Hover on wheels
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• A Kent express van operator has joined forces with Hoverspeed, the cross-Channel hovercraft company, to offer a jointly marketed collection and delivery service between South East England and Europe.
Hoverspeed is trying to increase its freight business from 2200,000 in 1984 to near 1 million this year, and freight sales manager Mike O'Hara is planning to build on the traffic already carried by such express carriers as Securicor, National CarriersRoadline, TNT Ipec and Lep International.
O'Hara, a former Ipec manager, wants to add a collection and delivery service and has linked up with Wheeltrak UK, a light van operator based in Canterbury, to provide a 24hour service from Greater London — principally Heathrow and Gatwick airports — to
Brussels where an agent will handle onward deliveries to Benelux countries, France and West Germany.
Wheeltrak managing director Jeff Woodbridge told CM that Renault Master vans will be used on the service, which starts on May 1. They have been chosen because of their high cubic capacity and the availability of parts and service back-up on the Continent.
The service is being offered with rates of between 20 and 50 per cent of those charged by larger carriers to Europe and can handle loads of up to 1,800kg, the payload of the Masters.
As a second stage, Hoverspeed and Wheeltrak are negotiating with Roads, the Winchester-based hauliers' co-operative, to provide collection and delivery throughout Britain.
According to Roads managing director Dave Allen, the plan is for Roads' 150 member companies to feed traffic into Wheeltrak's depot at Canterbury, but added: "If they have..
a full load, they would run across to Europe."
Talks this week will establish what commission will be offered to Roads members participating in the scheme. Allen believes it has potential to help the hauliers as it will add a European service to the range of services they offer.
Roads already has an account with Hoverspeed, giving its members discounts when they use the Dover-Calais/Boulogne hovercraft crossings.
According to O'Hara, Hoverspeed can accommodate vehicles of up to 3.25m high and with a maximum axle weight of 5.26 tonnes or 7.08 tonnes per twin axle. TNT !pee operates 32.5-tonne articulated units on its service, but has fitted them with 3m high trailers to fit on to the vehicle decks of the hovercraft.
Hoverspeed is offering a special rate, subject to space being available on its craft, for tractive units which need to be moved to the opposite side of the Channel.