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he subject of foreign hauliers In the UK is controversial,

24th August 2000, Page 35
24th August 2000
Page 35
Page 36
Page 35, 24th August 2000 — he subject of foreign hauliers In the UK is controversial,
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but their presence Is likely to increase, fuel duty escalator or net. With some UK companies, particularly those in the South-East, embracing flagging-out, one recovery operation has seen its business move towards the recovery of foreign—mainly Dutch—vehicles.

Rydam Universal is based in Leeds, and handy for the Humberside ports via the M62, but also recovers vehicles

through the Channel ports. John Green, Rydam's hands-on director, has his background in vehicle transportation and the company still uses its Special Types low-loaders for moving plant, But this kit plays as great a role in vehicle recovery as Rydam's 6x2 mid-lift radon, which can suspend-tow 12 tonnes on Its underlift.

Green says: "Starting from personal contacts, who know that when I set up the company we were looking at more and more recovery work? We gained close links with Joh van der Zand in Holland. We now spend so much time working with that company that our new left-hand-drive Daf XF 9515 Dutch-registered.

"The situation in Holland is different from that in the UK. When a truck has an accident the insurance company takes over everything and the truck is, in effect, no longer the haulier's property.

.Joh van der Zand, of Buren in Holland, is such a big company that out-of-hours calls to many Dutch insurers actually go through to their offices and everything is handled by them.

"If a Dutch vehicle needs to be recovered in the UK, we supply that same all-inclusive service, guaranteeing payments and subcontracting work to our contacts, such as Kenfield in southern England."

It is the prevalence of Special Types low-loaders in the Rydam fleet, rather than straightforward wreckers, that allows this all-in-one service to be executed. "Normally the whole artic Is recovered," Green says. "You can't tow an artic in France or Germany, you must get a replacement tractor so, with extending trailers up to almost 20m, we can load the entire artic combination and transport it back home.

"For a tractor unit recovery, we use one of our tractor units with the lift boom fitted and tow it that way. it saves on length on the ferries compared with a dedicated recovery vehicle and very often we do one out and one back. it is quick and easy,"

'Ulna Turner

How quick? The company recently recovered a Tina Turner tour truck in the UK which had overturned at 2am. "We righted the trailer, reloaded it and got it on to the ferry. The trailer's contents were back with the tour in Holland inside 28 hours and the tractor unit was recovered and job completed inside 48 hours,' says Green, enthusiastically But it isn't all just about recovery. "We assist the Dutch hauliers with the paperwork, liaise with the police and the Vehicle Inspectorate if an accidentdamaged vehicle needs to be inspected and handle all the shipping," Green says.

That is not the case with all UK recovery operators, he complains. "Some seem to see a foreign vehicle as a big payday. When these people realise that they are dealing with a company in the recovery field in the UK, their attitude often changes. We all know that recovery equipment is expensive and doesn't work day-in day-out so you need a good return, but that's different from ripping people off."

The cost of fuel and insurance is an issue that Green must confront. "Our Dutch colleagues simply cannot believe the price of fuel in the UK," he says. "Like general hauliers the ridiculous fuel pricing situation is our biggest problem and as the Oaf spends as much time in Holland as the UK it made sense to register it there. The Daf is insured over there, of course. Not only Is this cheaper than the UK in any case but we get a good quote as we work for many of the Dutch insurers."

Rydam has just completed a winching job on an underground pipeline in Cumbria using fuel without covering any mileage. The specialised nature of Rydam's equipment and the rates for such work make the fuel element less of a problem. But Green admits; "Like everyone else the fuel cost has to be considered on long-distance jobs."

So, as a UK recovery operator, will Rydam benefit from an increase in foreign hauliers? "The short answer is yes. As these foreign trucks Increase in number on our roads our recovery work Increases too," says Green. "it is true to say that we are benefiting from the UK operators' downfall, but we are involved in haulage too, transporting plant, so we are hit just as hard by UK fuel prices and taxation. Sometimes we may be asked to do a job in the UK by a Dutch haulier, at other times we may be competing with a foreign haulier.

Level playing

"One only has to look at the trucks coming from the Humber ports down the M62; the number of foreign trucks on the roads is unbelievable and, as long as we have a taxation system where we are far away from being on a level playing field, the situation will continue to develop.

"I was at a truck show in Holland recently and you only have to look at the standard of the equipment and the level of investment to see the difference. The Dutch hauliers can afford to have dedicated vehicles, where a UK operator will have one truck and it must do three jobs, two of which are probably not ideal for it. The Dutch firms can afford to have two or three types of vehicle.

"The UK hauliers are working for the same rates as the Dutch operators but having to cope with fuel costs 60-65% higher, so obviously there is no money loft to invest in new equipment. Then It becomes even more difficult to compete."

With specialised winching work and heavy plant haulage to keep the Rydam fleet busy, further subcontracting of recovery work involving foreign trucks seems likely. Perhaps there is no way back now and the UK hauliers will have to work alongside, even in partnership with, foreign operators. However, there is one thing of which you can be certain: here, like elsewhere In the haulage industry, there is no easy route to success.

Tags

People: John Green
Locations: Leeds

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