Commercial fleet briefs: Latest from XPO, Vanaways, Ford, Warburtons and Tiger Trailers

Warburtons adds rigid box vans to its fleet

Tiger Trailers is supplying Warburtons with 38 rigid box vans to join its nationwide fleet of vehicles delivering bread to 18,500 stores across the country every day.

Built on 14-tonne Daf chassis from Lancashire Daf, each rigid is fitted with Warburtons-specification racking along its sides, along with adjustable centre aisle load bars to suit the customer’s loading requirements.

The rigids also boast crew doors on each side of the body’s rear to expedite the loading process, access to which is covered with a hinged alloy floor section, maximising load capacity.

The Dhollandia tail lift aids drivers with large loads, and the two Labcraft B3 Banksman reversing lights help in low-light conditions. They are finished in Warburtons’ trademark orange, painted in house at Tiger.

Steve Gray, head of transport at Warburtons, said: “We have taken delivery of 10 of the vans already and are very impressed with the final product. We are looking forward to a further 28 due joining our fleet in spring this year.” 

Tom Stott, technical sales manager at Tiger Trailers, added: “It’s been a pleasure to work closely with Steve and his team at Warburtons.

“At Tiger we are proud to offer competitive lead times, and guarantee a premium product without compromising on quality. To have done so for one of the UK’s most-recognisable brands is something to be celebrated, and we are hopeful to build on the relationship we have established with Steve and Warburtons in the future.”

Ten of Warburtons’ new Tiger rigids, delivered in late 2023, can already be seen out on the roads, operating out of several of Warburtons’ 22 nationwide depots.

XPO Logistics expands longer semi-trailer fleet

XPO Logistics has introduced 30 additional longer semi-trailer (LST) vehicles in the UK and Ireland while reducing CO2e emissions by almost 1,000 tonnes or 7 million kilogrammes annually.

The specialised LSTs boost capacity by 180% compared to a single deck trailer, improving operational efficiency and environmental performance.

Dan Myers, managing director for the UK and Ireland at XPO Logistics, said: “We’re finding ways of improving our environmental performance through rigour, challenge and partnership. Step by step, we are decarbonising our customer’s supply chains.”

XPO Logistics offers end-to-end logistics solutions that combine full-truckload, less-than-truckload, pallet distribution, last-mile delivery, global freight forwarding, and warehousing services.

Ford’s Make it Visible mental health campaign ‘transforms lives’

Latest figures from Ford’s Make it Visible (MiV) mental health campaign, in partnership with the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, demonstrate its vital role in improving mental health and wellbeing within the industry.

The vehicle manufacturer collaborated with the Lighthouse Charity to raise awareness of resources and support available to the construction industry, to help workers with their mental health and wellbeing.

MiV’s Ford Transit Custom vans, driven by the charity’s Make it Visible team have visited 600 sites in the past 18 months, engaged with over 37,000 workers, and provided critical intervention support to 284 at-risk individuals.

The Ford vans have ensured that the charity is able to reach more sites to deliver wellbeing advice and signpost construction workers to the wealth of support available.

Mandy Dean, commercial vehicles director for Ford of Britain and Ireland, said: “Witnessing our vans evolve into symbols of hope and support and hitting milestones, fills us with a deep sense of pride and greater responsibility.

“This campaign reflects our collective commitment to positive social impact and shaping a better future for the communities we serve.” 

Lighthouse Charity is exploring more ways to deliver the MiV message, including a dedicated vehicle for construction-related trade shows and exhibitions.

Trinity Surfacing invests in fleet to support growth

A highways surfacing firm in Kent has chosen a new vehicles partner as it looks to grow the business over the next decade.

Trinity Surfacing was founded in Rochester in February 2018 and has since reached turnover £16.8 million in its latest financial year, ending last July, with staff numbers growing to 70.

The company is targeting 20-30% growth year-on-year for the next 10 years, through a mixture of UK-wide contracts with commercial developers and highway works with local authorities.

To support its growth Trinity has chosen Bristol-based Vanaways as its supplier of vans going forward, starting with one new welfare vehicle – a Fiat Ducato 2.2 Multijet 140 – and a Ford Transit Connect L2, and likely to run to a further 6-10 vehicles over the next year.

Ben Bridges, director at Trinity Surfacing, said: “We have tight timelines, but Vanaways have gone above and beyond expectations to expedite the process, minimising any potential disruptions to our operations.

“We’re continually investing in our fleet, including changing our vans which aren’t ULEZ compliant, so we’ll be speaking to Vanaways much more in future.”

Liam Nicholas, business development director at Vanaways, added: “This welfare van for Trinity Surfacing will provide site teams with the facilities they need to do their job properly.

“We’d like to thank Victory Conversions for their help getting the vehicle ready in quick timescales – the customer is delighted with the speed of our service and our partnership with Victory has been crucial.”

Fleet managers with panel vans required for research programme

Ford is looking for five fleet managers working to contribute to research being conducted by the manufacturer.

Fleets interested in taking part, must have at least five vehicles on their fleet, one of which must a 2-tonne panel van, and operate in the construction or service and maintenance sectors.

Participants will be required to attend the Ford HQ in Dunton up to four times per year, which they will be paid £250 for each visit and participate in online sessions and surveys as required. 

A spokesperson said: “It's a great opportunity to get involved in the future of van design which previous participants have really enjoyed.” 

Email Katie@weseethrough.com for further information.