MORE 'CRUSADERS' WELCOME • Your "Comment" column (CM 19-25 January)
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refers to the recent moves within the Road Haulage Association towards selective membership based on quality standards. As a member of Transfrigoroute UK, I welcome any move which improves standards within our industry as TUK has been actively promoting better standards for many years.
You also refer to a recent survey questioning hauliers about attitudes towards their trade associations (CM 26 January-1 February). You concentrated on the RHA and Freight Transport Association, which we recognise are the major associations in terms of the size of their memberships, but if you are linking this with the "quality or quantity" debate then Transfrigoroute UK can claim some expertise in this area for two reasons.
The first is that Transfrigoroute has always included operating members (hauliers and distributors) and associate members (manufacturers of equipment relevant to temperature control), and as such has consistently been a forum for interchange of ideas in a noncompetitive environment and the recurrent theme running through these discussions is improved standards.
Second, both classes of membership must adhere to a code of conduct which sets out the high standards we achieve within the association.
Admittedly, the common interest of all members is temperature control, which is only one sector of our industry but it has never been the kind of "exclusive club" to which you refer. If any prospective member can demonstrate the minimum standards required and is interested in becoming part of our "crusade" to improve the perception of our industry among customers and the public at large, then they are welcome to join.
R J Swindells, Operations director, Langdon Industries, Bristol.