A smooth operator

27th May 2004, Page 28

27th May 2004

Page 28

Page 29

Page 28, 27th May 2004 — A smooth operator

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Martin Carroll, chairman of air freight operator Saints Transport, is renowned in the industry for

saying what he thinks. Jennifer Ball meets him — and

doesn't hear him swear once.

Carroll begins by introducing me to his tank of piranhas, although they could well be less ferocious tropical fish of some sort for all I know. He tells me about the parrot that lived in the office until it was evicted for frightening the secretary. I can already tell that this is going to be an... er... interesting interview.

He leans back in his chair and puts his hands behind his head and sighs."It depends how long you've got, what I could tell about the business is a long story..."

His interest in the haulage industry began at the age of seven when he used to go to the airport with his father, who was running air freight operator FE Carroll & Son. He left school at 14 and went straight to work for the firm, where he stayed until he was 38. Then he decided to go it alone and set up Saints Transport.

The firm was named after Roger Moore's character in the hit TV series and it's easy to see why. Carroll exudes charm like Simon Templar. The only difference is that he relies on his fleet of Mercedes trucks to impress, rather than a white Volvo P1800. No contest

In the early days Carroll ran Saints Transport from a bit of waste ground that he rented from nearby operator Day Aggregates. But when his trucks began to outnumber those of his fellow haulier he decided a move was in order and bought his current premises in Slough.

The firm now runs more than 200 trucks from sites at all the UK's major airports.Additionally its turnover of £18m puts it head and shoulders above its competitors; Carroll says its closest rival turns over around £5m.

Like many other operators, Carroll believes that the Working Time Directive will see the biggest change in the industry since the introduction of tachographs in the 1970s.

He estimates that Saints will need 75 more drivers when it is introduced, but he's not unduly concerned about the cost of the directive, largely thanks to his firm belief about who should pay. "It's got to be Joe Public. No matter what they think about trucks everything they eat, drink or sleep on has been on one at some point," he says. Fuel prices

Carroll is just as forthright about fuel tax. He has no problem with paying rising fuel prices; if he's paying £10/gallon everyone else is too.

"If the price of fuel goes up then the penny goes on the loaf of bread. It's logical. The customer will have to pay. We have fuel escalators built in to all our contracts."

But Carroll is not opposed to change. He welcomes the introduction of digital tachographs, which he says should release a lot of time previously spent on paperwork. He is equally enthusiastic about the introduction of the Lorry Road User Charge, which he

believes will create a level playing field with foreign competitors.

"I have no problem with paying tolls if they reduce traffic and cut delivery times," he says. "Look at the success of congestion charging: it's made people think twice about taking the car. The M6 toll was also a great idea as it has freed up traffic on the existing M6 motorway. In my mind it's better to pay £10 than have a driver stuck in traffic losing £50 in revenue. If a driver's hours are up and he's stuck in traffic unable to get to his destination it could cost more to send out a relief driver than paying the toll."

Carroll admits that, like many other operators, Saints has had problems recruiting drivers, particularly as Heathrow is such a "golden triangle" for employment. "We need 20 new drivers but we can't offer the perks like free ffights that air freight companies can," he says.

"We are also in competition with Terminal 5, which is paying big money to tipper operators and they're on a five-year contract," he adds.

Carroll's biggest carp with the industry is that there are still too many cowboys on the road. "If a customer says Joe Bloggs down the road can do the job for £30 less I just say to them, 'Who would you like following your wife and kids on the motorway, them or us?' "We all make mistakes but we work hard to get it right and run legally. Yet we continue to see so many people getting away with running

sub-standard [vehicles]. A truck can be a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands. It's amazing how much extra work we can pick up when the Ministry has been doing checks at the airport."

He is equally concerned about the level of crime in the industry, although (here he pauses to touch wood on the desk) Saints have yet to be a victim. Despite this he's highly critical of the sentences handed out to convicted offenders."All too often when they catch the perpetrators they are just given a slap on the wrist and told not to do it again; the punishment doesn't fit the crime," he says.

One way that the firm ensures its drivers' safety is by running high-spec vehicles which are all equipped with a tracking system, phones and panic buttons, so that drivers, or indeed criminals if a truck was stolen, cannot venture far off course.

The system also enables the company to provide good customer service as they are able to maintain contact with the drivers and identify the location of the load and its expected delivery time. In addition it enables the firm to respond to changes in circumstances immediately, for instance alerting a driver to take an alternative route if there has been an accident. Illegal immigrants

Carroll, not surprisingly, has strong views about stowaway penalties too.

"There are obviously some people who attempt to smuggle immigrants in to the UK but it is down to the government, not the operator, to provide immigration control; 95% of operators who have been caught with stowaways have [picked them up] inadvertently. It's grossly unfair. Why should the blame be put on the operator when there are many other ways that they are coming into the country?"

Outside haulage Carroll admits to two all-consuming passions; Formula 1 racing and skiing. He regularly holidays in the Alps, claiming that: "I like to see how the rich live and the millions are spent." Carroll says that as long as the air freight business remains viable he will continue to be involved in it. "It's what I have done all my life and there is no reason to change," he says. That said, when we ask where he sees himself in five years' time he replies: "Hopefully living in warmer climes. Barbados or the Bahamas would be nice." •