• Freightliners, the road and rail freight transport subsidiary of
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British Rail, managed to return a small operating profit of 2769,000 during 1985/86, in spite of "fierce competition and pressure on rates and margins which bedevilled all transport operators", according to managing director Bryan Driver.
The company's turnover rose by £5.2 million to £107 million, although expenditure rose by 6.8% after holding down internal Costs below the level of inflation.
During last year, Freightliners incurred high redundancy payments in pursuit of better productivity. It also spent some £7 million on new equipment — mainly 38-tonne GCW tractive units and trailers. However, its recentlyestablished joint venture with road haulier Russell Davies — called Masterhaul — won contracts worth £3 million. Freightliner Europe's door-todoor service increased by nearly 40% over the previous year to 25,000 container movements.
Irish services also grew by 4% as a result of strong marketing and operational efforts which enabled Freightliners to compete more effectively with trailer operators.