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Common Market or Not, Britain's Ferry Services Are Already Well Able to Cope With the Increasing Flow of Cross-Channel Goods Traffic
by Charles M. Hendy
66 ENTLEMEN of the road haulage industry, 1 give
you . . . The Continent of Europe." And if you are not draining your glasses to that toast many times in the years to come, you will have only yourselves to blame.
Whether you are for the Common Market or against it, the fact remains that the fast-growing interchange of trade between Britain and the rest of Europe presents this country's road hauliers with a tremendous opportunity to expand their horizons beyond these shores.
The small, gallant band who pioneered this traffic are already enjoying to the full the rewards their far-sightedness so richly deserves. They have bridged the Channel and opened up the way for a door-to-door goods transport service to and from the Continent. Europe is their delivery round. It could be yours too. The potential is enormous. Get aboard. Now.
Existing Ferry Services
The object of this exercise, for me, was to look at existing ferry services and to consider the effect Britain's possible entry into the Common Market might have on them. Alas, I have no crystal ball. Not that, as it turned out, such a doubtful ally was necessary. Although some operators engaged in trans-Continental road haulage think there will be a greater demand for their services, and although others are equally certain that the reverse will be the case, the fact is, that, in 1961, the potential is there, whether Europe is at sixes and sevens, or in one great trading bloc.
If we do enter the Common Market, and if that move should result in an expansion of trans-Continental road haulage, there is no doubt that cross-Channel routes will be fully able to cope with demand. Which route is chosen, and which method of transport is used, is open to the individual haulier and his customers to decide.
For many commodities the advantages of door-to-door road service are becoming widely apparent. That this method of transporting goods to and from the Continent will grow—and rapidly—I have not the slightest doubt. My only misgiving is that too few British hauliers will grasp this opportunity. If a sufficient number don't, their Continental counterparts certainly will. You have ha your warning.
The main credit for the development of the door-to-doc road service goes to Atlantic Steam Navigation's Transpoi Ferry Service, which pioneered the use of "drive-on drivt off" ships for the carriage of commercial vehicles. Th principle was evolved from the use of tank landing ship LSTs) during the war. In 1946, Atlantic Steam acquire three LSTs and put them into service between Tilbury an Hamburg, carrying vehicles and equipment for Britis Forces in Germany.
Two years later, a .service for commercial traffic wa started on the Belfast/Larne run, and the immediate an continued success of this venture convinced them that th "floating bridge" ships of their Transport Ferry Servic could provide a much-needed service to the Continent.
Fiscal, licensing and Customs problems delayed its oper ing for some years, however, and it was not until 1956 that a service was opened to Antwerp. By January, 1957, twice-weekly sailings were maintained in each direction and a third sailing was later introduced. Three years later a Rotterdam service opened, with a, weekly crossing in each direction.
Then—in October, 1957—came the first of the ships designed specifically for drive-on/drive-off commercial vehicles—the " Bardic Ferry." Until May this year, she operated on the Continental route, while her sister ship, the "ionic Ferry," was on the Preston-Larne/Belfast route. la that month, the " Bardic Ferry" joined her sister ship on the Northern Ireland run, making way for the "Cerdic Ferry," which now operates the Continental run.
Figures of the operations of these ships are sufficient testimony of the far-sightedness of the men who pioneered the service.
least eight times as much as it was when the service was inaugurated.
What it will be if and when Britain enters the Common Market is anybody's guess. But there's little doubt that the facilities created by the Transport Ferry Service have stimulated a demand that seems to be insatiable.
• And no wonder. For look what the road haulier is able to offer his customers. Speed in transit (a door-to-door service saves time on the road and at the docks): No intermediate handling (goods remain on the vehicle platform throughout the journey); No damage or pilfering (loads are under constant supervision and subject to the minimum of handling); No packaging.
It is the no packaging aspect which is clearly one
the biggest attractions of the roll-on/roll-off road service to the Continent. Machinery, often extremely delicate items of equipment, is the main traffic between Britain and Europe, and the saving of packaging costs is in many cases the overriding factor. 1 have been told that it is not uncommon for the sum saved in packaging to be greater than the cost of the door-to-door transport. And you don't have to be a Scot to appreciate an inducement of that order!
The figures of the numbers of commercial vehicles—trailers, semi-trailers, fiats, etc.—that have used the service are no less impressive than the tonnage figures.
Tilbury—The Continent Round voyage
1957 • 1,227 1958 • 3,132 1959 • • 3,638
1960 .. 5,596
1961 (Jan. to June) • 4,187
All that, mark you, without Britain being a member of the Common Market. And the Transport Ferry Service is not resting on its laurels. A further new ship, the "Done Ferry," will be launched within the next few months despite the tact that the "Cerdic Ferry" is still not operating to capacity. That's a measure of the confidence the Transport Ferry. Service has in the future of driveon/drive-off road services to the Continent.
At the moment there is a twice-weekly service to Antwerp and a once-a-week service to Rotterdam. By this time next year TFS anticipate that they will be operating a daily .service, I was told by Mr. John N. Bustard, the general manager.
