Transport & Logistics Issue 148

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ISSUE 148

TRANSPORT &LOGISTICS T H E

I N D U S T R Y

F O R WA R D

ISSUE 148

D R I V I N G

UK MAJOR PORTS GROUP

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

SUPPORTING

BRITISH PORTS : e d i s lso in

A

Barry devlin services Page 14

selor transport Page 40

bullet express Page 44

PLUS: NATIONAL RESCUE GROUP PAGE 10

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THE STANDING START TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES DRIVERLESS VEHICLES t was only a couple of months ago that I was talking about driverless artics

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carrying out their journeys in road trains as a thing of the near future. However, less than eight weeks later and advances have already been made. It’s an example of how quickly technology is moving and how competitive the market is becoming.

Daimler, already at the forefront of Germany’s efforts to challenge Google on

driverless cars, now believes it is ahead of the game in the heavy goods market having successfully tested a driverless 40-tonne Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 prototype in PUBLISHER: Noah Quirke GROUP EDITOR: Daniel Stephens EDITOR: Ciaran Jarosz MAGAZINE MANAGER: Shane Kelly

Magdeburg, Germany. Trucker Hans Luft sat in the driver’s seat to experience the journey but offered nothing to the operation of the vehicle as it hurtled down the autobahn to the approval of Daimler executives.

Daimler’s successful test run is a major advance in the escalating race to develop self-driving trucks. Of course, there are hurdles to overcome, not least technological ones.

But Daimler, as well as its competitors, are going to have to convince regulators that the

FEATURE MANAGERS: Stefan Drakes Ray Clayton Eddie Hunt Daniel Duggan

systems in place are safe and sustainable while proving to the sector that the advantages

ART EDITOR: Steve Williams

one. He reported after the journey that it was a very “relaxing” drive. Daimler Trucks

DESIGNER: Stacey Brewer ` CONTRIBUTORS: Jeff Senior PRODUCTION: Vicki Lindsay Lisa Pollinger ADMINISTRAT0R: Lisa Barrans 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

on fuel and man-power outweigh potential conflict with freight unions in the long run.

Certainly, for Hans Luft, his first experience of a driverless truck was an enjoyable chief Wolfgang Bernhard saw encouraging signs, saying: “Autonomous driving will revolutionise road freight transport and create major benefits. We aim to be the number one manufacturer in this market of the future which we believe will offer solid revenue and earnings potential.”

Although the technology is far from ready – as the prototype name suggests, Daimler expects to be go-for-launch in 2025 – the vehicle makes use of new and existing systems to work. For example, currently in-use technology includes the networking of on-board sensors with automatic braking, stability control and lane-warning systems. This is coupled with advanced technology within the vehicle where aerodynamic fins and radar scan the road 250 metres ahead.

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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contents 148_feature 2 24/07/2014 15:33 Page 2

CONTENTS

INSIDE SECTIONS NEWS

4

LEGAL LOGISTICS

9

RECOVERY

10

TANKERS

32

HAULAGE

36

PALLET NETWORK

52

PORTS

60

NATIONAL FREIGHT REVIEW

64

LEASING AND RENTAL

72

LOOKING BACK AT...

76

60

UK MAJOR PORTS GROUP

FEATURES News The latest top stories

4

Backhouse Jones Guide to maintaining roadworthiness

9

National Rescue Group Something special in recovery

10

Barry Devlin Services Recovery Specialists

14

Mayo’s Car and Commercial “You ditch ‘em... we lift ‘em”

18

RTR UK Road to recovery

20

LV=Britannia Rescue Keeping you moving

24

Bale Group Liquid waste solutions

32

Express Distribution Services Distribution solutions

36

Selor Transport Meeting expections

40

Bullet Express On-time everytime

44

Alphatrans Exceptional is normal

48

Cross Country Carriers Dedicated vehicle fleet

52

Evans Transport 50 years of customer satisfaction

54

UK Major Ports Group Supporting British ports

60

ACP Freight Services Your partner in Europe

64

Premier Truck Hire Outstanding service

70

Total Motion Fleet solutions

72

Looking Back At...

Amy Johnson

76

44

BULLET EXPRESS

Follow us on

@TandLMagazine 2

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS

10

NATIONAL RESCUE GROUP

42

YELLOW BUSES

64

ACP FREIGHT SERVICES

48

ALPHATRANS

54

EVANS TRANSPORT

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news 148_feature 2 14/07/2014 10:59 Page 4

NEWS

LOGISTICS PREPARES FOR AUGMENTED REALITY DHL has published a study on Augmented Reality in Logistics, focusing on possible applications of this emerging trend in the different stages of the supply chain.

The trend report illustrates how operations in warehouses, during transport and last-mile delivery, as well as value-added services, could be enhanced by computer-generated sensory input such as videos or graphics.

The report has been developed by DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation� s Trend Research team as part of an on-going research project into Augmented Reality in Logistics. DHL said it was planning to test some of the � derived use cases�in proof of concept studies.

Markus K� ckelhaus, director for trend research at DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation, commented: R �ecent headlines such as heads-up displays on windshields or use of Augmented Reality for vehicle repairs from the automotive sector show how rapidly this technology is developing and finding its way into industries outside of the IT sector.

We believe that the technology also � offers high potential for the logistics industry, and are currently selecting use cases for further research.� The trend report explains briefly the

emerging trends and innovations in Augmented Reality technology and hardware and how it can be implemented in logistics.

It also provides an overview on best practices from various industries.

It presents 11 different possible applications for the logistics industry, including improved picking in warehouses; by equipping staff with head-mounted displays, they are expected to be able to find and pick items more efficiently.

The report also proposes ideas of how transport could be improved, for example by using delivery vehicles with a �ugmented windscreens�that can display real-time traffic data as well as other valuable information such as cargo temperature and alerts, minimising driver distraction.

Moreover, drivers and staff at a logistics of parcels hub could be equipped with wearable devices to gain critical information on each shipment, providing information on its contents, weight and destination potentially improving loading processes � and reducing handling damages.

DHL said it was is open to collaboration with partners to further research Augmented Reality applications in logistics operations.

The report is available online at www.dhl.com/augmentedreality

AIR AMBULANCE TO BENEFIT FROM CYCLING EVENT STAFF at a freight management company in Sheffield are set to cycle 1,000 miles in aid of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

512 (Sheffield) Ltd is organising the two-week cycle event which will see its 10 staff pedal the equivalent distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats from its office at the Sheffield International Freight Terminal on Grange Mill Lane.

Static bikes are being provided

by PureGym from July 21, with staff

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given 15-minute slots during the working day to pedal their way to the 1,000-mile target by August 1.

The bikes will also be taken to the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce office on Savile Street on July 29, where staff there will offer pedal power to help 512 reach the landmark miles.

To support 512, visit the Justgiving page at www.justgiving.com/512-Sheffield.

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

HARLEY-DAVIDSON INVITES PUBLIC TO TEST ELECTRIC MOTORBIKE

Iconic motorbike manufacturer Harley-Davidson has revealed its first electric motorcycle.

The bike will not go on general sale, instead the firm will select customers from the US to ride it and provide feedback The bike – dubbed Project LiveWire – will travel down the US’s Route 66 visiting more than 30 Harley-Davidson dealerships between now and the end of the year.

Initial feedback from the Harley-Davidson Riders Club of Great Britain suggested a degree of cynicism.

Dave Scott said: "It looks ok but I’d need a real engine in it."

While member Dazzlin asked how safe it would be: “For an electric bike it has a good look, but I can’t help think a silent bike is a recipe for disaster on our ever increasingly busy roads”.

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NEWS

RECORD FREIGHT FOR PORT OF DOVER A RECORD number of freight vehicles departed from the Port of Dover yesterday, reaching numbers not seen since before the recession.

Aided by the problems at Eurotunnel, a total of 5,337 freight vehicles departed for Calais and Dunkirk from Europe’s busiest ferry port, beating the previous record of 5,322 set in 2008.

It was also the third busiest day ever for total numbers, with 10,134 freight vehicles handled.

The busiest day was in 2008 when the port handled 10,584 freight vehicles following the Eurotunnel fire in September of that year.

Port chief Tim Waggott said: “This shows just what reliance there is on the Port of Dover as a gateway for UK business.

“We have – and continue to develop – the infrastructure and facilities to provide the services which British exporters need. We have the essential levels of resilience for the nation when our major competitor gets into operational difficulties as it did this week.”

The total freight vehicle traffic handled by the port on Tuesday equates to a queue of freight traffic from the Port of Dover up the M20, over the Dartford crossing and up the M11 all the way to Stansted Airport, said the Port.

PEEL PORTS INVESTS £5.5M AT PORT OF LIVERPOOL PEEL PORTS is investing £5.5 million at the Port of Liverpool Container Terminal to provide hauliers with a more streamlined service.

The investment includes an automated gate system that will ensure faster turnaround times for vehicles and minimise administration for drivers and operators.

AutoGate will be supplied by global logistics firm Kalmar Global

and APS Technology and is expected to deliver benefits and cost-savings to customers using the Port of Liverpool as their UK gateway.

The investment complements the £300 million already committed to the construction of Liverpool2, Peel Ports’ deep-water container terminal being built alongside the existing container terminal and scheduled to open in 2015.

HAULAGE SCHEME ‘CAN BOOST SUGAR BEET EFFICIENCY' FARM leaders are urging sugar beet growers to sign up to British Sugar’s haulage scheme – and help make the sector more efficient ahead of the abolition of quotas in 2017.

Rather than arranging their own shipments of the crop from farm to factory in return for a transport allowance – which may or may not cover costs – more growers should let British Sugar collect beet direct from the farm, said NFU Sugar chairman William Martin.

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“This has considerable benefits in the long term to help improve the efficiency of the industry overall,” he said. “It’s a frustration to the NFU Sugar board that the industry is not moving more rapidly to embrace some of the savings and changes this could generate.”

The NFU was actively working to encourage more farmers to adopt the new scheme, Mr Martin said. Doing so would help the industry improve efficiency in preparation for the abolition of sugar quotas in 2017.

