Life after coal
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Nottinghamshire haulier 1 Walker of Tuxford, Notts lost around 20% of its revenue when pit closures began to bite. Walker was supplying a number of pits with steel roof supports, amounting to some 1,200 tonnes of steel work a week. The contraction in the industry slashed this figure to nearer 300 tonnes, says director Richard Walker. The company now operates around 60 vehicles: "The drop in work didn't break us like it did some of the specialist coal hauliers," he says. "We've made up for it through more return loading, specialised heavy haulage up to 60 tonnes and also by developing some international business."
Franchised parcel operator Panic Link saw the demise of the coal industry as a chance to recruit a loyal workforce: "Skilled and available labour was one of the deciding factors in choosing the central location for Panic Link back in 1989," says the company. More than 100 vehicles operate from a hub in the heart of opencast mining country at hunt, Leicestershire, employing many former miners, as well as drivers who were laid off from specialist coal hauliers. More than 100 franchisees with some 2,000 vehicles operate within the parcel delivery network.