FIX NG
Page 38
Page 39
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
1
• One haulier has scooped 60% of the Republic of Ireland car parts distribution business and has become one of the first major trucking operations in the country to standardise on drawbar units.
That haulier is not a big multinational making a push into the Irish Republic but Blueflite — a home-grown Dublin company — started by local businessman Jerry Kiersey in partnership with brother Paul.
The company started in the early 70s when there wasn't a lot of work in Ireland for young, newly discharged merchant seaman Jerry Kiersey. So he bought an old van, and decided to try and claw his way into the haulage business.
Work was hard to get — mainly pick-ups from the docks and the odd bit from the small ads. Then Jerry was asked to run an import warehouse for a multinational company. But within six months, the operation collapsed and Kiersey was left with three trucks on HP with no work for them..
However, a toy contract was won, which diversified into greetings cards and confectionary. Then, in 1976, Jerry and his wife signed their home over to the bank, bought their first haulage licence for £8,500 and set up Blueflite.
The fleet has since grown to 30 ownerdriven light vans, 7.5 and 13-tonne Mitsubishis, air-suspended Volvo F7s and F12s, a Volvo FL6, Mercedes-Benz 2235s and 2429s, a 10-tonne Hino and a venerable 11-year-old 200 Series Seddon Atkinson.
The company has gradually weeded out its articulated units in favour of drawbars with interchangeable bodies, which allows them a Jekyll and Hyde existence, switching from long distance trunker to local delivery vehicle. As an exclusively southern Irish operator — even cross-border haulage is in the hands of a contractor — Blueflite is not troubled by restrictive UK drawbar weight restrictions and can load up to 38 tonnes gross weight.
The fleet runs an overnight delivery service to all parts of the republic for pallet-size loads, together with the local "Instate" Dublin area operation. "The bulk of our business rests on the twice-weekly part-load distribution product, which is for loads ranging from 50 kilos to 10 pallets in purpose-designed cages," says Kiersey. The country-wide owner-driver fleet ensures penetration to Ireland's many isolated communities.
Most of the owner-drivers work exclusively for Blueflite. The arrangement has the advantage that people in remote parts of the country can be kept motivated without regular visits from HQ.
"It's almost a way of spreading the load by involving other people — almost a way of going public."
The backbone of Blueflite's operation is the motor trade, and it is no accident that Blueflite's Dublin location — an old Tibbett & Britten depot — is on the Kylemore industrial estate — Dublin's Dagenham. In the mid to late 1970s, the car parts delivery in Ireland was a mess. Dublin dealers could ensure reasonably reliable and prompt delivery only by sending their own people direct to the franchisees. For those outside Dublin, it was a lottery.
Blueflite soon changed that. More than 90% of deliveries are achieved by 09:00hrs next-day, and 100% by noon. Saturday delivery is there for those who need it. Similar services are available to non-motor trade customers — regular traffic includes china and glassware, motor oil, electrical goods, garden items and hundreds of thousands of Punts-worth of lottery tickets.
Kiersey says he and many of his distribution colleagues have always been amazed multi-national companies insist on setting up their own Irish operations — particularly parcels firms.
"We can beat them on any internal route. Why don't they form links with companies like us?" asks Kiersey.
Bluetlite has already joined forces with other transport firms. The Irish company is part of European consortium Stockeurop. And Kiersey insists more operators would benefit if other alliances were formed with international companies.
Blueflite is Stockeurop's sole Eire representative and Kiersey is enthusiastic over the benefits of such link-ups. The consortium has recently formed another division, Stockeurop Logistics International, which is based in Brussels.
"This means my Irish services are being marketed in the UK and on the Continent. And if one of my customers plans to expand on to the Continent then I can put him in touch with other Stockeurop companies."
0 by Chris Lewis