New contracts help boost Pollock (Scotrans) profits

Pollock (Scotrans) said enhanced customer relationships and new contracts helped it increase turnover by 4% last year.

The Scottish operator reported revenues of £27.8m for the year ending 31 August 2019, as well as a £256,000 pre-tax profit – up from £58,000 in 2018.

It said it had achieved the figures “against a backdrop of challenging trading conditions”.

Pollock (Scotrans) said its strategy of maintaining and enhancing key customer relationships, winning new contracts from existing and new customers and the use of non-financial KPIs to monitor and manage key costs and efficiencies all helped to grow the business and boost profits.

In its business review, the company added: “Subsequent to the period end, we have been successful in several large contracts which will see our turnover continue to increase annually.

“Pollock (Scotrans) continues to operate in a very competitive UK transport industry in which cost pressures and a shortage of experienced and qualified drivers are expected to continue to affect all participants.”

In January 2019, Blackburn-based Kenyon Road Haulage bought some of the assets of Gilbraith (TS) from Pollock, a business it had acquired in 2014.

MD Scott Pollock said the sale allowed the firm to focus on its long distance haulage business.