John Mitchell Haulage & Warehousing

Welcome Back!

After a longer than usual break due to a major IT and website revamp, The Grange Courier returns to its regular twice yearly format. The spiralling cost of fuel remains a constant concern for us and the road transport industry in general at present, but we are continually looking for ways to get the best out of every last drop of diesel.
Running a modern fleet, with environmentally friendly Euro 4 and 5, low emission engines and our professional driver’ training scheme, named Profe’ Drive, are just two of a number of John Mitchell in-house initiatives, which are dedicated tocontinually delivering best value. Road haulage is by its nature a tough business, but I
feel we are continuing to maintain a measurable headway thanks to the support of all
our customers. Best regards, Iain Mitchell managing Director.
Fleet in Focus (With JM New Trailers jpg)

Since March 2010 around 32 new vehicles have joined our fleet. The majority of these have been replacements, with several extra trucks sourced for new work streams. All of these additions are from European manufacturer, MAN Trucks as currently their Euro 5 engines are arguably the most environmentally friendly available, requiring no Adblue urea additives. Service and back up levels from MAN’s Centre North UK dealerships are also second to none, whilst the trucks’ onboard telematics systems allow us to monitor their performance closely on a real time basis. We have also placed an order with Dennison Trailers for 44 tri axle, sliding skeletal types (used to carry different sized containers) and eight ‘Sloper’ 20 and 30 foot tank carrying trailers. These will be arriving in batches soon. This will ensure that the John Mitchell vehicle and trailer complement is one of the youngest and most up to date in the country. Our picture shows Iain Mitchell, right accepting the first batch of trailers from Dennison Trailers’ MD, James Dennison.

Depot Developments (With JM New Depot Space jpg)

During the summer we extended our Earls Road Industrial Estate site area by a further 50%, with the purchase of five acres of land adjacent to the depot’s southern perimeter. After the installation of security fencing, drainage and hard core surfacing, this valuable extra space has permitted us to reorganise container storage and trailer parking, whilst creating improved access to transhipping areas and warehouse areas. Our office and workshop buildings have not been forgotten either, with the former enjoying a makeover consisting of redecoration, together with replacement doors and wood flooring. Out in the workshop, we’ve fitted new heating and lighting systems, whilst treating both the external and internal perimeters to repainting or refinishing as required.

A Naming MANdate (With JM Air Cadets jpg)

The arrival of 14 MAN TGX tractor units at the end of 2010 literally took off, as Iain Mitchell, our managing director invited Grangemouth’s 1333 Squadron, Air Training Corps to name these new arrivals. The enthusiastic youngsters naturally came up with a range of flying related monikers to follow John Mitchell’s traditional ‘Grange’prefix such as, Dambuster, Glider and Airman. In a fitting tribute to their late leader, Sandy Calderwood who died early last year, the cadets also ensured one of the 440 horsepower trucks carried this much missed man’s surname.

The idea to involve the cadets came after we recently organised road transportation of a full sized, replica Mk 1 Spitfire aircraft from Norwich. This plane is currently in storage but will be located next to the old Grangemouth Aerodrome in spring and will form the centrepiece of a local memorial to Polish fighter pilots who were based at Grangemouth during the Second World War. The RAF base in the port town served as a major air centre until 1949 and was where pilots from all over Europe trained. It was strategically vital for the protection of the Forth Bridge and Rosyth Docks, which had a large Royal Naval presence. Our picture shows the cadets admiring their names on a visit to our base last November.

The Two Minute Interview (With JM Alister Kenny jpg)

Under the spotlight this month is Alister Kenny, our new driver trainer.

Briefly describe your job – Advising drivers on the best way to achieve the best safe, fuel efficient driving style, which can also gain a small bonus in their wage packets! I also conduct all new driver induction training programmes.

What's the most enjoyable part of your work? – People interaction. I enjoy meeting people.

Where is your favourite place / holiday destination? – Cyprus, the pace of life is ideal, whilst the weather and climate are a bonus.

What are your hobbies and interests? – Spending time with the family, motorsport and golf- when time permits.

What music are you listening to at the moment? – Adele: albums 19 & 21

What was the last film you saw at the cinema? – Insidious

What's the best book you've read in the last 12 months? – James Herbert, The Magic Cottage

What's your favourite TV programme? – Friends

If you won £100 million on the Euro millions lottery, what would you spend it on? – I’d build my dream home, buy an Audi RS6 and make sure my family were financially secure.

