Writing tomorrow’s history
Document Actions
E&N Ritchie has never been one of the largest hauliers in the North East of England and even today, its road-going general haulage fleet is only 12 strong. But what lifts the company head and shoulders above many others in the region – and even in the RHA – is its history, going back to 1898. It started with a dream of great grandfather Ralph Ritchie and it was his two sons – Ernest and Norman – who saw that dream through two world wars, all sorts of recessions and strikes – and of course the late 1940s phase of nationalisation – to establish E&N Ritchie as a pillar of the County Durham business scene.
The business passed to Ernest’s son Colin in the early 1970s and since his premature death – in 1990 – his two sons, Stuart and Alastair, have kept things going.
Backup
‘Our history has taught us some painful lessons,’ Stuart says. ‘I suppose the decisions that both Alastair and I come to are affected by our experiences. But those decisions and our business plans fit the 21st century – not the 19th century.’
Back in those early days, transport was generally unregulated but once the 1933 Road Traffic Act came into force, the Ritchies knew what they should do. ‘My grandfather joined the RHA for the same reason we have kept up membership,’ Stuart says. ‘Being part of a recognised national organisation gives you a voice – especially in government matters – but it is also appreciated that at the end of a phone there is always someone who can help with all manner of advice. Even the RHA website is very user friendly and we find it translates difficult regulations into understandable English.
‘We make big use of the RHA shop – I know you could buy things like tacho cards elsewhere but we would rather support the RHA in buying sundries like this, especially if you want their support back.’
The Ritchies say they have documents that show they joined the RHA on November 29, 1933 – 12 years before the organisation reckons it started! – when the enrolment fee was £4.10s (£4.50). Back in ’33, the Ritchie business covered all manner of tasks – and that’s still the case today. Asked to give a job description of their activities, Stuart listed general haulage; contract haulage; contract and spot hire (including van hire); warehousing; bulk break distribution; repackaging; vehicle engineering; and third party service contracts. Yes, all that comes out of a 12-strong fleet, although there are another dozen vehicles on the hire operation. ‘Being so small means you can react very quickly to a customer’s demands,’ Stuart says.
Training
The company buys its trucks – ‘they are a tangible asset,’ the brothers reckon – but for the past 15 years or so it has leased its semi-trailers. ‘The regulations affecting trailer lengths, axle loadings and spacings have changed so much, we decided the leasing companies could carry the headache of keeping the trailers up to date,’ Stuart says. ‘But I cannot see us going any higher than 44 tonnes, so it may be time to start buying again.’
One aspect in which the Ritchies have had to turn back the clock relates to training: ‘We used to run an apprentice scheme in the garage,’ Stuart says. ‘It lapsed but we have realised that with good staff being in short supply, we should bring in young people and train them up.’
Training is perhaps all the more important because the Ritchies’ operation is relatively small and, like every other company, staff retention can also be a headache.
But there is an even bigger moan among the drivers. ‘I think the biggest complaint we have from our long-distance drivers relates to parking,’ Stuart says. ‘I do not think the public fully appreciates truck drivers’ problems in that domain and many towns do not seem to have any parking places. So far as secure parking is concerned, it can be a joke in some regions. I would like to see the RHA champion this sort of cause.’
We said at the start of this feature that Stuart and Alastair were more interested in where the company was going than where it had been – but there are no prizes for guessing what they do for pleasure. They wheel out one or more of their assorted vintage/classic steam/diesel-powered collection and take it for a run. Yes, they may have been running since 1898 but E&N Ritchie never seem to tire of this aspect of the job.
