to replace BR 'Sundries'
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£5m ORDER TO MODERNIZE FLEET
O A new company—with £5m to invest in 6,000 new vehicles—has been formed to replace, under the Transport Act, the Sundries Division of British Railways. It is to be called National Carriers Ltd., and in 1969 will become a part of the National Freight Corporation.
Mr. Peter Land, 41, who continues as general manager of National Carriers Ltd., states his objectives as: O To provide a national transport service by rail and road in the middle weight consignment range (such words as "sundries" and "smalls" are out; they are outmoded); O To meet the market requirements for quality of service; O To develop and modernize a broad-based storage and distribution business; O To incorporate techniques that will maximize productivity of men and vehicles; O And to cease to be the only member of the National Freight Corporation failing to make a profit.
Immediate action is being taken to project a new public image which will be reflected through a new symbol in all forms of publicity. The first impact will be on the streets, where the company's 4hicles will prominently display a speeding yellow diamond and the initials NCL.
National Carriers Ltd. operates the largest cartage fleet in Britain: 10,000 vehicles, 25,000 trailers-35,000 units in all.
The new E5m investment is for 1,270 vehicles and 4,860 trailers. The money will enable the fleet to be modernized: chiefly by the provision of covered trailers—many of which will be fitted with an all-aluminium, high capacity van body—and 16-ton vehicles for road trunking.
"The £5m investment in our company", says Mr. Land, "is an expression of confidence in our future. We did not come by the money easily—in fact, it was very tough. Itis now up to us to show results."
National Carriers Ltd. is already installed in new headquarters—NCL House, a modern office building in John Street, to the north of Grays Inn.
The contracts for 1,254 articulated and rigid diesel vehicles, together with 4,759 semitrailers, represent the current programme for modernizing the fleet. The principal items are:
Artics Gross train weight Type in tons Quantity
Bedford KGA.60 18 132
Bedford KGA.60 16 290 (de-rated) Ford 0300 10 358
The 16-ton and 18-ton g.t.w. attics will be used for trunking and Freightliner container services and the Ford 10-ton g.t.w. units for general town delivery work.
Rigids Gross vehicle weight Type in tons Quantity Bedford J3 LZ. 10 7 399 Commer KCB.4035 5 50
The 399 Bedford chassis will be converted to easy cab entry and will be fitted with 750 cu. ft. bodies integral with the cab, having easy access for the driver into the body thus obviating the need for him first to descend to the roadway. The 50 Commer Walk-Thru chassis front ends are to be fitted with 450 Cu. ft. integral cab bodies. The bodies for these rigid motors will have steel frames and aluminium panels and will have
the following capacities and dimensions:— Gross vehicle Pay load
Capacity weight in tons in tons Quantity 450 cu. ft. 5 2 50 750 cu. ft. 7 4 399 Semi-trailers The semi-trailer requirements are: 10-ton g,t.w. 2,623
18 ton g.t.w. 2,100
Of these, 2,351 10-ton g.t.w. and 631 18-ton g.t.w. are to be fitted with all-aluminium high cubic capacity lockable van bodies, the 10-tonners being mostly 20ft. long by 7ft. wide and the 18-tonners 25ft. long by 8ft. wide. The principal suppliers will be Scammell Lorries Ltd., Tasker (Trailers) Ltd., H.W.P. Engineering Co. Ltd., and Hands (Letchworth) Ltd.
There are also 36 semi-trailers of special types and dimensions to meet unusual traffic needs.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Load-sensing valves are fitted to articulated vehicles; steering column locks to both rigid and attics. Automatic chassis lubrication and alternators are now standard on all motor vehicles.