Gallagher’s Livestock Transport are a modern livestock transport company who offer a service which is timely and reliable, and crucially which they feel is above that of their rivals.

The transportation of livestock has changed over the years as health and safety and welfare of the animals is now paramount.

Hauliers who specialise the transportation of livestock must adhere to strict regulations as the industry continues to change. The majority of livestock hauliers have been in the trade for generations and they are usually family run businesses.

However, not all have such a long background in the haulage sector as Gallagher’s Livestock Transport which was established by James Gallagher in 1999.

There are fewer lines of business tougher to be in nowadays than the transport game, but James has continued to make it work since the business was established. He offers a service that is unrivalled because of the knowledge and expertise they’ve gained in the livestock transportation industry.

Having come from a farming background, James decided to buy a Ford Transit in 1999 and through work obtained from local farmers, the business grew from there.

James began hauling livestock to and from marts, as well as to the local factories and from farm to farm. We profile Gallagher’s Livestock Transport and we speak to James about success of this Charlestown, Co Mayo based business.

The fact that this business is in existence for almost 16 years is a testament to the service they provide to their customers. Gallagher’s have come through the latest recession and they experience that they have gained over the years is invaluable during the current economic climate.

“I just decided to buy a truck and I started doing bits and pieces from there. I got a good bit of work from local lads, which I’ll always be grateful for and it just grew from there,” said James.

“I now have two lorries on the road, which are DAF and Scania with the latter coming from Westward Scania. My trucks are well known as they have the logo ‘We haul the good, the bad, and the ugly’ emblazed on them.

“The Scania has a 26ft body on it and the trailer is 24ft. Carracastle Commercials, Enda Marron in Shaw Commercials and Andrew Marron in East West Commercials do our maintenance as it is important that the trucks are kept in top shape.

“I transport all the main livestock like Cattle (Commercial, Pedigree Beef Cattle and Dairy Cattle), Pigs and Sheep. The animals are transported with great care guaranteeing a safe and comfortable journey,”

“Health and safety is a huge issue, while I would have to do the CPC course as well. I have two trucks on the road at the moment and it’s all livestock work that we do. I would draw cattle to the local factories, while I would also be working from the marts as well.

“My work would bring us throughout Mayo and the surrounding counties, as well as to factories in places like Duleek, Co Meath and Roscrea, Co Tipperary. I would also draw into Portlaoise for Egan Transport, and work for Roscommon brothers Pat and Anthony Melvin, Future Pigs in Kildare and Dunleavy Meats, Ballina, so I cover most parts of the country. To do this the trucks are kept in excellent condition in order to avoid any unnecessary downtime.”

Scania would be the preferred choice of truck as I find them the most reliable and they rarely give trouble. We have been dealing with Westward Scania for a while now and have found then very good to deal with.”

The firm have been very fortunate to work with come great people when it comes to advertising and finance such as G Factors, while James is keen to thank Bill Golden and all the staff at Ballaghaderreen & District Credit Union who have been a huge support over the years.

When it comes to photography, James has special praise for the professionalism of Martin Coleman of N5 Truck Photos.

Gallagher’s Livestock Transport enters its busy period from September onwards, although that’s not to say that they aren’t busy all year round. “I would be kept going steady throughout the year, but from September onwards, it would be very busy. It’s all about cutting down the overheads given the rise in the price of diesel and that the rates have not increased. But, in general I’d have to happy enough. It’s a case of working from week to week these days anyway.”

With many years’ experience in the livestock industry Gallagher Livestock deliver a very high standard of service and an up to date modern trucks.

This is how they have gained repeat business from their customers, who have remained loyal to them though the tough times, and it also explains how they are gaining new customers with such an intact reputation for their efficiency.

Last year, James added a drag trailer to the fleet which was purchased from Murphy’s in Hackettstown and this has helped him transport more livestock.

“I can safely fit 20 bullocks in the lorry and then I can put another 15 in the trailer, which is a huge plus for me as it generally saves doing more than one load and that cuts down on fuel consumption.”

James admits that even though it is a tough industry to be involved in, he has no regrets about starting the business all those years ago and says that his son, James Jnr, will carry on the business in the years to come.

“Ah no, it’s been tough at times and still is, but thankfully I have a loyal customer base and once I can keep them happy, then I must be doing something right.”

Gallagher’s Livestock Transport
Charlestown,
Co Mayo.
T 086 870 7628

Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 3 No 3, April 2015

Gallagher’s Livestock Transport