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Robert. “There are no boats that will take livestock across to England. You can take it from Rosslare to Cherbourg, but that’s not much use when your destination is in the UK. It can mean a much longer haul than you’d like and this means you have to bring a second man in the lorry with you because you have to get
the animals to their destination as quickly and as safely as possible.” And the comfort of the livestock throughout the journey is of paramount importance. “There are people jumping on the bandwagon now and taking up livestock haulage now and they don’t understand how to
Donegal-based Robert McCreery says “there will always be livestock to shift”
handle animals,” Robert continues. “I was raised with them and worked with them at home all my life and we still farm livestock at home. There has to be a high level of comfort for the animals while they are being transported. “You have to know how to handle them and how to load them. You need to get them safely in and out of the pen and you have to know not to mix big with small etc. This isn’t a business you can just suddenly jump into – you really have to know what you’re doing.” Are there many cowboys circling? “There are a lot of them moving in and cutting prices on the genuine haulier and then not doing the job properly. It’s all fine and well paying some cowboy a pittance to do the job on the cheap, but if you are going to do this right, then you have to charge an appropriate price. A new trailer costs in the region of £125,000 and you
have to charge proper rates to get his investment back.” “There’s also a serious amount of paperwork these days – legislation, permits, licences, rules and regulations. There are more regulations in livestock than if you were going to go out and drive a busload of people. The technology is unbelievable, too. You can monitor and chance the temperature in the trailers and you can print all these details off.” Looking to the future, Robert is optimistic: “There will always be livestock to shift,” he concludes. “People have to eat. The animals have to eat, too, so fodder will always be needed as well. We are getting a good bit of work at the moment and, as long as we continue to do things properly and to look after our customers, then I’m confident that we’ll remain busy.”
Best Wishes to Robert McCreery Livestock Haulage, from
J.A. CLARK International Livestock Haulier All types of livestock work undertaken All types of livestock exported and imported throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Qualified and experienced owner driver. Personal service and careful attention at all times. Competitive rates, please call to discuss requirements.
25 DRAPERSTOWN ROAD, TOBERMORE, CO. DERRY, BT45 5QG Email: johny.clark@live.com Mobile: 07850 642023 Best Wishes To McCreery Livestock Haulage From
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