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Elaine Mil ler. operations di rector at Wincanton's container logstics business,
Page 23
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which bought container hauliers CEL and Hanbury Davies in 2008, says the firm "expects some casualties" as the market "adjusts to the current realities".
However, she firmly believes that when the economy eventually picks up, Wincanton will emerge as one of the winning organisations in the container logistics market.
"We can only speak from our viewpoint, but nationally volumes are down by around 20%,' she reveals.
It is our view that retail sales are showing that we have hit the bottom and it will be a gradual slow climb towards growth. In the years to come, we will exceed current port capacity." Andrew McNab, the business development director at Felixstowe-based Maritime Transport, comments: "There has also been a huge coolingoff in volumes since Christmas, but everything tends to go in cycles and there will be an eventual upturn."
He adds: "At the moment, it is just difficult to know when that will be."
Brian Tattersall, managing director at Pentalver Transport, which is based in Southampton, says he has witnessed "massive" declines in volumes at the south-coast port over recent months.
"The number of containers coming through UK ports from overseas has dropped massively over the past few months and the situation at the moment is dire," he adds.