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CASE STUDY
Page 37
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If goodwill were sufficient in itself, then the enviable reputation for reilability and fleet presentation of Kings Lynn-based Minster Motors
1 hould see it flourishing.
Minster distributed Skoda in the UK before the VAG takeover, since hen it has mainly subcontracted to larger players doing bulk new car movements. The fleet, run by Rose Gambier and her son, Ian, who also drives, is currently running four drawbar transporters.
2008 was awful," admits Rose Gambier. "There was very lithe work; I had to let people go and park lorries up."
Work remained spasmodic until July of this year when the governrnent kicked off its vehicle scrappage scheme.
"It seemed to really perk up, and we now have vehicles on contract rather than day work," explains Gambier, but cautions a traditionally quiet time of year is approaching.
'We don't do dealer movements, largely because they tend to be less than full-load, and mixing product with new car deliveries is not popular with long-standing customers.
"We always used to buy outright," continues Gambier "but recently Second-hand vehicles have been not such a bad option." The fleet was entirely ERF, but Gambier says MAN dealers have no interest in maintaining them so she has recently purchased two pre-owned Renaults. 'It's not worth putting existing bodies onto replacement chassis. It used to cost E35,000, now it's about £55,000, so you might as well put the money into a complete outfit."
Car transporter trailers are useless for any other application, and those with cash and optimistic feelings about the future have discovered bargains when purchasing recent second-hand kit.
'Even mothballing comes with costs," explains the Road Haulage Association's Nick Deal, "After a few months, hydraulic systems need expensive servicing."
On that basis, the hard choice for some operators was either to sell into an over-supplied market or cut up perfectly good trailers. Earlier this year was, as Gambier says, "a good time to buy," with late-model car transporters available for "silly money".
"We're earning the same rates as eight years ago," says Gambier, "but costs have risen greatly. We get contracts because we've been around a long time and have a good reputation. It's a family firm doing a job that we know."