BRS Parcels Services and the Express Carriers

by Gordon Mustoe, Arthur Ingram, Robin Pearson

This volume carries on the theme from our previous book, BRS - The Early Years, in examining different elements of the nationalised British Road Service undertaking administered by the Road Haulage Executive (RHE) under the direction of the British Transport Commission (BTC) created as a consequence of the passing of the 1947 Transport Act.It not only looks at the creation, administration and functioning of the BRS Parcels section but also reveals some of the historical background of those major carriers and companies, such as Pickfords, Carter Paterson, Suttons, Fisher Renwick, Bouts, Holdsworth & Hanson, that were brought together to function under its umbrella. The 1953 Transport Act and the effects of de-nationalisation saw its reorganisation into BRS (Parcels) Ltd from 1st January 1955 and it thus continued evolving, changing, contracting until, under the auspices of the National Freight Corporation it was merged with National Carriers to become Roadline. In 1997, in its final form, it became the subject of a management buyout emerging as Lynx Express Parcels. The final chapter in its history was written in 2005 when the company was bought from Bridgepoint Capital by United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS). These aspects in its history are also examined as is the evolution of the UK parcel carrier industry and the key players in the post-nationalisation era including Hanson Haulage, Harrisons of Dewsbury, Carryfast, Wilkinson, Atlas Express, United Carriers, Blue Band Express, Crowfoot Carriers, TNT, FedEx, Royal Mail & Parcelforce, this then leading us to today and those companies or organisations - UPS, DHL, Parceline, CityLink, UK Mail, ANC, Geopost, Nightfreight and the pallet carriers that now dominate the industry in this era of globalisation and ‘logistics’. Running coterminous with this story is another, that of the evolution of the carriers’ vehicle, the depots from which they function and the aids and systems that have been developed to ease but not minimise what is, and will always remain, an industry with a man-handling function at its core of operation. The photographic element of this book hopefully accomplishes the examination and presentation of this aspect also. As reviewed in Transport News June 2008 - 'BRS Parcels Services and the Express Carriers is a highly recommended read and buyers will find much to capture their interest in its 304 pages'.

303 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Mark Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I have no problem recommending it to anyone with an interest in British Road Services, (BRS) and / or the evolution of Collection and Delivery as a National - International concern.

I found the authors' historical overview of the evolution of Express collection and delivery; starting with the rise of Mail Order during the Industrial Revolution, and culminating in the B2B, B2C of the present day, to be both comprehensive, and engaging, without being verbose or presupposing prior knowledge.

The detailed commentary is underpinned by a selection of evocative photographs ranging from the Victorian, up to the present day. The photographs themselves are accompanied by detailed commentary and analysis of the subject matter in question. The photographs act as a visual aid to understanding how, even the largest of today's operators, began life as regional operators interlinking with other firms with a view to providing a National network, where fierce competition from the railways and from each other, led to a high-mortality rate.

The analysis of the rise and fall of BRS parcels was both illuminating and thought-provoking. Above all, the Author's made me release that it's demise was by no means "inevitable",and that factors such as the the belligerence of British Railways; the Road Haulage Association, and the myopia of the Conservative Party were pivotal in the terms of the destruction.

In summary, this book is well-researched and presented, and should be considered "essential reading" for all Road Transport enthusiasts, and those whom lament the passing of BRS.