NICRETE SAL From a solid ground floor Milbank Trucks has
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built itself up into a 25-vehicle fleet in just 1 j. rs. Dan Gilkes rep.Jri ¶j11 the small businessJr• 1 1 on which r d grew...
Uur target is to be the number one lorry loader firm in the country." A bold statement, perhaps, but one in which David Watson, managing director of Milbank Trucks, fervently believes. Over the years he has put together the fleet, and more importantly the people, to achieve that objective. And Milbank Trucks is fast becoming a major force in the logistics and distribution business.
But it hasn't always been so: in fact the company was originally formed as a solution to a concrete floor manufacturer's distribution problems. Milbank Floors has been designing, manufacturing and installing pre-cast concrete flooring products from its base at Earls Colne in Essex since 1947. It had always used local general hauliers to deliver its products to site but by 1983 decided that it needed the capabilities of a lorry loader to improve the service to its customers.
Yet when Milbank approached its hauliers looking for a loader facility, it drew a blank. That was until Watson, one of the transport firm's more enterprising drivers, approached Milbank with a lousiness proposition. If the company wanted to buy its own truck he would become Milbank's transport manager and sole driver. Milbank duly bought a Volvo FL7 eightlegger fitted with a 13t/m Tico crane, equipped with a winch for added versatility. Watson explains: "As a driver I preferred Volvos and Scanias. That first vehicle gave Milbank Floors a much better service and work really picked up—within a year we had ordered a second Volvo 8x4."
With business growing rapidly Watson decidedt4the wanted more of a say in the running o 'e transport side, so he put his money where his ideas were and, in partnership with Milbank Floors, set up Milbank Trucks as a separate company. "I invested some money and we bought a third truck in 1986," he explains. Of course you can't run a growing haulage and distribution firm from the cab of a truck, so Watson took to the office as managing director of Milbank Trucks and a fourth vehicle, the company's first tractor, was added to the fleet. By this time other local companies had seen the advantage of deliveries using a truck loader and Milbank was taking on an increasing amount of hire from outside.
"We realised that we'd bought this type of truck because we couldn't hire it, so we bought a fifth truck to hire to companies outside," says Watson. This FL7 was equipped with the largest truck crane so far, a 30t/m Cormach, again fitted with a winch facility. All the company's vehicles, including the tractors, have hydraulic loaders, mostly Italian-built Cormachs which are distributed by local agent Ernest Doe. The company has continued to grow at a rapid pace. Watson says: "Just over a year go we had 15 trucks and by the end of arch, we'll be up to 25." But the trucks aren't Milbank's most imporant investment: the right people are needed o make a company successful. Following atson's example, one of the firm's drivers as now become transport manager. nother is now the sales manager and a hird has taken on the service manager's ob. If you ring the Milbank office whoever nswers the phone can handle the enquiry, ecause they've all done the job themselves. Watson adds: "Anyone can progress hrough our company. All the people in the ffice have HGV Class 1 licences and crane ertificates."
In recognition of this attitude towards his taff Milbank recently scooped the 1998 usiness Excellence Award from Braintree istrict Council in the People Developer cat,gory, scoring maximum points in nine of he competition's 10 sections.
owever, not just anyone can obtain a job ith the firm. Milbank has built a eputation for doing the job well and rospective drivers have to undergo a 40mute driving test at the interview stage. "We make sure we're the best at what e do," explains Watson. "We're not necessarily the cheapest but we feel we're he best. Our drivers have to be more than just drivers—they are ambassadors for the company." Milbank Floors remains a major cus tomer, providing around 45% of the truck company's £2.5m annual turnover. The rest comes from outside ork. Milbank Trucks orks throughout the UK and on the Continent and although the floor company has opened some doors into the construction business, it has also customers in many other industries.
The work is varied, but almost always involves the use of truck-mounted cranes and specialist equipment. Milbank Trucks is just coming to the end of a year-long contract with a European logistics firm to supply BP signage and shop fittings to 600 Mobil fuel filling stations around the UK, removing the old Mobil signs at the same time. This £300,000 contract led to Milbank setting up its own storage facilities at its Essex base, and that site could be due for expansion soon. "We still see growth and we are looking at opening other depots," says Watson. "We can run up to 30 trucks from this site but I am actively looking for new sites." The company is also embracing new technology. Milbank Trucks has its own site on the Internet with an e-mail enquiry facility, and each of its vehicles is equipped with realtime electronic tracking for added secu rity and reduced response times to customers. There are no vacue promises of "the truck's on the way" at Mitoank—the office staff can see at the touch of a boon exactly where any of its vehicles are and can accurately predict the time of arrival. This has cut down on use of mobile phones and offers a more efficient service to customers.
r4itirlieltcvr The drivers are involved in specifying and even naming their trucks. It started with the early eight-wheelers, which they called Mammoths, and continued with the firm's first 6x4 FH12 tractor, which is known as The Gladiator. Since then all new trucks have taken names from the TV Gladiator series, such as Wolf, Rhino and Warrior.
The mix of trucks has changed slightly over the years, with 6x2 drawbar combinations joining the 8x4 rigids and a variety of tractive units in both 6x2 and 6x4 configuration. Milbank has stuck with Volvo through out. "We're very pleased with Volvo," says Watson. "The service and technical back-up are excellent."
The trucks are all lease-purchased, often including a two-year service contract with local Volvo dealer Duffields. The oldest truck in the fleet is 10 years old and there is no fixed replacement policy. Volvo Trucks has provided an invaluable technical resource to Milbank when fitting truck loading cranes like the giant 50t/m Hiab mounted on the firm's latest 6x4 FH12 tractor. Solving weight distribution and mounting problems has involved a team approach from Milbank, Volvo, Ernest Doe and Duffields.
There certainly seems to be plenty of work for specialist truck loader-equipped vehicles. Watson says: 'We don't do general haulage at all. There is some competition in this business but not as much as in general haulage." With continued growth on the cards and the right people and equipment in the fleet, Milbank Trucks could well achieve Watson's ambitions. It has certainly come a long way since that first truck in 1983. FACTFILE: Milbank Trucks BASED: Earls Colne, Essex. FOUNDED: 1983. CONTACT: David Watson, managing director. FLEET: Volvo 8x4 rigids, 6x2 and 6x4 tractive units and 6x2 drawbar combinations with a variety of vehicle-mounted cranes. MOST RECENT PURCHASE: Volvo 6x4 FH12 tractor. SPECIALITY CONTRACT: Truck loader work. TURNOVER: £2.5m.