Laying the Foundations for The Future: Fleet, Talent & Sustainability: Adapting to the changing conditions of the transport sector, Martin Ryan Haulage continues to invest into both expanding upon and modernising its operations to ensure a future-proofed, streamlined, and efficient haulage solution.
Based out of Limerick, Ireland, Martin Ryan Haulage (also known as Martin Ryan & Sons) is a family-run and owned general haulage contractor with a tried and tested reputation for professionalism, reliability, and quality customer service. Over the years, the organisation has enjoyed exponential growth, with present operations including over 150 movements per day and undertaking over 7 million km of journeys per annum.
Founded by the late Martin Ryan all the way back in 1960, Martin Ryan Haulage has circa 65 years of industry experience backing up its name and has proven itself time and time again as a haulage partner that can truly be relied upon. Following the passing of Martin Ryan back in 1999, Martin Ryan Haulage is currently led by Martin Ryan’s three sons: Declan, Martin, and Brendan. We’ll take a closer look at the firm’s capabilities, structure, and aspirations for the future.
First looking at Martin Ryan Haulage’s capabilities, the company offers the complete spectrum of general haulage services, including: lowloader transport, waste transport, walking floor, truck-mounted deliveries, tanker transport, refrigerated transport, bulk tippers, container handling and storage, pick and pack services, and traditional warehousing and storage solutions. With such broad-reaching capabilities, Martin Ryan Haulage is able to offer cost-effective transport and storage solutions for just about any traditional requirement.
As for the firm’s operational structure and infrastructure, Martin Ryan Haulage operates an expansive fleet of over approximately 200 trailers, backed up by an operation team of circa 160 talented and experienced professionals, and a combined warehousing footprint (across its sites in Limerick and Tipperary) capable of storing up to approximately 16,000 pallets. Continued investments into this infrastructure have allowed for the firm to ensure a modern logistics operation, specifically through recent investments into on-site workshop facilities to enable greater control over vehicle up-time, maintenance, and compliance.
Aside from the investments made into its infrastructure, Martin Ryan Haulage rests considerable emphasis on investment back into its operational teams as a means of strengthening its core distinction: quality customer service and flexibility towards customer requirements. Thanks to this continued investment and the development of a powerful family ethos within the firm, they’ve been able to not only maintain but grow its talent network from what was a small team (16 operatives back in 2000) up to an enormous operational network (circa 160 today); and yet, while the firm has been successful in this endeavour, it also proves to be one of the greatest challenges facing the firm today.
We spoke with Brendan Ryan himself to gain a better understanding of the challenges facing Martin Ryan Haulage and similar transport firms. Focusing on the issue of talent within the marketplace, Brendan stressed that, while the firm has been incredibly successful in building its own talent base to-date, the industry is increasingly facing prominent talent shortages as a result of the industry’s ageing workforce and the many barriers to entry in terms of improving the talent pipeline. In particular, Brendan emphasised the need for greater simplicity and consolidation in the training and qualification of new drivers as a means to both attract new talent and make the field more accessible to young, aspiring, professionals.
Alongside delivering a quality service, they’re also committed to mitigating its environmental impact and in ensuring that its operations are as sustainable as can be. To-date, this has seen the firm invest into rainwater harvesting and solar PV on-site, as well as a 25 acre forest to help counteract some of the emissions inherent to haulage operations. In terms of the fleet, the firm has been actively investing and updating all of its vehicles to the current Euro 6 standard, with preparations already being made to begin the transition to the Euro 7 standard as and when it is introduced later this year.
As for the future, Martin Ryan Haulage aims to balance environmental improvements with efforts to streamline operations from a cost-efficiency perspective as a means of driving operational efficiencies, enhancing the strengths of its service, future-proofing the business, and in ensuring a healthy profit margin as the firm continues to grow. To achieve this, the firm is keen to encourage wider support from both the industry and from government-backed schemes to ramp up funding and investment opportunities which can enable a green, sustainable future for the transport sector.
Transport & Logistics – Driving The Industry Forward
