A company with
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a heart
CM visits Chris Bennett Heavy Haulage in Stockport and discovers how strong values and morals have kept the family business going
As CM approaches the yard of Chris
Bennett Heavy Haulage, near Stockport, we pass a building known to many in the area as Cromwell’s Castle.
According to local legend, Arden Hall is the place where Oliver Cromwell stayed following a skirmish between roundheads and cavaliers during the English civil war.
But the operator, which runs 35 vehicles, has a long and fascinating history of its own. Chris Bennett, MD of the eponymous company, started out in the haulage industry in 1966 as a steersman for Keogh’s heavy haulage in Wilmslow.
Following the death of the owner in 1973, the irm closed and Bennett went into partnership with the boss’s daughter for three years, before setting up the business that still operates today.
Starting up on your own
Bennett tells CM: “I started on my own in 1976 from a garage, with a second-hand 20-tonne Ford D Series that cost me £350, as well as two trailers.
“At the time I had tins of red and grey paint, and used them to paint the wagon – we’ve used the colours ever since.
“Within 18 months the D Series was worn out, but it did a great job, had paid for itself and helped get us started.” In 1977, Bennett bought a second vehicle – a Scammell Handyman along with a low loader – and went on to add several Atkinson Borderers and a Leyland Clydesdale to the leet.
Initially the company mostly transported fabrications, such as drums of wire rope, as well as plant.
“It was a bit of a struggle in the early days but we were lucky to have good clients like GEC, whom we carried fabrications and tools for,” Bennett says.
“Things can get dificult when customer factories close and industries disappear, but we’ve always managed to keep on picking up work.”
Providing all kinds of service
Over the years, the company has provided services to engineering, construction and demolition companies including the likes of BAE Systems, Grosvenor Steel, Crossrail and transformer manufacturers.
Items hauled have included piling rigs, cranes, forklifts, bridge parts, drums of rubber belts and steel wire ropes.
Since the early days, the irm has also picked up a lot of work transporting aircraft parts to and from Manchester airport. Bennett says: “We have air ride curtainsiders including singleand double-deck trailers to transport aircraft seats and engines.
“If an airline gets a replacement engine for a plane and needs an old engine towing away, we can do it. Being located close to the motorway network enables us to provide an excellent service.” About seven years ago the company picked up a contract to move fabricated boxes – known as cold boxes – from Wrexham, north Wales, to the Airproducts facility at Acrefair, a direct journey of about four miles.
However, due to route restrictions, this often meant a trip of almost 25 miles, heading out towards Whitchurch,
▲ Chris Bennett before doubling back around Wrexham and to the
Airproducts plant.
These were typically loaded on a Friday and moved on a Saturday, but because of the delicate nature of the job, it usually took about eight hours to complete.
Bennett says: “The boxes were manufactured on stools, the largest being 25ft x 25ft, about 110ft long and weighing 60 tonnes, which enabled its trailer to be backed underneath.
A very specialised sector
“Roads had to be blocked off completely ahead of the load by up to ive police vehicles, and immediately ahead of our vehicle, engineers from Manweb [a local utility company] and BT would have to remove overhead cables to enable the box to pass unhindered.
“The fact tree surgeons were also on hand shows just what a specialised sector of the road transport industry we are in.” According to Bennett, there has been more construction industry-related work coming on tap in recent months.
One of the more unusual jobs the irm carried out was transporting a unique giant 20ft-high letter ‘M’ from a sculptor’s studio to the front of a new Morrison’s supermarket in east Manchester.
The 10-tonne, 30ft-high and 40ft-long letter was made out of aluminium.
It was loaded onto one of the company’s Nooteboom three-axle low loaders by two cranes.
Bennett adds: “The sculpture was transported the four miles from Openshaw to the site at 9am
▲ Lorraine Dewe, director on a Sunday morning, with the journey taking
about an hour.
“A large crowd gathered to watch such an unusual delivery taking place, along with the local press. The road outside the supermarket had to be closed while the load was steered into position.” Chris Bennett owns about three quarters of its trucks, mostly rigids and artics bought from Daf dealership F&G Commercials and Scania specialist West Pennine Trucks.