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NEWS

NEW HAULAGE SERVICE LAUNCHED FOR SEAFOOD EUROPE’S leading refrigerated road transport group, STEF and two French counterparts have teamed up to create ’Seafoodways’ – a pan-European, road haulage service for fresh seafood.

The three partners, STEF and Express Marée and Olano, both based in southern France, unveiled the service at the recent European Seafood Exposition in Brussels, claiming it will serve all major European production areas and

consumer markets in less than 48 hours.

“The seafood industry has been confronting market changes for several years. To adapt to these changes, clients have been increasingly calling for continuous improvements in transport and logistics services,” STEF said.

These focus on high-frequency deliveries and ever-shorter deadlines in order to guarantee the freshness and organoleptic quality of products.

FRANCE TO FORCE FOREIGN TRUCKS TO TAKE 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.

FIRST TRAINS RUN ON NEW DONCASTER FREIGHT LINE FREIGHTLINER Heavy Haul became the first rail freight operator to use the UK’s new 3.2 km 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 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.

This is an important project, which

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gives freight trains a clear run towards the power stations, without incurring the performance risk of crossing the busy East Coast Main Line, and will improve the service we can offer to our customers.

Managing director of GB Railfreight, John Smith, said: “It’s a great example of a new government infrastructure project that brings benefits to both the freight and passenger industries, improving capacity on the East Coast Mine Line as well as Trans Pennine links between ports and power stations in the region. It also signifies GB Railfreight’s intentions to support the government’s policies around sustainability and more carbon-friendly rail transport.”

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE

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NEWS

AIR FREIGHT GROWTH ‘SHOWING SIGNS OF ACCELERATING’ GLOBAL air freight markets picked-up again in May with a 4.7% rise in freight tonne kilometres compared to a year ago, according to figures published today by IATA, an acceleration from the 3.8% growth recorded in April.

IATA said the demand environment had “shown signs of wavering over recent months, but there are now some indicators that conditions are starting to improve again”.

In its latest market analysis, the airline association said: “During the past several months, business activity measures were starting to show signs of weakness and the positive trend in world trade growth had begun to reverse. Latest data, however, indicate a pick-up in world trade volumes as well as a small rise in business confidence, both of which helped air freight markets expand in May compared to April.”

IATA said the outlook for air freight markets “appears to be stabilising after some signs of wavering in prior months. Global business confidence continues to signal economic growth, and May data suggest that conditions could be picking-up after a slowdown in Q1.”

It continued: “World trade volumes declined throughout the first three months of the year, but latest data show a reversal in that trend. Moreover, new exports orders are also on the rise once more, which bodes well for both world trade and air freight demand.”

SUPPLY CHAIN BOARD GAME LAUNCHED

TWO FORMER Business Studies teachers have created an award-winning board game designed to teach young people about the importance of today� s supply chain in global commerce.

Andy Page and Pat Smedley’� s ‘� Business on the Move� ’ board game has already won an award under

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the Royal Bank of Scotland’� s Inspiring Enterprise initiative and from the UnLtd charity, which supports social entrepreneurs.

Extensive trials of the game in more than 30 schools and businesses have proven both its relevance to today� s commercial world and to the classroom

It said all the main global regions showed a rise in air freight volumes in May compared to a year ago. Asia Pacific airlines, which carry the largest share of global FTKs, recorded a 5.3% increase in May year-on-year.

IATA said prior declines in regional trade volumes “appear to have reversed and signs are that the slowdown in the Chinese economy is coming to a halt”.

European airlines experienced a weaker rise in air freight demand compared to emerging market regions, up 3.4% in May. However, airlines in Europe saw a solid rise in air freight volumes in May compared to April, “which hints at acceleration in the growth trend”, IATA observed. It said indicators of business activity suggest that the region will experience stronger economic growth in Q2 than at the start of the year.

Despite the expansion in air freight volumes in May, load factors declined due to a stronger rise in capacity. Growth in AFTKs came solely on international markets, which saw a 1.3% increase in May compared to April.

Due to improvements seen since late last year, however, load factor levels remain up on a year ago, but still low at 46%.

While the IATA report did not discuss pricing, the latest WorldACD analysis published yesterday in Lloyd’s Loading List.com suggests that air freight rates were flat in May.

NEW SEAGULL MODULES FOR BULK CARRIERS AND OFFSHORE SEAGULL, a Norwegian provider of computer-based training, has introduced two titles for bulk carriers and three modules for the offshore industry.

‘Introduction to bulk carriers’ is directed at deck, STCW operational level. It aims to familiarise the student with classifications, commercial aspects of the bulk carrier trade, the equipment specific to these vessels, and relevant safety issues.

‘Liquefying cargoes’ addresses

the dangers of carrying cargoes that might liquefy during the voyage and make the ship unstable. Also directed at deck, STCW and operational staff, it assists in recognising the particular hazards and precautions associated with the carriage of IMSBC Code Group A cargoes.

These two titles are the first in a series of ten that Seagull is releasing this year and in 2015, each covering aspects of bulk shipping operations.

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wilcox_Layout 1 15/05/2014 11:44 Page 1

GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

E

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

GUIDE TO MAINTAINING ROADWORTHINESS he DVSA have recently launched their new guide to maintaining roadworthiness. This should be the bible for all Transport Managers and is an excellent starting point to remind all operators exactly what the DVSA will be looking for when they pop in for a fleet check on the licence review or after the issuing of a prohibition at the roadside.

The document can be used as a guide through each section of an operator’s maintenance system with sections including; forward planning, preventative maintenance inspection regimes, driver’s defect reporting, and brake testing and wheel security. Comparing an operator’s current system, or proposed system, with those recommended in the guidance will provide a real feel for where the vehicle examiner will be looking when conducting an audit.

A frequently asked question is whether there has been a change in the way that the DVSA and the Traffic Commissioners view maintenance frequencies?

In answer to this, when an operator completes an application for an O-licence, a statement of intent is provided in relation to the maximum inspection frequency, for example, six weeks. It is important to note that this statement of intent is a maximum window. Previously some DVSA officers and Traffic Commissioners measured the frequency in days i.e. six weeks equated to 42 days.

However, in the latest guide to maintaining road worthiness the position has been clarified; the inspection must take place within the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) week in which the inspection falls due.

The ISO week always starts on a Monday so for example, if the previous inspection was undertaken on Monday of ISO week 1, the frequency will not be deemed to have been stretched as long as the next inspection takes place prior t the Monday of ISO week 7. In this scenario, it would allow an inspection frequency of up to 47 days.

This is a clarification and a relaxation of the previous position.

This should not be misinterpreted as a six weekly frequency equating to 47 days because if

T

Jonathon Backhouse of Backhouse Jones, sings the praise of the new guide to maintaining roadworthiness recently launched by the DVSA

an inspection is conducted on a Sunday of ISO week 1, then the next inspection must be conducted on or before the Sunday of ISO week 6 which is 42 days or less.

Of interest and as has been recently seen in DVSA inspection reports, there is a sudden change in emphasis on some form of dynamic brake testing. This is identified in the new guide where it is strongly recommended a system is in place to dynamically brake test at every preventative maintenance inspection and to record that testing on the preventative maintenance sheet or attach the appropriate print out. This is a significant change from the historic position where a recommendation for 2 or 4 checks a year, including MOT, was the norm arising out of Public Inquiries.

One final point of contention is the issue of nil drivers’ defect reports; should you keep them until the next PMI inspection or for the 15 months required under your operator’s licence? The DVSA recommend the former in the guide however as they are part of your maintenance system and a record of the inspection of the vehicle carried out by the driver, best practice would dictate they are retained for the full 15 months – you never know when they may be needed!

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

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national rescue group _feature 2 09/07/2014 11:25 Page 10

RECOVERY: NATIONAL RESCUE GROUP

SOMETHING SPECIAL IN RECOVERY

Formed in 1971 National Rescue Group is widely ackowledged as one of Britain’s leading experts in the vehicle removal and transportation field

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ounded in 1972 by brothers Andy and Geoff Lambert under the trading name Cambridge Coachworks, the brothers enjoyed such great success within the vehicle recovery industry that an eventual rebranding was undertaken in the early 1980s to better reflect the core of the business, thus taking the name National Rescue Group. Since then the company has gone from strength to strength, offering a sublime service for light and medium roadside assistance and recovery alongside specialist accident recovery for vehicles.

Positioned as the first ever agent used by Britannia Rescue once it had gone public, National Rescue Group are incredibly proud of the work that they have completed for Britannia Rescue over the years. Martin Lambert, Managing Director of National Rescue Group says: “We are tremendously proud of our 30 year involvement with Britannia Rescue. As their very first service provider it gives us great pleasure and satisfaction to know that we, along with many other recovery operators across the country, have helped the guys and girls of Britannia Rescue in making and maintaining one of the best loved and widely respected motoring organisations in the UK.” It is of note that not only has National Rescue Group supported Britannia Rescue’s operations in the traditional manner, but have also been personally called out on occasion to service the motors of key members of the

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Britannia Rescue board of directors, serving as great testament to the relationship between these two companies and the faith that Britannia Rescue has in National Rescue Group.

Further evidence of National Rescue Group’s integral part in the historic development of the industry also comes from the original development of the first ever fully computerised software package designed exclusively for recovery operators. This software, known as Garage Manager was initially developed by brothers Geoff, Andy and Andy’s Brother-in-Law Ian Lane and has allowed the industry to offer the fastest possible response times for motoring organisations; this was achieved through Garage Manager replacing much of the monotonous and time consuming writing administration process for jobs, through removing the need to write and transmit crucial job information via paper and note-taking.

Though the core of its service is aimed at motorbikes, small vehicles and vans up to 3.5 tonne, services are still offered for larger vehicles through the group’s dedicated subcontractor network for specialist works.

