BRS Parcels Services and the Express Carriers

This volume examines 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 by UPS. It also examines the post-nationalisation era carriers including Hanson Haulage, Harrisons of Dewsbury, Carryfast, Wilkinson, Atlas Express, United Carriers, Blue Band Express, Crowfoot Carriers, TNT, FedEx, Royal Mail & Parcelforce. Plus today's companies - UPS, DHL, Parceline, CityLink, UK Mail, ANC, Geopost, Nightfreight that now dominate the industry. 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.

304 pages, over 615 b&w illustrations, with appendices and index. hardback with colour dust jacket. 275 x 205 mm.