1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144 
meet
Page 42
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Len Castleton
• The new president of the Freight Transport Association, Len Castleton, was once a traffic clerk with the Great Western Railway Company at Poplar Dock — that was 46 years ago. Today he is chief transport officer with the Metal Box Co Ltd and operates 300 vehicles.
His connection with the FTA began in the early Fifties when he served on the committee of the National Traders' Transport Association which eventually merged with the Traders' Road Transport Association and is now, of course, the FTA. He has held office in all three Associations and was for a time chairman of the London and Home Counties division of the FTA.
Len Castleton's approach to transport has the hallmark of 46 years' experience. It does not even approach the "whizz-kid" image. One hour in his company and you tend to forget that there is a busy world rushing about outside. At the same time one soon becomes aware that this quiet spoken, phlegmatic, almost benign gentleman is running a highly efficient 20-depot transport department.
His concern for factual cost allocation and comparison of his costs with those of other carriers illustrates that he has his priorities right. He believes that transport has gained in prominence with the development of physical distribution management. Len is far from nostalgic but foresees transport playing an ever increasing part in the nation's industrial and commercial life.
Len Castleton believes that comments on the Industrial Relations Act should be left for the moment to fools or highly intelligent legal minds. His own industrial relations appear to be in extremely good order. Having heard that he had been elected president of the FTA and believing this to be a full-time appointment, the drivers at one of his northern depots through their shop steward wrote him a most complimentary farewell letter. They thanked him for his "understanding and fair-minded treatment" and wished him well for the future. They will obviously be happy to learn that he will still occupy his room at 37 Baker Street.
A married man with three children and two grand-children, Len Castleton describes his hobby as "gardener's labourer". IS.