See how Chadkirk Transport uses Haulage Exchange to keep vehicles busy, find trusted subcontractors and support continued growth.
Tristan Bacon — Published 9 July 2026
Chadkirk Transport began as a small van operation in 2009. At the time, Rhys was running vans while his dad had a 7.5-tonne vehicle that was often underused during the quieter winter months.
Rhys joined Haulage Exchange to find additional work and make better use of that available capacity. Sixteen years later, Chadkirk operates more than 25 vehicles across two sites and uses HX daily to find loads, reach new customers and subcontract work when its own fleet is full.
Today, Chadkirk Transport is a FORS Silver-accredited operator with more than 25 vehicles, has a large warehouse and works across two sites. Rhys and his team use HX to find loads, subcontract additional jobs and connect with transport businesses equipped for specialist work.
Here’s how Chadkirk Transport has used Haulage Exchange as its partner for growth.
Fleets, bookings, subcontractors, compliance & payments.With HX, you can manage them all in one place.
Rhys fell in love with the fast pace of courier work. One minute could be quiet; the next could bring a job to London.
Keeping every vehicle busy, however, was not always easy.
“Before joining Haulage Exchange, it was a big task trying to keep the wagons busy.”
At the time, Rhys was running vans while his dad owned a 7.5-tonne vehicle that was not always used during the winter months.
Rhys saw an opportunity to use HX to find additional loads and keep the vehicle moving during those quieter periods.
“I looked into Haulage Exchange to use the vehicle over the periods when it was quiet.”
What began as a way to make better use of one vehicle soon became part of Chadkirk’s wider operation.
As the company expanded, the wider Chadkirk team began using HX to manage work and capacity across the business.
Sam Walker remembers how straightforward the platform was when he was first introduced to it.
“I found it a very useful tool, very simple to use. You could get subcontractors when you needed them. You could find customer loads when you wanted to find loads. It was just brilliant.”
Today, Sam says the business uses HX for two main reasons.
The first is to secure loads and backloads when Chadkirk has vehicles available. The second is to find subcontractors when customer demand exceeds the capacity of its own fleet.
“We use Haulage Exchange in our daily operations for two main reasons: securing work when we’ve got a couple of trucks sat around and, of course, for overflow.”
This means HX supports the business during both quieter and busier periods.
When trucks are available, Chadkirk can find work to keep them moving. When the fleet is fully committed, the team can post an additional job and find another transport company to complete it.
Rhys has always been driven by a determination not to disappoint his customers.
“What made me look for a solution was not wanting to let a customer down. My motto is never say no.”
For many growing haulage companies, accepting more work can mean purchasing another vehicle or recruiting another driver.
That may not always be practical, particularly when demand fluctuates. HX gives Chadkirk access to additional capacity without relying solely on its own vehicles.
When the company receives a job it cannot cover internally, the team can find a subcontractor through the platform rather than turning the customer away.
“Sometimes having the confidence to put that work on and get it covered by the right person has helped us grow over time as well,” says Rhys.
This has allowed Chadkirk Transport to take on more work, support its customers during busy periods and grow beyond the physical limits of its fleet.
Subcontracting is not simply about finding the nearest available vehicle.
Chadkirk handles a range of jobs, some of which require specialist equipment or qualifications. Sam and the team use the HX directory to search for transport businesses based on their capabilities.
This includes hauliers operating vehicles with Moffett-mounted forklifts or HIAB cranes, as well as businesses with ADR accreditation.
“You can use the filters to find a haulier that matches the job you need,” explains Sam.
This helps Chadkirk find a suitable transport partner rather than taking a chance on a company that may not have the right equipment or experience.
Chadkirk has built its reputation on staying on top of every job and doing everything possible to help its customers.
The team provides support around the clock and works hard to ensure every load is completed to the expected standard.
Chadkirk Transport is also FORS Silver accredited, reflecting its commitment to safety, efficiency and high operating standards. Those same expectations apply when the team subcontracts work through HX.
That responsibility does not disappear when a job is subcontracted. The customer has still trusted Chadkirk to deliver, so the transport business completing the work must provide a similar level of service.
Sam says Trustd helps the team understand more about the businesses it encounters through HX, providing greater confidence when deciding whose work to accept and which subcontractors to use.
“Trustd has helped us understand who the people on the Exchange are that we can really trust to do the work to the same level we would expect.”
This helps Chadkirk expand its available capacity while protecting the customer relationships and reputation it has worked hard to build.
HX has not only helped Chadkirk find individual loads.
Over time, connections first made through the platform have developed into valuable customer relationships. Sam says some of the company’s biggest customers were originally found through HX.
“We’ve got a lot of customers from Haulage Exchange, but we’ve also obtained some really big ones through the platform.”
Some of those customers now approach Chadkirk exclusively for certain types of work.
“They sometimes come exclusively to us for particular jobs, which has been absolutely brilliant,” says Sam. “We wouldn’t have had access to that otherwise.”
For Chadkirk, HX has therefore become more than a place to fill occasional gaps. It has helped the business reach new customers and develop long-term sources of work.
Growth brings more work, but it can also bring more administration.
Chadkirk uses several HX features to manage its expanding operation, including the driver app, vehicle tracking and real-time proof of delivery.
“The driver app is essential for us now for tracking the vehicle and receiving PODs in real time,” says Rhys.
These tools help the office team remain updated on jobs without relying on repeated calls between drivers, subcontractors and customers.
SmartPay has also simplified how Chadkirk pays the transport businesses completing its subcontracted work.
Instead of managing multiple separate payments throughout the week, the team can make one payment through SmartPay.
“SmartPay has revolutionised the way we pay,” says Rhys. “It’s made it a lot smoother and easier. One payment per week is so much better.”
This allows Chadkirk to increase the amount of work it subcontracts without creating the same increase in payment administration.
Chadkirk has grown significantly since its early days as a small van operation. Today, the company operates more than 25 vehicles, has a large warehouse and works across two sites.
“We’ve just grown massively, and it’s been side by side with Haulage Exchange,” says Sam. “We couldn’t have done it without Haulage Exchange. It’s been perfect for us.”
HX has supported that journey by helping Chadkirk keep its vehicles moving, reach new customers and access additional capacity when its own fleet is full.
It has allowed the team to accept more work without compromising the level of service on which the business has been built.
Rhys still sees HX playing a major part in Chadkirk’s next stage of growth.
“I can see Chadkirk carrying on growing with the service levels that we give. HX alongside us will go from strength to strength.”
His advice to other haulage businesses considering the platform is straightforward:
“If you’re thinking about joining Haulage Exchange, do it. Don’t think about it, just do it. Over time, it pays for itself very easily and gives you so much capacity to cover the work.”
Find reliable carriers and cut your costs with Haulage Exchange
Yes. Chadkirk Transport has built relationships with several major customers through HX, including customers that now approach the business directly for certain types of work.
The team uses the HX directory and filters to find hauliers with the right equipment or accreditations, including Moffett, HIAB and ADR capabilities. This helps Chadkirk match each job with a suitable subcontractor.
HX has helped Chadkirk keep vehicles busy, access additional capacity and take on more customer work. Over 16 years of membership, the business has grown into an operation with more than 25 vehicles, two sites and a large warehouse.
Chadkirk Transport is FORS Silver accredited and expects subcontractors to meet the same high standards of safety and service. The team uses Trustd and the HX directory to identify suitable, compliant transport partners.
