Bird's Eye View
Page 73
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What's in a Name?
By The Hawk
AS one who thinks seriously about affairs, Mr. John Barber, managing director of Victory Transport, Ltd., is careful in his use of words. He finds a clear distinction between a transport contractor and a haulier, for instance. To .him a haulier is one who handles bulk traffic, usually of low grade. and has a simple administrative set-up. A transport contractor's work is more complicated. He carries higher-grade traffic and his service is closely identified with the business of his customers. In an extreme case, such as the distribution service which Victory Transport provide for 17 makers of consumer gdods, the transport operator's undertaking is virtually the customer's own
transport department. • That, at least, is Mr. Barber's definition. Does a transport contractor smell as sweet by any other name'?
Peacocks and Peace
UR. BARBER'S new headquarters at Rownhams certainly lYiprovide an atmosphere conducive to quiet thought. Young peacocks, accompanied by their foster mother, a domestic hen, strut on the lawn and peep in at the diningroom window. The estate was obviously laid out by a landscape gardener and is splendidly wooded, and has a small lake with a boat. It seems that Mr. Barber cannot keep away from water.
Mine Host
LAST Friday Mr. Clifford Bower-, manager of the Southsea La branch of Wadham Bros., Ltd., left the commercialvehicle' industry after 25 years. On Monday he was on duty as landlord of the "George Inn" at Reforne, Portland. a fine Jacobean building and one of the oldest occupied houses on the island. In former years it was the home of the parish clerk. For many years the ancient Court Leet of the Royal Manor of Portland has held its meetings there.
Mr. Bower is hoping to see some of his old friends there. He is anxious not to cut adrift completely from the commercial-vehicle industry and would like to continue on tha maintenance side of the Lorry Driver of the Year Competition. His services are available for the asking.
Loft Bank
UE certainly has a fund of anecdotes with which to enter' tain his customers. One of my favourites concerns a trip he made as a young salesman to deliver a cattle truck to a west-country farmer. His instructions were that he must not leave without collecting the money.
He arrived at the farm at about 6 p.m. and it quickly became obvious that the farmer had to be humoured. After supper they adjourned to the local inn, returning at about 1 a.m., when the farmer produced a bottle of whisky. At about 3 a.m. he was ready to pay up. He placed a ladder up to the loft and presented Mr. Bower with a biscuit tin and a hurricane lamp. The two of them Climbed the ladder and while Mr. Bower held up the lamp, the farmer unwound the lagging on the water pipes and 'removed bundles of a hundred f 1 notes, which he dropped into the tin.
Memory Slipped
IN listing " old boys" of United Automobile Services, Ltd., I remembered by Mr. DE. C.' Hayes, managing director of Windsorian Motor Coach Services, Ltd. (The Commercial Motor, November 23), 1 inadvertently descrieed Mr. K. W. P. Kirton as traffic manager 'of Ribble Motor Services; Ltd. Actually, Mr. Kirton joined Ribble last year as assistant general manager. Mr. F. A. Dickinson is, of' course, traffic manager.
£1,000 for Courtesy
j EEDS municipal transport workers have received a windLa fall of £1,000 in the shape of a bequest to the city tramways' employees' benevolent fund by Mrs: F. M. S. Vinter, of Mawcroft, Yeadon. It was made "as a mark of her gratitude for the courtesy, kindness and service she has received" from the corporation transport workers.
. To be Called For
TREASURE trove is waiting to be salvaged by a commer1 dal-vehicle operator in the African bush. It consisti of a consignment of Leyland spares jettisoned in a thunderstorm from an aircraft on a flight from Britain to Lusaka, Rhodesia. Who says British makers do not provide spares service in the most remote parts of the world?
Ignorance Is Bliss
ATRADER last week asked a southern haulier how he would manage during fuel rationing. " Oh! it won't affect me." he said.. " The oil company, will look after me." " But where will you get the coupons?" the trader inqnired suspiciously.
"What coupons?" asked the haulier.