A Bristol-based transport training business has gone into liquidation after being hit by a combination of last year’s economic uncertainty around Brexit and, more recently, the coronavirus outbreak.
PB Transport Solutions, based on the Pucklechurch Trading Estate, ceased trading on March 20 and all 11 employees were made redundant. 
The nine-year-old firm had expanded to become one of the South West’s leading supplier transport training courses, including for HGV/LGV drivers, and also operated a 35,000 sq ft warehouse.
According to the Bristol office of Mazars, the international accounting and advisory firm which has been appointed as liquidator, PB Transport Solutions was profitable in its most recent year, during which its turnover rose to reach £1m.
However, a very difficult trading environment with economic uncertainty surrounding the Brexit referendum caused a decline in demand for the its warehousing facilities, said Mazars.
Key customers were lost and, following the onset of coronavirus last month, its entire driver training operation began to slowly shut down as training tests could not take place.
The firm, which also used the trading name PB Driver Training, hit a cashflow crisis due to the absence of alternative work being readily available.
Nearly three weeks after the directors decided to place the business into liquidation, Tim Ball and Mike Field of Mazars were appointed as joint liquidators by the firm’s creditors.
Mr Ball said: “It is sad to see a company like PB Transport Solutions fail as it is a business that has successfully traded for a number of years. External factors have impacted this business which has, in its most recent year, been profitable.
“Unfortunately, given a very significant drop off in trade, the company has run out of cash and the directors had to make the difficult decision to enter liquidation to prevent the position for creditors worsening.”
According to its accounts for the 12 months to April 30, 2019, PB Transport Solutions had fixed assets of £162,491 and current assets of just over £130,000.
As well as LGV/HGV and forklift driving courses, PB Driver Training also delivered first aid and aviation security training.
