Irish Trucker & Light Commercials

IRISH

& LIGHT COMMERCIALS

JANUARY 2012 Vol. 15 No. 1 EURO 2.95 stg.£2.50

MIKE MURPHY GROUP FOR ALL YOUR INSURANCE NEEDS Fleet - Truck - Van - Bus Car - Home - Travel Employers & Public Liability Offices - Shops

The Insurance Centre|Sandyford Business Centre, Sandyford Dublin 18.

T 353 1 2932370 F 353 1 2932360 Email: info@mikemurphyinsurance .ie

www.mikemurphyinsurance.ie Insureforsure Ltd T/A Mike Murphy group is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

www.irishtrucker.com CONTENTS Irish Trucker is published by DG Press Kells Business Park, Kells, Co. Meath Telephone: (046) 9241923 Fax: (046) 9241926 ISDN: 046-9248197

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INDUSTRY NEWS

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TRANS X LOGISTICS A leading nationwide distribution company

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Celebrating five years in business

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Farrelly Heavy Haulage P26

DONNELLY TRANSPORT LTD. Specialists in a variety of areas

e mail: contact@lynngroupmedia.com

FARRELLY HEAVY HAULAGE

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ISSN 0791-993X

BELFAST & DOWN OIL SUPPLIES Almost five decades of experience

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EAMONN BARRETT INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT

Belfast & Down Oil Supplies P35

A strong reputation within the international sector

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VANFLEET One of Ireland’s premier distribution companies

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McGRATH INDUSTRIAL WASTE Providing a top class waste management service Eamonn Barrett International P40

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ALCORN RECOVERY Exceptional 24-hour recovery service

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McBURNEY TRANSPORT One of Ireland’s largest independent haulage and logistics operations

70 All rights reserved.

No part of this publication can be published or reproduced in any way without the written permission of the author or Lynn Group Media © Copyright Lynn Group Media 2012 The opinions expressed in Irish Trucker do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, publishers, their agents or Irish Trucker. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this publication is correct, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors that may appear.

AUTOCRAFT RECOVERY A leading recovery specialist in the West of Ireland

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Alcorn Recovery P59

LOWE’S OF LARNE One of Northern Ireland’s leading car sales businesses

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CLASSIFIEDS Lowes of Larne P74

Richford expands with new vehicles and a new depot With depots in Alfreton, Cossall and Huthwaite working for both Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Police as well as private customers and the more well known recovery clubs, Richford Motor Services are a busy operator. To compliment their recovery business, they also run some impressive workshops, MOT testing station and an insurance approved bodyshop all of which have a requirement for quality recovery vehicles to keep things moving.

Due to the success of the business and as part of their continued expansion, Phil Richford recently opened another depot in Tuxford (Nottinghamshire) to cope with the extra work load. He has also added yet another two trucks to their ever expanding fleet of light and heavy vehicles, this time a Citroen based T35 transporter from Boniface which can be driven by anyone with a car driving licence without the need for a tachograph and a new Mitsubishi Canter fitted with 2nd generation Champion aluminium slidebed from Boniface which makes light work of police jobs and everyday recovery. Richford The Citroen based T35 transporter and the Mitsubishi Canter from Motors have owned and operated both types of vehicles for a Boniface Engineering number of years and have been impressed by their performance in both difficult and often demanding situations. Phil Richford commented “the T35’s we have owned in the past have provided excellent fuel economy which is an important factor in the current economic climate. They are also very simple to use and get the job done quickly as they are not speed limited. The Champion slidebeds have proven themselves time and time again to be tough and reliable. We use them in all aspects of the business from Police jobs to collecting and delivering customers cars for the workshop and bodyshop.�

For further information on the T35, Champion or any other Boniface product, visit their web site at www.boniface-eng.com

New vehicle registrations rise by 1.6% The number of new cars registered in 2011 rose by 1.6%.

Figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry show 89,900 vehicles were bought in 2011.Toyota is still the most popular brand, with more than 11,000 sold. However, Volkswagen has overtaken Ford to second space.

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Varadkar outlines Transport plans Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar has presented an overview of his priorities for the Department for the year ahead. Minister Varadkar said he would aim to implement the following matters during 2012, in conjunction with Ministers of State Alan Kelly and Michael Ring. Additional objectives will be pursued as the year progresses. Transport plans include beginning work on new strategic road projects including the N11 (Arklow to Rathnew), N5 (Ballaghaderreen), and the N7 at Newlands Cross.

These projects will improve journey times and economic competitiveness. A special one-off programme to target accident blackspots and bad bends on the national road network.

Publish legislation to regulate the clamping of vehicles on privately-owned land. Build on the progress made in 2011 on road safety by introducing further measures, such as improved roadworthiness testing for commercial vehicles, further enhancement of the penalty points system, and plastic card driving licences, among other measures. Decide on the future structure and role of the State airports (Dublin, Cork and Shannon). Publish a new Ports Policy to chart the way forward for the ports sector. Take initial steps to achieve greater competition in the bus market, and separate railway ownership from operation, in order to comply with European law. Publication of the Taxi Review Group report by Minister Alan Kelly, and implementation of its key findings; the continued roll-out of the Leap Card in Dublin and the advancement of real-time passenger information technologies and services; publication and implementation of plan to integrate local transport services; and take further steps on smarter travel and carbon reduction programme to facilitate more walking and public transport journeys.

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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TRUCK NEWS n with in associatio

BIT’S ‘N’ BOB’S

TRUCK ACCESSORIES Monaghan (087) 2480730 • TRUCK ACCESSORIES IN 1 STOP - INTERIOR & EXTERIOR • IRISH AGENT FOR KELSA TRUCK BAR’S • NATIONWIDE NEXT DAY DELIVERY

RentaMerc invests £1.5m in clean, ‘green’ Mercedes-Benz vans Northern Ireland’s leading commercial vehicle hire specialist has demonstrated its faith in the local economy and environmental commitment by investing £1.5 million in a new fleet of 75 low-emission, fuel-efficient MercedesBenz vans.

The 50 Sprinters and 25 Vito models were supplied to RentaMerc by sister company Mercedes-Benz Truck & Van (NI), the German manufacturer’s dealer for the province. They have joined a fleet of 500 vehicles that ranges from the compact and stylish Vito to the mighty 44-tonne Actros tractor unit.

Powered by state-of-the-art Euro 5 engines, the new arrivals were presented at a handover ceremony at Stormont Castle attended by Environment Minister Alex Attwood and representatives of the RentaMerc’s finance partner, the Bank of Ireland.

RentaMerc’s trucks and vans are available on a range of rental packages from the company’s three sites in Campsie, Dargan, Partners...from left, Norman McBride of RentaMerc, Environment Minister Alex Attwood, and Pat Byrne of the Mallusk and Dungannon. As the name suggests, all wear the Bank of Ireland, with some of the new Mercedes-Benz vans famous three-pointed star of Mercedes-Benz.

RentaMerc Managing Director Norman McBride said: “With the arrival of these impressive new vehicles we are preparing for growth in our business in 2012 and beyond. That demonstrates our faith in the success of our own future trading prospects, and in those of our wide and varied customer base throughout Northern Ireland.

“The fact that these vans are among the ‘greenest’ and most fuel-efficient that money can buy also shows our commitment to reducing the impact of our operations on the local environment.”

Commenting on the investment, Environment Minister Alex Attwood said: “It is encouraging to see the introduction of these new low-emission, fuel-efficient vehicles. Transport is one of the highest sources of emissions in Northern Ireland and the replacement of older vehicle stock with lower emission, fuel-efficient vans will help in our efforts to meet greenhouse gas targets.”

And Pat Byrne, the Bank of Ireland’s Regional Manager for Northern Ireland, added: “We are delighted to support the growth of both RentaMerc and Mercedes-Benz Truck & Van (NI), proving that we are ‘open for business’, and to help put this new fleet of modern, fuel-efficient vans to work.”

The new Sprinters are all 3.5-tonne 313CDI models in Long and Medium lengths, while the 2.8-tonne Vito vans are Longbodied 113CDIs and 110CDIs. All offer significant increases in fuel economy and power, as well as reductions in exhaust emissions, compared to equivalent units from the previous ranges. www.rentamerc.co.uk

Iveco enter Dakar 2012 Iveco are set to take part in the 36th edition of the Bologna Motorshow with the Trakker, which will soon be setting out for the 2012 edition of the Dakar, the world’s most famous rally. After starring in Iveco’s ‘Porte Aperte’ held recently at the Fiat Industrial Village, which saw the participation of around five thousand visitors, Biasion and the Trakker will be giving a display of acrobatics on the final day of the Motorshow, Sunday 11 December, at the Mobil 1 Arena. The Dakar Trakker will also be leading the field at the Bettega Memorial, one of the most eagerly awaited events of the Bologna Motorshow, which will see a challenge between some of the world's best rally drivers on the Mobil 1 Arena track. During the display, the Trakker will be accompanied by two New Dailys, a van and a chassis-cab, driven by two professional drivers. For the two vehicles, Bologna will be the first and only Italian stop in the “New Daily - Fit for a Superhero” European tour which will continue through January and February 2012. Departing from the factory in Suzzara, in the province of Mantua, where the Daily is produced, the two vehicles will travel to Munich, then on to Hamburg, Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Stockholm, seeking out the real stars of work, tradesmen, manual workers, retailers, tackling their daily tasks. Through food markets, garden nurseries, work sites and workshops, Fosco Giulianelli, blogger and photographer, will be travelling on one of the vehicles across Europe, photographing and interviewing the ‘men at work’ in the field. The tour will be documented in videos and photos on the Iveco’s Website and the main social networks (Flickr, Facebook, Youtube and Twitter). Furthermore there will be a special competition on Facebook where users can vote for their favourite snapshot and choose their perfect Superhero.

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IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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Collaboration – as a basis for innovation and improved cost and performance

Larry Mackey (General Manager), Sean Quinn (Finance Director) and Fran Kerin (Sales & Purchasing Director) Truck and Bus Parts

Background Established in 2010 and now employing 17 staff, Truck and Bus Parts is one of Ireland’s newest and most progressive heavy goods vehicle after-market suppliers. Truck and Bus Parts distributes products for a variety of vehicle applications and unlike many of its competitors it focuses its business on developing longterm strategic partnerships with its customers. Truck and Bus Parts seeks to work with customers that are open in terms of information exchange and where trust is at the core to the partnership. One such collaboration is with Oxigen Environmental.

