Transport & Logistics Issue 147 by T & L Online

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ISSUE 147

TRANSPORT &LOGISTICS T H E

I N D U S T R Y

F O R WA R D

ISSUE 147

D R I V I N G

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

LV=BRITANNIA RESCUE

KEEPING YOU MOVING :

e d i s n i Also

NHS Blood and Transport Page 60

dnata Page 48

cheetah couries Page 42

PLUS: MICROLISE TRANSPORT CONFERENCE PAGE 44

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THE STANDING START FOREIGN INVESTMENT CREATING NEW JOBS t was great to hear the Port of Liverpool got a major boost this month when

shipping company Atlantic Container Line decided to increase its workforce in the city by 40%. This will take staff numbers up to 180 and provide key industry jobs following Atlantic’s decision to make Liverpool its port of call in the UK. Here, Atlantic’s fleet of ConRo, a hybrid of container and roll-on roll-off (RORO) vessels,

will move into and out of Liverpool following a £10 million investment by the port’s owners Peel Ports. Atlantic, which was founded in 1967 and has its headquarters in New Jersey, USA, has

PUBLISHER: Noah Quirke

been operating services connecting Liverpool with ports in the US and Europe since 1969.

GROUP EDITOR: Daniel Stephens

Having agreed an extended ten-year contract with Peel Ports, its fleet of five new ships,

EDITOR: Ciaran Jarosz MAGAZINE MANAGER: Shane Kelly

which are currently under construction and can carry 70,000 vehicles each, will arrive in the middle of 2015. The result of the ten-year contract sees Atlantic create a new headquarters in

FEATURE MANAGERS: Stefan Drakes Ray Clayton Eddie Hunt Daniel Duggan

Liverpool where it will concentrate on its commercial, marine and logistics operations

ART EDITOR: Steve Williams

is an extremely positive one and we’ve worked very closely with their team on our

DESIGNER: Stacey Brewer ` CONTRIBUTORS: Jeff Senior PRODUCTION: Vicki Lindsay Lisa Pollinger ADMINISTRAT0R: Charlotte Lewis ACCOUNTS: Nick Charalambous Transport & Logistics Magazine is published by: NQ Publishing, 6th Floor, Crown House Southgate, Huddersfield HD1 1QX Tel: +44 (0)1484 437300 E-mail: noah.quirke@nqpublishing.com www.tandlonline.com

with plans to further bolster its staff numbers. David Huck, Port Director at the Port of Liverpool, said: "Our relationship with Atlantic investment programme to significantly reduce transit times through the dock system, accommodating the significant extra volumes and new operating systems that the new fleet will require. "We're continually exploring ways to enhance and future-proof our facilities, giving a wide range of customers swift and efficient access to the best multi-modal transport links in the UK." Ian Higby, Managing Director Atlantic Container Line UK, added: "This contract greatly strengthens our strong links with Liverpool. The port’s enhanced facilities are specifically designed to handle the increased volumes the new fleet will create and it is ideally placed to serve our core UK and Irish markets."

DANIEL STEPHENS GROUP EDITOR

Transport & Logistics Magazine is published by NQ Publishing. Company registered in England & Wales. All material is the copyright of NQ Publishing. All rights reserved. Transport & Logistics Magazine is the property of NQ Publishing. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form whole or part without the written permission of a director of NQ Publishing. Liability: while every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of information herein, or any consequence arising from it. In the case of company or product reviews or comments, these have been based upon the true and honest opinion of the Editor at the time of going to press.

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TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS

INSIDE SECTIONS NEWS

LEGAL LOGISTICS

THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS

RECOVERY

COURIERS

EVENTS & SHOWS

NEW INVESTMENTS

BULK HAULAGE

FLEET REVIEW

NEW TRAILERS

LEASING

LOOKING BACK AT...

LV=BRITANNIA RESCUE

FEATURES News The latest top stories

Backhouse Jones James Backhouse answers some frequently asked questions

Unipart Logistics The Unipart way

LV=Britannia rescue Keeping you moving

Ken Williams Motors Customer satisfaction

Robert W Brownlie Motor Engineers/ Ace Motoring Services Ltd Two companies... One great service

RTR UK Road to recovery

Cheetah Couriers Speedy deliveries

Microlise Transport Conference Going from strength to strength

dnata Integrated solutions

Stanley Security Transport and logistics security solutions

Eurobulk Bulk haulage specialists

NHS Blood and Transport When lives depend on reliability

Somi Trailers Same outside, more inside

Total Motion Fleet solutions

Close Brothers Commercial Vehicle Solutions Vehicle trailer solutions

Looking Back At... Beatrice Shilling

MICROLISE TRANSORT CONFERENCE

@TandLMagazine 2

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

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contents 144_feature 2 16/06/2014 10:21 Page 3

CONTENTS

NHS BLOOD AND TRANSPORT

YELLOW BUSES

KEN WILLIAMS MOTORS

DNATA

EUROBULK

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TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

news 147_feature 2 06/06/2014 15:33 Page 4

NEWS

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY PREPARES FOR £24BN ROAD INVESTMENT ROADS MINISTER Robert Goodwill has today called on Britain’s road building companies to get ready for a massive increase in work ahead of the biggest investment in the road network since the 1970s. The government is tripling funding on the road network over the next eight years with more than £24 billion to be spent on upgrading and improving the network until 2021. By the end of the next Parliament, the government will be spending £3 billion each year on improvements and maintenance for the strategic network alone. This locked-in funding commitment will support nearly 30,000 new jobs across the construction sector and at the same time deliver a safer, more sustainable road network that is fit for the 21st century and beyond. Speaking at the Institution of civil engineers, roads minister Robert Goodwill said: “Funding certainty is critical to the construction industry in planning for the future and that is exactly what the government has delivered – with £24 billion secure investment over six years and £50 billion for the strategic road network over the next 15 years. "However, we need to make sure everyone is ready to deliver the massive programme of investment that we need to keep Britain’s roads moving. “To do that, we need to make sure we have the right people and equipment in place to deliver the 53 road

schemes in preparation right now, plus the next generation of improvements over the next seven years. “This means taking on more apprentices and making sure suppliers have the capacity to deal with the increase in demand. “If we get this right, this will provide road users with a high performing network that can cope with the expected 43% increase in traffic over the coming decades that will help boost economy growth and deliver more efficient roads for motorists.” Along with investing £10.7billion in improvements, the Government is also investing £6.1 billion in resurfacing 80% of the strategic network, with another £6 billion being spent on tackling potholes on local authority roads. The funding announced in the 2013 Spending Review along with the Department for Transport’s ‘Action for Roads’ – a command paper that sets out the long-term vision for the road network from 2015 – will provide contractors with the security to make commercial decisions based on long-term funding. The reforms will also see the Highways Agency turned into a government-owned company, helping to improve commercial efficiency and cut running costs. Road users are set to benefit from a more effective road network and will have a greater say in how their roads operate, with taxpayers expected to benefit from savings of at least £2.6 billion over the next 10 years.

UK EXPORTERS SELLING MORE AND HIRING MORE THE RECENTLY-PUBLISHED British Chambers of Commerce Trade Confidence Index – based on a survey of more than 2,600 exporting – reveals that 71% of the sample expect their turnover to improve this quarter – the second highest percentage on record. For 49%, export orders increased in the first quarter, rising to 50% for sales – all time highs. The survey also highlights that

40% of the exporters sample expect to hire more employees over the next quarter, the highest level on record, while 62% believe their profitability will increase this year. “With increased confidence levels amongst exporters and crucially a rise in the volume of export documentation to the second highest level on record, there is much to be positive about.” said DHL Express UK and Ireland CEO, Phil Couchman.

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

HEATHROW AIRPORT PLANS TO DOUBLE CARGO CAPACITY HEATHROW Airport has outlined plans to double its cargo capacity in a bid to reinforce its submission for consent to build a third runway, a development regarded as critical for its future. The UK’s largest airport has long been accused by the freight industry of largely ignoring the needs of cargo, but in its revised expansion plans submitted to the UK Airports Commission today, it is expected to stress the key logistics role that

Heathrow already holds within the UK economy and the importance of a single primary air freight hub rather than a sector that is widely dispersed across several UK airports. The airport will stress that 65% of the UK’s £400bn air freight exports already travel via Heathrow, and that expansion of the airport’s cargo capabilities is essential for maintaining and improving UK export competitiveness.

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NEWS

EDD STOBART LAUNCHES OWN HAULAGE FIRM THE SON of Eddie Stobart Logistics (ESL) chief executive William Stobart, Edd, has set up his own haulage firm, named WS Transportation. The company was incorporated in March, the same month Stobart Group revealed its plans to partially divest its transport and logistics business creating ESL. Former MD of Stobart Group’s fleet division David Cox is also listed as a director in the firm’s incorporation documents, published at Companies House. A spokesman for ESL said WS Transportation will operate independently from the newly formed company. It will however provide a small amount of sub-contracted work to

ESL, as well as “more specialist work”. WS Transportation has been granted permission to operate 15 vehicles and 30 trailers from steel firm Severfield Watson’s site in Bolton. It has also been authorised to run 30 vehicles and 30 trailers from a Runcorn operating centre. Both operating centres have been transferred from an O-licence held by ESL. WS Transportation director Edd gained his HGV driving licence in 2011 when he was 20-years-old The partial divestment and subsequent creation of ESL completed last month. Under the terms of the deal Stobart Group has retained a 49% stake and part of ESL’s fleet will carry out work for the group’s Biomass fuel supply business.

TRANSPORT FOR LONDON TO PRIVATISE FORS TRANSPORT for London (TfL) is to step away from the day-to-day running of the Fleet Operators Recognition Scheme (Fors) and bring in a private party on a commercial basis by the end of the year, in a move that suggests hauliers will soon face a fee to be part of the initiative. Fors has been put out to tender, with the successful bidder set to operate the scheme for up to seven years via a concession contract, with

TfL providing assistance to help develop it. TfL made the decision to hand over the scheme following the increasing take-up of Fors from operators – more than 168,000 vehicles are now accredited. In regards to charging for the scheme, a TfL spokesman said: “TfL is not deciding the commercial model for the future of Fors – that will be a matter for the bidders.”

MALCOM LOGISTICS UNVEILS NEW 50FT CONTAINER MALCOLM Logistics has unveiled its 50ft container, one of 40 that the haulier plans to bring into operation. The container, which was officially launched by the Princess Royal at the Multimodal show yesterday (30 April), sits on top of a 15.65m SDCbuilt longer semi-trailer chassis and has 15% more capacity than a standard container. Group technical engineer Allan Campbell said that the container has

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been approved for both road and rail operations and was modified by Liverpool-based Bootle Containers. Campbell said: “Originally the trailer and container were completed late last year and we are going to customers to show them the trailer at the moment. “The customers interested in it are glass producers and supermarkets- anyone that can see the benefit in getting more in the trailer.”

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

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NEWS

VICKERS HELP CUT ENERGY CONSUMPTION VICKERS Energy Group has helped to cut transport operator Stagecoach’s energy usage by nearly 50% and saved it over £7.8m in energy bills through its remote access energy management systems at the transport company’s bus depots throughout the UK. Energy efficiency business, Vickers Energy Group has worked with Stagecoach since 2004 providing a hi-tech energy management system which controls heating and lighting across the companies 100 depots in the UK. In 2011, Stagecoach

further committed to the Vickers system which now allows the Group to improve monitoring and control of its gas heating system through the introduction of control panels with remote access management which provides greater reliability and less waste, and is controlled remotely by Vickers. Results show that the technology has helped Stagecoach save 55,000 tonnes of CO2 in the past 10 years – the equivalent of the emissions produced by powering 22,000 homes for a year.

