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CLARE WINNERS
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The 31st annual Irish Road Haulage Association Conference met in Bunratty, County Clare at Easter. Patric
Cunnane reports on the Road Transport Awards 2004.
After a tough battle between 10 shortlisted candidates, Dublin-based Alltrans is Ireland's Haulier of the Year for 2004.The company had previously been shortlisted for National Haulier of the Year in 2002— this time it won the title and went on to take top honours.
Limerick-based Shannon Transport is the International Haulier of the Year and Roscommon-based Clifford Haulage took home the award for Owner-Operator of the Year.
Presenting the awards, Patric Cunnane, CM'S Legal Editor, told delegates of the difficult task faced by the judging panel, of which he is a member: "The competition has risen in status since its introduction in 1999.The introduction of new categories has increased interest and the standard and quality of entries has steadily risen.
"The marking between the 10 finalists was so close you could hardly put a cigarette paper between some of the contenders.The names you see before you tonight could, in football terms, represent a dream team for Irish haulage.The entries for National Haulier of the Year were so strong that the judges settled on a shortlist of four rather than three." Cunnane said the judges were particularly
impressed by the quality of customer testimonials submitted with the entries: "Many customers showed the same level of commitment to their haulier as the haulier had provided for them through years of service."
And he stresses the competition's value to the whole industry: "The winners in the three operator categories and of the overall award for Haulier of the Year will be standard bearers in the coming year for the levels of excellence you are all trying to achieve." HAULIER OF THE YEAR and NATIONAL HAULIER OF THE YEAR ALLTRANS Founded 1997
Dublin-based Alltrans came up trumps after a previous attempt in 2002 when the company was a finalist for National Haulier of the Year.
It specialises in the demanding pharmaceutical and healthcare market.To provide a nationwide service MD Paul Tuohy has developed strategic alliances with other operators including K&L Deliveries of Millstreet, Co Cork; Lynx in Galway; Duffy Freight in Donegal; and Waterford Itansport and Tomino in the Midlands. These hauliers operate a pallet network
called Palltrans, with attics running overnight between their hubs.This system enables Alltrans to concentrate on local deliveries while still offering a next-day service throughout Ireland.
The company controls its costs, including insurance and fuel, by intensive training and a drivers' incentive scheme.Tuohy said drivers are paid a premium rate, which explains why the three hired in 1997 are still with the company.
Thohy is treasurer of the IRHA is and also active in the Irish Management Institute which, he believes, helps to stimulate ideas for developing strategy for his own company and the IRHA. INTERNATIONAL HAULIER OF THE YEAR SHANNON TRANSPORT Founded 1973
By the standards of Irish haulage, Shannon Transport is a big player. Based at Annacotty, Co Limerick, the company runs 65 trucks and 180 trailers and employs 140 staff It also employs 25 subcontractors to meet its commitments to its domestic, UK and continental client base.The company has state-of-the art modern warehousing with electronically controlled sliding racking to make maximum use if its storage space. Drivers are motivated with a range of benefits including good wages and a decent pension scheme.As a result, customer feed back on these vital ambassadors for Shannon's services has proved very
positive. Shannon Transport maintains its own sizeable fleet and also offers servicing to other operators. It even has an authorised Department of Environment vehicle test centre
for plating and tachograph calibration.
Last November the company won a contract to transport 25 loads a week to the UK."We are looking to expand the logistics business of which haulage is just a part," said director Patrick Murrihy. Services include break bulk for local delivery and adding goods from different suppliers to a customer's order.
Shannon Transport has an ambitious dream for its home base. It believes the region will eventually become the western logistics hub for Ireland and it hopes its own adherence to high standards will help to make this dream come true. "We have a lot of customers in the food industry," said Murrihy."You have to have good and clean vehicles to supply those people." OWNER-OPERATOR OF THE YEAR CLIFFORD HAULAGE Founded 1992
Liam Clifford of Boyle, Roscommon has been an owner-driver since the reorganisation of Calor Gas in the early 1990s threw up the opportunity he had been waiting for. Until then he had been employed by Calor for 20 years. In July 1992 he became his own boss, working for his ex-employer as a contractor.
Now he makes daily trips to Dublin to collect the bottled gas which he delivers to 185 retail customers throughout Mayo, east Galway, Roscommon and parts of Leitrim. His customers' demands vary between weekly,
fortnightly and monthly deliveries, all achieved with his 1999 Scania 144 and a little help from Cox Couriers to whom he subcontracts some work.
It's a physically demanding job. "Everything has to be done by hand; at times up to 100 bottles have to be delivered," said Clifford, who employs his 19-year-old son Henri as driver's mate. "There are two things paramount to good customer relations — be there on time and make sure promised deliveries are made."
He is a committed IRHA member of 10 years standing. Mary, his wife and transport manager, adds that Clifford's patience and loyalty to his customers is an essential ingredient of the company's success. IRHA COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE YEAR LIAM BREWER
The award for IRHA Council Member of the Year went to Liam Brewer from the Dublin Branch. IRHA president Eamonn Morrissey praised Brewer's commitment to the association and his energetic campaigning work which has raised the profile of the IRHA in the Dublin area during 2004. Brewer's company, Cargocare, won Haulier of the Year and National Haulier of the Year in 2003.The company provides national distribu
tion services to Irish industry and a network of transport companies in the UK, Holland, Belgium and Italy.
Brewer said the awards have a positive effect on the industry as they demonstrate that standards are acknowledged and appreciated: "There is a move toward raising the profile of the industry in terms of its professionalism and awards like this definitely help." SPECIAL SERVICES TO THE INDUSTRY OLIVER McELVANEY 1949-2002
The judges made a posthumous award for Special Services to the Industry to Oliver McElvaney, founder of Monaghan-based McElvaney Motors. McElvaney died in September 2002, aged 53.
"The judges took the unusual decision of making a posthumous award because of the great depth of support that this man had shown the association and the industry during three turbulent decades," Cunnane told delegates. "Orginally a haulier, a humble tipperman in fact, he gradually switched to dealing in trucks instead, starting in a small way by shipping in a few Scanias directly from Sweden to meet the needs of local customers in Monaghan.
"Many truck sales later he finally became the Scania dealer for the North-East and, as the years passed, became one of the best known truck dealers in Ireland." Cunnane recalled tributes paid to