Time and ocean study
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Can a ferry that takes longer than rivals to cross the Channel save time for operators? Can a firm that spends £50 a year on advertising be a success?Yes, yes, says Brian Weatherley, wielding pen and Pentax
MENTION Flushing to the average haulier and he would probably think you meant radiators. But to TIFt operators using the Sheerness-based (Mau Line, Flushing, or Vlissingen to give it its correct Dutch name, is the gateway to. Europe and the Middle East.
Although Olau has only run its roll on/roll off service since 1975, the idea of a ferry link between the ports of Sheerness and Flushing is by no means new. Nearly 100 years ago a paddle steamer, the Stead Middleburg, made regular crossings to Holland and often counted among its passengers one Queen Victoria. It is not known whether she would have been amused by a haulage fleet, but what is beyond all doubt is the steady increase in Olau's freight traffic, which has grown since 1975 to over 17,000 accompanied and 29,000 unaccompanied vehicles.
Operating only 40 miles away from Dover, which is the UK's busiest ro/ro port. Olau's faith in its twice-daily service to the Dutch mainland from the Isle of Sheppey has been further strengthened by news of a Om joint-investment scheme with the Medway Ports Authority to develop the Sheerness Terminal and dock area, which will extend the sea wall and provide parking space for a further 100 trailers.
This is all to the good of (lieu, but, nevertheless, the question must still be asked: Why should a Continental operator, faced with a mind-boggling choice of 140 daily crossings from Dover, choose a ferry line that offers only two crossings a day? CM put this question to Olau's Sheerness freight manager, Bill Moses, whose answer was succinct: 'Time.'
Yet not time saved on the crossing, which at seven and a half hours is longer than the comparable Dover-Zeebrugge run. Rather, the opportunity for drivers to use the longer voyage as a complete rest period.
Bill Moses explained: "The crossing from Sheerness to Flushing means that the driver, having spent a full day driving to reach either port, can take an eight-hour rest period in a comfortable cabin, and be ready to leave the minute he clears customs, rather than take a quicker passage and waste two hours, or more, parked up waiting on the quay for the next work period."
The longer time spent at sea gives the added bonus of a reduction in vehicle mileage, while the driver can sleep in a clean, well-furnished cabin rather than the cramped cab where he's just spent the last eight hours.
On arrival at Sheerness or Flushing, each driver is given a 25 Gilder meal voucher, which they can use in either the cafeteria or restaurant or at the bar or duty free shop. "Drivers should be treated as passengers, and we always try to bend to their requests. The meal voucher gives them flexibility. Rather than offer them a set meal like some other lines, they have a choice of how they spend our voucher," says Bill.
As both terminals are exclusive to Olau, loading and discharging along with documentation and customs clearance can be accomplished rapidly without the inevitable delays that have become the way of life at larger ports.
"As we're the sole operators, we can write the rules ourselves in close cooperation with customs," claims Bill.
"On top of that, Olau has good labour relations with its dock labour force", who, according to Bill, are "very good."
The quick turnaround has attracted nany drivers, who have got fed up queueing at nearby Dover and have moved up the road to Sheerness. "Certain drivers who have used us since we started wouldn't be too keen to go to Dover," says Bill.
Olau's terminals are well linked by motorway routes. Sheerness•is 11 miles from the M2 with connections to the M20, M26, Dartford Tunnel and the M25, which will offer even greater scope when it is completed in 1985. Flushing is less than 400 yards away from the A58 which has direct links to the major Euromotorways serving Benelux, Germany and Eastern Europe.
With the steady increase in eight traffic using Olau's two hips, the Hallandia and the 'ritannia, it came as a surprise to am that Bill Moses keeps a .)latively low sales profile. "Last ear I spent only £50 on dvertising, so nearly all our new usiness conies by word of muth."
Olau does not have a freight )arketing manager at Sheerness. I know all my customers, and isit them regularly," is Bill's nswer. "If they have a problem, .iey call me up and talk to some no they know, not a strange Dice on the end of the phone." Olau's approach to traffic has ot been affected by the recession. "Each month seems to be better than before," says Bill.
With the growth in traffic and the investment at both terminals, was there not a risk of becoming like the larger ports with all their inherent problems?
Bill's answer is to maintain the current rate of growth." Steady but not too fast, so we can keep up with our customers."
Over the last seven years, unaccompanied freight has been the largest part of Olau's traffic, which now stands at 60740 in favour of trailers only. Bill Moses sees no real trends in the practice, though "depending on destination, there are certain cost savings."