OPERATORS MUST GET SET FOR THE GLASGOW CUSTOMERS of haulage firms delivering during the Glasgow Commonwealth Games this summer need to work with them and have realistic expectations of what is achievable, according to the Road Haulage Association. Martin Reid, RHA director for Scotland, said members were “reasonably happy” with the information they have been provided with, but would have liked more time to prepare. “The haulage industry is pretty resilient,” he said. “We have to look at

these things as an opportunity. Yes, along with the rest of the world we could have done with more time to prepare, but the guys organising the games have told us at every stage when information will be issued and they have delivered on that. “What we have to remember is this is a very different beast to the Olympics, with a much lighter touch. Clients’ expectations have to be realistic, so they are not expecting the earth at a time when logistics could be more problematic than usual,” he said.

FOREIGN TRUCKS MAY HAVE TO USE FRENCH MOTORWAYS FRANCE could force foreign trucks to take the country’s toll motorways instead of using the corresponding A-road itineraries, when these exist as an alternative to its HGV tax scheme which was postponed last autumn amid growing opposition. The proposals have been roundly criticised in Brussels with a spokesperson for European Transport commissioner Siim Kallas, underlining that it was impossible to put in place “a discriminatory system” between French and foreign hauliers. Undeterred, new French Ecology

and Sustainable Development minister, Ségolène Royal, argues that, on the contrary, they would re-establish fair competition. “When a foreign truck enters France, having filled its tank in Belgium, crosses the whole of the country, using roads paid for by French taxpayers and subsequently fills up again in Spain, it is not paying any taxes on fuel or motorway tolls. In effect, French trucks are paying for the upkeep of the roads. One must make everyone pay, especially those who today don’t contribute anything.”

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THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE PORT PLANNING BECHTEL, the international engineering and construction specialist, has unveiled groundbreaking port research to help improve the safety of shipping ports when it comes to wash. The Research on the Passing Effects on Ships (ROPES) project, unveiled at the PIANC World Congress in San Francisco this week, aims to raise awareness of the fact that passing ships can exert dangerously large forces impacting on moored ships, mooring lines and fender loads in restricted waters. “Ports are already aware of this problem, but it is becoming a much more serious issue because ships are getting larger and engines more powerful. So poorly planned terminals or badly handled management of passing ships can have dire consequences on safety and the environment and result in financial loss,” Marco Plujim, port sector manager and chair of ROPES, told Port Strategy. He told PS: “Some of the big European ports have experienced problems with wash which is where the idea for ROPES came from. Rotterdam had a situation where an embankment had to be moved 50m in order to create more space and reduce wash.” The ROPES research project was carried out

FIRST TRAINS RUN ON NEW UK FREIGHT LINE FREIGHTLINER Heavy Haul be-came the first rail freight operator to use the UK’s new 3.2km Doncaster North Chord for commercial purposes after the £45 million dedicated freight line opened on Sunday, carrying coal from the port of Immingham to the Ferrybridge power station. The new double-track rail chord link allows freight trains to travel

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over the East Coast Main Line instead of crossing it, thus relieving capacity on the crowded line. Director of coal services for Freightliner Heavy Haul, Martin Wilks, commented: “We welcome the opening of the Doncaster North Chord as an important new addition to Network Rail’s infrastructure.”

over three years and involved extensive computer simulation and scale model simulation at the Port of Rotterdam to help determine the effects of wash. Different variables were examined during the project including passing velocity, water depth in relation to ship draft and drift angles. Based on the findings from the project, researchers at Delft University in the Netherlands have developed new software and recommendations for use in the planning and design of new ports and terminals. This software is an add-on to traditional static mooring analysis – it uses a flow model to determine certain wash scenarios. It can be used to tackle the problem of wash and help a terminal put in place stricter passing procedures, trouble shoot wash with boulders along quays, or even re-locate existing embankments. The 25 participants in the ROPES project included port authorities, pilots, linesmen and hardware suppliers. Participants will now start using the software to mitigate wash at existing ports and terminals. Bechtel has overseen more than 80 port and harbour projects globally including Khalifa Port in the UAE and the Port of Los Angeles Container Terminal.

RAIL FREIGHT SAVES BRITAIN OVER £1.5 BILLION A YEAR BRITISH businesses are saving £1 billion a year by using rail to transport goods, according to a new report published by the Rail Delivery Group. The report is titled, Keeping the lights on and the traffic moving. The report highlights that a further £500 million a year of economic, environmental and social benefits come from rail freight reducing the number of lorries on roads. Last year, more than 7.6 million road journeys were saved by transporting

goods by rail, the equivalent of around 7,000 HGVs driving from London to Edinburgh every day, says the report based on analysis carried out by accountants KPMG. The report states that since freight was opened up to private competition and investment in the mid-nineties, billions of pounds have been invested in the sector, including on more efficient, longer trains which each carry an average of 50% more cargo than 10 years ago.

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

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GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

M Wilcox Ltd was formed in 1947 by

In the recession whilst many of its competi-

Mrs Wilcox and her two sons, Ray and

tors struggled, Wilcox became stronger

Geoff and operated from a factory in

growing its market share in the walking floor

Acland Street, Peterborough, now demolished

market, developing an aggregates and asphalt

and replaced by the Queensgate shopping

model for safer non tipping discharge. We

centre. During the late 80ʼs the company

also became a one stop shop for blower cus-

moved to itʼs current site at Market Deeping.

tomers installing all of the pneumatic and

After going into receivership, in December

hydraulic discharge equipment. Wilcox has

of 2000 Wilcox Commercial Vehicles Ltd was

always prided itself on its ability to offer its cus-

formed by MBO by Vito Ronzano and Chris

tomers the very best products and services in

Bartlett, who purchased the Wilcox name and

the industry. To this end a new factory is

assets at the Market Deeping site.

currently under construction on its Market

The duo were confident in the companyʼs

Deeping site that will continue the trend of de-

reputation for quality and had faith that this could

veloping and building high quality products and

be used as a basis for growth and success.

services.

Many customers also had faith in the pairʼs man-

The new factory when complete will give an

agement skills and so the company embarked

additional 40% capacity and have an in house

on a new era, where steady growth has been

painting facility and a VOSA test lane to enable

achieved while offering customers bespoke

VOSA IVA inspections to be carried out on site

products to allow the efficient transportation of

reducing turn round times for nonstandard ve-

bulk products, all built to the highest standards.

hicle type approvals.

“We offer our customers engineered solutions to efficiently transport bulk products, built to the highest industry standard and compliance with European whole vehicle type approval.”

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LEGAL LOGISTICS

TIME TO HAVE YOUR SAY:

SOME FAQ’S Q

I have a mechanic who occasionally drives for me when I am short of a driver. He is going to drive for me this afternoon and I need to know what he should record on his chart.

The tachograph chart has to record all activity from the end of the previous daily or weekly rest until the start of the next daily or weekly rest. Therefore the mechanic needs to make a manual entry for his work at the point when he arrives at the depot to the point where he takes over the vehicle including recording work, break or period of availability. Once he takes over the vehicle he must insert his chart or digi-card and record his walk around check as ‘other work’ and thereafter use the chart normally until he leaves the vehicle. If he goes on to conduct further work away from the vehicle he must make manual entries to record this. He must complete the daily rest within 24 hours from starting work (not from when he took over the vehicle but when he arrived at work). He will also incur the obligation to commend a weekly rest before midnight on Sunday of the week he drove.

I am a Transport Manager and the company I work for is growing in size. I have recently been told by my employer that a new company structure is being introduced and that the name on the Operator’s Licence will change. Should I be concerned?

The Operator’s Licence is not transferrable between companies. The first thing you need to establish is whether it is a simple change of name where the company number remains the same. If this is the case then all you need to do is to notify the Traffic Commissioner of the change of name. However normally it is in fact the company number which changes and in this case you have two options. The first is that the new company must apply for an interim authorisation licence before the change takes place. The second is that if the original company holding the licence is to become a ‘holding company’ (thereby it is the new compa-

With a heritage stretching back to 1819, Backhouse Jones is the leading firm of transport lawyers who have built an unrivalled reputation representing the haulage and passenger transport industries. Currently ranked as number one in the UK Chambers Independent Guide, Backhouse Jones is described as “the premier firm dealing with road transport regulatory work with far and away the biggest market share of any firm in this field”. James Backhouse, director of Backhouse Jones and head of the firms road transport regulatory department, answers a couple of questions frequently asked by clients

ny which will employ the drivers and operate vehicles), the holding company can be given permission by the Traffic Commissioner allowing the new company to use the holding company’s licence. Sufficient time must be allowed in the first option for an application to be processed before the change takes place. Failing to address a change properly will lead to serious potential consequences including the possibility of the impounding of vehicles and loss of repute. It may also have implications for your insurance cover in the case of a bad accident because the operator will be unlawful.

For all related enquiries, please contact Jonathon Backhouse at Backhouse Jones, 08450 575 111 or email james.backhouse@backhouses.co.uk www.tandlonline.com

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

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THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS: UNIPART LOGISTICS

any people still associate Unipart with fan belts and spark plugs although that part of the business was disposed of some years ago. Now it’s a very diverse organisation that focuses on manufacturing, logistics and consultancy. The manufacturing aspect covers exhausts and fuel tanks for the likes of BMW, Bentley and Jaguar Land Rover, high pressure fuel rails and various other products that require high levels of engineering skills. Consultancy is referred to as ‘expert practice’ and involves people from different parts of the business going out to companies, often for long periods, to help convert them to lean operations. Unipart Logistics provides global logistics through eighteen distribution centres, six in China to service Jaguar Land Rover and others in America and the UK. The number has doubled in five years although inventory has reduced by 35% due to the company’s expertise in supply chain management. “Our global control centre forecasts and schedules what is needed in any supply chain so we have the right parts in the right place at the right time,” claims Global Industrial Logistics Director Bernard Molloy. “As an example, there are 1.2 million Jaguars less than ten years old and in December there were only 35 cars waiting for a part. That is better than world class so we are very good at that and the key to our success is the Unipart Way.”

THE UNIPART WAY The Unipart Way is based on three core lean principles of process efficiency, continuous improvement and the elimination of waste. Bernard adds: “A key part of that is employee engagement and people in our business are hyped up about continuous improvement. We have a very low staff turnover, we retain people and they are very engaged when compared to

THE UNIPART WAY

Unipart Logistics is one of Europe’s leading independent logistics companies. Their strong corporate philosophy, ‘The Unipart Way’, guides the work of their 7,000 worldwide employees.

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THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS: UNIPART LOGISTICS

UNIPART ISN’T A TYPICAL LOGISTICS COMPANY, NOT LEAST BECAUSE IT DOESN’T HAVE A TRANSPORT FLEET, PREFERRING INSTEAD TO USE SPECIALIST COMPANIES other companies. We never lost anyone during the recession; we moved people around and some had to do different shifts but we never lost anybody because they love the company and they own it.” Unipart isn’t a typical logistics company, not least because it doesn’t have a transport fleet, preferring instead to use specialist companies such as Norbert Dentressangle and DHL to handle particular aspects. That enables the company to concentrate on what it does best, which is using its engineering experience to handle complex supply chains. “The more complex, the better, in particular when it comes to the industrial world,” states Bernard. “You can’t have a Rolls Royce marine engine waiting for a part so we get that part to anywhere in the world.The same applies for gas turbine engines, forklift trucks and similar equipment, so we work closely with organisations to get the right part to the right place at the right time.We’re not box shifters but, when something

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is complex, people in the know come to us particularly if there is an engineering connection.” Complex supply chains are necessary to ensure machines continue to work and the engineers supporting them have the necessary parts and equipment. In addition to various automotive manufacturers, that applies to keeping 3,000 Sky engineers on the road by fitting out their vans, providing and repairing set top boxes and recycling components.The company is the biggest repairer of mobile phones in Europe, with services for Vodafone and Apple. Those relationships typically start small and build, Unipart having been a partner of Jaguar Land Rover for 25 years in a sector where 3-5 year contracts are typical.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS The success is largely based on the Unipart Way, with continuous improvement a significant factor and an overdrive team ensuring improvements are maintained. The company

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THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS: UNIPART LOGISTICS also drives its partners to achieve its own high standards by constantly assessing and increasing KPIs. There’s a big emphasis on community involvement and, as Bernard emphasises, on training: “We are voted by graduates as one of the best employers in the UK.We take a lot of graduates on and we put them at the coal face as soon as practical because we like developing and growing people. A lot of training is provided at our faculty on the floor, the Unipart University, where we have rooms in all our centres so people can be shown a new process and then go and do it. “From time to time, we put groups of people into different centres so they can look at all the processes and value stream map everything that happens. If there’s anything that’s not necessary, they tell us and we re-evaluate and make changes. It is very open and the culture in Unipart is there’s no shame in making a mistake and people are encouraged to constantly look, recommend changes and improve. Those improvements aren’t necessarily restricted to the one site, they may end up somewhere else as well.”

