The Haulage Companies Making Specialisation Work

Rhys Hackling, MD of Direct Connect Logisitcs (DCL) says that joining Haulage Exchange is the not so well kept secret of specialising without having to limit yourself to a restricted clientele.

DCL’s Story

DCL saw a gap in the market for a haulage firm that specialised in 7.5 tonne vehicles. They noticed that many haulage companies worked exclusively with huge vans and lorries and didn’t want to compete in a saturated market.

Even though the company benefited from rapid growth, it quickly became clear that a real drawback of specialising in 7.5 tonne vehicles was the fact that not many haulage companies required that type of vehicle regularly.

However, from their very first day in business, DCL was a member of Haulage Exchange and before long the business became well-known industry wide as the go-to firm for 7.5 tonners.

Rhys continues: "Our customers are 90% 7.5 tonne work. In fact at this stage, 80% of work comes from other people, with 85 per cent of that provided by the Exchange. It’s an incredible system, it works so brilliantly. I’ve been astounded". Through DCL’s use of Haulage Exchange they have managed to specialise in 7.5 tonne transport without restricting the range of clients they have access to.

The Other Side of the Coin

Although Haulage Exchange can generate business for his firm, Rhys is also a fan of how useful Haulage Exchange is for providing alternative solutions to his own regular clients when he hasn’t got the time or vehicle capacity to carry out the jobs himself.

He explains just how diverse the industry is, and how other haulage companies can offer you support when you need an extra driver or a refrigerated lorry, and he says that the Exchange is the perfect way to go about finding them.

This is why haulage companies who use Haulage Exchange think it’s so special: not only does it promote members who operate within this niche market, but it also gives them the scope to be as versatile as companies with a much more broad set of service offerings.

Furthermore, Haulage Exchange gives its members the ability to accommodate their clients’ needs while at the same time ensuring that they can maximise their capacity by having access to enough work. That means they can specialise without the risk of restricting their client base, as they can fill excess capacity as and when necessary.

DCL has said that Haulage Exchange gave them the perfect start, helping them with their specialisation and giving them the tools to really go somewhere with their business.

Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching haulage companies with jobs in road transport and haulage work. Over 4,000 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.