I see Gary, "waste of time explaining things to someone who has a "vested interest in road haulage"
We agree on so many aspects.but your conclusions of what is what is so short-sighted to say the least. it doesn't seem to take into account the numerous scenario, involved in transportation, just getting from one train station to another! like nothing else matters or counts,It would appear you seem to base everything the in-between bits that you do!
Maybe you'd like to show me some costings of getting things from a customer to their customer? or does none of that matter.
When was the last time you worked out a delivery schedule, so things can actually get to where they need be at the right time?
"All haulage going between London and even Manchester should go on a train"
Another ridiculous ill informed generalisation! Maybe more should do that but ALL! can you not actually see how improbable and impracticable that would be,No?
Personally I don't think you could explain things to someone with a vested interest in haulage,you know why?haulage isnt a free service,Time costs money! Tell you what,show me, show me how you would make arrangements to collect something from central London and deliver it to Manchester.Or is it just a case of put it on my train! Thats not actually the full story is it.
For you who only do the in-between bits it might seem so simple, so easy, so straightforward, so based on your vested interest of trains.
It takes into account nothing more than station to station, not the collection point not the delivery point, and none of the costs,or when it needs to be collected and delivered! That not how haulage works regardless of what method is used.
How about showing me how or why ALL haulage between London and Manchester should go on trains,here is a straightforward everyday occurrence.
Pick up is say 7am in London[that's when the stuff is actually ready for collection] and deliever time is say 3 pm.. cost the job then comeback and repeat those wise words "vested interest" or "all freight between London and Manchester should go by train.
Could you actually arrange pick up at 7am or does none of that come into you equations and get it onto a train to Manchester and off loaded and delivered by 3pm?or is the inbetwen bit all you seem to think is important?
I know i could do that arrangement, and doubt you could pick the load up at 7am and get it their by 3pm,and if by some miracle you could get freight trains to wait for you to deliver the load, and could make arrangements for its off loading and delivery in Manchester, what would be the cost? twice what I could do it for? or 3 times?
How practical would that be, and again i strongly doubt you could do it anyway.
I am sorry Garry not all haulage fits into that nice cliché of tesco and asda, and pricing is important as is timed deliver and the fact that we still pick up and deliver the vast majority of stuff no matter what.
"vested interest"funny