OPPORTUNITIES Opportunities ahead are seen in the rebalancing of the UK economy as more manufacturing moves back from the Far East due to higher costs and long lead times. It’s combined with the increased capacity of the Panama Canal that will result in larger post-Panamax container ships coming into Liverpool. That will create higher container capacity there, reduce the road miles

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required from southern ports and increase the need for manufacturing reconfiguration around the port and along the M62 corridor. It’s something Bernard believes Unipart Logistics is ideally placed to handle, saying: “We are being asked to look at organisations from a different perspective so, rather than just logistics contracts, we are looking at improving the process around that.

“FROM TIME TO TIME, WE PUT GROUPS OF PEOPLE INTO DIFFERENT CENTRES SO THEY CAN LOOK AT ALL THE PROCESSES AND VALUE STREAM MAP EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS” “Contracts tend to be more complex and longer because they are more of a partnership where there is a notice period of typically a year so we can’t be complacent. We have to perform to retain the work so it is not the conventional logistical contract, it is a partnership based on invested out-sourcing. These are very close relationships and that’s part of the business process. I think the UK economy is evolving and adversarial partnerships are a thing of the past; close working relationships are the way forward and we’ve always done that.”

UNIPART HOUSE Import and national distribution centre Garsington Road, Cowley Oxford, OX4 2PG www.unipartlogistics.com Tel: 01865 778966

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

KEEPING YOU MOVING Proud of their excellent service and fast response times, LV= Britannia Rescue has been helping get their customers back on the road for 30 years V= Britannia Rescue has grown considerably over the last couple of years and is now the fourth largest recovery company. Britannia Rescue was established 31 years ago and originally offered recovery services exclusively to members of the Civil Service Motoring Association (CSMA). However, Britannia Rescue was acquired by LV= in 2007, which allowed it to develop its customer base, enhance its capability and broaden its range of services. LV= Britannia Rescue now offers recovery services to a range of customers, through various affinity schemes and partnerships, as well as directly to customers either by phone or online. As a result, the company has seen an increase in the number of customers it helps. However, the company’s focus still remains on offering its customers excellent service with value for money cover.

Although LV= Britannia Rescue has evolved from its civil service roots, it is still located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. The award-winning business currently coordinates a nationwide network of around 300 independent regional agents who oversee the work of more than 3,000 roadside technicians who all enjoy unique local knowledge and experience. Since joining the two brands together and creating LV= Britannia Rescue, the company has gone from strength to strength and has more than doubled the number of customers it helps. In fact, during 2013 the number of policies increased by around 30%, and the company is hoping to be able to continue this growth in 2014. Commenting on the company’s growth, Mike Hawcroft, LV= Britannia Rescue Network Manager, said: “LV= has brought Britannia Rescue’s service excellence, expertise and extensive network capability to a much

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

Although LV=Britannia Rescue has evolved from its civil service roots, it is still located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

wider marketplace. LV= is one of the largest car insurers in the UK and boasts a good reputation across the broker market. The acquisition has opened doors to Britannia Rescue in the broker world, as well other partnership opportunities through LV=’s already established relationships.” Since the creation of LV= Britannia Rescue, the breakdown company has achieved some significant milestones. It is particularly proud of its top rating by the independent financial research company, Defaqto, which awarded both LV= Britannia Rescue’s UK Recovery & Home Assist cover and UK & European Assist cover its highest five-star rating in April 2014. In addition to this, LV= Britannia Rescue was also named as the second best breakdown provider in the 2013 Auto Express Driver Power survey.

MANAGING THE NETWORK LV= Britannia Rescue uses a network of recovery agents called COBRA (Confederation of Britannia Rescue Agents) to provide roadside

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE PRODUCTS LV= Britannia Rescue offers a wide range of breakdown cover, from basic roadside assistance to UK and European assistance for customers who drive overseas. Over the years, LV= Britannia Rescue has extended the range of cover that it offers customers. Previously, it offered a choice of three cover levels, but this has been increased to five as it recognised the need for flexibility and choice, giving customers the opportunity to tailor their breakdown cover according to their individual needs or circumstances. The five levels of cover offered are: Roadside Assist, Roadside & Home Assist, UK Recovery, UK Recovery & Home Assist, UK & European Assist. The basic package Roadside Assist

provides assistance more than ¼ mile from home and recovery up to 10 miles from the location of the breakdown. Further services are offered across the other products including home assistance, recovery to anywhere in the UK, hire cars or alternative transport plus overnight accommodation, and cover in

Europe. The UK & European Assist package provides all these services. LV= Britannia Rescue breakdown covers the vehicle however Personal Cover can be added to the policy extending the coverage to any vehicle in the UK with a spouse or partner being covered for free under this entitlement.

and recovery services to its customers. It values its relationship with each agent it works with and believes it’s the company’s close relationship with these agents that has enabled it to create and maintain the high level of service it provides for its customers. The breakdown company recognises the importance of ensuring agents regularly refresh their knowledge and keep abreast of changes in the industry. This is why it supports agents with an array of different training opportunities. For example, it provides customer care and team management training; it helps agents become certified in the safe recovery and storage of contaminated fuel; subsidises discounted training courses; and funds certification costs. For example, last year new legislation was introduced for people who drive vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, which means they now need the

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

Driver CPC qualification. Furthermore, drivers are responsible for making sure they have the qualification, including covering the costs and carrying out 35 hours of periodic training. To help drivers complete the periodic hours of training required, LV= Britannia Rescue teamed up with the Institute of Vehicle Recovery (IVR), and offered subsidised courses to its agents. All subsidised courses have credits that can be counted towards the periodic training needed in order to achieve the CPC qualification. By subsidising this training, LV= Britannia Rescue made it more accessible to its agents. As well as offering agents regular training, the Huddersfield based breakdown company also supports its network by negotiating substantial discounts on industry specific products. Mike Hawcroft comments: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Towards the end of last year we negotiated a deal for a discounted On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) scanner system. We bought around 500 units at cost price and

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TO HELP DRIVERS COMPLETE THE PERIODIC HOURS OF TRAINING REQUIRED, LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE TEAMED UP WITH THE INSTITUTE OF VEHICLE RECOVERY (IVR), AND OFFERED SUBSIDISED COURSES TO ITS AGENTS.

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

were able to pass these savings on to our agent network.” The OBD scanners brought significant and rapid advantages to operatives who use of them. Mike Hawcroft commented: “OBD scanners help show customers what issues are affecting their vehicle, as well showing that the operative has the knowledge and expertise to deal with the problem either at the roadside or in a local garage. The scanners help build confidence between the agent and the customer, which consequently builds confidence between the customer and LV= Britannia Rescue”. LV= Britannia Rescue is aware that the COBRA network faces many challenges. For

example, it was one of the first companies to increase its mileage rate, as it recognised increases in fuel prices would negatively impact agents. It has also looked at other ways it can incorporate further efficiency savings into the operation. A couple of years ago LV= Britannia Rescue introduced a new initiative to eliminate long distance recoveries. The breakdown company set up a new Recovery Management Team to focus on arranging for a customer’s vehicle to be repaired at the roadside or locally if their roundtrip exceeds 100 miles. Whilst customers would still need to buy the car parts, the Recovery Management Team would help cover

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

“WE SELECT CUSTOMERS AT RANDOM TO COMPLETE A QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH US. THESE QUESTIONNAIRES ARE IMPORTANT TO US AS THEY TELL US WHAT CUSTOMERS LIKE OR DON’T LIKE, WHICH MEANS WE CAN CONTINUALLY IMPROVE OUR SERVICE.”

MIKE HAWCROFT NETWORK MANAGER

the labour costs. As well as benefitting the customers, this initiative also benefits local agents who carry out the customer’s repairs. Also, LV= Britannia Rescue saves money on fuel costs, as well as reducing its carbon emissions.

COMMUNICATING LV= Britannia Rescue covers all of the UK and Northern and Southern Ireland. So to ensure the level of customer service never drops, it monitors its agents work closely. For instance, it remains in regular contact by using Agent Indicator and Member Satisfaction days. Not only does this help to maintain a high level of customer service, but it can also highlight areas for improvement. Mike Hawcroft explained: “The majority of our communication is dealt with by ANS through Turbo Dispatch utilising garage agent management systems, such as APEX, Garage

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

Eddie Hunt, Transport & Logistics Magazine, said the support shown from the company’s suppliers was unprecedented. It highlighted the respect they have for the company as well as LV=Britannia Rescue’s ongoing support of their development and business endeavours. “I have been running features for four to five months now and I have never had a response like I have with the LV= Britannia Rescue article, it has been fantastic! It seems that everyone wants to appear alongside LV= Britannia Rescue and show they are working with them!”

Manager and V-Track. We use these systems to communicate electronically and monitor the network.” Mike also explained that all agents go through an approval process and must have PAS43 accreditation, as well as robust insurance. LV= Britannia Rescue check these annually. In addition, when a customer requires assistance, agents accept an instruction electronically. This is time-stamped as soon as LV= Britannia Rescue issues it and again when it receives a receipt of acknowledgment. The agent then accepts it and produces an estimated time of arrival. Agents continue to communicate during the process to let head office know when an

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operative has been allocated, when they are en route to a customer and when they have arrived on scene. All this information is archived electronically to create individual monthly data for each agent. As well as monitoring agents’ work, LV= Britannia Rescue also conducts regular surveys to gather customer feedback. Mike Hawcroft explains: “We select customers at random to complete a questionnaire about their experience with us. These questionnaires are important to us as they tell us what customers like or don’t like, which means we can continually improve our service.”

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

“CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO US. OUR CUSTOMERS TELL US THAT THE SERVICE THEY GET AT THE ROADSIDE IS SECOND TO NONE.” PETER HORTON MANAGING DIRECTOR

Mike Hawcroft added: “We also use an independent telephone-based customer satisfaction ratings company to complement our customer questionnaires. Each month, this company will call customers to gather even more feedback on the service they receive.” Peter Horton, Managing Director of LV= Road Rescue, added: “Customer satisfaction is the most important thing to us. Our customers tell us that the service they get at the roadside is second to none and we are working continually with our agents to improve on areas we feel we need to. Our service speaks for itself.”

EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE LV= Britannia Rescue recognises excellent performance and regularly rewards agents for it. This year alone it has held six social events to reward individual agents for their high performance ratings. LV= Britannia Rescue also offers agents a number of agent benefits. For example, it offers personal accident insurance to all its network’s employees, whether that’s the people who visit customers at the roadside or the people who work in the office. The Huddersfield based breakdown company believes that it receives high customer satisfaction

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

rates because of the agents it works with and the employees who handle customer’s calls. LV= Britannia Rescue recruits people who have excellent customer service skills and are willing to go the extra mile for its customers. In addition, it offers its people regular training and all the tools they need to help customers in any situation.

