61 WHERE’S EDDIE?

“Eddie Spotting” is a cult game in the UK that boasts a fan club of more than 20,000 members. It involves identifying the distinctive green, white and red lorries that bear the gold letters of Carlisle-based road haulier Eddie Stobart Limited.

Fans, including the famous musician Jools Holland, vie with each other to spot as many company lorries as possible in the course of a single journey. For these fans – and even for some non-fans – a journey is not complete without seeing at least one of Eddie’s lorries; waving to the driver and getting an acknowledging “honk” in return.

The Eddie Stobart story starts in the 1950s when Eddie (Senior) founded an agricultural contracting business. However, it was when Edward Stobart, Eddie’s son, left school at 14 and joined the company that things really began to change.

Edward’s first job was to find additional employment for the trucks as much of the firm’s business was seasonal. Edward proved himself successful and business soon picked up, so much so that in 1975, aged just 20, Edward took the Eddie Stobart name and began to turn it into a dedicated transport company. A year later, the company moved into a new depot in Carlisle, and by 1980 the company had grown to 25 vehicles and 35 staff.

The business continued to grow and gradually it moved away from working for other hauliers to concentrate exclusively on dealing direct with manufacturers, such as Spillers and Metal Box.

Hard work, never refusing an order, and taking those orders round the clock for just-in-time delivery slots were all part of the success, but Edward believes that the brand’s image was vital too:

“Transport has had a shifty image for such a long time. The average truck driver or small operator was basically a tramp. Service in the industry needed to be upgraded, so we put in standards which others are now following.”

By breaking with this norm and via an extraordinary commitment to courtesy, appearance and service, Edward Stobart was to create a powerful brand for himself and change the face of road haulage in the UK.

“Image is very important in anything you do in this country. You only get one chance of making a first impression. Basically, you have got to have manners and be courteous at all times. Drivers must look the part.”

So Edward insisted that his drivers really looked the part. They were made to wear a tie and a smart green jacket and indeed, if any driver was caught not wearing a tie while on duty, he or she could face disciplinary action.

But ties were not the only thing that made Eddie Stobart drivers and their lorries stand out. Drivers had to keep their lorries, each of which was given a women’s name, immaculately clean. Years later Edward explained that all along he knew “the tie wasn’t the important thing about the uniform, it was the discipline”.

“We are one of the cheapest operators because we are run efficiently and properly. Quality and standards pull the price down. Washing our trucks and insisting our drivers wear a uniform actually reduces costs. It is only silly people who say they can’t afford to do that.”

And looking back, another of those “silly” policies seems to have paid off too. It stated that all drivers must wave back and honk their horn in the traditional truck-driver fashion when signalled by a passer-by.

“Eddie spotters” were born, and the fan club and a host of Eddie Stobart memorabilia soon followed. Keep your eyes peeled on your next motorway trip and you too might spot one...

And the moral is that your brand image and the impressions it makes are important. How do you ensure you always project the image you want?