Oxigen Environmental is amongst Ireland’s leading waste management companies, managing the waste streams of over 100,000 domestic, commercial and industrial customers in an environmentally efficient manner. Oxigen Environmental has enjoyed exceptional growth since 1987. This rapid company expansion was achieved through organic growth and acquisition but has resulted in a highly mixed heavy goods vehicle fleet of over 220 vehicles. These vehicles are distributed in a number of locations around Ireland with each regional garage buying from local suppliers.

The Challenge Give the diverse fleet of vehicles our customer required a multiplicity of suppliers of spare parts to keep the large fleet of vehicles operating. However, Truck and Bus Parts given its wide range of products and expertise was well positioned to meet such a demand. Following a joint review of the situation Truck and Bus Parts and with Oxigen Enviromental identified multiple opportunities to eliminate non-value-add processes and improve the cost management.

Waste of Expensive/Scarce Resources - Waste of resources on the acquisition of spares, with scarce and expensive resources often involved in the sourcing, expediting and actual collection of parts Complicated Paperwork - Time consuming reconciliation/processing of paperwork from a variety of suppliers including purchase order management, matching of proof of delivery documentation and invoices High Spare Parts Costs - Lack of ‘book of business’ benefit, the fragmentation of the purchases across many suppliers resulted in over-payment for goods especially for those required on an urgent or vehicle off road (VOR) basis.

High Levels of Spare Parts Inventory - Poor asset utilisation, Oxigen Enviromental carried significant levels of spare part inventory. Inventory that was purchased to improve efficiency and reduce VOR time. However this inventory was very often ordered in a reactionary manner and resulted in a ‘feast or famine’ inventory profile.

The Solution A Partnership approach with an emphasis on the sharing of information to facilitate a planned supply of spare parts through one supply channel was implemented. In effect, allowing Truck and Bus Parts to become a single source of after-market spares

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for Oxigen Environmental.

The forecasting of inventory requirements is based on vehicle by vehicle analysis of potential parts requirements, these requirements are agreed by both parties and are documented on a Vehicle Information (VI) sheet for each vehicle. These VI sheets once consolidated become the base for the inventory planning parameters in Truck and Bus Parts Material Requirement Planning System, this forecast then drives the purchasing activities in Truck and Bus thereby ensuring high levels of inventory availability to support Oxigen’s spare parts requirements.

These VI sheets also provided a basis for Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) which is deployed on site in Oxigen’s garages around the country (3 locations). The VMI program included a joint agreement in which items would be carried at each location, the design of the storage area and a program for replenishment and alteration of the inventory profile based on actual usage and known preventative maintenance programs and/or preparation for DOE testing.

Furthermore, Truck and Bus Parts deployed a number of Electronic Catalogue Units (ECUs) in Oxigen Enviromental’s key location. Once trained on these ECUs’ the staff at Oxigen are now able to communicate their parts requirements much more efficiently to Truck and Bus Parts ensuring the delivery of the correct part over 99% of the time. The use of these ECUs’ is normally considered proprietary and only deployed with Oxigen Environmental given the high level of trust between the parties.

What Was Achieved?

The planning of inventory, the deployment of IT support systems and the provision of VMI has lead to a number of operational benefits: Better Use of Garage Resources - Increased utilization of garage based resources given the on-site availability of inventory to support planning maintenance and emergency VOR situations Simplified Paperwork - Reduced paperwork in the back offices, all prices are contract based and subject to change based only on the agreement of both parties Reduced Costs - Reduced cost of spares from the ‘book of business’ benefit and from the targeted cost down projects.

Use of Measurements - Ongoing development of the solution based on shared Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and regular operational reviews between the staff in both companies. What gets measured gets done.

Improved Communications - Improved communications through a customer facing account management structure in Truck and Bus Parts. Account management is responsible for all aspects of the relationship including but not limited to pricing, service, resolution of issues and business development projects such as the potential implementation of on-site vehicle diagnostics, refurbishment of brake shoes, gearboxes and the conversion of the Oxigen fleet to LED based lighting which will deliver cost and environmental benefits Concluding Remarks The real key to innovation in this project relates to visibility created in the supply chain by the close co-operation of both parties. The detailed sharing of information and the generation of a mutually agreed forecast based on this information which acts as input to the procurement cycle is where the innovation is to be found.

The benefits derived could only have been achieved in an environment where openness, the sharing of information and a willingness to integrate both supply chains are at the core the relationship.

Also the approach to this project by both companies in an environment which is normally adversarial warrants note in terms of innovation and imagination by both parties.

For this project Oxigen Environmental won the Innovation Award at the Private Procurement Awards sponsored by Accenture Consulting, Irish Institute of Purchasing and Materials Management and my more.

If you wish to discuss this article please do not to hesitate to contact us on 01-4098200 and ask for Sean, Fran or Larry.

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

William Clay Ford Jr. crowns year of Irish visit with nomination to the Irish America Hall of Fame William Clay Ford, Jr., executive chairman of Ford Motor Company, was last week inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame and received a Certificate of Irish Heritage from Ireland’s Consul General in the US, Noel Kilkenny.

The ceremony took place at a gala lunch hosted by Irish America magazine at the Metropolitan Club in New York. The Irish America Hall of Fame is housed at the Dunbrody Emigration History Centre in New Ross, Co. Wexford. As part of the ceremony, Mr. Ford was presented with an Irish crystal plate marking his induction into the Hall of Fame by Sean Reidy, Director of the Dunbrody Emigration History Centre.

Speaking of the Ford family’s Irish heritage, Mr. Ford said: “It’s something our family has been very proud of, and something we’re acutely aware of”.

Mr. Ford is the great grandson of Ford Motor Company founder, Henry Ford.

Henry’s father William, emigrated with his family to America from Ballinascarty in Co. Cork during the Famine in 1847. They settled in Michigan and Henry was born in 1863. Henry Ford established the Ford Motor Company in 1903 and in 1917, he returned to his ancestral home of Cork to establish Henry Ford & Son Limited.

William Clay Ford Jnr. with Sean Reidy, Director of the Dunbrody Emigration History Centre Several of Henry Ford’s descendants have paid visits to the family homestead in Ballinascarty in the past decades. This year, William Clay Ford Jr. and his family visited Ballinascarty for the first time and unveiled a plaque commemorating the Ford family’s connection with the village.

The Ford Motor Company now employs 163,000 people and sells over 5 million vehicles annually across the globe. The Irish operation is the only Ford business in the world to bear the name of the company’s founder.

Mr. Ford joins a famous group of people with Irish heritage who have already been inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame including President William J. Clinton, Maureen O’Hara, Jean Kennedy Smith, Michael Flatley, Mary Higgins Clark, Donald Keough, and William J. Flynn, among others.

Interstater the Desert Fox Boniface Engineering was able to secure a contract with its German distributor Wolfgang Brechtel for 14 Interstaters for the Middle East on an off-road 8x8 Mercedes Benz chassis. The Interstater has been chosen because of its durability and its maximum towing capacity on minimum weight axles. An One of the Interstaters Interstater is designed to allow a heavy-duty towing capacity with a minimum distribution of the equipment weight on the back axles.

The interstater is equipped with an F-Type underlift and two Sepson winches type H200P. To increase the versatility of the recovery unit, a Palfinger PK15500 was installed which acts as a crane as well as a counter ballast for the interstater to increase the stability of the vehicle whilst towing.

The Interstater which was made in the UK, enjoys a high international reputation and we are looking forward to seeing the vehicle cope in the desert of the Middle East.

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Retailers still cautious despite Christmas sales Retail Ireland, the IBEC group that represents the Irish retail sector, has said that pre- and post-Christmas sales appear to be up, but retailers are pessimistic about 2012. Retail Ireland Director Stephen Lynam said: “Having seen a rise in sales in early December, the middle of the month saw sales fall again. Christmas week and the current week appear to be better than last year, but it is likely that total retail sales for the whole of 2011 will end up at around the same as those in 2010. “The good pre- and post-Christmas figures are welcome, but this year’s sales are being compared with a disastrous Christmas last year. It is also possible that many shoppers are trying to beat the 2% VAT increase. “Since the start of the recession, retail sales have fallen by over 20%. Meanwhile, rents remain too high, local authority charges are up in many areas and wage costs remain very high by European standards.

“Amongst Retail Ireland members the mood is grim according to our own business sentiment survey conducted in November.

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

www.currancommercials.com 2003 Iveco 75E17 Tector 20ft Curtain Side Fridge Insuliner

2005 daf If 45 170 12 ton on air 24ft box with tail lift

2005 daf lf 45 150 7.5 ton 20ft curtainsider with tail lift

2006 daf lf 45 150 7.5 ton 3 way tipper with tow hitch

2004 Scania 94d 260 6x2 28ft fridge twin blowers, side door and tail lift

2005 daf lf 45 150 7.5 ton 15ft fridge with tail lift

2002 daf If 45 150 7.5 ton bin lifting caged tipper

2001 daf If 55 220 13 ton on air 8TM crane and beavertail body

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2005 daf If 45 150 7.5 ton on air 21ft beavertail with winch and full width ramp

2002 DAF 75 cf 310 6x2 28ft fridge with tail lift

2006 daf cf 75 310 4x2 26ft fridge with side door and tail lift

2007 daf lf 55 220 18 ton 2 compatment hot box

2004 daf lf 55 220 18 ton telescopic skip truk

2002 Iveco 75E17 7.5 ton 17ft Beavertail Body with Full Width Ramp

2006 daf cf 65 220 4x2 on air 26ft curtainsider with tail lift

2000 mercedes 1823 atego 18 ton dropside tipper with vgb tow hitch

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2005 DAF IF 55 180 13ton 7TM crane with 21ft flat

2005 mercedes atego815 18ft box with side door

2005 Man TGA 180 Manual 7.5 Ton 24 Ft Curtainsider with Barn Doors

2003 Iveco 75e17 7.5 ton 20ft flat with 5TM crane

2005 Volvo Fle 220 4x2 on air 28ft Fridge with Barn Doors and Tail Lift

2004 Renault Midlum 7.5 ton 20ft curainsider with tail lift silver

2003 scania 94d 260 6x2 28ft curtainsider

2004 scania 94d 230 sleeper cab 26ft curtainsider with barn doors and zepro tail lift

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2002 renault premuim 320dci 6x2 26 ton 28ft curtainsider with barn doors and tail lift

2004 Mercedes 1323 atego 22ft chassie cab

2003 volvo fle 250 6x2 traffic managment truck with crash cushion

2005 Mercedes 815 atego 18ft box with side doors

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2006 Volvo FLE 220 18 ton 4x2 On Air Sleeper Cab 25ft Curtainsider with Barn Doors

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130 Markethill Road, Armagh BT60 1IF

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

2007 Volvo fm440 globetrotter www.currancommercials.com

2007 volvo fh12 480 globetrotter 6x2 manual

2002 Mercedes 818 Atego 20ft Box Isulation Truck

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T: 028 37552772 - ROI 048

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Tesco checks out its first new Mercedes-Benz Axors in Northern Ireland

Tesco stores across Northern Ireland have begun to receive deliveries from the retailer’s first new Mercedes-Benz tractor units to enter service in the province.

