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Running an international haulage business is not what it once was, as Kevin Rawlings knows only too well
Kevin Rawlings paints a vivid picture of the highs and lows of international haulage. With more than 25 years under his belt, both on the road and in charge of an international operation, his opinions are forthright and his anecdotes enlightening. His grandfather, a cattle farmer by trade, began the family association with transport by moving cattle. But the business in its current guise was started in earnest in 1964 by his uncle, Jim Rawlings, who, with a 150hp Guy in the yard and a subcontracted driver, began navigating the alpine passes of Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland on a weekly basis.
The business expanded over time and from an early age Rawlings began driving the same routes, transporting trailers of British cow hides to Italy, where demand is high for their use in premium leather goods such as shoes and handbags. Ten years ago his uncle retired from the business, leaving the family firm running just two trucks, considerably fewer than the 20 lorries it ran at its peak.
"It's a very hard business, international haulage," says Rawlings. "When my uncle announced he was retiring I thought it seemed a shame, but in the 10 years I've been doing it, we've seen a big decrease." Loyalty and friendship appear to go hand-in-hand with
life on continental roads, and Rawlings speaks frequently of the camaraderie he experienced in his early days. Run-ins with the gendarmerie and the inevitable exchange of 100 franc notes were common — and later recounted and laughed about with friends in truck stops or restaurants. So, too, were lengthy delays at border crossings and customs checkpoints, where more francs or lire would be exchanged with bonhomie. While the removal of Carnets and T1/T2 documents made crossing borders on the Continent easier (and more legitimate), Rawlings pinpoints their demise as the moment when the appeal of international haulage began to fade.
Life on the road
"When I was young, all I wanted to do was go on the road. For a young man it was a good job, I saw all the lads working for my uncle coming back with all these stories to tell. I had 15 years at it, continuously, but then the borders opened — all to make the driver's job and the freedom of movement of goods easier — but for the actual chap doing the work, any time you had to yourself, like clearing customs where you might previously have sat for
half a day, was lost. Once you lost your free time it became a rat race. You were getting down to these places as fast as you could because you had to get your collections started."
Undoubtedly, the transit of goods became easier, but apart from less downtime for the drivers, the opening of the borders brought a far greater problem — increased competition. In the rural surrounds of Bishop's Waltham, a small village between Southampton and Portsmouth, AS Rawlings Transport was at the heart of a thriving local international haulage community that used the two ports to reach France and Spain. The Channel Tunnel and the free movements of goods allowed foreign hauliers better access to UK business, forcing many firms such as AS Rawlings to downsize or fold.
"Eastern Europe has taken a lot of the work, and for prices that we can't get anywhere near," says Rawlings. "I guarantee 50% of companies that are running into Europe now weren't doing it when you had to have T-forms and the like. It's got a lot easier, but there is a lot less profit." While Rawlings doesn't begrudge his competitors the work, he admits that he missed an opportunity when
loads into Europe became harder to come by.
"One of our customers who we've been with for 45 years has remained loyal, but he doesn't do as much as he used to because he's got into the Far East market in a big way. I think our mistake six or seven years ago, when things started to move to China, was to not go into the container shipping business. We stuck with trundling up and down to Italy and Spain doing work that we knew." The familiarity of the routes does have its benefits, and Rawlings is rarely left without a full load back to the UK. The key, he says, is to never take a complete load, and A Kevin Rawlings (top although transporting a handful of smaller consignments right( and planner Mel requires more contacts, more phone calls and more Coe (bottom left( ensure mileage, it is how each trip generates a profit. Experience a steady supply of hides also counts for a lot, particularly when it comes to
to Italy minimising costs and picking the right route.
New trucks
With a new Mercedes-Benz Actros and a two-year-old Volvo FH, reliability is no longer the issue it once was. Having been hit with a £20,000 recovery and repair bill when a gearbox failed en route to Italy, quickly followed by another £10,000 bill for an engine rebuild, Rawlings decided to abandon buying used trucks, opting for new trucks on R&M packages. With the Mercedes and Volvo returning around 8mpg and 75mpg respectively — figures Rawlings is very happy with, given the workload — of greater concern is reducing some of the incidental costs
that can be accrued when driving LGVs across Europe.
"Knowing the machinery is up to date does take the pressure off but you've still got fuel costs and tolls to think about. The difference between coming back with 10 tonnes in the trailer and 24 tonnes in the trailer is £200 on a one-way trip. On fuel, tolls and crossings you're looking at about £2,000 for a round trip to Italy, and that's the way we do it. We use a lot of national roads in France. "We fill up in Luxembourg or Spain, depending which direction we're running. You're looking at about 88ppl in Luxembourg and about 84ppl in Spain on a fuel card. French supermarkets are still fairly cheap, but they're a bit of a no-no as they don't accept fuel cards, and if you put it on your credit card you have the problem of claiming back the VAT. If you lose the VAT then there's no point doing it. If we're going to Italy, it's not the most practical way to go via Luxembourg. The most practical way is through Switzerland, but you've got a lot of ups and downs there — most of which are the Swiss police. They
have a big control at the Gotthard tunnel, and you've only got to have a small oil drip or be slightly over height and they fine you. They weren't like that 10 to 15 years ago."
