On special offe om Kwikasair
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IT IS NOT unusual for a road transport operator to begin by offering a domestic service wholly within the United Kingdom, then expanding his operation to Europe. But few start off in the international field and abandon it to develop a nationwide UK service.
Yet this is precisely the pattern of development that has emerged from the Hounslow-based express parcels carrier, Kwikasair Ltd, which inaugurated an express London-Paris parcels service four years ago but found it unprofitable.
Kwikasair is the United Kingdom associate company of Australian transport group, Thomas Nationwide Transport Ltd, which has considerable road haulage interests and expertise in countries all over the world including Canada and the United States. It also operates ancillary services such as container leasing and pallet and fork-lift truck hire facilities.
Abandoned
Before entering the international parcels field with a London-based service, the group was lacking a European activity. When this venture failed to match results with expectations, the management decided to cut their losses and abandon it. However, the company was reluctant to withdraw from what was seen as a potentially profitable area.
A decision to remain and engage in parcels carrying in the UK could not have been easy to make. Parcels carrying is a highly competitive activity, and, before Kwikasair was established here, there were several reputable transport companies engaged in it.
Kwikasair at this stage of its development, is concentrating on the line-haul service operating two articulated outfits with 40ft trailers each between London and Glasgow, every night, one similar outfit in each direction betwen Glasgow and Manchester and Birmingham, London and Manchester and Birmingham and between the two intermediate depots
Phased out
To maintain this regular service, the company use 11 OAF 2800 tractive units matched with 26 40ft trailers. These are mainly boxvan types with a few tilt trailers remaining from the original international service, although these are being phased out.
For its collection and delivery work, Kwikasair maintains a fleet of more than 50 Ford rigid four-wheel vehicles ranging from 4-ton up to 10-ton units,
The ultimate aim of providing a nationwide express service according to Kwikasair, implies a reduction in or the complete elimination of the need for customers to maintain stocks of its products at points throughout the country Kwikasair argues that next-day delivery will implement to all intents and purposes, the theory of road transport as an extension of the production line often expounded as the ideal function of transport. So, even if it is not possible to load vehicles directly off the production line for onward transport to customers, only a stockholding at the factory will be required and buffer depots or stocks at outlying points will become outmoded.
Unlike most parcels carriers, therefore, Kwikasair does not see itself expanding into the warehousing business in quite the same way that other iim companies have.
To take on these welltrenched carriers and comp with them for existing and n traffic, the newcomer must IN something special to off Kwikasair believes that it has The UK operation is mod ed closely on the service offei by its associates based in otl countries. This involv next-day delivery over distani much vaster than encountei in Britain.
Kwikasair therefore, h developed this concept, initiE in certain well-defined an along the line-haul route fn London to Glasgow wl intermediate depots at Birrnii and Manchester. Traffic to from these areas is offered I-day delivery as a matter of rse with a feeder service in Nottingham and Derby area ering closely to this stan1.
Ausive
'raffic for the more green! areas along that line-haul e is currently, handed to and .pted from agents for the k haul. But as the company Dlops, it will site satellite ots to deal with its own ic exclusively.
dthough it is using agents greenfield work, Kwikasair Is to live up to its title and final delivery of this traffic next day or as near as possible.
All its effOrts are, therefore, directed at making express delivery mean just that, To this end, it will draw on the experience of other organisations in the group especially its Australian parent ---4,Thomas Nationwide uses the very latest depot design and equipment to facilitate collection, sorting and dispatch of small parcels to give express delivery throughout Australia.
By the same token, Kwikasair expects, from suppliers, the same high standard of service that it gives to customers.
For example, the selection of the right type and manufacturer of vehicle to provide its service is based on its own concept of reliability and next-day delivery.
Before Kwikasair equipped itself with vehicles, it took pains to ensure that the manufacturer chosen should be able to supply spare parts within that stipulated time limit.
For this reason, it decided to standardise on DAF tractive units and Ford collection and delivery vehicles both of which gave the necessary parts back-up to enable the company to maintain its reputation for regularity and reliability.
"If we say we will run a service from A to B every night, then that is what we will do," I was told "even if there is only one parcel to put on that vehicle, the service will run."
And the company is not selective in what it will or will not carry. I saw carpets and small uncrated machinery parts being loaded for onward trunking at the Hounslow depot.
In these comparatively early days, Kwikasair depots may not yet be sophisticated or the vehicle fleet quite as big as some other companies in this field. Nevertheless, as business expands and traffic builds up, I expect, soon, to see more and more vehicles with the distinctive kangaroo motif plying between an extensive network of modern depots.
• Johnny Johnston