Merry Christmas
Wishing all our clients and customers a
A very Happy Christmas
and a
Prosperous New Year
Happy Christmas
- 07798 505152
- ticks1@btinternet.com
- Mon - Fri: 9:00 - 16:30
Getting ready for Christmas?
Getting ready for Christmas?
Did you know that our self-storage facilities are accessible to you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year?
That makes it easy if you are looking for somewhere to put the Christmas gifts!
In an age of smaller houses with less cupboard space, it is much more difficult to hide the Christmas presents from over-excited and impatient little ones.
It can be especially difficult if those gifts are large, such as that new bicycle your child has asked for.
What you can’t store
There are some items that for fire and other safety or hygiene reasons we cannot allow people to store in our units, for the sake of everyone who uses them.
They include:
Food and perishable goods unless they are securely packed. We don’t want to attract the interest of rats, mice or other organisms!
Birds, fish, animals and any other living creature.
Combustible or Flammable materials such as gas, paint, petrol, oil or cleaning solvents and compressed gases.
Explosives, firearms, weapons or ammunition.
Chemical, radioactive materials, biological agents, toxic waste, asbestos.
Any item which emits smells, odour or fumes.
Illegal substances, items or goods illegally obtained.
Storage for a short time can also be useful if you need to create space over the festive season for visiting friends and family. Just pack those ornaments and other stuff in boxes and put them in your self-store unit.
Why not call us to find out more about the costs, terms and conditions.
Self-storage to the rescue for winter and Christmas
Self-storage to the rescue for winter and Christmas
The size of the average new-build UK home has reduced dramatically over the years and with it the space available for storage.
It is the same story with gardens, and at this time of year, when the weather is becoming colder and wetter, you may want to put the garden furniture under cover and perhaps also the lawnmower and other equipment.
Self-storage is a convenient and affordable solution for both these problems.
It will also soon be Christmas and you may need a place to store gifts away from impatient young people in order not to spoil the surprise of a new bicycle or other large gift.
Christmas is also a time when it is traditional for families to visit so the run-up to the festive season is a good time to de-clutter the house.
Again, if you need to make space for visitors but have items you may not use everyday and don’t want to get rid of altogether, self-storage is a useful option.
It is secure, dry and accessible when you need it, so why not give us a call to find out more about the cost and terms?
Possible benefits to the Haulage industry after leaving the EU?
Possible benefits to the Haulage industry after leaving the EU?
It is not always possible for a haulage company to plan its work schedule ahead, so we need to be able to respond day by day to our customers’ needs.
Much of Ticks’ work is in collecting fresh food consignments from UK ports and delivering them quickly to our customers.
So the impact of any customs delays after Brexit is likely to be serious because if checks on consignments have to be carried out for every load, and this means waiting in queues then the supplies will be no longer fresh on delivery.
This is always assuming that the ports have the space and the extra manpower that will be needed to carry out the checks.
Then there is the issue of what to do about those “unaccompanied containers” which have been sealed and certificated at their origin and are then shipped across countries, loaded off trailers on one side of the Channel then onto a local haulier’s trailer on the other. This depends on all the countries through which the goods may have to pass accepting the same certification.
Registration of both trucks and drivers may also be affected, which may mean drivers not being to travel freely across borders.
However, these problems have all been well rehearsed by drivers, ports authorities and those bodies that represent the haulage industry, such as the RHA (Road Haulage Association) and the FTA (Freight Transport Association).
But is it possible there could be benefits for the Haulage Industry if it becomes more difficult to cross countries’ borders?
It may mean that European Haulage Companies will prefer not to send drivers all the way to the UK, resulting in increased business for UK-based hauliers picking up the goods and transporting them to their final destinations.
That may mean that there will be more job opportunities for UK citizens to join the haulage industry.
It may also mean that there will be fewer of the sometimes-huge continental trucks and trailers on UK roads, which may also bring improvements in traffic flows.
Obviously it is hard to predict what the consequences of Brexit will be without more detail on the final agreements, but given the expertise and responsiveness of the UK’s haulage industry and their ability to respond quickly to customer requirements, there may be more positive benefits than we are yet seeing discussed.
