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When an auto production line is threatened with closure for the want of a spare part, it needs rescuing by an expert in panic deliveries, the sort of operator able to get the job done yesterday. Bristol's Prompt Transport might not be able to manage time travel, but it reckons it can normally get there before an aircraft.
It is hard to imagine a more miserable Christmas than one spent alone in Calais, everything shut for the holiday, the last boat to England gone.
Such was the fate that nearly befell Mark Williams, boss of "panic" delivery specialist, Prompt Transport, when he agreed to take a package to Turin the morning before Christmas Eve.
A part from the UK was required to run on a test machine in an automotive plant while the workers were taking their seasonal break. Williams jumped into his Land Rover Discovery; picked up the part, crossed the Channel at Dover, drove a further 14 hours to his Italian delivery point and 14 hours back to Calais, grabbing a few hours rest on the way. before just scraping on board the last Englishbound ferry at 1 lpm on Christmas Eve.
He arrived home at dawn, an exhausted man, but at least able to spend Christmas with his family instead of pacing a deserted Calais dockfront.
Turin job
Things aren't usually that tight although they come pretty close sometimes Williams took the Turin job because he knew that whoever was saddled with the task would risk not being home for Christmas. He didn't want to impose that on one of his drivers. In normal circumstances, however, the company has drivers on standby to meet urgent requests.
Once, a call interrupted Williams and his drivers enjoying a Bank Holiday barbecue. The job required four drivers double manning two vehicles into Europe. "Luckily the call came before we got stuck into the beer," jokes Williams.
The company provides a dedicated urgent delivery service for customers in the UK as well as the Continent. It works directly for the manufacturers of equipment used in vehicle production or for large operators engaged to run a logistics operation on behalf of a car manufacturer.
All its work is time sensitive and calls for urgent deliveries are frequently made when the absence of a part, or parts, could lead to a shutdown of a production line in Cowley, Longbridge, Halewood or Preston.
"A call could be prompted by a hole drilled in the wrong place in a radiator—it could be just a millimetre out," says Williams. One of its largest customers is based in Bristol and makes door panels for several major marques. In Williams' words, the jobs range from "time sensitive" to "panic" to absolute "screatners".
At the extreme end, manufacturers pay almost anything to prevent production from stopping in a factory where hundreds are employed. In one instance, six of Williams' vans waited outside a factory gate for urgently needed components. As the parts were produced, the vans sped away to the automotive production line. The road-going shuttle service was backed up from the air.
"They put a jet into Bristol Airport for us to load with as many more parts as we could," says Williams, The use of aircraft is not an uncommon practice, with Prompt frequently picking up parts from the nearest local airfield to take to the auto manufacturer. But the use of aircraft can backfire; it may not be possible to get a landing slot on time, while transshipment from the plane to a van is likely to cause further delays.
"We usually beat the planes," says Williams, citing as an example a customer who rang requesting a 9am next-day delivery to a certain European destination. Prompt told the customer that 9am was not possible, but it was prepared to guarantee a by-noon delivery. The customer went away and chartered an aircraft which guaranteed a 9am delivery. In the event, the part arrived nine
hours late, held up in the transfer proc Williams started in business in 19 modest way. He received a £40-a-we ernment grant, had £200 in the bank ; a Ford Transit on hotshot deliveries exhibition and advertising industry T pany's present transport manager. 1 Humphries, joined a year later as trainee. Over the years, the pair have general distribution arm, working fi pers and freight forwarders in the Ess The work is strictly import/export o trial components and other non-retal Williams says it was a niche he discov accident.
"I delivered to a shipper and four was another four or five forwarder: same building. I asked them how tht aged to get their freight to and from th West and they all said they struggled.'
What the forwarders lacked was a service into the region. Prompt was provide it. The service has proved so over the past five years that the corn currently considering an offer from operator keen to take on the work and Williams' vehicles. Any proceeds fron sale will be ploughed into further ( ment of the automotive and Continent In the past year alone the company ha ed around L250,000 in replacemeni ment.
Prompt has been in its present d Warmley on the outskirts of Bristol, f years. "Previously we were sited in t of my house in the corner of a field,' Williams.
"In that situation you work seven week for the sake of it. I am still like often come in on Sunday if the famil doing anything." Richard Humphri( "You pop in for a couple of hours ; thing leads to another."
El by Patric Cunnane
FACTFILE: PROMPT TRANSPORT BASED: Warmley, Bristol. FOUNDED: 1985. CONTACT Mark Williams, managing director. FLEET 22 vehicles including six tractors, five 17 tonners, Five 7.5 tonners, one drawbar, various vans. Marques include Ford Escort vans, Mercedes Paraliners, !veto Ford Eurostars. Buys new/used. Most recent vehicle: Iveco Ford Eurostar, August 1995. SPECIALITY CONTRACT: Urgent dedicated deliveries of auto components on the UK and Continent. TURNOVER: £1..5m.