The future for British hauliers would seem to be al 1 immeasurable. Yet how many of them are using the transport ferry? Only 15 have taken the Channel plunge really seriously. It has not been an easy road for .these farsighted operators. They've had innumerable obstacles to tackle—Construction and Use Regulations, Customs formalities, establishing contact with Continental hauliers, to name a few—but for all the headaches it has been worth the effort. For they now have a footing on the other side. They'll be there, equipped to the teeth, if the transcontinental tonnage graph leaps skyward.
Two of the biggest concerns specializing in haulage to and from the Continent arc Continental Ferry Trailers. Ltd., a member of the Transport Development Group, and U.K.European Transport, Ltd., both of whom use the vehicle ferry for the greater part of their operations.
Mr. John Murly, managing director of Continental Ferry Trailers, was one of the pioneers of this traffic. His faith in its future has been more than justified, as is shown by these figures of his company's operations: the number of trailer movements grew from 75 in 1957, to 704 in 1960, and the tonnage carried, from 900 in 1957, to 8,500 in 1960. This year, he estimates, they should make approximately 900 trailer movements carrying about 10,000 tons of traffic.
Moved Mountains
Mr. Murly, probably more than anyone, has moved mountains to overcome snags presented by the different Construction and Use Regulations, fiscal, legal, and Customs problems. All these, of course, are far from being settled so far as the Common Market is concerned. But as chairman of the Road Haulage Association's Inter national Road Transport group, he is in effect Britain's road haulage delegate at the important discussions that are still going on in an endeavour to arrive at a common transport policy between the affected nations.
Referring to the recent meeting of the Ministers of Transport from the six European Common Market countries at Strasbourg, who are to consider a draft report in October, he told me: "1 think it would be. logical to assume that they discussed, among other things, standardization of Construction and Use Regulations, documentation and taxes, as this would be in keeping with the 1959 Geneva Agreement. which many European countries are anxious to ratify without further delay. The implications of such an agreement between Western European countries could have far-reaching effects upon manufacturers and hauliers in Great Britain and not only upon the few international hauliers.
"The advantages which would result from changes in our present Construction and Use Regulations would enable hauliers ti operate much larger vehicles," state, Mr. Murly. "They would be per mitted to have gross laden weights o approximately 331 per cent. more thai those allowed at the moment. Sucl changes would also enable our vehicli manufacturers to standardize their pro duction lines and yet produce vehicle which would be sold on both the horn' and export markets.
"I know," said Mr. Murly, " tha changes could also produce certain disadvantages, but I an sure that these would be more than offset by the advantage: which would accrue. In any case, I do not think that w( can afford to remain outside a European road transpor system, which would be far more competitive than ou, own."
Transport Ferry Services, however, have not got the fiek to themselves. Already a successful ferry service is beiril operated by James Fisher and Co., Ltd., between Felix. stowe and Rotterdam. And there is no doubt there will ht competition from other quarters within a very short time Townsend Brothers Ferries, Ltd., started a Dover-Calai: service for commercial vehicles about two years ago, bu: due mainly to the restrictions placed by the French authori. ties on their road hauliers, it was not successful.
Entry Through France
In spite of this, it is felt that entry into the Europear market through French ports will be achieved. When it is either from Dover, Newhaven, or even Shoreham Townsend Bros., with facilities already established a; Dover, will be ready to grasp their share of this traffic.
The Felixstowe-Rotterdam service operated by Jamet Fisher and Co., Ltd., has, like the Transport Ferry Servict from Tilbury, made remarkable progress—but in a much shorter time. Fishers started with the cargo vessel "Rive' Fisher,in November. 1958. The service met with instani success. They have since added a. larger vessel, the "Pool Fisher," and doubtless, the "River Fisher" will be replaced by a larger ship in the not too distant future. Three sailings a week are made from Felixstowe and Rotterdarn--and business is booming.
In contrast to Transport Ferry Service's mainly roll-on roll-off operation, the Fisher service is solely lift-on lift-off. although, as they have 50-ton cranes at both ports te handle their cargo, they are able to handle the same type of traffic—trailers, semis, fiats and containers.
The Fisher enterprise is a joint undertaking with Hogg Robinson and Capel-Cure, Ltd., and Pakhuismeesteren N.V., of Rotterdam.
Hogg Robinson and Cartel-Cure, like the Ferrymaster Service of U.K.-European Transport, Ltd., are finding the biggest success with their container service, in which they use flat platforms with collapsible sides. An indication of the success of the Hogg Robinson " unit loading" system —as they are calling this operation—is shown by the fact that whereas in 1960 they handled 352 platform movements, in the first half of 1961 they handled no fewer than 391.
Hogg Robinson started with platforms having steel mesh collapsible sides, which are still favoured by Ferrymasters. But they have Since changed to 6-ft.-high wooden sides for the wood-covered steel platforms, measuring either 12 ft. x 7 ft. or 17 ft. x 7 ft.