Safety and security is important in the haulage industry
Paying attention to safety and security is important in the haulage industry
Transporting goods is not simply about getting consignments to and from their destinations on time.
A HGV is a large, heavy and therefore potentially lethal vehicle if not driven carefully, so in addition to ensuring that consignments are securely looked after, we also have to be mindful of the safety and security of all those who are on the roads when we are and also during loading and unloading at the depots.
So our lorries are checked regularly and kept in good, roadworthy condition. We also check our drivers’ licenses every six months, to ensure they are permitted and safe to drive and not a danger to other road users.
All our drivers are also fully trained on fork lift trucks, an important consideration when they are unloading in busy yards.
When it comes to the security of consignments from other countries, all shipments must have a CRM contract. CMR stands for ‘Convention Relative au Contrat de Transport International de Marchandises par la Route’ it is the consignment note and it must specify the rights and obligations of all those involved: the shipper, the carrier and the addressee.
There are usually four copies of the CMR note, one of which travels with the consignment all the way to its destination and the information it must include is:
- the date and place at which the CMR note has been completed
- The name and address of sender, carrier(s) and consignee (the person to whom the goods are going)
- A description of the goods and their method of packing – this should be acceptable to both consignor and consignee (however, for security reasons, you do not always want the carrier to be able to identify valuable goods)
- the weight of the goods
- any charges related to the goods, such as customs duties or carriage charges
- instructions for customs and any other formalities such as dangerous goods information
In addition, we have to have special CMR insurance cover that enables us to carry cargo legally within European nations. While it is a legal requirement it also helps protect us in case of damage or loss or theft of the goods.
All in all we do everything we can to make sure that not only are the goods we’re transporting are safe but also the people involved.
Did you know there’s a National Lorry Week?
Did you know there’s a National Lorry Week?
This September marks the fourth year of an event that focuses on the haulage industry and in particular on the people who make sure we all get our food and other supplies on time.
Started by the Road Haulage Association (RHA) it runs this year from Saturday 15 September to Friday 21 September.
This year the RHA is encouraging members to visit schools, communities and colleges so that we can attract the next generation of workers into our industry because it has been estimated that by 2022 the industry will need to recruit 1.2 million more workers.
This includes not only drivers but also workshop technicians, warehouse operatives and management.
The Road Haulage Industry is the UK’s fifth largest sector, consisting of around 7,000 businesses, employing 2.5 million people and contributing an estimated £75 billion to the country’s economy.
According to the RHA Eighty-five per cent of everything we buy, eat, wear and use is moved by a UK-registered lorry.
You can visit the RHA website to find out about any events happening in your area and if you see us out and about on the road give us a wave or tweet #LoveTheLorry
Timing is crucial in freight transport
Timing is crucial in freight transport
It is not only the supermarkets that rely on prompt delivery of fresh fruit and veg, much of it from overseas.
Many manufacturers no longer keep supplies in warehouses and also operate a “just in time” system in their production processes that depends heavily on the regular and prompt delivery of components to keep their production lines flowing smoothly.
So it is important that as a freight business Ticks Haulage can stick to customers’ schedules, something we take pride in achieving, no matter what time of day (or night).
However, we rely heavily on the efficiency of the ports from which we collect consignments.
In our experience it is the smaller container terminals that seem to perform best, with Harwich topping the list of the ones we regularly visit.
The port handles 400 lorries and trailers every morning, which includes approximately 150-180 accompanied trailers (ie with drivers) and another 200-plus unaccompanied trailers.
This includes the fresh produce from Holland, where the produce is picked, packed and loaded for delivery, dispatched for us to collect from the port and deliver to the customer, then the trailer is returned to the port for transport back to Holland for a new load, and all of it accomplished within 24 hours.
Immingham is another port from which we regularly pick up loads and again works very efficiently, partly because not every lorry has to be checked by Customs and Excise as used to be the case pre-EU.
There is no time for any breakdowns and so we also depend heavily on decent roads and smooth flowing traffic. Most of the haulage work we do goes to the Midlands and North and in our experience the best road networks are around Birmingham. Deliveries in the South and around London, on the other hand, can be a headache. But we pride ourselves on always getting the job done on schedule.