LOOKING AHEAD LV= Britannia Rescue has big ambitions for the future and is hoping to service one million customers within the next two years. It will accomplish this by building upon its established reputation and continuing to introduce new initiatives that both enhance the company’s efficiency and the customer’s experience. The breakdown company is planning on growing its portfolio through a multi-channel approach. This will include working directly with customers, as well as with other financial institutions and insurer partners. It also has big plans to expand its presence in the insurance broker marketplace. Alongside this, LV= Britannia Rescue will continue to invest in its people and attract new talent in the marketplace, whilst continuing to support the loyal and highly valued network of independent garage agents. Certainly, COBRA is the company’s greatest asset, as it delivers a genuine competitive advantage to the company’s business endeavours. www.lv.com/breakdown-cover Tel: 0800 022 3948

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

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ken williams motors _feature 2 12/06/2014 15:54 Page 32

RECOVERY: KEN WILLIAMS MOTORS en Williams Motors offers a comprehensive breakdown and recovery service covering the Swansea and Carmarthen areas of South Wales. Key capabilities include 24-hour breakdown recovery and callouts, vehicle servicing, repairs and commercial breakdowns. The company was founded over 25 years ago and has built an excellent reputation for providing high quality vehicle breakdown and recovery services in South Wales. Catering for a range of clients in the local area, service is provided to domestic, commercial and trade clients. Ken Williams Motorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attention to detail and customer satisfaction has solidified its long-standing reputation for quality, as the company continues to ensure it provides a fast and efficient service that gets the customer back on the road in the shortest possible time. Benefiting from its highly skilled and experienced staff who pride themselves on their friendly and professional approach, the company is dedicated to ensuring every single customer is fully satisfied with its services.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Ken Williams Motors has been established for over 25 years and has built a reputation for providing high quality vehicle breakdown and recovery services across South Wales including Swansea and Carmarthen.

SWANSEA Ken Williams Motors Unit 2, Old Northgate Factory Kingsway, Fforestfach Swansea SA5 4DL Tel: (01792) 587605 CARMARTHEN Riverside Yard Old Llangunnor Rd Carmarthen, Dyfed SA31 2BD Tel: (01267) 232399 www.kenwilliamsmotors.co.uk

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RECOVERY: KEN WILLIAMS MOTORS

The company complements its breakdown recovery service with extensive experience and an array of equipment to meet the most demanding needs. Indeed, Ken Williams Motors has every possible recovery solution available with cranes, tractors, heavy lifting gear and also small recovery vehicles available. It also boasts a side lifter to lift awkwardly parked cars while motorbike recovery can also be accommodated. In fact, no matter what vehicle a client needs recovering, no matter where it has broken down or crashed, Ken Williams Motors is equipped to offer a solution. It helps that the company also has the ability to repair vehicles in its workshop. Most problems can be addressed such as electrical faults, which can be diagnosed and repaired using the company’s in-house auto electrician. Also it can offer basic routine servicing, and resetting of servicing dashboard lights. Ken Williams Motors can also fit manufacturer parts or source cheaper compatible parts if required. This is complemented by the company’s professional vehicle spraying setup and body shop. Indeed, Ken Williams Motors can repair a vehicle back to its original look and standard. The body shop is insurance approved and the company can liaise directly with a client’s insurance company to recover and repair a vehicle after vandalism or accident. In addition, M.O.T testing is also available.The company has a complete testing station and can test cars to Class 7. All vehicles are tested in accordance with the M.O.T requirements, and once complete, clients can be sure that their vehicle will be fully roadworthy at the time of the test.

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Robert Brownlie?Ace Recovery_feature 2 11/06/2014 14:07 Page 34

RECOVERY: ROBERT W BROWNLIE MOTOR ENGINEERS/ ACE MOTORING SERVICES LTD

TWO... ...ONE COMPANIES

GREAT SERVICE

Though operating individually, both Ace Motoring Services and Robert W Brownlie Motor Engineers settle for nothing less than providing all of their corporate and private customers with the most professional recovery service available

obert W Brownlie Motor Engineers Ltd was founded in 2001 and ACE Motoring Services Ltd, in 1993 were established to provide high quality and efficient Light Vehicle Recovery service throughout the UK, 24/7, 365 days a year. Though operating individually, both ACE and RWB will settle for nothing less than providing all of their corporate and private customers with the most professional recovery service available. Robert W Brownlie Motor Engineers Ltd is a young, dynamic company at the forefront of change within the motor industry. With an extensive light vehicle recovery fleet and a vast portfolio of experience within the sector, RWB has initiated a multitude of ideas that have enabled the company to grow from humble beginnings to a leading provider of Car and Light

Commercial Vehicle Recovery, Maintenance and Repair Services in Scotland. ACE, on the other hand has built up a reputation over the years through working with most of the major motor organisations within the UK as well as providing friendly and professional garage services within the local community. ACEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing reputation for quality has enabled it to expand, year upon year which, in turn has enabled ACE to provide better and additional services to all of its customers. While initially founded by Melville and Caroline Henry, ownership of ACE has since passed onto daughter, Julie Brownlie who, alongside her husband Robert Brownlie, owner of Robert W Brownlie Motor Engineers Ltd, have elected to stick to family tradition and continue the running of ACE in the same family and customer focused way as Julies parents.

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While both ACE and RWB provide their services firstly to the locality of Fife and Edinburgh, they are also supported by a dedicated, industry certified network of subcontractors who enable them to provide the same level of excellence in service throughout the entirety of the UK. Each and every organisation in this network is required to meet strict criteria for quality and efficiency in addition to PAS 43 certification. Through closely monitoring the quality of service provided by this network, ACE and RWB are able to offer a high standard of service across the board. Over the years, ACE and RWB have built up a strong reputation for quality within the sector through working with a multitude of individuals and organisations throughout the motor industry. In addition to offering recovery services for car & light commercial vehicles, both companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offer a prestige service for vehicles such as

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RECOVERY: ROBERT W BROWNLIE MOTOR ENGINEERS/ ACE MOTORING SERVICES LTD

OVER THE YEARS, ACE AND RWB HAVE BUILT UP A STRONG REPUTATION FOR QUALITY WITHIN THE SECTOR Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Ferrari’s etc, with emphasis on providing this service with specially trained staff who are experts in giving both the customer and vehicle the utmost care and attention at all times. Though Julie is resolute in maintaining family tradition, that is not to suggest that ACE and RWB aren’t undertaking consistent improvement and development of their services at all times. In the last year both organisations invested approximately £500,000 into their fleets, training and services with the addition of four brand new Renault Midlum 5000SLA crew cab vehicles and state of the art communications technology in all of their vehicles. Continuous investment into technology and new assets is increasingly important in this day and age and has allowed both ACE and RWB to consistently provide a

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high quality and competitively priced service to their customers. Quality is at the heart of everything that ACE and RWB do, being one of the major defining factors of their business model. In the motor services industry it commonly rests on the quality and value of service to decide whether customers will come back again next time and this, combined with the longevity of both ACE and RWB serves as a testament to the efficiency and quality of service provided by both organisations. Both Julie and Robert agree that thier business’s have been built on the philosophy that the customer should have the best attention and service at all times without having to pay exorbitant costs.” In addition to providing quality services in physical terms, ACE and RWB place great

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RECOVERY: ROBERT W BROWNLIE MOTOR ENGINEERS/ ACE MOTORING SERVICES LTD

WITH FUTURE PROGRESS IN MIND, ACE AND RWB HAVE SET OUT THE GOAL TO CONSISTENTLY MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE SERVICE THAT THEY PROVIDE AT ALL TIMES

Robert W Brownlie Motor Engineers www.robert-brownlie.co.uk Tel: 0131 202 2339 Ace Motoring Services Ltd: www.acerecovery.co.uk Tel: 01333 428000

importance on communication in providing a service that truly sets them apart from other organisations in the sector. Julie explains that: “Communication in all aspects of our job is paramount to providing an excellent service.” With a dedicated control room for communicating efficiently between clients, employees and garages, ACE and RWB are able to ensure that all important information is provided on the first point of contact, including the transfer of client information and all relevant recovery information to the client – such as who will be coming to assist them, their expected arrival times both at the pick up point and final destination. All this information is provided by the simple push of a button, updating all involved with the required information. The average on scene times after being passed a job are between 35 to 60 minutes with some being attended much more quickly especially in the city or town centre areas. Even national recoveries are maintained to similar standards due to the excellent com-

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munication and management systems utilised by both ACE and RWB, both company’s also offer free courtesy cars to any breakdown customer not wanting to travel home at that precise moment. Training is also equally important to ACE and RWB says Julie, as she explains that every member of staff that they employ has been highly trained both internally and using external providers in areas such as light recovery, lorry loading and first aid. This is done to ensure that all members of staff are trained to the highest level, thus enabling continued high level of service throughout a customer’s experience. Regular weekly meetings are also held with all members of staff and any issues discussed and addressed, this helps ensure that staff are both happy and capable of providing the level of service required. The happiness and commitment of staff at ACE and RWB is a very important factor in delivering a high quality professional service every time. With future progress in mind, ACE and RWB have set out the goal to consistently maintain and improve the service that they provide at all times. This will be achieved through a continual focus on communication systems, training and the continued addition of new technology and vehicles to their respective fleets. ACE and RWB would like to extend their thanks to Cairn Corporate, the provider of insurance services to both RWB & ACE and Springfords, the provider of accountancy services to RWB in supporting them in their day-to-day operations and through this article.

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Maximising the Value of

Your

Business

or a lot of business owners, their pension is their “business”. What does this mean? In a nutshell, they have always planned to use the proceeds arising from the sale of their business to fund the bulk of their retirement. So for those of you who have this in mind, then it’s really important to make your business as attractive as possible in order to generate interest from a buyer and to maximise the value on sale. The key to success is beginning the process early as decisions you make during the natural life cycle of the business will affect the future value of your business. So what is the business equivalent of the common sense tips you hear about on TV house makeover programmes to increase value? We learn about the selling advantages of creating ‘neutral colour schemes” and “versatile living space” in our homes. What sales triggers can we build into our businesses to ensure the maximum value on exit? Well, there is a lot of non-financial stuff you can do which can increase the value of your business.

For example: • Locating your business in the right place with good transport links • Ensuring you have an organisational structure in place with the right staff in strategic positions such that the business will still work without you when you sell up • Making sure that you have signed contracts in place with any major customers to secure future income for any purchaser • Keeping your staff training up to date for key people in the business means your staff will be a valuable asset in any sale as they have current knowledge of the latest regulations/techniques • Creating clean, tidy and well presented business premises – first impressions count! • Having your vehicles and equipment well maintained and looked after However, the real fundamental is to make sure you have the financials sorted - having a profitable well controlled business is always an attraction.

So you need to: • Ensure you have management information which is up to date and accurate and that you are able to properly understand the figures contained in the reports to help you make the right decisions to increase profitability • Check that you have good systems in place to control costs so there is no unnecessary expenditure • Make use of forward projections and always ensure you have a business plan to help you focus on the future and to compare your actual performance against Once you have all the above DIY bases covered, then your business should be looking very attractive and have the optimum chance of securing the best value on exit. So, if you are in that position and are ready to sell then, although you may not be able to secure the heady pre-recession values, this could still be considered a good time to sell. Why? Well, at the present time, you are lucky in that Entrepreneurs’ Relief is available when selling a trading business / company, provided certain conditions are met. The relief enables the first £10m of qualifying capital gains arising during a person’s lifetime to be taxed at 10% rather than up to 28%. This is attractive and some business owners may wish to bank a 10% rate given that, in view of the current Budget deficit, the relief may not be as generous in future years.

