Words fly on 38-tonne rate
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A LEADING international haulage company has defended its stance on rates after allegations that it is deliberately suppressing rates at 38 tonnes.
Norfolk Line general manager Peter Hollier told CM his company was trying to increase haulage rates in the same way as any other company. Allegations that it was deliberately seeking to force smaller companies out of the market were totally untrue, he said.
"We will get out of the market whatever it allows us to," he said. "We are certainly not trying to put smaller companies out of business. If they cannot compete then that is their problem."
He was responding to Folkestone-based haulier Harvey Shaw which alleged that Norfolk Line and Ferrymasters, who have both made big investments in 38-tonne lorries, were jointly putting pressure on the smaller and middle-sized companies.
Harvey Shaw sales executive Julian Lewis said that once the smaller companies were out of the way and Norfolk Line and Ferrymasters had a total monopoly of the export market, rates would be increased by between 50 and 100 per cent.
Companies with over 1,000 trailers were guilty of dumping these trailers on the market, Mr Lewis said. The trailers prove too expensive to be just parked and left, so very low rates are tendered to keep them running and earning a percentage of their keep.
This practice is very damaging, Mr Lewis said. In Harvey Shaw's case, it has stopped the company from investing entirely in 38 tonnes trailers as there is not enough work for them.
Harvay has a fleet of 200 trailers, a quarter of which have recently been converted to operate at 38 tonnes.
Mr Hollier said that Harvey Shaw's claims had not an iota of truth in them. Norfolk's fleet of 300 three-axled trailers had so much work that it was contemplating another large order for them. None of them were being simply "dumped" on the market, he added.
Ferrymasters declined to comment on Harvey Shaw's allegations.
• Scottish hauliers and trade union representatives meet on June 15 to negotiate a premium wage rate for hire or reward drivers of 38 tonne lorries.