Almost 600 jobs have been lost in the past week with both Ramage Distribution and E Pawson & Son entering administration. Lanarkshire-based Ramage blames its problems on "a number of contributory factors" including problems it inherited following its acquisition of rival Scottish haulier UFD Group in July last year.
A statement from Ramage says: "Our overheads have been much higher than they should have been, the efficiencies that we needed to get from running one, properly integrated
fleet have not been available to us, and significant trading losses have resulted." Two Scottish operators that Ramage subcontracted work out to have been hit by Ramage's collapse.
Stuart Nicol Transport in Shott is owed £70,000. It has paid off several drivers and is considering downsizing further, while Cameron Young Transport, in Dumfries, is owed £54,000 and has had to sell four trucks to keep afloat. Yorkshire haulier E Pawson told 180 staff on Friday that they were to be made redundant as Sheffield firm The P&A Partnership was appointed as administrator.
The family-run firm says it has been hit by the rising price of fuel and competition from major logistics companies. A total of 18 jobs will be retained to service the firm's Pall-Ex work.
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