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Page 40
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The South Wales area shows just how varied the haulage industry can be. Paul Newman spoke to; subcontractor for a major freight forwarder, ant operator whose cranes transfer goods from shit Meanwhile, Tim Maughan met a 6tt 7in Dutch
haulier, and two traffic police called Pinky and Pt
WF Hall & Son
• Hauliers who complain that the industry needs fresh blood should pay a visit to Goodwick-based WF Hall and Son. The firm, which specialises in exporting goods to Ireland, is dominated by young faces.
"I am 20 but I definitely want to stay in haulage," says assistant transport manager Rory Hall. "The work can be pressurising but I do enjoy coining into work."
His brothers Ian and Callum (16 and 13 respectively) also plan to join the business; their sister Jessica, 22, already handles the company accounts.Their father (and MD) Martin Hall says: "We are expanding so I think there will be room for them. I do think it is a hard industry to go into but I am quite happy that my four children want to carry on in the firm."
He knows just how tough haulage can be. In 1995 a massive 90% of the fleet's turnover was derived from hauling steel: "We were very pro-British Steel but we lost the job so we chose to diversify."
The firm ploughed on with agricultural tractors. They are collected on flatbeds and low-loaders from Ford plants in Essex. "The loads can vary from one to six tractors a day," says Rory Hall. This contract represents about io% of the business. Martin adds: "We also move a lot of plastic window extrusions; these are
moved from Gloucester to Ireland." In fact Irish work has become WF Hall and Son's lifeblood: "From a parcel, to a pallet, to a full-load; whatever the customer wants we will carry it," boasts Martin. Every day WF Hail trucks and trailers cross the Irish Sea on four ferry services: two from Fishguard, which is a mile from Goodwick, and Pembroke Dock, which is 30 miles down the road. Manufactured goods are exported to Ireland; peat, timber, milk powder, slates and pumps are
brought back to Wales and then distributed around the UK.
The company has another string to its bow in the shape of Mike Brooker, who deals with the company's Birmingham-based freight forwarding operation.
Up to 35 unaccompanied trailers a day are dispatched to Rosslare Harbour; once there, they are hauled by Roche Group units. A varying proportion of the trailers are sent with Hall tractive units and drivers. The Roche-Hall team works so well that Hall has talked to Roche MD Damion Roche about a merger. They are collaborating on a 4.18omz warehouse in Rosslare which is scheduled to start operations in May 2003.
One major advantage of hauling between Ireland and Wales is the cheap diesel available in the Republic. Hall says: "Our new truck tanks can carry 1,500 litres of fuel so we make sure that we fill them up in Ireland and run them until they are empty." Even though he has a bulk tank at his depot, Martin reckons that he saves £420 every time a driver fills up across the Irish Sea. Rory Hall, however, is undeterred by exorbitant UK diesel prices. Haulage gives me a buzz," he asserts.