Northern hauliers lose their wool
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• Hauliers in the North of England are feeling the effects of containerization of Australian-UK traffic. The ports of Liverpool and Hull have lost 90 per cent of the Bradford mills wool traffic which they handled before the OCL /ACT consortium was set up at Tilbury.
One haulier, Sharp and Griffiths, is reported to have said that it has lost 30 per cent of its trade and that its vehicles are now running empty out of both Liverpool and Hull, whereas before they were fully back-loaded. It is estimated that 15 per cent of the company's vehicles are now off the road.
The hauliers affected in the North-West are hoping that they will recoup the lost business in mid-1971 when the £33m Seaforth project begins to operate; this will bring northern hemisphere traffic into Liverpool.
When the Devlin Plan Stage II is introduced hauliers expect to re-start Saturday working but with the 60-hour, six-day week now operating this will mean major readjustments of their existing work schedules. To add to their difficulties hauliers in the North-West are experiencing shortage of heavy goods vehicle drivers!
• Mr Gordon Campbell, Secretary of State for Scotland, on Monday met Mr P. M. Thomas, chairman of the Scottish Transport Group, in ' St Andrew's House Edinburgh. The meeting provided ar opportunity for a discussion of all aspects 01 the Group's operations, including costs wages and charges, and the reorganizatior of shipping services.