Here is an Excerpt from an Old Commercial Motor
Which might interest some viewers.
From Commercial Motor
13th November 1959,
IN Aberdeen the name of Charles Alexander is synonymous with road haulage, for it is
from the granite city that, starting with a half share in a lorry in 1926, he built up a transport
organisation extending to all parts of England and Scotland.
Before the war the business grew up gradually, mainly by the purchase of vehicles from
year to year, and by 1939 60 lorries were on the road. After a period of consolidation, wartime
demands resulted. in further expansion and Mr. Alexander made his first block
purchase in 1941, when he took over 20 vehicles operated by Fraser’s Road Transport
Services, Ltd., Aberdeen, which were mainly concerned
with fish transport, .
A further 21 vehicles were added to the fleet in June, 1943, when Davidson’s Road
Transport, Aberdeen, was acquired. This was followed by the absorption of . three more
local hauliers: Watt and Davidson; A. and G. Wood; and J. S. Wilson. When in March,
1949, Mr. Alexander’s business was taken over by British Road Services, the fleet
consisted of 121 vehicles.
This proved to be only a temporary suspension of the Alexander road transport activities
and, in 1955, he returned to haulage with renewed zest and his company, Charles
Alexander and Partners (Transport), Ltd., which was formed in 1954, acquired the B.R.S.
units based at Old Ford Road and Rodgers Walk, Aberdeen, and at Peterhead and
Fraserburgh. The Old Ford Road unit included a number of his pre-nationalisation fleet.
In August, 1955, the assets of the Peterhead and Fraserburgh group, including
approximately 613 vehicles and 13 trailers, were sold to Sutherland’s of Peterhead (Road
Hauliers), Ltd., in which company Mr. Alexander acquired 50 per cent. of the shares an
became chairman.
The expansion of Charles Alexander and Partners continued and depo were opened at
Elgin and Macduff t serve the Highlands, and at Glasgow Leith, Liverpool, Manchester and
London. Operating more than 12 vehicles, the concern offer nightly trunk services to
Manchester, Liverpool Bolton and Sheffield, an important traffic being fish from the
northern Scottish ports and Aberdeen.
There are also overnight services 1 Dundee, Glasgow, Leith, Elgin an Inverness, plus
regular services 1 London and the south of England Collection and delivery north of Imre
less is effected by inter-working %mil Johnston and Mackenzie, Inverness An associated
company, James Paterson and Co. (Motor Hirers), Ltd., with 31 vehicles, handles local
traffic in Aberdeen.
On the vehicle side, company policy is towards complete articulation for work north of
Glasgow and Edinburgh, and more than 50 articulated tractors, with interchangeable
semitrailers, are already in operation in this area. The remainder of the fleet consists
mainly of eight-wheelers and includes a number of three-deck livestock vehicles and
contract tankers. Standardisation on A.E.C., Leyland and Commers makes is in. progress
as being most suited to the general needs of the organisation.
A new depot and workshop covering 5,000 sq. ft. has been erected on the lodgers Walk
site and all the com 'any’s maintenance—including conversions, major overhauls, platform
and bodybuilding—is carried out there.
What were formerly the stables occupied by Wordie and Co. in the days
before nationalisation, have been converted into a two-storey warehouse where storage is
undertaken for customers.
It has been found, however, that with the introduction of faster services and more modern
vehicles, manufacturers are sending smaller quantities to wholesalers, resulting in less
demand or bulk storage and a great deal more mart-load traffic requiring speedy and
efficient service.
A big development over the past three years has been the building of insulated and
refrigerated •containers at Rodgers Walk to meet the demand for better carrying conditions
for perishable foodstuffs. More than 20 of these, built in two sizes, are now in operation.
An unusual purpose to which the refrigerated containers have been put was their use by
Allan and Dey, Ltd., one of the largest fish merchants in Aberdeen, as cold storage for part
of their stocks while alterations were made to their own plant.
The head office at Old Ford Road is undergoing, complete rebuilding. The operational part
of the premises is in process of being remodelled to deal with the handling of containers
and to give separate entrance and outlet for the vehicles.
The old offices on the site have been demolished and will be replaced by a new threestorey
building with all modern conveniences. During the alterations, Mr. Alexander and his
staff are being accommodated in temporary wooden offices which have been erected in
the main building.
Charles Alexander and Partners work on a 24-hour basis, and they employ part-time
female clerks to cover evening work and a male contingent for night duties.
The business acumen of Mr. Alexander is best illustrated by the steady growth and coordination
of the transport companies of which he is chairman. In June, 1958, in
conjunction with Mr. John Rhind, he .formed a new company, John Rhind Transport, Ltd.,
and acquired the assets of John Rhind (Haulage Contractors), Ltd., including 40 vehicles
and a fine depot at South Anderson Drive, Aberdeen. capable of housing the whole Rhind
fleet and with a storage capacity of up to 8,000 tons_
The premises were originally intended as an ice rink, but had not been completed at the
outbreak of war and were later damaged by bombing. Since the formation of the corn
pany under the chairmanship of Mr. Alexander, modern workshops have been erected at
the rear of the depot and maintenance for the Rhind fleet was transferred there from older
premises some miles away in the town. More than half of the fleet comprises modern
eight-wheelers of Leyland and A.E.C. make, and trunk services are operated nightly
between Aberdeen and Glasgow.
John Rhind Transport, Ltd., acquired the shares of Alex Taylor of Glasgow, Ltd., which
company operates a filling station at Kennedy Street, Glasgow. New offices and vehicle
accommodation have now been built to enable the station to be used as a depot for the
Rhind fleet and the ,vehicles of Dundee Express Deliveries, Ltd., whose shares were taken
over in November, 1958.
The aim of this latest acquisition is to give Dundee customers a better service. The fleet
consists of 29 vehicles, of which six are furniture vans, and the remainder is engaged in
parcels and smalls traffic locally and too Glasgow. A process of standardisation and
modernisation with B.M.C. vehicles has already) begun, and the company haw acquired a
11-acre site in Bellfield Street, Dundee, or which a modern depot ant warehouse is being
erected.
It will include a furniture depository as well as genera warehouse facilities. Origin. ally a
family business operated by Mr. R. H. Barnett, win started in 1931 with one Austin van with
the assistance of his three brothers, Dundee Express absorbed number of other small
concerns over the years and built up an excellent, parcels service.
The whole of the Alexander grout is working to capacity and there is substantial subcontracting,
both between the various companies and to outside
hauliers. Although Mr. Alexander agrees that rates have decreased some what since 1952
and costs risen, the general and continuing is in efficiency has offset these trends.
Service is more important than rates,
In his view, and his own experience is, that a fair rate is still obtainable for top service.
Customer lost to rate-cutters have in many cases returned within a short time.
Standardisation and modernisation go
forward progressively, and it is probable that further notable development: will take place in
the near future.
I believe Charlies had stopped running through Kendal at the time you are talking about as I think all the old fashioned fish markets over this side 'ot Pennines had probably finished. But your right about the stink and the New Road in Kendal was where all the Scotch holiday coaches used to stop on their way up and down from Blackpool. There was a toilet block and a couple of tea and coffee shops and kiosks either side of the road as well. Busy place Kendal when the A6 was the main route north and south. Cheers Dennis.
Hi,