The trucks have a combination of digital and analogue tachos and are all London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) compliant. Bennett explains: “In my opinion, the Daf CFs and XFs have great engines for pulling loads up to 100 tonnes, they are economic and good to drive, and the Volvo FH12s we have are great reliable motors as well.
“Naturally, we tend to use our most powerful truck the Volvo FH16 for the heaviest loads.”
Running its own workshop
The irm has 80 trailers, the majority from Nooteboom. About 50% of the maintenance work on trucks and trailers is carried out inside the irm’s fully equipped workshop, which also carries out pre-MoT checks.
It is run by leet engineer Glenn Mills, who had a similar role at Thomas Hardie Commercials for 19.5 years before joining Chris Bennett two and a half years ago.
There are four full-time mechanics, including one hydraulics expert.
The company runs a mix of different tyres from established brands such as Michelin, Pirelli and Bridgestone, and according to Bennett the irm “tries to shop around for the best deals”.
He adds: “The workshop has a rolling road brake tester and one inspection pit, with another pit currently being built. Our depot beneits from the workshop, parts store and paint shop, which ensures our vehicles are kept on the move and uptime is kept to a maximum.” The more complicated engine electronics and diagnostic work takes place at the Thomas Hardie facility in Trafford Park.
“Modern wagons have lots of sophisticated electronics and equipment, it’s a real change from the old days and it’s now more dificult to do everything in-house,” Bennett says.
The company has diesel and AdBlue storage facilities on site, as well as indoor and outdoor storage facilities with forklifts.
Bennett concludes: “We are very hands-on, have a full understanding of the business, our customers and their requirements.
“The company is familyowned and run, so we take great pride in providing excellent levels of service to customers. I hope we can continue to do so for many years to come.” n
EMPLOYEES
Chris Bennett Heavy Haulage started out from a garage in Wilmslow, and later moved to yards in Cheadle and Ardwick, Greater Manchester.
At the current leased yard, there is an office building where seven people work.
These include Bennett’s daughter Lorraine Dewe, who is a director, as well as accounts guru Andy Dakin.
A total of 35 drivers work for the business, including Bennett’s sons Anthony and Christopher.
Dewe says: “One of my many responsibilities is helping to organise in-house driver CPC training.”
ABNORMAL LOADS
The firm has two vehicles – an Iveco Daily and a Ford Transit Connect – to escort abnormal loads. All escort drivers are fully trained and work to the Highways Agency code of practice for such work.
Bennett says: “The escort service is available on a daily hire basis for other companies. We are experienced in the operation of power-steered trailers and are capable of assisting drivers in the loading and unloading of abnormal loads.”
DEALING WITH CUSTOMERS
Like all heavy hauliers, Chris Bennett Heavy Haulage provides detailed advice to customers on the type of vehicle and trailer required to carry the particular load in question.
Staff determine the load, length, width, height, and then clear it with the police.
They also prepare the proposed route with the necessary documentation, and then submit the plans to local councils, police, utility companies and the Highways Agency.
Bennett says: “In heavy haulage, every load you have to do is different and as a driver you need to be able to chain and rope loads correctly.
“You have to be a special kind of driver and really want to do it.”
COMMUNICATION
TRACKING ALL VEHICLES WHEREVER THEY ARE Until the introduction of Navman Wireless’ GPS satellite tracking technology and on-board telecoms about five years ago, the company had to communicate with its drivers via mobile phones to find out where they were.
Nowadays, transport manager Andy Grieg, left, can pinpoint the exact location of all the firm’s vehicles instantly, and monitor hours driven and breaks taken using the Navman system on a PC.
Grieg, who has been transport manager for 13 years, can see how fast the vehicle is moving and how long it has been on the road.
He adds: “If I think there’s a problem, I can phone the client and say it’s going to be late.
“Alternatively if they phone me, I can say where it is and provide an accurate arrival time for the customer.” Grieg says the system has resulted in diesel savings, improved workforce efficiency and productivity, improved customer relations, and helped to provide much more accurate routing.