Stunning acquisitions

28/07/2017

Hastings Transport in Cavan )

To accommodate the continuous development of the business, Hastings Transport in Cavan have taken possession of two stunning new Volvos from Irish Commercials, Galway.

We dropped into their busy Crossdoney depot and touched base with founder / proprietor Arnold Hastings to find out more about this exceptional bulk haulage operator, which covers Ireland and the UK.

In January, 2017, Hastings Transport collected the keys to two stunning, brand-new, state-of-the-art, high-spec Volvo FHs from Irish Commercials’ Galway outlet.These magnificent units are fitted out with Hi-Power tipping gear, Volvo’s unique I-Park Cool system, Alcoa Durabrite alloys, fridges, Xenon headlamps and visibility pack, colour-coded skirts and wing tops, rear work lamps and rear cab LEDs.

The once-off perimeter light bars are from Beaumont Engineering. James from Beaumont created bars to fit the new Volvos which had never been made before.  A lot of time and effort went into these bars by James to ensure that they fitted perfectly.  These were of the highest standard and very professionally done. The eye-catching paint and graphics were handled by Fox Commercials. All in all, the latest additions to Hastings Transport’s excellent fleet of Volvos look absolutely fantastic and are a reflection of the exciting period of expansion currently being experienced by the outstanding family-run, Cavan-headquartered bulk haulage business, which specialises in delivering dry and wet woodchip to domestic and commercial premises as well as sawdust and woodchip to farmers for bedding cattle, and also bulk peat for Westland Horticulture  covering the island of Ireland as well as mainland UK.

Speaking of his decision to invest in the striking new FHs, owner Arnold Hastings –who has recently installed Martin ‘Cap’ Mulvey as his transport manager –explains: “I used to change them every two years and we’d normally buy one-year-old trucks. But I met up with Paul ÓCeallaigh in Irish Commercials and had a chat with him. I was considering buying one but I ended up taking two from him because we got such a good deal. I honestly can’t commend him enough for the deal we got and the time and effort Paul put in to ensure the trucks were finished to how we wanted them.

“They’re fantastic and we couldn’t be happier with them. We went over the top with them in terms of extras and Martin put an awful lot of time and effort into making sure that they looked so good. He’s big into truck shows and Irish Commercials are putting these two into their display at Full of the Pipe in Punchestown this year because they have such a fantastic finish. We used to run a blue fleet and then went to white and now we’re back to this new shade of blue.”

Arnold and Martin are the two lucky men behind the wheels of the new trucks on a daily basis. “We mostly cover Ireland north and south as well as the odd run out to the UK with woodchip,”the former adds. “We’re running two walking floors behind the new ones –one of them is brand new and the other is three years old.”

Arnold oversees day-to-day operations alongside his wife, Martina, and son, Lloyd. The couple also have a daughter, Louise. The popular and experienced Martin Mulvey –a well-known face on the truck show circuit around the country and further afield - has been a huge asset to the business since joining as TM in 2016.

“He’s well known and his passion and enthusiasm for trucks are boundless,”says Arnold. “He puts everything into looking after the lorries. His son, Dwayne, keeps them polished and washed and looking like new and between the two of them, they have a great passion and interest. They put an unbelievable amount of time and work into the upkeep of the two new trucks and the walking floors.”A

large volume of Hastings Transport’s work is for nearby McHugh Timber Products, who supply fencing posts, post and rail timber, creosote posts and all related fencing accessories. They also draw woodchip into the Bord na Mona Power Plant in Edenderry, County Offaly and Masonite in Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim. Other customers include Westland Horticulture, who were one of the first customers when the business started back in 1994.  Westland manufacturers and supplies growing media products to the gardening sector in Ireland, UK and Europe.  Ballyboyland Biomass is one of the new customers which the business has recently commenced work for. 

Arnold established the business in 1994 and is content to run a small and tidy operation. Regarding the secret of the company’s success, he states: “Once you have good clientele and are working for good companies, that’s half the battle. For example, I’ve been with McHugh Timber Products from the beginning. They’re neighbours of mine and we have grown hand in hand. They’re one of the biggest post manufacturers in Ireland now and we’re very happy to maintain a strong relationship with them. We provide the best possible service – and this is where the two new trucks come in.

“The new lorries are very economical and we are up one mile to the gallon compared to the old FHs, which makes up a little bit for the recent rise in fuel prices. We keep the fleet in top running order at all times to ensure a premium service. Robbie Malone from Interparts in Cavan has worked with us for many years repairing and testing to ensure that all trailers were kept to a high standard.  Gary Montgomery of GM Commercials in Dungannon along with Kieran O’Reilly Moontnugent, Co Cavan looks after some repairs and servicing for us and we leave no stone unturned to make sure that all the trucks and trailers are in perfect condition.”

And what better way to do this than to invest in a couple of new stunners!

Hastings Transport,
Crossdoney,
County Cavan.

Tel: 087 2600620

Taken from Irish Trucker & Light Commercials magazine, Vol 20 No 2, March/April 2017