TORRIDGE TRANSPORT
Page 42
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Brian Cobbledick, managing director of Torridge Transport of Great Torrington, Devon does not immediately strike you as a typical haulier. He has more the air of an army officer than a man who runs a fleet of 27 trucks and 70 trailers. But the officer tag is a compliment—both jobs are about planning, tactics, and husbanding resources.
The line-up of flatbed and skeletal trailers hints at the nature of the work undertaken: "General haulage," as Cobbledick succinctly puts it. It was established in 1954 by Brian's father, Claude, and the surrounding countryside has traditionally been the mainstay of the firm's business.
"There has always been a link with agriculture," says Cobbledick. "We used to be an agricultural merchant but this side of the business was sold off in the late 196os. Then the firm concentrated on general haulage." Claude still drops into the office to lend his vast experience and the business has changed little since the early days, with much of the work still involving animal feed, fertilisers and materials for the building trade. Maintenance is handled in-house by five full-time fitters.
The curtainsiders are used for this work; step-frames are more specialist. "With the four skeletal trailers we carry timber from forests and woods across the South-West then take them to local sawmills," says Cobbledick.
The firm's truck-mounted cranes pick up the timber, which is usually in 8-soft lengths. "Weather can delay things, but generally it is fairly constant," he reports. About so% of the firm's business is in timber, and Cobbledick also has 6,500mz of warehousing space.
"Warehousing to me is another profit centre, and in most cases nothing to do with the haulage side of things," he says. 'There are two warehouses; one was built
next to a chipboard factory which uses the facility as overspill space."
As we find out more about the Torridge Transport operation, the location keeps changing. The reason is artistic: CM'S photographer isn't satisfied with the locations around Great Torrington. But at the third spot we visit, just outside the town of Bideford, we come up trumps.
The river Torridge makes a pleasant backdrop as Cobbledick gives his views on the state of haulage in the region: "I would not say it is vibrant; there is no big manufacturer moving into the area. And we are a long way from the mass of the population of the UK," he reflects, as a bunch of tourists wave at us from a passing boat. "Plus, it can take three or four hours just to get to a large centre of population from this area."
Quite simply, snore people equate with more activity and that makes more work for the haulier. But Cobbledick doesn't want to relocate—the Devon countryside is his livelihood, and he'll be staying put.