We reduce hauliers trunking costs
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It seems The Hawk must have been reading our mail But first to answer the implication diat we have disillusioned hauliers by our service or price and driven away their traffic. This is simply not true. Like most hauliers we have lost volume during the current recession. It would be surprising if we had not done so at a time when many hauliers have capacity to spare. The proportion of traffic brought into our terminals by other than Freightliner road vehicles has, however, remained constant. Some hauliers have left us; others have taken their place; some have increased their business with us. In general our carryings have held up well.
Hauliers have found that we can help them reduce their trunking costs, particularly over the longer distances. This is where we thought Hawk was looking over our shoulder. He writes in CM November 21 that Freightliners should canvass hauliers whose operations are going to be upset by the new EEC regulations. With just this problem in mind we did, in fact, write to some 20,000 fleet owners some weeks ago pointing out that they could keep their costs down under the EEC hours and distance rules by using Freightliner services. Our letter, copy of which is attached for Hawk's information, took its cue from a paper presented to Commercial Motor's Fleet Management Conference in September. I am grateful to Hawk for giving the subject a second mention.
Freightliners are professional carriers competing in the same market and on the same terms as road hauliers. We are, however, very willing to offer train space to other hauliers and many are already with us. If some of the in-built suspicions of a rail-based system can be overcome, the way is clear for many others to join
Us.
N. A. CHURCH, Distribution Manager, Freightliners Ltd.