The eight 4x2 Axor 1840s have replaced vehicles by another manufacturer. They are now working alongside the 37 other tractor units and half a dozen fridge-bodied rigids which, together with 115 trailers, constitute Tesco’s Northern Ireland fleet.

The line-up includes a number of other Mercedes-Benz vehicles but all of these are on standard UK registration plates, having previously operated on the mainland.

The latest order represents another significant step forward in a process that has seen the manufacturer and its dealer, Newtownabbey-based Mercedes-Benz Truck & Van (NI), steadily increase their share of Tesco’s local fleet over the last few years.

Key to this pattern of progress has been Tesco’s successful operation of the reigning Motor Transport Fleet Truck of the Year – a title the Axor also won on two previous occasions in the last six years – in England, Scotland and Wales.

Axor 1840s powered by 400hp engines dominate the retail giant’s fleet – this year alone Tesco has ordered 538 new units and it now operates some 1,800 in total.

“We know how well the Axor performs,” confirmed Nigel Baranowski, who leads Tesco’s Engineering Support Department.

“Our experience over the nine years since its introduction has confirmed the Mercedes-Benz Axor to be exceptionally reliable and highly fuel-efficient.

“But it’s not just about ‘the metal’, as we’re looking for a complete package in Northern Ireland. So we will now be monitoring closely the performance of Mercedes-Benz Truck & Van (NI) to see whether it can deliver the very high quality of back-up that we expect.”

The dealer’s Sales Director Julian Brown added: “We are delighted and very proud to see Tesco’s first brand new MercedesBenz trucks in operation on the roads of Northern Ireland. This order represents a fantastic opportunity and we are determined to do all we can to build on this platform and develop our relationship with this most prestigious of customers.” www.tesco.com The new Tesco Mercedes-Benz Axors

Road projects get go-ahead Varadkar

Volvo Trucks’ November deliveries increase 45%

Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar has confirmed that the Government has approved a funding mechanism for multi million euro road projects in Dublin and Co. Wicklow. Work is set to start in 2012 on upgrading the Newlands Cross bottleneck on the main Dublin to Cork/Limerick road, while the N11 between Arklow and Rathnew will also be upgraded to four lanes. Funding of more than €100 million is set to be provided under a Public Private Partnership involving a significant contribution from the European Investment Bank and Bank of Ireland, in the first such arrangement for road projects for a number of years. Construction is set to start next year on both projects, and is due to be completed by 2014, at which stage the repayments will commence. Minister Varadkar has said this is a very welcome announcement, particularly at a time when PPP projects are so difficult to get off the ground. “I am delighted to be able to announce the upgrading of Newlands Cross, and of the N11 between Rathnew and Arklow. Both projects will make a real difference to the travelling public and to businesses. Each one covers a critical section of road, and is among a handful of stretches which were never resolved during the boom years. “Thanks to this new arrangement, the work can finally be initiated. “It’s particularly welcome to be able to remove the last traffic light between Dundalk and Cork, on one of Ireland’s most important and busiest national routes. The construction process will also create employment for hundreds of people.”

The NRA will now move on to the difficult task of trying to find financial backing for the Gort to Tuam motorway.

In total, Volvo deliveries in Europe amounted to 4,418 trucks in November, up 35% compared with the corresponding period of 2010. Delivery increases were noted in such countries as the United Kingdom, France and Sweden. As previously announced the macro-economic uncertainty is currently impacting truck customers who have become slightly more cautious.

Consequently Volvo Trucks is adapted its production levels in the beginning of 2012 in order to meet the current level of demand. In Russia, deliveries rose a full 159% to 653 trucks, compared with November 2010. On the whole, deliveries in Eastern Europe rose 72% during November. In Brazil, deliveries rose 15% in November, compared with the corresponding period of 2010. And for all of South America deliveries rose 24% to 2,159 trucks.

With tougher emission standards starting January 1 2012, Volvo Trucks expects lower demand in the beginning of the year and will consequently adapt production levels in January 2012. In North America, November deliveries rose 85% compared with November 2010 to 2,959 trucks. In the segment for long-haul trucks, demand remained healthy. New sales of trucks are being driven primarily by the need to renew truck fleets while, to a greater extent, smaller players are now also beginning to replace their older vehicles.

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IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Considerable awareness of fuel consumption among drivers More than 50 percent of the members of the global Worldtrucker forum always try to drive as economically as possible. Fuel economy is always a hot climate-related issue but it is not only the environment that stands to make major gains from reduced fuel consumption. The fact is that haulage firms stand to reap considerable financial benefits too. For the average haulage firm in Europe, fuel costs account for more than one-third of total costs. With efficient driving, this can drop by as much as 10 percent. Since fuel consumption is directly related to carbon dioxide emissions, it also has a knock-on effect on the environment. Driver attitudes to - and their knowledge of - fuel-efficient driving are thus important from both the financial and environmental viewpoints. That is why the Volvo Truck Corporation used its global http://www.worldtrucker.com/ forum to survey driver attitudes to fuel-efficient driving. The aim of the forum, which got under way last spring, is to increase the company's understanding of driver interests and needs. The fresh survey results show there is considerable awareness on the subject of fuel-efficiency. Do you think about driving your truck as fuel-efficiently as possible?" more than half - 53 percent - answered that they always take fuel consumption into consideration.

Ulf Hammarberg is environmental affairs manager at global haulage company DHL. He feels that the survey results reflect a clear and positive trend. "From the environmental viewpoint, economical driving is an important measure in the heavy truck sector in Europe. DHL feels that systematic monitoring, with feedback to our drivers, is a significant factor for achieving success in economical driving," he explains.

WORN TRUCK TYRES Bought For Truck Tyre Retreading Only good quality cases

Sizes required 295/80 315/80 385/65-22-5 Email: info@condrontyres.ie

Contact Sean on 057 9344292

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IRU fears for economic growth The IRU Road Transport Indices, which allow the comparison of GDP growth, road freight transport volumes and new vehicle registrations in 58 countries, forecast that the OECD and EU countries will be confronted with a considerable slow down of economic growth. IRU Head of Sustainable Development, Jens Hügel highlighted that “when comparing the 2010 and 2011 figures, BRIC countries** have outperformed OECD countries in terms of growth in tonnes transported and will continue doing so in 2012. In fact, transport operators from BRIC countries transported 7.7% more goods in 2011, whereas transport operators in the OECD and EU transported only 1.7% and 1.6% respectively more transport volume.”

The 2012 forecast for OECD and EU countries shows that growth in transport volume will slow down to 0.9% and 0.8% respectively, before finally stagnating in the 3rd and 4th quarters. New vehicle registrations for the first 2 quarters of 2012 will increase for the OECD and EU by 0.9% and 0.7%, before equally coming to a hold in the second half of the year. Mr Hügel added, “After a modest recovery in OECD countries in 2011, uncertainties will increase and the current financial turmoil will again impact the real economy. There are many parallels to the 2008 economic crisis situation as well as early signs that the OECD and EU are heading for a double dip recession. However, this new recession is not unavoidable.

There are political options to prevent it and it is imperative to learn from how BRIC countries coped with the last crisis.”

The fact that BRIC countries are outperforming OECD and EU countries results from their understanding that both systemic innovation and major investment in production tools, including in small and medium-sized enterprises that provide 85% of jobs, such as road transport companies, are instrumental in expediting real economic growth. In order to avoid a new recession and restore sustainable economic growth in 2012, governments should recognise, as do BRIC countries, that road transport is a non-subsidised production tool, which interconnects all businesses in all regions, to all world markets with its high quality and unique door-to-door services, and should thus be promoted and further facilitated.

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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Caffrey International named Logistics Company of the Year Caffrey International, based at Ashbourne, near Dublin has won the prestigious Irish Exporters Association’s Award for Logistics Company of the Year.

The Award was presented by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mr. Richard Bruton to Mark Caffrey at a glittering event held at Dublin’s new Convention Centre. It was awarded in recognition of the contribution that Caffrey International has made within the successful Irish export sector.

The company provides transport, warehousing and distribution services covering Ireland, the UK and continental Europe for both ambient and perishable cargo. With bases in Ireland and The Logistics Company of the Year Award being presented to Mark Caffrey by the Poland, it operates a fleet of more than 65 Minister for Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation Richard Bruton. Also included are trucks and 125 trailers and employs more than Chief Executive of Dublin Port Mr. Eamonn O’Reilly (left) and Mr. Mark Fitzgerald President of the Irish Exporters Association (right) 100 people. It caters for all consignment sizes, from single pallets through to full loads, and offers cross-docking, consolidation and added value services. The panel of independent judges was impressed by this range of service, and by Caffrey International’s ability to provide efficient, cost-effective and sustainable logistics solutions for exporters of all sizes, from start-up companies through to multi-nationals.

At the Award ceremony, General Manager Mark Caffrey commented “We take great pride in winning this award. We appreciate the recognition that the Irish Exporters Association gives to the important role that Logistics continues to play in the success story of Irish Exports. As part of that role, we provide competitively priced and sustainable routes to market. We can only deliver this through the experience and expertise of our very committed workforce. This Award is a real, and much appreciated, tribute to them and to their work.”

TTC scoops IFA Solus Suppliers of the Year Award for the third year running Truck and Trailer Components (TTC) were delighted to be presented the IFA Solus Supplier of the Year Award 2011 recently, at the annual awards event held at Heythrope Park, Oxfordshire.

The IFA (Independent Factors Association) was formed in 1977 and is the largest group of independent motor factors working together as a buying group in the UK. This award recognises TTC’s performance across a broad range of areas including, innovation, marketing support, product availability and delivery, inventory support and the level of customer service provided

by TTC to the members.

TTC have been a supplier to the IFA for over 20 years and have been a strong supporter and supply partner during this time.

