NORTH WEST\\\ Fast mover, but not much cargo


It’s fair to say that Liverpool John Lennon Airport is not one of the world’s great air cargo hubs. As operations director Paul Staples points out, “this last year we’ve moved only 140,000kg through the airport. Both mail and newspapers that used to form a large part of the freight business have either opted to move by road or are now printed in Ireland and the Isle of Man, so are no longer exported. Our model has for some years heavily focussed on passenger traffic.” Liverpool used to be an


important hub for the Royal Mail but when the flights had to be diverted to East Midlands during a


six-month overnight runway


resurfacing operation, the postal operator opted to stay there. TNT


also moved its air operations to East Midlands, although it still has a road- served hub on site – and the airport has even suggested connecting it to the apron should it ever decide to reinstate air service in Liverpool. Liverpool – now 65% owned by


Canadian-based airports operator Vantage, with original owner Peel having the remaining 35% - has been the North-west’s main base for low cost carriers, none of whom currently carry cargo. Manchester until recently remained a base for more traditional carriers, although it too recently has started to attract low-cost carriers. But Liverpool too might start to broaden its appeal and could even handle long-haul flights. Norwegian, currently one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines,


is due to start thrice-


Paul Staples: Hopes to break into the long-haul business


weekly flights to Copenhagen in April, and while the cargo capability isn’t yet known, there is definitely potential. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that Norwegian, which has 787 Dreamliner aircraſt on order, could even run long-haul flights from Liverpool, possibly via other points in Europe. Paul Staples adds: “We’re also very keen to attract new and more


New thinking in Oldham


FFG International (Manchester) is good example of a forwarder with national influence that just happens to be based in North-west England. The company is one of the few with genuine expertise in the often misunderstood intermodal road-rail business, explains managing director, Graham Martin. A transplanted East Londoner, he learned his trade with Italian specialists Merzario, before eventually setting up FFG in Oldham. FFG works closely with


intermodal operators GTS and DB Schenker. The former run rail services from eight depots in Northern Italy to Zeebrugge, from where ferry connections are available to the UK including Purfleet, where FFG uses Canute’s warehouse as a cross-dock facility. DB Schenker has direct services from Domdossola to Birmingham Hams Hall. “We’ve just started a groupage service from the Modena and Bologna areas, four times a week based on the GTS service, for example,” says Graham Martin. “We can load on Friday and deliver Monday in the UK, which is as fast as trucking but it also costs 30-40% less than road transport. And I could see it growing to maybe seven or eight departures a week.” Rail can actually be more flexible than trucking in some respects. For example, if there are no return loads from the UK back to Italy – an increasingly likely scenario – it is possible to reroute an empty box via somewhere else on the


Continent and keep it waiting for a day or two, in a way that would be difficult to do with a truck and driver. There are also seafreight options


from southern Italian locations like Ravenna, Naples or Genoa, ideal for heavy goods like tinned foods or tiles. Graham Martin is also exploring


the possibility of setting up an intermodal groupage service from Turkey – traditionally a road-based market and quite a high cost one for groupage – as well as developing deepsea LCL services from the likes of India. FFG is an active member of the Lognet forwarder grouping. “There are a lot of opportunities, sometimes in surprising places like the Maldives or the Seychelles – and India itself is really buzzing at the moment.” Customers have shied away from


intermodal in the past because it is seen as ‘difficult’, Mr Martin asserts, but if a real expert gets involved, it can be a very cost-effective way of moving goods he says. The problem is that that expertise is sadly lacking in the UK. “I’m probably one of only six people or so who are experts. What we can do is complete the service offered by, say, Schenker, and find transit times that can equal or beat road on time and cost.” In fact, the rail service has never been that bad, but its operators were and to some extent are notoriously bad at communicating with their customers. Forwarders like FFG can provide that link in the information chain and keep


importers and exporters fully in the loop. FFG has a very good team in


Oldham, with other members of the staff expert in other aspects of freighting such as deep-sea freight or customs clearance. Again, it is a testimony to the freight forwarding skills base that still resides in this part of the country. But Graham Martin’s concern is


that this expertise isn’t being passed down to the new generations: “This industry doesn’t


pay


particularly well,” which can make it difficult to attract new recruits. The lack of a structured training scheme doesn’t help either, he adds: “I would like to see a German- style licensing system. I’m proud of my knowledge and I would like to see it recognised.”


cargo business from areas which we know are possibilities in the North-west – car factories (Jaguar and Ford) and pharmaceutical companies being two such areas. We have the necessary equipment and resources on site to move ad hoc freight very quickly but such requests are limited at present. Longer term, out master plan will look to support Liverpool’s ‘super port’.”


