Bulk tanker operator Gussion Transport draws half its turnover from
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a single customer. Many hauliers would be loathe to he so dependent on a single client but, as David Taylor found out, if you do things properly you can bet your bottom dollar the work will remain.
f you had to choose one word to describe Gussion Transport you could do a lot worse than "steady". Unlike many hauliers who find themselves portrayed on these pages, there seems to be nothing flamboyant about the firm or its founder-owner, Bob Gussion. But there's also nothing to suggest that this firm is struggling against the tide. The business is ticking over nicely, and Gussion himself Ons about foreign competition, the notoriously unsympathetic treatment meted out to the industry by the government, or even fuel prices (he does describe them as "diabolical", but his voice betrays only mild irritation).
Gussion Transport is a solid, medium-sized haulage business that knows its business inside out and is happy to stick with it. It has been working for its biggest customer for well over 20 years and, even today, derives more than half its turnover from this single source. Gussion is in the bulk liquids busir and runs a 35-vehicle fleet of tankers ou its base in Widnes. Gussion, now 6o, stai the business in 1972 after working for years as a driver for local firm Harold Wo (now part of Tankfreight). His first veh was a 1967 Guy pulling a 4oft trailer, wl he bought second-hand. He says it was introduction of 0-licences that spurred I into going it alone.
Although he started out as a gen
P haulier, Gussion soon focused on bulk liquids. It was what he knew best, as Harold Woods' business was in this sector. Just about his first bulk liquids client was Diversy, a chemicals company. Although it was bought out by Lever Bros a couple of years ago, it is still Gussion's biggest customer: "I suppose I grew up with it," he says. Today 24 of his 35 tankers are on contract with Lever Bros, with whom he has just signed a new five-year deal.
Surprisingly, perhaps, Gussion has never felt he has too many eggs in this one basket—even during the Lever takeover. "T wasn't ever worried," he says. "I know we give them good service." Giving good service is clearly high on Gussion's list of priorities. He believes that if you don't look after your customers you can't expect to hang on to them. He practises what he preaches as a customer as well as a supplier.
Bigfan For more than 20 years Gussion bought virtually nothing but Scanias, "I've always been a big fan of them," he says. But not such a big fan, it seems, as to prevent him buying IS Iveco Fords over the past two or three years. It's not that he went off the Scanias; it's just that when he approached the company about three years ago for a quote he "got tired of waiting for them to get back to me". He began to feel the customer care didn't match the quality of the vehicles.
In the meantime he was invited by a colleague to the "arrive-and-drive" promotion Iveco was running at its Lynam depot. "I went along and I was quite surprised." He pauses. "Actually I was quite amazed."
Gussion fell in love with the Furostar 470' s Eurotronic gearbox and was tickled by the absence of any clutch pedal. He ordered two on the spot. He wasn't too sure about the Alto cab, however, which he felt was too high to use with a tanker body. "I spoke to John Donachie [the Neat Ford salesman] and said I would have them if they could make them lower," he recalls.
Iveco Ford duly obliged. offering to make two low-cab versions especially for him. He was so impressed that he doubled the order. Now he has IS Eurostar 4705, and he says his drivers are as pleased with them as he is. His latest acquisitions are two 47os, delivered recently from dealer Sanderson Ford of Manchester.
But what of poor old Scania, so unceremoniously deserted? Well, it's not quite been deserted--Gussion recently bought a new bonneted T-Cab which, he says. is a fine machine.
Because he is in the bulk liquids business and carries mainly chemicals and solvents, Gussion has to be especially careful about health and safety. The appointment of a dangerous goods safety adviser (which became mandatory at the beginning of this year) held no fears for him: he had already appointed two in November.
In fact Gussion was well ahead of the game, having already set up a sister company called Chemtrain, which is devoted to training in this specialist field. Headed by dangerous goods safety adviser Carl Davis and his deputy Brian Holm, Chemtrain offers training services to all hauliers in the region, not just Gussion's staff.
"We realised there was room for this sort of business in the area, so we set it up," says Gussion. "We started with just two people, and now Carl runs it with help from a team of external advisers."
Another spin-off is Widnes Tank Container, Services, which specialises in refitrbishing ISO lift tanks. This started as an in-house ser vice, but quickly expanded when the extent of local demand became apparent.
Originally, it was the entire vehicle that Gussion rebuilt. "We used to buy secondhand and completely refurbish them," he explains. "But everything's going over to triaxles now and there's not many of those available second-hand. You've more or less got to go for new vehicles."
Fresh development
This kind of comment is typical of Gussion. He seems quite unfazed by each fresh development in the industry. "We take things as they come," he says—a phrase which could almost be his motto.
With a workforce of about too, Gussion's business seems secure and prosperous, despite the best efforts of our own government and Continental operators. It operates solely within the UK. Gussion feels neither the need to expand into Europe nor perceives a threat from the Continent. "There's a bit more competition these days, and it's made worse by the fuel prices, which are diabolical," he says. "We'll just continue to steer a steady course, though."
Although he is now approaching the age when most people would think of retiring. Gussion says he never gives it a second's thought. When he does finally decide to step down, however, the business will probably be taken over by one or both of Gussion's daughters. "Lynn works on the transport side and Carol is on the tank container side," he reports. His wife and business partner, Doreen, helped set up the business and still works in the office.
But at present Gussion seems content to run his business the way he has always run it: steady as she goes.