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Monplaisir Trucking Co: Gros Islet, St Lucia
Page 61
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Monplaisir set up the firm In 1993. His first truck was a Leyland S26 but he had previously had experience with such venerable British exports as —.000 bonneted
Bedford TJs as part of his father's timber company.
As freight on the island switched from handballed cargo to include containerisation he was asked to move ISO boxes and saw a business opportunity, Monplalsir now runs seven trucks with four drivers. With no such thing as immediate dealer backup in St Lucia parts can take a long time to be sourced and delivered, hence the need to keep a number of extra tractor units.
He operates four artIcs. shifting 10-15 loads a day from the docks across an island just 28 miles long and 14 miles wide. Some of the wagons have sleeper cabs, but nights out are unknown and tachographs non-existent.
Monplaisir passed his COL (the US LGV licence) in New Jersey and is also Hazchem qualified. Licence requirements on the island are best described as laid-back. Monplaisir simply goes to the authorities, says a driver is employed by him and for a $100 fee the man's licence is altered to include "tractor trailers".
Having spotted another opportunity he plans to set up a spares-sourcing business to serve St Lucia and the other islands. He's also helped set up an island trucking association to represent employers and has succeeded in lobbying fora reduction in import tax. This is very much a hands-on business and he still occasionally gets behind the wheel -even on an Island paradise, haulage Is hard work