In other news: the storage side of the business has been growing fast with increasing numbers of small businesses using the facilities to store stock. There has also been a lot of demand for the lorry loaded crane, particularly from building contractors, not only for lifting supplies onto the sites but also for shifting portable cabins and containers.
If you need either of these services do please call us. We’re happy to help you.
Did you know?
Did you know?
This month, we have some interesting facts about lorries and road haulage for you:
This September will be the fourth year of UK National Lorry Week. It will be from September 15-21 and it’s organised by the Road Haulage Association (RHA), with events all over the country. In America each September they have National Truck Drivers’ Appreciation week.
According to the RHA 80% of all goods transported by land in Gt Britain are moved directly by road, and cover 98% of all food, agriculture and consumer products. The rest are likely to need transport by lorry at some point in their journey.
That means that 85% of everything we buy, eat, wear and use is moved by a UK-registered lorry. The amount of beer carried by UK lorries in a year would be enough to fill Wembley stadium.
The industry employs 2.54 million people (equivalent to half of Sweden’s total population) and is the UK’s fifth largest industry, contributing £124 Billion in Gross Added Value to the economy. Not only that but each 44 tonner contributes around £60,000 a year in fuel duty and VAT.
13% of all road haulage workers are self employed and there are approximately 285,000 HGV drivers in the country. However, only 1.2% of them are female.
The first ever female driver to have a commercial truck driving license was an American woman called Lillie McGee Drennan, who got her licence in 1929.
Potholes, pollution and petrol
Car drivers regularly complain about the damage potholes on our roads can do to their car’s suspension. The RHA, has criticised the state of UK roads and says that 20% of them are five years away from being unusable. Imagine what that could do to the undercarriage of a lorry, when you consider the average HGV will cover around 2000 miles every week.
Recently, oil prices have shot up and most car owners will have noticed the difference. But did you know, diesel fuel costs approximately £1,000 per week per lorry?
However, in terms of pollution and emissions while overall car pollution has not changed much in 20 years, due to better design and technology modern lorries emit just t 5% of the pollutants they were responsible for 20 years ago.
What not to store in a storage container
Things you should never store in a storage container
Some weird and wonderful things have been found in storage containers in the USA, including a severed leg, and the remains of someone’s grandmother (thankfully in a coffin) and we’re sure our customers in the UK have more common sense!
However, we thought you would like a checklist of items to not put in storage, largely because to do so would be dangerous.
So here they are
Anything alive, or that will decay easily: No pets (obviously, although apparently some people have tried), but also fresh foods, including pet foods. They will decay and will inevitably attract rats and mice, or mould and bacteria, as they decay.
Hazardous materials: anything that has the potential to create substantial damage if opened or spilled is considered a hazardous material.
This includes chemicals, aerosol cans, acids, gases, gasoline, propane tanks, lamp or motor oils, pains, paint thinners, cleaners, pesticides, weed killers, car batteries, fireworks, alcohol and charcoal. They are all highly flammable and some can also be corrosive.
Similarly, do not store garden equipment, such as lawn mowers, that are petrol driven unless you have emptied the tank first.
The last thing you need is for any of your treasured storage items – or anyone else’s – to be destroyed by fire or by infestations.
We can always source a cabin
We can always source a cabin
As the weather improves demand for our storage containers begins to surge.
However, even if we are at full capacity, we can quickly get hold of another one so our customers are not left in the lurch, as happened recently when we received a phone call to book one on a Friday, and we were able to get one by the Saturday morning.
Demand at this time of year is mainly from construction companies as the work starts to increase with the better weather.
They are usually wanting secure buildings on site and we can supply them with mobile office-style cabins, all insulated and complete with windows and doors but with the added security of external shutters that can be closed when the buildings are not in use.
Later in the year, we expect more requests from schools in need of either additional classroom or office space.
For those who want to rent, rather than buy storage space, our minimum rental period is for three months.
The containers are kept on a secure site to ensure your valuables are safe. However, if, for example, you are moving to a new house and have a suitable space on your driveway, we can deliver the container unit for you to load yourself then take it back to our storage site until you are ready to put your furniture into your new home.
If you want to know more about our self-storage rental or about buying a secure container or cabin please do get in touch.