Heavy snow costs hauliers at Christmas

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Bad weather has caused severe disruption to haulage operators across England over the past few days. Heavy snow has seen traffic grind to a halt on many routes in London, while the weather has also caused disruption to channel tunnel routes.

City Link managing director Stuart Godman tells RoadTransport.com that snow has massively affected the courier firm's operations. "Delivery times have and will be affected, due mainly to limited depot access and the challenges of rural deliveries whereby the roads have not been cleared," he explains.

The company anticipates the bad weather will hit its cost base. Godman says: "The inclement weather has meant that we have put cost into the operation as we sincerely want to deliver all parcels before Christmas. Quite what the cost is, we will not know for sure until post Christmas, but we will always put service before cost."

According to Becky Young, group sales and marketing manager at Surrey-based Cranleigh Freight Services, three of the firm's trucks were stuck in the Eurotunnel for more than 24 hours, while one lorry was stuck in Calais and unable to return to the UK owing to severe weather disruptions. She says the company had extra drivers on standby to aid drivers who were likely to come to the end of their drivers' hours without making deliveries on time.

A spokesman for road transport giant TNT says: "We have been hit by the weather. We have around five-dozen depots in the UK, and yesterday, about 17 depots were affected. This means there were some delays in terms of delivery times due to the adverse weather conditions. Today the number of depots affected is about 35."

She continues: "There has obviously been snow, but today there is also the problem of freezing fog. Probably our three worst-hit depots have been in Maidstone, Kent; Alton, Hampshire; and Slough, Berkshire.

"We continue trading, nothing has closed, but it is just more difficult than usual. The weather conditions have also made it more difficult for our staff to get into work. The South-East appears to be the worst-affected area in the country."

[Caniel]

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The company anticipates the bad weather will hit its cost base. Godman says: "The inclement weather has meant that we have put cost into the operation as we sincerely want to deliver all parcels before Christmas. Quite what the cost is, we will not know for sure until post Christmas, but we will always put service before cost."

Service before cost by Citylink....what bollocks!