Police pressure
Rawlings notes that the pressure on truck drivers has increased across the Continent, with most countries eager to pounce on the slightest infringement. Police on Munich's ring road will fine drivers for following a vehicle too closely, even if that has happened because someone has cut in front. Overtaking in some parts of Austria and northern Italy can also carry a hefty fine. Although he singles out Switzerland as particularly unfriendly towards trucks, those driving in Europe will be well aware of the penalties countries such as Austria and Holland are prepared to hand out to errant LGVs. "So many people used to transit Switzerland," says Rawlings, "but it's as expensive to transit Switzerland as it is to go through the Mont Blanc tunnel. A lot of people
still use Switzerland, but we take the long way around. We're not running illegally or anything, but we've got one trailer that is 4.1m, and we've got light bars and it isn't worth the hassle. We've got new trucks that don't drop oil everywhere, and all the machinery is respectable." Apart from overzealous enforcement, international hauliers also have to cope with a rising current of crime. Although Rawlings and his two main drivers, Mark Venus and Terry Sparrow, have fortunately not been on the receiving end, tales of petty crime, gassings and curtain slashing are common. "One of the worst countries is Belgium, around the border with France," he says. "People break into cabs and drivers get gassed. It happens in Spain as well, but you don't hear of it so Apart from overzealous enforcement, international hauliers also have to cope with a rising current of crime. Although Rawlings and his two main drivers, Mark Venus and Terry Sparrow, have fortunately not been on the receiving end, tales of petty crime, gassings and curtain slashing are common. "One of the worst countries is Belgium, around the border with France," he says. "People break into cabs and drivers get gassed. It happens in Spain as well, but you don't hear of it so
much in Italy and France, where you may only get your diesel stolen nearer the bigger cities. My fuel caps are never locked, I don't see the point. If they're going to have your fuel, let them have it. You may have lost your fuel, but at least they've not done any damage. If you use places at the side of the road, or unlit parking areas, you're going to get trouble. Do right by the network, use the restaurants and park in their car parks."
The other problem facing international drivers, particularly those travelling through Calais, is illegal immigrants, but Rawlings is unsympathetic when it comes to drivers being caught with stowaways.
Look in the back
"You know full well what you've got to do. If you stop anywhere near Calais, before you go to the ports you've got to have a look in the back. When we make our last stop before the ports or train, we get in the back and have a look. Calais is bad, you see them skulking around, and you know what they're trying to do. I think it is a game to them. I know people who have been caught with clandestines on board, but that's usually down to their incompetence and laziness. You've only got to look."
"You know full well what you've got to do. If you stop anywhere near Calais, before you go to the ports you've got to have a look in the back. When we make our last stop before the ports or train, we get in the back and have a look. Calais is bad, you see them skulking around, and you know what they're trying to do. I think it is a game to them. I know people who have been caught with clandestines on board, but that's usually down to their incompetence and laziness. You've only got to look." Despite the challenges of the job, Rawlings seems resolute in his determination to continue. The forthcoming Eco-tax in France will once again ramp up pressure on hauliers and customers, but with just two vehicles, Rawlings feels the business is at a level where costs can be controlled sufficiently. There are no plans to add more units to the international work because he believes the days of general haulage for small firms are numbered, but Rawlings is not ruling out the possibility of UK work. After all, once their return loads reach the UK, two vehicles, Rawlings feels the business is at a level where costs can be controlled sufficiently. There are no plans to add more units to the international work because he believes the days of general haulage for small firms are numbered, but Rawlings is not ruling out the possibility of UK work. After all, once their return loads reach the UK, two vehicles, Rawlings feels the business is at a level where costs can be controlled sufficiently. There are no plans to add more units to the international work because he believes the days of general haulage for small firms are numbered, but Rawlings is not ruling out the possibility of UK work. After all, once their return loads reach the UK, two vehicles, Rawlings feels the business is at a level where costs can be controlled sufficiently. There are no plans to add more units to the international work because he believes the days of general haulage for small firms are numbered, but Rawlings is not ruling out the possibility of UK work. After all, once their return loads reach the UK, two vehicles, Rawlings feels the business is at a level where costs can be controlled sufficiently. There are no plans to add more units to the international work because he believes the days of general haulage for small firms are numbered, but Rawlings is not ruling out the possibility of UK work. After all, once their return loads reach the UK, two vehicles, Rawlings feels the business is at a level where costs can be controlled sufficiently. There are no plans to add more units to the international work because he believes the days of general haulage for small firms are numbered, but Rawlings is not ruling out the possibility of UK work. After all, once their return loads reach the UK, two vehicles, Rawlings feels the business is at a level where costs can be controlled sufficiently. There are no plans to add more units to the international work because he believes the days of general haulage for small firms are numbered, but Rawlings is not ruling out the possibility of UK work. After all, once their return loads reach the UK, there are still many more miles to cover. •