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
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186 
MJ Christophers & So
Page 50
Page 51
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Christophers is a third-generation family removal business running a fleet of vehicles from two purpose-built warehouses in Newlyn, Cornwall.
It also uses containers, but of the wooden variety, five of which can fitted on to a maximum-length 12-metre rigid 18-tonner with side-loading doors. Deciding when or not to use them is a key decision: containers give versatility, but they also cut overall cube capacity.
The Christophers' fleet is mainly Scana. It has good experience of them and is happy with the back-up from local dealer Scania Redruth. By adding a close-coupled flatbed trailer, the firm can increase a rigid's train length to 18 metres and carry additional containers.
"It gives us extra volume," says Mike Christophers, "Cubic capacity is everything is this business."
The company offers full and part-loads to all parts of Britain. Backloading to the South-West is a speciality and they also journey frequently to the Continent, mainly Spain and France. They gain a lot of work from second and holiday-home owners, both here and abroad. While Christophers is happy to carry art ahd antiques, the firm likes to concentrate exclusively on household removals.
Mike Christophers believes being a family concern helps with marketing. "I know one remover who now has a call centre," he says. "People would rather speak to a real person."
Despite Cornwall being designated an EU area of economic deprivation and gaining a lot of regeneration funding, none seems to have come the Christophers' way, and the firm funds staff training itself. It's not easy to recruit staff capable of heavy lifting and diplomacy with customers, but the firm will help the right applicants develop their career by putting them through their LGV test.
Although removal wagons generally spend a lot of their time static, due to geographical considerations, Christophers' lorries are higher mileage, so bigger chassis are bought new and generally kept for eight to 10 years. Currently, MI bodies are preferred, largely because their smooth glass-fibre structure gives an aesthetically and aerodynamically pleasing profile.
Christophers feels appearance counts, and the firm is a regular Truckfest competition winner. "It's all about image. Our vehicles are a big advertising billboard for the company," says Mike, who is convinced the smart look has directly won customers.
"We don't try to be the cheapest," Mike continues. "Inevitably we're a specialist business and have high overheads. "We need a crew, not just a driver, so staff costs are higher than for conventional transport. But if we were too expensive, we wouldn't be in business.'
Christophers is a member of BAR. the FTA and FEDEMAC and is accredited with BSEN12522. Its work has a seasonal dimension but Christophers won't use agency staff. "If we get busy," says Mike, "I go out and drive."