Despite National Rescue Group opting to handle the majority of its services internally to ensure high service standards, Martin explains the group’s reasoning for the handling of specialist works through this network: “Back in the 80s we took it upon ourselves to move into the heavy side of the industry… We found that as the car side of the business developed, we found that we

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RECOVERY: NATIONAL RESCUE GROUP

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RECOVERY: NATIONAL RESCUE GROUP

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RECOVERY: NATIONAL RESCUE GROUP

On Saturday 9th August 2014, National Rescue's Managing Director Martin Lambert will be completing a tandem skydive in support of Cancer Research UK. Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading charity dedicated to beating cancer through research. They are fighting cancer on all fronts, finding new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat it to save more lives. They are currently funded by the public. With your help, we can ensure more people beat cancer.

weren’t able to give it our fullest attention. Every time an artic lorry rolled over on the M25 we lost a lot of our technicians to go out there and deal with it and we weren’t able to give the positive service needed with our core business, the clubs so we took the decision back then to walk away from heavy recovery ourselves.”

In addition to its external business relations receiving much acclaim, National Rescue Group has built a solid reputation for the treatment of staff and the opportunities available for them. While many organisations throughout the industry will allow flexible time for recovery technicians, thus allowing them to go home and go about their business provided they are available and within a geographic area, National Rescue Group is one of the few to offer a basic wage. While a basic wage may not seem noteworthy in itself, Martin explains that often the workload is far more intensive over winter and often sparse during summer, leading to irregular pay for its technicians. Though the irregularities work out in the long run, Martin says: “We had

If you would like to make a donation, please go to www.justgiving.com/onetruewarrior and read Martin's story. a couple of guys that wanted to get a mortgage and the mortgage companies wouldn’t touch them because they couldn’t tell them how much they earn every month because it fluctuated.” This change to a basic wage has allowed National Rescue Group to provide a far more stable and flexible environment for its employees and has significantly reduced its staff turnover as a result.

Over the years National Rescue Group have worked for a large variety of blue chip organisations such as British Telecom, British Gas, Tesco, Racal, Shell, H.M. Customs & Excise and the London Ambulance service which is of great credit to National Rescue Group, however work with motoring clubs and organisations such as Britannia Rescue will always be at the forefront of the minds at National Rescue Group as its core business; “We’re proud of our long term relationships with all of the motoring clubs,” adds Martin.

273 Ewell Road, Surbiton Surrey KT6 7AB. www.nationalrescue.com Tel: 08448 737283

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Barry Devlin Services _feature 2 09/07/2014 16:46 Page 14

RECOVERY: BARRY DEVLIN SERVICES

RECOVERY SPECIALISTS Founded in 1972, Barry Devlin Services is a family run business that prides itself on their response time and professional approach

ounded in 1972 by Barry and Helen Devlin, Barry Devlin Services is a traditional, family-run business with a set of closely held values that define its service as: “Looking after people the way in which you want to be looked after yourself,” says Neill Devlin, Director of Barry Devlin Services.

Primarily covering the South-West and WestCentral belt of Scotland, Barry Devlin Services aims to provide a localised and personalised high quality service to a wide variety of clients, with the main focus of its operations being on specialist, heavy duty work as Neill explains: “We don’t just rush into things. We take things slow and steady. Part of the reason we can offer things at a good value is that we own pretty much everything. All of our premises, our vehicles we own outright so we don’t need to be making huge amounts of profit on each job for it to be viable.We’re just looking to keep it more into the specialised, heavy duty market and to stay clear of the high volume, low profit market where we feel we can’t provide the same

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Barry Devlin Services _feature 2 09/07/2014 16:46 Page 15

RECOVERY: BARRY DEVLIN SERVICES

level of service for. The more specialised work we do, the more your name gets out so the more you’ll pick up from that.” In addition to localised work, an extensive and reputable network of contractors is also used throughout the UK so that the same level of service and value can be provided for nationally.

Though the core of its operations lies in bus and coach, Barry Devlin Services also caters for a large amount of logging companies, both in the forests and the surrounding areas due to the geographical location of the business; however services are also offered to all kinds of vehicles, as Neill says: “We basically cover any type of vehicle that’s on the road.” Even cranes and airplanes are catered for by Barry Devlin Services: “A Ryanair 737 which skidded off the runway… We used two heavy recovery trucks to wrench the plane back onto the runway,” adds Neill. By offering a fully inclusive service that truly caters for ‘anything’ on the road, Barry Devlin Services positions itself as a true role model for specialist motor services throughout the industry, with an ever-growing reputation to back that up.

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Due to the highly specialised and intensive work that it undertakes, Barry Devlin Services is resolute in ensuring that all of its fleet is kitted out with the latest and greatest of equipment to cater for all recovery needs, with additional equipment and technology being added to the fleet as soon as the need arises. Neill provides some insight into the quality of equipment used: “We use high quality hardware like chains and strops and snatch blocks and shackles... A lot of people use grade 80 chains; we use the grade 100 which is the higher grade. Because we do more of the heavy work and recovery stuff, we have to use the best quality

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RECOVERY: BARRY DEVLIN SERVICES

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RECOVERY: BARRY DEVLIN SERVICES

equipment. Lower quality just doesn’t last; it gets worn out and damaged quicker.”

In addition to subcontracting for many of its fellow recovery operators UK-wide, Barry Devlin Services’ Key clients also include organisations such as: A.W. Jenkinson, John Miller, Billy Bowie Special Projects, The William Tracey Group, Stagecoach, Volvo Trucks and other main dealers, with which they have a very positive working relationship. This relationship is supported both in the personalised, quality service that Barry Devlin Services offer and also in how they manage their client relationships on a day-to-day basis. Neill says: “We speak to all of our customers on a regular basis to make sure they’re happy with how things are being done and the service we’re providing… We always get good feedback and most of our employees have been with us for a good number of years. We try and look after our staff so that they’re not looking to move on elsewhere and to stay with them.”

In total there are currently 14 members of staff at Barry Devlin Services, with Neill himself serving as the only Institute of Vehicle Recovery (IVR) accredited Master Technician in Scotland, providing: “A depth of knowledge for specialist, heavy recovery and the industry. It’s also the physics of how the job is done,”

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“WE SPEAK TO ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS ON A REGULAR BASIS TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE HAPPY WITH HOW THINGS ARE BEING DONE AND THE SERVICE WE’RE PROVIDING.” explains Neill. Through low staff turnaround, high quality equipment and a highly trained workforce, Barry Devlin Services are truly able to ‘walk the walk’ and provide a service that is personalised, high quality and of value for money.

With his brother, parents, wife and cousin, Alistair Devlin all working alongside him at Barry Devlin Services, Neill is able to boast a personal approach to all jobs which sets the standard of service at a much higher level than much of the competition, with either himself or his brother undertaking or overseeing all prominent jobs. This approach ensures that the company values and quality of service are consistently being met and that customers have a direct, personal link to those managing their work and running the company in its entirety.

Wyndford Garage Kilmaurs Road Knockentiber Kilmarnock KA2 0DY www.barrydevlin.co.uk Tel: 01563 536098

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Mayo's Car & Commercial_feature 2 09/07/2014 12:39 Page 18

RECOVERY: MAYO’S CAR AND COMMERCIAL

“YOU DITCH ‘EM... ...WE LIFT ‘EM” With over 25 years in the recovery business Mayo’s have a reputation for expert advice and a comprehensive knowledge ichard Mayo, who boasts over 25 years experience in the vehicle recovery industry, established Mayo’s Car and Commercial in 2011. Thanks to a solid reputation for expert service and comprehensive knowledge, Richard quickly developed a solid customer base which has continued to grow.

One of his key skills is in heavy recovery work. To complement his service van he bought a DAF85 with a Guardian underlift to extend his capability. The DAF is a versatile piece of equipment which, with a train weight of 55 tonnes, can move most heavy loads and is economical enough for long journeys with lighter loads. After a suc-

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cessful first year, Richard acquired his own premises, a 6,000 sq ft unit in Kidderminster’s Hoo Farm Industrial Estate. He installed a 2.5 tonne two-post lift for car repairs and a set of portable Koni commercial lifts.

In 2012 and 2013, the business developed further.

Richard set out to seek long-term contracts covering both the light and commercial sectors.With his excellent understanding of the recovery industry he was able to quickly gain PAS43 and ISO9001 certification which meant that he had the qualifications expected by all business providers.

The increased workload that followed saw the company employ its first qualified mechanic while

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RECOVERY: MAYO’S CAR AND COMMERCIAL Richard added to the workshop and recovery business with the addition of modification and repair services to commercial vehicle bodies. For example, last year he constructed a 7.5 tonne beaver tail transporter with an aluminium bed and all the necessary tool lockers and electrics.

This extra service allows him to deliver a complete package of service and repair to his growing list of customers as well as all necessary service and repairs to his own burgeoning fleet.

Indeed, the success of the company has seen him partner with a number of the industry’s leading recovery firms such as Millers of Longton, CMG, Crouch Recovery, Egertons, Hough Green and The Mansfield Group.

Mayo’s recovery work is largely carried out by Richard

himself with assistance from two part-time self-employed recovery technicians who are separately qualified to work on light and heavy recovery.

The company benefits from being family run. Richard’s wife looks after administration while his son is a keen car enthusiast who may take an active role in the business in future.

The company operates anywhere in the UK and Richard has a number of contacts when recoveries are required further afield. In fact, he has already recovered a number of vehicles from across Europe with the help of business partners.

With a solid reputation and an already well-established track record for success, Mayo’s Car and Commercial is expected to continue its growth in the next 12 months.

Unit D1, Matthew Lane, Hoo Farm Industrial Estate, Kidderminster DY11 7RA www.mayosccr.com Tel: 0333 11 22 111

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RTR UK _feature 2 08/07/2014 10:33 Page 20

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 UK’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. RTR’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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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 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-

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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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britannia rescue _feature 2 08/07/2014 12:24 Page 24

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

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

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

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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 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.

LV= Britannia Rescue uses a network of recovery agents called COBRA (Confederation of Britannia Rescue Agents) to provide roadside and recovery services to its customers. It values

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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 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:“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 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 scan-

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

ners 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

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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 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.

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RECOVERY: LV= BRITANNIA RESCUE

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 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 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.

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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.”

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.”

