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When Chris Downing quit his job as an insurance consultant,
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he wanted a low-pressure job with a steady income. But then he got bitten by the haulage bug—and he's never looked back. Now, 11 years on, his fleet of 14 vehicles is poised to expand by more than a third.
Sheppard reports. pontarddulais (it's izlcm not west of Swansea, as if you clk know) seems an unpromisi base from which to launch a c tribution business. Its out o limb at the western end of i M4; and most of the roads ti connect it with the rest of Wales are hi twisting and often congested. But for Ch Downing, these drawbacks have proved to the making of his business, Fleet St (Fashion) Distribution.
"People looked at the end of the M4 as t end of the world," he says, "so there wai market for smaller vehicles running ir south-west Wales, delivering to high-stn outlets of the big stores."
As well as garments for TNT Ret Express he handles newspapers, magazir and paper products for adTNT di Lns. "TNT look upon us now as their 7 ansea depot," he says. "We even answer ! phone in their name."
Fleet Style was founded it years ago when )wning decided to make a clean break Lin a career in insurance. His mother, a :rehouse manager in Swansea for a fashi retailer, mentioned that her company Ls looking for someone to transport hanggarments so he became a self-employed n driver delivering to stores in the West Luntry and South and West Wales.
Initially he only had enough work for three ys a week: "I looked around and found ere were customers in the fashion busiss wanting deliveries to be taken out of ales—mainly to Manchester, London and arrington—and there were smaller loads to me back here. Other companies didn't int to deliver these loads because they were small for them."
Word quickly spread about Downing and soon had to replace his Mercedes van with L Iveco Cargo 75E15. "I needed something gger because I was going further afield and :stomers wanted me to carry heavier and :.avier stuff" he explains. "People kept seeing my van so word was spreading about what I was doing."
pany boasts a i,160m2 warehouse, with room for expansion, and a fleet of 14 vehicles ranging from an Escort van to two 38-tonne Iveco EuroStar 42os. This year Downing plans to expand his fleet by more than a third, if new contracts currently being negotiated are confirmed.
Biggest break
But how on earth did an insurance consultant with no background in haulage achieve success so quickly? Downing says the whole business has built up through word of mouth and personal recommendation. His biggest break came eight years ago when he met John Broomfield, regional operations manager for TNT Retail Express. "It's through providing him with a high level of service that my company has been advertised throughout the organisation," says Downing. "They have been a truly fantastic company to work for, never defaulting on payments. During the fuel shortages 18 months ago they were very supportive and we were able to draw fuel from their depots."
Although all of Fleet Style's work is currently with TNT, Downing sees no risk in being committed to a single customer: "If one of the contracts didn't work out it
louldn't jeopardise any of the other contracts re have with them," he points out.
The bulk of his fleet provides deliveries in an rea of Wales bounded by St David's in the rest, Aberystwyth in the north-west and lonmouth in the east. Trunking vehicles run > Watford for the Daily Mirror, Leicester for arments and Bristol for magazines: "We don't ave many vehicles running empty because we ut all the stuff collected by the 7.5-tonners in ad around Swansea on the trunking vehicles." Another company to have played a crucial )le in Fleet Style's development is Iveco deal:ship CEM Day. Downing has been with Day nce he took on his first Iveco 7.5-tonner: iuddenly I was dealing with people who cared ad took an active interest in my company. The ack-up from them has been superb."
lociding factors
/hen Downing moved to Swansea five years to allow him to expand, Day's location was
He
to ae of the deciding factors. used Trudge the time lost in :nding his trucks nine tiles down the road for .pairs and maintenance; yw the two companies :e only three factory aits apart. As he puts it: t's like having my own -house garage." He is 11 of praise for lveco !alerships generally, sayg they have always been ady to sort out any :eakdowns on the road. Downing owns all but se vehicle in his fleet: At e end of the day, I like to vn my trucks. With a lease you have no assets; you just walk away from the vehicle at the end of the contract." But he plans to make an exception later this year—he hopes to become the first Welsh haulier to acquire Iveco's new flagship tractor, the Stalls. But why resort to a lease? "Because it's so new there may be teething problems, so I just want to cover my back."
Fleet Style currently employs 16 drivers, many of whom have been with the company since the early days. Downing is clearly aware of the essential role these drivers play in Fleet Style's success. "A company is only as good as the driver out on the road," he says. "He is a tremendous ambassador for us. If a driver were to turn up with a slightly dirty, battered old vehicle, it wouldn't do our image much good."
He also believes that it's important to look after his drivers: "We listen to any problems they have on the road and, if necessary, try to resolve them by contacting the customers. We also try to ensure they have comfortable cabs
and, obviously, good rates of pay and holich entitlements as well."
Initially. Downing had no heart for expai sion, wanting to remain as an owner-drive "As long as the van was paid for and I ha good holidays, that was enough," he says. Bi he admits that haulage is now not only in h own blood but in the rest of his family's a well. His wife, Hilary, has been involved in tladmin from the start and his son Jamie hely with the loading and unloading. "We will kee growing for as long as we're able," he say "My son is 13 now and will want something t do when he leaves school."
Biggest appeals For Downing the constant uncertainty c haulage is one of its biggest appeals: "You ge a call from the lads in the morning saying th thinking run is late or they've had a blow-ot on the way down. You can't plan the da because there are always new problems to b sorted out.. that's what gives it a buzz."