Hard Times for Haulage

mewbie_2

So the dock industry is recession proof - huh?

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/investing-and-markets/article.html?in_article_id=456069

pickles110564

mewbie wrote: »

So the dock industry is recession proof - huh?

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/investing-and-markets/article.html?in_article_id=456069

Hi Mewbie
I am interviewing again for two days this week?
Surely if we were in trouble why would we be taking even more people on?

PasturesNew

Blimey pickles... you were quick onto that posting!

FungusFighter

pickles110564 wrote: »

Hi Mewbie
I am interviewing again for two days this week?
Surely if we were in trouble why would we be taking even more people on?

For all your arguing that there is no recession at the docks, you never back it up with any evidence.

So put your money where your mouth is and prove it.

lynzpower

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business-in-wales/business-news/2008/08/16/end-of-line-for-cardiff-dock-91466-21543215/

Redundancies in Cardiff Docks

Liverpool’s docklands are the fourth largest in the UK and employ around 26,000 people, generating about £2bn a year for the city’s economy.
Based on figures from other port cities, from next month, the average small waterfront business paying around £17,000-a-year in tax will be hit with a backdated bill for more than £66,000.
A medium-sized company paying £66,000 in 2005 will be expected to cough up more than £277,000.
Mersey Maritime, which represents about 1,000 waterfront firms, today warned redundancies, insolvency and less investment could follow.
Business development director David Pendleton said: “These are not exaggerations. We will be asking the government to put a stop to this.”
Deputy council leader Flo Clucas also warned of a “likely devastation of businesses on the waterfront”.
She said Merseyside’s councils would try to work together to make the government rethink its plans, which will affect 55 UK ports.

tax issues to affect 55 ports, report from the liverpool echo http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2008/09/26/docks-tax-threat-to-1-000s-of-city-jobs-100252-21906864/

http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=35997 heres a discussion about driving jobs from the docks taking a battering

Just a few things that popped up on the first page of google.

Ian_Griffiths_Halifax

I posted this on another thread the other day.

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7680156.stm

While not about UK ports, it's an indication.

mewbie_2

pickles110564 wrote: »

Hi Mewbie
I am interviewing again for two days this week?
Surely if we were in trouble why would we be taking even more people on?

I have got a copy of those interview questions.
1. Can you right your name?
2. Do you have a criminal record?
3. Will you be renting a dodgy BTL off me?
4. Repeat after me - Pickles is Mr. Trinity.
Congratulations - you're hired!

Seriously - I hope you manage to hold on to your work and so on, but I cannot understand why the docks are not showing signs of impending doom. After all, people are not buying so much stuff, therefore less need for imports, Chinese toy factories closing, etc.

Here is a link to a load of stuff I don't understand, which I think proves my point...
http://www.investmenttools.com/futures/bdi_baltic_dry_index.htm
...but maybe it doesn't.

Generali

That docks are showing reduced business doesn't mean that all docks show reduced business.

Felixstowe(?) could be particularly efficient and thus taking market share or maybe very desperate and so slashing prices.

Realy

mewbie wrote: »

So the dock industry is recession proof - huh?

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/investing-and-markets/article.html?in_article_id=456069

I thought you had left us.;)

GDB2222

Generali wrote: »

Felixstowe(?) could be particularly efficient and thus taking market share or maybe very desperate and so slashing prices.

Reminds me of a remote town which had two plasterboard factories. One was very efficient, and the other one was quite the reverse. Care to speculate which one prospered in the long run?

(Answer will be available in a while, but please feel free to speculate. Gold star to whoever gets closest to the right answer.)

SingleSue

In the last recession, I managed very well to move around jobs and increase my salary at the same time.

With Felixstowe Port, it really depends on which part of the operation you are in...hauliers are always hard hit (I got made redundant from 2 of them in the last recession) but shipping lines (especially the bigger ones) tend to be able to ride out the storm although there were a few who went to the wall last time, this then moves on down the line to the forwarding agents who have to handle the customs clearance for the goods coming in although again, they do have to fight more for the business and have to be able to diversify.

As for the eeekkk post regarding getting jobs in the port....hmmmmm, can tell you it is slightly harder than that but then maybe that was a wooosh post and I have a sense of humour hijack.

My area of work? Felixstowe originally working for a haulage company, then onto forwarding and finally into the big shipping lines where I did very well indeed and if only I could get childcare for my kids, I would be working for a shipping line right now as they have a guaranteed job waiting for me once things are sorted with the children.