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A lifetime of knowledge
Page 22
Page 23
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He is one of the UK's oldest operators and has a reputation for being one of the wisest. Bridget Carter meets Scottish veteran Duncan Adams.
Red-and-white trucks with the name 'Duncan Adams' emblazoned on the sides are rumbling through the security gates at Scotland's major container port.
The man himself is in his Grangemouth office, talking about the problems facing the road transport industry. He also talks about the years of work he has put into building up the firm, and the long hours his wife Catherine and their son Eric now put in.
"It has been very hard going, as we really have had a couple of had years," he says."Manufacturing in Scotland has just died a death... the whole thing is a changing world."
Adams speaks with such a refreshing honesty about the challenges he faces running a business in Scotland that it's easy to see why people in the industry hold him in such high esteem.
Building bricks
When you've spent your life building up a 100-truck, 1 m -turnover operation from scratch and are still running it at the age of 75, it's a fair bet that you know a thing or two about road haulage.
And Adams says that the best advice he can offer the owner of any road haulage firm is to own the property you run the business from. He learned this lesson the hard way, because he doesn't own the land he operates on — and still regrets not buying it.
Adams also says that firms need to react quickly to change. He emphasises that, as with domestic house values, location is crucial.
'Ibis is another lesson learned the hard way He reckons his business should have moved from its Grangemouth base because access can be a problem. Adams' experience goes back to 1960 when he set up the firm and worked for a local wood yard. Since those days, much of his work has involved transporting plywood from one of six mills in the area (there are now only two) and delivering newspapersincluding The Scotsman. Duncan Adams Ltd is a member of Palletwavs. although its main business is hauling whisky for export. Other loads include those for wine, chemicals and forestry clients.
Inevitably. Adams refers to the problems caused by Scotland's geography; firms further south are closer to more ports and more customers. "If there wasn't whisky in Scotland, we would he dead," he says, sardonically.
Grangemouth is Adams' central distribution point for general haulage throughout the UK, hut there are also depots at Glasgow Birkenhead,Tyne and Wear and Immingham/Hull.
Birkenhead is the base for newsprint deliveries to major national and regional newspapers. Tyne and Wear services the North-East corridor; and from Immingham/Hull, the firm operates a daily trailer service to the Continent via Rotterdam and Zeebrugge. All the depots are linked via nightly trunks.
Adams' mention of tough times is reflected in the company's financial results. It's been in the red for two years, although that seems to be down to had luck rather than management. A large had debt,and a truck crash with an agency driver behind the wheel at around the same time, have not helped the balance sheet.
The driver shortage is affecting Adams as much as everybody else. As with many other operators, the situation has led him to resort to agency workers who, he says. are not as committed to the job as permanent drivers.
Competition
The shortage is exacerbated around Adams' Grangemouth HQ by competition from regional distribution centres. Asda alone has two RDCs in the area, and they take 125 drivers apiece out of the mark et.He readily admits that many drivers prefer that kind of work: "They have good conditions and top wages because the shelves have to be filled," Adams says.
He relishes the challenges posed by 21stcentury road haulage hut is, to put it mildly. less happy with the ever growing maze of red tape. including health and safety regs.
One of the reasons for Adams' endurance, however, is the relationships he has developed with his customers and staff: "They are friends more than anything." he reveals.
That's no idle boast —40% of Duncan Adams customers have been with the firm for more than 15 years, which bolsters its reputation as a reliable and reputable transport outfit.
Son Eric, who runs the business with Duncan as a director, routinely puts in 13-hour days. Duncan's wife Catherine is also a director, although these days she doesn't put in quite as many long hours as she used to.
So, at the age of 75 and despite the problems facing the industry, is Adams ready to retire? The answer is a resounding no. "It is a good thing," he concludes, referring to his work. "It doesn't let your brain go dead.•