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.