26/08/10 Enhanced Scottish Service
Now you can help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint and save money at the same time!
Graylaw have this month introduced direct services to and from Scotland.
This is a great addition to our services as it gives us the opportunity to offer our customers the direct link with their end users in Scotland at very competitive rates and a next day delivery to the main city areas including Aberdeen and Inverness.
By cutting out the need to send Scottish pallets on an overnight round-trip via a hub in the Midlands we are not only reducing our combined carbon footprint saving valuable fuel resources but we are also helping to reduce traffic congestion, road pollution and the number of times the pallet is handled. Do your bit to protect the environment.
Think Scotland. Think “Green.” Think Graylaw!
18/08/10 New Express Vehicle
We have just increased our Express Vehicle fleet with a new IVECO 7.5t. van which at the moment is being logoed up with our Graylaw Express designs. Yet again this shows our testament to our ongoing vehicle replacement scheme and understanding the needs of our Express delivery customers.
1/08/2010 "Charity Rocks Festival"
Graylaw were lucky enough to be involved with a local charity, Twinkle House (multi-sensory studio) who held a "Charity Rocks Festival". Graylaw helped out with the loan of one of our taut liner trailers to use as a stage for the event as you can see in the pictures below. The festival was a huge success even with the awful English weather, people from the local area came together and managed to raise a fantastic £1215.00. The money raised will directly support sensory based sessions for children and young people with special and additional needs. The amount will help provide 48 supported sessions FREE to children and young people who need support.
www.twinklehouse.co.uk
Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
Graylaw are delighted to announce accreditation to the The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. - CILT(UK) - is the pre-eminent independent professional body for professionals associated with logistics, supply chains and all transport.
3/06/10 Isle of Man Fleet Enhancement
A continuation of our fleet enhancement has program has seen further additions to the fleet pictured below is our new 18t rigid refrigerated vehicle liveried in our 25th anniversary design. Graylaw remain the market leading carrier to the Isle of Man offering the only true door to door multi modal services for all cargo types ambient, temperature controlled, hazardous, parcels, groupage, part load and full loads, whatever your requirements we will deliver for you and your customers………
27/05/10 Soccer Aid 2010
Liz Hughes in Graylaw's Skelmersdale Customer Services has raised over £100 for Soccer Aid last weekend (22nd May). Liz took part in the largest indoor sponsored bike ride at the local Health Club in Skelmersdale. Liz would like to thank everybody for there support and sponsorship.
17/05/2010 Calls for industry to unite on fuel duty lobbying
Stobart Group chief executive Andrew Tinkler has called on the industry to work together and ensure that the new government understands the impact that the high level of fuel duty is having on the road transport industry.
Speaking shortly after the coalition government between the Conservative and Liberal Democrats was formed, Tinkler said it was up to the transport associations to make sure that the government knew the real-world impacts of high fuel costs.
"The industry as a whole has got to get together and really try to help the new government to understand the effects of duties on fuel," he said.
5/05/2010 Two new 18t. rigid fridges
We have just increased our Vehicle fleet with two new DAF 18t. dual evap' rigid's which at the moment are being logoed up with our new 25th anniversary designs. Yet again this shows our testament to our ongoing vehicle replacement and understanding the needs of our customers.
20/04/2010 Volcano causes chaos
The ash from the Icelandic volcano continues to disrupt aviation, but, as the restrictions on aircraft movements continue, airlines and forwarders are growing increasingly desperate to restart operations.
The disruption to UK and EU aviation from the Icelandic dust cloud will lead to shortages of product quite quickly for categories like fresh fruit and flowers and then into the pharmaceuticals and hi-tech areas based on limited stock in the chain. If this disruption lasts for another four or five days then there will be selective shortages.
Some flights are taking off and landing at Isle of Man Airport today (Tuesday 20th April).
However, there is uncertainty over how long the Island’s and UK airspace will stay open after a new volcanic ash cloud was reported to be making its way south from Iceland.
It was hoped that today would mark the start of a return to normality for services, after Isle of Man airspace was opened on Monday lunchtime and airspace in the UK started being opened up.
But after the volcano started erupting again, air traffic control body Nats released a statement saying: ‘The situation regarding the volcanic eruption in Iceland remains dynamic and the latest information from the Met Office shows that the situation today will continue to be variable.’
Some interesting facts about Eyjafjallajokull
> Eyjafjallajokull is situated in the south-west of Iceland, by the sea and covers around 40 square miles.
> The icecap of the Eyjafjallajokull glacier covers a volcano that’s 5465 feet (1666 m in height).
