No gain all pain in Spain
Page 7
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Eby Dominic Perry
A Spanish operator has run up tens of thousands of pounds of debts with UK hauliers.
Santander-based Interlog, also known as Intermodal Logistics (Iberia) SL, runs its UK operation from Portbury Dock near Bristol. The debts, in some cases as large as £28,000, date back to early last year.
Among the firms hit hardest are Chesterfield-based RSL Transport and H&G Haulage of Wigan. They say they have outstanding invoices for £18,000 and £15,000 respectively Also affected are Felixstowe haulier Hanbury Davies (owed £1,300); Birmingham operator Fuller & Sons Transport (owed 13,070); Forrest Transport from Exeter (owed £4,370); and Plymouth-based RE Transport.
Three other hauliers owed money by Interlog wish to remain anonymous. One is owed around £3,500; a major North-Eastern haulier is owed several thousand pounds; and the third only got £24,000 from Interlog by holding onto several loads—it is still owed £4,000.
Elaine Taylor from H&,G feels let down: "It really makes me angry—our drivers and the three partners work extremely hard. They ploughed their redundancy money into this firm and now we will probably have to swallow the 215,000 debt."
Bridgewater-based Pallet Freight Network (PFN), which also works for Interlog, says that it is shocked by the revelations and will be monitoring the situation carefully.
Interlog managing director Jose Antonio Del Rio admits the company has been late paying a number of hauliers but promises that these debts will be paid by the end of March.
He claims that the delay in paying the UK hauliers is down to financial problems at Interlog caused by the bankruptcy of a major client and taking over the running of its UK operation after another firm pulled out.