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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

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 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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Bale_feature 2 24/07/2014 16:05 Page 32

TANKERS: BALE GROUP

LIQUID WASTE SOLUTIONS Bale Group Ltd is a one-stop hazardous and non-hazardous liquid waste management solution, specialising in specific fields

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TANKERS: BALE GROUP nvironmental matters are increasingly important but they’ve been the basis of Bale Group’s business since it formed in 1996. Back then, it simply hired out vacuum tankers but soon moved into the haulage and disposal of bulk liquid waste. After that, it expanded quickly, adding pollution response teams and industrial and special services divisions. It now employs managers with specialist knowledge of key industry areas to provide a comprehensive suite of services that include the disposal of hazardous liquid and packaged waste, industrial cleaning, surveying, gulley cleaning, spill cleanup and jetting services.

Clients include water utilities, highways agencies, industrial companies, offshore drilling and the marine services sector, with services provided from the Honiton head office and several satellite locations. “We have secure parking facilities on those sites, which makes the logistics of carrying out work more viable rather than pulling all resources from Honiton,” states Systems Manager Claire Bale. “With staff based

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in those areas, if we get called on an emergency, we’re not hauling a truck from Honiton. It’s proved very popular with our customers who like our quick response times so it’s an operational benefit.”

Quick response is essential because, besides the routine work of scheduled waste collection, there are frequent emergency call outs to deal with accidents and spillages. A typical one was a recent road traffic accident where spilled chemicals had to be identified by the company’s chemist and then cleaned up correctly. That type of incident, as Claire explains, requires a flexible approach: “We have a varied base at Honiton and we’re very adaptive so we can call in and reroute vehicles several times a day, depending on demands. We can move jobs around across our

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fleet quickly so we assess the situation, find out what we need to put in and pull the resources from wherever they are so we respond within the correct time. It can get quite stressful but it’s very rewarding.”

The work is enabled through a varied fleet where the emphasis is on high specification equipment. That relates to the tractor units for fuel efficiency and emissions and to ADR trailer barrels, pipes and fittings that are of the highest levels so they don’t limit the jobs to be tackled.

The fleet includes two boats — a barge used to collect waste from ships moored offshore and another to contain and clean up spillages.

In addition to the fleet, there’s an oil and water separation plant, developed in 2002 to avoid the need to transport contaminated water

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TANKERS: BALE GROUP

BUSINESS INSURANCE SPECIALISTS Combining expertise and quality service with excellent value for our customers

Tel: 01934 643400 www.glentworth-insurance.com

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TANKERS: BALE GROUP

long distances. That was followed by a larger plant within Devonport dock yard in 2006 and, due to the natural process, both plants can accept and process other waste streams. Transported waste loads have been reduced further by a centrifuge trailer that uses polymers to separate water and solid content. This was designed and developed by the company in 2007 to treat oil sludge and was moved to its own purposebuilt building in 2013. A small transfer station at Honiton has been such a success that a larger one is now being built to accept a greater volume and wider selection of waste streams.

Undertaking such varied and complex work requires specialised staff training. “We have a four day induction course all operational staff go through during their first week,” explains Claire. “Then we have a buddying system where they go out with somebody to learn the ropes and only go out on their own when they are completely competent to do the work.They have all the correct PPE to carry out the duties they’re qualified and trained to do. We’re accredited by City and Guilds as a training centre and we’re a Driver CPC approved training centre, so we’re currently going through a training programme with our staff to get them to the correct standards for the CPC driving regulations.”

Bale's overall approach is to provide a quality service, helping customers resolve their waste management problems and reducing environmental impacts. In order to maintain high standards, it has ISO 9001, 14001 an 18001 accreditations, monitors performance constantly and takes necessary action. That includes using EDDI scores to improve driving performance.

BALE’S OVERALL APPROACH IS TO PROVIDE A QUALITY SERVICE, HELPING CUSTOMERS RESOLVE THEIR WASTE MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS AND REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

TEAM APPROACH The approach, combined with a loyal customer base, has carried Bale Group through the recession and to continued success. It’s being reinforced by a marketing campaign to make existing customers more aware of its services and develop new business. “We’re a family run business and view all our employees as an extended family,” proclaims Claire. “We’re all working together to get to the same goal and we are a team, pulling different resources and knowledge together to produce the best outcome. We couldn’t have achieved what we have without the help and expertise of the people we employ. They are a brilliant team and we’re very grateful.”

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Bale Group, 90 Durham Way, Heathpark Industrial Estate, Honiton, Devon EX14 1SQ www.bale.co.uk Tel: 01404 548333

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Express Distribution Services _feature 2 11/07/2014 15:00 Page 36

HAULAGE: EXPRESS DISTRIBUTION SERVICES

DISTRIBUTION

SOLUTIONS Specialising in groupage and distribution for a wide vatiety of clients EDS has grown to become one of the Irelands premier distribution companies ery few businesses have benefited from the recession but Express Distribution Services, after suffering like most others in the early stages, eventually gained renewed impetus for its activities. “We found, after the first couple of months, our business was actually boosted,” recalls Transport Manager Jonathan Neill.

“The reason for that is we despatch consignments on a next day or two day service within the UK or next day within Ireland. Companies don’t carry stock anymore because they don’t want to tie up money, so they need a reliable carrier to deliver stock next day, which we do, and it did boost our business for a long time.”

The change came as companies’ stock levels reduced and were replenished with one or two pallets rather than the large volumes previously ordered. It’s continued since then as the normal upswing leading up to Christmas and other times when companies built up their stocks has been replaced by a more level ordering pattern in smaller quantities. That fits in neatly with EDS’s position as a pallet carrier that doesn’t generally deal in full loads.

It isn’t, as Jonathan recounts, how the company started in 1998: “The objective from the outset was to build one of Northern Ireland’s top groupage transport companies, which has taken a lot of time and effort, but certainly has

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been achieved. When we started we were a parcel carrier but, due to the influx of small parcel firms within Northern Ireland, we changed to being mainly a pallet carrier. That has worked for us over the last few years and we basically carry anything that will go on a pallet, whether a standard four foot by three foot pallet or an eight foot by four foot pallet.”

Rather uniquely, EDS is a member of two pallet networks. It handles collections and deliveries between the whole of Northern Ireland and the UK mainland through a UK pallet network while its membership of a Dublinbased network enables it to cover Southern Ireland.That’s supported by a fleet of 32 trucks and fifteen trailers, four of the trucks being based in mainland UK. “We run a double deck trailer from here every evening to the UK pallet network, which we put our retail pallet traffic through,” explains Jonathan. “There are two vehicles on that constantly and two other vehicles going to distribution firms in Birmingham and bringing groupage loads back to our warehouse for distribution around Northern Ireland.”

SATELLITE TRACKING The fleet is a mixture of artics and rigids, some equipped with tail lifts, and four of the trailers being double decks. All vehicles have sat navs and are satellite tracked for efficiency and reliability, and each one has a device

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Express Distribution Services _feature 2 11/07/2014 15:00 Page 37

HAULAGE: EXPRESS DISTRIBUTION SERVICES

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fitted to monitor fuel use. That’s cut out a lot of unnecessary idling and has been combined with CPC and route training that has proved beneficial.

The use of the pallet networks also ensures empty running isn’t an issue while the custom-built 20,000 square foot warehouse, which opened four years ago, has proved a valuable operational asset as well as raising the company’s profile due to its visibility to passing traffic. But although there appear to be fewer young people coming into the profession, it’s often not suitable for foreign nationals due to language barrier difficulties.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS EDS treats its customers as individuals and the aim is to provide a personal service and maintain high standards. Jonathan says: “We’ve worked with a lot of our customers for a long time; some have been here from the start so we’ve been working with them for fifteen years in some cases. There’s a big emphasis on building a relationship and giving customers what they want so we contact customers periodically to check that everything’s fine. By doing that, sometimes we are made aware of issues we didn’t know about so it helps to constantly keep an eye on things and make sure people are happy.”

The aim now is to keep building the business, particularly for the UK mainland that has only been operational for around a year. The hope is to double the thirty or so pallets going over on the ferry each night, adding a second trailer if necessary. But any growth, as Jonathan points out, is likely to result from the company’s reputation for providing a personal and reliable service: “We’re constantly looking for new sales but don’t have a sales person here. It’s all through word of mouth and we get a lot of enquiries from people wanting rates for different work, which a lot of the time is down to other carriers not giving the required service.

Our main objective is to build and grow the business.”

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“THERE’S A BIG EMPHASIS ON BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP AND GIVING CUSTOMERS WHAT THEY WANT SO WE CONTACT CUSTOMERS PERIODICALLY TO CHECK THAT EVERYTHING’S FINE” Unit 15, Silverwood Business Park Silverwood Road, Graigavon, Co. Armagh BT66 6SY www.expressdistributionservices.co.uk Tel: 028 38343187

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Selor Transport_feature 2 14/07/2014 12:17 Page 40

HAULAGE: SELOR TRANSPORT

MEETING

EXPECTATIONS

Selor Transport Limited are focused on providing haulage services with the highest levels of customer satisfaction

elor Transport, based in Kent, has gone from strength to strength since founder and Managing Director John Roles began the company in 1999. Working as an owner-driver delivering for Currys’ home distribution network in the early 1990s, he established a strong relationship with the electrical goods retailer allowing him to grow the fleet, introducing both rigid and articulated vehicles to increase his capability.

Today, Selor Transport operates a general haulage operation with a specialism in the movement of electrical goods for long-term customers Dixons Retail (for Currys home delivery), DHL and Whirlpool UK. The business, which works predominantly in the South East, also oversees the overnight logistics operation for Dixons where it administers a cross-stock service, loading between 60 and 100 7.5 tonne vehicles per night for next-day home delivery.

Within its own fleet, which supports Dixons’ own “Know How” home delivery vehicles, Selor Transport has 14 tractor units and 12 rigids of 7.5 tonne and above. The majority of the company’s fleet is under its ownership, but it has recently trialled a leasing contract through a DAF dealer for four new trucks, three of which are specified to Euro 6.

The company has maintained a very good relationship with DAF over the years which has seen Selor’s fleet predominantly contain the Dutch manufacturer’s tractor units and rigids.