On the evening Stuart Smedley CV Chairman of the IFA presented the award to Darren Miller, Head of Marketing at TTC. Darren Miller commented: “The award is a fantastic achievement for the TTC business and a huge accolade for the TTC Team and one which we will cherish. Winning the award for an unprecedented third time in a row is a great achievement and one, which Stuart Smedlay (Vice Chairman of the IFA) the team is justly proud to have achieved in presenting the Award to Darren Miller, supporting the CV members.”

Head of Marketing at TTC

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RHA secure new business partner The UK’s Road Haulage Association has announced that it has appointed Transglobal Telecom as its latest new business partner under the brand of RHA Telecom Solutions. As a key player in the marker, RHA Telecom Solutions are perfectly placed to bring to members significant telecoms expertise and experience, together with product and service choice at the most competitive rates possible. RHA chief executive Geoff Dunning said: "We are pleased to welcome Transglobal UK Ltd to our experienced team of businesses partners. RHA Telecom Solutions will be able to provide RHA members with landline, mobile, broadband and phone systems products and services whilst offering significant telecoms expertise and experience, widest product and service choice along with the most competitive rates".

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

French truckers left furious French truckers are up in arms over cabotage, which is bringing new tensions into the domestic market.

Cabotage has been one of the FNTR’s major preoccupations for some time. It says France alone accounts for one-third of all cabotage operations in the EU and that more than 40% of trucks on the country’s roads are now foreign-registered. Since 1 January – marking the next stage in the liberalisation of the European road haulage sector – hauliers from Bulgaria and Romania have joined those from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and the three Baltic states, who, since May 2009, have had the right to carry out up to three domestic transport operations in fellow member states over a seven-day period, following an international operation. “The arrival of Bulgarian and Romanian hauliers will generate new tensions on the French domestic market, as a result of very different labour and fiscal costs,” the FNTR warned.

“Not only are we are at a considerable competitive disadvantage with counterparts in eastern and central Europe, but also with haulage firms in Germany, Belgium and Spain, who, for the moment at least, are the most active in the cabotage market in France, an FNTR spokesman told IFW. Our message to the French government is ‘at least allow us to compete on equal terms with our near European neighbours by relieving the rigidity of work and labour legislation in force in France’.” The French government is planning across-industry legislation before the presidential election this spring to reduce the amount companies contribute to the state-run health-care and pension systems being reduced, the effect of which would be to trim the business costs of FNTR’s members. “More substantial measures will have to wait until after the election,” the spokesman admitted. He went on to paint a depressing picture of the road haulage sector in France, revealing that a Banque de France rating system on the financial health of firms showed that French hauliers, representing one-third of the staff employed in the sector, were in a vulnerable position.

Survey reveals pay rise on the horizon A new survey carried out has revealed that workers at one in five companies can look forward to a pay rise this year. In what is a good sign for the economy, company bosses have stated the employees will get a pay rise at 21% of the businesses that were surveyed. However, IT software developers, multilingual specialists and senior finance professionals are the only employees in line for bigger wage increases. And some workers will feel the pinch in their pay packets as one in 10 managers predict wages will drop by up to 5pc. Most human resources managers and senior executives surveyed said they expected pay to stay the same. The Morgan McKinley Ireland Salary Survey also found that almost half of professionals were more positive about the prospects for business compared with last year. Employers said attracting talent was their biggest staffing challenge. A total of 23pc said they worried they would not attract the right professionals, while 18pc were concerned about retaining talented staff. Just 4pc of the managers were concerned about redundancies. "The findings of our latest Salary Survey point towards a slight lift in business confidence, with almost half of managers claiming to have a more positive outlook," said chief operations officer Karen O'Flaherty.

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Mega trucks not wanted in UK say campaigners The UK Government has been urged not to allow 25metre mega-trucks be allowed operate by campaigners opposed to European proposals. The European Commission is proposing changes that would allow mega-truck traffic between consenting countries. The current UK limits for lorries are 16.5 metres and 44 tonnes, but the government recently approved a 10year trial of 18.5 metre lorries, which is due to start this month. Campaigners argue that once European megatrucks are allowed to travel between member states, large UK haulage companies will claim they are unfairly disadvantaged and pressurise government to allow them to operate 25-metre 60-tonne vehicles on UK roads. Philippa Edmunds, Freight on Rail Manager, said: “The UK government must oppose the EC proposals now, otherwise in reality; it will not be able to resist them in the future. The impact of lorries two metres longer has not even been assessed yet, let alone of an additional eight metres. “Allowing megatrucks will lead to more road fatalities, more congestion and more pollution and will be disastrous for the rail freight industry, which has the potential to take thousands more long-distance lorry journeys off the road.” She added: “Bringing mega-trucks to the UK could also cost the taxpayer dearly. Mega-trucks are 50% longer and a third heavier than existing HGVs. The cost of adapting road infrastructure, such as strengthening bridges, is likely to run into billions. In Austria, a much smaller country than the UK, adaptation costs have been estimated at €5 billion.

Maersk forced to pay €32m One of the world’s largest shipping lines, Maersk has settled out of court with the US Government for €31.9 million. Maersk Line agreed to pay the sum after it was found to have overcharged for carrying military supplies. The government claimed Maersk was allegedly billing in excess of the contractual rate to maintain the operation of refrigerated containers holding perishable cargo at a terminal in Karachi, Pakistan, and at US military bases in Afghanistan; billing excessive detention charges (or late fees) by failing to account for cargo transit times and a contractual grace period; billing for container delivery delays improperly attributed to the US government; billing for container GPS tracking and security services that were not provided, or only partially provided; and failing to credit the US government for rebates of container storage fees received by Maersk’s subcontractor at a Kuwaiti port. Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the US Department of Justice said: “Our men and women in uniform overseas deserve the highest level of support provided by fair and honest contractors. As the Justice Department’s continuing efforts to fight procurement fraud demonstrate, those who put profits over the welfare of members of our military will pay a hefty price.”

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Industry first as Michelin launches new truck tyre with six-month guarantee to cover accidental damage Michelin is so confident of its newest on/off-road truck tyre’s robustness that it is offering a six-month accidental damage warranty with every purchase. It is believed to be the first promotion of its kind offered in the UK and Irish truck tyre markets.

Any new Michelin X Works tyre bought on the replacement market before the end of May 2012 will be guaranteed against accidental damage during the first six months of usage. To register tyres under the free guarantee, customers must either download the form from the X Works microsite* or contact their local Michelin account manager.

The 315/80 R 22.5 tyre is available as either an all-round X Works XZY fitment, or as the drive-axle specific X Works XDY. Purpose-designed to increase endurance, the tyre can be used in harsh conditions, such as construction sites, landfills and quarries as well as on the road – making it ideal for tippers, mixers and hooklifts.

Martin Covington, Michelin’s Head of Truck and Earthmover Marketing, says: “There’s a common misconception that if a truck is being used in an environment with increased risk of damage, there’s no point investing in a quality tyre. As a result, some fleets will buy budget tyres and pay more in the long-term owing to frequent downtime, expensive repairs and reduced tyre life.

“If you invest in a quality tyre, such as the Michelin X Works, tyre-related vehicle downtime will reduce and the life of the tyre itself will increase – this will result in lower bills.

“We are launching this tyre guarantee to demonstrate the confidence we have in our product. We know the economic climate is tough, but if fleets invest a little more up front, they can enjoy the benefits Michelin tyres deliver throughout their longer life. It will prove to be an all-round better tyre fitment for their business.”

The Michelin X Works tyre has been designed to improve resistance to accidental damage and increase mileage potential, even when being used in harsh conditions.

To ensure the X Works tyre performs equally well both on and off road, Michelin has designed the casing, rubber compounds, sidewalls and tread with additional strength to ensure they can better resist cuts and impacts.

The X Works XDY also features a chambered tread block design and compact central tread pattern to improve resistance to tread tearing.

Wider tread grooves improve water evacuation and self-cleaning properties in muddy conditions, while V-shaped tread grooves vary in width and pitch to help reduce stone retention.

The Michelin X Works XZY and XDY tyres both feature M + S (Mud + Snow) markings, which indicate mobility during adverse driving conditions.

Michelin X Works X2Y and XDY *For more information, please visit http://xworks.michelintransport.co.uk

Renault Magnum Legend with Alcoa Dura-Bright® wheels

Renault Magnum Legend

Renault Trucks has unveiled a special "Magnum Legend" edition. This packs all the very latest technological advantages the vehicle can offer in terms of performance and fuel savings. This highly exclusive special edition will be limited to 99 vehicles and comes in a matt black finish for the technical platform contrasting with a pure white cab.

The limited edition is equipped with Alcoa DuraBright® aluminium wheels. These wheels further improve the look of the vehicle and are easy to maintain. No polishing is needed; regularly washing with water and a soft detergent will keep them shiny.

Alcoa wheels offer many other advantages: further reduced fuel consumption due to the lower inertia and lower rolling resistance, increased payload capacity due to lower weight, longer lifetime of tyres and brakes because of better heat dissipation of the aluminium, longer lifetime of suspension, thanks to a lower unsprung weight. So more than enough reasons to specify Alcoa Dura-Bright® wheels for the Renault Magnum Legend.

For more info on Alcoa wheels, go to http://www.alcoa.com/alcoawheels/europe/en/home.asp.

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IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Container line reliability slips Global container carrier reliability slipped in November 2011 to 63% from 64% in October 2011, according to the latest analysis by SeaIntel Maritime. Maersk Line regained the top spot as the most reliable carrier, with a 75% overall on-time rate, followed closely by Hamburg Süd at 74%. Reliability is measured as arrival on the same calendar day or the day before. Starting from November, SeaIntel Maritime Analysis has initiated measurements of carrier reliability by the hour for carriers providing schedules and actual arrivals at this level of detail. Seven carriers currently provide this detail, including Maersk Line, Hamburg Süd, NYK, Yang Ming, OOCL, Wan Hai and Hanjin. “If we use these detailed statistics we find Maersk Line to be the most reliable carrier, with 88% on time within 24 hours [of the stated arrival time], and Hamburg Süd is the number-two performer, with 86% on time within 24 hours,” SeaIntel said in a press statement. Maersk Line was the top performer on the Pacific eastbound trade, with 95% of its vessels on time. Hanjin was second on this trade with 82% reliability. On Asia-North Europe, Maersk Line had 95% reliability, with NYK and OOCL both with 75% reliability. SeaIntel’s analysis is based on its own database of voyages comprising more than 35,000 arrivals since July 2011.

