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• For many hauliers Aston Clinton Haulage must seem to run an ideal operation. The Aylesbury-based company specialises in the transport of high-value goods on regular international routes to mainland Europe. Much of the work is for regular clients, mostly blue chip companies; growth is steady, risks are minimised and the problems that do occur tend to be familiar ones.
On top of that ACH even manages to mix business with pleasure. One of the company's Scania tractive units is employed during the motor racing season hauling the March Formula One cars to Grand Prix circuits throughout Europe. ACH sponsors March and managing director Les Fowler is both a motor racing fan and a good friend of March's boss Robin Herd. Last year ACH celebrated its 50th birthday by taking a marquee at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and entertaining customers and friends.
So how has Fowler built ACH to this enviable position?
When Les Fowler first bought the company 34 years ago, he exchanged his beat as a constable with Buckinhamshire Police for a couple of A-licences, two 'clapped out' vehicles and the name Aston Clinton Haulage.
His first contract — distributing cattle feed for Unilever as part of that company's first transport operation — set the tone for most of the contracts won by the company since. It was dependable work for a well-known company and allowed for modest growth.
Later ACH diversified into international work. Again the move was backed by a good contract, this time with Fiat. "Fiat decided to source aluminium from this country, so we began taking aluminium to Turin," says Fowler.
In the early years the shortage of both licences and permits caused problems for ACH. The solution was to acquire extra licences and permits by buying other haulage companies. "We bought probably three companies for S licences," says Les Fowler, "and Howe European we bought 12 years ago for international permits."
Today the problem of acquiring permits and licences is over. "With permits there is now an ample supply. Over the years its been a problem, but France has no restrictions now and Germany is a lot easier," says David Fowler, Les's son, who is traffic manager for the company.
"Over the last five years a lot of forged permit cowboys have gone out of the business," says Les Fowler, "The authorities have toughened up on them."
David Fowler agrees there are fewer cowboys, but he is concerned that "More and more UK hauliers are looking to dabble in international haulage. They all think we're earning a fortune but that just isn't the case. More and more people are trying it and coming unstuck. We can do it because of the experience and contracts we've built up over 24 years."
"Most of our work is regular business," he adds, "We do full credit checks on all our customers before doing any business with them, though it is a little more difficult with European customers. There we tend to check with those already doing the work."
The innocent abroad can easily be snared. "There are some Italian agents who are very dodgy," says David Fowler, "They'll offer great rates and then change addresses and the haulier never gets paid. It pays in the end just to deal with reputable customers."
Just exactly who ACH's customers are is one matter on which the two Fowlers are reticent. "We are currently under major contracts to two big US companies, but we can't mention them for security reasons," says Les Fowler. "We've worked for them for around 15 years on contracts renewable each year."
HIGH-VALUE LOADS
"The majority of our loads are very high value sometimes as much as 2500,000, so our customers are loathe to have their names on our vehicles," he adds. "With some customers we don't even see the loads — we furnish them with the trailers, they load them and when we collect them we drop another empty trailer."
ACH's regular international work includes runs to Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece and Belgium. "They're mostly fairly long trips, but we've been doing them for 24 years," says Les, "so there's no need for routing."
There are 35 trucks and 150 trailers in the ACH fleet, with a further seven vehicles on lease during busy periods. "We specialise in Scanias and Volvos and we've got one Mercedes," says Les. "We chose the Swedish trucks for the service abroad, their general reliability, spares availability and downtime."
During the next month ACH will take delivery of a further two Scania 142s and two more Volvos. The company has two new Scania 143s on order, but has been warned that deliveries are delayed. Each of the new vehicles will be fitted with sleeper cabs, night heaters, special security devices and fuel meters and fuel pipe heaters from Swiss firm AIC. ACH has been using the fuel meters on 25 of its trucks and David says they have helped to obtain accurate fuel readings.
ACH decided several years ago to use three-axle tractors and three-axle air suspended trailers on its operations. "We found on two-axle tractors that the drive axle was invariably overloaded at 30 tonnes," says Les, "So we opted for three axles because then we are guaranteed correct." Les hopes the Government will give the go-ahead for 40-tonne operations using air-suspended tri-axle trailers. The move would help ACH to compete with continental hauliers.
The company normally runs its trucks for three years, over about 435,000km before replacing them. In recent months however, ACH has extended the running life of its fleet to help finance the purchase of a new company base on the outskirts of Aylesbury. The 2.25-ha site was formerly a Ford spares distribution depot and includes over 5, 500m2 of warehousing space.
Some of the warehouse is used for goods in transit and for ACH's domestic haulage operations, which account for around 15% of turnover, but most of the warehouse is filled with Nabisco breakfast cereals. A warehousing contract was agreed between ACH and Nabisco within days of ACH acquiring the premises.
David says, "Warehousing has grown from 929m2 six months ago in our old premises to 5,500m2 today and it is now filled to capacity. However we're taking it very gently — the warehouse was there and had to be used." There is room and planning permission for an extension to the warehouse, but both Fowlers are keen to develop only with the right contract to back such development.
International transport remains the core of ACH's business and the company is again lowering the age profile of its fleet, helped by the profits from selling its previous base in Stone for housing.
EXPORT corerROL
Les and David have mixed feelings about the future for international haulage. Both feel the Channel Tunnel could introduce greater competition on Cross channel routes. ACH currently has fixed contracts with P & 0 and Seaknk and normally operates through Dover. The current strike by P & 0 seamen is forcing the company to use other ports such as Felixstowe, Folkestone and Sheerness. ACH has its own local export control c on site at Aylesbury so it can loa customs seal its own trailers. Da this helps to minimise delays at p The long-awaited SAD form hr few worries for the company. "Ir week each port was doing the wc ferently," says David, "and the II took a while to get used to it. Wo few problems though."
"Cabotage could provide us wit very occasional work abroad," sa "But it cuts both ways — I don't nally see it as a threat."
"It's bound to affect us," says "But it gives us more scope, part in Italy where you run right dowr south. It would give us an opport bring loads on the journey back tt north of Italy."
Both men feel ACH operates a costs than most overseas haulier: predict that Italian hauliers will fa when cabotage is introduced beca the high price of trucks in Italy.
Neither Les nor David are wen coming about future development company. They will look for grow ACH fleet if there is sufficient but back it. The company will continu purchase its vehicles, as it has all, done. Les rules out any more acq of other companies for the momet just is not the need.
Looking back, does Les feel he the right move 34 years ago wher swapped his police uniform for tht Clinton Haulage name? "I think it right decision to move," says Les stood me in good stead."
El By Richard Scrase