Carlow Express Freight’s proud family legacy
03/06/2025
Carlow Express Freight is an exceptional second-generation family business that has been delivering the goods in real style for more than four decades. Today, with a wonderful fleet of immaculate vehicles at their disposal, brothers Eoin, Fergal and Conor Cowman are building brilliantly upon the legacy of their late parents Matt and Margaret.
For 43 years and counting, the transportation services provided by Carlow Express Freight have been simply second to none. At the heart of this industry-leading family operation – established in 1982 by Matthew Cowman – is an exceptional fleet of trucks and vans, an inherent passion for vehicles, and an unswerving dedication to consistently delivering the highest levels of customer service. It has proven to be a winning formula and Eoin Cowman, who is joined today in the day-to-day running of the business by brothers Fergal and Conor, intends to keep it that way! “Dad set the business up originally in 1982 but sadly passed away in March, 2023,” he told Irish Trucker when we interrupted his busy schedule for an update. “Mum passed away in May, 2020 and we want to make sure we keep the business going in their honour. Fergal joined in 2008 and Conor, who is an accountant, has been here for a couple of years.
“We are a traditional family business that has been giving customers a great service with a personal touch for over 40 years. We know what our strengths are and we are going to build on those going forward.”
The Cowmans’ passion for trucking is reflected in the striking aesthetics of every unit in the fleet, not least the freshly customised, award-winning Scania R500 which was refurbished in memory of Matt and turned heads at many truck shows in 2024, including Tipperary Truck Show and Full of the Pipe. “We pride ourselves on keeping them all in good condition,” Eoin confirms. “That ’06 Scania R500 was one of the last trucks here that was Dad’s. It was nice to hold onto it and do it up as a tribute to him. We got a picture of him airbrushed onto the back of the cab. It looks great and was runner-up at Full of the Pipe. A good bit of money was spent getting it done up but that was the way we wanted to go, rather than getting a newer one.”
The fleet of lorries is all Scania, complemented by a couple of Mercedes Sprinter vans. “Most of the work is groupage – full loads and partial full loads,” Eoin continues. “We have two artics up in Dublin every day – one on the southside and one on the northside – and then the rigid goes up in the evening time to take the overflow of pallets. As well as that, we have four more rigids distributing around the south of the country.”
Over the years, nay decades, specialising in the prompt and professional delivery of hardware, timber, building materials and much, much more besides, Carlow Express Freight has developed strong relationships with numerous prestigious repeat customers, including Daniel Whelan Engineering Works in Borris; CGL Retail Solutions (Carlow Graphics Ltd.); Burnside Eurocyl, Burnside Autocyl and Burnside Hydracyl; and MFP in Lucan, just to mention a handful. Aiding the upkeep of the fleet, B&R TranSpares in New Ross is the main parts supplier while main Scania dealer Delaney Commercials in Naas is another key partner. As true truckers at heart, the Cowmans have an affinity for Scania and run an all-Scania fleet. “We have two 19-reg S450s and Fergal drives an 11-reg R500. Mine is a 171 G320,” says Eoin.
Built upon decades of hard work and dedication, the secret of Carlow Express Freight’s success is not rocket science: “We give a great service and because of that people come back to us,” Eoin notes.
“When we say next-day delivery, we mean it. We get everything out as quickly as possible and never leave anything sitting around. Our staff are very friendly, experienced and professional in their approach. It’s getting harder to get good drivers but we have a nice team here at the minute and we cover our area well and keep a good handle on it.”
For the owners, it can often mean long hours but the caveat is that it’s not an issue when you have a passion and flair for trucking. “I’d open the yard at ten to six in the morning and be up there most days until half seven in the evening, but that’s what you have to do when you’re running a business properly. But we enjoy the job and to be honest we wouldn’t do it otherwise. You have to have a passion for it – that makes it a lot easier.”
Carlow Express Freight has a proud history and the future promises to be every bit as successful for this model independent family enterprise. “We’re going to keep it at the optimal size. Our customers are No.1 so we’re going to make sure we always remain at the right size to give them all the best possible service.
“We’ll move with the times. We’ve a good fleet and will keep it up to date and keep reinvesting back into the business as we need to. You are always looking at ways of improving – for example, we put up a new canopy in the yard a couple of years ago and it serves us well when we are unloading at night, especially if it’s raining. We do twelve-week checks on all the vehicles and have a mechanic who comes in and does a lot of work for us.
“The bottom line is that we remain fully focused on giving the best service we can,” Eoin concludes. “We might look at doing storage in the future – we have the land here, which is a good start, so we will look into that. Our parents put a lot of work into getting this business off the ground and we owe it to them – and to our customers – to keep it going.”
Carlow Express Freight Ltd.,
Donore,
Bagenalstown,
County Carlow
Tel: 059 972 1848
Mobile: 087 981 1285 / 087 122 3459
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: carlowexpressfreightltd
First published in Irish Trucker magazine March/April 2025, Vol 28-2