Road transport conference to discuss issues The European Commission are to host a transport conference to discuss and identify efficient and greener road transport solutions. The International Road Transport Union (IRU), in partnership with the European Commission (EC) and the EU Danish Presidency, will, in public-private partnership, address the theme “Efficient Solutions for Making Road Transport Greener” in Brussels, Belgium on 29 February 2012.

The Conference will feature a diverse panel of speakers including IRU President, Janusz Lacny, and high-level representatives from EU institutions, including the EC Vice-President and Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas, as well as the EU Transport Council President and Danish Minister for Transport, Henrik Dam Kristensen. The Conference will bring together over 400 political, transport and trade leaders from EU Member States around potential solutions, challenges and opportunities to further green road transport through innovation such as the European Modular Concept, doubling the use of collective passenger transport and the IRU strategy to achieve sustainable development, in the framework of the EU objectives and actions as defined in the EC transport White Paper. This year, the IRU’s traditional Spring Cocktail will immediately follow the Conference to provide a dynamic and spontaneous environment to allow participants to network and continue the dialogue on which solutions could prove to be most effective in achieving better rather than more road transport.

US truckers working time reduced by 12hrs The weekly hours of US truck drivers has been reduced by 12 hours in a bid by the Government to save more lives on the roads. The US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has revised the hours-of-service for commercial truck drivers, reducing the maximum number of hours of weekly driving time by 12 hours.

Previously, truck drivers could work up to 82 hours within a seven-day period. The new rule limits a driver’s working week to 70 hours. The final rule retains the current 11-hour daily driving limit, but truck drivers cannot drive for more than eight hours without taking a break of at least 30 minutes. The FMCSA also requires truck drivers who maximise their weekly work hours to take at least two nights of rest between 1am and 5am. This rest requirement is part of the “34-hour restart” provision that allows drivers to restart the clock on their work week by taking at least 34 consecutive hours off-duty. US hauliers that allow drivers to exceed the 11-hour driving limit by three or more hours could be fined US$11,000 per offence, and drivers face civil penalties of up to $2,750 for each violation. The new rule, based on the latest research in driver fatigue, was established to make sure truck drivers get enough rest to operate safely on the road. US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said: “Trucking is a difficult job, and a big rig can be deadly when a driver is tired and overworked. This will help prevent fatigue-related truck crashes and save lives.”

SeaFrance future hangs in balance SeaFrance’s main trade union CFDT has been urged to meet with officials of DFDS in a last attempt to save the shipping line from going out of business. The judicial administrators of SeaFrance have made the recommendation as the company looks set to fold. The workers’ co-op bid is the only offer on the table, but remains seriously short of start-up capital.

Earlier this month, DFDS, in association with French shipping group LDA, via its subsidiary, LD Lines, announced it had decided against making a new bid for SeaFrance. Asked whether DFDS could renew its interest in SeaFrance if the CFDT indicated a willingness to start talks with the company on takeover plans, a spokesman for the Danish group told IFW: “That’s difficult to answer. We made it clear why we were not making a new offer for SeaFrance and our position has not changed.” No one at the CFDT’s SeaFrance branch in Calais was available to comment. Earlier this month, it declined an invitation from France’s transport minister, Thierry Mariani, to talks with DFDS claiming that the Danish group’s takeover would lead to poorer working conditions and a cut in salaries. The union also claimed they were demanding a guarantee of industrial relations peace. The branch suffered a reverse just before Christmas when a Paris appeal court rejected its fresh call to allow SeaFrance’s ferries to return to service after having been in dock since 15 November. The branch has also run into trouble with the union at regional level for having refused to study any other option for the future of the company than the workers’ co-operative bid. “Despite the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of this bid, those piloting it have discouraged other potential bidders, in particular, DFDS and LDA, who made a commitment to keep on a good part of the workforce,” the union said in a statement.

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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Boniface offer five year paintwork guarantee Pictured is one of the first heavy units to have the Akzo Nobel 5 year paint guarantee, with Akzo Nobel paying for the cost of repair for any paint faults for 5 years, this is done on a sliding scale, and the items covered are: Significant colour change, Crazing, Cracking, Adhesion, Lifting, and Chalking.

The nominated paint shops working with Boniface are all happy to carry out the stringent preparation and paint process required to meet the high quality standard that Boniface and Akzo Nobel insist on.

The nominated paint shops have bought into this scheme and have agreed to use Akzo Nobel products from degreaser right through to top coat and clear coat, giving body work that ‘car finish’ - something which is becoming more common on today’s high value vehicles.

The paint process is laid down in a document that is sent to all the nominated paint sops which they must adhere to. This document covers the entire paint scheme from preparation of the body work to the final top coat and finishing, there are even differing work instructions for the boom to the body work and differing levels of preparation for inside and out side the lockers. Azko Nobel Auto coat products are used from the BT 800 degreaser through to the BT 800 Wash primer to the BT LV filler and P280 sand paper. The top coat is then applied which is Auto Coat BT LV 351.

As with all Boniface Heavy bodies Speed liner is fitted to the inside of the locker system, this gives the inside of the lockers a bright finish but with the advantage of being durable to withstand tough use.

Pictured below is Wakefield Autos latest edition to their ever growing fleet, Lea Wakefield sourced the late secondhand chassis and Boniface fitted a Recoverer Trident H Low-line complete with Side-winder 3/1 and the new for 2011 Super Deluxe stainless steel body - brimming with features that have become a trademark of Boniface Engineering’s dedication to making the highest quality Recovery Equipment available anywhere in the world today.

For more information on this new paint scheme or any of their products please visit their website www.boniface-eng.com or telephone 01842 754232

Thirteen a lucky number for Irish Ferries Thirteenth has proven to be a lucky number for Irish Ferries.

At the Irish Travel Trades News travel awards ceremony held in Dublin, the company was presented with Ireland’s Best Ferry Company award - the thirteenth time that the award has gone to Irish Ferries in the 20 years history of the event.

The award was presented to Irish Ferries on foot of votes cast by travel agents and their staff employed in offices across Ireland, Irish Ferries - winners of Ireland’s north and south and accepted jointly by its head of passenger Best Ferry Company Award sales Declan Mescall and passenger sales manager Marie McCarthy.

Thanking travel agents for the honour their decision bestows on the company, Mr. Mescall said that the Best Ferry award reflects the high standard of service which passengers can now expect from Irish Ferries.

‘In addition, it recognises the numerous developments that have taken place in the company in recent times, including the introduction of class leading advances in electronic communications, the most recent being the introduction of the industry’s first bookable smart phone app which was launched just months ago’ Mr. Mescall said.

Toal Truck apprentices claim national awards Quality training makes a mechanic and Toal Truck Services in Armagh have two of the best young apprentices in the country.

Conor Loughran was first and Mark McKenna third in the Apprentice of the Year Skill Build Competition 2011. The two are part of the team at Toal Truck Services Ltd, the successful commercial vehicle garage.

The firm service, repair and offer a full MOT preparation service for all HGV vehicles of all makes and models. They also offer a full recovery service throughout Northern Ireland, Eire and The United Kingdom with our 64 appointed agents.

Other services include trailer repairs, brake testing, fabrication and bodywork repairs. Call now on 02837 569 700 for expert assistance.

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IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Euro-zone debt crisis hits trailer market outlook The uncertain economic outlook in Europe will hit sales of heavy trailers in 2012. Demand for new trailers is now forecast to fall below the level of 2011. As a consequence the sales figure for 2012 will be 10,000 trailers less than was forecast in May this year.

There are two overriding factors driving this new forecast. The first is that business confidence is being undermined by the uncertainty as to whether one or more of the European economies is going to run into difficulty either paying its debts or selling government bonds to raise new finance. Secondly, every economy in Europe is now forecast to have lower levels of business investment in 2012 than was forecast at the beginning of the summer. A third factor is that some transport companies cannot finance trailer purchases at reasonable levels of interest as banks see transport companies as high risk.

These factors will be enough to choke off what was a promising recovery. Although there will only be a small fall in trailer demand, the forecast assumes that there will be no sovereign default on debt, other than that which we know about in Greece. Should further problems emerge in Italy, Spain, Portugal or (less likely) Ireland, then all bets would be off and we could see falls in the trailer market of 10% or more.

Looking further forward, CLEAR remains optimistic for 2013/14. Gary Beecroft, managing director of CLEAR commented, “Trailer demand has been well below the long-term trend level since 2009. Even with a good level of growth in 2013/14 we will only just get back to trend at the end of 2014.”

In the meantime a backlog of replacement demand is building. Because the level of new trailer sales is still low, the trailer parc (fleet size) is both ageing and shrinking.

Background 77% of goods in Europe are moved by road and most of that proportion is transported on a trailer pulled by a truck. The last severe downturn in the heavy goods trailer market was in 1993 – but 2009 was worse. In 92/93 the demand for trailers fell by 31% or 37,000 trailers. In 2008/9 the fall was 51% or 107,000 trailers. The fall in trailer production was worse as exports fell faster than domestic demand plus there was a massive destocking of finished vehicles.

The West European Trailer Market Report (November 2011), with forecasts to 2015, can be obtained from CLEAR using the contact details below. A report for the East European market was issued in October 2011.

Wheel and tyre choice cuts C02 emissions Minor adjustments to vehicles can have a surprisingly large effect on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, according to a study

by Volvo Trucks and Michelin. In 2010, global CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels rose by more than 5% according to the International Energy Agency. At the same time the vehicle industry dedicates huge amounts of resources to reducing CO2 by just a few percentage points. However, minor adjustments to vehicles can have a surprisingly large effect on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, according to a study by Volvo Trucks and Michelin. The revelation in November that a new international treaty on climate change will be delayed until 2020 at the earliest means that the actions of individual people and companies to reduce their carbon emissions will become even more important. Recent research by truck maker Volvo and tyre manufacturer Michelin shows that a quick and simple measure can have a significant impact on emissions without the need for major outlay or new ways of working: checking and correcting the tyres and wheels on your vehicle. The study shows that having the right tyres, tyre pressure and wheel alignment can reduce fuel consumption - and therefore CO2 emissions - by up to 15%. If the environmental incentive is not enough, in financial terms that could be a saving up to €8,000 (£6,650) per vehicle per year.

"We know that wheel alignment, tyre type and tyre pressure all have a major impact on fuel consumption," says Arne-Helge Andreassen, business area manager for tyres and wheel alignment at Volvo Trucks' Aftermarket department. "However, there is a lack of awareness in the transport industry about the importance of checking tyres and wheel alignment on both the truck and the trailer. At our dealers, we can help haulage companies check the entire combination and correct any problems. If everyone did this, it would have a significant impact on carbon dioxide emissions."

