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A gentle coastal breeze turns into a series of gusts, then

19th August 1999, Page 39
19th August 1999
Page 39
Page 40
Page 39, 19th August 1999 — A gentle coastal breeze turns into a series of gusts, then
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a decidedly strong wind as the chopper touches down at its Penzance base. It is one of the Iwo Sikorsky S61s operated by British International—a vital tool in reaching the remote Isles of Scilly, some 35 miles west.

Although chiefly passenger craft, the helicopters do perform air freight duties: they fly newspapers and mail to the airport on St Mary's, the most "heavily populated" of the Isles of Scilly. Naturally such a helicopter, with a price tag °lam for a new model, carries with it a host of special requirements to keep it in the air—and the sums are considerably larger than for an HGV.

An S61 will consume 140 gallons of aviation kerosene an hour, and an engine overhaul will cost a hefty 1130,000. There are two engines, each producing 1,500 shaft horse power—awesome statistics. The engines have the task of lifting 26 passengers and three aircrew, cruising them along at 140mph, typically at a height of 1,000ft. In the world of helicopters, the S61s operated by British International are the equivalent of HG Vs.

CM thunders above St Mary's in one of the S61s, enjoying a panoramic view of the islands. From hundreds of feet up, one factor is strikingly clear: the total length of roads is small, and of course motorways are non-existent. Isles of Scilly haulage is going to be a bit out of the ordinary.

The following day, we catch up with Richard Hand, owner of Richard Hand Haulage, which is based in Hugh Town, the principal settlement on St Mary's. He says there are just nine miles of black-top road on the island, the rest of the thoroughfares are farm tracks. The island is only just over a couples of miles long, Minutes later we are aboard Hands 17-tonne Leyland Freighter rigid, within a stone's throw of the airport. He is picking up empty fuel tanks that are used to supply aircraft: after loading them with the Hiab lorry-mounted crane, he will take the tanks to the quay at Hugh Town. From there they will be shipped to Penzance to be refilled. The Hiab is certainly a handy piece of kit for collecting the tanks and the importance of lorry-mounted cranes on the island is, as Hand explains, vital. He recalls the time he used the crane to retrieve a stricken unmanned police Land Rover that had been overturned by waves on the quay.

With HGVs carrying out duties such as these on the island, Hand sees his Isles of Scilly haulage as gritty, down-to-earth work: This is a real logistics firm, not like a high-tech logistics company," he says. There is no doubt that this is no-frills haulage. No elaborate logos, no satellite communications, no state-of-the-art diagnostics.

Back at the Richard Hand Haulage base, Hand talks about business past and present. "The company was founded in 1989. I bought a second-hand Ford D series 16-tonner with a Hiab, which I used for general haulage, picking up goods from the quayside and delivering them to homes and businesses.

"In 1993 there was a big construction job on the quay, so I needed another vehicle to do the work." Hand bought a used Ford Cargo 16-tonner to help with that work. He reiterates the no-frills nature of haulage on the island-singular is right, HG Vs operate only on St Mary's.

"Both the Leyland Freighter and Ford Cargo were scrapped. There is no residual value here, vehicles are worked quite hard," he says.

He adds: "I buy second-hand. The initial outlay of buying a new vehicle is enormous." That is the vehicle operating policy on St Mary's. Used commercial vehicles are bought from the mainland, and then worked to the end of their lives. With only two hauliers on the island including Hand, there is no used market.

D And, given the demanding, twisting hilly roads, the vehicles would not be sought after. Following a life on St Mary's, the last destination is inevitably the scrap heap. But the island's hauliers get maximum value for money from their trucks.

There is also a compelling legal reason for running older vehicles. There is no annual test as such, as Hand explains: "A Vehicle Inspectorate examiner carries out an annual inspection on the vehicles. He can take it °tithe road, but as long as he is happy with the vehicle it can stay on the road." Another striking fact is that the Class 1 licence (C+E) was introduced to the island only two years ago.

And the remote location also sets haulage apart; it is all about tailoring your assets to your immediate surroundings. if you don't cater exactly for your customers, you can't move on down the road—a few miles down the road in any direction means in the sea.

Today Hand's fleet comprises a 17tonne Leyland Freighter flatbed, a Mercedes-Benz 7.5-tonne flatbed, a refrigerated Mercedes 407 reefer and a Sherpa pickup. Both flatbeds are equipped with Hiab cranes. It's a small but diverse fleet. Hand explains how he capitalises on each vehicle: "The work is general haulage and crane hire. I rent skips out to local builders, and I have a contract with the Duchy of Cornwall to shift refuse from boats in the harbour, The ferry comes in from Penzance daily with foodstuffs. I have a contract with a mainland food supplier; I deriver food to pubs, guest houses and restaurants."

The reefer van is used to shift the food, and the flatbeds are used to carry the skips and just about everything else. Meanwhile, the Sherpa is on hand to transport general light goods.

Vehicle repair and servicing is in the hands of Nike Engineering on the island. Given the islands' tourist destination status, is Hand's work subject to annual peaks and troughs? He says: "lam busy throughout the year. Tourism stops in the winter, but there is a lot of building work then, with businesses preparing for the next season." Here, the flatbeds may be used as crane platforms, waiting on site for up to two hours to provide a vital lifting capability. And then there is the export of flowers, plant bulbs and potatoes to the mainland, which involves Hand picking up from St Mary's farms, and taking the produce to the harbour. Hand sees continuing the business as "worthwhile".

There is no doubt that haulage has a place on this remote piece of the British Isles, Yet Hand says the local press frequently publish letters written by angry residents, complaining about HGVs. He smiles when he explains that one islander with a bit more common sense responded to the HGV slur, outlining the importance of commercial vehicles in transporting daily necessities. At least some recognise the indispensable nature of haulage on the island.

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Locations: Hugh Town

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