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Originally Posted by Pete7
Eupa,
Won't I can't understand is how can you afford to delivery newspapers to Calais with a rib and two huge outboards and presumably two crew. surely it would be cheaper to chuck the papers in the back of a transit & stick on the Euro Tunnel ? papers don't get wet, trains not effected by weather (err, well most of the time) and you don't have to load and unload down a harbour wall. Is there really that much money to be made with the first editions in Paris ?
What do you you bring back on the return run ?
Pete
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PETE, They use to fly out the papers to France/Germany /Paris ect. the price is nearly 2 euros/ kg. The cost of using the tunnel ONE way for freight vehicles is some 300 euros for a small van of 1000 kgs capacity. Forget about anything bigger as you have to use a tacho and speed limited to 90/110 kph. Ferries are a bit cheaper - but Calais for the last 6 months has been a nightmare. ( in some cases a 5 hour wait to dock at Calais). I can clew the duty back on Uk petrol as the vessel is serving a commercial purpose ( own goods). I have operated a hand delivery for UK Sunday papers in Belgium/ Holland/ Luxemborg since 1983. I currently sell over 4000 papers every weekend at some 4 to 5 euros a copy. / I also distribute newspapers on a daily basis to Paris and Holland for some Uk based editors.
I do need a ships-mate ( just to tie up ) -and keep me awake. The boat- use is entirely weekend only as the selling prices are much higher. Three years
ago the majority of Uk editors switched to fax printing in Belgium/ France/Germany. But to make this viable ( print runs are very small) they increased the prices to the punters BUT at the same time significantly reduced the content. A lot of Uk people buying UK papers abroad are paying
3 quid for half a paper ( i,e excludes all mags/ supplements? sections) My company will only buy Uk editions with all the bits- and we sell them for the same price as sold locally. Due to this "honest" policy - my company in Belgium accounts for neary 50% of all Uk sunday editions.
The earlier we arrive at our destinations - the more we sell. On the return we take Italian and French papers to London. As we do not have any unsolds we have excellent prices from the Uk publishers --- and they love it.
But the real bonus is that we are not sitting around waiting for ferries/ tunnel
places ect. ( hence the name of the boat "INDEPENDENT" It does not work 100% of the time but on average about 75%- due to weather as anything over a 6 is uncomfortable. Loading is via drop down containers/ unloading is via the pontoon at Calais.( on the north side where citroen load all their cars.
I will not go into the detailed ecomics- but it does make a lot of money plus ITS FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!-- but the problem is now am getting on in years and need new challenges.. hence my "atlantic' scenario
And another thing -
WE WOULD NEVER USE A TRANSIT VAN- a vw t5/ t4 the best vans ever made... For rapid small movements ( 600 kgs) we use Vw passats. I just sold a 2002 passat with 550.000 kms on the clock - original engine/gb. ( 130 hp TDI)- each passat does about
1000kms every day
Jonathan
