FLEETING FASHION
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• Every evening Allport Freight's artics head for Heathrow and Gatwick to collect hitech goods and fashions which the company imports for leading high street stores from around the world.
Next morning, after the goods have been sorted at its London hub, its day fleet, ranging from 38-tonne Leyland Dafs to 7.5-tonne Iveco Ford Cargos, delivers to distribution centres and smaller customers throughout the Midlands and the
the South.
Abort is part of a fast-growing group started by a truck driver, his brother and two friends 25 years ago. It plays a key role in making sure catalogue and high street fashions are constantly in style. Up to 50% of its business is with clothing companies, says freight divisional director Dave Worth. Because of the need to import the latest fashions fast, shops tend to rely on air imports, rather than waiting for delivery from the Far East and Allport, which employs 300, handles everything from air freight to customs clearance for its customers. It has links with freight forwarders around the world, offices in New York and Hong Kong, headquarters in London and 14 UK branches. It also owns a shipping division.
DAILY RUN
The company runs five Leyand Daf artics, five 17-tonne rigids and a dozen 7.5-tonne Iveco Ford Cargos. The Runnerthon Roadrunner is the company's first nonIveco Ford 7.5-tormer. It has been running to the south coast and East Anglia daily throughout the fortnight Allport has had it.
The company has been looking for alternatives to the Cargo, and the Runnerthon has served as a good opportunity for a trial, says Worth. "It's been driven by about six drivers on most of our runs, and at the end of the fortnight we'll get their feedback and make an assessment. So far, the feedback has been good," he says. "The drivers like driving it and say it feels comfortable. We're looking to expand our fleet and we will certainly consider the Roadrunner." Worth expects to add at least one more 7.5-tormer and another artic to his fleet this year. "Our fleet has been growing every year, but trucks are expensive animals so every one has to earn us more money," he says, Allport, which also has a computer and safe-fitting subsidiary, Abort Installations, with its own fleet of 50 trucks, and a racing yacht builder, turns over £60 million and has 600 staff in the group.
When its founders started the company in 1963 they knew little about international freight: they built the business steadily, winning customers and establishing overseas contacts. The four, who are still involved in the company, celebrated the birthday with a bash at the Hilton in London this January.
Allport does business with most of the big clothing chains. It moves goods to the likes of Burton's distribution hub in Milton Keynes, Next's in Leicester, Freemans' in Peterborough and Grattans' in Leeds. Although little of its work is through written contracts, most of these firms have been regular clients for years, says Worth. It also makes daily deliveries to the City of London.
' by Murdo Morrison