Firework Crazy

It's all well and good saving a few bob in the build, but the extra time it takes to set up transport more equipment than necessary would soon cost more than the initial extra outlay.

Don't forget if racks aren't the same length you can't strap them together either, well you can but you will end up with huge voids.

On a small show you would be setting up numerous pods of racks, defeats the object really. Just my 2p

I think they look really good. I like the ideas of the loops.

I would try and get the 2.5", 3" and 4" all the same length. We use 2.5" & 3" a hell of a lot with a 3" in the middle and 2.5" on the outside or vice versa, makes some great fans.

I'm a bit pissed off with pyroquip at the moment, I've now been waiting over a year for the completion of my order which has been paid for, i've sent several emails in the last few weeks and got no reply.

May be a letter from the court service might speed them up!

Here is a link to the City Link page for ADR, Steve is a really nice guy and tried his best to get the powers that be to take 1.4g but they wouldn't. I think he realised the potential in increased business whilst other couldn't.

http://www.city-link...angerous-goods/

There are other couriers that will take fireworks and other hazard classes, however the don't tend to be cheap and usually very hard to get accounts with.

Night Freight - Notoriously hard to get an account with, I think I was very lucky to get an account with them when I did, but I did have to prove myself and my business to them. I won't divulge how here as I worked bloomin hard to get an account and it paid off. I have heard a story of a company who purchased another firework company that wasn't even trading for £60k JUST for their Night Freight account. I was also lucky that I was not tied in to a contract with minimum shipments or payments every month, but again I worked hard for this and it paid off for both of us. There isn't a month where our bills don't have 000.00 on the end and I won't tell you how much we spend a WEEK in October it would scare you. However I will tell you that shipping is the biggest cost in our business other than the products themselves. More than our rent, rates and insurance etc..

Just goes to show how expensive it is to ship fireworks!

TNT - Will take hazard class 1.4s and 1.4g however i've been told that they only have one account for this class, then lots of umbrella accounts under it. AND to get one of those umbrella accounts you need to hold a license for the sale of firearms etc.. Whether true or not I don't know, but it's what I was told by one of their top bods and it took me two months to get to him!

Circle - A small, national courier based in Heathrow but with about 7 main depots scattered around the UK. They will deliver 1.3g and 1.4g but are very expensive. Expect to pay a minimum £25 hazardous surcharge per consignment and that's before any carriage, collection and weight fees.

Tuffnels - Another national courier that will carry 1.4g although they prefer pallet freight rather than home deliveries. They only tend to ship for Blackcat / Standard as they brokered a deal with them many moons ago.

Independent Couriers - There are plenty of independent couriers that will take hazardous goods, however expect to pay about £1.25 per mile for their services.

If anyone knows of any other national couriers then I would love to know. You would think they would be queuing up to take my business, but alas they are not.

I even posted once on a courier's forum offering a £1000 to any person who could get me an account with a national courier to take fireworks, no one succeeded.

It's a shame that so many people / companies break the law when they ship fireworks illegally. I get calls all the time "X company will send it to me for £4.95, why can't you" It will only take one incident and that will be it. No more fireworks. Theses people jeopadise the hobby that so many of us love with their stupidity and greed!

I hope you've found this useful.

Oh and here's the pics again.