The Grange Courier Issue number No.12, spring 2009


Welcome Back!

 After a longer than usual break due to a major IT and website revamp, The Grange Courier returns to its usually twice yearly format in 2009. Additionally from an administration angle, our recent technology upgrade will allow us faster, more comprehensive controls and processes. Real time access for customers is one area under current investigation and we’re looking to roll out this ‘add on’ benefit at a later date. The fresh look to our company website is courtesy of web specialist, Douglas Hamilton who’s based at Lamlash on the Isle of Arran (www.pchasslefree.co.uk). I hope you like the new look and keep an eye on our site as it will be revised and updated at very regular intervals. Iain Mitchell

Pile ‘em high!

Last year we invested in high bay pallet racking for a large percentage of our 80,000 square feet of warehousing. Since completion the results have been spectacular and allowed us to maximise the potential of the total available space. To ensure quick and ready access to all stock held within the building, we’ve sourced specialist articulated high reach fork trucks and trained the operators to the required industry standards.

With twelve acres of depot to cover, our 2008 spring clean lasted into the summer and early autumn, but we reached our intended target by cutting down the amount of containers stored on the premises. Now by holding slightly reduced levels, we have the space to reorganise our truck and trailer parking, allowing quicker changeovers and safer internal traffic movements. As well as the yard seeming larger and keeping the workplace in optimum mode, the freed up space also permits extra business opportunities, offering instant storage volumes for any unforeseen or urgent client work.

One substantial new feature in our property has been attracting more than a few glances as its located just inside the main gate, opposite the main administration offices. Our new working at height gantry is, to coin a popular phrase, ‘made in Scotland from girders’ and allows staff to work safely on top of tankers, containers and trailers whilst attached to a fall arresting body harness. Since its construction this apparatus has been well used and its function gives everyone extra peace of mind.

 

This Job Requires a Lot of Bottle!

With climate change and the environment taking centre stage in everything we now do and produce, one of our regular contracts makes very ‘green reading’ indeed.

Stirling based, Superglass Insulation take delivery of hundreds and tons of cullet (that’s granulated, recycled glass) every week, via our tankers who transport the product from the Viridor sorting plant in Midlothian. The glass granules are then manufactured into loft insulation for houses, saving even more energy! This clever process is a great example of 21 st century joined up thinking, which will undoubtedly help to slow down use of the planet’s dwindling resources.

 

 

 Rear View Mirror

The number thirteen is lucky for some and certainly back in 1988 this line up of our prime mover tractor units did indeed total the superstitious number. The impressive gathering was assembled for a publicity photograph down at Grangemouth docks and the line up consists of British built C and E series ERF trucks, which then formed the backbone of the John Mitchell haulage fleet. Two decades ago our headquarters site at Earls Road amounted then to just three acres in total and was literally bursting at the seams with stored containers, thirty odd vehicles with trailers and last but not least a mighty new Caterpillar forklift which could easily handle the heaviest of these loaded boxes with ease. Elsewhere in the world in that year, international terrorism touched Scotland for the first time, when an explosive device brought down Pan AM flight 103 onto the town of Lockerbie claiming over 260 lives. On a brighter note, breakfast television launched the careers of a certain married couple named Richard and Judy. Barbour jackets, previously worn only in the country, came ‘de rigueur’ in towns and cities. ‘And finally,’ we all spared a thought for newsreader, Sue Lawley who was attacked live on air by lesbian protestors and thankfully escaped physically unscathed!

Open Days are now the way!

Having noticed a large increase in transport enthusiasts visiting our depot who ‘spot’ and photograph our lorries, January 1 st 2008 saw a change in the company insurance policy conditions, which together with increased health and safety regulations, meant that casual visits by these aforementioned parties would no longer be possible. To offset these conditions we held two open mornings during last year where enthusiasts were welcomed between the hours of 9am and 12 noon. After signing in, pre printed safety sheets and fleet list information was made available for visitors, alongside a free entry raffle prize draw.

As a result of the very positive feedback received on our open events, we intend to run the same format this year. If you are interested in visiting our premises, the dates for your diary are Saturdays, 11 th April (Easter weekend) and 1st August (Truckfest Scotland weekend). Please note that there will be no exceptions for entry on any other day and these dates are not negotiable.

 

We’re Always in Training!

In this issue we turn the special feature spotlight on the important subject of training and how it underpins every operation in the modern road haulage business.

