RUNWAY RESURFACING HAS TAKEN RORY J HOLBROOK'S BULK HAULAGE OPERATION TO NEW HEIGHTS, BUT CENTRAL AS IT REMAINS, IT'S FAR FROM BEING THE ONLY WORK THIS HIGH-FLIER TAKES ON.
The blue and white livery of Rory J Holbrook is a familiar sight on the roads of Norfolk and Suffolk. One of the largest aggregate and muckaway suppliers in the country, this Attleborough-based company also has a railhead in Brandon, a recycling centre in Lakenheath, and a fleet of over 100 trucks.
But perhaps its most impressive work takes place on civilian and military airfields up and down the country – and sometimes even further afield. Because if you’re someone with a runway to resurface, Holbrook’s may well be the company transporting the materials to support the asphalt contractors.
Founder Rory is still hands-on at the sharp end of things. The son of a North Yorkshire tipper operator, 40-odd years in East Anglia hasn’t completely erased his accent, or his northern attitude to life.
NORFOLK MOVING-FLOOR BULK TRAILER OPERATOR GREENHAUL APPEARS TO BE MAKING LIGHT WORK OF KEEPING ITS TRUCKS BUSY AND RARELY HAS TROUBLE FINDING RETURN LOADS DESPITE RUNNING A SPECIALIST FLEET THAT INCLUDES KRAKER K-FORCE UK BIOMASS TRAILERS.
There aren’t many hauliers that can consistently find a backload on almost every journey. And the number shrinks further when you move into specialist bulk haulage or tipping trailers, as the chances of a return load are even harder to come by.
That’s not the case at Norfolk-based Greenhaul however, where the company’s fleet of trucks rarely runs unladen, whether leaving the county or returning. “We run 95% of the time loaded,” confirms MD Simon Lee. The fact is particularly impressive when you consider that the company operates a fleet of 12 moving-floor bulk trailers, including TrailerTec supplied K-Force Kraker trailers, each capable of handling around 100 cubic metres of material.
As the name suggests, the business is based around the haulage of green waste, more specifically the movement of biomass for energy, along with other recyclable materials.
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BOB BEECH CHARTS THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODERN STEEL TIPPER BODY AND FINDS OUT HOW THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW SPECIAL STEELS HELPED PROJECT TIPPER BODY MANUFACTURER THOMPSONS INTO SUCH A DOMINANT MARKET POSITION.
For the last 25 years or so, there has been a huge increase in the use of lightweight steel tipping bodies. In fact it’s fair to say the development of the modern steel body has revolutionised many parts of the industry.
Previously, the division between steel and aluminium bodies meant each was confined to certain tipping sectors, with little crossover. Now, however, the gap in terms of payload potential between steel and aluminium bodies has closed forever, and fleets can carry out a wide range of jobs with modern lightweight/high strength steel bodies – even if aluminium bodies still reign supreme in the transport of coated materials and mainstream aggregates.
So what were the factors that allowed bodybuilders to drive this huge change in the tipper market? There is probably no-one better positioned to explain than Scott Burton, joint MD of tipping body manufacturer Thompsons UK.
COLLINS EARTHWORKS TRANSPORT'S IMPRESSIVE TRUCK FLEET HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED IN SIZE IN THE PAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, AND THERE ARE PLANS FOR MORE TO COME. DAN PARTON FINDS OUT WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON THERE.
For those working in the construction and civil engineering sectors, the name Collins is becoming ever more familiar. Collins Earthworks is involved in numerous big infrastructure projects, and the trucks in its transport division, Collins Earthworks Transport, are well known on sites with their striking white-and-blue livery. Collins’ fleet is all-Volvo, and it likes to give its drivers every luxury. “We spec each vehicle for maximum comfort and convenience,” confirms Alan Smith, head of transport at Collins. “No box is left unticked.”
This philosophy comes from owner David Collins, who recognises the importance of brand in the industry, and understands that well-appointed trucks can go a long way in influencing how a company is perceived. And David wants his company to be a market leader, says Alan. “Collins are very image-conscious, and it works as the company is renowned throughout the trade and has grown hugely in recent years.
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TITAN TRAILERS IS ALREADY WELL KNOWN FOR ITS HEAVY-DUTY MOVING FLOOR TRAILERS. AND NOW IT IS EXTENDING ITS LINE-UP WITH A BRAND-NEW LIGHTER WEIGHT MODEL AND A HALF-PIPE ALL-ALUMINIUM AGGREGATES TIPPER. BOB BEECH GETS THE DETAILS.
Many bulk operators will be familiar with Titan Trailers’ Thinwall heavy-duty moving floor designs, which are popular in tough applications like taking waste to landfill sites and thrive where some rivals suffer in the long term.
They are easily recognisable, thanks to their full-length hollow core Thinwall extruded aluminium panels, which slot together in horizontal form with a tongue-and-groove joint. The interlocking panels are then machine-welded on both inner and outer walls, providing a rivet-free structure and a high strength-to-weight ratio.
In the Thinwall profile, the inner wall is thicker than the outer wall, and the two are joined by an internal ‘web’ that is an integral part of the extrusion. This allows the inner wall to withstand any impacts from loading without transferring damage to the outer wall.
IN A LITTLE OVER FOUR YEARS, NATHAN SMITH, THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND RS TRANSPORT, HAS BUILT UP A FLEET OF 12 TRUCKS ALONG WITH A SOLID REPUTATION ACROSS THE MIDLANDS FOR PROVIDING A RANGE OF SERVICES. WE VISIT THE COMPANY’S HAMS HALL BASE TO FIND OUT MORE.
These are boom times for the construction sector in the West Midlands. Last year, the West Midlands Combined Authority published a prospectus of investment opportunities – including commercial, residential and infrastructure – worth £20 billion.
This is good news for companies involved in the sector, including transport companies such as RS Transport, which provides a range of services such as muckaway, aggregates and tarmac delivery, among others. RS Transport, based at Hams Hall, near Coleshill, is ideally placed to take advantage, tucked in on an industrial park close to the M6 and M42, with Birmingham and Coventry only short drives away. And owner and founder Nathan Smith has every intention of capitalising on the prevailing economic conditions as he continues to grow his business.
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WILLIAM GILDER GROUP HAS BROADENED INTO A WIDE RANGE OF COMPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES SINCE IT WAS FOUNDED NEARLY 40 YEARS AGO, FROM ROAD TRANSPORT TO VEHICLE HIRE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES. AND MUCH OF ITS SUCCESS IS SIMPLY DOWN TO ANSWERING THE PHONE AND SAYING YES.
Some companies seem to make it more and more difficult for customers to contact them these days. Perhaps that’s why others, like Gloucestershire-based William Gilder Group, have thrived by simply answering the phone and saying yes to any reasonable request.
The business was founded by William back in 1985 and operates from three locations in rural Gloucestershire close to the M5 motorway, ensuring easy access to the major conurbations in the region. And it provides an impressive range of services across its seven divisions which, on the face of it, might seem somewhat unrelated. But all are based on road transport and agriculture.
Its transport operation, William Gilder Transport, runs a substantial fleet engaged principally in the transport of non-hazardous waste in vacuum tankers. It also facilitates the operations of the Industrial Services division and Gilder Environmental, which cover the treatment, removal and handling of liquids, bio-solids and by-products from water treatment plants and numerous other facilities.
