Take that check up!
Page 9
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You could forgive hauliers for paying scant attention to the government's offer of a free "health check" on their efficiency For many years hauliers have been forced by government policy to minutely examine their costs and operating practices, so what makes the government think that consultants from the Freight Transport and Road Haulage Associations can make a difference?
In fact, many hauliers don't know their true operating costs, and many more are running at minimal or zero profit. Any help people in this position can get, they should take. Maybe it's only going to prove what you knew all along—that you're in full command of a slick, well-honed business machine. But maybe, just maybe, you might find there's something you've missed.
While cynicism is only natural (not to mention thoroughly deserved by this government) any haulier who is making less money than he'd like would be a fool not to take advantage of a free consultancy service. All you stand to lose is a morning's time showing the consultant around, and what you stand to learn could be the difference between the life and death of your business.
Now that's got to be worth a morning's time, hasn't it?
• We've all known it for years, but if ever you wanted evidence that European harmonisation is still a long way off, the discrepancies in enforcement strategies around Europe prove it conclusively (see news story, page 7). The sooner common paperwork, procedures and penalties are introduced in member states, the better it will be for hauliers, examiners, enforcement—and road safety.