Whether accompanied or not, each vehicle is charged at the same basic rate of £16.50 per metre for day sailings and £18.70 per metre at night, with additional charges of £2 per metre and £5 per vehicle respectively for fuel surcharge and handing surcharge. To encourage off-peak traffic, accompanied vehicles can get a reduced rate at weekends which works out at £135 per vehicle plus the fuel surchage.
At a time when ferry companies are prepared to cut throats, let alone rates to ensure business, Bill Moses is under no illusion over Olau's charges. "We're certainly not the cheapest, but we've got good facilities and a relatively new fleet."
Flow good is the service? To see how Olau customers fare, CM travelled along with one of its regulars, Gloucester-based haulier Eric Vick Transport Ltd, which runs a fleet of 20 Gardnerpowered ERF B-Series throughout Europe and the Middle East and uses the Sheerness crossing about 10 times a week.
My guide for the trip was Pembroke-born driver Bob Sanders, who uses Olau once a week. Why did he always go with Olau? Again, time was the deciding factor. Eric Vick Transport has a regular contract carrying Rank Xerox copiers from Micheldene in Gloucester to the Rank plant in Dusseldorf. After loading up and leaving at three o'clock in the morning, Bob can make the trip to Sheerness within four hours. "Dover is just too far away," he says.
The seven-and-a-half-hour crossing, plus customs' clearing time, lets Bob eat a meal and rest before completing the remaining 174-mile journey to Dusseldorf within the last four hours. "The ferry trip cuts out a lot of unnecessary driving," says Bob. "But more importantly, the longer crossing means I can catch up on the sleep I lost with my early start."
How does he rate the line itself? "Given the chance I'd always travel with Olau. It's clean, new, and you're not treated like a second class citizen," is his reply.
Bob particularly appreciates Olau's flexible approach to booking in. "Although they like two hour's notice, if I'm running late, I give them a call, and they make the effort to hold the boat."
He also thinks Flushing is good for customs clearance, "although in both ports Olau are very helpful towards drivers."
Bob's boss, Eric Vick, shares his views. "I've had drivers wait at Dover from three in the morning till five at night before being cleared. Even on a good day they are never cleared in much under four hours. Olau may be a little more expensive but for me they are the Rolls-Royce ferry service."
The longer crossing means that his drivers do get a decent sleep and, says Eric, "I'm very strict on running to time."
As a breed, drivers tend to be loners, spending the majority of their life in the cab. However, like a lot of drivers, Bob likes to mix with passengers rather than be segregated, which "makes for a livelier crossing, although there are drawbacks," he says. "The restaurants become crowded, particularly at the weekend, so perhaps a separate dining room as on Sealink would help."
Drivers wanting a meal at either port could have problems, for although both terminals used to have eating facilities, these have been closed. The problem, according to Olau, was that the long hours between sailings and the late departure of the night boat meant that a cafeteria was difficult to operate, although Bill Moses says he is "looking at ways to give drivers preferential treatment."
Another drawback with eating on board, particularly at night, is that neither restaurant stays open very long, so drivers must eat early to avoid missing a meal. There is, however, a transport cafe just outside the Sheerness terminal that does a good breakfast for early arrivals.
Olau offers drivers a choice of two or four-berth cabins, depending an numbers. Each cabin has its own toilet and shower.
Both the Hollandia and Britannia have large bars with tables specially reserved for drivers. Prices unfortunately were not good, and all the drivers CM talked to felt they were too high, although the meal voucher does go some way to help slake thirsts.
Bob handles much of his own paperwork and after little more than half-an-hour had cleared Flushing customs and was en route for the German border and Dusseldorf where he tips, arriving at 11 o'clock at night.
A back load for a Gloucester firm had already been arranged by Eric Vick. The site, at Neubeckum was two hours' drive away. Bob made good time, arriving at lunchtime on the second day.
Thanks to typical German efficiency we were fed, loaded and put on our way to Flushing 13' 2.45 pm. We arrived back at the Dutch border after five. Bob took a short break for a meal and math arrangements with Eric Vick's shipping agent before starting the final lap of the journey. Pausing only for refueling, we arrived back at Flushing after seven hours' driving, in plenty of time to catch the nightboat and a well-earned sleep.
The efficiency of Sheerness customs and freight handling was demonstrated the next morning when we docked at Sheerness. After driving off the Hollandia Bot pulled into the trailer park and went for breakfast while his papers were checked and processed by his agent. He had hardly sat down when a representative from his agent announced he was cleared —all in a total of 45 minutes —leaving hirr free to make an early start back tc Gloucester.
If customer service and driver acceptance are the criteria for success, there is no doubt that Olau will continue to see its freight traffic increase. Which would probably disappoint some of its present customers, who would much prefer to keep this service a secret that only they can enjoy.