Business picks up again
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A SURVEY on the financial state of the road haulage industry published this week and covering 300 companies for 1978 shows that Scottish Road Services (Forth) Ltd had a 131 per cent increase in turnover on the previous year. The survey, published by Jordon's of Brunswick Place, London and costing £35.00 is compiled from information filed at Companies House.
With a smaller staff Tate & Lyle Transport increased its profit by more than £0.5m. The Golightly Group's turnover decreased by 43 per cent. The survey does not analyse the reasons for the variances, but it does state that the trend towards loss-making has been arrested.
In 1974 16.2 per cent of firms surveyed fell in this category, which rose to 24.2 per cent last year. It is now back at 13.6 per cent. The 300 top companies are chosen on the basis of turnover and include many of the better-known names.
With a turnover of £219.5m, Transport Development Group showed a pre-tax profit of £20.0m in 1978, or about 10 per cent. TDG employs over 11,000 people.
In the year it left NFC's control, Freightliners Ltd made £290,000 on a £51m turnover employing 2394 people.
Dallas (Kingston) Ltd, a TDG specialist haulier, has close to a 14 per cent profit on turnover.
Wincanton's £12m turnover showed a 16 per cent pre-tax profit in 1978. In the same year Reed Transport Ltd had a 4 per cent profit on £8.29m.
Charles Alexander & Partners Ltd, a TDG company, returned five per cent on £5.2m, and Heavy Transport (ECC) Ltd, returned 11 p.c.