Jorley Trans teams up with TPN

Jorley Trans is the latest haulage company to link up with the Pallet Network in Ireland and the Limerick based firm is already reaping the benefits of the partnership.

Jorley Trans has invested in brand new trucks

Situated in Condrinagh Industrial Estate, Ennis Road, Limerick, Jorley Trans is ideally located to provide a service to its large customer base in the county and surrounding areas.
Company MD is Robert Riordan and he spoke to Irish Trucker about the background of the business, while he also gave his thought on what he hoped the new venture would achieve.

“We were approached by the Pallet Network before Christmas 12 months ago with regards to joining them and after careful consideration I decided to give it a go and have been delighted with the outcome so far,” said Robert.
“The company has been in existence for the past ten years and was initially set up after I was made redundant from my last job. I decided to set up a courier service and built up the company from there. At first there was only one van on the road, but there are now nine trucks on the road as well as nine vans.”

Robert built up the business through word of mouth mainly and once people realised that he provided a reliable and efficient service, work became more plentiful.
“In this industry, it is imperative to deliver on time and ensure customer satisfaction, otherwise they will take their business elsewhere, it’s as simple as that. Fortunately, for us, most of our customers have been with us many years now, so we must be doing something right.”
Jorley Trans received the internationally recognised ISO:9001 for quality management systems when it joined TPN and the workload has increased for the company.

The company is available for any job

“I thought it would be quieter after Christmas, but that certainly has not been the case, especially with a few employees working full time on the TPN contract.
“There are seven people working full time while two of those are working nights to bring the loads down from Dublin for next day delivery.

In all, we have 25 employed here, which has increased a good bit over the last few years. The concept of the express pallet network will revolutionise the way transport companies operate in Ireland.
The Pallet Network Ireland was set up in June 2004. The Network now provides the best next day service available for pallets and parcel consignments across the 32 counties. With an integrated link to The Pallet Network in the UK we also provide a superb export and import service to and from the UK
The Pallet Network has over 1,500 vehicles, 95 warehouses and almost 3,000 staff employed by TPN in Ireland and the UK in the provision of our pallet delivery service.
The Irish Hub in Dublin comprises over 100,000 sq. ft. of purpose built warehousing and is strategically located close by Dublin docks, Dublin airport and the M50 motorway.

The system, with nearly 100 depots in Ireland and the UK, is controlled by the very latest electronic transport management systems that not only ensure delivery on time, every time, but also provides a prompt electronic proof of delivery to prove it.
Not only does the IT system provide the time of each delivery and the name of the person who signed for the pallets but also a scanned image of the signed delivery docket within a few hours of the delivery being completed.
The quality of the service is closely monitored and managed by a range of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) which clearly display precise information on all aspects of the service.

Office staff make life easier for the drivers

“TPN currently has 18 member companies throughout Ireland and handles at peak 1500 pallets per night. The new hub has the capacity to handle 3500 pallets every evening. It has enabled my company to match and better the service provided by the multinational freight companies.”
Robert has not forgotten his old customers and continues to provide a top quality service to them and he feels in this business it is important to be able to diversify.
“You don’t want to have all your eggs in the one basket, especially in this industry. There are so many overheads that it is essential to keep the trucks and vans on the roads as much as possible.”
In this regard Robert has worked hand-in-hand with Johnston Logistic over the last few years distributing Johnston’s freight in the Limerick area and growing in size as the quantity of freight been received from Johnston Logistics has grown.
In that regard, Robert keeps his fleet up to date and well maintained. His preferred types of trucks are MAN and Mercedes, which he finds the most reliable.

“Both those makes are reliable and that is important. I like to keep the fleet fairly fresh, most of the trucks are 05 and will be changed this year. For servicing, they all go back to the dealer as they are still under warranty, while I look after the smaller jobs myself.
“We have been dealing with Dennehy Commercials for the past few years and find them very good. They provide an excellent after sales service.”
Jorley Trans has certainly made huge strides in the past ten years since being established, but Robert feels that although not ruling out further expansion, he is happy with his lot for the time being.
“Working with the Pallet Network was a big move for us and one that we’re delighted to be involved in. We have expanded a good bit in the last year. There are no plans to expand further, but you never know what’s around the corner,” concluded Robert.