Volvo Trucks and Michelin decided to produce statistical data on just how much wheel alignment, tyre pressure and rolling resistance affect fuel consumption and therefore CO2 emissions. In a two-week long, 1,000km test, a combination with optimal tyres, tyre pressures and wheel alignment was compared with a vehicle featuring different wheel alignments and tyre parameters. The tests were carried out on a track and in a workshop under the watchful eye of SP (the Technical Research Institute of Sweden). The trucks were equipped not only with fuel gauges, but also with special instruments that monitored exact speed, tyre wear, tyre pressure and rolling resistance. The test engineers made adjustments in the test results for factors such as wind, rain and temperature.

"All the conditions tested were realistic, and no exaggerations were allowed," says Andreassen. "Real life is bad enough. Diesel consumption increases dramatically if the wheels are not entirely parallel. And this applies to all vehicles, for construction and long-haul operations too." Analysis of the test results reveals that there can be a difference of as much as 14.5 per cent in fuel consumption depending on how the wheels are aligned and equipped. Choice of tyre can cut consumption by as much as 11 per cent; correct tyre inflation brings a reduction of 1 per cent, while proper wheel alignment can cut fuel consumption by 2.5 per cent. Jacques de Giancomoni, Technical Account Manager at Michelin, explains that one-third of fuel consumption stems from the tyres' rolling resistance.

"Having the right tyres is of paramount importance," he says, adding. "But checking tyre pressure - which also has a significant effect on fuel consumption - is also important." Andreassen says that as a manufacturer of heavy vehicles, Volvo has considerable responsibility for the effects of its products, and it takes that responsibility seriously. "We must try to do everything we can to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide," he says.

"It's not enough to just build fuel-efficient engines; Volvo Trucks works consistently and in a variety of ways to cut the fuel consumption of our vehicles throughout their lifecycle." Of course correcting the tyre pressure and wheel alignment will not stop climate change, but as commercial traffic accounts for 30 to 40 % of total carbon dioxide emissions from road transport, it is another small but significant step towards a lower carbon future.

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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Leading Transport Firm Calls on Government to Remove Dye from Diesel One of the Ireland’s leading logistics and transport firm s has called on Government to abolish all colouring of diesel and to introduce a fuel rebate.

Mr Owen Cooke, chairman of TPN, which employs over 60 people at its Dublin transport hub, said, An already fragile transport and freight industry, still suffering from some of the toughest years for the transport industry in Ireland, will suffer more dire consequences if the Government does not rectify the on-going issue of coloured diesel being illegally washed and sold as road diesel with the subsequent losses to the Exchequer. Mr. Cooke, a former Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, is proposing that the Government abolish the colouring of all diesel and introduce a fuel rebate across the agricultural, construction and haulage sectors, putting much needed revenue back in the hands of the Exchequer.

“Conservative estimates could see a net benefit to the exchequer of at least Eu250m per annum,” he added. “Our proposal is simple. Remove the colour from diesel. That removes the illegal laundering of diesel fuel which recent figures suggest makes up at least 12 per cent of all diesel sold in Ireland. It also levels the playing field for legitimate and reputable operators in the agricultural, construction and haulage sectors who won’t have to compete with unscrupulous traders using illegal and cheaper fuel in these sectors. In addition, the introduction of a fuel rebate system would ensure farmers, construction companies and hauliers are all part of the tax system, increasing cross compliance, and would reward those who are compliant.The administration mechanisms for running such a rebate system are already in place, and would cost no more than the money spent in enforcing the current dual colour system.”

A number of leading professional representative organisations such as the IRHA and SIMI have also come out in favour of abolishing coloured diesel or are in favour of similar systems where, the “agricultural diesel scheme be moved to one based on credits for qualifying users rather than a system based on ‘marked fuel’.” Retail Ireland has also proposed that the government should equalise the duty rates for agricultural fuel and motor fuel and the introduction of a reclaim system for agricultural fuel users.

Mr Cooke concluded, “We have to ask ourselves why the Government is refusing to act on these proposals? What we are seeing is a fairly common consensus from organisations in Ireland that represent hundreds of thousands of employees across retail, logistics, haulage and motor industries. While proposals may vary in detail, the overwhelming opinion is that Government needs to change the way they are managing the coloured diesel issue. They need to listen to what industry is saying and by doing so they can save the taxpayer money, generate more revenue for the Exchequer, create jobs in rolling out the new rebate system and halt the spread of illegal diesel selling points across the Republic.”

Irish hauliers may register oversees

Old vans not welcome in London

Irish road hauliers are considering registering their businesses overseas in an effort to avoid paying higher taxes, following the 2% VAT increase on New Year’s Day. Toll prices have risen due to the VAT increase leading hauliers to air their frustrations once again. Many of Ireland’s larger road haulage groups are investigating the possibility of relocating to the UK or even Eastern Europe. The cost of a year’s road tax on the heaviest class of articulated vehicle in the UK is £1,850 per year compared with up to €4,833 in the Republic. Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) president Eoin Gavin commented: "It's €598 to register a truck in the North. It's €3,440 to register here. There are 300 hauliers in the south-east looking to re-register in Bulgaria. We've given strong proposals to Government on funding, and they're ignoring them."

Last month the IRHA requested an investigation after reports that there might be up to eight further toll locations installed on the highways to generate additional revenue. The proposals have been discussed for months and include the suggestion that they will involve Dublin’s ring road, an idea met with derision in many quarters and unacceptable to the haulage lobby who point out the likelihood that this move would increase inner city traffic – the very thing the ring road is supposed to counter. The IRHA has long expounded the need for a Eurovignette system to collect all road tolls evenly across all users. The organisation quoted a report from the Irish Exporters Association which indicated that EU Directives issued recently might cost Irish exporters almost €100 million in extra charges at a time when Irish exports were achieving record levels reaching over €160 billion in 2010

New lower emissions zones have been implemented in London, meaning older vehicles could face bigger charges or even fines if found driving in the city. The Freight Transport Association is advising operators of Y-registration (and some 51 plate) vans to keep out of London to avoid costly charges and fines. Natalie Chapman, FTA’s Head of Policy for London, said: "The penalties are such that non-compliance is simply not an option. Research by FTA shows that fortunately, most large HGV fleet operators will be fully compliant with, or prepared for, the move up from Euro 3 to Euro 4 standard engines. However, for trades people operating vans over ten years old the LEZ will be an entirely new consideration and, therefore, preparedness will be far lower. This is where our immediate concern lies. "For many small businesses and sole traders, 2011 has been all about keeping afloat and the looming LEZ changes may catch them out. We are advising those with non-compliant vans to stay out of London, but this may prove impossible for London-based van operators."

18

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

1,000th DAF assembled in Taiwan On Friday 16 December 2011, at FASC—Formosa Automobile Sales Corporation—in Taiwan, the 1000th locally assembled DAF CF85 truck came off the production line. DAF has been active in Taiwan since 2006, and last year was the market leader among European brands in the heavy tractor market. The Formosa Automobile Sales Corporation is responsible for the marketing and sale of DAF trucks in Taiwan, as well as the local production. On average, ten CF trucks are assembled each week using so called 'CKD' ('Completely Knocked Down') packages, which are shipped from DAF Trucks in Eindhoven to Taipei. DAF trained the assembly staff from FASC, which guarantees that the quality of a truck assembled in Taiwan is of the same high level as a vehicle manufactured in Eindhoven or Leyland.

DAF supplies two and three-axle CF85 tractors and rigids to the Taiwanese market. "These vehicles are ideal for heavy distribution due to their low unladen weight for high load capacities, excellent driver comfort and the unique combination of a compact cabin and high engine outputs", explains Seiko Chen, Chairman of FASC. "By working with DAF, our aim is to further enhance our market position, and our objective for 2012 is to register 650 CF vehicles, compared with the 450 this year. We are also investigating the possibilities to locally assemble the DAF LF distribution truck. "We are proud of our collaboration with FASC", explains Michiel Kuijs, Managing Director for Sales Operations at DAF Trucks N.V. "FASC is a leading and professional partner that is determined to further enhance DAF's position in Taiwan. The company's experience and continuing success on the market will be of great help in achieving this goal."

Hireco Chooses SDC’s Fuel-Saving Aeroliner Trailer rental specialist Hireco has purchased 20 new fuel-efficient Aeroliner trailers from SDC Trailers. The new Aeroliner boasts a range of low-resistance features, including SDC’s Aerodynamic Flow Generator (AFG) system, which saw fuel consumption slashed by 8.8% in recent back-to-back trials.

The Aeroliner’s low-drag design will allow Hireco to offer clients a cost-saving, curtain-side semi-trailer, helping to reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions for operators.

The tri-axle Aeroliner is designed to allow air to flow smoothly over the trailer surfaces. The superstructure curves in by 180mm on both sides over the final 1.6m of its length and has as a rear roof slope of 100mm, incorporating the vortex AFG system, to help reduce drag behind the trailer. Airflow from the cab aerodynamic kit will be smoothed by an air deflector at the front of the trailer.

To further ensure minimal air resistance, SDC has included a full aerodynamic side skirt kit that guides air smoothly around the skirts – on both the inner and outer face. The trailer’s curtains are designed so that only the buckle is visible, with the buckle tail-strap passing inside a pocket built into the curtain.

The innovation, however, continues under the vehicle. SDC has addressed the disturbed airflow from under the tractor unit with a front skirt forming a tunnel with fitted under-floor pans to enclose the chassis from the skirts up to the front axle. The rear lights and number plate have been raised higher and a circular under-run bar fitted to allow air flowing through the tunnel to the rear of the trailer to escape unhindered.

Spraydown vehicle spray suppression mud-flaps, using vanes with a series of curves to catch water, also reduce drag by allowing air to pass through.

The focus on aerodynamic design to create an 8.8% fuel saving has not compromised on capacity, with a 2.058 metre wide rear access for loading and space for the traditional 26 pallets.

Mark Cuskeran, SDC Trailers managing director, said: “The Aeroliner’s innovative features will help operators save money, reduce fuel consumption by up to 8.8% and cut carbon emissions – so it’s a key product in our range. It was important to incorporate these features but, unlike some other trailers on the market, maintain the full load capacity and loading access.

Hireco’s customers will be some of the first to benefit from the fuel savings.”