> The crater of the volcano measures 1.8 miles to 2.5 miles across (three to four kilometres).
> Before this year’s eruptions, the last time the volcano exploded was between 1821 and 1823. It also erupted in 920 and 1612.
> Between March third and fifth of this year there were nearly 3,000 earthquakes at the epicentre of the volcano. But most were too small to be of any concern, measuring two or less on the Richter scale. Though some were felt in nearby towns.
> The ash cloud from the volcano has reportedly reached a whopping 55000 feet (17000m) in height.
> The fissure of the current eruption is 500 metres long and is spewing 1,000 °C (1,832 °F) hot lava up to 150 metres into the air.
12/04/2010 UPN Pallet Network on the move
Graylaw's current UK pallet network United Pallet Network (UPN) has revealed it is relocating to Palletforce's old site in Staffordshire to cope with growing volumes.
UPN director Dave Brown says the firm has signed a five-and-a-half year lease from 1 April for the hub at Fradley Park, Lichfield.
"The new facility will allow 6,000 pallets compared to a maximum of around 3,500 pallets at Melton Mowbray. It's location is better suited for us and is more central.
The site was formerly occupied by Palletforce, which has now moved to a new site in Burton-on-Trent.
UPN has experienced continual volume growth, most recently reporting a 33% increase in March volumes compared to March 2009.
8/04/2010 New Truck and 25th Anniversary Logo
As you may be aware this year is Graylaw’s 25th anniversary with this event we have designed a new 25th anniversary logo to celebrate this event which has now been applied to one of our new DAF rigid units seen in the pictures below. Yet again another testament to Graylaw’s ongoing vehicle replacement scheme and understanding the needs of its customers and service levels.
30/03/2010 Disruption to ferry sailings
Gale Winds and Stormy Seas Force Service Alterations
Due to the bad weather forecast for today (30th March 2010) the Steam Packet have made some alterations to their service.
The current forecasts indicate some severe weather in the Irish Sea with gales up to force 9.
As it stands the sailing from Douglas to Liverpool has been rescheduled from 3.30pm to 12pm and the evening sailing from Liverpool to Douglas has also been rescheduled, this time from 7.30pm to 4 o clock for fastcraft Mannanan.
The freight services are yet to confirmed so please keep an eye here for upto date news.
23/03/2010 April Fuel duty increase!
UK hauliers are currently paying record prices for diesel fuel but, if the Chancellor goes ahead with his planned fuel duty increase of 2.5 pence per litre on April 1, it could mean the end of the road for many of them.Diesel is the commodity on which this industry is totally reliant, We are already paying fuel duty rates that are up to six times higher than our European counterparts.According to the Treasury, duty increases are an important part of the deficit reduction plan
The industry understands that in order to regain economic stability, certain sacrifices have to be made,. But it seems grossly unfair that the UK haulage industry, the one sector on which the rest of UK plc is so dependent, should be the one to have its throat cut in this way!
17/03/2010 Footy team take the strain for sick kids
Players and fans of a learning disability football team have come together to pull a Graylaw Freight truck for charity.
The Skem Men-Aces managed to pull the eight ton truck for an impressive 400 yards here at Graylaw on Sunday (14th March). Carl Eaton is the manager and organiser of the event who described the teamwork between players and fans as 'inspirational'. He said: "With both able bodied and disabled people coming and working together as one unit we have proven to everyone despite adversity, our group has a sense of pride and well being. "None of this would of been possible if it had not been for Harry Hill (Chief Executive) and his generous support to which the Men-Aces owe him a huge thank you. The truck pull came about out of a collaboration between the Men-Aces and Graylaw who are also sponsoring the team's kit for the coming season.
11/03/2010 Charity Skydive
Well done to Clint Gaskell who succesfully sky dived 14,000 feet at speeds of 140mph to raise money for the Quenns Court Hospice in Southport Lancashire. The jump was in memory of a great friend Frank McCormack Clint raised over £260.
01/03/2010 Ben-my-Chree to be out of action for three weeks
THE Ben-my-Chree will be out of service next month for its scheduled dry-docking and overhaul.
The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company vessel, mainstay of the low season routes to Heysham and Birkenhead, will be out of action between March 6 and March 26.
During this period the company's passenger services to and from the Island will be covered by the fastcraft Manannan, while the Clipper Ranger pictured below will provide the freight service.
20/01/2010 Driver's CPC
January saw the successful completion of the first module in our driver CPC training program. Performed in house the investment in our driving staff is invaluable in ensuring we have a dedicated work force working within industry guidelines and following 'Best Practice' principles. Already we have seen improvements in our efficiency.
