Getting timber products from a warehouse or yard to a customer’s premises or building site on a timely and cost-effective basis is essential to the success of any timber business. Vehicle breakdowns, unreliable drivers or unsuitable unloading equipment will not be tolerated by customers for very long, and a com-pany’s reputation and its long-term success can be adversely affected as a result.
Therefore, it is crucial to get a transport solution that is designed to a business’s exact requirements; one that makes day-to-day operations more efficient, more productive, more cost-effective and hassle-free, and one that works best for the business and not that of the solution provider.
While a large number of timber businesses contract hire vehicles from local and national suppliers, many have also taken the logical step of outsourcing driver and operational management requirements. This enables timber companies to concentrate on their core business and leave the transport to specialist providers.
There are many variations on these services so any business contemplating this route should ensure the supplier will provide a solution that is a perfect match for their operational requirements. Unlike many transport and logistics providers, Ryder is a genuine one-stop shop as it owns its vehicle fleet and maintains the vehicles in its dedicated workshops, thus ensuring that customer vehicles are maintained to the highest standard and are always available for work.
In simple terms, Ryder makes money when its trucks are working whereas most other operators supply customers with vehicles which are, in turn, supplied on contract hire direct from vehicle manufacturers. As manufacturers make most of their money when these vehicles are in their workshops being serviced, it is not the best long-term deal for customers.
Operational requirements
Meeting the customer’s needs means providing vehicles, equipment, drivers and management team that are perfectly matched to their operational requirements. This enables day-to-day resources to be set at the right level and extra resources to be brought in as required.
Understanding the customer’s business is also key to cost savings, for instance, by optimising route planning and even working with suppliers to collect raw materials when customer vehicles would otherwise be returning to base empty. This gives the customer better control of the supply chain.
A good example of a customer-provider partnership is that between Ryder and AVS Fencing, a specialist supplier of fencing, decking and landscaping materials. Founded in 1987, the company operates outlets throughout Surrey and Sussex which specialise in supplying products and materials to builders merchants, builders and civil engineers, fencing contractors, landscape gardeners, farmers and landowners and the security industry.
“As our business has grown and expanded, so has the demand on the services we provide,” said AVS sales and marketing director Mark Whiting. “Each of our sites now has its own workshop so that fencing and decking products can be customised to meet particular requirements. However, as our customer base has now extended from Surrey and Sussex to include parts of London, Berkshire and Kent, so the demands being put on our fleet of delivery vehicles have increased too.
“We originally purchased all our vehicles, some of which were pre-owned, but we increasingly found that uncertainty of operating costs, breakdowns and the capital outlay for replacements was becoming a distraction from the day-to-day running of our business.”
Contract hire deal
Three years ago AVS decided to outsource its vehicle fleet and entered into a contract hire deal with Ryder, enabling it to replace the oldest vehicles in its fleet and hold on to the newest ones until they were no longer economic to operate.
“The switch to contract hire was a bold decision for us to take, but we haven’t been disappointed,” said Mr Whiting. “We have reached a point where all but one of our trucks is supplied on contract hire and the new vehicles have undoubtedly enhanced our image across our customer base, while at the same time providing us with a professional and reliable delivery platform.
“Our customers in the building and contracting industries demand timely deliveries and the quality of service and the quick response of Ryder’s personnel to any problems enable us to meet these demands. In addition, the new vehicles have been a big hit with our drivers who appreciate the extra power and comfort that modern vehicles provide.”
Companies that want to meet their business goals should focus their resources on running their core business and leave the transport to specialist providers.