James Smith, Hireco managing director, said: “Offering customers a highquality product is important to Hireco. SDC’s Aeroliner will complement our range of products but the proven reduction in fuel consumption will also help our customers cut costs at a period when every penny SDC Aeroliner Trailer counts.”

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

19

Delivering on their promise Since its establishment in 2007, Trans X Logistics in Baldonnell, Co Dublin has quickly grown to become a leading nationwide distribution company.

Irish Trucker spoke to the company’s Managing Director, Eugene Ward, about what his business has to offer and his plans for the future.

N

o industry is easy, but when it comes to the transportation business things don’t get much tougher than the long hours and timely service that is required to be a successful nationwide distribution company.

Combine with that having started up your business at the start of the stinging recession and you would certainly agree that things haven’t been easy for Eugene Ward, but his company Trans X Logistics continues to make it work.

A Dublin-based nationwide distribution company, with five depots throughout Ireland, Trans X Logistics specialise in the distribution of parcels and pallets to the highest standard expected by both our customers, and their customers, during these times.

With the belief that PODs are of one of the highest priorities, they have developed an online booking system, allowing you, the customer to view your POD online within 24/48 hours of delivery. The company is based on the belief that customers' needs are of the utmost importance and their entire team is committed to meeting those needs.

As a result, a high percentage of business at Trans X Logistics is 20

from repeat customers and referrals.

“We’re established since 2007 and we’re based here at Baldonnell Business Park, Baldonnell, Co Dublin,” explained Eugene whom has over 15 years in next day distribution services across Ireland & UK. “Our staff would vary because of subcontractors, but we’d have between 12 and 15 people here and my own position is Managing Director.

“We’re a nationwide next day delivery service. It’s a very competitive business and for us getting deliveries there for our customers the next day is paramount.

Getting the information to the customer is paramount for us too and once all your deliveries are complete, our job is done.”

Trans X Logistics are a family run company, offering a wide range of parcel and pallet delivery services across Ireland, the UK and Europe.

The company has shown strong commitment by building their business based on lasting relationships with IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

customers, which has been achieved by common values, strong commitment, loyalty and stability within the business. The valuable benefits of dealing with Trans X Logistics, compared with other companies, include greater trust between staff to increased flexibility.

“I started off with one truck and it grew from there basically,” Eugene explained when asked how he started his business.

“I would have spent a lot of time listening to customers to learn what they wanted and what they were missing from other services. A lot of them were telling me the same thing, so I decided to try and set-up a business

which would satisfy them.

“In 2008 we expanded to a nationwide company service and this in turn led to more work in the UK and Europe. Business is good at the moment. It’s stable and what it all comes down to is customer concern. Our aim is to deliver what we promise.”

Trans X Logistics offer their customers a comprehensive range of services, which include next day nationwide delivery and collection service along with imports and exports from the UK and most European countries. Document management, an online booking system and integrated system and GPS tracking systems are also included in the Trans X Trans X Logistics are a regular sight on the roads of Ireland

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

21

package.

Trans X Logistics offer a next day delivery service The company’s fleet largely consists of Renault, DAF and Scania trucks. While they stock eight trucks in the yard, their fleet numbers rise considerably due to subcontract work and they could be working with up to and over 100 vehicles during their busier periods.

Eugene admits that the rising cost of fuel has become a concern for companies such as his, but he says that they’re doing their best to ride out the storm.

“I suppose its effected many transport companies, but we’ve had to put up our prices to stay ahead,” he said. “Fuel costs are a burden on everyone and it this stage they have exceeded staff wages, but it’s just something we have to deal with. Toll bridge costs are another issue. Not many would realise it, but toll bridges would cost a company like us up to €60,000 a year.”

In the short space of almost five years, Trans X Logistics have earned themselves repeat business from loyal customers which have been retained through o providing a shes T From i W t reliable service.

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IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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23

segments.

This strategic partnership has provided many benefits to its customer base.

Such has been the impact that Trans X Logistics’ have had on its customers that they were able to play a glowing tribute to the Baldonnell-based outfit.

"We have been using Trans X Logistics for over 12 months for all our freight requirements within Ireland,” explained Mark O’Connor, who is Operations Director with Ark Animal Care Ltd in Newbridge, Co Kildare.

“A high percentage of our parcels contain vaccine and require next day delivery. We are very happy with the level of service provided

and attention to detail from all the with. Thank you!” staff at Trans X. On the rare Managing Director of Donal Lynch occasion when we have had a L.t.d, Aidan Lynch stated: “In this query on a delivery, the manner in day and age, it’s hard to find a which they were sorted was company you can trust. Trans X exceptional. I would have no Logistics was recommended to me hesitation in recommending Trans by a friend, and now I know why – X Logisitics to anybody with pallet the quality of service I received was or parcel delivery requirements." outstanding. Keep up the good Richard Parnell whois the work!”

Managing Director with A& L Castors, was also fulsome in his praise: “The level of service at COMPANY D ETAILS Trans X Logistics is fantastic.

Tr an s X Logistics Having been a customer for Head Office many years, I am consistently F2 Baldonnel impressed by the l Business Par k Baldonnell professionalism of every staff Co Dublin member I have come in contact E:customerse rvice@transxlo gistics.com

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24

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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Farrelly Heavy Haulage is a thriving family concern

Farrelly Heavy Haulage celebrates five years in business 26

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Farrelly Heavy Haulage Ltd is celebrating five years in business and what better time to talk to founder and director George Farrelly about the successful Co. Meath-based company.

F

ive years ago, when the Celtic Tiger was still roaring, brothers George and Johnny Farrelly decided to set up their own heavy haulage business. The good times have long since come to an end with the construction industry – which Farrelly Heavy Haulage relies heavily on – feeling the pinch most. However, the Co. Meathbased company has continued to prosper through its willingness to diversify and providing a service IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

that is second to none.

“The last couple of years have been tough, but we’ve no regrets,” says George, who was involved with his brother Paddy in Farrelly Plant Hire (Paddy runs another company called Farrelly Logistics) before starting up the new business with his other sibling in 2006.

“At the time, the road building and house construction sectors were booming and there was plenty of work for us. But then, all of a

sudden, the boom ended and things have quietened down an awful lot since then. As I said, it’s been tough but we have found other ways to keep ourselves busy.

We pride ourselves on offering the best service we possibly can and that has stood to us,” he continues.

Based in Castletown, which is a few miles north of Navan, Farrelly Heavy Haulage provides a heavy haulage service to the concrete and quarry industries. No job is too big 27

Farrelly Heavy Haulage is five years in business

or too small for this family-run concern, which has established a tradition of value-for-money, reliability and total dedication to customer service. The company has worked alongside many of the biggest names in the Irish construction industry, including Irish Asphalt, Lagan Cement, Kilsaran Concrete, Roadstone, Cemex, Behan Quarries and Kilwex.

Farrelly Heavy Haulage offers a wide range of

Best Wishes To Farrelly Heavy Haulage From

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services, from haulage of material and large machinery to the hiring of diggers, trucks and dumpers for groundwork.

“We specialise in everything from drawing aggregate, sand and gravel and tarmac to heavy haulage and wide loads,” George explains.

“We have a customer-base which is the envy of many of our rivals. While the vast majority of our work is concentrated in Ireland, and in the Dublin area in particular, we are also equipped for international haulage.”

Farrelly Heavy Haulage currently has a fleet of 14 trucks – eight articulated and six rigid – and 25 trailers, which consist of tippers, flat bed trailers, curtain-siders, low loaders and grain bodies. The company employs 16 staff, including George’s son Gavin, who is transport manager. Johnny Farrelly, meanwhile, is in charge of fleet maintenance.

“We had a fleet of 25 trucks at one stage, but have had to scale back because of the same volume of work isn’t there any more. The trucks we run are Volvo, DAF and Scania. All three are strong brands and are as reliable and economical as you’ll get. We’ve bought a IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

few at liquidation sales recently and they’ve performed well for us,” George continues.

“We buy our trailers from Dennison Trailers in Naas and Joe Mooney Truck Centre in Ashbourne. We also buy our tyres in bulk and fit themselves ourselves at our workshop in Castletown.”

Farrelly Heavy Haulage has been involved in some of the largest road building contracts this country has even seen.

These include the M4/M6 Dublin-Sligo/Galway routes, the M7 DublinLimerick route and the M3 Dublin-Kells motorway.

“They were great projects to work on. Our main job was to draw aggregate, sand, gravel and tarmac. There is still a few smaller road projects going on and we’re currently working on the Athlone bypass upgrade.”

It’s a sign of the times when George reports that a large part of his company’s business now involves transporting heavy plant to the ports for export.

“There is a lot of machinery heading for the boat and, in a strange kind of way, that has created work for us. We have transported a variety of wide loads since the recession started, such as dumpers, diggers etc. In addition, we move a lot of crushing equipment for

McCabe Contracts and McCabe Earthworks in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan,” he says.

Each of Farrelly Heavy Haulage’s drivers are highly skilled, competent and fully aware of the importance of customer service. The company holds all the relevant wide load licences, while the fact that the Farrellys live close to their workplace mean they are able to offer a round-the-clock service.

Similar to all transport companies, Farrelly Heavy Haulage has been feeling the effects of rising fuel costs.

“The price of diesel is a huge issue. It’s putting companies to the wall on a near daily basis and what’s really annoying is that there’s been no attempt made to tackle it.

It’s 50 per cent of a pay cheque gone before everything else is taken into account. It’s killing the industry and can’t be allowed to go on for much longer,” George fumes.

Despite the obstacles that have been put in front of their company, George and Johnny Farrelly are committed to growing Farrelly Heavy Haulage and continuing to offer an unrivalled service in their field.

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IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

29

Specialising in a variety of areas including bulk liquids and steel transportation, Donnelly Transport Ltd. is a multifaceted operation has grown from strength to strength during the twelve years since its inception and is now a successful, established business in both the UK and Ireland.

Irish Trucker dropped into the company’s Craigavon base for a chat with founder / MD Neil Donnelly.

D

onnelly Transport Ltd. was conceived in 1999 by managing director Neil Donnelly, who is still very much the main man today. When asked why he started up his own business, Neil sat for a moment in silence. He recalled that the genesis of Donnelly Transport occurred twelve years ago, following a conversation with a transport manager for the company he was driving for at the time. She advised, ‘Neil, why are you driving for anyone else, you could do it

better yourself.’ The words resonated in his head - Neil grabbed the opportunity to buy his own truck and, thankfully, has never had to look back since.

