A cutting
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problem
If ever there was a need to liarge econornic rates, it Is now ; bet tempted to "keep the wheels turning" at any price 'operators are going absolutely berserk in this direction.
There are some organisations who are keeping a very careful check on their costs, and more importantly, they are abiding by their findings and restricting work to that which is profitable. Some of the larger producers, suppliers, etc, have carefully costed !their transport departmerits, and have decided to lay-up parts of their fleets, and offer this " surplus " work bo road haulage operators. Recently the competition for this type of work has increased, and cases of haulier undercutting haulier are becoming more frequent and more worrying. There can, perhaps, at times be a favourable 'argument for endeavouring to keep going against the time when trade generally must turn up. Unfortunately, this hope has been foremost for a rather lengthy period of time, and as it extends, the feeling that It must shortly change is pert of the inevitable optimism upon which many business ventures must rely. it is, nlovrever, extremely dangerous to "drift," and there are signs of too many drifters today. Details of inoreased costs are sufficiently recognisable that they do not require clarification here, bet there are many additional charges today than there were, say, 12 months ago, and one is tempted to ask if too many of us are working on schedules which are outdated and do :not take aocrourit of the many extras which it has been our lot to encounter. Inquiries of some organisations, formerly operating efficient costs schedules, are now showing a significant failure to bring in many of the new imposts they are having to carry.
This is not a time to cut. Rather is it imperative to Increase charges to an eeonomic level. Failure to do so, could