Business barometer
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Peter Thompson, newly catapulted from BRS into the top operating executive job at NFC, reckoned you could tell whether or not it was a good year for transport by the way the customer/haulier dialogue was going.
Eighteen months ago if a customer had rung up with "2 tons with four drops for Chipping Sodbury " he'd probably have been asked : "What d'you think we are ? Parcels carriers ? "
As the year wore on the response would have softened, through "We'll put you on the list for the next vehicle going that way "to "We're now running a twice-weekly service to Chipping Sodbury."
Then, in the closing days of 1975, the transport manager rings the customer and asks hopefully "Have you by any chance got 2 tons in four drops for Chipping Sodbury ? "
At which happy point Mr Thompson introduced his successor at BRS, David White, with the comment "Another masochist ! "