And finally, who would you most like to be stuck in a lift with? – Billy Connolly or Robin Williams

Rear View Mirror (With JM 1991 jpg)

This time around in our regular blast from the past spot, we look back 20 years ago to 1991. This fine brace of ERF tractor units, with their J prefixes, had just joined our operation and posed for a special picture at Grangemouth Docks. The truck on the far right carries another J registration, but is 21 years old as its letter is a suffix! This veteran was christened ‘Grange Earl,’ when it first entered service in 1970 and still carried out valuable local haulage work during our featured year. 1991 saw another first for John Mitchell when our company became the first transport company in Scotland to be awarded British Standards 5750 for road haulage and warehousing. Back then, we ran around 40 vehicles from our Earls Road HQ and a nearby site at Thornbridge. Elsewhere 20 years ago, Puffa jackets were all the rage in the fashion world, giving most folks that cuddly Michelin Man look, whilst Hannibal Lecter preferred Fava beans and a nice Chianti with his liver dinner in the famous film, Silence of the Lambs. In the music charts, Bryan Adams hogged the number one spot for 16 weeks, with his theme tune to the movie, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and finally Sonic the Hedgehog was the most popular game at Christmastime.

Open Days Look Set to Stay (With JM Truck Line jpg)

Back in January 2008, a change in the company insurance policy conditions, which together with increased health and safety regulations, meant that casual unannounced visits by transport enthusiast were no longer possible to accommodate. Our answer was to offer these groups two specific open mornings per year where they would be welcomed between the hours of 9am and 12 noon. The days are usually held on the Saturdays which fall during the Easter bank holiday weekend and the Truckfest Scotland event. After signing in, pre printed safety sheets and fleet list information are made available for visitors, alongside a free entry raffle prize draw. As a result of the very positive feedback received from our open events, we intend to run the same format for 2012. If you are interested in visiting our premises, the dates for your diary are Saturdays, 7th April (Easter weekend) and 4th August (Truckfest Scotland weekend). Please note that there will be no exceptions for entry on any other day and these dates are not negotiable.

Profe’ Drive (With JM Driving jpg)

Alister Kenny, our new driver trainer has begun rolling out our Professional Driver(Profe’ Drive) training. These learning skills are based on an MAN approved prospectus and focus on increased safety with improved economy. The course takes around seven hours and qualifies as a module towards the driver’s legally required Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) qualification. The day starts with an evaluation drive over a set route, where fuel consumption, journey time,driving techniques and vehicle control are all monitored by the trainer. Back at base, participants are then given the results of the first run and a comprehensive briefing on truck familiarisation. This helps to enhance fuel economy and achieve a less stressful driving style.Armed with all the theory and practical tuition, the driver repeats the same route and all the same statistics are recorded again. Following the latter run both trainer and driver compare and analyse the day’s statistics and the results of the second drive are always superior to those of the initial trip. MAN Truck & Bus advises us that an average 14% improvement is regularly achieved by attendees, with no apparent loss of journey times. Scotland’s variable weather and traffic conditions do of course impact on daily road operations, but we’re sure that our Profe’ Drive courses will deliver best value for John Mitchell and all its customers.

Media Matters (With JM Media jpg)

Back in February 2011, leading weekly transport publication Commercial Motor ran a four page article on John Mitchell Haulage and Warehousing. Entitled ‘Pride of Scotland,’ the positive and complementary report looked at how John Mitchell’s staff team tackled the atrocious winter weather of late 2010 and how our company is continuing to move forward in these economically challenging times.

Mitchells Graduate at Oxford (With JM Model Truck jpg)

Model makers Oxford Diecast recently produced a 1:76 scale replica of a John Mitchell MAN tractor unit and curtainside trailer. This is the first model to be released featuring our white and maroon colours and reports suggest it’s selling well. Part of Oxford Diecast’s ‘Haulage’ range, the mini masterpiece comes with a Perspex display case and retails for under £20. For more information log onto www.oxforddiecast.co.uk

Thank you for reading The Grange Courier and if you have any news or pictures that
would be suitable for our next issue, please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it