The recent leasing of three Euro 6 vehicles further highlights the company’s faith in DAF, as well as its own predictions as to the value of adding Euro 6 specified vehicles to the fleet. A

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number of advantages have been achieved, not least added fuel efficiency and the consumption of less AdBlue. The success of these vehicles has prompted Selor to consider purchasing its own Euro 6 tractor units in 2015.

John Roles admits the company’s relationship with DAF has been a key part of its success. “We have had a great service from them over the years and I don’t mind telling people about that,” he says. “We can rely on their vehicles which is obviously hugely important and their after-sales in second to none and it’s a relationship we value.”

John has also worked with DAF to discover ways of increasing the efficiency of the fleet which prompted a reduction in speed to a maximum of 52mph. This has brought significant cost savings without impacting negatively upon overall service quality. The company has also been able to improve efficiency thanks to its drivers receiving additional training from Dixons.This is supported by on-the-road assessment. Selor also offers backhaul incentives to its drivers to further complement its environmental commitment.

This dedication to improving service standards has dominated the company’s thinking since its inception. Certainly, the fact Selor Transport is family-run has helped engender pride in the work that it does. John’s wife Toni, son Connor and daughter Shannon are heavily involved in the business while John’s eldest son Shaun is currently training with DAF to become a lorry fitter. This has also seen the company enjoy a low turnover of staff with training and skills development strongly encouraged to further service capability and standards.

“We are a close knit group,” says John. “We have a good group of guys and because of the low

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HAULAGE: SELOR TRANSPORT turnover of staff we retain a lot of experience in-house. I also oversee the majority of their training so I know their levels of competence and can develop their skills where necessary. Quite a few of the drivers have started working on the handling side of things first so they develop a good understanding in that area before getting behind the wheel. Because our work is very labour intensive, it’s important and beneficial for them to have the handling knowledge as well as the driving skill.We are proud of our ability to train staff from within and because of that we have a very experienced, highly capable workforce.”

Selor Transport has also begun to offer Driver CPC training in-house because it does not want to rely on other providers. “This is administered to our drivers at no cost to them but we do charge others that want to make use of that service. It’s cost neutral for us but it has grown and we can provide the training outside of the company as well. But most importantly it has been beneficial to our drivers, allowing us to enhance skill and remain compliant,” explains John.

The use of tracking technology has also brought a number of benefits.While it has helped to complement Selor’s tachograph analysis of its drivers on the road, it has also allowed it to offer a more accurate estimated time of arrival for customers. This is especially advantageous with much of Selor’s deliveries going to the domestic home market.

Certainly, it’s the level of service that has helped Selor Transport stand out over its competitors.

“Whilst trying to prosper we’re very aware of the

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“WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT THE CUSTOMERS WE HAVE STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH HAVE CONTINUED TO GIVE US REGULAR WORK,” need for repeat business. We have secured long-term relationships with clients through the successful delivery of a quality service. We’ve managed to accomplish that because we have a talented, committed group of drivers and staff members. With a low turnover of staff we can maintain that expertise in-house and we have therefore been able to provide a consistent level of service that our customers can rely on.”

This has seen the company emerge from recession stronger than ever.“We have been fortunate that the customers we have strong relationships with have continued to give us regular work,” remarks John.“It has also helped that while fuel prices have gone up and other hauliers have increased their mileage to gain further work, we have been able to operate predominantly in the South East which reduced our fuel usage considerably.

“Also, we didn’t invest in our fleet during the height of the recession, we instead consolidated our position.

We also knew that because we owned our vehicles we could downsize if necessary. Fortunately, alongside our ongoing relationships with customers such as Dixons and DHL we found no need to implement this.”

Magnitude, Unit D New Hythe Lane Aylesford Kent ME20 6WT www.selortransport.co.uk Tel: 0845 230 9679

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Bullet Express_feature 2 08/07/2014 16:14 Page 44

HAULAGE: BULLET EXPRESS

For over two decades Bullet Express have provided their customers with unique solutions to their logistical problems.

ON-TIME

EVERYTIME! or more than 20 years Bullet Express has provided its customers with unique solutions to their logistical problems. With a comprehensive network of professionals in-house, the company can offer an unrivalled service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The company was founded in 1990 by business partners David McCutcheon and Gary Smith. The pair started Bullet Express with two vans delivering same-day items all over the United Kingdom. As the business grew in the first few years, the company started to look for regular steady work as well as the panic deliveries. This led Bullet onto nightly trunking to Ireland and ultimately England and Wales. This has grown to be the major part of Bullet's business and as a result the company now trunks nightly to and from Aberdeen, Inverness, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Belfast, and Dublin. Daily collections or deliveries can be

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made in all these locations any day of the week.

In addition, as a member of Pall-Ex, the UK’s number one network, Bullet Express is one of over 80 depots UK wide able to deliver first class facilities for freight delivery and collection.

To complement and enhance the service offered by Bullet Express, IT has over the years become a major focus for the company. This focus now sees more than 80% of bookings completed on-line. Those same customers track online and have the ability to retrieve P.O.D.’s within five seconds of a delivery being made.

At Bullet’s Glasgow depot, the company is open for business 24 hours a day for its nightly trunks.This enables it to take deliveries throughout the night for hauliers or carriers from all over the UK for next day or timed delivery.

Bullet can deliver into Europe on a regular basis for many blue chip clients with the jobs fully tracked and delivered door to door.

Its fleet of over 100 vehicles range from

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small vans to 40ft trailers all available at a moment’s notice from anywhere in the UK. For specialist vehicles its special services department is available 24 hours a day to provide small vans, large luton vans, trailers, Hiab vehicles and 26 tonne rigids with on-board forklifts.

Certainly, Bullet’s next-day delivery service has been a major success. The department has seen dramatic growth over the last few years due to its facilities at Bothwell and the fantastic range of services now available to the growing customer base includes next day, two-day and timed deliveries. This service is complemented

by Bullet’s overnight department which runs trunks nightly via its own fleet of vehicles.

The company also provides an excellent same-day service. The two Directors, David and Gary, started the company as a same-day company with two second-hand vans and a £40.00 per week government grant. Things have obviously progressed since then.

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HAULAGE: BULLET EXPRESS

Bullet Express Bullet House, 5 Ashley Drive Bothwell. G71 8BS www.bulletexpress.co.uk Tel: 01698 811777

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When a customer has that urgent job that simply has to be delivered promptly, Bullet’s same-day department will find the solution. The team will track a job minute by minute and keep the customer fully informed to ensure the consignment is delivered on time, every time.The fleet diversity is also an advantage over competitors as Bullet has all sizes required as well as specialised vehicles.

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The team will log all aspects of the job from the call time, through the time the consignment is dispatched, to the delivery name and time, which will be passed to the customer by e-mail if required.

Bullet benefits from its network of partners throughout the UK and Ireland to arrange urgent collections, therefore goods anywhere in the UK can be collected within 30 minutes.

Earlier this year, Bullet Express was proud to acknowledge the progress it has made in its carbon reduction initiatives. The company has been serious about the environment from many years. In 2008 it formed a carbon footprint committee to reduce waste and the carbon footprint without negatively impacting upon the services it provides to customers. Initiatives such as sensor lighting and reducing paper consumption – partly by moving some bookings online have been accompanied by a trial of gas converters being fitted to four tractor units. This resulted in a 10% reduction of the company’s annual £700,000 fuel bill, and is now being rolled out to its new fleet involved in trunking.The 46 vehicles that have been signed to ECO Stars have been awarded an impressive Five Star rating.

Transport Manager Andrea Gardner said, “We’ve joined ECO Stars because we feel it can help us further reduce our impact on the environment – and that also makes perfect business sense – as we’ll save money too!”

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Alpha Trans_feature 2 10/07/2014 12:23 Page 48

HAULLAGE: ALPHATRANS

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Alpha Trans_feature 2 10/07/2014 12:23 Page 49

HAULLAGE: ALPHATRANS ow celebrating its 20th anniversary, Anglo-Dutch company Alphatrans BV is an international transport and freight management company with an exemplary reputation for efficiency and quality of service within the industry. Founded in 1994, the company started with a sole truck and a handful of trailers, however in modern day the company fleet has grown and evolved to a total of approximately 125 trucks and 500 trailers across Europe, as Dave Millard, General Manager of Alphatrans’ UK operations explains: “The growth of the company has been immense... generally it’s been year on year growth for 20 years.”

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Although the company has an enormous capacity for flatbed transportation, Alphatrans is additionally an esteemed specialist in abnormal loads, with a large core of its operations lying in the provision of services to the construction industry and in renewable energy. Offshore work, structural timber, infrastructure and contracts for wind farms have been at the forefront of the company’s abnormal load work of late, with products ranging from 30-35 meter long wind turbine masts to transformers, prefabricated concrete and goods weighing in the area of 50-60 tonnes. It should not, however be taken that Alphatrans only work in construction and renewables, as Dave clarifies: “It really can be pretty much anything you want, we have large

fleet of specialist trailers to ensure that we have the right equipment to tackle any job and deliver quality, value and peace-of-mind regardless of distance, size, weight or complexity.”

Having worked for Tata Steel (formerly British Steel and Corus) for the best part of their twenty years in the industry, Alphatrans are incredibly proud of its long-standing working relationship with Tata Steel and their current freight management partner, P&O Ferrymasters: “We’ve got an excellent relationship with them,” states Dave, referring to the: “Thousands of loads per year of wide steel plates” transported for Tata Steel.

Additionally, Alphatrans participates in a series of workshops and meetings alongside P&O and Tata Steel, covering topics such as how to achieve

EXCEPTIONAL IS NORMAL For Alphatrans, exceptional is normal.

Whether that refers to the loads they carry, the equipment they provide, the way in which they operate or the commitment and expertise of their staff.

