All posts by TadhgC

Uncategorized

Exciting Developments for Independent Express Cargo

Dear Customer,

There has been exciting developments recently for Independent Express Cargo Ltd as the Company has merged with Connect Logistics. Independent Express Cargo and Connect Logistics have been leading companies in the freight and logistics industry for some years now. This merger will bring positive changes for everyone. It will make the Company stronger and more competitive in the market and the increased resources will ensure we are more capable of providing a quality customer service.

The Connect Logistics name will be reflected on all stationary, invoices, statements etc and will be a trading name of Independent Express Cargo Ltd. We assure you all your records will remain properly maintained, organised and secure.

The Independent Express Cargo team remain as is and continue to be your point of contact for day to day queries and support.

We are looking forward to the numerous benefits from this merger. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call or email. We greatly appreciate your business and continued support.

Kind regards,

Eamon Sullivan

Chief Executive

Independent Express Cargo Ltd / Connect Logistics

IEC News, Service Alert

Covid-19 Notice

Leave a comment

Independent Express Cargo is currently open and intends to stay open in the current Covid-19 crisis despite the substantial drop in freight volumes. Transport companies are deemed frontline in the fight against Covid-19, and we are no exception. We have many staff who are operating from home and our phones and emails are being covered as normal.

Our 24-strong, pallet network, TPN is also operating in all locations.
We may experience a slower service to some parts of the country during this period, but the plan and intention is to continue to offer nationwide delivery and collection. Working with our sister network, TPN UK, we are also continuing to offer our standard UK import export service.

If you have any queries please contact any of the following:

  • John Donnelly CS Manager 086 8032266
  • Hugh Burns Sales manager 087 2314347
  • Seamus Mc Gowan MD 087 6468506
  • Customer services Landline 01 8219999

Thank you for your support and cooperation, and we hope that you will all stay safe and healthy in this very difficult and uncertain time.

Yours sincerely,
Seamus Mc Gowan
MD

IEC News

Irish businesses on Brexit preparation in The Irish Times

TPN Chairman, Owen Cooke, was interviewed recently by Simon Carswell for The Irish Times about Brexit preparation. Those interviewed for the piece include the Irish Exporters Association, the Irish International Freight Association, and ISME (Irish Small & Medium Enterprises Association). All have expressed alarm at the lack of appropriate warehousing capacity available with a no-deal Brexit seeming more and more likely by the day.

“There is a very, very little capacity anywhere in the supply chain and October is the peak in general terms in all sectors so if there was a crash-out then, all hell would break loose.”

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/all-hell-would-break-loose-warehouse-trade-storing-up-brexit-problems-1.3983173

IEC News

New Tractor Unit For Independent Express

The new Renault’s inaugural visit to the TPN Hub in Dublin
Harry Nash, MD of Renault Trucks Ireland, delivering the new unit to IEC Chairman, Owen Cooke.

Renault Trucks Ireland delivered a new tractor unit to Independent Express last month as the first part of a fleet upgrade. Independent are investing €500k this year in new vehicles for the fleet.

The investment shows our commitment to growing and improving the business despite what could be a challenging year for Irish transport. Depending on how Brexit develops, there may be significant disruption for our customers’ regular routes and supply lines.

IEC News

Former Independent Express driver earns commercial pilot’s licence

Leave a comment

At the controls.
At the controls.

A former Independent Express driver has just earned his commercial pilot’s licence.  Barry Mullen worked for Independent Express Cargo for 10 years as a driver in the Dublin area, and was one of the top drivers there.  Customers loved him.  We were well aware that he spent all his free cash on learning to fly.

When Barry sold his camper van to raise money for a commercial licence, we didn’t take much notice.  We believed flying was a hobby, and Barry would continue to drive for us well into the future.

The passenger cabin.
The passenger cabin.

We could well understand why he loved flying, but when he came us to ask for a loan of €20,000 to cover his study, exams, and finals as a commercial pilot our first reaction was – why would we do this to lose our best driver?  On reflection, we thought that if this guy in his mid-forties has the ambition and determination to follow his dream and go for this, that we should help him and not get in his way.

So we gave him the money and were not sure that we would ever get it back.  But Barry made all repayment stages on their due dates.  When he finally left to go into full-time training, the repayments kept coming.

Barry at the controls.
Barry at the controls.

We heard nothing for a year until last week, when Barry walked into our office in his flight suit – now a fully accredited pilot with Stobart Air, based in Cork and chartered to Aer Lingus.

Barry’s love of flying has not diminished now that it’s his job.  As he commented, “I still can’t believe they pay me to do this”.  He never said that about delivering pallets but who could blame him for that!

The type of plane Barry is currently flying.
The type of plane Barry is currently flying.