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A wee moan aboul
Page 140
Page 141
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tipper standards
AN ENTREPRENEUR who wants to get into haulage, will first study local conditions and needs. In Ayrshire, coalmining, quarrying, farming and Robbie Burns are the traditional interests, with the poet providing scope for passenger rather than freight operators . . .
The first three activities lend themselves to tipper operation as they all generate bulk materials in need of redistribution and disposal. This is precisely the type of operation in which G. and D. Cunningham and J. Wilson and Son have specialised.
George Cunningham, head of his firm since he founded it with his brother in 1953, now has three sons for whom he must provide suitable employment. He has set about developing his business interests with his sons' personalities and individual abilities in mind.
The eldest, also George, is in charge of maintenance for the fleet of 18 tippers, four articulated units and four items of plant equipment. He spent two years studying mechanical engineering at university before joining the family firm so he leans naturally towards this side of the business.
The younger George Cunningham has a clear-cut view of his responsibilities. "Ours is an intensive operation, we work day and night to keep our vehicles on the road," he said. George estimates that tippers need 10 times as much maintenance as ordinary tractive units. "They do not design vehicles as tippers," he said. "I could build a good tipper if I used the bits from several different makes."
He explained that his maintenance team spends a week modifying each new vehicle bought by the company. They line the sides and tail with plywood and often fit push or tow bars. You get to know a vehicle," he said. "With Scammells we always build up the cross-member."
The tipper fleet is made up of Scammells and Volvos although the firm is transferring to Volvo. It was experiencing difficulty in obtaining Scammell spares whereas Volvo has a supply source at nearby Irvine. George believes that fuel consumption is better on the Volvos but regrets that the company will not accept old vehicles in part exchange for new ones.
George aims to replace his vehicles every four years although he admits that the deciding factor is always the state of the balance sheet. The firm has recently contacted a broker as an experiment in disposing privately of older vehicles.
Linked to tipper work are Cunningham's plant hire services which are run by George's younger brother Jim. He has a digger and three mechanical shovels and employs two drivers full-time as well as himself.
The elder George Cunningham has built 'up his business in 25 years from two vehicles. He has already provided his two elder sons with clearly defined responsibilities within the firm, but with his youngest son Alistair in mind, he has bought a whole new company. A local removal contracto William Hope and Son, wa acquired by G. and D. Cur ningham three years ago. operates five Bedford remove vans, two of which have bee bought by Cunningham. Th newer William Hope vehicle each have a 2,200cuft ca pacity allowing two loads ti be carried at once.
Alistair Cunningham i studying business adminis tration at college. The Cara. expect him to join and even tually control William Hopi once his course has ended.
Andy Wilson, the seconc Ayrshire tipper operator visited, is a well known an indominatable character it
ocal road haulage circles. He 'eturned home in 1947 from mar service in the RAF to tiew, objectively, his father's .:onverted one-ton capacity V1odel T Ford which he used or haulage and delivering 3oal locally in buckets. "I was 24 when I came home and I lad to plan my life," he said.
His plan was based on 10'ear periods. From the ages Df 25 to 35 he knew he would have to work manually "day and night". His first business transaction took place in the middle of the road when he bought a lorry for £500 off a local man.
At first, Andy Wilson supplied miners' coal and undertook long-distance general haulage, but back loads were difficult to come by and unprofitable when they were available. Because of this he decided to concentrate on tippers.
The second stage of the plan — when Andy was between 35 and 45 — was allocated for speculation. He built up his fleet by buying on hire purchase and ploughing back all available cash. During this time he had one maxim: "Never buy unless you can cover your commitment."
The next 10 years, until Andy Wilson was 55, were devoted to consolidation. Now, at 57, he has entered the last phase when his family will assume more responsibility.
His daughter Lilly has worked in the firm for 11 years. She studied at the local RTITB school for her Certificate of Professional Competence and was the first woman in Ayrshire to pass the exam. As the mother of two pre-school age children, and traffic manager for the firm, she copes efficiently with her dual responsibilities. In a family firm such as Wilson, her children are welcomed in the office and feel at home surrounded by their relatives.
John, Andy Wilson's only son, is in charge of maintenance, controlling two mechanics, a welder and four apprentices.
Andy Wilson is still firmly in charge and commands great respect from his two children. They still turn to him for advice on the day-to-day problems they meet, but they are confident that they have the knowledge and experience to cope by themselves when necessary.
When I visited the firm Andy was planning a trip to Canada and had no qualms about leaving his children in charge. "He won't be able to ring us from Canada every night," said Lilly. Wilson's tipper operations are complemented by plant hire services, a demolition gang and skip services. The firm owns two skip loaders and 20 skips. To ensure that vehicles are fully used and that they turn round in the fastest possible time, Andy Wilson buys tipping rights on any available dumping ground.
"We wilt take any hole in the ground," said Andy, "but we must specify what we will put in." Planning permission for tips presents problems as leases often state that land will be filled within a period, and delays in getting permission can reduce the time available. Andy cited an example where a dump was to be filled within a year and the licence arrived four months after the commencing date.
Cunningham does not buy its own dumping ground but uses city tips. This too presents difficulties as extra miieage can be added journeys, and permits a sometimes hard to come by.
Andy Wilson has added y another string to his bow al has guaranteed that vehicles are kept at work buying his own slag quarry partnership with anoth local firm, Robert Andersi and Co.
The quarry operates as separate business, Cronbei Slag Co, and work done Wilson vehicles is invoiced for an outside customer.
Andy Wilson agreed w George Cunningham V. maintaining tippers can caL headaches. Many of his hides work on open-cast ci sites where the ground is vi steep and they are subject to particular stress. "A bra new vehicle is no good open cast coal work," he sa
George Cunningham o lined a new problem wh he faces in keeping his tippi running — the tachograi "Tachos break the cables British made vehicles," said. "One of ours ran for o four days before the ca snapped."
Time and money wasted repeatedly replacing cables vehicles fitted with tadl graphs have caused Geo much frustration. He suspe that the basic fault could with British designs, as Swedish-made Volvo wh he owned ran for five ye before the cable snapp None of his other vehicles I begun to approach that sor performance.
George's experiences h not soured his opinion of value of tachographs, thou despite the more local nat of tipper work compared v general road haulage. "Mi tenance problems aside think the tacho is a gi thing; you know what is bE done to the vehicle."