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Alpha Trans_feature 2 14/07/2014 11:12 Page 50

HAULLAGE: ALPHATRANS

Alphatrans West Court, Hesslewood Hall Ferriby Road, Hessle East Yorkshire HU13 0LH www.alphatrans.eu/en Tel: 01482 627981

slicker processes, how to best control costs and how to improve overall health and safety, a key concern throughout the industry as Dave explains: “There’s a really big health and safety push within the industry to be more health and safety conscious , not only for the driver but the people that we share the roads with, so we’re investing a lot of time and effort and sharing a lot of the data that we’re creating, not only with our customers but also with our competitors to ensure that we can be a safer industry. We invest a lot in additional health and safety aspects on the trucks.” Of these additional health and safety systems, equipment such as close proximity sensors and hand brake warning alarms are amongst the most prominent with clear benefits to the overall safety during transportation and in providing extra support for the drivers.

As a FORS bronze registered organisation aiming for further silver and gold accreditation, it is of note that Alphatrans has set the ambitious goal to be:“100% compliant, 100% of the time,” explains Dave, who goes on to say that: “We are the first, or certainly one of the first Tata Steel hauliers to have close proximity sensors and handbrake warning alarms on 100% of our vehicles in the UK.” Achieving 100% compliance, 100% of the time would set a benchmark that even the greatest and most dedicated of organisations may not be able to sustain indefinitely, Alphatrans is committed to pursuing this goal and has achieved much success and recognition thus far. In addition to this, Alphatrans is committed to the use of Euro 6 vehicles in all upcoming renovations

and additions to its fleet for the purpose of lessening carbon emissions and protecting the environment at the same time as being a compliant and safe organisation, both for the workers and the general public.

In particular, Alphatrans is also a role model to other organisations throughout the sector with regard to HR through both the “Young Driver” initiative and in how the workforce is treated. The young driver initiative was set up to target the growing issues of aging drivers and the younger generation being unable to break into the sector due to lack of experience at the wheel and will fund the training of selected individuals over the age of 18 with the promise of work at Alphatrans in the upcoming years, thus netting them the experience and qualifications they need. This initiative is part of Alphatrans’ overarching view of its drivers, on which Dave gives insight: “A lot of people will see drivers as a necessary evil, whereas I’m very different. I like to think that we have a totally different culture in Alphatrans; the driver is the beginning and end of every supply chain and should be treated as such. Without a driver, and a good driver at that, you don’t have a supply chain. We could have the best trucks in the world. We could have the most robust processes and procedures in the world but if we don’t have a well trained and competent man or woman in that truck, then we don’t have a business. What people don’t do is invest enough time and effort into making sure their drivers are the best. They’re happy to spend 70, 80, 90 thousand on a truck, but why not spend an extra £500 on training for the driver to make sure you’ve got the right person doing the right things?”

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Cross Country Carriers_feature 2 16/07/2014 10:49 Page 52

PALLET NETWORK: CROSS COUNTRY CARRIERS

DEDICATED

VEHICLE FLEET Cross Country Carriers pride themselves on providing a high quality, professional service at an affordable price, every time. ffering a comprehensive range of services including warehousing, contract hire, timed deliveries, container de-vanning, tail lift deliveries and both full and part loads, Cross Country Carriers is a one-stop-shop for an assortment of logistic services, with the needs of the customer at the forefront of its interests.

With an unprecedented reputation for responding quickly and efficiently to the needs of the customer, Cross Country Carriers has a dedicated network of experienced members of staff on-hand to both support and advise customers on the services available and assist with any queries or developments that may arise in addition to the associated costs.

By providing the ideal warehouse location with easy access through the strategic A14 corridor, Cross Country Carriers is well positioned to distribute quickly, efficiently and without pause throughout the

O Unit 6 Symonds Farm Industrial Estate Saxham, Bury St. Edmunds Suffolk, IP28 6RE, www.xcountryltd.co.uk Tel: 01284 810 739

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entirety of the UK. The warehouse itself is approximately 40,000 square foot, fully racked out and is monitored and recorded through a modern computerised warehousing program developed by Mandata, thus providing exemplary management of stock, space and security so that clients can rest easy. Mandata has been developing software in-house for approximately 40 years through close collaboration with its clients and end users, who are able to benefit from software specifically targeted to be highly relevant and effective in meeting the haulage industry's needs. Using such technical and highly reputed software for its warehouse management systems, Cross Country Carriers is able to offer a seamless process in which efficiency and service for the client is always placed first.

Through use of the warehouse, Cross Country Carriers is able to provide: flexible storage solutions, direct input into Europe’s no.1 pallet network, pick and

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PALLET NETWORK: CROSS COUNTRY CARRIERS pack services and access to an organic, certified warehouse. De-vanning services are also provided for a wide variety of customers, both small and large with much of the storage being used for the catering and health sectors, in which each member of staff has a wealth of expertise and knowledge. Storage services are additionally offered for other sectors and are managed with the exact same level of diligence as in those specified.

All pallets are machine wrapped to ensure the security and preservation of goods in the warehouse, however additional packaging can be provided upon request. The way in which Cross Country Carriers presents the goods stored at the warehouse is of specific note, truly displaying the excellence in service provided internally, yet in an external manner.

Having won the prestigious Palletways Platinum award for both 2011 and 2012, Cross Country Carriers has a proven reputation and standard for high quality service and efficiency. The scheme, run by Palletways, the largest provider of express palletised distribution services within Europe is to recognise those depots with an outstanding reputation for quality and high standards year upon year, with each award a testament to the services provided by such depots. For Cross Country Carriers to be recognised and applauded by such an organisation is of great achievement for the company and truly makes Cross Country Carriers stand out amongst other organisations within the sector.

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Evans Transport _feature 2 11/07/2014 11:16 Page 54

PALLET NETWORK: EVANS TRANSPORT

50 YEARS OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION With 50 years first hand experience in the Transport Industry, Evan Transport is a broad based team of highly skilled and extremely enthusiastic specialists

inning the Palletforce Depot of the Year award for the second consecutive year in competition with over ninety other depots is a major achievement for Evans Transport and Sales Executive Les Webster is in no doubt why it occurred. “It’s due to a complete and utter determination not to fail to deliver to our customers,” he says. “It’s the ethos of the whole business and applies from the top downwards.”

Mike Symons, who is Bideford Deport Manager and responsible for the Palletforce operation, adds: “We don’t set ourselves up to fail so, as far as we’re concerned, if our customers send their freight in to us and they want it delivered at a specific time, it’ll be delivered on time. We will do whatever we have to do to ensure customers get what they need, when they need it. But it takes a lot of effort to get that done and that’s down to everyone from the people in the office to our drivers out there, who all work absolutely tirelessly and are fantastic.”

The company started fifty years ago as a logging and timber business, developed into haulage and added the Palletforce operation in 2007. Now it’s one of the largest privately owned transport companies in South West England and delivers a wide range of products that include electrical items, furniture, cosmetics and with a big focus on the building industry. That includes brick and block transport, timber haulage, fabricated lift shafts and chimney products plus ready mixed concrete from its batching plant at the purpose built Bideford site that became fully operational this year. The site has customised warehousing for the Palletforce work with fully covered loading and unloading areas as well as a service workshop, a VOSA ATF lane and lorry wash.

“The workshop only really opened fully at the end of last year,” remarks Mike. “The ATF lane has been going since the end of 2012 and has been very successful and a great help with our own fleet. We test five days a week now and we see a lot of vehicles going through the lane.”

The facilities allow full servicing of the majority of the fleet, which is diverse to reflect the varied operation and includes six

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Evans Transport _feature 2 11/07/2014 11:17 Page 57

PALLET NETWORK: EVANS TRANSPORT concrete mixers, lorry mounted cranes for the block and timber haulage as well as twelve tail lift vehicles to handle Palletforce collections and deliveries and five double-deck trunkers that average 240-300 pallets overnight to and from the hub rising to 400 at peak times.

The fleet has changed extensively in the last 12-18 months, with around 75% of the vehicles being replaced prior to the introduction of Euro six engines. “We undertook a massive replacement programme at Euro five,” explains Mike. “There will be a few Euro six vehicles joining the fleet shortly, if only to see how they work out against the Euro fives because we have a good benchmark now.

“When the Euro six was coming, even some truck manufacturers were talking it down due to higher costs, fuel returns that were going to be much lower and servicing being a lot more expensive. But with hindsight, I don’t know the reality is quite so bad as made out so we’ll be able to run the Euro six vehicles alongside the Euro fives and see what fuel returns we are getting.”

The diverse nature of the fleet enables Evans Transport to deliver various consignments across the

UK with two or three loads a week also going to the near continent. That flexibility is helped immeasurably

by Palletforce membership, which has seen considerable growth in volumes. Success there, as through the rest of the business, is based on a principle of understanding the logistic requirements of every customer and then creating and applying the appropriate service.

FAMILY BUSINESS Mike says: “It’s still a family run business and the ethos goes right through the business to all employees. That translates to the customer service, doing what we say we’ll do and not over-promising and under-delivering, which we are very keen on. We don’t promise customers things we know we can’t do and customers like us to be truthful with them. That’s why, especially with the Palletforce operation, we have been successful over the last couple of years so the business is growing. Staff who join grasp the same things we do and learn how we perform. We do what we say we’re going to do and we make sure it’s done on time.”

Efficiency of the operation is enhanced by the use of telematics in each vehicle that help to improve fuel efficiency through better driver performance.

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PALLET NETWORK: EVANS TRANSPORT However, as Mike points out, the varied nature of the work ensures assessing that performance is not straightforward: “With our different applications, we’re getting variable returns and the miles per gallon doesn’t always tell the full story.

“We need to be able to assess our drivers and the way they are driving the trucks as well as the pay load, the terrain and everything else.We take all that into consideration because differences in fuel use are often down to the types of work they are on. When we bring new trucks into the fleet, we like to use the vehicle manufacturers’ driver training so we can maximise the efficiency of the vehicles. We feel nobody knows a truck better than the manufacturer so we tend to use driver training from each manufacturer to get the best outcome.”

expanding European distribution through the Palletforce ALLNET offering and growing the sand and aggregates division.

“The main criterion for any business is to not take their foot off the pedal,” proclaims Les. “One of the things the business did in the earliest part of the recession period, rather than just sitting tight, was to do

EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS

something about it by acquiring a couple of businesses to build up the portfolio. We’ll continue to look positively at those opportunities and, if they arise and they’re within the portfolio of transport, the business will go for that element. We also have to embrace the systems and the demands that are being introduced by the transport industry.”

