'No haulier should be afraid about speaking his or her mind about these companies'
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,A t some time most hauliers will deliver to Exel Logistics depots.
I hope that they don't encounter the problems I have, ranging from wrong goods and broken pallets to malfunctioning computers.
But these problems are not our problem. All hauliers are interested in is tipping or loading.
As reported in Commercial Motor, despite arriving at the specified time one of my artics was stuck in Exel's Droitwich depot for a total of four-and-a-half hours. Who pays? We do! I feel that it is about time Exel sorted out its procedure for accepting loads.
If the company cannot stick to the booking time it gives us then it ought to pay some sort of demurrage. After all, it is the large companies like this which make the rates, and obviously they don't take into consideration the time and money lost waiting for them.
I was asked to put my complaints in writing and did so twice, but I've had no response to them whatsoever. I fail to see how such a large company can operate a system like this. It leaves me to believe only one thing: no one at this company has any idea how the transport industry really works.
Transport managers in all haulage companies should know that keeping a truck standing in a loading/delivery depot costs money.
We're all here to make money, but we cannot do this without some help from these depots.
No haulier should be afraid about speaking his or her mind about these companies, because if you say nothing, nothing will be done and Exel will continue to make money out of us.
I read in CM a comment from Ian Veitch, Exel's business development manager, that Exel is having "teething problems" with a computer. Obviously their despatch/goods inwards manager is a computer. After all, he is the one who decides what will be done during a working shift — which brings me on to another problem.
I am tired of having my drivers ring me up during their waiting time at Exel and repeatedly telling me that Exel lorries have arrived, jumped the queue, and gone on to a loading bay. How do they explain this? I was told by Exel's manager at Perry Barr that his load was urgent. OK, but three lorries in one hour? I guess he thinks I'm just another owner-driver moaning.
How wrong can he be? I have 13 vehicles on the road, including seven in the UK, and all of those seven drive to Exel depots throughout the UK at least once or twice a week.
By my calculations that is costing me a lot of money.
So come on Exel, sort it out or you may find some heavy demurrage bills coming in the post to you. 7