Is there a need for a trimming down within the industry

[rikki-uk]

I posted the below in another thread, on a seperate subject…

There is a shortage of drivers in the UK

But only ( and some of you will have heard this arguement from me before) because there are too many trucks on the roads

to put it simply, if there was a genuine shortage of drivers, then cargo would be stacking up in warehouses unable to be moved.

as the cargo stacked up companies would become desperate to attract a haulier in to take the load, and the only way to do this would be to pay an attractive rate

Haulier likes the extra money, and buys his driver top notch truck and pays huge wages to stop him running off to the haulier round the corner, and everyone lives happily ever after…

But the reality is

The haulier goes in for the attractively paid load and earns more pennies…
haulier earns more pennies and can afford to expand the fleet… He pays his drivers just enugh to keep them and not a penny more, soon there are enough trucks to carry all the loads, Company with cargo has pick of hauliers wanting his freight, so plays one of against the other to get the rates as low as possible…

Haulier now has too many trucks and not enough good paying work

haulier goes bust…

now because his fleet is not around… theres not enough trucks to carry all the loads… Company gets desperate to get its freight out of warehouse… puts up rates… and so the merry go round starts again.

This industry is overrun with too many trucks chasing too few loads, this is what drives rates and wages down…

Before deregulation, there was only so many operators licences issued, the amount of trucks on the road was controlled by central government, while this was by no means haulage utopia It did mean that there was not the free for all we have at present.

If we truly want a healthy road haulage industry then I suggest the following measures be implemented

• A restriction on the total number of O licences granted/in operation
• A legal minimum rate per mile for all loads
• "Backloads rates made illegal
• Cabotage laws repealed
• International permits reinstated
• Essential user fuel rebates for hauliers

Now all we have to do is find a political party to vote for at the election who will implement these …

Dont hold your breathe

[qhunter]

Rikki-UK:
Now all we have to do is find a political party to vote for at the election who will implement these .

I feel the need to alter that last sentence, if you don’t mind.

Rikki-UK:
Now all we have to do is find a political party to vote for…

…thats better

[jammymutt]

Rikki-UK:
Now all we have to do is find a political party to vote for at the election who will give a ■■■■ about the haulage industry…

Might be better?

[mezzzz1211]

Sorry jammy how about

Now all we have to do is find a political party to vote for at the election who will give a [zb] …

never happen

[brit_pete]

RIKKI,sorry as much that your proposals are sound and fair, the big
transport firms wish even more o/d.s on the road why then they can
sub-let (sell) even cheaper the loads on the market unless you are
in a very excluse branch of transport. ie- transport from special products
or heavy-haulage. foodsector in roadtanker branch, yes with controlled
transport permits then you had only a certain number of haulers we
will just have to wait and see ,In one respect how we all hate the this
bureaucracy but it also brought some neederful changes which was required, we could have a stable industry if we all kept to the rules and
regulations.but that will never come to be as some where there is all
ways person-s who do it their way to make a bigger profit.

[smcaul]

Sorry Rikki, I dont agree, All it needs is for theUK hauliers being given the chance to compete on equal terms with those from Europe. Why can European trucks travel on our roads scott free, not even having to pay the same rate for diesel as they bring it with them. The EU is supposed to be thier so all the countries can trade on equal terms…looks like some are more equal then others…And lap dog Blair just rolls over to have his belly rubbed, so much for fair trade!!!

[cm]

SPOT ON! SMCAUL, level playing field accross the board then no one can say its not fair and everyone has the same equal opportunities.

[brit_pete]

scmaul you can also bring in the same amount of fuel, we also have that
problem with fuel here and every chance that comes to fill up outside
GERMANY is used even more so now with poland and cezch and austria
as there fuel is much cheaper as in GERMANY and every lorry you see nowadays on the roads has the biggest tank/S THEY CAN GET FITTED;
YES TO THE ROAD TAX and in GB you will not neeed a expensive
system all lorrys not regirstired in GB upon comeing in the docks must
have a stamped date time ticket which they take before they leave the
docks and when they leave GB this is checked and payed before they get a ticket for the train or boat. all lorrys will have their date time of
entry into GB kept on the PC -DATA-BANK until leaveing the country,
So that if a fly boy trys to get away by saying i have lost my ticket and
have only been in the country one day they will get caught, This system must before it starts published in all countrys trucking magazines
and also daily papers. and the traffic officials in all countrys have to
ensure that their transport firms know and understand the roadtax.

FOR THE GB LORRYS:: all lorrys will pay the road tax and for those
who travel outside of the GB ,the time spent out side will be re-imbursed
all the owner has to do is keep the bills which they pay to the shuttle
or ferry firms ensureing that they state which lorry and when, also the
DVLC could get the data sent from the ferry or shuttle just state the
regerstrations of the GB LORRYS , this can then be used as a double check to prevent misuse of the system,
if any one can improve my the idea please submit your answers
as it just might be that one of those whose job it is to improve our roads is quitely reading and digesting all thses thoughts of ours.
and will nick the idea to use as his own.

