Haulage – Did you know that……

8th March, 2021

Where it all started

Since the start of civilisation, man has had to move items from one place to another. We can see the origins of road haulage back in the 1500s in England. The word “lorry” originates from “lurry” meaning to pull or tug. The first motor truck as we know it now was built in 1896, in Germany. It was the first pick-up truck. The first articulated lorries were trailers or carts pulled by tractors.

Due to the coastal location, and strong road links to London, East Anglia has always been a strong base for road haulage companies. Suffolk is ideally located to take goods from the port (Felixstowe) to the rest of the country.  If you are interested in the history of transport,  the Ipswich Transport Museum, founded in 1965, holds over 100 vehicles including commercial vehicles, such is the established relationship between the area and transport.

Facts and Figures

Road haulage, that is the movement of items by road, is a vital part of the economy and our way of life. The sector is the UK’s fifth-largest employer with 500,000 commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes being registered.  To illustrate the size of the industry the Road Haulage Association notes:

  • 89% of all goods transported by land in Great Britain are moved by road haulage
  • 98% of all food and agricultural products in Great Britain are transported by road haulage
  • 98% of all consumer products and machinery in Great Britain are transported by road haulage

Today the industry operates within strict legal requirements, regulated licensing and is safety-focused.  Customer service excellence is vital with the flexibility to respond to fluctuating customer demand.

Modern lorries are quiet and efficient. Environmental impact is always being considered when planning routes and moving loads.

Road conditions can vary with congestion, weather and accidents. Delivering goods on-time, and safely is paramount.  All drivers have their favourite roads, routes and customers to deliver to – as well as their least favourite.

Road facts

Did you know the A1 is the longest road in the UK? At 396 miles it takes you from London to Edinburgh. The M6 is the longest motorway, at 236 miles, beating the M1 by 36 miles. Despite the name, it is the oldest motorway in the country as well as the longest, providing an invaluable link along the north-west of the country. And rarely a day goes by when a Brit doesn’t comment on the traffic! The most congested road is the A406 in West London. Enough said!

Why Suffolk Haulage?

We are lucky in Suffolk to be able to access the A12 and A14 easily taking us down to London, across to the Midland and up to the North.

Road haulage is vital to the UK economy. Employing over 2.5 million people and worth £124 billion. It is an industry that can provide a career for everyone – and more people are always needed.

Why Magnus Group?

Paul Magnus Transport was established in the 1970s evolving into the Magnus Group in the 1990s. We have been providing reliable haulage services for nearly 50 years.  We offer full trailer loads, part load distribution, container and European trailer haulage giving you the flexibility you need. With 225,000 square feet of state-of-the-art warehousing, with 20,000 racked spaces, we can manage your warehousing and storage needs, freight forwarding and pallet distribution as well as road haulage.

We pride ourselves on being a family business with a team of industry experts heading up each division. We aim to provide transparent, excellent customer service, working in partnership with our clients. Our long-standing relationships, several over 16 years, reflects our ability to support our clients. We would love to invite you to have a look around our site, based at Great Blakenham, just outside Ipswich, and discuss how we can work together. If you would like to learn more or have a chat, please call us on +44 (0) 1473836600 or email Commercial@magnusgroup.com.

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Categorised in: