Survival strategies
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Ireland’s turbulent economy has seen off many hauliers – CM meets two who have learned that diversity is the key to survival
Ryan is one of three ‘& Sons’ in the company name. He runs the business with brothers Brendan and Declan. The siblings are the sons of Martin Ryan senior who began trading in 1960 and died in 1999, at which time the three took over.
“He started with a little Thames pick-up truck carrying cattle for fairs and dealing in cattle and pigs. He progressed into sand and gravel and general haulage. He believed you shouldn’t keep all your eggs in one basket,” says Ryan.
The three divide the running of a busy haulage business between them. Martin is the CPC holder, while Declan manages the container trafic and Brendan looks after the water treatment customer and a good deal of the business administration. All three continue to drive. “It helps us to keep in contact with the customers and our drivers are pleased they are not being asked to do anything we wouldn’t do ourselves,” says Ryan.
Numerous markets
Another brother, Tim, takes care of the family farm. Indeed, the operation is set in lush farming country nestling below the Clare hills, a mile or so from the village of Cappamore.
The Ryans certainly keep their 28-truck leet busy, operating in numerous markets without being overly dependent on one particular sector or customer. They run a mix of Volvos, Scanias, Mercedes-Benz and DAF.
“Volvo and Scania are the hardest working, with Scania the best for electrics and wiring,” says Ryan. Replacements are good secondhand units. “We haven’t bought new since the economic crash in 2008.” He bemoans the fact that the government levies a carbon tax on HGVs, but does nothing to encourage a greener leet. “There’s nothing to encourage us to move up to Euro-5 or -6,” he says.
A versatile leet of 50 trailers backs up the tractor units including lats, skeletals, farm delivery, curtainsiders, tippers and walking loors. Ryan reels off some of their contracts: “We do farm deliveries of fertiliser and feed for Dairygold and we store some of their fertiliser. We haul containers for ECS out of Dublin Port and deliver all over Ireland. We work for the local authority and also rent trucks and machinery to them – this time of year, summer, they are busy with road maintenance and surface dressing. Our lorries are additional to their own leet.” The company is a registered waste carrier, tipping waste at landill sites – Greenstar is a regular customer. “We draw water treatment chemicals for another company.” Rising fuel costs have made for sometimes dificult trading. “We’ve dropped some container work because we can’t get the customers to increase their rates,” explains Ryan. “It’s meant losing work for three or four trucks, but we’ve found other work for them.” The company is busy in international markets. “If things go quiet at home we can take on more work there, especially now there’s an upturn on the export-driven economy.” With a fuel bill of up to €150,000 (£131,000) a month it’s important the irm picks work that pays its way.
The Driver CPC has brought fresh impetus to the company’s training. The UK allows drivers to carry out their ive-year requirement of a total of 35-hours training whenever they like so it is possible to leave it all until the inal year. In Ireland, however, drivers must complete seven hours each year, which seems an imminently more sensible interpretation of the directive. Drivers pay for their own courses on the basis that the qualiications are mobile and they beneit as individuals. Local training company O’Grady Training carries out the courses, some of which are taught by Martin Ryan, an approved trainer.
CM comes away feeling it has met a well rounded haulage operation. The company has come through economic recession by being lexible and quick on its feet. No one has lost their job and many drivers have been with the irm between 10 and 20 years. The operation has its own on-site workshop and takes an old-fashioned pride in its leet. Ryan shows off a cabinet full of trophies from truck shows, including an outright win in Best of Fleet category in the Full of the Pipe Autofest at Athlone. Moving on from its 50th anniversary, the future looks bright for this engaging operation in the Limerick countryside.