I/ When Geoff Parker off for his free Commercial rize
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all he was expecting to r was a handy travel bag. Wh got was a new Renault G' ve unit.
Id not believe it at first. When CM rang I thought they were going to tell me that the travel bags had run out. It certainly was a surprise," says Parker.
But as the boss of Cheshire-had Rambler Haulage, he is certainly not complaining about winning. The H-registration vehicle was the prize in a draw organised by CM and Renault Truck Industries as part of the *French Collection' gift offer. The truck has been out on the road ever since Parker and his partner Kevin Armstrong picked it up after the Motor Show.
It is currently pulling a disposal tanker for a local waste company, but Rambler is not only involved in tanker work: it also handles general haulage and moves anything from steel to furniture.
However, Parker has one golden rule. He refuses to pick up any loads that fall outside a tight 16km (10-mile) radius of his Northwich base.
"This policy helps us keep our costs down," he says. "Recently we were asked to do one job on the Wirral. The distance from our depot to the collection point and back to the depot was the same as doing a delivery in Walsall. That is a job we would normally charge 2140 for," says Parker.
Needless to say he turned the job down. He believes such rules are the key to survival for small fleets like Rambler.
By sticking to his rule, Parker has built up a solid list of local customers which helps keep Rambler busy in these hard times. When he recently put a fuel surcharge on his rates all his customers accepted it.
PANIC WAGON
Rambler Haulage is typical of a small-fleet operation. It runs seven artics, one 10-tonner and a small van known as the panic wagon.
The company was set up 10 years ago by Parker and a friend who left the firm soon after, but is now back working as a Rambler driver. Parker had previously worked for over two years as an owner-driver and before that had spent some time running a post office.
"But I soon decided it was not for me, serving Mrs Jones her Hovis loaf and daily paper," he says.
After Parker's first partner left, Armstrong was brought into the business. He had also been an owner-driver and had handled some sub-contracting for Rambler before becoming Parker's partner in 1984. Parker adin ts that the early days were a struggle — at one point it looked as if the firm might go under when a customer let it down over a large sum of money.
But Parker and Armstrong decided the operation was worth persevering with. Eventually a healthy customer base was built up and the fleet grew from two to seven artics.
The latest fleet addition, the CM Renault G330, has come at a good time for Rambler. It has breathed a lot of life into us," says Parker.
The white Renault tractor certainly stands out from the rest of Rambler's fleet which consists of secondhand vehicles, most of them painted black.
Buying secondhand vehicles is an inherent part of the Rambler philosophy: Parker says that the loss sustained in the first year of the vehicle's working life is intolerable. "I was recently offered a one-year-old ERE for £22,000. A new one costs 42,000. That is a ridiculous loss in one year," he says.
"If you buy any truck from the showroom you are just waving goodbye to at least 10,000."
Once the Renault has finished its year with Rambler, Parker is hoping to buy it from the manufacturer. So far there has only been one small problem with the truck, a clutch fluid leak, and Renault had it repaired within a few hours.
But what has really made Parker's day is the Renault's fuel consumption. Over several runs the G330 has averaged 1.01iti 38km (7.43mpg). "That really, really pleased me," he says smiling.
Li by Tanya Cordrey