Need for Artco Terminals ?
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MEED for additional terminal facili ties was stressed at the traffic managers' conference of Associated Road Transport Contractors, Ltd., in London on Monday.
Mr. A. Wentworth Smith (G. Earn shaw, Ltd.) claimed that his discussion group considered that the provision of an Artco-sponsored depot in London should have high priority. It would be substantially used if the facilities were provided at a reasonable price, he claimed.
Mr. M. W. Harris (Burrows Transport, Ltd.) reminded members that such a project was a major objective in the early days of Artco. Ground had been selected for the purpose near Barnet, and facilities envisaged included refuelling, accommodation for drivers, and transhipment sheds.
The chairman, Mr. A. Cusick (Cusick Transport, Ltd.), said that if the suggestion were to reach fruition, the Association must act quickly and plan, on a -profitmaking basis. Discussing trunk services, Mr. Cusick stated that following the credit squeeze there had been a dearth of full-load traffic. Although there had been some improvement, average loading tended to be less than it was two years ago.
Whilst accepting the impossibility of enforcing standard rate schedules, Mr. Cusick considered that the publication of costs relative to full and part-load traffic would help members when negotiating with customers.
Bulk traffic was no longer a paying proposition, claimed Mr. P. A. Goodrum (Burrows Transport, Ltd.). It was becoming so uneconomic that hauliers would have to decide whether they should attempt to compete with specialized rail transits. This view, however, was contested by several members who claimed that economy was dependent upon individual circumstances.
The possibility of inaugurating an Artco bulk-buying scheme was referred to the next board meeting.