{{Short description|British transport business between 1948 and 2000}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}} {{Use British English|date=August 2017}} {{Infobox company |name = National Freight Corporation |logo = |type = |traded_as = |fate = Merged with Ocean Group plc |successor = Exel | founded = 1948 |founder = |defunct = 2000 |location_city = London |location_country = England |locations = |area_served = |key_people = Christopher Bland (Chairman)<br>Gerry Murphy (CEO) |industry = |products = |services = |revenue = |operating_income = |net_income = |num_employees = |divisions = |subsid = |owner = |website = }}

The '''National Freight Corporation''' was a major British transport business between 1948 and 2000. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and at one time, as NFC plc, was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

==History== thumb|BRS liveried trucks The company was established in 1948 as '''British Road Services''' (BRS). It was the road transport company formed by the nationalisation of Britain's road haulage industry, under the British Transport Commission, as a result of the Transport Act 1947.<ref name=mustoe>{{cite web |url=http://www.nynehead-books.co.uk/description.php?II=1495 |title=Gordon Mustoe, ''BRS Parcels Services and The Express Carriers'' |publisher=Nynehead-books.co.uk |date=1955-01-01 |access-date=2011-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006151838/http://www.nynehead-books.co.uk/description.php?II=1495 |archive-date=6 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

From 1963, the company was administered by the Transport Holding Company and had four main operating areas: British Road Services, BRS Parcels, Pickfords and Containerway & Roadferry.

On 1 January 1969, it was renamed the National Freight Corporation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.railwaybritain.co.uk/road%20haulage%20services.html |title=Railway road haulage services |publisher=Railwaybritain.co.uk |access-date=2011-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810184637/http://www.railwaybritain.co.uk/road%20haulage%20services.html |archive-date=10 August 2011 |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/3rd-january-1969/26/national-freight-corporation National Freight Corporation] ''Commercial Motor'' 3 January 1969 page 3</ref><ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/7th-march-1969/46/now-the-national-freight-federation Now the National Freight Federation] ''Commercial Motor'' 7 March 1969 page 46</ref> On the same date a 51% share in Freightliner was transferred from the British Railways Board (BRB).<ref>Freightliners Limited formed ''Railway Gazette'', 7 February 1969 page 86</ref> This was transferred back to the BRB on 1 August 1978.<ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/25th-november-1977/6/freight-railway Freightliner railway] ''Commercial Motor'' 25 November 1977 page 6</ref><ref>Freightliners go back to BR ''Railway Gazette International'' December 1977 page 448</ref><ref>Freightliners Ltd returned to British Rail free of debt ''Railway Gazette International'' January 1978 page 5</ref><ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/21st-july-1978/6/goodwill-should-remain Goodwill should remain] ''Commercial Motor'' 21 July 1978 page 6</ref>

In 1980, the assets of the National Freight Corporation were transferred to the National Freight Company.<ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/5th-july-1980/5/the-transport-bill-received-the-royal-assent-on-mo In Brief] ''Commercial Motor'' 5 July 1980 page 5</ref><ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/20th-september-1980/5/nfc-dead-nfc-born NFC dead NFC born] ''Commercial Motor'' 20 September 1980 page 5</ref><ref>NFC denationalised this month ''Modern Railways'' September 1980 page 435</ref> In 1982, the company was sold to its employees as the '''National Freight Consortium''' in one of the first privatisations of state-owned industry.<ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/24th-october-1981/3/ifs-a-deal-howell-yes-to-nec-buy-out Its a deal: Howell yes to NFC buy-out] ''Commercial Motor'' 24 October 1981 page 3</ref><ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/20th-february-1982/4/nec-is-over-hurdle NFC is over hurdle] ''Commercial Motor'' 20 February 1982 page 4</ref> The new company was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and subsequently became '''NFC plc'''.

BRS Parcels was rebranded as '''Roadline''' and was sold in a management buy-out as Lynx Express in 1997.<ref name=mustoe/> NFC disposed of Pickfords in 1999 to Allied Van Lines.<ref name=Independent>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090303114710/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/nfc-and-ocean-forge-pound32bn-alliance-to-exploit-ecommerce-725209.html NFC and Ocean forge £3.2bn alliance to exploit e-commerce] ''The Independent'' 22 February 2000</ref>

In 2000, NFC plc merged with Ocean Group plc to form Exel plc.<ref name=Independent/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== {{commons category|British Road Services}} *{{cite book|title=Managing Transport Operations|author=E.J. Gubbins|publisher=Kogan Page|isbn=978-0-7494-3928-6|year=2003}} *{{cite book |last1=Bonavia |first1=Michael|title=The Nationalisation of British Transport: The Early History of the British Transport Commission, 1948-53 |date=1987 |publisher=Macmillan Press|location=London |isbn=0333419006}} *{{cite magazine|title=British Road Services|magazine=Hornby Magazine|first=Ian|last=Morton|pages=114–116|issue=8|date=February 2008|location=Hersham|publisher=Ian Allan Publishing|issn=1753-2469|oclc=226087101}}

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Category:Companies formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange Category:Defunct companies based in London Category:Former nationalised industries of the United Kingdom Category:Transport companies established in 1948 Category:Transport companies disestablished in 2000 Category:Transport companies of the United Kingdom Category:1948 establishments in England Category:2000 disestablishments in England Category:2000 mergers and acquisitions