No Lorries?

[devonwoody]

Being retired I don't see the road conditions so much these days, but I think legislation could be helpful if certain long distance goods vehicles were restricted to night time delivery only. Or perhaps they have two drivers and are driving nighttime already?

 

[George Foweraker]

When i was lorry driving i held everybody up mostly at about 20 to 25 MPH

 

[flying haggis]

Being retired I don't see the road conditions so much these days, but I think legislation could be helpful if certain long distance goods vehicles were restricted to night time delivery only. Or perhaps they have two drivers and are driving nighttime already?

A lot of goods already travel overnight, but then you have to have staff at the despatch and delivery points to accept/unload the goods etc. As people will require more pay for working nights then the cost of goods will rise and will ultimately get passed on to the consumers ie us.

I once heard an argument that every truck should have to work at night!! So when the doorbell goes at three in the morning as DFS try to deliver your new sofa dont complain>

 

[Harbo]

Did the return journey today but via London.

Again very little traffic, a few more lorries but another enjoyable drive.

Happy New Year and thanks to all the drivers who deliver my on-line goods!

Rod

 

[devonwoody]

flyinghaggis.

Your comments are valid, but the railways used to do their goods service at night to depots, and then local daytime deliveries.
Thats the way I think things should be considered for the future but something killed that off the last time that system was used.

 

[liam8223]

also with regard to the fuel - surely most of price of the fuel is passed to the consumer as higher transport fees, so i'm not sure how true it is that "hauliers cant afford the deisel"

fuel costs are a massive factor for hauliers to consider.

The big players, all dictate the rates that the smaller guys get. Firms with say between 1 and 10 vehicles, suffer badly when the fuel goes up, as their rates do not.

I know many hauliers, and times are tough. Those with the right customers do quite nicely, but it is not a fun game to be in.
Just think what sort of time one bloke i know is having - he has 8 artic block lorries - no building = no work.

Lorries are critical to keep your costs down, more goods delivered at once = cheaper for you.

another company i know, who does alot of pallet forwarding relies solely on one lucrative contract to subsidise the rest of the business. Have you ever had a quote to send a pallet up north? £65 incl vat!? could you get from leicester to cumbria and back, cover all costs and make a profit? No. They're supposed to rely on a full load, to make it worthwhile, but the truth is that at the moment there are not many full loads, and hardly any back loads.

Im not even going to scratch the surface on all the multi drop van drivers, one i know regularly has 100+ drops per day!

Just my 10p worth, know alot of people in the game, and hate to hear people thinking its all a monopoly ran game.

 

[big soft moose]

also with regard to the fuel - surely most of price of the fuel is passed to the consumer as higher transport fees, so i'm not sure how true it is that "hauliers cant afford the deisel"

fuel costs are a massive factor for hauliers to consider.

The big players, all dictate the rates that the smaller guys get. Firms with say between 1 and 10 vehicles, suffer badly when the fuel goes up, as their rates do not.

.

but retailers say that increased haulage and shipping costs due to the increasing prie of fuel are part of the reason for price increase - so either they are lying, or haulage rates have gone up to reflect the price of fuel

 

[tomatwark]

I think part of the problem here is we have got use to having next day and 48 hr deliveries, if people woud wait another day or so the hauliers may have a chance of making the load up.

Tom