1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156 
CASE STUDY BOXH ILL CARAVAN HAULAGE
Page 45
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
In the Surrey stockbroker belt, Boxhill Caravan Haulage of Dorking is a third-generation caravan carrier, specialising in moving large static or mobile homes. "Things are bad at the moment," says Ray Smith, who runs the business with his son Graham. The mobile home market is very depressed."
Established in the 1960s, Boxhill has been through recessions before, although, as Smith says: "We've not seen it as bad as this with banks involved, too."
Fortunately, Boxhill another firm that prudently purchased the freehold of its yard when land prices were lower has always, as a business policy, diversified. "It's best," says Smith, "not to put all your eggs in one basket. When the mobile caravan work goes flat, we put the trucks on general work."
On the 20-strong fleet, seven Scanias with long, low-entry trailers are the truck of choice for the mobiles, while Magnums handle other work.
When CM spoke to Boxhill, the Renaults were predictably busy in the run-up to Christmas. Mobile home movement, although usually less seasonal than motor or touring caravan work, was down with enough for only four trucks. Normally holiday parks renew their statics during the winter, but are doing less this year. Boxhill tends not to do much second-hand relocation work, instead collecting new homes from factories in Suffolk and Northampton and delivering to the West Country and Wales. Transporting new units is simpler in terms of hooking up services and the overall condition of these large but frail loads. One or two loads a week are 14ft wide and selfescorted, while some of Boxhill's trucks carry a 4x4 on the swan neck to assist with site location.
Smith says he prefers to buy kit with one paid and a second on hire purchase. Should the worst happen, subbies will go first and paid-for trucks can be parked. However, Smith is hoping to "keep chugging along, keep the wheels rolling on general'. Like other hauliers in a recent CM article, Boxhill's diesel credit was recently pulled without warning despite its good financial standing and it now pays for fuel upfront. Smith also has creditors who want to negotiate weekly payments rather than settling the sum upfront.