ABSTRACT
James Pickfords started as a road carrying concern, conveying passengers and goods between Manchester and London. There are two significant words in that sentence, 'road' and 'goods', elements of the transport industry which, certainly in combination, have been largely neglected by historians. The demand for transport services spans a broad spectrum. Goods traffic consists of a wide range of commodities, the needs and characteristics of which vary enormously. There is the volume and value of the item, its liability to damage, convenience of handling or need for special facilities, the location of the consignor or consignee, the urgency or otherwise of dispatch. Road transport was very important to Manchester. Removed from coast or major river, it lacked the advantages of cheap water transport which favoured economic growth. The expansion of road transport in the nineteenth century owed a great deal to the outbreak of war with France.