Over the last 53 years our business has continually evolved and expanded, along with our commitment to training and the pivotal place it takes in our everyday operation. In the old days skills were usually learnt by shadowing ‘The Gaffer’, but nowadays all our training is delivered in accredited modules. All staff are trained in their respective roles and career progression is actively encouraged from day one of any individual coming on board. Our training plans are subject to review at regular Company Communication Group meetings, with this gathering consisting of a cross section of staff from all the John Mitchell business areas. We also enjoy regular contact with outside training bodies and industry associations who help us to prepare for forthcoming changes in regulations and legislation, such as the recent working time directive and digital tachographs. Both of these recent issues were organised and executed well in advance by our teams and we ‘hit the ground running’ with systems run, checked and audited prior to the official mandatory start dates. Extensive monitoring and self testing of our training procedures ensures we meet and often as not exceed target dates for planned implementation of new courses.

People are our best investment and we work hard to maintain our presence and reputation in our locale and our ongoing commitment in offering individuals their own, tailored career personal progression development plan, ensures we’ve never had any recruitment issues. Communication is of course a two way street and we actively seek feedback from existing and recently employed staff completing learning sessions to ensure full understanding and compliance of the said subject, usually 3-4 weeks after the respective course. All of our team in one way or another are customer facing, so each represents the front line of John Mitchell when in daily contact with our clients. We readily acknowledge that sometimes this responsibility is not without its challenges and occasional pressures, so to help our valued people to perform at their best; we actively promote and monitor work / life balance.

Two years ago over a planned 3 month period, our driver trainer put all our road going staff through the government approved half day, Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving (SAFED) course. The results were remarkable. Utilising our Telematics systems which are fitted to every Mitchell vehicle, we were able to establish fuel consumption improvements ranging from 10 to 29 % between the first and second drives (untrained then trained.) The overall average reduction in diesel usage was a very welcome 12.65%. Driver acceptance to the course was generally very good and since then we have also observed a considerable reduction in insurance claims and vehicle downtime. This superb example of ongoing education enforces our long held circular view that investment in training always generates business, which in turn allows us to offer greater learning opportunities to our staff and so on. Looking ahead we are already setting implementation schedules for the driver based certificate of professional competence (CPC) certificate which becomes law in early 2009.

New Fleet Arrivals are all White!

2008 was an extremely busy year for new trucks and trailers with a large batch of new commercial vehicles joining our operation. Version two of MAN’S Telematics vehicle data transfer system is now standard across the fleet and this will allow us unprecedented technological opportunities to communicate and integrate this information with our office based IT software, all of which will ultimately benefit our customers. Trailer wise, forty two Dennison sliding skeletals, half a dozen Schmitz curtainsiders and various tankers and ISO demounts were all put to immediate use once delivered, enabling us to run one of the most modern fleets in the country. One striking feature of the new trucks is their redesigned white based livery, which complemented by maroon graphics gives the fleet a radical new look. The main reason for change was the substantial, ever increasing cost of painting the previous colours. Our MD Iain Mitchell explains, ‘We are a traditional operator and have been very, very proud of our livery but what it was costing us was getting beyond what we could absorb. Customers ultimately want vehicles legal and on time and obviously as clean and tidy as possible.’ To date the response to our new coat of colours has been entirely positive.

 

Media Matters

The haulage industry magazines, in the shape of Motor Transport and Scotland’s Transport News were both quick to pick up on our previously mentioned new colour scheme and ran quoted complementary articles on the subject. The Mainstream weekly publication Commercial Motor, widely regarded as the haulier’s bible, recently featured an in-depth, three page interview our MD Iain, in recognition of his 19 years at the helm of the John Mitchell operation.

Across in the World Wide Web, we’ve enjoyed some interesting coverage via the network of enthusiast’s sites, which seem to spot and photograph our trucks at every corner across the country.

Back in November at the annual Transport News Scottish Rewards (the road haulage Oscars, north of the border) our managing director, Iain Mitchell was presented with the Scottish Road Haulage Personality of the Year 2009 prize, in front of a packed house of 610 invited guests. Iain is pictured being congratulated on his achievement by Transport News’ features editor, John Henderson.

Miniature Masterpieces!

Model makers Corgi have recently produced a duo of replicas in John Mitchell colours which should be of interest to collectors across Scotland. Firstly in their 1; 76 scale Roadscene range, a Mercedes Benz Actros tractor unit and curtainside trailer representing ‘Grange Corgi’ our specially commissioned truck to mark both the model maker’s and our 50 th anniversaries.

Up in the larger Hauliers of Renown 1; 50 scale another celebratory vehicle is reproduced this time in the shape of MAN tractor and fleet number 250, Highland Cathedral. This truck with its special ‘50 th’ overlaid graphics is coupled to one of our white Feldbinder bulk tanks and the contrasting colours have reproduced to great effect.

 

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 newsdesk@johnmitchell.co.uk