Maximising Entrepreneurs’ Relief is crucial to maximising after-tax proceeds but it is not the only tax issue to consider as a lot of tax planning can also be done at an early stage in advance of the sale too – again helping to maximise the cash you are left with once the business is sold. So, to summarise, while maximising the value of your business should be your key focus, tax is never far away. Get the tax planning right too and you will also maximise the cash you are left with to spend on all the things you want to do in your retirement. Now where was that article with tips on maximising house value? Carol Wright, partner in Springfords LLP Chartered Accountants, is a business growth advisor specialising in assisting small and medium sized businesses. Contact Carol on 0131 440 5000 or e-mail her at cwright@springfords.com

RTR UK _feature 2 13/06/2014 12:08 Page 38

RECOVERY: RTR UK

Initially founded in 2000 by Paul and Claire Hoyle, RTR UK has assisted more than 20,000 motorists over the last 10 years and offers a variety of schemes to cover anyone from individual motorists all the way up to homes, businesses and commercial motors.

ROAD TO RECOVERY

s one of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longest established Accident Assistance companies, RTR UK has assisted more than 20,000 motorists over the last 10 years and offers a variety of schemes to cover anyone from individual motorists all the way up to homes, businesses and commercial motors. RTRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s service is tailored to each and every client in a way which both supports them and encourages long-term business relations. Initially founded in 2000 by Paul and Claire Hoyle, RTR specialised in fleet management and accident management and quickly built up a reputation for quality and value within the sector. Since inception RTR has added services for breakdowns, breakdown cover and has recently delved into the provision of excess cover on all types of vehicles and for fleets. RTR aims to one day reach the pinnacle of the industry as the leading fleet and accident management company in the UK. In 2011, RTR achieved success at the Barnsley & Rotherham Royal Bank of Scotland Business

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RTR UK _feature 2 13/06/2014 12:08 Page 39

RECOVERY: RTR UK

is the only provider of excess coverage for commercial excess, such as vehicles and buildings, thus setting RTR apart from its rivals as a true market leader. Goodbye Excess offers excess insurance for both home and motor insurance in a way that offsets the impacts which an excess may have on an individual’s insurance policy. For example, with a motor insurance policy which has a £300 excess, the £300 will be deducted from any claim made and the insurance provider would reimburse the remaining figure. By using RTR’s excess insurance, individuals and businesses can additionally claim back the initial excess, in this case £300 up the limits set out in the excess insurance plan. Paul Hoyle, Managing Director of RTR explains that: “Normally today the excess on peoples insurance is quite high and if anything happens, people don’t normally want to have to pay out the excess for various reasons. For this

Paul and Claire Hoyle accepting the ‘business of the year award’ at the Barnsley & Rotherham Royal Bank of Scotland Business Awards In 2011

Awards, winning business of the year for the astounding success of its PAYG Breakdown Cover Service, with which individuals can pay a small setup fee for the cover and simply pay as and when the service is used at minimal cost. RTR also won the award for highly recommended entrepreneur of the year, as testament to their thriving, innovative business solutions. RTR continues to set the pace for the industry as one of the key market leaders for motor cover throughout the UK, with a vast client portfolio to back the statement up. As part of its product portfolio, RTR offers a variety of motor-related services from national and commercial breakdown cover to the latest addition, excess insurance which RTR is now able to offer to its customer after becoming an appointed representative of ITC Compliance in 2013. This relatively new service, dubbed ‘Goodbye Excess’ has been initiated to target the rise in high excesses that are now common place throughout the motor insurance sector; a trend which is unlikely to change. Currently, RTR

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RECOVERY: RTR UK

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RTR UK _feature 2 13/06/2014 12:08 Page 41

RECOVERY: RTR UK if they cover their excess they recoup the money back.” Through the use of RTR’s excess service, such individuals can rest easy and rely on RTR’s dedicated team to ensure that they can recoup every penny they can. Although one may think that the simplest solution is to take out an insurance policy with no excess, these policies occur rarely and are often accompanied by significant increases in premiums. These increases typically result in a higher end-cost than would be achieved through use of excess insurance, thus positioning Goodbye Excess as the ideal avenue for individuals and businesses alike to extend their cover easily and cost effectively. Paul explains that: “All business should cover their excess. This saves them money if they ever have to pay their excess as the get it back under their excess protection. We cover all types of vehicles including commercial vehicles and we also cover property insurance as well. Most commercial transport companies have a high excess with us which is totally covered, some are raising their excess to save money on their annual premium and coming to us to cover the excess.” The excess initiative has proven incredibly successful for RTR, becoming one of the flagship services that it provides and enhancing its already reputable portfolio of services. It is expected that RTR will build upon the excess success in the years to come and will continual-

ly strive to offer the services that consumers need, when they need them. In addition to their seamless excess coverage, RTR also include complementary, free commercial breakdown cover for all excess customers. Paul details the service: “This works in the same way as our Pay As You Go breakdown cover, so they can ring us up and we can recovery them at our rates. The

endeavour to support and assist their supply chain at every opportunity, with Paul saying: “We try and send recovery jobs to them via lanterns recovery. If there is any way we can help the recovery operators out we do try, even if its to give advice.” Not only does the provision of help assist RTR’s supply chain, but the improved relationship with these organisations helps to main-

“WE LIKE TO TAKE CARE OF ANYONE WHO WISHES TO USE OUR SERVICES. WE RELY ON A REFERRAL SCHEME FROM RECOVERY OPERATORS FOR NON-FAULT ACCIDENTS.” rates do vary depending on the size of the vehicle but these rates can be found on their website (www.commercialbreakdowncover.com) but are much, much lower than calling a recovery agent from the scene.” Dedicated to ensuring an enduring relationship with their clientele, RTR try to accommodate each and every need that individuals may have, with Paul saying: “We like to take care of anyone who wishes to use our services. We rely on a referral scheme from recovery operators for non-fault accidents.” In addition to maintaining relationships with their clientele, RTR also

tain its day-to-day operations also: “Without the help of the recovery operators we wouldn’t have as many clients for accident management and now that we provide breakdown cover we need operators all over the country to work alongside us to provide for our breakdowns… And we rely on the solicitor we partner with to give the best service,” adds Paul.

www.goodbyeexcess.com www.commercialbreakdowncover.com www.bestvaluebreakdowncover.com

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Cheetah Couriers_feature 2 11/06/2014 09:23 Page 42

COURIERS: CHEETAH COURIERS heetah Couriers and Logistics is a provider of high standard courier and transportation services across the globe, capable of deliveries anywhere from 1kg parcels through to 24 ton loads. Serving as a UK market leader in European road freight, Cheetah now runs 23 lines into Europe every day as well as running substantial sea and air freight operations. This 3rd generation, family run business is dedicated to providing a professional, fast and efficient service by utilising its 30 years of experience in the industry. Cheetah’s vast experience in the industry and team of highly trained operatives help to ensure that every service is tailored to the needs of the client and is provided to the highest of standards.

HEAD OFFICE From its head office in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, Cheetah is able to plan, manage and coordinate distribution and supply chain management for any client, providing an all-inclusive, outsourced logistics service with the specific needs of the client put first. Clients can choose from either 24 hour, ‘Next Day’ or 48 hour, ‘Economy’ deliveries, both of which with optional booking on, taillift, timed and Saturday delivery options. Services are provided 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, 52 weeks and 365 days per year to a wide variety of locations throughout the world,

SPEEDY DELIVERIES Cheetah Couriers and Logistics provides a professional, fast and efficient courier and transportation service tailored to meet the needs of businesses

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Cheetah Couriers_feature 2 19/06/2014 14:09 Page 43

COURIERS: CHEETAH COURIERS enabling Cheetah to suit the needs of any client, regardless of date or location. With a comprehensive portfolio of services, clients can choose between same day or overnight couriers, UK and overseas deliveries, parcel transportation, haulage, pallet delivery and storage services to suit their needs.

WIDE VARIETY OF GOODS With access to 500 top of the range, high-specification trucks and 1200 trailers, Cheetah is able to transport a wide variety of goods quickly, safely and efficiently throughout Europe with ease. No matter the quantity, whether it’s 1kg or 24 tons, Cheetah’s professional team are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to co-ordinate and manage deliveries from its dedicated distribution warehouse in Hertfordshire. Cheetah also possesses an impressive 10,000 square foot, secure storage depot in Hemel Hempstead which is able to store up to 1200 pallets. This, in additional to levelling loading dock facilities and a secure yard enables easy unloading and a tailored storage solution for all clients. All premises are alarmed and monitored by Red Care in addition to CCTV, ensuring your product stays secure and is handled with the utmost care. All vehicles are equipped with the latest satellite tracking and navigation technology and supported by street-level mapping systems to ensure that all consignments arrive safely and on time, ensuring your

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commission is safe and closely monitored at all stages of the service delivery. Same day deliveries, air charters and hand-held courier deliveries are also available for air deliveries across the UK, Europe and much of the US, supporting Cheetah’s substantial ground and sea based oper-

SAME DAY DELIVERIES, AIR CHARTERS AND HAND-HELD COURIER DELIVERIES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR AIR DELIVERIES ACROSS THE UK, EUROPE AND MUCH OF THE US ations to provide a wide variety of services and options to its entire client base. Global Express and Global Saver services are also available to maximise speed and value respectively, with separate pricing structures and priorities for each. This allows both clients seeking a cost effective international delivery and those requiring premium services to find something that suits their needs. Cheetah would like to send a special thank you to John Arnold for their continued support.

6 Maxted Rd Hemel Hempstead HP2 7DX www.cheetahcouriers.co.uk Tel: 01442 233333

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Microlise_feature 2 09/06/2014 09:43 Page 44

EVENTS AND SHOWS: MICROLISE TRANSPORT CONFERENCE

GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Over 600 delegates attended The 2014 Microlise Annual Transport Conference at the Rioch Arena icrolise held its Annual Transport Conference at the Ricoh Arena on the 14th of May 2014. Over 600 delegates heard from a number of governing bodies and leading industry figures about how they are bringing best practice to transport and logistics operations. Steve Agg, Chief Executive Officer, The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport gave the opening address, guiding the conference through The CILT Vision 2035 and what demands and pressures would be put on local and global supply chains and how operators must adapt for the future. Tim Slater, Managing Director, Transport UK&I at DHL Supply Chain, took the conference attendees through an interesting presentation highlighting the challenges logistics operations, both large and small face in the coming years and how businesses must shape themselves to thrive. A number of delegates commented that it was pleasing to see significant parallels in terms of the views of the trade bodies, government agencies and operators alike. Glen Davies, Programme Manager, Freight & Fleet Programmes, Transport for London spoke passionately

Microlise Ltd Farrington Way, Eastwood Nottingham, NG16 3AG T: 01773 53 7000 www.microlise.com

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about the CLOCS initiative, which actively encourages operators to look out for vulnerable road users (particularly cyclists), highlighted the problems, the work undertaken thus far and laid out a challenge to vehicle manufactures and operators alike to change their vehicle configurations and better train drivers (and cyclists) as to the risks. James Andrews, General Manager, Maritime Transport spoke about their selection of a transport execution partner, the deployment of Microlise telematics and the benefits the company has realised as a result. Quentin Willson presented some interesting information gained from over 50,000 Microlise Telematics units used in the UK in the HGV sector. By collecting over 30 million miles of telematics information per day the “big” data produced showed delegates where the most dangerous roads in the UK are, outlined the effects of weather on fuel usage and the real difference in fuel consumption between Euro 4, 5 and 6. This data is a snap shot of information that will be provided in Microlise’s new annual consultancy report which will be available in the summer. Andy Downton, Managing Director, Downton’s Transport gave a hugely entertaining view from the perspective of a large privately owned logistics operator as to the process Downton went through in the choice and deployment of Microlise Fleet Performance telematics and the operational and financial benefits deploying a Microlise solution has delivered.

