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Sheffield-based H Askey Transport has been operating since the beginning

10th June 1999, Page 36
10th June 1999
Page 36
Page 37
Page 36, 10th June 1999 — Sheffield-based H Askey Transport has been operating since the beginning
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of the century. Today, the firm's business policy is simple: never get embroiled in a contract, and keep your staff happy.

There's a lot of truth in the adage "safety in numbers" and Sheffield-based Askey Transport is a great believer in it. With a regular client base which exceeds roo companies this traditional family-mn general haulier has been in business since the turn of the century. The company started life back in the late Victorian era as a logging business and was bought by "Grandmother" Askey in 1902. She subsequently turned the horses and carts to general haulage.

The father of the present generation of the Askey family bought the firm's first two lorries, both Bedfords. The second, a 1936 Bedford four-tonne long-wheelbase tipper, was later converted to a flatbed, and is still owned by the company. For the following two years the lorries worked alongside the horses carrying refractory materials for the local steel industry.

Spitfire cranks

During tile Second World War the company made regular night trips carrying Spitfire cranks to the Rolls Royce factory and after the war the family ran a car repair and recovery business alongside the haulage company. "Mum and Dad were always out on emergency recovery for the AA or RAC so we never saw them much," says Alan Askey, director and company secretary. "And when we were kids we used to get sixpence per breakdown to go out with them."

This is truly a family concern. The depot at Owlerton in Sheffield is manned by Alan, his twin brother Steve and their sister Jean Green. Jean's son Gary is a fitter and is in charge of the workshop; Terry Green, Jean's brother-in-law and also a fitter, takes care of the fleet's bodywork. Alan's son Robert is a driver with the company and helps his father choose additions to the fleet.

Askey served his apprenticeship as a mechanic with Leyland Motors and was with the company for 14 years. He is proud that his vehicles, although all bought second-hand, are kept in top condition: "As far as I am concerned things have got to be right," he says. "If they're not then they don't go out." The company always carries two spare vehicles, a totonner and a 7.5-tonner as backup.

The Oxford-blue coach-painted fleet comprises all Leyland Dafs, except for one ERF E6 and, until four years ago, they were all rigids. Now the company runs two Leyland Daf 95 6X2 tractors. "In general haulage I don't know anybody that can afford to buy new," says Askey. "Once we buy them we go from top to tail on them." It's not unusual for vehicles to

spend up to three months in the company's workshop being knocked into shape. "We pride ourselves on our fleet and we even run with our family coat of arms on the air deflectors of the two tractor units," he adds.

The Sheffield coat of arms and the white rose of Yorkshire adorn the side of the trucks; the family coat of arms is also displayed in the office, along with its motto: "Do and hope" in Latin. All the vehicles are brush coach painted, varnished and have gold leaf applied—a policy started by Askey's father who was a coach painter by trade.

"This is carried out at Yorkshire Traction because bus companies are the only people who can dolt these days," Askey explains.

The company has 12 drivers and Askey believes in treating them as members of the family. "The secret is having good drivers who are reliable," he says. "We have fathers and sons come to work for us and we had one driver who was with us for 46 years. We don't fly about the country and we don't expect miracles, We just expect a day's work out of everybody and we don't expect people to do what we can't do."

With such a wide customer base Askey doesn't feel the need to plan ahead, and makes sure that he doesn't commit too many vehicles to any one job. "We don't depend on any one

industry," he says. "When I came we had four vehicles with one firm so I quickly sorted that out to make sure that there were no more than two. We plan ahead only as far as people picking the phone up and ringing us. Everybody has high spots and low spots, but with us having such a broad spread, most of the time when somebody has a low spot someone else has a high spot."

In its long history Askey Transport has ridden out recessions and strikes with that philosophy, and Askey has no plans to enter into contracts for work. "Contracts are alright but if you get a contract then somebody always wants stuff doing for a lot less money," he says. "We will shift anything but hazardous goods. We work for people who just use us for an odd job a month or every two months and others who give us regular work." It's that ability to tackle just about anything that is where the small haulier can score over the major operators, Askey believes.

"To say to a big haulage company which runs all curtainsiders that you want a machine shifted that weighs two tonnes, but a tonneand-a-half of it is six foot up in the air, well it wouldn't know where to start," says Askey.

"Every job we tackle is different."

Overseas work

Askey's business is firmly rooted in the UK and the company rarely makes trips abroad. "Being such a small haulier, when we try and price for overseas work we can't compete," he says. "We used to go to Ireland quite a lot. If you use the ferries regularly you get a discount. Irish lads are coming over here and are getting loads back. We still price for them but we never seem to be cheap enough. The last time I tried it I just couldn't get near them because they were charging less than we would have had to pay for the ferry."

And it's not just Irish competition that the company suffers from. Recently Askey quoted £450 for a rush job to Glasgow, only to find it going to a Dutch haulier who would do it for £280. "We have been through two or three recessions but fuel is the lifeblood of this industry and the way to really hit you is to make the blood too expensive to use," he says.

But Askey remains undaunted by the present economic climate and is confident that Askey Transport will survive well into the new millennium and its second century. "We earn a living," he says, "and everybody is part of the family. The firm carries on because there are sons and daughters coming up." oi by Paul Newman

FACTFILE H Askey Transport

BASED Owlerton, Sheffield.

_ FOUNDED 1902, Loxley, Sheffield.

CONTACT Alan Askey, director.

FLEET 12 vehicles, all Leyland Dar except one ERE Buys second-hand.

MOST RECENT Leyland Daf 95, May 1999. PURCHASE

SPECIALITY None. Will tackle anything except hazardous goods.

TURNOVER 1675,000 (1998).


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