Mike adds: “We’re not afraid to look at opportunities and different aspects of the business. If there’s something that catches our eye, we’re always willing to have a go at it with the same vigour and the same professionalism we’ve put in with everything else that we do here. I think that’s what we have to do to keep ourselves progressing, we can’t just continue with one thing”

The introduction of new trunker trailers with increased pallet space has also given efficiency improvements while a new paperless process from Palletforce that includes electronic proof of delivery will also help matters. They’ll all allow Evans Transport to achieve greater success in its fiftieth year, which is being celebrated with a major event attended by 350 guests that include employees, customers, suppliers and long-term friends that have supported the company.

A major aim now is to win the Palletforce Depot of the Year award for the third year in succession and it’s accepted that’s a difficult challenge. It’s combined with a wish to grow the business overall, particularly

“WE’RE NOT AFRAID TO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES AND DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE BUSINESS.”

Gammaton Road Bideford, EX39 4FG www.evanstransport.co.uk Tel: 01237 471900

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Shiping & Ports Review_feature 2 11/07/2014 11:29 Page 60

PORTS: UK MAJOR PORTS GROUP

SUPPORTING

BRITISH PORTS

The United Kingdom Major Ports Group Limited (UKMPG) is the trade association representing most of the larger commercial ports in the United Kingdom.

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PORTS: UK MAJOR PORTS GROUP ts role as a trade association representing major UK ports means the UKMPG has nine members that operate 42 ports within the UK, also working closely with the British Posts Association that mainly represents the medium and smaller ports.

Together, they act for an industry that Executive Director Richard Bird knows is vital for the UK economy, saying: “Around 95% of UK international trade goes through ports, two thirds being through UKPMG ports. We employ about 120,000 people directly and contribute £8 billion annually to UK GDP. It’s not always recognised that ports are a very significant part of the overall maritime sector.”

The UKMPG’s role is to represent the interests of its members with the UK and EU governments, being a member of the European Sea Ports Organisation for the latter and having a strategic relationship with the UK government on a ‘no surprises’ basis so it’s aware of forthcoming legislation. “We work closely with government officials and ministers to make sure

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they understand the overall requirements of the ports sector and the vital contribution it makes to the UK economy,” confirms Richard. “We also work closely with MPs, particularly on the Commons Transport Committee, who look at issues which directly or indirectly affect ports.

“The aim is to work pro-actively with government in advance and when legislation or similar appears we will respond to that as well. The more important part of our work is that preconsultation because, if we get that right, the formal consultation won’t raise too many difficulties. We have an oversight of port skills and safety activities, organise regular meetings for members to discuss policy issues, have an information service on public affairs and provide forums for direct discussions between members and government.”

The work has achieved significant improvements in port safety, the accident rate having halved over the last ten years. That’s largely the result of a subsidiary organisation called Port Skills and Safety that has a fairly specific remit to help ports improve their safety performance,

both on land and at sea, by issuing safety guidance and improving skills through certification arrangements and national occupational standards apprenticeships.

POSITIVE FOOTPRINT It’s also partly due to a lot of collaborative work with employees that has also seen a dramatic improvement in labour relations and, as Richard points out, increased emphasis on environmental matters: “There’s lots of co-operation with environmental regulators and organisations like the RSPB and Wildlife Trust. Ports work very hard to ensure they leave a positive footprint and there’s plenty done to find alternative habitat sites when development takes place. Ports are generally fairly clean places and, within UKMPG, we have no areas with particular air quality issues. Where developments take place, there is really good liaison with marine archaeologists and the results of this work are relayed to local communities.”

A major benefit for UK ports has been a consistency of government policy that’s largely applied since the ‘Modern Ports’ white paper of

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2000, allowing confidence for the industry to invest substantially even during the recession. That’s seen as a vote of confidence in the UK economy and one of UKMPG’s main objectives is to maintain access to funding so the industry remains competitive and provides the services customers want. “We’ve worked hard to ensure the UK port sector remains attractive for investment, keeping a close eye on regulatory burdens that add to cost, and freshening up the planning system so ports can move from plan to operation more quickly,” states Richard.

Internationally, the current big challenge is to relieve unnecessary bureaucracy which would be imposed by the EU’s proposed Port Services Regulation. This aims to promote better competition but will just add to regulation in the UK where ports are already competitive and so far, after a long and demanding exercise, the UKMPG has succeeded in delaying its adoption. The stance has been backed by the Maritime UK umbrella organisation, an association of the seven leading maritime organisations in the UK coming together and promoting maritime interests collectively. That, in Richard’s view, is very valuable: “It shows that it’s not just ports being defensive because our shipping and maritime business colleagues are also

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“WE’VE WORKED HARD TO ENSURE THE UK PORT SECTOR REMAINS ATTRACTIVE FOR INVESTMENT, KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON REGULATORY BURDENS THAT ADD TO COST, AND FRESHENING UP THE PLANNING SYSTEM SO PORTS CAN MOVE FROM PLAN TO OPERATION MORE QUICKLY.” concerned about anything which is going to add to costs and bureaucracy in the UK.”

GREATER COMPETITION Competition with other European ports is not always on an equal basis, however, and that’s something the organisation is seeking to address. Richard says: “UK ports generally don’t receive subsidies except for some specific environmental activities whereas many competitor ports on the continent do, particularly those on long estuaries where a high proportion of dredging costs are subsidised. So we are disadvantaged but we are hopeful the European Commission will take a more robust line on state aid that will deliver greater competition as the basis for improved services.”

1st Floor 30 Park Street London SE1 9EQ www.ukmajorports.org.uk Tel: 020 72601785

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NATIONAL FREIGHT REVIEW: ACP FREIGHT SERVICES

YOUR PARTNER IN EUROPE

Getting your consignment delivered or collected on time, and with as little disruption as possible, is ACP’s first priority. lexibility, experienced staff and proactive communication are key features of what ACP Freight Services provides to its customers and suppliers, and the main reasons behind its success to date.

The company was formed and started trading on 1st October 1996 as a result of a management buyout of some of the assets of the previous employer, a French transport company called Euroway SA, which had gone into receivership in June of the same year.

ACP set up with an office in Portsmouth providing transport services to and from France.

As is the case for all new businesses, ACP found the going really tough to start with. Its position was made harder due in part to its association with the original failed company and its out of date, unaccompanied transport operation service. Realising high service levels were most important and missing under the previous employer, ACP had decided to offer a driver accompanied service to its customers from the off to improve transit times and reliability. The new type of operation coupled with developing both transport planning and freight forwarding activities at the same time was also a lot to take on at once.There was also the issue of being “specialists” of the French market where the previous company operated but lacking knowledge of other countries.

Over the years since then, all that has changed as work now extends to the whole of Western and Central Europe, with regular runs for example to and from Italy, Spain, Germany and the Benelux countries as well as further afield to Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and similar countries with over 16,000 transport journeys completed in 2013.

That expansion, as Managing Director Alain Tremorin recalls, has been as much a natural development to meet customers’ needs as a willingness to expand: “Our customers, feeling happy with the service we provided on the UK-French market, gave us the

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opportunity to organize their transport requirements to and from other countries as their geographical presence changed. Customers have expanded to work further afield and, having been asked to, we have and are going with them, which has been really good for us and helped cement relationships. That’s really how we’ve grown and why we now deal with so many European countries.”

COMBINED SERVICES ACP has now grown into a company that successfully combines the services of a freight forwarder with that of a transport company, the former accounting for 60% of total activity. However, for the latter, the big difference compared to a standard transport business is that ACP doesn’t actually own any vehicles, transport being provided through a sub-contracted fleet of seventy vehicles. The fleet, contracted from a few suppliers, works full time for ACP, providing a consistent service as well as the required flexibility but imposing a need to keep the vehicles fully occupied in order to maximise earnings. “We pay companies on a mileage basis whether the vehicles are running loaded or empty,” explains Alain.

“We organize the work for the vehicles from our office in Portsmouth using GPS and mobile communication tools, our staff managing positions, working and driving hours. The drivers are provided with ACP Freight fuel and toll cards, with our chosen supplier being AS 24 due to its pricing structure and ease of use. We also book the ferries according to the geographical load/offload locations and have accounts with all the ferries companies, selecting Brittany Ferries (which runs frequent services from ACP’s home port of Portsmouth and other UK ports to French and Spanish destinations with full freight and driver facilities), The Travel Gateway and P&O Ferries as our preferred suppliers due to the quality of service they offer.

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“WE’VE ONLY SUCCEEDED AS A BUSINESS BECAUSE OF OUR COMMITMENT TO TREATING ALL PARTNERS EQUALLY – REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY’RE A SUB-CONTRACTOR, A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE OR A CLIENT IN RECEIPT OF ONE OF OUR SERVICES.” www.tandlonline.com

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“So in that respect we are a transport company but, thanks to our freight forwarding department, we offer more flexibility. If we were a transport company with a fixed number of our own trucks only, we could only do a set number of loads each day. If we were a freight forwarder, we would always need to rely on our partners to provide us with vehicles as necessary. By running both services in tandem, we offer greater flexibility where a load can be dealt with by one department or the other. By running both services together, we have more choice of work, which also helps make our planning more efficient, reducing our empty mileage costs.”

The core fleet of seventy vehicles provides a stable basis for planning, which is combined with regular partners keeping ACP informed of the location of other vehicles. That enables the company to organise its work around the availability of vehicles and at the same time provide a constant flow of work for those partners making it beneficial for all parties.

ADDED CHALLENGE Using a sub-contract fleet doesn’t protect ACP from cost increases (fuel, tolls, etc) and its European work means it has the added challenge of exchange rate fluctuations. But it does provide a wide variety of vehicles to which a conventional transport company may not have access. These include tautliners for carrying a variety of industrial freight, road trains, megas and refrigerated vehicles that are necessary for transporting high volume or temperature controlled goods. ACP Freight is also able to carry duty suspended cargo (alcoholic beverages such as wine and beer) between bonded warehouses

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NATIONAL FREIGHT REVIEW: ACP FREIGHT SERVICES thanks to its Transport Movement Guarantee that it offers to customers for such specific traffic.