06/01/2010 Snow!!!
01/01/2010 Welcome to 2010!
Happy New Year from everyone here at Graylaw we hope you all a great Christmas and New Year and look forward to dealing with you in 2010!
18/11/2009 Graylaw Freight Group's Customer Newsletter Autumn
Over the next few days the latest edition of our customer newsletter will arrive to all of our customers and partners. With a focus on the Channel Islands, Fuel efficiency and paperless invoicing it should prove informative and an interesting quick read.
You can find it in our "Downloads" section of the site.
17/11/2009 We want to know what you think about us
FREE CALENDAR. We would like to know what you think of our services here at Graylaw.
Please take some time to fill out our short questionnaire, and we will send you a free 2010 calendar
The form can be found here Here
01/09/2009 Fuel Duty Rise Comes into Effect
A two pence rise in fuel duty has come into effect, the third such increase in nine months. Stephen Glaister, director of road users' pressure group RAC Foundation, said the latest rise "will hit everybody hard". When VAT is included, the increase will actually total 2.3p. The average price of petrol across the UK is about 105p per litre. The government says the extra duty is needed to help fund public investment.
'Huge effect'
AA president Edmund King said the timing of the rise was "pretty dire", at a time when the UK economy was trying to exit recession.
Mr King said its members were already having to cut back on car journeys due to the high price of fuel, and that this would only increase following the latest rise, meaning the government's revenues will not actually rise.
The Petrol Retailers Association pointed out that the price of fuel would increase again when VAT increases from 15% to 17.5% at the end of the year.
"It would have been preferable for the government to defer this increase until 2010," its spokesman said.
Jo Tanner, director of communications at the Freight Transport Association (FTA), said existing high fuel prices were already having a "huge effect" on its members.
She said the freight transport sector had already seen its fuel bills rise by £800m since last December, at the same time as a 50% increase in insolvencies.
Richard George, a road and climate campaigner at the Campaign for Better Transport, said the government should be spending the duty increase on public transport, and not just putting it into the government's general budget.
"If the money was going into public transport, drivers would be better off as there would be less cars on the road, less congestion for them," he said.
04/06/2009 Graylaw Freight Group's Customer Newsletter Summer 2009
Over the next few days the latest edition of our customer newsletter will arrive to all of our customers and partners. With a focus on the Isle of Man TT races and exciting news about our software development it should prove informative and an interesting quick read.
You can find it in our "Downloads" section of the site.
04/06/2009 Take a walk on the wild side
Over the school holidays 3FM wants you to take a walk on the wild side.
Graylaw Freight Group have teamed up with 3FM to give away FREE family passes to the Curraghs Wild Life Park every single day!
Just tune in to win with the more music breakfast show and you could be partying with the penguins, laughing with the lemurs and having fun with the flamingos...
Give your cheeky monkeys something to do over the school holidays with a free family pass for 2 adults and 2 children BUT only if you listen to your radio.
Take a walk on the Wild Side to the Curraghs Wild Life Park with Graylaw Freight Group "The Market leaders to and from the Isle of Man" and the radio station that's the king of the jungle - 3FM!
01/06/2009 Isle of Man Steampacket's new vessel
The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’s new vessel Manannan has been hailed a success by passengers and a leading maritime author and shipping journalist.
From the moment she started service on the Douglas to Liverpool route on 22 May, Manannan has impressed passengers with her bright, spacious accommodation offering a variety of seating areas, including two cinema lounges, a large bar area at the stern and the Coast-to-Coast cafe that offers a wider selection of food options than on other Steam Packet Company fast craft.
January 09 Isle of Man Steampacket Blog 'A word with Woodward'
Exert taken from 20th January 2009
The Isle of Man Government regulates the fuel surcharges, by reference to the fluctuating costs incurred. We apply fuel surcharges in arrears, based on the actual costs incurred in the previous 6-month period, so there is a time lag before surcharges are increased or reduced. However, the level of surcharges will automatically and (most importantly), fairly reflect any sustained increase or reduction in fuel costs. We review the fuel surcharge in March and September each year. This means we are partially recovering high fuel prices incurred between March and September last year, only now in the 6–month period to March this year.
December 08 Graylaw Freeze Prices until 2010
Despite increases from the shipping companies in excess of 6%, we are holding your 2008 rates until 1st January 2010. May we take this opportunity to thank you for your custom, loyalty and support throughout 2008 and we look forward to working with you in 2009.