Issue 2 2013


21


Transswiſt fills niche for local traders


The North-west is home to many niche freight


businesses but


one that is possibly unique is Rochdale-based Transswiſt. It offers a neutral container stuffing and unstuffing service for NVOCCs who, for whatever reason, prefer not to have their own operation in the area. From its current base at Castleton, in a former Woolworths depot, it offers the service to several of the big names of the NVOCC world. It currently handles around 30-50 deepsea boxes a week.


Operations manger Adam


Pirouzan explains: “We collect groupage, bring it back to Castleton and stuff the container,” - and also deliver cargo unstuffed from inbound boxes. Moreover, Pirouzan continues, Transswiſt can


also handle hazardous


cargoes – all its drivers are ADR trained - or even low-level radioactive material, as one of its warehouse managers has the necessary qualification. “We’re a small, family company,


so its all about finding niches that we can fill,” adds company owner Tony Murchan. Transswiſt is also an ERTS


(Enhanced Remote Transit Shed) operator, so goods can be ‘arrived’ and stored under bond while they


The world, via Rochdale


International business in North- west England is growing despite a difficult economic climate, says Dachser UK managing director, Nick Lowe. “Exports from the UK, at around 35%, are the single most important tranche of our business,” he points out. Imports account for a further 24%, he says. Since buying out Rochdale-


based haulier JA Leach in 2010, the German-owned company has stepped up its international services to and from Rochdale and recruited a key account manager and other staff. Now, Rochdale is starting to


run its own direct services to Europe, to Alsdorf near Aachen and also to one of Dachser’s main Eurohubs near Saarbrucken on the German-French border. “This means we can offer connections to all other parts of Europe, including the Balkans and Eastern Europe,” says Lowe. Connections on from Saarbrucken to other Dachser Eurohubs are also available, though


as business develops more direct services to other Eurohubs will also be considered. “Later in the year, for instance, we may look at a direct service from Rochdale to the Dachser Eurohub at Bratislava in Slovakia,” Lowe explains. It’s also possible to mix and match consignments for the various hubs on the same trailer to or from Rochdale. Adding a North-west base to its


existing Dartford and Northampton bases has also boosted Dachser’s business to and from Ireland; Dachser operates in partnership with Johnson Logistics to operate two groupage departures per day. The is a lot of export potential


in the North-west, says Lowe, “heavy industry and chemicals, for example, and Rochdale is a very good gateway.” At the time of writing, the weak Pound was favouring UK exporters, though this does also drive up operating costs, many of which are in euros, says Lowe. The lease on the current site in


Rochdale, inherited from Leach, runs out in 2015 and Dachser is considering its options – either renew the lease at the current location or develop a new site in the area. There is no shortage of suitable space in the town. Currently, Dachser operates a fleet of 28 local distribution trucks,


eight tractors and 25-30 trailers at Rochdale, including some highly flexible double-deck examples, used for its work for the Palletline network. This is mainly domestic work for local postcodes but the option exists


to move traffic to


international hubs on the Dachser system.


TRANSSWIFT


Freight Services Ltd.


• Container consolidation+ deconsolidation • Dedicated service for freight forwarders • ERTS Registered • Delivery fleet of Trucks, Trailers + Vans


Units 9/10 Scotts Industrial Park Fishwick St Rochdale OL16 5NA


Tel:01706713844 www.transswift.com


await customs clearance. “There are some big operators with ERTS in this area, but we are one of the few that are neutral,” Pirouzan continues. The company runs a fleet of five


articulated trucks, with flat-bed, curtain-sided trailers,


two rigid trucks and two


box-vans, which also offer general haulage around the region – it all helps to keep vehicles filled. The company also has a waste transport licence. “Really, we will consider anything – our work is really varied.” The trucks range all over the


region, as far afield as Yorkshire. “There is still a lot of manufacturing in this area, especially in West Yorkshire” says Pirouzan. “Just as an example, the country’s largest maker of springs is in this area.” At the moment, the trucks are


based at a separate location in central Rochdale, where there is also an on-site maintenance base, which means that vehicles can be got back on the road quickly should they break down. The Castleton depot is a short leasehold, but there are plenty of alternative sites in the area, says Murchan. Ultimately, he would like to unify the container stuffing and truck operations on one site.


and high-volume


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