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Microlise_feature 2 09/06/2014 09:43 Page 45

EVENTS AND SHOWS: MICROLISE TRANSPORT CONFERENCE

Key themes included the need for board level sponsor, a full time implementation manager, focused driver training resource, effective communications and driver rewards to support driver buy in. Andy concluded the deployment had been a success and had saved the business over £500,000 in year 1 after all costs had been accounted for. Mark Albiston, Hewdens Plant Hire shared with the audience the importance of the customer impact of “On Time – In Full” deliveries to their customers and how the Microlise system has supported the growth of their business in this regard. Andrew De’Vere, Managing Director – Shared User Operations, NFT shared his team’s experience of NFT’s investment in technology. He outlined how NFT made their choice of technology partner, the benefits the Microlise system has delivered and the future enhancements they will be deploying. This year’s event incorporated a 2000m2 expo area where new vehicles and trailers were on display. There was time set aside for networking over coffee breaks and an excellent buffet lunch, where attendees could also spend time browsing a number of exhibitor stalls displaying complimentary technologies and services. This year’s conference sponsors were MAN whose display of their latest generation Euro 6 engines in the exhibition area was met with great interest. Brit European brought along one of their duel fuel trucks, complete with three JCBs on a low loader.

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malolm logisitcs_Layout 1 11/06/2014 12:16 Page 46

IT HAS ARRIVED The Big Box from Malcolm Logistics ...it’s a Game Changer!

www.malcolmgroup.co.uk

n late 2012, the Department for Transport reviewed the measures taken by the British Freight Industry to reduce its carbon emissions, which concluded that the Government should continue to support an industrywide reduction approach, rather than introduce regulation. Malcolm Logistics is very much aligned with the Governmentʼs ambitions. In fact, for more than ten years now, we have consistently pursued a carbon reduction policy, by exploring innovative multi modal opportunities to reduce the impact of our daily road and rail movements,

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while maximising potential savings in time, handling and fuel usage. Our most recent response is dynamic. And will, in our opinion, prove to be a Game Changer within our industry. Malcolm Logistics is proud to announce the launch of its 50' Big Box Container concept, which is set to revolutionise the way goods will be moved in the future. In parallel, we have also engineered a versatile new Trailer which is easily and safely extended to accommodate our new super-sized containers. Now our customers have the facility to move 15% more freight per journey (over the largest available conventional container). And, by using a combination of our eco-friendly Road and Rail services, we are able to achieve a 13% reduction in CO2 emissions per pallet Let us show you the difference Malcolm Logisticsʼ Big Box and Trailer innovations could make to your business, from both financial and green perspectives.

Some Useful Facts •Malcolm Logistics operate daily trains between Grangemouth and Daventry •Malcolmʼs new 50' Container will accommodate 30 pallets of goods (4 more than a 45' Container) •Malcolm Group are committed participants in the Government's 10 year “Long Trailer Trial” and have allocated 101 trailer lengths @ 15.65 mtrs and 34 @ 14.6mtrs for this purpose •The current Megafret type Rail Wagon will easily accommodate container lengths of 50' [15.24m] maximum

Trailer Compliance •Our new trailer, in its road legal condition, laden with a 45ʼ container, is fully compliant with Construction and Use Regulations •By embracing the latest steer axle technology, we meet the turning circle requirements defined in C & U Regulations and the Longer Trailer Trial Technical Requirements. •In its 50ʼ position our new trailer meets the requirements of the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations.

Economy example WHM Grangemouth – Daventry = 330 rail miles @ 0.8mpg. 412.5 gallons/ 1875 litres gas oil. Total direct Greenhouse Gas emissions for Gas Oil per litre = 2.93kgs Total emissions for journey = 5493.75kgs CO2e @ 936 pallets = 5.86kgs CO2e per pallet @ 1080 pallets = 5.08kgs CO2e per pallet = 13.3% further reduced using our longer length container. 2013 Guidelines to Defra / DECC's GHG Conversion Factors CO2e comprises the effect of CO2, CH4 [methane] and N2O [nitrous oxide] combined.

Call: 01698 835871 Visit: www.malcolmgroup.co.uk Email: reynoldsl@whm.co.uk Malcolm Group are members of the Freight Transport Association Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme and 5* members of the Eco Stars Scheme.

Dnata _feature 2 11/06/2014 10:42 Page 48

NEW INVESTMENTS: DNATA

INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS

dnata is one of the world’s largest air service providers offering ground handling, cargo, travel and in-flight catering services across five continents

nitially founded in 1959, dnata began its operations as a small provider of ground handling services in Dubai. Leap forward to present day and dnata is currently one of the world’s largest combined air services provider for ground handling, cargo services, travel and catering in the world, with over 23,000 employees in 75 airports globally. Having opened new cargo operations throughout the UK, with hubs in Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham, East Midlands and Gatwick and in addition to relocating to a larger, modern facility in Manchester, dnata has added considerably to its already substantial capabilities. Now dnata serves as a powerhouse in the industry with a prestigious reputation for quality and efficiency. In addition to the growth of the business through the addition of new bases of opera-

tion, dnata is also able to expand the services provided to new and existing clientele by supporting them in other geographic markets as Gary Morgan, CEO of dnata explains: “An airline client of ours might only fly to Heathrow for example.We’ve now given them the opportunity to sell to eight locations within the UK because what we’ll do is we’ll become an extension of their flight. So, for example they can fly to Heathrow but they can now sell to Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Newcastle, East Midlands and Gatwick and we can use our world Road feeder service to pick up the freighter and take it to its destination. Similarly it means they can sell outbound from those locations as well because we’ll pick up and deliver to Heathrow.” With its roadside fleet and property assets having greatly expanded over the years, it has come to dnata’s attention that capacity must

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be met with efficiency, refinement and consolidation when combating the increased carbon footprint associated with such expansions as well as to maintain efficient use of its resources. Having made significant progress in developing sustainable business models through use of technology, dnata has integrated automated, motion-detecting lighting systems, set to dim and eventually turn off at its properties. This is expected to lower costs over the long term and reduce their overall carbon emissions. Due to being a mass user of road fleet and airside equipment, a lot of which is traditionally diesel powered may have initially led to increased emissions with each expansion of the company, however as part of dnata’s overarching strategy for development, it has

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Dnata _feature 2 11/06/2014 10:42 Page 49

NEW INVESTMENTS: DNATA

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stanley security2_feature 2 13/06/2014 15:24 Page 50

stanley security2_feature 2 13/06/2014 15:24 Page 51

Dnata _feature 2 12/06/2014 11:47 Page 52

NEW INVESTMENTS: DNATA

Business Development – Management Suite Units 1 and 2 Northumberland Close Stanwell, Middlesex TW19 7LN www.dnata.co.uk

removed much of its diesel and petrol fleet and replaced this with electric and LPG solutions wherever possible to minimise these emissions. This, in addition to experimentations with marine algae as an alternative biofuel has positioned dnata as a pioneer of change within an industry that is typically environmentally unfriendly, yet focusing on becoming a sleek, green and efficient service provider. Not only has efficiency in direct service been refined, but also in its client base and how they are handled at dnata’s locations around the UK. By investing heavily in refurbishment and new technology, dnata has managed to change a once taxing and long process into something quick, easy and efficient. Gary explains: “Drivers would have historically parked their vehicle, stood in a reception queue, waited to be served, walked back to their vehicle and then wait to be called to the warehouse door to be served. In dnata city we’ve developed technology that has a forward gate post… As he drives in, he stops at the gatepost, he’s processed usually within about a minute and a half and he’s sent straight to the warehouse door. So we’ve eliminated now the parking, the walking, the queuing,

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the walking back and then the wait for the door.” In addition to improvements in efficiency and quality, dnata has also invested in the restyling of its receptions and offices to that of a hotel and implementing handheld devices so that drivers and its warehouses can communicate more efficiently and transfer important information, such as what details of the driver’s collection, delivery, drop off and where they need to go. “It’s very easy in our industry to treat truck drivers as just truck drivers – that’s what they are. Actually they’re not. They’re our clients’ clients, and we want to treat them as guests,” explains Gary, who firmly believes in promoting high standards for communication, quality and in maintaining client relations at all times. As part of an approximate 2 year plan, dnata is also in the process of restructuring its entire ground handling business by refining its business model and aligning its services more closely around the client’s needs. While this change has had its pros and cons for dnata, its customers have shown great enthusiasm for the improved responsiveness and overall service standard, with on-time performance for June 2014 reaching 99.8%, a truly commendable achievement. Overall this

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Dnata _feature 2 12/06/2014 11:47 Page 53

NEW INVESTMENTS: DNATA

approach has resulted in the provision of much higher standards of service without having to increase the cost by enabling dnata to focus much more closely on each individual client and tailor its services accordingly. Restructuring has been done primarily through client consultation and discussion. As Gary details: “We’ve gone to our client base initially and asked them: ‘In an ideal world, if we gave you a blank canvas then what would you want from us as a service provider?’ I think one of the difficulties that we have in our industry is that we see ourselves as just a service supplier… We’re actually an extension of our airlines, and our airlines thirty years ago would have done this service themselves before it got too costly for them…really it’s been about aligning our service more to their service product in the first place.” Essentially, through prioritising the needs of clients, dnata is able to tailor its services to what the client would personally do, if able. Gary and his dedicated team hope to move from success to success and consistently improve quality and the spread of services they can provide at every stage, as Gary says: “We’re very close-knit, we see each other every day. We’re in and out of each other’s offices every day. We work collaboratively together every day. This is not a one person show. This really is a team effort.”

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stanley security2_feature 2 16/06/2014 10:27 Page 54

NEW INVESTMENTS: STANLEY SECURITY

STANLEY

SECURITY Transport and Logistics Security Solutions TANLEY Security is part of an integrated team of specialised businesses that are part of the Global Stanley Black & Decker Group. As a leader in the security market, the company strives to provide products and services that meet and exceed customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expectations in 131 locations worldwide, serving clients across many different sectors and of various sizes. STANLEY Security has the global resources of the Stanley Black & Decker brand whilst providing all the benefits of a local company offering personalised service and bespoke solutions. Trusted by many companies across the transport and logistics industry, STANLEY Security guarantees the safe and timely movement of products and people in all aspects of the supply chain. The company offers flexible, specialist solutions according to customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs that can be implemented on a pan-European scale and comply with government regulations, allowing companies to accelerate productivity, profitability and operations. STANLEY Security has an impressive track record in the transport and logistics industry, with many high

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stanley security2_feature 2 16/06/2014 10:27 Page 55

NEW INVESTMENTS: STANLEY SECURITY profile customers like dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers offering ground handling, cargo, travel and flight catering services across five continents. dnata benefits from STANLEY Security’s CCTV and intruder alarm systems. These have been installed at dnata premises across many international airports in the UK including Gatwick, Birmingham, East Midlands and Glasgow. “Security is a critical element of the air cargo industry. We are delighted to join forces with STANLEY by installing the latest state of the art digital HD CCTV system and intruder alarm systems at our new cargo operations in the UK regions”, said Gary Morgan CEO dnata UK. Mini Clipper, which specialises in the delivery of palletised freight, is a long standing STANLEY customer of over 15 years. Mini Clipper uses STANLEY’s Time & Attendance solutions and, most recently, has had a sophisticated site wide access control system fitted. STANLEY Security’s experience in the transport and logistics market has resulted in a comprehensive understanding of the needs of this sector, such as round the clock, reliable protection, and the challenges faced by the constant movement of goods, open access, numerous

“WHATEVER THE SIZE OF A LOGISTICS OPERATION, STANLEY SECURITY OFFERS SOLUTIONS TO HELP ENHANCE SAFETY, REDUCE LIABILITY AND THEFT ACROSS THE ENTIRE SUPPLY CHAIN.” entrances, large warehouse areas and staff-shift systems, all of which provide opportunities for theft and vandalism, as well as potential health and safety issues. Whatever the size of a logistics operation, STANLEY Security offers solutions to help enhance safety, reduce liability and theft across the entire supply chain. In addition to providing a complete security system design, installation and commissioning service, STANLEY Security also provides a remote monitoring facility through its ProtectionNet™ Customer Service Centre. The Centre is among the largest alarm receiving centres in the UK with a capacity to monitor

