Based in Gibstown, Donard, Co Wicklow, Stephenson Transport Ltd is a company which specialises in site clearance and general haulage. Irish Trucker spoke with Managing Director David Stephenson to learn more about the ins and outs of the business and its recent treble success at the 10th anniversary Tipperary Truck Show.
Business is good these days at Stephenson Transport Ltd and the plan for David Stephenson and the rest of the team in Gibstown is to try and keep things that way for the foreseeable.
Operating with 27 staff, the company is renowned for its excellent service in site clearance and general haulage amongst its customers. It operates with 24 lorries in its fleet, including a brand-new Scania 770 which was entered through gates at the yard for the first time this past August Bank Holiday weekend.
Irish Trucker touched base with David himself to hear more on the latest addition for Stephenson Transport Ltd and its overall hopes as a business moving forward.
“Right now, there’s 24 lorries here and we bought a new Scania there that’s on our Facebook page; it’s the 770. We picked that lorry up at the start of August there and it has been going very well for us ever since,” stated the Managing Director.
The Stephenson Transport fleet has always been predominantly made up of Scania and Volvo lorries, dating back to the days when the company started trading under David in 2012. Back then, it was him, another driver and two trucks and, needless to say, the business has come a long way in the space of a dozen years.
The origins of the company date back to when David’s late father Herbie Stephenson worked in timber haulage and the sand and gravel business all his life before his tragic death following an accident in 2001.
David’s passion for haulage work came through his dad and, after having worked alongside his mother Ann and brother Herbie in the family business following his father’s untimely passing, he took the decision to go out on his own.
His partner and ‘right hand woman’ Ruth Kelly has been there with him along the way as Stephenson Transport has grown from strength to strength to the strong position that it’s in today.
“Business is very good. It’s been going well, we’re growing away,” David outlined.
“We’re just fully at the tipper work now and the grab lorry, so we’re busy enough with it now.
“As I said, the fleet is a combination of mostly Scania and Volvo and we’re mainly working in the Dublin area. We’re hoping to increase the fleet by maybe 20-25%. Please God, we can do that.”
The tail end of this past summer saw Stephenson Transport enjoying some sweet success at the 10th anniversary Tipperary Truck Show. Staged at its new venue in Holycross over the last weekend in August, the event lived up to its billing as one of Ireland’s premier trucks shows.
Stephenson Transport would come away from Holycross that weekend having won three awards at the Tipperary Truck Show, which were ‘Best Custom’, ‘Best Work Horse’ and ‘Best Volvo’.
“It was a great event. It was a very well laid out show and they’re a good group of people there that organise it,” said David.
“They’re welcoming and the new yard and all is a great job. They’ve done a good job and pulled it out of the fire in fairness. You couldn’t fault them.
“We got three wins and runner up. It was great for the lads to reward them for minding the trucks and all the effort that they put in. We put a lot of time and effort into the upkeep of the trucks.
Sometimes you think it’s too much, but things like this definitely make it worth it.”
A memorable weekend no doubt and the silverware is now there to prove it.
So, all of that considered, the burning question is what has been the secret behind the undoubted success of Stephenson Transport to date?
How has a small start-up risen to become a what is now very much a thriving haulage business with a golden reputation amongst its customers, 22 staff on its books and 24 lorries in its fleet?
For David, he finds it difficult to pinpoint one single reason as to why customers choose his company first ahead of other competitors out there. However, he does cite the commitment and excellence of his team when it comes to their work as a clear factor in its success to date.
“All I can tell you is that when we’re doing a job, we try and do it the best we can,” he stated. “I don’t know exactly what is the deciding factor – maybe it’s price, maybe it’s service.
“I wouldn’t be confident to say exactly what it is, but I suppose it’s something anyway. If someone rings for something, we always do our best to keep everyone facilitated.”
Looking at the months ahead for his business and towards another year, David says he’s as optimistic as he’s ever been as they look “to consolidate and strengthen up on all fronts” down in Gibstown.
To find out more about Stephenson Transport and how it can respond to your haulage needs, contact David Stephenson at the number below.
Stephenson Transport Ltd
Gibstown,
Donard,
Co Wicklow
Tel: 045 831 100
Mob: 087 917 4140
Email: enquiries@stephensontransport.ie
