TLP Kuriirit Plc
Flexible messenger and courier services
TLP is a flexible business selling messenger and courier services. Most of
its turnover is generated by short-distance haulage in the Oulu area.
- The Oulu area has grown positively for years. When big, successful businesses
have concentrated on the core business, outsourcing enabled the well-being of
small businesses like us. Most typically TLP transports parcelled freight for
its so called core customers and drives express courier services for TNT and Kaukokiito.
Ordinarily services are manned by a driver who can carry loads of under 80 kilos
unaided. In express services the goods are transported from A to B within a time
range of one hour up to half a day - says managing director Jari Karvola, describing
TLP's operation.
The customers' warehouses have wheels
Karvola regards the increase of combination transportation in the north important. This means that for longer distances, they want to increase the vehicles' capacity. - Customers have given up fixed warehouses and have lifted them onto wheels. Now goods are being transported constantly in small batches. Moreover, the shortened times of despatch have led to smaller and smaller despatches. Previously there could have been one full truck towards Helsinki in two days. Now the route is covered by two trucks every ten hours. When before a week was enough time for delivery, now the wish is to receive goods by 12 noon, - Karvola analyses the general development of the transportation sector.
Customer service all the way to specialities
Customer service has always been one of TLP's priorities. Over the years there
have been some particularly peculiar haulages. - We have driven people moving
house in a hurry, live snails and bits and pieces forgotten from other vehicles.
Every now and then the drivers have shown just what flexibility to customers'
wishes is at its best. During a particular haulage of household appliances the
dishwasher was delivered to the top floor of a building without an elevator. The
old machine was still in its place and after removing it, the driver found that
the new machine did not fit in. Nevertheless, the new machine was installed there
and then with a bit of carpentry, - Karvola reminisces and continues.
- At a summer party for a company canteen the personnel realised there was no
cloakroom attendant. The driver tidied up a bit and was given a jacket to wear.
The day went ahead with the driver attending to the cloakroom and in the evening
all the equipment was hauled back. Another time a woman stranded on the road was
very happy when she ordered a spare tyre to replace the flat one, because the
driver kindly changed the tyre for her.
Driver's profession is demanding
After these entertaining stories, Karvola reminds us that the drivers' work
is not light cruising and jovial days, but fast paced and demanding professional
work.
- When others are on lunch break, our drivers are at their busiest. On weekdays
services are offered to clients from six in the morning until six in the evening.
The professionalism of the driver is judged by how well he can handle different
assignments and in choosing the right route so that the car is used efficiently
all of the time. Despatch times are so short that there is no scope for choosing
wrong routes or taking breaks.
A young and expert female driver is a common sight, when a TLP-professional
is called for
Karvola knows that there are many sorts of entrepreneurs in the business, competing
at various price levels. You can tell a professional by looking at the details.
- For example, TLP drivers never park in front of the company's main doors, except
in emergencies. The Companies' entrances are business cards rather than parking
spaces, - Karvola recaps.
Experienced drivers also find the right division in big companies easily so goods
do not have to be searched for from alternative delivery locations. Karvola is
annoyed by the so called "entrepreneurial drivers", who have the willingness
to drive, but no understanding of business. Companies with one or two cars drive
for a couple of years until they fall under their value added tax and advance
tax burdens. A couple of big companies have also learned to use veteran drivers,
who have spent their whole lives on wheels for ridiculously low pay.
- Unfortunately there is always that one fool, who jumps on wheels for cost price
and then complains about the over-stressful working pace once he has ended up
with an ulcer, - Karvola snaps.
A motivated staff can do more
TLP has chosen an experimenting and developing policy.
- We use a highly motivating profit sharing system to reward our personnel. In
addition, we focus on training. Recently we organised a course on avoiding collisions
with our personnel, and the company's senior personnel have been actively involved
in entrepreneurial and management training. A sign of our open-mindedness is the
fact that we have hired female drivers. - Karvola indeed sees the future as positive.
The new biker service introduced in spring 2002 has been received positively.
Managing director Jari Karvola wants to highlight the fact that one way to
success in logistics is motivated personnel
- The business idea of a biker was started by a wish that the number of cars in
the town centre would be reduced and the fact that parking space is very limited
in the centre. A biker rides the route Centre - Limingantulli - Heinäpää
- Höyhtyä. The despatch time is from a quarter of an hour up to two
hours. A biker was found from the company's personnel, when a driver with an interest
in cycling became interested in the experiment.
- A biker is to be made a permanent feature. Companies were somewhat biased against
it, but the experiment has perked them up considerably. A biker delivery is half
the price of a car carriage within the operation range, and substantially more
environmentally and image friendly, - Karvola outlines. He wishes that an underground
car park be built in town as soon as possible to decrease the number of cars in
the centre.
Hopes and worries
Managing director Karvola admits that there is a certain competition myth in
logistics.
- The closer we are to the competitors, the more careful we become of what we
say. All the time there is a fear that we are revealing our core knowledge or
product development tips. On the other hand the further away the competitor is
the more profound the exchange of ideas. For example, we exchanged some very confidential
information with the Helsinki-based Fillarilähetit.
Biker delivers your consignments quickly and ecologically in the vicinity of
the town centre.
- I expect Logisforum to strive to increase justice. Small entrepreneurs have
formed a tentative negative feeling that the project is to form a large logistics
concentration in the port, in which small companies are devoured by the larger
ones. This is because integration always results in the loss of some things. On
the other hand, I am incredibly satisfied with the way a diplomatic discussion
partner has been found, promoting the whole sector. The more the goods flows are
increased, the more business this brings to small and medium sized businesses
as well, - Karvola lists his comments and probes his well of ideas for another
couple of aspirations.
- A small concrete idea could be an English language course aimed at us logistics
entrepreneurs in addition to organised visits to logistics trade fairs here and
elsewhere.
Additional Information:
TLP Kuriirit Plc
service number 0208 311 654
fax 0204 616
Tervahovintie 13, 90520
Oulu
www.tlpkuriirit.fi
