The Bartlett family has been running  haulage businesses in Coventry  for forty years. In fact Neil Bartlett celebrates 40 years in the tipper  business this year. Son Joe, wanting to move out of tippers and onto bigger  articulated vehicles 'having done his training with his Dad', is celebrating 20  years as a general haulier in 2008.

Joe has built up his business from one artic sharing the main site with  his father's tipper and bulk gravel and aggregates business on the outskirts of  Coventry.  His fleet now comprises 14 artics, 30  trailers, a mixture of bulkers, flats, curtainsiders and boxvans,  two sprinter vans and three 7.5 tonners. JJ  Bartlett is very much a general haulier with UK work representing 85% of the  business. International haulage makes up the remainder of the work.

"Coventry,  says Joe, is still as good base as there is plenty of work even though  manufacturing has declined locally.   Competition has increased over the years but we still have managed to  build the business."

Joe is no stranger to using Freight Exchanges. He has used them for  backloads in the past.  But has seen them  as very hit or miss!  Not so with Haulage  Exchange. Having seen it advertised and recommended by other members, he has  been a regular user for over a year.  Joe  uses Haulage Exchange mostly for backloads.   Joe and his traffic team find it very easy to use. "It is self  explanatory," adds Joe. "We can also talk to loads manager Luke Davies if we  have a problem. He even rings us with a load he thinks fits our profile of  work."  This relationship is very  important to the success of Haulage Exchange for JJ Bartlett.

Through this relationship JJ Bartlett has developed some good contacts  and they often ring in direct now.  Even  though backloads are the key focus Joe says if we have a job cancelled on us we  put the vehicle's availability on the site. The success rate of getting  backloads and placing traction on Haulage Exchange is very high for JJ Bartlett  and they see it as a major benefit to the business.

Joe is not looking to expand but manage the existing workload  effectively and run a 'tight ship'.  He  still works with his father, Neil.  Joe  has kept his offices in the same building as his Dad and moves all the  pre-packed and bagged aggregate for his father's business.  The strong family history looks even stronger  today as both businesses reach major milestones.

Download the JJ Bartletts case study (PDF)