• Driving along the road to success
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In eight years Mike Cave has built-up Planthaul from a one-man operation to one of Europe's leading abnormal load specialists with an annual turnover of £2.5m. Mike Rutherford reports
EN ARRIVING at the lises of "Europe's leading ormal load specialist", thaul Ltd, it is difficult to relber that you are visiting a I transport operation. Based le Viking Industrial Estate, 'ord, the company's modern is not surrounded by idle cies and trailers (most are on the road) but with newly ted trees and neatly cut S.
is no accident that the corny presents itself in such a ,. Its managing director, -la& Cave, says that his corny deals with major comes, carries goods of tremens value, and feels that an -ational base is a "reflection Dw you perform in the field". hile one could challenge the n that Planthaul has the it hauliers premises in the itry", it is encouraging to
, meet somebody like Mike Cave who is prepared to improve the image of his company and therefore the industry as a whole, rather than just bleat about the problem like so many others.
Planthaul's original premises were next to the railway line in Bedford and customers were told to bring their wellies before they called in to talk business. "You can't say that to certain people," says Mike.
After watching his potential customers wade through the mud for a total of six years, the company took over prestigous offices in the centre of the town. But having "staff" in one location and "the workers" in another was an unsatisfactory working arrangement, so the company opted for a purpose built facility where its operation could be centralised.
Mike borrowed the money for the current premises which were built for £234,000. Ironically, the company moved into the new base in May 1979 on the same day that Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister.
. Planthaul was started by Mike Cave almost by accident. After working in the motor business for most of his life since leaving school (with just two 0 levels), he found himself at a low ebb and started helping a friend building golf courses. Business was busy and a Volvo F86 and a low loader was purchased to move equipment from course to course.
During a slack autumn period the vehicle and trailer were idle and it was decided to hire them out. Mail shots (a postcard with the vehicle on one side and details of the proposed service on the other) were sent to some plant hire companies and Mike's first job was to take a 34 ton load to Austria.
The job took three weeks to complete, there was a disaster around almost every corner, and the venture was far from profitable, he recalls. "I lost a fortune," he admits. But he was given another chance by the same customer and on the second trip made it to Austria in four days and arrived home two days after that. Despite severely damaging the trailer, he at least made a profit on his second attempt.
It was on that second run to Austria that Mike Cave realised the market potential. "I saw no English low-loaders out there at all," he said.
"If the paperwork was right it was a doddle — almost — and despite the hassles, I quite enjoyed the work."
As business flourished Mike and his partner bought more vehicles and equipment. But Mike decided to part company and left his partner with everything except two F8s and two low-loaders.
Mike Cave's Platnhaul now operates on all Volvo fleet of some 20 vehicles including three F12 6,x4s, six F12 6x2s, seven F12 4x2s and four F7 4x 2s. It also has a large trailer fleet which is steadily growing.
Although Planthaul only uses Volvos, it is tempted by other manufacturers. Mercedes and MAN are, at the end of the day, eight to ten per cent more expensive, says Mike, while Scania compare more favourably overall.
"The reasons that Volvo win at the .moment are that they have a aetter Continental service netNork and the local dealer is very good. There's no, Scania dealer 3lose to us," he says.
But despite his loyalty up until 'low, Mike is not totally happy Nith Volvo.
"There are long lead times for ;pedals," he says, "and one of )ur F12s recently caught fire and he cab was wrecked."
Volvo was sluggish in providng a new cab (a repair job would have taken an unaccept3ble 12 weeks), and it needed a ot of complaining from )Ianthaul before a new one was .3ventually provided.
However, the fact that 31anthaul still operates an alliolvo fleet really speaks for it;elf.
It is noticeable that no British rehicle is included on 31anthaul's shortlist of possible /olvo replacements, although 3ritish manufacturers' vehicles md specifications have been ooked at and appraised.
Ironically, Planthaul's Volvos lave moved prototypes for Bedord, carried a new Ford Cargo to 3weden for an ice test, and deivered Fodens to the Middle East.
Those companies are iometimes unhappy with that et-up.
"Foden are really the only British manufacturers with a ;niff of a chance," he says. 'They can claw back with ;pecials possibly".
Planthaul uses Goldhofer, Bro3huis and King trailers and al:hough the company used to Nork on a one to one ratio be:ween vehicles and trailers, more trailers than tractive units are planned for thefuture. Trailers are occasionally hired to cope with surges in business.
Mike Cave sees his Goldhofers as the best — "the Rolls Royce of trailers"; Broshuis as "Jap Goldhofers"; and Kings as the "dinky toy ones".
While he has little criticism for the Continental Goldhofer and Broshuis trailers, he is unhappy with King.
"King are not in my good books at the moment. An order recently arrived six weeks late and one trailer fell apart on the Ml.
The loads that Planthaul carry start at around 20 tons and tail off at around 120. It concentrates solely on overseas work, and operates to and from countries including Norway, Sweden, Finland, Poland, East Germany, West Germany (one of its biggest markets) France, Italy, Egypt, and Libya. While conven tional return loads are usually out of the question, Planthaul at least tries to "cross the water" with a load on most trips, according to Mike.
No country poses a significant problem for the company although there are often hiccups in France and there is the inevitable problem with some gluttonous Italian customs officials.
The construction industry is Planthaul's greatest ally. "The construction industry is our bread and butter — they underwrite our activity," he says.
The decline in that industry in this country has, if anything, benefited Planthaul as British manufacturers are selling more plant abroad due to the declining home market.
The types of loads that Planthaul carry fall into three major categories — energy, the machine tool market, and electronics.
They vary from pipes for oil refineries, nuclear flasks, mining equipment, presses, ignition moulding machines, even fully equipped hospitals for the Italian earthquake victims were moved.
Mike Cave is keen to point out that he is in a service industry — something that too many hauliers forget, he says. In fact, Planthaul prefers the term Transport engineers for its own type of operation, rather than hauliers.
Planthaul can afford to be selective about what job it takes on. Said Mike: "We're driver accompanied all the way through. The man that loaded the trailer will see it through to the end of the job."
Admitting that he is at the ex
pensive end of the market, M says that if a client is r prepared to let Planthaul ca out the job door to door, t company is reluctant to involved.
Of a staff of 46, Mike Cave e ploys more than 20 drivers, all whom are salaried and pr according to the unit they dri, They are well paid, many ha been with him for a long tirr and the minimum requiremE for new recruits is that they ha to be at least 25 with two yea experience on the Continent with low-loaders.
After an initiation perk where they work as relief drivE and mates — some even go c measuring bridges — they a given an F7 of their own, sa Mike. Crews vary in numb from job to job.
While Planthaul is select' about the jobs it undertakes it constantly on the look out new clients.
"Too many hauliers rely working for the same clien While we have a hardcore of sl ble customers we are still on ti look out for more," says Mike.
If you think that a managir director like Mike Cave shou not concern himself with trir like the landscaping outside f. 'premises, then think again. If man can reach an annu turnover of around £2.5m for Icompany in just eight yea' then he must be worth listenir to.