Flexibility extends to handling issues like late collections and/or deliveries, reorganising loads as much as possible to meet changing situations (weather, traffic, etc) and keeping customers fully informed if alternative solutions cannot be found. Alain says: “Communication with customers is most important because, if they are made aware of a delay, they may be able to make alternative arrangements within their own organisation that will somehow help them deal better with a vehicle running late, from re-organizing manpower to advising their own customer. The negative effect of a delay can usually be limited but, for that to happen, people must be made aware and kept informed of what is happening.”

STAFF INTEGRATION

373-375 Old Commercial Road Portsmouth, Hampshire UK PO1 4QG www.acpfreight.com Tel: 02392 862112

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None of the above could work without professional and caring members of staff. ACP has a policy of employing young people with language skills and a willingness to learn and train them in their transport roles.

“We see the success of ACP in the experience of its staff members,” states Alain. “When we take on new employees, our wish is to see them stay for a long time because experience and knowledge of our industry means we can give a better level of service, understand customers’ needs more accurately and respond to issues more efficiently. Having long term employees also helps us keep a family feeling, making the work environment much more pleasant to be in.” To help

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support and develop its members of staff, ACP Freight is also an “Investor in People” company.

That approach has led to some customers remaining with ACP since it started trading, and strong relationships between employees, customers and suppliers alike have been the bedrock of ACP’s success to date.

But success, changing rules and innovation present constant challenges: the increasing volume of work meaning more and more paperwork, the improving communication tools meaning quicker access to information and with it the raised expectations for faster and constant updates and return of information. As a result, the company is investing more and more heavily in its IT tools, such as developing its transport, website and online quotation softwares to further support staff and partners.

The company is also looking to invest in a document management system to reduce the amount of paperwork whilst at the same time making information more quickly and easily accessible to customers and suppliers.

It is, as Alain emphasises, another fundamental step in ACP’s development: “We have to carry on growing to give our employees the opportunity to develop with the company and increase the access to faster communication as this is the world we live in, what people want and expect. If we don’t, we will fall behind and start losing business to competitors. We believe we are a forward thinking company and we want to be at the forefront of developments to help support all the people we work with as this is beneficial for the business and its ongoing commitment to be recognized a caring and professional company.”

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Premier Truck Hire _feature 2 14/07/2014 11:36 Page 70

LEASING AND RENTAL: PREMIER TRUCK HIRE ounded in 1993 by Maurice Tailford, Premier Truck Hire serves as one of the North’s premier commercial and municipal truck hire specialists, with a prominent reputation in the sector for the provision of a wide assortment of rental vehicles to the municipal and commercial sectors.

With a range of vehicles from 7.5 tonne trucks all the way up to 44 tonne tractor units, Premier Truck Hire are able to provide a selection of high quality municipal and commercial vehicles to effectively meet the needs of all of its clients. Highly regarded ‘for sale’ vehicles are also available, all of which are inspected, serviced and maintained to the highest of standards for safety and reliability.

Rental vehicles are available on a daily, weekly or monthly basis as well as on long-term package options to cover clients looking for a flexible rental option covering periods from three months all the way up to three years. Premier Truck Hire force no binding contract or early termination charges, thus allowing for far easier budgeting, planning and ease in the return of vehicles upon early completion of client needs.

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OUTSTANDING

SERVICE After creating the Municipal Vehicle Hire division in 1993, Premier Truck Hire now also boasts a comprehensive range of commercial vehicles on it's self drive hire fleet

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LEASING AND RENTAL: PREMIER TRUCK HIRE

Maintenance is also included in monthly rates, thus allowing clients to rest at ease instead of worrying over the incursion of further costs.

Thanks to its recent investment into refrigerated vehicles, Premier Truck Hire have added a number of new temperature-controlled trucks fitted with Gray & Adams single compartment insulated box bodies, triple read doors, single side doors and Carrier refrigeration units. Allun Cairns, Business Development Manager comments: “It’s yet another string in our bow… There are not many companies offering refrigerated vehicles for contract hire and rental in this part of the world, so we view this as a big opportunity to grow our business.” The new vehicles received an immediate response from the sector, with two of the three vehicles being contracted out to JR Holland Food Services almost instantly.

The truck bodies, each built by Gray & Adams’ are mounted on a chassis supplied by Birtley DAF dealer Chatfields. Allun explains the reasoning for using Gray & Adams in saying: “I was previously employed by a truck dealer and have long experience of working with Gray & Adams. Its insulated bodies are widely recog-

nised as the best on the market in terms of their build quality and durability, while its warranty and aftercare support is exceptional too.

“Gray & Adams is also renowned for building bespoke products, rather than the ‘off the shelf’ lines offered by some of its competitors. Indeed, the manufacturer’s representative David Purvis went to great lengths during the design phase to ensure that the specification of our bodies was perfectly tailored to meet our requirements.”

In addition, an approximated £500,000 investment in new premises in December, 2013 has provided Premier Truck Hire with a new, fully refurbished and well-equipped six-bay workshop to properly target the increasing demand for its vehicles and services. This new base of operations serves both as evidence of the success of the business and growing demand as well as the company’s dedication to improving its quality of service and expanding its capabilities.

Premier Truck Hire Units 7 -8, Chainbridge North Chainbridge Road, Blaydon Tyne & Wear NE21 5ST www.pthhire.co.uk 0191 414 3263

BE BETTER INFORMED SUBSCRIBE TO TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS MAGAZINE Call 01484 437300 or visit www.tandlonline.com www.tandlonline.com

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LEASING AND RENTAL: TOTAL MOTION

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

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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

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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 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.

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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-for-like 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.

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LEASING AND RENTAL: TOTAL MOTION

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

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 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 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.

TOTAL MOTION WORKS WITH OVER 300 CLIENTS, OPERATING BOTH SMALL AND LARGE FLEETS OF VEHICLES ACROSS THE UK AND OVERSEAS

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SOPER WIN NATIONAL AWARD Steve Soper and his team win BMW + MINI Independent Dealer of the Year Soper of Lincoln have proudly announced they have won BMW Independent Dealer of The Year 2013 at the National BMW Group Dealer Awards.

Furthermore, the Lincoln BMW dealership were also announced as Runner-Up for BMW Dealer of The Year 2013 at the Australian conference.

Andrew Tullie, Dealer Principal, said “ To say I was surprise was an understatement, I had no idea we were even in the running for one award, let alone two! I am extremely proud of the team who have all contributed to this prestigious award from BMW UK” .

Soper of Lincoln are an independent dealer employing nearly 100 staff. They

were recently voted 27th top business in Lincolnshire and are the number 1 motor dealer in Lincolnshire. Soper have also been awarded the innovative BMW i brand, quite the accolade when there are only 44 dealership who are to sell and service the electric BMW i3 and BMW i8.

On closer inspection the site is a well-oiled machine operating 15 ramps in their workshop, including an MOT ramp with rolling-road and full laser wheel alignment. The dealership also has the facilities to refurbish alloy wheels and perform small-medium bodywork damage. Soper of Lincoln hold an impressive amount of used car stock, their current count is 107 all supplied

with a 12 months approved used car program. As well as retailing BMW’ s and MINI’ s to private individuals Soper also has a substantial corporate department selling cars throughout the UK. To ensure these vehicles are delivered in showroom condition two handover specialist are employed to drive their covered transporters.

Why not visit Soper of Lincoln to have a closer look. Soper of Lincoln, Roman Way, South Hykeham, Lincoln LN6 9UH. www.soperbmw.co.uk/ www.sopermini.co.uk or call 01522 690000.

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Looking back at...

AMY JOHNSON

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

t isn’t often we’ve been able to highlight the work of female innovators in the transport and logistics industry. That’s because, quite simply, there weren’t many. But it would be sad to allow those women who did advance technology, operations, techniques and ideas to be forgotten.

This month, we celebrate the work of Amy Johnson, a pioneering English aviator, who tragically died at the age of 37 doing the very thing she loved best – flying. Alongside her husband Jim Mollison, Johnson set a number of long-distance aviation records.

Supported by her father who helped her buy an aircraft, Johnson excelled in the air despite facing gender bias in a male-dominated profession. She rose to prominence in 1930 when she became the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia. Her journey took her from London to Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory, flying the 11,000 miles between May 5th and May 24th.

Another “first” came when, in 1931, she and her co-pilot Jack Humphreys, became the first pilots to fly from London to Moscow in a single day, completing the 1,760 miles in around 21 hours. This journey was extended when the pair flew on to Japan, setting a further record for the journey.

More record-breaking attempts would be made successfully in the years to come, both as

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a solo flier and with her husband. For example, she flew by herself from England to Cape Town in South Africa while the husband and wife team made a record-breaking flight to India. In 1932, while trying to fly from South Wales to the United States the pair crash-landed in Connecticut after the aircraft ran out of fuel.

Both were injured but survived.

This didn’t put Johnson off as she made more records-breaking flights, the last of which came in 1936 when she regained the record time flying from Britain to South Africa.

Her courage saw her sign up for the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) during the Second World War where she rose to the level of First Officer. The ATA were tasked with transporting Royal Air Force aircraft around the country.

While flying a mission from Blackpool to Oxford in 1941, Johnson flew off course during adverse

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weather and had to ditch her aircraft after running out of fuel. Her plane came down in the Thames Estuary where she was spotted, alive, by HMS Haslemere. However, their rescue attempt failed because of the terrible weather conditions and heavy seas, resulting in a sailor’s death as well as Johnson’s, whose body was never recovered.

Her bravery should never be forgotten, both in terms of her pioneering efforts and her courage during the Second World War. Her work can best be remembered today at the Science Museum in London where her Gipsy Moth aircraft, the one she flew from England to Australia in 1930, can be found.

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ISSUE 148

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I N D U S T R Y

F O R WA R D

ISSUE 148

D R I V I N G

UK MAJOR PORTS GROUP

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SUPPORTING

BRITISH PORTS : e d i s lso in

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Barry devlin services Page 14

selor transport Page 40

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