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50,000 sites 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Using STANLEY’s ProtectionNet™ Customer Service Centre, costs and risks are minimised and all processes can be managed, guarded and maintained remotely. Furthermore, STANLEY provides finance solutions for customers wishing to benefit from up to date security technology without the risks of ownership and with evenly spread, manageable payment terms. Through the STANLEY Assure™ partnership program, the risks of ownership of security assets in the business are transferred to STANLEY. STANLEY Security never loses sight of the fact that they are in the business of protecting

people, not just property and ensure consistent operational excellence in the five customer touchpoints: account management, installation, service, monitoring and billing. Being in the UK market for over 90 years, STANLEY Security has the technical expertise to develop and implement critical infrastructure systems that boost supply chain efficiencies in a cost-effective way offering the latest technology and vast team of experienced technicians that are always there to help. Web: www.stanleysecurity.co.uk Email: info@stanleysecurity.co.uk Tel: 0844 254 0032

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EuroBulk _feature 2 13/06/2014 10:40 Page 56

BULK HAULAGE: EUROBULK pecialising in the bulk movement of agricultural and industrial products between the UK and mainland Europe, Eurobulk is a well established transport company that has been in operation since 1995. Boasting extensive experience, the company runs large capacity tippers and moving floor vehicles with its fleet of nine Volvo FM trucks. This gives Eurobulk immense flexibility, allowing the company to meet the comprehensive needs of its clients whether they require the movement of bulk loose material or palletised loads. Long-term relationships with customers and suppliers highlights both Eurobulkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enduring standards and its ability to often exceed expectation. It also benefits from the expertise of its in-house drivers, whose work is supported by 15 full time subcontractors. Eurobulk is proud of its

BULK HAULAGE SPECIALISTS

Eurobulk is a well established transport company specialising in the bulk movement of Agricultural and Industrial products between the UK and mainland Europe.

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EuroBulk _feature 2 13/06/2014 10:40 Page 57

BULK HAULAGE: EUROBULK ability to retain staff, many of whom it has worked with for several years. Training and development, particularly through Volvo in the use of the Swedish firm’s advanced trucks, has enhanced the work they do, helping Eurobulk to establish an enviable reputation for service delivery and customer satisfaction within the sector. This is complemented by the company’s accreditation to the Trade Assurance Scheme for Combustible Crops (TASCC), meaning Eurobulk is an approved carrier of agricultural produce throughout Europe. Indeed, the company operates across the continent with extensive work in France, Germany, Spain, Holland, Italy and Belgium. Through a substantial subcontract network, Eurobulk can seamlessly extend its services to other countries as and when required. Managing Director Andrew Miller acknowledges that a strength of the business is its combination of tippers and walking floor trailers within the fleet. “Having the versatility to move bulk material or bulk pallets is important. We are not restricted to a bulk tipper fleet, nor are we compromised by having a big tautliner fleet. The market is just too tight for that. “The walking floor trailer is one of the most attractive options for clients, so if they have a low weight/high volume material that needs moving, such as coal, paper, aggregates and woodchip for example, we can transport it on a 90mm moving floor instead of a tipper. It works very well for us when we have clients moving bulk material out of the country and bringing back finished material on pallets, as both elements of the job can be tied together.” In terms of reliability, Eurobulk has counted on Volvo for many years. It runs nine Volvo FM trucks on a contract hire basis, all of which are under three years old. “Volvo has supported us over the long term,” remarks Andrew. “When we need vehicles they provide them very quickly and we’ve found their trucks to be reliable

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and economical. The drivers are very happy with them which is important in that many are away from home for two or three weeks. We have just taken delivery of four new Euro 6’s which are proving to be even more efficient on fuel.” Some companies haven’t been convinced by the credentials of Euro 6 vehicles as yet, deciding to hold off updating their Euro 5’s until later in the year but Andrew believes it’s better to iron out any issues head on. “Everyone is going to have to go to Euro 6 in the end so you may as well tackle the problem early doors which we have done. The Euro 6’s are good on fuel but a little more expensive with the Adblue as the usage is a little higher. But overall we are very happy with them.” In addition to the support Volvo has provided to the company, drivers train with the manufacturer prior to operating the vehicles so they have a good understanding of the capabilities of the truck and the modern systems employed onboard. Volvo also handles any maintenance needs Eurobulk requires.

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EuroBulk _feature 2 13/06/2014 15:31 Page 58

BULK HAULAGE: EUROBULK

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EuroBulk _feature 2 13/06/2014 10:41 Page 59

BULK HAULAGE: EUROBULK

“AS INDIVIDUALS WE CAN MAKE A NOISE BUT IT ISN’T LOUD ENOUGH. THROUGH THE RHA WE CAN, COLLECTIVELY, MAKE A DIFFERENCE.” Technology within the trucks has also helped to improve the service in recent years with all vehicles now fully tracked. This has enabled Eurobulk to enhance its communication with clients by offering much tighter scheduling ensuring the customer’s business activities are without disruption. “We can communicate with loading points for example to give a clearer time when the driver will arrive. Pre-empting delivery or pick-up has in itself been a big advantage because our customers, from farmers to factories, don’t want to have their activities hampered by a truck arriving late. In this day and age, if you can show a little more concern for their operations then the chances are they are going to cooperate a little more with you,” adds Andrew. Eurobulk has also endeavoured to operate more fuel efficiently, employing an improved routing system that ensures vehicles are closer to their next job. This also sees the company do some work in the UK in order to reposition vehicles near to their next export load. Analysis of driver performance has also been beneficial, examining a number of elements such as acceleration, engine idle time and braking.Where necessary, drivers who are underperforming can be given guidance or training to correct any deficiencies. Andrew admits this has proven invaluable and significantly enhanced both fuel efficiency and overall performance. In addition, Andrew stresses that the company has made full use of its membership to the Road Haulage Association (RHA). “They play an important role in our

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sector and they have been especially helpful to us over the years, particularly in relation to legal advice. But members don’t necessarily get the best out of the association because they don’t utilise the services the RHA has to offer. As an industry, we need to communicate more effectively. As individuals we can make a noise but it isn’t loud enough. Through the RHA we can, collectively, make a difference.” As Andrew now looks ahead, he says his focus is on stability and ensuring the business is primed for the next generation. “We work very hard and have built a serious reputation for settling our bills which in this day and age is increasingly important. Off the back of that people are more than happy to come and work for us or with us.”

Eurobulk Ltd. Mark Lane Gravesend, Kent DA12 2QB www.eurobulk.co.uk Tel: 01474 333481

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NHS Blood & Transplant _feature 2 09/06/2014 09:55 Page 60

FLEET REVIEW: NHS BLOOD AND TRANSPLANT hen consignments consist of blood and organs, the last thing you need is a breakdown. So Larry Bannon’s main aim as National Fleet Services Manager for NHS Blood and Transplant is to achieve reliability. The transport operation runs a fleet of 500 vehicles, some located at eighty out-bases for the blood donor service.They comprise of box vans to transport equipment and mini-buses to carry personnel. Added to that are panel vans that collect donated blood for processing at fourteen sites across England. After that, the fleet delivers mostly blood products but also stem cells, artificial tears and other items to hospitals. “We operate three main types of delivery,” explains Larry. “We have routine deliveries that replenish hospital blood bank stocks on a regular basis and ad hoc deliveries where the hospitals request additional units of blood, not normally on a routine run. Then we have emergency deliveries done under blue lights of any kind of product where we have to react within a certain SLA delivery time.”

WHEN LIVES DEPEND ON RELIABILITY

When consignments consist of blood and organs, the last thing you need is a breakdown

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VEHICLE REPLACEMENT Several measures are employed to ensure reliability and they also result in improved fuel economy and reduced emissions. A robust vehicle replacement programme gives an average age across the fleet of 2.7 years and that, as Larry emphasises, has several benefits:“It helps achieve reliability, good fuel economy, keeps breakdown costs low and ensures we are as close as possible to latest technologies and lower emitting engines.” Reliability is also helped by a bespoke maintenance regime where workshops additionally check all specialist equipment such as blue lights and hydraulics. The regime’s been reinforced over the years by learning

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FLEET REVIEW: NHS BLOOD AND TRANSPLANT what needs to be checked, lubricated and replaced at specific intervals and by the establishment of a national contract for maintenance to manage standards and drive improvements. The outcome, according to Larry, is a remarkable set of reliability figures: “We have very stringent KPIs that include 95% availability although we often achieve 97-98% to ensure every vehicle is ready when needed. MOTs and services are planned into a very stringent schedule. We have a reliability KPI stipulating vehicles off the road for maintenance shouldn’t break down or have anything failing within seven days. “That drives reliability and means vehicles in workshops have to be checked for everything we ask. We’re achieving that very well with a 0.3% failure rate against a 1% target. For first time MOT passes, the industry average is 55-56% but we achieve 98% on all vehicles. We have very good industry leading statistics so reliability, availability and quality of work mean a great deal and we demand a lot from our service providers.” Given the nature of the work, driver training is also bespoke and takes account of the need to drive under emergency conditions and in accordance with certain exemptions. These don’t currently include exceeding speed limits because there are agreed SLAs and even emergency orders are delivered within a timeframe that takes account of speed limits. “Exceeding speed

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limits is a very risky activity and the less we put our drivers at risk, the better,” states Larry. “But we train to the exemptions we have – going through red lights on emergency conditions, going round the opposite side of a directional bollard and facing oncoming traffic. We have to train for those hazards robustly so anybody joining the organisation as a transport operations

an upgrade to fleet management and careful planning to ensure it installs and integrates without too many hitches. Larry believes the benefits will be immense: “It will give us the ability to move away from paper-based processes with the introduction of PODs, telematics and vehicle tracking. It will give us robust management information to improve and get better efficiencies.We

“WE HAVE VERY STRINGENT KPIS THAT INCLUDE 95% AVAILABILITY ALTHOUGH WE OFTEN ACHIEVE 97-98% TO ENSURE EVERY VEHICLE IS READY WHEN NEEDED” driver undergoes intensive four-day driver training that is refreshed every two years.” Safety is aided by a risk management system that’s been in operation over ten years and has allowed a big reduction in accidents. It’s an umbrella policy that covers driver and licence checks, vehicle defects and replacement programmes among others and enables activities to be monitored and measured so actions can be undertaken and improvements made. Fleet management and fuel management systems have helped drive efficiency and enabled improvements. Soon to be implemented is a transport management system that will require

will realise other benefits with the information we get and the system will give us a big shot of efficiency improvement.” Savings have included installing fuel tanks at major sites to benefit from bulk prices but, with big savings already made, Larry finds the challenge to make others increasingly difficult: “We identify inefficiencies and put in big cost savings and improvements but, after that, we’re just tweaking what we’ve done, so once major savings have been made, there are only limited improvements we can make.” www.nhsbt.nhs.uk Tel: 0300 1232323

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somi_feature 2 10/06/2014 11:04 Page 62

NEW TRAILERS: SOMI TRAILERS ounded by owner Pauline Dawes in 2003, SOMI Trailers is an up and coming innovator in the commercial motor industry with a series of technological innovations and ideas, the latest of which enables their trailers to improve efficiency by up to 31%. Through use of the space between the kingpin and the rear axles, SOMI has developed a solution in which extra pallets can be stored, thus improving the overall utilisation of space and indirectly reducing carbon costs accordingly. As the only provider of this service, SOMI is the sole player in potentially ground-breaking market, evidenced by their success at the unveiling of the motors at The Commercial Vehicle Show 2014. With over 400 follow-ups planned and 48 companies instantly placing their name for trials, SOMI is off to a great start and will be running trials with leading UK organisations such as Tesco in the upcoming months. Though a fairly rudimental concept, the realisation of such an idea has required SOMI to enlist the help of leading engineers, Tinsley Bridge to bring its design to fruition. Pauline explains the concept: “We drop a deck down and at the rear we raise two decks up. The top deck engages in some internal walls and that goes forward like a letter ‘H’ to sit above the lowered cargo. Then the remaining deck drops down to the new

