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A fresh approach

29th May 2008, Page 40
29th May 2008
Page 40
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Page 40, 29th May 2008 — A fresh approach
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Last-minute, temperature-controlled courier work is a specialist market and there are plenty of firms set up to take it on. We speak to three of them.

Words: Dave Young / Images: Nigel Spreadbury Ifever there was a niche market, temperature-controlled courier work is it. But there are more chilled couriers than you might think: a quick interne search reveals around two dozen, and this provides the first lesson. When companies want help in a hurry they will go straight online — so you'll get nowhere without at the minimum a web page that contains your contact details.

The second point to bear in mind is that customer care is a key component of chilled courier work. Many customers choose a service in which their high-value goods make the entire journey on a single driveraccompanied van.

Consequently, an obvious requirement is staff trained to operate temperature control equipment and who understand both the cold chain concept and food hygiene regulations.

Diverse payloads However, the potential customer base is wider than just consumables and includes medical samples, pharmaceuticals, photographic goods, plants (usually flowers) and supporting outside catering events.

These diverse payloads might be ambient, chilled or frozen, raising key vehicle specification questions. Will dual-temperature compartments increase vehicle utilisation? On a small van, how much will insulation and cooling equipment reduce cargo volume and payload? How can fridge motors be fitted without increasing the vehicle height and preventing it from reaching places a lorry can't?

Will the higher rate earned for what is an added-value service cover the cost of and maintenance of cooling equipment and stock deterioration as well as standard GIT (goods in transit) insurance premiums?

There is also additional in-cab fitting to consider satellite navigation and GPS to allow customers realtime updates. POD scanners, printers and driver alarms to monitor temperatures.

You might think that operating light commercial vehicles is simpler than operating heavy trucks and it's true that a lot of legal restrictions and associated paper work don't apply, but there remain potential problems. Will the bodywork require internal racking? How easy is it to clean the load space? Will the work involve deliveries to a regional distribution centre (RDC)? An owner-driver tied up in one of their legendarily inefficient, 'couldn't-give-a-damn' queues for hours is soon in serious trouble.

If you're running into Europe, will the job be paid at a round-trip rate or is it better to form a partnership with a related organisation in your destination country to get a return load?

Is it worth joining a courier association, or perhaps a web-based load and advice forum? Might offering customers cold storage and a depot network enhance a growing business?

Should you attempt to smooth cash flow by taking on lower-priced but regular contracts, for example drop-off and consolidation for larger temperatureA Cook's vehicles are

controlled hauliers? often called out at short To find some answers to this huge list of questions, notice to cover deliveries Commercial Motor spoke to three leading operators in that have gone wrong for the sector. • someone else


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