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Page 32
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David McVeigh
It is a far cry from John Peel's country to Peru, but that is the path on which life has led David McVeigh; he was born at Caldbeck, Cumberland, and has just been invited by a United Nations agency to spend 12 weeks in South America studying and advising on the transport and distribution of fish. While it is in his official capacity as chairman of the Transport Association that Mr McVeigh has been invited to Peru, the choice obviously results from his long association with fish and frozen food transport in Britain. And although he has just retired as chairman of McVeigh Transport Ltd, Grimsby, he is still frozen food distribution adviser to the Ross Group.
David McVeigh was born one of seven brothers, several of whom worked for Sir Lindsay Parkinson building the East Lancs New Road. When Parkinson got the contract for the new fish dock at Grimsby the family followed, and this was how, in 1932, six of the seven brothers came to be running a Grimsby transport business called S. McVeigh Ltd. They all turned a hand to whatever was needed, David recalls, and he gained invaluable experience.
When McVeigh was nationalized it had 40 vehicles, and on denationalization six years later four of the McVeighs (including David, who had served with BRS) bought back about the same number of vehicles, plus depots at Hull and Grimsby. Just before this, David had accepted the post of fish distribution manager for Ross Group (which later bought McVeigh Transport).
, An active, amusing and warmhearted person, David McVeigh was for years a keen follower of hounds ion foot) and played tennis and rugby; he still plays golf, and nourishes an ambition to take up deep-sea yachting in retirement. He is a great traveller, and knows Europe intimately. He has found transport a fascinating life, though very hard work. He believes road transport careers should be more strongly publicized, and sees a really big future for bright young men, at the key level of foreman as well as at the top.
A former East Midlands R HA chairman, and member of the national council for many years, Mr McVeigh now speaks as leader of the Transport Association. The TA, he told me, is not only pressing for gross plated weight to become the basis for excise tax bui is also interested in having excise tax removed and its equivalent put on fuel tax.
Although David has now virtually retired, the McVeighs remain very much a road transport family; quite apart from his brothers' children, David's twin sons John and Michael are executives with McVeigh Transport, now under the Humber wing. B.C.
Weight-limit 'postponement'
Much has been spoken of the "surprise" of the present Government's decision not to allow an extension of the present 32-ton limit. To those involved with the Conservative Party, it was a predictable decision which may safely be viewed as no more than a postponement of a few years.
Clearly, this was not the decision of M r John Peyton, Minister for Transport Industries. He toed the party line somewhat unenthusiastically—but is, after all, a member of the Right Wing Monday Club and keen not to see industry hampered by Government.
However, the trendy new Environment Ministry with Mr Peter Walker at its head, sought a sacrificial lamb upon which to assert itself and the weight-limit extension was a gift. It meant very little to the vast majority of the electorate apart from the vociferous pockets of opposition and better still—it was a hangover from the last Labour administration. In one swoop, the Government showed itself as being concerned for the environment, democratically ready to listen to the electorate and concerned for the motorist who shares the roads (even if he does so for only £25!) The Labour Government, however, were tacitly condemned as polluters, road-chokers and road nonbuilders ! All politicians dream of achieving all this in one devious move.
This, then, is why we are left with 32tonners and some operators with relatively useless 44-tonners. It is my belief that the industry could have forestalled this had a suitable public relations exercise been mounted some months ago. It is, in fact, noticeable that no cry of dissent was raised to the Press headline "Keep these monsters off our roads" —which misled many of the public to believe that 44-tonners would be much larger than existent vehicles.
The industry may have been let down by its image—and may even learn the lesson that if it paints no image of itself— opponents will be only too pleased to provide one!
RIGHTWINGER, (name and address supplied).
Young drivers: 'Firms don't want to know'
I agree with the case put to the DoE by employers and unions (CM January 1) for lowering the 21-year-old age limit for driving hgv in some cases to 18. However, around the Hornchurch area I have tried to. get driver training—but the firms just don't want to know. Two firms asked whether I was 25
years old. When I replied, "Only 21," they said: "No, we can't take you."
All I can say is: if there is a shortage of drivers (as admitted by the DoE). the firms want to wake up. Otherwise, later when they want drivers none will be available and it will be the firms' own fault, So I suggest that before regulations are changed to allow 18-year-olds to drive, efforts be made to get firms to take on a 21-year-old driver first. A. POULTER, Hornchurch, Essex.
Vehicle turn-round
May I congratulate you upon the excellent coverage given by your paper on the report of the Freight Transport Association's working party on vehicle turn-round?
I believe that this report is one of the most enlightened pieces of thinking to emerge from a trade association for a number of years. While it is a really important step forward in the haulier/customer relationship, it is doubly so in terms of modern-day business where there is a growing awareness by trade and industry of the elements involved in physical distribution management.
It is not always recognized that distribution is one of the determining factors of the success or otherwise of a society. The standard of living and competitive position of the country in world markets is, in any case, determined by the efficiency and cost effectiveness of its distribution system. Logical economic decisions can only be made based upon facts —not theories—which in turn can only be assessed by analysing the cost components of each individual operation. The conclusions of the report make the first tentative steps in this direction.
The action outlined in the report is especially important in the inflationary environment in which we find ourselves. The elements of distribution are increasing in cost at a startling rate; wages, fuel, tyres and insurance have all recently risen and the industry is, now faced with additional costs on vehicles arising from the technological standards needed to meet the environmental pressures. Therefore any action that can be taken to offset some of the impact of this inflationary pressure must be welcomed.
Accordingly my company not only commends the report but with our knowledge of the economic and accounting aspects involved would be only too willing to work closely with any distributor so that full advantage may be taken of the very constructive thinking put forward by the Freight Transport Association.
• L S. PAYNE Managing Director, British Road Services Ltd.