SAME OUTSIDE MORE INSIDE Founded by owner Pauline Dawes in 2003, SOMI Trailers is an up and coming innovator in the commercial motor industry

SOMI Trailers Ltd North Lincolnshire DN15 9YJ Tel: 01724 855 191 somitrailers.com

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NEW TRAILERS: SOMI TRAILERS

height so you can carry on loading and that way we can get 8 extra UK pallets on a truck, or 31% extra.” While directly affecting the cargo load for trailers on the road, the increased space utilisation also means that four traditional trailers could potentially be replaced with three SOMI trailers, reducing operating costs substantially: “if you’re running three SOMI trailers instead of four normal trailers, roughly speaking you’d save a million pounds over 10 years,” adds Pauline. On sustainability, SOMI endeavours to use as many sustainable building materials and techniques as possible when producing its vehicles. This, in addition to a reduction of vehicles needed on the road because of the improved space utilisation will lead to massively reduced carbon emissions, hopes Pauline: “A normal truck, according to Transport 2020 Group costs 400 tons of CO2 a year. I don’t think that’s just fuel, I think that’s also the construction of the truck and everything. So, for the bigger companies where it’s really important, by taking three trucks instead of four, you’re saving 400 tons per year, per truck you take off the road.” Positioning themselves as a core enterprise for research and development in the motor industry, SOMI is slowly becoming a hub of concept and innovation for the sector, though a modest Pauline explains: “We don’t target it, it just seems to find us.” Amongst other new concepts, SOMI has been commissioned to produce an additional 11x4 meter urban version of the trailer, able to hold 26 pallets in total. Additional ideas coming from the SOMI workshop include convenient side door access for loading from the sides and aluminium decking to assist with weight reduction – again, a world’s first in SOMIs trailer design.

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total motion_feature 2 09/06/2014 11:52 Page 64

LEASING AND RENTAL: TOTAL MOTION roviding independent fleet consultancy and management services around the local area of Leicester, Total Motion works with over 300 clients, operating both small and large fleets of vehicles across the UK and overseas. Established in 1998, Total Motion has been consistently developing market leading products and services ever since, all of which have helped its clients achieve greater levels of efficiency and support while meeting all legal responsibilities. At the forefront of the business is Managing Director Simon Hill who has more than 20 years’ management experience in the fleet industry and is a member of the Institute of Car Fleet Management and ACFO. Before establishing Total Motion, he was Operations Director of a large contract hire and leasing company and worked in corporate sales for Peugeot Motor Company. Behind the scenes all the company’s engineering and driver support team have the highest levels of qualification for their chosen vocation or profession. Further to this Total Motion retains the services of three key professionals: a Barrister specialising in Health & Safety, an HR professional and a Health and Safety Consultant whose services it uses while working on solutions for clients. As an example of Total Motion’s services, it helped a global service provider reduce its leasing costs by over £700,000 with managed funding. With a fleet of over 350 vehicles, the client wanted to establish if they

Managing a fleet has never been easy or inexpensive but Total Motion Ltd can ease the stress by provide van and car fleet management services including complete, bespoke solutions

FLEET SOLUTIONS

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LEASING AND RENTAL: TOTAL MOTION could reduce their vehicle leasing costs without it having a detrimental impact on their business or drivers. Historically, they sourced three quotes for each vehicle on a contract hire with full maintenance basis. Total Motion analysed the fleet and implemented a managed funding structure based upon non-maintenance contracts with a separate maintenance and management arrangement with Total Motion. So each time a vehicle was replaced the best quotation from over 15 providers was taken delivering a reduction in like-forlike monthly costs of between £30 and £104. Managed funding has become beneficial because of the change in trading conditions and financial markets since 2006, where volatility means most fleets are experiencing greatly increased leasing costs. Furthermore it's widely accepted that this is the shape of the market for the foreseeable future so fleets need to take steps to deal with the change and the impact it has. Total Motion’s managed funding service will reduce leasing costs, improve flexibility and control, enhance management performance, reduce service, maintenance and repair spend, reduce resource and lower downtime. This is just one example of many. For instance, a global pharmaceutical business operating 15,000 vehicles in Europe, wanted to reduce operational costs and improve the way in which the fleet was managed by consolidating through one central location with a single operating procedure. Over a two-year period Total Motion delivered a centralised management facility, established uniform operating procedures throughout

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Europe and changed the suppliers delivering a cost saving in excess of £10 million. Elsewhere, for a global plc, which was running 3,000 cars, vans and HGVs in the UK, Total Motion reworked the whole fleet policy, moving the cars and vans to hybrid lease’s with shared profit maintenance and introducing sale and leaseback with pay on use maintenance for HGV’s. The company also advised on fuel

TOTAL MOTION WORKS WITH OVER 300 CLIENTS, OPERATING BOTH SMALL AND LARGE FLEETS OF VEHICLES ACROSS THE UK AND OVERSEAS management, insurance and a cash for car scheme. This resulted in £228,000 worth of savings in the first year. A further £200,000 per year was saved for a national construction services company with 80 cars and 270 commercial vehicles. Total Motion designed and implemented a new flexible fleet policy to suit the fluctuations of the business and improve the management of servicing, maintenance and repair, resulting in 30% of the fleet being able to be returned at any time and a significant cost and operational improvement.

Dimension House 3 Westbridge Close Leicester LE3 5LW www.totalmotion.co.uk Tel: 0116 251 1122

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LEASING AND RENTAL: CLOSE BROTHERS COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SOLUTIONS

VEHICLE AND TRAILER SOLUTIONS CVS pride themselves on providing their customers with more. From a wide choice of vehicles to innovative commercial vehicle services designed to keep you at optimum efficiency.

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ounded in 2002, CVS has continued to grow from strength to strength in what is often perceived as an unstable marketplace. Following the successful acquisition of the majority shareholding by Close Brothers Group plc, CVS brings significant financial stability combined with its unique experience and flexible approach to the industry. As a business completely independent of any manufacturer or their finance house, CVS is able to offer a totally impartial service to its clients including SMEs, PLC Blue Chips and regional own account operators. Services range from the provision of a single vehicle for a day’s rental, to a complete range of contract hire and fleet management packages, pay as you go maintenance, or sale and lease back solutions which can include the takeover of existing workshop facilities and staff. Customers can cherry pick the services they need and individual Service Level Agreements are drawn up to meet specific needs. The company’s unique market-leading online systems allow user interaction for the operational management of their fleet along with complete document handling and a transparent ‘window’ into CVS’ internal systems. Indeed, the company supports approximately 3,000 vehicles with its nationwide support locations complemented by this technology. The CVS fleet is made up of a mixture of HGVs and LCVs. Instead of favouring a manufacturer, the company chooses vehicles based on quality, value and the operation they are to be used for. If a customer specifies a make and model then CVS will endeavour to make this available.

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LEASING AND RENTAL: CLOSE BROTHERS COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SOLUTIONS Indeed, CVS works on a consultative sales basis to understand the best product for their customers’ needs. With an experienced team from all areas of the transport sector, CVS regularly advises clients on legislation compliance and fleet administration as well as the traditional engineering and operational management. Among the range of services provided by CVS, which includes contract hire, vehicle sales, fleet management and maintenance, financial support, driver training and telematics, it offers the popular CVS Live tool. This is its online interactive vehicle and fleet management system, which can help improve efficiencies and reduce management time. CVS Live is a transparent window into the company’s internal systems giving customers unique visibility of the services offered and the management of their vehicles. When used in conjunction with other services, CVS Live can reduce accidents and bring down the overall cost of ownership considerably. CVS Live enables customers to view all their current fleet information at the touch of a button. Service requirements and all vehicle scheduling, rental agreements, MOTs and other documentation are all easily accessible 24/7.The system also provides real-time breakdown and updates and gives users complete defect management at their fingertips. In addition, CVS Live provides a transparent view of all management charges and billing and CVS’ internal recharges system and documentation so that customers are always fully in control of costs and overheads, and enjoy real transparency in all areas. The introduction of new technology such as CVS Live

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CUSTOMERS CAN CHERRY PICK THE SERVICES THEY NEED AND INDIVIDUAL SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS ARE DRAWN UP TO MEET SPECIFIC NEEDS. has greatly enhanced the service the company can offer. Telematics, for example, alerts customers as to where vehicles are in live time, and whether they should be there or not through geo fencing. Customers then enjoy closer control of their fleet and their time. Telematics has also helped CVS to provide better training through its driver education service by tailoring learning around specific habits and behaviours. Indeed, the company can offer bespoke training courses and is fully driver CPC certified with courses focused on manual handling, multi drop, vehicle safety and much more. CVS training can help enhance safety, meet with compliance and improve fuel and cost efficiencies by as much as 10%. This is complemented by a number of innovative devices for customer vehicles to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions such as rev limiters, telemetry and Euro 6 technology. As the company looks positively to the future, its key goals are to continue promoting its unique offering and to grow its reputation for bespoke services that fulfil customer needs.

Lows Lane, Stanton Ilkeston, Derbyshire DE7 4QU www.cvs.ltd.uk Tel: 0808 271 8134

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lookingback_feature 2 09/06/2014 12:44 Page 68

Looking back at...

BEATRICE SHILLING In our regular column we take a brief look at some of the great pioneers, innovators and technology that has helped shape the world’s transport system

eatrice Shilling, who was born in 1909, was an aeronautical engineer who was responsible for correcting a serious defect in the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine during the Second World War. Growing up in Waterlooville, Hampshire, Shilling began working for an electrical engineering company after leaving school. Her employer, Margaret Partridge, encouraged her to take a degree in Electrical Engineering at Manchester University which she completed in 1932 before continuing her studies to complete an MSc in Mechanical Engineering. Her pioneering activities took place during World War 2 when, during the Battle of France and Battle of Britain in 1940, it became apparent that the Rolls-Royce Merlin powered Royal Air Force fighters had a serious problem with their carburettors while manoeuvring in combat. The issue affected the plane when the nose was suddenly lowered. The negative G created resulted in the engine being flooded with excess fuel causing it to lose power or shut down completely. German fighters avoided this problem by using a fuel injection system. Once they learned of the problem affecting RAF fighters, the German pilots flew negative G manoeuvres in order to evade enemy attack.

The solution was the R.A.A restrictor which Shilling devised. This was a small metal disc with a hole in the middle, fitted into the engine's carburettor. Although not a complete solution, it allowed RAF pilots to perform quick negative G manoeuvres without loss of engine power. By March 1941, she had led a small team on a tour of RAF fighter bases, installing the devices in their Merlin engines. The restrictor was immensely popular with pilots, who affectionately named it “Miss Shilling's orifice” or simply the “Tilly orifice.” It continued in use as a stop-gap until the introduction of the pressure carburettor in 1943. At the conclusion of war, Shilling went on to work on a variety of projects including the Blue Streak missile and the effect of a wet runway upon braking. Shilling was once described by a fellow scientist as “a flaming pathfinder of women’s lib”; she always rejected any suggestion that as a woman she might be inferior to a man in technical and scientific fields. However, a brusque manner and a contempt for bureaucracy led to an uneasy relationship with management. Shilling worked for the Royal Air Force until the late-1960s, but never achieved high rank within the organisation.

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Miss Shilling’s Orifice was a very simple technical device made to counter engine cut-out in early Spitfire and Hurricane fighter aeroplanes during the Battle of Britain. While it was officially called the R.A.E restrictor, it was normally referred to under various names, such as Miss Tilly's Diaphragm or the Tilly orifice in reference to its inventor, Beatrice “Tilly” Shilling.

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ISSUE 147

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ISSUE 147

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