Simon Barker may have only been with Magnus Group Ltd since November 2020 but he is no stranger to the road haulage business. Simon grew up in the industry with his Dad having his own business. Having started in the industry as a driver, and still retaining his HGV licence, Simon understands the transport industry better than most. With over ten years of European experience and a licence to transport livestock, Simon holds an impressive CV which gives him a unique insight into the road haulage business.
Family Business
Simon is no stranger to working for a family business and enjoys the culture and approach. “I came in over a bank holiday weekend recently, and Olly [Magnus, CEO], turned up with a crate of beer for me. You don’t tend to get that personal appreciation in corporate organisations,” reflects Simon.
Daily Life
Simon lives in the Norfolk Broads, with his partner and two teenage daughters. He leaves home around 630 a.m. to get into the office by 730 a.m. After double-checking everything is on plan for that day, he looks at the next 24 hours allocating work and routes. Due to the reactive nature of the logistics business, he tends to work on the next 24 hours, whilst keeping an eye on the coming week to make sure there are no nasty surprises!!
Challenges
Simon now has a fleet of 26 vehicles with nine dedicated subcontractors to manage and plan. Very different from the fleet of 100 plus vehicles he was used to. “People out of the industry assume it is easier to plan with a smaller fleet but it’s actually more challenging and harder to manage”, explains Simon. “If something goes wrong, there is less scope and capacity to sort the issue out.”
Driver Shortage
The driver shortage issue is on the national news almost daily at the moment. When your role is planning and allocating routes for truck haulage, a driver shortage can be a serious issue. “It means that if someone is off sick, or having to isolate due to covid, it is harder to get agency cover,” says Simon. “The driver shortage isn’t as simple as looking at the salary. It can be about the working conditions, whether parking costs are reimbursed, or the availability of preferred routes.”
Approach
Simon believes in developing and nurturing great relationships with his clients. Simon believes in having excellent communication with his clients: “Things can go wrong with haulage but as long as you are honest and open with people, you can resolve any issue”, says Simon, “If you tell the truth, and keep people informed, it is easy to work together to resolve an issue”.
Aspiration
Simon is keen to build a robust career whilst achieving a work-life balance. He is determined to make his role at Magnus a success. “My role is evolving as new team members join and the business grows,” explains Simon, “I’m really excited to see how the next twelve months unfold.”
What you may not know about Simon….
First job – Simon’s first job was delivering The Mercury newspaper at Martlesham Heath. The only problem was he wasn’t quite old enough as he was only 12 at the time. He applied for the round in his Mum’s name to get over the fact he wasn’t yet 13.
First album – Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers. At 9 years old, what could be better than a cartoon bunny heading up a band!
First Music Concert – Simon volunteered to play the recorder at school thinking it would get him out of lessons. He then found out he would have to stand at the front of the class and play in front of everyone. Strangely enough, he was ill that day and missed school.
Magnus Group, a haulage, warehousing and freight forwarding logistics company, is based just outside Ipswich, Suffolk, ideally placed to serve the Port of Felixstowe with direct road links to the Midlands, the North and London. If you would like to know more about our warehousing, transport or global forwarding teams call us on +44 (0) 1473836600 or email on commercial@magnusgroup.com. We advertise our driver jobs on our company website: if you would like to join our team, follow our LinkedIn company page and check out our website.
Tags: Haulage, Haulier East Anglia, Ipswich Haulier, Pallet Distribution, Suffolk Haulier, Team Magnus, transport companies, Transportation, UK transport and haulage services in Ipswich
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