So, what type of haulage does Donnelly Transport specialise in? “We initially specialised in bulk liquid and steel transportation.

However, over the years, we have diversified into transporting abnormal loads, concrete products and agricultural machinery.

“We pride ourselves on listening to the specific

The company is headquartered in Craigavon

30

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Donnelly Transport was founded in 1999

Twelve years on; still going strong needs of our customers and providing an individualised service to suit them. So this has meant that we have broadened both our haulage and customer range, including both large and small scale customers.

Headquartered since Day One at 28 Lisraw Road, Scarva, Craigavon, BT63 6LJ, Northern Ireland, Donnelly Transport also has yards in Bristol and Birkenhead.

The company’s dedicated fleet has expanded in recent years to incorporate 22 trucks (predominantly MAN and Volvo) and 60 trailers. Regarding the maintenance and general IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

upkeep of the lorries, Neil reveals: “We have two main subcontractors who we have worked with over the years, and the rest is done by ourselves.”

It’s important to keep the fleet as fresh as possible and Donnelly Transport has never been found wanting when it comes to investing money in the business, which has significant long-term benefits to the company’s customers. “We bought over another transport company at the beginning of this year, which specialised in transporting concrete products,” the MD continues.

“We have also bought a few new MANs in the last couple of months.

It’s always more reliable and economical to use relatively new vehicles. They are all fitted with tracking systems and fuel telematics to ensure that we can keep our customers up to date with the progress of their delivery and offer the best rates. We value our customers, and believe that the reason for the growth of our company is down to our reliable and adaptable service that we offer.”

Providing a premium service throughout Ireland and the UK, the company has thrived by providing its customers with a high-quality service at all times.

31

The firm listens to the specific needs of its customers

Would ye describe yourselves as national or continental hauliers or both? “We have core customers who have been with us from the beginning, when we only had a few trucks and trailers,” Neil continues.

“They have seen us grow and expand. It proves a lot to us when they are still loyal to us, twelve years later.

“Within the last five years, Donnelly Transport has grown

significantly, taking on new customers and new projects. We tend to be recommended to new customers by word of mouth. At the end of the day, that shows us that we must be doing something right!”

With the haulage industry bearing the brunt of the economic recession, many operators have been forced out of business or close to the brink. However, when

asked has Donnelly Transport been forced to make any cutbacks, the MD replies: “To be honest … no.

We have been very fortunate; the company really has done nothing but grow and grow from the recession, which we are very grateful for.

“I think the reason for this is because when times were getting tough, we were willing to do anything … from hauling tractors to

Bulk work for Glanbia

32

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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33

Steel transportation is a big part of he business

concrete to straw to logs. We were happy to do the stuff that everyone else didn’t want to do and, in the end, it has worked out in our favour.

Donnelly Transport also benefits from a low turnover of staff. “We have a great team working very hard for us and, ultimately, the success of Donnelly Transport is down to them,” Neil notes.

“We have drivers that have been with us from Day One and we all get on well as a team so there is a very low turnover of staff. We have very high expectations and standards of the service that we as a company provide. But they are extremely dedicated to their job and adhere strongly to our company protocols, so if they do a good job, we tend to hold on to them once they are in!”

The company has made a recent

addition to the team, Lesley, who is a trained primary school teacher.

Lesley started in the office to cover a temporary position, and decided to stay on when a permanent position arose. She has progressed on to managing Human Resources, bookkeeping and the day-to-day running of the office. She admits: “At the beginning, there were huge differences between amusing fiveyear-olds all day to working in an office - elbow deep in invoicing and spreadsheets, dealing with an allmale team of truckers … I’m slowly but surely getting into the swing of things in the haulage world. I never thought I’d hear myself say it, but I’m really growing to love it!”

With business going so well, it has been necessary to have another pair of hands in the office. Neil explains: “This has allowed me to take on more w o r k , knowing that

everything is running smoothly behind the scenes in the office.”

Regarding the future, the founder of Donnelly Transport is suitably optimistic: “Looking towards the future, we hope to expand our fleet and customer base further, and to have continued success. It is difficult to steer clear of the doom and gloom of everything that is going wrong around us in the current economic climate but I think the key of keeping a haulage business afloat is to remind yourself of what you would expect as a customer - good rates, on-time delivery and an individualised and efficient service. This is exactly what Donnelly Transport has been doing to date, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.”

Built on solid cornerstones of quality, professionalism, dependability and integrity, the future of Donnelly Transport looks utterly secure.

COMPANY D ETAILS Donnelly Tran soprt 28 Lisraw Roa d Scarva Craigavon BT63 6LJ Tel: 028-3884 0499 www.donnel lytransport.c o.uk 34

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

The company’s customer base is expanding all the time

Keeping the customer warm As we go further into the depths of winter, our attentions turn to ensuring that we have enough fuel to keep our homes and businesses warm during these dreary months. It can be a strain on anyone, while add in the factor of rising fuel costs and it doesn't help the matter at all.

P

eople are now a lot more price consciences these days and they are willing to shop around for the best value, especially when it comes to home heating oil and who can blame them? Fuel prices can vary from distributor to distributor, but one Northern Ireland firm is winning the battle in this competitive industry as Belfast & Down Oil Supplies continue to extend their large customer base.

Situated in the heart of Belfast, this fuel distributor has almost five decades of experience in the fuel trade. Irish Trucker speaks to managing director Laura Gilpin IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

about the family run business and she tells what it is like to be involved in this industry during the current economic climate.

Laura and her husband Albert have been running the business for the past 15 years, but for many years before that her father Roy Douds was involved in the fuel business and many other areas of the sales industry.

“My father was a hard working man and he was willing to try his hand at anything. At different times he was a shoe salesman, undertaker, sold chicken cages and had a small coal delivery business before Belfast & Down Oil Supplies was

established,” revealed Laura.

“We are an established, thirdgeneration, family-run, local company with over 40 years experience serving the local community. We would have a large customer base, many of who have been with us for years now.

“For the past 15 years Albert and I have been running the business and during that time we have extended our portfolio and we have taken over a couple of small business, Lee Body Fuels and Robinson Fuels.

We now have seven fuel lorries on the road delivering to greater Belfast, the Ards Peninsula and Bangor areas.

35

Belfast & Down Oil Supplies work under the Maxol brand

equipment to carry out those most awkward of tasks.

Laura admits that the fuel delivery industry is a very “Our tankers are equipped with hose reels over 180ft competitive industry and that price means everything to allowing access to tanks in unapproachable sites. the customers. “We pride ourselves on our competitive “Where some properties would otherwise be rates consistently ensuring the best deals for our inaccessible to larger tankers we provide a mini-tanker customers. On our site you can obtain an instant quote service, which also caters for smaller deliveries of oil. for your home heating oil and place a delivery request with our easy-to-use online ordering system.”

Belfast & Down Oil Supplies is an authorised distributor of Maxol, providing high quality fuels to its customers and Laura stressed that speaking to their customers on a regular basis helps them provide such an efficient service.

“We would talk to the customers on a regular and if they come to us and say they can get their fuel cheaper elsewhere, we will do our utmost to at least match those prices or even better them. We pride ourselves on customer satisfaction.”

Health & Safety is a major issue in their line of work and Laura pointed out that all the Leebody Fuels is now under the Belfast drivers are highly trained to deal with any & Down Oil Supplies umbrella eventuality that their daily duties may throw up to them. “All our experienced drivers are fully trained and certified in ADR standards, ensuring that your delivery is made safely and efficiently.

“The drivers are ADR trained and hold ADR certification. This refers to The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009. We would draw all our fuel from the BP Terminal and if the drivers do not have the necessary certification, they will not be allowed into the premises, so it is essential that all the legislation is in order.

No job is out of reach for Belfast & Down Oil Belfast & Down Oil Supplies Supplies as they have the necessary offer competitive rates 36

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Delighted To Be Associated With Belfast & Down Oil Supplies

154 Castlereagh Road, Belfast, BT5 5FS

The company’s customer base is expanding all the time

We want to provide you, our customer, with peace of mind when it comes to your oil or fuel delivery. Therefore, all our tankers are equipped with accurate metering devices providing you with a detailed printout of your delivery. We also provide a boiler servicing and tank replacement service.

Belfast & Down Oil Supplies delivers Home Heating Oil, also known as Kerosene, 28 Second Oil, Burning Oil, Standard Kero, and C2 Kero. “We pride ourselves in our competitive prices ensuring the best deal for our customers. We won't be beaten on price.

“We also supply Red Diesel, also commonly known as Gas Oil, 35 Second Oil, Agricultural Diesel, Tractor Diesel, and Generator Fuel, for use in off-road vehicles in the agriculture, horticulture, construction and forestry sectors, as well as generators. We believe in supporting these local industries and providing a dependable response to your fuel requirements. Another fuel supplied diesel, also commonly known as white diesel, DERV, D2, road diesel and transport Fuel, suitable for use in all road vehicles powered by a diesel engine.

The cost of running a fuel business has increased considerably over the last few years, but Belfast & Down Oil Supplies are striving to maintain the level of service that their customers have become accustomed too over the years.

“We have expanded considerably over the last ten years, but in recent years we have had to cut back slightly. In saying that we are very pleased with the direction that the company is heading in and hopefully we can continue to provide our customers with a good service for many years to come.”

COMPANY D ETAILS Belfast & Do wn Oil Supp lies FREEPOST 34 890 BT5 7BR Tel: 028-9040 2240 E: enquiries@ belfastoil.co.uk www.belfast oil.co.uk

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Tel: (028) 9045 9788 • Fax: (028) 9073 2188 Email: mark@oaklandinsurance.co.uk Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority

Maine Tankers are pleased to be associated with Belfast & Down Oil Supplies & Wish them all the best for the future

47 Redford Rd., Cullybackey, Ballymena, Co. Antrim BT43 4PR Tel: (028) 2588 2882 Email: sales@mainetankers.com

Best Wishes To Belfast & Down Oil Supplies, From

Wholesalers Of Coal Throughout Ireland HEAD OFFICE Dungannon Office, 146 Pomeroy Rd, Dungannon BT70 2TY

Tel: 028 8776 1523 - www.hayesfuels.com Best Wishes To Belfast & Down Oil Supplies / Leebody Fuels, From

TBF Thompson Mallusk: 028 9034 2001 Garvagh: 028 2955 8353 Portadown: 028 3839 3300

DAF DistributorsNorthern Ireland 37

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IRISH & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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