told us they could not isolate one particular issue. However, among RHA members the issues of due diligence, rebates on dery and the question of training were mentioned frequently, while FTA members were more concerned about axle weights, trailer lengths and local bans on traffic movements. Are there any changes you would like to see in the association? One of the first hauliers we spoke to answered this by saying: "There is always room for improvement." Some operators told us they felt the associations were inherently rather conservative, and there were suggestions that they needed to work more closely with the industry.
One of those questioned observed: "More emphasis could be put on helping to recruit and train more technicians. Perhaps a troubleshooter could visit members to handle specific technical problems."
Is your association providing sufficient support in the run-up to 1992?