Pollock (Scotrans) sees pre-tax profit rocket as recovery continues

Pollock (Scotrans) saw its pre-tax profit rocket more than 300% in its last financial year, as the operator bounced back from a customer collapse that put it in the red two years ago.

Pollock suffered a £123,354 pre-tax loss in 2014/15 after long-standing customer Tullis Russell went under.

The operator was back in black with a £25,690 pre-tax profit in 2015/16, and newly published accounts for the year ended 26 August 2017 show that momentum has continued with a 346% leap year-on-year to £114,528.

Turnover for the year grew by 3.5% to £26.5m (2015/16: £25.6m)

In its strategic report for the period, the Scottish operator said business had grown through a combination of new customers, maintaining and expanding existing business and a focus on financial KPIs to manage fuel efficiency and the use of agency drivers.

It also highlighted its commitment to new talent in the results, in particular its intake of apprentices to its office and workshop teams.

Addressing the industry-wide driver shortage, Pollock said: “We seek to ensure that our company remains attractive to existing and prospective drivers by offering them high quality work, in a modern and well-maintained vehicle fleet.”

Flagship

Testament to this is the operator’s new Mercedes-Benz Actros 1, which is in the care of driver Allan Holt.

The truck, number one of the 100 limited edition Actros 1s, is fitted with trimmings Holt himself asked for, and he sang the praises of his new vehicle’s power and comfort.

“In terms of comfort and practicality it’s pretty much perfect,” said Holt.

"The uprated multimedia entertainment system is brilliant, the leather massage seats and Premium Comfort mattress supremely comfortable, and the additional rear overhead lockers very useful.”

He added that the fitted PowerShift 3 automated transmission is "a superb piece of engineering".

"I’m always hearing about Swedish V8s but my Mercedes-Benz will leave them for dead on the hills, and you barely feel you’re moving, it’s that smooth.”

Pollock (Scotrans) MD Scott Pollock said: “Actros 1 is a very special vehicle indeed, while Allan is a skilled and highly valued professional who looks after company assets as though they were his own.

"It’s for this reason that we were happy to indulge his request for the Nordic bars and other enhancements. The result is a fantastic new flagship for our business.”

Pollock (Scotrans) was unavailable for comment on its financial results as this article was published.