letters
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Do you want to comment on any of the stories in Commercial Motor? Does someone in the industry deserve a pat on the back—or a pubic dressing down? Or is there simply something you want to say to our readers? Don't keep it to yourself —drop us a line at CM Letters, Rm H203, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 SAS. Alternatively, you can fax your letter to us on 0181 652 8969 or e-mail it to Miles.Brignall@rbi.co.uk Letters may be edited for length and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor.
Driver shortage
Jam writing in response to Paul Carey's letter "Where are the drivers?" (CM 28 Aug3 Sept). I am a skilled driver holding a high-class licence which Carey, managing director of CDS Employment Agency, says are in effect missing from the industry
I can only speak for myself, but know of others who, like myself, have withdrawn from the freight industry and specialised in other areas that only have freight or trucks as a small part of their operations.
The fundamental reason for this is the derisory terms and conditions offered by today's freight industry.
No self-respecting person should be expected or obliged to work for what is, in effect, no more than "Third World" charitable hand outs. Furthermore, it is becoming quite clear that the number of new entrants to the freight industry is sharply down in 1997, for both dri
ving tests and Operator's Licences.
It is not of any surprise to me: why should any person want to enter an industry which prides itself on the fact that it wants to operate on margins of 1-5%?
In fact it should be in the region of 20%, so as to be able to invest on an ongoing basis in people and equipment, as is the case in other business sectors.
The old chestnut of "the customer will not pay any more than my basic costs" is total rubbish and self-perpetuating. This cycle has to be broken very soon or we are going to witness the British freight transport industry going over the cliff edge.
After all, it's down to the equation of new recruits matching the old hands retiring, or there are going to be trucks with loads but with no drivers.
The only answer to the problem is money. If it's there, then so are recruits. After all, look at the legal profession: it's overcrowded. Why? Money, that's why— it's awash with it.
I recently saw a situation where a British freight forwarder was paying his British haulage contractor 20% less than his Spanish freight haulage counterpart for the same loads to the same destinations.
Furthermore the freight forwarder paid his Spanish operator on 30 days and his British on 90 days.
To add insult to injury the British contractor was more than happy to oblige and work under these terms and conditions.
In the process of my investigation of this anomaly I was told: "You have to keep your Spanish side of the equation happy, or they will not work for you!"
One can only wonder if Sir Francis Drake was right to sink the Spanish Armada, or should we have adopted them there and then? After all, we might not be in the mess that we are now!
I look forward to readers' comments.
Euan McLintock, Strathclyde