Interesting program re the Stobart company on ITV4 just now which reminds me, I keep meaning to ask the truckers on here, what is the viewpoint of Stobart amongst the other truckers?
Are they the elite that they try and portray with their collar and tie drivers or are they much of a muchness?
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AFAIK the collar and tie is no longer a mandatory part of the Stobart uniform, although it may exist on certain contracts. It's nothing new; years ago as an agency driver I did a lot of work for a company called Ryder Systemcare , delivering furniture and white goods on behalf of Littlewoods and the like, smart casual dress was obligatory and on occasion they would ask for "collar and tie" if it was a premium job.
Stobarts get a mixed press in the industry; personally I think that whatever Eddie's sins in undercutting other companies, he has done much to raise the lorry drivers' profile and give them a bit of much-needed respectability.
The corporate image doesn't go down well with many drivers, given that they tend to be individualists by nature, but on balance I think it's good for the industry.
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I agree with harleyman that Stobart has been the start of 'image' being important for haulage firms, and more so, for lorry drivers. Their example is why we all now wear a company provided uniform, and has made firms aware that they must care about the image they project to the public, as well as to their customers.
This is good, but I didn't see the programme and at the risk of getting shot down in flames here, I'm going to speak from the heart.
Within the Industry, Stobart drivers will be among other drivers in a delivery point waiting room and not speak to each other. So much camaraderie we used to share has been destroyed with this attention to 'image'. It's caused a rivalry between drivers and a definate sense of 'I'm better than you'. Yes, there was always a little bit of rivalry but when push came to shove, we all pulled together.
As a firm they have been responsible for driving down haulage rates and in turn, putting other smaller operations out of business. They can do this because of the quantity of lorries they run, and for them, it is just viable to move goods at a minimal price as opposed to running empty anywhere.
The impact of this upon the Haulage Industry as a whole has been, in my opinion, detrimental. It's responsible for many firms cutting corners with maintenance and pressure on drivers to get the job done, simply in order to compete and retain contracts.
To put this into perspective, and remember I'm a lorry driver, not an accountant, there was a year in the not too distant past, when Stobart made a profit of as little as £50 per week per lorry.
To me, when a lorry costs in the region of £80,000, a trailer £18,000 and then there are all the running costs such as deisel, wages, maintenance and premises, it is a ridiculous outlay for such a little profit.
Because of the quantity of vehicles though, it seems to work for them. It certainly isn't acceptable for a firm with 100 lorries or less.
Just yesterday there was an industry press release which can be read here
www.roadtransport.com/Articles/2009/11/24/135075/s...l
The alarm it caused among us is in the words 'bid for work'.
Once again this will encourage rates to go down, but I would have applauded that action if it had been work offered at a fair rate.
To gain support for this by trying to put it forward as a green option doesn't do it for me either!
In conclusion, they used to be what we all aspired to, now they scare us all.
Pat
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I remember a previous programme where Ed Stobart(Eddie was his father and took no part in the business)said that the firm did not own any trucks-they were all leased.
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I remember a previous programme where Ed Stobart(Eddie was his father and took no part in the business)said that the firm did not own any trucks-they were all leased.
Leasing is very common these days e.g. many high street store chains sold their property (shops) in the early part of this decade and lease them back, same goes for trucks, trains and car fleets.
Supposedly has advantages from a capital versus revenue perspective and in the case of property brought in useful injections of cash to fund other activities - albeit a one off.
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I'm afraid that the accountants run the businesses .
Its all about profit margins , small profit = large turnover.
Pat reckons £50 per week per lorry profit . According to their website they have 1850 tractor units lorries on the road - thats £4.8 million profit they make a year. Not bad profit by anybodys standards.
Most transport companies lease their vehicles and even also lease their tyres .......
( This fact courtesy of helicopter jr who is a chartered accountant who audits a large bus company among his many clients ).
Remember the bus wars in Oxford when a large bus company ( who shall remain nameless ) moved in and ran at a loss to get rid of the competition.
Alls fair in love and business I'm afraid.
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Thanks for the very interesting input.
Unfortunately after I posted the original thread, and began to watch the program, it was more angled at "a day in the life of" the Stobart brothers rather than much nitty gritty about the truck and haulage side of the business.
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I recall a TV programme a few years ago about the then new Lakeside shopping complex which included a feature on an Eddie Stobart lorry driver.
He stated he ploughed up and down the motorways all week on deliveries, but was featured in the programme driving his car at the weekend, accompanied by his wife.
He explained that she had wanted to go shopping, so he took her on a 300-mile round trip to do so at the Lakeside.....
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Ed Stobart said that leasing not only reduced his capital expenditure but in the case of accident/breakdown,one phone call got him an immediate replacement-also no time off the road for repairs/servicing and always an up to date fleet.Many other companies were in the market for ex "Eddie Stobart" contract vehicles.
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