The death of road transport as we know it? Not if the folks from TransAction have anything to do with it. You can read all about it in the latest edition of Commercial Motorbut two days ago Dave Young and I were the only truck journos (at least as far as I could see) to turn up at the TransAction 2008 Park lane demo.
At 8:30 when I was soaking wet (and 90 minutes too early) I had my doubts as to the whole shotting match. But by the sun had come out at 10:00 and first the trucks started arriving I had a distinct change of heart---and I reckon Mike Presneill, Sharon Knight and all who turned out (including the ones I talked to such as Joe Cook pictured below, Mark Jones and the Westfield driver Robert Spargo) deserve a big-up for showing the kind of solidarity that's sadly lacking in the business. Will they achieve anything? Well tell BLB what you think.
It was definitely a pincer movement with the Les Knight Scania (pictured second from the top) leading the armies from the South while Joe Cook's Stralis low loader, complete with that symbolic coffin you see at the top of the blog arrived with the others from the North.
Clearly some were using banners from last year...which only served to remind everyone that the problem hadn't gone away.
Meanwhile, here are a few shots of the morning (most of them taken by Dave as I was too busy dashing around with the notebook--and my thanks to him for making the trip for CM and Motor Transport)
BLB was impressed by the turnout, close to 100 trucks by my estimation and some well-known names amongst them too.
Now click through here for a few more....
Naturally the sound air horns were clearly audible but the number of trucks was impressive too, they ended up stacking them up both sides of Park Lane.
Both Dave and I both remarked on the fact that there was a noticeably bigger media presence than in previous on-street protests.
And for good reasons too, a line-up of waggons like this clearly is a powerful statement...and picture-worthy from the media's point of view too.
Anyway that's the lot from me for tonight, as mentioned there's a full report in Commercial Motor (written by yours truly) but in the meantime well done to all those who turned up, with, or without trucks. One of the protesters summed it up perfectly for BLB: "If we don't all support something like this..there'll be nothing left to support at all." Do you think he's right? Let BLB know your thoughts on on-street protests like this by posting a comment--whether you're for or against them.
Comments (5)
Gordon Brown, leader of the Peoples Party. What bunkum! He's stolen our pensions, robbed our gold reserves, he couldn't give a damn about our haulage industry. It's time his slimy cronies in Westminster started to realise if they give anything else of ours away, there just won't be anything else left to give. It's time to give something back to the people. Cut the fuel tax, take the pressure of one our remaining industries and allow us to get Britain rolling again but with British trucks!
Posted by Stuart Taylor | May 2, 2008 4:56 PM
Posted on May 2, 2008 16:56
Any business faced with rising costs needs to put it's prices up & that's what the haulage industry will have to do. If the customer won't pay the rate, then don't work for them. If the lorries end up sitting in the yard, then sell them- they're making good money at the moment.
Remember- it takes a 'lorra lorra bottle' to start out on your own in road haulage, but it takes a lot more 'bottle' to pack it in!
Posted by Tim Whitehead | May 3, 2008 6:22 AM
Posted on May 3, 2008 06:22
All those who took part deserve great credit for doing so,and hopefully,there will be more days like it,but with any other companies/owner drivers who DIDN,T TAKE PART ON THIS OCCASION.This fuel protest gan,t just be the last,but just the start of many more!!The "general public"know petrol prices are rising,but there,s been no protest,s by all car owners about petrol rises!!
That has got to change,and there,s a lot more cars using diesel these days than there were at the last major protest.SO THAT,S"THE KEY"TO GETTING THE GENERAL PUBLIC,S SUPPORT..A MASS FUEL PROTEST,ABOUT INCREASED DIESEL AND PETROL PRICES!!
Name a city that has a Low Emission Zone that isn,t just stopping TRUCKS entering as their engines don,t comply?Has Livingstone got any records of how many CARS have been stopped ?!!!
Think we all know the answer to that,"anorak,s"
...so does GORDON BROWN TOO!!
THAT,S WHY WE NEED A MASS "FUEL"PROTEST,NOT JUST TRUCK,S OVER THE PRICES OF DIESEL!!
The trouble is that none of"the big players" in trucking had a truck at the latest protest,and none took part in the last major protest either!!We all saw how the general public "enjoyed"waiting in their millions outside petrol stations back then....petrol prices are going up,and the general public are all looking for the bargain prices being offered by ..........and they don,t even realise that trucks delivered the petrol for them to get it at those cheap prices either!!!!
NEED I SAY ANY MORE?!!!!!
Posted by Andy Davis | May 4, 2008 6:59 AM
Posted on May 4, 2008 06:59
This country needs bringing to a complete stop to make greedy politicians know they cant walk over the british people any longer, instead of pussy footing about every trucker and motorist should stop dead in the street in protest. The only language any government understands is loss of revenue and as for public support its for everyones benefit. The fuel tax in this country is beyond reasonable and a date should be fixed for a mass demo. Bring it on before we all go under, which we will if we dont act now.
Posted by vinny nield | May 26, 2008 8:16 PM
Posted on May 26, 2008 20:16
I would be driving my truck in the new protest today 26 may, but my employer went bust on friday, leaving 25 artics off the road and 30 people out of work. I just heard Porrit saying that we need to get used to it and use public transport. What a plonker, how do you move 20 tonnes of baked beans on a bus? The only way we can make people listen is to stop the supply chain. Block key junctions and Tesco DCs and watch the govt. cave in. The UK haulage industry has to be brave and stand together.
On a personal note, I'm leaving the country in August, disgusted at the way its gone downhill.
Posted by Russ Goff | May 27, 2008 10:43 AM
Posted on May 27, 2008 10:43