David Preston, Managing Director Prestons of Potto
Welcome to my first column. I will apologise in advance but like all hauliers I like to moan about things, so here goes:-
The current situation regarding lead times for new trucks and trailers is certainly making resource planning very difficult. Truck lead times for some manufacturers is now 15-18 months. Considering the latest figures show the lowest heavy truck sales for a decade it is clear demand in the UK does not match that in Europe. However it seems strange that the dealers have allowed this situation to develop by not increasing allocation to the UK. However I understand the eastern Europeans will pay more for a truck so perhaps it suits the manufacturers. The situation with trailers mirrors that of trucks with certain specialised trailer manufacturers quoting lead times of 24 months which is longer than that for an Airbus A380. Considering the short length and volatility of contracts in the transport industry, it certainly takes a lot of confidence to place orders for equipment these days although anybody with a talent for speculation may well be able to profit from this. The delays in obtaining new equipment do not seem to have had any effect on the demand for transport services. The normal Christmas panic did not seem to happen this year.
The other issue that seems to have emerged recently is carbon footprints. Only a few years ago the only carbon footprint I was aware of was that left by the fleet engineers boots on the office carpet. Now everybody is reducing their carbon footprint and aiming to be ‘carbon neutral’. A 44-tonne artic could produce up to 300 tonnes per year of CO2 which could be offset by planting 409 trees, perhaps if the current trend in vehicle lead times continues, if the trees were planted at the time the vehicle was ordered by the time the vehicle was delivered they could be mature. A rough calculation for our company means we should plant 98,000 trees this year and the industry as a whole 185 million. Based on these figures timber haulage should be the best bet for the future. Also as I am sure hauliers will be pleased to know companies are offering a service in planting trees for you at an equivalent cost of approx. £5000 per vehicle per annum, and one of the schemes is endorsed by Bill Oddie for further green ‘street cred’.
Founded over 50 years ago Richard Preston and Son Ltd is one of the most recognised transport companies in the UK. Better known as Preston's of Potto it is a multi faceted transport company operating over 220 vehicles. Preston's has 4 depots throughout the UK serving most sectors of the industry. Preston's offers a large amount of warehousing and also provides total management solutions for its varied clients.