[cm]

brit pete:
it just might be that one of those whose job it is to improve our roads is quitely reading and digesting all thses thoughts of ours.
and will nick the idea to use as his own.

I can only admire your optimism

[daxi]

CM:

brit pete:
it just might be that one of those whose job it is to improve our roads is quitely reading and digesting all thses thoughts of ours.
and will nick the idea to use as his own.

I can only admire your optimism

I think someone has an over active imagination.
It’s more than optimistic to think that anyone has the job of improving our roads & if they do, do you honestly believe that they are intelligent enough to read ?

[marcustandy]

Edited because I quoted out of date info!!

[magic_mel]

Rikki-UK:
I posted the below in another thread, on a seperate subject…

There is a shortage of drivers in the UK

But only ( and some of you will have heard this arguement from me before) because there are too many trucks on the roads

Have you not considered the fact that in the M6 M69 M45 M1 corridor, there are all these distribution firms (for example M1 J18 DIRFT) Royal Mail, Tesco, Eddie Stobart, Wincanton, plus many others, and lets not forget Magna Park nearby on the A5. They are all in places not exactly in easy travelling distance from home. The money is to say the least poor so there is no incentive to drive 40mile round trip to get to work. Hence shortage of drivers.

[jessicas_dad]

brit pete:
RIKKI,sorry as much that your proposals are sound and fair, the big
transport firms wish even more o/d.s on the road why then they can
sub-let (sell) even cheaper the loads on the market unless you are
in a very excluse branch of transport. ie- transport from special products
or heavy-haulage. foodsector in roadtanker brancht.

my work freightliner has a 98.9% share of the goods by railway network and they cant wait to try and squeeze us drivers on the books out and bring in more subbies ive said on another thread that f/liner leeds 26 drivers and 40 subbies and f/liner manchester 20 drivers and 60 subbies ish we have been told by management that the only reason they have their own drivers is so that the subbies cant drive the rates up!!!

[brit_pete]

Daxi, my teachers at school always told me that imagination and the
use thereof is one of the most wonderful talents of the human mind
and should always be used to its fullest extent.which I try my best to do
all the time,
CM. optimisum is another word for dreamer I know but some one has
start the ball rolling so let it be me with the first step as it may be
that this rolling ball gathers some moss which in turn gets those
highly educated representives of ours to think perhaps more instead
of makeing ill-advised judgements which in turn make a small mole-
.hill into a problem as big as MOUNT:EVEREST::

[ralliesport]

Rikki-UK:

• A restriction on the total number of O licences granted/in operation
  [/quote]

Nope, the one thing that is good for this country, which makes us grate is that competition rules. It should bring out the best in companies.

Obviously this doesnt happen, but is doesnt mean we have to go to closed shop/socialist type attitudes.

But remember what happend to the fishermen, once these type of policies are introduced they will be used against this industry, and of course it will be especially done to give european hauliers an advantage, as with all the other rules in this country.

[cm]

brit pete:
Daxi, my teachers at school always told me that imagination and the
use thereof is one of the most wonderful talents of the human mind
and should always be used to its fullest extent.which I try my best to do
all the time,
CM. optimisum is another word for dreamer I know but some one has
start the ball rolling so let it be me with the first step as it may be
that this rolling ball gathers some moss which in turn gets those
highly educated representives of ours to think perhaps more instead
of makeing ill-advised judgements which in turn make a small mole-
.hill into a problem as big as MOUNT:EVEREST::

Sure thing, all power to you Pete! can’t argue with you for that, at no point was I criticising just making a statement.

[brit_pete]

NO its me CM ; I am enjoying my self so much at the chance to debate
and all else that comes with the use of this forum that I drop my self
in the proverbial effluence with my enthusiasm.

[robert_haynes]

It would make little difference to the number of trucks if the likes of Eddie Stobart are registering theirs in Poland

[gorgeousload]

both rikki and brit pete made some good points. Over here, the biggest problem with getting anything done proper in government is with the sponsering of government offiicials. Large companies and rich fellas pay for the ad campaigns of elected officials. Then, when the time comes to impliment legislation, the officials find themselves hard pressed to go against the wishes of their doners. Do yous think this sort of thing is happening over on your end of the pond?

[cm]

gorgeousload:
both rikki and brit pete made some good points. Over here, the biggest problem with getting anything done proper in government is with the sponsering of government offiicials. Large companies and rich fellas pay for the ad campaigns of elected officials. Then, when the time comes to impliment legislation, the officials find themselves hard pressed to go against the wishes of their doners. Do yous think this sort of thing is happening over on your end of the pond?

Of course it does! its the way Government runs, that’s why there’s a role for professional lobbyists, plus of course all the other machinery of ‘the system’ from going to the right school, being a member of the right club to our friends who congregate in lodge meetings, in reality the whole system is corrupt, but while the system runs it nothing will fundamentally change.