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A good listener
Page 22
Page 23
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After 36 years in road transport, RHA chairman and ABE Ledbury managing director Andy Boyle knows a fair bit about the industry, which should help him during his term at the helm of the trade association.
Words: Roanna Avison Images: Tom Cunningham ANDY BOYLE is not precious. In fact, he hopes Road Haulage Association (RHA) members will be bold enough to tell him of the organisation's failings during his stint as chairman.
Despite his strong background in haulage as managing director of ABE Ledbury, Boyle says one of his main missions as RHA chairman is to listen to the membership.
Boyle started out as an owner-driver in May 1972 with a pair of Seddon Atkinsons, having borrowed £500 from his mother to pay for half of one lorry.
"Since I was in rural Herefordshire, most of the work was hard and agricultural. Hay, straw, animal feeds, fertiliser, there were no pallets then.
"I got my first break in the haulage industry about a year later, when an apple growers co-operative was formed in Ledbury, and I did the lion's share of the work until it folded in 1987."
From that job. Boyle gradually picked up more business, and in the late 70s he started hauling motor parts.
Then, in 1994, ABE joined Palletline. At that stage, the pallet network was a new idea, and Boyle says: -It was hard the first two or three years, but now I find it hard again. It's a mature market and there are too many networks.
ABE runs 25 trucks and one Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van the van is the only one dedicated to a customer contract. "There are still a lot of gentleman's agreements in the industry," explains Boyle, -and we have some going back to the 70s.
"All the business we have, we have because we deserve it. We may not be the cheapest, but we've built the business entirely on service."
The haulier employs 30 drivers. Among the 25 trucks, ABE has two rigids that are old and are not always used. "However, they are 100% reliable when we do need them," he says.
Of the rest, four do night runs for Palletline and are then double shifted.
-We use regular part-timers when we're busy. I've never had agency drivers I haven't needed to. I believe in paying my drivers well, and for that good money I want good staff. I expect an extra pound of flesh."
Matters of money Boyle admits it has become expensive in recent times as ABE has lost customers, -but we haven't been losing them to rival hauliers. They've been moving to China or Poland or shutting up shop".
While Boyle isn't directly affected by foreign competition; he believes foreign rivals have cheaper costs because the price of basic raw materials are lower. "In this country we are regulated more. Virtually every other country in Europe finds ways to circumvent regulations. Look at the French. They are law abiding. You'll always hear their social costs are more, but that's only for 50 trucks or more. So when they get to 49, they start another company."
Boyle joined the RHA in 1973, was Midlands chairman in 84/85 and then joined the board in 1992. "Wherever I have been, I have done the job to the best of my ability. I'm not just going to see my time out.
"I believe in the RHA and am lucky I have a good team in place back at ABE that allows me the time to do it."
And a key thing for Boyle as RHA chairman is to determine what members want from the association.
"We represent a range of members, from small to very large, and while we are often aware of what the larger members want, it's harder to gauge some of the smaller hauliers.
Meeting people
"There are significant hauliers that are party to and part of TransAction, and we are in denial if we do not admit that a number of those are disenchanted RHA members," Boyle declares.
"I want to know why they are disenchanted," he adds, explaining this is one of the key reasons to get out among the members and talk to them.
"We should put on a united front with TransAction and the Transport Association. so the Government cannot divide and rule over us," Boyle believes. "The joint lobby of Parliament [in July] was hugely positive."
Boyle speculates that because the membership has not been particularly demanding of the executive and the executive has not been seen to be delivering although it has the membership is blaming the board for being a bit, well, lethargic.
But he says the process is a two-way thing, citing the fact that some members never attend any RHA meetings.
"We represent an extremely broad church," Boyle explains, -so during my tenure. I will be going round all the regions and I will try to meet as many members as possible.
Boyle adds he wants to find out why some RHA members are part of TransAction and why the RHA is not engaged with TransAction.
"I want to find out what makes them tick," he states. "I'm not precious. I want members to tell me how it really is."
Boyle, though, is not promising the earth to members. "I don't pretend I can do anything about it when I do know," he says, "but I won't be able to do anything if I don't know first." Boyle is adamant there are other areas he will focus on, too.
The day CM catches up with him, the Government has unveiled its decision to postpone the 2p per litre price rise in October, and Boyle and other members of the RHA board had met with Treasury exchequer secretary Angela Eagle to discuss the plight of the road haulage industry.
Boyle is adamant the decision is not a victory, but was just common sense and now clears the way for the real issues, such as cabotage, lobe discussed.
sec the possibility we might get listened to on the level playing field issue. I see no result on the prices of petrol versus diesel, but the Government may be forced into something if the gap keeps widening," Boyle concludes. •