When small can be beautiful

Gregory Transport Ltd., based in Rathnew, Co. Wicklow, was established in 1993. Running a fleet of just four trucks and eight trailers, the company has proved that small can be beautiful in today’s ultra competitive transport sector. Co-founder Brendan Gregory spoke to Irish Trucker. .It was no surprise when Brendan and wife Tracey established Gregory Transport Ltd., eight years ago. It was in the blood - Brendan’s father had been a driver before him. Brendan revealed: “my father always drove trucks so I got it from there. I drove for a number of firms in the area. I got fed up working for others so I went out on my own. It was something I always wanted to do.”

The company is contracted to Irish Fertilizer Industries drawing bulk and bagged fertilizer, Wicklow Corn Company drawing corn and coal and to SM Morris drawing sand, gravel and tarmac as well as a number of other companies in the vicinity. The order books are brimful to overflowing.

Brendan readily admits that it is practically a seven day week profession although there is room for expansion. “I’m running four trucks, I’m on the road fulltime and I do all the maintenance. There is a limit to how much you can do. There is room for expansion but it would mean I would have to come off the road. We are looking at adding another truck or two though.”

He revealed there are growth opportunities in both general and construction haulage with both existing and potential new clients and he hopes to purchase another artic and tipper this year. Brendan believes there is particular scope for growth in construction haulage. In many respects he is bucking the local trend. “It doesn’t seem to be working for some people and a number have gone out of business. I put a big effort into it. I do my own maintenance and I have no office staff. It is a family run business. What I spend on outside maintenance would be very little. Our overheads would be small in comparison to some people. We are running a nice tight ship.”

The move will necessitate employing three additional drivers. Despite a national driver shortage the hard working haulier doesn’t anticipate problems in recruiting additional staff. “I haven’t had that problem. Some of the lads have been with me for four years and they are really very good all round. I am very lucky in that respect. It is a matter of getting the right type of person. I would rather leave a lorry idle than put the wrong person out on the road. It would cost less in the long run to leave the truck idle.”

Currently Brendan runs the logistics of the business with the aid of his trusty mobile phone from the cab of his truck. However the planned expansion will mean Brendan will forsake the freedom of the open road to concentrate on maintenance, logistics and general transport management.

Tracey has been involved in the daily running of the company since day one looking after accounts, administration and the thankless task of chasing debtors. It is a point that hasn’t gone unnoticed with Brendan. “When you are out on the road, it is good to know you have somebody in the office that knows what is going on,” Brendan enthused.

Over the years Brendan has built up a reputation for offering a quality service to his customers. It is one of the cornerstones of the operation. He revealed: “I give a good service to all my customers big and small. That means if a customer wants something delivered at a certain time, it has to be there at that time. You have to be as good as your word.”

In the early days, anxious to please all of his customers all of the time, Brendan was afraid to refuse work for fear of losing customers and invariably he had to let somebody down. He recalled “I used to take on too much work and then I wasn’t able to do it. I learned the lesson the hard way. If you are too busy I find it better to say you can’t do the work at the time it is wanted.. The customer will respect you for it. If you adopt the right attitude with everyone it works well.”

At present Brendan runs three 1995 Scania 113’s bought off McElvaney Motors in Dublin and a Hino FY tipper which he bought two years ago. He is hoping to up grade next year and depending on the trade-in values he may buy new. Covering the 32 counties, Brendan is impressed with the reliability of his second hand fleet but ideally he would like to be running brand new plant. “It is all to do with your budget. Anybody can go and buy a new truck in the morning but paying for it is another question. The way I look at it is I have two truck for the price of one. It takes time to build it up. However, if I get a good trade-in the next time round I may buy new,” he added.

Away from the hustle and bustle of the haulage industry Brendan likes nothing better than watching Rathnew, his local gaelic football club play. Indeed the company’s trucks are sprayed in the Rathnew colours of red and green. He admits he never actually played for the club - he could never find the time. He was too busy working towards buying his first truck and going out on his own. It is a decision he has never regretted.

“At the moment I’m going well and I enjoy the business. The fact that I enjoy the business is the biggest part of it.”