1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156 
ttewell Haulage
Page 45
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
f there Is a key to surviving In the nging industrial landscape of the th Wales industrial belt Attewell ilage seems to have found it. Owner Clifford runs a fleet of 7.5-tonne tainsIders and panel vans In a sym:lc arrangement with freight for'der Frans Maas. He gets depot titles at Its Newport branch and ranteed regular work; in turn, ns Maas gets an in-house fleet arid uced rates.
Clifford has been with Frans Maas 24 years; his haulage business was n when he started to use his friend ek Attewell. who had a 7.5-tonner, Frans Maas collections. After a few iths they decided to start a parte haulage business. Two years later ford bought his partner out but lined the name; today he Is still Noyed by Frans Maas and runs well Haulage in parallel. Clifford decided to spaIse in smaller vehii after a move into ics and 17-tonners a few years ago proved too costly and opened the company up to competition from bigger operators. "There are a lot more hauliers out there, but in terms of the 7.5-tonne curtain-sided vehicles I don't notice them," he says. "There's not a lot of us about!"
With the regular Frans Maas work as a stable base Clifford was able to offer his services to local businesses in need of urgent delivery of small loads. Typical of these is Hasbro Toys, which needs a smaller vehicle for regular deliveries to Harrods.
Another large contract is with the Peacocks shop chain, which is refurbishing its stores throughout the UK. "We supply a vehicle and two men to take out all their excess shelving, racking and carpet tiles or whatever stuff needs to be replaced," says Clifford. "We've got 45 of those to do in London now. Hopefully next year we'll be getting a lot busier on that and I'm putting on another vehicle for it. It will be a Leyland Daf box lorry with a tall-lift." A willingness to adapt his fleet for the work helps Clifford to stay ahead of the competition. When Furlong Carpets moved into his area he put a 4.2m Sprinter on the fleet to handle Its 4m rolls. Even If he Is carrying only a half roll he can still make it pay.
Since then business has picked up again and Clifford is as busy as he ever was. Despite the ups and downs he still alloys working out of Newport: ''For me It's been a good place to work. I've put a lot into it over 15 years and I have benefited from that.
Since 1997 Clifford has been in
with the Newport Speedway. lie sponsors riders and helps them with repairs. "I supply them with a van with their name on It," he says. "This year it's Scott Smith, an Australian rider, and I get publicity, advertising and free entry."
And Clifford is optimistic about the future of the area: ''They've got this new link road coming through from the M4. I'm hopeful that that will generate work In the area."