In the past few months, however, they have made the first move in this country towards American methods of containerization. Bonallack and Sons, Ltd.. have produced a light-alloy collapsible container, called the Collapsitainer, which could well revolutionize Britain's cross-Channel traffic-handling methods. The big advantage here, of course, is that the containers can be stacked—in this case four high—and I have little doubt that the American method of containerization will soon be an established and popular service offered to British exporters.
The question in the minds of many people is whether we shall in the future be rolling-on/rolling-off or lifting-on/ lifting-off to Europe. Certainly there will always be a demand for both methods. Fishers at Felixstowe are not to concerned about roll-on/roll-off, as. with their 50-ton cranes, they offer a truly heavy lift service and are able to cope with the largest loaded on-wheel traffic and platformed heavy machinery. On the other hand, although the Transport Ferry Service from Tilbury cannot offer the same crane capacity, vehicles can roll-on/roll-off just as quickly.
To my mind, however, the container service in which Hogg Robinson and Capel-Cure and Ferrymasters are specializing with such success, is going to take a greater share of cross-Channel traffic in the years to come. I should not be surprised, when the new Transport Ferry Service vessel is launched in the autumn, to see greater container capacity, possibly even at the expense of roll-on/roll-off spate.
Commended to Exporters and Shippers
Clearly, the Bonallack Collapsitainer will commend itself to exporters and shippers. Fully extended and containing a 5-ton load, it measures 7 ft. 61 in. long, 5 ft. 1 in. wide and 5 ft. 2 in. high, with a gross cubic capacity of 198 Cu. ft. For empty return, in a collapsed form, four Collapsitainers can be stowed in the space that would be taken up by a loaded one.
Although the considerable saving in packaging costs is one of the biggest attractions of the ferry services, there is little doubt too that collapsible rubber containers, now widely used in America, will be making their appearance here for the transport by ferry to the Continent of liquids, • granular products and powdered substances.
These rubber containers, rather like outsize halibut oil capsules, carry in America anything from 1,000-15.000 gallons of dry or liquid bulk cargo. They are made of tough synthetic rubber fabric and, when empty, they roll up for easy stowing on return trips.
Continental hauliers are already alive to the intercontinental traffic potential and many of them are having their vehicles built down to British Construction and Use Regulations. They have also gone a long way towards solving Customs problems with their Carnet TIR vehicles. Britain has signed the Carnet TIR Corivention, which enables vehicles to proceed across international boundaries on the Continent without examination of the goods. This means that goods are loaded, say, in Germany, and proceed to a British port on a Carnet TIR document without examination.
Although the Customs Officials in this country have been extremely co-operative, particularly with roll-on/roll-off traffic, it is widely felt that inland clearance would be of great benefit in this country. As Mr. George Ashley, traffic manager of Transport Ferry Service, told me: "Ultimately I feel that RM. Customs should allow examination and clearance away from the port of entry in order to create the right circumstances for the full development of international traffic."
Another development we are likely to see more of in the near future is that of refrigerated transport. This traffic has lagged in Britain because of short hauls, but because of longer journeys made between the Continental countries, the hauliers over there are well ahead of us in refrigerated transport. An increase in the movement of perishable goods, should promote in this country a greater use of refrigerated vehicles.
Through Rate Offered
The big advantage of the door-to-door road service,
apart from those mentioned earlier, is that the forwarding agent is able to offer a through rate, which includes the handling of all documentation. It is not necessarily. a cheap means of transport by comparison with conventional freight rates, but with the development of cross-Channel goods traffic it is reasonable to assume that there will be an eventual reduction in charges. Even so, those manufacturers and exporters who are already making full use of the door-to-door service do not seem to find the present charges a deterrent.
There are, of course, many other aspects of the Continen tal ferry services. It is as vast a subject as the so far untouched markets that will doubtless one day be using the " Channel Bridge," but with the Common Market in mind, sight should not be lost of other developments.
The Channel air services are already well established and are expanding almost daily. Now, we hear that the first network of hovercraft services in Britain is being planned by 64-year-old millionaire Alderman Frank Wilson, managing director of Starways. He has applied for a licence tJ run hover services between Britain, Eire and Continental ports. Passenger traffic seems to be their main objective, but we cannot discount the possibility that hovercraft will one day be skimming goods traffic across the Channel.
Ilen we have our old friend the Channel Tunnel, the development of which seems nearer today than ever before. It is felt that the tunnel, if it comes, and almost certainly in its early years, will cater mainly for passenger cars. Mr.. Bustard, of Transport Ferry Services, is well alive to the potentialities of a tunnel competitor, but he told me that at the most the tunnel would take away no more than about 15 per cent. of the present ferry traffic. • That, then, in brief outline is the picture of Britain's Channel Ferry Services. What will it be if Britain enters the Common Market? I again quote Mr. Bustard:.' As far as the Transport Ferry Service is concerned there has been a Common Market'. since our Continental routes were opened. We are convinced that British road haulage can become truly international .. . if it really wants to."
And there you have it ... as stirring a call to arms as has ever been sounded to Britain's road hauliers. I can only conclude with my opening words:— " Gentlemen of the road haulage industry. I give you. . . the Continent of Europe."